If you wound the clock back a decade if you criticised Wenger on here you’d be hammered by everyone. He was deemed a hero and unquestionable. Fast forward a few years and I was saying Wenger would leave us in a worse state than when he arrived and people still wouldnt have it. Now hes gone as our fans didn’t want to challenge him enough for way too long and his parting gift was that he wrecked our first team squad and screwed his successor.

We don't have any choice do we?, where we do have a choice is wasting time/money/emotion on the club, I will certainly be minimizing all of these, especially the 2nd one, haven't spend a penny on the corporation since Nov 2015.

Feck knows how anyone can motivate themselves to waste their efforts on this football corporation is beyond me, no wonder the Emirates always looks half empty, why on earth are they adding more club level seats?, always looks 1/4 full to me.

6th is the new 4th and that is not a good product to sell - up yours wiggy.

Emery has a very difficult job to re-establish Arsenal back in the top 4. What with lack of funds, yet more long term injuries and an inherited squad which is horribly unbalanced, he is understandably struggling to bridge the gap. He clearly needs time and money to implement his ideas. Yet when I hear that today, needing a goal to get us back in the game we couldn't even muster a single attempt in the second half, when he cant think of a way to utilise one of the best assist makers in Europe, and when you see Lichensteiner and Mustafi playing for Arsenal, I do start to doubt whether he will be successful.

After hearing so many Arsenal fans moan about Mike Dean, I did some research on our record when he's the referee as opposed to when he isn't. Let me clarify now that I took my data from the handbooks for each season. This restricted me to the 2012/13 onwards, so just six full seasons. This is because they only started naming the referee for each fixture from the 2013/14 handbook, which is the one that gives the data (team, results per competion) for the 2012/13 season.

A couple more points to make now is that any comparison between matches refereed by Dean and others in seasons earlier than 2012/13 hasn't been done because, as I said, the referee for each game only started being given in the 2013/14 handbook. Also I've only done the comparison for Premier League games, not cup matches. The reason for this is that the standard of the opposition is, I would suggest, much more variable in the cups, to an even greater extent than in the Premier League.

However, I have used the fixture lists in programmes this season to make it as up to date as possible. So therefore the figures below cover the full Premier League campaigns for 2012/13 through to 2017/18, and the first 25 games of 2018/19.

Over that period, a total of 253 Premier League games, in the 21 matches refereed by Dean Arsenal have won 38 points, an average of 1.81 points per game. Over the same period, in the 232 matches not refereed by Dean, Arsenal have won a total of 445 points, an average of 1.92 per game. On the face of it, this justifies the criticism aimed at Dean by many Arsenal fans.

But as I was doing this research, I noticed how many of Dean's Arsenal games were against the sides you listed Rich, which is the reason I'm doing this post as a reply to your one. Of the 21 Arsenal games refereed by Dean, 12 (57.14%) have been against the two Manchester clubs, Tottenham and Chelsea. Surprisingly Dean has not refereed a Premier League game between Arsenal and Liverpool since the end of the 2011/12 season.

Disregarding the Liverpool anomaly, games against the Manchester clubs, Tottenham and Chelsea represent 21.34% of Arsenal's 253 Premier League matches. But games against those four clubs represent 57.14% of Dean's Arsenal matches. That's more than two and two-thirds (2.68) more than would be expected had Dean refereed games against City, Man Utd, Tottenham and Chelsea at the rate I'd have expected. I assume that's explained by Dean being so experienced, so he generally gets more big games.

So of course Arsenal will win fewer points per game in Dean's matches than others. It would be very odd if that hadn't happened. I want to watch MOTD2 now so I'll get this posted. But my guess would be if one took account of the opposition, Arsenal do as well as can be expected in Dean's games. Maybe even a bit better.

Where Emery loses some leniency is when you see someone like Hasenhuttl go to Saints - a really poor team - and set them up with a definitive way of playing and immediately improving results, performances, energy and morale. Without £70m to spend.

I was one of many people who wanted to see a new manager take the same bunch of players wenger had and see what he could do with hem because the accusation was wenger wasn’t making them better players and wasn’t creating a team greater than the sum of its parts. The same accusation is starting to be thrown at Emery.

Today was a bit of a surrender- as was Anfield. Literally no answer. We couldn’t stop them creating or having shots and we couldn’t do anything of note ourselves. You see plenty of teams really frustrate big sides away by sitting in being ultra disciplined and restricting the home team to long shots and crosses.

Hi Bernard, I have seen that about mike dean and arsenal, that he has reffed more of our big games and us not being very good in big games mean there will be a correlation between Dean and arsenal defeats, I’m fine with that. The thing the result of games won’t show are the incidents within the game that could have affected the result.

I’m sure I saw something about Mike Deans penalty record for the giving pens to the other big teams vs arsenal. It was over a lot of games, 60 odd for each team (so maybe 10-12 years worth of games) and arsenal had something like 5 times more “games per pen” than the other clubs. It was maybe a pen every 4 games for all the others but a pen every 20 games for arsenal.

Having said that I don’t think refs are consciously biased for or against a certain team but I do feel too many are weak and subconsciously influenced by any number of factors including the home crowd, star players, a decision they’ve previously given, wanting to be seen, not wanting to be seen, not wanting to ‘ruin the game’ etc etc. Historically the biggest influenced of refs was certainly the aura Ferguson had around him - played off against foreign wenger and his band of cheating dirty foreign players

Dean doesn’t or didn’t do Liverpool games because he’s from the Wirral I think.

Guendouzi was great today. What he’s doing at 19 is fantastic. I thought he had a dip over Xmas, along with Torreira, but he’s back playing well again. Looking forward to him adding goals and assists to his game but it’s rare for a 19 year old CM to have that right now.

He should be a shoe in for young Player of the year if the award wasn’t bizarrely open to players up to 23 or so years old - which means Dterling should probably win. Although the media do love spurs so get your money of Harry winks

When we are mathematically out of the Top 4, I would like to see Emery experiment more with the youngsters. Blend them in for some games in preparation for the next season. Would he be that brave?

The Los Angeles Stan Kroenke Rams lost the Super Bowl. I am not sure how I feel about it because I hate the New England Patriots as much as I hate Tottenham.

What the Rams tells us that Kroenke can build a championship quaity side if he wants to. He committed all the resources the Rams needed to get to the championship. Coaching, staff, as well as building a state of the art stadium and complex in the works. I drove past it when I was in Los Angeles last April.

Hi Rich, thanks for your explanation of why Mike Dean hasn't done any of our league games against Liverpool over the research period. I just checked my notes this morning and he hasn't refereed any of our matches against Everton either. So him coming from Wirral must be the reason. Tranmere obviously haven't been in the Premier League, so they aren't an issue.

Morning Bernard, I think he did do a Merseyside derby recently. It’s the same as Anthony Taylor (I think) not doing Manchester games but I’m pretty sure he did the manc derby as Altringham is his declared supported team.

I’m sure I saw the list of what teams prem refs support once and it is a very odd list. I don’t think there was a big team amongst them

Perhaps Dean has stated that he is a Tranmere fan then?

MOTD said last night the premier league have said if VAR was at the city game the aguero hat trick goal wouldn’t have stood. It didn’t change the result but potentially gives more clarity on what handball is in the box

I think you’re right he is. Many roll their eyes when they know they’ve got mike dean as a ref, and I’m always worried but not because he’s a terrible ref more because he likes to be busy and involved, he won’t shy away from a big decision but that often leads to him making big decisions where there wasn’t one to be made. I’d take him over Jon Moss and Lee Mason for sure

Football 365 always seem to put the right analysis and perspective on things

Lee Dixon’s description of “comic-book defending” was a rather more precise way of putting it. Not only was Iwobi’s mistake critical, but Shkodran Mustafi was stood a good five or six yards behind every player: too far behind to block the cross, and too far to the right to head it clear.
Therein lies the problem: for all Emery can meticulously plan for any specific game or opponent, he will always be undermined by his own players for as long as he is unable to properly invest in this squad.
Many will place the burden of responsibility squarely on Emery’s shoulders for this defeat, yet the first goal was the product of two individual errors, the second would have been difficult for any defence to prevent, and the third had a great deal of fortune involved too.
When you consider that he is missing his first and second-choice right-backs and two of his three best centre-halves, there has to be a degree of sympathy. It just depends how much of that was eroded by the second-half showing.

I think Mustafi is one of those players who makes everyone around him worse. His brain farts are spectacular and if the ref had given a penalty for the tug on Aguero right after the first it would have been the straw that broke the camels back for him. There's a real lack of pace in that back 4 but also awareness

The Gooner is suggesting if we don't get top 4 Emery might be sacked.

https://www.onlinegooner.com/articles/view/4707

Really it wouldn't surprise me and I've said all season its like the england job the blokes on a hiding.

Even if the club let him stay on if we only have 40 million to spend the transformation everyone craves won't happen. His contract is due at the end of next season anyway

After my own mini meltdown last week and in the cold light of reality, I have to have some sympathy for Emery. I mean whichever way we look at it, the injury list in that defence has been nothing short of chronic and I'd be surprised if anyone in the league has had worse. Do wonder if it has something to do with the apparently rigourous new training methods and maybe pushed some too far. I mean even Mustafi seemed to be improving earlier in the season. Attack is pretty decent so really don't know why loans weren't being chased in defence rather than mid. Özil seems to be on an exit path so maybe theyre thinking about Suarez as something more than a loan.

With a few less injuries I do wonder whether the defence would still be a calamitous as it is right now.

I think losing Bellerin, Holding and sokratis at the same time was a big blow any manager would struggle with.

The area Emery deserves to be criticised on is his recent team selections, for goodness sake drop playing 5 defenders, bring Özil back into the side at least until summer when he can be sold and try and use Mustafi and Xhaka as little as possible. I know Özil put in a bad performance againest palace and then we started dropping him but that’s when the wheels started to come off.

Can't recall who said it but someone quite recently said Arsenal could become a sacking club for managers in order for Kroenke to divert blame from himself. A sort of 'do not blame me it was down to the coach, and I've done my bit by sacking him'.

If it happened it would be a disgrace. Remember Klopp finished 6th in his first season and I remember the derision heaped on him for the defensive displays Liverpool put in.

Yes that was me. I think we could end up adopting the pre pochettino spurs model of sacking their manager every other season to deflect from our real issues

I see the arsenal blog le grove has gone to town on Emery today and #emeryout was trending on twitter yesterday. Gunnebrlog was suggesting that he’s disappointed with our fans reaction and negativity.

The Denver Kroenke Nuggets NBA team is tied for first with the Warriors, arguably one of the best basketball teams ever.

i agree but many don't see it this way.


have a read of this ... 100% idealism, totally unrealistic expectation


https://le-grove.co.uk/2019/02/04/expec ... ons-again/

I think Lichstiner has to move behind Jenkinson in the pecking order now. Every team is going to target him. I'd even rather play one of the youngsters who has some pace rather than Lichsteiner right now.

Also I think Willock should be taking Elneny's place in the squad/bench for some games now

Loving some of Liverpool’s players and managers post match interviews.
They complained about the officials even though their goal shouldn’t have stood, it was a mile offside and they were nearly gifted a winner at the death from another offside.
Van Dijk moaned how having the same back 4 each week makes it easier for them. Liverpool have had hardly any injuries all season!
Then Klopp said he knew about West Ham’s free kick routine they equalised from but when they trained for it there were 3 different players in their team....how about tell the 3 new players about this free kick routine so they can defend it if you’ve ‘figured it out’

Liverpool are cracking under the pressure I reckon

After benefitting from one of the most blatant offside goals of the season, Klopp has the nerve to complain about the referee and suggests that he saw the goal at halftime and deliberately favoured West Ham in the second half. Back to the studio and they describe Klopp as "typically philosophical". He gets such an easy ride from the media.

Klopp should get a heavy fine for that because he’s basically saying the ref deliberately gave decisions against Liverpool. Managers cannot question refs integrity.

I don’t think I’ve seen Emery complain about a ref once yet

Huddersfield away next, they are dead and buried, 13 points from safety, just been hit for 5 by Chelsea. This should be comfortable for us IF we go with the right team selection and right tempo and attitude.

Absolutely no need to play 3 holding mids who don’t offer much in the way of goals and assists. Get the two strikers, Özil and Ramsey all on the pitch and go high press and fast tempo from the first minute

Emery's got you to do that for him Rich images/smilies/1laughter.gif

Sack Emery and replace him with who? The guy's a decent manger with a good track record. And if he has tinkered with the defence and formations lately it's cos he's running out of defenders. I'd guess his first choice back line would be Bellerin, Sok, Holding/Kos, Monreal. How often this season were all of those players available to him at the same time. Not forgetting the £90m wasted on Mustafi, Xhaka and Perez by Merci Arsene. I'm sure Emery could do a better job with half that budget.

Get Osei-Tutu in at right back on Saturday. There's only one way to find put whether a young player will sink or swim so put him in the team. Got to be better than Lichsteiner surely.

agree 100%. hear, hear Emery!

Lichsteiner was not able to deal with Sterling. To be fair, who can? He is capable against most other clubs. I'd be surprised if Huddersfield has anyone who can best him. We don't have anyone who could deal with that side of the pitch against City. Most clubs can't. Sterling has been doing that to the league all season for the most part.

We need a whole new defense and such a defense is going to cost a pretty penny. We simply aren't going to spend it. Osei-Tutu could emerge as such a player but I would guess he would have gotten toasted against City's Sterling as well.

I doubt very much if Kos and Holding were in his first choice back four when he joined the club. The injury to Bellerin is unfortunate but our defending has been terrible all season. He has alienated Özil completely and uses Ramsey as a bit-part player while Alex Iwobi gets far more game time than both despite being miles off their level.

It would be daft to sack him this early but, for me, he has not done a good job so far.

We got taken. We bought a 35 million pound bust. No one to blame but ourselves. Who ever scouted him should be looked at closely, if not sacked.

https://metro.co.uk/2019/02/05/unai-eme ... r-8448310/

https://metro.co.uk/2018/03/06/lee-dixo ... y-7367205/

It seems that Mavropanos has not been included in the club's list for the Europa League Squad for the knock-out phase.

Another seemingly bizarre decision given the quality and fitness of defenders we have at our disposal.

I don't know what to make of him Dec. All the talk was of a high intensity high pressing team but, apart from the occasional periods in games, I don't really see that.

He has made some odd team selections and tactical decisions and whilst he clearly likes an early substitution if things are not going to plan the fact that this happens all too frequently begs the question as to why we aren't getting the starting line-up or first half displays right more often.

I don't really see any huge improvements in players either.

I really expected to see some improvement defensively. When Wenger was around the mantra was that any half-decent coach willing to spend some time coaching us defensively could improve us massively very quickly. That clearly has not happened.

We seem a bit fitter judging by the amount of ground we cover but I'm not sure what else has really improved.

Bellerin, Lacazette,Holding and Xhaka have all been noticeably better this season let’s be honest.

The defence was fine until the injuries hit. It’s a bit hard to press when you have a 33 year old left back, 33 year old centre back and 35 year old right back. You think that doesn’t make a difference ? Well it does