Morning all.
Third game in, second one at The Emirates and all being well, it’ll be packed with Arsenal fans in full voice. Not a long journey for the away team and on their bus will be Jack Wilshere who for the first time in his career will be facing the club he grew up at. It’ll be strange for us fans but even more strange for him no doubt and there’s little doubt he’ll have a point to prove to the manager who told him he wouldn’t be guaranteed a place in the team. The one thing we know Jack does very well is going to ground in order to win a free kick. No, I’m not suggesting for one minute he’s a cheat, but he’s clever. Our players have trained/played alongside him long enough to know that. Another ex Arsenal player will be up against his old club today and that’s Fabianski. Flappianski as he was fondly know as during his time with us and finally, Lucas Perez, a player I wish was still at Arsenal.
Like Arsenal, West Ham have lost their opening two fixtures and are desperate for a victory but Emery’s record against Pellegrini isn’t particularly good with just three victories out of ten in La Liga but better news is that the Chilean has only overseen one victory over Arsenal in eleven attempts in all competitions.
Means little really though as so much depends on what players a manager has and how good they are at executing the managers plan and both managers up against each other today are new in their post. Neither are lacking in experience though.
The Hammers went on a spending spree back in the summer but results suggest that all is not quite clicking for them yet, just as it’s not for us either but that’ll change I’m sure, certainly for Arsenal. (I hope)
Paul Merson:
Let’s be honest, if Arsenal had put the chances away against Chelsea – and it’s easy to say: “Oh that’s a half chance” – but they had five unbelievable chances at Stamford Bridge. If they put those away, they come away from the Bridge scoring seven, and everyone would be saying: “Wow”.
I know Merse can come out with some odd stuff whilst working for Sky Sports but he’s right on this occasion imo. Those chances at Stamford Bridge were clearcut and should have been buried with ease. Yes, our defending was at sixes and sevens a lot of the time, certainly during the first half but we had a great twenty odd minute spell when we really could have put Chelsea out of the game. That twenty odd minutes alone was enough to convince me that our attacking football is improving, certainly the buildup play.
What we need to do and pretty darn soon is to sort out the stuff at the back which begins before a defender gets anywhere near the ball. Front men, wide men, all men need to put the opposition under far more pressure when they’re in possession of the ball. Don’t leave it to someone else to do the dirty work and if they lose the ball, go get it back instead of relying on the next Arsenal player to do so. None of this gentle jogging back to make it look like they’re doing something, do it properly at the first go or at least try.
Ozil, Mkhitaryan, Ramsey and Xhaka, all need to roll up their socks and do more. Put pressure on the opposition from the front and they’ll take a bit, maybe a lot of pressure off the defence. Teams do it to us, we simply have to start doing it to them. I doubt West Ham will be as efficient as far as the pressing game goes as either City or Chelsea were but still, it’s about this Arsenal team getting used to the new way under Emery. Practice makes perfect, or at least somewhere near and eventually, near perfection might just become permanent, a second nature trait for all of our players. Don’t give the opposition time on the ball and they’ll do what we’ve been doing for a number of seasons and that’s make mistakes.
On paper it all sounds so easy to do and for footballers at the level they are in this league, it should be. If they can’t give 100% for ninety minutes a week and do what’s asked of them, then they’re in the wrong team at the wrong club.
Not everything they do or try will come off but that’s fine, acceptable and understandable but what infuriates me/us is not trying in the first place. Some of our players might not be the world class ones some of us crave for, they might not be the best there is out there either but they’re no novices to the game either. They’re experienced, they’ve played the game at the highest level, most of them anyway but that doesn’t mean they can’t give more, learn more or actually do more.
Yes Ozil, Mkhitaryan, Bellerin, Xhaka and anyone else you choose to add, that means you…
Lastly, Arsenal and Adidas are reported to have agreed a deal worth £300 million which is great news I think. £60 million a year might make a difference to our transfer budget..
Enjoy the game guys, solid performance and three points please..
Good morning Rico and everyone, right now all that matters to me is 3points, will discuss tactics, mistakes and other issues after we have put 3points in the bag… I just hope he drops xhaka for torriera…
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Good morning Rico.
Back to a traditional Saturday 3pm kick off. Proper old football.
If anyone can come up with a useable stream for the match, please let me know.
Sorry to read that Koscielny was out with Lloris, Giroud and others at a nightclub until the small hours prior to the Spud goalkeeper being arrested for drink driving. I would have thought our injured captain would have been better occupied with an early night, whilst he is in rehab, rather than p*****g it up with his mates. Still that’s footballers for you.
Pointed words from Unai Emery, Ramsey should concentrate on his football and leave the contract talk to his agent and the club.
My starting eleven……..Leno, Lichtsteiner, Mustafi, Sokratis, Monreal, Torreria, Guendouzi, Ozil, Nelson, Aubameyang and Lacazette.
Never heard of the ref. I bet he’s a boyhood Hammer’s fan.
Morning Mexzy, Cicero, all.
Emery is right re Ramsey, get on and prove you’re worth keeping first and foremost..
Hopefully this will be the last contract problem we have. Has Nelson signed up yet does anyone know?
Cicero, if you’re using an Apple product, there’s an app which shows the football.
Rico, the apples we have are on the tree in the garden, and those lying around on the grass…which reminds me, time to go and pick them up. 😀
Ha ha Cicero..
which reminds me, time to go and pick them up. 😀
Watch out for Wasps we have 5 trees and they have all suffered from wasps this year.
Apparently it’s the worst year for them all fruit farmers in Norfolk are complaining , the ones growing solar panels don’t seem to mind though.
Ours too re wasps and now they’re all drunk and going crazy. That’s because their job for the year is done. Hate the darn things.
We’ve had lots of hornets too and they’re worse..
Good Morning All:
Really funny line Rico, “Ozil, Mkhitaryan, Ramsey and Xhaka, all need to roll up their socks and do more”. Ozil doesn’t roll up his sock he’s not that type of player and neither does Mkhitaryan so in that case dont play them together.
I agree with you regarding Emery though, give the man a chance. Heck we gave Wenger an extra 12 years. It’s way too soon to judge Emery but we have credible evidence to judge the players.
I know Obi, they are lucy players who right now we can’t afford, but there’s no reason they can’t be more committed in what they do do. I doubt anyone expects them to make strong tackles etc but they can put pressure on opposing players.
Wolves are playing some pretty good football vs City ……Costa is very good, could be special in a few years. He could be the winger we need.
Morning all.
We can judge Emery in May 🙂 🙂
Wolves 1 up v Citeh 🙂
Rico. If you’re watching the Woves v City game, there’s another excellent case for VAR with the Wolves goal.
Yep, offside AND handball, Adam.
Aguero takes a dive, ref waves it off but then doesn’t card him???
Hi Scott. Totally agree. Man City are taking their ruthlessness to new levels.
They don’t take prisoners.
I’d forgotten it was on Adam, I’ll tune in now..
Talking of wasps, one day last week, after a walk around the Blickling Estate, I had a bit of time to waste while my wife and our neighbour went to look at the flower garden, so I sat outside The Buckinghamshire Arms with a pint of Greene King IPA. In the twenty or so minutes before my wife turned up I swatted eleven wasps using the peak of my baseball cap. Now I say that I swatted eleven wasps, but as I knocked them off into the grass around the table I was sitting at, maybe I swatted the same wasp eleven times. Either way, a very satisfying way to spend a bit of time.
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Ozil has flu so not in today’s squad, Ramsey takes his place.
European transfer window still open……I wonder….
Fernandinho is their player I can’t stand.
He’s brutal, yet seems to get away with plenty.
If Wolves play this way each week, they’ll easily finish mid table.
Pretty good style of play and massive work rate from their lads.
Atkinson Scott so why am I not surprised..
True, Rico 🙂
Cicero, reckon anyone will pay him 300 a week though?
I meant anyone ELSE 🙂 🙂
Ozil ill, Xhaka, Ramsey, Guendouzi in midfield
Usual defence, Aubameyang, Mkhitaryan, Iwobi up front.
Didn’t see much but Traore looked a tidy player..
Re, Wolves vs City. Tight calls, sometimes you get them sometimes you don’t, and City hit the post several times. However Wolves took the game to City and went forward rather than staying back to defend and easily dealt with their press.
Scott @ 2:11. Ozil’s 300 p.w. is not the issue, but rather, would Arsenal sell him for less to subsidize his wages.
The team on the bench is better than the starters.
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I’m really disappointed with our starting line-up.
Cech, Bellerin, Xhaka, Mkhitaryan, Ramsey and Iwobi are not the best we could have selected.
So much for the app, useless…
Are we winning yet? Lol
I’m watching it but I ain’t feeling it yet.
This is hard to watch….. horrible football
Now it gotten worse …..Ars 0 – WHU 1
Oh dear…
On a link Adam?
The usual Rico. Terrifyingly awful
absolutely wide open at the back.. scary stuff.
Once again the defence is getting the flak, but of seven shots we’ve only got two on target and Aubameyang put an excellent chance over the bar.
We must do better up front.
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Iwobi off for Lacazette. will that make a difference?
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Thank Mr. Diop.
Danny Welbeck. #justsaying…. 🤣🤣
Danny actually suits emerys style of pressing.
overall that was a horrible performance and we’re luck to not have conceded 3 or 4..
thankfully we got the pts but imo defensively a shambles and we’ll get hurt umpteen times this season playing like that.
Love Danny! Everyone wrote him off at WC without him ever having a chance. Disgraceful he didn’t start 3rd place game. Only outfield player to not get at least 45 mins. About 10 mins i think six games! But he keeps his head down and works hard. Didn’t expect him to appear so soon for Arsenal, but hope he doesn’t become another Perez
Will celebrate the three points and leave analysis for next time… We played shit tho..
Yep, just what I’ve been thinking about Welbeck too. He’s a hassler, dreadfully treated by England and he’s not a bad player either.. Isn’t he out of contract next summer too?
Its is so obvious that Aubameyang and Lacazette should start together. The quality and the understanding is uncanny. Torreira and Guend should start in the middle, and as I have said over and over Welbeck should be on the wing. This will take care of the offensive malaise and the defensive problems… To watch Xhaka and Ramsey struggling to track back, fouling and also just give balls away is hard to wtch.
The match is being shown in full on Sky at 20.30. I’ll wait until I’ve seen it before commenting on it. But from what I’ve heard neither defence or attack can be proud of themselves. Seventeen shots at goal and we can score only two. the other gaol being a gift from Diop.
Well, as the saying goes, things have to get worse before they get better. I just didn’t think they could get any worse….
Obi, I don’t get why Emery wouldn’t start them both in the same team as doing so would only improve us..
Rico. I was hoping that there might be a glimpse of something more cohesive and interesting by now, but today rather put pay to that thought. Where we are going, I can’t imagine at the moment.
Xhaka remains an accident waiting to happen and should have been sent off today.
Adam, having not seen the game it’s hard to comment but I can imagine… 😜
Can’t understand why the defending isn’t showing some signs of improvement by now..
Rico. If today is anything to go by, it’s getting worse. 🙂
That’s a big worry Adam. Surely something is going on to improve things?
Mind you, I said the same about six years ago.
I remember when you said that Rico. 🙂 🙂
😂 Adam, every time no doubt. Lol
At least every time we’ve met perhaps. 🙂
That many eh Adam.. lol
In 90 minutes our defence is exposed more often than is Stormy Daniels in a month.
We don’t have a defense, we don’t have any decent centre back and I don’t even know if kos will return as good as he was, we still don’t have a defensive midfielder as long as emery keeps playing xhaka ahead of torriera, Ramsey is shitty, super shitty… Will give you 4 top games a season… We need to overhaul our entire midfield and defense… Bellerin is no so slow that on several occasions he couldn’t catchup with a fat and obviously overweight westham winger… Mhki is just here and there, Monreal is dope. Auba is dealing with some personal issues and iis just having badluck( I guess he has to go wash is head in some river with black soap and iron sponge to was off his sins)… Basically, 80% of this current team has to go… I hope emery begins to consider giving the young guns their chances cos I believe they would do better than a Ramsey,xhaka, bellerin and their likes… Goodnight guys…
I am abroad.we won!
Mexzy, we’re only 3 games in & our defence is giving you heart palpations lol.
Jm, we won, relax, have fun and forget about our relegation woes this weekend !
Evening all and thanks Rico.
Funny old game when our worst performance produces a win !
Back on to yesterday and Scott`s remark that was remarkably similar to Tony Adams one…………………..I have to agree that it has taken the other clubs who “press” some 3 years to get it right ( and Pep a bit less ), but they have better palyers or players who are good at it and in Peps case a lot more money to purchase the players he needs, we do not have that luxury !
Also, how long do we have to ewait for it to work ?…………………………will Dick get that amount of time ?…………………….will there be a new tactical fashion that out dates the current one and will we be behind that one ?
To tell the truth, I think it`s all a bit to fancy tekkers when at the heart of football is the fact that it`s quite simple and here`s two of many sayings……………………………………..”Football is a game of mistakes…………whoever makes the fewest mistakes wins”
” football is a simple game based on giving and taking of passes, of controlling the ball and of making yourself available to receive a pass. It is terribly simple”
When playing years ago I used to run, chase and harrass players all over the park and the biggest complment I used to get reguarly was from opponents…………” will you stop fcuking running!”…………………………I was pressing years before Pep !………………..and all because I was a trained runner out of football !
We can all be trained to run at their young ages and trained at almost anything , fcuk me, today I lifted 175 kg( 27 and a half stone in old money) on my shoulders from the squat rack and at 62 years old and a scawny ten and a half stone weakling thats my record at any age I`ve been !……………………………train fcuking hard and it comes !…………………any team can press if they put the training in and just like years ago when I was pressing there where quite a few who didn`t run like me because they didn`t train, but we were not on 1000`s of pounds per week, todays boys have no excuse, they have everything, the diet, the science and the (should be) motivation …………………….yes as I said earlier in comment , others are ahead and others have more money, but they may have better players and more money. but the training to be fitter is not down to better players or money, it`s down to hard work…………………….if every team pressed hard it would then come down to who had the better players !…………………..back to Man City and their money !
Morning guys.
LC, I coached a women’s side at a reasonably decent level this season, and worked out early on what formation we had to play based on the players I had.
Into our 6th game, we’d had 3 wins and two unlucky draws, and in that 6th game were down 1-0 at half time.
I heard 4 different players say we should revert to the old formation.
Biggest verbal flogging I’ve ever given was aimed squarely at them at half time.
Forget the F***ing formation, just concentrate on your own bloody game and cut the stupid mistakes-seewatch what happens.
We won 3-1.
I often think coaches/managers can complicate a reasonably simple game at times.
When you are Pep, who from everything we read is most throrough down the most minute detail, you do need that quality of player to carry out these detailed tactics.
He had them and we don’t, and that’s the difference imo.
Now Emery is still learning about our players and their capabilities and limitations so we just have to give him time.
It’s going to be a tough few months, maybe even an entire season but we need patience imo.
Now why was a Soton player sent off after diving (second yellow) yet Aguero was simply waved off by the referee????????
Will this be given any coverage by the media???
Will the FA do anything?
No question that certain sides get the “rub of the green” more than others lol
Ps-I’ll never coach adults again hahahaha
I couldn’t resist popping back to share my pearls of wisdom.
I said at the start (and the end of a long preseason with a fair few games) that I would give Dick time before passing judgement. Well, I have 270 minutes of proper competitive footy. Dick out! I’ve seen enough. The guy has no ‘presence’ or charisma, all absolutely essential for the manager of Arsenal. I’m ashamed of him.
As for the football. I was constantly informed on here that the players we had were very good, just badly coached, and that under a young thrusting bloke ie Dick, they would achieve their promise. Nah. They were always joe average. Stan would never have given enough funding for decent talent.
Strange that little Dick has Bould in situ, coaching the same defence as last season, along with an extra slow old bloke he has brought into the club.
Some of you may have guessed, I don’t like Dick! Oooh er!
However, if any more proof were needed that a good coach may guide teams to titles, (poor old pellegrini is a EPL winner with City), but it’s money that buys the best players.West Ham will never win the title.
We are in for a few humiliating beatings this season. Little Dick may even get the boot by Christmas.
Oh, Arsene! Halcyon days. Lol.
Hahahaha Meerkat, fire up girl lol
I’ll give him time but I do think he’d be best playing a style of game to suit what players he has at his disposal, but I’m no coach.
It’s official-Ramsey is just another player to me now.
We looked after him as a club through his bad times, nursed him back beautifully on the comeback trail, and now, he’s holding out for an upgrade on 100k a week?
100,000 per week.
What do these arseholes think they’re doing to justify this ridiculous money?
Saving lives?
Running the country?
There’s always one who can’t see the wood for the trees..
Three matches in and calling for Emery to be sacked is odd to say the least, but that’s the human race for you eh… As the old saying goes, there ain’t nowt as odd as folk….
I’ll admit, I thought our defending would be improved a little by now but sheer common sense would suggest Emery needs more than one transfer window to sort the wheat from the chaff.
Morning all.
Bit harsh Meerkat but then it was onlt a matter of time before those that supported the last incumbent raised their voices. As i see it players were bought into the club on the promise of a lifestyle that was not regimented and relied not so much on tactical awareness but intelligent awareness with the freedom to address problems the way they saw fit. This bred a lazy attitude and players allowed everybody else to do the dirty stuff and of course nobody did it properly.
These players are now being asked to sign up to something else and no doubt a few are not happy about it and some find that they don’t either have the ability or the desire to do it .
These will be pared out and replacements either from within or in January and August will come in . Then we judge Emery. He won’t get 22 years , his tenure is three at the most. That’s what he signed up for and that’s what they will give him.
So very well put Potter.
Morning Rico and all. Yes, all the hardnose Wenger supporters are waiting for Emery to mess up so the first two defeats must have given them the encouragement to say “I told you so”.
The club had to move on and decisions had to be taken. They were – and here we are. I am certainly disappointed with what I am seeing but surely Emery needs a bit of support as he slowly builds his version of an Arsenal team. We should have gone for Pep when we had the chance (just as Man Utd probably should have gone with Pochettino instead of that ghastly creep Mourinho) but I imagine the owner and the board of Arsenal are beginning to join the dots now and understand that the squad needs further and large investment, certainly in defence, and that there could be a couple of big-name casualties along the way whose departure will herald large financial losses.
Wenger left, but his legacy will run through the team for a while yet, as we saw yesterday when we were horrible despite accruing 3 much needed points.
We’re in a kind of footballing limbo-land and this season could well be one of ups and downs. That’s what usually happens when a ‘legend’ leaves.
Emery will have his time, so far he has brought in very decent players, sa Rico said I will give him two more transfer windows, centre backs are our priority in January … Emery will do well over time I’m sure of that…
Morning all.
Let’s be open and honest here.
I supported Wenger as much as anyone but that’s because he was the manager.
I now support Emery as he is now our manager.
I’ve always said whoever represents the club will have my full support if I believe they’re giving the club their best.
Critising Meerkat because you believe her
loyalties lie with Wenger is no more silly than supporting Emery simply because you wanted Wenger out, surely.
I’m not suggesting either side of the argument is guilty here, but we are all making assumptions.
Let’s all move on and support the players and manager for the right reason-they’re what we have, and they’re doing their best.
No other reason counts.
Let me reiterate this fact.
In my eyes, Arsene is gone, and is now irrelevant.
Emery is the man and has my vote, without reservation.
I want the club to succeed, not a particular manager to be proven right or wrong.
Morning Adam. Agree re the ‘I told you so’ comments, it was inevitable.
I remain on the fence re Emery because until he’s had a few transfer windows to sign his own players, I don’t think we know what he can do. There always seems to be a massive hole between the midfield and our defenders which gives the opposition far too much space to play..
Mexzy, I think he’ll do well too, I really do. Once we get a proper defender or two in and work better as a unit, we’ll be fine. Imo, he had to give some of the players he inherited a chance because he needed to find out whether it was them or not getting things wrong. Right now it seems that a few players aren’t improving, but we’re not the only club who have found that out after a change of manager.
Nobody is criticising Meerkat Scott, just questioning an early judgement on Emery. Also, sometimes, as you know, it’s not what’s said it’s the way it comes across.
Surely nobody who loves the club would want to gloat over an opinion because they believe it’s right due to two losses against City and Chelsea?
New post up now.