Let’s cut top the chase … does Ozil get into the team, and if so, who doesn’t?
He has to play, he is our best player, our most expensive asset and the finest provider of goals in the PL. Yet, away from home we need defensive cover and this is not Ozil’s specialty
Should we have a team of players who are multi-purpose, who can dribble, pass, run fast, create, tackle and defend? Even our front-men, who rely upon pace, are expected to press and waste vital energy to defend high up the pitch. Or do we need specialists? (I prefer the term artist when thinking of Ozil), men who are brilliant in their role?
Think of BFG. He was crap at running about but knew enough about his position to be an excellent CB. How would he cope with the “high press”. I know – different times, different manager, different tactics and thus different type of players.
GN5 did a great job covering Cardiff yesterday. They are decent at home, have yet to score a league goal this season and are likely to break their duck this afternoon.
My Team.
Helmet
NancyBoy MWTH (Mistake waiting to Happen) GB Nacho
Taff Swalbanian Terrier
Mesut Micky
PEA
Pretty strong line up and one I expect we will see quite often. The bench is very strong, particularly in MF and attack.
Terrier has to start but alongside whom? Can he play alongside Ramsey and Xhaka? Given how superbly Duozi has been playing, would it be right to bench him? Probably not but I choose Ramsey to give us more punch upfront and he usually scores in his homeland.
Our away form was dreadful last season, to make an impression UE has to improve it. Anything less than a point would be very disappointing.
COYRRG
written by BR
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
very exciting lineup BR, hopefully Ozil hits form and Pea scores with ease. I was impressed with Dannys goal last week so hoping he comes on and continues doing the same
I’ll catch up later to all the pre-game banter and insight as my wife is getting ready to serve up my Fathers Day dinner –
Punjene Paprike (Croatian Stuffed Peppers with meat and rice)
Roast Chicken
Mashed Potato
Baby Spinach & other stuff Salad
Lamington Cake
Sponge Cake
Cheese Cake
Then maybe a nanna nap as heavy food makes me sleepy
Then 10:30pm kick-off and junk food snacks
COYG!
3 points it has to be, please:-)
Bloody love the title, Erik. Will definately not draw in the riff raff 🙂
Can a side be classified as decent at home if they haven’t scored a goal? 🙂
Unai will be getting closer and closer to knowing his best sides for the different occasions. After the likes of City and Chavs, we now have first opportunity to see his “away at a shit club” set up 🙂
I’d play the strongest two defensive midfielders so that we can have more good players ahead of them ie Ouzi and Torreira, then Mesut, Auba, Laca and Iwobi/Mikhi
Unbelievable
Cardiff have scored zero goals and sit in 16th
Every team below has at least scored 2 or 3
Something so wrong about the points system
Very entertaining PM … thanks Raddy. I’m loving the pet names and acronyms 🙂
I’d like to think that by Christmas Unai will know his best eleven … everything up to then is evolution.
Another 3 points today will give the team and supporters confidence and belief … the two things we need most … we have the talent.
By Christmas!!!!
Rasp 🙂
I don’t want to rush him Micky 🙂
… and …. there is a transfer window in January so maybe there’ll be some ins and outs depending on how squad members adapt to the new regime.
HA HA, I was hoping he’d have things sorted out by the 60th minute of today’s game 🙂
Ok, back for KO
Brilliant, Raddy. 🙂 Great team as well. Only insiders will get the lineup.
Going to miss the game. and F1. and the cricket. sad. Sunday has become family time.
COYG
Nice one, BR.
The noises coming out of the Arsenal camp at the end of this week have suggested that Mesut will play.
Interesting that you have left Laca on the bench again.
I’m hoping Torreira starts so I can get a decent look at him.
Haha, beaten by realtime events.
LB was right about Torreira. 🙂
There has to be goals in that team, surely?
Oooooh dreams coming true ……. Ozil, Auba and Lacazette starting, can’t wait to see if that works.
thats an exciting lineup, cant wait
Thanks Raddy.
Lets hope we don’t run into some sticky taffy today.
Unai’s line up is exciting, I like Ozil and hope he displays his whole array of skills. When he is on form he is a master class and Auba and Laca are the right players to take full advantage of his pin point passes.
Enjoy your fathers day treat VP.
Very attack minded line up
….. Unai Emery, Unai Emery .. are you Micky in disguise?
Sticky Taffy Pudding
Apologies GN5. Coat 🙂
Is that Ramsey central and Mesut wide, or one deep DM with other two either side and Mesut No10?
Haha, Sticky Taffy Pudding.
Match report title right there.
Emery messing up arsenal along with my fantasy side grrrr
Never thought you’d have Iwobi in your FF team, Fred.
Well that is an interesting team.
Guendouzi still there, all good with me.
Thanks for another fine read BR
And onto the game.
Don’t shout at The Helmet, Emery, it’s your bloody fault
Goal keepers are goal keepers because they have zero foot coordination so don’t make them use the wretched things
Idiot 🙄
Why Sokratis keep putting cech under pressure can’t he pass it to monreal, xhaka anyone else
Lol never chas never
1
It been almost comical at times at both ends. Then mustafi does the eagle to Xhaka to underline the joke. Bizarre but you can start seing the changes. It almost seems like this cardiff game is a practice game to implement the Unai plan. Its pretty good and AW has left a good framework for Unai to now build on with those 2 or 3 players that we were always short on previously.
We are being battered with no protection from a poor referee.
End to end game with a few goals in it, I hope
Aubameyang missing so fsr
Our game is screaming out for Iwobi 🙂
Awful pass from Xhaka and really weak from Monrealat the back post. The terrible goals havent stopped.
“Practice game” Three points first
Xhaka a liability as always.
Hmmm, 1 all at half time. I’m not watching so only getting a flavour from various live commentaries. It’s been sounding like they’re likely to equalise for a while.
More subs at half time?
I know the likes of Xhaka cost a lot of money, but so does every place we finish lower in the league. From what I’ve seen, I thin k it unlikely that Torreira would give the ball away so cheaply.
Ozil wasted, Aubang wasted. Why can’t Aubang play off Lacazette?
You have to be impressed by a team that dominated possession with some sumptuous soccer, had umpteen corners, loads of attacks and yet concede from the oppositions only shot on target!
Is this the UE gameplan?
Xhaka was playing well up to that moment and we should have dealt with the danger. Can’t blame Xhaka for eveything
It’s beginning to look like we don’t have a top 6 prem quality CB in the squad. But if that’s the case, protect them with a top quality DM … we have one of those, but he sits on the bench ?
LBG
That was the whole point of asking who plays in a front three the other day.
Auba and Laca are a front two but that doesn’t work for the high press.
Ramsey looks as though he doesn’t want to play against his old team.
Watching Arsenal hasn’t got any less stressful. 🙂
4 -1 to us, once Emery sorts the fuckers out.
We’re so so slow to counter and therefore not utilising the speed of Auba
Hook Ramsey for Torreira if that’s the case.
Agree Chas
Ramsey off, Mesut central and Danny/Mikhi on
They did it so well under Wenger
and Cech for Leno. its embarrassing
Can’t play with 2 slow players and Ozil, said it before and will say it again.
Cardiff came on late in 1st half fair play to them.
Laca and Auba should have put the game away!
Xhaka does seem to be a player who’s every mistake gets punished with a goal! I’ve never seen anything like it!
Rasp,
I would go further than top 6 CB. We don’t have a top 6 player in our CB or CM areas at the moment. It’s such an important area of the field but one we’ve been lacking in quality for quite a while now. Mustafi/Sokratis/Xhaka/Geundouzi just screams average.
I said the other day that until Emery gets the players he wants in the team then there won’t be drastic changes from what we saw under Wenger. Certainly defensively.
Seriously can Ramsey slow up play any better than he does, stop, turn, turn, turn, and meanwhile whole Cardiff team is set.
Going forward though, we do have quality!
Auba-maybe now the “handbrake” can be let off.
mesut to laca, to auba..2
lovely goal
get the subs right and i’ll go for 4-2
Disgrace!
Knew it was coming, our midfield is all over the place and ref continues to allow Cardiff to foul in their half with no cards being shown while the Arsenal get yellows for shirt pulls. Just call them equally..sheesh
Poor again from Monreal on the second. Got caught ball watching.
That could’ve been red. Raised his leg at the end to catch Sokratis higher up. Poor
3
Rasp,
Torreira’s forward passing and anticipation has been sensational since coming on.
Great goal.
Laca- now the Strikers are firing!
excellent. 2 points
3 🙂
Saw some fight and some decent forward play. We need better defenders (we know that) and we need Torreira to start. Enjoyed watching Laca and Auba together but Emery still needs to work out which 2 of Özil/Ramsey/Iwobi/Welbeck/Mkhitaryan works best in alongside them.
Good win.
Should have been 4 or 5 – need to get that goal difference up.
Heard on the tele that the Arsenal have not kept a clean sheet in over 20 games. Yikes.
Never in doubt……..
……… that a defibrillator is required to watch Arsenal games
Thanks FGG .. as I’ve observed before, Torreira is the most incisive forward passer in the squad … he has to start … surely
Rasp
Torreira assist and following up in case there’s a rebound. 🙂
Aaron
I agree about Ramsey slowing up the attacks, but my feeling is that Unai will work out that Mesut must start to get the best out of Auba and Laca and with Torreira and Ouzi become certs. then it’s only a question of time before M-N ousts Ramsey from that third midfield berth
Chas 1428
Why can’t one press and the other press come from the wide player on the other side in midfield. This leaves the free centre forward to press goalkeeper.
Lessons for me : start Torreira, Ozil and Ramsey can’t both start and Ramsey must stay forward as he simply slows attack far too much. Torreira and Ouzi can be equally as effective as Xhaka. Sorry think he is a liability. Don’t give away stupid free kicks ( and bookings for that matter) against a team that are big and will lump it forward and cause extreme consternation. Give Leno a chance if you insist on your methods without scope for the GK to pump it forward. Can he be any less comfortable than Petr?
Still three points, AND further ulcers!
I’m getting the impression that Ramsey’s heart isn’t in it any more. He’s being given the chance to play centrally. UE is showing that he’s not afraid to sub Mesut …. maybe his nose is being put out because Ouzi is starting every game.
LBG
High press means three pressing, a la Man City and spuds, as far as I’m concerned.
Pressing from a wide midfield player is not practical. He’ll be too far away to be effective.
4-4-2 = no high press.
Mind you, I talk bollix most of the time, so why not now. 🙂
Right, off to go celebrate. 🙂
Great Day!
3 points away and spuds fall to watFord.
Lots of talk on commentary about Özil not tracking back, but I have to say that if we were a proper team in those central areas then we wouldn’t notice it. I never watch City and wonder why David Silva isn’t sprinting 50 yards back to get in defence, and it’s because City have usually won the ball back by the time Silva has even turned around! Either Fernandinho has snapped into a tackle, or Kompany has robbed someone of the ball, or Walker or Mendy have sprinted back to rob their winger. In contrast, when we give the ball away the opposition seem to be immediately running at our CB’s 3 on 3! I think some of it is due to the opposition being braver against us than they would be against City. We are seen as weak on the counter and our full backs get high, and teams exploit this. We have to change that perception to make teams more hesitant to leave players up when we attack. The other major factor though is that City have better players in those areas. We need to improve the quality of our defensive players and we need players with a better understanding of defensive work. Torreira will certainly help based on what we’ve seen so far, but we will need other signings (CB espescially) to improve drastically.
Big thanks, LB. ☺
I will leave my game thoughts until tomorrow’s post match but how good was it to see Spurs blow a lead at high flying Watford 😀 😀
Xhaka actually did ok again today. He made a mistake which ended up costing a goal, but other than that he actually made quite a few clearances (especially on corners and free kicks), made more passes than anyone as he usually does, and was far more involved in the game than Geundouzi. Torreira made more tackles in his 20+ minutes than any of our players!
Got to say that the 3 finishes today were all different class. Mustafi with a fantastic header, Aubameyang just stroked the ball home after a great build up, and the Lacazette finish was pure precision and power. I thought he was outstanding today and he MUST play in future nect to Auba. I would argue Lacazette is our in form player at the moment and he needs to be starting.
Would you make and change besides torreira to the line-up
Felt sorry for mkhitaryan
Morning All,
Brilliant afternoon’s sport. England win an exciting Test match, Hamilton wins in Ferrari’s home track, and AFC win away in an end to end encounter.
Laca was clearly our MotM
NEW POST
Lesb
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