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Unai Emery: Adios

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Mark Tobias

Mr. Agreeable
These guys all had the spatial awareness - they knew when they had that little bit of time and space in order to pull that move off.

By contrast you have guys like Xhaka, Elneny and Torreira (to a lesser extent... let's see him next season with more confidence) who don't even try to look over their shoulder when they receive the ball in an area they're likely to be pressed in. They're **** scared and would rather pass it back first time to the defender. It's no wonder our play is so useless.
Exactly. No turn and drive which creates a change in pace of the move and unsettles opposition.
 

Makingtrax

Worships in the house of Wenger 🙏
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Player:Saliba
Diaby and Wilshere used to let the ball run across them, thus wrong footing the opposition, and then burst through the centre of the pitch with the ball.

We need players who can do that.
This is exactly what we’re missing. Xhaka is a solid passer, Torreira breaks up play, Douzi a bit of both. But we need a CM who has pace and is capable of dropping his shoulder and passing one or two players.

This is what creates mayhem and puts a well drilled defensive unit into disarray.
 

teamsoutheast

Well-Known Member
One of the reasons we find our defence under pressure is, we give the ball away too often. Watching City yesterday, their players have such good control and very rarely give the ball to the opposition in dangerous areas. Mustafi might do it 3 or 4 times a game.

That's because City can control the midfield in games and we can't. This is why I don't buy into fans saying our defenders are crap. Our midfield are just not good enough to control the game in that area of the pitch. When we do lose it, the attempts to win it back are half-arsed. our midfield players are pass masters but they are not technical or clever enough to out play the heavy press. We had this with Cazorla and Rosicky but have not had this ever since. If you put City's midfield in front of our current defence, I don't think the same defensive problems we are seeing now will exist.
 

Makingtrax

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That's because City can control the midfield in games and we can't. This is why I don't buy into fans saying our defenders are crap. Our midfield are just not good enough to control the game in that area of the pitch. When we do lose it, the attempts to win it back are half-arsed. our midfield players are pass masters but they are not technical or clever enough to out play the heavy press. We had this with Cazorla and Rosicky but have not had this ever since. If you put City's midfield in front of our current defence, I don't think the same defensive problems we are seeing now will exist.
Watch this video, it’s long but highlights his problems. If you don’t have time, look at the incident at 1min 36s. It’s just a long ball over the top, nothing to do with our midfield. Our defenders get out jumped but then look at Mustafi’s lazy decision to just try and block off the defender who just skips past him. And at 2m 3s he has yards on the attacker but is not aware of him coming in, he’s slow and picked off easily. Then he blames Cech. At 2m 20 it’s a similarish story, too slow. 2m 30s long ball again, he’s the wrong side of his man. It just goes on.

He’s not aware of his surroundings, too slow at times, rash in the tackle, and poor ball player on the ground. He’s really not a good footballer or a good defender.
 
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Mark Tobias

Mr. Agreeable
You keep repeating this, but it’s not true ffs. :lol:

Something has to account for why the teams don’t finish in the exact order for which they spend. Reasons include, excellent coaches or poor coaches who upset the players, spending badly, free players who turn out excellent like Kane and a whole host of other reasons.

But here’s the point, not all, but most teams are still pretty close to where they should be despite this. It’s only a rough pattern but it holds fairly well. Money is overwhelmingly the most important factor in where teams finish, and the reason these teams below don’t often drop out of the top 6, even though they do occasionally.
City 1st, spending 1st
Liverpool 2nd, spending 3rd
Sp**s 3rd, spending 6th
Chelsea 4th, spending 4th
Arsenal 5th, spending 5th
United 6th, spending 2nd
Fair.
So Klopp is pulling a Wenger then.
 

RacingPhoton

Established Member
So far, our defense doesn't seem to survive without 3 at the back. Even with 3 at the back, it has looked dysfunctional at times.

Our attack is even more worrying to me. When I think about all the matches I watched, majority of our attacks have been based on Kolasinac's runs and cut-backs. There have been odd goals by individual brilliances of Laca and Auba. Other than that, we don't seem to have a strong plan on attack. Our wins have all coincided with Kola's form.

Having said that, I will given one more season to Emery. It could be the case that Emery understands the team's limitations but doesn't have the personnel to make improvements immediately. This summer window is crucial. If we are going to depend on runs on the wings and cut-backs I hope we buy at least 2 good wingers.
 

TriniGunner

Well-Known Member
Yeah we definitely need players like Rosicky, Wilshere and Diaby. We’d definitely win those 4 games a season they’re all fit to play.

Xhaka is better than all 3 simply by the fact that he’s not injured for 10 years straight. I really don’t get why Arsenal fans love Rosicky so much, has to be the biggest myth I’ve seen in football.

Rosicky was one of our few players who actually added pace to our game when he played consistently. We moved from defense to attack quickly as soon as he collected the ball in the middle of the pitch.
 
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dka1

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There's one thing I that's really bothered me about the way Emery sets up.

I think one of the reasons that we're so good against the big teams is that we're quite obviously aggressive (press and approach) when we play them (even Tottensh!t away iirc).

But against the smaller teams and especially away from home we don't press at all, we don't really look to dominate, and this must be down to Emery's instructions as the players obviously shift their approach as instructed.

So the question is why? I think if we approached every game like we did with the bigger games...sure we'd lose out sometimes on the counter but our away form would be drastically better I think, especially when I think of games like Brighton, West Ham and even Everton. I think we'd also have stood a much better chance against Wolves and we'd instantly be one of the better away teams.

Is it caution? Again about not getting caught on the counter.

Is he worried about fatigue? But then surely it would be better to light the match on fire in the first half then perhaps after taking a lead we can cool off in the latter half.

I don't get that, and it's really the only glaring thing I've seen, doesn't Emery see that his approach away from home doesn't work? But he keeps setting up the team to do the same thing.
 

Tourbillion

Angry & Miserable
There's one thing I that's really bothered me about the way Emery sets up.

I think one of the reasons that we're so good against the big teams is that we're quite obviously aggressive (press and approach) when we play them (even Tottensh!t away iirc).

But against the smaller teams and especially away from home we don't press at all, we don't really look to dominate, and this must be down to Emery's instructions as the players obviously shift their approach as instructed.

So the question is why? I think if we approached every game like we did with the bigger games...sure we'd lose out sometimes on the counter but our away form would be drastically better I think, especially when I think of games like Brighton, West Ham and even Everton. I think we'd also have stood a much better chance against Wolves and we'd instantly be one of the better away teams.

Is it caution? Again about not getting caught on the counter.

Is he worried about fatigue? But then surely it would be better to light the match on fire in the first half then perhaps after taking a lead we can cool off in the latter half.

I don't get that, and it's really the only glaring thing I've seen, doesn't Emery see that his approach away from home doesn't work? But he keeps setting up the team to do the same thing.
So many things just baffle me and I want explanations.
 

arsenefc

Obsessed With Guendouzi
thanks....i can only imagine the gnashing of the ignored teeth, but i think everyone at the club underestimated the task of making a functioning footballing machine with a budget that leaves little room for error. Gazidis and Sven didnt have stomach for the fight. Raul has disappeared into the background, leaving Emery holding the baby.

Cant blame emery, he had nowhere to go, and was being driven out of the dressing room by Neymar. He is doing what he knows, and has very little freedom to operate and has to toe the owners line. Add to that the referees, the reality-show nature of the PL, the brexity environment and the dirty money sploshing around...he has entered at a rather trying time.

The surprising part is that he seems so lost without Banega type players in the middle, but he seemed so ready to let Ramsey leave.
 

Vinci

The Sultan of Unai

Country: Netherlands
He is doing what he knows, and has very little freedom to operate and has to toe the owners line.

The surprising part is that he seems so lost without Banega type players in the middle, but he seemed so ready to let Ramsey leave.
On one hand Emery doesn't have much to say, but on the other he had a major say in whether or not Ramsey would get a new deal? Doesn't make much sense.

Frankly, I think the club didn't want commit to another big earner, with his injury record and inconsistencies, after already signing on Özil and adding big earners like Mkhi and Auba.

In hindsight and considering Ramsey's form, this looks like a mistake, though.
 
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Makingtrax

Worships in the house of Wenger 🙏
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On one hand Emery doesn't have much to say, but on the other he had a major say in whether or not Ramsey would get a new deal? Doesn't make much sense.

Frankly, I think the club didn't want commit to another big earner, with his injury record and inconsistencies, after already signing on Özil and adding big earners like Mkhi and Auba.

In hindsight and considering Ramsey's form, this looks like a mistake, though.
It’s very hard for ordinary fans to know where the power lies in the club. Emery’s new, so the chances are it’s not with him.

Whatever his feelings on Ramsey were at the start, he’s probably changed his mind though having seen him play now. But it’s too late anyhow for him to do anything about it.

I love Aaron, great character and talented footballer. But I’m with @Preacher, as soon as you start to think letting him go was a mistake, you remember all the times we badly needed him and he went missing with his soft tissue injures. When the chips are down, you can’t rely on him.
 

MustOezil

Active Member
With Ivan gone it’s safe to assume Raul and Emery are running the show.

Suarez for example, that’s clear Raul/Emery business.

Forced out Mislintat only to be turned down by Unais boy, Monchi.

The sooner we rid of Emery the better. He will drive our club into mediocrity.
 

alboots101

Established Member
I think Emery has done as good of a job as could be expected. I figured a top 6 finish and hanging onto 3rd or 4th’s coat tails for the run in was as much as I could expect, he’ll need a couple of windows and lots of cash just to sort the defence out.
 

GOONER1991

Established Member
You're right!

Saying that however, you need to adjust your goals as the season progresses. Liverpool fans would 100% have taken second place and another CL semi-final in the summer, especially with City looking so powerful. Now, to miss out on the league will feel like a failure, no matter how they try to dress it up.

Same with us. Yes, the current situation (still with a chance to get 4th, EL semis) would be considered good at the start of the season, but with how the season has panned out to fail in getting top 4 due to our implosion over the past week will feel like failure.

Cannot completely blame Emery though. The squad is missing some vital components. Needs backing (CB, LB, Wingers) in the summer to truly be judged.
 

TriniGunner

Well-Known Member
One of our problems is always a tendency to stick with players who are clearly below par, mediocre or just plain not good enough to play for this club. Week after week we were stuck seeing players like Squillaci, Silvestre, Almunia, etc when most of us knew that we could do better. It wasn't even a question of money, it was our inability to properly scout good players around Europe.
 
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