The cast supporting the strikers has been AWOL in this regard. Instead of multiple midfielders offering threatening runs and options off of a point man like Giroud or RvP everyone is essentially trying to just feed out two strikers. Or one if they're not on at the same time. Feels that way, anyway.
Gotcha. [bad flashback: Dammit, Wohlers, he wasn't catching up to your fastball. Why did you outsmart yourself and hang a slider? Why?!!!!]
I was sitting just over the first base dugout. Fackin A, Leyritz even said in interviews he was just flailing at the fastball trying to stay alive. Of course none of that even happens if several innings earlier the ump working the right field line had paid attention and got the f*&$k out of Jermaine Dye's way.
Lol. I grew up a Yankee fan, and this happened just after I'd moved out of New York, so I was cheering.
Which is why Per and Freddie Ljungberg might be the two most interesting guys at the club to watch; they may be the ones in charge when we are actually good again.
I was at the Jeffrey Maier game earlier in that post-season. No doubt my playoff attending experience was better than yours.
Good piece by Scott Willis illustrating the issues that many of us have with Emery: xGunners: Judge me in May: I am fully #EmeryOut now even if he wins the Europa League https://t.co/gXjyUL9Yr1— Scott Willis (@scottjwillis) May 8, 2019 Key quotes: In other words, last season Arsenal had more of the ball, created more shots, created more changes, and (surprisingly) pressed more. I was surprised by the last part, but the difference is slight - the issue under Wenger was what happened when the press was bypassed. There was a big hole in Arsenal's pressing schemes and once teams figured it out it got really messy. This is worse: Last season's team wasn't great defensively, but was really unlucky. This team has been somewhat lucky (taking into account penalties). As Scott puts it: "To me these stats are damning. It is obvious that Arsenal don’t have stellar defensive talent, but with pretty much the same talent (maybe even less as Arsenal bought a starting center back, goal keeper and defensive midfielder in the summer), Arsenal were a better defensive team last season than this." (emphasis mine). I jumped on the Wenger Out bandwagon when it was obvious things wouldn't ever get better (and I got it later than some of you guys). I just don't get why people think it's going to get better under Emery when the underlying process here appears broken: we created way fewer chances this season and conceded way more chances. We're a lot worse in attack and quite a bit worse in defense. In other words, what about Emery makes you optimistic that things will be better next season?
One man's offerings: - Yes the defensive "talent" from last year remains, but this year it was also older and slower, endured long spells without Kos and Bellerin, and, most importantly, was subject to a large # of inane, stupid individual mistakes that directly led to opponents' goals. (PK for Brighton, PK awarded Tottenham, ...) Coaching may possibly help there but I can think of 5 goals surrendered that were just moments of idiocy on the pitch that IMO have nothing to do with who's at the helm. - No matter who Arsenal got they were bound to struggle. New faces, new system, still passive turmoil in the front office, etc. You normally don't move on from a 20+ year model without hiccups. Especially because there are no other Peps or Klopps to be had on the horizon that would come to Arsenal right now, so there has to be a degree of accepting what's best for right now, even if that's not ideal. - I'm hoping that with the changes in the front office and Emery now with a firmer grasp of the side we'll see what he does with one more transfer window. Yes, he had some questionable roster selections but he also simply inherited Mustafi, Ozil, Elneny, and so on. I think Sokratis and Leno were fair adds for the money, I think Emery did well weaving Holding and Iwobi into the side, and now that he's survived the initial season he can try to make something closer to his design. - Emery is the man who over saw the 21 match unbeaten run, had the team positioned in 3rd and may yet win a trophy. Last year the team was out of CL contention a lot earlier in the season. I'm not saying the guy is a future legend but he's done enough that I'm not pulling the trigger on his tenure until I know for sure I can get someone better. First rule of medicine - First, do no more harm.
I’m giving him till x mas If there is no improvement vastly , especially in an attacking g sense He can go
Just got us into our 8th european cup final, and the first one in 13 years. Ain't nothin to sneeze at.
It's really difficult to sneer at a Europa League Final. And truly, considering our European track record, going to a final and possibly winning is a fresh novelty that will be exciting. But--this is all part of Emery's track record. If we want to be Sevilla--dominating mediocre European competition and finishing 4th-8th in our league--he's our man. If that's what we are happy for in a manager though...I'll quote Bunk talking to Omar, "It makes me sick motherfcuker how far we done fell." Where is the ambition in this fanbase? Our NLD rivals are going to be in a different final on the same weekend as us. Just saying.
Why am I not surprised to find people here calling for Emery's head and pining for the days of Wenger. This collection of "talent" (95% of which was assembled by Wenger) wouldn't have had a sniff of 4th place if AW were still in charge. If you took a best XI combined from Spurs, Chelsea, ManU and Arsenal would there be a single Gunner in there? Emery has done remarkably well in light of the fact that he's been unable to bring in his own team. By the way where's the Mesut Ozil Amen chorus brigade today? Mopey Mesut was invisible again yesterday.
Ramsey would start. You could pair Auba or Laca with Kane. Emery the Gawd for getting us to third on April 1st
Welcome to BigSoccer. I don't see the post you're quoting as pining for Wenger. Questioning whether Emery can take us to the next level (a question which still has me on the fence), doesn't mean someone wants to re-hire Wenger. He wasn't great but still created two good chances despite having to drop deeper than we'd prefer because our two-man midfield was getting overrun.
This is fair, though I obviously don't agree. I'm not saying Emery should be fired: he's only on a two year deal, after all, and we're rather cash strapped. But barring a massive improvement next season he shouldn't be given a new contract.
There's a difference between appreciating what Emery has done and saying he's the penultimate leader for this team. No one here is aspiring to be a perennial Europa League team and we're all hoping to restore our status at the least as the biggest and best club in London. EVERYONE here wants that. Getting from where we are now to where we want to be is the tricky part, and to the extent there is a better manager out there willing and ready to come to Arsenal I can't say. If there is I got no problem making the change. Same goes for every player and their position.
I feel he is getting less pressure than Wenger did, at the end of the day looks like Arsenal are not going to make top 4, problem was Wenger always had trouble bagging the silverware
Emery is trying to fix Wenger’s mess, and the first season of cleanup was a mixed bag but overall okay. Wenger was trying to fix Wenger’s mess.