I watched the Arsenal game in New Orleans in a great bar call Finn McCool’s. I am very hungover right now. So bear with me kids.
We’re now into October and Unai Emery has only managed one decent performance this season, that was against a Championship side.
On the face of it, you can boldly look at the on-paper situ and say that we’re sitting in 4th, we’re ahead of two of our main rivals in the race for top 4, and we’re excited about some of the kids.
Or you could be a miserable but realistic person and realize that there are only 3 points between 4th and 11th, our main rivals are in deep transition / we’ve not taken advantage of their woes, and the kids are the only exciting thing because the rest of the squad hasn’t really shown up.
At the core of our problems is our beta manager. Unai Emery went to Old Trafford, a team West Ham bossed, and played with fear again. His midfield lacked ambition, he basically rolled with three holding midfielders, opting to push LT into a more advanced position he really can’t play. Xhaka is Xhaka, you know what you’re going to get and it’s always a different variant of beige. We all love Matteo, but he can’t do it all himself. I really felt for the attack, Auba was dropping into our own penalty box at times to create for the forward players. Petit summer up the side he picked.
‘It sends negative signals by picking 3 defensive midfielders against a team there for the taking’
We went a goal down, there were 9 Arsenal players behind the ball when McTominay fizzed a shot that Xhaka ducked. It was quite startling to be down to a side that’s been so inept this season, but not surprising, we give wind to any club in any sort of crisis. Xhaka ducking a header? Not shocking.
We clawed one back in VAR circumstances. Saka slipped Aub into the box with a lovely first-time pass, the finish was an arrogant little dink, but the linesman called it offside. VAR overturned the decision. De Gea looked like he’d broken the unwritten rule… play on regardless of what you see with you eyes and hear with your ears. The VAR ruled the goal legitimate.
Saka was the one bright spot in a game of darkness. He’s electric, he moves the ball with purpose, he’s extremely bright and he delivers. If we’d spent £80m on him this summer, we’d all be purring right now. What a bright future this guy has.
The rest of the game was pretty grim to watch. The manager tried to spice up our attack with the introduction of Ceballos. I’m not sure it heavily altered the dynamic, though it did give us a bit more purpose.
We chased the win late on by bringing Reiss Nelson on for the dismal Nicolas Pepe. The Ivorian superstar looked utterly lost once again. He has some lovely flashes, but he has no clue what he’s doing in the Emery system. He’s a lost his sparkle, he needs a goal, I also think he needs a hug, the guy looks very, very miserable.
1-1 was a fair result, but once again, it was a poor one given the context. What made it worse was the glee on Emery’s face, like he’d just taken Sevilla to Barca and nicked a point. It’s so meek.
I’m no fan of Mesut Ozil, but in a game as bad as that, he’d be handy to open up opportunities. The manager named him in his 5 captains, then dropped him from the squad. What does that say about your emotional intelligence as a coach? How do your rationalise that sort of thing? What does that message look like to the other players? It’s farsical considering how little magic was on show yesterday. As someone comically said yesterday, Emery would prefer to play a defensive midfielder as a #10.
Long and short of it. We couldn’t take advantage of Spurs when they were in freefall. We couldn’t take advantage of an OGS mess. We’re in 4th place, sure, but the reality is we’re not playing like a top 4 team and the hangover from last season has carried through. We are a very average team. Some fans aren’t paying attention to the performances becasue they don’t think the table lies. I have news for you, the table always lies, if you didn’t learn that last season during our 22 game unbeaten streak, I feel for you. Emery hasn’t moved us forward, he doesn’t know how to build a defensive structure, his approach to attack is painfully one-dimensional, and worst of all… the players don’t look like they enjoy playing his system.
We’re holding out for Tierney and Hector to save Emery’s vision, the same way many fans were holding onto the idea that buying wide players would make his style tick. It’s fantasy stuff. We were supposed to be hiring in a magician who could work with the tools he was given, we got a one-dimensional manager with less tricks up his sleeve than Wenger. The only thing that’s flexible is his indecision. The only thing that’s visionary is the belief that there’s a good player somewhere in the world of Xhaka. The only thing exciting are the moments of individual magic some of our talent can pull off inspite of the manager.
We hired in asset stripper, the asset he’s selling off is footballing joy and he’s utterly ruthless at it. Unai Emery doesn’t want to have a specific style. He just wants to crawl through each game and take the points any way he can. It’s like watching a mid-table team bar fight after 12 beers. He’s a bad pragmatist, he doesn’t believe in anything, so we’re always going to look confused. We get by at the moment because we have good players, or more to the point, we have an Auba.
That’s not a sustainable model. It didn’t work last season, I have my doubts it will this year. The only thing we’re hopeful of is that Chelsea, Spurs and United continue to be works of transition. That’s such a miserable outlook considering how good some of the talent is.
… but this is us for the forseeable. I can’t see the club doing anything unless things go really badly, we’re just going to aim for 4th and hope the manager finds some sort of rhythm.
A disappointing result, but par the course for Emery.
London he was very very good for Athletic. Started dropping at Chelsea.
London – I don’t know, I think I might take Ricardo over AMN, and Maddison, Anderson, Lanzini over Willock and Martinelli.
Controversial I know.
SPUDS doesn’t start Eriksen
Come on Bayern, thrash the fuckers!
Lanzini is all flash no delivery this issue has plagued his career. You get those players who are technically brilliant but just can’t make an impact.
Maddison is pretty good, but I dont think he has a higher ceiling then willock and martinelle.
AMN is gash though. You are right there bud.
“Guardiola also praised forward Riyad Mahrez, who scored against Shakhtar Donetsk and also in the win at Everton.
“He’s been so decisive, clinical,” said the City boss. “Defensively his commitment is higher this season and offensively every time he has the ball you have a feeling he is going to create something.”
Just posed that for Pierre who thinks it’s an abomination for Ozil to have defensive duties.
“London – Leicester, Wolves, West Ham, Everton all have equally as good if not better squads.“
Good grief..
Son scores!
Bayern gonna be shopping for a new DM soon if Tolisso is anything to go by. Need a long term Javi Martinez replacement
Belter from Kimmich
Boateng is shite
Bayern plays a high defensive line. Son toke advantage of it.
Can someone explain why Ramos wasn’t offside on his goal?
London must rain a lot. Recently, almost every game is played under the rain.
Pedro
You smashed it with this post
Just so many truth bombs
You’re right. We were told he needed wingers to bring out his style and ethos
He is an asset stripper. He tearing the joy from Arsenal piece by piece every day and turning us into a shit version of Mourinho’s Chelsea
A duller, weaker, loser’s edition
“I am beginning to think that if we didn’t have auba or laca we would be mid table with emery.” Well our current team is without them is mid-table so yeah, mid-table is probably where we would be. Ok it’s only a few games in but it’s pretty obvious that City and Liverpool are going to to occupy the top two positions.So what about the other hopefuls Arsenal.Ok I get it that we haven’t yet seen Tierney and people are expecting Holding and Bellerin to return and pick up where they left off but their rehabilitation isn’t going to end… Read more »
Ederson is probably the best ball-kicking keeper in world football. I wonder how much of that is down to Pep’s genius.
Spurs losing, excellent.
Another belter
SPUDS screwed up
great bit of skill from Lewa
Man city players don’t look happy trudging off at half time. Bernardo Silva and Mahrez having words with each other, Aguero looks pissed off.
Spurs treading water. Will have regained a bit of energy in the break but the burnt far too much energy in the first twenty minutes.
Hopefully will end 3-4 gap. Fingers crossed
Ths players are to blame not Emery.
Iwobi is still a donkey.since his move
You see how Bayern play out from the back crisp decisive passes whereas our players are ponderous
Nelson
We’re an island.
Weather fronts from every direction.
Rain is a part of our culture.
Where are you based
Next summer, to really start on (re)building on fresh basis : Emery, Zhaka, Mustardi, Ozil OUT.
And if Edu and Raul aren’t able to see that those changes are necessary, they will be free to get the fuck out, them too.
Rt
I guess you’ll agree then that Henry, Lehman and Almunia let wenger down in the 06 final?
Or that Nelson vivas let us down at Leeds in 99 and cost us the title?
And vieira, bergkamp Dixon and keown let us down in the 99 cup semi final?
Was it the players fault in 07/08 when gallas acted the cunt and sat in the semi circle?
This should be good….
Kane’s gets a yellow
HL
Mustafi and ozil aren’t getting any game time. And when selected this season they’ve actually been better than the player selected in their position
Mustafi has been better than David Luiz and ozil has been better than Ceballos
So too has willock actual
Freddie, Hairline, I’m looking at you. Both going on like Ceballos was Jesus incarnate.
He’s been very underwhelming wouldn’t you agree? Outplayed by two teenagers thus far
Gnabry!!
Gnabry. We miss him!
Gnarby – 2 goals.
Well done Wenger you cunt.
Spurs capitulating here
Damn. Gnabry is scoring for fun.
Great by Gnabry. Spurs getting absolutely dicked on here. Taxi for Poch
Do not rate Lloris at all
Spurs looking good….
Fuck you wenger, had a diamond in gnarby and he got mugged off for podolski. Are you mad.
Gnabry playing for Bayern – I blame Emery!
Top 3 manager in world football really delivering the goods.
Gnabry channeling his gooner roots.
Beautiful thing.
Sal j agree I think he looks handsome. Big afro a moustache talent. 😍
SOFT penalty that… Kane is the jammiest fucker ever to play the game.
When you watch teams like Bayern going forward, you see what is lacking with us, no penetration, just individual brilliance by mostly Aubameyang.
Gnarby hatrick
Norf Landon taking another 5-2 pounding from zee Germans….
Shame we let this boy go for nothing…..
@Majestic We haven’t been a proper football side for a few years now.
Have you forgotten how Bayern schooled us 2 : 10 on aggregate?
Gnarby 4!!!!
Lol spurs lol
Oooops…6…they’re worse than us…another 6-2 in Munich and Wenger will be smiling.
Bayern is showing all EPL teams how to score against SPUDS. 4 goals fo our ex_gooner.
Make that a oops oops
Bowling.Shoe.Ugly here at the Sp*ds stadium…
LMAO….GNABRY….
The biggest problem with our team is fear and Emery is to blame for that. With Pepe and Saka/Nelson on the wings, teams should be afraid of attacking us knowing that any spaces left behind would be severely punished.
I back Emery all of last season but so far this season, he hasn’t shown that he has what it takes to maximize the potentials of our team.
Strange no is is talking up Poch and his zero net spend (if you ignore the £100m+ he dropped this summer, obv) anymore.
He’s run out of sauce, and the spuds are dry.
7-2 now.
Jeazuz krist! Spurs are shit!
Oh my god 😂 it’s 7-2. Hate to see it.
Top 3 coach my hairy wet ass.
Great goals by Bayern though.
Did the spuds have decide to emulate Arsenal in the CL ??
LOL
Hattrick for gnabry. Thunder fire home advantage. Look at how Bayern is dismantling spurs.
lol at spuds
Hurts that we let Gnabry go…
Make it 7! Where is the Poch sauce? Lol
Oops!
7-2!!!!!!!
Its 7……lol!!!
Bowling shoe ugly…yes
LOVE THIS
A certain Arsenal ‘supporter’ on here (I know right) will be fuming at his beloved Pochy and Spuds losing
Shocking lack of organisational sauce from Pochettino.
Interesting to get the tactical break down from the fierce Emery critics. What tactical mistakes did Pochettino make tonight?
Poche sauce
POCH SPICE SAUCE!!
LMAO…Poch asking one of his assistant “how much time left for this shit shot?..i need to get out of here” Assistant looks at watch and says twhoo minitos jefe”
Enjoy the new stadium fuckin’ Scum wankers.
Gnabry Not good enough for the premiership according to Tony Pulis.
What a judge of player…
Add to that the fact that quite a number of players are in the final year of their contracts, I wonder what happened to the much hyped ‘sauce’ Poch is alleged to have. You can’t have that much sauce and not manage to win any trophies, not even a League cup
Now that’s why it’s called Seven Sisters Road.
Top 3 manager in the world get outta here with that bs
Spuds had a power SERGE in London tonight
Wenger will come out and say how he almost signed Gnabry for Arsenal. Oh wait…
according to Tony Pulis.
————–
Why the fuck did Wenger send him to that cunt?
Bayern have about 4 or 5 players who no matter the kind of ball passed to them it just seems to stick to their feet. We don’t have that at all. Guendouzi and Saka surprisingly have it a little bit but we need more than that. Coutinho was a miss I think
Gnabry looks so much fitter than at Arsenal. Leaner and more capable of repetition in terms of sprints.
Another reminder of how stupid giving Gnabry away was.
At the same time, that is Wenger levels of embarrassment for Pochettino.
Spurs flushed down shitter their very own expensive toilet bowl.
Talk of Poch being a “top 3 in the world” manager flushed down the loo too.
“Coutinho was a miss I think”
Massive.
Gnabry: excellent player.
Even more impressive character to have survived a double helping of Wenger and Pulis “managing” him.
TR7
What is happening to Poch? Is he still top 3 to you?
Legrove favorite pochettino getting his ass pasted at home by a former arsenal winger who couldnt hack it in West brom..you love to see it lol 😂….
Funny how people to this day want to talk about letting Jeff Reine Adelaide go. Gnabry was the big fuck up
If only a retrospective action could be taken against a certain person for the Gnabry handling eh?. That is 72 million we would not have spent on Pepe which would have better served the MF and DF
Bollocks!
BM will not win the CL.
They always seen to fudge it up in the k/o stages.
Tr7 is going to get roasted tonight ainit?…Poor guy
Gnabry Not good enough for the premiership according to Tony Pulis.
What a judge of player
Feel like you’re letting a certain french scrotum off the hook but that’s ok
Love the result hate we let Gnabry go
I love Poch’s philosophy. They have a defined style of play which is returning sweet dividends.
Lets hope Spurs don’t get a new manager, that will be bad for us.
Doubt they’ll even come 3rd in their group so that wont be joining us and Man U on Thursday nights.
A certain Arsenal ‘supporter’ on here (I know right) will be fuming at his beloved Pochy and Spuds losing
Leftside am sorry,you said ‘a certain’…I might be wrong but they are quite many judging by the many times I log into Legrove and see 2 full pages of pochettino…at least two days each week
5 or 6 players wenger let go that would walk into our team now