How is Vieira as a manager by the way? What's his style of play? Is he doing well considering the club he's managing?

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footb ... goals.html
'North London is RED!!!': Former Arsenal man Serge Gnabry rubs salt in Tottenham's gaping wounds by taunting his old rivals after scoring FOUR times in Bayern Munich's 7-2 demolition of Spurs

Rumours that all is not well in the Totts’ dressing room - and the fallouts aren’t about football. Those of us old enough will remember how their ‘61 Double team broke up very quickly, reportedly because of, amongst other things, extra-marital shaggery.

Google ’Vertonghen’ ’Erickson’ and ’wife’.

You are probably correct that I was mixing up the stories but it was unclear from your post to what you were referring of the many indiscretions by your PM. However I will stay on my high horse because your comments on women are inappropriate. In fact having looked at the story on Arcuri both of them appear to have questions to answer. Is there any need to describe people as you did. The internet does not give you a libel free zone.

You really need to lighten up.

It looks to be coming apart doesn’t it. Also throw into the mix all their contract rebels.

Those Gnabry finishes were sensational so composed. No burger stands wiped out

I’m sure you remember the swap deal with us getting Jimmy Robertson and Tottenham getting David Jenkins. Robertson was better than Jenkins so in football terms, we got the best of the deal. But I was told many years ago that Bill Nicholson approved the deal because he wanted Robertson out the club. The reason was that Jimmy was having an affair with a team mate’s wife. History repeating itself, maybe?

As an aside, of the players who have played for both North London clubs, only two have scored for Arsenal against Tottenham and for Tottenham against Arsenal. Adebayor is the more recent one who everyone remembers. But Jimmy Robertson was the other. I recall Willie Young and David Bentley scoring for Tottenham against Arsenal, but neither of them scored for us against Tottenham.

They made a decent run at the title by staying in the hunt for a while last season and I think peaked as a team. 3rd and a CL final is a great season. It's not going to get any better I think for them and with the new stadium and not being able to spend, while having their best players transfer targets for other clubs, its not going to be easy for them to remain as competitive as they have been.

Oh well then...

https://www.sickchirpse.com/reports-cla ... sens-wife/

I agree with this. I was very critical after the Villa game, and there are many things we need to improve, but the way Emery is being talked about as some sort of clueless figure who doesn’t get a single decision right just comes off as knee-jerk to me.

A good example is some criticism I saw against him because Tierney wasn’t involved in the squad going to Old Trafford. We have a whole medical staff and team full of coaches who I’m sure are doing a thorough job to determine whether a player coming back from a long term injury should be involved in a match, and I don’t see how fans can have any clue about whether that player is ready or not.

Another example is how Özil is now seen as someone who must start. A player that a big portion of the fanbase didn’t want to see anywhere near the team the last 1-2 years.

I'm not sure it is any kind of knee-jerk reaction, though, Bernard.

I began to have serious reservations about Emery months ago, mainly due to his team selections, negative tactics, the general way we approached games and the lack of any real style or identity to our play. The dismal run at the end of last season given a relatively friendly fixture list just compounded those earlier reservations. Obviously the players were very much to blame as well but I think the buck stops with the manager when you fail so miserably in those circumstances.

We had what looks like a good summer window, with some promising purchases and a clear-out of some dead-wood so I don't believe there are any excuses this season. I can't honestly say I have been impressed with what I've witnessed so far, once again poor team selections, systems and tactics have not helped matters. Without Aubameyang, how many points would we have?

I do not enjoy watching us, the way we play is negative, boring and predictable. You say we have improved but our defence is as bad, if not worse, than under Wenger and that is the one key area everyone expected Emery to address.

On the plus side he has given opportunities to Guendouzi, Willock, Saka and Nelson so I think he is not afraid to give youth a chance. However, I am just not sure he is suited to a big club where a certain style is expected along with results. He seems more concerned with negating the threats of opponents than in imposing our own game on the opposition. The polar opposite of Wenger in some respects.

I am not sure the players fully understand the game-plans and instructions he gives them either, given the lack of cohesion and structure in our play.

I hope I am wrong and he turns out to be a great Arsenal manager, I am just not convinced by what I have seen so far.

Thank you for your feedback. I will be sure to take into account in the future. At the moment I am just filing it in an appropriate place.

No worries

I can give some advice on where you should file it if it helps

Thanks for the generous offer but I know you are pretty busy with your volunteering at the local women’s shelter, so please don’t put yourself out.

To confirm, Since the start of the year nealry every Emery managed Arsenal stat is worse than Wengers final year. Less shots on goal, less goals and In defence, way more shots on goal and more goals conceeded. I'm not sure how that can be spun any other way. And to Hazukis point who on Earth thinks Özil should start!?.

Thoughts on the Europa League line up.
Martinez, AMN, Mustafi, Holding, Tierney, Torreira, Willock, Özil, Pépé, Nelson, Martinelli
I'd start Pépé to try to boost his confidence.
I'd also be tempted to give Bellerin 45 mins.

Some articles are saying Tierney and Bellerin possibly starting. We'll see.

For all you miserable, Emery out, folks. You Exits (get it? haha...I'll get me coat), its more than likely, Chelsea and Man Utd will be looking for managers before we will. Possibly Real Madrid as well if recent results are anything to go by. This will further reduce the number of candidates out there.
Speaking of which, and of course this is blasphemy, would Poch be a good fit for us? Imagine?! As a side note, what was the feeling like when Graham managed them?

Everbody loved it...especially Spurs fans.

My take on the Emery situation is basically that I have serious doubts about if he is the right guy for us now buts it’s very hard to make an argument that he shouldn’t be allowed till the end of the season to prove himself.

Let’s be honest if we had been offered 4th place after our run of games before the season we would have took it. What are people expecting ?

The whole problem though is there is little evidence of any form. Our play is slightly improved from Wengers final year but he hasn’t been able to find a logical midfield despite having many options and our defence is just as bad. Our strikers are saving our bacon every week with their impressive performances and he seems to adopt some very negative starting line ups for bigger games. It just doesn’t feel too great

No matter what anybody says I assure you that if we get top 4 Emery WONT be fired and I believe we are getting top 4 this year.

Liverpool have been fined £100k for fielding an ineligible player in the league cup. Not kicked out so we’ll play them at Anfield in the next round. We should play the younger players and tell them to attack them with no fear.

I read an article today wondering if Emery will go back to the back 3 at some point this season. I’m not a fan when he does it with passive wing backs and 3 holding mids but on paper it suits a lot of things.
Most of our CB are more comfortable in a back 3
Particularly Luiz who can be a deep playmaker - we haven’t had a player of his passing ability on defence for a while
Bellerin and Tierney could be fantastic wing backs with the ability to get up and down all day and 5-8 assists each a season
Still maintain a midfield 3 which can have flexibility with a No.10
Our strikers play as a pair rather than someone having to go wide - effectively getting our best players in the most dangerous areas

The downside is I’m not convinced the players know the system well enough and switching between them won’t help the organisation.....and it probably means 1 of Lacazette, Aubameyang, Pépé sitting out unless we went with a 3-4-3 formation which may be a bit light in the centre of the park

Saw that clueless article.

That formation doesn’t suit us at all and any team of having aspirations of winning the premier league shouldn’t play 3 centre backs.... especially if you don’t have much of a midfield backbone

Anyone watching Inter's passing from the back? Incredible so far

How do you manage to get booked after being substituted out?
Ask Sanchez.

There are artivles about the reduction of goals from Messi (and Ronaldo) and it appears to be lazy journalism. Its obvious his role 8s largepy playmaker/provider/quarterback. He creates so many goals around him. Also it saves his legs from having to do less running if he had led the line.

That personality is apparent on the pitch. He plays beyond his years. Tough kid.

worst transfers in EPL history. Oh, the memories. Arsenal has a couple on there. Can you guess without looking. Frankly, I think we should have had 4 or 5 on there.

https://www.stadiumtalk.com/s/worst-tra ... X0nqfgPLHQ

I can't stand him as a person but Suarez has moments of brilliance that is mind boggling.

Don’t know if people have seen Salzburg’s first goal but the worlds greatest CB absolutely taken apart. Maybe should look at the player who did it to see if he would be a good investment.

On top of losing Gnabry we also have Reine-Adelaide just signing for Lyon for €25m and Donyell Malen rearing things up for PSV and being touted as a £50m player.

It is too easy, and wrong, to say Arsenal could have got that money for those players. These guys dropped down a level, played regularly and then moved back up for big money.......but the absolutely dreadful thing for Arsenal is not having some kind of buy-back or sell-on clause. Even if we had 25% then you’d be making some decent money from these kids when they get their big move.

One of the problems I thought was that Wenger did not promote many players from the youth scheme towards the end of his rein. iwobi but Holding wasn’t really a youth player. So any young player did not see a much of a chance of getting many apppearances so they were more than happy to move

There are things about Emery I don’t like but his giving youth a chance is one of his great strengths and hopefully some of our talented young players might see a way forward and so resist the urge to move. I hope so.

It’s been one of the highlights of the season for me. To be honest, when I saw the team sheet against United I thought Emery wasn’t doing Saka any favours by chucking him in at the deep end like that, but Saka showed he’s more than ready for it. Looking forward to tonight’s game as if it was a real league game, even though it’s probably going to be a routine win against a small club. Will be really fun to see some of the young players have a go again.

Hi Hodd,

Thanks for making the enquiry, I appreciate the insight.

Sounds very promising. He's looked pretty tenacious in the games I've seen him play so far. He reminds me a little bit of Gianluca Vialli.

Not sure why he can't train with the seniors and still play the occasional u23 game just for a bit of match practice though.

I have to say he is ahead of Pépé in my assessment.

I think Martinelli can play either role effectively.

https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2019/10/03/a ... in-traini/
Arsenal boss Unai Emery comments on Gabriel Martinelli in training

I wonder why that guy at Dortmund went after Aubameyang? What prompted it. Especially so long after the transfer.

Going to wake up in the middle of the night to catch our young, brave, energetic and driven younger players. Looking forward to a more positive team.

Another Anelka?

I am angry at myself for being optimistic for the match tonight. I am trying to temper my optimism. Because I know I am often disappointed when I am confident going into a game and this side can screw up anything.

In the end I want the 3 points, no injuries and players coming back from injury to play well.