A point rescued yet undeserved ( with thanks to Getty Images)
Will Spurs save Arsenal?’
Positives, Needs and Hopes
Sometimes other people’s boldness nudges others to action.
If our board’s reason for not already firing Unai Emery is that they don’t want to be labelled by others in the game as impatient, then maybe they will be prompted by an unlikely source.
There are different reasons as to why it wasn’t working at Spurs, but they have gone and fired a coach far superior to Emery.
They’ve got a new energy and got the bounce of a victory and their belief will get a boost.
It’s desperate times when we are wondering if Spurs have done us a favour, but they may have inadvertently done so.
Sours decisiveness may have helped Arsenal Board
POSITIVES:
* Tierney’s crossing gives me attacking hope when very little else does.
* So happy for Lacazette. He fully deserved his two goals as his desire was unmatched.
* Willock only played ten minutes but made an impact at both ends. He must see a big opportunity with Ceballos and Xhaka not playing.
* I was happy to see Xhaka left out.
Growing influence
If he would’ve played and Torreira sat out, then forget about LT staying. Playing a guy who doesn’t even want to play, ahead of you, is the last resort.
Also, what do you do when you want to sub Xhaka or bring him on!! In that atmosphere!!!!
* Ozil looks like he is starting to have more of an impact. I wish he trusted his midfielders and stayed higher.
* Happy to see the fire lit in the second half.
This is also very worrying.
Firstly, it highlights how we NEVER play two good halves under Emery.
Secondly, it’s arguably more worrying when you lose with such second half fire.
Players not good enough? Not for me.
Emery hindering not helping players
I see a group of players that are playing with their shoelaces tied together.
The coach is supposed to help.
Simple thought but some coaches don’t help at all.
I know because I’ve coached for 29 years and many times my team would’ve been better off if I didn’t interfere.
Arsenal are hindered by Unai Emery.
I don’t see any area where he helps or makes something better.
I believe that our players would’ve gotten us into the Top 4 this season if Emery would’ve done one thing well, just one thing…. give the players rhythm.
Our play is delayed or slow because players don’t intuitively know where their friends are.
So, if Emery would’ve been as awful as he has but played 4-2-3-1 (for example) for most of the season I think we are fourth or at least much closer to fourth.
That was supposed to be a ‘positive ‘point!
NEEDS:
* Credit @GoonerSmithy85 for this stat…
We’ve conceded 70 shots against Wolves, Saints and Watford.
If I was Josh Kroenke, I think I’d fire Emery off the back of that embarrassing statistic.
Fire him Josh
Also, we’ve conceded 225 shots in 13 games.
* We need to let another coach have this ‘easier run of games.’
Rather than give Emery four games to show us that he’s still not good enough, give our next coach a chance to build something before the games get harder.
* More short corners where our CB’s go up and then hustle back without even having a chance to attack a cross.
This is not even tactically inept. It’s stupidity.
* Is Bellerin helping or hurting?
* The ‘I don’t want to open my hips and play forward’ disease is spreading.
Ozil has always had it, Guendouzi caught it in August and Pepe is the new one at the doctor’s office.
* Mistakes are everywhere so it’s almost pointless picking on one player, but Leno doesn’t need to be on this list.
He’s now taking a big risk with his feet weekly.
HOPES:
How bad can Freddie be?
* How bad can Ljungberg be?
Aside from not playing Xhaka, Emery is doing nothing else worth praise.
If Ljungberg is ‘not ready’ or ‘not the one’ or whatever, surely the club sees that we would get a boost simply by a change of face and voice?
Napoli are blowing up.
Ancelotti as an interim?
Benitez would probably do it until June.
I’d still go for Freddie temporarily whilst I’m trying to persuade Arteta.
FINAL THOUGHT:
Part of the fan’s angst (we are way past even this now), is the lack of identity.
I think Emery has a clear identity.
He plays game by game, moment by moment with multitudes of changes.
That’s his identity.
Apart from utter confusion and woeful results, this is producing a basketball game. End to end. Everybody running all the time.
If we do for some utterly bizarre reason stick with Emery, our players will be completely exhausted by February.
In the high intensity of the PL you play possession or defensive football and counter so players can have rest periods.
You don’t play neither and fatigue your players.
In a non-Arsenal world, I’d expect that in the 12 hours between me writing this and its publishing, that Emery would’ve been fired.
I don’t think that’s happening and I’m concerned that Sanhelli’s pride (he chose UE) is stopping him from making the change that he knows he should.
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.
100% spot on Mike, no more needs to be said.
Absolutely hit the nail on the head. There is so much wrong with the team that is entirely due to Emery`s ineptitude that really if Kroenke said thanks for nothing and bye – bye he could not complain. As to comparing us with Spurs, it says it all that Barcelona and Bayern are said to be interested in Poch!
Think about it: Spurs are so big now, that their discards are good enough for the elite clubs whereas Emery would not interest a decent championship club, and as for paying millions for him – don`t make me laugh.
Thanks Mike.
It seems Raul has Emery’s back, but it won’t be long before it all ends.
I mentioned a similar comment about consistency on Twitter, on Patrick Timmon’s feed, play 1 formation and watch the players deliver, but the coach is always changing and hoping Aubameyang scores to save the day.
Emery should resign because he wouldn’t know where to start fixing the problem with the team.