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:
- 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.
Alcacer is shite unless he’s scoring you a goal, no other impact on the game whatsoever.
Dortmund and their inconsistency might give Bayern yet another league title. Hoping Leipzig can keep up their good start to the season
Reus looks past his best too. Hs body hasn’t recovered fully from those glut of injuries, shame as he was a superb player.
Lyon typically start well winning at Monaco and then start dropping points to stupid teams.
Jaysus Giampolo is such a bore of a manager here in Milan, team looks lost in whatever the fuck he’s trying to do
if we are not at least 6/7/8 points of 5th by Late November/ Early December, I’d not be averse to a change in manager.
Huh
Big lol on Dortmund and Barcelona’s results today
Also from the earlier discussion, big fat LOL to anyone who thinks Inter are knocking off Juventus this season because of Conte and Lukaku. Won’t happen unless by some magic reason they get Alexis Sanchez balling again. They’ll beat the teams below Torino at home and it’s that away form they’d need to do something about.
Barca will soon have Messi, Suarez and Neymar as the front 3 again so doubt they’ll be losing any sleep over dropping points away to Osasuna and Bilbao tbh.
Not like Real Madrid have started the season on fire themselves.
Marko
Meant we should by that time have put a good gap between us and 5th by that time of the season. We have better squads than the rest of the chasing pack. Best of the rest if you will.
Glad barca drew even though they fucked up my ACCA today. Rooting for Athletico this season
Eagle
Been reading the Neymar deal as dead in the water
I’d sooner fancy Dortmund to go on a CL run to the Final then win the Bundesliga, no chance they’ll best Bayern over 34 matches seeing as how they failed to do so last season and Bayern have brought in some real quality this summer.
Lowkey fancy Leipzig to finish runners up.
Bruno Fernandez has started the season on fire over in Portugal by the way, he’d have been quite something had United got him. Such a weird transfer window they had over there.
Also who was the last English export that did well over here in Italy? Smalling joining the banter that is going to be Roma this season
Sarri’s so fucking weird. Absolutely loves the hole off Higuain it’s unreal. To the point that he’d happily sell Dybala too. Oh and he’s got Can, Bentacur and Rabiot and still picks Khedira and Matuidi. Ramsey injured is a shocker btw
It’s all in the away form for most of the 2-4 teams in leagues such as Germany, France, Italy.
They’d easily win most home games but when they have to go away with all the atmosphere e.t.c that’s where the Bayern and Juventus just use to steam roll the league
Bati
Looks to be no way back for him at PSG and Barca apparently are offering 150m plus players, would be cutting off your nose to spite your face if they declined Barca out of pride.
I see it getting done. Barca never even wanted to sell him in the first place and it’s pretty much common knowledge that he wants to return there.
Benny
I’m sorry all the same. I know old Irish blokes that have smoked, eat steak and drank whisky their whole lives and never a bother. It’s unfair to select a young father.
Meant we should by that time have put a good gap between us and 5th by that time of the season
So if we’re not 6-8 points ahead of 5ft by November December you’d bip the manager? You do know we could be more ahead by November December and still finish 5th.
Liverpool are a beast. Klopp’s system is a beast . Their 3 midfielders arent world class alone but you put them together in a klopp system and their midfield becomes world class. Also Andy is a beast too. Probably even better than TAA. Matip has stepped up his game. Complete team this one. Gonna be a good battle with City if Liverpool first 11 dont suffer major injuries.
Khedira is shocking, criminal that he still starts.
Eagle
It’s super weirs the whole Neymar- Barca- PSG triumvirate. Let’s hope for everyone’s sake the whole thing is settled in the next 48hours. Wouldn’t the deal also hinge on Dembele agreeing to move to Paris?
MGooner at 16.35
I don’t think they will let us have 11 outfield players.
Eagle
He’s the Mikel of Juventus. Doesn’t matter who the manager is, he’s always going to play
“Bruno Fernandez has started the season on fire over in Portugal by the way, he’d have been quite something had United got him. Such a weird transfer window they had over there”
Though I do like him as a player i dont really know if we would do as well in the PL. Doesnt really stand out in the international matches. He might turn out good in the PL but it would be risk if someone gets him for 60m+. Spu*s wanted him couldn’t agree a pricw with Sporting.
Bati
Dembele would start in a front 3 for the only elite French club along with his mate M’Bappe as opposed to being a sometimes starter at Barca now that they have Griezmann too.
Would be surprised if he wasn’t remotely interested in a move there.
For all the hype about Napoli in Italy, we really did show them to be fairly ordinary over the 2 EL legs last season.
Expect Juventus to put them to the sword if they are in any way on their game tonight.
Bati
Why did Cancelo swap a starting berth at Juventus for the City bench?
I know that Walker’s approaching 30 but he’s the best RB in the PL.
Eagle
It’s just weird stuff to be honest, was a quiet one with all parties involved quietly agreeing to the deal, can’t say there were issues of unhappiness or anything on the side of Cancelo as he’d made that RB position his own
West Ham looking bright already
Jack will come back soon and run tings there
Just you watch
Wenger Eagle
Nah. Looking forward to a comfortable Carlo Ancelotti victory. Let’s go.
Yep. PSG is the right move for Ousmane. Mbappé has called him throughout the summer telling him to come. Tuchel loves him as well. He’ll get minutes on both wings. Less pressure and he can build up his fitness. He’s just another talented player in Spain.
Juv scores on a counter
Hahahaha had to be fatlad Higuain didn’t it?
Batistuta
I think you’;re failing to account for the effect of Sarri on Juventus.
Yea, I think Inter are going to give Juventus a run, such is my admiration of Conte.
It’s not just Juve, it’s Sarri’s Juve
Juv scores again
Juve will smash their way to Serie A once again.
Ffs Carlo. Juve back on the PEDs. They’re too good.
“Khedira is shocking, criminal that he still starts.”
Sarri is calling the shots now.
Juve going to walk yet another league title this season. Literally doesn’t take much for them to be 2 up against a supposed title rival
I too won’t be interested in moving just to please Neymar.
I hope Neymar delivers because he has cost Barca a lot more than money. Literally sent executives to jail and scrambled their transfer policy.
Bati
Suppose Pep was a decisive factor, no contest between him and Sarri. You’d imagine he’s earning much better money too and Pep probably promised him CL football in rotation with Walker, plus he’s a good few years younger and their future RB.
Still an odd one from a playing POV though because Juventus are such an elite outfit and he was one of the first names on the teamsheet.
I thought Conte was going to take Inter to the title?
If Laporte’s injury is serious, City have a serious problem. Sane is out for the season I think but they have better players in his position and they don’t even bat an eyelid.
Laporte is City’s best CB by far. Stones is a rich man’s Chambers. Otamendi is Otamendi. They can’t fix their CB situation from within. Laporte is no VVD but he’s just as important to City.
Liverpool just became the favorites in my book if Laporte’s injury is long term. Dude was stretchered off.
Yeah was a 19 year old footballer/Brazilian kid’s fault some fundamentally corrupt suits got hit with a lawsuit wasn’t it?
He’s already delivered for Barcelona, there’s more pressure on Griezmann I’d argue.
Lol Charles.
Hand in hand with Lukaku so I heard.
“I thought Conte was going to take Inter to the title?”
Yes, I believe I said the combination of Conte at Inter and Sarri leading Juventus, is advantage Inter.
You obviously disagree, why not just say that rather than beat around the bush?
I’m not sure Kyle Walker is seen as the best RB in the premier league. Pep certainly must have doubts if he was willing to pay 60 million total for Cancelo
Marko
He’s 29 mate and who’s next in line? Also a player that’s reliant on his physicality whereas Cancelo is more of a footballer.
Chat with you lot tomorrow on NLD day.
Have a run to prepare for.
Ciao
It’s either him or TAA, nobody else comes remotely close.
Could get ugly here for Carlo, Khedira a whisker away from making it 3-0 hitting underside of bar and we have barely played a wet half an hour.
TAA is better yes. Again I’m not so sure Pep is totally convinced by him hence signing Cancelo.
Wenger Eagle
My guy Carlo needs to buy a CM or two. The type that play behind the ball. They let Diawara join Roma in the Manolas swap.
https://arseblog.news/2019/08/guendouzi-reveals-hes-trying-to-sharpen-his-defensive-game/
Deal for Neymar (€120 millions + Rakitic + Dembele on loan for 1 year) was dead in the water because both refuse to go to PSG.
Dream Zielinski is a flittery Goretzka type. Good for a few goals but his game lacks much substance and he fades out of far too many matches and looks a passenger. I like Allan but he’s a jack of all trades type, good strong and mobile midfielder but no real invention to his game. They really do lack a class act that can put their foot on the ball and dictate the pace of the game, James would have been perfect for them. Don’t know how Callejon still gets his game as he’s been subpar for ages now. Bit of… Read more »
Lol well Rakitic getting left on the bench today was a not so subtle message from Valverde so.
Rate them pretty even Marko, TAA is better and more of a threat going forward but Walker is the better defender.
Edge for me goes to Walker because they are defenders at the end of the day.
Neymar agrees to stay at PSG it says but what they really are saying is that Dembele put a spanner in the deal by not leaving
Wow what a first half! Think I’m deaf in one ear, absolute madness getting a ticket next to the ultras here.
Higuain bossing Koulibaly, Juve passing the ball much faster though.
Dissenter
Conte or not, Juve will walk the league again, Inter would have to buy him a whole new 11 just to reduce the deficit they’re going to have on Juve at the end of the season
Couldn’t happen to a nicer club and player
Liverpool’s 1st 11 are going to get injuries due to their style of play, you can get away with it for one season but it catches up with you and they have a weak bench,
The Welsh hype already injured, makes khedira and matuidi look like spring chicken, true story!
That’s weak going into the season with the likes of Insigne/Mertens/Lozano wingers having to play CF
Aguero moves within 5 goals of TH14 on the all time PL list, 7 behind Lampard.
Likely will sit at no.3 on the list by seasons end, just needs 18 more PL goals to overtake Andy Cole too.
What’s stupid impressive about that is Aguero being the only foreign player on the top 10 of the list besides the all time greatest in Henry and he scored 100 goals for Atletico Madrid as well as quite a few back in Argentina as a kid before he even signed for City.
Shearer, Rooney, Cole and Lampard played their entire career in the PL besides Rooney and Lampard’s brief stints in the MLS.
“You obviously disagree, why not just say that rather than beat around the bush?“
I did on the previous post.
Puzzling that Conte swings matters to quite that degree whereas Emery needs player after player before we can expect any reasonable gains.
Inter to Juve is every bit the chasm as Arsenal to City imo.
Ronny inevitably gets his goal, 3-0.
Weagle
I remember when there was talk of Alexis to City and I was bigging up a swap between him and Aguero (who was in a state of flux at the time).
Was handily dismissed on here by many because he’s “old” and not as good as Alexis.
Lol
Valentin this should make you happy
“Matteo Guendouzi says he’s working to improve his defensive and tactical positioning during games revealing that Arsenal’s coaches have him working on a special training programme.”
How good must it be to be manager of Arsenal with such talent at your disposal. Besides offensively having Aubameyang, Lacazette , Pepe, Ceballos ,Ozil and Mhkitaryan, the manager also has kids of the calibre of Saka,Nelson, Nketiah, Smith Rowe and Willock to choose from. We also have 2 full backs in Bellerin and Tierney who will add to our play offensively. So what can go wrong , well the result and performance v liverpool left a lot to be desired but we were beaten by ( as I said from day one) this season’s league champions …hopefully the manager… Read more »
Charlie
Alexis was a God on here up until he left, his hard decline was evident even in the first half of his last season here just like Fernando Torres for Liverpool in the half season before he left for Chelsea.
I was always perplexed at the City rumours because Pep wasn’t a big fan of him at Barcelona.
Thing that impresses me the most about Aguero is there was always the expectation that he was using the City move as a stepping stone to Madrid or Barcelona but no he stayed and he worked hard every season. Great character.
3-2 now. De Ligt caught napping
Crikey, and like that in the blink of an eye it’s 3-2 and game on.
Lozano off the mark.
Weagle
Was one of our big fuckups not poaching an unsettled Agüero or forcing their hand with Sterling who hadn’t yet blossomed.
Instead we got Mkhi, despite wanting Martial.
Massive facepalm to that deal, a steady, then dramatic lowering of the calibre 😂
Chiellini ACL was a massive blow, as good as De Ligt is he’s so green and Chiellini is the opposite been there and seen it all, great defender.
Azed, When last season I said that he lacked defensive awareness and that his positioning was wrong, I got crucified for it. Turn out that the coaching staff had also identified those problem. But for some here, if you don’t subscribe to the Wenger was the old senile devil incarnate, but now everything is great and Emery is the best coach we could ever had, you are a Wengerite and should be bullied for it. I have said that he had improved on that. However he still has not learned to use his height and weight to lean on somebody… Read more »
Charlie
Don’t think that any of us expected Mhik to be so dire for us, guy looked a proper player at Dortmund and he was given the benefit of the doubt early on because he was being managed by Mr anti-football himself.
Became crystal clear within a few matches how impotent a player he is though, still has the odd flash here and there but he’s gone the way of Higuain in terms of piling on the pounds and rapidly shedding the hair. Doesn’t endear him to anyone that he’s a lazy git either.
Wow, 3-3 and Juve concede from two set-pieces.
Sarri’s dogshit. At no point since going 3 up have they got on the ball and controlled the game. They’re simply sitting back and giving up possession to Napoli
Lol Sarriball serving up Juve throwing away a 3 goal lead at home.
Weagle
Quite right, but as time has told us his form at United wasn’t totally down to José. Just seems the sort that’s never gotten on with English football for whatever reason, or was out of puff at 28. Either way he’s been dire.
OMG Koulibaly what have you done mate.
Look at that, Juventus are Sarri’s team after 3 games but it was still Conte’s side after 5 years of Allegri.
Seems legit lol
Cue the likely abuse for Koulibaly
2 matches for Napoli, 7 goals conceded.
That’s a sickener I’m actually gutted for the lad.
CC,
You know Gazidis is bad negotiator when Ed Woodward gets the better of you.
Crappy deal that nobody wanted except the guys in charge of the financial side. Turn out that to be a bad financial deal for both clubs.
Don Carlo is known as just Carlo these days
Val
Yea one of those odd instances all involved wish they simply never went there. Can’t think of one positive that came from it tbh.
Valentin
Guendozi is 20, he should improve every year but you were jumping on him last year.
Guendozi and Willock are not the finished products and would have gaps/mistake in their games.
Azed,
I wrote it like I see it.
I am not a Cheerleader. Last season, he was a liability because of his lack of defensive awareness.
His age is irrelevant. He was given preferential treatment that he did not deserved. Willock should have been given time instead.
I did not see you getting upset when I was making the same comment about Xhaka.
Sarri seems to have his shit together in Italy. Just not cut out for premlife
Seems like a good fella.
Valentin, you’re the most intelligent, biased person I’ve ever had contact with.
Valentin
Xhaka is 26/27 chances of him improving are slim but slating a 19 year old for lack of awareness is down right silliness.
It’s like expecting Eddie to make similar runs at Aubameyang.
Silverhawk, Everybody has an opinion, so everybody is biased. Maybe the way I express my opinion rub people the wrong way, but that was never my intention. My opinion on Guendouzi was never personal. I thought that he was given continuously opportunities that his performance did not warrant. Some took offense on that. It turn out that in the end Emery saw the same thing and benched him. I also said that if he was not working on his weaknesses, he would not make it at Arsenal. At the same time, I thought that Willock had more in his locker… Read more »
Azed, Last season, I did not see any improvement in Guendouzi’s game. In fact I saw him repeating the same mistakes game after game, until even Emery could not defend him anymore and benched him. Also in my view, if you intend to be a central midfielder, you need to have defensive awareness and ability to resist to challenges. In the last few games of the previous seasons Emery used him on the wing or further up. This season he has been rather good. Giving a pass to a player because he is young is not helping him. Look at… Read more »
Mane getting the hump for being substituted by klopp today , shouting and gesturing at his manager . I’m sure klopp won’t take it personally, will secretly quite like the fact that one of his players shows such disappointment at being substituted…he may have even called him a shit coach ..who knows. I’m sure many on here will say that Mane (one trophy winner) has a right to air his frustrations at the manager whereas if an Arsenal player who has won a world cup, league titles, domestic cups , nominated German footballer of the year 5 consecutive years does… Read more »
“Guess what nearly all my predictions turn out to be true.”
Statements like this is why you rub people up the wrong way. You’re one of only a handful of posters who keeps count of his predictions.
@Pierre, Klopp has already gone on damage control and said that Mane likes to show his emotion (wears his heart on his sleeve) and Klopp respects that. He said they chatted and it’s all good!
I still can’t help but feel Klopp would have told him off though. These tantrums are embarrassing. At least he came off the pitch though which we’ve seen not happen before too! 😀
Filipe Anderson is class. Definitely prefer him to Zaha
All will be forgiven with Mane because he’s so god damn influential. But Ozil is just wank these days so we add the tantrums to the sick days and the measly output and you get an overall assessment of a poor player.
Not for the first time Mane seems angry at Moh Salah selfish attitude. Should be just a small family spat like that happen in most family. Even if that became one of those big feud, that would not necessarily derail Liverpool season. After all, Andy Cole and Teddy Sheringham did not speak off the pitch, but that did not stop them being effective together on the pitch. Plus even if one wanted to leave, he would leave for a big club and I can’t see any rich big club they could join. Barcelona has already an embarrassment of riches upfront… Read more »