The Unai Emery Mirage

by .

We won.

We’re 3rd, 1 point behind Manchester City.

This should be a joyous occasion, but it’s not.

The table is a liar, she did it to us last season and she’s doing it to us again. We’re not very good, but we’re falling up the stairs. The ‘on-paper’ monkeys can point to ‘the only reality that matters is points’, but as a casual reminder, this is what happened last season.

You cannot continue to ignore what your eyes see week to week.

Unai Emery cannot find a performance. He cannot find a balanced starting 11. His in-game decisions lead me to believe he doesn’t actually see what we’re all seeing.

Winning ugly is not a sustainable strategy for a club that can’t defend or create chances.

Bournemouth are a terrible side. Their position in the league is also very kind to their reality. They don’t press, they don’t create meaningful chances and they leak shots. Rounding up, they’ve conceded about 17 shots a game this season. They are relegation fodder unless Eddie finds some magic. Perfect opposition for us.

The first half saw exactly what we all expected. A bad team struggling to find confidence away at a big club. They didn’t press, they looked nervous and they offered us up oceans of space to enact whatever the Emery vision supposedly is.

We offered up very little. Arsenal were comfortable, some fans celebrated that as a positive, but if we’re honest, Forest would have given us more of a game. We managed 2 shots on target in the first half, one was from a setpiece. There was no magic in our attack, we played like there was no real plan, and there was a real lack of energy in the middle of the park.

At the half time mark, I kind of hoped the manager would remember the Villa game and react, but he didn’t. We stuck with the same players, we created very little, but we allowed Bournemouth to get a foot in the game. They were bad in the final third, but they certainly created dangerous moments.

So what did Emery do? He subbed off Nicolas Pepe on 60 minutes. I understand that his performance wasn’t up to much, but the lack of attempts on their goal wasn’t really in his responsibility domain. The decision was a stinging rebuke, and really, not smart management. He’s our most expensive signing, he was playing against duffers, he should have been given the minutes to play his way back into the match.

… that’s not to takeaway from Gabriel, the kid deserved to play, I just think the signal the sub sent wasn’t a confidence builder and I think it was a misdiagnosis of the problem.

Things didn’t improve anyway, even with the electric Brazilian on the pitch, because the problem wasn’t the front three, it was what sat behind them. The manager took off Ceballos for Willock, which added a little more energy, but not much purpose. Again, rotating like for like wasn’t going to shake the game.

It also didn’t stem the flow of Bournemouth, we ended up forming deep banks to protect against their growing confidence… then the icing on the cake, Emery took Saka off for Lucas Torriera. Hard to work out what he was doing there, was LT a DM, a #10 or an auxiliary winger? Either way, it didn’t do much for our structure. We only started getting chances again when Bournemouth threw everything at landing a point, that created counter-attack chances and we did manage to hit the post late on after the impressive Cal Chambers put Auba in.

So at home, against one of the leakiest teams in the league, we managed one shot on target in open play. That is as strong an indictment of Emery as I can muster. Edu, sitting in the stands, did not look happy. How could he be after sanctioning such a big spend this summer, we have not moved forward.

A lot of fans will point to the omittance of Mesut Ozil as a glaringly obvious fix. Again, I cannot repeat this often enough, he’s really not my cup of tea. However, it’s hard to argue that the German couldn’t have influenced a game like today. The players will know that, and this sort of treatment will build pressure on Emery.

The manager is making a martyr out of the German in the same way he did with Ramsey last season. The longer the player sits in metaphorical prison on hunger strike, the louder and more appealing his silent message becomes. None of this would matter if Emery had made this decision in preseason and not shown the player to us. None of this would matter if he hadn’t given him one of the five armbands. None of this would matter if the alternative was 20 chances a game and electric ‘I DON’T MISS OZIL’ football.

To make matters worse for the manager, the pregame Twitter banter has a magical moment from Ozil at training. It also has a damning video of Xhaka gifting Auba a goal after a mistake in training.

If Ozil is a political prisoner, then Granit Xhaka is a sham President after a stolen election. He doesn’t speak the language of the people and his football policies stink. He was mostly ok today, but that’s all he ever is. His best trait is arguing with the referee. He doesn’t drive the team forward, he doesn’t inspire and his presence flattens the energy. Today offered up perfect conditions for him to thrive and he still couldn’t muster a worldy.

Unai Emery is a bad artist. He has the water paints, the canvass, a perfect view on the Amalfi Coast, and he’s out there painting dick pics and wondering why his funders are pissed. The perfect conditions for his system to flourish appear to be Championship sides or Europa Cup ties. We’re 11 games into the season, there’s no style and the philosophy seems to be ‘hope to nick a goal then defend like we’re in the last minute of a Sunday League Cup Final.’

There is no excuse for drab football this season. There is no excuse to defend a 1-0 lead at home against Bournemouth with defensive subs in the last 10. What we are seeing on the pitch is bad… but as I said last week, Emery can point to the table, that’s his safety blanket until things get tasty in December.

Roll on another week.

Enjoy the win, savour being 3rd in the league a point behind City… but don’t count your chickens just yet, because until performances start to arrive, this is all a big lie that will correct just as you start to believe.

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Wasi

Emery likes to attack down the wings.
Well i half-agree with the statement. Lets see what happens when we get Tierney and Bellerin back. Tbf Bellerin was flying last season .And if we continue to play drab after getting these two back theres no reason we should wait until May to deliver the bolt to Emery.

Redtruth

Emery didn’t sign Kolasinac, Mustafi, Xhaka, Ozil, all terrible players.
Emery has to rely on youngsters/novices because of the folly of the previous administration.

Un na naai

Rt

The same amount of CL finals emery has made in his career
Shit he’s never even made a a semi

Even Wenger made the semis twice!!
Loooool
Keep trying you tit

Pierre

Dissenter
“Unlock the attacking options by picking the right midfield”

Ceballos played today ( and did pretty good) as did Guendouzi.

Torreira played as the more advanced midfielder last week v United .

So which midfielder is going to unlock the attacking options.

Obviously you must be talking about a midfielder who isnt getting a look in at the moment or are you saying that by taking xhaka out of the equation , it will magically ” unlock the attacking options” which ,I have to say, is debatable.

Marko

Lamenting his absence in providing entertainment is one thing, it’s entirely another to claim we’re hamstrung by it. We aren’t, we’ve plenty to win, and win better than we are

Huh. No I’m saying how can a person criticize the football witnessed in the last year and a bit and then pine for Lacazette cause he adds entertainment. He’s played over 50 times since Emery has come in are you entertained?

Redtruth

Who is Arsenal’s best player, you got it, Guendouzi an Emery signing.

bennydevito

I thought only teenage girls use the word peng, like my 14 yr old daughter and her mates.

Un na naai

Rt

Yeah. Poor old emery has no chance against wolves and palace with £200m worth if new talent plus £172m worth of strikers

Poor fella

TR7

Cracker of a game this Juve-Inter

Marko

Good game this. Juve still a level above you sense.

How Sarri still picks Khedira with Bentacur, Ramsey and Rabiot on the bench is beyond me

Redtruth

Wenger and Pochettino have both made a Champions League Final…lol ..whereas Emery knows how to win in Europe.

Champagne charlie

Marko

Quite simple, the football is shite and Laca is the only one in the side that can produce a bit of magic himself or conjure a moment worth watching.

You only see black and white don’t you?

Laca is entertaining a lot of the time, doesn’t mean the team plays good football.

Valentin

Marko,

The fact that you never attend any game should not give you the right to feel superior to people who usually do and could not make the Europa League game.
The Europa games are at 18:00, so unless you can leave work early people can’t attend. During the weekday the congestion charge and extortionate parking fee add to the overall cost of travelling to games by car.
For Games starting at 20:00 London transport is so bad that some people are not even guarantee to be back home before their last train.

Redtruth

Un na naai
“Yeah. Poor old emery has no chance against wolves and palace with £200m worth if new talent plus £172m worth of strikers”

Keeping digging ..lol Man City lol lol..

Un na naai

Val our fanbase are wank full stop. Forest and Liege games were empty too despite the price of a ticket likely being cheap and a chance to see exciting kids play

Ha
Bet he’s never been to Highbury.

Champagne charlie

“I thought only teenage girls use the word peng, like my 14 yr old daughter and her mates.“

I thought most adults understood the applications of irony.

Dissenter

Pierre
Lol
I was referring to not playing Xhaka so often, hence the non-playing captain model.
I wasn’t referring to your grifter buddy

Receding Hairline

Wasi he sat deep hoping to counter Barca because he had already beaten barca 4-0 at home playing very attacking football. You seem to ignore that part of the story

Un na naai

RedtruthOctober 6, 2019 20:02:24
Wenger and Pochettino have both made a Champions League Final…lol ..whereas Emery knows how to win in Europe.

Rt

Then why does he always crash out of the only one worth winning?

Even wenger made two semis

Marko

You only see black and white don’t you?

I see no colour.

Redtruth

Remind me of Wenger’s record in Europe….crashing out at the last 16 stage 7 years in a row …lol

Emiratesstroller

Pedro Yes this was another indifferent performance. However, there is a fundamental difference between last season and this. 1. We have been missing in the first two months of this season Holding, Bellerin and Tierney. Also Emery has at long last recognised that AMN was a weak link in defence and replaced him with Chambers who is most definitely upgrade in absence of Bellerin. 2. There is more depth in our squad than last season with the introduction of youngsters. 3. We played three games in six days and were able to rotate the squad. This was not happening last… Read more »

Un na naai

Receding HairlineOctober 6, 2019 20:05:32
Wasi he sat deep hoping to counter Barca because he had already beaten barca 4-0 at home playing very attacking football. You seem to ignore that part of the story

Yeah. And failed miserably. Good point well made hairline

Wasi

RH
Barca had 57% possession that day. He played Counter football. Psg players were superior that day and Barca players were very bad.
Okay just tell me on thing . What is his football philosophy? Its definitely not the protagonists and high press he promised. Is it playing a DM as a #10?

Un na naai

RedtruthOctober 6, 2019 20:09:45
Remind me of Wenger’s record in Europe….crashing out at the last 16 stage 7 years in a row …lol

Rt

Even wenger made two CL semi finals. What’s emery done? Crashed out. QF is the best he’s offered with the richest team in the world and 4-0 up against Barca

😂😂😂😂😂😂
Even on cheat mode he fucks up

bennydevito

Good ebening Grovers, good post Pedro. I thought we played pretty well in the first half but awful in the 2nd. The introduction of Ryan Fraser made the difference pushing King back up next to Wilson. Yet again Emery got the subs all wrong. I thought Saka should have gone off for Martinelli not Pepe, and Xhaka should have gone off for Willock, not Ceballos. I’m sure Pepe will come good but the system needs to suit him. Our transition from midfield to attack is so slow and a lot of that is because of Xhaka and Guendouzi being paired… Read more »

Un na naai

. Is it playing a DM as a #10?

Wasi
Fucking looks like it.

Marko

The fact that you never attend any game should not give you the right to feel superior to people who usually do and could not make the Europa League game.

You know nothing of the games I attend or don’t attend fibber. Stick to what you know best… whatever it is presumably just lying on different blogs.

I stand by what I said our fanbase is wank it has people like you in it hence it’s wank

Wasi

Marko
What are you getting at? Laca not good enough?

TR7

Why did Inter buy that donkey Lukaku ?

Un na naai

Benny

It can’t help that the ball is normally in our half as opposed to the danger areas where Pepe excels

Wasi

Benny
How many goals does Zaha have this season in an overperforming Palace team?

Un
Today Mr. Emery tried a new thing.Sub in a DM . Form a midfield diamond (his fav) and vacate the right wing.

Leedsgunner

Man City & Liverpool are the two stand out teams at the moment of the EPL, and if we are honest, they have been like that for the past two seasons or so.

We are third at the moment, because frankly, we are the best of a very bland best bunch… not because we are keeping up with Liverpool and Man City because we are matching them step by step. We are third more because we are surviving by the skin of our teeth rather than because we are matching the top two with quality.

Marko

Stroller again with the common sense appraisal. I think people tend to forget that it’s three games in 7 days and 7 points so calm perhaps is needed

Un na naai

MarkoOctober 6, 2019 20:13:30
The fact that you never attend any game should not give you the right to feel superior to people who usually do and could not make the Europa League game.You know nothing of the games I attend or don’t attend fibber. Stick to what you know best… whatever it is presumably just lying on different blogs.I stand by what I said our fanbase is wank it has people like you in it hence it’s wank

😂😂😂😂 Trigger warning ⚠️

Bet he’s never been to Highbury. Ever

Redtruth

Un na naai

You keep referring to your hero as ‘even’ Wenger …very bizarre…..

Champagne charlie

“Wasi he sat deep hoping to counter Barca because he had already beaten barca 4-0 at home playing very attacking football. “

Same guy scolded others on here for saying Leicester performed well at Anfield, claimed it meant fuck all because they lost.

Now he’s condoning tactics used from a game Emery’s side lost 18-0. Scenes

Un na naai

Wasi

Yes. Because he was scared. Winning 1-0. At home. To Bournemouth.

Un na naai

Rt

Yes because he is considered a failure in Europe by mugs like you yet even he reached two semi finals.

Emery hasn’t made 1
Even in cheat mode
Looooool

Valentin

Marko, “You know nothing of the games I attend or don’t attend fibber. Stick to what you know best… whatever it is presumably just lying on different blogs.I stand by what I said our fanbase is wank it has people like you in it hence it’s wank” So I am curious how many game have you attended from Ireland this season? How many time in your life have you been to the Emirates? How many games have you ever attended to Highbury? Because it takes the biscuit and some degree of lack of self awareness to criticise people who make… Read more »

G

” 90% of those calling for Emery’s termination are simply deluded closet AKB’s who have never come to terms with a change of manager.”

is there no end to the shit you come out with..

Redtruth

Refereeing blunders cost PSG that game against Barca, VAR surely would have salvaged PSG had it been switched on.

Un na naai

So I am curious how many game have you attended from Ireland this season?
How many time in your life have you been to the Emirates?
How many games have you ever attended to Highbury?

Valentin

Come on. We all know the answer to that.
A big fat ZERO.
Maybe the fan base is wank on his Dublin estate.

Leedsgunner

Who will push the panic button first?

Tottenham or Man Utd?

Un na naai

Rt

Look at you tying yourself in knots.
You look like a spaghetti bolognese!!!
All while trying to defend PSG!!
Hahahaha. What a TIT!!!

Nelson

All CR7 did now is dancing with the ball in front of a defender. He can’t beat a defender now. He can still shoot and head the ball though.

Wasi

Redtruth
Yeah thats true but you cant argue that Emery’s tactics that day were pretty bad. Some might they even deserved to lose that game.
What is your opinion on Emery. Do you think he can bring back the glory days ? Is he a good tactician? Good man-manager? Good recruiter?
or anything else?.

Redtruth

Un na naai

How many Champions league Finals has the famous Guardiola made in the last 8 years…?

Wasi

Red
Var couldve won us the CL

Marko

Because it takes the biscuit and some degree of lack of self awareness to criticise people who make the financial and time commitment to physically attend game when you yourself do not attend games. Val you’re kinda proving my point when you’re making a case for foreign living fans to pick up the slack for the ones living in London not showing up. But again point stands our fanbase is wank has been for years. The stadium the atmosphere the lethargic attitude to a cancerous manager in Wenger and of course people like yourself. Wank. You see clubs like Dortmund… Read more »

Un na naai

RT

Convenient little number that.
1) why don’t we extend that a little?
2) pep has been winning titles and delivering the best football in the world in that time
3) deflecting into others doesn’t change the fact that emery has reached a CL semi in his entire career while EVEN WENGER REACHED TWO

Valentin

I think that Pochettino will leave first. Likely to be replaced by a left field appointment.

ManUtd can’t sack OGS without a replacement already confirmed. That replacement must unite the fan and be viewed as clear upgrade on OGS. However I can’t see any well established manager wanting the job without some serious guarantee. I bet Woodward regret sacking LvG, because he would be perfect with the younger squad.

Redtruth

Surely Guardiola’s record in Europe is more damning than Emery’s considering the teams he’s managed.

Wasi

Red
Even i defended and gave Emery the benefit of doubt up until the Watford game. I dont think he can deliver the silverware we want. He is a transition manager for us. The only thing he and his fanboys are holding onto is the return of the defensive trio. It will help but will it transform us into a totally different proposition like Kante has done to Lampard’s Chelsea. Idk man.

Redtruth

Un na naai

I suppose going with your logic Pochettino is a better manager than Emery because he’s reached a Champions league Final lol

Nelson

Watching Inter vs Juv, the ball keeps moving.

CR7 scores

Marko

Another example of the Arsenal fanbase being wank is of course the obvious club who hasn’t challenged for a title in 15+ years currently sit in third with one defeat has some fans demanding a change in manager.

Ronaldo magic here

Nelson

The other player was offside.

Marko

Wait offside

Un na naai

Also you’re a piece of shit Val you were alluding to the stadium not being filled today because of the drab football under Emery and now I bring up practically the same thing but for a different reason and it’s affordability and time and blah blah blah. It was 2 o’clock on a Sunday afternoon what’s the excuse there

Lol
Triiiiigggeeeeered ⚠️

Think you touched a nerve val.
Marko don’t chat shit. You’ve never been to Highbury.

Wasi

Surely Guardiola’s record in Europe is more damning than Emery’s considering the teams he’s managed

Man PSG was literally a cheat code for Emery to climb up the manager pyramid. They bought Neymar and Mbappe in the same window. What more do you want. Pep at the time was at Bayerm who were spending less than us. Your defence of Emery is insane man. Are you Carcedo or Xhaka in disguise?

Un na naai

Rt

Poch is a better manager regardless

Wasi

Un na naaiI suppose going with your logic Pochettino is a better manager than Emery because he’s reached a Champions league Final lol

Isnt he? Taking a mid table team to Top 3 in the prem is surely a better job than taking a completely dominant French force and losing out to 22 yr olds in the league.

Valentin

Marko, Did I hit an nerve? Can’t spot the difference between a game at 18:00 on weekday and a game on Sunday at 14:00? If you had attended games, you would know that even Champion’s League group games have had a lot of empty seats. I live 40 minutes away via tube from Arsenal. On match day because of the disruption (station closure, bus diversion, …) it can take me up to 90 minutes to get home. For people who live 90 minutes away from the stadium, on match day it can take them up to 4 hours to get… Read more »

Gentlebris

Fuckers here peddling agenda, knock yourselves out hawking your stuff. You ain’t kidding nobody, you freaking Emery’s shoes minders. Arsenal played so poor today it made me dizzy. Our players are suffering from acute coaching malnutrition. And the joker of a coach dropped the only guy we have who could put two footballing sentences together. I would be happy to drop Ozil if we were half decent, but we weren’t. A team of village coffee growers could play better football than we did today. So bring on the frog-eyed computer gamer and let him make his soft-muscled absent-minded efforts….better than… Read more »

Redtruth

Un na naai
“Poch is a better manager regardless”

Now you’re just trolling lol

Nelson

Godin definitely has pulled the shirt.

Receding Hairline

It was 6-5 on aggregate and no that particular game Emery’s side won 4-0. Don’t get what it has to do with Leicester nor the 18-0 bit but then again it’s you. Nothing you say these days makes any sense.

Emery’s side performed well in a game they beat Barca 4-0, quick bring up Leicester and a fictitious score line

Marko

Can’t spot the difference between a game at 18:00 on weekday and a game on Sunday at 14:00?

Again both had empty seats hence the wank fanbase. Technically speaking it was 8 during the weekday

bennydevito

PedroOctober 6, 2019    18:35:55 Jamie, not for me either. Allegri has been learning English, but ruled himself out. Wouldn’t be right to put Freddie in the mix. Not sure where the club would go… but CL is an absolute priority because we’ve spent all the money… so if the correction comes and it’s bad, I can’t see how they could avoid a big decision. Currently 3 points seperates 3rd and 8th. Not sure I’m buying into the league position hype… totally gutted we failed to turnover Spurs and United considering. >>>>> Agreed. Just think if we beat Spurs and Utd… Read more »

Redtruth

Wasi

Are you for real, Bayern were reigning Champions League winners and won the domestic treble when Guardiola was appointed, he was a massive flop….

Marko

I live 40 minutes away…it can take me up to 90 minutes to get home.
For people who live 90 minutes away from the stadium, on match day it can take them up to 4 hours to get home.

🙃

Champagne charlie

“Emery’s side performed well in a game they beat Barca 4-0, quick bring up Leicester and a fictitious score line“

No it’s just very you to talks Emery tactics and approach and omit the 6-1 scoreline when only yesterday you were dismissing Leicester’s approach at Anfield…..why?…..because they lost by a goal, nvm it was a last minute pen.

Old Receding hot airline doing the usual picking and choosing between what’s kosher.

Nelson

They just interviewed a number of ex_inter players. They all said that Conte demands perfection from every one of his players. He always aims high.

When will Emery demands perfection from Xhaka?

bennydevito

PierreOctober 6, 2019    18:46:13

Anyone else nearly dropping off to sleep in that 2nd half .

I know I’m getting on a bit and I had just finished a round of golf in 25mph winds and rain,
but for me to nearly drop off watching an Arsenal match is a new experience for me .

>>>>>>

You can’t have watched much of Arsenal during Wenger’s last few years then. Too much golf probably.

Receding Hairline

Wasi if Emery is a bad manager because you believe he can’t win us silverware and have come to that conclusion after a season and 11 games then Pochettino isn’t any better because he hasn’t won any team silverware in his career

bennydevito

“We hired a guy that before PSG, never fathomed winning a domestic league. That’s who we have trying to navigate this bunch up the table. It’s like throwing a Rubik’s cube on the sunshine bus and wondering why the well natured effort didn’t yield the desired result.”

Makes you wonder why Spurs hired Pochettino doesn’t it? He’s never fathomed winning a domestic league either.

Receding Hairline

Again Charles no one buried or forgot the 6-1. Someone mentioned the barca game and I reminded him they setup to play defensive football because they had a four goal lead. No correlation with Leicester yesterday at all so again make sense or stay away from a discussion.

Champagne charlie

Benny

Spurs have two titles in their entire history and haven’t won the league in 50 years, if you think they scouted Poch with a title in mind you’re dafter than I think.

Receding Hairline

Funny no coach has won the champions league with cheat code PSG then Wasi

Redtruth

You try winning a domestic league with Real Madrid and Barcelons in the same league….lemons.

Emery has won a league title with PSG he actually did the quadruple.

Receding Hairline

Not as daft as anyone who thinks Arsenal appointed Emery with the title as a KPI.

Marko

We hired a coach with champions league qualification in mind. A lack of titles at Sevilla and Valencia being cited over and over again is cute but no one’s expecting that at Arsenal

They really were right about the Spanish David Moyes. Let’s hope our next manager won’t be a van gaal clone.

Valentin

Marko, Selectively cut my comment to make you feel about yourself does not work when others can read the original comment a few post above. 🤫🤭🤥 For those who has not read my original post and believe the lies, obfuscations of our favourite Irish postman. “I live 40 minutes away via tube from Arsenal. On match day because of the disruption (station closure, bus diversion, …) it can take me up to 90 minutes to get home. For people who live 90 minutes away from the stadium, on match day it can take them up to 4 hours to get… Read more »

Champagne charlie

Receding

I just explained the correlation. I see you’re taking it upon yourself more and more to dictate to others how and what they ought to talk about.

Maybe stay more in your lane there sports scientist and refrain from trying quell talk just because it makes you appear daft as a brush.

Pierre

The intensity thing that Enery is so fond of intrigues me. Today I thought that for about 35 mins we showed pretty good intensity . The 3 front players put in a tremendous amount of effort and energy in closing down the keeper and full backs. Then they ran out of steam and for the 2nd half…nothing…..no intensity, no pressing , no closing down. .were they knackered…who knows. Personally, I would like to see some of that energy that they used up in first half to be used for doing what offensive players are supposed to do . Take players… Read more »

Champagne charlie

The receding and Marko defensive double act is quite something.

Both reverting to arguing points that haven’t been made in an attempt to gain a leg up.

Go on boys, round of soggy biscuit to close.

Spanishdave

Strange how we can play good football v Liège then creep into our shell with Bournemouth how are no better.
Emery is scared of Premiership teams as it’s a one off game not a situation we’re you can loose a game and still qualify with a second chance.
He is a mid table low expectation manager, not capable of managing our club.
He is deluded by our league position which is complimented by poor form of Man Utd and Spurs.

Bamford10

Gentlebris

“And the joker of a coach dropped the only guy [Ozil] we have who could put two footballing sentences together.”

What complete and utter nonsense. Ozil has played great football about once a year for several years now and usually in games that weren’t all that closely contested. Ceballos is the far better creative midfield option at the moment and he was good today. No offense, but anyone who thinks Ozil is a solution to our problems or that Ozil should be a regular in our XI has no credibility whatsoever.

Redtruth

Pierre
“Then they ran out of steam and for the 2nd half…nothing…..no intensity, no pressing , no closing down. .were they knackered…who knows.”

You said you was sleeping so how the heck would you know…pudding chops.

Danialtos

The same people who are busy saying stuff like ” Stop it Wenger is long gone don’t talk about him talk about what is happening now” are the same people who keep on comparing how Wenger used to play good football against the likes of Bournemouth,so which is which?Are we only going to compare Wenger from the positives only ?. That said,on to today game. It was a clean sheet but very ordinary,I agree.Unai has to stop this xhaka obsession it’s getting ridiculous..I also dont buy this Pepe isn’t getting the ball stuff.FFs he is getting alot of balls he… Read more »

Redtruth

Spanishdave
“Emery is scared of Premiership teams as it’s a one off game not a situation we’re you can loose a game and still qualify with a second chance.”

He won a title with PSG or is their league format different to ours…Plonker…

Valentin

There is a reason why Klopp decided to drop his full gegen-pressing approach in the EPL. In the long run it does not work. Your team run out of steam in February/March just when the final sprint starts. Team that have not trained specifically for that approach tend to usually drop after 35 of the first half. Recover during the interval before collapsing around 75 minutes. That is exactly what happen to us today. We started forward, blocking Bournemouth into their own half. Despite Pepe, Aubameyang not really chasing, the Bournemouth approach of building from the back played in our… Read more »

Un na naai

Receding HairlineOctober 6, 2019 20:49:26
Again Charles no one buried or forgot the 6-1. Someone mentioned the barca game and I reminded him they setup to play defensive football because they had a four goal lead. No correlation with Leicester yesterday at all so again make sense or stay away from a discussion.

RH

Yeeees. He set his team up to limit the oppositions attack and conceded 6!!! And you present this as some sort of defence of him? This Game? His most infamous drubbing?

Makes about as much sense as playing Torreira at no10

Bamford10

Spanish “Strange how we can play good football v Liège then creep into our shell with Bournemouth.” Except that we didn’t creep into our shell. We played on the front foot in the first half, and we were pushed onto our back foot in the second half not because of tactics but because of a lack of athleticism in our midfield and a lack of pace in our back four. As for the other night, we had a better midfield than we did today, we had better fullbacks than we did today, and in some ways, we had a better… Read more »

Un na naai

No offense, but anyone who thinks Ozil is a solution to our problems or that Ozil should be a regular in our XI has no credibility whatsoever.

Yeah!!
Cos Bamford says so
Didn’t take long to resort after getting canned did it Blandford?

bennydevito

WasiOctober 6, 2019    20:16:09

Benny
How many goals does Zaha have this season in an overperforming Palace team?

>>>>>

Wasi,

His heart’s obviously not in it. He did put in a transfer request after all and his brother came out in the press saying Arsenal were his dream move and lifelong boyhood club.

Maybe he’s not putting in the effort so his transfer valuation drops and Palace might let him move if we go back in for him.

Unfortunately though with Saka, Martinelli and Nelson, Zaha’s ship has sailed.

Receding Hairline

No correlation between a game PSG won 4-0 and a game Leicester lost. Discussing a game not a tie and it was brought up because someone said he can only play drab defensive football. A wrong assertion as he has proved over the course of his career his teams compete and try to attack. That it hasn’t come together here as fast as he would have liked notwithstanding. I wonder what the mood will be if we were playing well and losing.

Redtruth

Aubameyang needs to be on his game and work harder for the team .
No coincidence Arsenal were more of an attacking force without Aubameyang last Thursday.