Processed with VSCO with c1 preset
Well, here we are, another day in Mustafi paradise.
The German didn’t move on. Juventus pondered a move and thought better.
I’m deeply disappointed, not from a footballing perspective, but from a personal one.
How can a young man have so little faith in their own ability to get their game back on track?
He’s basically blackballed himself. He’s sat and stayed for the money because he loves his contract. He’ll rot in our reserves, he’ll become irrelevant, then when the time comes for a new deal, he’ll have to pick up a lower-paying deal because everyone will know he’s a mercenary.
Football is a short career, play it.
We did manage to move on Mikhi. I thought he’d be a good signing, he wasn’t, he was a terrible move made under extreme duress in one of the worst deals of all time for both clubs involved.
I’m reading a book called Football Hackers, they have a bit of a thing for that time Klopp went down the pan in his last season at Dortmund. The gist was that he was just really unlucky, and xG numbers pointed that out. Colin Trainor went deeper, he pointed out some of the additional elements that factored in the failings… one of them was the quality of shots they were making. Mikhi being the main culprit for having a lot of shots of low quality… 34 returning zero goals.
The second, more interesting decline in Dortmund was the amount of defensive actions taken in the opposition half. Basically, good pressing. Mikhi’s contribution halved in a season.
Now, I know he went on to have a great season under Tuchel, so I did wonder if he’s just very affected by who is managing him and how. Or, he could just have had one really great season and never been able to repeat it.
I hope he finds something in Roma, because he really has looked finished for a while.
GREAT NEWS is this: He’s left an opening for Reiss, Gabriel, Saka OR ESR (who was called up to the first team). I know getting overly excited about upcoming talent is a bad thing, but come on, there’s a one in four chance of success here. I know they don’t all play Mikhi’s position, but there’s literally no senior cover out wide now. Get the kids in, let’s see what they can do… there’s no better position to test your mettle. I really, REALLY, hope one of the cuts the mustard.
Nacho has properly gone. I shed a tear. But one laced with joy. He was a great servant to the club. He’s a bit like Sagna for me, too good for the managers he’s played under. I wish him the best of luck in Spain, where he said he went to be with his family… god damn it, I’m welling up again.
Icardi moved to PSG. Be interesting to see how he gets on there, a proper tasty striker in my opinion. Now under the stuttering Thomas Tuchel. I have to say, I’m not sure what the fuck PSG have been up to this summer, it looks like Ed Woodward has been advising their transfers strategy, some real bland players entering the fray.
I saw that Frimpong moved to Celtic… then realised that there is more than one Frimpong in the world.
DENCH.
Remember when saying that to Arsenal fans was cool? Arsenal’s equivalent of WAASSSSSUPPPPP. Now it’s just, you know, lame.
Debate continued to roar after the Spurs game. I was very pleased to see The Daily Mail, Sky, and The Times gun for Harry Kane and his despicable cheating. He is English and he’s a disgrace. Someone needs to pull him to one side and tell him that what he did wasn’t shielding the ball, it was angling for a penalty. At least the refs are onto him.
I didn’t give Bernd Leno much of a grilling yesterday, so it feels fair that I give him one today.
He really needs to get his act together. Last season he made 5 errors that led to goals (joint worst in the league), this season, he’s already made two. That limp wrist wasn’t good. His overall performance was jittery. He needs to take a valium and calm down or the HUGE Matt Macey will have to step in and show him what keeping is all about. I hear he’s growing a ‘safe hands’ moustache to intimidate Bernd. I don’t condone it, but you do what you have to do to win in war.
Another point I missed was the Alex-Songification of Torreira. What is the obsession with making defensive midfielders play in more attacking roles? I don’t think it suits his game and I think it’s a bad idea. I know he can move the ball nicely, but there’s a very big difference between a cute 10-yard pass at the base of midfield to trying to be decisive in the opposition penalty box.
I also read that Joe Willock is injured. Could be why he was dropped yesterday, maybe he had an issue in the warm-up?
MATTEO. I watched that goal back again and it’s so good, I feel like I should be watching it at home locked in a bedroom. David Luiz, his hair spirit animal, had this to say.
“He’s a youngster with a lot of talent. He’s young but he’s a great player… He’s going to do great things not just for Arsenal, for France, but for the world.”
FOR THE WORLD INDEED, FAM!
Right, on that note, I’ll ask you to listen to my solo podcast about the meaning of dairy-free life… there’s a bit on Arsenal as well.
Only an agenda filled person will say Emery hasn’t improved us oo. We might choose to argue about how much he has improved but he certainly has.
All worship Emery the great
Raptora
No!! Not even close!! One place up the table and getting humiliated in the also ran final against an atrocious Chelsea team is not a clear improvement to arsenal as a football team.
Next
“Everybody has an opinion and tend to think they are right. Thats just Human tendency. Though it makes no difference and we spend time here reading and arguing about things we can have no impact on. FunnY.”
Very true Wasi …funny indeed
Pedro, is Marc banned?
CG was snitched out of here. Simple as that.
Shameful. You guys would be watching your backs in prison.
Is Marc and Graham banned? My god who’s next? This adorable bear 🐻
Mystic
He he’s not improved us only lacazette and Aubameyang salvaged our season last year and they are salvaging him now still
The rest has gone backwards
He’s relying on two Arsene signings to keep his chin above water.
Hardly a ringing endorsement of his qualities.
The suits have improved the structure of the club. Emery has taken us sideways
CG once made a post with one word alone
“Dogs!!”
This was directed at all posters here
“I banned CG, Gentlebris, after you all snitched.”
Pedro
CG was your Mustafi, should have been out the door months earlier but you couldn’t see it, now he’s standing in the corner with the cone on his head just like Mustafi is. Best decision you’ve made in the last year.
He is not.
I actually ban very few. But I have always banned anyone that disrespects the site, the commenters, or the good conversation.
Most people get another chance. Life is short. But I run this as openly as possible.
I banned CG, Gentlebris, after you all snitched.
Yeah. There are a lot of snowflake types on here. Little bit of heat and they melt
RH, CG held his own I’m not sure why Gentlebris is so obsessed with the lad. If you want comedy get a Netflix membership Bris.
Re xhaka, it’s no use defending him now. I defended him last season cos he was part of our best midfield options. This season it’s clear he’s not. Now he’s more of a hindrance than help.
“He he’s not improved us only lacazette and Aubameyang salvaged our season last year and they are salvaging him now still”
What a load of rubbish
How many goals did both score dribbling from goal to goal
Is Sergio Aguero also salvaging things as City?
Salah and Mane at Liverpool?
Harry Kane and Son at Spurs?
Le Open
Freddie, I gave him a free transfer, he’s not in the reserves.
Don is obviously your Xhaka, still here after all his fuckups stinking the place out. It is what it is I suppose.
So nobody can give me a clear example of how emery has improved the team?
In fairness, Emery publicly defended Mustafi all through last season…then quietly told him he wasn’t needed afterwards.
There’s hope that he will relegate Xhaka to the bench pretty soon
“RH, CG held his own I’m not sure why Gentlebris is so obsessed with the lad. If you want comedy get a Netflix membership Bris.”
Leftside he wasn’t even funny
Dunno why posters keep bringing his name up
Imo if we end up with another 7 pts more, so 77 pts in total or more, that’d be a decent progress and there will be enough reasons for us to give Emery another 2 years. From a 63 pts to ~80 pts team in 2 years wouldn’t be all that bad. Now if the directors have another name in their mind who they see as one having the potential to be absolute top class, then they will probably make the change regardless of what Emery does in this season. I sleeping well knowing that the people in charge have… Read more »
I thought Marc was either banned or unhappy at the last exchange with Peds
“One example
Come on. Just one.”
Mustardi with the reserve ??
“Everybody has an opinion and tend to think they are right.”
I disagree. Try starting a discussion assuming you don’t know as much as you think you do, and see where that takes you.
If you go in convinced you’re right about something from the offset, all you’re doing is attempting to convert someone to your worldview and rejecting relevant data rather than to carve a way out of the debate to an objective truth.
That’s my take, anyway.
Pedro
The analogy isn’t perfect only because no one wanted Mustafi even on a free so he’s still around slicing oranges for the u23s.
Freddie
Were you not just mentioning knives in Pierre’s face?
Glass houses
It’s Pedro’s blog and he gets to decide who stays here and who doesn’t but personally I am against banning posters. This place works best when there are varied opinion and views.
On a side note I do want to say and I have said it before too that off late Pierre’s analysis has been absolutely top notch.
UNN is fine. I like him 🤔
There’s xenophobia going on in SA at the moment. CG might be on the run
RH, me neither. Not comical at all I’m just wondering if thats what Gentle sees in him.
I’d pick that nutter Jo.e over him and his ramblings genuinely make me feel like I need a nap.
‘When the site owner/moderator starts being biased then it’s a death knell for this blog.’
No to that though.
I think Pedro has the right to be in one camp or the other, he’s a fan too not just some Arsenal employee who is being paid to moderate our collective frustration.
Everyone should have an opinion in this kind of place, and when the blog owner has none……
Hairline
Evidently you are not familiar with our xG last season
I suggest you familiarise yourself sharpish
Pierre and analysis shouldn’t go in the same sentence
Don do your even know what xG stands for?
Freddie
Yeah. Why the need to mention stabbing? Little OTT no?
I give as good as I get. If I’m wrong I apologise. Ask Jamie.
Rh
Ex girlfriend
Pierre dividing Legrovers like Emery has divided the fanbase.
My mum thinks I’m wonderful
Says I’m the most handsome boy at church
https://www.football.london/arsenal-fc/transfer-news/raul-sanllehi-ended-arsenals-contract-16858090 “Then there is Ozil, whose £350,000-a-week contract is a millstone around Arsenal. They would have liked to move him on this summer though after actively touting his services without any luck in January there was an acceptance around the club that buyers were few and far between for the 30-year-old. That might change next summer, when Ozil will have to consider what long-term commitment, if any, Arsenal will offer him and whether he might be better placed ending his career elsewhere. His representatives have already spoken with DC United about opening a coffee store at their stadium but it… Read more »
HighburyLegendSeptember 3, 2019 17:21:24
“One example
Come on. Just one.”Mustardi with the reserve ??
HL
I would love to give you that but the rest of the team is still handing out goals like sweets on a school day birthday
Xakha, Sokratis, Leno and Luiz so far.
“A lot of rewriting of history today from you and Don about how you were giving Emery slack and had patience in the beginning. “
Azed literally posted a comment from the day Emery was appointed where I was supportive and encouraging of the appointment.
Nothing gets past you ehh Freddie
The thing about Pierre is his analysis can be good but his bias for Ozil is pretty clear which infuriates some grovers. Although I support Ozil (he was one of the main reasons (probably the only reason) started supporting Arsenal) and still want to see him succeed at Arsenal i have stopped defending him and biasing towards him until I see a good sample size this Season. He’s got the firepower ahead to produce a good 12-15 assists season. He is off the set piece duties so unless a miracle happens it would be impossible for him to even go… Read more »
The two people complaining about the quality of the comments abusing people.
CC
Yeah that’s great and all but that ended about the same time our season started last year, maybe even earlier, can’t really be bothered about the exact time but it was as always very obvious that there was 0 slack given and the evil Emery was ruining our wonderful squad of players.
What was it, he only gets 60% out of the squad? Full of balon d’or winners we are, really.
Pedro
Why did you delete that?
It was a joke
Rat as in snitch, a la Tony soprano
“He he’s not improved us only lacazette and Aubameyang salvaged our season last year and they are salvaging him now still”
UN
If Emery gets the blame for picking Xhaka(rightly so), shouldn’t he get the praise for picking Aubameyang and Lacazette?
Plenty of posters going to be sleeping with the fishes tonight.
Test
the worst part is that Xhaka himself doesnt seem to think there is any pressure. At least, that is what im thinking.. stupid IG posts saying that he never gives up and all that shit… CM is where our team goes to die. It cannot be overlooked anymore. We need a strong mobile and quick footed player who can pass, nothing great but hold the position well and get the ball moving. Xhaka can be easily replaced in that regard… Enough is enough… he and Ozil should have hitched a ride with Mikki to Serie A… most suited for their… Read more »
So not one person can proved a distinct metric for improvement under emery. As a coach and tactician? Not one?
Azed
Noooooo!!?
He barley picks laca as it is but what fool wouldn’t pick them?
“Evidently you are not familiar with our xG last season”
UN
Someone gave you points total as proof and you rejected it and are bringing up xG?
Have you even seen the EPL xG table or where awards were handed out for xG?
Pedro
abusing people? The leprosy church comment that was obviously a joke in response to Dons “I’m the most handsome boy at church my mom told me so” joke?
Getting a bit twitchy now with the deleting, (quick say Emery is a cunt)
Emery is a cunt.
phew.
“He barley picks laca as it is but what fool wouldn’t pick them?”
UN
Lacazette made 35 EPL appearances last season starting 27 of them and coming as a sub in 8 games but why let facts get in the way of an agenda?
“Someone gave you points total as proof and you rejected it and are bringing up xG?”
Points should be the closest distinct measure of improvement shouldnt it?
No but we gon roll with xG. Cuz guess what it makes Emery look bad.
“So not one person can proved a distinct metric for improvement under emery. As a coach and tactician? Not one?”
You have rejected league placement
You have rejected progress in one competition
You have rejected more goals scored as two players doing a salvage job
What metric exactly do you want? You do know this xG thing is just something Opta stats came up with in 2009 and i never read it on here until last season. Guess we have to go back and review every great teams xG and judge the coach accordingly.
“So not one person can proved a distinct metric for improvement under emery. As a coach and tactician? Not one?”
UN
Look at the EPL table before Emery and after his first season and tell us what you see.
PS: There’s nothing more objective than the EPL table.
Azed
Yes. I reject it. Here’s why.
Emery had 5 new defensive players given to him last season and had a fully fit and settled Aubameyang and Lacazette both of whom only played half a season each for Wenger
Emery had a clear advantage and still only got us to 5th when everyone around us was giving us 3rd place
He failed last year in his last 6 games alone
‘I banned CG, Gentlebris, after you all snitched.’ Okay, Pedro, fellas here did bring the pressure on CG and I remember calling him a few names myself, but I was never a part of bin CG crusade that was cheerled by the likes of Marko, Marcs, RH and the other wailers. So RH thinks CG should remain in the bin because he once posted ‘dogs’? CG didn’t call you a dog, he didn’t call me a dog, and even if he did say that to me or you it would be him returning just 1% of the favour we had… Read more »
Yes I don’t think finishing 5th is a significant improvement when he had better tools available than we did the season before
Get over it already man Jesus ^
Azed
There are plenty of contributing factors
As I have illustrated
never remember calling for a CG ban..i simply scrolled past his comments
Don’t care if he posts or not Gentlebris..i don’t own the blog and i will appreciate it if you keep me out of that pointless conversation
“Emery had 5 new defensive players given to him last season and had a fully fit and settled Aubameyang and Lacazette both of whom only played half a season each for Wenger Emery had a clear advantage and still only got us to 5th when everyone around us was giving us 3rd place” Lol UN You are all over the place. You asked for objective measurements and bring up 5 new players? Seriously? Nobody wins the league based on xG/ player recruitments and all… Points total is all that matters PS: The 5 new players you talk of were all… Read more »
“As I have illustrated”
Genuinely smiled at this
There are infinite amount of variables that go on in a football match which cannot be measured by stats. These variables play a real big part in the outcome of the game. Some of these variables off the top of my head would be form,formation, players selected in different positions , atmosphere, home ground/ away ground, mentality before and during the game ,past experiences etc. In our case we tend to play with 2 strikers . Lets consider the last 2-3 months of last season. Emery rolled with a 3-4-1-2. This meant that we had no real wide players to… Read more »
UN
If buying players is a factor, Fulham would still be in the EPL by now.
Anyone know when Bellerin is back?
Tierney in Nov??
Azed
So the new players and Aubameyang and Lacazette for a full season don’t count?
If we’d have had just Aubameyang for a full season offering 22 goals then we would certainly have finished more than 7 points better off
Add lacazette alongside him, fully fit for the season and we are laughing
Emery was extremely fortunate to have those two to walk into let alone the additional defensive recruits
‘My mum thinks I’m wonderful
Says I’m the most handsome boy at church’
Ever been to Church Un?
Amazing Grace!
Azed
Does a better squad not factor?
Did Torreira Leno and Sokratis not contribute to a better points total? We only let Wilshere and Santi leave so our squad was in much better shape last season and better still now
Our rivals were weaker last season than they were the year before and weaker still now
“Emery was extremely fortunate to have those two to walk into let alone the additional defensive recruits”
Drop the phone and do something else, you are embarrassing yourself
Bris
Was at mass in Italy over the summer.
Was amazing. Lovely little church in a village in Tuscany.
Didn’t understand a word
Went to the cafe after and everyone was drinking wine at aroun 9:30am
All the old boys were lovely. Come up flirting with my mrs telling her how beautiful she is. Which she enjoyed. Right charmers.
Rh
And yet you can’t refute it…..
If spending my spare time arguing with compete strangers doesn’t embarrass me then what makes you think pointing out emery’s fortune and flaws will?
The 5 new defensive signings were: Leno, improvement on what we had, how much so is debatable but so far looking like a good signing. Licht, bad signing, got to play way more than he should have because of Bellerins injury. Torreira, started great but faded pretty hard second half of the season, hopefully the experience and adaptation has done him good and we’ll see more consistency throughout this year Guen, same as Torreira, but instead of coming from serie A he made a massive step up from Ligue 2, mistakes were bound to happen last year but we’re going… Read more »
On a football blog
Freddie
Yes. And? We started the season before with the same defenders. Only emery us new recruits. Who did 100% improve upon what wenger had the season before.
Irrefutable
‘Don’t care if he posts or not Gentlebris..i don’t own the blog and i will appreciate it if you keep me out of that pointless conversation’
Do I have to dig one up on you too?
Just say yes.
Xhaka only fouls or tries himself to get fouled when playing defense. He goes down easily when he makes contact- I think this is because he has no idea of how to defend. He figures, “let me fall down before the other player” so this will be how I can stop them. His mind does not think in real time. He is about a second slow in his processing. The lunge on Son- case in point. Its too late when he leaves his feet. He is an atrocity. He gives us nothing but worry and Ive had enough already. IF… Read more »
Guns of SF: “Anyone know when Bellerin is back? Tierney in Nov??”
Both plus Mavropanos are supposed to be back in full training this month. We should expect them to be ready in the middle of October. Tierney even sooner.
Holding is playing for our u23s so it’s just a matter of time to get his form back.
You cannot teach a player his age, how to be quicker, how to read the game and how to adjust on defense- how to position himself so he is not getting blown by every time. Its like watching a 45 year old out there.
He needs a slower paced league with time and space…
Say hello to Serie A
Guns of SF,
Spot on.
Bris, stop snitching.
‘Was at mass in Italy over the summer.
Was amazing. Lovely little church in a village in Tuscany.’
The only time then and your Mama had to drag you there, baiting you with holiday goodies.
Why not go again? That could make you less horrible you know.
Un
Stop embarrassing yourself.
Buying of players is subjective. Wenger bought Lacazette, Kolasinac, brought back Wilshere and Calum Chambers while going from 5th to 6th.
Aubameyang and Mhkitaryan also joined in January.
How come Wenger went backwards?
Why was Fulham relegated by buying like 11 new players?
Only the xenophobe and the homoohobe are calling for you know who to come back. Says it all.
By the way he wasn’t binned because people were asking for it Pedro doesn’t do that instead he was binned because he incessantly called for us to lose games
Emery out now.
By the following metrics, Emery in his first season has improved on Wenger’s final season: (Emery’s first 50 games in charge vs Wenger’s last 50 in charge in all comps) More wins Fewer losses Fewer draws Higher points total Higher final league position Metrics, irrespective of context/other contributing factors, don’t lie. That said, it wasn’t hard to improve upon Wenger’s long goodbye season. Unless he snatches 3rd come June, Emery out. Don’t think he’ll do it though. His tactics are so fucking bland. We’ll see how things go with our better-when-fit fullbacks, given how much Unai loves a cutback from… Read more »
Haven’t seen Wallace post in a while, wonder what he makes of things currently.
Can’t help but sense many fans feel a bit disenchanted by the season ahead, very little excitement brewing. Hopefully Pepe can deliver on that end when he’s bedded in.
‘Bris, stop snitching.’
Or out I go myself?
Now I would love to go on those terms.
That’s me A-Z, when a man is being made to pay for what he didn’t actually buy, I get sick in the stomach.
Funny, could’ve sworn Banford was chased off of here by me.
That’s what the oracle said anyhow.
Can’t help but sense many fans feel a bit disenchanted by the season ahead, very little excitement brewing
Speak for yourself and your ilk. 130 million spent has people excited and expectant of a top 4 finish. Unlike last season where 5/6 was expected. Not everyone is as focused on the manager
Let’s consider a new manager at a new club. He gets better players than the previous manager, but his result are marginally better in term of points total and place (but worse in term of goals conceded and scored). It does make sense to have people questioning the overall quality of his contribution. Some may consider that taking into account the advantage he had over the previous manager, the team has in fact regressed. That is “Un na naii” point of view. You may agree or disagree, but it is clear and can be easily understood. Personally I don’t think… Read more »
Pedro has it right , I never mentioned Wenger once before all these comments were directed at me Azed “If Wenger had left a good squad, we won’t have had to spend two years replacing the who team.Of the Wenger Midfielder, only Xhaka remains.. Ozil is leaving on borrowed time. That’s how poor our squad was.” Raptora “Where was your shapr tongue when Wenger was sitting on a comfy till death contract and we actually had to make our voice heard or he’d be stinking the place out in his 80s? Proven failure for 14 years” Raptora “What were you… Read more »
(but worse in term of goals conceded and scored).
It does make sense to have people questioning the overall quality of his contribution.
Technically speaking conceded less than the previous season. Scored one less goal though
Great news we’ve managed to move at least one of the triumvirate of overpayed mercenaries (Özil, mhikitaryan and Xhaka).
Valentin
Thank you. I’d like to point something out however. I do t think the team has regressed. I just don’t think we have improved.
Nobody has been able to cite a clear example of how we have when contributing factors are considered.
Marko
I assume you’re referring to me with the xenophobe jab?
I haven’t actually commented on CG being banned. I just defended him when you and your little merry band of mean girls were all over him. Calling him a cunt and telling him to crawl back under his rock.
Incidentally I did call for your return and Bamford as I don’t like the idea of banning. I’m a free speech absolutist.
And wanker that you are I rather enjoy your’s and Bamford’s contributions to the blog.
Has anyone heard from Vic Vic since he said he was contemplating suicide?
He was struggling badly with depression and hasn’t been back since.
Hope he’s alright.
Felt for him.
Jamie
“By the following metrics, Emery in his first season has improved on Wenger’s final season: (Emery’s first 50 games in charge vs Wenger’s last 50 in charge in all comps)
More wins
Fewer losses
Fewer draws
Higher points total
Higher final league position”
Don
“Nobody has been able to cite a clear example of how we have when contributing factors are considered.”
Is Jamie a joke you Don?
Azed Haha. Look how desperate you are to try and erase and rewind reality!! So our squad in 18/19 wasn’t better than 17/18?? Funny that as most of the emery fan club seemed quite insistent that we had improved massively straight away with just the signings we had made in wenger’s absence. And no. Signing players is not always subjective. Not when there’s consensus. Are Aubameyang and lacazette better options than Theo and Giroud? Doubt you’ll find 1 person to disagree. Is it better to have Sokratis Leno and Torreira, Luiz and tierney added to our defence? If not why… Read more »