Morning all.
Bernd Leno spared us and we were lucky to come away with a point is about as much as I could gather from watching a few highlights. Highlights, that’s a joke.
Xhaka had a complete moment of madness which handed Wolves possession midway in our own half. There was still a lot to do for their goal and chances for us to cut their move out but as the ball arrived in the box, Xhaka’s attempt to make amends was a fraction too late. Leno was beaten.
We had plenty of opportunities to both equalise and go ahead as the game played out. Aubameyang hit the post when it looked easier to score, Torreria saw a fine save prevent him from scoring and Lacazette was denied by some strong defending. Other players too had decent chances to score. Up the other end, Bernd Leno spared us from going further behind. Just as it looked like our undefeated run was about to end, up popped Mkhitaryan with an equaliser with a cross/shot from outside the box which beat everyone. Both sides went for the winner and it looked like the opposition had gone one too as a fierce shot hit the underside of the crossbar. Thankfully for us, the ball landed on the right side of the goal line.
Disect the performance all we like but it’s not going to change the result and it’s not like this has been going on for three or four years under the same manager. It’s frustrating, of course it is especially after last weekend but at least managed to salvage a point. As said, I’ve only seen a few minutes of the match so passing comment on the way we played is impossible for me to do. The highlights made it all look quite even. Lol
Unai Emery:
on a tough hard-fought point…
‘Yes, we know they are very competitive team and also organised and good on the break. In the 90 minutes tactically, it’s enough today for a win. For us, after, when we were drawing, we continued taking risks because we wanted to win but also conceded some chances for them. Then, we finished not happy with this point but we also recognised their work.
on what he said at half-time…
‘We spoke about these things. It was very difficult to find a goal or break through their lines defensively. Their transition was a very good transition. We didn’t want to concede another goal because it makes it more difficult, but our idea changed a little bit because we spoke at half-time. We needed to take more risks in the match. The risks were thinking that we could win but we also needed good balance in the transition against a good team with good transitions. I think the team played with character and we had chances to draw before our goal. We also continued to look for ways to create and to win the game but then we drew. In the last five or 10 minutes, we had the same idea with the risk but also thinking to win. At the end of the game we could say, ‘OK, the two teams both deserved it’.
on whether Bernd Leno had his best game so far…
We knew that today we needed the goalkeeper with his performance, because when we are taking risks in our attacking moments, and to give them a transition and options in the transitional moments we would need the goalkeeper. Today I thought his performance was good for us.
on Matteo Guendouzi coming on for Alex Iwobi…
‘It was a tactical change. We wanted to play our right and left backs deeper and win back more possession inside with Sead and Hector. Sometimes we did this situation well and we created chances to score. Their work was good defensively because their block was very high.
on whether first-half performances worry him…
‘When you are playing over 90 minutes, the two teams start the game with more intensity. Little by little over 90 minutes you need to impose your game, your job and your individual quality or physical strength. In the first half, they were also very good and it was not easy to play against them in the individual duels. Maybe it’s one thing we can improve but that comes naturally in our work.
on taking off Mesut Ozil and an update on Danny Welbeck…
I decided that we had two players on the bench like Mkhitaryan and Aaron Ramsey, attacking players. I wanted two attacking midfielders, so I made the change for this reason. Danny Welbeck’s injury is a big injury. We spoke with him yesterday and today. We support him with our personal relationship between the player and the staff.
The Spaniard went on to confirm that Welbeck has had surgery on his broken ankle. Whether or not we’ll see him play again this season was something he either couldn’t answer or simply didn’t want to. Personally, I think that’s him finished until the 2019/2020 season kicks off at least and if there’s no contract extension on offer, we’ll not see him in an Arsenal shirt again.
As for the rest of Unai Emery’s post match interview, I’ll still be trying to work out what he really means when Santa comes down my chimney.
A frustrating afternoon for Arsenal, a long road ahead too but we knew it would be didnt we? It’s just that every now and then we’ve seen glimpses of how good we can be and perhaps believe we’re further forward in our progress than we really are. Or at least I do.
Two weeks without domestic football now so enjoy the break. The likes of Monreal, Mavrapanos, Koscielny and Lichtsteiner will be even further forwards on their road to recovery and others who are not away on international duty can put their feet up and relax.
I doubt Unai Emery will though….
How the players away with their countries are treated will be crucial to our recovery. Things have gone backwards a little and in all fairness the players in the last two at least matches have run out of steam. Perhaps it’s the intesity of pre season when Emery took over a deflated squad and trained them hard to get them up to his standards.
The so called rest of the international break will only be handy if the players sit games out rather than get too many minutes on the pitch. Now is the time to be grateful for those that didn’t get called up they need to spend time analysing rather than working their socks off .
This break we need to discuss why we give the ball away in open play and if neccessary get players to come shorter for the ball . At the moment we are losing it to interceptions around the half way line and up front we seem to be trying for the flicks round the corner which are easier to defend by players facing the ball . We have drifted back into casual mode Bellerin yesterday leaning back trying to stroke the ball ball rather than getting over it and powering it goalward .
The Welbeck situation will now show the new regime’s colours . Do we let him walk at the end of his contract as an unknown quantity or do we float him a one year get fit deal with a promise to sell in January if he proves his fitness and get a fee for him however low that might be. He is after all a current England International and despite being more of a squad one , he is still worth a few bob.
If they’re just friendly matches, I hope a lot get rested.
Having a balanced team can some times be more important than having great players. When you get both together you start to win things.
As far as I see we have very little balance. So far I haven’t seen Emery do much about it.
We need to stop both our full backs bombing forward at the same time.
Aubameyang on the left doesn’t work.
Ozil seems like more of a passenger than he did last season.
Iwobi looks good but should still be mainly on the bench.
We’ve gone from having too much creativity in the team with no finishers, to having enough finishers and no creativity.
Hopefully the January window will allow us to get a few changes in.
Hobart. Imo, I think Emery focused on tightening up the defence when he first arrived as that was our biggest weakness. Can’t see us doing much in January but next summer, hopefully his focus will switch to our attack and bring in players who will give us more width and pace. We’ll have Nelson coming back too but our left side is all over the place at times and apart from when bellerin gets forward, we’ve little on the right.
Good morning Rico, thanks for the warning I have recorded the “highlights” but I don’t think I’ll bother watching them.
So Danny has had an operation on his broken ankle, I can’t see this club, or any other club, offering him a contract until he can demonstrate a full recovery. That being the case it seems unlikely that we shall see him in an Arsenal shirt again.
I don’t recall how much we paid for him, nor how much in wages he has cost and it seems obvious that he will go for free in the summer. In purely monetary terms has he been worth signing? Or did we buy yet another expensive Man U reject?
Hi Rico
Thanks for the interview text, it”s interestong that he explains his substitutions in detail.
Like you I”ve omly seen the highligjhts but the problem over the last few games has been goals conceded ny individual mistakes with the usual suspects Xhaka and Mustafi making them. It’s a problem as otherwise they have been playing well.
To be fair the Wolves goal was not a gimme and they took it really well.and our defence against the fast break was very good with Leno outstanding.
I still see some really good signs of progress but we need to get off to a faster start, and I think it’s time for Iwobe at no 10 instead of Ozil
Brian
Morning Cicero. £13m for Welbeck I think, or somewhere around that. I don’t think he’s been a bad signing, but his career with us might have been very different without injury. If he recovers fully, I hope we are able to keep him..
Hi Brian.
As much as Xhaka made the hideous mistake, it’s possible the Wolves player behind him gave him a shout so he let the ball run. Even so, he should have took control and pushed forward. He’ll realise that today.
But, imo, we could have still prevented the goal. Kolasinac (I think) could have certainly done more.
Just throwing this into the mix for discussion. I read an article the other day about the clubs wages.
Apparently these are our top 5 earners (not in order) Ozil, Mkhitaryan, Aubameyang, Lacazette and Kolasinac.
Not Kolasinac, it was Holding. His defending was a really weak attempt to stop the ball into the box.
Totally agree about the left side , a winger with a bit of pace and a few tricks would be nice . Perhaps Real would like to swap Bale for Welbeck ( tongue in cheek ) .
Monreal does the job better than Kolasinac but is no spring chicken and I think Emery is planning long term and I would not be surprised to see a younger player emerge from somewhere obscure if Nelson is considered not to be the answer.
Auba and Laca is a bit of a conundrum rather like the Gerrard / Lampard one . Can they play together ? or do we take the decision it’s one or the other and get a specialist to play wide left ?
BTW Nice to see you posting again Hobart.
Hobart.
Here’s a wage post.
https://highbury-house.com/2018/10/31/arsenal-deal-confirmed-club-make-offer-for-left-back-at-league-cup-returns/
Good point about Aubameyang and Lacazette, I don’t think Auba is the answer on the left, in fact welbeck imo was a better option. Imo Emery is going to have dip into the market for that side to be sorted. But probably not until the summer. Nelson should sort the right as he continues to get stronger.
Hobart, Mkhitaryan came as part of the Sanchez deal so no transfer fee was payable, hence the higher wage. Kolasinac was a free transfer so the same applies to him.
Aubameyang, despite a recent drop in form, has proved his worth many times over and Lacazette continues to do so. I do think that Ozil’s wage is over generous, perhaps it was Wenger’s last desperate throw of the dice to prop up his failing management tenure.
Had Alexis wanted to stay, Ozil wouldn’t have got the salary he has imo.
Trouble was Rico, no club wanted Ozil enough whereas Man U wanted Sanchez. Maybe we could get him back on loan in January, he’s doing nothing under Mourinho’s boring tactics.
Could have let him go for free Cicero..
Keep hearing fans saying emery needs a few tranfer windows, well noises coming out of the club are no business in jan and only 40ml In the summer at that rate some of our key players will be past it. THere seems to be zero ambition at our club. Can’t see us ever competing at the top level with the Parasite kroenke as owner..
Get used to it Stevey, there’s no way the Kroenke family are going to sell the club and as the club is private ownership the Kroenkes have no need to publish accounts. So we will never know the true state of the club’s finances.
Afternoon Gooners…
Afternoon Rico, like you, no radio commentary and only MotD highlights to judge the game.
I do wonder if fatigue played its part, it was such a tough game against Liverpool, who subsequently lost their following game while we toiled against a pathetic Sporting Lisboa?
Wolves seemed fresher both mentally and physically, which isn’t surprising as they had a week to prepare, then there was the psychological effect of Danny Welbeck’s injury, that may have had a more debilitating effect than we imagine and we certainly looked lethargic on Sunday, with maybe other things on the players’ minds, plus remember how Eduardo’s injury basically cost us an entire season a few year ago. So it’s worth bearing that in mind I think…
Anyway, just as I didn’t go overboard after all those wins, I’m not going to go overboard because we’ve drawn a few, it’s still 16 unbeaten, how many of us would have taken that back in August?
The Xhaka thing looked as if someone called out to him to leave it, I’m not saying that’s what happened but it did look as if he deliberately pulled his foot away from the ball – very odd…
Aubameyang again missed a sitter, there definitely seems to be those that prefer PEA to Lacazette, but I’m not one of them, for me we’re a much better attacking unit with Laca leading the attack, I’m just glad that France don’t pick him and he gets a good rest during Interlulls.
The Bournemouth game at Dean Court is massive, the Cherries are on form and our record at their place is mixed so 3 points isn’t a given, but we really need a win going into all those tough games up to the end of the year.
I don’t think that there’s going to be a magic transfer bullet in January, you know, a player or two who’ll transform us into top four certainties, so I’m expecting little or no business in January, maybe a loan player to cover for the loss of Welbeck maybe?
Emery has to work with what he’s got, much as everyone else except City and Chelsea, it’s how we’ve always operated, but I’m optimistic about how our younger players are buying into the new project and improving. We have the core of a really exciting and young team. Some of our older thirty somethings will just play out their contracts and leave I suspect. They have no sell on value so we’re stuck with them because of poor planning and transfer business prior to this season.
Mavropanos will be back soon, let’s see how he goes, Maitland Niles is still recovering from his broken leg, Guendouzi, Iwobi, Holding, Torrieira have all been encouraging to watch, Nelson is ripping up the Bundesliga, Smith Rowe looks a player but he still need to grow, he’s still a kid, then there’s Nketiah, he now has the chance to shine, I hope he does well.
There are many things that aren’t right in the team at the moment and I keep starting to write something to try and organise my thoughts, but whatever strand I start pulling at I keep getting it tangled with all the other strands and it becomes a big jumble.
However one thing keeps coming back to me.
Other than a couple of the new signings, and the impact they have made. I’m not sure anything has really changed.
And seeing as none of the new signings were Emery lead. What exactly has he done to improve things?
Hobart, they may be playing in a tactically similar way as under Wenger, but they are doing so in a more structured and disciplined way. They are also more committed and confident. Read the players comments about the way Emery is changing things, and improving them.
Afternoon all.
We’re playing Bournemouth and Boscombe in November! I’m not holding out too much hope on much more than a score draw!
Saturday’s game was Wengerball at its least effective. Sadly, if things don’t change they stay as they are!!
As for player and team improvement, well, I think they are a better team than they were under the old regime. Even if and when they play poorly it seems to be better than before. How many of the 16 games in our impressive spell would have been lost a year ago? More than a few I suspect. So, they are now playing with greater confidence and far better outcomes because they have recovered their individual and group belief in their ability to succeed. Emery seems to have roughed them up a bit and, a bit of praise goes a long way, a few tweaks here and there takes them all a bit further, still. It’s all part of the self fulfilling prophecy. If you are encouraged to think you can win then mostly you do!
I don’t think Dick does too much personal criticism, probably he’s yet to read the poison dwarf’s auto biography! ‘The Special One’ – or how to destroy the special teams I’ve inherited!
Nice day shame about the clouds and wind and cold!
I see the old negativity is going to be hard to shake off.
Afternoon Kev, all.
I don’t for one minute believe the £40m in the summer rumour. Don’t forget we start a new deal with Adidas which will give us more than before…
Adam, I’m pleased to say I’m not at all negative. One draw v Wolves, a team who held City to a draw away from home, means nothing imo.
Kev, when it comes to clear cut chances I think Lacazette is the more clinical.
Despite my earlier misgivings I did watch the Sky highlights programme, if that was the sum total of the high points of the game, it looked pretty even to me.
Ozil had another of his “I’m not here” kind of days. Iwobi was rightly hooked at half-time, Guendouzi came on and allowed Xhaka to play higher up the pitch. we certainly looked better in the second half. Aubameyang missed an absolute sitter. Better finishing might have given Wolves all three points but hitting the woodwork doesn’t count. Leno was massive.
Lacazette must be played in the central striker position.
Rico, you should be glad you did not watch this game. Fact is, our team was poor. No intensity, no pressing. Nobody was opening up to receive the ball. The players looked tired and uninterested. In fact, it looked as if their minds were on the international break.
Poor passing was the order of the day and Xhaka, Kolasinac and Bellerin were the worst. I hope the praise is not getting to their heads. Three draws in a row and the others are slowly pulling away.
It was particularly painful cos Chelsea was held by Everton and Man U lost.
Still so much work to do and so many players to shift!
I thought similar Cicero, we were far from perfect but we had our own fair share of chances..
Have to take the rough with the smooth Daniel. 😜
Seriously, perhaps it was just one of those days, everyone has them just with us, it’s usually more than one player who has a bad day. It’s still very early days under Emery and a lot of work to be done. And as you say, players to move on with others coming in. All takes time though.
I hang on to the belief that last season we’d have lost that match so something is improving.
Good morning Rico ( at least it is on the west coast of the USA)
I thought Wolves played well. They defended like they parked the bus but when they broke they got forward really well. Their goal spoiled the game as it played into their tactics. Arsenal had to take risks to even draw let alone win (as Unai admitted) which gave Wolves the scenario they excelled at.
I hope it’s not a false dawn for the gunners.
Reg
Hi Reg, good to see you back. It can be quiet on here this time of day though..
As said, having not seen much of the game it’s hard to comment really..
I’ll tell ya what Rico, in the games against the big teams I’d rather have my mortgage on Lacazette than Aubameyang, I like them both but I know who I’d rely on…
Hey Reg, how’s things in your locality, we’re hearing that you’ve had forest fires over there that have destroyed an area the size of Wales.
Hi Allezkez, I live in the Pacific Northwest halfway between Seattle and Vancouver BC. The climate is similar to that of SE England where I grew up. Mild and wet – no real extremes. The fires down in California are a 1000 miles south of us and are what nightmares are made of.
Poor buggers didn’t stand a chance as the fires spread from start to 70,000 acres overnight.
Puts football into perspective I reckon.
Reg
By the way the whole game is on the Arsenal.com website.
Reg
Watchibg those fires carefully . My mate who I used to go to Highbury with in the 60’s now lives in the Ojai valley. Earlier this yearthey had mudslides there so hopefully the plant life has not recovered enough to create fuel for the fires to spread.
Me too Kev but like you, both are quality.
I’m keeping tabs on the fires too as my brother lives in LA, not far from where the fires are…
New post up now.