Arsenal Banter Archive January 19 2019

19 Jan 2019 21:23:44
Great team performance with special praises for koscienly who was outstanding.

Hope we kick on and kroenke backs the manager in the summer,

20 Jan 2019 07:23:39
Arguably our strongest team selection. The performance clearly epitomised what Emery is looking for. The poor recent performances came when we had to contend with injuries over a busy period, particularly to defenders. Koscileny was forced to play before he was match fit and yesterday he was back to his best. His partnership with Sokratis helped keep a clean sheet. Such a shame that Bellerin looks to have picked up a nasty injury. Leaving out the likes of Ozil and Mustafi, whilst the trio of Guendouzi, Torreira and Xhaka helped defensively and even the forwards played their part defensively. Perhaps we will signe Denis Suarez this month and if Belerin is out long term, a right back is essential, particularly as Lichtsteiner is well past his best and wil depart at the end of the season. Well done to Emery and the team.

20 Jan 2019 11:42:16
" Even the forwards played their part defensively "
That one sentence I think sums things up, it's a team game and all players should contribute in every department to some extent.
Keepers can start attacks and forwards can force midfielders into losing the ball in order to prevent an opposition attack even starting.
When absolutely every player contributes towards both attacking and defending with equal enthusiasm then you've got a team that is capable of most things.
Leicester 2015/ 16 showed exactly what can be achieved by a team that all work hard for each other for 90 minutes in every game.

19 Jan 2019 19:31:04
Great team performance, excellent team selection, spot on tactically and with the substitutions.
Man of the match was, of course Koscielny. The defence was superb and kept a clean sheet. I was very impressed with Guendouzi, who was far more disciplined than he normally is.
Hope Bellerin's injury is less serious than it looks. We must do our best to bring in a couple of players. 3 points off top four.

{Ed0333's Note - will be interesting to see who you recruit this month. I’d like to see D.Suarez as I think he’s a player.

19 Jan 2019 19:37:21
Well played boys and great game Boss.

19 Jan 2019 19:38:36
I don't know much about Denis Suarez. I would like to see a RB signed, if Bellerin is out long term, I like the Palace RB and Cedric Soares of Southampton.

19 Jan 2019 21:39:50
Im happy that maitland niles might play there and get experience in one position, if Bellerin is unfortunate.

19 Jan 2019 17:05:25
Not sure i agree 100% with todays team but nobody could argue Dick isn't trying everything under the sun this season to wring all he can out of this lopsided squad. 4 at the back midfield three, auba lacca and ramsey up front. he's outed iwobi, he's outed mustaffi and he's trying to cover for the useless xhaka in midfield by flanking him with torreira and Gouendouzi. Just go out and perform!

19 Jan 2019 17:19:03
What is it that you disagree with steve mate?
A lot better than the last few matches.
I think ramsey will play behing the two strikers most of the match. At least there is some one can create chance ot two.

19 Jan 2019 17:30:34
If the side has to include Xhaka that's as good as it gets but personally I'd swap Xhaka for Maitland Niles.

{Ed0333's Note - I’d swap Therese May for Xhaka

19 Jan 2019 17:48:19
Jerry Corbyn would do or even Dianne Abbot at a push but why always always Xhaka no matter what, it's a mystery that needs explaining.

19 Jan 2019 18:29:09
Surely 62 if we play Dianne Abbot we would play 4-5-8 😂COYG.

19 Jan 2019 18:56:19
She would need to check those figures and get back to you Sussex mate :-) maybe she send Xhaka to Walford to collect the figures for her and tell him not to return without them :-)

19 Jan 2019 10:08:38
When we signed Lich and Papa last summer it looked like Dick was going for a now fix along side building for the future with Leno Torreira and Guendouzi.
If we weren't looking to make instant improvements this season but plan more long term why bring in Papa and Lich rather than younger players who might progress with the team.
I'm a bit confused by what Dick is trying to do as it initially looked like he came in saw the need for immediate defensive improvement but then simply got side tracked by trying to implement his long term goals on how we should play immediately.

19 Jan 2019 11:37:11
62, I am sure you gave me grief for a similar statement at the start of the season. We need a revolution built on youth and as long as they play and develop over time into challengers then I am happy. Happy coming 8th with a plan than 6th with an aging directionless team with no future. I’m not having a dig but rather a chuckle and glad that this topic is being discussed as it really needs to be discussed. Pretty sure I got a bit of grief about building the defence around Holding as he’s too young. The irony is - I don’t care about this season and next as long as we have a plan that has light at the end of the tunnel. This has no plan except an aging squad so we never complete the puzzle. Pull the bandaid off and be brave Emery or suffer the consequences.
I understand the Holding comment if we want Top 4 but we aren’t good enough plus don’t have the funds. So build on youth. Building a team on old players that were good at cheap prices reminds me of teams in the bottom half of the table signing big names for low fees. Like Sours with that Germsn diver many years ago 😂😂😂
Let’s get through this season and make wholesale changes in personnel and players.
I think I could get top 6 with the team we have and don’t think the defence would be any worse with me st the helm. Emery was meant to bring energy, attention to detail, new ideas, tactics, defending etc etc. He’s done very little to improve us in defence except remove creativity in attack as an option. Wenger did that at the end of one season and the goals dried up - that’s not clever or tactics. That’s being negative and I don’t want that from our manager or side. That’s not clever or tactical - that’s just putting more defenders in the team. Wise up Emery and get a god damn plan
This next window is key for me: no change = no patience. Until then I will still air my opinion but be civil and respectful. Change also means backroom staff.

19 Jan 2019 12:05:51
Hi SY mate you are totally right mate I did give you grief for a similar statement at the start of the season and oops I was wrong, soz mate :-)
I agree Dick might as well be brave because as he is he's heading for chopsvile south dekota by the end of next season for certain, he simply won't get a decade of no improvement that Arsene enjoyed in fact if this time next year there isn't clear signs of progress he will be lucky to do two seasons.
Despite what Steve thinks simply standing still and not going backwards isn't the new 4th place trophy:-)
Be brave Dick it's the only thing you won't regret mate.

19 Jan 2019 12:50:48
And that’s why I love the site and the people on it. I was 100% wrong about Xhaka and Sokratis being slow plus supporting Wenger too long. You all helped challenge my thoughts in a great way. Some were right and most of mine were wrong but it’s the banter that’s fun! We all love Arsenal and debating with likeminded Eds and readers! COYG 🏆🏆.

19 Jan 2019 14:09:23
No gunner, don't put words in my mouth, i said the first thing Dick has to do is stop the slide, get us stable and then progress. That isn't happening over night, if you don't want a short term fix. At the moment we are in transition, we may go down a bitxwe may level out or we may improve but i don't expect any proper change for a while yet. I have had to put up with 5 years of decline, i'm sure i can give Dick at least one season before i start throwing bottles, lighters and empty fag packets at Dick.

19 Jan 2019 16:48:51
I think Sokratis was brought in to add experience and as for litch, we can only presume he was bought to add a RB to the team, we had no real cover for Bellerin and he was a free option. I agree sy we need a plan that will hopefully come after a full season in charge, i'm hoping Emery knows where to go in the summer. COYG 3 points today!

19 Jan 2019 17:02:55
I was only kidding Steve mate :-)
Bang on SY it's not all about being right about everything it's all about sharing our opinions enjoying the site and people on it. I think we are all being happy to be wrong when things go better than wr predict and disappointed when we get it right in a negative way.
Come on the Arsenal and come on Dick win back the doubters like me :-)

19 Jan 2019 08:44:07
Massive game today for our top 4 hopes. If Emery can get the team as pumped as they were against Liverpool and Spurs in the league, we should walk all over an average Chelsea side who aren’t exceptional at the minute. COYG.

19 Jan 2019 09:40:46
It would be just what the doctor ordered 93, beat Chelsea today and suddenly Dick gets breathing space and followed by a win against United and he's back in credit big time.
Lose today and the questions will continue to mount up and lose today and next week and Dick will have a huge Hill if not a small mountain to climb.
One off games can change a season and we need our season or much more importantly our performances to take a turn for the better.
Progress is the oder of the season in my book and real obvious rather than debatable improvement from where we were last year.

19 Jan 2019 14:11:13
Its obvious, a win and we are back in the hunt and a defeat means we are concetrating on europa league for success.

19 Jan 2019 16:44:43
Whatever happens this season Is a learning curve for Emery and the players. He will have a good idea of who to keep and give the boot by the end of season.

19 Jan 2019 01:51:41
Arsenal fans must be patient. A win today would take us 3 points behind 4th place Chelsea. We have had a tricky period, but we had injuries to contend with over a very busy period. With all bar 3 players fit, we are in a position to get going again, particularly as the teams above us have a heavier schedule than us, as some return to very demanding CL fixtures and Man C, Chelsea and the Toot have League Cup semi final and possible final matches to contend with.

19 Jan 2019 09:04:45
Or we could be realistic and say we finished last season way behind the rest and we have found our level again after the early enthusiasm of a new manager settled down and we are pretty much where we were.
Let's face it we had a huge gap to close so not making top 4 is not catastrophic but if we finish the season no further forward that we ended last season then this season and Dick will have been pretty disappointing to say the least.
Get our defence organised Dick or bring someone into to help you if you can't manage it on your own.

19 Jan 2019 11:39:26
62 - I think we tried to make short term fixes to get top 4 and failed. Rather than wholesale changes and come 8th. I would have taken 8th with huge changes and then 5th then season 3 competing for top 3.im frustrated because we don’t have a plan. Cheap old players with 2 or 3 seasons in the tank for defence.

19 Jan 2019 13:58:42
I tend to agree for once with jamie carragher, Dick inherited a shambles.

19 Jan 2019 14:13:09
Sy, if we did that and finished 8th, you would turn your support to the spuds. Lol.