So the great new dawn is upon us. We have rid ourselves of Arsene Wenger and his gang of incompetents, and replaced them with high class people that can bring us the success we deserve.
It’s absolutely fantastic. The players are drinking water, smiling,training hard, young players are involved and the manager is hands on on the training ground. These things never happened before , now did they?
That there have been major changes in personnel is undeniable. That they are all top people in their fields of expertise appears to be the case, they are certainly experienced with good track records. Its more people with more individual responsibility and a coach with much less. Modern football? Or should I not say that because “modern football” is frowned upon by the “we want our Arsenal back” hoards. But I digress.
The point is almost every fan is happy, us included, the future looks bright. But what has actually changed other than our perceptions?
We have spent about £70m up until now, I suspect there will be outgoing and our net spend will be considerably less. So are we spending more? Is the new regime spending the money Arsene refused to? Seems not ?
Have we dipped into the £250m in the bank that should be spent on making the team as good as it can be? Seems not ? Perhaps that’s not for spending then, or not anywhere like that figure?
Are we competing for the likes of Marhez ,with City, or are we still buying from the second shelf ? It seems we are not and we still are ! So what’s the big change?
Have we tied Aaron Ramsey down to a new deal, or is it dragging on? Dithering?
Now here is the rub, the moment many readers start shifting uncomfortably on their seat, searching for an answer that doesn’t destroy all their hard earned narratives.
If you are happy with all things Arsenal now, you have a certain Stan Kroenke to thank.
Without spending any more of the clubs money, and of its reserves ,or dipping into his own pocket for a single silver dollar, he has given everyone what they wanted ? Without being a football man or spending time at the club he has granted the wishes of the permanently malcontent.
His useless puppet (Ivan) is now the dogs bollocks. We are Kroenke FC , being driven by Ivan, and he is the very image of a none football man.
So if everything is rosy in the garden, and I hope it is, then we should be very much KROENKE IN ? He has come through big time and perhaps all the hate was for nowt?
Positively Arsenal 
Josh DaSilva no longer listed on Arsenal.com
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Mandy
Do you remember how Phil Dowd reacted to Diaby after he threw Barton with one hand after the former’s red card foul on the former AFC CM who was often targeted with such?
Diaby was recognised as on to be France’s best player at the 2010 WC quite an accolade for a consistently strong squad whose numerous cast offs (extras!) like Mahrez go for for big moolah.
Barton sits alongside Phil Neville in the broadcasters dugout.
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I don’t understand this term:
“More pragmatic playing style”
Just off the top of me head the first 5-2 season, I think, as AFC recovered to get 4th in the league, both FBs did not cross the halfway line after Xmas! Numerous examples. As you’d expect over twenty years! Of course it was rarely reported as such so I can appreaciate why people forget.
If the above comment translates to mean that the new CM is younger prospect with more potential then Coquelin the player he has replaced in the squad* then I guess that is true but I don’t think it has much to do with Tactics IBSF
+along with Jacky boy possibly to ease the wage spread towards the new CM, ignoring rumours of tendonitus – it’s as Mandy said we don’t really know.
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‘A more consistently conservative approach away from home’ makes more sense to me as a comment as I’d rather enjoyed the pragmatic reprioritising of the squad toward the cups amidst these Petro club’s. Three trophies in four years, one final and a Europa league SF, how’s that for pragmatism?
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Mandy apologies if I’m being pedantic with the two different words or terms above there. I blame George.
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I wish that there’d been some more PR of the AFC community awards ceremony – think it was yesterday but I’m not sure…
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Don’t you miserable gits watch Wimbledon?
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no G-p I prefer MKdons
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Pre-season starts tomorrow!
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I mean the pre-season games. The start of my pre-season not the players.
following Germany’s win in 2014 there was a discussion on Arsenal playing Ozil in a front three away from home.
One solution was the 343 formation adopted by AW for a time. A remarkable change for AW as Pep Guardiola opined. A tactic of conservatism or pragmatism or whatever which achieved glory in the 2017 cup final against the then champions, Xhaka shining opposite another outstanding midfielder from the current WC, Kante.
The decline in options at CB (Chambers also out injured for the first part or half of the season) along with the injuries mid season to the new LB were one set of reasons for a switch back to a four. I couldn’t think of many others?
The new manager’s preference is for a back four, and overall I feel it won’t be too disimilar to say the team that played in the first 5pur2 game, pre-retirement Song D**Ming about the place after the opening spell of that game.
it’ll be a few weeks before the new CM is available but we’ll still get to see UE hint at his variations to come and see how the midfield connects to the CBs.
The huge squad turnover started last season, and so Unai’s Arsenal team begins tomorrow.
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Going on video’s and photo’s of training this last two weeks, the squad for our first pre-season game tomorrow, is very likely to be drawn from these players, of course not all of them are likely to be included, but from what I could see these were the players most involved in first team training
Goalies – Cech, Leno, Martinez, Macey
Defenders – Bellerin, Jenkinson, Kolasinac, Mustafi, Chambers, Sokratis, Holding, Mavropanos, Osei-Tutu
Midfield – Ramsey, Mkhitaryan, Maitland-Niles, Reine-Adalaide, Willock, Guendouzi, Smith-Rowe
Forwards – Aubameyang, Lacazette, Lucas, Akpom, Nketiah, Nelson
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Pragmatism or conservatism, Fins, i’d say there’s been a heck of a lot of it at this world cup, with the favourites to win it, France, showing it in abundance.
Conceding a goal like, say, the equaliser at Bournemouth away, would be, while in lead, a near impossibility for them. Don’t know exact mechanisms of why but pretty sure most of it is about positioning and numbers forward and back at any time. Might also be following instructions about where to play their football, with big emphasis on what positions not to take risks.
Not sure how much more pragmatic/conservative we’ll be, nor even how much I want us to be (the thought of one day being like Van Gaal’s Utd often were, with so little risk even at home, certainly doesn’t appeal)
I liked this, read couple of days ago, about italians in 82 (though could be any time) : ‘nobody should fail to acknowledge the marvellous endeavours of the present manager, Enzo Bearzot, to wean the brilliant talents of the Italian league away from the calculation of percentages that governs mentalities there’
A mentality governed by calculation of percentages is a pretty good description, or rather is at the core of, France’s * football, Uruguay’s, or Atleti’s, Juve’s,etc.
*Mbappe is the one glorious exception. Well shown by him still looking to attack late in their semi ,while griezzman even with ten to go preferred to turn back if there was no guaranteed easy pass forward.
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Yes. Bournmouth away – that was the game it became undeniable that the CB options in the weakened squad were not good enough last season.
And when it became apparent that a focus in some threads on “defensive coaching” conveniently ignoring the squad was a subjective projection a construct which had to ignore these changes to the squad (including the wear and tear on the seniors discussed here as a concern before last season even began), a projection ignoring these changes at the back and also ignoring the conservative runs of 2-1 and 2-0 victories which took the 4th/5th highest spending club up to 2nd & 3rd in recent seasons? Not forgetting the glory?
Those runs in the league did happen, not a result of me expressing an opinion or deceptive memory.
I was singing Deschamps praises just the other day here. Of course it helps when you have CBs of the quality of Varane and all the rest including the injured Koscielny. Wenger drooled when asked about Varane after his move to Madrid as much as he did before signing Cazorla. I wouldn’t say the failure to sign mbappe was a failure of imagination, and I wouldn’t think of the failure to sign Varane as the result of an unpragmatic ideology. Likewise I can appreciate why a club with the resources of AFC as opposed to Madrid needs several months to find the right kind of quality going forwards when replacing players like Gabriel and Coquelin.
Both Atletico FBs in the final? That’s because: they are quite good footballers. As we saw recently! Croatia’s dangerous side was always going to be their RIght…as in the good footballer can not just “defend” but “attack” too!
Second successive tournament final for France. They couldn’t score in the last final.
They have the best squad of footballers. Those footballers are saying that they treated their SF victory over Germany as their final last tournament and that they won’t make the same mistake. I expect them to win this time but if they don’t the likeable “Water Carrier” Deschamps will be getting pelters back home. I expect them to win, not for any tactics whatever they may be but because they are the better football team.
But it will be a great game of football between the two best football teams* with the best performing midfields (imagine that!) at this tournament*, and that is as it should be.
*Relaying on Fellaini, starting Fellaini in the SF is an instant disqualification from that accolade!
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The old midfield is quite important. I guess that is why the two best midfields have reached the final?
I’d describe England/Southgat’s call to bypass midfield as that SF progressed to not be conservative but: tragic. Advocates of kick and rush (easy to spot in their “PR”) often denigrate the ability of teams to hold possession if they want to but in that heat once Croatia decided to pass around England it became apparent that the team playing more football were squeezing the life out of England. As Trevor Brooking said when England couldn’t touch the ball for those 15 odd minutes in the second half it killed their legs and rhythm. Running to the corner flag in the 65th minute is not a player trying to be clever or conservative but a player who is desperate for a breather!
This is the ruthless ‘defensive’ or pragmatic style that we often saw when AFC were playing well in recent seasons, those runs of 2-1s/ 2-0 victories.
Fortunately there is: more then one way to be “pragmatic” in most sports. Otherwise we’d all be so bored by watching everyone play the same way that we’d be off doing something else.
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Rich
We can add Paul Scholes to the list including Carrick and now Wilshere.
Wow the big money Sven era was a massive set back for the national team following the promise shown under El Tel etc.
Following Rio Ferdinand’s revelations I think we can safely describe, with the copius benefit of hindsight, that Sven’s tactics were not pragmatic or conservative, but excruciatingly retarded.
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“Pragmatism or conservatism, Fins, I’d say there’s been a heck of a lot of it at this world cup, with the favourites to win it, France, showing it in abundance.” – Rich
Pragmatism in a tournament with a maximum 7 matches is a whole different thing from pragmatism over nine (9) months. World cup-wise, apart from the group stages, the next 4 games for the best 4 teams in the tournament are knock-out games; a matter of win or go home. The temptation, even for the best of teams, is to go one-up and bunker down. We have all observed how great is the psychological pressure on the winning team to be conservative until the final whistle.
League-wise: I’ve watched pragmatic Chelsea under Mourinho and pragmatic United post Ferguson, including the current spell under the Portugeezer, also teams under pragmatic Allardyce and pragmatic Pulis, and I must say that they have all bored me to death. I can’t recount the number of times I’ve fell asleep on the couch watching their mind numbing tactics unfold. Without running afoul of George’s refereeing edict, the worst part is most of these teams are allowed to kick and foul their more progressive opponents. How many times in the PL do we hear commentators repeatedly say the following:
* He is lucky not to have received a yellow card there.
OR
* That should be a penalty. It would have been a foul anywhere else on the field.
We may criticize La Liga for being a duopoly but evidently it is a league that encourages expansive, progressive football, not the pragmatism of Athletico. Mind you Athletico does not have the spending power to buy up the best talent in the world. Sounds familiar? Over the last 18 years the title has gone to Barca or Madrid except for 3 years; Athletico and Valencia (twice). Is it any surprise that the two winningest clubs dominate the champions league; Barcelona and Madrid for 13 frickin times.
While there is a place for pragmatic tactics, as a team philosophy, not for me.
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Looking forward to how Deschamps will try and counter the dangerous Croatian RB.
Which of his midfielders will be tasked to the role?
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Shotta we certainly enjoyed the pragmatic German three man midfield in 2014 with Özil ahead.
Apart from upon these pages there wasn’t much discussion or reflection by the Billy Big Blaggers on how this might impact on the arsenal. In the end we had an interesting spell with Alexis and Özil behind the striker in the 343 before Alexis downed tools.
Looking forward to the subtle variations the new manager will use,
Pragmatic football has always entailed playing some footy in my admittedly limited brain capacity.
As for highlighting the PGMOBs undeniable and idiotic preference for the out of date kick and rush football, I find the inability to answer this objective and empirical observation by the poorly constructed defence (LOL!) to be hilarious.
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George, I’m really looking forward to today but just looked as the track you put with this article, with all your Northern Soul knowlege you should have done better.
Anyway i’m getting excited as if it really is the start of the season, after all the world cup and tennis shennanigans its great to have our ARSENAL back.
banned smiley, banned smiley, banned smiley.
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It’s also hilarious that since Spain won the 2010 WC how there’s been a “debate” about whether what advocates of kick and rush describe as ‘Posession’ football being not as exciting what some describe as more pragmatic style preferred by Brand Scudamore. However how could anyone deny the pragmatic ruthlessness on display as Croatia “pass and moved” their way around the England team?
So which is Kick & Rush?
Is it:
The more exciting style?
Or more pragmatic/conservative?
A linemen type balm past the expiry date which can still ease all our fears and is all things to all football fans. Simply the superior style? Haha!
My preference has always been Wengerball, which combined elements from all these styles and created the now famous fast one touch possesion derived football which could still also be variable enough to give us those victories in the cups, over good teams like Bayern etc. the draws with Paris when they were up against better opponents. The style of football which inspired coaches like UE in his younger days (his words not mine!).
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the numbers of our players involved today
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Shotts
No surprises why Pellegrini & now Guardiola’s City were the most admired recent title winners aside from the earlier Arsenal teams. And the arsenal city games have been the best football games in the league twice a season for most of the last decade, last season’s weaker Arsenal squad finally buckling under the weight of all that Wonga before them.
Personally i’d describe City’s policy of overpaying on players by about three times the going rate not forgetting gilded ponies like Mangala consistently over the last decade to be ruthlessly pragmatic. Of sorts. Heh.
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Strong side for an opener – interesting
And keep hydrated Ian – v important
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Fins: Did you see the video online of Wenger criticizing the slow build up style of Brazil 3 days prior to the Belgium game and predicting it was losing football? Btw I didn’t attack pragmatism as a tactic, I binned it as a philosophy. Punting the ball from defense to the forwards instead of a calm buildup through the lines is fine when you are up 1:0 in in the final few minutes but for 45, 30, 20, 15 minutes is simply gifting the ball back to the opposition.
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Tasty line-up. Maybe they’ll shift Bellerin to lb, where he’s done well at least once, instead of putting the youngster in unfamiliar position.
Incredibly young midfield. Looking forward in particular to seeing Smith-Rowe. Brilliant at those wall-passes (? Think that’s term) in youth football so might see some of that from those who’ve played with him before.
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As per previous seasons I speculate there’ll be lots of changes at HT.
(Contrary to popular misrepresentation double sessions in training during pre season are nothing new – which is why many players would often only play 45 mins).
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subs v Boreham Wood FC: Mkhitaryan, Ramsey, Holding, Mustafi, Chambers, Reine-Adelaide, Nketiah, Jenkinson, Martinez, Perez, Guendouzi, Kolasinac, Akpom
Lucas (banned smiley)
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Shotts
Running to the corner flag in the 65th minute is not a conservative act but one of desperation! You remember my reaction when Oxlade chamberlain waltzed past Paulinho in a friendly in 2013. He’s not a good midfielder and I was staggered to see him start a SF for Brazil again after his non-performance in the 2014 SF. Not much sympathy in the football world for Brazil’s loss.
I have some sympathy for Southgate losing one of the better CMs that he was prepared to trust before the tournament began – AW was correct that Chambo had a big future for England, hopefully if he recovers from a second knee injury he will go on to fulfill that potential that’s been impacted by these injuries. Iwobi, he hasn’t really had such game changing moments yet, as chamberlain had shown by that age, but he’s been free of big injuries so he should kick on again this season. But it’s Maitland Niles who really has impressed me since his Ipswich loan. Loved watching his development last season, he’s now ready to play in CM, as expected he’ll be one contender to cover for the new CM in the opening game against City. A Rolls Royce footballer. Unai is a lucky boy as Wenger put in the hard yards with this player and he might be ready now. COYG.
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“Attack Danny Rose. Score Some goals”
From the pragmatic gospel of Rosicky.
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Wow.
The amazing Auba starting the new season as he finished the last.
What a player.
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Belgium constantly foraging down that left hand side, their right.
Looks like they’ve read the good book.
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Maitland Niles > Dier (in CM)
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Auba coming off the left when playing alongside Laca, same as last season…
AMN playing as the most advanced CM in this training session/friendly.
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Nelson with the fourth after Auba’s hat trick.
Hope he signs up soon along with Ramsey. Nelson is another talent alongside AMN and Eddie that could prove to be a great boon for the new coach. Fingers crossed he stays.
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Hillier claiming that AFC are not comitting the defenders forwards.
Good combination between Bellerin and Laca on the opponents right side byline to set up Nelson.
He’s not Adrian Clarke’s league!
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David making a little bit tit of himself there.
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Fins, they have a narrative and they are pushing it hard! Both Osei-Tutu and Bellerin have been supporting the attack throughout the 45 minutes. I also noticed the latter being blamed when he tried to shepherd the ball out and the attacker almost got in behind him. But as usual the indecisive Cech who could see what was going on failed to come for the ball earlier and left his defender vulnerable. He did that a lot last season, amongst other short-comings, which is why I’m surprised everyone is so sure he’s staying and Ospina going. Cech in goal makes me feel nervous at times. In my view he’s different, but not significantly better than Ospina.
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I can understand that some people have wanted change.
But there’s no need to make yourself look like an Arsenal hole with such made up claims and projections.
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they have a narrative and they are pushing it hard
Yep.
Little bit obvious.
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Huge numbers of subs at HT in a pre season game following all those double training sessions?
Auba attacking from the left when on the field with Laca.
A team playing a line up and strategies familiar from the last 20 years in spite of Hillier making a completely embarrassing arse of himself.
Yep.
Plus la change..
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anyone else having problems signing into Arsenal.com coverage for second half, their stream went off at half time and now won’t let me sign in
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got signed in now, who scored our 6th goal
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Eds
The goal was scored by
Eddie!
(If the people that like to make up the Gibberish try to be effective through repetition then I hop no one minds if I repeat that Unai has been bequeathed a crop of three young gems in his squad, more if we include Bellerin and older graduates etc.)
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Prague Mariam? Damn auto correct.
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by the sounds of it Chambers is going to be used as a DM by Emery, he played there today, and in his after game interview he implied that this is where Emery will be playing him
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England lose 0-2 to Belgium. The 3 Lions gave a fight after going down in the 4th minute but once again the edge went to the team with the better technicians, Hazard in particular, who excelled. Even when 1:0 up they never punted the ball from back to front. Tbf England tried to play but at the decisive moments didn’t have the quality.
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what really has changed with England, if anything, lost 3 games this world cup, to the 2 good teams that they played, barely scored a goal from open play, their NBA tactics at corners became less effective the better the team they played & once VAR made defenders defend the ball and not the man, did they play any exhilarating that will live long in the memory, or was their highlight reel akin to a big fat sam’s team’s corner kick goals etc
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Ramsey was captain for the second half today, anyone know who was captain first half, was it Cech
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