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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Gendouzi should learn to release the ball faster
C’mon.
Guendouzi has really grown into this game in the second half
And it’s the Arsenal! Arsenal FC! We by far the greatest team the world has ever seen!!
Come on. Who wasn’t singing this?
I sure was!!!
Fucking hell, Miki’s touch was appalling!
Thanks Mislintat…if it’s true you signed guendouzi
Guendouzi having a stormer of a game.
Need to get the ball more to Pepe to have a go at Rose.
Did it earlier in the 2nd half
Matty G… hasn’t been my fav player… will admit… but he is balling out today.
Two attacking mids are subbed on and we look far more in control but perhaps the master tactician doesn’t like doing simple logical things.
Guendouzi looking the real deal
Really stepping up
Keep it up young fella
Great stuff
lol Pepe rush of blood to the head
Bloody offside
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!! noooooooo!!!! fuck..
Very impressed with Guendozi.
He looks like he’s come of age.
Shouldn’t VAR check that
Ffs
Ceballos and the permed paddy v running the show now!!!
Paulinho
Would like us to play Guendouzi as a #6, but don’t think he has the defensive ability for it. Xhaka/Torreira will both go next summer. So need a #6, Guendouzi as a #6/#8 and a #8/#10 with end product in front of them.
FFS Kola.
If we win this game, it will in spite of Emery, his tactics and change of personnel
Valentin we lose Emery’s fault, we will not his doing right?
Nearly……
Come on VAR why only use when against us.
Got to get over that Pepe
Great chance to nick it
Fucking Kola again
We gonna do this
Pepe should be on target at least.
Kolac offsite not Sok.
Do again. Keep going.
kola isn’t having the greatest of games is he?
Xhaka silly foul.
Son off.
Poch happy with a draw.
VAR correct
If we lose on a stupid free kick.. I swear.
And who was at fault again? Sick of this hothead emptyhead cunt sabotaging every chance he get.
This thick cunt Kolasinac has been offside all match
We need to go for it but must not also undo our work to get back into this game.
Azed,
You would have put Xhaka on the pitch?
You would have replace Lacazette with Mhkitaryan?
Xhaka being Xhaka
Xhaka with another dumb foul. And typing this with YET ANOTHER dumb foul. What a bellend!
Kola should stick to fighting scooter gangs on the street.
VAR is spurs best player these last months
Let’s keep momentum and don’t give silly FKs
Can’t stand Xhaka. Not good enough. Never has been.
I literally cant believe how often Xhaka gets away without a booking. he should be off tbf
This fucking ref is a joke.
3 fucking defending and we make sissoko look like fucking Messi. This team do my head in at times. The only 2 to come out with any credit from this game is Guen and Ceballos . Xhaka’s been Tottenham’s best player
Moving forward though you wonder what Xhaka has to do to fall out of the side and I can’t stress enough how much I want Tierney to come into this side.
Xhaka again
And another dumb foul by Xhaka….
Xhaka is officially a functioning retard.
Kola and Xhaka are meatheads
Gah Xhaka is shite.
Xhaka is awful such a limited player does he have nudes of emery or something
Xhaka… my God… he can not tackle… its embarrassing.
Wots Xhara doing to kill our momentum giving away FKs
Pepe has had a mare.
Xhaka lol you fucking cunt
Pepe should do better there
Damn we paid a club record for you
How is Xhaka even our Captain???
Mikki with the touch of a rapist yet again.
Pepe has problem aiming
anyone but miki with that open goal chance
Paulinho
Yeah agree once the shine of being a new toy wears off he’s gonna have to find some consistency and end results.
Hahaa there we go!
Papa Sok… in full on wrestling mode… hahahaa ha
He really is a poor player. Not quite Sanogo, but very very close
Customary mistake from Sanchez in the air.
Not punished
Pepe is the 70 million dud
Lmao we have two nutjobs for CBs
Papa is off on one lol
Xhaka has to be the most frustrating player when it comes to making fouls at both the ends. It’s astonishing….
Pepe needs to get that on target.
His finishing needs a ton of work.
Man.
What we could do with a competent CM.
Xhaka must have the sweetest mouth. No other explanation for him being selected week after week.
All that momentum gone thanks to the Greek. Thick fuck
180 grand a week, yet Mikhi can’t control a ball that most 6 year olds would.
And ref being a cunt as usual. It’s a given at this point.
Sok wasting time for the spids??
Ceballos loves the needle in the derby.
Sokratis is a dumb footballer. He could have played Winks and got him a 2nd yellow card. Instead he got played.
Think Pepe just needs to hit the net
Instead of emery recognising Xhakas weaknesses he makes him captain. you couldn’t make it up
Can still win this… Lets go!!! getting all kinds of space.
Oh dear Pepe. Hope it works for you just ONCE in the next 5 mins.
Nothing works today….
Xhaka trying his best again to gift Spurs another goal.
Xhaka again…trying to nutmeg in the half way line
Fukcer
Azed,
Xhaka another mistake.
Do you enjoy his performance?
Xhaka again. Fucking hell the guy is fucking useless
Mikitarian has been an absolute ZERO. Can’t see what order Waiter saw in the substitution. Game was crying for Willock
Is it just me or have we not had a goal kick all match? Haven’t seen that dreadful sideways passing from Leno just Lloris.
If Emery doesn’t get the state of emergency regarding Xhaka, then he ought to fcuk off too.
Garbage Arseanal.
Spuds haven’t won on the road in ages and we give them an easy point.
I wonder if xhaka will win man of the match for spurs today?
Miki you useless bastard.
Arsenal need to hold together in defence. We don’t want a clanger at this moment. A draw is a decent result…
Maitland Niles is a disaster at RB
He won’t Dissenter. Xhaka will see Emery out of a job. He refuses to acknowledge Xhakas consistent errors.
And if Kola wasn’t wank, we would’ve won this. Disappointing.
Xhaka again.
Why Emery?
Mikki, Xhaka, Sokratis. Absolute waste of space.
Mykhi still as useless as he was when we bought him
Why didn’t he bring on Nelson?
Two poor teams really.