Morning all.
Red cards happen in the game and they always will. Sokratis was naive, not something you’d expect considering his vast experience but having been booked, got away with a foul soon after, he should have known better.
Free kicks in and around the box will be given too, again, that’s football but it’s not what a soft and useless referee buys into or fails to deal with etc which matters during the ninety minutes, football, all sport really is about how a team/player reacts to any decision given against them.
Arsenal reacted badly. Dreadfully. Appallingly! Players turning their back on the free kick which eventually led to the Rennes equaliser, Xhaka givining the ball away which led to their second and then perhaps the worst was going in search of an equaliser at 2-1 down, only to get caught on the break.
At 2-1, not such a big job next week at The Emirates, 3-1 leaves us with a huge task if we’re to go through. A task too big perhaps, especially without Sokratis alongside Koscielny.
From being in total control at 1-0 up, we capitulated in style. Aubameyang, Ozil, Xhaka and Mustafi were disappointing. Mkhitaryan did his best at right back, but he isn’t a right back. What that was all about goodness only knows.
In all the years Nacho Monreal has been at Arsenal, he showed his worst attitude ever. As Rennes broke forward for their third and final goal, he was left stood on the sidelines waving his arms around in protest of something. Meanwhile, the player he was meant to be tracking was heading home his only goal of the game.
No words from Unai Emery can justify such a toothless display after having Sokratis sent off, no words can make good the cowardly way a couple of our players turned their back on the resulting free kick, or rather the follow up shot from which Cech was beaten. Only Nacho Monreal knows why he behaved the way he did at the end and only Xhaka knows why his consistently commits stupid fouls and stray passes. Mesut Ozil, well I’m bored of him, Aubameyang too.
I know it’s only one game, but how many of these have we had throughout the season? Too many. If I were Unai Emery, I’d be telling a few of these players to find a new club in the summer because Arsenal FC deserve better and so do the fans.
So does he if he’s to succeed at Arsenal.
See you in the comments…
Morning Rico and all. It’s nights like this that are starting to be the defining feature of Emery’s tenure. Yes, he can get the team up for the odd big league game and, yes, he has been hamstrung by having some serial wallies like Xhaka and Mustafi in the squad. He has also been blighted by injuries to important players. All this is true, but…
From where I sit, we have big problems and a dearth of everything from quality to attitude. All the mistakes the usual culprits usually make, they are still making. You just know that Sokratis will always want to leave a bit on the player he is tackling just as you know that, within the first few minutes Xhaka will grab a shirt, pull someone back or make a rash sliding attempt to win the ball. These are going to incur more and more yellow cards which, given the propensity of both players to commit these offences, will start to morph into more and more reds. That’s 3 we’ve had in the last few games and they all cost the team. You know that Guendouzi will get ‘sacked’ on the edge of the box continuously and so do our opponents. Yes, he’s young but never seems to learn. You know that Auba is going to stroll around and unless the ball is in front of him and he can get into his stride, he’s not going to justify his high price, especially in the big games. You also know that he will get the hump if he is hauled off as he did last night, sitting with a face like thunder after a performance so bereft of anything that I am at a loss as to why he seems to blame everybody but himself. I could go on but it’s too depressing.
As we approach the last leg of the season I was rather hoping for more coaching of the player’s attitudes from our manager. With a few exceptions I am not seeing that at all. We have a lot of overpaid bottlers out there and I do wonder what the club’s hierarchy must be thinking about the future. Plough on or reset?
G’day Rico,thanks for the post.
A disappointing result and, from the couple of reports I’ve read, a not very good all round performance. Given the teams propensity to chuck successive games away I fear for us at the weekend. The Europa League looks to be beyond our capabilities and a defeat on Sunday would almost certainly put paid to our hopes of Champions League football next season.
Energy’s team selection is a cause for concern.
Just in from a session in the pool, after a very long, very hot tour of the temple complex of Ankgor Watt. On to the “Killing Fields” of the Pol Pot regime tomorrow.
That should of course read Emery’s team selection.
Morning Adam, Cicero and all.
I still believe it’s player problem, certainly much of it. Does Monreal or any other player really need to be told to hang on, defend and not concede a third goal? It was the same under Wenger which makes me think it’s too ingrained in the players mind to attack.
Can Emery really change a toothless Aubameyang, a shirt tugging Xhaka, or a lazy Ozil?
Stinky attitude can’t be changed, it’s in their dna…
I’d tear my U/14 side to piece if they were caught out at the back like we were and too often Seem to be.
It’s ok if you’re chasing a result but when defending a lead or minimising damage, we still push forward!!
Silly, silly lads.
Morning all.
As Hobart mentioned, seeing Ramsey busting his arse to chase back running past defenders and midfielders says a lot about him, and more about them.
Bloody terrible “effort”, and credit to Rambo for his work ethic and professional pride in giving his all til the end.
I’d imagine Emery has a few choice words for the players today too. He should do.
Absolutely!
What is worrying me is that Emery doesn’t seem to learn from his mistakes. That and the fact he seems to make completely crazy decisions.
The day there’s a fine line between genius and madness. Not sure where on the scale Emery is just yet.
Who is consistently making mistakes though, Emery or the players?
It seems to me that some of our lot are still patting themselves on the back after the draw at Wembley. We were fine until Sokratis got sent off and even though Mkhitaryan wasn’t the best option at right back, the goals came from the other side.
I was surprised Iwobi came off, Aubameyang, Ozil or Xhaka would have been my choice, especially as Xhaka had been booked.
Rico. In a way it’s irrelevant. Emery has the responsibility and he seems as inconsistent as the players. I know it’s easy to sit back and pick it all apart after the event though. He is, after all, at the cutting edge and we’re not.
A glance at what Solskjaer is doing at MU with the same squad as JM could be instructive in this debate. What has he changed and has it been successful? If it has, then how has he achieved it under such pressure and expectations? I know he has a bigger and better squad than us.
There was something deeply wrong under Mourinho and he seems to have identified the causes and addressed them. We are lurching from one disaster to another with the odd success in between, like MU were.
If the board sit back and let Emery just get on with it, will anything improve in a league where consistency is so important?
Mourinho had lost his players though Adam, he was arguing with them in training. Or so it’s reported. He was publicly critical of them.
I get what you I saying though, I really do but how can this same group of players play so well one week and then trash the next? Surely it comes from within.
I’m at a loss really, all I can see is too many over rated, overpaid players not willing to give everything for the team.
nice post Rico.
i Think I’ll go off Arsenal for the rest of lent.
we are so bad from owner to player it’s shocking, last night was on par with the bayern performances for me.
looking at spurs, Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea, city… I fear for us.
we are imo 2 hundred of million short in investment, and tbh totally honest i Think we may need a better/different manager, emery is trying but it ain’t working.
Thanks Kel.
Investment or manager change I guess is the question now. 8m behind Emery for a while yet..
I get that Rico but, as Kel rightly says, it ain’t working. Obviously some more money would be nice but I think there’s more to it than that. It’s an attitude and the right balance between genuine confidence, team ethic and a touch of arrogance perhaps.
Emery might have lost the players too. They certainly weren’t playing for him last night. Then again, this yo-yo performance thing goes back quite a way now. Unless we want to tread water for the coming seasons I reckon the board are going to have to step in and sort it.
We aren’t CL material this season but, with the right man in charge perhaps we could be next season.
That’s certainly a possibility Adam. As said, I’m at a loss really but what’s clear is as you say, something isn’t right..
is it a language barrier because personally i can’t understand a word he says in English fair play to him like for trying to speak it.
would Benitez have been a better appointment?
I can’t understand him either. Can’t help that’s for sure.
Morning Gooners
Morning Rico, hugely disappointing but not overly surprising, it’s not as if the bulk of this team haven’t played as if they don’t give a shit before.
Rennes didn’t have a shot on target until the 34th minute, we should have been coasting at half time, but our inability to be clinical in front of goal – Mustafi and Torrieira in particular- came back to bite us big time.
Then Sokratis did what he did and although the Rennes player exaggerated the challenge we pretty much imploded as an entity – didn’t we know that they’re a team of divers?
We shot ourselves in the foot, all the Rennes goals came following poor play by us, we handed them that result.
Look at the last goal, we had two left backs on, that’s two left backs, where were they?
But neither of them reacted to the third goal, only Ramsey reacted, the guy who is leaving in the summer!
Why didn’t we just play out the game and return home on the back of a 2-1 defeat?
To be honest probably because Rennes aren’t that good and we thought we could equalise.
You see Rennes really aren’t that good, but when Arsenal are shit they really are shittier than shit….
And as for the manager, why not give Nketiah a run, at least his pace would have stretched their defence, bringing on Kolasinac was odd, in fact most of his substitutions in this game didn’t work.
Taking off Iwobi didn’t work, I would have taken off Ozil straight away which begs the question, why is so much emphasis being made on Arsenal struggling to play with 10 men as we do that every time Ozil is in the team anyway…
As for taking off Aubameyang, it was warranted but I probably would have left him on, as there’s always an outside hope of him taking a chance.
It’s in games like these that you can clearly see how many weak minded players we have in our squad and how dysfunctional a squad Emery was bequeathed by Wenger. It also shows that whatever we thought about Arsene, that some of the shambolic football we saw in his final years was probably more to do with having so many players of questionable character in the squad, how else can you judge footballers who continually bigged up Wenger but frequently let him down with spineline, thoughtless and downright idiotic performances.
Yes you can blame Emery, question his tactics, his substitutions, even his powers of motivation, but these players, or the majority, have history in this regard.
Maybe it’s just what we have in modern football, it’s what all the money has done to these guys, despite all the rubbish on social media – ya Gunners ya – (pass me the sickbag) they basically don’t care enough because they’re not hungry enough. Fantastically wealthy sportsmen, more focused on their new car/ girlfriend/ holiday/ business dealings/ photo opportunities.
How do you motivate millionaires?
Morning Kev.
I’m with you on the history of some of these players. Had Emery come in, taking ove4 a squad full of players who had been a better level than they were, I’d be all for lumping the blame on Emery but these guys were doing the same thing last season and the season before.
As for the motivating of millionaires, shouldn’t need to eh…
it’s a hard call for the fans atm, we don’t want to jump the gun and get on emerys back we all recognise he has a big job on his hands.
on the other hand seeing the way we conceded last night it’s like watching the silly mistakes of the past all over again, the persistence with mustafi is mind boggling mavrapanos must be wondering.
monreal getting roasted all night, surely a tactician would have countered that with Maitland Niles pace etc..
I don’t know but it’s very frustrating.
It comes from within with most of these guys Rico, because in certain games they have turned up, but in too many they don’t, because they don’t care enough…
Agree again Kev. They’ll probably turn up on Sunday….
Rico, the great manager for me is one who succeeds where other managers fail. Giving excuses that these players were doing the same under Wenger only raises the question as to why Wenger was sacked in the first place. Without being arsenal manager, I know that Mustafi will pull players or do some very naive things right in the box! I kmow that Lacazette will throw tantrums with the referee and some odd hard penaliaable grafting with his markers. I kmow that our marking is slack, giving yards of space to the opponent to cross or dribble. I know that Papas is hard okay, but can get really silly doing it. I know Guendouzu will be caught in possession in his attempt to overdo things than making a simple pass.
Which team isnt really good playing arsenal? Rico, we can give as many excuses about the poor players he inherited, okay, but let them show some little coaching. I am not asking that they should play like Messi, but they can control games, they can do the little things more correctly.
What I am saying is that it appears that Emery has constantly failed to address some habits of his players and when all put together, cause the team problems – penalties here, red cards there!. If I see thes things,I am shocked that they keep recurring
I don’t think it does at all Daniel. Imo it says that the previous regime paid a lot of money for average players.
Do you think Pep or Klopp or someone other manager could get more from this squad? I used to think so, but now I’m not so sure..
The most disappointing thing for me is young players are never given a chance – unless that players name is Matteo Guendouzi,who gets endless chances. I don’t mean to single him out,he wasn’t the only one to have a shocker.It says a lot that Cech was our best player last night.
Guendouzi is a promising player,but looks like he needs a break.Last night was crying out for Maitland-Niles and Eddie needs a chance,can he do worse ?
And don’t get me started on Mavropanos not being in the Europa squad.Might not be an issue much longer.
Having said that it shouldn’t surprise anyone if we produce performances in our next 2 games and keep our season going.
It’s the hope that gets you !
By the way, I’m not simply trying to defend Emery here as I’m sure there are things he could do differently but i do think its not all down to his management/coaching.
I’m working on the principle that Emery has until the end of next season, then we move onto a different manager and hopefully start to improve.
I don’t think it’s going to happen with Emery. We’re too prone to individual errors (just like under Wenger) and we’re too imbalanced (Emery likes to tinker too much) however we’ve lost the glimpses of attacking genius we had in the past.
I think we run the risk of being cherry picked in the summer window. People have seen the possibilities of Torrera , Aubameyang scores goals but he also misses them , Lacazette gets the hump when he is dragged off but I reckon the bids will come from managers that feel they can get more from them.
The kids are under the microscope too and not giving them chances now means that their agents will be touting them about .
I see a grim future for the club . Sad.
Rico, if a team like Wolves can play with conviction. If a then sour Southampton can match it up against ManU, it goes to show that one can keep moaning about the players he has, after all, that was Mourinho ‘s lot at ManU.
Emery has failed to be consistent with his team. Today it is a great performance and the next day a rather disjointed one.
What I ask is that he should engage his players on those attributes of theirs, though little, but when added cost us games. Against Bate, it was Lacazette, yesterday, it was the turn of Papas. Against ManU on Sunday, whose naive mistake will hunt us?
If doubt if he is the touted video specialist as is claimed, otherwise he will be shouting on them to cut the errors.
To your question Rico, a big yes, Guardian or Kopp will improve us. They hardly allow such trite errors go unpunished.
You could be right Potter, time will tell I guess.
Daniel, didn’t Pep go and buy an entire new defence and keeper? Klopp had to do the same and their defence was all over the place until they signed Vvd.
As said, I know things aren’t right but there’s more to it than just being Emery to blame imo.
The reality is though, if things dont improve, the fans will turn and then Emery will no doubt get sacked. I wonder what the board will do should we go out of Europa at the hands of Rennes.
The guy at Hull, then Watford and now Everton used to be the flavour of the month. I even saw Arsenal fans touting him as a possible Arsenal boss, but now he’ll do well to hang onto the Goodison job…
Managing outside of the top six is different, that’s why they’re outside of the top six with all due respect…
I’m sure we can all recall the shit storm that fell on Emery’s head after his PSG globetrotters lost to Barcelona after taking a healthy lead to the Camp Nou…
Funnily enough they’ve just imploded again this time under Tuchel, but I bet none of the players will accept their culpability…
Yes, criticise the Coach by all means, that’s the name of the game but even Pep fcuks up and he has a team that cost a billion.
Emery has so far spent pretty much zero and is stuck with a core of players who wouldn’t respond to Uncle Arsene and aren’t gonna change anytime soon…
Re Wolves. I think they prove that big money signings are often overrated. What’s inside the player is what counts.
I agree Rico. Our players are capable of chronic underperformance levels.
Morning all.
I’d say the vast majority of comments have been on point, but one came up a few times, and that’s the Lacazette issue of when he’s subbed.
Yes, he gets the shits, but doesn’t that show a level of professional pride and motivation?
The guy wants to play, and I’m sure we’d all agree he gives his all when on the pitch, so I think we are being harsh on him.
The others named and criticised, I can’t disagree with at all.
I’m really not sure if Emery is the man for the job or not, but at the start of his tenure, most agreed it’d take 3-4 windows for him to assemble a squad he could call his own, so I’d still give him that.
My major concern with his management remains the fact that our defence is still shambolic.
Player errors or not, it still should be a lot better drilled than it is so for me, Emery has that hanging right over his head atm.
Evening all and thanks Rico.
Only time we ever come back from a 3-1 away loss was the Inter City Fairs Cup Final…………………….I expect to progress if we keep 11 on the pitch.
As good or as bad as Dick is he is pissing against a Hurricane with most predicting he needs 3 to 4 transfer windows…………………….he`s had 2 already and anyone who thinks he will have sorted out our current squad in another 2 with less than impressive funds needs The Samaritans speed dial number ! hahaha
I have more chance of becoming a successfull Baby Sitting Michael Jackson Tribute Act than Kroenke investing in the team.
Some key points in comments………………….Ole Gunnar same squad as Moronho, but ripping it up !……..expensive talented squad though!
Pep…………………………£1B spent………………………proven talented manager with big funds wherever he has managed !
I have no doubt (since Adam persuaded me 🙂
) that Pep would get something ,more from our squad and that is more to do with the aura he carries, but I also have no doubt that it wouldn`t be enough to win CL or EPL without the funds he has been used to.
I accept we are now just a fringe team/club under Kroenke, but what currently scares me is if we start to lose our young jewels with other leagues especially Germany hovering over our academy like vultures scensing the blood which is seeping from our club due to Kroenkes inability to invest.
Those idiots ( none on here I`m sure ) who were singing we`ve got our Arsenal back ! hahaha
We are never getting our Arsenal back while Kroenke is here and what is getting our Arsenal back anyway ???
LC,
Stan will restrict the club no matter who is manager and we agree on that, but we can hope for some improvement with the squad we have, surely.
I’m still hoping 🙂
Lc, I was one of those ‘idiots’ suggesting we might be getting our Arsenal back..
Thanks for that…
Ooops !
I forgive you for such misjudgement seeing as it`s International Womans Day ! 🙂
Le Coq, I want to be able to disagree but i can’t.
All I’d add is that before Gazidis started his spin campaign it was thought that Allegri had been offered the Arsenal job, but turned it down when he was told the transfer budget. Apparently Arteta wanted the final say on all transfers (as he’d seen what had happened when a committee interferes ) and was rejected. So from this we can assume that Emery knew we had little funds and he’d have no overall control of transfers when he joined.
As for Emery he has a two year deal and has had money spent on the squad. However he’s probably only going to get one summer window unless he gets Champions league football.
As a further comment, I know Wenger had to go, but as an achievement, for a 10 year period he had a net spend less than every other club in the Premier League. Included those that got relegated. During that time scale he finished in the top 4 every year. As the clubs structure and politics changed Wenger couldn’t keep that level of success going.
Emery has roughly £40m more a season to play with, which is why it should be possible to sneak back into the top 4. Winning anything but the FA, UEFA or league cups is probably beyond us though.
Lacazette to start this weekend, Sokratis as well, we’ll miss Torrieira so Emery will probably go Guendouzi and Xhaka, both need to buck their ideas up.
I wonder if Emery will stay with the back four or go three at the back with wingbacks?
The thought of seeing Lingard prancing across our pitch like an elf makes me want to throw up.
Hobart……………….Looking back, Wenger getting us CL football when we had to sell and a net spend less than all the clubs in that period was a great achievement imo………………………………………….then we had Gazidis telling us we could compete with the likes of Bayern !……………..what a spiv !
Wenger was a genius to do what he did.
The thing is, he could’ve done even better with more tactical nous but hey, what a career he had with us.
Shame the biggest benefactor of his work now is some wanker chewing on a cigar in Texas!!
Wenger`s main fault was to stay too long, a bit like a boxer thinking he can go one more match when over the hill.
Some people thought we would see Kroenke`s real ambition when Wenger left, some of us saw it long before as clear as a bell.
As Hobart says, we are basically a cup team now, but then most others are, we`ve become like most others !
Evening Rico and the House.
So much has happened since I have lasted posted.
Pleased to say my wife is now home, not completely recovered but over
the worst.
Many thanks for the well wishes they mean a lot to me.
Hobart, how do you work that out re Wenger and Emery transfer money? Didn’t Wenger spend £60m on Aubameyang in one window when Emery spent less on three players I think.
Back four I hope Kev, six in midfield and five up front… lol
All the best wishes for you Rick and Wife .
Some of us just thought we wouldn’t spend big money on overrated or flaky players. I’d say we did that last summer.
Evening Rick. Glad to hear your wife is improving.
Monchi has left Roma- guess there might be some truth to him joining Arsenal then..
I have been catching up on some great posts Rico and some very good comments
especially by Kev and Adam. The art of blogging will never die while the house can keep
up to this standard.
There seems to be a lot going on off field and in the academy.
Monchi (spelling) has left Roma and it is reprted we have offered him a 3 year contract as Sporting
Directer just have to wait and see.
After next weeks game against Rennes the first team donot play again untlll 1st April so they
are having warm weather training in Dubia .
All this means Torreria will not play in the P/L untill the game against Palace on 20th April
nice little holiday.
Thanks Rick..
Must be an international break looming then? Warm weather training is a new thing for Arsenal isn’t it..
Rick. So glad to hear that your wife is on the mend.
Can Monchi play right back I wonder.
Rico the conveyor belt between Hale End and Colney is producing some
very talented youngsters and this is starting to show with some outstanding results.
.For the past 5years Chelsea have won the U18 League and the youth cup.
They are out of the cup and today our boys thrashed them 3-0 in the league.
We have won the last 7 games are top of the South division 4points in front of the Spuds and 9
in front of Chelsea
In the last 2 games the complete squad were English, 15 from Hale End and just Greenwood who
came fro Sunderland iast Summer.
Coming up behined the U18’s are the U16’s who have reached the final of the league cup
They play Chelsea next friday at Boring wood in the final and i believe they stand a good chance of winning
Hope to have more time for posting from now on but for now good night to you all.
Someone tell mem Am I a terrible supporter. I have supported my Gunners since I arrived in London from Ireland in 1966 as a 16 year old. I watched the Wenger golden yearscan then the last 12 years of Wenger. Then I am alk excited we got Emery breath of fresh air. Not som Same old same old. A defence that is crap. Going nowhere. A forward line that doesnt know what its doing and a midfield of Xhaka. Rennes will lose at Emirates but we will concede thats for sure. Where is my Arsenal of Adams, Keown, SB, Dixon, Winterburn, Gilberto etc etc. I am desponsendent. Manure will beat us thats for sure. Emery needs to go. We need a manager that is defence minded. Spurs or Manure to win the CL. That would be my worst nightmare. The Leeds manager is my choice for next manager of Arsenal. Dick has to go.
That’s fantastic to hear, Rick.
I meant the news on your wife by the way, Rick, but the news on the kids is good, as well.
Morning all.
Rick. Good health to your wife. I hope she makes a full recovery. Just tell her NOT to watch Arsenal, as that will give her high blood pressure.
COYG
Rick, best wishes to your wife and to you,(nobody thinks about the care!) hope she makes a full recovery. Perhaps if you took he to watch the U16’s or U18’s or U20’s etc, let her watch a few exciting prospects and some decent results, it may cheer her up no end! But, keep her away from the 1st team as they can cause heart break despite the prospect of occasional joy!
Wet and very windy here.
Morning Gooners
Morning Rico, we can sit back and watch all the others beating themselves up today… 😀
Hey Rick, that’s great news regarding the Mrs, please pass on our best wishes and get well soon.
I heard someone mention that Emery realised that he made some bad calls in France, not least bringing on Kolasinac when he should have given Nketiah a chance.
I know that he’s under pressure and that all his decisions are being dissected, but he needs to trust his youngsters, just as Solsjakaer has at ManU.
Morning chaps.
New post up now. It’s not the finest… lol
Morning Kev, trouble is, if Eddie plays and doesn’t get goals, imagine the uproar. He’ll be lambasted by our own fans.