PATRICE EVRA CALLING US BABIES WTF IS THIS 2009?!?!
We’ve gone full cycle people. We have a new set of babies. Granit Xhaka is out there showing more fight in the papers than on the pitch.
“We have to stop about mental [strength] bulls*** like this. For me, it is the same whether you play home or away – you have to win and show big character and a good game and not to always find the same excuse.”
YOU TELL THEM GRANIT YOU ABSOLUTE SPARE KEY WIELDING MENACE.
To be fair to Granit, I find it a touch implausible that any pundit is talking about mental strength at Arsenal this season. David Luiz sits at the heart of our defence, his trophy cabinet wasn’t the byproduct of a weak mind. I think the more likely cause of our meekness is the lack of a clear and concise plan. As Aash said on the podcast, we’ve lost 4 out of 7 against newly-promoted teams. I think the players go into all games not understanding the brief, but against better teams, they raise their levels because it’s more interesting. Alternatively, better teams play into our negative approach more easily. The big teams come at us, the little teams don’t fall for the nonsense.
Confusing times. Not as confusing as cracking the enigma code of an Unai Emery prezzer.
“Each match is important to use different players. Tomorrow for the players, the team and me, this game is going to be important for us.”
“We need a lot of players and to use different players to achieve the best performance. We can make some changes for the Premier League and Europa League.”
Yes, yes. Tomorrow there will be different players.
The great bonus for Emery is the pub games he picks up in the front half of the season. It stops the accumulation of negative fan energy from reaching AIRPLANE BANNER levels of retribution. We play badly in the league every week, then we play a shite Europa team with the kids and win 9-0, the fans forget the bitter taste of weekend football, then we play badly and CURSE that we can’t play like we’re beating a pub team every week.
This following comment is quite special.
“We lost a very big opportunity in the Premier League to finish third in the table. We are five and have chances on Sunday. We have to get better but it’s one process.
“Our strategy is – when I was watching in my office – we changed 10 players. 40 per cent more or less. We are using new players, above all also some young players to give them chances more quickly.
“The most important is the club and team. Our objective is clear on where we want to get. I am very confident in the players, in our job, in our work, in the club strategy and in our way.”
I like that there’s a strategy, though I’m not sure what the content of the said strategy is. But there is one.
I am looking forward to playing Vitoria. It’s a good chance for the fans to lose themselves in a faux reality of Arsenal greatness. It’s a good chance for the first team to inject some confidence into their legs.
See what I did there?
Play Pepe tomorrow night. The man needs an open play goal. Give Torreira and Ozil a run-out. Let’s see Holding, Bellerin and Tierney on the pitch. Those three should have played on Monday, been rested tonight, then played at the weekend. I’m sure there was a super strategic reason behind that, it might even be in the cut/pasted paragraph above, we can’t be sure.
Let’s have a BIG game.
I’ll leave you on this thrilling quote from the big man.
“Our response could be better. But good attitude, good mentality.”
I agree.
Let’s have a massive one, but before you leave, listen to my fucking podcast. It has good sound, some great chat, and some absolutely electric banter. Kind of. I mean. Maybe.
Marc
Even hard stats can’t deter this weiner. Reality is what exists in his head and the rest of the world is subject to his warped take
Never change Bamford never change
Bamford
You don’t watch us play do you?
You can’t
Don
Ahhh, that’s right. That game. OK, so question: was that bad stat down to poor organization or tactics from the manager, or was it down to poor defenders and slow, unathletic midfielders? If the former, please tell us specifically how the tactics and/or organization were the cause of that.
Secondly, that match was five weeks ago. Have we seen improvement on that front since? Or are we still seeing a shocking number of shots against game in game out?
The last two games, Auba didn’t receive any service. WTF is Emery’s system/tactics? We have a star striker and Emery is not setting the team up to use him.
I don’t think we’ve looked convincing either, but there’s a big difference between “not convincing” and “shocking”.
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Ok, how about we looked shockingly unconvincing then.
Every top six contender is valued higher than Arsenal by transfermarkt ,so the notion expressed by some that we should be walking the top four on talent and some decent coaching alone is wishful thinking.
That said, if you haven’t seen signs Emery might be in over his head yet ,then you probably can’t be helped.
‘The second half of Watford was shocking in what way, specifically?’
Is that a real question.
Basically in every single way.
I was sat watching it with friends and was embarrassed to be an Arsenal fan.
Nelson
Pretty sure he’s running more or less the same system he ran at PSG; which means he is trying to use Aubameyang the same way he used Cavani. How did Cavani fare in Emery’s system?
Bamford
The “bad squad defence” doesn’t hold any more.
We have a full complement of what clearly constitutes a “top 4 squad”
If Kola and Sok are playing ahead of Holding and Tierney that’s on Emery
Words
OK, but they weren’t available five weeks ago, were they?
And we haven’t been that poor defensively since, have we?
The answer to both questions is ‘no,’ and the truth is that some of the things being said at moment are inaccurate, overstated and false.
DonAhhh, that’s right. That game. OK, so question: was that bad stat down to poor organization or tactics from the manager, or was it down to poor defenders and slow, unathletic midfielders? If the former, please tell us specifically how the tactics and/or organization were the cause of that. Bamford Wenger had the same defence, worse in fact with a worse midfield and got better results These are the players that emery wanted. £200m extra plus a fit and firing Aubameyang loving left by Arsene Wenger. If Wenger can get more out of these players than emery then what does… Read more »
Bamford,plz stop defending the indefensible. I used to cut Emery some slack, but boy, he isn’t performing as we expected. Yes, we’ve lost 2 matches so far, but we ain’t utilizing out resources well and all’s down to Emery. Period!!
The midfield is a massive problem he hasn’t got right. Not just in selection but there seems just to be this cavernous gap between Xhaka and the other midfielders, or the two deep lying midfielders when we play that and then the CAM and forward line. A mobile, hard working, tenacious 3 in midfield is the simplest and best way to go. I read somewhere that Pepe is our best chance creator this season and against Sheffield you certainly saw his ability to get on the ball and cause issues. We need to rely on Pepe stepping up, the goals… Read more »
Bamford I agree that our defence has improved, And there has been a reduction in things like shots faced and opposition chances created. But it looks like Emery has settled on ultra conservative safety-first brand of football where our own big chances created, shots etc are also well down. Which means that we play bland football and one key chance missed is the difference between a win and a loss or a draw. Over at ManC and Liverpool Stirling and Salah and the rest can miss near certain goals but it’s no problem…..Fife minutes later there’s another big opportunity to… Read more »
*I agree that our defence has improved RECENTLY
Please stop with the wenger got better results claim Wenger got fired for precisely the opposite. He lost the dressing room, he lost most of the fans and he got fewer points. No amount of respecting wenger will undo that. His last 2 seasons were a complete disgrace both on and off the pitch and even more embarrassing than what we see now Emery has provided a very ugly, very confusing and very slight improvement overall, but is still doing horribly. It’s really sad how the wenger lovers are trying to capitalize on emery’s failings to make wenger look less… Read more »
If wenger has been getting more out of his squad he wouldn’t have been fired. It’s really very clear cut
Wenger was the most untouchable manager in world football and still got sacked because things were *that* bad come the end.
Lolz Bamford is definitely trolling you all at this stage because that’s really the only explanation to his comments today
We’ve looked just as lost, just as clueless as the late Wenger period and that’s saying something…. Sideways pass after sideways pass and relying on individual brilliance more than we should, no chances created, very very questionable line ups you’d almost think he was taking a bribe to always start certain players
I don’t know why we are talking Chelsea and It’s here.
This is all Emery and I was one of the most vocal member of the give “Emery time crew” and Emery has had his time.
He’s gotten his wingers and everything else is on him.
He’s had a year to get used to league and it looks like he hasn’t learnt anything.
If he gets sacked today, he would have deserved it.
azed
With you 100%.
One key thing regarding The Ox.
He wanted to leave the club.
——————————–
Wenger was sacked because he was destroying the club, not just because we were regressing as a team.
——————————–
The Watford game was an embarrassment to every Arsenal fan.
Marc The issue is not how many games or how often Ozil plays, but his almost complete exclusion means that we are spending £350K pw on a player who is available in a week when Arsenal are playing three games in six days. Incidentally this is the second time in less than 30 days since September 30th that Arsenal are playing that number of games in six days!!!! The club’s fixture schedule alone should provide a strong reason for including Ozil in teams/squads selections. When I see our midfield continuously underperforming because of its lack of assists, creativity and goalscoring… Read more »
Emirates
What exactly are you arguing – that we should use the full extent of the squad with the number of fixtures we have or that Ozil is a solution to the lack of creativity / not enough chances created?
Yea Banford is trolling at this point, his original assertions have been made to look silly so he’s poking fun in the matter to save face.
Not enough time to decipher whether Emery has a clue, but plenty of time between Watford 5 weeks ago, and now, to claim progression.
What a guy.
Marc
Well we’re not exactly creating chances in bucket loads right now so why not give the German a chance
“What a guy.” = cunt!
Marc
On both counts he should be considered for selection.
The current squad options in midfield are in my view far too predictable and
perhaps more importantly rather limited in offensive department.
Messrs Xhaka, Torreira and Guendouzi are supposed to be defensive midfielders. Willock and Ceballos do have some creativity, but very limited
assist and goalscoring potential based on their form in EPL.
The fact that Arsenal have managed only four goals not scored by Aubameyang and Lacazette including penalty from Pepe tells you everything
you need to know about current midfield options.
The late Wenger (last two years) was horrible.
After one year at the club, Emery is worse.
Fact.
Emirates I have major reservations about Ozil – you can’t use in most away matches, fades in and out of too many matches etc. I do agree that midfield is the current root of our problems. Step 1 is get rid of Xhaka the guy is sucking the life out of the team. Once Xhaka’s out of the team we can begin to assess how the other players are doing over a run of games. I’d like to see a run with Torreira, Guendozi and Ceballos with Willock as back up. It doesn’t help not having natural full backs playing… Read more »
Only one man called for Emery as an Arsenal potential: Gambon. Blame that guy.
When planes fly saying emery out, he’s sunk as low as wenger
Until that day he’s just a hot mess
Marc
If we need a reality check about the performance level of our midfield in EPL
game here are the stats.
Guendouzi 9 games [783 mins] 0 goals 2 assists
Xhaka 8 games [681 mins] 0 goals 0 assists
Ceballos 9 games [483mins] 0 goals 2 assists [both against Burnley]
Willock 8 games [353mins] 0 goals 0 assists
Torreira 7 games [202 mins] 1 goal 0 assists
Ozil 1 game [71 mins] 0 goals 0 assists
That tells you everything that you need to know about the team’s underperformance in midfield.
If you are not getting the best out of the resources you have at your disposal and you lose your job it’s really hard to argue you do not deserve it.
I have been looking out for certain things since we changed coaches, i haven’t seen that yet. I saw signs of it early last season but since then we have been Jekyll and Hyde at best.
Same old Arsenal is an indictment of Unai Emery.
Patrice Evra must be butt-hurt that Arsenal never signed him. Why hes not interested in taking aim at Liverpool like a proper United fan….oh wait, they all like taking the piss either way…
He’s always been a cvnt though
“The second half of Watford was shocking in what way, specifically?”
Put the fucking shovel down ffs.
Evra’s comments were embarrassing for him not for Arsenal
He has always been an idiot and nothing has changed.
“The second half of Watford was shocking in what way, specifically?”
Two goals up and coasting and you allow a struggling Watford team to come at you wave after wave of attack. I was visiting my brother in hospital after a surgery and we were watching the game on TV, it was amateur hour that second half. Calling it shocking is kind.
Emirates
Your stats don’t tell the whole story though. Torreira hasn’t played in his proper position – DM I wouldn’t expect him to get many goals or assists. Ceballos will take time to adjust to the league – it would help though to play in a functioning mid field.
You certainly can’t play Xhaka and Ozil in the same midfield unless you’re playing against the Dog and Duck’s under twelve girls team. At home!
So to summarise our midfield has managed just one goal and four assists in 9 games in EPL.
Marc You’re doing a Bamford in your attitude towards Ozil. You, being an Arsenal supporter , should want what’s best for the team. If he returns and is rubbish then of course criticise him. But, as yet he hasn’t been given ample opportunity . He played for 71 minutes v forest and created a chance on average, every 12 minutes . He played something like just over an hour away to Watford, and played decent and created the 2nd goal with a slide rule pass to AMN and came off when we were 2-1 up. So I suggest to you… Read more »
“Why hes not interested in taking aim at Liverpool like a proper United fan….oh wait, they all like taking the piss either way…”
___
Why would he take aim at Liverpool? They’re top of the league and defending CL champions.
Evra is not lying with his comments on Arsenal though.
Yea I’ve got to back Pierre with that comment there.
Anyone dismissing Ozil is doing so on what grounds? I’ve seen talk of his training ground prowess, can someone tell me who is lighting it up in training given what we’re seeing game after game?
Ozil is a creative player, we don’t create shit. There’s not a loss to occur with his inclusion, our resolute defence isn’t disrupted by his presence, literally no threat to his inclusion.
Pierre
You know my view of Ozil – I think he’s already out the door and the current PR is just his way on preparing the ground for a January exit “I had to leave Arsenal as I wasn’t valued” etc etc.
As I’ve repeatedly said putting Ozil and Xhaka into the same team is asking for problems and we know Emery won’t drop Xhaka.
“But, as yet he hasn’t been given ample opportunity .”
He has been here since 2013…has regressed progressively for about three seasons now, was a nothing player 80% of games he played last season
“Anyone dismissing Ozil is doing so on what grounds? ”
See above
Receding
I couldn’t even be bothered to go down that route. People are calling for Ozil’s inclusion after Monday night, does anyone seriously think Ozil would’ve been used in that type of game under Wenger?
If you want accurate stats about our midfield performance take a look at those published by Arsenal on website and Transfermarkt who provide breakdown of minutes played, goals scored and assists. By no figment of imagination have we performed well in that department this season. I don’t know how well Ozil plays in training. For me that is irrelevant. The only question is whether he is mentally and physically fit. However, he is not going to be match fit because of dearth of playing time. That is precisely why he should be playing in midweek games in Europa and Carrabo… Read more »
“does anyone seriously think Ozil would’ve been used in that type of game under Wenger?”
saying Ozil has not been given a chance is revisionism at it’s finest
I remember when we signed Lacazette..it was now Ozil has a proper center forward to pass to….LOL that didn’t work out
Same with Aubameyang
Man is one as a professional footballer and anyone who hasn’t figured that out is best left alone
Emery has adopted the same story last season as he is doing now. He wrote off Ramsey and increasingly Ozil for most of the season. He decided to shift them out of club. Similarly since January Torreira has been grossly underused in starting lineup. His 3 man midfield lineup is effectively Xhaka, Guendouzi with either Ceballos or Willock playing as third option. Collectively they have produced nothing in offensive department as the stats confirm. Guendouzi has for the record failed to score a single goal in EPL games over two seasons and I think that his assist record last season… Read more »
Ozils training ground prowess is not trying at all according to lots of former team mates and the club higher ups The same problem he is accused of in 50-75% of actual matches So please spare us the ozil is a victim or not being given a fair chance line Ozil is a lazy, overrated cunt who is only even remembered and talked of these days because he’s 1) so expensive and 2) the team are setup horribly and aren’t creating anything giving the illusion that he is gonna come back and be the savior despite years of evidence to… Read more »
Nice of you to notice all that Emirates, strangely no one seems remotely willing to admit Torriera has been below average as well.
I keep reading he is not played in his proper position, apparently its right in front of the two defenders, a position he didn’t play for Sampdoria nor for Uruguay.
China
“Ozils training ground prowess is not trying at all according to lots of former team mates and the club higher ups”
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3Dxd6SFqRGQow&ved=2ahUKEwjVl4bDkbXlAhX1oXEKHSaZBt8QFjABegQIBxAB&usg=AOvVaw2-JjhE987oFBurj54S122E&cshid=1571928426144
Receding the guy is a DM. The only times torreira has played deep for us was at the start of last season when he won a bunch of plaudits.
Then he got injured, came back as some weird b2b hybrid, now he’s an AM or on the bench and sure enough he’s below average
Put him as a DM and he will be a clear improvement on xhaka. This much is a given
Pierre I’m not clicking on your unexplained YouTube links consider usually when you do that it’s just rickrolling lol
China
“Ozils training ground prowess is not trying at all according to lots of former team mates and the club higher ups”
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3D4pQcn2L65J0&ved=2ahUKEwjVl4bDkbXlAhX1oXEKHSaZBt8QFjACegQIARAB&usg=AOvVaw3-rEQeqZR9_vTOlfjODprn&cshid=1571928642478
China
Not really interested in your playground account of Ozil, the case for his inclusion isn’t a difficult one to fathom. We don’t create a thing and have a footballer whose entire career has been built on that.
At best, he offers us moments that help win matches and points.
At worst, we remain utterly clueless in attack.
China if you are saying Torriera has to play exactly where Xhaka does to be effective i respectfully disagree
He is a midfielder first and foremost and that’s where he has played since joining Arsenal, he has never been played as a striker or fullback, he has been underwhelming and one day you guys will smell the coffee
That’s the thing, it’s not like we’re expecting Ozil to appear and all our problems go away but the fact we’re creating next to nothing seems to suggest that cries for him to be included aren’t far fetched….If the team was playing well, then I’d slam those calling for his re-inclusion but we’re not playing well so why not see about giving the German a chance
Thomas, whether Evra is right or not, he needs to direct his analysis to how his United are currently doing…the fact that they are awful but he still has an opinion on Arsenal, 10+ years after, shows he seems to be harddone by something Arsenal management did to him many years ago…
But Torreira wasn’t underwhelming when he first came in, he was one of the best players in the league….Maybe fatigue, maybe new country and adaptation issues e.t.c. but to say he has been underwhelming since he joined us is rather unfair on the lad
“he was one of the best players in the league”
No he wasn’t
Evra saying Arsenal are babies, same said 10 years ago, yet his United are clueless and full of babies with no trophies in the last 2 years, when all other United legends are worried at the state of the club
Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson is among those who believe that Torreira is not living up to the billing – despite some encouraging performances early on in this season. “Everyone was raving about Lucas Torreira, but he’s not that good. I said this a few months ago and everyone kicked up a stink,” Merson said, as quoted by the Express. “He only looks good as he’s what Arsenal have needed for a long time. But, if you put him up for sale tomorrow then none of the top five clubs in the Premier League would be interested Former Chelsea striker… Read more »
He actually was and lots of fans of other teams seemed to agree be was exactly what we’d been missing for a while before he came…Had the highest interceptions and tackles put in the entire league too….. Now I’m not saying the midfield was perfect when he first came here but it was more functional so whatever position he was playing at was the right one for him….
Yea January 2019 when his form had dipped and after playing the December rush in the league for the first time
Would be nice to see quotes from September till around November or so too when he was actually on form…..
Also would be nice to hear what all these pundits think about his midfield partner at the time too
“Yea January 2019 when his form had dipped and after playing the December rush in the league for the first time” “He is unable to work out where best to intercept dangerous passes, as was shown when Romelu Lukaku picked out Alexis Sanchez for United’s first goal. That has to do with his abilities as a footballer not his fitness levels Batistuta, a player who you all maintain should be playing right in front of the back four should not struggle to read and intercept dangerous play. Anytime he plays he is bypassed time and time again with very simple… Read more »
so whatever position he was playing at was the right one for him….
Or you guys were just too taken by the goal against Spurs and trying to head balls off peoples feet to realize this dude wasn’t really that good. I daresay he would even do better up the field than he does allegedly shielding the defense.
Give Torreira 6/8 games DM this season before quoting knobheads like Merson and Cascarino who are paid to come out with knee -jerk comments. Using January quotes alone is bullshit regardless of who said them.
Anybody with an ounce of footballing knowledge would recognise Torreira’s contributions Sep- Dec. It is not unreasonable to expect that he would be able to replicate that form this season when he is played in history position, or in fact improve on nit given that he’s not having to get used to a different league.
You don’t have to have a midfield that is very creative or scores lots of goals. Liverpool overall don’t have this type of midfield. But they compensate and give more support to their front three as we know from their fullbacks. Chelsea have decent fullbacks plus attacking midfielders that are going to be a threat. You can go different ways here. The problem for Arsenal atm is that they don’t have a creative goal scoring midfield nor very good attacking fullbacks being selected. They lack both. Emery has what looks like a couple of fullbacks that could improve on this… Read more »
I know jokes Friday is tomo but fuck it This one is going up Jurgen Klopp flies to Kabul to watch a young Afghani play football. He is suitably impressed and arranges for the player to come over. Two weeks later Liverpool are 2-0 down to Newcastle with only 20 minutes left. The manager gives the young Afghani striker the nod, and on he goes. The lad is a sensation. He scores 3 goals in 20 minutes and wins the game for Liverpool . The fans are delighted, the players and the coach are delighted and the media love the… Read more »