Here we go again, another day another load of tripe. Twelve games in and we are 8 points off , not the top, but 4th place, and 4th are City, they won’t be staying there for long.
It’s the worst return after 12 games for 37 years. “WE’VE GOT OUR ARSENAL BACK”
I believe that every single player that Emery has gotten his coaching through to, has gotten worse. Every player looks to be worse than we know them to be. It’s terrible.
Of the game itself, we were comprehensively outplayed. Our center-mid of Torreira and Guendouzi were shocking. The hype over Matteo makes me giggle, what exactly are people impressed with? He plays football like a Jack Russell herding Sheep. Lucas looks lost, he chases the ball like the same Jack Russell might do. No control in MF, no protection to the defence and absolutely no creativity.
I thought Ozil had a good game, but Lacazette and Aubameyang were poor, especially Lacazette. We played three centre backs, and did we look more solid? No, there were just more of them.
Everytime Guendouzi got the ball he appeared,to me at least, to set the play off back towards Leno. We then tried to play it about at the back ,until the pressure told and someone lumped it.
If Emery stays much longer I think top 8 will be beyond us.
It’s football Jim, but not as we know it.
The performance and the result was so predictable that it’s not even funny. There is no silver lining, no light at the end of the tunnel and no joy in watching this team play football.
I’ll see you again after the next game and I will say the same thing all over again. Bellerin, Tierney and Holding were supposed to make the difference, well they haven’t, and won’t. So what have we left to think might make “the difference”? Who are we pinning our hopes on now? Which injured player can we claim will come in and save us?
It’s an absolute mess. And do you know what? It could get worse. It feels like the end of the line, but I fear there is more line to come.
Good Ebening.
Positively Arsenal 
what you mean no silver lining, did you not listen to Emery’s after game comments, he pointed out the silver lining,
we may be shit but we are not as shit as Man Utd and Spurs
we are 8pts off 4th placed man city who play tomorrow, and we are 9pts off 18th placed Watford, now if that is not being competitive I don’t know what is
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Arsenal’s next 6 fixtures- 4 in EPL and 2 in EL
Southampton Home
Eintracht Frankfurt Home
Norwich Away
Brighton Home
West Ham Away
Standard Liege Away
We are capable of beating any and all of them, but I for one would not risk a single penny that we will.
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Arsenal’s worst start to a season since 1982-83.
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My mind’s a bit scrambled by it all.
I’ve wanted us to be better for as long as I remember properly, simply because I always want us to be ‘the’ best, as good as those great seasons with Wenger we went Mano et Mano with Utd.
Tempered all along the way with thoughts of where we should be on budget, what reasonable expectations are, the obstacles we face,etc.
Until last days of Wenger there was typically some or a fair bit of hope, performances to make you think ‘maybe’, or just enjoy. After disappointments, a game wouldn’t be that long in coming where we found some flow and played well; at least at home, in last couple years.
This is a different kettle of fish (kettle of shite if that can be a thing). Big thing/indicator for me, where I’m at, is that I’ve stopped dreaming of this or that player who can come in and make the difference, with individual qualities or in giving the team something vital to help the rest
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our last 19 EPL games W6 D6 L7 Pts 24, imagine if that form continues for rest of this season, we’d be certainly in the bottom half of the table
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No doubt I’m there now, decided, this aint the guy, change required but I swear I”m almost envious of those who believe new guy likely to transform us quickly (if not, should Emery be pilloried at every turn?)
I fear it isn’t there for us with the players, a good let alone magic formula. We’ve signed some big, good players but is there a system/style waiting to be utilised to get them flying, or at least doing a damn sight better (which I guess would mean in with an excellent chance of top four, and/or playing good football, or looking like something positive lies ahead)
I fear, while he should be off, that it goes beyond Emery’s abilities as a coach. As the old cliche goes, would be pleased to be wrong on that.
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Luis Enrique , is he the answer?
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rich we have attacking players such as Ozil, Pepe, Lacazette and Aubameyang, and we have scored 16 goals in 12 EPL games, do you not think there is a head coach out there that we can get that would not transform that part of our team. we have by and large been out shot in the majority of our games this season.
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Mandy I’m not sure Enrique would be the answer, despite all he has won, it has to be remembered he had the worlds best player at his disposal, and many other great players, plus some dodgy ref decisions in his teams favor,
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Sounds an expensive, if slightly predictable gamble from Raul if they take that route
Hope the club is well funded, assuming he would not come cheap,
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well I would say that if Emery is not sacked by Monday he will not be sacked before New year.
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Ed.
Yeah, I reckon a more attack-minded coach could get more goals out of that lot.
I feel a sort of duty though if I go down road of being adamant someone else can do way better with what we have of trying to be specific about it.
In this case would you be playing, say, three of those or the whole 4. Who would be the two or three behind? What would the defence be like? How would we supply that three or four better than currently?
Do you think it- whatever you settle upon- would be a good recipe for making top four?
I get a pretty strong sense it’s not a popular thing here to go down that road and ask for such specifics but, like I say, it seems the fair thing to me.
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At present, I really struggle to see that good recipe with our ingredients. My old way of thinking, that, say, three players of calibre of Auba, Laca and Pepe give a guarantee, unless players behind them are terrible, of a pretty good return and a good level of danger most games has been obliterated.
But that process actually began years before, with some lineups I would’ve believed would nearly every time, away as well as home, provide good attacking threat, even if leaving big questions on defence, that ultimately failed to do so more often than expected for me.
Games like that shitty one away at Swansea where we scored great early goal, conceded couple poor ones and just couldn’t get at them after.
The prem changed a lot in my view in terms of teams being prepared and drilled to sit deep a lot and exploit counters well. Maybe that accounts for it. Either that or I’ve overestimated players over years. I can’t really explain frequency those games have occurred otherwise.
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I think you need excellent and pretty specific type of player to go down the all out possession n skill route, or whatever term describes old Barca, City now and..not that many more teams.
Otherwise it seems teams with the big ambitions need real mix of skill and physical attributes, including speed and running power, put to use in systems which combine technique and physicality well…with combinations of pressing, counter play, wing play maybe, sitting deep.
I dunno. We don’t seem very close on either of those. Though with second there are no doubt some combo’s I either haven’t mentioned or haven’t described well.
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Arsenal blocked Granit Xhaka statement?
By Leo Nieboer | 20m
Arsenal blocked Granit Xhaka statement?
© Reuters
Arsenal reportedly blocked Granit Xhaka from releasing a statement sooner than he did in the wake of his public outburst towards the club’s support last month.
The Switzerland international was roundly jeered by the Emirates crowd during a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace last month and reacted by telling the Arsenal fans to “f*ck off” ahead of going straight down the tunnel.
Xhaka has since been stripped of the Arsenal captaincy and has not been included in recent squads for games against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester City.
According to the Times, Xhaka wanted to release a statement – in which he revealed death threats to his family – on the day after the game but could not find mutual ground with Arsenal on its exact wording.
Reports have claimed that the midfielder will now seek to find a new club over the January transfer window.
It was recently confirmed that leading goalscorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had been made the club’s new permanent captain.
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Wonder if they might consider Paddy V is ready, though Nice are very middling at the moment
Could be cheaper, and even more available for now than Enrique, less controversial than Jose, more experienced than Freddie and Mikel, and has his own backroom staff with some no doubt some interesting contacts should he wish to change or expand it
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With such an appalling display from the boys under Emery where are we leading to? I have no words of sympathy for Emery. Even in the darkest day of Wenger’s reign we had hope and Wenger was able to pull some thing out of his bag. He kept us competitive with a positive display on the pitch and in the hunt of top4.But now we are sinking deeper with no light at the end of the tunnel.
Will the WOBS apologise for taking us in to this mess?
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Hope City win today, ManUre lose. I dont look at the world of the Coop/Old Toilet,but I wonder if Potch is under the same pressure, and Ole too?
Thing is, its all very well giving Emery more time and to use the international “break” but this isnt going away, Unai’s totally lost the dressing room, the clubs not being managed properly (re the Xhaka statement). Even the most dim-witted Arsenal fan knows this now. Lets face it, any really competitive club would show the bloke the door on Monday, and pull rank. And if we dont then why make things worse. Sorry Kronks, but this is the new football world, you want to own a club, then reap what you sow. Montana, it aint working mate. Sorry if you dont know that.
Ok we have to lose big cash if Emery goes, but Auba and Lacca arent staying at this moment, and Guen is. Who are we going to get in? Anti champions league money what then? Middle of the league, flirt with relegation ( like ManUre at the moment, I know early days, but its odd seeing them so low) and wait ten years until another miracle happens.Whats the bigger picture? All that time endless negativity around the club and all the evolutionary twenty year plus gains, lost.
Notice how Weng was never the victim of hubris? Well we are now.
But PA was laughed at by many people, but without positivity how can things work? There has to be basis for that, well we had that, but then we have to have someone who can get racehorses running, not shackle a cart to them and then blame them.
Pearls café. And the tea tastes like shite.
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I must disagree with your judgement of Guendouzi. He isn’t perfect, but he’s a hell of a lot better than any other of our midfielders, with the exception of Ozil, who hasn’t played. Against Spurs particularly, his creative vision and his tenacity were top class. This is the sort of player we need in our team, someone with genuine quality. You cannot judge him on the role that he has had to play in the last couple of games, because he may as well have been alone in that team. He’s a great player and someone we must build around in the future, along with Tierney and Martinelli.
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Reports that the Arsenal hierarchy have reaffirmed they are 100% behind Emery and nothing will be decided until a review in the summer
Make of that what you will
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Just been having a look at the Leicester fans after the game, kind of gave me a weird feeling, like do I want anything to do with all of this anymore? After 41 years of my own personal experience its not like its new, I saw plenty of fighting in the grounds and outside. Im not naive i lived on the estate for years and then ex-estates. But its so fckin dumb. I thought it was dumb as a kid, and have all my life, sometimes it crosses your path, but we worship really nefarious elements of society. Cool man.
But I thought of Fred of the Shed, his more mature and kindly manner. A man of respectful dignity, who knows whats daft and what isnt. But he loves the game, not so much the culture. Love the game but not the stupid side of it all. Seems like the sport is losing out to all this. Endless parasites inside and out.How can we do that? Not look? Ok fair enough.
But why does everything have to go to the dogs, to sociopathology, to lies, to corruption?
Well if the board are going to back Emery, then we had better get ready for mid table or worse and no champions league and massive problems at the club. And poop football.
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Think it could actually be worse than mid table, Mills, if they let this continue.
The only slight bit of sympathy I have with Emery, who on earth thought it was a good idea to lose the leadership and experience that was Ramsey, Nacho and Kos in one summer, then Mikhi, one of our key playmakers, and then, prem league experienced iwobi. None of these have, as yet been properly replaced, despite Pepe and Tierney, hopefully, being fine prospects
If that was all Emery, and I strongly suspect it was not, the guy is a masochist.
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well the more I think of the possibility of Emery being sacked anytime soon the more I get the feeling it aint happening till at least early January, our run of fixtures till then are
Southampton Home
Norwich Away
Brighton Home
West Ham Away
Man City Home
Everton Away
Bournemouth Away on 26th December, which brings us to the half way mark in the league
Then we have
Chelsea Home
Man Utd Home on January 1st
9 EPL games, with Man City, Chelsea and Man UTd in there, so how many of the 9 will we win, we have won just the 4 of our opening 12, so will we even win 4 of our next 9, if that was to be the sum total of what we get, add in say 3 draws and only the 2 defeats, surely that would see us totally out of the running for top 4, so it would be all eggs in the EL basket, with EL manager Emery at the helm. It could very well all come down to who drops out of the CL into the EL, it might, considering our record against them, mean avoiding Wolves in the knock out stages too.
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But if it goes worse than mid table, and they still keep him, then this will be the lowest of lows in my time. Youre right about letting those guys go Mandy, it a big blow to us. Someone’s a masochist at the club for sure( nor knows zilch about football).The club better get ready for massive amounts of unrest. This will be worse than the Wenger protests as the fan base are pretty much united for once.
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well someone mentioned about Emery being given the Interlull to fix it, well we should remember that before the last interlull we sat 3rd, was it 1pt off 2nd placed man city, and since then we have seen the results be
lost to Sheffield Utd 1-0
scrape a win over Victoria 3-2
lose a 2-0 lead to draw with Crystal Palace
lose a 2 goal lead twice to go out on penalties to Liverpool after a 5-5 draw
draw with wolves after leading
draw with Victoria after leading
lose 2-0 to Leicester City
so what in all that makes anyone think that Emery can fix anything, if he fixes us like he did in the last interlull then we will be facing a relegation battle by January 1st
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Mandy of the players you mention I think only Koscielny was not Emery’s decision, and it was down to Kos being pissed off by how Emery treated him.
We only have to look at how he treated Ramsey and is still continuing to treat Ozil, to see this man has a completely different view on players than most of us here have.
Yesterday everytime the camera focused in on Torreira and Lacazette I could not help but feel that both players were completely pissed off, both looked devoid of confidence, both looked a bit lost. Will they be the next 2 out the door.
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Orbinho@Orbinho
Mesut Özil has created more chances for team-mates in the Premier League (49) than any other Arsenal player under Unai Emery.
Ozil has played in 27 of Emery’s 50 EPL games, and scored 5 goals. But you know body language is the key.
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Ed… with the form of teams at the top, looking at Chelsea and Leicester, they’ll either need a period of collapse in form or we would need something similar to that very lucky 22-match unbeaten in all competitions for hopes to slowly start the crawl back up to top place.
These fixtures will be key:
Southampton (h)
Norwich (a)
Brighton (h)
West Ham (a)
After those we can take stock to see where we are in compared to other, as the five fixtures thereafter are in the heart of “winter”.
If they missed this window to get rid of Emery, the next one may only arrive in January with that international break.
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Oh boy…What to say that has not been said?
I also thought Ozil played well. The passing looked much better, no surprise with him in
the team.
But we have no creative mids. We have replaced Cazorla, Ramsey and Miki with Guendouzi and then we all but exiled the only great one we had in Özil and threw our next best mid under the bus for abusive supporters. Yeh, that makes sense.
Emery is a train wreck of a manager and if they think things will improve they are making a sad mistake. Arsenal ought to be vying for the top spot with the talent we have and had.
Our once beloved club is a straight up joke.
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Maybe Eduardo, but get the feeling Emery is getting keener to suggests not all decisions are his, for instance John Cross…I know….has reported the controversial captaincy vote, and coach drivers or whatever taking team huddles was down to club psychologist David Priestley, not Emery, though emery takes the blame, indeed, ridicule for such things.and if Ornstein is right this morning, may be a tacit admission from the board that they recognise Emery has been dealt a harsh hand, even if he is making a complete pigs ear of it. Strongly suspect the club didn’t go with bigger name managers, knowing they might not put up with all that would be coming their way, can’t substantiate that of course.
The problem is, I suspect Emery may be a bit of a company man, too easily taking directions from above, but maybe lacks the power, gravitas, and for a good time, influence with Stan that Wenger would have had to stand up to certain things, especially Raul maybe going a little left of field.
Know I have been critical of Ivan , perhaps unfairly, for appearing to me at least, too passive with the PGMOL from his position of influence, I also get the feeling he didn’t always support Wenger near the end, but wish he had stayed on for a bit and blunted the edge of the likes of Raul. Have read Ivan was keen to appoint Arteta, and make Ramsey captain for starters, both would have done for me. Not only did Ivan help instigate huge change, he then dithered, and finally jumped ship just as his plans seemed to be coming to fruition and at the start of a season, I think. Perhaps he knew something, or just got a better offer
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Football Haven
November 10, 2019 at 10:43 am
Matteo might be better than he looks in this set up, but he’s a million miles away from a player we should build around.
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We got bigger problems at moment, but looking at stats of Utd’s first half, and it’s 4 fouls them, 10 Brighton, with Brighton picking up 4 yellows for that, including one in 5th minute.
I’ve not seen, so there’s a possibility that’s as it should be, but I find that doubtful. Or rather I bet Brighton’s tactics, fouls etc are little different from majority of our home games where we end up conceding the higher number of fouls, early bookings for opponent, especially dm, are rare, ditto 4 yellows in a half.
Basically we are typically reffed at home as minnows used to be away at Utd, with Utd needing a result! Doesn’t half make life harder.
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‘It was very hurtful and frustrating. I can’t understand a reaction like that even now, especially the vehemence of it and the extreme hostility directed against me.
‘At a time you are already experiencing a lot of hostility and your own football family insults you, it hurts a lot.
‘I don’t mean to say that I can’t take criticism. But insulting and swearing at your own captain will cause a bad atmosphere for the team you are actually supposed to be supporting. That makes no sense to me and weakens the team’s spirit.’
Simple powerful truth in that last paragraph. But the wankers just won’t have it. To admit that is correct means admitting a lot of blame for past actions and having to alter behaviour significantly.
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See Brandon Williams getting lot of twitter love from Utd fans. Apparently escaped after VAR check for foot into stomach, and also pushed someone into boards first half.
Heard he was that sort before. Can expect if he makes it there, decade plus of bastardry, all sorts of ‘lucky’ escapes and, of course, none of the talk of uk pundits en masse, Nevilles especially, have made from off about Xhaka being a liability, no discipline, thousand fouls a game etc.
Doe my head in and then some.
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I disagree, we shouldn’t be building a team around anyone, or any three.Tierney and Martinelli? First season, willing to impress but that can be no real indication of how they are as players. Tierney, well we havent seen enough yet to match the hype,and isnt really and upgrade on Nacho and Gabi, doing well but whether hes the real thing or not we shall see. Lets see how good they are after three seasons and if they can inspire and command and keep any standard up, and if they still want to stay and not go to other clubs, that play champions league for example.
Guen is a silver fish, runs around in circles then gets squashed. Needs a manger who knows how to get the best out of him, to clam him down. Hes often at fault and quick to blame, and we had to sacrifice other players for his favoured spot by Emery. Too much of a liability in a team game, but without the redemptive skills and scoring ability of Alexis.
One game against the Spuds isnt enough. Im not sure he knows what hes doing either, he certainly isnt a dm. Jack was doing more for us( ok ok when not crocked) than Guen has so far. tricky runs to grab a penalty. To think we used to have Cazorla! The fact hes been promoted so often on the website it stink of politiks against Mesut? The Mhikster is a more complete player than Guen, but again as has been the case for a long time, was poor under Emery. Guen a great player? Not yet, maybe, but maybe not. Hes not as skilful s the body language pretends (one of the oldest tricks in the book).Yes great compared to a Sunday league player, but not able to go to any other major club that is currently better than us. I also disagree that hes better than Xhaka. But the heats on Xhak, and not the teachers pet. If Xhak goes to City and does well there was will that say about our set up.
Lucas played well for a long while when he first came, and now has little or no understanding of what hes supposed to do. Hes a natural dm, whose made to wander and sometimes play the 10. Ceballos, not doing well enough. But with no solid choice midfield week in week out who can create intuitive football?
Even poorly set up, the game is open enough for the midfield to ignore the Emery call and start playing to the cliches and normative ideas of a midfield. Then we might get some goals and control a few matches?
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Man UTd and Wolves are both just the one point behind us now
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VAR shooting Liverpool to the title.
VAR could be Liverpool, and Spurs player of the year.
But of course these mistakes even themselves out.
As with Leicester a few seasons back, the PGMOL aren’t even being subtle in favouring Liverpool these days
Still yet to see anything go against Liverpool rub of the green wise for a very long time, but when it does, the media will be up in arms
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UE seems to favour Geundouzi over Tereira for the main defensive midfield role, although why is beyond me.
He can’t tackle, and can’t pass other than to someone nearby.
I was ball watching for one of the goals yesterday.
I can see Liverpool emulating us and going through the whole season without losing and with more points.
There seems to be no team that can touch them, unless and until they start getting some injuries.
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Or they stop having refs giving them every decision possible
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Matteo is exactly what he should be at this stage in his Career inconsistent. He has played very well in some games but in games like yesterday he slowed play and because he didn’t release it quickly either got caught or got fouled stoping our counter attacks. Unfortunately Unai cannot see this and our movement and rhythm become stifulled.
The fact we got worse as the game went on is very worrying.
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We are now just three points above 15th place!
But if Ornstein is correct, the board believe we are heading in the right direction.
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Liverpool have got enough to win this title cleanly, but, bloody hell, by instinct or like or anything else, officials aren’t willing to leave it to that.
They were outraged about the offside last week but in terms of big calls, subjective ones, must have got virtually every one this year.
Scary how big an influence they hold over game. 1st one was obviously a shoe in had it been them on attack, very easy to give (and should have been given), but they could easily get ones at the threshold of second handball claim, or even the little push from Mane on Sterling.
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Add that to how successful diving can be, and define a whole incident- ie Luiz impossibly stupid for his pull on Salah, other players not stupid for dozens of incidents since with similar pulls but player stays up (looked like Van Dijk had a little grab at Bernando before non-pen/ Fabinho goal but quickly let go), and…yikes.
Maybe the break well timed for me. When we’re not doing well the whole sport seems to stink too much!
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ian I still ask what is it Guendouzi brings to the team, for the most part it seems its just energy. He has been virtually first choice from around this stage last season and the has played in all 12 league games this season, he has 45 EPL games and hasn’t even got a goal, has he an assist. He is not good defensively, his passing is nothing special, and way too often its the safe option backways or sideways from him. Does he even bring as much to the team as Coquelin used to, and he was a target for the boo boys, but somehow Matteo is seen as some sort of wonder kid, he’s not fit to lace the boots of a 20 year old Cesc.
Torreira and Xhaka were the midfield 2 for out best spell last season, and our form went tits up when Guendouzi was shoehorned into the team and we went from a 2 to a 3 in midfield. I’m 50 years watching Arsenal play and I’ve never known of a player with so much hype that has left me asking “but what is it he is actually very good at”,
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Mandy we are 17pts off top spot and only 10pts off bottom spot, and this only 12 games in. Liverpool have exactly twice as many points as we have.
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Eduardo.
I have been asking the same thing for months and no one had so far given me an answer.
Perhaps one of our colleagues here can oblige.
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And we are in a so called winnable run Eduardo.
Things will soon get worse.
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jjgsol I was told after his one really good game this season “that’s what he brings”, not sure if it was v spurs or v aston villa, anyway “he’s great for a 20 year old” gets a free pass no matter how shit he plays. Captain material you know.
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I have to say Matteo is not a favourite of mine however he is a good player for his age and a good passer of the ball, he can find those slots between CBs and full backs. He also is never afraid to pick the ball off the back four.
He shouldn’t at the moment be first choice and should be learning off our more experienced midfielders however Unai with the help our Raul has killed that option.
Cesc was eased into the side less quickly than this and like you say he was a better player.
I think if we’re patient Matteo will be an excellent player it’s just Unai is forcing the issue and he seems to be getting worse with each game. A manager will protect and manage his players to bring the best out of them.
A coach is much more short termist and they don’t really care if a player does not progress.
It is one of the reasons Maureen cannot last past three seasons.
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ian you will find cesc was not eased in more than Matteo, in fact he was thrown in far quicker, the season he made his EPL debut, as a 17 year old, he played 33 games, then 35 the next season and the season he turned 20 he played in all 38, the season he turned 21, which Matteo does this season Cesc played 32.
Cesc was completely different level to Guendouzi, yet so many of our fan base go on about Matteo like he is at that level, I’ve seen nothing that suggests he will ever hit the heights Cesc did, have you.
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