Playing wingers on the wing and telling them to track back and double up with their full back would be a start. Özil and Aubameyang are not those players.

I find it staggering that in 10 years not a single person at Arsenal has made it a pre-requisite of wearing the shirt and representing the team to work hard. Theseplayers and those before them have been getting away with it for years

If your starting those 2 wide it’s a given your full backs are in for a tough time full stop. You better have a couple of Ashley Cole’s for full backs because your going to be exposed time and time again and unless they are superhuman you won’t deal with it.

Aubameyang wide ? Our most dangerous player is moved out of centre and put wide in a less effective role. Lacazette has sulked all season anyway so drop him.

Defence, as I’ve said all season our best defence is Bellerin
, Sokratis, Holding/chambers and Tierney. ... Luiz and Mustafi are both clowns who should be only played in cup games. Sokratis has suffered playing alongside Luiz being ask to compensate for someone who isn’t defensively minded and trying to adopt Emery ridiculous passing out tactics.

Front 3... Pépé, Aubameyang, Martinelli with a mandate for the 2 youngsters to provide cover if we are defending.


Midfield.....Torreira, Guendouzi and Ceballos as a number 10 with more coaching and direction so he provide more insertion.


January window, manager looks to bring in 1 or 2 midfielders who have the passing ability to open up defences. (Signing decent defenders will be too expensive)

Mustafi, Xhaka, Özil and Kolasinac are essentially squad players due to the deficiencies in their games right now.

That’s what’s required ASAP.

I hope you don't mind old chap, but what is your source for 1 & 3?

3 is factual

1 The arsenal supporters Trust

If we don't make the Europa league next year I think we might have a mass exodus of players wanting to leave the club:
Torreira - wants to leave even now
Aub- will want out
Lacazette - will want out
Leno - will want out when Bayern call him
Bellerin - may stay
Guendouzi - if he is not played may not want to stay
Pépé - ?'
Xhaka - probably want out but the money may hold him - not sure if that is good or bad

If 3 is true then that is very bad. I know Emery wanted some other CB. I don't actually think Emery had much say in who came in during the transfer window.

Torreira - a shame as he had talent and we haven’t really used him right
Aub- Accept the fact he’s gone. No talent would put up with this *%^@
Lacazette - will want out but I don’t really care, he’s sulked all year not signed a new contract and if you look at his record he’s actually a bit of a flat track bully.
Leno - would be gutting to lose him but he has a contract to 2023 so we could ask for big money
Bellerin - may stay but he looks half the player he was right now
Guendouzi - I think people are way over rating him. His speed of thought and passing are not there yet for a centre mid. He’s not signed a new contract yet either so has a high opinion of himself. Has promise but I wouldn’t cry if we sold him for decent wedge

Pépé? I think he’s a talent it would be a shame to lose him. Just needs some coaching

Xhaka - a *%^@*** termite, a snivelling little maggot of a player who should be gracing the championship. Also factually the worst arsenal signing of all time given his price. Who would be upset if he went

What do you mean, 'If 3 is true'? TG gave you the answer as a cold, hard, verifiable truth-bomb. What part of 'is factual' don't you understand, Gaz?

Its his MO.
He takes a "position" and if he is wrong that is the last we hear of it. If Emery had miraculously turned things round we would now be subjected to his crowing and preening.

Well we're about to find out Rich, because make no mistake that's what we're in. I hope and pray there are 3 worse teams in this division than us, because we are bang in trouble.

I have no idea where we go from here, we are a mess.

I thought the players were better than the performances they have been giving, but maybe they just aren't. Maybe they are just sub-standard and no amount of coaching can turn a sows ear into a silk purse.

I have seen nothing from Freddie to make me think he's some kind of managerial genius in the making. He has inherited a right mess, make no mistake, and with little or no time on the training pitch at this time of year it is is very hard to implement one's ideas but his team selections and substitutions have hardly looked the decisions of an enlightened coach.

You cannot play Aubameyang out wide, it's a waste, nor can you indulge Özil who seems now to be way past his best physically and mentally.

Kola played quite well last night in terms of going forward but essentially he is a left back who can't defend and we cannot afford that so Tierney has to come in at LB.

Dumb and dumber in the centre of defence are what they are, although it has to be said they receive no protection whatsoever. It seems we have to try something different there too. Chambers and Holding is at least worth a go as it is hard to see how they can actually do any worse.

Pépé has to start because he's one of the few players we have who can take his man on and inject some pace and quality into our static attacks. He's not in great form and his decision-making is questionable but beggars cannot be choosers.

Maybe give Martinelli a go out wide, though I am not convinced it's his best position because he seems to make the runs of a natural goalscorer. However, his energy levels are impressive.

Bellerin seems to have lost a yard of pace (perhaps understandably having had such a complex long-term injury) and when that is your biggest attribute it clearly doesn't help. He was never great defensively or even with his final balls but his pace enabled him to burst forward and to get back quickly. Now he looks a shadow of that player.

I can't argue with that. However, I think it is reasonable to give Ljungberg a few more games. If we are still in freefall at Xmas then we'll have to rethink.

One of many worrying aspects about our current state is that there doesn't seem to be the 'New Manager Bounce' you often see when someone new takes over. Nobody has seemed particularly enervated or prepared to run through brick walls for Freddie in his two games so far.

That doesn't bode well.

Bang average players who aren't as good as they think they are, who also can't be arsed to put the graft in. Not a good combo. Bottom 3 material.

I’d be shocked if there’s not a new man in place by Christmas.

The board must be absolutely bricking it. We can plumb any depths currently the worst is yet to come and A 200 million wage bill in the championship is a calculation that won’t work.

They will pay the money to get the right person.

Absolutely dreading taking the kids to the city game. We will get mullered. Part of the character building process for them I guess.

When we were rubbish in the mid 70s and 90s at least there were players in the team that you knew cared. I don't see a Pat Rice or Tony Adams amongst this current shower of *%^@.

Totally agree with you. And if I could just add most are grossly overpaid as well. This means they are also unsellable as no one would waste money on substandard overpaid wasters.

"Truth bomb".

They also know he's not going to be interim manager for too long and therefore they feel they can coast while waiting for the new one.

At my work the big cheese just resigned and everyone is holding their breath waiting for the new guy to take over in the new year. They're still working but certainly not busting a hump because the uncertainty is creating anxiety about jobs. While.im sure having a squllion dollars tucked away makes a different it is still change and some people take a while to adapt. Since 3 of the players that keep getting selected are buttercups, I have no delusions that they'd be infecting the team. Inject some new blood and enthusiasm now.

I still think the best front three are Lacazette, Aubameyang, Pépé.

Anyone but Özil behind that (I actually prefer Maitland Niles who must have learnt something about defending by now) and then Torreira and Guendouzi.

Drop *%^@*** Luiz, drop *%^@*** Özil and drop *%^@*** Xhaka. They are too lazy, too slow and too *%^@*** stupid. You pick the description that matches each player.

It’s not Rogers then ! Allegri ? Said he wouldn’t join a club mid season though.

Ummmn Ancelotti or Benitez. Kenny Dalgleish as player manager

It's applying a sticking plaster to a much bigger wound but surely it is worth giving Chambers and Holding a go together in central defence. They seem to have a very good relationship off the pitch so hopefully might be able to build a decent partnership on it.

It can't be any worse than any combination of Luiz/Mustafi/Sokratis - Dumb, dumber, and really *%^@*** stupid.

Agreed Tom
Could Holding and Chambers be any worse than the current shitshow.
I hate the way that Luiz just seems to be a nailed on starter no matter what.
Its him plus one.
Why cant he be dropped???
Neither him or Sokratis have been convincing.
What's happened to Mavrapanos as well.
Our club is severely in trouble. I really thought there would be a new manager bounce with Freddie but nothing.
There was just no energy or pace about yesterdays performance or in general. It was shocking.
Rodgers has just signed a new contract so wont be him.
We had to win yesterday to keep alive any slim hopes of top 4. That ship has now sailed.
Also hated the way Aubameyang treated Willock yesterday.
Berating him for that miss pass. Disgraceful behaviour from a captain to a young player.

Allegri has stated he wont be coming back mid season either.
So who are we going to turn to?????
With Aubameyang and Lacazette not looking like they will sign new contracts then they simply need to be sold in the summer.

3 draws, our next 3 points

For every team playing against us, first tactical play is very easy. Put their fastest midfielder where Xhaka is. And guaranteed to waltz past him and expect no response.

Not quite G7. Xhaka's preferred response is to pull them back and get booked.

We think we have problems.....the FAI jesus h christ!

I think Aubameyang's berating of Willock for a misplaced pass was extremely poor. It wasn't the worst idea in the world from Willock, a little pass inside the fullback, but Aubameyang stopped his run and made the pass look far worse than it actually was. It was more a than a misunderstanding than anything.

Rumours that Real Madrid want aubameyang and are prepared to offer 70milllion plus Jovic or Rodriguez.

Pretty decent fee for a 30 year old you can’t deny. Not sure we are in a position to sell our best player right now though. They can have mustafi, Xhaka or Luiz though

Rodgers has signed a long term contract with Leicester. Options narrowing.

What a basket case we are.

Get Pochettino in now, about the best option out there as things stand.

Will be interesting to see if we go panic buying in January given the situation we're in. The very least they should do is try and bring forward the Saliba deal, anything at the back will be better than we have at present.

Unfortunately I don't think that's the case Gaz ....

I see a ton of "passengers " content to pick up decent wages without busting a gut to turn things around .

Leno , Aubameyang , Lacazette and Pépé would probably go if offers came in

.......but the main culprits responsible for our predicament Mustafi , Sokratis , Luiz , Chambers , Kolasinac , Xhaka .... they aren't going anywhere

.........and who in their right mind would want them anyway .

I was in England in 1974 / 75 ....went to a fair few games when we flirted with relegation and I'd say we are in greater peril now .

It was a much more "level playing field " back then ...we lost games but were always in the contest '

We had Alan Ball an absolute titan in the leadership stakes . Talking the whole time , barking instructions , never shirked a challenge .

We don't have that now ..... we have a few quality individuals but no team , no leader , no tactics .

We are in the middle of the Atlantic sitting in a fast deflating rubber lifeboat ... with half a dozen Makos circling .

Ljungberg isn't the answer , simpering away post match , when full blown fire and brimstone is needed .

There is an " all too simple game plan " on how to play us and we haven't the personel or any idea how to combat it

I have zero expectations from us game to game. When we play a top 6 side, I'm not expecting a win. A draw, even at home, is a 'win' to me right now. I'm meloncholy about it. We've seen this happen to the biggest clubs.
"...and this too shall pass"

Agreed Aubameyang will have to be sold. But a nagging doubt remains. He is our one goalscorer and relegated teams tend to go down due to a lack of goals. At least we are still scoring. I don't think we can afford to sell him till we are safe

We also had the remains of the double team. Simpson, Kelly, Storey, Radford, Geordie, Rice as well as Rimmer and Kidd. Plus Alan Ball. Also a young Irish wizard was just starting to show us how good he was going to be.

True that

And then act surprised that it happened.

Thought that when I saw it live and still think Aubameyang was the person who f...ed it up.

Ok - grab it