Arsenal v Southampton, 15.00 Saturday 23 November

[Mac76]

i'll probably drag myself along as I'm fairly local, but if it was any effort to get there i wouldn't bother - we all know it will be the usual uncoordinated mess, with a draw the likely result.

am also thinking of leaving my seat empty in protest - tihs club is f****d until they get rid of Emery

[Marc Overmars]

If we don't win this and rack up a few goals in the process then we'll be even worse than I already think we are.

[AFC Leveller]

Emery says Saints will be tough (he’s right in a way mainly because we are shit) because they were narrowly beaten by City and Spurs.

Saints are an awful side and anything less than 4-0 is not good enough. However, the reality is we will probably make a meal of this game and drop points.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

I expect us to win but won't be surprised by any outcome. Hope it doesn't rain. Will be braced to see how the crowd reacts to Xhaka.

Suppose it makes a change from the unbearable and continuous moaning about Iwobi at the ground last season.

Up the Arse.

[fakeyank]

Hopefully lose this game and rack up the pressure on good ebening

[dazthegooner]

Why does Emery insist on picking Xhaka ok he's had a few ok games for the Swiss but has been poor for us even against the so called lesser teams the sooner he's sold the better.

[Mac76]

Why does Emery insist on picking Xhaka ok he's had a few ok games for the Swiss but has been poor for us even against the so called lesser teams the sooner he's sold the better.

Because Emery's a clueless idiot whose only talent is getting ebery (sic) decision he has to make spectacularly wrong

Hope that helps..

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Arsenal: Leno, Chambers, David Luiz, Sokratis, Bellerin, Torreira, Guendouzi, Tierney, Ozil, Lacazette, Aubameyang.
Subs: Martinez, Mustafi, Maitland-Niles, Willock, Nelson, Pepe, Martinelli.

Southampton: McCarthy, Cedric, Bertrand, Bednarek, Stephens, Armstrong, Ward-Prowse, Hojberg, Redmond, Ings, Obafemi.
Subs: Gunn, Yoshida, Long, Djenepo, Romeu, Boufal, Valery.

[AFC Leveller]

Emery’s new system has no place for the clubs most expensive player. We are at home and he’s playing a 532 for some reason. We’ll see if it makes any difference.

[Mac76]

I'd much rather have holding in for luiz, also probably chambo for sokratis, and also agree re Pepe but presumably they'll all come on at HT when we're 2-0 down...

[AFC Leveller]

Saints go inches wide from scoring inside the first 29 seconds.

[Mac76]

I'd much rather have holding in for luiz, also probably chambo for sokratis, and also agree re Pepe but presumably they'll all come on at HT when we're 2-0 down...

Ah, chambo is playing as well...

[AFC Leveller]

0-1 zings. Quickly taken freekick catches everyone asleep. What a shit show

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Great play from Lacazette for what seems like the first time in ages.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Oh FFS. :haha:

Why didn't they give him the boot?

[AFC Leveller]

Saints look confident and can suss they are up against a side lacking in confidence.

[dostoy]

Mighty Southampton are showing the gulf in class between them and minnows Arsenal at the moment.

[Marc Overmars]

Can you sack someone during a game?

What a dud.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Good first touch from Lacazette, after that, not so much.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Can you sack someone during a game?

What a dud.

Martin Jol. :bow:

[Master Splinter]

I have no problem with advantages like that being given but you nearly always see the ref pull it back and order the free-kick to be taken again.

In fact, it will probably happen later in this match to deny us an advantage.

Referees really do make it up as they go along.

[AFC Leveller]

Saints are finding so much space on the counter. obefemi is through with so much space on the right (weird that because we have 5 defenders out there) and squares it to Ings who fires just over.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Ings could've wrapped it up.

[Thierrymon]

Getting dominated at home to Southampton :doh:

[AFC Leveller]

Ward Prowse shoots but it’s straight at Leno. That’s 8 shots so far this game for them.

Just unbelievable how we concede so many shots and chances every game against anyone.

[Marc Overmars]

If we don’t turn this around I think we’re certainly on for a mid table finish.

You just have to beat these fodder teams at home, no excuses.

[AFC Leveller]

1-1 Laca!!!!!

[Thierrymon]

Laca! 1-1

[McNamara That Ghost...]

LACAZETTE!!!

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Goal given. :bow:

[AFC Leveller]

Saints captain headers, close ! Side netting

[dostoy]

Give it time, VAR will rule it out.

I missed it as I was watching paint dry.

[Thierrymon]

This ref....

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Who even is this ref?

[AFC Leveller]

I honestly don’t remember a worst ref. This guy is booking our players at every opportunity. Cunt. And he denied us a Stonewall pel

[Master Splinter]

There it is!

No quick free-kicks for Arsenal of course.

[Master Splinter]

Even when we're utter crap, the officials still feel the need to cheat to stop us.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

I hate how deep our defenders are yet we still manage to get caught out.

Hojbjerg. :lol:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Ings booked. :faint:

[AFC Leveller]

Saints are more aggressive than us at the minute.

[Thierrymon]

That tackle from Laca, you love to see it.

[GP]

There it is!

No quick free-kicks for Arsenal of course.

And again.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Tierney doing some things.

[Master Splinter]

Ref revelling in his cheating now.

[AFC Leveller]

True say we play some depressing stuff.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Torreira upended.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Sexy flick from Ozil, Lacazette offside.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Smack it Mesut!

[Thierrymon]

Ozil playing fairly well but hasnt been able to get that final delivery right.

[Thierrymon]

Bellerin seems so off the pace.

[Thierrymon]

Take bellerin off for Pepe, back 4 with chambers at right back.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

1-1 HT. More shit.

[AFC Leveller]

Bellerin seems so off the pace.

Definitely

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Pepe is on for Chambers.

Torreira nearly turning it for an OG.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Sokratis volley, deflects behind.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

How hasn't Auba's shot gone in?

[Thierrymon]

Pepe :doh:

shoot ffs.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Oh Pepe.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Leno flaps the Redmond shot over.

[Thierrymon]

Nice from tierney, Pepe hits the bar.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Pepe booked.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

How haven't they scored?

Sokratis. :haha:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Awful from Ozil.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Pelanty to Southampton. Er.

[Thierrymon]

If you dont laugh you will cry.

[GP]

That is an absurd decision.

[Thierrymon]

Ref has been going against us all game, so no surprise he gives them a soft pen.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

1-2 Ward Prowse, Leno had saved the pel.

Emery. :wave:

[Thierrymon]

See ya later Unai. You were terrible.

[GP]

I reckon this ref is Unai out

[Globalgunner]

Ref has been going against us all game, so no surprise he gives them a soft pen.

When you look like suckers everyone will treat you like one.

Ill take it if it gets rid of Emery who is simply useless

[Master Splinter]

Is Attwell actually an Arsenal fan trying to do the club a favour?

Or just a massive cheating cunt trying to outdo Taylor, Dowd and Atkinson?

[McNamara That Ghost...]

We lose at home to a team that can lose 0-9. :bow:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Tierney wipes Bednarek out.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Martinelli on to save us. :bow:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

That's David Luiz he is talking to, commentator idiot.

[dostoy]

A new 2 year contract with a big pay rise will be on the table for Emery to sign tonight.

Its happened before so it might happen again.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

We took four minutes to actually bring on Martinelli.

Willock on also.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

McCarthy saves from Ozil.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

McCarthy saves from Willock's header.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Long just dropped the Ashes.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Willock saves Emery.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Sixth yellow, that's a fine for us. :bow:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

7 minutes Emery time.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

We cannot stop attacks.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

How many chances do Southampton want?

[McNamara That Ghost...]

LACAZETTE!!

[Letters]

Plucky minnows Arsenal claw back a draw vs the mighty Southampton
Us :bow:

[GP]

Laca didn't even celebrate :lol:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

2-2 FT.

Emery. :wave:

[GP]

When was the last time it was this bad? I started watching in 1990-ish... this is the worst I've ever seen.

[LDG]

Fuck off Emery you damp cunt

[dostoy]

When was the last time it was this bad? I started watching in 1990-ish... this is the worst I've ever seen.

Two seasons ago, don't you remember.

[GP]

Two seasons ago, don't you remember.

No, it wasn't this bad.

[Letters]

Well. I just checked and interestingly at this stage 2 years ago we had the same points and goal difference

:lol:

:ilt:

[Niall_Quinn]

Well done Laca, but I didn't like it when you hardly celebrated the goal - don't buy into the bullshit dude. Yeah sure, 2-2 against an absolute pile of shit Southampton whose main tactic seems to be going for the free kick. Not good. Fortunately for them they had Atwell reffing the clown show, so their tactics were very effective. Leaving the sheer incompetence of the ref (I don't think he was cheating, I just think he's THAT incompetent), and the horrific attitude Southampton "Football" Club now have towards football (if Le Tiss was in his grave yet he'd be spinning), in this new, random, VAR lucky dip, let's all throw ourselves to the ground and call it football version of the "Premier" League, getting a point showed a fair degree of spirit. I never thought we'd lose that one because we were so superior to the opposition - and yet, we just aren't very good. Still, when you have the calibre of players we now have, even in a random setting you'll probably get something in the end. And that's what football is reduced to now. The ball goes in the net and the fans... wait to see what VAR says. Football? Not any kind that I recognise.

But now to the "fans". Emery out. Kill Xhaka. Blow up the stadium. Fondle the media who sense blood. Buy a spuds shirt and do their work for them.

About 3 years ago I said if we didn't sack Wenger there and then we'd become a mid-table team. We didn't sack him. We are now a mid-table team. Not rocket science, not brain surgery, just a casual analysis of where Wenger was taking us. When he left he was reduced to being the worst manager British football has ever seen, at the top level. His cancer had infected every root, nook and cranny of the club. He'd converted Adam's and Veiria's and Bergkamp's and Henry's and Pires' and Freddie's and... the list goes on, Arsenal into a footballer's way station where stars went to die and young talent went to showcase themselves ready for the big move that kicked on their career.

Anyone who thinks ANY MANAGER could ever reverse the damage Wenger did in fewer than 3, or 5 or maybe even 10 seasons just hasn't been watching what has happened at Liverpool, or Man Utd, or Chelsea (to a slightly lesser degree). Glory is fleeting and those who bring glory have one campaign in them. It might be an incredibly protracted campaign, like Ferguson's, or a high point in time, like Wenger's, or a violent fuck and run, like Maureen's - but you can't stay at the top forever. The key to managing a decline from glory is ensuring you don't fall too far when the inevitable decline sets in.

But we had Wenger.

In his latter years he ensured that ANY MANAGER coming in to replace him would be fucked from the get-go. The very guts of the club had been ripped out and replaced by an environment that personified weakness, comfort, complacency, the trading on past glories. A weak CEO, a bunch of yes-men gaggling around the naked emperor Wenger. Of course the club fell into decline on every level.

The pro-Wenger excuse of blaming the Kroenke's had now evaporated. We've had £50mill, then £60mill and now £70mill players signed in transfer windows - quality players btw, not the utter bullshit Wenger punted on because OBVIOUSLY he - HE - didn't want to spend the money. Tis much is clear now, we have the hard evidence.

So one and a half seasons in, Emery is the guy who cast himself into the pit with a shovel to see if he could dig us out from this. Doomed from the start, tbh. I didn't much rate him in the first place. I thought he was too weak for the task. I'd have preferred Arteta - a punt that might have (probably not) worked, that could be rectified quickly without much fuss. Emery is a fairly big name (with the accompanying big salary) to chuck in the Wenger hole as temporary filler though. So we may be in a bit of shit here. I doubt very much, unless the results get even worse, we'll see him ousted before the end of the season. Let's just hope he can bring some sort of standard back to this club before he goes. And he'll go, because the first guy in after Wenger was always going to get slaughtered.

Meanwhile though, what about the "fans". From what I can tell, we don't have many left. The Xhaka incident proved that. Yeah, so Xhaka has been playing poorly for years. Let me ask anyone - if your boss comes along and says, do what the fuck you want, I'll give you big wages and I'll never criticise you, let alone sack you - how much motivation are you going to get from that role? Same goes for so many others. The young kids who should have thrived but had to move elsewhere to find a challenge. The vets that should have driven stability into the turf but delivered the minimum required. The actual talent that spent most of their time trying to find the exit.

That's because we had Wenger.

Everything you are seeing today. Wenger. His curse, his disease, his crippling impediment that any manager would have had to face coming into the club.

So go ahead and sack Emery. It won't change a damn thing. The new guy will just do what Emery has been doing. Try to build this back up again, brick by brick, knowing that success is a goal far over the horizon and realising the extent of the journey between where we are now and where we need to be.

Emery wasn't my favoured choice, but I'm not going to crucify him after a few short months tackling mission-close-on-impossible.

Xhaka's not my favourite player. But I'm not... actually, yes I am going to crucify him, because players should give 100% no matter what environment they find themselves in. But singling him out for criticism? Why? Every player has underdelivered in recent history. Every one? And the ones who gave a bit more than the rest, they're gone. On to real football clubs where Wenger's influence doesn't reach.

Want to scream at a loss to Leicester and a draw against the dire Southampton?

Wenger!

Want to lament mid table status and the performances that underpin that status?

Wenger!

Want your Arsenal back?

Talk about it to Wenger - the guy who robbed you.

Blame emery or Kroenke or Xhaka anyone else, if you want - but you are deluding yourselves. It's a LONG LONG road back from WENGER.

Liverpool - how long? Man Utd after the Georgie Best/ Charlton years = how long? Utd after the Fergie's years - may it be a long, long time.

And now Emery has a year and the "fans" are all "Emery Out!" Seriously?

Hey, you have no wallpaper! Yeah, I'm working on the foundations.

Hey, you haven't planted a nice little tree on the front lawn? Yeah, I'm building the walls.

Seriously? Emery out? Why? What did you expect a new manager would bring. The PL and CL double? Even decent football after years of Wengerball? Get a grip. This is going to be a long, long job. Fixing something that is broken in every place will take more than a few months. If Emery isn't they guy to do it, okay. Hound him out. But don't expect magic from the next guy either. Or do - if you want to be totally unreasonable about it.

Anyway - Tierney, Ozil, Pepe, Auba, Laca, Willock, and maybe even a couple more - these are players we can work with.

Next summer - the £80mill defender. If there's one thing I would pick Emery up on is his inability to sort out the defence. Yes, Wenger had virtually eradicated defending from the club, but still, Emery should be able to get the basics right. I still think he's struggling with this ridiculous notion we are Arsenal and we play pure football. Well that hasn't been true for a decade. Let's just get the basics right please.

I thought we did well enough to keep going today and get the draw. We are a mid-table team after all, so nothing is guaranteed. I thought there was a certain resilience in the players. Ozil and Laca gave their all. Bellerin looked pumped, even though he played shite. Tierney was super. Great player. There are positives. But there's a mountain to climb too. Built by Wenger. Maybe consider that for a moment when the whole interweb is gearing up to hound the Spanish guy, and the scummy media sniffs clicks, and the opposition fans gloat.

We stick together or we drown alone. Booing ur captain? Stalking our manager for not being a magician? Maybe a re-think is required. Maybe the latter years of Wenger turned us into professional moaners rather than supporters of Arsenal Football Club.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

He's baaaaaaack.

[LDG]

tldr

[Letters]

NQ :hug:

:bow:

[Xhaka Can’t]

Two seasons ago, don't you remember.

Two seasons ago is beginning to look like the good old days.

[Letters]

Seriously? Emery out? Why? What did you expect a new manager would bring. The PL and CL double?

Honestly, all I expected was some improvement.

I was late to the party but towards the end even I could see that things had got stale under Wenger.
My much mocked "judge him at the end of the season" stance was theoretically right, but it had all got a bit "Groundhog Day" and it was increasingly clear that the pattern of each season was pretty much the same.
I'd become completely disinterested by it all.
Emery's appointment piqued my interest. At last, something different.

I wasn't expecting miracles, but I was hoping for a challenge for a Top 4 finish last season. We got off to a decent start and there were some encouraging signs.
At the end of the season Spurs held the door wide open for us, with our run-in we should have walked through it and we fell flat on our stupid faces.
Whisper it quietly but it was...Wengeresque.

It was no secret that Wenger was poor tactically. Emery was said to be meticulous in his planning for each game. There's no real evidence of that.
Why on earth did he make Xhaka captain?! What was that about?
What's he doing with Ozil? If Emery doesn't rate him then sell him, don't leave our highest paid player out of the squad.
And how the fuck has he contrived to make our defence even worse than a manager who didn't even think defence was needed.

So yes, Emery out. I wasn't expecting miracles but I was expecting some improvement. If anything we've got worse.
Whatever state you think Wenger left us in I refuse to believe that the right manager can't have a positive impact on this lot. It's increasingly clear that isn't Emery.

[Ralpheroo72]

Welcome back NQ