Arsenal Banter Archive August 26 2018

26 Aug 2018 20:33:17
Don’t know about anyone else but I’m wanting the matches to come thick and fast to see how all this pans out, it’s a shame ( Arsenal hat on) that the international break is looming .

I have a feeling Dick knows is starting XI and we are beginning to see it . He’s had numerous matches, a lot of training sessions, he must have seen enough by now?

I read a post by 62 which I thought was interesting, he posted a quote from A Ramsey, the fact Ramsey referred to Dick as “he” would tell me that he’s not on board with the new boss yet.

It’s going to take along time for the squad to be settled 2 or 3 seasons possibly.

26 Aug 2018 21:53:47
I may have put 2 and 2 together and come up with 80 mate but it just struck me as unusual and sounded a bit like Aaron wasn't Dicks biggest fan at the moment, maybe the extra training and home work Dick expects or maybe other reasons but there are advantages to having a happy squad and also advantages to having players with a point to prove too.

26 Aug 2018 22:42:33
As usual the internationals mess the the job up again. I don't know why but they turn me cold. There has to be a better time/ way to play these games.

27 Aug 2018 10:55:00
I think uafa is aware that England v Estonia or Malta qualification games are outdated and are pretty meaningless so have introduced this new more attractive friendly system which I don't fully understand but it's a move in the right direction.
Qualifying for the Euros and world cup has to adopt an fa cup style approach where the smaller footballing nations play each other in the earlier rounds and the more familiar footballing countries only take part in the latter stages meaning less games but more credible competitive ones.
To suspend all European leagues to accommodate France v Luxembourg game makes no sense at all.

26 Aug 2018 14:28:40
What was clear yesterday is that Guendouzi has already become a fan favourite after just two games. Yes, at times yesterday he got exposed and perhaps looked a little out his depth, but he plays with his heart on his sleeve and the crowd lap it up. Personally I do think our current formation is putting a massive strain on him, and I would like to see us play a midfield 3 with Torreira coming in to back him and Xhaka.

26 Aug 2018 14:33:57
EG, his problem is, he is pressing, his mate isnt, that's why he gets exposed. His tackle and interseptions rate is so high because of that. That can't be said of others. It amazes me how people can't see the problems are players not playing to the team orders and tactics are causing defensive problems.

26 Aug 2018 15:53:44
It's easy to read something into people's words they didn't mean but on motd last night Aaron said in his post match interview " the high press is what he wants " not what the boss wants or the manager wants but what he wants.
I could be a million miles off target here but it did sound resentful to me like Ramsey wasn't on board with our new system at all.

26 Aug 2018 16:45:34
Gunner ramsey to me has looked like a player who is not on board with the tactics or just playing his own game. He hasn't looked good so far, only in small cameos.

26 Aug 2018 16:53:59
For me Xhaka wasn't the problem yesterday Steve he was as exposed as Guendozi. The problem was Ramsey, Iwobi and Miti who contributed absolutely nothing to the teams defense. Ramsey may have talked about pressing after the match but I think he needs to watch a video on pressing as what he tried was pathetic. For me the balance is wrong, with the 3 attacking midfielders just not contributing enough going forward to compensate for the lake of defensive abilities. I would rather see 3 up top, playing both Lacca and Auby with Miki or Ozil competing for the other place, and playing the 3rd central midfielder instead.

26 Aug 2018 17:13:34
EG, I've said my bit on xhaka, but i disagree with myki, i actually thought he pressed and worked his position well. Again, it goes unoticed because he isn't being supported. He probably plays it well because he played that type of game for klopp. My opinion is he had a decent game yesterday. He made mistakes like most but i thought his team play when we didn't have the ball was good.

26 Aug 2018 17:35:54
I agree with you there Steve, he had a very good game yesterday and was by far the best of the attacking midfield, both in work rate and attacking. For me though, for what Ramsey or Iwobi contributed towards the performance was poor, and I think one of those positions needs to be sacrificed for an extra midfielder, especially for the next 2 away games.

26 Aug 2018 17:48:41
EG iwobi has had his one good game a season all ready. Lol.

26 Aug 2018 18:50:28
Just had a look at mykis stats, he attempts about 3.5 tackles a game, which is one of the highest in our forward line. Lacca was highest, interesting.

26 Aug 2018 19:33:14
Change is happening for the first time in over 20 years at Arsena, some we will like immediately some we won't.
We've not had radical change for so long it's going to take us time to accept everything that comes with it.
Under Arsene we went from being supreme to being adequate to being inadequate and were unquestionably in steady decline, it's taken Liverpool and Klopp 2 and half years to get back to being potentially competive and in football terms that's warp speed as United fans will tell anyone.

26 Aug 2018 19:44:04
62 - if we are to write off 2 seasons which is what I expect and happy with, let’s do the long term changes now. How many of our starting 11 has actually changed and of the players signed - how many will be in the side in year 3 and 4. Not Socrates or the right back. Let’s get a youthful side and start building. If we come 6th - would rather do that with a team that can grow than a team that will be dismantled two years later.

Just think our current plan and expectations have again been poorly communicated by the club and board

Most businesses or teams wouldn’t survive like that as they need to keep their customer or investors up to date with what’s going on.

26 Aug 2018 20:17:49
It would be brilliant if Dick came out and gave us a game plan
Like this season is all about finding out what I've got
Next summer will be about letting go of who can't adapt and brining in the type of players we need.
Next season will be where the journey really gets started and this season is mainly about prep work.
But would people really be any happier if he did or would people prefer to hope for unrealistic quick fix champions league spot this time round.
Liverpool and City are extremely highly likely to take up 2 of the 4 spots available, Spurs and United are way further down and although Chelsea have a new manager too they were runaway champions 15 months ago.
Top isn't and never was a realistic option for this season it's next season we really need to be well back in the top 4 race.

26 Aug 2018 12:00:40
I am baffled as to why lichsteiner and torreira have not started a game yet, with both coming on and impressing. To a lesser extent leno but i'm sure if our defensive issues continue all three might come in. I know patience is required but they are at least as good or if not better fits as we all ready have. I do like a lot what Dick is doing and it is refreshing but i'm also left a little bewildered by a few situations. He does as a coach seem too, while games are on change and sort certain situations. Its the initial starts that this team still suffers with. Plus same old mentality from the same old players.

26 Aug 2018 13:19:06
I am bewildered with the lack of change in defence, lack of organisation in defence, signings in defence and when the team is effectively the same as last year why they play like strangers. Where is PEA and what’s Emery done with him. Why haven’t we pulled off the bandaid and driven big change.

On MOTD even Matteo was jogging back rather than running, high line, CDM taking cirners - get a grip Dick and sort this shambles out. West Ham should have been 3 1 up! No change in attitude, fullbacks both attacking, exposed at the back. bloody mess and no change. Surely it’s not hard to get the defence playing like a defence within 3 months and not playing so high?

Baffling - make changes and make your life easier Dick. That’s how you get more time from the fans. That’s what I wanted to see.

26 Aug 2018 13:24:14
I think to be honest most people are Steve, not sure what Unai’s plans are but it seems very strange.

Torreira looks so good when he comes on. I was hoping Mavropanos might get some game time too along with Leno.

It’s all very Wenger like in playing players who are so poor.

He’s new, needs time and thus I’m just rolling with it.

26 Aug 2018 13:34:52
Although he is undoubtedly regularly caught lacking in his defensive duties, I don’t think you can underestimate the importance of Bellerin for us going forward. He was involved in both goals yesterday and created several good chances in the Chelsea game. For me, he offers some much needed width to our game and is one of the few players in our squad happy to sit wide and wait for the ball rather than coming inside looking to play to feet. Personally I’m not sure if Lichtsteiner, undoubtedly a more proficient defender, would present us with the same level of attacking threat as Bellerin which is probably why Hector will probably continue to start.

26 Aug 2018 14:13:58
J G we have players who can attack, its the defending that is the problem, the mind set, lack of discipline or lack of ability to defend. Sy, if his partner or the players behind had been pressing, which is what they are supposed to be doing, there wouldn't be a big gap behind for Gouendouzi to be jogging back into. Some players are pressing and some are not, they are the problem. There shouldn't be gaps behind forwards and midfield. If a player is pressing on his own, he is going to get left high and dry, that's the whole crux of everyone singing from the same hymn sheet. We aren't playing sitting back and soaking up football, we are trying ti impose ourselves on the opposition, well some are.

26 Aug 2018 14:14:57
J G first and foremost he is a right back.

26 Aug 2018 16:06:59
I agree JG as was talked about on motd last night out and out wingers citrently have no room in the modern game and full backs are expected to provide width in attack these days.
Dick shows no sign of changing his game plan and it looks like he's only interested in getting the players up to speed with it rather than changing the system to suit the players we have.

26 Aug 2018 17:00:19
62 - I agree and that seems naive. Change the players or change tactics. Not enough change for my liking

3 5 2 - don’t care if it’s his usual / preferred set up. ADAPT or die. Wenger didn’t.

26 Aug 2018 17:35:10
SY mate it's exactly what I would do because it's the best system for theb players we have currently but Dick isn't thinking of this week month or season he's thinking long term and rightly or wrongly about what he wants thinks is right and how he wants us to play.
We can protest all we want the man is not for turning and the only difference between Dick and Arsene at present is Dicks only had 3 games of glaringly obvious weaknesses he's not adressing while under Arsene we had a decade of it.
This time next year Dick will be very heavily questioned like Arsene was if things don't improve.

26 Aug 2018 18:09:07
Agree gunner, cut the guy a bit of slack he is trying to put right a decade of decline and he needs more than three games, a lot more, its a big job.

26 Aug 2018 18:19:15
My prediction is Dicks honeymoon period will end quickly Steve once we loose to the likes of Wolves Watford or Palace, that's going to be the big test of people's patience mate.

26 Aug 2018 18:38:02
I personally feel more relaxed about defeats than i did with wenger. I can see what being tried and he is trying to bring this club kicking and screaming back into 21st century football. I couldn't see wenger doing anything except blame the refs, the media, the pundits, the fans and donald trump, anything but himself, which got a bit tedious. Well for now anyway.

26 Aug 2018 19:27:37
If it’s long term - change the faces and start with a side full of 24 year olds or we will never get there. The lack of change is what bothers me. Happy to write off two seasons but I wanted change in season one in personnel / direction / defence.

26 Aug 2018 20:23:31
We all hoped for instant signs of difference we could but into SY mate but obviously Dick isn't going for instant popularity but long term foundations that future signings will walk into and benefit from.

27 Aug 2018 01:01:52
Hope so - judge him at the end of the season and get behind him. When I say judge him - I am looking for improvement and a sense of direction plus a clear understanding of our issues. This should be demonstrated in starting 11, January and Summer transfers etc. Time will tell - just wish I saw more by now.

25 Aug 2018 23:48:32
Really pleased with result today and still very optimistic! Two things baffling me though ( doesn’t take much ) WTF is our main defensive midfielder doing taking corners in the last five minutes? Why are we playing too high a line with two slow centre backs who need covering by full backs who are continually in the opposition box and should be protected by the corner taker? COYG.

26 Aug 2018 09:57:49
Spot on Sussex - I am not a fan of playing a high defensive line, particularly with two cumbersome CB's. Sokratis seems extremely similar to Mustafi. Bellerin is a RWB, with no clue defensively and no protection in front of him. In fact we look so similar to the way we played under Wenger. The main difference is that Emery requires more of a press, but clearly doesn't have the players in the current squad. We have the choice of playing creative players, such as Ozil, Ramsey, Iwobi and Mkhitaryan or defensive players played in the '3', such as Bellerin and Kolasinac played ahead of Lichtsteiner and Kolasinac, when fit. I have a feeling that Emery will try and rectify this unbalanced squad over the next couple of windows, but the high defensive line is a major concern. Intelligent defending allows the defence to hold a line according to the play in progress. We seem to be caught with the defence on he halfway line way too often and with the offside rule tending to favour the attacking team, it's a poor tactic. If the defence simply dropped say 15 yards into their own half when losing possession in the opponents half, then the space between the defence and the keeper becomes far smaller and therefore more difficult for the opponents to breach successfully.