Match Reaction v Watford (away).

[Marc Overmars]

Incidentally we've conceded the most shots in the league this season, 96 in all already and have also given away more errors than anyone since Emery arrived, included a stack load of penalties.

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This is what has really been bugging me for a while. The defensive fuck ups are what they are, we’ve been seeing that for years but I don’t ever remember us being so completely incapable of shutting a game down. We just constantly invite pressure and allow our goal to be peppered, there’s no element of control and we’re totally reliant on the strikers being able to conjure up something out of nothing. If Auba/Laca have an off day we’re almost certain not to win because we get practically nothing elsewhere.

The team set up is a shambles and I’m sad to say my faith in Emery is rapidly deteriorating.

[AFC Leveller]

When your captain (who shouldn’t be starting games for Arsenal in the first place let alone captain them) comes on live TV and says we we’re scared of the bottom side of the premier league, you know things are bad.

Emery has got to go, simple. I thought he was meant to be this tactical master with all the inside on the opposition? He has taken us backwards and has done nothing to suggest he can be trusted.

Luiz, AMN, Sokratis, Guendouzi were shocking, really bad. We were outplayed and should have lost this by a big margin.

[selassie]

The sad thing is Emery has been given a ton of money to improve the team and we arguably look worse. How is this even possible?!

We are an absolute mess defensively, worse than we were under Wenger. Midfield is still a mess and Auba & Laca aside we don’t look particularly good offensively.

I’m done with Emery TBH, he’s not good enough for where we want to be. No style and no results.

[Bumble]

didn't watch the game but reading the comments and looking at the stats.... it sounds like it wasn't pretty. How do you concede a shot every 3 minutes?

where was the midfield stopping this. basically it appears we are going to have to rely on Auba, Laca when fit again and Pepe to get us out of trouble each week with goals.

There is no way we shouldn't be top 4 - United are still a mess under OGS, Chelsea have a totally novice manager who has been given a free pass this year and giving youth a chance. Also they cant strengthen and lost their best player in the summer so I don't think they will be able to stay at the level all year.

how can we have not improved defensively when it has been our Achilles heal for 10 years!!!

[Marc Overmars]

Why should we be top 4? It’s time we looked closer to home rather than draw encouragement from the state of our rivals. It’s the same every year, however shit they are you can bet we won’t be too far behind because of how flawed our team is.

Chelsea’s young players appear to be much better than ours too.

[Özim]

Why should we be top 4? It’s time we looked closer to home rather than draw encouragement from the state of our rivals. It’s the same every year, however shit they are you can bet we won’t be too far behind because of how flawed our team is.

Chelsea’s young players appear to be much better than ours too.

Our youth policy has been a shambles for year to be honest, we barely bring any decent talent through and when we do they either don't make any progress or end up going backwards or we sell them to succeed elsewhere (Gnabry was a shocker). The you look at Chelsea, Man City and few others and they seem to have soe top quality youngsters.

I agree with you though, every year it's the same our rivals aren't in a good state and every year they outperform us, to me that suggests we're not as good as soe believe, based on the start of the season we're not one of the favourites for top 4, the other teams so far look better if anything, we basically rely on Aubameyang and Laczette (now injured), take them out and we'd probably lost a lot more games.

The defence is shocking, but we all know that of course, to not have addressed that properly in the summer is terrible judgment, anyone who thought the error prone Luiz would fix that needs a wake up call, the guy has always been a very suspect defender, his best position is DM, he should be nowhere near defence because he will cost you games, as has been shown already this season.

For me the blame lies firmly on Emerys' door, right now I don't know what he's improved, our defence is as bad if not worse, we're making more mistakes if anything, the lineups are often wrong, his subs are dreadful and his blind faith in Xhaka is puzzling to say the least. The only thing he's done right so far is getting rid of the deadwood.

The lack of an obvious style of play (other than that shocking playing out of defence which a) we can't do properly and b) we shouldn't do when surrounded by 3/4 opposition players), him not knowing his best 11 and his lack of tactical nous is worrying to say the least, people compared him to Klopp and how it took him a bit of time to get it right, but Klopp implemented a clear style of play from the start and the improvement has been clear throughout his team, from season to season. He also identified his teams weaknesses quickly and did something about them, the way I see it Emery didn't the defence was the achilles heel, everyone could see that and all he did was sign an error pron CB and and injured full back with no experience in the PL who has played in a weaker league.

He's also chosen to rely on AMN and Kolasinac who are probably 2 of the worst defensive full backs in the PL.

[Özim]

This is what has really been bugging me for a while. The defensive fuck ups are what they are, we’ve been seeing that for years but I don’t ever remember us being so completely incapable of shutting a game down. We just constantly invite pressure and allow our goal to be peppered, there’s no element of control and we’re totally reliant on the strikers being able to conjure up something out of nothing. If Auba/Laca have an off day we’re almost certain not to win because we get practically nothing elsewhere.

The team set up is a shambles and I’m sad to say my faith in Emery is rapidly deteriorating.

The last 2 times we've played Watford now they've made us look like a pub side, last season their 10 men played us off the park and should have taken a point at least, today out of form and bottom of the league they totally outclassed us, how many top sides get outclassed by a club small club, who are bottom of the league and out of form, the amount of shots we gave away in the 2nd half was inexcusable, as was our captain coming out and saying we we "scared".

Emery though with his subs (taking off Ceballos) helped their cause as once he went off we got totally overrun, of course though he kept Xhaka on, the guy who not only does nothing, but also is liable to give away a goal, in the end even the one thing he was suppose to be good at (his passing) was awful, messing up a chance to attack with a poor pass.

[Mac76]

You'll be pleased to know Keown agrees with us:

"Arsenal have already suffered 20 away Premier League defeats in just over two seasons, which is simply not good enough for a team that wants to make the top four. Emery has only been in charge for one of those campaigns, but the worrying thing is his side still have huge issues defensively, and they do not appear to be improving. In fact they seem to be getting worse."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49710780

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

.........
Incidentally we've conceded the most shots in the league this season, 96 in all already and have also given away more errors than anyone since Emery arrived, included a stack load of penalties.

The only one that doesn't look too bothered is Emery.

It's like watching Manuel making the same mistake time and time again but no one to give him a sweet smack at the back of his head!

I didn't want to bother analysising the game but yours was really spot on. The 96 shots stat is just mind boggling, to think he's been more defensive this season and to end up with a stat like that shows he clearly doesn't know what he's doing.

I think the damage is already done and no opposition team in the EPL is going to take us seriously, we'll have to struggle for every single point we're going to get this season tilll the last minute. Expect many more "scared" days to come.

We simply need to get rid of this manager ASAP to limit the damage. I'm still hopeful we may be able to make top 4 but definitely not with this clown in charge.

[Letters]

Pathetic to be honest.

People who said that anyone would be better than Wenger