It’s no secret that I have have major doubts about whether Mr.Emery is the right man for Arsenal. I pointed out early in the 22 game unbeaten run that the football was poor and that the underlying statistics were very worrying. Now it seems more and more people are seeing the problems. Excuses that were rolled out are now looking less and less valid.
It needs a better vision, better understanding, liberty for the players, belief that even the most difficult team can be beaten, not fear and loathing and disharmony and limited liberties.
What we currently have are a head coach fearful of losing and players scared to follow their initiative because Emery has already showed he doesn’t tolerate defiance.
What I don’t understand is the obsession with “Emery need more time”. That ship has sailed with his contract up for review in a few months. So for all intents and purposes he is currently coaching the team to save his job. There are teams conceding far less shots at goal with players inferior to the players we have starting. The great hope is that Bellerin , Holding and Tierney will fix our woes, but I have my doubts. They certainly won’t fix our midfield, which for me is the problem.
Last season even with Bellerín and Holding we were sloppy in defense. Just like now Auba’s goals spared our blushes. We also had world class Aaron Ramsey to call upon when the going got tough, or the experience of Mkhitaryan to solidify our midfield. Özil will continue to get crumbs. Holding will likely be part of of back 3 which could mean Ceballos being sacrificed because Guendouzi currently look to be first name on the matchday sheet.
Arsenal’s best run last season was when we conceded 1 goal in 8 matches…. we had Ramsey, Özil and Xhaka in midfield and yes even the much maligned Mustafi in defense. There was no Holding or Bellerín.
The players are not our problem , our lack of identity is. If every week your boss instructed you to go about your job in a different way, how could you ever perfect anything? How could you hone and sharpen your skills? How would your colleagues understand what they should do to compliment you? This mishmash of styles has never worked for any team good team in the history of football.
In my opinion we have comfortably the 3rd best squad in the league, but honestly, watching the team plod through games, you couldn’t tell.
We have a set up that is specifically designed to make the replacement of the head coach and easy process. I think we should use it, and the sooner the better.
Positively Arsenal 
There have been some great comments on this great article. Just wanted to voice my appreciation.
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Labo, I see what you mean, and there is a logic to it. I’m not convinced though. Ozil came back the same time as Kolasinac. We not only play him but even sold the only other guy who could currently play in his position. Ozil is kept out of the team by Emery, and no matter how much he trains, his match fitness will be behind. It is unfair to expect him to deliver out of the blue, and probably just be dropped again, even if he does.
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Of course Özil will need a run of games to get his mojo back and getting crumbs is not doing him any favours. It’s a shame that this is where we are, especially with his performances subjected to special attention.
Eddie highlighted that the travelling party is a bit heavy on CB’s, something that would indeed suggest with Holding back we are likely to go back to a back-three.
Özil moving further even down the pecking order.
Hopefully the players voicing their concern will set off something to make Emery a bit more adventurous… Lol. But who am I kidding. Mandy made a good point saying it will likely only make Emery even more cautious/fearful of losing. He got twitter, he admit he does read tweets, so no doubt he’s aware of the current unhappiness.
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Hopefully, these reports about “senior figures at Colney” being concerned over Emerys tactics are true Labo, one of those reporting it is Sammy Mokbel, who some believe is on the receiving end of certain leaks from the club, but we shall see, or not!
But if true, with some highly expensive players, that means to me at least, the manager changes, or he is on borrowed time if this continues as he is doing.
Very unimpressed with this delay in naming the capt, seems the skipper elect was a little too honest, in my view-to his credit at the weekend about the team being scared.
Emerys plan is looks to cede possession, and lull opponents into counter attacking opportunities for our players. I saw some clever counter attacking football, at times, last season, but unfortunately, Ramsey was the instigator of much of it.
The present team are more suited to attack by fluid movement, possession and swarming opponents, nothing Emery tries can will that, not even sure why he would want to.
Looking for evidence of drastic improvement from him, starting this eve.
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LaboGoon, Emery might well play 3 atb because I believe that’s how Frankfurt line up, and he’s all about adjusting to the opposition. There’s 4 CBs with Holding just coming back and Mustafi out of favour. I don’t think that’s too many, but since we don’t have replacement fullbacks, maybe it favours playing with wingbacks instead. Nelson and Martinelli can then play there if needed. However, I hope he stays with a 433.
Haha. No hope of Emery getting more attacking. Even if he does, as soon as we get a goal, he will revert to being a scaredy cat.
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Don’t know nor care about those reports Mandy. But something is clearly not right in camp. On Unai’s tactics, if he just ceded possession it would be one thing. He also deliberately cedes space. He invites pressure on the players with the way we pass it out from the back. That seems to be the only way he can get his team to find space in attack. Why we create so few chances. Why we concede so many. And why players make so many mistakes.
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Last season we conceded more shots than we created. This never happened under Wenger.
We’re also conceding more shots from BOTH outside and inside the box than the worst of Wenger’s defensive season.
I’m not sure how anyone can still support this coach. He’s out of his depth, and all his tactics, lineups, rotations, and statements, are him floundering about, and seeking something or someone to blame.
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“I’m not sure how anyone can still support this coach. He’s out of his depth, and all his tactics, lineups, rotations, and statements, are him floundering about, and seeking something or someone to blame.”
I said it before and I’ll say it again, I only want him to succeed for the sake of AFC, but I really don’t like the man. I cannot respect someone who will not stand behind his own decisions but instead blames everybody but himself. He’s a despicable coward, which is reflected in his game plans.
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New post is up
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Lot of pictures about of Coquelin’s ‘horror tackle’ on Mason Mount. Basically none when Mcnair put Wilshere out for 6 months with something a lot worse.
Coq’s came after he had swept ball clear and Mount moved into position Coq’s leg would end up. Mcnair’s was when he mashed Wilshere’s ankle to bits from behind and a position he had zero chance of winning ball.
In these ways things get distorted.
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Oh they were quick to explain it was EX ARSENAL PLAYER Francis Coquelin. Wankers. McNairs assault wasn’t even a foul according to Mike Dean. Sky never bothered with it funny enough. We all know what would have happened had it been AFC Rookie on Rooney don’t we. Makes me sick
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