Leicester (H) Monday 22/10 @20:00

[augie]

With Ramsey on his way I'm not sure it would be sensible to get shot of Mickey as well. He's alright as a squad player. We need a squad.

There's dross I'd rather let go first like Elneny before we get to Mickey.

Elninny has to go for sure, but lets be honest and recognise that he wont raise the square root of fcuk all for our transfer kitty, which by all accounts wont be bountiful Mikki still has some value either being sold for straight cash, or by including him in any signing deal our transfer team work in the coming months. I'm sure that mikki would still have some suitors in germany if he was available, so we could push him in a cash + player deal if we indentified a centre back operating in the bundesliga

[clockender1]

Dick needs to sort out these lethargic first half starts as we were dog shite for the first half hour. No way you can play Ozil and Mkhi in the same team against any team that tries as hard as Leicester did and with Iwobi not producing either it was a tough watch.

were we dogshite or did Leicester have a good go at us, and give their very best effort ? - i wonder about that. because its such a theme in the last 6-7 games, that it almost seems intentional - like soak up the their pressure, keep them out wide, defend the box, keep it tight, then hit them on the break, score and when they have to open up batter them.

does anyone know if Sevilla played that way too ?

I do remember did saying he'd rather win 5-4 than 1-0.....

maybe we are just not good enough yet to carry the first part of his plan out properly ?

there is no doubt that we are cutting through teams with pace and directness which is at times unplayable - when it doesn't come off it looks crap, but when it does, its a thing of beauty.

one other thing i'd say is that with our reputation of lightening attacks, that will cause other teams, even the top three to set up deeper against us. i think the more we win, more our reputation builds as a free scoring team from multiple areas and the more we become seen as a threat and they work harder to nullify us than exploit us.

[Herd]

Popped down on the off chance and got in ,2nd time Ive watched the whole game and enjoyed it .
Not perfect but good to see !

[Jock Gooner]

Dick needs to sort out these lethargic first half starts as we were dog shite for the first half hour. No way you can play Ozil and Mkhi in the same team against any team that tries as hard as Leicester did and with Iwobi not producing either it was a tough watch.

were we dogshite or did Leicester have a good go at us, and give their very best effort ? - i wonder about that. because its such a theme in the last 6-7 games, that it almost seems intentional - like soak up the their pressure, keep them out wide, defend the box, keep it tight, then hit them on the break, score and when they have to open up batter them.

does anyone know if Sevilla played that way too ?

I do remember did saying he'd rather win 5-4 than 1-0.....

maybe we are just not good enough yet to carry the first part of his plan out properly ?

there is no doubt that we are cutting through teams with pace and directness which is at times unplayable - when it doesn't come off it looks crap, but when it does, its a thing of beauty.

one other thing i'd say is that with our reputation of lightening attacks, that will cause other teams, even the top three to set up deeper against us. i think the more we win, more our reputation builds as a free scoring team from multiple areas and the more we become seen as a threat and they work harder to nullify us than exploit us.

We were defo dog shite for that first half hour make no mistake about it. Leicester started well enough because they put the effort in and we could not get our shit together through the Ozil, Mkhi and Iwobi set up. It was really disjointed with just no flow to it at all. Let's not forget that large parts of the Everton game were extremely dull and the Watford game was largely pants too. Fulham away was good but then Fulham are struggling and should get stuffed and it took the subs to kickstart last night.

Not sure if it forms part of any deliberate plan - since when do we sit back at home and soak up other teams pressure other than maybe the usual top 4 or 5. There are a few lightening attacks but I think it's a bit early to say they are a nailed on part of our game although lets hope they become so. It's when we stop the old sideways and start looking for the more direct approach that it all gets good. Dick still has to give the front two a run with Ozil at 10 as that combo will destroy a lot of teams. At the moment it's still a work in progress but when we do hit a purple patch we look really good. There is no doubting that we play better with Douzi on as he makes things happen and adds a fluidity to the team that we lacked until his introduction last night.

[Midz]

Good win for us, looking forward to the Liverpool game as that will be a very good test for us.

In the meantime well done Arsenal and good old Mr Emery (great chap).

[clockender1]

There is no doubting that we play better with Douzi on as he makes things happen and adds a fluidity to the team that we lacked until his introduction last night.

there's a piece in the standard that i just saw that says the fault for the first 30 minutes performance was Torreira not following instructions - playing too deep and not tracking runners back. when he got the ball he did make 11 complete passes but defensively he was off the pace and just wondering around. he didn't make a single tackle.

for some reason ( Dick ?) after 30 minutes he played higher up, started making tackles and pressing the man on the ball and breaking up their play.


i'm going to watch him in the early doors of the Palace game.

[DB10GOONER]

There is no doubting that we play better with Douzi on as he makes things happen and adds a fluidity to the team that we lacked until his introduction last night.

there's a piece in the standard that i just saw that says the fault for the first 30 minutes performance was Torreira not following instructions - playing too deep and not tracking runners back. when he got the ball he did make 11 complete passes but defensively he was off the pace and just wondering around. he didn't make a single tackle.

for some reason ( Dick ?) after 30 minutes he played higher up, started making tackles and pressing the man on the ball and breaking up their play.


i'm going to watch him in the early doors of the Palace game.

Interesting. I thought he was quiet all right but thought he was being "positional" like Gilberto used to !!

[markyp]

I argued time and time again last season that it wasn't the players that were shite but the manager and that with a decent manager we wouldn't be that far off a title challenge,,i will leave this just here

Hmmm, you also argued that we'd lose 3-1 last night

you should know by now im a miserable barstard,eternal pessimist me

[Jock Gooner]

There is no doubting that we play better with Douzi on as he makes things happen and adds a fluidity to the team that we lacked until his introduction last night.

there's a piece in the standard that i just saw that says the fault for the first 30 minutes performance was Torreira not following instructions - playing too deep and not tracking runners back. when he got the ball he did make 11 complete passes but defensively he was off the pace and just wondering around. he didn't make a single tackle.

for some reason ( Dick ?) after 30 minutes he played higher up, started making tackles and pressing the man on the ball and breaking up their play.


i'm going to watch him in the early doors of the Palace game.

Interesting. I thought he was quiet all right but thought he was being "positional" like Gilberto used to !!

Are you referring to the ES piece by the scouse Tony Evans? If so and unless I'm being thick I couldn't see any reference to Torreira not following instructions or am I reading a different article? Either way it's a bit rich to point a finger at Torreira as the little man is doing the job we bought him for pretty well and is getting better (and fitter) week by week. After 30 minutes we started to come back into it but I don't remember thinking oh look Torreira has pushed forward a bit. He sat where he usually does and if there were any shortcomings at that stage it was due more to lack of effort by those in front of him.

[LeftfootlegendGooner]

I argued time and time again last season that it wasn't the players that were shite but the manager and that with a decent manager we wouldn't be that far off a title challenge,,i will leave this just here

Hmmm, you also argued that we'd lose 3-1 last night

you should know by now im a miserable barstard,eternal pessimist me

Marriage does it to us all mate

[northbank123]

We have been brilliant in the second half of games. Feel like we are riding our luck massively in the opening sections, but we are also playing some really good football when we hit our stride. Shape is looking better game by game.

Leno made a fantastic save, has a good presence and is so assured with the ball at his feet. Would be madness to bring back Cech. Bellerin still can’t defend but is starting to look capable of using his pace going forward. Let’s hope Ozil can keep up anything like this form - yesterday was sublime.

Iwobi looking a lot better than last year but it is all fart and no shit. Against Fulham he repeatedly got in good positions and wasted all of them. Even last night he got in behind and threw it away with a poor touch, and got in once down the side and just panicked and thrashed a ball across the box at throat height instead of trying to pick out a man. Looks a much better player but he was appalling last season and still a lot of end product needs adding.

Not sold on Mkhitaryan. Don’t think he is a bad player but he is just a complete passenger when he isn’t playing well and he has had 2 or 3 good games all season. Particularly difficult to accommodate alongside potentially Ozil, Lacazette and Auba. Think we could really do with an industrious workhorse with some quality - somebody in the Willian mould. Would give us good balance.

[AkneyGooner]

I thought Leno did okay, he was wrong footed for the own goal, but he collected crosses, made a decent low stop for the header.

He seemed okay with the playing out from the back, although we did less of it .

[OneBardGooner]

If our defence holds out we will win this - I hope Sokratis floors the steptoecunt.


1 - 3 and the winning streak continues !

We've got Ozil
We've got Ozil
We don't don't think you understand
We've got Ozil
He plays for Emery
He's too good for Germany
We've got Ozil!

"As someone said last night "Ozil is Different Gravy".

Well he certainly was last night



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/45947594

Unai Emery paying tribute to the fans and their support in helping to 'drive the team on' - the oldfool would never have said that unless asked to.

UNAI EMERY'S RED & WHITE ARMY!

[clockender1]

Are you referring to the ES piece by the scouse Tony Evans?

yes mate, I think that was it.

i thought that was what he was inferring - that he was playing to deep and not pressing against orders.

which to be fair, if Dick told him to sit a la Gilberto then that was an odd decision by Dick. Torreira is not a sitting midfielder.

i'm not sure i agree with all of it either, but i thought that he raised an interesting point - that we struggled when Torreira sat deep and didn't make any tackles, and dominated when he did go forward and make tackles.

[AkneyGooner]

If our defence holds out we will win this - I hope Sokratis floors the steptoecunt.


1 - 3 and the winning streak continues !

We've got Ozil
We've got Ozil
We don't don't think you understand
We've got Ozil
He plays for Emery
He's too good for Germany
We've got Ozil!

"As someone said last night "Ozil is Different Gravy".

Well he certainly was last night



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/45947594

Unai Emery paying tribute to the fans and their support in helping to 'drive the team on' - the oldfool would never have said that unless asked to.

UNAI EMERY'S RED & WHITE ARMY!

I like this version