Morning all.
Another match day has arrived and the big question on everyone’s lips is, will Freddie wear a suit…
I jest. What he said yesterday though was that his focus will be on how we play rather than how Brighton do. For sure, he’ll take into account the oppositions game but he wants his game plan to be the focus. Take our game to them rather than reacting to them. Good. We’re at home, let’s get out of the blocks and play our football.
Is the defence as bad as everyone says?
No, I think my players try to defend. Of course you can have different types of players in the squad. That’s just a fact, that you have different types of players. We’ve had a gameplan we’ve tried to execute and I want to defend. Of course we need to try to find solutions. If players are not super quick and we say, ‘You’ve got to sprint for this or that’, that’s going to be difficult for that player. In general terms, we try to put out a structure so that everybody knows what to do. The main thing I saw in the game is that we let them get into situations where it was just a sprint. It was not about football or technical stuff, they just went in a competitive sprint with our player. We want to stop that.
In other words Granit, be more Gilberto and less Vieira. Or Guendouzi who I don’t think is particularly slow but he’s not lightening quick either so when comes to facing teams with pace going forward, we leave ourselves open for a counterattack because everyone has decided they want to attack. We’ve seen it time and time again and not just under Unai Emery either. At least it seems like Freddie will try and do something about it.
But isn’t that what team sport is about? Not many managers if any, have the perfect squad, so their job is about making the best of who they have. Utilising their strong points and not expecting them to do something they physically or technically can’t. And boy do Freddie and Per have a job on their hands trying to get the best of some of those in this Arsenal squad.
Dani Ceballos remains out through injury and Hector Bellerin is a doubt too so I think we can assume he won’t start either.
The Norwich game came too soon to expect much improvement in my opinion, this game is too really but who knows. Hard work, effort and understanding a plan can click into place quickly if the teacher is good and the pupils listen.
As said before this week, the match is covered by Prime Video and having tried to watch Utd beat the neighbours, the coverage isn’t as good as Sky Sports or BT Sport but it’s ok. Here’s the link and don’t forget to cancel the free trial otherwise you’ll end up with a £7.99 bill next month. You never though, if Freddie does well and we start climbing the table, you might think it’s worth it.
Enjoy the game guys..
Watch Arsenal V Brighton Live with Free 30 day Amazon trial
Thanks Rico,
Team selection will be fascinating. Hopefully Torreira will play, as defensive midfielder too. Not sure about fitness of Bellerin, if he’s available he should play. If he’s not available I’d prefer Mustafi at Right Back, Chambers at Centre Back. No way should we ever see Mustafi there, that was a bizarre selection.
It’s funny how the media, and every pundit seems to have taken against Freddie. He must have had the shortest honeymoon ever. He seems like the sort who couldn’t care less, a win tonight takes us sixth, their style should suit us, COYG!
G’day Rico.
Tacking is the only way to advance when sailing into the wind, and boy is Freddie facing a media storm if we don’t get three points tonight.
If that is the case the question becomes should he continue sailing into the wind or turn about and run for shelter.
If Bellerin isn’t fit then we can’t play a right wingback as neither Chambers, or God forgive, Mustafi have the necessary pace required in which case Pepe must start on the right, if only to occupy Brighton’s left sided wing back.
Hi Limey, Cicero.
I think Freddie will make a few changes tonight, just so he can see who fits best into his plan.
Sokratis to return I reckon, Pepe and Torreira too. This is the one I’ve been looking forward to really since Emery went as we’re at home.
No point is booting Freddie off the job unless the board have someone close to being appointed.
Morning Rico and all.
Perhaps it’s just me but I don’t think I’ve ever known the club to be caught in limbo land as it seems right now. Obviously, the managerial situation plays right into this but, as the days pass, the importance of the next managerial appointment seems to grow.
By the end of the season even the Kroenke’s might come to the conclusion that they don’t have the finances or the nerve to take the club back to the levels we would all like. And even if enlightenment doesn’t dawn on them, it might well do on us.
It’s all looking very, very tricky right now.
The one thing that stood out in Freddie’s chat, for me, was his acknowledgment of the lack of pace in our defence, Holding must be given a run, sticking with Sokratis, Luis and Mustafi is a recipe for disaster.
Afternoon Adam.
I too think it’s a sensitive and perhaps crucial time. Get it right and fine, wrong and we’re heading to really difficult times because recovery will not only take time but investment too. FFP doesn’t allow the latter until CL is back.
Me too Cicero, and the hint that watching video after video of the opponent has gone out of the window. The pace bit I included in the post because it shows Freddie’s honesty and perhaps that he has a plan to accommodate their lack of pace..
I have a gander 🙄, at the dailymail.co.uk sports website from time to time (for their comments on Arsenal) and those three names keep popping up Cicero, whilst sharing the same disdain for their abilities. =🦕?
Apart from his Messi-like free kicks, Pepe needs a decent run in the side. I looked at some of his videos whilst he was playing in France and he was always running at the opposition, and, also into spaces behind them. He scored lots of goals because he had a midfield who played to his strengths. That isn’t happening right now, unfortunately.
I think we’re all on the same page regarding players NOT being played in the favourite position and, to their strengths.
Afternoon everyone and another amusing post Rico.
Afternoon Andorra. I read that Freddie and Emery had a disagreement over tactics and player positions etc. Might be now we’ll see more round pegs in round holes rather than square ones.
Afternoon All…
I’ve been quite close to going, but so far I’ve not gone to any home game this season.
Or away for that matter.
Emery and the situation at the club has drained all of my enthusiasm.
My son has said I can have his ticket for the FACup tie vs Leeds (good lad that he is) as he’s working, so I fully expect to make my debut in footballs oldest competition. I quite fancy the FACup this year and Leeds bring back memories of titanic cup ties of yore, so I’m quite looking forward to the game,
The last time, if my memory isn’t playing tricks, that I’d not seen an Arsenal game pre Christmas, has to be back in the late 1960’s, such has been my apathy to the club that’s been such a big part of my life this season.
I know it’s a generational thing, maybe it’s an Emirates thing, but the club is gradually wringing the last dregs of my enjoyment out of me. I know that’s not their intention and maybe Josh is really more ambitious than I give him credit for, but the underlying feeling I have is that they don’t really care, or not care enough, and if they don’t care then why the feck should I…..?
Tonight is a massive game, play well and win well and we could finally drag ourselves out of the depression we’ve fallen into.
The alternative doesn’t bear thinking about.
I am still hopeful that Freddie may instill some confidence into our players ( especially Pepe) I like the look of the training session they showed the other day, & it was good to hear the instructions from Freddie in ENGLISH I think this can only help the team. I am excited about going tonight , & loving all that I am hearing that Freddie has said. If he could only be good enough for us to get one of the really up and coming coaches, Like Nagelsmann & Marco Rose in the summer, that would be great. and who knows? Freddie may turn out to be an incredibly talented coach so we can keep him & still be competitive
Thanks for the post Rico, Afternoon Everyone..
Freddie is saying all the right things at least ! I don’t personally think he has a great set of players to work with.
Maybe some skillful individual players, but very few team players who are up for a battle, and that is what we need right now.
I just hope he can get the best out of what we have, and try to get some backbone in the side.
Kev , I feel the same as you, re the enjoyment being drained out of me.My son is keeping my interest, but even he is getting fed up spending a fortune getting to, getting in and getting ripped off when he is in at the Emirates.
Lets hope a couple of good performances can give us all a boost and at least give us some hope.
I’d go now Kev, now Emery has gone.. A little hope has returned for me.
Mike, there’s a chance the ‘prepared to do battle’ will return now. Someone new, different training, no language barriers etc… often a change of coach brings a change of attitude..
Hi Mike, yeah, same here, my son despite all the crap, still gets a buzz for the games and it’s keeps my interest up as far as going to games.
If he wasn’t going anymore then nor would I…
Ditto Sohara
Hi Rico, yeah I am a lot more interested since Freddie took the reins, whilst I’m staying realistic.
I cannot see any point in the media digging Freddie out other than to stir the pot, frankly what they write is irrelevant to me, it’s an industry that gives a voice to morons like Danny Mills, Paul Scholes and assorted nobodies on Talk Shite.
I’m not expecting miracles, if we win tonight I’ll be delighted for Freddie and optimistic about West Ham (a) where we won’t be given any chance of getting a result.
Freddie has an unbelievable run of difficult games up till Jan 4th. We need to keep things in perspective because we have a squad of players who in general are not Arsenal quality, so anything we get will be a bonus.
The club has no excuse this January, we need to change things and recruitment has to improve.
Hope you’re right Rico re prepared for battle!
Our players need to just get on with things. Stay on their feet if they get tackled, put up with a little slap in the face and keep playing. Not stop, hold their face or throw themselves on the floor. Even Willock did that against Norwich and it cost us a goal.
Freddie was much tougher than that and let’s hope he can toughen all the players up a bit……..Not holding my breath with Ozil though.😆
No Rob Holding nor Dani Ceballos tonight. Bellerin still a doubt. 😕
Kev you’re right!! Just looked at the run of games. Freddie is on a bit of a hiding to nothing.
I like him though and really hope he can make a difference.
We can get some reinforcements in January, so if he can steady the ship , I’ll be happy with that.
What is it with all our injuries?
Hi Kev. To be honest, I don’t see the point in anyone having a go at Freddie right now. Five minutes in his role and suddenly he’s expected to work miracles.. if he just changes their attitude over for now and concentrates on the defending with some signs of improvement then fine, that’s a start.
Odd situation to be in before a transfer window though..
Ozil is a mission impossible Mike. 😜
Sokratis, Bellerin and Torreira all start.
Arsenal XI: Leno, Bellerin, Papastathopoulos, Luiz, Kolasinac, Xhaka, Torreira, Aubameyang, Willock, Ozil, Lacazette.
Substitutes: Tierney, Pepe, Chambers, Nelson, Martinez, Guendouzi, Martinelli.
Everton sack Silva.
Drunk & Disorderly in the hot seat.
Sokratis and Luiz Micko? Lol
Love the playing of Andy Williams. 😂
Stadium looks a bit empty…
The coverage is awful. Making my eyes go weird..
No VAR tonight then?
Three penalty shouts missed…
Four now rico!
At least Commentator highlighting them many times. Usually hidden when it’s us.
Yes Andrew, four. Shearer being quite fair for a change..
Luiz really is poor
Five?
Evening all
Despite breaking into several cold seats, from fear! I can see absolutely no improvement in tonight’s shambles. And just remember we’re usually worse in the second half.
This is not going well!
Come on Arsenal, get a grip!
It’s got worse as the half has gone on Wavy.
Not only have Arsenal been terrible,we have to put up with the Arsenal hating Alan Shearer.
Freddie doing what Emery couldn’t, playing Pepe, Ozil, Lacazette & Auba together………..and hey ho, it’s 1-1.
Finally Ozil central, Auba on left, Pepe on right. Is it so hard to put people in places they are comfortable with?
Wow,Pepe has really changed the game.
We’re like Father Christmas without the beard………that’s us !
Horrid times for Arsenal, us too.
Night all.
Never thought we could get this low. Where are the owners?
We always play against 11 fighters (except 6/7 teams) but insist on playing with 10 players. The defense is weak, but I insist on it: the big problem is in the crumb. Having a player who does not defend in a key position is always badly positioned, does not change speed, there is a huge gap between defense and attack. The substitutions were unfortunate and I didn’t realize why they played Willock and Ozil simultaneously. 2 years ago I posted here for Arsenal to pick up Bruno Fernandes. It cost 1/3 of what it costs now and I have the idea that it would solve the main problem. If it was Lyunberg, he would already leave the technical command; I wrote months ago that we were in danger of going down with this team. From journey to journey, we are on our way to the cliff.
Relegation fight here we come.
What am I saying – we have no fight.
I don’t blame Freddie,we should have replaced Emery after last season.That we didn’t reflects badly on Raul and company.
West Ham under the lights will be hostile.
COYG
Mmmmm Brighton at home !!! Relegation fight looming with players who can’t fight.
Christ!
Freddie fighting a losing battle.
As I said ages ago, we are in relegation form and as I keep telling my son…………………..anyone coming in will not be able to make the “quality” of our defenders become good defenders, not even Pep Guardiola or Klopp and we have owners who are not going to spend any of their own money to bring in any top quality defenders. We are run of self sufficiency………….all great and good morally, but it aint ever going to make us competitive again.
Nothing has changed in my mind since Kroenke`s got involved,we were always going to be on a downward spiral, we are just an average PL club and they are happy with that no matter what they say.
To keep trying to defend our club is about as ridiculous as the clubs defenders !………………………….Freddies on a hiding to nothing…………………
In addition to 9 successive games without winning we only score in still balls. Even against Guimarães (last win) was two still balls. Nobody sees where the error is?
I was out for dinner tonight so didn’t see the match.
Cam ehome to the result.
Looked at highlights, 2-1 down and then, No 34 gets the ball in space, tries to be clever and loses the ball to a player that hits a high velocity shot just over the bar.
Mmmmm…No 34?….that’s errrrr……oh my goodness, Xhaka. What a surprise.
I reckon we have to rid the team of the, Xhaka, Socratis, Luiz bunch etc and replace them with the youngsters.
What have we to lose?
We can’t win with what we currently have in defence so really there’s no gamble. At least you’ll get effort.
Hi All Just watched highlights of last nights game Not sure what is happening but this team failed under Wenger, Emery and now Freddie and read the media claim Ozil and Lacazette had a go at each other after the match. This board need to make there mind up quickly about our next permanent coach if its Freddie fine if it’s some one else fine but make there mind up now and let the new coach settle in and work out who stays and who goes although 2 more loses the owners may want to have a fire sale and sell the club but that is wish full thinking. I under stand it’s bad enough for us fans not knowing was is going on but the players have to feel it as well lets face it giving the players a very small excuse but they may be confused on what to do from Emery style to Freddie’s Style of play to not knowing what style of play the next coach may have.
There’s not a coach in the country who is going to be able to turn what we laughingly call our defenders into an effective and cohesive unit. Lack of discipline and lack of positional savvy linked to a lack of pace in all but a few will drop us into the relegation zone before Christmas.
I watched only the last ten to fifteen minutes of the game and I don’t think we won a single header in that time, not anywhere on the pitch.
Stats :-
Possession Arsenal 49% Brighton 51%
Attempts on goal Arsenal 12. Brighton 20
On target Arsenal 5. Brighton 9
The closest we came to a second equaliser was the Luiz “goal” ruled out for offside. Where were our strikers?
I remember that team in 1977, Terry Neill told the press that his players couldn’t beat a team of dustbins and he was right, but he lost many in the dressing room.
It took the return of Don Howe to stop the slide and a bit of luck and that’s what we need now a bit of luck.
Don’t tell me that Norwich and Southampton and Brighton are better than us, because they aren’t, it’s just that Arsenal can’t buy a win and the opposition have taken full advantage, every mistake we make seems to result in a goal while every opponents goalkeeper has the game of his life against us and every cock up is punished.
Goalscoring is also a major factor this season, in the EPL Aubameyang has 10, Lacazette has 5 (poor), Pepe has 1, a penalty, Luiz is our 3rd highest scorer in the EPL with 2.
Chambers, Torrieira, Sokratis all have 1 each…
No EPL from the fanboys favourite Ozil, none from Ceballos, or Xhaka or Guendouzi or anyone else in the Premier and frankly that’s pathetic, never mind about our defence or our midfield, our goalscoring is shit….
Morning all.
I know I fly in the race of what most believe but I’ll say it again-GET ARTETA NOW!!
The only argument I’ve been offered against him is a lack of experience but hey, Emery had plenty.
You’re either a manager, or you’re not.
We need a hard head and someone with tactical nous and surely nobody would suggest Arteta lacks in either department.
Silva is gone and this is the same Silva plenty of Arsenal fans wanted to replace Arsene not so long ago.
Good managers don’t always work at other clubs so even with the names being thrown around, There are no guarantees.
Let’s get someone young and keen and who wants to build something.
We are lacking a midfield more than anything else imo
We keep getting torn apart down the middle of the pitch.
We have no general, and we don’t have anyone like Rosicky or Santi who grab the ball and just go forward.
We were never stagnant with either of those lads on the pitch.
Who do we have next?
Defence, midfield and attack. All as bad as each other imo. The place stinks of a lousy attitude I reckon. I’ve said my bit in today’s post which is up now.
Morning guys.