Daily Bits and Bobs

Unai Emery critical, yet honest. Refreshing too.

Posted on by rico

Morning all.

One of the things I like about Unai Emery is his honesty. He’s not afraid to discuss his players performances in public regardless of whether what he has to say is positive or negative. He doesn’t go over the top either way. With Mesut Ozil, all he’s really said is that the player needs to work a bit harder on match day. Especially out of possession. Nothing new really and no different to what we the fans have said about him. Vastly talented but lacks the ability to roll up his sleeves and he’s not going to change now in my opinion.

Alex Iwobi is one of a few marmite players in this Arsenal team. Much improved on the player he was last season that’s for sure but there’s still something frustrating about his game. For me anyway and clearly Emery thinks similarly.

I am very happy and I think he is working a lot to improve and he has energy, he has quality, he has things to improve. But he can do that. “For us, we have to be demanding with him and he himself be demanding to improve the things that he can get better at in his qualities.

“When he’s getting into the attacking third, into the box, [he needs] to be calm to decide the last action with assists and scoring more. “But he is giving us a lot of attacking moments and opening space for other players when they are arriving to the ball.”

Iwobi is great at getting the ball and driving forward. I love his energy and enthusiasm but as the Spaniard says, his final ball let’s him down. Mind you, he’s not alone in that department. Emery is talking about it publicly so in private, I’m sure its the same. Iwobi is still young, relatively raw in terms of experience but he doesn’t strike me as a player who’ll rest on his laurels and accept mediocrity.

Once he’s more productive in and around the box, we could have a really good player on our hands. He and a Kolasinac are our main attacking threat on the left. Something similar, better on the right and we’ll create far more goal scoring opportunities. Denis Suarez and Hector Bellerin are a mouthwatering prospect perhaps, although we’ll have to wait until next season to see if that’s the case. Personally, I think we’ll have to wait until next season to get the answers to a number of questions many of us raise on here on a daily basis. Certainly the biggest one which is whether or not Unai Emery is the best option for Arsenal. I’m kind of on the fence, leaning towards yes. Purely because this season he’s had to deal with a vast amount of injuries to key players and of course, the lack of transfer opportunities.

Our match against Southampton was really good in parts. The first half was certainly better than the second which is a total reverse to what was happening earlier in the season. Sound obvious I know but to improve we have to find a constant level of performance for ninety minutes and not just for one half. I get it if we come out of the blocks fast and blow the opposition away and then drop off a bit to preserve energy etc, but that’s not what we’re doing in my opinion. We go from good to bad with no in between. Complacency, lack of focus, call it what you wish but there’s definitely something wrong with the mindset of a few of our players. Aubameyang was certainly one against Southampton and that’s after coming from the bench so he was hardly tired. He’s got to be more ruthless in front of goal, as has Lacazette but at least with him the commitment is there or it certainly appears that way.

When Unai Emery spoke about Iwobi and his decision making in the final third, the same can be said about Ozil, Mkhitaryan, Ramsey and others who find themselves in reach of the opposition goal. Take the chance and see what happens. A deflection, an own goal, the balls comes off the woodwork to someone else, the keeper might fluff it or just as easily, the ball might find the back of the net. Trying to walk the ball into the back of the net might look good when we score but invariably there’s an interception or a misplaced pass which ends our move and hands the advantage to our opponents.

Bournemouth are a good side despite their recent results. Give them a chance in tonight’s game and they could hurt us. Both sides need the points, we’ve got to show we need them more.

See you in the comments guys…

rico

104 thoughts on “Unai Emery critical, yet honest. Refreshing too.”

  1. allezkev says:

    Morning Gooners

    Morning Rico, great post…

    I’m not a big fan of Kolasinac but I thought he played well against Southampton, I’m not sure if he’s the long term answer to replacing Monreal or not but let’s see what transfer business we do in the summer?

    I’d start Suarez this evening against Bournemouth and have Iwobi on the bench, but we don’t want to take tonight’s game for granted and drop points because we’re too focused on the Spuds, one game at a time as the man said…

    Aubameyang and Ozil to start I guess against a team that’s not as dirty as it used to be since Harry Arter moved on. Brooks is dangerous, in a Ramsey/Lampard kind of way.

  2. rico says:

    Morning Kev, thanks. It was inspired by your good self. Lol

    Not sure Iwobi is fit and dosnt sound like Emery thinks Suarez is ready to start.

  5. Wavy says:

    Morning all.

    Nacho with old legs! His loss of pace is obviously a hindrance but just think of all those years of experience. I think he’s still capable of out thinking the most speediest of the opposing strikers. At least I hope so as he is still one of our best defenders. But…when your legs go, your legs go! I remember it well😊

    Another Costa Brava day here again. Winter woolies out again tomorrow? Hope not.

  6. allezkev says:

    Rico, I’m always reluctant to write off players of a certain age in the hope that we can squeeze a bit more from them and as Scott wrote Koscielny has returned and done really well just when we were in serious need of him.

    We don’t know if Nacho is carrying some kind of an injury or not, clubs tend to keep these things quiet, but if not then he’s suddenly fallen off of a cliff in terms of his fitness and age, he suddenly looks to have very old legs. He’s been such a great player for Arsenal, so reliable, but his form has just faded away, maybe he sees himself spending a less stressful period back in La Liga like Cazorla?

  7. scottfromoz says:

    Morning all.
    I wouldn’t write Nacho off yet.
    Older players often take more game time to fine form, and thinking back, Monreal never was a player who’d hit the ground running, always getting better the more minutes he played so I reckon there’s life in him yet.

  9. rico says:

    So do I Wavy, both of mine have gone. Not literally of course but getting out of bed in the morning is a bit of a struggle…

    Kev, I’ve not given up on him, not yet. Just concerned really because if this is the beginning of the end in the PL, we need to look elsewhere. At least Emery doesn’t seem to overplay his older guys. Santa could and should have played longer for us but was managed poorly I think.

  10. Cicero says:

    G’day to you all, another good ‘un Rico thank you.

    Talking of fullbacks we’ve recently been linked with Aaron Wan-Bissaka the young (21) England right back at Crystal Palace, the downside is the transfer fee, a reported £40 million. Could we spend that on a back-up to Hector Bellerin? Doing so would spell the end for Jenkinson and probably Lichtsteiner too.

    Perhaps recalling Chambers and flogging Mustafi would ease the money situation.

    The problem area in our defe4nce is the left side. Despite Shearers lavish praise for Kolascinac, although good going forward I’m not convinced that he is the defender we require. Monreal as back-up would probably do for another season, but I’d like to see a good young right back brought in, one who can actually defend. How much we can rely on Koscielny is open to question, injuries, age and a likely decline in pace all militate against him, it’s one of the reasons I believe we should recall Chambers.

    As to tonight’s game, Iwobi could be injured, so perhaps we’ll see a bit more of Suarez.

  11. Le Coq Monster says:

    Afternoon all and thanks Rico for Kevs inspiration whatever it was ! 😆

    Possibly an EPL record win for us tonight if the players listen to Dick.

    Although very patchy with form and not knowing which Arsenal will turn up we are 8 points better off than this point last season and with my predicted record EPL score we will be 11 points better off than this time last season once game is finished !………………………..could be at least 6 hattricks tonight so place some bets !
    🙂

    Normal Ice Cream weather here…………………….then again as an Ice Cream addict I could quite easily live in a freezer !………………………………………Moomaids of Zennor do an unbelievably delicious salted caramel ice cream………….Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

  12. Le Coq Monster says:

    Interested (rumour) in Celtic`s FB as well, can`t remember his name so lets just call him Jock McSporranface for now !

  14. rico says:

    Thanks Cicero.

    I can see us selling Chambers before Mustafi because Chambers is likely to make us a profit being English. Can’t see any other club paying £35m for Mustafi unless a defence minded manager/coach believes he could turn him into a much better player.

  25. Cicero says:

    England set the Windies a remarkable total 419 in 50 overs. Amazing!

    Didn’t Wenger try to sign Pele when he was a baby? 😉

  29. allezkev says:

    Arsenal: Leno, Jenkinson, Sokratis, Koscielny, Monreal, Kolasinac, Guendouzi, Torreira, Mkhitaryan, Ozil, Aubameyang

    Subs: Cech, Mustafi, Elneny, Iwobi, Suarez, Ramsey, Lacazette

  31. Le Coq Monster says:

    Probably A relative of Jock McSporranface, Hobart.

    Our Dick is rotating with a view to the NLD me thinks !

    That defence looks like 3 at the to me.

  33. Cicero says:

    Gayle and Bravo having real go. 108 off 58 balls and 60 off 55.

    Not sure whether to watch this or the Chelsea / Spurs game.

  39. allezkev says:

    You want to see Arsenal being ruthless for a change, we let opponents off the hook too often when we have them with their backs to the wall, when we should be smashing them –
    as Man City do…

  40. allezkev says:

    Bournemouth coming back into it, Leno has had to make a smart save.

    Chelsea hit the post, sounds a good game. A bit physical, lovely, get stuck in lads… 😄
    Liverpool 1-0 😴

  51. allezkev says:

    I’m listening to the Chelsea vs Spurs game on BBC London and looking at the BBC website.
    I’ve seen our goals on Arsenalist, Aubameyang did a brilliant decoy run in the build up to the Mkhitarayan goal…

  52. potter says:

    It’s playing out from the back . Guendouzi has a case on foul but the ball should have been played to him in the first place

  54. scottfromoz says:

    Potter, don’t start me in that “playing out from the back” tripe!!
    Because it’s popular, doesn’t mean it’s good!!!
    I hate it.

  62. Cicero says:

    Gayle out for 162 off 164 balls incredible batting. 295 for 5. Windies need 119 from 89 balls. Could be tight.

  96. Adam says:

    Kev. There were some real X – rated tackles out there by Bournemouth tonight. Eddie Howe has been going down this route for sometime.
    I can’t stand him. 😊

  98. Paddywhack says:

    How can you guys talk about cricket when the Spuddies are imploding lol Im Irish(oh you have guessed) so dont know a lot about cricket. Now need to beat the Spuddies (by a cricket score of course) lol

  99. Le Coq Monster says:

    In my world the epitome of a perfect day is when we win and Spuds lose, only better when we beat them…………………………I`m a happy man today, but on the weekend I could be much more happier !
    🙂

  101. Joaquim Moreira says:

    How is it possible to pass the ball with Ghendouzy with his back to the game, at the entrance of the penalty area and surrounded by opponents? Pathetic!
    The Bournemouth player who intentionally steps on the knee Kos, is not sent off? Pathetic!

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