Unai Emery: Adios

[Beksl]

Literally haven't had a game where any of this is visibly on display. We still have players jogging back, we're a absolute mess in the press and I see very little to suggest the shape we are using is a well drilled defensive shape.

Liverpool away. We showed defensive shape I haven't see from us in years. It's obvious we're working on that in training. Constant changes at the back as well as at the double pivot doesn't help and it must be one of the reasons we're still inconsistent.

I don't think we're that bad at pressing, we showed good patches yesterday in the first half. We also scored a handful of goals already this season directly from targeted pressing.

Just to be clear, I'm not saying we're already drilled at anything but I do believe we'll eventually get there during the season, especially if we can solidify first11.

 

[Beksl]

Are you watching Arsenal de Sarandi?

I did say he's trying to instill those things not that we're already good at it. We certainly are in patches tbh.

 

[DanDare]

Emery by now has shown he can't manage this team beyond mediocrity

If he is reliant on a couple of fullbacks for his football to "work" them he truly is a fraud

 

[Toby]

I did say he's trying to instill those things not that we're already good at it. We certainly are in patches tbh.

And these "patches" are far, far too inconsistent to really say there's been progression in these things or that they are especially being worked on. Apart from the Liege game the pressing and the build up playing it out from the back are a joke, as is the defensive shape off the ball.

 

[Mark Tobias]

Liverpool away. We showed defensive shape I haven't see from us in years. It's obvious we're working on that in training. Constant changes at the back as well as at the double pivot doesn't help and it must be one of the reasons we're still inconsistent.

I don't think we're that bad at pressing, we showed good patches yesterday in the first half. We also scored a handful of goals already this season directly from targeted pressing.

Just to be clear, I'm not saying we're already drilled at anything but I do believe we'll eventually get there during the season, especially if we can solidify first11.

We did look to have a solid plan at Liverpool. It didn't work but I was happy with the approach for that game.
What irritates me is using an almost identical plan against the bottom of the league..

 

[Fewtch]

By "talking about performances" in AM terms he means:

"Get that greasy terrorist out of my club, his football is absolute ****e!"

Why are you bringing up match thread posts to prove your stupid point?
There’s plenty of good discussion in this thread and elsewhere but I’m sure you knew that already.

Just use the report function next time if a post bothers you so much.

 

[celestis]

Obviously you can nitpick stats to prove you point, I get it. Take the dreadful comment in a more broader sense as in transfer dealings, away form, lack of defensive scrutiny, embarrassments on the international scene and in big domsetic games. We looked like we were in free fall just a year and a half ago. Out of top4 with big old squad on CL wages, Özil just extorted a ludicrous wage that opened the door for others to try the same, what else did you expect?

We were in such a predicament back then no one was envisaging the style of play, all we wanted was someone to stir the ship and show some conviction in what he's doing. The snobbery I'm seeing now, how we should be playing beautiful footbal because this is our identity (even thou Arsenal was known for ages for it's dull football) was nowhere to be seen when we sacked Wenger, such was the state of the fanbase.

The new Management has done an extremely good job off the ptich .

About the football ... This is the thing , I thought the games we played at home v Sp**s and Liverpool were of an extremely high standard and good to watch to be honest . I could see what Unai was trying to do . What bothers me is that after he started tinkering with aspects of the set up , formations . haflway throught the 2nd hafl of the season we just looked a mess and we continue to do so .

Unai to has shown he has a good football brain not sure he has the conviction though because he chops and changes at the slightest hiccups .

 

[Beksl]

And these "patches" are far, far too inconsistent to really say there's been progression in these things or that they are especially being worked on. Apart from the Liege game the pressing and the build up playing it out from the back are a joke, as is the defensive shape off the ball.

Well I just disagree. I've seen enough indications in our play to say these are things that are being worked on.

 

[Preacher]

Best defensive metric in order to evaluate pressing, playing intesity and style is PPDA - passes allowed per defensive action. Let's take a look.

Newcastle(a) - PPDA is equal 11.05
Burnley(h) - 5.31
Liverpool(a) - 28.43 LOL
Sp**s(h) - 6.79
Watford(a) - 21.42 LOL
Villa(h) - 9.10
United(a) - 10.13
Bournemouth(h) - 7.03

We're decent at home, when we're allowing 7.06 passes per defensive action. And we're terrible away from home with 17.76. Let's hope we will see less games like against Watford and Liverpool. Our defence just can't sustain pressure of that magnitude.

 

[Mark Tobias]

Well I just disagree. I've seen enough indications in our play to say these are things that are being worked on.

Must be some extremely slow learners in this squad then.

 

[Sniper Mik]

Best defensive metric in order to evaluate pressing, playing intesity and style is PPDA - passes allowed per defensive action. Let's take a look.

Newcastle(a) - PPDA is equal 11.05
Burnley(h) - 5.31
Liverpool(a) - 28.43 LOL
Sp**s(h) - 6.79
Watford(a) - 21.42 LOL
Villa(h) - 9.10
United(a) - 10.13
Bournemouth(h) - 7.03

We're decent at home, when we're allowing 7.06 passes per defensive action. And we're terrible away from home with 17.76. Let's hope we will see less games like against Watford and Liverpool. Our defence just can't sustain pressure of that magnitude.

The game with the best PPDA was one in which Xhaka did not play. You can't make this up.

 

[Fewtch]

Best defensive metric in order to evaluate pressing, playing intesity and style is PPDA - passes allow per defensive action. Let's take a look.

Newcastle(a) - PPDA is equal 11.05
Burnley(h) - 5.31
Liverpool(a) - 28.43 LOL
Sp**s(h) - 6.79
Watford(a) - 21.42 LOL
Villa(h) - 9.10
United(a) - 10.13
Bournemouth(h) - 7.03

We're decent at home, when we're allowing 7.06 passes per defensive action. And we're terrible away from home with 17.76. Let's hope we will see less games like against Watford and Liverpool. Our defence just can't sustain pressure of that magnitude.

We actually had worse PPDA numbers last season compared to Wenger’s last season as well. I don’t understand what these guys are talking about when pressing is brought up as an improvement from the Wenger era.

Apart from the 7 points that didn’t give us a top 4 spot, I literally can’t think of anything we’ve improved upon from Wenger’s last season after spending about 170m on players.

 

[Mark Tobias]

We actually had worse PPDA numbers last season compared to Wenger’s last season as well. I don’t understand what these guys are talking about when pressing is brought up as an improvement from the Wenger era.

Apart from the 7 points that didn’t give us a top 4 spot, I literally can’t think of anything we’ve improved upon from Wenger’s last season after spending about 170m on players.

And our attack is certainly nowhere near the level of Wenger's sides. We were crap defensively but we never struggled going forward.

 

[Beksl]

Must be some extremely slow learners in this squad then.

Actually it was something I was thinking just yesterday. Considering how Emery likes more analytical approach with tons of video analysis and plethora of intricate informations (presumably) I could imagine how someone who's not the sharpest tool in the box could be very confused at times.

 

[krackpot]

He’s a perfect transition manager/coach after the debacle we witnessed in the last couple of seasons under Wenger. We’re building new foundations banking on academy products and young talent, whoever comes after him will be getting a young squad with drilled fundamentals of modern football.

He’ll get us top4 and maybe even Europa but I’m not sure he can lead us to another level.

Although I get what you are saying, transition managers get 6 months. 2 full season is not a transition

Like Avram Grant at Chelsea. Think he won them a trophy in 6 months and signed off.

Would you call Pellegrini at $ity a transition manager?

Mourinho rarely stays more than 3 seasons. Is he one too?

This transition bollocks is now looking like an excuse.

 

[Mark Tobias]

Actually it was something I was thinking just yesterday. Considering how Emery likes more analytical approach with tons of video analysis and plethora of intricate informations (presumably) I could imagine how someone who's not the sharpest tool in the box could be very confused at times.

So you're blaming the poor performances on a 25 man squad full of idiots. We don't have a single player who understands drills, analysis or instructions? Christ, the lengths you're going to here are unreal.

 

[Beksl]

Although I get what you are saying, transition managers get 6 months. 2 full season is not a transition

Like Avram Grant at Chelsea. Think he won them a trophy in 6 months and signed off.

Would you call Pellegrini at $ity a transition manager?

Mourinho rarely stays more than 3 seasons. Is he one too?

This transition bollocks is now looking like an excuse.

You can call it whatever you like but the fact is this Club is transforming from one paradigm to another, from one model of how to run a club to another.

 

[El Duderino]

I can imagine him going up to Torreira and - in English - saying "Good ebening, Lucas you protagonist now, play attacking midfielder, press, si?"

"Oi! Why are you not using Spanish, bruv?" Lucas ponders. "I'm a defensive midfilder, fam!" He replies.

"Good ebening, here's pendrive, you attacking midfielder, si?" as Unai walks away and goes to have tea with Xhaka

 

[Beksl]

So you're blaming the poor performances on a 25 man squad full of idiots. We don't have a single player who understands drills, analysis or instructions? Christ, the lengths you're going to here are unreal.

It was just a thought I'm not saying that's the reason. FFS every time I try to engage in a debate people just wait and jump on a sentence disregarding the whole line of thought I'm trying to convey through my posts. I Forgot how much easier it is to be a troll.

 

[Red London]

I was supporting Emery last season because I saw some signs of change from Wenger's last season. We were winning away games to begin with for a start, as well as getting more points vs the top 6 (with some strong performances). Even after the capitulation at the end of the season, he had at least taken us to a EL final and it was something to build on for this season.

The reason why I am now changing my mind is because we have gone backwards since Emery's first 4 months here. Up until December we weren't playing sexy football but we were somewhat solid and we were grinding out the results; it was a decent start to his career here. The issue is we have gone backwards. We had an injury crisis in defence and understandably dropped a lot of points but by the time those players had returned we had changed our formation to something which was being defensive without managing t actually be solid.

Even though Emery has changed back to the 4231, we are no longer as solid as we used to be. The Torreira x Xhaka partnership was actually very strong last season until we changed our system. But for a long time now we havent had solidity or prowess going forward. Our football is with less pressing, urgency and aggression than last season.