So it would appear my hunch about Xhaka and the counselling thing being a nonsense was spot on, according to Arseblog the player was angry that Arsenal had packaged the blow-up like that. It really is grim that the club would use ‘mental health’ to deflect standard shitty behaviour and hurt feelings. 10 years ago, when someone famous would get caught with their pants down, they’d come out as a ‘sex addict.’ There would be a serious conversation about the seriousness of addiction, and we’d sympathise with person that simply couldn’t have night out without having to sleep with babes behind their partners back. In 2019, you can pretty much deflect anything by alluding to it being a little deeper, you know, a little more, ‘let’s not talk about this considering the current climate.’
It works as well. So many people calling bullshit on this story yesterday were being slammed for their insensitivity. So it’s a little amusing to find out that the player was annoyed that the narrative was incorrect, he was simply pissed at the fans.
The great thing about this revelation is it helps us cut faster to the clearest interpretation of this whole debacle: Xhaka ain’t captain material.
He couldn’t properly apologise.
He couldn’t formulate a response in good time.
He still doesn’t understand that his behaviour was wrong, regardless of the circumstances.
The manager isn’t going to play him this weekend, part one of Emery being boxed into better decisions by circumstance.
I think it’s absolutely hilarious to watch Emery dance around in tar over the ‘problem’ of Xhaka. Any manager that could read the situation would have seen this issue as a huge opportunity.
- Emery could have won respect of the fans and players by making a decision on Arsenal principles.
- He could have used the actions of a petulant player to cover for his HORRENDOUS mistake in giving the player the armband in the first place.
Best thing for him is he doesn’t have to start a player that’s a tactical weakness for us for the next month. Let’s be honest, Emery was coming around to the idea that his captain was shit. He subbed him off on 70 against Sheffield United, then on 64 against Palace.
By total fluke, we might start to see a midfield that’s more balanced and fit for the Premier League games.
That’s the good news.
On the bad news front, you can tell the beginnings of the end are upon us for the manager. The club has lost control of the media narrative. Players, agents and journos are not playing ball like the used to. Ultimately, it’s because the media don’t like Emery, I was hearing that last year, now fan sentiment has switched, watch them go for his jugular.
The Independent has a weird story about the players ripping the piss out of Emery behind his back.
There are some other stories about agents raising the ‘bad management’ to senior leadership. Last season, I wouldn’t have believed it, this season, we have mega agents involved and players like David Luiz. Players bring down managers when you’re in bed with super agents.
This isn’t just an attack on Emery, it’s also getting at Edu. Where is his leadership and sharp decision making in all this? It’s a total mess and he’s all over this.
To cap off the nightmare week for Arsenal, Mesut Ozil is posting happy tweets which allude to him starting this weekend.
Once again, Emery has made a public stance about the player, once again, he’s caved.
We all knew he would. But we’ve literally gone from, ‘Edu and Raul told me to do it’ last week, to Mesut starting two games in a row. Mesut has played his hand superbly.
I think it’s the right decision considering how little creativity we’ve had in the squad. We’ve also seen that the player still has it, Mesut dropping a blistering performance in midweek.
… it half looks bad, doesn’t it.
If you are ostracising someone, go all in or don’t go public with what you are doing. Emery is an amateur. He did the same last season with Aaron Ramsey (and Ozil). If you don’t have the guts to follow through, don’t make big statements about players. Very simple.
Still, it appears we’ve landed in two good positions by accident. Our midfield will be more dynamic, and our most creative player will get the chance to succeed or fail.
Right, that’s me done. See you in the comments. x
I’m not even convinced emery could express whatever goes through his mind even in Spanish
I’m not sure even he is sure about what he’s thinking
Btw I just watched the joker and it was a fantastic movie. Really dark and brilliantly done. Just my kinda movie. Loved it
Emery could turn Tossing a fucking coin into something confusing
I think we’ll win today but if we don’t make no mistake the knives will be out
Having both Lacazette and Aubameyang is a curse for Emery rather than a blessing. Too scared to leave one on the bench so he starts both and we end up looking disjointed. An attacking midfielder or Winger should be occupying that position instead.
We shouldn’t have to wait until late in the game to see the most obvious shit
You could give emery the invincibles squad and we’d have bergkamp on the right wing and Gilberto at AM I fucking guarantee it
Bamford
I know defend emery a bit and that’s your choice but surely you can see he doesn’t help himself sometimes with his team selections
at home be bold bellarin , luiz, chambers,tierny Torreira , willock ozil pepe laca auba torria sits but wilock is the b2b and can join ozil further up when the time is right but he should be more defensively disciplined as his priority in this kind of line up . laca can drops deep on occasion joining ozil puting Auba through the middle that’s the bold attacking selection I would like to see and if not bellarin , luiz, chambers,tierny Torreira, quendosi ,willock ozil laca auba if ozil is on his game he will find Laca an auba at least… Read more »
The way our defence has been under Emery, i can see Wolves causing us all sorts of problems. If they score first then the negativity and desperation will quickly set in. Bam Ford, you do have a point when you say that the league has gotten more competitive. This is something which is not at all taken into consideration when discussing our struggles. But as regards to us being more organized and structured under Emery, this is very much debatable. Yes, we are definitely attempting to play in an organized and structured way but the ground reality is that we… Read more »
Emery’s invincibles
———lehmann
Lauren-cygan-keown-cole
—————edu
BergK——Gilberto——Henry
———pennant—Wiltord
71 points, 4th placed trophy
Peckobill
I sure hope so. Been looking forward to seeing Ozil and Pepe combine plus in my mind our front 4 should be Martinelli- Aubameyang/laca- Pepe with Ozil behind.
Likely to be a diamond formation.
Torreira at the base. Guendouzi and Ceballos in the middle and Özil at the tip.
Chambers – Sokratis – Luiz – Tierney
………..………… Torreira
Guendouzi….…………….Ceballos
,…….,………………..Özil
Aubameyang………Lacazette
China1
Looooooooooooooooooooooool. He ‘ll probably bench Henry saying he needs to score with his head more.
And it’s Arsenal,
Arsenal FC,
We’re by far the greatest team,
The world has ever seen….
Emery’s let down is he can see a problem with the team the same as us but he uses the wrong solution . He’s dropped the 1 forward and 2 wide men line up but their problem was a lack of service , he brings in a creator to solve this and drops the wide men and plays 2 up top . There’s no one for combinations with ozil just the option of ozil playing through balls to the two forwards . I’m intrigued to see ceballos and ozil in the same team though probably the closest we could manage… Read more »
It’s quite clear Emery has no plan for his style of football, but then he has no style.
He must just pull the names out of a hat.
Livenet app
Being sports 1 people
Good morning ladies..ready for this? I would like to be optimistic.. but I just can’t be with the way we defend.. Should be enough to beat Wolves.. but…w ell you know.
Hi Nelson.
Peckobill
That’s Emery in a nutshell. A manager who does the complicated.
Like you, i m hoping the Ceballozil combo turns it on.
primetime bullshit from Emery I just want some balls to the wall formation and lineup not another pussy meek shit that will fail either way
sick of this boring bland guy
Come on The Arsenal!!!!
Haven’t even got out of our own half yet.
From the compulsive backpassing going on looks like Spanish Waiter promoted as cook of too many for the broth.
#EmeryOut
We are too slow and unathletic, and this is not the right set up. Emery is fucking this one up.
As usual tons of empty seats.
The diamond was a massive mistake two months ago and it is massive mistake today. What the fuck, Unai.
http://zoneland90.blogspot.com/p/liability-insurance_11.html?m=1
Don’t worry Blandford at least we’re organised right?
Or whatever else buzzwords you want to defend the guy.
That’s the problem with our two strikers. They can score but can’t pass well.
For some reason that’s wrong. Try this.
http://zoneland90.blogspot.com/p/13-types-of-insurance-small-business_465.html?m=1
Chambers been very suspect.
Matty G is having a passing nightmare so far.. think he has been over played.. imo.
Our players seem to be confused with the formation
what’s the reason for not starting Pepe?
I’m salivating for combination of Özil and Pepe but Emery keeps on blueballing me
10 minutes of complete shit
Guendozi still sleeping.
This is very, very, very bad. He absolutely must switch to 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 at HT.
I was right.
Emery has the demeanor of a cook stirring the paella
boring boring failure of football all these sexy exciting players that we have only to be cockblocked by this oily sleazy fucker
having deja vu tbh lads I think we had these comments in previous matches last season before too
Bamford
“This is very, very, very bad.”
… and yet you keep going to bat for him
Too hesitant in MF and our players are too close to each other.
What’s all these playing the short passes straight back …
Lack of movements too.
Dissenter
I won’t be going to bat for him today. Unless he changes this quickly and gets a win.
The spacing is terrible… 2 -3 players tripping over each other all the time. ugh… sort it out.
Auba!!!
The way the field is set up ,players finding it difficult to fashion anything.
Don’t know why this Arsehole is continued.
Individual brilliance of our forwards got a goal
Bloodclaatyang
There we go.. .. Auba back on the score sheet.
Luiz are new winger
Auba in the right place…at the right time as usual
What a signing he’s proven to be
Laca is essential, don’t care what people think
Who’s the quite good looking lady in our coaching staff What does she do?
Pierre is right. We play a midfield diamond.
Nice to be up 1-0, but this is still not the right set-up.
AuBangmeBang!!!
Get in.. Too easy 🙂
Wolves wouldn’t be too bothered when they remember Watford and Palace and evening Pool kids got back and drew games we we’re winning
That’s Chambers’s cross to nobody
We play a diamond midfield, but Torreira is not at the base of that diamond.
Looks like Guendouzi is at the base. Does not really make sense.
Guen needs to be more decisive and snippy
Ceballos too.
C’mon. Torr shouldn’t have picked the pocket It s an Auba shot all day.
Chambers giving away cheap free kicks.
The thing with Auba that frustrates me, Chambers was clear in looking for a finisher, no Auba, who was closest to their box, Torriera runs from deep ahead
That diamond look really lopsided. Does not look like we have anybody on the left side of the diamond.
Their right back getting caught each time just got to time the run Auba.
Torr at base Guen further forward why is it so hard? I just want these players at their full potential please don’t suffocate and complicate this much further.
Showed a 4 3 3 at beginning of the game. If they play a diamond not sure if Emery approves.
Not the most fluent and dynamics as ft is whatever the shape of MF
Weak shot by Laca
but Torreira is not at the base of that diamond
Valentin
Torriera is the only midfielder we have that makes those 3rd man runs into the box.
Playing him at the base means we have no one that would arrive ala Ramsey.
Guendouzi needs to bring Tierney into the game more.
It’s like he ‘s not seeing him or just ignores his runs.
Lava drops too deep crowding things out. Yea he tries hard but should just look for runs and hopefully ozil Guen and ceballos would find him.
LT is our new Ramsey.. looking to poach goals whenever he can. haha he is the furthest one forward often times. Would be fantastic if our defense was solid but it isn’t. Matty G.. screening our defense is just Bizarre.. and at times it’s Ceballos. I guess if we win.. I don’t care but it its weird.
We are very fortunate to be up 1-0. This is a terrible set-up.
Guen is not good enough at the base anyway so let him go further up I just want to see his runs charging runs through the middle the lad has it. Torreira won’t last in that role.
Our boys need to think forward not.backward in what they do. Wouldn’t like if the Pool or City would make so many back passes sometimes all the way from last third to our own !!!?
Emery clearly sees something else in Torriera.
Whereas people see the classical defensive mid, he sees a central midfielder that can make runs deep into the opposition half.
May sound funny. but could torreira try figure out why he falls so much and fix it. Look embarrassing for a PL player
I think Pepe will replace Ozil in the 2nd half.
Just like China1 said square peg round hole players not used to their roles causing more confusion and no fluidity thus stunting our play.
Does this looks fun to Emery? Is this his tactical genius? Hmmm maybe he need to tinker more put Leno upfront Auba as goalie.
I’ve been pointing this out about Torreira – and his forwards runs – since the start of the season.
Guendouzi can’t make an off the ball run which is why he is being played deep.
What’s that? 10,000 or less?
Leno saved our bacon
Whooaaaaa Leno to the rescue.
Sorry, I meant I don’t see anybody on the right.
Looks like Aubameyang or Lacazette alternate in filling that position.
Asking Torreira to be the further up the pitch midfielder when we have Özil and Ceballos on the pitch is just something I don’t understand.
Nelson
“I think Pepe will replace Ozil in the 2nd half.”
Yes, that sub is already written down
Saka or Martinelli will come in for Lacazette
Great shot cos it hit straight at Leno So bloody lucky.
Geez can we play with some fucking urgency and desire. You don’t need to wait to turn it on after we got equalised?!
Tierney definitely a better full back than Bellerin. Unfortunately.
Guen is not a DM. He just runs after the opponent. He didn’t tackle.
The VAR official of last Sunday would have given that as a penalty
I think I now see what Emery is thinking with this, but it’s the wrong thought. His thought is that if he plays Ozil as the CAM, he needs three CMs behind him rather than two for defensive stability. However, the diamond only works if you have highly mobile CMs; we do not. This is why Wolves have so much space. Let’s hope he changes it at HT.
Papa Sok… is tricky bastard .. though he knew it hit his hand so he went down like it didn’t.. hahaha
Chambers is slow. Don’t know what AFC should do with him longer term
Guen follows the ball a lot needs to look up and see the opposition more
Liverpool are losing …so are city
Odd day, were are going to win the league
Wow. Both City and Liverpool are down at half. Like I say, it’s a tricky league.
Lob down 1 to Villa…..
We’re too easy to play against. Our midfielders get bypassed way too easily.
Useroz
CB or holding mid.
I still don’t like Torr playing ahead of Guen. Guen is defensively weak. Torr doesn’t do much up front.
Chambers is easy to get past. His style is really clumbersome. If he isn’t giving away cheap free kicks he’s getting turned easily.
Fortunate to still be 1-0
Watching Torrieria. he just wanders back and was on the right wing!
We must have the Prem record for passing backwards
Manne has been a diving cu*t all season. I’m glad he got a yellow card for simulation
Ozil has been pretty good in a free role as he’s got involved
Ceballos didn’t seem to touch the ball until the 30tg min
Guen not playing especially well
Laca looking good and auba bright but probably should’ve nicked a second goal
Torreira as n10 is just a joke.
Chambers pretty good. Better than Bellerin