As we're unlikely to see terraces again at football, this is the virtual equivalent where you can chat to your hearts content about all football matters and, obviously, Arsenal in particular. This forum encourages all Gooners to visit and contribute so please keep it respectful, clean and topical.
A bit harsh to criticise Emery's tactics. He went too defensive and held Liverpool at bay until matip piled through for a headed goal from a corner.
We got through twice before their first goal and should have been level at half time. Cellabos struggled in the wide position but after last week v Burnley he deserved to start. I would've gone with out strongest 3 up front and left Xhaka on the bench. Hopefully, Holding, Bellerin and Tierney will be fit ny the time they visit us and I think we'll do them at home.
Considering Liverpool haven't lost since Palace beat them in march 2018, some 44 matches ago and they are on their best run of games since 1990, aren't we being a bit harsh on the team on this occasion?
We are still building and our best defenders aren't fit we are where Liverpool were in 2016/17.
There's 35 games to go and this is by far and away the toughest away game we'll play in the league. It's over and done with early.
I'll retract my earlier comment about tactics. I've had a chance to watch the match and Emery literally played to liverpools strengths. This is why I normally avoid talkshite commentary. They were praising Emery's tactic and not in an ironic way. Really disappointed with the way the team was set up. We did not give ourselves a chance.
As soon as I saw the lineup and formation I knew this was gonna be a dicking. We simply looked like a team playing without a midfield. To play a midfield of three with two 20 year old newbs and the Swiss donkey was a suicidal setup by Emery. Criminal not to have Torreira start. Guenmophead had to most of the first half as a 5th defender, leaving us with a mid effectively of 2.
It was like a 90 minute game of attack and defence. The amount of space we conceded out wide for 70 minutes was unbelievable. As one of the commentators said, it was like crossing practise for Liverpool. Utterly embarrassing.
Can confidently say we will get nowhere with Emery after seeing such tactical naievety.
I do want Dick to do a good job and take us forward but all too often he makes huge errors in team selections and his love for Xhaka defies belief!!?? I am doubting Dick is the guy to take us forward, if he keeps picking shit players then he is just another Wenger....learns nothing!!
Emery has to take criticism with the team set up yesterday. Playing out from the back only works if you have world class defenders and midfielders who have the intelligence to put themselves in areas where they can turn and spring a quick counter attack. Arsenal has neither.
I know football has changed but someone like Dennis Bergkamp would be playing the ball in behind the Liverpool back 4 using the pace of Pepe and Aubameyang. I don’t care if its ugly you sometimes have to go long. Van Dijk gave Pepe a lot of respect and didn't like it when Pepe ran at him.
To try and play through probably the strongest team in the PL is asking for trouble.
Cabellos came down to earth with a bump. Nothing more needs to be said about Xhaka but Guendozi’s decision making at times was questionable. We knew Luiz under pressure makes mistakes.
I genuinely think there is a decent side in this squad,once everyone is fit and available ( if ever) its just whether Emery chooses to start it,Holding returning will be huge for us,I think once he got injured last year we fell apart,
What Torriera has done to get benched most weeks is beyond me,maybe Emery is teaching him a lesson for being linked with a move away,he must watch the Swiss c unt week in week out fuck up and laugh.
David Luiz.......well what can you say,he was a liability at the Chavs and I'm sure yesterdays brain-dead shit wont be his last this year for us,maybe with Mustafi going the club felt it needed another clown at the back.
Naive selection, naive tactics and yet beaten by three individual mistakes that were preventable. Couldn't believe the starting line up. Surely it was ridiculous to expose the full backs, particularly Monreal, to pace and overlapping. In the end Liverpool didn't do a whole lot from those situations but that was more luck than judgement on Emery's part.
If the plan was to isolate Van Dijk and Matip well maybe to a degree it worked but at what cost and for what end product. ? Aubameyang had a glorious chance once Adrian made that mad rush out, but his anticipation was poor, and his first touch so poor that he would have no chance of scoring with his second touch. Pepe looked lively but should have buried that chance.
Xhaka was awful, a liability to the side yet again. No quality and so uncompetitive. He was well matched by the awful Henderson. Xhaka shouts a good game, don't think he has played too many good ones though.
Three stupid goals, in these VAR days if Matip hadn't scored it was a penalty. Sokratis had hold of Van Dijk and in the process stopped Guendouzi from jumping. Luiz's two errors don't need further comment.
Did Liverpool look like scoring five or six?, don't think so. Poor tactically, poor competitively in midfield until Torriera came on. Not a good day at all..First time for me to criticise Emery on this forum but he has been exposed at Anfield before , he should know better.
It is patronising and talks about us like we are a small club up against a powerful giant - yes we know that they are a few levels above us (and we knew it prior to yesterday), but we are still a big club and should be going there at least with the same mentality and ambitions To listen to them c.unts, you would think that we should be delighted with the scoreline and performance
It is patronising and talks about us like we are a small club up against a powerful giant - yes we know that they are a few levels above us (and we knew it prior to yesterday), but we are still a big club and should be going there at least with the same mentality and ambitions To listen to them c.unts, you would think that we should be delighted with the scoreline and performance
Couldn't agree more, Chelsea matched them man on man in the super cup, that's in their transitional phase with lampard at the helm after a dog shit season last year. Will spurs go to anfield and be played off the park? I doubt it very much so why are we still getting destroyed away from home by the top 4 sides year in year out, its pathetic, to say yestarday is an improvement is a joke, we are Arsenal ffs, not Bournemouth or Southampton or Everton, ARSENAL! we are supposed to be going to these grounds and looking our opponents square in the eye and telling them we will get something from this, to praise yet another thrashing shows what we have become in the eyes of our rivals. To have 170 miliion at your desposal up front and to not to be expecting to compete on all fronts is a piss take, even luiz brain farts and all is an upgrade on mustafi, we should be better by now!!
It is patronising and talks about us like we are a small club up against a powerful giant - yes we know that they are a few levels above us (and we knew it prior to yesterday), but we are still a big club and should be going there at least with the same mentality and ambitions To listen to them c.unts, you would think that we should be delighted with the scoreline and performance
That would be the same Gary Neville who angrily lashed out at anyone who wanted Wenger gone yet seen no problem in United wanting Moyes gone in less than a season after having experienced untold success, I think he used the word "entitled" to describe us. He and the rest of the media treat us as lesser lights, they also overhype the scum while belittling us, bunch of *word censored*.
We could have two semi-wc full-backs in the squad with his wages, not his fault but still, sooner he facks off the better. I've given up on Miki going, he doesn't have the 'profile' of Ozil so we're stuck with him on £180K a week, even the Chinese clubs aren't that stupid..
Unai Emery is to Blame. It was he who selected the team and He who decided on the diamond formation, a formation the players had NOT played in before.
The players can only operate within the constraints of the system they are told to play in, it was always going to be a tough ask to go to scouseshyteland and get a result, the players were asked to play in an unfamiliar system AND he chose the wrong selection from the off, he should have chosen Laca and Torreira to start, instead he chose the equivalent of his love child xhaka.
Meet the New Boss same as the Old Boss. Hasn't a fucking scooby!
This is what I'm feeling today too, Herd.
It just feels depressingly familiar to see an Arsenal manager making the same mistakes and actually sabotaging our chances with his strange team selections and going with the wrong tactics.
The most worrying thing about Emery is how much he rates Xhaka. That in itself is cause for huge alarm.....if he cannot see how poor Xhaka is, what hope is there going forward/?
To listen to them c.unts, you would think that we should be delighted with the scoreline and performance 
with a passion (although maybe not QUITE as much since Stevie Me left). Depressing stuff 
