Morning all.
Whilst our defending has left a lot to be desired, the attacking side of our game has gone relatively unctriticised. Probably because in certain games, especially during our good run, scoring goals bailed us out on more than one occasion. We’d go into halftime trailing before a second half turnaround coupled with inspired changes, helped us to victory. So much so these idiots on television still come out with ‘we know Arsenal are a team who play better in the second half’ kind of comments. Reality is though, we’re not, not now anyway. There’s more chance of having success at tipster competition for cash prizes than there is our substitutes having the kind of impact they once did.
On Saturday it was tough because two of the three permitted changes were forced, the final one turned out to be a waste of time because Mesut Ozil had no impact on the game in my opinion.
Ozil, Lacazette, Aubameyang – a trio many other managers would love to have in their team but something isn’t clicking. One doesn’t even start matches, Aubameyang drifts in and out of games and Lacazette, well he’s the workhorse who as well as trying to score goals, likes to do his bit to create them for others too. I’ve lost count of how many goal scoring opportunities Aubameyang has squandered and I say squandered because I’d say at least half of them would probably have been buried had Lacazette been presented them.
When Emery arrived in May last year, he was asked about his style of football. What we the Arsenal fans could expect to see, how we’d play:
With personality. This personality for all the minutes of a match: protagonists. I like the possession with the ball, I like good pressing against the other team. I prefer to win 5-4 than win 1-0.’
Arsenal.com
The pressing game has really arrived in abundance. In fits and starts yes but week in week out, no, far from it. But the key comment, one which should have perhaps been a slight warning was the preferring to win 5-4 than 1-0. That suggests to me that defending is possibly not the first thing on his his coaching manual. I’m not trying to suggest he neglects defending entirely, just it’s not perhaps his main focus. Maybe he’s not needed to in the past because he’s either had the players like he did at PSG who had goals galore in them, or he had the workers like he had at Sevilla, as well as players who’d get him goals. A good balance maybe, in Europa at least. Winning the Europa League final for three years in succession though ensured Champions League qualification and the money which came with it.
5th, 5th and 7th was the best his team could manage in the league though, a league which really only has two top clubs in Barcelona and Real Madrid. Atletico are usually fighting to dislodge both but after them, there’s usually a big gap to fourth place. Points wise I mean and during Emery’s reign at Sevilla, the gap between his side and the eventual champions was usually in excess of thirty points.
I’ve digressed again.
My point is, by suggesting he’d rather win 5-4 than 1-0, the reliance seems to be on out scoring the opposition which in itself sounds familiar but at Arsenal, that’s not quite going to plan. Not a huge deal if the defensive unit is as tight as Stan Kroenke, but it’s not. So as a team right now, or squad, we’re neither Arthur nor Martha as the saying goes. Or Jack of all trades but master of none, is perhaps a better description.
Right the way through the core of the team, we lack a master. A tall, fast and dominant central defender, a powerful, strong and controlling midfielder and a clinical goal scorer. I’m not even 100% convinced by Bernd Leno but then give him a structured and well drilled defence and that could so easily change.
All through this transfer window we’ve been linked with attacking or creative players. Wingers and midfielders but not many, if any defenders which suggests to me that instead of tightening up the defence, Emery’s aim is create more goal scoring opportunities for our strikers. If they can start converting more than they squander, the 5-4 score line he’d rather see might become a reality.
Either that or with a new found creative and attacking style of football, the defence just have a lot less to do so they’ll start to look better.
After all, isn’t that what works for Klopp, Pochettino and Guardiola?
first…
A good Sunday!
Hi Jm, for you or Arsenal?
Second! ?
Full of wind here and a bit chilly too.
No wonder we seem to have reverted to Wengerball. We seem to have embraced the Arsene vision of good football……out score the opposition and you win. Who needs defenders when the attackers can score at will, except they can’t, or rather they aren’t at the moment! Sort helps to explain why we keep on not winning!
Sadly I can’t see there being much change either in tactics or personnel in the near future. Has little Dick buried his head in the sand , put his fingers in his ears and gone la la la la lagh?
I suspect he has. He’s realised that in most cases you can’t teach old Wengerites new tricks! Most of the team, especially at the back have a default setting when defending the ball over the top of; “did you see that exquisite 75 yard over the top? It’s taken us all by surprise. It was admirable, I know because I stopped and watched it! What, the goal that followed it, well it’ll be up for goal of the month. The spectators loved it and, I include myself as one of them!” A comment that could be made by any of the 8 Arsenal defenders!
December really was the new November. We really have been woeful. Will it change, will we have a better February? Given our injury list currently, I very much doubt it
I think we can look forward to more of the same dreary tika takka soccerball. New faces I don’t think would make much difference at the moment despite the fact that we need a number of more efficient ‘big men’ at the back or the introduction of small but speedy wingers will make much difference going forward. Imo of course.
Oh well, back to the wind and the cloud. There’s always garden watch to complete! How many tits can I spot at any one time??? I’m up to eight, can I find another three?
Wavy, you’ve just depressed me… lol
I can’t see much in the way of change in the near future . We are an unbalanced team in turmoil. Every time we try to get settled something happens to distabilise things . backin the day as we went through slumps in form we had the occasional resurgence usually heralded by comments of player poweer sorting things behind the manager’s back.
It was kind of like a resurgence of the Tuesday club although in those days the chats took place in the pub . The long diagonal or over the top pass has been our bette-noir for a long time yet no-one seems to either want to address the problem or even try to solve it. It will continue until they do.
Choices as our medical room begins to look like a saturday night accident and emergency department with any assorted defender waiting on the first available trolley we really need to look at what we have rather than what we may be able to obtain.
My thoughts are try to go as far as possible in the Europa and keep in touch with Europa qualification and experiment with one or two of our juniors and see if they can cut it.
Afternoon all and thanks Rico.
I might aswell copy and paste Wavy`s comment as it says it all……………………Dick is the new Arsene !
If Dick is hanging it all on EL, well, without a defense even the “lesser” teams in that comp` will be rubbing their hands at the chance of facing us !
I`m already looking forward to next seasons FA Cup and not facing a big team ! hahaha
If only we were as good as Arsenal Women………………………..3-0 at Reading, did you go Rico ?
Both…
Fortunately today, we are not hanmered in the cups (at home !) and not dropped points in The League
in eurosport. com today.
“Arsenal want three players from Spain, Bayern prepare an offer for Callum Hudson-Odoi, Man Utd take their time, and Arsenal could loan Ivan Perisic.
Arsenal in race for three Spanish signings
Arsenal are chasing three signings from La Liga as they look to give Unai Emery reinforcements. Malcom has been mentioned in talks between Arsenal and Barcelona, and the Spanish champions would consider a loan switch or an offer of £50 million. The original talks have concerned midfielder Denis Suarez, who could also move on loan, and the club are also after Villarreal midfielder Pablo Fornals, with a £28.5 million release clause, says the Sun…..”
Sokratis not expected back until the end of February….
Pc, the women know how to play the game. Not pretty at times but, to use a bit of modern football speak, ‘they are very efficient’! At the back they don’t take any prisoners and if, when playing out from the back, they are put under pressure the ball goes at least 50 yards up the field! None of this tika takka nonsense waiting around for an opening to appear only for the ball to end up ten yards forward followed by 40 yards back…..to the goalkeeper. Ffs. And, the ladies know how to score! First a tap in, more or less, second a penalty and the third a bending 25 yard wallop – a cracker.
Rico, sorry to make you anxious and manic but, it had be said. I’m sure you’ll get over it especially if we beet the welsh hordes on Tuesday! If we don’t I can provide the means for you to end the agony! (A year’s subscription to Private Eye should resolve your sadness + an exclusion diet of no Arsenal related matters until you can see the light at the end of the tunnel.)
l
Potter, I’m all for using the younger players now. We’ve little to lose really and one or two might just surprise.
Good afternoon to you all, if we are to outscore our opponents we need someone who can convert chances at a higher rate than Aubameyang. I don’t know what his conversion rate is, but from what I have seen it can’t be very high.
There is too much tika taka, we need to play much more directly at times. Too much inter-passing merely allows the opposing defenders to recover their positions and regain their shape.
Maybe Perisic is the winger we need, get quickly to the by-line and put in a good cross for Lacazette and Aubameyang to run on to. If played on the left he would lessen the need for Kolasinac to get forward so often, and thereby be in a better position to defend which, should after all, be his primary function.
A great win by the Arsenal Ladies, highlights available now on BT Sport.
As far as I am concerned this season is now all about preparation for a top 4 place next season.
I doubt we can win a trophy if we tried, and as long as we finish top 6 then we have UEFA cup income.
If we can get back to top 4 next year we’ll be fine, but if we fail, our self funding model will keep us in the doldrums for up to a decade.
Perisic as a loan probably yes but as a precursor to an expensive purchase on a player with no resale value no .
…and another one bites the dust, Palace 2- 0 Spuds. Looks as if Pochettino is going to have to wait another season, at least, for his first ever trophy. 😉
My weekend just got better knowing the Spuds lost, doesn`t make up for our loss, but it`s always nice when they fcuk it up !………………………………….although Cicero they could win the CL ! 🙁
I`m looking to the not too distant future and wondering with no defenders of note at CB are we going to get an almighty thumping at Man C ?…………………….could be embarrassing 😯
Le Coq, they will be out in the first knockout round.
Come on mate, we’ve got Mustafi AND Monreal. 😉
I`d rather play your Gnome than Mustafi ! 🙂
Maybe a good thumping will make Krankies dip into their pockets ! 😉
Okay everyone, stop searching BT Sport for the women’s highlights they’re on the BBC Sports website. 😉
Cedric to Inter on loan.
With Bellerin out of the season, Liechteiner haven’t “legs”, Jenkinson not the solution and MN out of it’s real position, with a player not old enougth and with dozens of games in the League, it’s for me difficult to understand ours priorities.
Really hope Mavropanos,even Medley get a chance while Sokratis is out.As said above,cant be worse than Xhaka/Mustafi,what a pair of jokers.And we should go back to Monreal,our most(only) consistent defender in the last couple of years.
Give Medley and Ballard a go!!!!
Morning all.
Morning guys.
Mavropanos and Mustafi tomorrow I reckon. That’s if Mavropanos is fit enough..
Pleggy before Ballard I’d have thought..
‘morning all. I see that after going out of two cup competitions in under sixty-eight hours Pochettino has announced that coming fourth is better than actually winning a trophy. He goes on to say “winning a trophy only builds your ego”. Since he has never won a trophy, how would he know? 😉
That made me laugh too Cicero…
Afternoon Gooners
Afternoon Rico
Liverpool, Man Utd, Tottenham and Everton haven’t signed anyone so Arsenal aren’t alone.
I’m not sure that there’s anyone out there that can transform our squad, not unless there’s a 23 year old Dennis Bergkamp clone or Patrick Vieira we can snaffle up. I like Perisic but he isn’t the answer is he, it’s all feels a bit panicky to me.
I’ve heard that Arsenal could have something like £50 to £70 million to spend next summer, although the rumour did come from a Football.London source and they’re full of hot air.
But in truth, unless we release some players and free up salary those figures can’t be far from the actuality.
The pressure on Emery to get into the top four is huge, it’s the nature of the beast.
It stymies his choice in using our youngsters because if it goes wrong he’ll be crucified, but it’s not exactly working with our 30 somethings is it?
Bringing back Reiss Nelson isn’t the answer, but we have other youngsters who I’d begin to use more, utilise the league games we have left to give our young prospects more opportunities.
Be honest with the fans and tell us that we’re planning for next season by giving the youngsters 1st team exposure now, hopefully the fans would give him that latitude.
Afternoon Kev. Good comment imo. Same re Chambers, leave them where they are to continue enjoying their football.
Rico, I’ve not seen Chambers playing in midfield for Fulham, but it seems that he’s settling down well in that position, so is he an option for Arsenal next season?
Why go out and sign some wonderboy from La Liga or Serie A, if he could actually do a job for us, if not then at least we should get a decent price for him…?
Cardiff is going to be an awkward game on many levels not least emotionally for the Cardiff players and staff. To me, I’d play Nketiah on the right flank, give Cardiff some pace and endeavour to deal with, Aubameyang on the right doesn’t really work and Eddie might link up nicely with his fellow Academy mucker AMN.
It might well the type of game to start Ozil and have Aubameyang up front on his own, leave Lacazette on the bench and save him for Man City (a)…
I can understand signing older players on a loan Kev, but not with the intention of making the deal permanent in the summer.
Ditto re Chambers, no idea how he’s getting on but he’s playing which is all we hope for when they go out on loan..
I wonder if there’s any truth in Ozil to Milan on loan..
Could be a case of us loaning Ozil to Inter and we get Perisic in return Rico, then a straight swap in the summer perhaps? Wages is going to be an issue for sure…
Or was that AC Milan?
If he goes anywhere on loan I will be very surprised if we do not continue to pay a large proportion of his wages.
Inter Kev..
Between nil and two signings before the end of the month says Emery. Nil it is then…
Yep Rico, nil it is…
Some part of me wants us to lose against the Mansour lot so they can keep in touch with the Bindippers !…………………………….not that we have a cat in hells chance of beating them with no defense anyway !
🙂
Apparently Emery has told Carl Jenkinson that he’s not going out on loan this month, so does that mean with Bellerin unavailable that Unai is going to give him a chance and can he anyway, do any worse than Lichtsteiner or Maitland Niles?
It’s where we are…
🙂
Whoever plays right back will need a grafter in front of him. More than one against City… lol
What’s happened to Lichtsteiner?
He’s gone downhill so drastically in such a short time, but why?
Possibly the pace of the Premiership Scott, perhaps its too hot for his aged legs. It could also be that he’s used to having competent defenders alongside him. 😉
Cicero, fair points.
Still, even early on he looked good but has lost it.
New post up now