Morning all.
I hope this makes sense. I’ve changed it so many times even I’m confused with what I’m trying to say……. lol
AW – Adams, Keown, Bould, Dixon, Winterburn, Cole, Seaman. (Morrow and Linighan?)
UE- Koscielny, Mustafi, Bellerin, Monreal, Holding, Chambers, Kolasinac.
AW – Parlour, Merson, Platt, Hillier, Hughes, Jenson.
UE – Xhaka, Iwobi, Elneny, Wilshere, Ramsey.
AW – Hartson, Wrighty, Bergkamp
UE – Aubameyang, Ozil, Lacazette, Welbeck, Perez.
I know times have changed, the game is very different etc etc but fundamentally, it’s squad compared to squad at its time.
There’s no denying Arsene Wenger inherited an incredibly strong, organised and disciplined bunch of defenders. They didn’t need coaching because one of the best had already done that. George Graham.
Unai Emery however, inherited a pile of pants. Players all at sea, low in confidence and really not very organised at all. Six months later, little has changed.
Midfield. I think Wenger just about got the better deal again. Poor Unai Emery got Ramsey, Elneny, Wilshere and Xhaka.
Forwards. Tough one. Wrighty and Bergkamp just edge it for me because one was the best footballer Arsenal ever signed in my opinion and Wrighty was, well, just Wrighty. Saying that, Ozil, Lacazette, Aubameyang and Welbeck would be an attacking foursome a lot of managers can only dream of taking under their wing.
I’m sure I’ve missed a few but I know you’ll soon let me know who they are. Lol
I’m not trying to belittle Arsene Wenger’s early achievements, or stick another dagger in his back because there’s no point. But, all I will say is that life for a new manager must be a whole lot easier when a strong, no, one of the best defences in the game at the time are now yours to take over.
Wenger didn’t have to focus much, if at all on defending because the guys knew the routine. He was free to build his team/squad from the midfield onwards and that’s exactly what he did and well too. We were good, very good.
The FA Cup Final in 2005 was a significant day looking back because I think that’s when Arsenal under Arsene Wenger begun to change. His strong defence which was by then, different to the one he inherited, needed to be replaced and it didn’t really go well at all. 2006, with Flamini at left back and Keown at the training ground, we made it through to the Champions League Final. That was that and Keown was gone. (So reports suggest)
We still had a number of great players in the team but our defence as a unit became our weakest link and it pretty much remained that way for the rest of the time Arsene Wenger remained at the club.
Unai Emery hasn’t had the luxury of inheriting a solid and stable back five. He’s unfortunate really because at his time of taking over, not one area of our team looked settled, organised or complete. His job was and still is, probably one of the hardest a top four/six club has had in years.
Emery needs wingers, midfielders, central defenders and fullbacks. Most of all though he needs organisation, discipline and solidarity and I mean beyond the ‘lets tougher’ approach.
Our defenders, no, make that players in general, are making far too many mistakes. Lose the ball up front because of a bad pass etc, the pressure lands on the midfield. Lose the ball in the midfield, the defence is called into action. Suddenly they are exposed, as is our keeper when further errors are made and we look all at sea yet again.
It’s easy to single out defenders and a keeper because they’re the last stop so to say but our problems begin before the ball gets anywhere near our own penalty area. Our midfield is toothless. Ramsey, Iwobi, Mkhitaryan, Ozil and even Xhaka, what do they offer in terms of defending? I’d certainly love to know how they compare to their counterparts at other clubs around and above us.
Even when Arsene Wenger had the great back five, he bought in Petit and Vieira who together were incredible, then Gilberto, Edu etc etc, until Song.
It was always going to be hard to ‘replace’ our back five and then Big Sol, Cole etc, but as it proved, it was equally as difficult to replace our midfield too.
It seems to me that our midfielders focus far too much on creating and scoring goals which obviously leaves huge gaps behind them, leaving us vulnerable to the break. Unai Emery should be telling them in no uncertain terms that football is about not conceding goals too. After all, if a team doesn’t concede, it doesn’t lose.
Anyway, I suppose what I’m trying to suggest is that as much as we need to strengthen our defence as a whole, a strong and disciplined midfielder or two wouldn’t go amiss either.
Torreira is good, but he can’t do it all.
See you in the comments.
Great article Rico. Stirling job. How you come up with fresh talking points every day is amazing, so glad I found this site.
If you look at the defence in the article, AW against UE. I wouldn’t change a single player, so proof AW inherited a far superior back line, without a shadow of doubt.
Midfield. Again I wouldn’t change one single player. UE loses again.
Forwards. While I agree Bergkamp and Wright were phenomenal players, I think UE inherited a more than decent forward line.
I have said in several posts now that UE inherited a load of dross. AW run our squad down to the dregs. His philosophy was always…….If the opposition score 4 we will score 5. Thats fine when you have midfielders and forwards like we had in his early days, but when he had to replace ageing defenders his resume left a lot to be desired. He could not pick a defender out no more than I can pick a needle from a haystack. In fact he carried his ideas to the extreme imo and never worried too much about defending.
Most tv supporters watch and keep up with the play, but if you take a little bit of time and watch the replayed matches and concentrate on our defenders alone, you will see that they are always caught napping whilst we are on the attack. They just turn off all responsibility and relax far too much and don’t mark/stay close to their nearest/selected opponent. Thats how, when our attacks break down, the opposition can play quick/long balls to their forwards, already knowing where on the pitch they will be. This creates an immediate one on one and panic sets into our shambolic ( no cohonas ) defenders.
Rarely do you see our forwards receive such luxuries. Thats why sometimes/most times we have to play patient football to try and open up their packed defences.
When we had Adams/Keown/Bould/Campbell they marshalled our defenders and shouted encouragement and demanded concentration and awareness at ALL times. We don’t have that kind of defender at our club.
It baffles me why Steve Bould has not instilled similar types of defending into our current squads.
Things need to change with our approach towards defending, and quickly.
I’m preparred to give UE time to sort such a shambles out, and I’m quietly confident he will succeed in doing so. We must all be patient and give him a free rein.
It will take him time, as we all know he will not get any significant funds to make an overnight fix. But starting with a strong, tall, no nonsense CB will be a good start imo.
Thanks again for a super article.
COYG
Afternoon Gooners
Afternoon Rico, good post, you put a lot of work into that one.
I guess that there’s pros and cons between both squads, although if I was picking a starting XI from all those players above my attack would be easy, based around character, desire and ability it would be Bergkamp and Wright.
Interestingly Adams, Bould, Dixon, Keown and Winterburn we’re into the Autumn of their careers but still enjoyed a few more years of success.
Not sure about the age differential between them and Monreal, Koscielny & Sokratis, the issue between comparing them is that the game is faster now than it was in 1997, players are fitter and faster now, also the defence Graham bequeathed was defensively intelligent, Wenger left them to do their job to such a degree that Adams coached Ashley Cole during games and maybe not so much himself?
Afternoon Vcc, Kev, all.
Thank you re the post etc.
I agree re our current forward line Vcc, but they haven’t got the supply that Bergkamp gave Wrighty and others around him.
Ozil should be that player, however…
Worth a read:
https://shewore.com/2019/01/03/arsenal-lose-200m-due-to-poor-player-sales/
Kev, totally agree the game is faster now but then so are most defenders. Barring ours.. lol
Just the heading is frightening on that link. Yet this was under a regime who pleaded poverty when it came to transfer signings.
I wonder if the possible signing of Navas means that Petr Cech could be leaving this January?
Maybe Rico, Sokratis is quite quick and Mustafi isn’t a slouch either, back in 1997 players were still eating steaks and drinking beer so a defender probably had a bit more time in games, nowadays it’s relentless and unforgiving.
Very true Kev. Those were the days to be a footballer eh… lol
I’m not sure Navas is what we need. Another Ospina isn’t he?
Not sure about how good or not Navas actually is tbh Rico?
Adam is our La Liga expert, maybe he has a view?
You don’t play for Real Madrid if you’re at the Ospina level I’d imagine Rico, I’m not sure if Leno was an Emery pick or not, maybe he just fancies Navas as competition for our German stopper?
I meant undertall and a no 2 Kev…
Afternoon all and thanks Rico.
Not having a go, but although Wenger inherited a great defence, he made a great one with the Invincibles team, will Dick make one………….and other areas…………..I`m not sure as in your post,Rico, it comes across that we need quite a few players and if it is to be believed, we dont have a lot of money to buy the required quality unless Sven has some cheap gems lined up…………………a bit like Wenger unearthing all the cheap gems when he first arrived !
Nowadays the cheap gems are harder to get because most clubs copied Wenger and upped the scouting so it now is even more imo down to finances and we know we will never match CFG and ManU in our league, we are on the same financial level as the other ones under the two previous mentioned and as indicated in Kev`s link (which most have been talking about for yonks) some like Liverpool have sold better than us enabing to buy better than us !………………………………………Spuds did it aswell with the sales of Modric and Bale !……………………………………Bergkamp was basically slapping Wenger in the face to buy Eriksen by constantly praising him………………………………………Same as Keown(and me) were praising Maguire !…………………………….Lets hope Dick listens to scouts !…………………because we will never compete any other way whilst we have an owner who doesn`t dip into his own pocket !
Lc, I did kind of lean towards post 2005 so the defence he put together himself was covered. It was after then it all went south..
The defence either had no midfield or there was neither..
Just read that article Kev, it’s good and so true. Our player sales have been really badly handled as have the contracts.
Afternoon Rico and all. Interesting post. If you’re a manager and a coach then just do those things and if you’re any good, the changes you make should be evident on the pitch.
Navas is a very good keeper but perhaps not of high enough profile for Real Madrid.
Fair point, Rico. 🙂
Afternoon Adam. My concern is his height. We always get undone by sides with big lumps Up front. It’s not like we have much ariel presence as it is.
Still Emery has said the story is rubbish.
Rico. Oh well. That’s that then. 😃
Is that right Rico, no Navas.,.
Emery Out… 😄
😂Adam, Kev.
The one constant with Wenger’s last team and Emory’s now team is Steve Bould as defensive coach. This imho could be signicant in explaining our similar defensive problems. Just a thought.
Morning all.
The back 4 back then didn’t have to endure diving, much, much quicker speed of game and as they had such a great midfield and forward line in front of them, they ya does work to do.
It’s a team game, and defending starts up front.
I also don’t get the turn from fans on why our defence is still no good.
It was always because Wenger could not coach defence-which I agree with-but now it’s all because our defenders are no good.
If we have guys who’ve played plenty of games for France and Germany, how are they no good and if they are in fact good, why is it our defence is no better now that last season, seeing as though the problem is gone???
I guess I could’ve said all of that using one question.
Would George Graham have this current back 4 performing better if he took over the gig in the summer?
Liverpool Invincibles, my arse!
Happy days, people 🙂
Nail biting that .
George I think would have the whole team more organised . But I always rated him a better tactician than Wenger, the one thing that was constant is that towards their ends they both went past their time.
Emery is just starting.
Potter,
I’m sure he would’ve had them performing better, and I doubt Wenger ever really was a good tactician, let alone a great one.
What he brought to the game changed English football forever, and for the better, but it wasn’t tactics.
I reckon Emery will sort them out in time, but he still must strive to get the best out of what he has, and atm, these guys are it.
Bould is either doing no coaching at all, or is failing.
Either way, he shouldn’t be there.
Scott,
If he’ s doing the same thing and expecting different results then that’s a form of insanity. I wish Winterburn was our defensive coach. He makes a lot of sense when I’ve heard him commenting on Arsenal.com.
Reg, anyone else would be worth a try as it stands.
Someone mentioned Per the other day-he’s a natural as a coach.
Arsene Wenger was not a rip roaring success in his first season as Arsenal manager, 1996-97.
He took over in October 96, during that campaign Arsenal lost home and away to both Liverpool and Man Utd, we also lost at Wimbledon and Newcastle and a few others, we lost 4-2 at Anfield in the League Cup and went out of the FACup to Nottm Forest if I recall correctly.
We finished 3rd and went into the UEFACup for 1997-98.
During the summer of 1997 Arsene brought in Petit and Overmars and we won the Double at the end of his 2nd season in charge, so before anybody wants to string up Emery it might be worth remembering that…
Just saying.
I was talking about Bould not Emory.
Reg, so was I mate.
Kev, I’m definitely not stringing him up, just asking why our defence isn’t any better at all.
We’ve improved in several departments and that’s without question.
Seems the lads are mentally tougher, up for the physical contest and we are definitely tactically better than previously.
scottfromoz, we have most definitely toughened up in midfield and up front. But, we still have a soft underbelly in defence, (putting it mildly).
Lichesteiner tries to give it some, but his age is letting him down. I started to detect Holding was growing a pair before he was acrimoniously taken out by the dirty Manc.
Sokratis is a hard nut as well, VCC, and Mavropanos could be a surprise packet, but time will tell.
Holding has always just needed experience to give him confidence.
He’s shown plenty from day 1, I reckon.
And we already had Paddy I think Kev.
That’s what my post was about really. As much as we look all at sea right now, Emery has a lot more to do with the squad than Wenger did.
I don’t actually think our defence is soft, there’s more fight in them than we’ve had for years. I just think they aren’t organised yet.
Cazorla scored twice yesterday versus R. Madrid
Good morning
Isaac Hayden wants out of Newcastle…. #just sayin, no g….
Santi-how we missed him.
What a player.
Morning everyone.
Morning Rico and all.
Good result last night?
Best result of the season, for mine, Adam 🙂 🙂
Ok, our 4-2 was better lol
Morning Adam, outside our victories, one of the best…. 😜
New post up now.
It’s amusing listening to Klopp bitching about red cards that should have been given when you look at what a conman Salah is and how he cheats opponents. He was at it last night in the box a few times. So was Aguero though.
What about Lovren too, he deserved a red.