GWT: PL Matchweek 5

Blender

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Dec 2, 2009
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I'm not saying you are. I'm referring to the people that all of a sudden talk **** when Arsenal have a bad result and then complain and act like victims when the thread subject is steered towards the discussion of the Arsenal squad.

Arsenal should close the game today but the players playing in defence today aren't capable of doing it. Hence when the injured players, which are better, come into the side then they have a better chance at closing the game.
The players out there today weren't capable of doing it the way Emery wanted, you mean. It's the managers job to adapt to the players he has available to him, and if that means setting up differently to protect a glaring weakness, that's what you have to do.
 

Live in the Now

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Dec 17, 2005
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First of all, why are we acting like an idiot such as Emery is guaranteed to play Holding and Luiz? Doesn't matter what he said.

Second of all, both Sokratis and Luiz are crap, so how much will it matter?
 

phisherman

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Apr 17, 2015
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The players out there today weren't capable of doing it the way Emery wanted, you mean. It's the managers job to adapt to the players he has available to him, and if that means setting up differently to protect a glaring weakness, that's what you have to do.

No because that's what were getting now and last season with all the tinkering and lack of vision. It's why they were playing a back 3 for stretches last season and why he plays with 4 central mids to try and cover up the weaknesses.

If the players available to him can't adapt to his play he has to not play those players. The problem is that there isn't much depth in the back line because of injuries.
 

phisherman

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Apr 17, 2015
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First of all, why are we acting like an idiot such as Emery is guaranteed to play Holding and Luiz?

Second of all, both Sokratis and Luiz are crap, so how much will it matter?

Because the Arsenal hierarchy will force him to and also Holding is rated as the future of the back line.

You think Emery actually has as much say in personnel? A lot of his favourite experienced players got sold/let go and the players he wanted were not bought. Arsenal are moving towards youth and will force him to integrate them. It's why Ljungberg was put into the first team coaching staff. To make sure Emery starts integrating the younger players.

And both those players you named are stop gaps. Like Emery.

The goal this season is top 4 and probably Europa. Emery only has a chance to stay beyond this season if he achieves both. I don't think he stays beyond this year.
 

Blender

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Dec 2, 2009
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No because that's what were getting now and last season with all the tinkering and lack of vision. It's why they were playing a back 3 for stretches last season and why he plays with 4 central mids to try and cover up the weaknesses.

If the players available to him can't adapt to his play he has to not play those players. The problem is that there isn't much depth in the back line because of injuries.
Why are you acting like it was only the back line that was a problem today as well? How many times did Doucoure and Cleverley tear through the midfield unimpeded? A dozen times at least. They were also barely defended when the ball was in the Arsenal end and had a bunch of cracks at the net from deep. Janmaat wasn't being defended coming out of the Watford end at all when he came on for the last 12+ minutes of the game. Deulofeu pretty much had free reign to attack the fullbacks despite that being an obvious mismatch. Yes the Arsenal back line was awful today, but they also completely lacked support and were regularly being isolated by multiple Watford players.
 
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phisherman

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Apr 17, 2015
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Why are you acting like it was only the back line that was a problem today as well? How many times did Doucoure and Cleverley tear through the midfield unimpeded? A dozen times at least. They were also barely defended when the ball was in the Arsenal end and had a bunch of cracks at the net from deep. Janmaat wasn't being defended coming out of the Watford end at all when he came on for the last 12+ minutes of the game. Deulofeu pretty much had free reign to attack the fullbacks despite that being an obvious mismatch. Yes the Arsenal back line was awful today, but they also completely lacked support and were regularly being isolated by multiple Watford players.

Because the two goals conceded were caused by two incompetent mistakes by the backline.

And what you're describing mostly is due to the disarray of the back line.
 

AB13

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Apr 29, 2019
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Because the two goals conceded were caused by two incompetent mistakes by the backline.

And what you're describing mostly is due to the disarray of the back line.

The lack of energy and creativity in midfield in the second half is the biggest reason we where dominated, not the defence. The goals where caused by defensive mistakes but we would have seen the game out if we controlled more of the possession higher up the pitch, or if we where organised without the ball. The lack of fluidity caused by Emerys incredibly structured and predictable build up lead to us not being able to create anything at all, and the lack of midfield organisation lead to us not winning the ball back just as much as the lack of defensive organisation.

The midfield clearly needs upgrading, and we lose way to many duels in midfield. An absolute beast of a physical midfielder like Doucoure, Sangare, Thomas Partey or Zakaria would help a lot.
 

Jersey Fresh

Video Et Taceo
Feb 23, 2004
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Looks like there's a lot to get to this evening haha.

Without having watched and purely based on the overt circumstances that I can see from a quick glance, I can say with confidence this is a match West Ham would have found a way to lose in past years.
 

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