Morning all.
Unai Emery is one of four Premier League managers nominated for the manager of the month award. The other three are Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Nuno Espirito Santo. I’d say he’s up against it somewhat with those three in the mix but who knows. To win the award would be great for the Spaniard but I doubt he’ll be fussed either way. He doesn’t seem the kind of guy to be overly interested in awards, his focus seems to be on the game itself.
I think all this talk about Arsenal being title contenders is a bit previous. Certainly at this stage of the season. Maybe if we’re still in the mix in April/May next year our hopes might rise a little but let’s be honest, we haven’t got the depth in quality which both Man City and Chelsea have. But that’s the English media for you, they like a big headline.
As it turns out, we’ve had the perfect opposition over the last few weeks, we’ll, since our opening two of course because it’s given us time to work things out a bit. The real test for us will be when Liverpool roll up at The Emirates early next month although we’ve still got a few fixtures to get through before then. Good, more time to improve.
Monday 22nd October
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Arsenal v Leicester City 8pm PL
Thursday 25th October
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Sporting Lisbon v Arsenal 5:55pm EL
Sunday 28th October
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Crystal Palace v Arsenal 1:30pm PL
Wednesday 31st October
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Arsenal v Blackpool 7:45pm LC
None will be easy. No football fixture these days should be considered easy. Not even when up against lower league side. All four opponents we face this month have different qualities and different weaknesses. All have different objectives too. Sporting Lisbon will want to top our Europa group, Blackpool will certainly be hoping to take the scalp of a Premiership side in the League Cup and the other two, well they’ll just be wanting to shoot up the table as high as possible.
Top four is probably Arsenal’s realistic target this season and should we achieve that I think Emery and the team will have done well. But that’s all a long way off. For now it’s just about keeping the winning run going, keeping morale high and most of all, keep on improving. We’re seeing good stuff being played in fits and starts but despite being on a good run of results, I don’t think we’re consistent enough. And no, that’s not a criticism, just an observation. As we all realise, it’s still very early days under the new regime.
Filling the back pages is Aaron Ramsey which is usually the case when a player is running down his contract, especially when that player is at Arsenal. No great surprise though really as so many of our players have been allowed to do the same during previous years.
Rightly so, Ramsey has been receiving high praise for his goal at the weekend. It was a great goal and his finish was superb but how often has he done that? Whilst you’re scratching your head trying to recall any others, I’m not bothering because I can’t remember another. A couple of crucial FA Cup goals which guaranteed we lifted the big jug, but they were a while ago now. He’s scored others too but then so have plenty of others. Just because a fancy flick found the back of the net on this occasion, it doesn’t meant Ramsey has suddenly turned into Messi, Ronaldo or Hazard. No more than Giroud suddenly became world class because he scored from a scorpion kick.
Being a great footballer is about consistency, playing at a high level for the majority of a season and not the minority. Knowing your role and playing it. Committing to the defensive side of the game as much as the attacking. I don’t think Ramsey has done that. Before anyone cites other players who haven’t either, they’re not the ones asking for a massive pay rise to stay. Elneny soon signed his contract offer as did Xhaka.
Ozil didn’t though. Buckling to his demands has turned out to be one of the daftest decisions the club ever made and highly likely to be one of the key reasons they won’t do it again with Ramsey.
Allegedly, the Welshman wants to double his current wage which is £110k a week but that would mean he’d be earning more than every other player in the squad bar Ozil. Imagine the knock on effect that would have. We’d be in a mess that’s for sure.
I don’t blame Ramsey or his agent trying their luck in order to get a big pay rise, certainly at his stage of his career but there’s knowing when to reel it back and find a compromise. It seems now though it’s too late for Ramsey. As far as Arsenal go anyway and the only way he’s going to get paid anywhere near the amount he’s reported to be after is by leaving for free.
Many have done before but I doubt others will again. Not now the buffoons who allowed it to happen have gone.
Have a good one guys…
Morning all. I say, play our strongest 11 against Leicester, Sporting and Palace, then rest the whole team against Blackpool so that they are ready for Liverpool.. personally i’m confident for the upcoming games. And who knows.. Maybe we can even beat Liverpool at home. That should shut up the critics, at least for the time being..
Hi Rico, spot on as usual.
Ramsey is just after the money but I think it’s different for Danny Welbeck. He won’t get much more money any where else as he will always be a reserve in a top six team, but he may want to be a starter in a mid table team – Crystal Palace comes to mind. I wouldn’t blame him and I’d wish him luck, but I’d much prefer him to stay.
Does anyone else think Sarri has the fashion sense of a Big Issue seller, or is that being unkind to them?
Brian
As Rico said , Ramsey’s agent has missed the bus with the Ozil /Sanchez sized contracts. Over the years the club has been held to ransom over the size of contract renewals usually due to political reasons. We couldn’t let Walcott leave and so over paid him and with Alexis going Ozil held us over a barrel. However that particular leverage is not there . If you want to stay at Emerry’s Arsenal you knuckle down and play for your place . If you don’t want to there’s a window round the corner and we now have a proactive group doing the buying.
I have no problem with Ramsey staying as long as he accepts that he is part of a collective and as such conforms to the wages structure that the club wishes to offer.
I see that every other post on future purchases starts with a new shiny centre back however we should not forget Mavropanos is there already , the first signing of the new regime that unluckily got injured . There must have been a reason why Mislintat was so quick to go after him, perhaps we already have the answer in waiting.
Adk, have you seen Merson’s comments this morning?
Thanks Brian. Talking of Welbeck, funny how his contract situation isn’t making big news. I’d imagine talks are ongoing and he’ll stay.
Good comment Potter.
I think we still need an experienced CB. Can’t see Mustafi staying for too long unless he really does improve and the chances of Kos being back to his best are slim to none imo. Also, it seems Chambers days are numbered having gone out on loan.
Good morning Rico, I thought that you might take a day off seeing as how we are entering the Gobi Desert of football, an international break. But, reliable as ever, here you are with a timely post for our delectation, thank you.
I can’t remember when an Arsenal manager was last put up for the monthly award. It comes as a fitting riposte to the Unai who? brigade (previously known as AKBs).
For all the hype about “The Game of the Century” or some such tripe Liverpool vs Man City proved that neither club are as good as the media like to make out. The fabled Liverpool attack couldn’t break down the City defence, by no means the best around at the moment, While City huffed and puffed but failed to blow down the Scoucer’s house. The negative tactics of Guardiola negated Liverpool while weakening his own strikers by denying them support. Meanwhile Klopp was unable to find an answer. In my view that should make the race for Manager of the Month a two horse affair between Nuno Espirito Santo and our own Unai Emery.
Morning Cicero, thanks. I’m sure I’ll have a day or two off very soon. 😉
I watched City v Liverpool and thought it was quite average. Neither of the two teams are unbeatable imo.
Agree re the two horse race too. Both managers have surpassed both Klopp and Pep imo, with the squads they have especially.
No reasonable Arsenal fan, which means the vast majority of the fan base, expects nothing more than a competitive team with a chance at a trophy. Perhaps if all the stars align, a small chance at a top four challenge. Every fan I know understands that and that it will take a couple of years for Emery to get this right. So a small group of away fans sarcastically chanted “we’ve got our Arsenal back’’ after a decent performance and an impetuous Iwobi made some silly comment about title challenge? Isn’t that what being a fan is all about ? The manager and even more senior players like Laca have come out and tempered that enthusiasm. Why is that reason for people like Merson and Bellamy and Shearer and Collymore and even Neville , never mind you, to suddenly start with the Arsenal fans criticism. It’s almost as if you guys can’t wait to find something to be critical of. We’re not morons you know. It’s insulting to the Arsenal fan base to assume that we know so little about football that we can’t reasonably be expected to understand the challenge this team and manager faces. Look, most of us appreciate the yeoman’s work it takes to put out a blog and we are grateful to people like you for it. But please, as my daughter likes to say, give us a break, huh?
Good morning Sheila, are you sure that you’ve put your comment on the right blog? Nowhere in today’s post, nor any that I can recall have in any way criticised the fan base.
Were the away fan who chanted about getting their Arsenal back being sarcastic? Really?
Read back over the past few months and you will find that both the posts and those commenting, by and large, freely acknowledge that it will take time and money to put right the deficiencies in the squad as well as improving, by coaching, the performance levels of certain of the longer serving players.
Equating the author of the posts on Highbury House with the likes of Merson, Shearer, Bellamy et al is unfair and to an extent insulting to Rico. Perhaps you should listen to the wise words of your daughter…..Give us a break, huh?
If Ramsey gets his 200 a week, that’s app. 10 million a year so for 5 years, 50 million.
What will it cost to replace him?????
For years we’ve asked the club to spend money.
We’ve asked them to pay our better players what the market dictates.
Now, we don’t want them to because it’ll set a precedent.
I get that, but the problem arises from above.
Lack of investment from the owner means we will remain just below the pack.
Our overall wage bill is fairly high because the difference between our highest and lowest earners was small due to our lesser lights being paid too damn well, not because our better players earned too much, relatively speaking.
Morning all.
I don’t think ANY player is worth 200 thousand dollars/pounds/Euros a week, for what’s its worth.
Welcome Sheila.
Like Cicero has, I have to question your comment, especially including my name in amongst those who criticise Emery right now. You have made a wrong assessment of mine and others views on here. We know it’ll take Emery time and most of us are more than prepared to give it to him.
I’m not sure if you read HH every day but if you did, you’d know that. Just as you’d know that we’re happy about the improvements being made.
I do hope you come back to debate this.
Thanks Cicero, that’s a really odd view from Shelia about HH and the folk who comment on here. Other than Lc, I can’t think of anyone who thinks things aren’t better now than they were under Wenger.
Nowt as strange as folk I guess…
£13m and a lot lower wages Scott if the story about the guys in the MLS is true.
Rico, I haven’t heard that rumour, but it’s a massive risk and we don’t need to take it, imo.
It’s all over the internet Scott. He’s a Paraguayan international midfielder I think.
Fair enough.
Let’s hope he’s up for it.
I still can’t get my head around people who play a game for a living wanting so much money lol
Miguel Almiron Scott.
Me neither, how much can one person need in their life? Greed and whoever allowed football to escalate into this financial mess should be ashamed…
Yep, it’s done the game no good at all, imo.
200k a week-how many even earn that in a year????
I know I’m simplifying the situation, but it still just amazes me.
Anyway, off to bed so I can bust my arse for the 200k that hits my acoount NEVER hahahaha
Have a great day Rico.
Sleep well Scott.
In common with most Spanish and Portugese managers (and clubs) Emery will have a keen eye on South America and South American players, where you can still get value for money and if you scout the right players you can pick up some real tough hombres, like they have at Atletico Madrid for example.
To me Ramsey has gone, good player, could have been a lot better, but not irreplaceable!
I know nothing of this Paraguayan but then I knew nothing of Torrieira or Mavropanos or Guendouzi. So far the business done under Mislintat and whoever, has been satisfactory, whilst the coaching of the new regime has improved the likes of Holding, Bellerin & Iwobi, so if those three can kick on and go up a level or two then that could be some £150m saved in transfers, leaving those funds to be spent elsewhere.
Not a bad return for the last few months, let’s see where we are on January 31st as far as league position and transfer business, then we’ll probably have a more informed idea of where we’re going, what we could achieve and what our destination could be… 🙂
Emery needs to be allowed to go about his job without unnecessary pressure. There are alot of positives already this season the major one being the number of away wins we’ve already registered. To me 4th position and/or winning the Europa league would represent progress. With the restriction in our finances it will take him up to three summer windows to assemble a team in his image. The travelling fans had every right to be excited about last Sunday’s performance
My apologies Rico. Perhaps I misconstrued the tenor of your second paragraph which in turn brought my frustrations to the fore. I do read your blog, of the few that I read, precisely because of your measured take on all things Arsenal.
Evening all and another good `un from The Boss, although I cant understand why you have left out our Checkatrade Trophy match ? 🙂
What was Sheila smoking ?……………………..could turn Scott off of Sheila`s for good ! 😆
Excuse me, but as far as I recall, I haven`t said that we are better or worse under Dick !………………………let me clarify, I think Dick has done some good with the training to get players fitter and his attention to detail in making players watch vids of opponents to maximise our ability to deal with oppo`…………two plus points which I know of which are better than Wenger.
I keep saying this and I wonder why it doesn`t register in the minds of some and that is imo ( and you cant re-watch the matches to form an opinion ) the games against WHam, Everton and Watford were more convincing wins last season than they were this season, that doesn`t make me think we are not trying or improving under Dick in other ways and I always said after last seasons debacle that we cant be worse……………………….although the defense is still giving me kittens !
Nine wins is great for confidence and players will forget about the first two games and you can see just by the way that they are celebrating that they are on a high, but I for one are not going to get over confident when you look at some of the teams we beat in the run……………..two pub teams I have never heard of and Brentford Nylons…………….although not convincing in the EPL games apart from Fulham, it`s still wins and I`m not complaining about any win as I have been saying all along, I will settle for Quintuple with edge of seat wins, one nils or 5-4`s I`ll take `em !.
What did Merson say ?
How many players we got playing in the International break ?………………………………not as many as our rivals ?………………………if so, that should/could be in our favour !
Accepted Sheila 😀
Welcome Eddu, I think most here agree with you. Rome wasn’t built in a day and Emery had a mess to sort out. As said before, I like what he’s doing and we’ll be much better when he’s assembled a team of players of his choice.
Merson said we’re going to get thrashed one day soon Lc.
I was sure I read a comment from you which suggested we were no better than last season. I must have read it the wrong way or imagined it. Perhaps I’ll check back to satisfy my own curiosity..
Agree with Merson in a way, but I think the way we are frail at the back maybe off put by the way we attack, so a thrashing might be losing 6-5 or something !
Haven`t the time to look back myself and I do change opinions a lot as I`m a person who always listens and if someone has a good idea or better one than me then I`m not stubborn enough to not take the better option. Free ideas and advise is never to be frowned on imo. With Arsenal I have changed opinion many a time and will in the future is past is to go by.
Lets be honest probably most were pro Wenger for many years, but we changed opinion, the ones that get me were the ones who stayed pro Wenger when it was obvious to see he was declining in standards, these people were either deluded, obsessed or brainwashed to a sort of cult status…………………I know this because I have my many followers in Cornwall ! hahahaha
Merson is probably right although thrashing might be an over exaggeration as despite the fact that we will let in four or five goals chances are we will score a couple ourselves.
The question is how we react to the situation , whether the players drop into their shells and how Emery reacts with substitutes. That will show us more than just the loss of 3 points.
It’s highly likely we’ll lose at some stage because our defending still has a lot of improvements to be made but like you Potter, I think the term thrashing is rather harsh.
When Liverpool turn up next month, how Emery approaches the game will tell us a lot. He’d have done his homework I’m sure and will set out to stopping their front three from getting the ball. Emery is no fool that’s for sure.
At least we know he’ll prepare for the game and not just play his way regardless. I can see us beating Liverpool at home.
New post up now.