Norwich 2-2 Arsenal: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

83 comments

1. I thought we looked good in the first half which may have been due to the new manager adrenaline surge. We had a significant lead in ball possession and shots. In the second half after the adrenaline surge faded we looked a lot more like the team which played for Emery. A draw against the 19th best team in the league was certainly an Emery like result.

   Obviously we can’t judge the Freddie era based on one game and I suspect we will put together a run of good form at some point in this season and pull us back to the Europa league spots where we belong. However, I still think we will recognize that a big part of the problem has not been managerial tactics but instead many of the issues are related to the players ability to execute the strategy.

   1. agreed on all points

   2. Agreed too.

2. I didn’t have any expectations going in as it’s too soon but it wasn’t far off nothing has changed. What a state of affairs that we have a coach with literally zero no top level coaching experience. Hope Freddie doesn’t carry the can for the remainder of the season. Top 6 is a stretch. Our midfield is shambolic. It’s literally bypassed by the opposition who regularly cut us to pieces and by us as we appear to have no capability to build play through the middle. Chambers shouldn’t be near the first team. Laca needs dropping for Martinelli. And Guen/Wilcock replacing with Torreira. Surprised your stats didn’t show Leno as MOTM as we stole a point and all credit to him for saving our asses.

   1. 5 more saves.

      I guess I was just incensed that Freddie went Unai with his lineup selection.

      1. Tim,
         I think he had to “go Unai” for purely political reasons. If he had gone with a totally different line up and lost, he’s then got to go back to the “Unai players” cap in hand. That would then make him look weak.

         1. Interesting idea. I wondered why we were seeing Emery favorites Xhaka, Kolasinac and Chambers on the right, and no Torreira.

            This would make sense. Kind of like “welp, you guys can’t get the job done so i’ll play those who can”

      2. Maybe there’s something there you’re not seeing.

   2. Totally agree that Chambers should be nowhere near the first team. Just not good enough. We paid something like £17 million for him? I’d play Martinelli but still like Laca though his form is currently not great. And Leno was MOTM for me.
      I think Freddie knows what we have to do. Whether he’ll be able to fix things is another matter.

3. I didn’t like the line up nor the substitutions.
   Introducing a player to win you a game on 88 minutes is as lame in game management as there is.
   I was asking for Freddie because it was obvious Emery had lost the players, and the next appointment needs to be done after a careful consideration.
   However, I don’t see Freddie as a long term solution.
   Mainly because most Arsenal players need structure and even more so discipline and I don’t see Freddie providing that.

   Can you imagine a 20 year old ,who hasn’t achieved anything yet as a player, slow walking off the pitch for a sub late in a game you needed to win under a Pep, Klopp or Mourinho?

   1. Yep, we definitely need a disciplinarian. Freddie is more your mate.

   2. I thought the way Ozil and Guen walked off after being substituted were awful. Opposite ends of their careers, but same meh attitude. Needs fixing.

      1. I wouldn’t even call it “meh” attitude. It’s probably more a lack of self awareness in thinking “there’s no way I should be getting yanked I’ve been so fu#king great”
         At least that’s the case with the likes of Xhaka and Guen.
         Ozil is a fu#king primadonna who’s been doing it everywhere including at Real Madrid and Germany , but at least you could try and make a case that he’s earned it.
         Guen on the other hand? It makes my blood boil.

         1. Just to finish the point.
            Freddie should run a tape of James Milner leaving the pitch when being substituted.
            Two tapes actually.
            One when Liverpool are up and he takes his sweet time to get off.
            And the second when they need a goal and he sprints off like his shorts are on fire.
            If Arsenal players can’t get this highly complicated concept then nothing else really matters. Just burn it all to the ground and start a new.

      2. Yes, Guendouzi looked bewildered that he was being subbed off.

         As the weeks go on, I am less and less impressed with Guendouzi – there’s no growth to his game, no improvement on his positioning or his quarterbacking, which, as a pivot, is essential to the role. Instead he collects the ball and inevitably dribbles, then dribbles some more, gets fouled, makes passes that are off target, etc.

         Per the comment above, I think there are cliques in the dressing room that need busting up. Auba/Laca/Guendouzi is one.

4. We don’t have the quality in midfield or central defence to consistently play well. We wasted over 100m on Xhaka and Pepe but didn’t replace Santi, our most important player the last time we were looking any good. Nobody in the midfield can pick a pass to Ozil in pockets of space. Guendouzi and Torreira might turn out good if they have older players to learn from. The essential failure has been in recruitment. How do Leicester find gems like Mahrez, Kante, Ndidi but we buy Elneny, Xhaka, Welbeck?

5. Am happy to see Arsenal play an attacking football again ….at least in the first half we were good . The manager needs to find the balance between attack and defence. Our defending was awful. We could not stop their counters on many occasions and that I think is down to the composition of the midfield as well not just the defenders .
   The team selection somehow baffled me but the coach knows better.
   Bottom line is there were good aspects to our play while there were quite obvious limitations both in defence and lack of wing plays. May be Martineli or Pepe would have been a better choice than Laca for this particular game . But the signs are good compared with what we had during terrible Uni regime

   1. Its easy to be so revisionist. Emery’s regime is just a couple days ago and we can find passages of plays in games under him where we were good in attacking phases.

6. Tim

   We have to think Freddie played the line up he thought would give him the best chance to win. Perhaps it looked similar to some of emery’s lineups because our idea of what is the best Arsenal line up is off target.

   Chambers came thru Southampton as a RB and he has never played CB regularly at any level. He has more experience at RB then any other position. Xhaka was a deep lying midfielder and Willock and Guendouzi were box to box which left ozil to move around to try and find a way to make something happen. I am not sure who was played out of position.

   1. Mustafi? Why play him at all?

   2. Also Willock shouldn’t have been on the pitch. And Auba shouldn’t be playing wide.

      Other than those three things, and playing Chambers, it was a pretty great selection…

7. I we have seen Torriera for several games and you have to think that Freddie does not believe he is the answer as our DM. Bigger concern to me is using Willock Saka and Martinelli ahead of Pepe Perhaps those players have future potential but that does not help us now. Its not encouraging if those U21 players are thought to be more effective then Pepe

   1. I don’t like to say it, but Torreira is far too small for English football. He just gets knocked off the ball every single time. The Leeds team in the 1970s had Bremner and Giles, who were both short, but incredibly tough. Torreira hasnt got that. He spends half the game on the deck.

8. Tim, I think you are making the same mistake that manyat the beginning of the Emery era or even the board in judging Emery. Just because the person who came before had failed to reach certain objectives, it doesn’t mean that we should go the complete opposite route.

   The line-up was surprising and went against most people’s idea of what the coach should have done to eliviate the wreck that Emery brought. Freddie’s job though is not to be the complete opposite of Emery, he is supposed to do what is best for the team to perform.

   As a coach, just like Emery, he lives by his decisions and will be judged according to that if they don’t work. Let’s wait for that to happen and not let our personal judgements on players in a totally different system from before, force us into requiring certain calls from Freddie just to suit us. Let him do his thing.

   Xavi and Iniesta were not really good together or complemented the team when they played in midfield together under Rijkaard, but under Pep, they worked. I am not saying these players aregoing to become greats, but lets wait for them to fail under Freddie first.

9. How was that one on one save by Leno not classified as a big chance?

   I’m going to give Freddie the benefit of doubt here. Less than 2 full training sessions, having to assign roles to makeshift assistants, travel (we traveled by coach. My thought was it was to do with having extra time for team talks) He said in his interview yesterday that he’s not going to make sweeping changes just yet. I’ll just say he was Unai like because he didn’t feel he had time to change it to what he wants. I’m not sure if this was his preferred shape, though I have to assume he picked players he thought would best serve the approach.

   We played some good football in the first half. We could have scored early. We pressed quite well. We also had the throwback to Wenger’s 10 men in the attacking half at some moments, which made me laugh/cry.

   Mustafi played for his passing, I would guess. Plus Sokratis had a horrid game last time. I’m not sure what has happened to AMN. Should have played him at RB, and probably Chambers at CB (He did ok there earlier in the season)

   It is a Frankenmonster as you put it. That’s been my issue with this team. It’s been so haphazard. Edu is supposed to be in charge of setting the team’s direction, but so far I haven’t seen anything to suggest he’s not just a figurehead.

   Btw, this Pepe thing is strange. Although I can understand Freddie throwing on the player he’s more familiar with. But the comments after the game that I read seem almost disrespectful. Is something up there? Some behavioral issue he’s being disciplined for?

   Too early to give up on Freddie and he said he’ll be adding some backroom staff. But now Brendan Rodgers apparently is courting us by saying he has a release clause. Should we?

10. Yes we should.
    Rodgers is the most logical option barring his Leicester compensation of course.
    Cue up all the cliches here like he knows the league, plays attacking football blah blah blah………but it’s all true and I would take him before Arteta or Allegri.
    His ego aand Gerard slip lost Liverpool the league but everyone makes mistakes and I’m sure he’s learned from his.

    His Leicester loyalty is probably as deep as his Swansea loyalty was when he dumped them for Liverpool.
    He’s not catching Klopp and there are no runner up trophies

    Freddie’s Pepe comments are alarming and I though he would’ve been a good fit for a late sub when Norwich were throwing players forward ,but if he’s not training hard then he shouldn’t play. It’s that simple.

11. https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2019/dec/01/arsenal-dna-failure-commitment-freddie-ljungberg-must-change

    This is a good read. Jonathan Liew at Guardian is spot on about the mess of the midfielders and defenders.
    It does not matter what system or tactics we use, so long as there is no
    commitment from the players. They seem to be scared of getting hurt, which
    is no way to play any sport.

    “It’s striking, for example, how rarely you see an Arsenal player genuinely sprinting at full pelt. Occasionally you will see them running, but it is very much a going-through-the-motions, leave-your-desk-at-5pm sort of running. It’s striking how few second balls they win. And as Norwich caught them on the counter time and again, it was striking just how hesitant they seemed in the jaws of contact: dainty tackles, squeamish blocks, toes tentatively offered in the general direction of the ball. Arsenal players defend like every part of their body is their face.”

    1. Just read the Guardian article. Spot on. Timid doesn’t even cover it. Half hearted. Gutless. That, more than anything else, is what is most depressing. People talk about “Arsenal DNA”. Go back far enough, and Arsenal were always synonymous with sheer bloody minded determination, rather than actual talent. If I have to watch Xhaka jog back from the half way line and then hold his hands up in horror because the bloke he was meant to be marking has just scored the simplest of goals I will scream. I never boo players, but for him I could probably change the habits of a lifetime.

       1. If you enjoy smarmy, spiteful prose. Have at it.
          “Interregnum”? No doubt Jonathan Liew has brown eyes.

    2. That Guardian article is the intellectual’s version of ‘just fackin’ run around a bit’.

       1. “Running around a bit” would at least be an improvement on standing around ball-watching, while relegation candidates run rings round us.

       2. Calling *that* “intellectual” perhaps does it more justice than it deserves, it’s a vaguely amusing tweet (“arsenal players defend like like every part of their body is their face”) stretched into 1,000 words of lazy, indulgent, smug and unnecessarily nasty writing, seems a kind of sneering Perez Hilton house-style has swept through the guardian sports desk since they lost the football weekly crew and then the rest of their journalists to the Athletic, awful stuff, you wonder what’s happened to writing as a craft when you can build a living off writing such utter tripe. But yeah in a nutshell “just facking run around a bit”

12. No real improvement yet from the player’s performances other than at both ends (Leno and Auba were top class).

    But c’mon, the coach was sacked 48 hours ago. And now we have the crazy holiday fixture period coming up. It will be well into the new year before sort ourselves, IF we sort ourselves.

    1. How many points do we actually need to be completely safe from relegation? Just wondered.

       1. I think the magic # is around 39-40.

          1. No team has ever been relegated on 37pts.

             1. West Ham were relegated once with 42 points.

             2. I stand corrected. Thanks.

             3. Curious, I did the clicking.
                Will qualify with: ‘In the PL since 1997-98’
                Two teams with 40+pts (incl. West Ham as you’d mentioned)– then, on two occasions, teams with 38pts were relegated. None since the mid-00s though– with the 37pts I’d mentioned.

                Guessing I’d recalled that tally from a trusted conversation– somewhere. 😏
                Appreciate the piquing reply.

       2. We are only 14 games in and 7 points from both the drop zone and top 4. There’s over half the season still left, so it’s too early to say. the glass is half empty right now for me.

          1. The problem is we can’t even beat teams that are below us.

13. Freddy was not going to blow things. He has a limited number of hours to work with the team and I would not judge anything Freddy does too critically at this juncture. Let him get his feet wet and settle into the position first before hammering him.

14. “This team is a frankenmonster. It looks like a team that has been put together by six different people, with no clear plan how they want to play, because that is exactly what has happened. Mslintat got his picks, Wenger had his picks, Unai got some, Sanllehi got a few, and I think even StatDNA and Edu got to pick a few players.”

    This is exactly what I was telling a friend of mine recently. Wenger left a power vacuum and others jumped in with their 2 cents . We are so f***ed. I have never seen us so dysfunctional and don’t see it changing any time soon. We need to buy a dominant midfielder and central defender before we are even within a sniff of top four. Sad state of affairs really but I hope Freddie can at least get us playing attacking football again. At least we will have something to cheer for.

    1. We’ve been saying we need a CMF and a dominant CB for so long, that those players who could fit that bill are ready for nursing homes.

    2. We have three CBs (Luiz, Mustafi and ostensibly Chambers) who are clearly better suited to 3-at-the-back systems. The only two CBs we have that I feel are best suited to a back four are Sokratis and Holding. But then we go out and spend 25M on Tierney… a left back, best suited for use in a back four. We have a 80M inverted right-winger who needs to come inside onto his left foot… when we needed a hug the touchline, widen the field type of threat.

       The recruitment strategy is just mystifying. The same was true the last few years of Wenger. We are just not building teams properly.

       1. There is “madness to their method”

15. For those who want Benitez, the Chinese Super League season is finished. He does have a 2.5 yr deal at Dalian and allegedly never breaks a contract.

    Now Brendan (I don’t have a code about keeping contracts) Rodgers gave this answer after yesterday’s match when ask about a release clause if a ‘bigger’ club came in for him: “Listen, there probably is (a clause) in most manager’s contracts,” Rodgers told Sky Sports.

    Ornstein adds more info about Allegri unimpressive interview in 2018 saying that his English was poor.

    Don’t sleep on Marco Rose although his team is currently leading the Bundesliga .

16. Here’s how everyone now plays Arsenal… press the goalkeeper and defenders. Sacrificing a few in midfield to do that is no problem. Eventually, with nowhere to go and no one capable of secure ferrying, Leno kicks it long. Auba won a few headers today (and it looks as if he’s been working on that part of his game), but when Leno kicks it long, the opposition’s chances of regaining possession are very high.

    Freddie and Per picking Musti was a surprise. What happened was not. Mustafi is a defender who can’t defend. After playing well in Europa, he defaulted to his slippy, slidy Laurel and Hardy pratfalls self. The relegation threatened sides have better defenders than Mustafi. Freddie has to not care about being liked, while bringing the love and unity back to the dressing room. That’s a hard job.

    Xhaka tried hard. He really did. Even launched into sliding tackles, and noticeably worked very hard, which is to his credit. But he’s not it. It’s hard to watch not particularly fast ball carriers leaving him for dead. Mesut’s last 10 minutes were an unproductive mess, and I think that the subs cost us shape, even though we attacked more second half.

    Mustafi wasnt unexpected. So Willock disappointed me the most. The biggest reason being that he did not look like a young fringe(ish) player eager to seize a chance. He was strolling all afternoon, and should have cut out, at source, both attacks that led to goals. And can you imagine him strolling off the field, with his team pressing for a win, if Vieira and Adams are captain?

    Tom, spot on. A LOT of guys out there need a kick up the nethers.

17. Selection aside we saw every indication today that over the last 18 months that this team/squad does not understand how to control space in the slightest. If anyone could introduce any semblance of that then the team *might* be ok. For the 2nd goal the pass that springs the break bypasses 7…..SEVEN freaking players (Lacazette, Auba, Willock, Ozil, Xhaka, Guendouzi, and Chambers).

    Who even knows about the players at this point. The midfield though is a much larger disaster than thought though.

18. I see all the complaints about our style of football and luck of results. We’ve fired Emery and Ljunberg is in the dugout but still we find the same excuses and faults in the same places. it’s time we took a harder and longer look at ourselves. We’ve had a reputation for being flaky since the majority of Wenger’s second half. Emery didn’t bring that. We’ve had mind boggling defense performances for years now. That wasn’t Emery then. I just find it convenient how we placed all our problems at the feet of Emery. We forget that this club has its identity and DNA moulded by Wenger and Wenger in trying to find his philosophy as he aged gave this team its faults. Tim points out that the team looks like it was picked by six different people and I agree. The team has no balance and no fixed idea of itself because it wasn’t made with one. We all can agree on that. We had an impressive coach come on and try his best to figure out this team. Emery’s fault for me was not in his chopping and tinkering (which is what happens when no matter how you set up the team, the team still fails to perform). It was in not letting this team take responsibility for its performances sometimes. Wenger always protected his players and at the end even to a fault. As a result, as a collective the team is passive and undisciplined. It lacks hunger and drive, an ingrained hardness to not lose. All these started with Wenger. Emery came on and met this team at its nadir. Faults were ingrained and not easy to coach out. His first season was all about being competitive. We got to the Europa league final even if we lost it. Fought for top 4 till the final few weeks when the team botched it. We’ve sacked him now, even though we are still just 7 points off top 4. We can find seasons Wenger covered larger gaps and still made top 4. Not to say Emery was perfect. If his personality was a bit stronger, he might have gotten his way. This was the guy who came here, hoping to unfurl his ‘masterpiece’. Has 3 back to back europa league titles. Won his last league title before he came to us. Didn’t sound to me like an unambitious guy but Rome wasn’t built in a day and he has lost his chance. Because we as a fan body have lowered expectations for our team and only wanted him out because after so long with Wenger we could not recognize a good coach if we saw it. Take a look at Man U and how far and how many coaches they’ve come since Ferguson (mourinho included) and still they’re behind us even with more investment and ‘top level coaching’ and even more time. Its time we stop being whiny daydreamers. Wenger for most of the second half of his reign was building a team that could fight for fourth place and he did so on a budget. Its obvious that we’ve been shooting low and now we can’t even hit that target. That is who Arsenal as a club are. If we want to compete for titles and win them. We’ve got to change ourselves and that means giving the right coach the time to build it. Wenger spent 22 years in charge. It’ll take a while and a lot of bad performances and results before we get it right. Stop looking at the here and now and how bad it is. Let’s look at the end game and support the team.

    1. Enthusiastic round of applause for this

       1. It sounds reasonable until you’ll see players openly mocking the manager.

          1. Though? With what we’ve been dealing with as fans/supporters?
             Difficult imagining being a captive audience inside that bubble. Knowing full-well from inside– that Emery was awaiting execution, for months?

             Taken in a vacuum– it sounds really bad.
             In context? Worst reality show ever.

             Well, except the hellish one we’re in over here– being governed by Russian assets. Then some sniggering in the dressing room seems sort of tame.

    2. Wow, passionately argued and yes, Wenger’s faults were there for all to see.

       Just a counter point of fact. That was 18 months ago and the players with the most minutes this season are:

       Leno
       PEA
       Guendouzi
       Luiz
       Sokratis
       Xhaka
       Chambers
       Pepe
       Kolasinac
       Ceballos
       and
       Lacazette

       I put that as 3/11 Wenger signings.

       Also, if a manager can’t get his players to give maximum effort that’s not the previous manager’s fault.

       And finally, complaining about the team doesn’t make one a “whiney daydreamer” unless blindly supporting a club that is basically an investment vehicle for a billionaire makes you a corporate lackey.

       It’s not 1980. Arsenal aren’t run and owned by local businesmen with a lifetime history of participation. Fans aren’t just locals. This isn’t a “club” as much as it’s a multinational corporation run for the profit of a billionaire owner. And I’m not going to just be a cheerleader for that.

       Cheers/

       1. Look around homes, what is there that is not a business? Every single thing. From your favorite music to the food you eat, it’s a business. The important question is do you want the business you support to succeed or not ? And I’m sure we both know which one we want.

          1. But me cheerleading and never saying anything negative isn’t what’s going to make it a success. Them taking in criticism, spending money to fix the problem, and fixing the problems to make them more competitive is what’s going to make them a success. You’re blaming the customer for the product.

19. Personally, I thought it was an improvement because I could start to make sense of what was wrong. With Emery I never really could tell what he even wanted to do.

    It takes time to coach a decent defense while also attacking, and Emery’s effect might linger on with Freddie too. Give him some time to figure it out, and I think he will.

    As for not being their mate, but their boss. Somehow, I don’t think he’ll have a problem with that. Freddie has a mean streak in him and I doubt he’ll be taking anyone’s nonsense. He will though, treat them like people with their own personalities. Which is what I get the sense Emery struggles with. Honestly, that might be his biggest coaching flaw. If he hasn’t moved out yet, maybe he should apply for the Watford job. That’s about his level and he might actually be good for them too.

    As for us and Rodgers. I warmed to him before Leicester, oddly enough. Celtic had it easy in the league, but he had them playing some good football, and kept up their drive. He quickly improved Leicester as well. Would be a good choice I think, although something in my gut still says we first need to reestablish an Arsenal identity.

    I know I keep saying this, but honestly, I would worry a lot less for Arsenal’s future if we just removed Raul Sanllehi. Doubts/worries over his motives aside, he’s just a bad fit, and imbalances the post Wenger structure we’re now operating under.

    1. And that’s the one guy I want us to keep. The guy who saw the recipe for THAT Barcelona team as it was cooked and you want him to leave?

20. The first thing this team needs is to actually go back to basics, play simple passes, close down opponents and play each player to their strenghts. Aube is terrible on the wings, but excellent in the centre; lacazette is terrible away from home not sure why, Willock is not good enough to play on the wing even in a diamond, and xhaka not fast enough to cover for overlapping wingbacks. Norwich played to thier strengths when they get to final third look for Pukki, let hernandez drive the ball, we need to start there. as long as we play like this we are weak, play xhaka with a quicker cdm, play aube in the centre, let him and laca fight for that spot, play martineli on one wing and maybe pepe or saka on the other play ozil in the centre, i need be play kola as a left winger with tierny as a left back, but play it simple, open up for your team mate get pass. Back to basics

21. Seeing as our defence and midfield are the weakest parts of our squad, I would personally like an approach that would give us more attacking threat to outscore our opponents.

    I would setup the team like this vs the bottom half teams (4-1-3-2).

    Leno
    Bellerin Holding Luiz Tierney
    Guenduzi
    Pepe Özil Auba
    Laca Martinelli

    The fullbacks and Guenduzi would then be instructed to NOT push forward to ensure we have the numbers to deal with counters and to ensure our defensive shape is maintained at all times.

    We would then bypass the midfield and look to get the ball to our attackers with as few passes as possible. This negates our weak passing in midfield and limits our opponents ability to win the ball high up the pitch.

    1. Funny you would play a 4-1-3-2 when our biggest problem is not having a 1 who can actually play the role.

       1. Our squad is so poor in midfield that I would just ignore it all together vs the smaller teams.

          Klopp kinda does the same (lack of goals and assists from midfield prove this) but at least their mids are willing and able to help out defensively. Ours dont add anything so I would prefer we work around this.

22. What I saw was a team that looked slightly more peppy than in previous encounters but had a lot of the same basic problems; i.e., inability to break the press, poor/slow buildup in the final 3rd, bad passing, vulnerability in transitions. A lot of that is down to the midfield, as it has been for several years now. I’m guessing Freddie selected our more robust wingbacks over the smaller and more technical ones because he was anticipating a big physical duel. I suspect he also tried to pay the “Ozil tax” by selecting combative types in midfield and asking Willock to press high with the strikers. So I can see what he was trying to do. The result, ironically, was much the same.

    I hate to pick on individuals and there was a lot of luck involved in the first goal too, but on replay you can see Mustafi trying to pass off Pukki to Xhaka, neither of them get close enough and give him time to wind up a shot that deflects in. The second goal is very similar. Arsenal have numbers back, but back off of the shooter who has time to aim, wind and deliver. Again, Mustafi doesn’t get close enough. Besides that, he looked afraid to tackle anyone all game. I do have to wonder why Rob Holding didn’t start instead of him.

    Overall, this game showed me that a change in manager is far from all that is required. The players were more up for it, the attack was a bit better, but we still can’t control games in either phase and still look disconnected when trying to build play in either half. Opponents are teeing off on our attempts to play out from the back and swarming our strikers at the merest of touches. The play is predictable and slow.

23. Tim @ 11:19 & 11:21

    I completely agree about Willock. The lad may have some long term potential although I am skeptical but he certainly is not ready to be a PL regular now. I don’t understand including Mustafi unless Freddie believes his other options were not any better. He uses Xhaka because his other options are not any better and Xhaka at least has the ability to hit a good pass with his left foot. I suspect he played Chambers because Bellerin and Maitland-Niles have not been any better options this season. I suspect Freddie played Auba out wide because we desperately need both Auba and Laca in the line up since those are the only 2 players in the entire squad who are a legitimate threat to score a goal and one of them has to play out wide. Freddie has been here for the entire season and he clearly knows the players strengths and weaknesses and I have to assume that Freddie knows this teams needs to turn things around quickly and he really wanted to win his first game in charge so I think you have to assume he thought those players were the ones who gave him the best chance to play well and win. I think the reason we disagree with his line up is we over rate the other options that Freddie has available.

    1. huh..

       well I guess that’s possible. my only evidence to the contrary is that Xhaka has been a defensive liability for 3 years and Mustafi for 2 and Torreira, while small, is not a liability in the same way as Xhaka and Holding is not a liability at all as far as I can tell.

       Also, he has a long-baller in there in the form of Guendouzi.

       I guess what you’re saying is that the other options would have been worse?

       I mean maybe? If so then he will stick with this lineup. He would be mad not to.

24. Our midfield lacks creativity and end product. Ozil has never given much in the way of defense, energy or pressing but his skills have faded to the point where his game is similar to Elneny without the great hair or the work ethic. I believe Emery dropped Ozil because what is the point of using a pure flair player has lost his flair.

    Guendouzi effectiveness was always related to his high energy level and now that his first year adrenaline surge has faded so has his effectiveness, Torriera and Xhaka are not really good fits for the role of DM in the PL. We have attacking potential with Bellerin and Tierney but none of our CB’s are very good. I have not given up on Pepe but what’s happening is very concerning. Auba is our only truly top flight player and he isn’t getting younger. The front office has a lot of work to do to rebuild a squad that is could make the top 4 or compete for the top 2 spots in any CL group.

25. First, anyone who thinks we’re getting Brendan Rodgers mid-season is deluded. And even if he did leave Leicester in the middle of a season where they’re 2nd at Christmas – I don’t want that type of person, regardless of how good a manager he is. That’s a scum bag willing to step on his grandmother’s head if it would help him climb the greasy pole of ambition. F**k him. If he leaves at the end of the season, fine, but if he comes now, I’ll be the first to post #RodgersOut.

    I’m very cynical at the moment. I think we’re watching a great pantomime by the upper brass – there is no intention of bringing in someone that hasn’t been blessed by either Kia Joorabchian or Jorge Mendes.

    We’re going to get Fonseca or Nuno in late May because they’re Mendes clients. David Luiz is a Joorabchian client, he was done at Chelsea and Joorabchian pulled strings with Edu. Martinelli was brought to us by Joorabchian. Mendes arranged the Pepe deal. Worst case scenario we’re going to become another version of Wolves or Valencia, minus the Chinese ownership. You may as well sell-off StatsDNA and fire the scouting staff. Best case scenario is Josh Kroenke has enough intelligence to see what’s happening and is willing to pull the weed before it starts really taking root.

26. As a matter of interest, does taking a corner count as “creating a chance” or making a “meaningful pass” etc, etc? Not being au fait with Opta, I just wondered.

    1. If the corner results in a shot, yes. Ozil created 4 shots from corners yesterday.

       1. So presumably if you’re the guy who takes the corners and/or the free kicks then your stats are likely to look a whole lot better than those players that don’t? Basically, you’re getting the advantage of delivering the ball under no pressure at all, 10 yds away from the nearest opposition, in an attacking situation.

          1. Yes, in fact this is exactly what happened to Xhaka when he was at his peak for KP numbers. He managed just about 0.4 KP per game off corners. But tellingly, he was never very good at creating big chances. He’s only created 11 big chances in his premier league career. to put that in context, Ozil created 13 big chances in his last season under Wenger and he’d been removed from corners duty.

27. Freddie played a 4-4-2, with a diamond in midfield. He didn’t play Torreira, imo, because Torreira has been best in a double pivot, 4-2-3-1, and Xhaka is more your prototypical single pivot. But transitions suck with Xhaka because he doesn’t move for the ball when he’s the only outlet pass for the defense and milk turns faster than Xhaka with the ball at his feet. And he’s a poor 1v1 defender which means he’s not shielding the CB’s at all. If your CB’s are having to make tackles, something went wrong.

    I’m going to be radical here and suggest if we’re trying to shore up the defending and improve our transition from defense to attack, try pairing up AMN (in his natural position, not RWB) with Torreira, then you’ve matched a more naturally athletic player to help Torreira with covering the spaces. Sacrifice an attacker (Lacazette) and play Auba up top, with Saka/Ozil/Martinelli in behind, the two young kids will have the energy to press high but then come back and help the fullbacks (Tierney and Bellerin).

    End of the day I think we’re seeing we don’t have the midfield that can support Auba/Laca/Ozil and/or Pepe on the field at same time. It’s akin to trying to jack a car up in a bed of sand.

    1. sorry to say this (and this is not abuse nor am I condoning abuse) but AMN is not the answer in mf. His touch is just too loose and as we saw when Emery played him there it just isn’t a good option.

       1. I’m just searching for a partner for Torreira that isn’t Xhaka and can help hold the middle. If AMN is not the greatest passer, Torreira can assume more of the Santi role in the double pivot, and AMN be the proxy for Coquelin. End of the day I think we need Torreira in midfield as our best bet for shielding the CBs, but he needs a partner. Willock is too Ramsey-ish (bombing up field), Xhaka too garbage, Chambers too untested, Guendouzi too positionally stupid.

       2. Yup. Like the guy himself says, ‘I’m a winger’.

          1. I’ve seen him play out wide: he touch is just as bad and he can’t beat a man off the dribble,

    2. Intriguing, smart read on AMN and Torreira, Jack.

       Arsene also said that Maitland-Niles had a knack for making clean, ball-winning tackles, and we’ve seen that. The problem for him at RB/RWB is that he cant cover the vast spaces, and read overlaps that well. He struggles to pick up the right man, and has looked as uncertain as Mustafi (often his right sided CB help).

       One of his best games for Arsenal, against Manchester United under Wenger in April 2018, he played in the middle, in what looked like a double pivot with Xhaka. We lost that game to a last minute Fellaini header, but Pogba and other raved over what a “baller” AMN was.

       (btw, Mavropanos also played well in that game. What’s happened to him?)

       1. I think Mavropanos is a regular in the U-23 side, at the moment. I thought he looked good when he came into side to start with. Strong in the air, reasonably mobile. Calm under pressure. He then had an injury, of course, which put him out for ages. No idea what his condition is like now. Slotting into that defence right now, would put him on a hiding to nothing.
          Still, can’t be any worse than what we’ve got, surely?

28. Bill, you said 3 separate times regarding a Freddie selection — Mustafi, Chambers, Xhaka — that he “didn’t have better options.” What does that even mean, analytically speaking?

    And regarding Xhaka, both Guendouzi and Luiz were pinging long balls.

29. I don’t think we are getting Rodgers mid season or after due to his Leicester compensation.
    If 4m was such a big factor in keeping Emery around for as long as they did ,when it was obvious the players had turned on him , then Arsenal aren’t paying Leicester 14m plus Rodgers’ new contract.

    But if we did, I think he would leave.
    The United and Arsenal job are his two chances for a big club management opportunity and I don’t think United would go for a former Liverpool manager.
    That leaves Arsenal, and if you threw enough money at him he’d be climbing that greasy pole of ambition in no time.
    And he might even use his dead grandmother’s ashes for better traction.

    1. Not sure it was the 4M.
       The AFC brand-value was losing more weekly by continuing with Unai Ennui.

       This seems more about Raul, Vinai, and Huss knowing full-well that they used up one of their 2-3 chances on a clear f^ck-up. One that in hindsight comes clear. One that if smart guys had looked at it through that lens– they’d have realized Mikel Arteta as a first-time manager would have bought them both more time– and less clean-up and rebuild of the club’s culture.

       I’d go for Rodgers too. But Arteta– no matter the outcome now– would still be a positive in re-gluing AFC back together again.

30. Rogers has said categorically he’s not interested. Quite sensibly, he’s perfectly happy to stay at Leicester. I can’t say I blame him. They’re 2nd.

31. Rodgers said of the rumours regarding the position at the Emirates: “I have a contract here until 2022. Thus far, I know managers are losing their jobs, the club have not indicated to me that they are going to sack me.

    “I am working with a group of players who have so much potential. I gave an honest answer about how all managers have some sort of clause in their contracts and suddenly that seems to have thrown a door wide open.

    “For me, I repeat, I am happy here. Very happy here. I feel I want to continue with that. Take from that what you want.”

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