(The not-so-temporary quite-official) Gooner Thread

Everton were missing two starting CBs and Richarlison, no? So, some mitigating circumstances there.  They've been decent up until then, though I feel like Everton are usually a bit of a bunny side for us and we like smashing 4 or 5 past them.

Reasonably happy where we are at right now - 3 away games out of 5, two losses against (imo) this seasons Top 2, but level on points with our direct top 4 competitiors (Spuds, Man Utd)

I guess so. It's more their finishing which was torrid, they had great wing play going on. Will actually be an interesting test for our wide players. One of the blogs was pondering if our full backs aren't being told to shut down given the frequency with which we let crosses in. Scary thought if that's the case.

When you put it this way it's really positive, hadn't thought about it like that!

Onwards and upwards lads!

So far Emery hasn't improved us at home or away to top 6 opposition, but he has improved our away form which is absolutely critical. 

West Ham's confirmed Jack Wilshere's undergone surgery on his ankle. I feel for the guy, but I'm glad he's off our books.

It could hardly have got worse tbf.

Poor guy. 

Ha! The commentators kept talking about our 2018 away record, which is annoying because we're now winning away!

Gazidis gone to Milan.

Glad Gaz has gone - he did well but his job is done; he can now do the same thing with ACM over the next decade or so.

I think the sample size is way too small to take these types of things seriously just yet... 

Considering they were both narrow 1 goal wins over two promoted teams. When we start winning by 3 goals at Anfield and Old Trafford, I'll accept that our away form has improved but to be fair, our away form against all teams last year was very poor and we did lose to Brighton away last year.

If your measuring success by scoring 2 or 3 away from home against the top 6, then I think you will be forever disappointed.

I'm taking it positively. It's no small feat to take a team that only won 4 away games last season, introduce new players and a new system, and pick up 2 away wins back to back. I'm expecting it'll be 2nd half of the season before we truly start being competitive away at Anfield or Old Trafford.

OK, my total guesswork for tomorrow:

                              Leno

Liechtensteiner Holding Sokratis Monreal

                   Elneny Guendouzi

                Welbeck Mhiki Iwobi

                           Aubamayang

Leno in for Cech is standard cup rotation. Holding needs a run but Sokratis is a better partner for him. Liechtensteiners due a run, same for Elneny. Keeping Guendouzi starting so Torreira and Xhaka are fresh to start EPL on the weekend. Attacking forwards are all due a run, while Auba's time out the left has earned him a start through the middle.

Still a solid looking side.

Apparently an academy kid's who plays at LB has been training with the first team squad - I'm guessing that's as cover for Monreal if needed and maybe a cup game? Can't imagine you'd drop them in for a first team debut in Europe. It's also disappointing that Bramalls out, could have played at LB and began a Coquellinesque return to form!

Bramall is not good enough for Arsenal. Was a punt that didn't work out. 

Yeah, but if you can't have a bit of hope for a story like his then where's the fun. Bit like Jenkinson too who must be on the way out in January if he's recovered from his injury.

Yea looks that way valeo but I love that bramall has become to brumbys what obafemi martins was to foal30... well not quite the same but you get the gist ;)

Man I still wonder whatever happened to foal. If Obafemi nearly signing for the nix didn't bring him back then nothing will. I hope he's ok, it was very out of character for him to just stop visiting after all these years. 

Last active 8 months ago. I hope he's ok.

Leno, Lichtsteiner, Holding, Sokratis, Monreal, Elneny, Torreira, Mkhitaryan, Iwobi, Welbeck, Aubameyang

Subs: Martinez, Bellerin, Guendouzi, Smith Rowe, Ozil, Lacazette, Nketiah

Torreira not gonna get a look in in the league then?

I’m hoping he’s not as split as Wenger was in who plays in which comp. Although Auba’s the only current EPL starter by choice,

Monreal and Sokratis are there by necessity.

Pedestrian first half. Iwobi and Auba look our sharpest, no coincidence they combined well for our goal, Mkhi also did well in starting that move.

Leno looks a lot more comfortable than Cech with ball at feet. Hasn't given it away once, but hasn't really been put under immense pressure either tbf.

holy shark! did dat guy just score?!?

shark and he almost got a second...

Looking far more lively now. Two great goals early doors second half. Much more like it we should be putting teams like this to the sword.

Iwobi is doing better than when I last watched him. But he still waits for the man to come to him before he decides on what to do. he needs to be more proactive and make the defenders react to him.

We're never going to keep another clean sheet are we?

ffs

Good to score 4 and some good combinations in the attacking end, but we should not be giving up 2 goals to this opposition.

I didn't see their first but their second was criminal. What were the midfielders doing there. We switched off and let them waltz that in. 

I hope Emery is tearing strips off them for giving up those goals. 

I missed chunks of it as I was on the commute with dodgy reception, but from the bits I did see, the opposition was very poor, scoring 4 was probably the bare minimum. 

Sokratis looked very good in parts, he's actually very very quick. I'm starting to get excited about the prospect of Kosc coming back, and those two being our starting CBs. I think they could be very good, and if they can stay fit and start many games together, our defence should improve drastically. 

I think Emery is just being cautious with Torreira, he'll come in to the EPL starting 11 eventually. 

Leno looked good with his feet but there was zero pressure, it was unfortunate really, we didn't get to see him show what he's actually about. Hard to make any judgments at all on him from that game. We should get more insight against Sporting when we play them.

Iwobi has been pretty decent under Emery, he was quite good in the Chelsea game too. Mkhitaryan looked good with all that time and space. Not always the best with the ball in close quarters though, which is where we need him to get better I think. 

Enjoyed watching the full thing. Very pedestrian first half. I think the hard part of the transition is we're going from a pass and move style to a bait them in and then counter style. As a result when we get up the pitch slowly we kind of run out of ideas. It's a bit painful to watch. I also think that's why we're misplacing more passes in that third. We're used to dropping it off into peoples feet but are moving to try to pass it more into space, as a result receiver and giver aren't always aligned.

Their first goal was 100% of Liechtenstiener. Ball came back in and hit got his feet mixed up. Normally a CB in that position on his weaker foot doesn't offer much of a threat but man was it struck well. Final goal was a bit daft. At 4-1 up surely you play a short corner and keep your shape and possession. It's that match management piece we've been crying out for us to be better on.

Todays goals were really well spread around attacking positions. Auba with top of the box and just inside the box finishes, Welbeck header from the 6 yard line, and Ozil tapping in. That variety is a step forward in my mind, where we'd normally just play around for the Ozilesque finishes we're now varying our balls into the box and willing to take on shots more straight on.

Totally agree about Sokratis, guys turning out to be a solid upgrade on Per, Mustafi, and possible Kosc depending on what sort of form he can recover.

Elneny had a good game, but as the commentator pointed out he seemed to be trying too hard. He also seemed to not willing to play the risky ball in the final third which got a bit draining and predictable.

Iwobi was also excellent, he created a lot down the left. His movement was varied, sometimes hitting bi-line and sometimes cutting back onto his right foot. Ozil aside none of our left footers are of the attacking variety, so it seems we'll need whoever is playing there willing and able to hit them with their left, which I haven't always seem from Auba or Ramsey in those spots. If Iwobi can develop that capability he'll be setting himself up to own that position more. I keep forgetting he's only 22.

I was thinking the same re: Iwobi brumbys.

He is inconsistent, he'll look great one game and then disappear the next, but as you say he's only 22, I forget that. Consistency usually comes on with age. 

It's a great point you make about that position on the left, because Aubameyang is occupying it at the minute, and although he does still score from there, he's not at all convincing, and definitely doesn't contribute enough in general play. He should continue to improve there with time but Iwobi might be fancying himself for a shot at that role. 

It's really tough to work out the best roles for all our players in this system. Ozil is basically playing wide right, Ramsey is in this unusual 10 role where most of his important work is without the ball, and Aubameyang is being played as this Henry-esque type of striker/winger hybrid. Jury is out on all 3 of them in this system thus far, even if they've all shown positive signs at different times. 

The players for me who have really taken the system, and this season, by the scruff of the neck, are Guendouzi, Lacazette and Bellerin. 

Laca probably deserves the most praise, he's had nothing given to him at all, was unlucky to be left out initially, but has forced his way in through his own hard work and industry. Guendouzi has done well but some of that probably has to do with good old youthful enthusiasm, and also a lack of footage/history for the opposition to study and use to try and exploit him. Bellerin has excelled in the attacking end in this system and has done really well, even if I don't like a lot of his work at the other end. 

Mustafi has been Mustafi - some good play, speckled with ridiculously bad brain farts. 

Monreal has been Monreal - excellent, and mostly error-free. 

The two I am really liking now are Sokratis and Xhaka. Sokratis seems to be growing game by game and his pace is continually surprising me. Xhaka is really starting to hum under Emery after a sluggish start. I feel he might be a real gem in this team if he continues in this fashion. 

Yeah it's an interesting scenario we find ourselves in. I look at GK and it seems we're choosing experience over skill with ball at feet. LB is solid and CB is solid as can be with current players. RB is going to be hotly contested, but question marks over the exposed nature of the position being system based or player based or a mix of both. CDM we finally seemed blessed in, with Xhaka, Torreira, Gouendouzi, and Elneny able to do a job. Strikers locked down to. But for all the talent of Ozil, Auba, Mhiki, Ramsey, Iwobi, and Welbeck none of the attacking 3 seemed settled or comfortable in their positions.

Looking ahead to the weekend Richarlson is back from suspension. Watching them last weekend their quality of crossing was exceptional, the finishing not so month. I'm hoping this is the weekend we see the team drop back and support the full backs more. Whether this is achieved through Torreira starting and being more mobile than Gouendouzi, or whether we get our LM and RM to drop deeper.

Actually in credit to Auba he's looked awkward on the left but hasn't shirked his defensive duties as much as Ozil/Mhiki have on the right. I recall him tracking back on a counter sprinting at a 45 from left to right to support Bellerin - what a lad.

Xhaka just needs to play next to Torreira. I feel like they both complement each others weaknesses/strengths.

What a strange team we are at the moment - completely shoehorning players in, and players like Ozil & Auba are playing well below what you'd expect because of that, but we're still somehow managing to win. Emery has been overly pragmatic in playing all of his 'favourites' to the detriment of the system, imo, and it will begin to bite us in the ass.

Pick one of Ozil/Ramsey.

Change formation to suit 2 strikers, or pick one of Auba/Laca.

Cech was MoM again. He's having a storming season, and without him things would be looking a hell of a lot worse.

Nice to see Chelsea drop points too.

I'm ok with this at the moment. I don't really think it's a case of favourites, although Emery might have developed a "dont change a winning team" attitude of late I guess... 

Mkhitaryan, Iwobi and Guendouzi have all been given fair cracks in the starting XI, in fact the only ones who haven't, that might consider themselves hard done by, are Elneny and Holding. Looks like Holding gets his chance now. The starting XI has been chopped and changed from the get-go, but has now settled down to this, which looks like our best XI, and I would probably agree with it. 

Ramsey is being tasked with a very unusual role but I think it's actually perfect for him. When the opposition has the ball at the back he comes right to the front with Laca and leads our press. He's the best candidate for that, he has a great engine, and he can tackle, unlike some of our other mids/forwards. He also has the quickness of thought to play someone in if we do turn it over high up the pitch. And then on the other hand, I noticed a change this morning where Ramsey has clearly been told to drop occasionally and pick it up deep, creating an extra man in midfield to help ease the pressing pressure, and again that's something he is comfortable doing. He's really a hybrid right now, sort of like our gap-filler all over the pitch. Emery is using him as a bit of an every-man, a little bit like how Ferguson used to use Park Ji Sung. Don't get me wrong, Ramsey hasn't been in great form, but it's clear to me that he's doing very specific jobs, he's not playing as a true forward or as a midfielder. 

I thought Aubameyang was a lot better on the left this morning, using his pace to get at them. I am comfortable at the moment with him and Laca in these roles. I want them both on the pitch and this seems to be the best way. 

Ozil is the one where I probably agree with you to some degree valeo. He isn't quite clicking in there, but I think he's showing signs, like the Cardiff match, and I would persevere. To be honest, if I had to name a selection dilemma I would make it Mkhi vs Ozil, rather than Ramsey vs Ozil. 

I also think it's worth mentioning that Everton were good, and I think they're going to be a good team over the season. I rate that Silva, and they have decent players across the pitch. They played some really nice stuff this morning.

I really hope Sokratis' injury doesn't keep him out for long. I could see this backline totally imploding without him. 

Without a doubt Cech's best game for us this season, and probably for some time beyond that. Made a number of crucial saves and was fine playing out from the back as well. Fully deserved the clean sheet for his performance.

Yet again it took until the second half for us to really get going. Becoming a worrying trend imo. Lacazette's finish was sublime, and we got a touch of luck with the Auba goal, was well offside. Thought Torreira looked excellent in midfield. Broke up attacks well and can't remember him giving the ball away in dangerous areas too much if ever.

Watford on Saturday will be another test, as will Brentford midweek. We've had to scrap and fight for every point we've gained this season against English opposition, i don't think much will change ahead of these two fixtures. One thing you can say is it's far from dull.

Watford will be a huge test. Watched their game v Fulham, and they are a more cohesive outfit than we are.

I think that with Ramsey/Ozil in there, we get them both playing at about 25% of what they can. They both like to be in the same areas, often getting in each others way. I just don't think it works, and I don't think it makes sense when you have a guy like Mkhi or Iwobi waiting who have both performed when given chances this season, and like to play wider.

Right now we're like a C-Grade Real Madrid; relying on our big players to come up with big moments, but not showing any real philosophy or cohesion as an outfit. It's basically the opposite of what I hoped for in the change in manager.

I think the opposite really (respectfully of course!). Some of the criticisms I'm seeing of our play so far (not necessarily in this thread though) are mostly unfounded in my opinion. People talking about who is and isn't tracking back, Ramsey not being all that involved in the build-up play or scoring the goals he used to, running from deep positions, etc etc. It's seems obvious to me that the players are being heavily instructed in everything they do, so if they aren't doing those things, but they're still getting picked, it's probably because they're being told not to do those things e.g. the right-sided forward role is not supposed to come back and help Bellerin, the midfielders and the right-sided CB are. Ramsey is mostly playing high, so we won't see him involved in the midfield play very often, he won't get as many touches, and we won't see him making late runs to score, that's just not his job in the role he's playing. 

To me, the philosophy, the system, and style of play, is fairly evident, and every game you can see what they're trying to do, and what the roles are - except for perhaps Ozil,  whom I see doing different things in different areas from game to game, so perhaps that speaks to your points to be fair valeo. 

Our possession percentages are rising consistently since the start of the season, but we aren't yet executing the plan for 90 minutes. I don't think we should have expected that yet either, it will take time. We basically see 10 minute flashes of how it should work where we swamp the opposition, and usually score goals thanks to the quality of our forwards, but we aren't aren't able to execute that consistently. I expect that will come, and I think things are pretty exciting right now. Something is definitely building. 

The main problem for me so far is simply a lack of quality in our defending. And although I have held out hope for a lot longer than most, I've come to the conclusion that Mustafi is a walking accident and may not improve. Between him and Bellerin, that side of the pitch is basically a defensive disaster more often than not. Bellerin escapes the wrath because he's such a key part of our attack, and he is delivering in that part of the pitch, but Mustafi has been doing my head in. I cannot wait for Sokratis and Koscielny to be fit at the same time, although it's worth mentioning that they play on the same side, so not sure if one will shift or how Emery sees that going forward...

I agree with most of that Paulm, bar the defensive side of things. While Mustafi is having his moments I’m still not seeing enough support in the wide areas from midfield. Whether that’s the wide midfielder or the central midfielder, it doesn’t happen enough. As much as you’ve acknowledged perhaps it isn’t the instruction for the wide guys to get back, I’m seeing Auba do it a lot from the left. If he’s giving Ozil a pass on the right we need the central guys to step up.

I’m still not convinced that Emery knows the best way to get all of or attacking weapons into the team and in a style that unleashes that fully whole being defensively solid. That said he’s won 5 in a row including 2 away from home. It’s not pretty, but it is progress, and I’m ready for ugly wins instead of losing while attempting to be beautiful.