Arsenal

[Shadydan]

You know Aubamayeng has been there since January right?

Arsenal have improved, I know people don't want to admit it but they are fighting now and not giving up in matches, they are pressing harder, running more and tactically better drilled under Emery than they were under Wenger.

As I said earlier though I reckon they'll drop off later in the season, don't think they have the intensity or thr mentality to stay in the reckoning for top 4 and their squad isn't thst great on paper.

 

[rossdapep]

You know Aubamayeng has been there since January right?

Arsenal have improved, I know people don't want to admit it but they are fighting now and not giving up in matches, they are pressing harder, running more and tactically better drilled under Emery than they were under Wenger.

As I said earlier though I reckon they'll drop off later in the season, don't think they have the intensity or thr mentality to stay in the reckoning for top 4 and their squad isn't thst great on paper.

They've improved no doubt about it. But my feeling is that it will be a short-term lift in performances.

Why?

Well if you went back a few seasons ago before the Wenger rot truly set in, they were still roundly lauded as a team who were scintillating on their day, theyd easily beat the smaller teams (lost a couple of shocking ones too), rally to finish easily in the top 4 and they'd consistently qualify for the KO for CL. But they always had a defence that would collapse as Wenger's importance was to attack, defence less so.

Gradually the players stopped responding to Wenger, those shock defeats and pathetic surrenders became much more frequent and the flowing football evaporated. It was only really moments of quality when players could be bothered that got them going.

When you consider that, it was only going to take a coach with modern ideas and a positive philosophy to lift them to the kind of team they were before the rot set in. Emery's big test will now be to make them more resolute defensively, which they havent been so far, and once normality sets in more critics and fans will focus on this again as it's the aspect that will hold them back.

Knowing what I know about Emery (someone i know who worked with him), the defensive aspect is not his strong point and neither is game management, even if he's proven to be good at making subs.

 

[ikky]

 

[ikky]

 

[werty]

Petty but I don't care!

 

[Dougal]

 

[whitesocks]

When are the FA going to take action on their fans continually throwing bottles on the pitch?
They might not be glass but a full bottle hitting a player's head - and that is the target - is going to hurt.

Arrests and bans have not worked as a deterrent, so time to close the first 5 rows all around the ground until that mangy club put up mesh or perspex.

 

[Kingellesar]

@whitesocks if they close the first 5 rows the fans will be too far away from the pit....oh wait.

But yeah its a joke, time for the FA to bring serious punishment and not a slap on the wrist

 

[sly1]

Nice to see Arsenal extend their losing run

 

[Cornpattbuck]

?

 

[rez9000]

Oh, what a glorious feeeeeeeeeeeeling! Oh, what a glorious daaaaaay!

 

[Snarfalicious]

lolwut.

 

[allatsea]

Has Ozil retired from competitive football?

 

[michaelden]

About 3 years ago, yes

 

[sebo_sek]

View attachment 43286

Laughed so hard when he did this.

Remember this? Classic

www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXDh15xbl14

 

['O Zio]

When are the FA going to take action on their fans continually throwing bottles on the pitch?
They might not be glass but a full bottle hitting a player's head - and that is the target - is going to hurt.

Arrests and bans have not worked as a deterrent, so time to close the first 5 rows all around the ground until that mangy club put up mesh or perspex.

And yet in the other thread you have dozens of our fans moaning that the bloke got a 4 year ban and that it's too harsh

 

[brendanb50]

They've improved no doubt about it. But my feeling is that it will be a short-term lift in performances.

Why?

Well if you went back a few seasons ago before the Wenger rot truly set in, they were still roundly lauded as a team who were scintillating on their day, theyd easily beat the smaller teams (lost a couple of shocking ones too), rally to finish easily in the top 4 and they'd consistently qualify for the KO for CL. But they always had a defence that would collapse as Wenger's importance was to attack, defence less so.

Gradually the players stopped responding to Wenger, those shock defeats and pathetic surrenders became much more frequent and the flowing football evaporated. It was only really moments of quality when players could be bothered that got them going.

When you consider that, it was only going to take a coach with modern ideas and a positive philosophy to lift them to the kind of team they were before the rot set in. Emery's big test will now be to make them more resolute defensively, which they havent been so far, and once normality sets in more critics and fans will focus on this again as it's the aspect that will hold them back.

Knowing what I know about Emery (someone i know who worked with him), the defensive aspect is not his strong point and neither is game management, even if he's proven to be good at making subs.

Definitely a big challenge ahead of Emery. I think we've seen some of that initial uplift that a new manager and new ideas bring into a club but the longer term improvement and stability are still needed. Particularly defensively as you note.

For what it's worth, i think he's getting more out of some of their players and you can see a bit more purpose to their style of play again but they're lacking a spine IMO - from GK (Leno largely unproven in EPL), to the CB pairing through to the core of the midfield. If he can genuinely get more out of the players he has in the medium term (like Poch did with ours) then that will give him time to add and build upon what they've got but time will tell if he has that in his locker. For me the mix of younger players for them is a key to longer term improvement and identity.

One player in that team who utterly flatters to deceive for me is Xhaka though - he's a donkey of a player who's prone to losing his rag. I don't think he works as a DM particularly well and doesn't have the technical game to play higher up - just my opinion of course.

 

[TheChosenOne]

Definitely a big challenge ahead of Emery. I think we've seen some of that initial uplift that a new manager and new ideas bring into a club but the longer term improvement and stability are still needed. Particularly defensively as you note.

For what it's worth, i think he's getting more out of some of their players and you can see a bit more purpose to their style of play again but they're lacking a spine IMO - from GK (Leno largely unproven in EPL), to the CB pairing through to the core of the midfield. If he can genuinely get more out of the players he has in the medium term (like Poch did with ours) then that will give him time to add and build upon what they've got but time will tell if he has that in his locker. For me the mix of younger players for them is a key to longer term improvement and identity.

One player in that team who utterly flatters to deceive for me is Xhaka though - he's a donkey of a player who's prone to losing his rag. I don't think he works as a DM particularly well and doesn't have the technical game to play higher up - just my opinion of course.

He's a liability - a loose cannon if you pardon the pun. Shit stirring cheating and dirty.
Should be targeted every time we play them.

 

['O Zio]

Definitely a big challenge ahead of Emery. I think we've seen some of that initial uplift that a new manager and new ideas bring into a club but the longer term improvement and stability are still needed. Particularly defensively as you note.

For what it's worth, i think he's getting more out of some of their players and you can see a bit more purpose to their style of play again but they're lacking a spine IMO - from GK (Leno largely unproven in EPL), to the CB pairing through to the core of the midfield. If he can genuinely get more out of the players he has in the medium term (like Poch did with ours) then that will give him time to add and build upon what they've got but time will tell if he has that in his locker. For me the mix of younger players for them is a key to longer term improvement and identity.

One player in that team who utterly flatters to deceive for me is Xhaka though - he's a donkey of a player who's prone to losing his rag. I don't think he works as a DM particularly well and doesn't have the technical game to play higher up - just my opinion of course.

They're definitely playing better but they've still got a long way to go.

Agree with you on Xhaka. He's absolute pony. He's like the Sissoko of old but with the added downside that in addition to just being bloody useless he keeps fouling people in dangerous areas as well. One of their worst ever signings surely, and they've had a few. I'm genuinely at a loss as to what he's supposed to be good at. He has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Some people like to make out that he's a kind of hard man enforcer type but he's not even good at that, he's just clumsy.

 

[DiscoD1882]

Im still fuming after seeing the footage straight after the bottle hit on Dele. Sokratris immediatley points to our fans. to try and say they threw it. what a snidey little scumbag.