Emery And The Prodigals Are Bringing The Arsenal Back To The Top Table
Mar 11th, 2019 by 'holic
I think back just over a month to Sunday, 3rd February. At the Emptihad we are humbled by Manchester City, 3-1. This is not in itself surprising, nor unexpected. We have gone into the game, as we have so many of late, without our two most creative forces. Aaron Ramsey gets on with 24 minutes to go by which time the final score has been achieved. We are sixth, and surely will finish in that place?
Social media is full of bewilderment about what exactly Unai Emery’s vision is. I have to say I share that view at that point in time. We appear to have regressed. Devoid of imagination we don’t look likely to secure a Champions League berth via the Premier League. How can this dysfunctional team even hope to land the Europa League? But was this a turning point that the head coach had in his mind all along?
Or was it the following week when we went to clearly doomed Huddersfield, grabbed a two goal advantage, and ended up relieved to claim the points after a torrid second-half display? Perhaps the away leg at Bate Borisov? Aaron is still injured, and Mesut is absent for whatever reason, and that is not casting any aspersions one way or the other. His situation has been more complex than most Gooners know, possibly.
For the second leg against Bate Emery feels able to include Ozil. We’re ahead and should finish the job at home, surely? A comfortable 3-0 win ensues and the performance encourages. The opposition though, not the best, eh? Most of us are pessimists at heart.
Southampton at home follows. A banana skin when we played them away. Aaron is fit again. He can’t play with Mesut though, can he? Ramsey starts, and again we are looking more like The Arsenal. Early goals from Lacazette and the rejuvenated Mkhitaryan put an end to the contest and Ozil is introduced for Rambo as the game reaches a satisfactory conclusion. We are up to fourth place with eleven matches to play. It’s a good day.
Bournemouth have proved a handful on occasion, but Emery trusts Ozil to start. He still can’t play with Rambo, can he? The Welshman is on the bench. Mesut is the magician, the creator in chief as we knock in five in a display that has been coming. Creative? This is what we pay to watch. “Mesut helped us with his quality and work,” Emery said afterwards. “All the players should be proud tonight and it is the same for Mesut.”
And so to March. The Middlesex Nomads away. Unai again goes with a choice of one or the other. He gets it right in as much as Aaron opens the scoring as we give the enemy the biggest 1-1 thrashing of the season. They hadn’t drawn a League match until this, and nobody who saw it will understand how they got a point from this one.
Forgive me if I quickly swerve the next game. Mesut starts in Rennes and is doing what we expect until the first-half red card for Sokratis. I believe we call this a blip.
Sunday afternoon. Gary Neville breaks an embargo and tweets a team sheet for the big match of the day. The Arsenal versus Manchester United for fourth place in the table. Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey? That has to be a photoshop surely? Only it isn’t.
I would love to think that one of two things has happened. Either Emery has been manipulating his most talented midfielders for precisely the situation we find ourselves in, or he has been persuaded by popular opinion that The Arsenal need more than just a work ethic to succeed. Looking at the shift both players put in as United were swatted aside I am inclined to the Emery as cajoler theory.
Whatever, we have a few weeks left to enjoy Aaron who is leaving for reasons entirely unknown to most, and Mesut has shown he is capable of producing what his head coach has wanted from him in the wake of a World Cup nightmare. The creativity that we lacked either side of Christmas is well and truly back. Whisper it softly, but we are very much in the hunt for top three, and no Champions League qualifier in August, again.
Unai, playmakers, thank you. It’s all we could ask for right now.
35 Responses to “Emery And The Prodigals Are Bringing The Arsenal Back To The Top Table”
Hi holic. TTG was right. Yesterday’s game was no place for a man recovering from pneumonia. But this post captures the zeitgeist of the fans. The Emirates was a happy fulfilled place yesterday, despite the awful weather. We are optimistic again. I think we’ve remembered again why we spend so much time, money and emotional capital going to football.
COYG ??
Tip Top H
Are you able to transfer my post @ 67 in previous drinks,as it juxtaposes perfectly with your fine post above.
Being a old relic,i have no idea how to do it.
cheers
I think Carragher and Neville had it right yesterday when they said we’ve got the worst team in the top six, yet we’re fourth and that Emery is doing an amazing job.
The criticism he is already getting baffles me. When you look at some of the players he was left, he’s doing a sterling job really. I would expect to be challenging for the title within four years, if he’s still here, but it will need serious investment and for Emery to work with someone who will get him the players he wants, and get shot of the ones he doesn’t.
Off the pitch is of more concern, because we have to sort that out before we can hope to challenge properly.
It was a good one for you to miss in the circumstances ‘h.
I got absolutely soaked through on the way back to the station.
A fine post Guvnor and I think a widely
shared relief with the more creative
recent approach.
Personally I think one reason for the
change in approach is the return of
Kos at or close to his best. Perhaps
that has given UE a little more
confidence in our defence and induced
a corresponding willingness to be
aggressive in attack.
Anyway, I just hope it continues.
Goonersince54 in the last post,
Beating Manure seems to have
caused an outbreak of verbal
diarrhoea in me 🙂
My math was a bit pessimistic
though you’re right – why not
14 wins to end the season and
double CL qualification with
3rd place and the Ropey League!
I was wondering how Carragher
and Neville keep their jobs.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hKDi6ym3Ny0
Nice post H.
I think a lot of football is in the heads and minds of all of those involved. It’s a game off fine margins. The Manc game is a prime example. That result could easily have gone the other way. If Lukaku scores, if De Gea just stands up and if the ref decides out soft pen isn’t one then the result is different. But sometimes you make your own luck and the feel good factor adds extra belief.
I agree that the return of Kos, especially at a time when was able to partner Sokratis, has been crucial. The side has better balaoand stabi. Who in their right mind thought we would keep a clean sheet ever again? Let alone against the Mancs??
All of our remaining games are winnable. The nomads, chavs and Mancs have games against the top two and each other. That should also help us. Time to get behind the team and believe. Let’s hope we end up 3rd and the nomads 5th. Now that is worth raising a glass for.
On another note, I have just seen that next best thing, future world star and definitely Arsenal’s saviour, Gedion Zelalem has left on a free to try and forge a career in the MLS. Good luck to him. He didn’t quite live up to the hype bestowed upon him by some in this fine establishment. No names etc…..
🙂
So I was told, neighbour. A very good one for me to miss, under the circumstances. See you v Palace, I hope.
Sir Clive. Let me try and assist.
on 11 Mar 2019 at 9:20 pm67Goonersince54
Oska @ 48
I’m a bit worried about your maths my friend,
We are actually on course for 84pts this season not 76, given we have 8 games left.
You also broke the 2nd tier record for number of posts in a row with 10, but no one will ever break cba’s alltime top tier record of 96 successive posts in a row without interruption.
As for the match itself,having now had the benefit of seeing the replay,
I thought Mesut having been given the chance to play in a big match from the start after being on the sidelines for so long,probably tried a bit to hard to impress,a lot of his passes were going astray and the game at times seemed to pass him by,
But having said that,he didn’t hide during the game,and Emery kept him on for 75 minutes.
A great team effort,and dare i say it,we might just have another top class German goalkeeper on our hands.
United had their chances,and on another day might have scored 2 or 3,but i think they used up all their luck in Paris on Wednesday.
Immense credit to all our players,who after Thursday in France,and the abuse they copped at the airport from some of our so called supporters,must have been well down in the dumps.
But Lukaku’s early miss and Granit’s long range bender changed the narrative of the match on Sunday,and you could see the team grow in confidence from that moment on.
A well deserved win,and that’s why we love the game,when you can go from the depths of despair on the Thursday,and be top of the world 3 days later.
The difference in the mood in the bar thurs/fri/sat,to sunday/monday,
says it all.
With 60pts on the board,we are a whopping 12pts ahead of where we were at the same point last season,and our destiny is in our own hands to propel us back into the CL next season.
It’s down to Unai and his band of merry men to get us there.
One final point,
I do want to acknowledge the difference Unai has made,and his influence on the playing group that has to me clearly made for a much happier squad environment.
In Arsene’s reign,he had a core group of players that were always on the first team sheet no matter what,and this clearly led to resentment from the players that made up the rest of the squad,who unless someone was injured,very rarely started games except in the local Cup competitions.
From the moment he arrived,Unai made it plain and clear to everyone that their were going to be no favorites, it was a level playing field for all,and everyone who worked hard off the field in training would get their chance on it.
This obviously upset a few of the pampered pets,and they clearly tried it on in the early stages,witness Ozil’s strop after being dropped for West Ham game early in the season,but with the odd exception,once they saw that Unai wasn’t for turning,they knuckled down and put the hard yards in.
You can see this clearly in the camaraderie between the players on and off the pitch,which was noticeably absent last season.
No cliques allowed,one in all in, on and off the pitch.
Also given Unai’s approach to every game seems to be different depending on the opposition,the majority of the players in the squad are getting much more game time,and it’s that togetherness that Unai has fostered assiduously,that might just achieve something this season that none of us would have thought possible last August.
Good man Steve, I was just doing the very same. ?
Not sure about calling me Oska
🙂
Nice one H.
I wasn’t expecting a post until the Rennes preview so this quality effort is a real bonus. I like your analysis. I like Unai. He will need support in terms of someone to get deals done (obviously Monchi is the name we are hearing but let’s see) but it’s heading in a good direction. Third is very doable and there is less pressure on winning the Europa to achieve CL qualification.
We do obviously have a big game on Thursday as going out to Rennes would certainly put a dent in our feel good factor after a great League result. The squad seems more than up for it though, so let’s see.
UTA
Nice, positive post Holic.
The feel-good factor is returning but we have much to do to clinch third spot. Nevertheless Emery clearly has a strong tactical grasp and his pre-season planning will be fascinating to watch.
Sad to see Zelalem go but his very serious injury seems to have wrecked his prospects. He looked wonderful early on in his career but never got to make his mark.
U23s drew 0-0 last night at Everton who top the table
Thnks Steve
Much appreciated,with H slightly off the pace as he’s carrying an injury. ???
Big game at the weekend at Twickers,and an even bigger one at CAP where we need Ireland to do us a favour if we are to win the 6 Nations.
Going back to our game ,i had the pleasure of watching it for a 2nd time but on Man Utd own channel.
Very enjoyable listening to the old relic Paddy Crerand moan and whinge his way through the entire 95 minutes,as Arsenal’s serial
divers and foulers cheated his beloved Club out of a certain 3 pts.
????
Following the recent run of results in the league we are now considered more likely to secure a top four finish (@5/6) than qualify for the next round of the Europa Cup. Who would have thunked it a couple of weeks ago?
An uplifting post, ‘Holic.
When you have your best players available and you play them, results pick up. Who would have guessed it?
But full credit to Emery for getting the best out of his best.
Very interesting posts above by ‘holic and GS54 highlighting/divining the tactics behind the selection decisions made up to now by Unai Emery in his first season at Arsenal. In comparison to Arsene Wenger sticking to his favorites, Emery indeed has provided important minutes to more players and not just because some of them got injured forcing him into changes. Also interesting to consider the players selected by both managers including Iwobi who must work his butt off on the practice pitch.
A real piece of good news has just flashed up on my phone from a mate.
Lacazette is available for Rennes as his suspension has been cut.
Rennes..be very afraid!
Fine and uplifting analysis Guvna. The mood at the Grove on Sunday was indeed one of the best I’ve experienced there and was united in spirit and support of our team even at the periods in which Manure’s threat was most prevalent.
Steve T is correct that but for a few key moments the game might have been drawn or even lost but we have had many, many games, not least against the same opponents, that we have unjustifiably lost by the same fine margins.
Long may our fan base remain united in their support of the team.
Good news indeed re Alex Lacazette.
Looking more and more like the real deal at CF.
My pleasure Clive. I’m lucky enough to be at Twickers on Saturday with the little man in tow. I say little, he’s not far short off buying the first round. Looking forward to it.
I’ve been winding a few spuds up this evening bu posing the following question…. Is Poch the Argentinian Mark Hughes????
A question worth asking of patrons of this fine establishment re the team makeup for Utd game.
I am not privy to when the players know who is in the run on side before a game.
Is it the day before, ??
the morning of the game, ??
An hour before kick off, ??
The reason i raise this is because i am wondering whether given the Spurs defeat on Saturday,whether that would have influenced Unai to tweak his original team line up and go all out for the 3 pts, ie: pick a back 3 instead of initially thinking back 4,given the enormous reward the 3 pts would bring.
If our neighbors had won,would we have seen a more conservative line up,thereby making sure we didn’t lose the game,rather than go all out to win it.??
Would Mesut have been picked in that scenario. ??
I am intrigued to hear what others think.
Evening Clive.
I don’t think any of the managers selections would have been influenced by the spuds result. I think the Man U game was an ideal time to put down a marker. We should have got 3 points against the nomads but the luck was not with us that day. We got the rub of the green on Sunday. That’s the way it goes.
Personally, I think if Ozil is fit and he is going to play then he plays from the start. I don’t think you have a player like Ozil as an impact player from the bench. I would far rather see a situation like we saw on Sunday where Ozil comes off to allow us sure things up and to hold what we have.
Clive,
I think managers vary in when they reveal the side and the kick off time might even be a factor. For an evening game it might be when the team meets up. If they play at lunchtime he probably lets them know at the end of training the day before.
Unai had balls of steel with that team selection but I suspect he decided on it after training on Saturday and told the team then . I never know what he will do so I suspect the opposition don’t either.
A couple of late observations if I may –
Holic says that the reasons Ramsey is leaving are “unknown to most” – who does know? What is the mystery here.
Always thrilled to beat Utd. and for Auba to get the penalty monkey so quickly off his back but … I hope he never takes another penalty for us. The last two were both rubbish although he just got away with one of them.
UTA.
Agree, time for Laca to take the
penalties. Starting Thursday now
that UEFA have belatedly seen
the light.
GS54,
I did wonder when UE knew that
Mkhi wouldn’t be fit and also
whether that influenced the choice
of AMN rather than Mus at right
back.
It’s also a bit of a guessing game
for UE too. MU with Lukaku starting
and without play a slightly different
way I think. Actually, although he’s
a threat I believe Lukaku is easier
for us to manage than with Rashford,
Martial, Lingard, Herrera, Mata etc
running into space behind our
defence.
Apologies Matt
It would appear i cannot read.
All this time i thought you were OskaMatt, when it should be Osaka.
Blindingly fucking obvious to everyone but me,given your regular references to Japan.
If i had a brain i would be dangerous.
I have thrashed myself senseless with a feather as penance.
????
Clive @ 24. Good questions.
I have no idea when the manager lets the players know the team. I wonder if it is always at the same time or if he occasionally switches it up.
I don’t think the Spuds result would influence the United selection in the sense that the boss would be targeting four points from the two fixtures and so would have played more offensively/defensively depending on what we needed to achieve that. But I do think we are hitting a period where the manager is finding more trust in our attacking players to hold a shape and thus be more defensively efficient, so he is less inclined to throw in an extra centre back or holding midfielder. I hope that continues to the end of the season.
Frankly, watching Rambo play as Ozil’s bagman versus Manure had me see a world of what ifs. Rambo would have to keep the discipline and get forwards less but with his engine and a tackle rate like at the weekend he could have dovetailed with Ozil magnificently. And once a team had shackled Ozil by putting the necessary emphasis on doing so, how many could Rambo have scored with opportunistic runs from deep?
Mind you, that would only allow one from Xhaka, Torreira and Guendouzi to play and those three look like players Emery sees big futures for.
I just love Rambo though. To think that he has been the player he has without often playing at his limits (in terms of maximum ability, not effort)
I agree with Steve re Ozil.
He is more death by a thousand cuts than an axe blade in the neck. He is not the dynamic sort to punish tiring legs, but his constant probing and pulling at the opposition’s shape and the distance they have to cover to maintain it definitely sets the scene for a Rambo or Alexis type. Not that a tired team won’t give him space to find dangerous passes but i think he is a better starter than a sub.
Also, I’d love Laca to start taking penalties. And I’m definitely more confident about the Rennes fixture now he is back in the picture. I’d start the same attacking four as against United and back them to tear into Rennes. Tell them all they’ll get a bonus if they better Man City’s result last night!
We will win but will we go through is the question, we need to is obvious.
Emery has had some excellent games and some ordinary ones, i still wonder what is the plan and what is he trying to achieve. The shape of the team continues to worry me but then that is because we have been all around the shop for a couple of seasons now, including Arsene’s last couple. I sincerely wish he knows what he wants to do next season for if he does and we can invest well on the defense, we finally maybe closer to challenging for the league then we actually are as of now.
Ramsey and Ozil need to start all games till the end of the season, they may not be there after that. It is not the actual reason though, those 2 together present our best chance to create and hence we need them.
Rennes will be quietly confident of an away goal but if we score early, they will be nervous and that plays into our plan, remember 2-0 works just fine.
last word to Cristiano, what a player, what a big game player, Messi is class but when it comes to a must-win, you won’t bet against Ronnie will you, absolutely amazing against one of the best defensive units in the world.
GSince54,
That’s very honest of you sir !
I’d have just pretended it was a
typo ?
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