Expectations from Emery's first season, 2018/19

[krackpot]

Results : was hoping for better with the start we had.

Tactics : Really confused lineups and defensive tactics. 3 ATB does not work with the current players.

Man management : ok, although his treatment of Özil has probably come back to bite him when he had to pick him later on

 

[Ceballinhos]

Disappointing end of the season. We should have done better.

I'm more concerned by the quality of our squad than the manager right now though.

 

[UpTheGunnerz]

There was always going to be a tough season,twas written in the stars. Disappointed how the team, and Emery as well, fell off in the last months of the season. Big plus for how he has made is competitive in big matches again, this was one of my main criterias for success - We desperately needed it. Disappointed in the lack of tactical flexibility when we have struggled against weaker sides. Happy with the players he have brought in and think all of them have been among our best - i am sure Torreira will become if not world class, very close to it. Leno is really good, Sokratis had a couple bad spells but overall solid. Guen a man for the future, like that he shows no fear. So young, will only get better.

Give Emery full trust in the market now and bring in the right players and we will be on the same trajectory as Liverpool with Klopp i firmly believe. Unai Emery is a very good coach and i still believe he will have success here, however success in the sense most fans want it to be was never going to be a reality in the first season. Too much weaknesses in the squad and dreadful mentality that has been left since Wenger.

All in all, an okay first season for Senor. Looking forward to the next one. Hopefully with a couple of new defenders, proper winger and a replacement for Fraudzil.

 

[Furious]

Disappointing end of the season. We should have done better.

I'm more concerned by the quality of our squad than the manager right now though.

Of course you're. It fits your agenda.

Hilarious when you used to bang about a manager improving this squad and get it to challenge for the title though.

 

[UpTheGunnerz]

Disappointing end of the season. We should have done better.

I'm more concerned by the quality of our squad than the manager right now though.

This, so much this. The quality of the squad is not very good at all.

 

[blaze_of_glory]

Majority of people voting in the poll wanted clear improvement and/or CL qualification.

Have to say it's been a failure of a season by those standards. Have we improved in any area other than finishing?

 

[Nyctophobia]

Majority of people voting in the poll wanted clear improvement and/or CL qualification.

Have to say it's been a failure of a season by those standards. Have we improved in any area other than finishing?

Less goals conceded from set-pieces, I think (?)

 

[Ceballinhos]

Of course you're. It fits your agenda.

Hilarious when you used to bang about a manager improving this squad and get it to challenge for the title though.

That was 2 years ago when the squad was different, and the context was different.

 

[blaze_of_glory]

That was 2 years ago when the squad was different, and the context was different.

Our squad was probably better this season than two years ago though.

We have the likes of Auba, Laca, Leno, Torreira, Sokratis, etc. Aside from Alexis and arguably Giroud, everyone we lost since two years ago were part of the "deadwood" that people wanted gone (Walcott, Gibbs, Coq, etc). And most people on here would put Giroud in that category too.

 

[say yes]

Majority of people voting in the poll wanted clear improvement and/or CL qualification.

Have to say it's been a failure of a season by those standards. Have we improved in any area other than finishing?

There are lots of areas where we’ve improved statistically (e.g. points).

The thing that is keeping me most optimistic however is our improved performances against the big teams.

 

[Ceballinhos]

Our squad was probably better this season than two years ago though.

We have the likes of Auba, Laca, Leno, Torreira, Sokratis, etc. Aside from Alexis and arguably Giroud, everyone we lost since two years ago were part of the "deadwood" that people wanted gone (Walcott, Gibbs, Coq, etc). And most people on here would put Giroud in that category too.

I don't agree.
Our squad is much more unbalanced than it was back then.
And a lot of players have regressed from that period. Özil just had his monster season with almost 20 assists, Koscielny was still fit and very reliable, playing twice a week wasn't an issue. Nacho got older.

I'd take peak Sanchez over Auba because he was a much more complete footballer than him. While I love Auba, I do think it was a mistake to spend that much for him when we should have spent that amount on a genuine Alexis replacement.

Also, that was before City had its historic season, and before Liverpool got relevant again.
The competition was not the same.

And I've said we were 2/3 top signings away to genuinely compete for the title back then. Which Wenger/Arsenal have never done.

 

[arsenefc]

lets leave the transition year aside, where Raul-Sven-Ivan were doing their magic and roaming around germany getting photographed while signing Aubameyang.

This was two years ago. Same teams. Crunch final game. Our bench was Cech, Coquelin, Elneny, Perez, Giroud, Walcott, Iwobi.

We had Ox at LWB and Sanchez/Özil behind Welbeck. Xhaka+Ramsey anchoring.

If one compares, we see that this year, we set up more defensively. That year, we had Ox at wingback, Ramsey in CM, This year it was Kola and Torreira. Definite drop in technical quality and chance creation.

The other issue was the impulse to play both strikers in a final and make attack lopsided. This was not setup to ensure chance creation and buildup play, but more of a hope that we would get a lucky strike. Almost worked.

Another difference is that we didnt have height or strength in the back 3. All 3 were over 30 and slower and weaker than the attackers. Giroud tired them out.

All in all, it was a timid setup and there was no clear strategy on how to win the game. You have two strikers who cant head the ball or hold it up, and you funnel play to the wings.

 

[Tir Na Nog]

There definitely was improvements, but the annoying thing is how we've completely collapsed these past few weeks when we could have easily secured CL football. Maybe that just says what we already knew about most of the players.

 

[Tir Na Nog]

10% of people thought we'd be competing for the title.... this forum cracks me up. :rofl:

 

[Giroud12]

Good 75 % of the season, **** last 25 %.

All in all what could be expected - losing our starting RB, starting CB, our only winger and our best player made it difficult in the end. Too much playing time given to the likes of Mkhi, Özil, Iwobi, Lichsteiner, AMN and Mustafi, but that´s hardly Emerys fault.

 

[A_G]

@Original_AAA @NieThePiet @Garrincha @Football Manager were the only ones who voted correctly with the 4th option there

 

[GDeep™]

@Original_AAA @NieThePiet @Garrincha @Football Manager were the only ones who voted correctly with the 4th option there

But we were not too far behind the top 4? Just the top 2. Emery bottled it.

 

[Furious]

@Original_AAA @NieThePiet @Garrincha @Football Manager were the only ones who voted correctly with the 4th option there

We aren't too far behind tho? Finished above United and Emery bottled the CP and Brigton games for us to finish above Chelsea and Sp**s.

 

[arsenefc]

I think Emery had some irrational belief in Doozi and that blinded him to other youth players and squad options. I blame him for that.

Doozi flattered to deceive, didnt create anything, didnt make runs into the box, didnt block shots, didnt tackle effectively. He did tidy passing but was too slow in that too.

 

[A_G]

But we were not too far behind the top 4? Just the top 2. Emery bottled it.

We aren't too far behind tho? Finished above United and Emery bottled the CP and Brigton games for us to finish above Chelsea and Sp**s.

We overestimated the squad, there's a few good players there but the likes of Özil and Miki have been terrible this season.