Arsenal turn up the style to destroy Fulham by Konstantin Mitov
Hello, hello and good times to be an Arsenal fan people! It’s been a long time since I felt this happy about the football club. That said, we need to stay “calm” as Unai Emery said. Keep a level head, because it’s too easy to get carried away when results are coming your way and there still is work to be done.
I think Unai Emery deserves immense credit. He looked so angry when we conceded just before half time and I think the second half you all saw what happened. They say managers earn their money at half-time and you can see the difference.
If this was Wenger would you have seen him on the touchline influencing the game the whole time? It’s hard not to make the comparisons, especially after players keep dropping hints that they now receive actual instructions rather than just “go and do your thing”. Imagine what could’ve been had we had the balls to ditch the past like 5 years ago, but it is what it is.
I enjoyed the moments we tried 4-4-2 and I think the result speaks for itself. Lacazette and Aubameyang are quality. Some of the goals were reminiscent of the good old days. Some excellent striker play as well as that team goal Rambo finished was WOW. Take into account that we rotated our front 3 with only Laca being there and I couldn’t even notice Ozil was missing.
The fact that we keep winning is more impressive than the 5-1 scoresheet. We should be beating teams like Fulham with all my respect to them. We used to hammer smaller teams before and I hope this returns with time. What I also vastly enjoyed was how we rotated the squad and looked fresh, regardless of our 6 hour a direction trip to Azerbaijan.
I am impressed, but still I think a top 4 finish is our real target, regardless of the just 2 points gap from the top. We’re repairing years of damage after all. We’re trying to install a winning mentality away from home as well as stopping the leaks at the back which is not something you can determine with just 8 games in the season.
Right now, nobody expects anything from us and we can just focus on working hard. If this keeps going on, people will soon heap the pressure on us and then we’ll need to show another set of qualities that has been missing for years, but the way we tend to spark up in the second half is perhaps a sign of change in that area too. Still, I’d enjoy us starting games faster with more intent, but the results keep piling on and I’m very happy.
Leicester, Sporting, Crystal Palace and Blackpool come up next and they all are teams we should be able to turn over, then Liverpool will be the big one. But we shouldn’t be making any plans for the future. Let’s just focus on Leicester and how to recover fast after the international break and see where we can get done one step at a time. That’s all from me folks. Take care.
KONSTANTIN
I like the fact that everyone knows we just rebuilding our team. The boys are playing with less pressure bt with a lot of confidence & passion to impress the coach. bt I don’t only expect top four spot, I believe DAT IN FOOTBALL ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN.
Exactly…our biggest focus should be the game in front of us and let’s not get carried away.. nothing much was expected at the beginning of the season but some people are starting to take notice with talks of maybe more than the top 4… exactly the type of talks we don’t need…let’s just stay grounded while hoping for the best…
It’s an old adage but true: “one game at a time.” Arsenal has to concentrate on beating Leicester City after the international break, with hopefully all players returning injury free.
Certainly a true adage, though for the first time, I am seriously starting to think we have a realistic chance of fourth place. Many others are surely thinking the same. Others may even be thinking higher. But hey, whisper it only!
How wonderful it is having someone in charge fully focused on football and how the team performs on the pitch.
Emery seems to have a good coaching team behind him too as seen in the improvement of some players. The team spirit is amazing too, even Ozil tries to do the Laca dance when we score lol. Lets sought out the players in the last year quietly whether they are staying or leaving and lets maintain our focus. Fans are doing there bit too keep it up mates.
OT: Miguel Almiron the led is amazing to watch full of skill and pace…hard working play always running and pressing hard most amazing thing about he is on selfish and creative……. Almiron has thunder bolt…..bye bye ? to Ozil and Ramsey…..Am seeing my Arsenal back….(the golden eye thanks for that) Almiron the real deal.
Just watched some footage of “Miggy” on Sky website and there are very strong inducations he’s signing for us in January after the MLS season finishes in December. From what I’ve seen, I say yes please.
Both winning and losing are contagious. It seems th\t the manager has succeeded in bringing some pride back to the squad and restored the importance of a winning mentality. Once you start winning that feeds off itself. Same as you can get used to losing and accept it as part of football.
We are doing better in terms of results than could have been expected by any reasonable fan IMO. And in the Fulham game, we played better than I expected. It has been quite a while since we won games we “should be winning” on paper. Winning the games you should be winning is a big step towards the top 4, the next step is not losing at home against any top 6 teams and stealing some wins from them both at home and on the road.
It is the change in team attitude and spirit that impresses me the most. The lads look like they want to win and like they really care and that the need to win is the starting point. This has been missing IMO.
RVP said in an interview that the difference between Arsenal and Man U was that at Arsenal we try to win at Man U they have to win.
It seems that winning attitude and pride is now slowly coming back and that attitude has to be the foundation of any winning team.
(Also so refreshing to have a manager who actually can influence the outcome of games with his halftime talk and substitutions.)
Ditch the past five years?
What CL, top four finishes, FA cup wins?
WOW,if you need to do it, let’s do comparisions in five years time shall we?
If Emery can produce that kind of cv, better it or even some of it I will be over the moon.
Fantastic start to Emery’s career at our club, couldn’t ask for any more personally.
I was severely tempted to reply with my own long list of what has been wrong these last five, or actually ten years, Ken. But then I thought, why keep repeating myself. I have to accept that you and I see the last decade or so through different lenses and opposite perspectives,though I think you are far closer to me on just the last TWO years, from your several posts. I just don’t see mere fourth place finishes with no serious title challenge and three Cup wins in 13 years as remotely good enough, for a club of our size, bearing in mind what happened before that decade and where we once were. Different expectations. Some might call that different ambitions.
We agree to disagree Jon.
But it will be interesting to look back over a more realistic time frame than just, what eight games, don’t you agree?
I see no reason to think we can’t achieve the successes of those early five years of Wenger’s reign, especially if Emery can persuade Kronkie to suppport him 100% in the transfer windows.
The five new signings are, in my opinion, great assets to the team and shows we have the correct men in place to find those “jewels” that happened back in 2000.
The one absolute advantage that Wenger had was David Dein of course and, if we are to bring in another CEO, to get one of his calibre is a mighty tall order!
As ozziegunner so rightly says…one game at a time, but after watching c**p the last two seasons, haven’t we got the right to feel excited?
What really puzzles me though, is the Ramsey saga.
I have the feeling that Emery wants him to stay (hence the playing time he is giving him) but wants him to tone down his financial demands.
I also got the feeling (from his body language) that Ramsey wants to stay, along with the rest of the team.
Perhaps this is the first real test for Huss Fahhy?
Anyway, looking forward to 4.00 and Durham’s tirade…just can’t help myself!!!
Ken, Agree with every word of this post. How I feel for you having to suffer Durham though. I hadn’t realised you are a masochist though!
Emery has made a good start to his term at Arsenal.He does not appear to be influenced by reputations as seen by his decision to leave Auba and Ramsay on the bench against Fulham.They both responded well when they came on which is what should happen when players are playing for their position.I wander if Ozil will react in a similar fashion when he does not make the starting eleven for the next league match?
Unlike his predecessor, Emery is not influenced by any factors OTHER than what will bring a successful team.The new set up in the club with other people sharing responsibility for new buying players and also who and when some leave, ensures a fresh way of doing things. And for the better, by far. To me , so far, the most wonderful change has been the evident hunger in the team and the togetherness as exampled by when we celebrate a goal.
I should have added, this hunger extends to the current manager too, unlike his predecessor, who was just going through the motions, like many of his then players were too.
Wenger usually just sat down, as if the match day is another day at his office. Perhaps because he is old and doesn’t have a lot of energy to stand/ bark throughout the match
Whereas Emery and his assistant were very active in the field. They organized the four attackers to keep swapping roles, made them difficult to be marked by Fulham defenders
With this new tactic and high level of involvement, Welbeck, Iwobi and Mkhitrayan can penetrate from the wings. I hope they keep using this dynamic tactic
Lacazette 9
He scored at 29th and 49th
Ramsey score 39sec after coming in as a sub
Aubameyang scored at 79th and 91 min
Arsenal making it 9 straight win
#Yah Gunners Yah
Come on Leicester ??we are on ??
The thing that has impressed me is that the hard work and practice drills Unai Emery and his assistant coaches have put the squad through at training has shown winning benefits on match days. Emery was able to have Welbeck and Iwobi run themselves into the ground and then bring on Aubameyang and Ramsey as substitutes. The squad is fitter and the team spirit appears to be greater. When you have worked hard at training, you tend to be more resilient on match day fighting hard for the win. Arsenal this season has shown no signs of flagging in the second half of games.
ozziegunner, agree with you on the second half observations.
What does need to be looked, I feel, is the slow start we have had in every premier league game so far.
don’t know why that’s happening and, so far, Emery has been able to sort it out during the break.
It just might prove very costly if we don’t address this issue, but I’m sure Emery will have sussed it out in time for the Liverpool game.
Team spirit is incredible, even to the point of the players actuall having fun while doing their jobs.
Soooo long since we’ve seen this togetherness at the club, and, I might add, with the supporters as well.
AS SOME, ME INCLUDED, WOULD PUT IT, “THE HARDER YOU WORK, THE LUCKIER YOU GET.”THis is precisely why I could never stand feeble, idle, Walcott. Ozil is fast going the same way. I don’t see him lasting long under Emery, contract or nor contract
Much as I admire his technical ability, Ozil seems to be the only member of the first team squad who does not fully buy into Emery,’s high work ethic as you have alluded to John F.The problem for Emery is how to move him on to free up his ludicrous salary which could be spent on recruiting better quality defenders. A difficult problem for Emery or am I being cynical and can Ozil show his class on a consistent basis?