Tag Archives: Arsenal

Inconsistency Arsenal’s Enemy

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Unai Emery

Unai Emery looks like a man lost at the moment.

He is clearly overthinking things. Over complicating things. Constantly chopping and changing what he is trying to do. Players like confused. Unsure what to do.

This season he has failed to put out a consistent starting XI, in a consistent formation.

Against Crystal Palace he went 442. This continues his trend of chopping and changing the formation.

From 3 at the back to 4231 and 433; the continual changing of tactics and formation is a big reason why we are struggling.

The best teams in the world have a consistent way of playing in a consistent formation.

Arsenal’s invincibles lined up 442. You could name the best XI. Liverpool currently top the league, unbeaten, just 2 points dropped. They play 433 and Jurgen Klopp nearly always puts out the same starting XI (injury permitting).

It is the same with Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea sides of the 00s, of Alex Ferguson’s Man U sides in the 90s. A consistent formation and a consistent way of playing.

Emery is inconsistent in formation, tactics and personnel.

Taking into account Arsenal played on Thursday, how many training sessions would the team have done in 442? Maybe just 1?

Now talented footballers should be able to slide into different formations. But at the highest level you still need that consistency of tactics and selection. Players need to be almost telepathic, knowing where a team mate will be without having to look. That only comes with the consistency.

England beat New Zealand at the weekend. They did it through working hard on the train ground. Developing the tactics to win and sticking with them. Every English player knew his job, knew where his team mate would be.

Unai Emery’s downfall will be that he chops and changes too much. He is not giving our talented squad the time to settle, play together in the same formation week after week.

VAR

“Clear and obvious mistake”.

That was the statement that was released by the FA with regards how VAR would be used to overturn the decision of the on-field referee.

Up until this weekend, VAR had backed the on-field referee’s decision on almost every occasional – even when there was a clear an obvious error.

Last Monday Sokratis had his shirt pulled whilst in the air at a corner. VAR decided that failing to award a penalty was not a clear and obvious mistake; even though it was a clear and obvious penalty.

That decision had been consistent with how they had been using VAR. Numerous blatant penalties – such as the one Wolves should have got against Tottenham – had been failed to be given. That all changed this weekend.

VAR decided that Calum Chambers had fouled someone in the build up to Sokratis 2nd goal. It was a mystifying decision and was by no-means a clear and obvious error by Martin Atkinson. In fact it was not an error at all.

What the replay actually showed was Chambers being fouled by a Crystal Palace player, who shoved the Arsenal man two handed in the chest.

VAR was supposed to be used to clear up controversy. But the officials are using it in an inconsistent manner. Some teams are benefiting, others are losing out.

In the last 2 games Arsenal have been denied a blatant penalty (at 0-0) and had a goal disallowed (at 2-2). That is 5 points robbed off of us by the inconsistent using of VAR.

5 points makes a big difference. That would rocket Arsenal up from 5th to 3rd; and would go a long way to calming down the Islington faithful.

VAR can be a good thing; but it needs to be used consistently by the officials. At the moment it is not creating a fair playing field.

Keenos

Time for Unai Emery to “Dump the Kids”

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The most enjoyable part of this season so far as been watching the continued development of the kids in the Europa League.

From home grown talents like Bukayo Saka, Joe Willock, Reiss Nelson and Emile Smith Rowe to imports such as Gabriel Martinelli. Add in Matteo Guendouzi who is now a fixture in the 1st team and the future for Arsenal looks bright.

The likes of Saka and Willock have both stepped up into the 1st team recently following good performances and injuries to others. Whilst this is credit to the pair, it is time for Unai Emery to make the tough decision and relegate both to the bench.

I am reluctant to use the word “dropped” as that is too strong a word; however that is what needs to happen.

Emery needs to get back to playing his strongest team. There is no room for sentiment.

Against Sheffield United, it was an odd decision to play Willock ahead of Dani Ceballos. It was a mistake. The 1st half passed the Englishman by resulting in him being taken off at half time.

Saka likewise failed to influence the game.

His only action of note was his yellow card for going down under a challenge which Mike Dean deemed to be a dive.

Both players have bright futures but need to be taken out of the 1st team in Arsenal’s present.

Some might say relegating both players to the bench could shatter their confidence. That should not be a concern.

If they do not have the mental strength to cope with being “dropped” then neither will make it to the top level. It should motivate them to work harder on their games and fight to get back into the 1st team. Become better players.

Against Crystal Palace tomorrow we need to see Ceballos (or even Ozil) return. Alexandre Lacazette (if fully fit) must also play upfront with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang playing on the left hand side.

If Lacazette is not fully fit then it should see Ceballos play left hand side (where he performs for Spain) and Ozil inside him.

There can also be the case made that Lucas Torreira should come in for Matteo Guendouzi. Many will also say he should come in for Granit Xhaka.

It is time for Emery to play his strongest XI

Leno

Bellerin Holding Luiz Tierney

Xhaka Torreira

Pepe Ceballos Aubameyang

Lacazette

Return Saka and Willock to the midweek team playing in the Europa League and League Cup. A half way step between the U23’s and Premier League

Keenos

Match Report: Arsenal 3 – 2 Vitoria

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Arsenal (1) 3 Vitoria SC (2) 2
UEFA Europa League, Group F, Matchday 3 of 6
Emirates Stadium, Drayton Park, London N5 1BU
Thursday 24th October 2019. Kick-off time: 8.00pm

(4-2-3-1) Emiliano Martínez; Hector Bellerin, Shkodran Mustafi, Rob Holding, Kieran Tierney; Lucas Torreira, Joe Willock; Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Emile Smith-Rowe, Gabriel Martinelli, Alexandre Lacazette.
Substitutes: Bernd Leno, Dani Ceballos, Nicolas Pépé, Calum Chambers, Mattéo Guendouzi, Sead Kolašinac, Bukayo Saka.
Scorers: Gabriel Martinelli (32 mins), Nicolas Pépé (80 mins, 90+2 mins)
Yellow Cards: Shkodran Mustafi, Alexandre Lacazette
Arsenal Possession Percentage: 68%
Referee: Serdar Gözübüyük (Netherlands)
Attendance: circa 40,000

The art of living dangerously is still alive and well, and being practised with some aplomb at The Emirates Stadium, unbelievably. After just eight minutes, in front of a sparsely populated stadium, Marcus Edwards somehow managed to propel a poor shot through Emiliano Martínez’s legs to put the visitors ahead. More calamity was to come later on the half. This goal was a total shock to the system for us, as the highly organised Portuguese outfit attempted to gain control of the match and shockingly came close several times after taking the lead so early in the game.

Arsenal returned with Alexandre Lacazette coming narrowly close with an excellent shot; we then started to at least match the visitors with some excellent possession football, with our players pouring forward in a desire to bring the scores level. Our efforts were rewarded, when just after the half hour, the superb Kieran Tierney placed a pinpoint cross in from the left for Gabriel Martinelli to rise up and head the ball over Miguel Silva and into the net to equalise the scores. Brilliant stuff really, but our joy was short-lived. Unfortunately some sloppy play in the middle of the park saw us fatally lose possession, and in the ensuing chaos that followed in our eighteen-yard box, the Brazilian winger Davidson’s shot hit the post just past an outstretched Emiliano Martínez only for Bruno Duarte to score Vitoria’s second of the night with a blistering shot taken at a very tight angle. How did we respond? Sluggishly is the answer. Despite one or two promising moves, all in all we looked as if we were the away side, and by the time the half-time whistle blew from the Dutch referee, our players looked as if they had enough pain and anguish for one half.

For the second half, Joe Willock and Ainsley Maitland-Niles made way for Dani Ceballos along with Mattéo Guendouzi in an attempt to redress the balance, and also to stop the many voices of dissent in the stadium. For the next ten minutes, the fresh legs of the substitutes made a difference with our team controlling the midfield and making several decent attempts on the Vitoria goal; perhaps the best of them was when Kieran Tierney passed the ball in from the left to Emile Smith-Rowe, who shot frustratingly wide of the goal.

After a rather unsavoury incident involving Alexandre Lacazette and Victor Garcia (which saw the latter booked for his trouble), our rather tenuous grip on this match started to wane. The harder you try, the more you can lose out, so bearing this in mind, and with just a quarter of an hour left, Alexandre Lacazette made way for Nicolas Pépé in order to salvage this wreck of a match. Cometh the hour, cometh the man! A superb left-footed free-kick strike from Nicolas Pépé drew the sides level eleven minutes before the end of the game. We now felt anything was possible, and time and time again our forwards poured into the opposition half to make chances for each other. Just when it looked as if all of our attempts would finish in a draw, up popped Nicolas Pépé to score again from a free kick taken outside the penalty area! Such drama! Just like the old days, just like the Arsenal of old, my friend; 1-2 down, 3-2 winners at the end. If only.

Look, a win is a win is a win, right? And it was high drama bringing on Nicolas Pépé to administer the final, fatal blow. But, in the cold light of day, not everything is exactly rosy in Camp Emirates is it? For large chunks of the game we were playing catch-up with the visitors, especially when we found ourselves behind so early in the match. Are we improving? Is this a case of déjà vu from the terminal years of the Wenger era? Our performance in the Premiership will hold the key to the truth, and perhaps Sunday’s match against Crystal Palace will give us more of a clue as to where this enigmatic band of brothers really are in the greater scheme of things. Remember everyone, keep the faith, get behind the team and the manager, as this season is going to be crucial for our future success in all competitions. Stick with the winners. Our next match: Crystal Palace at The Emirates on 27th October at 4.30pm (Premier League). Be there, if you can. Victoria Concordia Crescit.

Steve

Too Dearly Loved To Be Forgotten: Arsenal v Racing Club de Paris 1930-1962 by Steve Ingless (Rangemore Publications, ISBN 978-1-5272-0135-4) is now available on Amazon.