courtesy @allthatchas
It’s becoming harder and harder to raise a defence as to why you’d keep Unai Emery on at Arsenal. Southampton, placed 19th, boasting the worst defence in the league, were the better team away from home this evening.
They had more shots on target, they had more big chances, and they fought like dogs for 97 minutes. The last-gasp equaliser from Lacazette in the 95th minute was a relief, but it didn’t stop the fans venting their frustration with a chorus of boos.
Unai Emery doesn’t make things easy for himself, the pregame chatter was focused on telling the fans they were wrong about Granit Xhaka. Think it by all means, but understand the fans perspective, and don’t poke the bear when you’re exposed. We don’t like Xhaka, telling us we’re wrong is not for this moment. Thankfully, we didn’t see the Swiss in the squad, but the manager still messed up his starting lineup, once again electing for a conservative back 3 at home.
We were bad. We went a goal down again, this time inside 10 minutes. Chambers made a clumsy foul, Southampton took it quickly, our players complained instead of chasing down their mistake, we went a goal down. When a team is downing tools in the Premier League, it only needs to be a 5% reduction in effort, seeing us that unfocused from a freekick is what I’m talking about. Sunday league basics.
We pulled a goal back, Lacazette making the most of a free ball in the box 10 minutes later. We hoped that was part of a resurgence, but it really wasn’t. The game played out like a scrappy cup game, it was end to end calamity for both teams. The middle of the park of wide open, our defence was being pulled all over the place, and we had next to nothing in attack.
I spent a lot of the game watching our midfield, which is really our biggest problem. There’s simply no understanding of positioning on or off the ball. Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi have no chemistry in the middle of the park, likely due to a lack of playing together, but even so, watching them trudge back to cover was frustrating, but worse was how little they gave to the transition to attack. Their slow movement either boxes them into a press, or it closes down passing lanes that should help create openings out wide. LT is also done at Arsenal, watching him step off and allow a rasping shot at our goal felt par the course for him. He hates Emery and he’s not interested.
The second half we saw some action, the manager introduced Pepe who looked better, but still well off what an £80m player should be delivering. I think his tenure at Arsenal was summed up when he was found on the counter, he had Ozil open at the back post, or the option of having a crack on his own, he dithered, tried to find Ozil, and bungled his lines.
Southampton continued to keep the pressure on us and eventually won a penalty when the otherwise impressive Tierney tugged at Ings’ shirt. VAR said yes. Leno actually saved the penalty, but Prowse was first to the rebound. I know there was no chance one of our defenders was going to make it, but when you watch the replay, look at how slow our players were with the follow up, half didn’t move, the rest were a yard behind Ings’. 5% can mean a lot at this level.
We did pull one back in the end, Martinelli served up a great cross that Lacazette finished off saving a bit of face.
It wasn’t enough for the fans though, boos for a dead man walking reverberated around the ground. The manager, far less animated than he was at the start of his career, trudged to the dressing room looking like a man on the edge.
Raul and Edu don’t have a defence now. They’re serving Emery up open goals to save his career and he shanking them wide from a yard out. Southampton are one of the worst teams in the league, they shipped 9 goals against Leicester – Arsenal barely managed to scrape 5 shots on target. The team is broken. Emery doesn’t know how to fix it, and worst of all, the players don’t care for what his possible solve could be.
The decision isn’t simple though. Remember, Raul is weirdly wedded to Unai Emery, that’s his boy, he put his rep on the line to recommend him to the board and everyone at the club knows that. He’s clearly a stubborn man, and it seems like the worse his boy performs, the more he digs his heels in.
The major concern is there’s no plan for what comes next. Freddie Ljungberg is a great face for the fans, but it’s questionable if he’s the innovative coach we’re looking for. He hasn’t been exposed to modern coaching greatness. Arteta, another exciting explayer with a huge insider reputation might be out of our reach, and we might look too much of a mess for his first job (things are that bad). Then you have the #1 candidate, Pochettino, clearly the absolute perfect resume to bring us out of the doldrums. Fresh off a sacking and the humiliation of being replaced by a nasty has-been… but does he want football right now? Or does he want guaranteed trophies and a new adventure in Europe with Bayern or PSG if they move Tuchel on at the end of the season?
We are low on options. What you can’t do is sack someone and make a 4-year replacement mistake like they have done at United time and time again. We need a clever decision that’s forward-facing, or we need a coach that truly is the Gus Hiddink or Rafa Benitez care taker type of character.
One things is for sure, change has to come and it has to come soon. Things will heat up for Raul when he realises his reputation with the fans and the owners starts to slide. Another empty stadium, another day of bad headlines, and the harsh impending reality that Arsenal blew next summers kitty on making the Champions League this year.
We are in trouble without decisive, well thought out action… do the football execs have it in them to save our season?
Let’s see…
We are in deep shit.
1
1st
Not a dead man walking, he is already dead. nobody has announced his death from the board yet.
Ralph Hasenhüttl: “We are thinking we can win this game with three, four or five goals but we didn’t’
Emery needs to get sacked by morning.
This season has become a total disaster at this point.
SackEmery.
Now…
Ralph Hasenhüttl: “We are thinking we can win this game with three, four or five goals but we didn’t’
Just wow.
Spineless, gutless pieces of bottling shits the board and manager.
It’s toxic in the ground, on social media. All sports outlets and pages.
Ground getting empty and fans disinterested.
How can they not really see this and want change?
It has to be done tonight. Try galvanize the team for when the big boys come to town in December.
Ljungberg goes in as caretaker until the summer.
Emery isn’t a dead man walking.
He’s a dead man in a coffin as far as Arsenal are concerned now.
“do the football execs have it in them to save our season?”
I’m sorry, who ??
“as far as Arsenal are concerned now.”
Lol they don’t give a fuck.
I informed you that it would be 2-2
He will be released this week.
No playing through it.
Freddie n Steve bould will be put I temp charge till end of season.
Pochettino, an absolutely top notch manager is there for the taking and yet AFC is embarrassing itself week in week out by continuing with an absolutely inept and clueless manager.
Emery on Talksport 2 right now talking shite. He just said we controlled the match. Everything else he is saying is just waffle. Utter garbage. If this is the way he talks to players he can’t have any credibility with them, let alone respect.
Raul should just fuck off wirh Edu and Emery. leave Ljunberg in charge until season end if we can’t get Arteta.
Ishola
“Receding Hairline I’m sure will have given up the ghost as well after that lastest shit show.”
Prepare to be shocked. “You saw how the crowd reacted even after a late equaliser.”
Watching Arsenal has become a torture to the soul.
Ishola
“Receding Hairline I’m sure will have given up the ghost as well after that lastest shit show.”
Prepare to be shocked.
“You saw how the crowd reacted even after a late equaliser.”
Watching Arsenal has become a torture to the soul.
Anyway watching the City game Abrahams really looks a special player.
It is only the lack of realistic alternatives that will prolong Emerys tenure. Southampton 21 shots, Arsenal 12, at home. The individual performances, the total absence of a collective joined up approach. We truly don’t know what we’re doing. It was painful to see. Raul surely cannot continue to watch such calamity continue.
Southampton should have won 1-4 if they weren’t such a
Like I said in the last post, if Emery isn’t fired today, then I doubt he will be fired this season.
I think this is bigger than Raul. If we brought forward next year’s budget, then there’s likely no money for a replacement unless Josh and his Father approves.
Pedro I’m pretty sure the rumors say Raul wanted Enrique.
Southampton should have won 1-4 if they weren’t such a bad outfit themselves. Its over now, this isn’t about fan pressure or noise, that wasn’t football and whoever was in charge should pay the price and that’s Emery.
I still don’t want Freddie though personally, I don’t think he has anything about him. But the sack has to be announced latest Monday.
Fvck off u lot!
Mr bland is the bees knees and deserve to finish the season with us
Hopefully Raul doesn’t bow to fan pressure and panick by pulling the plug
Leave Emery be,he’s the best thing since slice bread and arsenal right now absolutely deserve him
Good ebening.
Chelsea one up!
“Arsenal have conceded 45 shots (!) in their last two home games – against Wolves and Southampton.”
@StatsZone
1. That’s
2. It
3. As
4. Far
5. As
6. I’m
7. Concerned
8. Emery
9. Must
10. Go
S
N
O
O
K
E
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Thanks for the Post!🥂
Victorious
Why still so bitter?
Our season is over.
All that is left is to stop the rot
Looks like Arteta is not helping MC to win these days.
Kanté for £32M
Naaaahh…Let´s buy Xhaka for £35M
What a miss!
Lets kidnap the foxes scout that found both Kanté and Ndidi and put some serious screws on
Six games no win. Emery is so far out of his depth and so are the men in charge. Match made in hell.
Lamps dripping with sauce
He’s challenging for the title, never mind top!!
That right there is a young,decent and ambitious coach.
Chika
Is that stat in basketball or football ? 45 shots!
No to arteta
He’s just a yes man..
Man City have peaked …
Freddie n Steve
For me
Graham
Bitter? How? I’m stating bleeding facts!
Lucky goal for City
Let me ask a simple question? Does the arsenal board really think our present manager can win the league. Or have we fallen so low that wining the league isn’t part of our plans. This is really sad guys, really sad.
Chelsea looking like PSG/Barça with their possession. When Jorginho has the ball, he has the option of going short to Kovacic, long over the top to Abraham/Kanté, btwn the lines to William/Pulisic. Quality stuff.
Dream10
We better give it to Freddie then and hope he can do a Lampard.
Ok
Leno
Bel chambers holding tiernay
Torr Wilcox
Pepe ozil gabs
Auba/ laca
I think is our strongest team now..
That´s what we need Pepe to do!
I said the other day that we would be out shot by soton and draw. Its that predictable. Emery has no clue and these players do not want him managing them.
Distant le Grover
Think he might get the job soon enough.
We have Pepe and Martinelli. Emery selected a formation without winger. He is too stupid to be coach of Arsenal.
Lampard >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Emery
Regardless of how bad this maybe, I wouldn’t change the sacking of Wenger. Anyone who thinks this season would have been any different had the demented old twat stayed in charge is a moron. We would have been just as bad and still regressing …
Buy Rafa
There is no one else left.
Arteta wont come( we shafted him)
Poch will go to Spain and then back to Spurs.
Rafa is the undisputed no.1 choice
Failing that Sean Dyche would be an exceptionally good manager for Arsenal for 24 months.
Back to basics
The right shade of Ginger
Great posture.
Would surprise.
Victorious
It’s as if you want Emery to stay so you can get your own back.
You know, your master being kicked out and all that.
Emery is utter shite, which you are well aware of, and yet you want him to stay.
Doesn’t take much to fathom out.
Just give it to Freddie.
You know it makes sense.
Wenger had to go. It was right for him to go. It was long overdue that he went. Nothing that is happening now invalidates Wenger’s departure. The problem was then appointing a footballing omnishambles as head coach. A man literally no one tipped as a managerial possibility because he was so far out of his depth. A man so dull he makes snooker legend Steve Davis look like a hyperactive bundle of excitable energy. A man so devoid of footballing philosophy it’s easy to imagine that training sessions feature him shouting “kick it, kick it”. Emery had no place coming… Read more »
Unai Emery is making good players look very bad. Those players do not want to play for that manager and it shows up in their performances. My only surprise is that he has lasted this long
Distant legrover
Chika
“Is that stat in basketball or football ? 45 shots!”
Haha we’ve got Emery in charge mate, everything shitty is possible.
CG
For once I find myself agreeing with you.
Sean d would be a good choice proven prem .
Has all that emery wants
Dream10 November 23, 2019 18:00:05 “Chelsea looking like PSG/Barça with their possession. When Jorginho has the ball, he has the option of going short to Kovacic, long over the top to Abraham/Kanté, btwn the lines to William/Pulisic. Quality stuff.” On the other hand, any time Arsenal players attempt anything of the sort, the, move almost always breaks down with one of Torreira and Guendouzi either giving the ball away or getting shoved to floor. Emery’s averageness gets compounded by the collective averageness of the team. Arsenal have arguably the worst CB pairing in the top half of the league. Our… Read more »
Its hard to know what to say.
There’s a big chasm between the management and the fans.
Not one of them will own up to the mess, it’s insulting the fans now to pretend that things are ok.
We all thought we could move on from Wenger but the rot is still in the club, and with our absent owner there is no end to it.
It hurts being a life long fan looking at this shameful mess.
By 12.00 GMT Emery should be fired. Enough is enough with this guy
Footballing omnishamble
Lol
Lmaooooo….Didn’t even mother to watch, I’ve totrwn to that stage again…Can’t even say any bad word about the manager, it’s the clueless folks who run the club that’ll run us into the ground at this rate…Absolutely no reason why Unai Emery wasn’t sacked over the last forthnight, absolutely none at all
Spanish
Every know the club is rotten always has been.
I have no sympathy for them.
They have taken arsenal away from the fans.
Fuck them.
Un na naaiNovember 23, 2019 17:50:16 Ya dirty little rimmer Don with yet another day of personal insults. With him it’s either blatant racism or daughter, wives, dads rimming assholes etc. This is from our previous match day. Un na naaiNovember 9, 2019 20:40:47 Rt is a loser who actually revels in arsenal losingYou fucking loser Bet you wank over trannies Un na naaiNovember 9, 2019 20:41:24 RhCos he wa better than the cunt the club is employing now Dumb Nigerian Cunt Un na naaiNovember 9, 2019 20:42:14 MarkoGood You’re beneath me You’ll just get your feelings hurt Step down… Read more »
Game is over. For me my expectations have always been tampered regarding arsenal, so I’m not much disappointed.
Pellegrini, Marco Silva and Emery, who gets the sack. I hope by midnight, there will be breaking news about arsenal on our coach.
Bench Guen and just watch how the team improves.
18 months under Emery and our front 3 press like under-7’s. No co-ordination whatsoever. Ozil and Auba dont want to get stuck in. Laca is too aggressive and concedes silly fouls. Zero midfield chemistry . Zero desire. Think of the moment when Pepe couldnt make up his mind and fluffed a golden chance and Southampton were counter attacking. Not one player was falling back except maybe Guendouzi who was slow jogging. No player playing for the manager. Outshot by a team who were torn apart a few weeks ago and must definitely be very low on confidence. They had 1… Read more »
Was the spurs record signing from Lyon playing today, can’t remember what the fucker called…?
@Akan I disagree regarding the players not wanting to play for the manager. Please can you name some of these players? No one seems to be banging on our door to take them off us. Contrast that with Eriksen’s situation at Spurs or Hazard’s back when he was at Chelsea. Remember Fabregas, Nasri, RVP and lately, Sanchez? Some of our current bunch of players aren’t the smartest. Imagine giving away 6 yellow cards at home to Southampton! Sokratis did his best to let Southampton win. Perhaps he’s one of those who no longer want to play for the manager, one… Read more »
It’s pointless calling out individual players while Emery remains in charge. Get a decent coach in then see how they do. I’d be happy with Rafa on a short term deal…
25pts in our last 20 games, 6 games without a win against lower league opposition.
How much more evidence do they need?
Dumbshit Raul in total denial.
We are going to be in a position where you can get a manager who is worse than that one WE have as I can’t believe that we can be good attraction for the top guys to come to us and it’s board members who are the villains in this case you have to be honest about the mess we are in this is a new low for the club WE have to stay with the arsenal and pray that we can get out of the mess we are in
Christ me, Guen slows us down unnecessarily. Imo, I think ozil played well today. Why was soton 1st goal allowed? Ball was stationed. I don’t get this the media always try to find justifications when officiating calls go unfairly against us.
its hard not to enjoy this chelsea team. bring us arteta please pedro. full on media campaign
Rap
Don’s a disgusting vile piece of garbage, always has been, it comes creeping out on a weekly basis when he can’t control it anymore.
His racist/idiotic posts isn’t shocking anymore, just the fact that he’s still allowed on here.
When Laca scored late on he knew he had saved Emery’s job for another week.
That’s why he didn’t celebrate,
They don’t want him.
I made the decision not to attend today’s game.
By all accounts we were once again shambolic. The fact that Emery continues to
play an insipid gameplan is indicative of his poor management.
There has to come a point when the senior management at the club recognise that it is going to be a “lot cheaper” sacking the manager than the ongoing saga.
As I have posted many times this season we have been outplayed or tactically
outthought in every game we have played in EPL.
Guendouzi is one for the future. He shouldn’t be starting so many games and even then, should have a more experienced head next to him. But who do you replace him with?
To his credit though, he always shows up for the ball. But overall, he doesn’t do enough to justify his inclusion in the team week-in, week-out.
No leadership showing anywhere within arsenal. Surely the players need to stand up for themselves on the pitch and off it. Get this manger out of Arsenal would be a good start, but the players need to look at themselves at make it happen for themselves and us.
Wenger!!!!!
We have sunk so low now that the wengerlovers are hinting at the return of the senile tosser.
Jeez sacking emery and re-,employing Wenger would be like getting shot of your annoying neighbour only to have a mass murderer move in.
Un, you cannot casually insult people on this board. I have warned you repeatedly.
Stroller
Personal o4 football reasons for non attending ?
I really miss watching free flowing Arsenal. It’s like something is been missing in my life since 2016 or so.
Pedro
Does that mean I can’t call you a wanker?
We have too many silent people running this club. I don’t think I ve read a direct quote on Anything Arsenal from Raul and Edu since the season started. It’s just all quiet, you could hear a pin drop.
If they did though, then apologies.
Silent stan
Silent Josh
Silent Raul
Silent Edu.
Wobs… Are you not entertained? Are you not entertained?
I’d take Pochettino as the summer hire and Benitez as caretaker for the rest of the season.
Only just got back from the match and there’s not much to say about it that hasn’t already been said.
Worth mentioning though is that a guy got into a row / fight about a dozen rows back from me and was “shown” out by the stewards.
Apparently it wasn’t a unique episode today.
I keep expecting to see a yellow bar flash up on ssn to say Unai emery sacked as arsenal manager – there is literally no other solution I don’t believe it should be given to Freddie , he’s part of the problem , he , Unai and the others are ‘coaching’ this team and they are doing a fucking terrible job. What more needs to go wrong for the powers that be before they pull the plug ?? I say Benitez in until the end of the season , steady the ship and all the other bullshit cliches , then… Read more »
Distant
What do you want the management to say?
You’d moan if they made empty platitudes. No one is watching Arsenal at the moment doesn’t know or accept that there’s a problem.
Akbs are back…
The memory of their master lives on …….
OK all the idiots (sorry Cesc) calling for Benitez to be given the job for 6 months – he’s on a £12 million a year contract in China.
How fucking much are you going to pay him to tear that up and come to work for us for 6 months?
Edu
You can coach theses players till they drop but if they don’t believe in Emery’s methods there’s nothing Freddie or the other coaches can do about it.
Freddie is not part of the problem.
He’s only been in his post 4 months.
Emery should have been shown the door during the international break.
We craved it and I believe all the players craved it as well.
#EmeryMustGo.
Since Stan Kroenke appeared like a blot on The Arsenal landscape, The Club has been taking one step forward & two steps back. But the really sad thing about this dysfunctional journey Stan Kroenke & his board of yes men are taking the Club on is that it’s time line is not definitive. Oh dear!
…but the season tickets are sold, right?
…and the TV money has been paid?
If the answer to both of these questions is yes, I doubt anyone at Arsenal care about results. Shame left the building a long time ago. Pride went with him and took humility along for the trip.
We are a total irrelevance on the sporting/football or entertainment spectrum.
Raul and Edu are on the payroll. They don’t care. If they did, why hasn’t Emery been sacked yet?
Arsenal are dead.
M. Pochettino 🇦🇷
B. Rodgers 🇮🇪
M. Allegri 🇮🇹
M. Arteta 🇪🇸
E. Howe 🏴
C. Wilder 🏴
N. Espírito Santo 🇵🇹
G. Van Bronckhorst 🇳🇱
R. Benitez 🇪🇸
J. Lopetequi 🇪🇸
Marcelino 🇪🇸
G. Gasparini
RodneyKing “Emery’s averageness gets compounded by the collective averageness of the team. Arsenal have arguably the worst CB pairing in the top half of the league. Our midfield is completely non-existent for the most part.” Spot on. Apart from the offense which Emery is now harming the team are bang average verging on shit at times. Midfield not good enough. Shit off the ball. Shit central defence. Not one serious club with any real ambition would have either of Sokratis, Luiz or Chambers in their team and these three at the back today made Arsenal look even worse defensively than… Read more »
Graham
The only reason I can come up with as to why Emery wasn’t sacked that makes sense is that the manager we want / have identified isn’t available at the moment and the club doesn’t want to either promote Ljungberg or bring in a temp manager.
A few more results / performances like today and that might change.
RSPCA “”””CG. For once I find myself agreeing with you.Sean d would be a good choice proven prem “”””” (Thank you) No better manager in The British Isles than this fella. Totally Raw – No KY Jelly with this one! A tad uncouth perhaps for some – but then again we need a leader. The Phoney Progressives would go into Meltdown. Our PedRo would be Spitting Feathers. Dyche- would get Adams on board too. Those two! Wow! As my Old Nan from Co.Down used to say – “”always go with a ginger girl Charlie – they wont leave ya!”” Nan… Read more »
Is there anything to be proud of anymore?
Our owners and BoD’s are just pathetic.
We continue to be disrespected by the powers that be.
The worst run club in world football.
What a farce.