A more comfortable discomfort
POSITIVES, NEEDS and HOPES
When we look back on Emery’s first season I’d say that our first memory will be how he made us a team of men.
We bought ‘men’ in the summer and the coach had us working like a team of ‘men.’
Today was uncomfortable throughout but a different type of discomfort.
I felt comfortable amidst this discomfort. Not totally, but far more than previous seasons.
Why?….. because we had ‘men’ out there dealing with the discomfort.
Even our 19 yr old plays like a ‘man.’
As we haven’t hit any consistent fluidity in our performances, it has been vital that we have steel in our team.
I think lesser teams give it their best against Arsenal. Two examples, I’ve seen, Cardiff and Burnley gave their best physical effort against us. I’ve seen them play against bigger teams enough to say that their physical effort and belief against us was far greater.
Well done Arsenal for prevailing as the thought ‘there are no easy games in the PL’ is not true for teams above us but I see it as true for Arsenal.
POSITIVES:
* Many fans are calling for a new left back. I don’t necessarily disagree.
Here is the thing though….. Kolasinac isn’t just playing well consistently, he is proving pivotal to our goal scoring threat.
I say let’s pause on a new left back until the summer.
I trust that we now have coaches who can teach him to be a better defender.
I can’t think of a better overlapping wing back right now so shouldn’t we try to keep him on the field?
* We started the game playing 2 touch. Better.
* AMN was better on the ball today.
Will need him at Brighton and maybe Anfield.
* Leno is a great shot stopper but also very good on 1 on 1’s.
The early save was top level.
Clean up aisle three…
* I think it’s a positive that Sokratis played rugby on two occasions 😂
* Both of Auba’s goals were down to his anticipation. Not always the case.
* Mesut Ozil.
These are not new thoughts. I am sure about them and have been for a long while.
Firstly, I don’t think Ozil is either a genius or a waste.
It’s not just football fans that talk in extremes, it’s society.
We do it as people tend not to pay attention to our thoughts if we use adjectives like ‘below par’ or ‘good.’
I think Mesut Ozil is an elite level player once every four games on average. So, that is about 10 times a season. I think that’s accurate and fair.
Sometimes a huge contract hurts the player. If they want to leave only a few can afford the same contract and you better be elite at least 1 in 2 games. If not then coaches start doing this….
£350K a week will get me;
Nicholas Pepe (80K), De Ligt (120K), Chilwell (80K), Thomas Partey (alternate to Torreira/Bellerin 70K)
Or
Sancho (120K), Zaha (110K), De Ligt (120K)
I understand that there are transfer fees too but with amortization, sales and AFC ‘having the funds if needed,’ I think this is fair.
So, if you’ve got a player who is brilliant but only 10 times a season, got a recurring injury and you are trying to instill a new work ethic in your team and the guy who earns 5 times what others earn is not doing it then this is a real life problem that fans don’t consider because they don’t have to deal with it.
If Ozil was on 90K a week then I’d keep him for the 10 élite games.
For 350K, a re-occurring back injury, 10 big games and being the only guy not to buy into my philosophy, I sell unless he becomes ‘consistently elite.’ I do this simply because I can spend that money much smarter, get the players the club needs and not have the headache of the ego and it’s constant problems.
City could leave a 350K guy on the bench until he decides to shape up or leave.
Arsenal don’t have the funds for this.
Finally, I want to state that I’d love to keep him as he brings me great joy.
Just do it far more regularly, Mesut 👍🏻
NEEDS:
* I spotted today the need to win the first header. I read that @clivepafc spotted that Burnley saw our weakness on straight aerial balls and so hit many and won many second balls too.
* The communication has improved this season in one area and not in another.
Our players dig each other out when needed which is important.
Too often there are however two players going for the same ball, particularly at centre back.
* The sense of slight panic and lack of trust in the back is probably more due to the injuries I’m guessing.
* Passing options were limited too often today.
In time I’m believing that Emery will work on our passing options as well as our need for more 1 and 2 touch.
* Is Xhaka playing CB because the other alternative is Kola at LB in a four or so that Kola can play LWB?
* AMN was lucky on corners as he was grabbing jerseys.
When Bellerin gets back I’d love to see him at CM against Fulham and Blackpool.
HOPES:
* In midweek I wrote about how we are getting 50% from Auba as we don’t take the lead often enough (leaving Auba against a low block and no space to use his speed) or have wingers that turn and go.
Today we went 1-0 up and so Burnley had to throw players forward. We then got to counter and looked great.
More to the point, Auba had 50 yards of space to attack.
Perhaps we should look at this and realize it suits our team 👍🏻
FINAL THOUGHT:
Can any of you get Unai Emery to read that last thought 😂
@mike_mmcdonald
Former Highbury regular. Moved to TN, USA in ’99. Married with 3 kids. Coached in UK and US for 27 years.
Mike McDonald Soccer Academy in Morristown TN, Olympic Development coach, Regional Premier League Champion.
Few days back Emery said he reads fans and pundits comments, so there is more chance we are heard now than Wenger times. I think Wenger and Emery are opposite in a number of issues, Wenger doesn’t make changes when he has to and Emery make changes when he shouldn’t. The first substitution was appropriate, the game was too physical for Monreal, however, I think the second and third changes were not necessary and correct ones. It was important to give Torrira breather and keep Elneny in the physical game he was effective. Especially, you give a rare chance to a player and don’t take him out sooner while the team is leading by two goals. Lacazette is also giving everything and looks fresh throughout he even has good assist in that game, I think both changes were not necessary and wise with respect to their momentum and confidence as well as for good players management. Both players looked broken when they get off.
The reason I write this is not because he is poor is in substitutions and tactics. It is only to highlight the fact that his “obsession” with tactics is sometimes becoming disruptive to the good staffs he himself has built. I think he should respect Torriera-Xhaka partnership and Lacazette importance at the moment until another convincing alternative solution is found.
Dew…. I agree that there was no need to sub Lacazette in particular. I think Torreira ideally needed to get his 5th yellow to avoid missing Liverpool.
Maybe that was the thinking?