Well you got that one right

Another oracle prediction .... given the board was probably two years late in sacking Wenger and five months late on sacking Emery I can see them twiddling their thumbs over Ljungberg ..... giving him six weeks at least to turn things around and by that time we will be in such a huge hole , confidence shot , not knowing where to turn and get relegated ,

Freddie in his post match interview doesn't exude the passion needed to turn things around .

Matches I've seen in the Championship they all seem 'dog eat dog' affairs of a combative nature all desperate to get on the Premier League 'gravy train .'

Given that we don't cope well with that type of contest against the current cellar dwellers

...... if we got relegated a quick return would be far from guaranteed .

Warrior ... what happened to post where I provided that link for John .... ? I wanted to re- use it .

Real lack of leaders and communicators all over the pitch. There was a definite need to clear players out but by losing Čech, Monreal, Ramsey, Koscielny, even Lichsteiner and Welbeck - we lost almost all the leadership we had.
It is difficult for a new player to come in and immediately assume the role of the leader or captain, only very special players can do that. Usually those leaders are grown from within. I'm not sure who we have who is even future captain material

Marcelino is currently in London after catching a flight from the British Airways on the morning. He may become the new Arsenal coach, with Everton also being interested in hiring him. (via @superdeporte_es)

I mean seriously we are about to make another Spaniard who can’t speak English our manager. Defies belief

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football ... s-21053969

Hmm....I hope we aren't going to be like Newcastle, Palace, West Ham and others have musical chairs managers and end up with more managers on average per season than we have seasons.

https://www.football.london/arsenal-fc/ ... t-17385157

Is that your only criteria. When I worked in England in the 80’s a Geordie used to come to the bar & I couldn’t understand a word he said. I think you can add Geordies & even some Scots to your list if that is the selection criteria.

I've gone off Vieira as an option after reading the below which seems to indicate Nice play 'death by passing' with the exact same issues that Arsenal currently have.

https://www.footballcritic.com/features ... senals/270

Leicester currently outperforming their expected goals for and expected goals against better than anyone in the league, by some distance. You’d think they can’t keep it up but they kept it going for the title season.
XG is a really good stat, when Man U went on that great run when Ole took over the xG showed that the wins were lucky and masking a bigger problem. Also when Emery went on the 22 game unbeaten run we had something like a 25% shot to goal percentage- totally unsustainable

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.