Match Reaction v Palace (home)

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Well, the shit performances go on.

Having said that, legitimate winner ruled out by VAR for fuck knows why.

Guendouzi should have a red really. :lol:

And Xhaka got away with a one game suspension as he got Chambers booked instead.

Oh and Xhaka taunting the crowd with a Hogan ear cup because the crowd dared to cheer from being free of his pubbery.

[Globalgunner]

Did anyone actually think that VAR would overall work in our favour?. With these English refs.....Not a chance

[Marc Overmars]

Another shit show.

Make the change, Emery is a busted flush.

This team is rancid and it’s only going to get worse.

[dostoy]

I saw the last 10 minutes.

Sokratis celebrated as if he'd won the Euromillions jackpot, then it was ruled out because Chambers fouled a CP player, at least I think that was it.

Arsenal are not good enough for a top 4 place, both mentally and physically.

Would you rather have Emery till the end of the season or Mourinho taking over in November ?

[McNamara That Ghost...]

https://i.imgur.com/64aCehe.jpg

[dazthegooner]

Emery has to go!

[Globalgunner]

Emery has to go!

2mrw if possible. This crap will only get worse

[Master Splinter]

VAR is being utilised by the same turds who have been ruining matches for decades. Unless a whole new set of honest, competent officials are brought in, there will be absolutely no change overall. VAR is exceptional technology being misused by cretins. Humans are the problem.

Outside of that fuckery, the performance was as insipid as they have been in the league all season.

Special mention to Ceballos and Luiz for some utterly dreadful passing.

Only Pepe and Guendouzi come out of today with any credit.

This is somehow worse than Wenger's last couple of years. Just horrible.

[Mac76]

The Xhaka thing was unbelievable, walking off really slowly when n we wanted to get on with the change.

Also people singing the Ozil song again but much more loudly, not a good day for Emery

And VAR is such a joykiller, fucking awful

[AFC Leveller]

Xhaka took his shirt off after telling the crowd to fuck off!

Not his fault he is captain and shit but that’s life.

Emery clueless yet again and done by Palace the same way again. Surely he must have known what to expect after the shit show last season? Poor manager.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Pepe was taking An age to walk over to take every corner. The least of our worries unfortunately though. Even the ball boys hurried up today.

Really didn’t like the cheering of Xhaka coming off but he really made it worse for himself.

[AFC Leveller]

Pepe was taking An age to walk over to take every corner. The least of our worries unfortunately though. Even the ball boys hurried up today.

Really didn’t like the cheering of Xhaka coming off but he really made it worse for himself.

I agree re:Xhaka. I don’t blame him too much for his reaction because no one wants to be booed off by his own team, esp when they are captain! He is human after all and is bound to react to stuff like that.

[GP]

I saw the last 10 minutes.

Sokratis celebrated as if he'd won the Euromillions jackpot, then it was ruled out because Chambers fouled a CP player, at least I think that was it.

Arsenal are not good enough for a top 4 place, both mentally and physically.

Would you rather have Emery till the end of the season or Mourinho taking over in November ?

Emery.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Guendouzi's spear. :haha:

At least there was some entertainment. Gets funnier with every watch.

[Master Splinter]

Ceballos is basically a younger Ozil.

One decent game amongst dozens of no-shows.

He also slows the game down far more than any player I can remember. Ten pointless turns and twenty touches when basic control and a simple pass forward to players in space ahead would keep the game/attack flowing.

I'm not sure he'd suddenly cut out the useless frills under a different manager either.

Smith-Rowe looks a much more efficient player in a similar position.

[AFC Leveller]

Why didn’t Dean go to VAR when he booked Saka for diving against Sheffield United? It was a clear pel! Refs will always be corrupt. Did Atkinson request VAR check ZAHA’s dive or did someone from VAR intervene? So much bullshit.

[Shaqiri Is Boss]

Guendouzi's spear. :haha:

At least there was some entertainment. Gets funnier with every watch.

https://media.giphy.com/media/KDX4TgvT4QpFK/giphy.gif

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Ceballos is basically a younger Ozil.

One decent game amongst dozens of no-shows.

He also slows the game down far more than any player I can remember. Ten pointless turns and twenty touches when basic control and a simple pass forward to players in space ahead would keep the game/attack flowing.

I'm not sure he'd suddenly cut out the useless frills under a different manager either.

Smith-Rowe looks a much more efficient player in a similar position.
Think you’re being a bit harsh but he failed to execute several simple balls. His medium range passing needs a lot of work.

[Mac76]

I agree re:Xhaka. I don’t blame him too much for his reaction because no one wants to be booed off by his own team, esp when they are captain! He is human after all and is bound to react to stuff like that.

It wasn't nice but he should have behaved like a captain, not thrown his armband on the floor and walked off alowly making sarcastic gestures.

No excuse he needed to show he was bigger than that

Clearly he's a lightning rod for people unhappy with Emery but he does get paid an awful lot of money you know...

[Özim]

Another day, another awful performance and result.

2-0 up and we somehow manage to mess that up, we shold have won this comfortably instead we're looking at dropped points again! Emery really is showing how average he is, we should let him go now.

As for Xhaka, the guy is awful and quite frankly if the fans booing him makes him leave then great, he's a big problem at in this team, if the guy actually performed and didn't cost us goals he might get a different reaction so have no sympathy for him.

What's left to say really, it's clear Emery is not up to it, how long is it going to take the people at the top to realise and do something about it?

[fakeyank]

Someone said Mourinho as a replacement? I will not support the club anymore if we get a cunt like him at our club. I want success but not with that scum of a human being at my club.

Sent from my GM1915 using Tapatalk

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Another day, another awful performance and result.

2-0 up and we somehow manage to mess that up, we shold have won this comfortably instead we're looking at dropped points again! Emery really is showing how average he is, we should let him go now.

As for Xhaka, the guy is awful and quite frankly if the fans booing him makes him leave then great, he's a big problem at in this team, if the guy actually performed and didn't cost us goals he might get a different reaction so have no sympathy for him.

What's left to say really, it's clear Emery is not up to it, how long is it going to take the people at the top to realise and do something about it?

I don't think Xhaka leaving will come down to fans cheeraing or booing.....it will be the buying club coughing up a fee none of us think he is worth....and it doesn't help that the manager loves him.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

I actually have tended to like Atkinson for his understated almost humble persona as a referee...the completely opposite of Mike Dean....but I have been fooling myself all this time as it is patently clear that Atkinson is a farcical referee. Absolute appalling display from him today. You'd have thought Atkinson found pictures of Laca's cock on his wife's whatsapp the way he reffed today.

[dazthegooner]

. You'd have thought Atkinson found pictures of Laca's cock on his wife's whatsapp the way he reffed today.[/QUOTE]

What you've heard that too? ;)

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

:d

[AFC Leveller]

A bit disappointed with/for Saka. It must be a nightmare for a young player coming into this kind of atmosphere and team but at the same time I can’t help but feel he hasn’t snow enough willingness to get involved or show what he can do. In the games he’s started, he’s been on the peripheral and almost hiding. He’s shown he’s obviously talented.

[Mac76]

Well as you say it wasn't the right circumstances for Emery to bring him on, shades of Joe Willock in the EL final

Every match that goes by just shows Emery up more and more

[AFC Leveller]

Next up Liverpool away....

[GP]

Well... sort of.

[rodders]

Sign of the times I just feel mildly pissed off. Kroenke out
Emery out, in fact whole bloody lot out

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

A bit disappointed with/for Saka. It must be a nightmare for a young player coming into this kind of atmosphere and team but at the same time I can’t help but feel he hasn’t snow enough willingness to get involved or show what he can do. In the games he’s started, he’s been on the peripheral and almost hiding. He’s shown he’s obviously talented.

I couldn't understand why he brought Saka on. We're getting a load of corners... time is running away, and we're getting desperate. Martinelli is probably the best headerer of a ball out of all the attackers we have at the club never mind sitting on the bench, so why not bring him on? I just couldn't understand what he was expecting Saka to add!

[AFC Leveller]

A few fans asking this after today. We either pay off Emery (6-7 mill) and get a manager to get us into the top 4 or risk it by sticking with Emery and potentially missing out on 45m (prize money). Personally I want us to get rid as I can’t see him taking us anywhere but who is available mid season? The ones who are were probably fired for not being good enough in the first place.

[rodders]

That is the problem and an owner who does not understand football or Arsenal. I would go for the Wolves man.

[Xhaka Can’t]

Someone said Mourinho as a replacement? I will not support the club anymore if we get a cunt like him at our club. I want success but not with that scum of a human being at my club.

Sent from my GM1915 using Tapatalk

I completely agree with this.

We have a manager without a clue.

One of the highest paid players in the world sitting on his couch.

A Captain who should not even be allowed back into the stadium unless it is to collect his belongings.


Things are toxic enough as it is without adding Mourinho into the equation.

I genuinely have no idea how we as a Club get out of this mess.

[Mac76]

It's simple, sack emery and make freddie caretaker manager

No big deal if we then get someone else in later, but if he picks the right team and gets them playing more enjoyable football i'll accept it if not everything goes our way, we just can't have any more of this crap

Btw Wrighty completely slammed Xhaka on MOTD, good for him

Also they showed how BS it was to strike off Sokratis's second, absolute disgrace that Atkinson didn't look for himself on the screen

[dazthegooner]

How come VAR works in Rugby but not Football? Are they being watched by actual full time ref's or the footballing equivalent of PCSO's wannabe's who will never make the grade...
And here we have it.

Jarred Gillett was the VAR official for Arsenal's clash with Palace. A 32-year-old Australian, Gillett has never taken charge of a Premier League game, with his refereeing experience in England limited to nine Football League fixtures.

[IBK]

Disappointing result but not unexpected. I think we have all realised that Emery is totally out of his depth. The Xhaka/Ozil situation is 100% the manager's making and a clearer example of a small, stubborn man making decisions on the basis of his own ego rather than for the good of the team is difficult to imagine. When a club is in the situation that we are in it is generally the result of a combination of factors - club management; players and coach. IMHO in our case, it is down to a manager who has become kryptonite to his team. I think that Freddie would be more likely to be a Solskjaer than a Lampard (which is not to criticise him but a comment on his lack of managerial experience and the fact that he would need a lot of time to cement his role), but nevertheless I would take him in place of the Dracula lookalike in charge at present.

[I am invisible]

Mourinho would be a terrible, desperate move - really hope it’s not being considered.

He’d be better than Emery (which is a really low benchmark), and I do think his last couple of gigs have stamped some of his antics out of him (even if he still seems incapable of accepting any kind of blame or criticism), but all the same he still feels like yesterday’s man peddling yesterday’s ideas. Ultimately, we’re talking about a cheque-book manager who couldn’t make it work on united’s resources, so I wouldn’t expect too much here.

[Özim]

I couldn't understand why he brought Saka on. We're getting a load of corners... time is running away, and we're getting desperate. Martinelli is probably the best headerer of a ball out of all the attackers we have at the club never mind sitting on the bench, so why not bring him on? I just couldn't understand what he was expecting Saka to add!

Me too, on top of that Martinelli has been really good when h's played and scored goals, but there you go another odd decision by a manager who doesn't seem to know what he's doing.

[Özim]

Terrible decision by VAR yesterday (2nd one), the ref should have gone and had a look at the screen to be honest. Despite this though, I don't want to focus on that too much as we should have never found ourselves in a position of needing to score again after being 2-0 up after 10 minutes, we again didn't perform and barely created a thing and our defence let us down again.

[Letters]

I genuinely have no idea how we as a Club get out of this mess.

Wenger In! :patrice:

:ninja:



:run:

[Letters]

How come VAR works in Rugby but not Football?
Rugby is more stop-start, it does make it easier. But they don't seem to have got VAR right yet, by all accounts it robbed us of 2 points yesterday.
The whole point of it was to make decisions better and right now it isn't doing that.

[Özim]

I guess it's been around a long time in rugby so they've got use to it, but I'm not sure how many people are looking at VAR, but IMO there should be maybe 2-3 people assessing the decision and the ref certainly should have a look too if the decision reverses his effectively.

I think if that had happened it would have been a goal. Doesn't take away from the fact this game should have been won before that though, we left ourselves open to a decision affecting the game like that with another poor performance, when we start turning up and performing then people might have more sympathy.

[selassie]

sick of it all tbh.

[Mac76]

Rugby is more stop-start, it does make it easier. But they don't seem to have got VAR right yet, by all accounts it robbed us of 2 points yesterday.
The whole point of it was to make decisions better and right now it isn't doing that.

if football's about entertainment then VAR is absolutely robbing us of it - all tata joy of thinking we had the winner rubbed out because someone thought Chambo did anything worse than all the other players involved in that goalmouth scramble.

shocking decision, there was no 'clear and obvious error' within ten miles of the incident - why the fuhk didn't Atkinson check it out for himself - apart from the fact he was so biased towards Palace in that game, that is...

[Letters]

if football's about entertainment then VAR is absolutely robbing us of it - all tata joy of thinking we had the winner rubbed out.

I imagine the Palace fans found it entertaining...
The issue I have is that the whole point of VAR is to get stuff right.
We were in a ridiculous situation with instant replays where sometimes everyone in the stadium would know a mistake had been made apart from the referee. Clearly ridiculous.
But too often VAR isn't even getting stuff right. If it can't do that then it's pointless and doing more harm than good.

[dazthegooner]

The guy in charge of the VAR yesterday has never ref'd a premier league match only having ref experience in 9 footbal league fixture's its like having someone re-wire your house because he once chnged a plug.

[hobson's choice]

We are a badly run club

I don't have any faith in any of our decision makers. The Barca and Spanish brigade needs to go.

[Bumble]

I imagine the Palace fans found it entertaining...
The issue I have is that the whole point of VAR is to get stuff right.
We were in a ridiculous situation with instant replays where sometimes everyone in the stadium would know a mistake had been made apart from the referee. Clearly ridiculous.
But too often VAR isn't even getting stuff right. If it can't do that then it's pointless and doing more harm than good.

VAR works when its clear cut... offside, crossing the goal line, handballs they are yes or no... think it can be a bit more contentious for fouls as slowing the action down can make things look worse than they are. maybe leave VAR for the yes or no answers with no interpretation required.

[Mac76]

VAR works when its clear cut... offside, crossing the goal line, handballs they are yes or no... think it can be a bit more contentious for fouls as slowing the action down can make things look worse than they are. maybe leave VAR for the yes or no answers with no interpretation required.

this

all the other stuff relies on essentially subjective decisions by officials, which we know they don't get right

[AFC Leveller]

Taken From Twitter:

Gallas gave up
Cesc went on strike
RVP wrote a public letter asking to leave
Koscielny went on strike to get a move
Xhaka told the fans to fuck off

Someone needs to put the pride back into being arsenal fc captain.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

VAR works when its clear cut... offside, crossing the goal line, handballs they are yes or no... think it can be a bit more contentious for fouls as slowing the action down can make things look worse than they are. maybe leave VAR for the yes or no answers with no interpretation required.

This was always my understanding of what it would be for before it came in. Suddenly we have people now saying it was supposed to clear everything up. It was never supposed to do that, come in and takeover everything.

We were actually screwed by a an incompetent guy in a room using the technology incompetently. We were screwed by the wizard of Oz behind the bleeding curtain and we actually know his name.

I thought my head was going to explode at the game, I can't take this level of tension in every single league game. There was me thinking 10 minutes in that our second goal might have actually killed it as a contest. Jeez.

[Bumble]

We are already 12 points off top after only 10 games. I hope Liverpool do win the league as that is the blue print we should be aiming to replicate.

If Liverpool can win the league then there is no reason we cant in terms of resources. Personnel and Manager is a different thing.

We were lead to believe that Emery had a detailed dossier of all the players. obviously this wasn't the case. What does Emery do with Xhaka next, also will he give in to the demand for Ozil who we also have issues with and isn't actually the answer either. In the league next we have Wolves home and the Leicester away. Neither game is really ideal for Ozil as they are decent teams.

Perhaps Southampton at home could be a game for Ozil. But Leicester away could be a big issue for us.

[IBK]

We are already 12 points off top after only 10 games. I hope Liverpool do win the league as that is the blue print we should be aiming to replicate.

If Liverpool can win the league then there is no reason we cant in terms of resources. Personnel and Manager is a different thing.

We were lead to believe that Emery had a detailed dossier of all the players. obviously this wasn't the case. What does Emery do with Xhaka next, also will he give in to the demand for Ozil who we also have issues with and isn't actually the answer either. In the league next we have Wolves home and the Leicester away. Neither game is really ideal for Ozil as they are decent teams.

Perhaps Southampton at home could be a game for Ozil. But Leicester away could be a big issue for us.

He will stick to his guns - because that's what stubborn small-minded men do.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Well it was the case but his interpretation of all the information is obviously no good which is the fundamental issue. If his conclusions from the info was any good, he would have come in sceptical of Xhaka right from the off.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Frankly, the pair of them are so busy throwing each other under the bus without even meaning to, they might both end up dying together.

[Marc Overmars]

We got it wrong with Emery. Just need to accept that and go back to the drawing board. Somehow this is worse than what we saw in Wenger’s final season.

Get rid while we can still salvage the season.

Hopefully Xhaka can be flogged as well, what a cunt.

Can’t stand this team and the bunch of losers it has in its ranks. Except an obvious few.

[Penguin]

I don't blame Xhaka for his reaction, it's not his fault he's not good enough. It's Emery's fault for starting him every match and naming him captain despite him being garbage.

[fakeyank]

We got it wrong with Emery. Just need to accept that and go back to the drawing board. Somehow this is worse than what we saw in Wenger’s final season.

Get rid while we can still salvage the season.

Hopefully Xhaka can be flogged as well, what a cunt.

Can’t stand this team and the bunch of losers it has in its ranks. Except an obvious few.

:gp:

We may make a mistake on the next appointment too, but that doesnt mean we continue with this dross. Frankly, I wouldnt mind re-looking at Arteta or even considering Ljunberg for the role. Or if we really want to take a shot at the big papas out there, bring in Allegri.

[Letters]

I don't blame Xhaka for his reaction, it's not his fault he's not good enough. It's Emery's fault for starting him every match and naming him captain despite him being garbage.

I agree.
Ian Wright said that the fans have been patient with him.
No they bloody haven't! :lol:
It's not Xhaka's fault he's not good enough, it's not Ozil's fault he's not playing.
Emery has massively mismanaged all of this.

[Özim]

I don't blame Xhaka for his reaction, it's not his fault he's not good enough. It's Emery's fault for starting him every match and naming him captain despite him being garbage.

It is Emerys' fault for sure, however the lack of effort on the pitch is down to him, as his his reaction, it's unacceptable for a player nevermind captain to behave that way, he's paid handsomely and criticism is part and parcel of that.

[Özim]

We got it wrong with Emery. Just need to accept that and go back to the drawing board. Somehow this is worse than what we saw in Wenger’s final season.

Get rid while we can still salvage the season.

Hopefully Xhaka can be flogged as well, what a cunt.

Can’t stand this team and the bunch of losers it has in its ranks. Except an obvious few.


Yeah that's it for me, just hope the next manager is more logical and idenitifies issues with the team and doesn't stick with players who just aren't up to scratch.

[Letters]

:)

[IBK]

I agree.
Ian Wright said that the fans have been patient with him.
No they bloody haven't! :lol:
It's not Xhaka's fault he's not good enough, it's not Ozil's fault he's not playing.
Emery has massively mismanaged all of this.

This.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

I don't blame Xhaka for his reaction, it's not his fault he's not good enough. It's Emery's fault for starting him every match and naming him captain despite him being garbage.

I didn't really give a shi* about him cupping his ear and only knew he told the fans to f off once I'd got home....but did he really need to walk off in slow motion?

Ozil got all kinds of abuse for the same thing earlier this year, albeit in a much bigger game, but we had even less chance of getting back into that one. The score was 2-2 here FFS.

[Bumble]

Yeah that's it for me, just hope the next manager is more logical and idenitifies issues with the team and doesn't stick with players who just aren't up to scratch.

problem no guarantee that the next manager will be any better. United have gone through more managers and spent a lot of money and they are below us.

even if we brought in allegri who has plenty of pedigree, no guarantee that he will turn this lot into champions. however, could be worth the risk.

[dazthegooner]

EVen though I wouldn't want Mourinho near he made an interesting comment
"I Think the biggest problem down there is that they are not doing the obvious things correctly like they’re not playing the correct players in the correct positions...they’re not starting their best players, players like Lucas Torreira who I personally feel was one of the best players in the last World Cup and also for Arsenal playing as the base defensive midfielder, I really don’t understand this situation and also Özil...you have to understand that Mesut is not Messi or Ronaldo, he won’t carry your team single handed, he’s more of a creative genius and a creative genius is only as good as the attack in front of him, all these years at Arsenal he did not have the right players in front of him and now when he does, for some reason he is omitted entirely, people say he is lazy but they can’t be more wrong, Özil works very hard and the football for him it’s not a job like most of the players these days, football is his life, he enjoys football ...In England I have got the idea that people here will prefer guys who can run and run and run for 90 minutes, so even when those guys have a bad game people will say oh atleast he gave it his all, people in England don’t welcome smart runners and Özil is a smart runner...so I think people in England will take a runner over a creative genius.[On what would be Arsenal's best xi] I’d say Leno, Bellerin, Holding, David Luiz, Tierney, Lucas Torreira, Ceballos, Özil, Pepe, Aubameyang, Lacazette. “Why no Guendouzi?” Guendouzi is a fantastic talent but in my career I’ve seen time and time again youngsters with immense talent do nothing because they started starting regularly for their clubs and their desire to improve went with that, they became stale , I don’t want Guendouzi to end up like that, he has leadership qualities as well...I will like to say one thing that Arsenal on paper have one one of the best attacks in the league but are suffering from a lack of creativity"

[Özim]

EVen though I wouldn't want Mourinho near he made an interesting comment
"I Think the biggest problem down there is that they are not doing the obvious things correctly like they’re not playing the correct players in the correct positions...they’re not starting their best players, players like Lucas Torreira who I personally feel was one of the best players in the last World Cup and also for Arsenal playing as the base defensive midfielder, I really don’t understand this situation and also Özil...you have to understand that Mesut is not Messi or Ronaldo, he won’t carry your team single handed, he’s more of a creative genius and a creative genius is only as good as the attack in front of him, all these years at Arsenal he did not have the right players in front of him and now when he does, for some reason he is omitted entirely, people say he is lazy but they can’t be more wrong, Özil works very hard and the football for him it’s not a job like most of the players these days, football is his life, he enjoys football ...In England I have got the idea that people here will prefer guys who can run and run and run for 90 minutes, so even when those guys have a bad game people will say oh atleast he gave it his all, people in England don’t welcome smart runners and Özil is a smart runner...so I think people in England will take a runner over a creative genius.[On what would be Arsenal's best xi] I’d say Leno, Bellerin, Holding, David Luiz, Tierney, Lucas Torreira, Ceballos, Özil, Pepe, Aubameyang, Lacazette. “Why no Guendouzi?” Guendouzi is a fantastic talent but in my career I’ve seen time and time again youngsters with immense talent do nothing because they started starting regularly for their clubs and their desire to improve went with that, they became stale , I don’t want Guendouzi to end up like that, he has leadership qualities as well...I will like to say one thing that Arsenal on paper have one one of the best attacks in the league but are suffering from a lack of creativity"

He's pretty spot on about everything he's said, if only we had a manager who thought as logically.

[Letters]

Yeah, as much as I despite him, I can't argue with any of that.

[Letters]

Somehow this is worse than what we saw in Wenger’s final season.

:coffee:

[Mac76]

Yeah, as much as I despite him, I can't argue with any of that.

me neither, he's got it exactly right...

[Özim]

EVen though I wouldn't want Mourinho near he made an interesting comment
"I Think the biggest problem down there is that they are not doing the obvious things correctly like they’re not playing the correct players in the correct positions...they’re not starting their best players, players like Lucas Torreira who I personally feel was one of the best players in the last World Cup and also for Arsenal playing as the base defensive midfielder, I really don’t understand this situation and also Özil...you have to understand that Mesut is not Messi or Ronaldo, he won’t carry your team single handed, he’s more of a creative genius and a creative genius is only as good as the attack in front of him, all these years at Arsenal he did not have the right players in front of him and now when he does, for some reason he is omitted entirely, people say he is lazy but they can’t be more wrong, Özil works very hard and the football for him it’s not a job like most of the players these days, football is his life, he enjoys football ...In England I have got the idea that people here will prefer guys who can run and run and run for 90 minutes, so even when those guys have a bad game people will say oh atleast he gave it his all, people in England don’t welcome smart runners and Özil is a smart runner...so I think people in England will take a runner over a creative genius.[On what would be Arsenal's best xi] I’d say Leno, Bellerin, Holding, David Luiz, Tierney, Lucas Torreira, Ceballos, Özil, Pepe, Aubameyang, Lacazette. “Why no Guendouzi?” Guendouzi is a fantastic talent but in my career I’ve seen time and time again youngsters with immense talent do nothing because they started starting regularly for their clubs and their desire to improve went with that, they became stale , I don’t want Guendouzi to end up like that, he has leadership qualities as well...I will like to say one thing that Arsenal on paper have one one of the best attacks in the league but are suffering from a lack of creativity"

Where did you find that interview if you don't mind me asking.

[dazthegooner]

Sorry can't remember tried searching my history no good I'm afraid.

Found it was on the FB Arsenal fans group from 'Oh my Arsenal'

[Mac76]

Sorry can't remember tried searching my history no good I'm afraid.

Found it was on the FB Arsenal fans group from 'Oh my Arsenal'

it's here: https://zh-tw.facebook.com/groups/359298780863427/

most of it is in chinese but scroll down and you will find it

maybe a hoax?

[dazthegooner]

Well if it is a hoax it's a bloody good one :)

[Marc Overmars]

:coffee:

Jesus.

Still butt hurt. ;)

[Globalgunner]

Jesus.

Still butt hurt. ;)

Still after all these years. Letters knows how to hold a grudge

[Letters]

Apology accepted :console:

:cool:

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

EVen though I wouldn't want Mourinho near he made an interesting comment
"I Think the biggest problem down there is that they are not doing the obvious things correctly like they’re not playing the correct players in the correct positions...they’re not starting their best players, players like Lucas Torreira who I personally feel was one of the best players in the last World Cup and also for Arsenal playing as the base defensive midfielder, I really don’t understand this situation and also Özil...you have to understand that Mesut is not Messi or Ronaldo, he won’t carry your team single handed, he’s more of a creative genius and a creative genius is only as good as the attack in front of him, all these years at Arsenal he did not have the right players in front of him and now when he does, for some reason he is omitted entirely, people say he is lazy but they can’t be more wrong, Özil works very hard and the football for him it’s not a job like most of the players these days, football is his life, he enjoys football ...In England I have got the idea that people here will prefer guys who can run and run and run for 90 minutes, so even when those guys have a bad game people will say oh atleast he gave it his all, people in England don’t welcome smart runners and Özil is a smart runner...so I think people in England will take a runner over a creative genius.[On what would be Arsenal's best xi] I’d say Leno, Bellerin, Holding, David Luiz, Tierney, Lucas Torreira, Ceballos, Özil, Pepe, Aubameyang, Lacazette. “Why no Guendouzi?” Guendouzi is a fantastic talent but in my career I’ve seen time and time again youngsters with immense talent do nothing because they started starting regularly for their clubs and their desire to improve went with that, they became stale , I don’t want Guendouzi to end up like that, he has leadership qualities as well...I will like to say one thing that Arsenal on paper have one one of the best attacks in the league but are suffering from a lack of creativity"

Bloody hell I actually agree with all of it.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Hold on...I swear I heard the other day Maureen say that if Xhaka should be first team?

[Letters]

Still after all these years. Letters knows how to hold a grudge

After years of you fuckers going on and on about how incompetent Wenger was, how anyone would do better and me being pilloried if I dared suggest that might be a bit simplistic.
Not a grudge no, but yeah, I’ll take the opportunity to say “I bloody told you so!”

:cool:

Which doesn’t mean Wenger should have stayed or that I want him back of course, but any suggestion that he wasn’t the worst football manager around was met with howls of derision.

So, in brief

:fingers:

:cool:

[LDG]

No.

It didn’t matter to most whether we became relegation fodder. People just wanted change for better or worse.

Now we again want change, but for the better. Because we seem to have dispelled the Wenger overlordship, and removed some of the spidersweb he wove that was holding the whole club back.

We have more structure now. So the club is in a better place. We just need a better manager.

With Wenger it was going from bad to worse, and becoming toxic through every root and branch. Sometimes you have to take a step back to take a step forwards.

Emery won’t take is forward however.

[Letters]

That’s all fine, and I actually agree with most of that.
Even if this season does end up being worse than Wenger’s last season, overall we are in a better place because Emery is easier to get rid of than Wenger.
It’s the difference between divorcing a wife of 20 years who you have kids with and leaving a girlfriend you’ve been with 6 months.

BUT, the thing which pissed me off over the last few years is it wasn’t enough to believe Wenger should go.
I’ll admit I was late to that party. I kept faith with him too long.
But towards the end simply wanting him gone wasn’t good enough on here.
You had to believe that Wenger was the worst manager in football.
Literally anyone would do better.
If I gently suggested that was a bit simplistic and while Wenger had become a problem, the club had other problems which removing him wouldn’t fix then I was “sucking Wenger’s cock” and clearly wanted him to stay.
It all got so extreme and ridiculous.

Anyway, Emery isn’t taking us anywhere, I’m disappointed as I honestly thought he’d give us a bit more. I can’t even work out what he’s trying to do.

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

EVen though I wouldn't want Mourinho near he made an interesting comment
"I Think the biggest problem down there is that they are not doing the obvious things correctly like they’re not playing the correct players in the correct positions...they’re not starting their best players, players like Lucas Torreira who I personally feel was one of the best players in the last World Cup and also for Arsenal playing as the base defensive midfielder, I really don’t understand this situation and also Özil...you have to understand that Mesut is not Messi or Ronaldo, he won’t carry your team single handed, he’s more of a creative genius and a creative genius is only as good as the attack in front of him, all these years at Arsenal he did not have the right players in front of him and now when he does, for some reason he is omitted entirely, people say he is lazy but they can’t be more wrong, Özil works very hard and the football for him it’s not a job like most of the players these days, football is his life, he enjoys football ...In England I have got the idea that people here will prefer guys who can run and run and run for 90 minutes, so even when those guys have a bad game people will say oh atleast he gave it his all, people in England don’t welcome smart runners and Özil is a smart runner...so I think people in England will take a runner over a creative genius.[On what would be Arsenal's best xi] I’d say Leno, Bellerin, Holding, David Luiz, Tierney, Lucas Torreira, Ceballos, Özil, Pepe, Aubameyang, Lacazette. “Why no Guendouzi?” Guendouzi is a fantastic talent but in my career I’ve seen time and time again youngsters with immense talent do nothing because they started starting regularly for their clubs and their desire to improve went with that, they became stale , I don’t want Guendouzi to end up like that, he has leadership qualities as well...I will like to say one thing that Arsenal on paper have one one of the best attacks in the league but are suffering from a lack of creativity"

I won't believe Mourinho said this until I see some video evidence- in fact that still wouldn't be enough to convince me!!

Whoever wrote this has been really paying attention to us and if it indeed came from a manager with any repute- he deserves to replace Emery immediately.

I really can't believe Emery is so obtuse that he can't see all of this- especially the Guendozi part. Wow, the whole analysis is just so perfect, wow

[KSE Comedy Club]

That’s all fine, and I actually agree with most of that.
Even if this season does end up being worse than Wenger’s last season, overall we are in a better place because Emery is easier to get rid of than Wenger.
It’s the difference between divorcing a wife of 20 years who you have kids with and leaving a girlfriend you’ve been with 6 months.

BUT, the thing which pissed me off over the last few years is it wasn’t enough to believe Wenger should go.
I’ll admit I was late to that party. I kept faith with him too long.
But towards the end simply wanting him gone wasn’t good enough on here.
You had to believe that Wenger was the worst manager in football.
Literally anyone would do better.
If I gently suggested that was a bit simplistic and while Wenger had become a problem, the club had other problems which removing him wouldn’t fix then I was “sucking Wenger’s cock” and clearly wanted him to stay.
It all got so extreme and ridiculous.

Anyway, Emery isn’t taking us anywhere, I’m disappointed as I honestly thought he’d give us a bit more. I can’t even work out what he’s trying to do.

I think it had got to the point that it was the only option left to get the message across and get everyone singing from the same hymn sheet.
In the end the result was correct.

Unfortunately, we ended up making do with a great power point presentation rather then a coach that would actually be strong and good enough to take us forward.

I always said I would give him three seasons to make his mark, but he isn't good enough to get two, sadly :(

[KSE Comedy Club]

News story doing the rounds today, not just from one outlet either :unsure: :popcorn:


https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1197416/Jose-Mourinho-Unai-Emery-Arsenal



Jose Mourinho may be in line to replace Unai Emery at Arsenal as Special One eyes comeback

Arsenal could turn to Jose Mourinho if they decide to part ways with Unai Emery.
Arsenal are reportedly looking to hire Jose Mourinho if they decide to call time on Unai Emery’s tenure at the Emirates.

Emery is currently under intense pressure in north London, which has increased after Arsenal threw away a two-goal lead at home to Crystal Palace on Sunday.
The Gunners have won just two of their last five Premier League games, and are already losing ground in the race for the top four.
Instead of catching up with fourth-place Chelsea, who are four points ahead of them, they are more concerned with the drop behind them, with three points separating themselves from 11th-placed arch rivals Tottenham.
And, with Emery’s position believed to be under serious threat, Mourinho is to be the ideal candidate, according to The Sun.

The Portuguese boss has been without a club since last December, when he was sacked by Manchester United.

The ‘Chosen One’ had been tipped to return to Real Madrid, with Zinedine Zidane under pressure at the Bernabeu.
Real have dropped down to sixth in La Liga, and have failed to get the best out of their £275million summer acquisitions.
However, after last week’s Champions League win over Galatasaray, it is believed Zidane’s position is not under immediate threat.

This leaves Arsenal as one of the most viable options for Mourinho.

According to Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas, the 56-year-old has already decided on his next role.
Earlier this month, he confirmed he attempted to hire Mourinho, but was rejected.

Aulas said: “We had some fairly flattering exchanges over SMS. It was nice for everyone.

"He did not accept our proposal to meet because he has already chosen another club."

[Letters]

:ilt:

[GP]

I would literally rather eat shit.

[Letters]

I doubt this is based on much other than Mourinho may be sniffing around PL clubs.

[dostoy]

I would literally rather eat shit.

Mourinho is an intelligent man and would probably do a good job for 2 years before it all turns to shit.

He will not become manager at Arsenal because Emery is very popular with Stan and Josh.

We all know what Mourinho is but how much do we all want Arsenal to get into the top 4 and challenge Man City and Liverpool ?

That is a billion miles away at the moment.

[Özim]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50229350

Boohoo, poor Xhaka needs counselling, he feels it deeply inside, he's devastated, poor little mite:crying:

So devasted he's not even apologised to the fans, either way though, we don't want him back as captain in the team, the sooner he leaves this club the better, I hope the fans at the stadium make it clear.

Emery's ideal situation is Xhaka playing again and being supported by the fans, of course it s because this guy thinks he's the best thing since sliced bread.

Kinda good this happened or we'd have never got rid of this guy out of the 1st team whilst Emery is here, now it's kinda been taken out of his hands and it needed to be because someone needs to take over managing this team and give Emery minimal say in team matters.

[GP]

Mourinho is an intelligent man and would probably do a good job for 2 years before it all turns to shit.

He will not become manager at Arsenal because Emery is very popular with Stan and Josh.

We all know what Mourinho is but how much do we all want Arsenal to get into the top 4 and challenge Man City and Liverpool ?

That is a billion miles away at the moment.

He's a cock. I don't want him here under any circumstances.

[Letters]

We all know what Mourinho is but how much do we all want Arsenal to get into the top 4 and challenge Man City and Liverpool ?

Not that much.
And look at the toxic mess he leaves behind.

[Letters]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50229350

Boohoo, poor Xhaka needs counselling, he feels it deeply inside, he's devastated, poor little mite:crying:

So devasted he's not even apologised to the fans, either way though, we don't want him back as captain in the team, the sooner he leaves this club the better, I hope the fans at the stadium make it clear.

Emery's ideal situation is Xhaka playing again and being supported by the fans, of course it s because this guy thinks he's the best thing since sliced bread.

Kinda good this happened or we'd have never got rid of this guy out of the 1st team whilst Emery is here, now it's kinda been taken out of his hands and it needed to be because someone needs to take over managing this team and give Emery minimal say in team matters.


"It is not only yesterday and today. He is feeling the supporters don't like him."

Where would he get that idea? :unsure:

[IBK]

On reflection, I think that the problem with Xhaka is that he has become the lightening rod for the manager's mistakes/incompetence. Its understandable, if a bit unfair that the player has become the target for a dysfunctional midfield that is wasting the talent at our team's disposal, but that's always the problem - it is the player directly in the public view week in week out. My take on Xhaka is that until the weekend, he was pretty much a decent professional who never hid as club captain. It is Emery who created the situation, both by treating Xhaka as undroppable; failing to see that his strengths and weaknesses are wrong for the team and then compounding this by making him captain. IMO, the player knows all this - and I think his reaction was a combination of shock hurt and frustration that he was the one copping the flack for Emery's mistakes.

If Xhaka is respected and liked by the players, I suppose that this is not the worst reason to make him captain, in the absense of the other factors. The problem is first and foremost the manager's tactical shortomings. That said, while I can relate to his emotional outburst, Xhaka has now made worse. We live in times where every incident is analysed to the nth degree and often overblown. Personally, I would just tend to move on and forget Sunday, but the baying mob demands its piece of flesh now, so not issuing an apology - even if it sticks in the throat from the player's perspective - isn't clever.

Overall, I am not surprised that this has happened under Emery's watch though. He really is a poor manager and I would love to see him gone.

[Marc Overmars]

There’s barely anything likeable about the team as it is, so if Mourinho became manager that would just finish me off.

[Bumble]

There’s barely anything likeable about the team as it is, so if Mourinho became manager that would just finish me off.

it would also kill off the youth players, as at least there is some hope and enjoyment there. Also Kroenke hiring Mourinho would mean he had to dip into this pockets to fund the many many players he would want to bring in.

I would still like to see Vieira given a go.

[Globalgunner]

Mourinho is toxic. There are several managers right now in the EPL who would improve us instantly in my opinion. Who needs Mourinho and his eye gouging abrasive ways.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

He would improve us but there are plenty of managers who would. Doesn't have to be him. Never darken our doors again Maureen. Go for somebody else.

I'd still welcome Jardim here.

[Letters]

The whole relationship between the club and the fans has broken down.
It's entirely the club's fault.
Their social media presence is embarrassing.
Oh look, here's the players doing a little quiz.
Here's the players in their new suits, don't they look dapper!
Oh fuck off! Just fuck off, stop pratting around and start winning some games, you wankers. :fury:

[Özim]

Club decide against disciplining Xhaka, absolutely pathetic to be honest.

https://metro.co.uk/2019/10/30/arsenal-decide-disciplining-granit-xhaka-due-fragile-mental-health-11009608/

(https://metro.co.uk/2019/10/30/arsenal-decide-disciplining-granit-xhaka-due-fragile-mental-health-11009608/)

[Özim]

On reflection, I think that the problem with Xhaka is that he has become the lightening rod for the manager's mistakes/incompetence. Its understandable, if a bit unfair that the player has become the target for a dysfunctional midfield that is wasting the talent at our team's disposal, but that's always the problem - it is the player directly in the public view week in week out. My take on Xhaka is that until the weekend, he was pretty much a decent professional who never hid as club captain. It is Emery who created the situation, both by treating Xhaka as undroppable; failing to see that his strengths and weaknesses are wrong for the team and then compounding this by making him captain. IMO, the player knows all this - and I think his reaction was a combination of shock hurt and frustration that he was the one copping the flack for Emery's mistakes.

If Xhaka is respected and liked by the players, I suppose that this is not the worst reason to make him captain, in the absense of the other factors. The problem is first and foremost the manager's tactical shortomings. That said, while I can relate to his emotional outburst, Xhaka has now made worse. We live in times where every incident is analysed to the nth degree and often overblown. Personally, I would just tend to move on and forget Sunday, but the baying mob demands its piece of flesh now, so not issuing an apology - even if it sticks in the throat from the player's perspective - isn't clever.

Overall, I am not surprised that this has happened under Emery's watch though. He really is a poor manager and I would love to see him gone.

I think the problem with his is he's sub standard and we've had far too many sub standard players in the last 15 years. On top of that as we saw against Palace he actively tries to make himself unavailable to receive the ball, totally unacceptable.

I agree it's Emerys' fault, but the player has to take some responsibility as well, he was the one casually walking off when we needed a goal, it stinks of lack of effort and not caring at all.

[Özim]

Apparently Xhaka removed the photo of him in an Arsenal shirt and replaced it with one of him in his Switzerland shirt on Instagram.

Seems quite petty.

[Gooner23]

Club decide against disciplining Xhaka, absolutely pathetic to be honest.

https://metro.co.uk/2019/10/30/arsenal-decide-disciplining-granit-xhaka-due-fragile-mental-health-11009608/

(https://metro.co.uk/2019/10/30/arsenal-decide-disciplining-granit-xhaka-due-fragile-mental-health-11009608/)

As long as he's stripped of the captaincy and relegated to the bench / Europa league duty I dont really care that much.

[KSE Comedy Club]

As long as he's stripped of the captaincy and relegated to the bench / Europa league duty I dont really care that much.

If they are going down that road then he definitely cannot continue as captain, no way. He doesn't have the mental strength for the role.

Hopefully Emery will be sacked soon anyway.

[IBK]

I think the problem with his is he's sub standard and we've had far too many sub standard players in the last 15 years. On top of that as we saw against Palace he actively tries to make himself unavailable to receive the ball, totally unacceptable.

I agree it's Emerys' fault, but the player has to take some responsibility as well, he was the one casually walking off when we needed a goal, it stinks of lack of effort and not caring at all.

Oh yes - Xhaka has to take some blame for the way he behaved, but he can't be blamed for not being the player that we need in his position. The situation - and the toxic atmosphere that now exists is down to Emery.

[LDG]

Xhaka’s statement :(

Huge credit to him in all fairness for a considered response.

How sad that some “fans” can resort to such awful comments in the name of supporting our club.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50257148

Whatever you think about him as a player, nobody needs that kind of shit, and puts a little into context his reaction.

Sad times

[dazthegooner]

Well maybe us fans were a bit harsh but he shouldn't be captain or in the first team he just isn't good enough and the only person to blaim is Emery or picking him.

[Penguin]

I feel sorry for Xhaka, there's no excuse for threats to his wife and children. But if you can't handle abuse on social media from toxic teenagers, then have the sense to get the hell off social media. :doh:

[Letters]

I actually think we are a fairly shitty set of fans.
We have become so spoiled and entitled.
Partly because of Wenger’s early years with us, but partly because of the way the club behave.
They treat as customers and they charge a lot for their product so we expect it to be high quality.
That fan/club relationship has been deeply eroded.
I don’t think that’s a problem unique to Arsenal but we are one of the worst IMO.

Oh, and kudos to Xhaka for his statement. He isn’t good enough and he shouldn’t be captain but Emery has put him in this position. I hope the fans get behind him.

[Gooner23]

I'm not sure on the Xhaka statement at all. The online abuse is disgusting and totally unacceptable, but I don't think that should be conflated with what happened in the stadium. That was Arsenal fans showing a genuine dissatisfaction with what was happening on the pitch, and a frustration with recent results and performances. Personally I wouldn't boo one of my own players, but I can understand why it happened and his actions only made it worse. He was never fit to be captain, and that is on Emery to fix now. Just a complete mess all round.

[Özim]

Very lame statement, obviously online abuse it terrible and shouldnt happen and it's a small minority (maybe he should just close his Instagram account), but there's no apology, just a sorry if people thought he was being disrespectful which isn't apoligising. On top of that it took him 5 days to come out with this after being prompted by everyone at the club.

Many fans won't be very happy with this and who can blame them there's no apology or regret for his behaviour, online abuse as mentioned by Gooner23 has nothing to do with the fans at the stadium so it's irrelevant to be honest.

Also doesn't change the fact he's rubbish and doesn't put enough effort on the pitch, at fault for the 2nd goal on Sunday due to lack of hunger to stop the attacking player.

The club should have also disciplined him, to not do so because of his fragile mental state is ridiculous, loads of players have had far worse, Beckham when he got sent of for England, Ronaldo I'm sure, Iwobi, Walcott and the list goes on, none of them behaved like he did. For me the club doing nothing sends out the message that players can get away with anything they want, this club is so soft from top to bottom, it's the reason we've had so many substandard players sticking around for so long and that we never succeed, we're just not ruthless enough.

[Özim]

I feel sorry for Xhaka, there's no excuse for threats to his wife and children. But if you can't handle abuse on social media from toxic teenagers, then have the sense to get the hell off social media. :doh:

Spot on, plus other players get this all the time, unfortunately it's the ugly side of social media and unacceptable, but if you can't handle this then you should just get off social media and you then won't have to put up with it.

[Globalgunner]

There are idiots everywhere including amongst us Arsenal fans. Its just the nature of society nowadays that every moron has a megaphone to broadcast his views. Previously he would be restricted to shouting himself hoarse in the stands. Now thay cant get away with even that.

Xhaka is a crap football player full stop. Some players are limited but at least are good athletes and able to do the one thing they are supposed to be able to do. E.g Jordan Henderson at Liverpool. Technically not the best, but a willing runner all day who sees the game and is equipped to do the things he is supposed to do, such as stop opposition offensive plays without garnering 2 yellows in every match. I would swap Xhaka for Henderson in a millisec and i dont rate Henderson at all.

Xhaka is just an awful footballer, he deserves all the abuse he gets, but his wife and kids should be left out of it. He should ignore the idiots and not use that to excuse his own crappy game.

[GP]

I actually think we are a fairly shitty set of fans.
We have become so spoiled and entitled.
Partly because of Wenger’s early years with us, but partly because of the way the club behave.
They treat as customers and they charge a lot for their product so we expect it to be high quality.
That fan/club relationship has been deeply eroded.
I don’t think that’s a problem unique to Arsenal but we are one of the worst IMO.

Oh, and kudos to Xhaka for his statement. He isn’t good enough and he shouldn’t be captain but Emery has put him in this position. I hope the fans get behind him.

I agree. The fanebase is really toxic.

[Mac76]

i think Emery is to blame for not realising how making Xhaka captain would put him front and centre af any disatisfaction re the club's failures on the pitch - although knowing what a coward he is, maybe Emery even did it deliberately to avoid some of the flak himself - after all he didn't have the guts to make the appointment in the usual way, instead having that ridiculous 'vote' where everyone just went for who they knew Emery wnated to win

[Özim]

To not discipline Xhaka after that debacle is very poor judgement, he was wrong his behaviour was unacceptable, this on the back of a lack of desire and effort on the pitch a fine should have definitely followed, as should telling him in no uncertain terms this behaviour won't be tolerated.

Instead they've mollycoddled him, it's a pretty poor show to be honest. This club doesn't value it's fans like it should which is perhaps why they grow so frustrated.

[Özim]

i think Emery is to blame for not realising how making Xhaka captain would put him front and centre af any disatisfaction re the club's failures on the pitch - although knowing what a coward he is, maybe Emery even did it deliberately to avoid some of the flak himself - after all he didn't have the guts to make the appointment in the usual way, instead having that ridiculous 'vote' where everyone just went for who they knew Emery wnated to win

Emery is definitely to blame, that doesn't absolve the player though, he's paid a lot of money and should be doing his best on the pitch, he hasn't been, I think MOTD showed how he was doing his best not to receive the ball, the 2nd goal also showed a lack of effort and the walking off a lack of care or hunger for victory, that's all on him. But yes Emery should have never made him captain, he's shouldn't even be a regular to be honest, some might argue he's not even good enough to be at the club.

[IBK]

There are idiots everywhere including amongst us Arsenal fans. Its just the nature of society nowadays that every moron has a megaphone to broadcast his views. Previously he would be restricted to shouting himself hoarse in the stands. Now thay cant get away with even that.

Xhaka is a crap football player full stop. Some players are limited but at least are good athletes and able to do the one thing they are supposed to be able to do. E.g Jordan Henderson at Liverpool. Technically not the best, but a willing runner all day who sees the game and is equipped to do the things he is supposed to do, such as stop opposition offensive plays without garnering 2 yellows in every match. I would swap Xhaka for Henderson in a millisec and i dont rate Henderson at all.

Xhaka is just an awful footballer, he deserves all the abuse he gets, but his wife and kids should be left out of it. He should ignore the idiots and not use that to excuse his own crappy game.

I have to say I take issue with this. Xhaka is not a 'crap footballer'. He is limited in what he can do, certainly, and is clearly not suitable either for the role that he has been chosen to perform for Arsenal or perhaps more generally for a top team in the EPL. However, as far as I am aware he has been captain for every team that he has played for, and for his national team. That is not the career of a crap player, and whats more it is clear that his fellow professionals at Arsenal regard him with respect - again not something that would happen if he was as poor as you make out.

This is the problem with football (and society) today. It is the default position that things are black and white, and they are not. The whole situation with Xhaka and the captaincy is a clusterfuck of the manager's making, not the player's. He made a big mistake by reacting in the way that he did, but this is really a side issue. It's not as though had he quietly left the pitch and taken a seat on the subs bench the disenchatment with the way we are playing would have gone away. I was embarrassed to hear our own fans cheering his substitution, and Xhaka has been treated poorly by the fans and totally mismaneged by Emery. If we think that behaving like this towards one of our own players will do anything but hurt our team, then I am afraid we are mistaken.

[Mac76]

Emery is definitely to blame, that doesn't absolve the player though, he's paid a lot of money and should be doing his best on the pitch, he hasn't been, I think MOTD showed how he was doing his best not to receive the ball, the 2nd goal also showed a lack of effort and the walking off a lack of care or hunger for victory, that's all on him. But yes Emery should have never made him captain, he's shouldn't even be a regular to be honest, some might argue he's not even good enough to be at the club.

yes i wasn't absolving Xhaka, and i've made all the points you make elsewhere, i'm more just saying that Emery set up a situation where the fans had Xhaka upfront as a target for criticism.

but serparately, isn't being stripped of the captaincy a form of discipline though, so seems odd to say they're taking no action...?

[Özim]

yes i wasn't absolving Xhaka, and i've made all the points you make elsewhere, i'm more just saying that Emery set up a situation where the fans had Xhaka upfront as a target for criticism.

but serparately, isn't being stripped of the captaincy a form of discipline though, so seems odd to say they're taking no action...?

Firstly they haven't actually stripped him of the captaincy, weren't they letting the players choose whether he stayed on or not, but even if they did, I'm not sure he would care that much, he's not you're committed type on the pitch or a leader, it would probably be doing him a favour.

IMO he should have been fined, best way to hurt these guys is in their pocket as they don't care enough on the pitch these days.

Also they confirm he isn't being discipined here:

https://metro.co.uk/2019/10/30/arsenal-decide-disciplining-granit-xhaka-due-fragile-mental-health-11009608/

[Marc Overmars]

Can understand his reaction if he’s equating the disgusting online abuse to what he was receiving in the ground. It’s a shame scumbags have a platform now to dish out the kind of abuse they would never have the guts to say to a players face. If you’re going to nail a player, just keep it to what you see on the pitch.

The relationship between the club and the fans has completely gone. Unfortunately that is the root of the problem.

[Özim]

The online abuse happened afterwards, it doesn't excuse his reaction in anyway.

But also players don't have to be on Instagram, twitter etc, it's a choice, they can just as easily remove themselves from it, it also took him 5 days to actually say anything.

[Özim]

Interesting article about Emery, the Xhaka situation and how he chose not to apologise, Ozil, the young players and his communication issues.


Granit Xhaka, Mesut Ozil and ‘dressing room piss-taking’: What’s really going on at Unai Emery’s Arsenal

He has not completely lost the dressing room – yet – but Emery’s problems are mounting

It is a familiar sound around Arsenal’s London Colney base, often followed by stifled sniggering.

Many of the club’s younger players now openly do impressions of Unai Emery, in a way that is a lot more cynical than those light-hearted “good ebening” internet memes.

That greeting is one of the few elements that give the Arsenal manager a bit of public personality, but one of many elements some of his squad will – in the words of one training ground source – “mercilessly take the piss out of”.

And while some of that is typical behaviour under any boss, it is here typical of a club where his very direction and authority is under question.

So much for the sense that underlay a lot of the 2018-19 season, where it often felt that a lack of identity at Arsenal was making their matches much less interesting.

This Saturday’s home fixture against Wolves is now full of intrigue, way beyond the basic football necessity that Emery needs to get a first Premier League win in four.

It offers an effective referendum on so much to do with the club.

Most immediately, there is the wonder on whether Emery will go back on so much that he has said, and pick Mesut Ozil. It feels like he has to, after the German’s most recent performance against Liverpool. It emphasises how Emery can’t seem to do right for wrong at the moment.

Then there’s the most recent crisis. Will he play Granit Xhaka after last week’s reaction to fan abuse? Will he make him captain?

Before even that, the game’s very programme notes will offer a storyline, and a news story. Much will be revealed by whether Xhaka even writes them.

Most of all, though, this match offers another referendum on Emery. So much of Arsenal’s current problems stem from the confusion and uncertainty that have characterised by his reign. His lack of assertiveness has added to a lot of these problems, not least the Xhaka situation.

That whole episode has the potential to define Emery’s tenure, going right back to how the captaincy was decided on, with that squad vote.

Xhaka eventually issued an explanation on Thursday night, although it fell short of an outright apology, and didn’t mention either Emery or the support of the club. Sources have maintained all week that one of the issues was that the Swiss international just didn’t agree with the manner of the apology suggested. Those who know the player also dispute the image Emery painted of him as being “upset, devastated and sad”, as well as the idea mental health is any kind of concern.

They say he is “angrily unwavering” on principles like this. The statement arguably proves this.

Emery, however, has backed himself into a corner where he can’t be unwavering at all. His and the club’s general handling of this has created a situation where it’s almost no-win.

If Xhaka does not start, the questions will start over whether he was mentally right to play.

If he does play but is not captain, it will show he has been demoted and effectively punished.


If he does play and is captain, it will show the manager didn’t have the conviction of his own words from Tuesday.

This is how badly it’s been handled, with Emery having already run the risk of upsetting one of the players that had been behind him.

Those numbers are steadily falling, which is what all this is really about.

All of the club’s current issues come from a lack of clarity, a lack of assertiveness.

That applies to everything from to the identity of the team, to the line-ups, to the delivery of instructions over how they’re supposed to be playing.

One coach at another top-six club recently told the Independent that “communication and game insight” are pretty much the keys to management, and if there is fair debate over the latter with Emery, there is no debate over the former.

Some of the players do genuinely struggle to understand what he is saying. That is a problem he similarly had at Paris Saint-Germain, even if it comes from an otherwise admirable insistence on speaking the language of the country he’s working in. It’s just that he doesn’t speak it well enough.

It would similarly be wrong to say that Emery has totally lost the dressing room. It’s not at that level. Many of the players like him personally, and even find some of the “good ebening” quirks endearing, while a good portion of those regularly playing still support him as manager.

They aren’t massively backing him, though, and there is a feeling he is “losing that changing room bit by bit”.

The Xhaka issue similarly isn’t as much of a talking point for those inside the club as outside, but the captain’s closer friends in the squad are invested.

Some players – including some of the more senior players – are “just not having” Emery.

They wonder whether he’s even that good. There are plenty that doubt the tactics. Emery doesn’t seem to want to work on their weaknesses.

Many of the players feel that too much changes from game to game, which is how the team can go from careful possession to chaotic pressing and then counter-attacking, with no real core guiding identity.

The irony is this comes from immensely detailed training sessions, but this has led to utter chaos in terms of the consistency of the performances.

At the moment, you don’t know what you’re going to get from Arsenal, although it does feel that they are one of the few clubs that could go through what happened at Anfield on Wednesday. They came from behind to be 3-1 up, 4-2 up and then 5-4 up in the 94th minute, only to still get eliminated.

This all speaks to the lack of direction, to the lack of underlying principles that harden teams like Liverpool and Manchester City.

And some of it admittedly comes from the situation that Emery was chosen out of.

He was initially picked as head coach to be just another part of a more multi-faceted technical structure that was specifically designed to dilute the power of the manager after Arsene Wenger, but the problem is so much of that has already changed around him.

It means there is more onus on a manager who hasn’t always shown himself interested in such force of personality.

Many would doubt the force of his personality at all, with questions over his authority over players going way back past PSG and right through his career. It was a huge issue at Valencia.

So many of the other issues we’ve already seen at Arsenal go right back through his career too: questionable tactics and in-game management.

One big question when he was appointed was over those three Europa Leagues with Sevilla. Did they indicate a trophy-winner waiting for the step-up, or merely reflect that he was a second-tier manager?

Arsenal are offering another referendum with that, starting with this weekend.

It should be stressed that there is no current will to sack him, but many of the hierarchy do feel content they did not extend his contract in the summer. They are now just as content to decide on his future at the end of the season, but a series of situations coming together right now make this a crossroads period.

If it goes bad on Saturday, it could get really bad. It could be good night, rather than good evening, and with no mirth around it.

Emery needs to show a surer hand than ever before.



https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/arsenal-emery-xhaka-ozil-behind-the-scenes-a9180336.html

Personally I think the club should have thrown the book at Xhaka, he's not the guy in charge.

[Letters]

The relationship between the club and the fans has completely gone. Unfortunately that is the root of the problem.

Correct.
How do you relate to someone who is on 6 figures a week who quite honestly doesn’t even seem as good or as committed as some of the guys we used to watch back in the day who earned a fraction of that.
Although I think the lack of “local lads made good” is a factor, it’s not just about xenophobia - Henry and Bergkamp are two massive Arsenal heroes and they’re not GHELs, but aside from being absolutely brilliant and in successful sides, they seemed to “get” what playing for The Arsenal is about.
These twats that swan in now from all over the place, you know they’ll be off the minute someone comes waving a bigger cheque under their noses.
And the club are just a big business now who treat us as customers. They know we can’t take our custom elsewhere, all we can do is withdraw it which is what many people have done. Unfortunately Arsenal have carefully cultivated a huge global fanbase so there are plenty more people to fill our seats.
Sky started all this shit, the PL is when the big money really started rolling in.
They promised us a “whole new ball game” and boy did they deliver.
It’s rotten to the core.

[fakeyank]

Xhaka is a POS.. his statement is a testament of that. Every public person gets online abuse and they are usually disgusting. He is trying to mask his failure as a football player on a handful of online abuse he got. He can fuck right off.. the cunt.

And Emery can fuck off right with him.