All eyes on Emery’s tactics

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courtesy @allthatchas

The final hurrah of Nacho Monreal sadly will NOT be scoring a 32-yard screamer against Spurs tomorrow. The Spanish left back will instead be heading back to sunnier climes, choosing Real Sociedad to see out his career.

I think I speak for most Arsenal fans… no… ALL Arsenal fans, even you @BREXITGOONER1 (my dad), when I say: Bit of an odd one, this.

We’re banking on Kola learning how to defend, and we’re putting a lot of chips on Tierney  1) Adapting to the league like VVD 2) Breezing past his fitness challenges of the last year.

Still, it is what it is. Nacho is getting on a bit and his hamstrings and body parts will all be a touch more brittle than in the past. I’d imagine he’s at that age when you grunt when you pick up a slipper and he’s at that age when the slipper is probably his. He’s also probably wearing those slippers to the newspaper shop as well. Age is a bitch, but damn, we’ll do it in M&S levels of comfort.

I get the logic behind not having 3 left backs as well, we can’t keep pumping money into the ether. I just thought that if anyone set a great example for professionalism at the club, it was Nacho. He never let us down. He was a true warrior. He was an excellent player.

I remember about 5 years ago, Arsenal let a bunch of us interview him. His English was a bit broken and he was asked a question about what he thought we needed.

‘Someone who can score more than 20 goals a season regularly’, then his agent whispered something to him and he backtracked as hard as his words would allow. We went off the record so as not to cause a stir. But today, I’m causing a stir because Giroud is at Chelsea and who really cares this far out?

Manchester United drew with Southampton today. A great start to a big weekend for Arsenal. Only thing that’s bothering me there is that OGS is going to end up getting sacked before Christmas if he doesn’t pick things up a little. Would love him to have the whole season. Give him a chance, Ed.

The news coming out of the Spurs camp is delightful. Poch is unhappy. His team is disrupted. He has four players angling for an exit, names like Aurier, Eriksen, Vertonghen and Toby. Their squad is finally picking up injuries, there should be no Ndombele, Dier or right back tomorrow. The press were asking if he’d leave this week.

Spurs are there for the taking.

My hope is that Emery can avoid being timid in this game. I don’t want to see us lined up with a deep block on the edge of our box. I don’t want to see us persisting with playing out the back if it looks like Spurs have that sussed. I don’t want us playing for a quick counter-attack at home.

We have the tools in our squad to play to win. Spurs are in a bit of a hole, if we gift them too much respect, we’ll make it hard for ourselves. When confidence is shaken, strike hard and strike first. Test their collective resolve.

I talk like Spurs are totally shite, chances are they’ll turn up because of the magnitude of the game. I just hope we’re positive. Emery plays with too much fear and indecision in big games. I hope that’s just Liverpool jitters… because the fans are not going to gift him a 50/50 split on tomorrow regardless of what he does tactically. It’s a must-win against a team that finished 1 point ahead of us last season.

Win this, and we’re telling the league that we’re here for the top 3 this year, lose, and you’ll start to worry if Emery has the beans to push the squad forward this season.

Our underlying stats have been poor this season. You only have to take a cursory looks across the numbers sites to see that we’re not in great shape. This from Statsbomb.

‘It’s well known that shot rates tend to increase as matches progress, so even when you see a 30-plus shot beatdown, most of the time, the shots get racked up in the second half. And that’s true here. Only four times in 2018-19 did a team reach the half time point having allowed 15 or more shots.’

That number above is quite staggering to read when you’re setting up to stifle attempts at your goal. Add to that, Arsenal has turned the ball over in their own half more than any other team in the league, and you can see a problem brewing. I say brewing because Liverp0ol was a particularly bad execution of what could be passed off as a new strategy against a new rule (I am reaching so badly for the Emeryista here).

A pal in my ArsenalMensSupport chat groups pointed out, Arsenal’s lack of expenditure at the back this summer points to a club not taking defence particularly seriously. The statistics early on this season point, mapped against last, point to a manager not capable of creating a defensive structure that can serve an elite team.

I don’t know what the exact solve is, but my amateur thoughts have led me to this:

  1. Be less predictable. If you play out the back every time, you make it easy to set up against. Being dedicated to an idea is commendable, but if it’s not working, mix things up. It shouldn’t take 80mins for a keeper to go long once. Even mix up the variety of how you do it. You can play from the back and have a more vertical approach.
  2. Do it faster. If you are slow and methodical at moving it out the back, you let teams reset, which again, makes it easy to play against you.
  3. Stop playing staff that are prone to being targeted. Xhaka is well known to be awful when put under pressure. Stop playing him.

Let’s see what Emery has in store tomorrow. He’s a tactically flexible coach, he needs to think a little deeper about what he wants from his defence this year. Hopefully, there’s a simple solution he can adopt.

In other news, Elneny is off to Turkey. Nice guy, about as useful to the squad as a motivational bus driver. Mustafi did not leave, an absolutely disgraceful indictment on his passion for the game. I really hope Emery doesn’t start using him. Keep him frozen out. Mesut Ozil also didn’t leave, he’ll be a bit part this season until he moves on to DC. Say what you will about the German, he’s at least useful.

Finally, listen to our pre-Spurs pod.

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Luteo Guenreira

It’s hard to believe Son and Park Chu Young were from the same country, such is the gap in their quality.

DaleDaGooner

Three capable strikers and we put shit like Xhaka behind them

Un na naai

Pepe the only man looking like a goal

Paulinho

Problem with Guendouzi left midfield is that he can’ do anything in the final third. So he’s high up the pitch, leaving space behind, yet doing absolutely nothing of note. Prime for counters and raggedness.

Guns of SF

Xhaka needs his ass kicked in the locker room at halfrime

Danish Gooner

i cant wait for Saliba an Upemecano and even now Rob Holding and Kieran T and Bellerin will be a massive upgrade.

Chris

Get in!!!!!

Samesong

Needed that!!!!!

Leftsidesanch

Thats it boys!!!!!

raptora

LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Marko

Scratch that he can do that

Danny

At last!

useroz

Fuck the spuds

1 back

2 to go

Guns of SF

That is more like it FUCK

karim

Fuck off !
Laca saves the day

Dissenter

I said take Laca off

…and then he scores 😊😊😊😊

MidwestGun

And that’s why Laca is in the game… azzholes.

TR7

Pepe has looked more like Gervinho MK II than Robben MK II.

Dream always goes after Laca but he is the man. Get in

raptora

Pepe to Laca!!!!!

Samesong

Beauty

karim

Pepe assist

moray

get in

Just Another Customer

That power that pent up frustration.

I CAME!

Leftsidesanch

We went in at 2-1 last year and won 4-2. Need to channel the fighting spirit and go for it next half.

Wardo

Three touch’s from lava

Absolute quality lacs

Champagne charlie

Good shout Marko, whalloper

Ishola70

Well done Laca

Guns of SF

too bad half time

N5

Ha ha Dissenter, now say take someone else off, see if you can 2 for 2 it.

Peckobill

Emery has to go just for the fact he can’t see for shit that xhaka is far too cumbersome and clumsy for this league

Dissenter

Spuds arent all that we need to get at them.
No fear

Atkinson is a bloody joke. That was a penalty

Marko

It wasn’t a 2-0 performance we deserved that. Now take off Xhaka and bring on Ceballos

Valentin

Lacazette really goes alive in the penalty box.
He deserved his goal for his sheer amount of work he does.

James wood

Lacazette asked to do something that is alien to his game.
Tackle back?
He coudn’t Tackle the top of a rice pudding.?
I feel for him.
That’s where he should be in the fucking box.good goal.

Jamie

Fuck we needed that so bad.

Un na naai

Why would you take off lacazette when we are chasing goals??
Stupid move

Aubameyang plays better with him
Take off xakha and bring on Ceballos
Get some imagination going

Ishola70

That’s where Laca is at his best.

Tight areas in the box.

MidwestGun

Fuckin gifted them both their goals is what is pissing me off.. didn’t deserve either one.

S Asoa

Accurate assist from Pepe. Finish only like Laca can.
Nevertheless
Fuck off Emery and take Xhaka to the showers .

Batistuta

Tr7

Pepe looks like Gervinho just after what 2 games….That’s about as stupid a statement as anyone can make

China1

Who was it on here yesterday making excuses for xhaka that the manager doesn’t set up the right system/tactics for him?

Fucking joker lol

Bad tactics and formations don’t make you a total moron or a bad footballer

TheLegendaryDB10

Yeahhhhhhhh! Comme on Laca!!!

Back in the game!!!!

Leftsidesanch

Chambers and Holding will probably be our most competant cb pairing. Can’t see them being as error ridden as our current choice.

Chris

Wasn’t it 2-1 to them at half time last season? Gotta have the hope! It would help taking Xhaka off at half time also!

I would have absolutely no defence of Emery if he continued to persist with that clown.

Dissenter

Xhaka should never bet anywhere near the captains band
if Emery doesn’t get this then he needs to be fired before the season is over.

We should be aiming to sign his replacement by January.

I cannot believe he made that challenge

Un na naai

Yeeeeah

Take who off you fucking muppets??

Get in laca you fucking diamond

Take off laca? Dumb cunts

Sid

Xhaka is to emery what Denilson was to wenger

Danny M.O

Emery amd xhaka are dead to me. Cant have xhaka in a midfied 3. You cant have hime at the base to chase players in a counter attack. Ypu basically cnt have him anywhere.

We would be level if it wasnt for that twat.

Alexanderhenry

Disjointed and undisciplined at the back from arsenal but it’s game on.
Xhaka off surely. I’d bring on Ceballos.

Nelson

Kola is useless there. Guen plays good. He covers most spaces.

Guns of SF

Yes both there goals were avoidable completely
Need a response right out of the gates now

China1

Laca might not be world class but his ability to make a yard of space under pressure surely is

Batistuta

Also Emery is the biggest idiot on the planet after Arsene Wenger who bought him for still playing Xhaka in 2019… Stupid Stupid Stupid

Just Another Customer

Yeah his trust in Xhaka surpass even some of affection previous lovechilds received.

It’s beyond belief. To make him captain is even more daft and baffling.

Leftsidesanch

Pepe and Laca shutting up the premature silly comments from people who are desperate to want to be the first to say shit.

Micheal

Take Xhaka off FFS, stick Toerriera as the holding CM and bring on Cellabos.

WengerEagle

Clutch goal by Laca there, gives us something to chase in the 2nd half.

What a fucking bellend Xhaka is, him and Leno nearly singe-handedly costing us here with errors but you can forgive Leno’s quicker than that braindead lunge for the pen from Xhaka.

Cesc Appeal

Lacazette has pulled this back for us.

Sokratis and Leno at fault for the first goal.

Then…Xhaka. Don’t remember exactly what Neville said but something about an experienced player who never seems to gain experience.

But, Emery is to blame, unnecessarily negative with that midfield 3 and he chose to play Xhaka.

Xhaka has been the worst of the midfield 3 so I would take him off for Dani Ceballos and really go at them.

DaleDaGooner

Laca should and deserves to play the 90, i hope Emery has the balls to pull Guendouzi and Xhaka at some part. Xhaka now and Guendouzi in 10mins into the second half. Willock/Nelson and Ceballos for me. Torreira should stay back and play the defensive shield.

Champagne charlie

We conceded 50 goals last season, nothing tells me we won’t concede similar this season.

There’s no shape, no idea of what’s happening, and a defensive unit with Luiz, Sokratis, Xhaka, Torreira, and Kolasinac panicking is wet dream for a mistake waiting to happen.

Guns of SF

I would say Guen plays too much on the edge of the box….. sometimes he should get in there… draw a foul with his spastic style… how knows…

Jamie

Just get Xhaka off the pitch immediately. Drive him home, lock the door. Whatever it takes.

Win the first 2 games where Xhaka is absent. Comes back into the side, we’ve shipped 5 goals and counting in the next 2 games. Coincidence? I think not.

Up 4 grabs now

Never again should Xhaka wear an arsenal shirt.
Absolute disgrace.
Cellabos on at half time for that useless piece of tobelerone munching clogger.

DaleDaGooner

Papas and what’s the point of AMN too? Th first shot at Leno was right in front of AMN……another one that should not be playing defense for us.

Un na naai

I’m done with xakha

Done. We’ve got too many accidents in this team still. Alright against Europa teams but just not at it in the premier league
Had enough now.

Moe

Boy this Xhaka guy is really thick. What a fuckin dunce. Good for Emery for being as idiotic as Wenger with their Xhaka insistence.

Luteo Guenreira

We were a second half team for most of last season, let’s hope that comes back a bit today.

Valentin

I really don’t understand how Emery can’t see that Emery is not suited for the kind of high intensity , relentless pace type of game.

Our best trio in midfield is Guendouzi Willock Ceballos with Torreira coming in if we want to be more defensive.

Batistuta

Nothing wrong with Guendozi at all that first half. Been out best midfielder and one of his better performances in a big match

Marko

Those CB’s though my god. One week it’s Luiz the next it’s Sokratis. The Greek is fucking shocking though

Sid

Chambers/holding with any of luis or papa sauce is the better cb pairing.

N5

“Cellabos on at half time for that useless piece of tobelerone munching clogger.”

Ha ha, cuckoo clock making cunt!!

WengerEagle

Centre backs were shocking for the 1st goal too, from Sokratis bitching out of the header to get split open by Lamela’s run and nobody tracking Eriksen.

TR7

Batistuta

I said he ‘has looked like Gervinho’ for he has shown poor composure on the ball,not saying he is Gervinho MK II.

Guns of SF

I HATE Xhaka

Ceballos better link up with shorter passes. As it is, spurs defenders are staying back waiting for the long Xhaka passes.

we need trickery in the middle and near their box… through balls

MidwestGun

Swiss cheese eating donkey!

Radio Raheem

I’ll take Luiz and Kolasinac off and bring on Chambers and Ceballos. Move Xhaka to left wing back.

Samesong

Nothing wrong with Guendozi at all that first half. Been out best midfielder and one of his better performances in a big match

This

He has kept Sissoko at bay too.

N5

Penknife owning shitstick.

DaleDaGooner

2 gifts to them. Very pathetic defensive showing still.

Batistuta

Tr7

Nothing about Pepe looks at all like Gervinho. That’s such an absurd take

Up 4 grabs now

Un Na, finally brother welcome to the xhaka hate club.

Samesong

I never want to hear again that Xhaka isn’t a problem……

China1

It’s a myth that auba can’t pkay on the wing

He’s been one of our better players from out wide

Pepe has also been pretty good

Laca was mixed but much better as the half went on and a lovely goal

Dissenter

In fairness, our better defenders are sill in the pipeline
We won’t be starting with Sokrates nor David Luiz next season regardless of who’s the manager.

TBone

We need to make life much harder for Spurs in the second half, we are far too open

Dream10

Guendouzi has outplayed Xhaka and Torreira.

Terrible half from Lacazette and then he finishes like that. He’s Aguero like from tight angles.

I’ve stuck up for Emery in the past. But in all seriousness I just haven’t seen any improvement in the teams shape or ability to defend. Xhaka should be nowhere near the first team. Piss poor player. Can’t tackle, can’t beat people, can’t read the game, I honestly struggle to see what he brings to the team. Another one of Wenger’s shit signings

Jamie

If Xhaka is still on the pitch at the start of the 2nd half, I’ll throw Emery into the fire. He’s lucky it wasn’t a red. Dickhead.

Batistuta

Radio

You wanna move Xhaka to left wing back? You been on any special sauce this fine Sunday pal?

Radio Raheem

Torreira needs to change his footwear he’s down an awful lot.

China1

Apart from being black and African I don’t see any other similarities between Pepe and Gervinho…

Ishola70

Arsenal are taking the game to Spurs. Arsenal are not losing out in the midfield to Spurs. Where the problem is in this match is that Arsenal are finding Spurs hot to handle with their counter attacks. This is a defence that conceded so many goals over the last few seasons and have only added David Luiz and still has Xhaka so-called shielding it. Spurs have their best defensive partnership back in this match and they have taken Sanchez out of the firing line away from CB to FB. Sanchez can still be got at but he would have been… Read more »

azed

Take Xhaka off for Willock…

I think it’s high time we try Chambers and Luiz. Sokratis is not cutting it for me.

Upstate Gooner

Emery should be sacked for just picking Xhaka every game… and making him captain is just ludicrous.

Leftsidesanch

Its amazing how Arsenal managers have blind spots to Xhaka. You wonder if the penny will drop with Emery? I don’t think it will.

Marko

Can only hope that Bellerin, Tierney and Holding make a difference when they get back at least until January. Still need two starting CB’s with brains and ability

karim

China1

They played for Lille

Danny M.O

None of our cms are holding. Im sorry but you cant have a passenger like xhaka in midfield.

Chris

Xhaka consistent as a Swiss watch in terms of fucking up.

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