Morning all.
A few questions, that’s all.
Does Unai Emery tell Xhaka to pass to the opposition?
Does he tell Aubameyang to miss chance after chance in front of goal?
What about Ozil slowing our attacks down by taking one extra turn in or outside so the ball is on his left foot?
Or Xhaka to stick he’s feet, legs or any other part of his body into the legs of an opposing player in our own penalty area?
Does anyone honestly believe he encourages a backwards or sideways pass instead of playing a forward ball?
Movement off the ball, sure, Emery tells them not to even bother, after all, why not just stand still and make it easier for the opposition…
Would he have really told them not to bother playing with tempo and meaning until Brighton drew level?
We’ve all said it. These blokes aren’t kids, they aren’t kicking a ball for the first time in their life, they are professional footballers who should not need the basics spelt out to them. Emery was on the sideline encouraging more urgency into the performance but no, yet another pass backwards. Or sideways, or a sloppy ball to give away possession. Watch the training videos on the official site, pass and move, pass and move but step foot onto the pitch, we see little of it. No movement off the ball leads to no outlet for the guy in possession. He’s then closed down which forces the square or backwards pass. Or worse still, loss of possession.
There are problems, many of which are the same as we had under Arsene Wenger. Dreadful defending, boring football and missed goal scoring opportunities. The board could part company with Unai Emery but what good would it do if we keep the players who make the same mistakes week in and week out? They did under Wenger and they’re doing the same under Emery. Who’s to say they’d be any different for the next guy?
On a side note and if the internet data is to be believed, Guardiola has moved on more than twenty players since his arrival at City, Klopp, thirty at Liverpool. Emery, four!
The Arsenal board/Emery need to accept that this current squad is top heavy with mediocre, error strew players who need to be moved on. Replace them with a mix of academy players and new signings and go again next season but do things better. If not, Arsenal will fall further down the table as other clubs improve and we’ll get to this time next year, still having a similar conversation to the one we’re having now.
If having different personalities on the pitch next season don’t improve things, then clearly the problem sits with Unai Emery. It might do already but I can’t think of many managers who’d relish taking over our current squad. A squad of which around 75% of it, neither Emery or Raul had an input into assembling.
I’m not in any way trying to suggest Emery is perfect or ideal for Arsenal, absolutely not but if you give a builder a set of plastic tools and ask him to build you a house, the end product isn’t going to be good is it?
Just saying……
Good points, all of them. Still fuming this morning after a crap night’s sleep ( dodgy curry and Arsenal implosion…. ). All eyes on Thursday but I’m fearing the worst with this squad and Valencia coming back onto form (6-2 win yesterday). Please just find some form and fight for 2 more games.
Chrispy, I too fear for us against Valencia. Not because they’re a good team but because of the way our individuals play. And that’s what this team is imo, a bunch of individuals..
6 – 2 away to Huesca ,the team bottom of La Liga who could be compared to Huddersfield , Cardiff , Brighton , Fulham in standard . Valencia were away , no home fans to say goodbye to with away fans that had a 500 mile Spanish day out just a few days after a bad trip to London.
Our away results against those four teams were 3 wins and 1 draw and apart from a 5-1 stuffing of Fulham , the other three we scored 6 and let in 4 .
At home we fared better 3 wins and a draw a 4 -1 win against Fulham again ( can we play you every week ?) but once again all the others were closer 4 goals for us 2 against.
Does this show our players to be complacent when facing the bottom teams , the ones that we should or at least would seem to be easier to beat we still play with ” Ze Andbrake ” and I do believe that this is not Emery’s doing .
I am positive that he doesn’t say this will be easy and you will roll them over but I do know from experience that when you start a game after a few minutes you form an opinion and I believe that this bunch of players think ” we are better than this lot ” and play accordingly .
They don’t appear to to be worried about giving away a goal because they feel they will score again , they underestimate their opposition and then reach panic mode in the last ten minutes .
it’s mental thing and some of the players are too ingrained to change . Valencia incidently were 5 up by half time and then relaxed .
Different attitude.
Morning all.
Rico, you make great points as always, but Emery is in a tough position as he simply won’t have the budget to buy the players he wants.
That’s why I keep banging on about the necessity for him to try and get the very best out of every player he has at his disposal.
When he can, move them on and hopefully build from there but I’m not sure he has improved our players as individuals.
Maybe it’s beyond some of them and no question, a few of the older guys aren’t ever going to get better, but still, it’s been really disappointing to see no apparent attempt at fixing our defence as a unit, but I could be wrong.
We can pick our squad to pieces but to what end?
There won’t be mass changes no matter what we’d all like to see, and no matter what Emery wants so we are really are in a mess until Stan decides to spend, or we give the kids a crack and put up with 2/3 seasons of mediocrity but if they don’t step up, it’ll be 5/6 poor seasons.
It’s not a positive future, at least in the short term.
Good morning to you all, Rico that’s really only one to Emery, Ramsey, the others went before our new Head Coach had his feet under the table. Klopp and Guardiola have had several seasons each to sort their own wheat from the chaff.
The clear out has begun however, Cech, Welbeck and, more than likely Lichtsteiner are in the departure lounge as we speak.
Having had a full season to assess the squad, I expect the exit door will be wedged open to cope with the numbers passing through it.
One name on my list would be Aubameyang for his hopeless conversion rate of chances to goals, but can we really afford to sack the (joint) second top score in the Premiership, where would we be without his twenty goal contribution?
Morning Rico and all. What an absolute joke of a club we have become. Sheep led by sheep. No courage, no bottle and it appears, very little in the way of footballing quality. When things get this bad – and I’m ignoring the Europa Cup – it’s quite usual to look around for those responsible. Everyone will get some blame this morning as I have seldom sensed such a dejected and disgusted fan base. From Kroenke, the board through the manager and the players. They’ve all fiddled while Rome burns. Wenger with his simply ridiculous transfer dealings and insane wage offers that the club are still suffering from through to the disappointingly inept Unai Emery or the much praised Raul Sanllehi, the man we are so lucky to have after he did so much to build Barcelona. Yeah right.
As I texted to Rico after the appalling display yesterday, “We are an average team lead by an average manager”.
It always seems as if we need to rip it up and start again but it’s seldom the answer. I doubt Kroenke or any of his men on the gravy-train will want to do that and I have little doubt that there will be no shortage of suggestions as to what might happen next or who should or shouldn’t go. But, at the moment, it’s all too raw for me to even begin on that path.
There are moments in games that remain with you and they become emblematic of what you have seen. When Guendouzi threw himself down after feeling a player at his back yesterday before grabbing hold of the ball in an effort to make the decision for the ref, it wasn’t the first time he’d done it this season. He was rightly booked for handball. Has Emery not told him months and months ago not to do it because it is absolutely stupid play? He is a young player with what people tell me is promise but a remarkable lack of much else and from what I can see he has improved not a jot. His youth is not an excuse for me.
When the increasingly ghastly Xhaka, caught out for pace for the thousandth time this season, put his hand on March to give away a soft, soft penalty and then shrugged, it was hard not to feel anything but contempt for this bloke who is another who never, ever seems to learn. We are brimmed full of these players and every one of them is vastly overpaid and severely under motivated and/or fucking useless.
Cicero, who will replace these players we are happy to cut loose?
We can’t get rid of them all as much as some would like to lol
We don’t have the budget to upgrade, so the massive majority of this seasons squad will be on board next season, I reckon.
I completely agree with this article, this is still essentially the same failing squad Wenger had. Wrighty said it last night Gazidis put this club in the position it is in today. David Dein never let top players go or go for peanuts, nor let contracts run down so players held all the aces and left on free transfers.
Ever since Gazidis darkened our door he has shown how mediocre he is, he is a political man not a football man and proved he was in over his head. Fortunately enough Gazidis realised he was found out when Raul (a very successful football man) started calling the shots.
We have to trust in what Emery and Raul have in mind. I’m liking the new strong armed approach with contracts, if you don’t sign at 2 years remaining you’ll be sold. It puts us in the strongest position not the players.
Lets get this straight here, Chelsea Liverpool Man Utd and Man City have launched 100s of millions at their squads to succeed, 2 getting it wrong 2 getting it right. We have to be a lot smarter, we need to buy right not buy twice for the next 4 windows.
I think our capture of Martinelli is a clue as to what we will see in the next window. Plus Holding, Mavripanos, Willock, Saka, Smith-Rowe and Nelson playing more games in the 1st team. We are being linked to Nkunku and players of a similar pomp, i think that’s the right way to go and what we should be doing in the market.
Look at Ajax, those players come through the ranks and have reached Europa league final and look to be getting to the Champions League final. They have not spent shed loads on transfers or wages but dominated Juve Real and now Spurs.
It can be done all the top players in the world started somewhere we have to make sure from now on its at Arsenal and we keep them until we decide to sell. Wenger tried it years ago but the Gazidis factor ensured he would fail as Ivan sold his prized assets for cheap and replacing them with shit.
We will hopefully see a lot of change this summer and next season and more signs of improvement luke we have seen in part this season.
Thankfully, Scott, it’s not my task to find the replacements but found they must be. Another season of Keystone Cops defending and lackadaisical performance everywhere else on the pitch will see our club rooted in the bottom half of the league.
I shall be seventy-six in a fortnight’s time and the chances of seeing the club I’ve supported for sixty-nine years once again winning the league title are diminishing by the minute.
Morning Scott, Potter, Cicero, Adam and all.
I drifted off back to sleep, probably re running that match in my head because it was so boring.
Arrogance and complacency runs through our club and I guess we’ll all have differing views on where it stems from. We are as Adam says, a bang average team playing football which shouldn’t be anywhere near Champions League level so it’s probably good that we won’t be doing so next season.
Re Emery though, I’m on the fence.
Scott, not every player needs to cost multi millions, after all, look at our players who cost what they did and earn what they do.
Burnley, Leicester, Southampton, Wolves, Palace etc, they have players with heart, blokes who play with pride. All we have is a bunch of blokes who the majority probably care more about their next tatt or the next best moisturiser or hair products they can buy….
Welcome James.
That’s also my point really, this squad was rubbish before Emery arrived which is the only reason I sit on the fence about whether he’s right for Arsenal.
I thought once Wenger had gone, a new bloke would get more from this squad and at times he has, but most times, he’s not. There has to come a time when instead of looking at the manager, one has to look at who he’s working with. The difference between Wenger/Gazidis and Raul/Emery is that one of the two combinations bought most of the players who are letting the club down.
Adam, I get what you’re saying about Guendouzi and the same could be said about the blokes who continually stop defending, raise their arms in hope the linesman will raise his flag but do really really need telling to play to the whistle at their age? It’s basics which a ten year old learns…
Cicero, I hope you do seem the club win at least one more time mate.
Rico, I know top players don’t necessarily cost a fortune, but these days, how many hidden gems pop up?
There are too many scouts out there for them to slip through the cracks, generally speaking.
Our best chance of finding one is from within our youth ranks, I reckon.
I’m not really talking about hidden gems Scott. I’m talking about 23+ year olds who are already playing, they are everywhere from the PL to league one in England so it must be similar abroad but I’d like to see us sign a few more Brits who have a bit of pride in what they do and passion for the game.
Cicero, plenty of years left in you yet..
I have been saying this since y’day — we tend to overreact.
For me, Emery has done the best he could. I don’t see a Guardiola or Klopp doing any better with this squad. Weak mentality, aging players, bang average in terms of ability and very shaky defense.
Emery getting those results against the BIG teams has shown us what he is capable of. We struggle against ‘smaller’ teams because we don’t have players who run at defenders and take on them when they sit tight against us. Bournemouth have Fraser. City have Sane, Sterling and even De Bruyne, Walker and Aguero. Liverpool have Salah, Mane and Shaq. And so have many other teams in the EPL. The result is that we struggle to break these teams down and once the opposition team manage to break forward after our useless sideways passes they make mockery of our defence.
Stan Kroenke (and Glazidis) ruined this club!
Rico. I agree with everything except Emery. We have enough quality to beat Chelsea, Man U and Spurs but somehow not enough to beat Brighton, Crystal Palace and others. If it happens time and time again, that’s the manager. If they don’t perform on the pitch then surely it’s his responsibility and his failure where their motivation is concerned. When I see us score early, like yesterday, I am fairly confident that, against lower quality opposition, we will settle into a horribly tedious period of sidewards and backwards passing which will inevitably prove costly. Lately I have actually tried to spot who begins the trend because, whoever it is, it doesn’t take long before the whole team joins in. Ozil and Xhaka are the leading culprits. A glance at the bench will find Emery sitting there looking as if he is sucking a lemon. Where is his leader on the pitch? Where is the player/s through whom he can get the team moving forward again? It doesn’t take long and even the more positive players like Torreira get sucked into the negativity. It encourages the opposition from what I can see and sends out absolutely the wrong message to the fans. You want their support? Then do something to earn it. This tepid and rather cowardly way of playing runs through the team like a virus and inevitably leads to an opposition goal or to a frantic last 10 minutes as per yesterday. Am I wrong? Is this not a corrosive aspect of our team ethos and is it not a hang-over from the past few seasons? Can you imagine Vieira or Adams (to name but 2) putting up with it?
As Arsenal fans I maintain that we have been conditioned to expect and unfortunately accept that we are somehow the paupers of the league and that the owner won’t spend enough to get us going again with big signings. But take a look at Wolves and their manager. The man is intelligent and can see what is needed. He’s on a limited budget, but he’s shrewd. There are no big-time Charlies in the dressing room and if they are gazing through the colours they might have their supercars painted, perhaps they do it in their own time.
We don’t need big signing but we need new, enthusiastic players, gifted footballers who want to win and of course a manager who can see a way to drag us back up again. We, as a club, need to break the circle of buying knobheads and paying them stupid money to do bugger all. Arsenal needs to become a competitive football club again and not this rather stupid ‘thing’ that it has sadly turned into.
rico, as it’s question time, is it just possible Emery is a waste of Arsenal dug-out floor space……just asking.
Morning all.
With our current squad, they seem to have their patterns of play so ingrained they cannot now find alternative ways of turning defence into attack. As a result we get boring Wenger ball tactics and long periods of passing the ball from left back to right back any number of times until they try a forward pass which often ends up being intercepted by the opposition who, equally have no idea what to do and lob it back to one of our defenders and round and round we go again! Wash, rinse, dry and then, wash, rinse dry again and again and again. If and when we engineer a forward position we find the same left to right and back to the left again, same as at the back but now the players are playing just in front of the opposition penalty area. But nothing happens, well maybe a half decent cross ably dealt with be a defender who punts the ball upfield……where Xhaka miscontrols or just misses the ball and the opponents are in on goal!
We have a strike force to die for….well they’ve killed games often enough. I like Auba I think he’s a very good goal scorer but, like Any Cole he’ll miss 6 good chances before he scores 1.
Lacazette too a cracking player oodles of goals, oodles of effort, really like him too but, like Auba he needs many chances before he scores one!
Perhaps the real gripe is that we don’t seem to have players good enough in midfield to create clear cut chances so, as good as the strikers are they are living off scraps. It’s their own team mates who are making them look poor.
Wholesale changes of personnel are needed, but the Board won’t sanction spending without big selling and selling our few ‘best’ players is not the solution. As lots of folk have said this morning our recruitment programme will be slow and probably not so sweet! We may well end up with a blend of young guns and a few inexpensive wiser heads. Perhaps?
These are not good times to be an Arsenal supporter. We can only hope that who ever comes in is going to be better than the player(s) who have been released or sold.
Cold but clear here…..again. C’est la vie😀
Yeah Adam i agree in part, but if the tactics beat the best teams with the best managers and can’t beat the worst teams with the not so good managers. Is that the tactics are wrong or our arrogant players thinking they don’t have to run the hard yards. Look at Napoli games then Wolves and Palace it looked as though ther could have been a 2 different squads playing . its not the manager its the individual attitudes/arrogance/quality of the players that’s the problem next season will be a different matter though
Adam, but aren’t you saying it’s players attitude too? What if Emery replaces these complacent players with some leaders etc etc, surely the attitude on the pitch would change?
As said, I’m not trying to justify Emery being the manager, not for one minute.
He might be Micko. I really don’t know but most of the players he currently has are toothless.
Henkamp. We certainly lack pace and width. Iwobi, Mkhitaryan etc aren’t doing much…
Wavy, that’s pretty much how i see things. I don’t think any manager would do much with this lot.
Another fine post rico.
Obviously UE doesn’t tell Xhaka to pass to the opposition, but surely by now he has seen, that is all he is capable of, thats why I’ve been banging my drum all season regarding the numpty Xhaka, DONT play him, simples. He is a total liability that every manager but UE has worked out. He has no pace, clumsy control and a hot head who persists in giving so many stupid fouls away, the numbers are monumental. Surely its worth trying either Willock, AMN, Smith-Rowe or even John Jules in his position. One thing is for sure, none of those guys could perform any worse.
Aubameyang does miss chance after chance, but where would we be without him? He is almost the leagues top scorer!!!!!!
Ozil can only perform when we are dominating teams, he would not be top of my list to be with in the trenches.
Your point about backward and sideways passing. Why do we keep doing so if UE had told them to move forward and quickly? I still think this is UE way of playing?
Adam….”No courage, no bottle and it appears, very little in the way of footballing quality” I could think of more select words to use, you’ve been rather easy on them IMO (lol)
I’m with James Simmonds atm. This squad is primarily Wenger’s shower of shit. I’m all for giving UE some chance, at least a couple of transfer windows. We have after all, some really promising youngsters coming through. Use these more often and sprinkle some experience over the squad and we could be good to go for next season. I’m also keeping everything crossed that UE will unearth a couple of gems this summer.
Cicero….you have been far too kind as well (imo) “Keystone cops defending and lackadaisical performances everywhere” As good as that? I would have said they have been far worse. I am not too far behind you in years buddy, but I’m afraid if we don’t buck our ideas up, and soon, not only will we not win anything for the rest of our lives, we will become mid table at best.
Im remaining positive for the time being as my thoughts are with
Leno.
Bellerin
Holding
Sokratis
Torriera
Auba
Laca
Martinelli
UE gem
UE gem
backed up with
Maybe Chambers and John Jules?
AMN
Nketia
Willock
Smith-Rowe
Medley
Thanks Vcc. You raise a good point about Xhaka and to be honest, I wouldn’t have played him either, certainly not as much as he’s been played but then who comes in?
Would it have been fair on an academy player to throw him to the wolves? Elneny, Guendouzi certainly aren’t the answer imo. I hope next season, if Emery is still here, he’s either signed another midfielder or he starts pre season with two academy players working hard on filling that void. Or Chambers, although I’ve no idea how his season at Fulham has gone..
Morning Gooners
Morning Rico, superb post, really well written, a reality check, the stats about the business done by Guardiola and Klopp says it all when comparing them to Emery.
Yeah, he’s certainly made mistakes, but these players have previous – they aren’t good enough and until we get rid of at least half of them this scenario will reoccur again and again.
Off to read the comments…
Rico. Yes, you’re right. It is ultimately the players, but the manager must take responsibility. We could drift along aimlessly for years, lurching from one crisis to another with the odd high point, but somewhere along the line someone has to say Stop! Let’s learn from our mistakes and rebuild this club. Blame is all well and good but it must be a precursor to change surely. If the club don’t change strategy and course you end up where we are this morning. The best way to do that is with a visionary manager perhaps. It’s up to the board to find him and that is quite obviously going to be a big, big problem.
Adam I don’t think we are ever going to go back to a manager. We have a structure in place, perhaps for the time being only, without a DoF, at a level above the dugout. That hierarchy is there to provide the continuity and stability that the Head Coach needs to support his work with the players provided to him. Wether the present lot are up to the job remains to be seen.
I think we will have at least one more season of pain before we see any significant progress, that progress must come from within our academy. The money for big name signings is just not going to come from the Kronke coffers.
Morning Kev, thanks.
Just why included it Kev, we are miles behind City financially but not Liverpool imo, not really but Emery needed this season imo, now it’s about what he does next about the shower of s***e he inherited.
Adam. I understand what you’re saying and I’d agree if this was a squad assembled by Emery, or at least the majority of it. But all he’s got is a bunch of players, some of which were bought for perhaps the wrong reasons.
rico….from day one I have vilified Xhaka. You can look back on posts to confirm. He has no perception of danger, especially in and around our box. Just take a look at Valencia’s goal against us last Thursday. He hardly got off the ground to compete against their scorer, surely you expect him to at least jump and try and make it awkward for the opposing player to make the header?????
His control of a football is abysmal, and his coordination in play is shocking…..yes he can spray a ball yards from side to side, but most professional footballers in the premiership can do that, or at least they should do, but what is a glaringly obvious trait about him is his slowness, almost snail like, thought and togetherness between brain and foot, if you know what I mean?
He is invariably caught in possession, thats whats infuriating about our management staff, surely they should have told him to cut the sloppiness out, and be more aware of his surroundings, OR have they? it would appear they haven’t or he simply isn’t listening.
Regards to Chambers on loan at Fulham. He is being used as a DM, and the reports I’ve heard are good. Apparently he has settled into that position nicely, and even getting their MOTM award occasionally. He would be better than that sloth Xhaka, and yes, I would have taken a chance on a youngster instead of him in that position. As I said earlier, they could not have done any worse, and in fact, they may have saved the day and gained a win yesterday instead of giving the most stupid penalty away.
Welbeck is definitely a gunner then.
Rico. That’s true but the manager must see the nonsense we see week in, week out. What has he done to address these things? After yesterday I would say very little. Who has progressed under Emery?
That’s a fair view Vcc. I was pleased when we signed him but I’ll me even more pleased to see him go.
In hindsight, using one of the academy players would probably have been a much better idea as they’d have grown and improved as the season went by. I can see why Emery stuck with Xhaka, but I suspect even he wishes he hadn’t.
If Xhaka stays beyond this summer, Mustafi too then Emery really is the problem because neither are good enough to be playing for a club aspiring for better things.
Thanks re the Chambers progress, is he the answer though? I think we need a strong and athletic bloke in the centre of midfield..
Again Adam, I agree but how does he do that without better/stronger players? Players who have been mentally and physically weak for years….
Maybe controversial here, but I would have kept Welbeck and used our resources in other areas? Yes he’s injury prone, but a decent back up, surely?
IMO, we have sufficient firepower in Laca, Auba, Welbeck, Nketia, Nelson and Smith-Rowe, and strongly lack in other areas.
My priorities would be.
LB…….CB……DM……Creative Mid/Speedy Winger.
Question – if old Rednose had this squad would we see the mentality of some players change. Certainly after a result like yesterday some players would have stayed on the pitch rather than face him.
Question – Mustafi and Xakha are so bad do we not have two U23 players who could yake their place. Could they possibly be worse!!
I’d have kept Welbeck too. He’s English for a start, a grafter and he’s not soft either.
I’d add a right back Vcc, otherwise same here bar the Creative midfielder.
rico…totally agree ala hindsight. We can always quote History, but its been my thoughts almost from the day I first saw him wear the famous red and white of my beloved Arsenal. It’s become a standing joke within my footballing fraternity down my local pub, whilst watching every Arsenal game this season. You can imagine the array of blasphemous expletives coming from several supporters expressing their agreement with me.
He’s not the only one though, and as you say, if UE doesn’t ship both Xhaka AND Mustafi out this summer, then he is the problem.
Again, playing the same violin, Chambers could not have done any worse this season if we had kept him on our playing staff.
Rico. Those players were able to lift their games to good effect against Spurs, Man Utd and Chelsea, all of whom they beat relatively easily so I wonder where that motivation came from. But then he starts against C P with Elneny and Guendouzi as his midfield in a must-win game. Yesterday when we desperately need a goal, he sends on Guendouzi-again who gets caught in possession and specialises in passing sideways, indecisiveness and trying to con referees.
Teams run by good managers tend to improve as the season progresses to me.
Hi paddywhack…..
1st answer. Absolutely. After their performance yesterday, almost half the team would have had a nasty smell coming from their shorts preparing to face old red nose.
2nd answer. Read most of my comments this season about those two twats. £35m and £30m apiece, give or take a couple of quid. shambles the pair of them.
Until a player actually plays in England, nobody knows how they’ll fare.
Most were pretty damn happy to get Xhaka, Mustafi and even Mkhitaryan.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing but these players all arrived with big reputations, and when they don’t shape up, it’s bloody hard to get rid of them.
Nobody I remember complained about the transfer fees involved or wages at the time-me included-so it’s a little harsh for us all to sit back and condemn those involved in the negotiations.
There’s no question that Wenger and Gazidis left us (out of desperation) with Özil on a wage that makes him nearly impossible to oust, but who else did we think was overpaid at the time they had contracts renewed?
Adam, I was astounded when Elneny started alongside Guendouzi not once, but twice.
It was suicidal!!!
Paddy, he didn’t change Ozil though and he didn’t do a lot of good at Utd..
Adam…you would have thought UE had the vision to see what most supporters have been going on about this season wouldn’t you? But there’s my dilemma, is he inept, or has he learnt from his first season in the premiership. I’m prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt, at least for another season.
I cannot bring myself to think negatively about this summer as it would depress me into submission. I’m hopeful he can pull one or maybe two rabbits out of the hat. Together with the names Ive mentioned earlier, I feel we can at least compete with the rest of the premiership except Man City and Liverpool. They are simply light years ahead of the rest.
Hi Scott, it certainly wasn’t the decision of a top football manager I agree.
rico…I think paddy is talking about Mr. Ferguson.
We can’t all be wrong about Xhaka Vcc, that’s for sure…
VCC. I want to set my sights higher. I think the days of sticking plaster fixes are long past otherwise I fear more of the same. But that’s just my personal view and I know it’s all becoming tedious now. I’m actually fed up with being fed up. 😃
Hi scott…good day.
Those three players you mentioned. Not many in my fraternity were happy when they arrived. Certainly at those prices.
In fact, most were underwhelmed.
Adam, doesn’t the players lifting their level for the ‘big’ games say more about them than it does the manager? Why can’t they play at a high level in every game.
As for the team selection for Everton and Palace, I was surprised to say the least but I also appreciate he had to rotate with a Europa final possible. Again though, his rotation proves that behind an average starting eleven there’s an even worse group of players to select. Many anyway.
As other fans have said, the younger players would probably show more character than some of our other players.
Fair enough, VCC.
Seeing Xhaka at the Euros had me pretty excited to be honest.
Seems he’s had little glimpses of his best but nowhere near consistent enough.
Mustafi has had very, very few top performances and Mkhitaryan just needs too much going his own way to perform, similar to a few of our players.
Rico. It’s a fine point but I hear what you say. Perhaps you’re right and Unai is the man. We’ll see.
Adam. I would joyously join you in the heady heights of TOTP, but looking at Arsenal since Mr. Kroenke has become our CEO, we are simply not going to get a bucket full of cash, and significantly low amounts if we do not win the Europa league.
He has no vision of grandeur when it comes to Arsenal. Like it or not, his love/attention is firmly fixed on his LA team. Speaking to a few friends who live in LA he is chuffed with his dealings on and off the field, just not so pleased in losing the Super Bowl final. He has no Love or even loyalty for The Arsenal. Its just a cash cow for him and nothing else.
We simply have to trust UE this coming summer and hope he can unhinge some cheap good players.
VCC. You’d be welcome mate.
I guess my overall feeling is that the key to future success, given the likelihood of the appalling Kroenke clan’s continuance, is that the manager is the key to the future. I would offer a year’s contract with the option of a second and if the club needs to go through several of them then so be it. Times are changing and for me there’s little kudos in proudly announcing that Arsenal don’t change managers too often. That’s how we got into this shot in the first place. Different times, different attitudes.
Adam, I’m still 50/50 about him…
Rico. I thought so. 😁
Phew Adam. 😜
One things for sure. It’s going to be an interesting summer….
Rico. Or not. 😂
Depending on your point of view.
I really hope we can sell Mustafi & Xhaka(can’t run,won’t run)I fear we might be stuck with them though.
Others too,their salary bears no relationship to their ability.
No way does Emery go this summer anyway,in my opinion he has to have more of his own players.Two things Im disappointed about, firstly no improvement defensively,second, doesn’t give youth a chance.
Fingers crossed for Thursday.
Adam. Spot on. If UE doesn’t show signs of improvement after 2 years then ship him out. Couldn’t agree more about our history with Managers. Times they are a changing as they say.
I have a bright idea…..if it doesnt work out with UE i suggest a consortium of HH’ers take control, with rico having the final decision. What do you say ALL?
https://talksport.com/football/538395/arsenal-vs-man-united-premier-league-man-city-europa-league/
Interesting on how the game at Burnley will affect the players , they might have their summer break curtailed by not beating Burnley and as they only seem to think of themselves it might be the incentive they need .
Stick it on the dressing room wall .
Took a quick look at the Sunday papers to see if there are equal or better players than ours that wouldn’t break the bank. Not all 1st teamers but certainly good enough bench warmers.
Wan-Bissaka CP…….a bit late maybe, we should have gone for him last year when he was mentioned. (how many players can we say this about)
Dann CP. CB
Lascelles NU. CB
Boly Wolves. FB
Doherty Wolves. FB
Sessegnon Fulham. FB
Duffy. BHA. CB
Dunk. BHA. CB
Chilwell. Leicester. LB
Just a few premiership hardened professionals that would improve us (imo) at low cost except Wan-Bissaka.
Have a cheeky punt on Donny van de Beek of Ajax?
Both Ajax CB are probably out of our range now because we dithered last year when so many of us picked them out????
HH’ers take control, with rico having the final decision. What do you say ALL?
I think it’s been proven that government by referendum doesn’t work.
Rico could have an idea of which direction to travel but if the members don’t agree they will move heaven and earth to make sure it doesn’t happen.
potter…you underestimate rico…….she is an extremely influential, powerful human being. 😉
If we really have 40 million to spend this summer how much additional money van be raised by player sales?
Mustafi: German international but not a success with us and older now: 10 to 15 million?
Welbeck: England international, but injury prone 15 million?
Monreal: Long service free or maybe 5 million?
Czech Ramsey: obviously nothing
Ospina: 5 to 10 million?
Etc. Will we have to sell a bunch of young players with excellent potential? Eg Reiss Nelson?
😂 Adam.
Vcc, don’t lump that responsibility on me thanks. Adam will have me sacked within a couple of months.. 😜
Exactly Potter but this woman won’t be for turning… lol
That’s right Rico, stick to your guns! (See what I did there?). I see you as more the ‘strong and stable’ type.
No money for Welbeck he’s off out on a free.
VCC 2.08, you do realise that would only upset a lot of our highly paid professionals who enjoy the nice views from the bench every week.
Dick, I don’t for one minute believe the £40m rumours.
Congrats Harry and Megan, a baby Gooner is born. A little boy..
Ha ha Wavy..
micko……I couldn’t give a flying hoot who I upset. I would rather have players that give 100% for the team. If we had more players like Duffy or Dunk instead of Mustafi or Xhaka we would have more points than we currently have.
A lot of our highly paid superstar phoneys are frauds anyway.
Get them out of this club, and quick.
Amen to that Vcc….
I was looking through the England U21 squad and noticed these few players, not tied to the top sides and within our budget:
Dael Fry, Centre back, 21, Middlesbrough, approx £5m
Ezri Konsa, Centre back, 21, Brentford, approx £3.5m
Lloyd Kelly, left back, 20, Bristol City, approx £2m
Aaron Wan Bissaka, right back, 21, CPalace, approx £25m
Ryan Sessegnon, left back/mid, 18, Fulham, approx £35m
Harvey Barnes, midfield, 21, Leicester, approx £7m
James Maddison, midfield, 22, Leicester, approx, £30m
Tammy Abrahams, forward, 21, Aston Villa, approx £15m (25 Championship goals this season).
Obviously some of them are high profile, at Prem clubs and will be expensive.
But some of the lesser lights, like the kid at Bristol, I’d scout them, see if he’s the next Nigel Winterburn or Lee Dixon?
Arsenal as a club simply have to be more imaginative and smarter in the market, as Liverpool have been. Klopp might have moved on 30 players but it’s the actual quality he’s replaced them with that impresses me…
Notwithstanding the business we do next summer – and it’s vitally important that we sell players as intelligently as we buy new ones. We therefore need to get maximum value for the players we sell, the stupidity of Wenger and Gazides in that regard has to end…
It’s going to be a massive summer for Arsenal, but a huge opportunity for some of our better youngsters, a summer where they could convince Emery that they’re the answer to a problem in the team and we can maybe target our funds at a different position.
So right attacking midfield: Reiss Nelson
Centre mid and wide mid: Emile Smith Rowe
Centre mid, box2box and attacking mid: Joe Willock
Right wing, attacking mid: Xavier Amaechi
Centre back: Zach Medley
Centre forward: Eddie Nketiah.
Right back, right mid: Jordi Osei Tutu
Centre back/def mid: Krystian Bielik
Def mid: Charlie Gilmour
Left back, left mid: Dominic Thompson
Centre forward/wide forward: Tyreece John Jules
Forward, wide forward, attacking mid: Bukayo Saka.
That’s 12 of the best that we have and who look the most promising, now if 3 or 4 come into the senior squad next season on a regular basis and actually get matches, then that’s a big saving in terms of transfer fees and salary.
Kev. I can’t wait to see them 😁
I think that’s where we could look too Kev. These guys might not be the next Big thing since sliced bread but it’s likely they’ll have grit like so many we see in the mid/lower of the PL. they are the kind of players doing it for their manager, not the overpaid ones with massive egos.
Neither can i Adam. But I’m being honest… 😇
kev. you mentioned a Brentford young lad Ezri Konsa.
He is 6’1″ Centre back. Just the right side of 6′ and ideal for a CB. A couple of friends follow Brentford and have mentioned him several times and are very pleased with him. Why not scout him and if he looks promising then a chance for less than £5m.
Dael Fry, of Middlesboro a 6’3″ CB. not heard of him.
Bukayo Saka looks promising.
Eddie Nketiah already making a name for himself.
Reiss Nelson on loan and showing huge promise.
But the one I like the most atm is Joe Willock. He has an eye for goal and certainly has plenty of cohonas.
Get all these lads on tour and see what they are made of. Plenty of playing time with nothing at stake and low pressure.
Afternoon Rico and the House.
Once again you have come up with a great post ,I just do not know how you do it.
There has also been some excellent comments by Adam, Potter Wavy,Scott and Kev.
Between them they highlight (in my opinion)what has gone wrong this season.
In Kevs last post he lists !2 of our most promising youngsters and I would add
Danny Ballard and Ben Sheaf .to his list.
I have watched most of the boys since the start of the season and they have all improved
under the BFG and Freddy and I hope they will be given the chance to show how good they can be
at a higher level.
I will say that I think the appointment of Merts as head of the academy was a masterstroke
For the first time in years we have some young defenders who know how to defend.
If I had the chance to talk to U/E the first thing I would ask him would be
What have you against Joe Willock, he is a far better footballer then Elneny and Guedozi???
End of rant for now.
Im looking forward to watching the U18S tomorrow
Afternoon Rick, thanks.
If Emery doesn’t soon play these guys, we run the risk of losing them. We can’t do that, we can’t afford to.
Ha Ha Ha, Adam, I knew that post would get you excited… 😄
Agree,
we absolutely should try to sign players from within English football, Arsenal fans can be such snobs though.Take Andy Robertson at Liverpool,if Arsenal had signed him, imagine the outcry, lacking ambition.If he had an exotic name and came from Ligue 2,we might give him a chance.
Wasn’t George Graham’s 1st signing from Colchester ?
VCC, Middlesbrough have a habit of developing centre backs and he’s a Northern lad like Rob Holding. A few more northerners with their famous grit would be very welcome in our squad as opposed to the flakiness of Mustafi for example.
The valuations came from Transfermarket.com, but yeah, Konsa has a lot of potential and has been linked to Arsenal for awhile now.
We might have missed the boat with Wan Bissaka, the kind of fee Palace would want now is probably out of Arsenal’s range, knowing how penny pinching we are, not least the fact that we have Bellerin to come back. Tbh we need a top quality left back, Monreal is past it and Kolasinac is a wing back.
Limey……6:45…..he was indeed, and his name was Perry Groves. I suggest if you want a good read then purchase his book. He is a true Gooner.
kev. agreed with Monreal. He is past his best, but Ive loved his tenure at the club.
LB would be one of the top priorities for me along with CDM. Speedy Winger and CB.
When did we last have a winger, or even sign one?
Rico. Bendtner could play wide. 😃
Great post Rico.
Some fine comments today and plenty of them.
My giref with Dick is that he has ruined a brilliant player in Xhaka.
Looking at the squad and who played against Brighton correct me if I`m wrong but 6 players were Dick players, so we can only blame Wenger for half the teams display !
Beautiful sunny day here 😎 it possibly got to my brain ! 😆
As for the lack of wingers I`d save some money and go with Saka and Amaechi on either wing !…………………………….blood them now as I`ve had enough of reading how shit we are ! 🙂
😂 Adam, Podolski too…
Thanks Lc.
6 Lc? Did he sign 6?
Theo Walcott
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
They may have been signed by Sven and Raul ! 🙂
Leno ?…………..Guendouzi ?……….Lichtenstein ?……….Papa ?……………..Torreira ?……………………5 then not counting Suarez ! hahaha
Wasn’t one a striker and the other a midfielder though? 😂
Torreira plays well though.. lol
Night guys. Really good day on here today… Thanks.
‘night all, comment #101. 😴
LC Xhaka was ruined when he first joined the club and found a team immersed in short passing which totally negated his long passing ability .when he played before joining us his game revolved around finding passes to players moving quickly in wide positions .
Our style was to thread balls through defences it didn’t suit him then and it doesn’t now.
Defensively however he has always been a nightmare
I think they started out as wingers, one thought he was Ian Wright – wrong!
The other thought he was Steve Gerrard and ended up a wing back…
Do I miss either of them?
Nah…
Just goes to show what taking 1 point from a possible 12 does for HH…
104 comments…
I watched the last thirty minutes of the Man City/Leicester game and it was like watching Arsenal in blue. Short passes backwards, sideways, twisting, turning as they tried to squirm their way through the Foxes packed defence. All the while Kompany looked on from the halfway line. After seventy minutes of such dross he finally lost patience and strode forward to hit a screamer into the top corner. “That’s the way to do it” as Mr Punch would say. 😉
Cicero, funny you mention that as our one player who really can belt them from 30 Is Xhaka, but he doesn’t to it enough!!
Morning all.
Morning Cicero, Scott and all.
New post up now