For the first time in nearly two years Arsenal will be managed by a proper Arsenal man. When Aaron Ramsey was allowed to leave, I worried less about the player we were losing more the person. Having been around for a decade, it was long enough for him to understand the values of the club and understand Arsenal’s identity.
With him joining other long serving British talent through the exit door, suddenly who was ‘Mr Arsenal’? Who was our version of Liverpool’s Gerrard or Chelsea’s Terry?
We bridged that gap by hiring Edu to work behind the scene,s while promoting Freddie Ljungberg from our underage groups. It’s something we should have done years earlier, especially when the leadership of our squad came into question.
The more you can surround yourself with winners, people who know the meaning of the crest, who have worn the shirt with pride, the better. Imagine surrounding yourself during the week with someone who understands Arsenal’s identity, who can empathise with the pressure that you’re feeling?
When Freddie swapped roles with Bould in the summer, I like to think he was being groomed for this opportunity one day. That wouldn’t have been a decision made by Emery but a club’s choice. Who better to educate the youngsters then a man would have been taught by Mr Wenger the right way of playing?
Freddie would have been supportive of the current regime, but I would be shocked if he agrees with 5 at the back or 3 DM’s. We need to be aware of mistakes made with the likes of Di Matteo and Solskjaer.
Interim bosses have an advantage of telling disgruntled players what they want to hear, it’s different when it becomes a full-time gig.
Just for a moment though, however short it is, maybe we have Arsenal’s identity back?
Dan Smith
Personally I wish Freddie Ljundberg all the best. Time will tell, but hopefully he has more credibility than many of Arsenal’s under performing players and can move on those who fail to support him.
I am so pleased for freddy to get this chance,im a lifelong supporter
And saw my first game at highbury in1954.so please get behind him and the team.
Leno
Bellerin Chambers Holding Tierney
Torreira Willock
Pepe Ozil Auba/Saka/Martinelli
Laca/Auba
Changes:
Want to see Chambers given a go at CB and Tierney to start.
Want Torreira to stay at DM + Willock was a bull under Freddie in the U23 and want to see him progress to the next stage. Both offer energy in the middle.
Pepe on wing while the team plays free-flowing football + Ozil at CAM and one of Saka/Martinelli Auba on the other wing.
I want to see old arsenal style with 442 formation
Direct passing and counter attack
No more deep lying playmaker or what ever again
The Invincibles played with 4-4-1-1 or 4-2-3-1:
………….. Lehmann
Lauren . Toure . Campbell . Cole
Ljungberg . Vieira . Gilberto . Pires
………….. Bergkamp
………….. Henry
youtube.com/watch?v=79B0tzITLY0&t=565s
What is the difference between 3 at the back and 5 at the back ?
what do you mean by 3 defensive midfielders ?
what would you do if the selections remained similar ? because I realistically think it’s very likely
North London Derby for example he started with Xakha, Guendozi and Torreria
That’s 3 DM
Never said there was a difference between 5 or 3 at the back ?
What would I do if selection was the same ? Nothing I can do lol But I would suggest Freddie wants the job full time and would be silly to do exactly the same as the guy who just got sacked
DanSmith is correct when he says we need many winners around the squad. I mean past players and those whose hearts are Arsenal through and through. The great period of Liverpool domination from late sixties til 1990 was packed with explayers and coaches who were clubmen to their core. And this translates to players. I have said time and again that NO PLAYER whose heart is not with us and who slacks when playing should be anywhere within a million miles of our club. Other lesser clubs like Sheff Utd, Wolves, Burnley and Palace are packed with inferior players to ours BUT who really care about the shirt, their own personal pride as a professional and feel a duty of honour to their teammates, the badge and us fans. Otherwise I would kick all out the door, irrespective of natural ability. Are you listening Ozil, Walcot, Luiz, Mkhi and Co , both past and present? Real fight amd 100% committment ALL the time triumphs over half hearted coasting shirkers. Why do more fans not SEE THIS TRUTH! Ask yourself how many players we have right now 100% fight 100% to the death and then ask yourself why we are in this plight. It seems a coincidence too far to note that the most successful teams are those who CONSISTENTLY fight hardest, yet so many fans fail to work out why that is!
Well said JF, Kevin Campbell and Lee
Judges echoed your sentiments on
there AFTV program earlier this week.
They essentially stated that for far
to long the Arsenal player selection
has been dominated by big names and
even big price tags, not the passion
to play for the badge. KC mentioned
that teams like Shelfied United,
Burnley, and Wolves have proper
futbolers that play for the shirt
and execute the basic tenets
of the game that have sadly gone
missing @ the Emirates. I dont
necessarily want Nuno as Arsenals
next manager but if he was given
the job and opportunity to bring
Neves, Boli and Cody with him I
would bet what little I have in my
piggy bank that Arsenal would finish
in the top four.
👍 👍
It’s hard in life to know what is best…life is unpredictable. We watch Arsenal but in general we are not in the dressing room, not at training so we cannot make anything happen. But in life even if we do not know how to get what we want we clearly know what we don’t like, what isn’t good, what doesn’t work. In that sense we the supporters know as much as any football expert. Often life is about knowing what we don’t like….even if we don’t know what we do want. We don’t really know, not one of us, how to get what is best. So none of have much idea on who will be the best manager, but we know that things at Arsenal were just wrong…. it had fallen apart. We want the best, but getting it will be uncertain, but we all knew we didn’t want Emery and belatedly we have been listened to. I hope those higher up the echelons make a good decision, because we all know exactly what we don’t like and we will always make that clear.
I think we need to start giving the new board a little more credit than they’re currently getting. Most of what they have done so far has been positive, and timely. For years we have been calling for more ex-players within the structure of the club, and suddenly we get two Invincible’s quick time. Squad assessments are now taking place, and they didn’t delay too long over sacking Emery. They could have possibly pulled the trigger 4-6 weeks ago, but at least it’s a massive improvement on 4-6 years with Wenger.
I hope we do not get ahead of ourselves, and lose focus on the bigger picture. Ljungberg will do better than Emery (because we’re at rock bottom), but that doesn’t mean he’s a viable long-term option. Just look at Solskjaer at Utd. I feel we desperately need someone in with no affiliations with Arsenal, who is also a defensive minded coach. We cannot keep ignoring our main problem. Forget attack, it’s the defending that needs coaching into our players.
Lampard at Chelsea is doing very well, no one mentions him when talking about Freddie.
True, but he already had previous experience with Derby. There is always risk to appointing any manager, but I would rather a serial winner of vast experience, who is defensively minded.
With respect ThirdMan I very much doubt if any Coach on the planet could improve the likes of Sokratis,Luis and Mustafi.They have proved to be mediocre at best, and like Roshan I hope Ljungberg gives Chambers and Holding the opportunity to nail down the CB positions.
I agree on the quality of our defenders, but it’s not just about them. The whole team needs coaching in how to defend as a unit. We have been shocking off the ball for about a decade now, and that needs changing.
I won’t be quick to say we might be getting our Arsenal back. I remembered thinking so when Emery was appointed, I am going to watch things unfold naturally and we can see if there are improvement or nor. Sincerely I don’t think anyone can do worse than Emery.
I am most interested in who plays at RB. I’d prefer Chambers at CB so it seems the only choice is the ‘no-clue-how-to-defend’ Bellerin if passed fit. I often think opposition left wingers look at our team sheet and think ‘Great – powder puff Bellerin is playing at RB. A nice easy day coming up.’
On a lighter note I like the (unintentional) joke at Arsenal Station: ‘Let’s start with the good news and the club have confirmed that Sead Kolasinac is available for selection…’ Hilarious! He’s just as bad at defending as Bellerin and as for getting forward… he should be renamed Sead Kopassitback. Couldn’t beat a training cone if his life depended on it.
Personally i would like that bold move of bringing a 18yr old striker into the team extended into defense.Its time Mavropanos be given playing time with either Holding or chambers.Maybe something great will happen this busy festive period