Henry was exceptional in that he added to his game from season to season. We'll only see if Pépé has anything like the intelligence and mentality of a Henry if he is given consistent gametime, and has the chance to figure out how he needs to play in this league. Henry himself needed a while to adjust. Being in and out of the side is not what Pépé needs.

I'm still puzzled by the reluctance (seemingly) of all three of our managers to start him. I wonder if he comes across as lackadaisical in training or something like that? I understand the need for discipline but we do need to accommodate different kinds of characters provided they are not disruptive and deliver on the field of play.

Thanks so much for making it a great place for us to seamlessly interact ... appreciate it

Kudos Mikel, for changing the formation when it was needed

Come on gooner7, it's the least you'd expect from a man on such a massive salary.

Far more important than the tactics and such is the change in belief going on. Emery's tactics worked in Sevilla and brought him a lot of success and it could have worked with us. The simple fact of the matter is some of the players, too many probably, just didn't get along with him. Not saying its his fault, he inherited a team with no belief. One could argue the manager's at fault for any persistent lack of team belief.

No matter what. and didn't matter what the tactics we employed, if the squad as a whole lacks belief, we aren't going to be successful simple as that. I think Mikel coming in from a highly successful club gets automatic respect. Pep respects him highly so the players will from the onset.

Came home from my early morning walk and turned on tv and it is Man U 0 Man C 3 in the league cup. Yep I still hate Utd and their snide players like James. Put them to the sword.

Well, out of Lamps, Emery and OGS, I didn't think Emery was going to be the first to go but that's how it turned out. Lampard is the most secure. I can't see OGS keeping his job. They'll change managers in the summer is my guess. If he can't hold down a Europa spot he may go before the season ends.

City continue their dominance. It's pretty much the only thing I like about City with money. They get to stick it to Man Utd.

It's not like we sold Patrick Vieira in his prime ...... I can remember some pretty ordinary performances from Aaron .

Doesn't look like he's up to much at Juventus either.

Yes so can I but contrast that to Monday when Granit Xhaka runs 30 yards forward with the ball at his feet before slipping over and our fans think he had a great game. Our standards have slipped so far

Guendouzi One paced, doesn’t create, doesn’t score, doesn’t cycle possession, can’t defend but can provide a bit of energy. He gets a pass because of his age but these guys make Ramsey look like Pele.

Hey kiwi,

Think yourself lucky that you don't have any brain cells to be effected by flouride then

Morning granty,

I saw Ramsey play for Wales u21 v England U21's when he was 17 and he was the best player on the park by a mile. I thought then that his potential was amazing and he would possibly be the next great PL midfielder, following the likes of Keane, Vieira and Gerrard.

Sadly, that leg break and other subsequent injuries have hindered his progress somewhat. He's still a very good player just not the player I think he might have become had injuries been kinder to him.

You could probably say the same of Diaby, what might he have been but for a virtual career-ending injury.

The Alan Alan celebration today in 1980.

Came across this on youtube. Probably already seen by a few of you but not everyone.

Palace away is a good road test for us. They are in transition so may have tactical issues. A road win is a nice confidence booster but being a derby, a draw may be all we get from it. I don't want to but I'm expecting a win. I want to manage my expectations.

We have some very winnable games coming up sans Chelsea away. I'm expecting us to go up the table. I also wonder what the rest of the league, especially the top 6 thinks of us now? The first half of Chelsea and the Man Utd game has to have raised some eyebrows. My guess is they are casting a wary eye and waiting what happens over the course of the season to see if we are real or not. My guess is they think its early days. The new manager bump and then we resort to type.

Good interview with Alan Smith mainly about his career

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LB6xiUwuE1U&t=2232s

Will take a look. He's been discussed on here from time to time.

Interesting Alan Smith interview. Had no idea he played his last game for Leicester City against us knowing he was being sold to us. The manager shouldn't have played him. Put him in an awkward position.

Some interesting things such as he's only taken 2 PKs.

They mentioned the '88 league cup final. How did we lost to Luton? Were they that good or we had a bad day? They mentioned Amy Lawrence's book. I haven't thought of her in a while. Gotta be on the look out for it. Didn't know she wrote more than Arsenal books until I looked her up.

I felt a need to look at his highlights. Thanks for the link.

Yes but you'd have to admit you do have a fixation with Xhaka and Guendozi ...... apart from his tendency to give away stupid needless fouls I though Granit had a reasonable game .

.... and the other point is ; however bad our current two are it doesn't make Ramsay any better .

except Mr Maxi Brain Cells ...... Aaron had an absolutely stellar European Championship in 2016 ; which was after all these life threatening injuries you document ,

came back to Arsenal and played bloody awful .

He could misplace passes on a Holding level .

Well yes he is. He is better that’s the whole point

I’m not fixated on them but believe the lack of quality in the middle of the park is our biggest problem right now. Even more of a priority than our rickety defence. What makes you say Xhaka had a decent game ? Did he score ? Create a chance ? Launch a few defence splitting balls. Or did he just foul a few people, do a few sideways passes and slow clap when his team mates were subbed. Again

So far both players have contributed a grand total of zero goals and 2 assists this season despite Emery preferring them both to Torreira for many matches.

They are a major reason we are mid table and the midfield just hasn’t functioned all season.

I suspect Top Gun is often driven by his personal likes and dislikes of a player. He’s long had a dislike of Xhaka who, you’re right, had a reasonable game against Leeds with a poor first half like everyone else followed by a very strong second half. It was noticeable he didn’t like the praise for Xhaka, coming on to try and deny the quality of his second half.

In response to a post by me he was also eager to pretend Arteta doesn’t genuinely rate Xhaka when his comments, which I provided a link to, suggests like all his other managers that he really does. It won’t shock me if Arteta tries to persuade Xhaka to stay. If he leaves next summer I suspect it’ll be Xhaka’s decision, not Arteta’s.

Sadly Top Gun now seems to have taken a dislike to Guendouzi as well. I accept he’s had a difficult run of form lately, but I think the bloke has enormous potential. His second half display against Leeds saw a return to his form earlier this season.

Ramsay is definetly better than our current two for sure ...but that doesn't make him a better player in himself and I didn't see him as a major loss , the lunacy was not getting a fee for him.

I agree whole heartedly about the midfield this is where games are won and lost and since Wenger went away from his size counts policy and started buying midgets we have suffered and will continue to suffer .

Xhaka sprayed a few decent passes to set Kolasinac on his way , showed decent determination ; I wouldn't see him as key to future success but then I also think there is a better player in there .

Mikel seems to be making a decent attempt at manufacturing silk purses from a few sow's ears
........ so who knows

I haven’t taken a dislike to Guendo he’s just raw and not ready to play week in week out. He does have enormous potential but right now isn’t good enough

Guendo needs serious coaching on basics, body shape when receiving ball, positioning when we lose ball and more. He takes too many touches and dawdles on the ball.

He is a good prospect but just massively over hyped unfortunately

I mostly accept what you say there. But as you think Guendouzi “does have enormous potential”, which I fully agree with, I really don’t think he’s being over hyped.

He’s not the finished article, far from it. But I think some of the criticism he’s been getting is way over the top.

Jury’s our for me. Pépé for example, as slow as his integration has been, I’ve got little doubt he’ll make it as a very good player for Arsenal. If that happens for Guendouzi, and I’m not convinced it will, its some years off. The reason I’m comparing the two is Guendouzi has played far more so is open to this evaluation as he’s been virtual first choice for a season and a half. And perhaps that’s the rub, he’s under a lot of scrutiny as he’s been over relied on when he should just be developing.

I'm not sure how well placed Ornstein is with regards to legit inside info but it's January so the rumors will fly. I'd like to see us get some loaned players if we can't buy. Loaned for positions we need to fill to get us through the rest of the season. Speaking of loans, what's happened with Ceballos' injury? I like him a lot. Hoping he may even be permanent. I think he may excel in an Arteta set up. We are beating Man Utd without Bellerin and Teirney as well as Ceballos.

http://www.redlondon.net/david-ornstein ... r-january/

Yep those loans have worked pretty well for us. I hope Denis Suarez or Kim Kallstrom are available. When Wellbeck came to us Wenger only wanted to get him on a loan - try before you buy deal. He was pretty injury free as well. That’s why I am concerned by the Bayern offer.

As an organisation we have a history of not doing our homework first.

I agree with Top Gun about Guendozi. He came on with a lot of promise. But his end product has been too few. He needs to be coached to use his energy in a more productive way. Move forward more, instead of just moving. And to be less argumentative. It is good to see a desire to get the decisions, but he overdoes

I'm going to put it down to the manager. The level of play has been either stagnant or devolved so its not unexpected that players do the same. He is at an age where he needs proper coaching and tactics. It seems like he's not too far from being told to go out there and play. He's 'only' 20. He is far, far from the finished product and this is a very sensitive time in his development.

He came out of Lorient. They didn't have the time and resources to give him the proper development a club like Arsenal can. As much as I liked Emery, its obvious Guendouzi doesn't quite know exactly what his role is. Some things are instinctual but a lot of it is proper coaching. Some people have that instinct for the position. Vieira did but that's not the norm.

Let's see what Arteta and the staff can do with him in the next year or so. Then make a final determination on his level.

I would like to see him moved further up field as I think he can run at defences with a great deal of effect. At the moment he is trying to cover some of Xhaka deficiencies. Why is Xhaka not the receiver of balls from the keeper. If he is such a good passer then get it going immediately. A very unkind person might think it is to avoid responsibility. Or maybe his speed of thought is too slow. But that is being unkind I suppose. Despite what others say, I have now watched the whole match and Xhaka & Luiz were terrible first half against Leeds. Yep they actually put in an effort second half but we’re hardly special.

But for the big majority of that season and a half Guendouzi has been excellent. The same stages of each season as it happens, the earlier bits before an arguably unsurprising (considering his age) drop in form. There’s far more reason to have doubts about Willock and Saka if you expect so much of youngsters. Both talented but have experienced big drops in form after bright starts. Indeed, I would say less impressive starts and in Willock’s case, worse drops in form.

Guendouzi is still only 20, he's been thrust in to a disfunctional and failing team and has had some good and some poor performances - many of his more exeperienced team mates have had worse seasons and have shown less desire and attitude than him.
Many of Guendouzi's problems at the moment can be fixed on the training pitch, and Arteta seems like a coach who will do that. Guendouzi's energy can make his positional sense a bit ragged.
I'd like more end product in terms of goals and assists but it is rare for CM at his age to have that. Fabregas had very little output at a young age but flourished later - now Fabregas was a once in a generation talent, I'm not putting Guendouzi up there but the comparison on output v age stands.
The reality is Guendouzi shouldn't HAVE to be first choice, he should be shielded more and be allowed time to develop his game. He is one to stick by and help. My biggest concern with him is pace, if you don;'t have pace you need to be an absolutely exceptional reader of the game, perfect positionally and never be caught out. He will have to learn these things because I doubt he can make himself faster physically

The pass I hate is that straight vertical pass from a CB in to a CM feet as he's running towards his own goal usually with an opponent right behind him. It is asking for trouble and requires our CM to be alert, quick, strong, perfect first touch - and unless he can perform some kind of Pepe-esque turn (very risky in that area of the pitch) the only pass he has is back to the CB.
I remember Vieira being able to take these passes in his sleep, he'd almost let the opponent close him tight because he was so strong and long limbed they were never getting anywhere near the ball, he could then easily roll them to set us up going forwards. No-one in our team is capable of that - not many in the entire league are capable of that. I wish we'd stop making those passes, we were caught against Leeds so many times

Ceballos was on the bench for the Leeds game

I think one of the big problems with young players is they get shifted about the team in different positions.

Willock seems good technically but when he plays rambles all over the pitch. Does he know what his role is and how to behave ?

Saka looks good on the left flank? Certainly. what happens ? he is shoe horned into left back after an injury occurs.

Maitland Niles has an outstanding game at old Trafford but oh look Hector’s done his cruciate, Ashley get in that full back position.

It must be tough for them. It seems to help when young players are blooded from a position of strength

I’m not much of a fan of the monarchy whilst not being againest it but goodness me that couple doesn’t deserve the grief they get.

It’s quite bizarre the way the media go after them and quite seemingly want to hurt a young couple trying to start their life. No wonder they want out.

That said Prince Harry is undoing all the great work Prince Andrew has been doing recently.

We are an oddball country these days, everything is all over the place.

Mate don't knock Prince Andrew.

Apparently he's quite the athlete who has competed in a number of marathons and places quite well.

He usually ends up coming in the teens.

It’s a huge relief that he’s now taken time away from his royal duties to spend more time with the daughters. Just a shame their not his own.

Not sure about that.

Theres something distinctly British about this and the other messes we create for ourselves