Big Dave Ornstein has hit the airwaves with his weekly piece in The Athletic, his headline which I think I can talk about without being mercilessly sued is:
- Emery stays
- Fans are noise
- Club is on the right path
It’s the not-so-dreaded vote of confidence Arsenal fans used to hear when Wenger was at the club.
What do we make of it?
I understand it.
As I’ve been saying for the past few weeks, there’s no plan at Arsenal. For the moment, we can perhaps blame that on Edu’s late arrival at Arsenal. Maybe he didn’t notice that Arsenal has been in steep decline the whole of 2019. Maybe he hasn’t been listening to the garbled press conferences. Maybe he thinks the handling of mega players has been consistent and clear. Maybe the football looks nice to him?
Whatever it is, Edu can lean on the crutch of new boy for the moment.
I wrote in the summer that the perfect scenario for Edu was having the fans BEGGING him to make a change. At the moment, we’re not really begging. I don’t think I’ve heard an Emery Out song from the away fans, there has been no march planned walks, and has anyone seen a gofundme for a plane banner? Not me. So are we even angry?
Arsenal fans are so united in thinking Emery is a disaster, I’m not sure we thought we’d need to work too hard on this one, so maybe Raul is right… maybe it’s just noise, because compared to how Barca fans behave when they want changer, this is probably all a bit pony (when it should be a pony head in the bed).
When assessing the market, it’s probably not the worst decision to hold off making a huge decision. Freddie could be our OGS, Mourinho could bring the club down, Enrique is Emery with a nice suit and better sound bites, and don’t even get me started on Eddie Howe.
Here’s the thing though, the stay of execution is only worthwhile if the club is formulating a plan that’ll move us forward next year. If we’re simply delaying a dinosaur hire, that’s a very big worry. I think we’ve seen enough actions from Raul to know that he’s not a particularly original thinker. We know he’s attracted by the bright lights of super-agents and we know he’s captivated by managers that make him feel like he’s dancing with the elite.
What Edu thinks should be the key. The rumblings I’m hearing are that he’s not as active as people would have hoped. Again, early doors, but the vision I had with the Arsenal Technical Director role was that he’d be far more present. That he’d stop the nonsense at the training ground. That he’d have a smarter plan for Mesut Ozil. The Mirror leaked that the player captains vote was Dave Priestly. I wrote in the summer that he was likely the architect of the player reviews that happened at the end of the last season. Priestly is our sports psychologist, and from what I hear, he’s been firmly wedged up Emery’s back passage since day one. He was the sort of person you’d have expected to be moved on, but alas, he’s still here stinking out the joint and not moving the ‘mental strength’ of the squad to a better place. I’m sure the travel guy throwing motivational speeches and fighting in the tunnel is still about. The young players are ripping the shit out of the manager behind his back. All the messy bits that went on last year are still happening this year, but the worse thing is that there’s no control over the media narrative. When a club is porous, it means people are unhappy.
We can forgive though, for now.
The decision to keep Emery on until the summer feels like it’s being driven by ego or fear. Emery is Raul’s man, 100% (as in, his recco). A lot of people blaming Ivan Gazidis, sure, we can bucket him in, but Raul was the day to day football guy that 1) Pulled him in 2) translated his PowerPoint 3) Assured everyone he was the best bet. It was really his first big decision so he has to double down on it, my question really does centre around what it is they are watching that gives them the sense the club is on the right path?
Some theories:
Leicester not the target
Being 9 points from Leicester and Chelsea might not be seen as a big deal. Chelsea are going to be inconsistent this season, Frank Lampard didn’t really move Derby last year, they should be catchable. Leicester also might be attainable, they have a good setup, but maybe the club thinks their run is a bubble.
PR noise
The club don’t have a plan for a replacement manager, so they’d rather not have to make a double sub type signing. If the media sniff that Raul and Edu are going to replace, the players will totally switch off. If they feed the idea Emery is safe, it gives them cover to speak to managers and it gives them time to make the correct decision with the relevant due diligence. It also might cajole the players to put in a bit more effort.
Listening to excuses in Spanish
Edu spent some time working under Emery back in the day when he was hitting 3rd in the league every season for Valencia. There could be a deep level of respect for his work. Emery will be speaking to Edu and Raul in crystal clear Spanish every day and maybe that makes it easier to understand what he’s trying to do and what the future vision is. Remember, this is Raul’s hire, he’ll do anything to make it seem to his bosses that he made a sound decision when he passed up Arteta and made an 8 day panic hire using ‘contacts’ recruitment (LOL that Emery was close to joining Sociedad before we stepped in).
December is going to be a disaster
I’ve been looking at the December crunch of games and hiding behind the couch. That really could be a death spiral of games. This last theory might be very off, but maybe the club worry that putting in a new manager and expecting them to come out of that batch of games with any PR credit is low… so they’d prefer Emery to take the fall and revisit his tenure in early January when the team is out of the woods.
All of the above sound ridiculous considering the nightmare we’re in on the pitch, and off it.
So here we are, Raul does not look like the great white hope, and Edu is still finding his footing after 4 months. Arsenal looks to be a ship lost at sea, so let’s see what happens now they’ve put absolute faith in a captain that’s lost his sea legs, his compass, and the faith of the sailors aboard.
LISTEN TO MY NEW PODCAST:
1st?
2nd
3rd
4th?
Aw. You can count to four.
5th.
6th.
How long can we afford to wait. I cant even see where the next win will come from. Every game now fills me with dread.
Get the count out now before he sucks the life out of this club
Ahh. Cutter got in there before me. 6th, 7th & 8th, I guess.
TR7 & WengerEagle
You may think this premature, but allow me to be the first to say: enjoy your three months off from Le Grove this summer.
Pedro
You ever had a moderator on here?
Marko
“Bam, what are you right about, exactly?”
That United are better than some here thought, that Solskjaer is better than nearly the whole world thought, and that United will finish above us.
Have a good day, all.
Arteta joins in Summer. For now, Good ebening?
That United are better than some here thought, that Solskjaer is better than nearly the whole world thought, and that United will finish above us. Yeah but why are you taking pleasure in being right NOW? Has the bet been won? Have you been proven right? Is that why you get into Emery arguments all the time because it would make winning that bet and being right more likely. I was binned during that whole Ole thing lemme just say I’d like in on the bet and I think your stance on Ole is absurd. You even went batshit at… Read more »
CC I doubt he ever will have a mod, the arguments and racism etc on here is probably half his traffic.
Our forwards have dried up, all the stats tell of a poor team structure.
It’s our worst start for 37 years.
What more needs to happen?
The club have all the season ticket money in the bank, they don’t care.
Making those “reasonable and good” posts again.
United will finish above us is claimed, then gloating about being right after 12 games when we’re above them.
Some lad he is.
Someone’s kid and Niangollan have been absolutely brilliant for Cagliari this season. Up to 3rd in the league and on a 10 game unbeaten run over here…Crazy that Maran was almost sacked at some point too…
Marco Rose too been brilliant with Monchengladbach too this season…
Lots of up and about choices we could look at for anyone to say Emery deserves anymore time than he’s been given
Danny
Pedders doesn’t concern himself much with traffic, he’s ditched ads so it’s academic I understood. Just curious having seen it mentioned
*Simeone*
Bati
I was so confused reading your first line 😂😂
Emery is Raul’s hire, 100%. A lot of people blaming Ivan Gazidis, sure, we can bucket him in, but Raul was the day to day football guy that 1) Pulled him in 2) translated his PowerPoint 3) Assured everyone he was the best bet
Pedro like Ornstein with a pretty liberal use of the phrase “100%”
Wish the fans will stay away now
Let Emery bore half the the stadium with his wank football
Utter dickless move to label fans discontent as mere noise
Arsenal is finished as a top level club for sure
You may think this premature, but allow me to be the first to say: enjoy your three months off from Le Grove this summer.
I can’t believe that you would repost that. You have problems and some seek some help. This need to appear to be right about everything on an anonymous blog to strangers is weird.
Raul is in full self preservation mode. He is caught like the proverbial deer in headlights. He knows that he should change managers, but he is afraid of messing thing up further. He realises that his preferred types of managers (elite, …) may not fit at Arsenal. Jose being too confrontational. Enrique too expensive. Allegri used to work with elite players. Unfortunately the upcoming progressive manager is not really his scene. And none of the former Arsenal icons he could hide behind have been resounding managerial success. The blame for Emery initial choice can still be shared across a committee,… Read more »
The Emirates will become the Emptyrates again
Bati off my dick I was about to say that. Nainngolan with a goal and 3 assists against the much fancied Fiorentina. Gladbach 4 points on top in Germany is making it harder to get Rose in
Danny S, I don’t have a mod because this website costs me money to run. If you want to volunteer some cash to fund it, let’s do it, venmo me the first month.
Pedro Sorry but I have a few issues with the piece. 1) Ornstein has hit the airwaves with his weekly piece in The Athletic – a good chunk of it would likely have been written before yesterday and I very much doubt he’s being briefed behind the scenes. A good chance he’s just chasing clicks. 2) Emery is Raul’s hire, 100% – It was presented as a unanimous decision between Gazidis, Sven and Sanllehi. Plenty of rumours that Sanllehi wanted Enrique and you’ve run the line frequently that Arteta was the chosen one until Gazidis got cold feet. You don’t… Read more »
*should seek some help
‘ One of the problems on here is a complete lack of a sense of humour, an awful lot of football is about banter and so many either don’t get that or can’t take it.’ As if some Harvard educated prick like Bumford would ever get the humour or experience anything like that growing up ffs. Down the pub with the lads or in the changing rooms before and after the game ripping the shit out of each other? Do me a favour. He’s more in common with a fucking alien than the lads that want to talk shit about… Read more »
Bamford,
Some posters have been banned for repeatedly wanted Arsenal to lose. Yet you repeatedly want ManUtd to finish over us.
Are you really an Arsenal fan?
No real Arsenal fan should want Arsenal to do badly.
You may think that ManUtd is better than us, but there is a difference thinking something is true and hope that to be true. That constant gloating about ManUtd does not make you sympathetic.
The Emirates will become the Emptyrates again
Hope so, Raul and Co are cvnts for allowing this shit to fester even more so as they sat their fat arses down and watch fvckin Leicester completely boss us whole game like peak Barca
Any fan that attends at this rate is a complicit and deserve the shit he’ll likely be fed til we finished 8th
Valentin, he needs something to be right about after making such a pigs ear of the Emery thing last season.
Addressed the 100% bit.
His recco, I meant.
Plenty of rumours that Sanllehi wanted Enrique and you’ve run the line frequently that Arteta was the chosen one until Gazidis got cold feet. You don’t like Sanllehi.
Yeah. Kinda all over the place if we’re honest. Is it Ivan shit the bed and went with Emery or is it 100% on Raul despite wanting Enrique. Where’s Sven in all this? Story will likely change imo if Arteta or a universally popular appointment takes place. Then it’s back to Don Raul saviour of Arsenal
Valentin
L’OM to lose at home to Lyon? Both Thauvin and Memphis missing. Lyon have more firepower and craft in CM areas. Rudi Garcia is going to get all sorts of insults from the Marseille support lol
Pedro
Yeah and what about the pony – you make my niece cry and I’m coming for you!
Neymargate was better.?
Pedro respectfully you’re all over the place. How can you blame someone specifically for the Emery hire when it was a decision by committee? 100% his man/recco? What the other likable two getting off that easy? I’m shocked.
It’s sad how far us and Man U have fallen since the departure of our two great managers.
Dream10,
I have no opinion on that game, because I have not really followed either team.
The only thing sure is that Rudi Garcia will have a noisy response from Marseille supporters.
Talking about French football. Gael Kakuta is having a good season at Amiens. I really thought that last season was one of his regular brilliant re-emergence before his usual disappointing second season. Looks like he is happy and settled there. Will never be as good as hoped when a youngster, but still a decent player.
Even if United win today they don’t go ahead of us. Very strange to be taking a victory lap
United will finish above us
Very sad as that would mean the pompous cvnt Binford will still be here serving us with loads and loads of shit every day on here
ValentinNovember 10, 2019 15:04:25 Bamford,Some posters have been banned for repeatedly wanted Arsenal to lose. Yet you repeatedly want ManUtd to finish over us. Are you really an Arsenal fan? No real Arsenal fan should want Arsenal to do badly. Val He isn’t. He’s loving how shit we are. Not sure why as it proves how utterly wrong he is Don’t forget Bamford throwing tantrums a few years back and threatening to go and support Real Madrid while wenger had performing much better and finishing higher than emery It was never about arsenal at all but some strange obsession with… Read more »
Very strange to literally want Utd to be better than us, gloat about how every other team has better options than we do and to pick battles with everyone here.
I don’t mind Bam usually but he’s having one hell of a run, might need saving from himself!
Er why are people assuming OGS is safe – before today their last 5 PL matches include 2 draws, 2 losses and 1 win against Norwich.
In the form table they are 17th before today.
This place seems to cause en mass knee jerk reactions coupled with some sort of premature ejaculation.
I don’t think anyone has a goddam clue as to what’s going in the club. It’s all speculation about what the club may or may not do about Emery. We just have to wait and see.
The fans are united in one purpose, it is they that will drive Emery out. There’s a lot of pent -up anger that will come to the surface eventually because Emery isn’t going to do a Wenger-type turn around. He’s not capable of it.
It’s just so mind-blowingly wrong persisting with Mr bland, I mean its very obvious the guy has no clue,if the coach we’re targetting isn’t available for now,sack the clown and give Freddie a chance and see what he can do with the squad, he can’t possibly do any worse
We struggle in literally every game we play be a Liverpool or a relegation plodder like Watford
Such a joke this football club has become
Just watch as we struggle against the likes of Norwhich and Southampton next..Lol
Correct me if I’m wrong, but when the selection process was going on wasn’t there need that Artera wanted too much control, and considerable funds and I’m pretty sure Enrique wanted a 200m transfer kitty at the time.
I imagine the whole emery decision was taken based on his ability in the cup and the fact he seems at the time to be a tactics man. And was probably more than happy to work in the current set up as it’s how he’s worked pretty much at all his clubs.
Pedro is certainly angry and very unfocused with his criticisms.
What do you mean Raul translated Emery’s power points? Where you present at the interview?
It was a committee led by Gazidis that appointed Emery. Stop making stuff up. Emery was a highly visible manager at the time he was interviewed. He didn’t need anyone’s help to get his resume noticed.
Pedro
Whatever happened to your much vaunted modern back room set up stance
And those 9 points will be almost impossible to claw back
Imho
Victorious
Leave it to the fans
The fans have been the ones driving this club forward.
There’s no loyalty to Emery and they won’t hesitate to do everything necessary to drive him out, just like when your man was hassled out.
Nice try Don
How far united and arsenal have fallen since the departure of their two great managers, that statement holds true for United not for Arsenal. You and the fellow who said “Wenger was stabbed” in the back (explains his intense hatred for Raul) aren’t fooling anyone
Dissenter
Any true arsenal fan should be angry this morning. Our great club is being ruined.
It has no identity any more.
A soulless stadium
A soulless manager
A soulless team
No link to the fans
It’s just a corporate entity now rather than a football club for the local community
Hair brain
Honestly I’ve no Desire to bother with you today.
‘Modern back rooms’ don’t just change managers.
First they have to line up a getable manager that’s available.
-Enrique isn’t that much better than Emery. He failed at Roma and was lucky to get to manage Leo Messi [or Messi managed him] at Barca. Even Emery would have won tons with Barca too.
-Allegri is probably waiting for a bigger job such as united, Madrid or Barca.
The back room can’t afford to think in terms of just weeks to months…. it has to be long term; that’s what Pedro used to preach before.
Dissenter, if you’re the only Spanish speaker in an interview with someone that can’t speak English, it’s pretty clear who is doing the translation. As for his CV, he was going to Real Sociedad before we intervened, so yes, clearly being noticed is true.
Leave it to the fans The fans have been the ones driving this club forward. There’s no loyalty to Emery and they won’t hesitate to do everything necessary to drive him out, just like when your man was hassled out.” You were doing very fine until that last part..dunno what Big Weng has to do with us been a total joke under a supposed better coach with far more superior players but it’s just so ridiculous that his biggest of fans would still argue that we’ve hired a whopper who can even best his worst record with far better players… Read more »
Dissenter
If you were going to give a power point presentation to someone you couldn’t converse with directly wouldn’t you make sure the bulk of the slides could be understood without knowledge of Spanish or get someone to put them in English for you?
Hillwood, a good structure will never absorb bad talent.
Pedro
Maybe you haven’t heard, but Real Sociedad have better players than us. So really Emery did is a favour coming here and we should be thankful.
Interesting theories Pedro as to why to hold onto Emery. But how does this one sound? Arseblog wrote this morning about the season being salvageable. I disagree. I think it’s gone. I don’t see over the remaining games we make up a 10 point deficit (9 points plus inferior goal difference) on CFC or LCFC. Maybe Raul and Edu want us to hit a new low, blame it all on Emery but go again next season without European distractions?
Any true arsenal fan should be angry this morning. Our great club is being ruined.
It has no identity any more.
A soulless stadium
A soulless manager
A soulless team
No link to the fans It’s just a corporate entity now rather than a football club for the local community
Nail to the head Don,good man
Simple solution is just stop attending games, as soon as KSE get the willy’s about losing money Raul and Emery will be gone.
CC, same people clawing at anything to defend the decision to hire Emery being the correct one… even with all the evidence in front of them.
Real Sociedad is exactly his level.
Imagine thinking that Emery was better than Allegri.
Matt, I am in agreement with you. If the players looked bought in, sure. But you literally had Cal Chambers saying they were trying a new system yesterday. We’re a mess.
Pedro
That 8-man shortlist didn’t blow me away when it was ‘revealed’, though I can’t imagine how much worse we could’ve been with any of the others from it.
Worst start in 37 years and all that. Some effort
Pedro
As it was reported that Allegri wanted a huge transfer budget how do you know that they thought Emery was better than Allegri? More lightly is just that he was more gettable.
Marc, so you think Emery was just standing there flicking through a deck and not saying anything?
Have you ever been to a presentation like that?
I cancelled my season ticket as soon as Emery was hired, I saw this shit show from a mile away RIP Arsenal football club😭
Marc, Ivan G said no one pulled out of the race once interviewed. Allegri was on Ornstein’s shortlist of managers interviewed.
I really liked Raul and thought he would galvanize and push the club to success buh deciding to stick with Emery after making
the horrible blunder in hiring him in the first place shows him up as another cluless fraud
He’s the Spanish snake oil salesman ..what a cvnt
Grant
As Emery is slipping beyond the point of the club being able to catch top 4 the Kroenke’s are staring at losing £50 odd million already.
CC, Emery was bottom half of that list for sure.
Biggest mistake this club ever made was passing on klop and giving Wenger a new deal. The second biggest was appointing Emery, and the soon to be 3rd mistake will be not sacking him before Christmas.
Pedro
Oh dear you do sound naïve sometimes.
What do you expect Gazidis to come out and say? “Well we would have hired Allegri but he told us to fuck off”
Matt
I’m not sure what foundation the season being “salvageable” is based upon?
Like what shred of evidence is being honed for that prediction to be at all reasonable? Madness to me.
–
Adama Traore is equal measure gash and godlike. Ruben Neves still a wee darling of mine, and Grealish a huge miss for Villa.
If Arsenal acts now, and the buy a good central midfielder and a decent left footed CB in the winter TW the season is salvageable. The important thing is to make the right decision. But wait until February and it will be gone. We could even miss Europa League position if we are not careful. ManUtd, Spurs will wake up from their slump. I don’t see Leicester falter as they have no European competition to distract them. Chelsea will stay on course. There would be no way to spin a 7th or 8th finish as progression and or a good… Read more »
Marc your right, sadly for Arsenal the only way is down.
Pedro
Emery will land himself a job in Spain or Serie A after getting sacked. I think this sham of a management structure will come out looking worse. All this talk about the club being revitalised at the top end
Another two week break.
These long breaks are totally unnecessary and makes it difficult for managers to get settlement in the team.
Except our fool who changes the formation every week.
He has no idea who should be in our best side.
Fans need to turn on Emery which I think they will
Marc, I’d say it’s naive to just say that someone is a straight-up liar because it suits your idea of what went down when we made a duff hire.
On a slightly different subject a mate heard a rumour that we’re trying to cancel Saliba’s loan in Jan and bring him into the squad.
Anyone heard anything similar?
Victorious
It’s astonishing the length people go to defend Emery and how much they’re still willing to accord Mr bland more time. Haven’t they witnessed enough of the shambles?
Dream10, I think that is where this all lands.
Pedro
If he was bottom half then why was he hired?
It doesn’t make any sense.
Pedro
I assume you mean I’m calling Gazidis a liar?
You’re also saying I’m twisting events to suit my narrative – right back at you mate.
Stay away from the stadium people, the fraudsters running the club are taking you all for fools..they label you all as mere ‘noise’ and do nothing but thank you for having interest in their affair
Really pity Folk who still go out there to watch Emery offer paint dry every week after splurging a chunk of doh for season tickets
Yea Don
You thought u could just slide that one in and no one would notice.
No matter what’s going on now getting Wenger out of this club was the best decision ever. Should no way be likened to Ferguson at United.. No way at all.
If anything some of you seem desperate to copy united with the Jose talk and give it to Freddie now chants.
Mind you how many times have under fire managers been given 100% backing, to only end up being sacked within a month.
“So here we are, Raul does not look like the great white hope, ”
or brown, even. Or yellow or pink or blue. How about Let’s not attach colours (or the absence of colour) to positivity. Positivity comes in all shapes and sizes. Mabey the new Chief executive can just be “The great.. hope”
The irony of AKB’s muttering ‘we want our club back’ after handing it to one man for over a decade lol……
Unai na I’ve always believed that there will be tortuous and torturous road away from Wenger fraught with missteps. Emery has to go but let’s not pretend that Wenger didn’t leave a mess. A mess tat Emery clearly doesn’t have the ability to address. It’s going to take more than one or even two managerial changes to get us back on track to competing for championships. Hopefully we strike gold the next time. I just wish Benitez was available without any drama. He would have us in a top-4 race by the late winter. He’s premier tested and can organize… Read more »
Dream/Pedro I said the second the summer ended, before Emery took charge in his first season, that the new era we hoped for was shaping up more as a fresh lick of paint as opposed to the proper rebuild job we had the chance of. I said it because we bottled Arteta, but also because the summer window saw us ignore Rambo and Welbz, do nothing about Elneny and Chambers, and spend a month talking up Dembele only to never land him. It’s all beginning to look a little too familiar, but with that fresh coat of gloss. Edu is… Read more »
Ego is stopping the club sacking Emery. They will not admit their mistake hiring this mid table Jonny.
They will wait until it’s far too late so that they can blame him completely.
Another crap season coming up
End of the day American run business only care about one thing and that’s profit.
It’s astonishing the length people go to defend Emery and how much they’re still willing to accord Mr bland more time. Haven’t they witnessed enough of the shambles?’
Lmao really no words,even the pundits were asking why does he chop and change formations every week after almost 2 years in the job, why does he persist to play from the back WITHOUT having the players to do so?
The only people according him more time to my eyes now are the idiots calling the shots and one or 2 dickheads on here
Valentin
Huss Fahmy is the club’s chief negotiator. He was the one that handled Pepe, Tierney and Luiz transfer. I know you dislike Raul and would blame him for 9/11 if possible but Raul is not the contracts guy.
Also there’s no way Raul can fire Emery without Josh’s approval.
Grant
We don’t know what’s really going on behind the scenes but the chances that the club would come out and make an announcement on a Sunday is non existent.
Concluding that we’re not going to do anything because we haven’t done it today or because Sanllehi hasn’t personally phoned all the posters on Le Grove to give them an in depth update is stupid. I’d also make a pretty sure guess that a board meeting would take place to put all this into a formal situation.
Let’s see what happens during the week.