We are back from the FIFA break, within the cusps of winter and starting the long-haul towards New Years Day.
Good day all. It’s a battle between two under-fire coaches at the Emirates Stadium as Arsenal takes on Southampton.
12 Premier League games in, a cursory glance at the table and seeing the Gunners 6th-placed would have some thinking, “well, that’s not calamitous”. However, Liverpool are off in the distance, we are eight points off 4th-placed Man City, have won just two of our last 10 matches and none of our last four. With performances epitomising that Unai Emery have us nowhere near the required level to get back in the Champions League spots.
Be that is it may, he does have the backing of one Raul Sanllehi, who no doubt bank on a turnaround in fortunes in an auspicious run (on paper at least) versus So’ton, Norwich, Brighton and West Ham, in hopes of getting fans back onside as well as gather steam ahead of the more trickier festive fixtures versus Man City, Everton, Bournemouth, Chelsea and Man United.
On the face of it, such thinking is practical because for that would have been the idea had a new man replaced Emery. However, there lack confidence from many that Emery has it in him to make the necessary adjustments to get our top-four challenge back on track. Because, if rumours are true that he has been given a month to save his job, our run of poor results continue the fall-out would be significant as any new man would be taking over as we are about to navigate our way through a run of tricky fixtures.
Either way, if you look to restore lost confidence the teams you would probably want to play next are those 19th and 20th on the table. What could go wrong?
Ralph Hasenhuttl’s Saints side got so many issues; winless in their last seven (D1, L6), the PL’s worst defense and barely a third of the season gone already appear to be involved in a relegation scrap. He will be well aware if he doesn’t turn it around soon, he would be out of a job by Christmas.
Three points would lift them out the relegation zone though, so we can expect them making their presence felt. They played well in a 2-1 defeat away at Mancity in recent weeks and took them quite deep, so no doubt they will be looking for a similar approach as well as adding a bit of spice. Hasenhuttl did say in his pre-match presser his boys “must go back to being a nasty team” if they want to salvage their season. So if we fail to keep them on the backfoot, they could see that as an invitation to make this game more open than we would like.
Team News
Dani Ceballos is out injured till end of December, while Sead Kolasinac and Nicolas Pépé faces late assessments for minor issues. Everyone else, including Granit Xhaka whose “mindset has improved” per Emery, are available for selection.
Prediction
Usually when Arsenal goes up against 19th-placed one would think “banker”, but with so much on the line and both sides desperate for points, it’s hard to ignore the eeriness of this being “must win”.
Given our patchy form all season, Emery will be under pressure to give the Emirates faithful a commanding performance to ease some of the ill-feeling towards him. And with the Saints all out of sorts and without an away win against us in over three decades… this is one I suspect the Gunners to get all three points from, albeit not without an element of concern.
— @LaboGoon
Positively Arsenal 
excellent. Still hope for the draw though.
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20 minutes to save this game, and maybe emery’s job, as things stand we are 12pts behind leicester city
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It was soft Ed’s, but you can’t give these refs a reason especially being Arsenal.
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19th placed southampton having twice the number of shots that we have had should be enogh to see us sack Emery.
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yeah paul we’ve had 5 booked so far today, and not a real foul made
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Yep!
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Man, these are teams that Arsenal would best for fun in general. I must be honest I never expect Arsenal to win nowadays.
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“We have our Arsenal back” I guess.
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Martinelli and Willock on for Bellerin and Torreira with about ten minutes left
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A proper pen or more of that bad ‘luck’ of ours?
Expect this could be Emery’s swansong but future looks dark to me whoever comes in while our pgmol luck is so atrocious
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nuts to think that Soton have missed a couple of sitters.
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please Arsenal do the right thing, its time for Emery to go tonight.
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7 minutes of stoppage time to be played
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Man, Arsenal making Southampton look
like Watford.
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southampton have now had 20 shots at our goal, to our 11 at theirs, despite us having 61% possession
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Soton miss another easy chance.
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Lacazetteeeeeeeeeeeeeeee 2-2
he finishes off a good martinelli cross
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None of our goals are from good open play, always some kind of ricochet or something. We are dire!
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In the name of all that is holy, would you please sack him?
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we went for the draw and have got it. Feels like another loss.
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Nothing to celebrate here. We can only lose or draw at present.
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FT: 2-2
lacazette with both our goals,
southampton with twice the shots we had, and missed two if not three sitters,
arsenal booed off at botht half time and full time
lots of abuse shouted at Emery
sack the fucker before its too late
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Good play from Martinelli but the goalie pushed the ball to Laca. Why can’t we score from excellent team play without some kind of deflection. Emery has Arsenal playing the worse football in the league. It’s evident because every team we play, regardless of position, look the better team.
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lacazette did not even celebrate his late goal, he showed no emotion at all, if anything he looked like a man who was thinking “what the fuck have I done, he will keep his job”
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Agreed Dave. I’m not celebrating this load.
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Completely off topic. Anyone got any experience with county court judgements/ debt agencies?
Parents freaking out as they got letter today from debt agency or something, in my Aunties name (lived with them over 20 years ago) demanding over grand and a half.
Not a clue what it’s about. Says ruling was made back in August. Asked me for help but haven’t a clue. Company is shut over weekend and email address seems invalid.
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Created little in patches. Ozil was good especially in the first half. Pepe really should have scored. Guendouzi was good today I thought. No idea what Socratis was up to though. Also Tierney for the penalty?
How shit that the first penalty Leno stops is scored off the rebound.
Ref was terrible.
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Guess is it involves a car accident Aunty was in late last year. They had to try deal with insurance stuff- phone calls, letters- as Aunty is, without being mean, fecking useless (lovely woman but mental health issues). Been zero contact from insurance company since car was written off and got few hundred back.
Aunt genuinely seems to have no clue, but did move flat earlier this year so it may be someone has sent mail to her old address.
Real grateful for any advice as want to take stress off folks, but don’t know where to start
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youre right Paul, nix to cheer about… feels bloody depressing to follow the Guns at the moment. Really depressing. Limpid and weak and no soul.
If the board or whoever hires and fires cant see this isnt going to change until UE is gone then we are in a much worse position than any of us think.
Ed lol at your 503 but wished I wasnt. Bad times.
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Guess is it involves a car accident Aunty was in late last year. They had to try deal with insurance stuff- phone calls, letters- as Aunty is, without being mean, fecking useless (lovely woman but mental health issues). Been zero contact from insurance company since car was written off and got few hundred back.
Real grateful for any advice as want to take stress off folks, but don’t know where to start. Doubt I’ll even be able to speak to her insurance company- to see if it is to do with car- or debt collection people because of data protection and whatnot. Bollocks.
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Guns down to 9th. ManUre will win tomorrow, which puts us where George said we would be, at 10th. Been a lifetime since we were last in such a position in Nov.
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Apologies. Should’ve kept that off football blog. Combination of football and other stress got better of me there. Hopefully make some progress on Monday when these fucks call centre opens again.
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rich, I see no issue with you posting that. You should ask. Hopefully someone can give you some advice.
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Context is everything, we are still in reverse after all.
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Rich what about asking at the Police? Sure its not some con?
Sounds like a situ that can get the old blood pressure up. All the best in you and your family getting sorted out super quick. Hang in there mate.
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Guendouzi made a few passes that I was impressed with. It’s just so hard to judge the players because the overall team play is so atrocious.
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Eds, at this rate we are going to be fighting relegation. People complained about how Arsenal kept coming in 4th place and jeered Arsene when he said a CL spot is like a trophy. Bet they would gladly take 4th now.
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I think Unai has already been sacked however the team above him Need to find a replacement and work ot his compensation.
Because this is so much earlier they imagined they are probably scrambling round trying to get deals in place but Unai has gone.
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xhaka has been anonymous recently, here are our results since he was exciled by Emery and the boo boys, 5 games, no wins, out of the CC and now down to 7th in the table with it possible to be 9th after tomorrow’s game
liverpool 5-5 Arsenal
Arsenal 1-1 Wolves
Victoria 1-1 Arsenal
Leicester 2-0 Arsenal
Arsenal 2-2 Southampton
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Stillrich you need to email the insurance company asking for there position stating you need to know this because you are going to the financial insurance onbusmen and need to know there position so to not misrepresent them in the complaint. Give them a deadline in which to respond and if they dont respond make your complaint stating they have failed to respond.
In the meantime you need to contact social services to get help for your Aunt,there are organisations sometimes linked to GPs that will be able help and there are people who you pay about 30 quid and they fill all the forms in for you and make sure you get the help you need and deserve.
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from football.london, Emery’s after game presser
Emery on the draw
“We are disappointed and frustrated so I understand the supporters.
“We know feeling comfortable here is the key but we didn’t do that.
“The best 20 minutes of the whole season came at the start of the second half but they scored when we were better maybe.
“We draw at the last moment but it’s not enough.”
On the lack of celebrations
“Our performance was not enough.
“They (the supporters) helped us in the 90 minutes but we didn’t connect with them.”
Emery on the atmosphere
“I understand the supporters are angry.
“The players are feeling the same and my job is to find out how to improve and the key is here with the supporters.
“Our target was to win but above all the play well and we didn’t do that.”
Emery on what needs to change
“Confidence. And to get that we need to play better.
“In the first half we equalised but it wasn’t enough. We achieved it for 20 minutes in the second-half.”
Emery on his formations
“That decision is because I need to find a solution.
“We play three centre-backs to feel better defensively. I changed it because we needed to attack more but we lost a bit of balance.
“I need to work, analyse and find a solution.”
Is he angry with the players
“I’m never angry when the attitude is good and the attitude is good.”
Emery on the support of the hierarchy
“They are supporting me everyday.
“I know we can do better and I’m going to try to do that.”
Emery on the gameplan
“Last year we played well in a lot of matches with Lacazette, Aubameyang and Ozil.
“When we use different systems it’s because the players are ready to do that.
“It’s not a problem with that, it is about the confidence.”
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so Emery saying all we need is confidence for us to play well and win, but only way we can get confidence is to play well and win. Anyone spot the problem there
I would ask how does Emery expect the team to gain confidence when he has sent the captain the picked, to Coventry, picks Torreira instead of him and then says in his presser that Torreira needs to improve as a player, PEA was scoring for fun but is then made captain and is shifted out to the wing, and the goals have dried up, Guendouzi can play poorly without any chance of being taken off let alone dropped, Emery says Pepe’s confidence is low, what does he expect when he firstly took him off in back to back games just as he was showing signs of playing well, then drops him after he won us that EL game.
Mustafi has for me played the best of any of our CB’s this season but he hasn’t got a look in for EPL games, and Sokratis has been mostly poor but keeps getting picked ahead of him, and ahead of Chamber too, who has been good this season.
Maitland-Niles went from starting right back in the absence of Bellerin to losing his place to Chambers and now rarely gets EPL minutes at all. Willock has been taken off at half time in a couple of games. Ozil has been shunned till things got so bad Emery had to bring him back.
Formation changes game by game, team selection changes game by game, and time and again, regardless of what team, formation or tactics used, we are getting out shot by nearly all our opponents. Confidence my arse, how the fuck could any team gain confidence with shit show of a head coach we have.
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so Emery says that the first 20 minutes of the second half today was our best performance of the season so far, Good God they man talks some shite, almost as much as his team plays.
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Arsenal now 8pts off both top 4 and relegation spot,
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we are 1/3 of the way through the season and we have a -1 goal difference
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our next 6 EPL games that will bring us to the half way stage of the league are
Norwich – Away
Brighton – Home
West Ham – Away
Man City – Home
Everton – Away
Bournemouth – Away
we then follow that with home games v Chelsea and Man Utd.
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As I’ve suggested before, if Emery stays much longer we will be in a relegation battle. Who would have thought today’s game was a potential six pointer.
I can’t bear him.
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Marcel Lucassen who is I think head of developing our academy coaches, gave an interview earlier this week and one of the things that he said that jumped out at me was that its pointless coaches constantly shouting out instructions to players, or constantly pointing and waving directions at players during a game, cos at first team level with the noise of the crowd the players just do not hear it or see it. He basically said that if prep done right during training sessions during the week then no coach should have much to say during a game.
I wonder how that went down with our windmill head coach
he also mentioned something along the lines of, there should be a club philosophy that the players adhere to first and foremost, and that formations and tactics come second to that, and if players know the club philosophy then its still implemented regardless of formation or who is selected. Again I wonder how that went down with out head coach.
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I can’t find the comments by Marcel Lucassen that I refer to above but here are some of the other comments he made (the interesting one for me is the one where the talks about philosophy of teams but only says its for U9 to the U23’s, not a word about the First team, surely a club philosophy goes all the way to the first team)
On laying foundations for a philosophy…
When I arrived at Arsenal, I firstly wanted to know, what the club stands for in general. The problem was that no coach could answer me that exactly. As a result, we collectively developed the ‘Way of Arsenal’, for which philosophy our teams from under-9s to under-23s stand for and also set an example of.
It was a collective project. Because I cannot simply come here and say: That’s how we do it now. I have to convince the people, take them on board and explain why this plan is the right one.
On coaching the basics…
There are six basic principles, which are features of football: Start the attack, create an attack and finish an attack. Contrary to that, defend as highly as possible, as quickly as possible and initiate transitional play. And to whom this is still to complicated: “If you lose the ball, win it back.”
On the importance of experience…
Why does a baker or a craftsman work through an apprenticeship of multiple years? If he baked buns for ten times, he also knows how it works. It is about learning the basics and picking up experience. These skills, I don’t obtain when I’ve been to a block instruction for ten times. I think it would make more sense if the education takes multiple years.
On the importance of feedback and clear instruction…
I’m certainly not a coach that never makes a mistake. But I reflect a lot and look in the mirror. If I expect that it is taken for granted by a player to move in spaces, then he should also take it for granted that I explain to him how it works. And should mistakes still happen then, I have to analyse the situation precisely. Is the body weight shifted in the wrong way? Does he think about the next step already in this situation or did he make this mistake once in ten tries?
On designing training sessions…
A week of training should be designed with a single focus. I have to put the team in situations for them to get awareness for it and for automatisms to develop. I don’t accomplish that if I train defensive behaviour today and transitional play in the next two days.
On giving players room to learn from their mistakes…
Assuming that a player runs towards an opponent and tries to pass him with a stepover but fails. Then there are two kinds of coaches: The first one gives the player hell, so that he never does a stepover again because he fears the consequences. The second kind accomplishes to get a self-reflection from the player with specific questions, so that he thinks about it and decides if a stepover makes sense depending on the situation. [Footballers] are also human beings and need a secure environment to be successful.
On the importance of playing young players…
Why are clubs on a world class level only for a period? Because there will be a rebuilding phase after time, new players from other clubs come in and these players need time to settle in. If I take youth players instead of expensive new signings, they maybe make one or two mistakes more, but they have the advantage of non-verbal communication. Because they played together in the youth setup for years, they know how the other works and especially about the patters of movements. In the end the rebuilding phase is significantly shorter.
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Complete and utter shite! I can’t believe that these zombies in red and white are really Arsenal. We’re beyond hope Now.
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