Cardiff v. Arsenal, Reiss, and the Europa League

66 comments

1. I missed the Nelson joke / reference…but the more obvious one about going far in the tournament was excellent. Well played!

   That issue about Mkhitaryan’s travel to Azerbaijan isn’t really (or shouldn’t really be) a worry when it comes to the group stages, but missing him in the final would suck. If we make the final.

   Anyway, I’ll go check out your work on Arsenal Review. Not liking the sound of Cardiff…

   1. Nelson was the kid in Simpsons who pointed and went HAHA.. I say was, but apparently the Simpsons is still going?

2. Also, I want to hear PFO’s take on Mourinho’s use of Hegel…

   1. I mean, of course it was bullsh*t, but kinda impressed he pulled it out and it kinda sorta made sense related to his point. (Hegel is notorious for being basically impossible to understand anyway; I certainly don’t.)

      The guy (Jose, not Hegel) is beyond a parody of himself at this point; even his former fanboys in the media now realize, I think, that he’s just one of the most insecure people on the planet, and it’s becoming pathetic to watch him more than anything (not to deny he’s still easy to hate, too).

3. This is the type of game where I thought Olivier Giroud was really valuable. He would absorb the brunt of the abuse from a Shawcross in possession and presented a credible aerial threat even against very large stopper types, and then was able to mark the same players on set pieces as a defender effectively. We don’t have Giroud and none of our midfielders are very good in the air, so it’ll definitely be a difficult moment when Cardiff line up a dead ball. The key will be to avoid giving them opportunities as much as possible, since I don’t think they can hurt us from open play. I like the inclusion of Welbeck to help with the physical duels, but Ozil could also be a key player with his ability to unpack a packed defense. Overall, I agree this will be a tough test and I expect a very close game.

4. hey, this aaron ramsey’s old team so he should get a warm welcome.

   1. yeah, I remember they gave him lots of love when he scored a header against them the last time they were up in the Prem, in his miracle season.

5. Based on Twitter info, Mkhitaryan didn’t travel to Azerbaijan when with Dortmund for safety reasons, even though they gave him permission on appeal/Uefa’s intervention.

   I think the loan move is good for Reiss Nelson, but I am worried about burnout if we’re going to play the majority of the first team in the Group Stages. The distance of travel only adds to that.

   Doc is right about Giroud being the striker for these games, and the closest we have to that is Welbeck. But I think we’ll be seeing Auba start up front. Though maybe Welbeck can start along with Ozil as the wide/inside forwards. Leaving Miki, Iwobi and Laca on the bench.

   I don’t care if it’s ugly or lucky, but we have to beat Cardiff. Win these sorts of games all season and we should make top 4. Despite the rough start, that is still my expectation.

   1. thumbs up, shard.

      1. yep.

         the attack and midfield is now suddenly looking a bit slim if we’re wanting to be competitive in four competitions across the whole season (and needing to at least either get top 4 or win the Europa). I mean, it’s chock full of top quality, but it’s not the deepest group. if we include Nketiah, ESR, and Willock (which is being generous), I count 14 players for 6 positions, which may sound like a lot, but is really not, with injuries and necessary squad rotation. And of course virtually no natural wingers (I guess Iwobi and Micki being the closest).

         At the back, I reckon the problem is reversed: we have the numbers, just not the top quality.

         1. ok, I forgot about AMN. if we count him as a midfielder, that brings us to 15. I reckon that’s enough, though still would like to see a proper winger or two.

6. The club’s handling of talented players who aren’t quite ready for showtime is markedly different than under Wenger. Last year, both Chambers and Reiss would’ve featured heavily in the “B Team” but apparently the regime now doesn’t view that as quality development. Instead, they appear to take the view that a season long run in the first team elsewhere is a better preparation to take that elusive next step from ‘promising potential’ to ‘actual premier league level.’

   1. It’s easy to understand why as well. The days of the Carling cup being a showcase for the latest models in the Arsenal finishing school are long gone. This one has puzzled me. Why would the club suddenly stop producing talented young players? Every club goes through ebbs and flows but this one has persisted for the best part of a decade. The only bright lightsI can recall have been Wilshere and Bellerin, both of whom rose to prominence on the back of successful loan spells elsewhere, and both players have settled in the lower echelons in the trajectories that were possible for them following their returns. Not only have we not bought youth well from abroad, but we’ve also been unable to produce even serviceable academy products, those two aside. It’s sad when you’re pining for the club to at least produce a Kieran Gibbs, for the love of Dennis. It’s been a shocking run for a club once proud to ‘make stars, not buy them’ and it’s no wonder the leadership is changing their approach.

      1. Chambers and Nelson might have been kept as insurance against injury, though Wenger sent Chambers to Boro on loan too. I suppose what’s different is that we’re not struggling to hold on to top 4, but aiming to get back in again and stay there, so can favour player development at the cost of immediacy. Might also be a bit of a financial decision actually.

         Loan moves aren’t really new. They’ve always been seen as filling the gap between reserve and first team football for some players better than their peers. Just doesn’t always work out. Like I said, I think it’s a good move for Reiss, provided he gets game time. We’ve had some terrible loan moves for players who never played, the most egregious being Gnabry under Pulis at WBA.

         Injuries have also been a cause, robbing certain players of their development. Zelalem comes to mind. Mavididi another who went to Charlton and as the manager admitted, was asked to play through an injury, aggravating it. He’s now at Juventus in their B team. Maybe he’ll get a chance there in a couple of years. Bielik too has had some injury problems.

         But I think the real issue might have been the short term measures taken for Project Youth, signing 16-17 y/o, caused some of the issues with recruitment and affected the focus at the academy (as well as distorted our expectations of young players coming through?) And I suppose agents have become more let’s say…prominent…in managing the careers of even the younger players. So we started to lose out on the best there. (Often, possibly, to Chelsea who just stockpile them)

         The club perhaps needed to go through a restructure to shift the focus back on to development through the ranks. They had Jonker there along with 1 or 2 other Dutchmen and that seemed to be short-lived. He left for a management job along with Freddie who’s now back. Not sure how the club thought of the job he did, but maybe he had completed most of his mandate in terms of restructure and upgrading the facilities? In any case, a restructure would explain the gap.

         Arsenal were even relegated in the reserves league, but have since come back, won it last season, and we once again seem to have some talent coming through.

         1. Well, of course loans aren’t new, but I do think Chambers and Reiss would’ve been in our Europa league squad if Wenger was still in charge. Before, loans were primarily for players who were so peripheral as to be expendable, a last ditch attempt to drum up some value, rather than a proactive effort to put the finishing touches on an almost ready prospect. Correct me if you can think of recent examples to the contrary.

            1. The timing is important too. The prospects who were close to ready would usually be loaned out after the league cup run inevitably ended, not before the season even began.

7. Bacary Sagna scores for MLS’ Montreal Impact over NY Red Bulls, 2-0.

8. Arsenal’s best XI on for Lacazette’s goal. the

9. I think Auba starting on the left playing off Laca up top with Torierra permanently displacing Xhaka. This is good.

10. Today I saw an intensity in Arsenal’s approach that was encouraging. Cardiff, as bad as their goal scoring record is, are no slouch and they played a very physical game without being dirty. Also encouraging was Lacazette’s centre forward play. He seems to have discovered a new trick where he puts the defender on his back, holds his position while waiting for the ball to drop to him before shooting or passing. I noticed that earlier in the season but he seems to be getting better at it. Hope he continues to improve. I thought he was our man of the match today with a super assist and a glorious goal.

    Xhaka and Cech were our two weakest links today. Surely Leno needs to start. Teams have taken notice of how Cech’s style is incompatible with the way we want to play and are forcing the back pass to our goalie. It’s only a matter of time till he gives up another calamitous goal. As for Xhaka, who once again gave the ball away from deep while not really put under any pressure, I think his clock must be ticking as well. Emery has shown himself to be quite ruthless and I think as soon as Torreira has acclimatized to the league, he will replace Xhaka permanently.

    1. “He seems to have discovered a new trick where he puts the defender on his back, holds his position while waiting for the ball to drop to him before shooting or passing. I noticed that earlier in the season but he seems to be getting better at it. Hope he continues to improve. I thought he was our man of the match today with a super assist and a glorious goal.”

       He’s definitely had that in his locker since his Lyon days. I think he’s finally adjusted to the physicality of the league now, and fully gotten over last season’s midyear dip in confidence.

11. Once again, xhaka proves how much of a slow thinker he is on the ball, torreira comes in and does better!! It won’t be long Lucas. In all, I’m happy we won..

12. Watford just beat spurs!! Well, I can’t wait for arsenal to beat Watford!! That’s because I dislike troy deeney as a player.. he looks like the second coming of chucky!

    1. Troy Deeney does the best with what he had been given in the genetic lottery.
       He may not be pretty or smart, or easy on the eye when playing ,but you can never acuse him of not giving a 100% effort every time and all the time.

       Sure he’s annoying as hell when he accuses your team of not having the cojones, but kinda funny when that team is Tottenham. BTW , isn’t it something we have all said at one time or another about Arsenal using perhaps a different turn of phrase.

       Pochettino’s just accused his players of not having the character to be title contenders.
       I think that’s way worse than what Deeney might’ve said about Arsenal , or Tottenham players, ever.

13. Thoughts on the game:

    1. Torreira has to start. It’s one from Guendouzi or Xhaka beside him, and while I I think the former has already shown he’ll have much more about him than the latter longterm, it’s probably gotta be the more experienced Swiss in the short term. Still don’t know how patient we should be with him when he makes braindead decisions like he did today to gift them a goal in first half injury time.

    2. Lacazette was phenomenal. Player of the game, and the finish for his winner was even better than Auba’s. That’s what having two world class goalscorers in the team can give you. More of that, please. Meanwhile, Auba was virtually anonymous other than a few nice touches and a great finish; but hey, if he can score a goal like that every game, he can be utterly anonymous for the other 89 minutes and he’ll be worth it.

    3. I know this isn’t going to help my reputation as an Ozil fanboy on here, but I’m going to say it anyway because it’s true. We regained control of the game in the second half when Ozil started dropping deeper to get on the ball. Almost all of our good play in that second half–which, predictably given how Cardiff were setting up, was measured possession football, not high speed counterattacks–came from Mesut getting multiple touches in the buildup. The other players look for him when he starts to demand it like that. His touch, decision making, his understanding when to slow and when to speed up play, and the weight and accuracy of his passing, is consistently superb.
    It was the sort of subtle performance that will never earn rave reviews from most pundits or fans, and even if he were to have a run of games with this kind of influence, the next indifferent performance he puts in they’ll be shouting that he’s been crap for ages, conveniently passing over these sorts of games. But subtle influence is still influence. He stood out for his willingness to make forward passes, particularly those great entry passes to the forward players dropping off their markers (Laca excelled at this; his flicks were positively Giroud-like).
    We need Mesut in this team to make the buildup tick. It’s as simple as that. Indeed, with Santi not at the club any longer, he’s pretty much the only one who can conduct the play for us. Xhaka/Tor/Guen can do this from deep, but we need someone else slightly further forward too; Ramsey can’t do it, for all his strengths, and I suspect Micki gives the ball away too cheaply to do it consistently either.

    4. With all due respect, our defense is just going to be average all season, as long as that’s our starting CB pairing. Torreira will help, but he’s not a miracle worker. And I like Cech and I like passing out from the back, but it’s ok to admit those two things don’t really mix. No doubt Leno will get the nod in the Europa, with Emery hoping he shows enough good form to justify replacing Cech; if he does, I think he’ll be our new number 1 before Xmas.

    1. I understand Xhaka does give away a bad pass in midfield more than he ought, but his crossfield ball to Bellerin that was intercepted should not have led to a goal. It wasn’t a particularly bad pass, or ‘brainded’ in any way, but he either under-hit it slightly or didn’t quite notice an extra Cardiff player in the vicinity. There were numbers back and the goal came from a kind bounce after Monreal missed his far post header. So I get that Xhaka has a patter on this sort of thing but I can’t find it in myself to blame him for that particular goal.

       I do think it should be Guendouzi who sits for Torreira, and I’m glad you feel the same. I think Xhaka will look a different prospect when partnered by a defensively secure foil.

       1. Doc,
          I don’t hate Xhaka, and I’ve defended him on here before, but giving the opposition the ball in a dangerous position like he did, in the 46th minute, with no one pressuring him, was a horrible mistake. Of course it didn’t lead “directly” to the goal, but it was the key mistake that brought about the chance which otherwise almost certainly wouldn’t have materialized for Cardiff before halftime.

          Put it this way: either you’re not a great passer, in which case it’d be stupid to attempt that pass in that situation; or you are a great passer (as Xhaka is), in which case you can make that pass in your sleep, and the only reason you’d miss it as badly as he did is if (a) you’re being pressured, or (b) you’re being too lazy to get your body in the right position to make the pass. Xhaka wasn’t pressured, so he was just being lazy. Obviously footballers are human so even the best blatantly misplace a pass every now and then. But to do so due to laziness like he did, the minute before halftime in an away game in which you’re winning 1-0, and at a moment where there was no particular reason to play that difficult ball, since there were easier passes on for him, is absolutely braindead.

          1. I can remember worse passes that didn’t result in goals in just the first few games of this season, and not just from him. If that pass results in a throw in and not a goal, chances are you wouldn’t even remember it. Also, you’re contradicting yourself in your own argument: If it’s really “braindead” to play that pass because it was a poor decision, then why are you blaming it on poor technique due to laziness instead a paragraph earlier? Wouldn’t it be easier for everyone if you admitted that you used hyperbole to highlight your frustration with that particular passage of play?

             1. Why do you care?

    2. I think your points on Ozil are well made and I completely agree. For better or worse, we need to embrace an identity as “gunners” while he is on the squad because that is what our strength will be with a creator as good as him and two top drawer finishers of chances in front of him. We are never going to be completely defensively secure, not this season, so might as well double down on an area of strength.

    3. Playing Xhaka ahead of Guendouzi is either conservatism, or the manager giving him a chance before going irreversible — giving him rope. Guendouzi is already, clearly, the better player. On the visual evidence, and statistically, as Tim has shown several times. Offensively, pass percentage, defensively, tackles, interceptions, ferrying. Our best deep midfield pairing is Torreira and Guendouzi.

       Age and games played don’t matter, if you’re running a true meritocracy. Wenger played Cesc at 17, because he was ready. Guendouzi showed the same sit-up-and-rub-your-eyes reaction when you first saw him in an Arsenal midfield. Im not saying they’re the same type of player, or have similar ability level at the same age… Im simply saying that Guendouzi’s superiority over Xhaka is pretty much unarguable at this point.

       I keep hearing that he’ll make mistakes. Every midfielder does. Ask Granit 🙂

       I said a year ago that Xhaka gives me the Vermaelens. A player with a wand of foot, but who over time was shown to be clearly deficient in a critical part of his play. I have a feeling that when he drops out, he’ll find the way back to be very hard. I remember some gentle ribbing from you after I suggested that Xhaka could give us 8 goals a season. But I pretty much dont think he deserves to keep his place

       1. It’s definitely defensible to suggest that Guendouzi should partner Torreira and not Xhaka, even at this early stage of his career. It’s a problem we didn’t expect to have, and a good one at that. I just think it’s a little too early to trust Guen with that much responsibility and he is physically not mature enough yet for that position in this league. He might be the rare talent who proves me wrong; if so, great, we have a foundational player on our hands. More likely, he’s going to tail off as teams watch more tape on him and eventually hit a rookie wall as the physical demands set in. I do feel part of the reason Xhaka has looked so shaky is that he is partnering Guendouzi. Although eye catching at times and industrious, he also blows coverage assignments and is not an assured tackler. I think Granit needs a partner who does that side of the game particularly well in order to be at his best… I also think Granit just has a more solid physique which stands him well in this league, and at this point I think he offers more offensive potential as well. It was his corner that Mustafi headed in for our opener and he does force defenders to close him down at the edge of the D or he can put a good shot on target, a respect that Guendouzi just doesn’t command yet.

          1. “I do feel part of the reason Xhaka has looked so shaky is that he is partnering Guendouzi.”

             So what’s Granit’s excuse for the previous 2 years? 🙂

             “…he also blows coverage assignments and is not an assured tackler”

             Do you really want to go there?

             1. I’m more with Claude on this one, but I do think that the assertion Xhaka will look more assured next to Torreira is a valid point (then again, Guen will look more assured next to Torreira too).

             2. Sounds like you’ve closed the book on GX and are not really prepared to have an open mind about him. He hasn’t been uniformly awful since he’s been at the club, and he isn’t uniformly awful for Switzerland or his previous club. You don’t rate him and that’s fine, we can disagree.

             3. You, Doc, are open minded if you support; and I am not if I don’t. I take it that you don’t have an actual argument, then.

             4. I would appreciate it if everyone stopped yelling at each other.

                Thanks.

             5. I apologize if I came across aggressively.

    4. Agree fully on Auba and Laca. Play them together, Unai. Getting on the scoreboard should do their confidence the world of good as well.

       On Ozil, great point on dropping deep. However that’s not his game, and it’s not going to work against better teams. He does not have the defensive attributes to play that role with any regularity. To the extent that he did that well today, bravo. Santi, whom you mention, provided security in transition possession, and ferrying. Ozil can’t provide either of those.

       Ozil went deep looking for the ball, because the man charged with creative transitioning (Xhaka), wasn’t creative transitioning. That’s taking charge in the absence of proper functioning — which is admirable and something we’ve clamoured for Ozil to do more of. But that’s not a role we can expect him to play. Ozil is about final third vision and composure — one of the best players in the world in finding the right/perfect pass in a defensively crowded area with little time to think about it.

       I want to see him supplying bullets to Laca and Auba, whether he plays wide right, wide left or through the middle. I like Ozil, and I’m one of those who dont accept that he cant fit into Emery’s system, as some analysts are increasingly suggesting. Mesut’s problem for me is that he doesn’t take enough goalscoring responsibility, and can hide a bit behind he fact that he serves up caviar. More meat and potatoes is sometimes what’s required of him.

       1. 1. Sure, but different things can be meat and potatoes for a footballer, depending on their skill set and what the game demands: one way of putting the point I was trying to make above is that that second half was very much a “meat and potatoes” rather than “caviar” performance from Mesut, so it won’t get the attention, but I thought it was key. He provided exactly the composure and intelligence on the ball that the team needed, and arguably that only he could provide.

          2. When I said Ozil dropped deep, I didn’t mean that meant he was playing in Xhaka’s position (arguably he did look like he was playing on the right of a midfield 3 at times, but that’s not a bad look for him or the team, provided the formation is fluid enough to allow him to push forward into the front 3 and someone else like Ramsey to drop back for defensive cover). I’m not suggesting he should become a Santi-like player, even for parts of games; crucially, as you point out, he wasn’t transitioning us out of our defensive third like Santi did so amazingly. He was just dropping a bit deeper to get on the ball, but when we were already in the middle third and they were sitting very deep in their half; and from there he was pushing up into space as opposed to sitting just sitting there like Xhaka does. My point is not “he could be a Santi or a Xhaka type”; the point is we need him to conduct, to play-make, and where he does that on the field is less important than that he’s ensuring he gets on the ball a lot *somewhere*, because although people think of the playmaker as the guy who delivers the killer ball, often it’s just as important for them to make 5 simple passes before the ball even gets into a dangerous position from which a final ball can be delivered. Think of someone like Iniesta: sometimes he was laying on an assist, but often his best work was done just popping up into little pockets, miles from goal, to move the play smoothly along.

14. There’s virtue in caution and wait-and-see, but I increasingly dont see the point of holding back Torreira and Leno. Every single team that brought in an expensive goalie is playing him. Yeah, yeah, let’s laugh at Alisson, but still…

    The usual caveat applies, of course. Emery is in a far better position to make these assessments, and sees what we dont.

    But at this point im not convinced that Leno would be a worse shotstopper than Cech, but Im sure that he’d be better on the ball. Torreira is a better player than Granit Xhaka in every respect. Again, a caveat. This is the evidence of my eyes, not the numbers. It’s telling that as we look to shore up, repair, and fight fire in midfield, I’d dont think that Emery’s ever once turned to Elneny.

    Reiss Nelson…
    I actually thought, after the first 2 games, that he was a good shout to sometimes replace Mkhi wide right. He looked a good player in pre-season. Im relieved that he’s staying

    1. Nobody should be laughing at Allison Becker… he didn’t concede a goal for 3 games prior to that moment and having watched him in that game I can tell you he was outstanding besides that moment. I can see why they parted with that much money for him. I think he will be the top GK in the league soon if he isn’t already, particularly with De Gea struggling. There is something about German genes and goalkeeping!

       1. That was tongue in cheek. No one’s arguing that he’s anything but an outstanding buy and keeper.

       2. He’s been rock solid for Liverpool but that one play.
          Anyone is allowed a brain fart once every 360 minutes or so , although I doubt he’ll this ever again as long as he’s playing top flight ball.
          This was a mistake borne out of being over confident, Cech ‘s are from sheer panic and discomfort , that’s two different issues.

          I don’t know of any player who’s improved his ball control and passing under pressure while in his late thirties, let alone a keeper.

          If this is the system Emery wants to stick with then I’d like to see what Leno can do.

          1. I remember watching Manuel Neuer when he was still a Schalke player. He faced kind of a daisy cutter and let it roll right between his legs for a goal. I think Schalke ended up losing that game by a goal and I thought, well, this guy’s never going to make it…. 😀

          2. Hey Tom, the point is that Leno should play. Keepers make mistakes. It’s in the Bill of Rights, the UNDHR….

             Cech was truly awful today, on distribution.

             1. What’s bill of rights?
                Is that when you die and the priest …., oh never mind.

                Yes, he should play, unless Emery knows something we don’t ( probably a lot), like the guy is even worse than Cech with his feet because he’s seen him in practice and thought to himself what the hell did we just spend 20m for 😉

             2. Furthermore, I thought Cech was really slow to shift his body on the second goal with the initial header from the right.
                For the second heather he should’ve been a few yards closer to his far post.

                De Gea is probably better than anyone at doing that. He might let in a howler, as they all do at times, but it’s never because he’s out of position to make a save.

15. It’s definitely another “I’ll take it” category win, but it’s hard to say we didn’t deserve it after 71% of the ball and 11 shots on goal versus just 3 from them. The front 4 of Auba, Laca, Ozil and Ramsey is so potent but also leaves the team so open at the other end (more on that anon). Being the top heavy team that we are at the moment, it’s not crazy to bank on outscoring other teams by relying on our talent in attacking areas. I’m not sure too many other teams can pair the most creative midfielder in the world with two strikers who have each scored 20+ goals in each of their last 3 seasons. Add Ramsey’s 11 goals and 9 assists in PL/EL to that mix and that’s an attacking threat like this team hasn’t had since the halcyon days of van Persie, Adebayor, Cesc and Nasri all sharing one pitch, or exactly 10 years by my count. Hats off to Lacazette, in particular, who looks to be in the form of his life just about now.

    Naturally, the reason this lineup hasn’t seen the light of day until now is that it leaves us almost comically short at the other end. It was obvious that there is little support for the back line, already short on confidence and prone to panic, particularly from Ozil on the right wing. If this really is the forward lineup that we roll with then you have to think Torreira should be starting. Xhaka’s ability to progress the ball will be missed but I don’t think the dropoff between him and Torreira is severe enough in that respect that the team will suffer much, and the gap between him and Torreira in terms of defensive ability looms much greater. But there might be an even better argument for dropping the willing but callow Guendouzi, who has been withdrawn early two games running to the benefit of the team. Finally, I have believed since the start of the season that it should be the spryer and more pass happy Bernd Leno who should be keeping goal for us. Although I don’t think Cech is the liability some have made him out to be compared to any other keeper put in the same situations (just look at Allison the other day), I do think it’s time to let the new guy show what he can do.

16. I watched the game sitting in the new stand amongst the Cardiff fans, it was an experience! They have great support. I had a fantastic view of Mustafi’ s goal and an even better one of PEB’s, from the moment he hit it I knew it was in. Sitting on your hands for 90 minutes is tough! Defensively we are a shambles, Xharka is a player I simply don’t like or want. Laca was ace today, Ramsey ran forever and never gave up. Leno needs a chance, playing from the back with Cech and this defence gives me kittens every time. A great result with the spuds losing, makes work tomorrow almost bearable. A final point Guendouzi always wants the ball!

17. Thoughts on the game…

    We looked a mess defensively, and yes, it’s early, but Im putting that on the coach. And the players for sure, but Emery simply hasn’t got this team defending well.

    Let’s discount Xhaka’s careless pass which led to Hoillet’s interception. Youve still got to defend the situation. Guendouzi seems unsure whether to press the man on the ball, or mark the space. He does neither. Xhaka jogs aimlessly into the box (as he did against Chelsea for the Alonso goal) marking no one or any space in particular. Sokratis is ball-watching and charges into the side of the box already occupied by Bellerin, Mustafi and Xhaka, losing his man arriving left and leaving a gaping hole in that side of the Arsenal box (where was Monreal?) Ramsey, too late, senses the danger and runs desperately into the (already crowded) box to offer reinforcements/aerial support in defence.

    Sooo… we got undone by a simple, gentle cross which no one was in position to head away, it fell to the foot of the wide open, unmarked attacker. Sokratis tried to run back and block, but was too late.

    Bad giveaway by Xhaka under little pressure, poor closing down by Guendouzi (who looked tired on that play — won’t be surprised, he’s played a lot), terrible decision-making by Sokratis, a complete breakdown in communication by the defence.

    For their second, we contrived to have Ramsey marking their big man positioned for the nod-down.

    There’s an argument — a sound one — that Emery can’t make silk purses out of sows’ ears. But our failures, especially on the first goal, were about the fundamentals of defending.

    And coach, do Petr a favour and atke him out of the team. He does not deserve the damage being done to his rep. And at his age, youre not going to turn him into a sweeper/keeper. Blood Leno.

    1. yep.

       but I still think Emery’s, slowly but surely, going to iron out those mistakes. he can’t make Mustafi or Sokratis great, but the kind of mistakes we made for the first goal can be prevented. as for the second, not a lot you can do about a set piece team like Cardiff scoring from a brilliantly executed set piece, except (a) don’t give away silly fouls in your own half (though on replays the foul call looked harsh), and (b), as you say, don’t have poor Ramsey having to mark their biggest aerial threat (who’s genius idea was that folks?!).

       1. In fairness and for the sake of balance, I cant let the defending stand as my only takeaway. The quality of the striking was exceptional. Laca and Auba scored 2 world class goals. The technique and placement for Auba’s goal was far greater than it looked at first. And 99 times out of 100, Laca’s shot is hitting the side of net. Lacazette looked the best centre forward on view at the weekend.

          That is both cheering and worrying… the quality of the goals, and the fact that we needed 2 worldies to beat Cardiff. This time last year that’s a draw or a defeat. But hey, since it looks like we cant stop anyone scoring against us, it looks like we’re going to have to play Globetrotters ball to get results.

18. So today I thought of a simple logic emery is trying to apply.. I think he’s putting together more than one team at once! I think he’s building 3 teams at a time and testing their outcomes on the pitch.. I really dunno how to explain this but, he’s tried different formations, different positions for different players and he’s figuring out the best pairings.. I won’t be surprised if he plays welbeck alone upfront soon.. the man is mad!! But I totally understand his logic..btw, I may be wrong!

19. Arsenal sixes and sevens at defending,
    Isn’t that in The Bill of Rights as well?

    Wasn’t it Arshavin who said they practiced defending all the time but never really saw the improvement on game day.

    We also wondered what Steve Bould was doing there all this time collecting his fat check while no visible improvements were made.
    Face it , Claude , it’s Arsenal.
    That’s how we roll 🙂

20. My observations: Can’t play Xhaka, Ramsey and Ozil together ever- no pace or close marking in transition.
    Leno passes out of the back quickly and precisely. Having watched him in pre-season he made passes very close to the goal line, which one time turned into a goal from passing out the back. Leno needs to start yesterday. Guen can’t play every game so Xhaka will have to start in front of Torierra every now and then. Ramsey slows down everything in transition, in the corner, everywhere. He does not contribute enough offensively to justify his starting position week in week out. The Arsenal need another Centerback who is a crusher!

21. Happy with the result. And the goals we scored. Scoring from a corner. Good. Scoring with a curler from outside the box, Great. And phwooar what a finish to win it at the end.

    For the first 4-6 months of this campaign, I don’t particularly care about us being perfect. Just win, or at least play some good attacking football, score goals, be entertaining. I’ll be happy with that.

    The defending needs work, we know that. But I thought Mustafi was quite good today, and I really think having Sokratis next to him has made a difference. It’s the same reason I think Torreira should replace Guendouzi rather than Xhaka in the starting line up. In terms of only ability/form, maybe it’s the two youngest ones who form the best midfield. But experience does matter. Even with his propensity to make some dumb decisions, Xhaka is one of our leaders.

    That leadership is the same reason Cech is starting over Leno as I’ve stated before as my opinion. No way is Cech comfortable with the ball at his feet. (Though I have to say, he’s improving) If that’s how we want to play, Leno would start. But a coach’s job is to win the side over rather than just lay down the law. We’ve had a major transition. Emery needs the senior players on his side. For Cech to be dropped without reason would have led to some problems I think. I’m ok with playing Cech until Leno is settled in via the EL. Then we’ll see.

22. “But experience does matter. Even with his propensity to make some dumb decisions, Xhaka is one of our leaders.”

    Vermaelan, Arteta and Mertesacker — all experienced captains who rode the pine because better players were ahead of them — may have something to say about that. As does the fact that the current “leadership” of Arsenal has delivered worse results YOY… 2nd, 5th and 6th.

    “For Cech to be dropped without reason would have led to some problems I think.”

    Without reason? 😳Hey we bought Leno because Petr was terrible last season. But even if one had no problem with him getting the nod over the German at the start of this campaign (and i for one did not), he has given us plenty reasons to drop him now. Still, I expect him to be given more time. And that Emery, for the sake of squad harmony, wont do so next game, after only 4. But Cech’s ropiness under Emery’s system the situation there is unsustainable, and Leno will probably get his chance by Christmas. No, he’s not got better. Yesterday was his worst game in goal.

    Stuff like leadership sound nice in theory, but does it look like Cech is doing any organising of that back line? People often confuse seniority with leadership, and you do here. They’re not the same thing. From what I’ve seen, the 19 year old Frenchman shows more leadership on the pitch than his erratic Swiss partner. But the issue with him is that he’s hardly had a rest since arriving.

    1. Well Emery disagrees with you as per his captains list. He feels both Cech and Xhaka are leaders in the squad. He also disagrees with you that Cech isn’t improving.

       Cech made a couple of errors with his feet, and isn’t good at using his weaker foot. But his reading of where to play the pass is improving. So while his execution of Emery’s ideas of playing from the back may never sufficiently improve, his reading of it is IMO. Sure, maybe without reason was not the right wording. Without being given a chance. I agree with you about better players supplanting even experienced leaders (and especially about Cech vs Leno). Just think that this won’t be rushed right now and I’m ok with that.

       Guendouzi is still young. Enthusiasm, fearlessness, and a few good performances don’t equal leadership. Just saying that Emery’s concern will be more long term, and will have to include personal relationships as a factor.

       Besides, Emery in an interview has already said that he doesn’t view the deep lying playmaker’s defensive frailties as a disqualifier as long as he contributes more on the ball. I don’t think he’s going to give up on Xhaka just yet. For all his flaws he’s the best playmaker from deep in the squad and I think he’s crucial to how Emery wants to play. And again, his experience, both in terms of age, and playing in England, does matter, if only a little.

       1. Shard – Leadership can also mean responding with maturity when not getting the nod to start. That might be a powerful contribution. Cech has made some excellent saves already this season, but his ball skills and mobility will never be a great fit with Emery ‘s style. Stepping aside with grace and a team-first mentality could be a great example for this team. Continue to work hard and fight for a spot. But accept change and show that it’s no just about you.

          1. Yes, and if and when Emery makes that call that’s how I would expect them to react. However, Emery plays them right now, and evidently thinks they are leaders. It may not even be the reason he plays them. I think it is a factor if not an explanation, and I’m ok with it.

       2. Bless you, Shard. It’s kind of reassuring to see that the departure of Arsene Wenger hasn’t changed your “all is well/the coach is always right” outlook 🙂

          But sorry mate, Im not going to let you get away with arguing that night is day day today. The claim that Cech is getting better is simply not true, as Tim shows clearly in his most recent Arsenal Review numbers crunch (which Im not going to link to, as he may want to post it himself). But forget the numbers… he was objectively poor yesterday, as anyone with a functional pair of eyes could see.

          Emery’s being pragmatic, and that’s fine. The new leader who walks in and shoots all the big guns before he gets to properly understand the place isn’t going to last long. The 5 captains thing gives him options if he has to chop and change, and I think that’s a smart play.

          By the numbers and by the evidence afforded to anyone with a functional pair of eyes, Xhaka isnt the best playmaker in the squad. If by that you mean deep-lying midfielder (and not counting Mesut), Guendouzi is significantly better.

          Look, you’d hope that players play on merit and not on rep. You’re ready when youre ready. Age is just a number. Flamini usurped the great Gilberto, because he was better than the illustrious Brazil international at the point of his breakthrough. Your time is now if youre better. Cesc put up his hand at 17, played on merit ahead of more experienced “leaders”, and was himself made captain at 22. We can argue the toss about how successful a captain he was, but he earned it. Anelka was even ounger than his fellow Frenchman.

          The notion that Guendouzi has to bide his time because of some vague seniority principle is flawed. Guendouzi reminds me of Fabregas in terms of his fearlessness, his refusal to hide, his demanding the ball, and his excellent, progressive use of it. And his numbers are better than those of his senior rival. We just LOOK a better team with him it, although, to me, he and Xhaka don’t work as a combo.

          Look, the man’s had 4 games, and Im loath to ding him. But some things that weren’t working last season (Cech and Xhaka) havent worked for him so far. He’s not going to make silk purses with that raw material.

          I noted that comment about what a player offers going forward, and at the time, I said that it sounded like good news for Xhaka. But he’s not exactly killing it on the offensive side is he? Great delivery on the corner, though. He’s a great squad option, and has a hammer of a left foot. But, as with Podolski and Vermaelem, it’s not enough.

          Oh by the way, the player I think that Emery must privately regret not getting — given how he likes to set up and play in the double pivot — is Nzonzi. The midfield lacks height and sufficient defensive toughness, as Ramsey’s isolation for Swansea’s 2nd goal showed. Torreira, in one short cameo, showed (again) that he’s our best defender in the midfield.

          1. My outlook is more like the coach is right until we can be sure he’s not. I bet it’s the same for you. Except we tend to vary in what the burden of proof/evidence required.

             See, looking from the outside and only at the matches so far, I’d say Guendouzi has looked better than Xhaka. But he’s not the same sort of player in terms of passing, and as pointed out, he lacks experience of England, and the size/physicality to deal with it. He’s also been subbed off. Torreira has had more cameos than anything and has looked somewhere between unconvincing (letting KDB through) and potentially great. I think he’s more the latter and will start sooner rather than later. On Cech, I completely agree that if we want to play out the back, Leno appears to be the easy choice.

             And yet, Emery chooses to play Cech, and plays Xhaka. So there must be an explanation. You seem to think I’m arguing that these two should play. No. I’m merely stating that the coach has much more information, has other things to consider beyond just the next match, and has to deal with these people every day, and as such his call gets any benefit of doubt. Especially so early, and without a lack of evidence as to how good the alternatives are. How can it be reasonable to give our opinion primacy over Emery’s?

             We can speculate and wonder and want the things we want for the reasons we identify. It doesn’t mean Emery is wrong or that in backing him up I’m turning night into day.

             I think leadership plays a part in his decision. Whether that be on the field or in the squad as a whole. Plus I think Xhaka will be his primary option in the midfield 2 throughout the season. Maybe I’m wrong, but that’s what I think based on a ‘guess’ about how he wants to play. Could be wrong too. Torreira will be the covering partner for him. You notice I don’t put Elneny ahead of them even though he’s more experienced.

             Separately, just like we LOOK a better team with Guen, I think Cech has improved in knowing when to pass and when to play it long if they’re covered. He made a mistake in execution rather than decision making. But hey, we don’t have to agree about this.

             I was fully on board the Nzonzi train and I still wish we’d got him. He made a bad error in Roma’s game last week though, giving the ball away costing them a goal. Remind you of someone? 🙂

23. Was it just me or was Ramsey demonstrating something of a ‘body language’ issue? He seemed angry -throwing the ball down on the sideline and generally looking displeased. There’s video of him shaking hands with Emery after the game and he doesn’t seem enthusiastic to say the least. It’s becoming clear to me that he’s not on board with some aspect of the plan. Contract? Role?

    1. Tea leaves, etc.

    2. I didn’t notice that at all, though you might be right.

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