The new temporary era of Freddie Ljungberg starts today and I have to be absolutely honest… I am VERY excited.
He’s making smart moves, Per Mertesacker is his assistant, he might be bringing Gilberto in for a helping hand, and he told the Arsenal.com team he was all about putting smiles back on the faces of players.
Freddie has gone on the record as saying he thinks players are happier when they’re playing exciting football, we know he was raised on some of most explosive attacking football the world has ever seen, so maybe we’re about to witness Wengerball 2.0.
He has the opportunity to make a claim for the job, to do well, he’s going to have thread the needle of some very tricky situations with the players and the football. Here are some items he’ll be looking to clarify.
The Xhaka thing:
There will be a blank slate for Granit Xhaka. It’ll be very interesting to see how a man with a more attacking vision sees the Swiss. A lot of the ‘he’s highly rated from within’ leaves me aghast. It doesn’t make sense that a player with so little discipline and so many errors in his game could be seen as this absolute essential to the team… but I guess we’ll find out. If he’s in the side, what is he doing and how are they going to protect the team against his bad habits?
Pressing:
Freddie likes high octane pressing. So did Wenger and Emery. No one can keep it going for longer than 3 games. How will Freddie discipline the team to press consistently, or at least in strategic moments during the game? There are big question marks as to whether his first-team forwards are even capable of this. Is Auba going to turn into that sort of player at 29? Does Lacazette have the stamina to do that? Or might the coach pull a wild card and start his younger players. He’s far more likely to get the sort of behaviour he wants our of Saka and Martinelli.
Pepe:
Our very one-footed wide man has looked pretty poor most of the season. It’s hard to move into a tough situation and perform and he certainly hasn’t managed to raise his game. He looks shot of all confidence, but maybe a new coach with a more exciting vision could spark something in him that we haven’t seen yet. He’s certainly not a bad player. If Conte could get Victor Moses firing, then there is hope for Pepe.
Transitions:
Our short game from the keeper has been slow, ineffective and quite frankly embarrassing. We struggle to transition out of defence most of the time, then if the ball makes into midfield, the gaps between the attack are monstrous. Freddie is going to have to get in the weeds with some real basics here, because we don’t move the ball through the phases with any sort of consistency. How is Freddie going to look at this problem, will he go more direct? Will he shorten the passing lanes? Will he bin the short passes out the back? I’m very interested to see how quickly he can impact the way we move the ball. I’m also hoping that we start playing through the middle again with some exciting one-touch combination passing.
The same in reverse. We often have no real shape when we’re hit on the counter-attack or even just under sustained pressure. Midfield is our biggest problem, the two deepest players, whoever they are, offer very little protection to the defence, either by taking up positions that are too deep, or just not being present in the right places. We do not defend as a unit, it’s a lot to expect in a few games, but it’d be nice to see some thinking go into action there.
It’s not really worth hitting you with the management stuff because it’s all very early stages, but I think one thing is clear from listening to Josh K, they will be overjoyed if Freddie can take things until the end of the season. Better choices will be on the market then and Edu, Huss, Raul and Vinnai can take their time over a decision.
As I mentioned a few weeks ago, there really is no plan on the manager and we’re accruing a shortlist now because no one was thinking about exiting Emery this season. A staggering oversight when you consider that a proper club would have booted Emery in the summer. The football was quite clearly going nowhere, all the data pointed to total regression, and behind the scenes things were just as dire. Zero control. The bus driver running team motivation talks perfectly captured the managers’ approach. My point here, even if you truly believed in miracles, you’d at least get a backup list of names just in case.
The more worrying point for me about the shortlist that’s emerging is there’s no rhyme or reason to the candidates that we’re looking at. Nuno is a counter-attacking specialist that doesn’t believe in pointless possession. Allegri is the ultimate ‘get the job done’ pragmatist that builds systems around the tools he has at his disposal. Brendan Rodgers is a high pressing possession-based practitioner. Arteta will be Manchester City like entertaining possession-based attacking football. There’s no theme here, which likely means Edu doesn’t have a plan that he’s executing against.
If the club doesn’t know what it wants to be, how are they judging candidates? Your strategy can’t be a manager, because if that’s the case, your costs are huge every time you hire in a new philosophy. Chelsea, up until lately, always had deeply pragmatic managers that played a certain way. AVB, Conte, Mourinho are all cut from the same cloth. Barcelona always hire in specialists in of attacking based possession football because that’s their DNA, but beyond that, those values Cruyff instilled give the club stability. Every layer of the club believes the same thing. Every coach plays the same way. The scouting network knows what they are looking for. The fitness coaches know how to plan.
There’s a lot of talk about The Arsenal Way and whether that exists. It doesn’t. Edu is supposed to define what that is so we can build out talent that maps to the vision. My view is we should be a youthful execution of high octane pressing and intelligent possession-based football. We should be the most exciting team to watch in the world. We will never compete at the higher levels for elite adult talent, so we’ll have to grow it, or attract players like Martinelli and Guendouzi and ask them to give the first part of their careers to Arsenal. Young players need minutes and elite coaching. If we set a clear vision, it’d give clear parameters on the type of coach we need. It wouldn also focus what you’re looking for.
- Someone open to a longer-term project
- A manager happy to work on a budget
- Someone who can work with data analysts and support staff
- A person that can galvanise, not divide a backroom and a squad
- A clear communicator
- Someone that loves coaching
- Has a clear-eyed vision of where the game is going and how to keep up
- Someone with patience, because they’d be working with younger kids
- Someone with examples of how they’ve developed players
- A vision of how to implement a pressing regime
- A view of football that’s exciting
It would dictate the sort of fitness approach we’d need, it’d give the scouts a very clear brief for who and where they should be looking for talent, and it’d be a clear message to the fans… this project is not for now, we are building out Arsenal to be a Champions League final four outfit in 5 years. Bear with us, this is going to be spectacular.
The ‘cast the net wide’ and see what we like approach isn’t purposeful. When you don’t know what you’re looking for, you can be easily seduced by cheap Powerpoint presentations, great Wikipedia pages, and the sweet charms of Raul who can definitely vouch. We are better than that. I hope as the club push on in this process they get a little more specific about what they want, because a warm body won’t cut it. Not for the next hire.
One managerial story that I do find amusing is the Brendan Rodgers one. We all know he’d be desperate to move to a top club again. He’s doing a great job at Leicester, a club I feel is his level… but my point of raising this particular story is that he’s on the back page of one of the red tops with a headline alluding to Arsenal being his dream job. That is poor judgement to let anyone go off the record for you in such a blatant way. I wonder if that’ll impact the focus of his players, it looks very much like the mistake Marco Silva made when he was desperate for the Everton job despite being under contract at Watford. Didn’t end well there. Confidence is fragile at a football club, if the players think you’re purring over another job, things can go south very quickly.
Anyway, a huge day for Freddie, Per Mertesacker and the fans. I cannot wait to see what the sexiest man in management has to offer us.
Right, jump into our podcast before the game, it’s a cracker. We talk about Raul, managers, problems with Emery and our favourite targets. You can bypass the cost by giving it a 5* in iTunes.
See you in the comments!
“Does anyone have a good drug dealer?”
Given Freddie’s team selection I’ll have some of whatever he’s smoking…
We are in deep, deep trouble.
Auba our best player today. Only one that doesn’t seem to have some physical defect and can run like an athlete.
@ Un na nai
Not defending anyone, just being objective. AST were very right in saying our issues do nor end with just another gaffer being appointed.
If you are ambitious and want to compete, you need funds for a proper defence and midfield. We bought many players, but very average players. And it shows.
The issue is with our owners…surely there must be a ruch arab willing to buy a club like Arsenal—surely we have some clout left
Lacazette is the most overrated “WC” forward you’ll find.
——————–
Be fair, he did touch the ball twice in the 2nd half…….
Leno
Any combo of defenders that doesn’t include mustafi.
Torr- willock- Guen
Pepe – martinelli – auba
Give torr strict instructions to not go over the half way line.
Would have been a very different game I think.
I’d have tierney in there for sure but thinking he mustn’t be fully fit.
Marko Yea you’re just arguing for the sake of it as you typically do on here. Fucking whinge-bag. Nobody sat claiming we were the dogs hillocks after finishing 6th and having banners and planes flying because it was so porous. Total straw man. What we did have was a side capable of much more than Wenger was delivering, yet Emery conspired to deliver worse 18 months into his tenure after spending money on matters with the new super setup. Dissenter Freddie was number 2 to the shit show of the last 18 months. You’re an idiot if you think/thought he… Read more »
Agreed.
Lacazette is massively overrated.
We need to buy some EPL experience I think for the central midfield. Players who instantly understand the pace and physicality of the league.
Players like Ndidi, Doucoure, Grealish, McGinn etc.
I love Freddie… but it’s pretty clear he is just a place holder.. Hope Raul and Edu are working on something that doesn’t suck.. about all you can hope for at this point.
This match was like a Wenger match circa 2017. Maybe Freddie did talk to Wenger for advice. 🙁 Either that or BFG picked the lineup. Regardless we have to do better.
Drafting Xhaka and Mustafi back into the first 11 is the definition of giving up. Maybe Freddie doesn’t give a fuck cause he’ll be replaced in January.
Marc
We don’;t pay managers that much, relative to clubs of our stature. Even our north London neighbors pay their manager 150% more than Emery earned.
Top managers will command big fees anywhere they go. The wages aren’t that great not unless we want to pay Allegri the Mourhino/Pep/Diego Simeone type of wages.
Freddie got the selection totally wrong. Xhaka, Mustafi should never have started. And Martinelli should have started or came on much earlier. I give him one though, yanking Guendouzi who looked surprised to be yanked.
Be interesting to see Laca’s scoring record away from home.
It must be terrible.
MGooner
“We bought many players, but very average players. And it shows. ”
“The issue is with our owners”
The problem is not the owners the problem is some of the piss poor players we’ve paid a lot of money for. The owners have let the club spend money. The other issue is picking the same piss poor players.
Your comment is contradictory.
Freddie *already* looks out of his depth. But then so do Mustafi, Chambers, Gwendouzi, Xhaka… If not for Leno playing a blinder we’d have lost that game.
If you were Allegri with the opportunity to pick your next job, would you come to Arsenal?
I think Allegri might want the job if he was guaranteed a fuck tonne of money to sort the squad out and of course a massive wage. If I was the next manager at Arsenal I’d insist even in January that the club sells certain individuals and that signings are made otherwise what’s the point
Emre Can and Ross Barkley.
Both should be available, and both would instantly raise our level in central areas.
Norwich City 2 Arsenal 2
(See my pre match prediction.)
I hope you bought???
I did.
More hectares or cattle farm….?
OlumideDecember 1, 2019 15:55:03 Un na naaiWe should flog a golden boot winner and get Giroud in then. No. We should flog Aubameyang and aim to get someone who offers the best of both. Someone like Sanchez who can contribute goals, can keep the ball and works when we don’t have it. I’d keep Lacazette, Martinelli and Nketiah as our strikers. We’ve got pepe wide. I’d focus on a new centre half this summer and a game changer in the middle. £60m from Aubameyang will go a long way there. Ruud vanNistelrooy was very much like Aubameyang for me. Scored… Read more »
More hectares or cattle farm….?
Wengemerfreddie
Emery shrine… Pretty original Charles
Horrible game to watch end of. The starting eleven told you what to expect, the late sub’s was also kinda silly
You lost me dude? Book on Tactics so you can stop asking Paulinho?
Yea you’re just arguing for the sake of it as you typically do on here.
We’re not actually arguing. Do you think we are?
So the knives out for Freddie.
Dissapointing game but we had more energy and seemed to have more purpose.
I have said it all along, Martinelli needs more game time.
Laca was really shit today. no shots???
More hectares or cattle farm….?
Yes you got it right but what on earth does this mean CG?
Lacazatte was stinking the place out today. Yet the only thing you’ll see regularly is that we should sell Aubameyang at any opportunity we get.
We should sell a striker who scores goals. When there are no other goalscorers in the team.
Rumours, but apparently Real Madrid want to bid £70 million for Auba in January.
I rate Auba but because we have limited funds for the summer, I’d take it.
Beggars belief that some want Auba gone in favour of “I only perform at home” Lacazette.
Cesc AppealDecember 1, 2019 16:09:58
We need to buy some EPL experience I think for the central midfield. Players who instantly understand the pace and physicality of the league.Players like Ndidi, Doucoure, Grealish, McGinn etc.
Cesc
You’re back!! Couldn’t agree more. Grealish and another more defensive minded midfielder would tick my box
No good though if they aren’t being coached
I think we have the makings of a very good midfield with Torreira, Guendouzi and Joe willock there though but they need some leadership on the field and from the dugout
CC
You don’t need to have more than one training session to wait till the 88th minute to sub in Martinelli for Ozil.
Was Ozil contributing the defensive solidness or creating attacking opportunities until then?
It’s nice to see the tables are reversed and you’re defending the obvious cluelessness of Freddie. Nice to read your new fantasy that Emery was this tyrant manager who didn’t give Freddie a chance to contribute. It’s like Freddie was blindfolded for 5 months and now the scarf is now off his face.
Dissenter
“We don’;t pay managers that much, relative to clubs of our stature. Even our north London neighbors pay their manager 150% more than Emery earned.”
Sorry but that’s just bullshit and falling into an agenda. Mourinho might be earning 150% more than Emery but he’s also earning almost double that the Poch was on.
As for Allegri having the choice of jobs – well there’s only a handful of big clubs out there who pay mega money compared to us.
Un na naai
Right now, who are the strikers who offers the best of both that we should get in place of Aubameyang? I mean a striker who is as prolific as Aubameyang and offers great hold up play.
Please list the names.
Tbf to Freddie – he did say he wasn’t going to make drastic changes so we can’t really be that surprised He knows what’s wrong with this team. It’s so obvious , but I would have liked him to be a bit more daring with his line up He should have made the subs earlier – laca was clearly ineffective, saka looked like he was either too sacred or just couldn’t be arsed – what has martinelli got to do to get a start ? He looks so lively , at one point I thought he’d lost the ball near… Read more »
These players haven’t been professional or prideful at any point in the season and if they couldn’t even put in a performance in todays circumstances against one of the divisions poorer sides doesn’t bode well for the future.
The “interim” head coach title aptly describes Freddie.
Hopefully the powers that be hasten the appointment of a proper manager.
Until then I wish him the best of luck.
Paulinho
It is. Laca has scored 77% of his goals at home.
Some would keep Laca and sell Auba though.
” £60m from Aubameyang will go a long way there. ”
No it won’t in fact it’ll cost us a fortune because unless you can come up with a striker who can almost guarantee 20 PL goals a season for peanuts we’d have to pay more for a replacement.
“He knows what’s wrong with this team”
So his solution was to reintroduce Xhaka and Mustafi?
Don’t be so fucking stupid.
Hey ho
At least Norwich are higher up than Watford
Dear, dear me: Wrong about Emery but still:
https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11670/11875218/stan-kroenkes-ownership-at-arsenal-has-been-shambolic-says-daily-telegraphs-matt-law
Marc
£6 million is not the standard salary for an established big name manager.
You ought to know that. No manager is going to be persuaded to come to Arsenal just for that reason. That salary does not blow any established managed off his rocker.
Even Newcastle paid Benitez 5 million FFS.
Marko
Bit worrying that you don’t know what arguing about something is, when you’re claiming what someone else says to be false or harping back to supposed statements previously uttered that’s….arguing a point. Fact what you say carries little to no truth to it renders the thing pointless.
Receding
It’s been horrible for 20 matches where we have our 6 wins.
You thought the assistant manager in that time was about to take charge and drop a worldie? No, no you didn’t as you’ve previously said. So why the fuck are you surprised?
It was so obvious after 20minutes Lacazette was not in the game and yet he played the full 90minutes
Freddie had a shocking debut and I’d be gobsmacked if he stays past December as caretaker
Marc
In this market, a striker who is as prolific as Aubameyang and has much better hold up play will probably cost in excess of £100m.
I mean, Lukaku was just bought for £75 million.
I must have been watching a different game. I actually thought Ozil was pretty decent and his set piece deliveries caused Norwich plenty of problems. In fact, our second goal came from a corner kick that he took. If I were to rate our players today from worst to best it’d be: Mustafi, Xhaka, Chambers, Luiz, Guendouzi, Lacazette, Willock, Kolasinac, Ozil, Leno, Aubameyang.
No to Emre Can. Not a chance
Olumide – Cheers.
Laca is almost too much of a perfectionist with his technique. Ridiculously exaggerated take-backs. It’s like he think it’s shooting practice at Colney and no one is there to tackle him.
Honestly I would sell both Laca and Aubameyang in the summer if it raised enough funds to fix the midfield and defense properly. Their contracts are running out anyways.
We need a proper rebooting.
Hows Don Raul getting on these days?
(Is that statue still being commissioned?)
The man who gave us:
Emery
Edu
Pepe
Tierney
Cebollas
Louise
& Matt Scott
The man who didn’t want Rambo, Kos,Arteta, Jens.
Real Arsenal stalwarts. The ones that bind a club.
If he did have a statue- it would soon end up the same as Saddams..
He is the Problem.
Always has been
Cocksucking Cockroach!
Rumours, but apparently Real Madrid want to bid £70 million for Auba in January.
Was thinking about this recently and while I’d keep him at the end of the day no one at Arsenal currently is beyond selling bar a couple signed in the summer. In saying that I’d absolutely insist on Jovic in any deal for Aubameyang. I’d still insist on selling Lacazette though I really think he’s gotta go. His attitude and output isn’t worth keeping around I think
Paulinho
I guess all is forgiven since Laca doesn’t score tap ins like Aubameyang.
Who says Auba cannot defend? He always drops back to help on D.
Ozil not at all.
Xhaka still sliding and reaching
Mustafi horror show again.
At this point, I would play more youth…. they are same level or better than the veterans
I’d be looking to sell Xhaka, Lacazette, Mustafi, AMN and then Torreira potentially as well if he keeps complaining about wanting to leave and managers seem not to want to start him.
Use Martinelli to replace Lacazette and then spend the rest on our midfield with whatever money we also have.
I was surprised by the line up Charles, absolutely gob smacked by it. Then the unwillingness to change things till the 70th minute and even then it wasn’t a change that put us on the front foot. He talked a good game before the match but we were very lucky not to lose today. You can keep talking about 18 months this and that but we were 2 points off third last season and played the Europa league final while doing better against the rest of the top six. You can pretend it was a horrible 18 months yet keep… Read more »
MarcDecember 1, 2019 16:21:34 ” £60m from Aubameyang will go a long way there. ”No it won’t in fact it’ll cost us a fortune because unless you can come up with a striker who can almost guarantee 20 PL goals a season for peanuts we’d have to pay more for a replacement. Marc We don’t need a striker who guarantees 29 goals. Does Firminho guarantee that for Liverpool? Does Abraham guarantee it for the chavs? Nope What we need is a striker who can hold the ball up and being our wide forwards into play A Martinelli Lacazette Pepe combo… Read more »
Not beaten any of the bottom 3 teams and conceded 2 goals to each of them !
I think an attack base of Pepe, Saka, Martinelli and Nkettiah is a good base to build on. It’s not like are skinny in that area. if we get a good manager in, we can do something with the group if we get an addition win the summer.
I would sell both Laca and Auba. We can’t afford a repeat of the Sanchez situation and can’t reward a 31 year old Auba with a mega contract knowing fully well that some decline will come with age.
Dissenter
When I said £X million my whole point was that we’ll have to offer good money. You make it sound like we’re a club who turn over £30 a week rather than £400 odd million a year.
Sell:
Laca
Xhaka
ANM
Guendouzi(while his stock is hilariously high)
Chambers
Mustafi
Ozil
Loan:
Nelson
Willock
Saka
Give more minutes to:
Smith-Rowe
Martinelli
Upstate
“I must have been watching a different game. I actually thought Ozil was pretty decent and his set piece deliveries caused Norwich plenty of problems.”
Ozil being the designated set piece taker pads his stats up (looking at you Pierre). The problem is Ozil does nothing useful aside putting balls in the box. So we have Aubameyang and Ozil who don’t defend but at least Aubameyang gives you goals.
With the way people were ranting about Emery dropping Ozil, you’ll think he would be dropping sublime through passes now that Emery is gone.
Upstate-
I agree with your ratings… Problem is Ozil has to be held to a higher standard then ok. We are paying him like he is a top 10 in the world player.. and if he can’t be the difference maker from a draw to a win..against bottom feeders.. therein lies the criticism. At least for me. Problem is we really have no other choice right now.
Poor Pepe
what does it take for him to play again? Norwich away could have been a good thing.
Anyhow, not a good start but lets see what happens in the next few weeks.
I do think we need to sell some players in Jan. Our midfield just does not cut it.
Mustafi Xhaka Torr sell
“We don’t need a striker who guarantees 29 goals. Does Firminho guarantee that for Liverpool?”
No but Salah does.
Iwobi just tackled himself.
“You can pretend it was a horrible 18 months yet keep asking posters to explain the mess Wenger left behind.“ Who needs to pretend? The man was sacked and it’s our worst start to a league season in nearly 40 years. You’re the one pretending if you think it was anything other than a horror show. I’ll always question what’s meant when when folk trot out that “mess” Wenger left, because majority of the time it’s some over the top rubbish about the club being in a fucking hole and 10 years off challenging for the title et al. When… Read more »
The least Freddie could do was to pick the right starting 11. It’s not like he has little knowledge about the players we have.
You can keep talking about 18 months this and that but we were 2 points off third last season and played the Europa league final while doing better against the rest of the top six. You can pretend it was a horrible 18 months yet keep asking posters to explain the mess Wenger left behind.
Hairline
Yeah and it was largely Wenger’s team that played
The more emery got his tentacles into the team the more we regressed
This is our worst form for over 40 years
£200m spent and he took us to this!!
It’s indefensible
@ Marc
What players have we actually paid a lot of money for? We are in 2019 and 50M is peanuts for any club aspiring to be in the CL.
The owners even bought this club on EMI. I would not be surprised there is a clause in Pepe’s contract that we have to pay more if he plays more minutes.
This club has no money to spend to buy proper players. Thats why we are stuck with Gwen, Papa, Xhaka and co. We need a few classy players but simplu cannot afford them.
Nearly 900 comments, 90% from the know nothings slagging Freddie off.
Where were Dissenter, Marko, leftie , midwest , Paulinho, Raptora ,cesc appeal bennyd when we were drawing at home to Southampton and losing to Frankfurt.
Probably holding their heads in shame , but now they are back with their agenda based remarks .
Strange lot I have to say …
“I think an attack base of Pepe, Saka, Martinelli and Nkettiah is a good base to build on.” Oh dear – everyone will tell you that getting proven strikers is one of the hardest things to do in football. Out of your 4 we have: Pepe – struggling to settle but will hopefully come good. Nkettiah – Not good enough will end up playing in a lower division. Saka – Looks lightweight may come good but will need time / maybe a loan. Martinelli – Looks a real find but he’s only 18 and needs to be given time to… Read more »
Dissenter
“I think an attack base of Pepe, Saka, Martinelli and Nkettiah is a good base to build on. It’s not like are skinny in that area”
As you keep pointing out both Auba and Lacazette could be out of the door because of continuing no CL football and yet people still talk about either or.
I’m sorry but that group you list is skinny.
It’s needs a more established CF in it to make it acceptable.
This recruitment team don’t have the answers. Absolute nonsense from this lot. Raul Sanllehi is their captain. Get this fella out the club man.
Diss
I agree with you. But I think some experience is required in there and Aubameyang is a goner. I’d do what we can to make Lacazette our firminho or our Abraham and let Martinelli and Nketiah learn from him and eventually fight it our to be our main man up top with Pepe and Saka/Martinelli flanking.
I’ll always question what’s meant when when folk trot out that “mess” Wenger left, because majority of the time it’s some over the top rubbish about the club being in a fucking hole and 10 years off challenging for the title et al. You need help so help you out mate. By “mess” people mean two seasons out of the Champions League with a poor squad and a bloated wage bill. By “poor squad” people mean literally everywhere in the squad he left poor players and a serious imbalance bar CF. Now you can disagree with any of that all… Read more »
Phenomenal game by Grealish.
Un na naai
https://youtu.be/D_6keUrsgP0
The truth
Pierre what the fuck are you talking about? actually nevermind.. Trolling I guess.
raptora
Grealish has looked good in recent weeks.
How’s the main man John McGinn doing so far?
Marc
Pepe is a very very good player. You’ll see. He’s been fucking gutted by emery because he wanted Zaha so threw a tantrum and dropped him.
Skinned Vvd at anfield and was unlucky not to score there. Since then emery used him in a front two in a diamond and totally isolated him and Aubameyang.
Don’t write him off yet
MGooner
“We are in 2019 and 50M is peanuts for any club aspiring to be in the CL.”
No it’s not don’t talk bollocks. How many players do Liverpool have that cost more than that 2?
Outside of ManU how many clubs in the PL who are in the CL spent over £50 million on several signings?
Dream10
I said in the summer we should should have went in for grealish over Ceballos.
Ceballos is shite
United losing to villa!!!
Pierre what exactly is my agenda?
If your going to come at the King you best not miss.
I commented on both of those games too you twat. Freddie watched Emery make the same mistakes all season and still puts his faith in the players who Emery counted on but kept letting him down.
Grealish all day long.
Just look at them….
They are sublime.
Dissenter knows…
Yep… Villa playing well so far. OGS is a bit shit. Sorry Bamford.
Why have the club let the defending come to this?
Un
I’m not writing him off I’m actually pissed off he didn’t get a start today but to suggest selling Auba and Laca because we have Pepe, Saka, Martinelli and Nkettiah is insane when none of them is producing in the PL on a regular basis.
Marko
Squad was capable of a top 4 challenge yet you dismissed that wholly. We were then challengers for top 4 in spite of Emery.
That’s actually something you can’t argue with. So yea, some mess.
Marc and Ishola
The point I was trying to make, albeit clumsily is that we have a foundation to build upon. We would still need to buy 1-2 atackers who don’t have to be established stars.
As it stands, Auba and Lack don’t play well together, neither of them passes the ball that well tbh.
‘Pepe Torreira & Martinelli for ozil Xhaka & willock would win us the game’
I concur.
Un
Yep. I was not happy with that Ceballos signing. Wish they’d cancel the loan in January.
Phenomenal goal* by Grealish.
Dream,
Aston Villa as a whole look good going forward. Both Grealish and Maddison would improve us so much in the position that Ozil is supposed to boss.
McGinn is doing all the right things like in every game. Looks like more goals to come in this game.
Red
How many times. I’m not a conservative. Anyway, your labour are so far down and on their arses that gap tooth’s libdems are going to wipe the floor with them.
Labour are literally the party for minorities now. That’s their core base. I expect their voting returns to reflect that.
Pierre – I have no problem with Freddie.
Be honest, it’s another no-show from Ozil that’s raised your ire.
“I said in the summer we should should have went in for grealish over Ceballos.”
Ceballos = loan
Grealish = £80 million we don’t have.
How is Lacazette going to be “our Abraham”?
It’s already been explained that his lacks physicality and that is one of the reasons he doesn’t shine in away matches where there is more counter attacking done.
Abrahams on the other hand is physical and is very useful in a team counter attacking.
They are like chalk and cheese.
I guess Pierre was missing me… Just an FYI… Last Europa game was on a major holiday here… sorry I had to miss that scintillating match on Le Grove to be with family. Some of us have a life beyond commenting on Ozil every day.
“Does anyone have a good drug dealer?”
@Marc, ask GoH, top qualidy guaranteed.
Dream10December 1, 2019 16:47:54
UnYep. I was not happy with that Ceballos signing. Wish they’d cancel the loan in January.
100% an Emery man. Just like Suarez
Waste of time
Laughable that he let Ramsey Wilshere and Cazorla leave and those two were his big bright replacements. Joker