This is the final instalment of Jonathan Blaustein’s guest post series. Please give him a big fat follow on the Twitter @JBlauPhoto
I was in North London a couple of weeks ago, staying just off the Holloway Road.
I hadn’t been back in 6 years, and the neighbourhood had certainly gentrified.
The London Metropolitan University put up a bunch of high-rise dorm buildings, since last I was there.
Shiny and modern, for sure.
I was walking along the Holloway Road, on a Tuesday morning, trying to figure out which lane led to the Emirates Stadium, as I’d only ever found it accidentally.
When I hit the first major crossroads, I looked to the left, but the road was curved, so I couldn’t see very far, and anyway, I didn’t see a stadium-top.
I was headed to buy some merch for myself and the kids, and when I looked across the street, those fancy new buildings caught my eye.
So much so that I raised my new iPhone to take a photograph.
As I went to snap the photo, a nice middle-aged Englishwoman walking behind me stopped, looked at the image on my screen, looked up, saw the buildings, and then said, “That’s a lovely photograph! So great of you to notice it. That’s really art!”
Of course that began a conversation, as I accompanied her to her office at the college in a building up the block.
I continued Southeast on the Holloway Road, trying to find the damn stadium.
I passed one intersection, because I couldn’t see it, and took the next one instead.
Finally, I saw signs, and followed them, dejected, as we seemed to walking just back where I came from.
(And I was in a time crunch as well.)
Sure enough, I finally saw the stadium gleaming in the London morning sun, and realized it was exactly where I’d just been.
I’d gone out of my way, and essentially walked in a circle, to get back to where I started. Only by the time I got there, I was annoyed, rather than excited.
Did I go into the Arsenal store anyway?
Yes, yes I did.
I bought things from the bargain bin, if you’re wondering, because all the cool new clothes were branded with the new marketing slogan “Kings of London.”
Kings of London.
(Pause.)
Kings of London?
Are you fucking kidding me?
By what possible metric are Arsenal the best team in town? Let’s be honest.
Right now, we’re #3.
I know it. You know it.
And so do all the players who are going to sign for new teams this summer.
What kind of player, or better yet, what actual player will want to sign on for the Unai Emery era, if they’re also being recruited by City, Chelsea, Liverpool, or Tottenham?
Who would choose Arsenal over those teams, to join the Emery experiment, now that we’ll be in the Europa League for the 3rd consecutive year, and we just pulled a massive double-choke in the Premier and Europa Leagues.
So we’re clear, I’ve written a column here all year long. I was consistent. Let’s give Emery a year and see what he produces. Maybe his chokes at PSG were a thing of the past.
Maybe we were getting a bruised-but-still-high-end-talent who’s ready for redemption?
Like a Pre-Liverpool Klopp?
That was wishful thinking for a best case scenario, to mix my business jargon. And now, in early June, it has been proven farcical.
I know there were a few small green shoots this year, like beating Chelsea, Tottenham and ManU, and drawing with Liverpool.
And I guess PEA co-won the Golden Boot, and Laca emerged as awesome.
Guendouzi was fun, and Torriera had a few proper runs.
But now that I’ve gone through the pretense of looking at both sides, I’m here to say that if I were in charge of Arsenal, I’d be firing Unai Emery.
Now.
If Stan and Josh, much less Raul, want anyone to believe that accountability has returned to Arsenal, you can’t keep on a coach who oversaw that type of collapse.
Not after Late-Wenger.
Say this for the old man, at least he bagged those 3 FA Cups.
To choke as badly as Arsenal did at the end of the season, (not to mention PEA’s penalty choke against Tottenham,) will stain Unai Emery’s credibility forever.
He’s tarnished goods, for absolute certain, and his ceiling for greatness was likely limited to begin with.
Really, who was banging for “Emeryball” before he was hired?
Coach was a last-second panic hire by Gazidis, to get us out of the Europa League.
And it didn’t work.
So now, rather than wasting more time trying to slowly walk back the soft comfort that Wenger created, it’s time for a new, fresh, hard-working, grinder of a coach with a dynamic offensive AND defensive philosophy.
Someone the players will go to war for.
If I sound a lot like Pedro, it’s because I agree with him completely.
Sweep the decks.
Start over before you walk too many blocks in the wrong direction.
Because the truth is, when that lady interrupted me on the Holloway Road?
I was 150 meters from the stadium, and my camera was set to video.
I never got that photograph, and I walked right past the stadium, because I got distracted by a cute and comfortable little moment.
It seemed harmless at the time, but it cost me twenty minutes of wasted walking.
That’s what this year felt like, now that it’s done.
A fucking waste, with no trophies.
Start over, and do it right this time, before we’re looking at Everton and Watford and Wolves thinking, “Wow, how did they get ahead of us? We’ll have to work pretty hard to make sure we qualify for the Europa League again.”
That’s the cold truth.
We need our own Sean McVay.
And we need him now.
Remember to follow @JBlauPhoto!
Mid
Bar down street has on order the “Low Life”.
Well shot of Turkey and a PBR can for $3usd.
Thats a steal in NYC.
Words
You’re just jealous that you won’t be invited!
Marc Always the possibility with these types of cases for sure, but with this one it’s not looking to be the case if you look at the messages sent back and forth at length. The video she released as well shows nothing but her hitting him in fact, I’m not sure how she thought that would do anything but hurt her case. She was laughing in the video with him literally just seconds before she hit him multiple times and flung something at his head. My guess is he was an asshole and treated her just like any other girl… Read more »
“Purely against Crystal Palace, the setup was horrendous. Wrong personnel, wrong tactic, wrong time to switch system.”
Mavropanos at home against Benteke was bad but you would have played Osei-tutu against Hazard in a final?
Valentin, your hatred towards Emery is making you say things CG would be ashamed to say.
‘Been on the Eagle Rare of late’
Good choice that.
Always hated American whiskies till someone introduced me to Woodford Reserve…
azed
Now the threat of that would actually make me behave.
“It was similar to the defeat against Rennes when Sokratis was sent off and Emery made very poor tactical decisions which led to us conceding 3 goals..”
We were one man down Pierre…. you are smarter than this.
azed
I just wish for the days under Wenger when we never lost a match and had a manager who never made a tactical mistake.
“Preferably Lagavulin”
Yes Sal. Or Laphroaig. Smoky peaty deliciousness.
Bourbon is good too, but a little sweet for my palate. Unless it’s in a Manhattan.
Pedro –
Eagle Rare is a good one..
Sal-
Wild Turkey is legendary for causing blackouts.. We have something similar here called the mind eraser.. no idea what beer they use .. probably something cheap.
First of many cock-ups to come from De Ligt over the next few years.
England go one up
Raiola just threw his TV out window with that.
De Ligstafi
Rashford is certainly making De Ligt look pretty bad.
The fact that Babel still starts for the Netherlands tells you all you need to know about how far away they still are even if there have been shoots of recovery with the Ajax generation.
No CF either which is crazy when you look at their history of Bergkamp, Kluivert, Hasselbaink, Makaay, Van Nistelrooy, Van Persie, Huntelaar within the last 20 odd years.
Funny how a great performance against England can really put a player on the international map, Eriksen’s MOTM performance at 19 springs to mind as well as Xavi dominating the golden gen of Gerrard, Lampard, etc in a friendly back in 04 or 05.
That English media exposure innit.
Danny S I think we all realised how difficult it was going to be for Emery but I have to admit, he fudged up big time season end. I was annoyed by so many aspects of the EL Final and our PL capitulation but, after reflection, I realise we have to give Emery one more season to try and rectify matters. If the cracks widen during this period, then he has to go. No qualms about it. The club is at a crossroads in so many aspects of its operation but Emery should be given a fair crack of the… Read more »
WE – Ljungberg as well for Sweden back in 98.
Paulinho
Yep.
And it wasn’t exactly Muller/Ozil’s breakout party as they were already fairly well known [Muller was actually criticised beforehand as he wasn’t great in the crunch for Bayern in 09/10 season] but they really exploded in fame after the 4-1 win over England in the 2010 WC.
Zlatan’s legend also ascended to new heights after the 4 goal show [including possibly the best bicycle kick I’ve ever seen] he put up against you fellas.
Arsenal are set to face plenty of competition for Claude-Maurice with Monaco, Lille, Rennes, Frankfurt, Mainz, Borussia Monchengladbach and Norwich City all rumoured to be tracking him.
We are well settled into the EL it seems.
“Makaay”
Lord, they would kill for him now. What a player.
Guy was basically another Van Nistelrooy.
Ridiculous the amount of quality players there were back then, going under the radar.
Lillie who signed Pepe for £10m just 2 years ago?
Rennes who signed Sarr for £17m?
Monaco who signed Lemar for £3m?
Norwich who signed Maddison for £2.6m?
Frankfurt who signed Jovic for £6m?
I would say we’re in good company.
gambon
The point being that we are competing for players that typically go to smaller clubs first. We are no longer the highest rung of the ladder.
Paulinho Funny isn’t it. Deportivo La Coruna were seen as a bit of a hipster side and they won La Liga the season that they signed Makaay in 1999-2000. Finished in runners up the following two seasons and 3rd the following couple of seasons after that. And they were virtually unknown the times that they cropped up in the CL knockouts, unfathomable now with the hype that even sides finishing in 3rd/4th every season generate in the top leagues and the players for them. Was seen as possibly the biggest upset in CL history when they smashed Milan 4-0 in… Read more »
‘We are no longer the highest rung of the ladder.’
Where have you been for the last decade and a half mate? Just up from a coma?
This city CL ban seems to have legs
Graham Oh yes I fully agree that Emery absolutely has to prove his mettle this season. He has to show his doubters that it was down to the mental strength of the team more than his own management. First test is the transfer window. If we still have mustafi, Xhaka and Ozil come September I will be considerably less optimistic. Then, come December if we are floundering in 5th or below then we can get on his case big time and the board need to look at replacing him. He deserves at least his contract to give it a go.… Read more »
The complete fraud Emery sacked yet?
Sancho is dream wide player…
England playing really well here. How much has Sterling improved these last couple years? Incredible.
Alarming that this Andersen and Praet rumors seem to have some serious legs.
Dissenter
What have you heard about the City thing?
Sancho is ridiculous, put up absolutely insane numbers for an 18 year old this season across the board.
Best teenager in football for my money with M’Bappe hitting the 2-0.
Marc –
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48546882
WE – Yeah Depor was just filled to the brim with quality technical players that had an edge to them. Same with Valencia.
We had some battles with them and remember the class Leeds side having some good matches with them as well.
I remember Harry Kewell ending our season with a rocket.
You should also try rye, Pedro, it is breakfast of champions. A good quality small batch rye will make your taste buds sing, try the rye from Alberta Distillers and you never go back to inferior booze.
Hmmmm.
Is Depay worth a punt??
Anyone??
Since we gotta do this transfer window like thrift shoppers he seems like the decent Ted Baker jumper in TK max going for cheap
🧐🧐
Jamie
Cheers – that’s really interesting they’re appealing against being referred for investigation. Sounds more than a little like they’re worried about what might be found out, will UEFA have the balls to go all out on them?
Marc –
I think that’s the question on everyone’s lips.
Their commercial revenue is fraudulent though. They became the richest club with the highest spending power within 2 seasons. Their success on the pitch in the early Sheikh years didn’t marry up with the commercial deals they were lining up.
Why aren’t Leicester swimming in new commercial deals now they’ve won the league?
Banford
Apparently nobody is capable of proving Emery’s fault in our final 6 games, or final.
Well, that’s according to whatever evidence you’re desperately in search of..
Just what are you looking for to determine Emery’s fallibility in getting 4 points from our remaining 18, and getting absolutely cunted in a cup final we had to win.
Just saw your comment on being a rye man, Pedro, ignore my earlier ignorant comment. Rye is best spirits, tho Maker’s Mark is close second.
That says a lot about DeLigt. He caused a goal and he scores a goal.
Nope.
Has to be single malt, has to be scotch and has to be drunk in an Edinburgh pub in winter.
“Has to be single malt, has to be scotch and has to be drunk in an Edinburgh pub in winter.“
Hard to deny this..
England wins. God saves the Queen!
I split my time between London and Edinburgh (wife is Scottish).
Malt whisky flows like water around these parts.
Shit! VAR. Maybe offside.
“Yes Sal. Or Laphroaig. Smoky peaty deliciousness.”
Indeed Jamie its all about the Islay smoke fest for me,
Lagavulin, Laphroaig, Bowmore.
Certainly won’t snub my nose at a smoother Speyside Balvenie though.
Best stuff in the world.
Lingard offside. No goal
I always find it comical when in an American film someone pulls out a dusty ‘bottle of malt’ glenfiddich 10 yr old like it’s something special.
Wouldn’t put that in my haggis neeps and tatties whisky sauce.
Sal, you are speaking my language! Wish I could show you a pic of my bar. Several bottles of Lagavulin, Bowmore and Laphroaig staring at me right now.
RH
One is decidedly average, while the other will be too slow for the EPL
19/20 – Hello mediocrity
Hello Talisker my old friend..
Depay could of been a hero there.
Jamie
UEFA is one of the most corrupt organisations on the planet and there are some seriously powerful clubs in Europe who City have / are pissing off. I wouldn’t be surprised if they really go after them.
There are a core of posters on here who have already made their minds up regarding Emery.
This proves, in so many ways, why we are seen as a complete and utter joke by the rest of the footballing world. That’s right, a joke of a club with joke supporters.
I suppose the rest of us have to sit back and accept that it is because so many of our fans have this delusional and somewhat arrogant outlook of our club, that we find ourselves in such a predicament.
You couldn’t make it up.
Shit. Defense skrewed up!
I never like Stone. He is too loose.
Graham
Meanwhile I can only assume you’re an apparent advert of what an Arsenal fan should aspire to be?
How’s the weather up in that lofty tower of yours?
Shit!!! Another error. The team is killing himself.
Transfer window reminds me of last season’s toast of players.
Sergei Milinkovic-Savic (SMS) who plays in serie A. (forgotten the club) Man Utd were willing to pay over €100m for him.
Gelson Martins, Rui Patricio and my favorite William Carvalho. Guy is slow when u watch him but he’s very effective and covers a lot of grounds.
Anyone with one to remember?
Banega and Nzonzi to add to the list.
Come talk to me about how John Stones is way better than Holding…..
John Stones may be better a technical player than Holding, but I don’t think that he is a better defender.
Talking about your favorite beverages, anytime one of u visit Ghana, ask for our local him called “akpeteshi”. After u take it, u have to tell your story😁😁😀
Valentin
“John Stones may be better a technical player than Holding, but I don’t think that he is a better defender.”
Poor match.
Got caught on the ball for the second goal then played a silly pass to Barkley that caused the third.
We saw both sides of De Ligt tonight.
Very poor defensively for England’s penalty.
But he is such a danger coming forward and comfortable on the ball.
Does any team pay the silly prices quoted for him when he is not even a complete defender yet.
He has plenty of work to do on the defensive side of his game which you would think important as he is a CB.
Nice that he scores goals but still lacking defensively.
@Ishola
John Stones always commit the same type of mistakes. Not aggressive enough and bad decision when on the ball.
However that also highlight why man marking at set pieces is a system that will become deprecated. Unless the entire team is full of tall quick aggressive switched-on players, any mistake by a single player will end up with a goal conceded.
@Ishola
De Ligt had one concentration lapse and made one mistake. However for the rest he and VVD were way above both England defenders in term of anticipation, blocking any threats, quality with the ball.
Valentin De Ligt shows vulnerablity at times in other matches as well. He and the Ajax defence crumbled before our eyes in the second half against Spurs. He makes defensive errors and he isn’t an 80m CB based purely on his defensive attributes. People rave about him really because he’s a bit of a monster coming forward meeting freekicks and crosses/corners with his head and scoring goals. Also comfortable on the ball. Of course he can improve defensively given his age and his ceiling can be very high but I think right at this time he is very overpriced. The… Read more »
This game has shown why having players comfortable on the ball who can receive the ball under pressure, on the half turn and break lines is so important.
It also show the need for dynamic midfielders who can recycle the ball, move and create angles and option to whoever has the ball.
Holland were ok in the match.
England were very average.
These guys have their minds on their summer holidays now.
United just increased the wages of just signed Daniel James [from Swansea] from 4k weekly to 67k weekly.
They are really behaving like a Chinese super league club.
“Got caught on the ball for the second goal then played a silly pass to Barkley that caused the third.”
Stone was also too soft for the first goal. He let De Ligt ran pass him. Then he just watched. Another defender would hell onto his shirt or pushed him or held his hand.
Dissenter
If you just landed an 18 mil move to United in 2019 I’d sack my agent if I was on less that 50k.
Not sure your Chinese super league jab is at all accurate, or sensible.
I’m just glad the knee jerk reactions advocated here won’t come to pass and emery will be given a season to show wether he is up to snuff or not, regardless of all the bitching going on in here.
I think eagles said it the best
“All this bitching and moaning a pitching a fit, get over it”
So if Hazard, with one year left on his contract is worth €88m to Real, how much is Eriksen, also with one year left on his contract, worth to them?
Not €88m but £88m
if we are getting players from the bundealiga, let’s not point to them being in the team of the season. Mustafi, xhaka and kola have made that list as reliable as a hairless toothbrush.
Given our recent history, we have had more success from the Spanish league rather than the German one.
“Preferably Lagavulin in this house,”
Amen.
https://arseblog.com/2019/06/tactics-column-unai-emerys-colour-blind-chameleon/
I would recommend Lewis Ambrose column here. It clears up my confusion on my thoughts of Emery.
If Emery is willing to tough out his early season approach, I probably would have been a lot more Emery-in. Even if it meant losing out on a CL spot. Because it would have felt as if we were at least building on something instead of accomplishing nothing.
Here are the recorded bids:
£25m William Saliba
£10m Alex Claude-Maurice
£44m Dennis Praet and Joachim Anderson
Is this for real?
“Unai Emery quizzes players and coaches during inquest into Arsenal’s end of season collapse”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7114095/Unai-Emery-quizzes-players-coaches-inquest-Arsenals-end-season-collapse.html
Emery should look at himself with a double dose of introspection.
as well as………
Talking to many knowledgeable posters here at Le Grove- not dim-witted trolls led by Pierre, though.
The answers are not difficult to work out.
Tony nothing wrong with a coach asking people around him what they believe went wrong. Doesn’t mean he is clueless as to the reasons, just seeking alternate viewpoints.
All the reliable outlets in Italy now reporting an accepted 50m euro bid for Praet and Andersen.
The sampdoria president asking for time until they appoint a new coach.
RH
I agree.
What was he going to say?
“Enjoy your holidays”
I hear you RH but it wasn’t rocket science what went wrong – just poor management on Emery’s part.
Tony well you better hope those he is asking tell him that then.
Also reports that of all the clubs interested in Carrasco we are the most persistent. Reports coming out of Belgium that is.
The general belief this season is that we are after a LB, B2B player, CD, Wide attacker.
Everything I read about Praet makes me think about Elneny.
Raul is not that daft.
It’s either we are not after Praet at all or we are using him as a smoke screen.
Tony
In the reign of Wenger, we would have been bemoaning him because he would take no accountability or make no acknowledgments that anything had even gone wrong.
It would have been a shrug of the shoulders and some excuse about fatigue.
No manager in any walk of life knows everything. And although emery probably knows exactly what went wrong, he wants to get the opinions of some of the other people that matter. That sort of insight can be invaluable as you never know what it can bring up.
And my only thought regarding Praet is maybe someone has looked at his season with Torreira and noticed they had some kind of magical midfield understanding.
If we pay £50m for him and a defender that’s only £25 which won’t get you much in today’s market in the way of a CM
Lillie who signed Pepe for £10m just 2 years ago? Rennes who signed Sarr for £17m?Monaco who signed Lemar for £3m? Norwich who signed Maddison for £2.6m? __ Hindsight is good. Surely there were many such deals each year. For ten success stories, how many flopped? Besides, who in scouting and management have the diamond eyes? Wenger did sign some kids (18+) though none really worked out ,at least while at Arsenal! __ …reporting an accepted 50m euro bid for Praet and Andersen. Seems no other top/good clubs going for them. Another couple of ‘duds’ in the making? In any… Read more »
Danny 25m will get you a midfielder with a higher ceiling and a defined speciality
I don’t know why Praet has been targeted but I am not excited by it.
Danny S If the coaches were not Emery’s ‘yes’ men, I would agree that an inquest into the last 2 months of the season was essential. Emery made several poor decisions beginning with the Palace game – tactically and team selection and not using youth when it was glaringly obvious he should have. This ‘after-the-fact’ inquest is a pure waste of time and more of emery spreading the blame. Like I said it’s not rocket science what went wrong. At least Freddie is being promoted so let’s hope Emery listens to him. Emery should never have been allowed to bring… Read more »
Looking at praet and Anderson stats, they seem to both be solid. And at the end of the day, after having a season of headless chickens parading the pitch maybe that’s what we need?
Neither are going to set the world alight individually , but hopefully playing in a team they will be reliable.
We arnt going to unearth a Mbappe in every position. We need to stabilise the team unit first.
Danny S
Tony is right. Such an “inquest” happens because Emery wants to get his players to “reflect”.
I.E. He blames them and he wants them to look at themselves.
Not his training.
Not his coaching instructions.
And if there is a real inquest, it wouldn’t be made public, dropping conveniently to some click bait papers.