Yes it’s paramount that the coach can articulate his ideas and strategy to the players. Clearly Emery struggled in this area and we need strength and stability.

Also his record is pretty uninspiring as well to be honest

PM sent

It would be a pretty uninspiring appointment

I think I would prefer Eddie Howe, Paddy or anyone to this guy. If this happens it’s clear who is running the show and I would be concerned that if we had a bad run of results the fans would turn on him even quicker than Emery. Really hope this is not true

Freddie must be brave to pick the more driven youngsters to wear the shirt. Drop those who play with little conviction. IMO, those to be dropped are Luiz, Xhaka, Aubameyang, and Özil. Aubameyang is showing less and less commitment to the team.

He’s the only player who has done anything this season

Not his fault he keeps getting played wide. We’d be totally up a creek without a paddle without him.

Understood .. thanks Big Guy

We've got shite CBs so one thing that might help is to stop our fullbacks playing like auxiliary wingers and bombing forward all the time leaving us totally exposed when the play breaks down and they are stranded high up the pitch as teams counter.

Dixon and Winterburn were decent going forward and could supplement attacks when needed but their first objective was to defend.

For the time being let's get back to the days when the fullbacks rarely crossed the halfway line, play with two wingers and let them get on with the task of creating things.

I agree G7 but it wont happen .... if Ljungberg perserveres with Özil it'll show he hasn't got a clue .

On a positive note if we do get relegated , think of all the clubs we can get re - aquainted with West Brom . Preston , Leeds , Nottingham Forest , QPR , Derby .

I mean ... when 's the last time we played Luton .... have they still got that plastic pitch ?

Fans can have nice punch up with Millwall supporters . Plenty to savour .

What about this guy as a backup GK ?

https://imgur.com/gallery/19WRyGf

The key is getting the attacking wide men so the full backs aren’t tasked with being the only ones supplying the width

I want us to go back to a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1. Flat back 4 who defend first and foremost, a solid midfield 3 who provide a stable base to defend and attack from, 2 proper wide men who can dribble and beat a man and take shots and Aubameyang up front

Amen to that brother.

He’s way too slow to play in a wide position dude.

Of late, he appears to be less committed. Can't blame him when he has Özil trying to find a pass, and taking forever. And I like him, just felt his heart is no longer in it for Arsenal.

Agree ........

Leno
Bellerin Sok Holding Tierney
Torreira Guendozi
Pépé Willock Saka
Aubameyang

I've said this ad nauseum I know but its still factual. People act as if Wenger could do whatever he wanted. Wenger could only do what Kroenke allowed and Kroenke allowed Wenger to have the run of the house. Until he didn't want him around any longer.

The man at the top is the one in charge and gets the blame or the credit for our fortunes. We are f*cked as a club overall because we have an absentee owner who invested in us with the same mindset one buys shares off the exchange.

Maybe it's possible, but I don't see how a club can be a winning club with such an owner. I've yet to see it but maybe there is anecdotal evidence out there. Even the Glaziers realized you need to do two things, first get the right football people in your organization who know what they are doing and two, spend.

One could debate personnel (playing all of Rierney, Pépé, Willock and Saka feels a bit raw maybe ...)

But I'd definitely agree with the formation and with the absence of Xhaka and Özil from your lineup.

It hardly seems like rocket science, does it?

I'm still hopeful that Freddie can get some good results. But the clock is ticking.

Playing Aubameyang wide in order to accommodate Lacazette is not optimal. But rather play one with two natural wide players and bring the other on as a sub-- either to reinforce or replace.

I'm almost looking forward to it!

Playing 4-4-2 with the central midfielders we have would be madness. A midfield two is virtually impossible these days. You'd need a Vieira for that.

NO , NO , NO , NO ...... this isn't the time for any experimentation , square pegs in round holes .

Without bigging it up too much this is one of the most pivotal matches in our history . What result we get in a couple of hours has a huge bearing on the rest of the season .

Man City smarting from their recent defeat are next up . They wont want to fall any further behind Liverpool so there is no way in the world will we beat them...... then it's a rejuventated Everton away

Looking at the table there is a gaggle of teams ready to pass us or draw level .

Only Watford and Norwich are adrift . Xmas Day in the bottom three could easily be on the cards .


I'd go similar to Soc . Leno ... Back four ' stay at home ' .... Xhaka , Torriera cemented in front of them .... long balls to Martinelli , Aubameyang , Pépé .......plus either Willock or Saka .

Five dead and another eight missing .... " what are you guys going to do today .... ? I know let's have a wander around an active volcano ...Brilliant idea "

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/arti ... d=12292240

If the alternative is the city game this weekend id be tempted to opt for the volcano. You eventually pass out as your flesh burns anyway

True .... the City game will be death by a thousand cuts .... very painful

I live in a volcanic area ......

I'd say the tourists didn't have the discomfit of burns ; more likely they succumbed to sulphur dioxide , hydrogen sulphide , hydrogen chloride gases .
Maybe falling rocks

Seeing a pregame interview with Torreira and he needed an interpreter. Not that I'm expecting him to speak the Queen's english but just a little surprised.

Well done Freddie apart from Xhaka that’s pretty close to the side I’d pick.

That's in days gone by when we beat them year in and year out .
Just Bergkamp . Pires , Henry , Campbell getting off the bus , scared them sh*tless .

... How the mighty have fallen

We are an arthritic old lion , a couple of canines missing , with his arse backed up to a thorn bush surrounded by a pack of hyenas .

if I was betting the house on it I guess I'd go for a 1 - 0 win to us .

I think for the first time this season the team line up really makes sense. Be interested how they get on.

Far more balanced. Our best full backs in the team. CB being picked as probably the most accomplished natural defenders in the squad (hope they don’t have to face too much pace)
Can even understand Xhaka for his passing though we will miss Guendouzi’s energy.
2 proper wide men who have pace can dribble, create and score.
Özil away from home still worries me
Dropping Lacazette away is probably the right call.

No place to hide now

I like the team today.

It's youthful and pacy and energetic.

No idea if it will work but I like what Freddie's done today and if it goes pear-shaped, which it could, I won't be blaming him at all.

I think its the sort of team most Arsenal fans would like to see.

Personally, I wouldn't have gone for Xhaka and Özil but there are not too many options, bar the kids.

Hoping and expecting Aubameyang to play as striker. Good to see Martinelli getting his chance.

Looking forward to the game for a change.

Bellerin injured in the warm up AMN replaces him

Raw or Fresh, at least a change from the Stale

Özil makes Bambi look aggressive

A tactic I've rarely, if ever, seen employed in football but I have seen it as a strategy in basketball is a quick throw in catching the opposition either unawares, unfocused or disorganized.

Never really understand why I've never recalled seeing it.

You mean like this ?

https://youtu.be/gCWjioIR5MM

Low key start to the game, unsurprisingly with both teams on bad runs of form. Delighted to see Luiz benched, he's been absolute shite since he arrived, and Martinelli teaming up with Tierney on the left.

And now Tierney going off injured

Freddie to Özil "move the ball faster"

In your haste to give him a kick in the nuts .... he does mention THROW IN


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyQZHGhjBoE

Kolasinac who wasn’t even in the match day squad is now on the pitch due to bellerin’s injury in the warm up and now Tierney off injured.

When your luck is out it really is out