It is GAME DAY and the big man Freddie Ljungberg is having a suit tailored for his first home game. Maybe not tailored. Probably pulled off the rack. Hope it’s a nice one.
Big story here: The elite journalists with good questions won out, I cannot thank them enough for their important intervention, and vital contribution to the world of football. One day, maybe, I’ll be as good at questions as them.
Before we land on the game tonight, it appears that by group consensus, the Arsenal family do NOT want to see Marcelino in the dugout. A real get in the bin appointment. Journeyman manager with about as much sauce as Unai Emery. No thanks. We’re not doing Heinz this time, we’re going elevated. Scoville levels off the chart.
There’s a lot of movement in Europe at the minute, a lot of managers that could be bucketed under the category of WINNER are close to the chop.
The one name that’s going to have a lot of fans desperately vommitting their opinion on people is none other than the man in black… Diego Simeone. There are very strong rumours the Argentine is about to get the chop at Atleti, a club where he’s done incredible things on a relatively modest budget over the past however many years.
I love Diego. If you could bottle his special sauce and sell it on the black market, no one would be talking about fentanyl. The guy is literally on a different planet when it comes to energy, touchline passion, and general all-round madness. He’s scary. Football’s real gangster. Pristine swept-back hair, elite enough to wear a black suit and a black shirt. Still as trim as one of his players.
The big challenge with him is two-fold. You are firstly hiring someone that speaks next to no English. Not that he couldn’t learn, but coming into a mess like Arsenal at this stage of our development, with a manager that can’t communicate the awful things he’d have to say about the players probably isn’t smart. My general rule of thumb is if you are going to be a bitch, do it in the native tongue.
Beyond that, you’d have to be able to get by on the cynical football. Not an impossibility by any stretch. Fans, first and foremost, like winning. Secondly, they like to see players die for the shirt. That’s what Diego brings you.
I know there’s a lot of Arsenal fans that just want a coach to come in and make us defensive beasts. Cut out all the fannying around. Get back to basics. Make the club George Graham when he was at its best. A great team, built from solid foundations. Emery tried, and failed. They feel that we need a real shock to the system. Someone who can come in and take a Stalin like approach to purging mediocrity from the club.
It’s a tempting thought, it really is. Diego is fucking unreal, even if I hate the football.
The other challenge for Arsenal is the expense. France Football had him pocketing €41m last year. He’s the highest-paid manager in the world. €788,461 a week. A quite incredible pay packet, but worth it for what he does over there. I think he’s likely out of our league. Not to mention he’s been very keen to move to Italy.
Carlo is also being touted. I have to say, I couldn’t be any less excited about the thought. He made a Sarri team worse, was outsmarted by Emery in the Europa League last year and generally would feel like a very flaccid attempt at progression.
Frontrunners from the shortlist I’m guessing at so far have to be Mikael Arteta and Brendan Rodgers. Most of the other names either seem out of our league, unsuited to the job at hand, or just far too expensive for what we can afford.
Onto the game tonight.
I was PLEASED to see Arsenal.com sharing videos of Freddie implementing some rapid fire one-touch football in training. No messing around. Combinations are coming back. Freddie is trying to impose his vision of football on a team that’s been in the football equivalent of a forced labour camp for 18 months.
Tonight is interesting because the action in the second half against Norwich was shite. He’s seen what the senior players can do, does he double down and go with the same players again, or does he start to introduce more of his thinking with players more to his liking?
For me, I struggle to see how a man with Freddie’s tasted for high-intensity pressing can opt with a frontline of players that don’t like to press. I said it on the podcast, could Martinelli be Freddie’s Nik Anelka? No one presses like him at Arsenal. If you had Auba flanked by him and Saka, you’d be a different beast.
Hector Bellerin will no doubt be back in contention. Huge questions mark over Tierney if he’s left out again. I’m assuming he was a precaution at the weekend because for me, he’s the future of that position. He’s a more capable defender than Kola and he looks where his deliveries are going from wide positions. It’ll be telling if he doesn’t start.
Let’s see what he does with midfield. The biggest problem we’ve had for a while is that we have to play Xhaka. I’d love to see LT given a chance in his real position, my concern with him is that he’s finished with Arsenal, and it shows in his performances. Either way, if Freddie doesn’t find a solve here, his tenure is going nowhere.
Brighton are a good side with a very interesting manager. Potter was a huge risk for them after Hughton, but you can see where their game is going, and it certainly looks like he’s making progress.
Right, that is me done, give Freddie the reception he deserves tonight, should be a fun atmosphere for once!
So much with playing the youngsters.
Same yeah so have I but it’s not always great quality. We have prime anyway (Mrs is never off amazon) so I’ll use this up. £80 and access to every league game? Yes please
Well in Torreira on the edge
Nudge in the back of Laca, shirt lifted. What does the ref do? Fuck all. How familiar.
Great hassling from willock
Have to say I like that Freddie is going with Lacazette as our focal point. That’s exactly what we should be doing
The ball wont stick with auba as no9
Bellerin the weakest link right now
Good pass from Ozil!
Lovely football there
I think Freddy wants Aubameyang making those Freddy runs from the right into the box
Torriera is not sitting and we can’t blame Emery for that so maybe Torriera doesn’t want to sit.
the forwards can’t play against offside trap at all
This is so much more positive already.
Just shows you how much emery was holding back our attacking play
Don
Not bad son!
That’s why Torreira HAS TO play dmf
3 times already he’s nicked the ball in there
ooof almost a lofted through pass from Xhaka
meh tired now after that intense 15 minutes same like against Norwich
Well in xakha
How is this any better?
We are playing like a leaking sieve
I like that the Ozil floating around benefits us now shame again offside
Un,
Do you know it’s just for the games for this mid week and Boxing Day?
Silva is available now! He will be cheap!
Awful formation by Freddie.
Willock isn’t ready.
Football is dire
It’s more of the same.
Same shit, different manager.
yeap the tempo is too high for some and with not enough cohesion the passes are not sticky enough
Of course it’s the same shit Xhaka and luiz and kola are playing oh and ozil
Seems Un na nai is the only one watching free flowing attacking play
Fuck me, bad emeryball, bad wengerball. Freds please unleash some beasts, this is poor custard
WTF is Bellerin doing????
haha Bellerin can’t hide now even Papa Sok giving him some
Red is having a laugh
Twice it’s happened to us already
Wanker
lovely
Gifting them chances.
of course an American Express club like their walls
one is not enough apparently
Bellerin is such a poor defender. Fucking ridiculous. Lacazette shouldn’t be playing as he’s short on confidence.
15 mins to set up a freekick… nothing like a game momentum killer.
Ozil on the wing while Pepe and Martinelli warm the bench.
Brighton with the better chances so far…we cannot control a game with our players.
Auba as RW is such a waste. He didn’t even back track enough. Even Reiss would do a better job.
this is ridiculous
They’ll all over us
Hmm… This is not good at all so far.
Ref is a cock. Two blatant fouls in their box and he gives Brighton the first time they go down
JESUS CHRIST
Bellerin is shite. Come back Lee dixon, a proper fucking defender
Bellerin is shot to pieces? He looks done since injury.. he’s just as bad as rest of back four tonight!!
We are so bad it’s almost too painful to watch.. just what do Ozil & Willock do???
Ozil just slows the game down every time
Bring on Tierney Pepe & Martinelli please asap
🏋️♂️🏋️♀️??
Isn’t Torreira meant to stop the runs through our lines. If this continues the crowd will turn sooner rather than later.
We’re a bit boring really. 23 mins in and it’s still a big ask for creativity and giving up chances to the opposition
Ozil needs to go at half time
We look so inept of ideas.
Emery took the technical flow out of the side and Freddie isn’t doing anything to change it.
We’re going to rush to hire a coach during the Christmas period
Ozil and auba as our wing options is a brilliant idea, freddie doesnt get leaway to make stupid decisions because of his playing exploits
lol why not go for outside curler there?
Freddie’s failing his audition so far.
Torreira’s playing well.
Is Willock even on the pitch?
Bellerin wasn’t good before his injury.
Better going forward
Sharper
More movement
As bad in defence
Bell off
AMN on or Chambers on
Lacazette having a go at everyone. Man thinks he is Thierry Henry
All Bellerin had was his pace, nothing else.
He’s a poor defender and has always been very inconsistent going forward.
Nothing new, he’s probably preparing for his Oxford union talk coming soon.
Worst player so far for me is Kola. Unless Tierney has a broken leg.. I would play him.
Xhaka actually doing decently dont kill me…
“Ozil needs to go at half time”
UN
You would be hearing from Pierre soon.
3rd stone wall penalty not given
Bull shit
Bellerin shit.
Ozil is a total passenger.
Willock looks lost.
What is Bellerin doing? Trying to dribble past players in his own third.
maybe support range need to be nearer?
seems too far apart from eaxh other
Up to now, Kpla is the most effective defender.
Really appreciate how poor Bellerin is after watching Wan-Bissaka yesterday.
Bellerin was only half decent when he had per to tell him what to do and where to go.
He is like Walcott. No football brain.
the field in Highbury is narrow so I guess it’s easier to play the way Ljungberg wants to
with this wide field of Emirates more spaces to cover
We are so shite to watch it’s embarrassing.
Bellerin only ever had pace and now that’s gone. Rather have Chambers playing.
Still waiting to see what bringing Ozil back into the team has solved. All those calls for him and we still struggle to create struggle to contain the opposition’s midfield.
Freddie telling Auba to track back lol.
Sack him at the half
Let’s face it. Most of our players are average.
What’s the date going to tell you this week Freddie?
The crowd is starting to turn.
Still trying to play out from the back – the definition of insanity – doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result! So far Brighton looking the more threatening!
Nelson- The goal they should have scored was Kola’s man.. although to be fair trying to pick the best defender is like trying to decide who is the least ugly identical twin. They are all ugly.
Come on arsenal for fucks sakes
sleep walking again after we foul them
We look so shit. It’s an absolute joke.
So ordinary.
fucking hell we can plead player poverty to play this kind of style
haha everyone mad at each other
Data note date.
The only player enjoying playing for us is Leno, for all the wrong reasons……..
Most championship teams would give us a game.
Not sure this is any better than Emeryball…
Freddie is 2019 Stewart Houston. We should remember that.
No Xhaka, no party.
Seems that Arsène finally gave his advices to Freddie. Lol
Leno saving us so far!
Better going forward
Sharper
More movement
Stats from sky suggest otherwise.
Leeds will have fun with us.
fucking hell it’s coming alright
1 nil to them of course.
I guess we’re pants? Not watching. Don’t want too. Just enjoying reading you lot implode.
0-1
Of course Freddie is worse than Emery
After all, he was Emery’s assistant and should have been fired along with him.
That’s what a proper club would have done.
Not surprising…
We can’t have Freddie until end of season we will get relegated.