It is one thing losing away to a team like Everton but it is a whole different ball game when we lose in the manner that we did, and yesterday highlighted a load of issues that we have to confront.
Below I have listed five concerns from the defeat yesterday but the truth is, I could have come up with a load more – and that in itself is a huge worry.
Quality of opponent
They were not actually that good, we made them look good, they are not clinical in front of the goal at all. If they play like that against Man Utd and Tottenham then they will lose. That is one of the biggest disappointments from this game, we lost to a team that two of our opponents have yet to play and the Toffees are well beatable.
Top four route is via away games
We are basically out of time to find a solution to conceding goals on the road and not just that, winning away from home and with four of our six games away from the Emirates then the reality is that if we are to finish top four we have to do it on the road and the signs are we will not be able to.
Unai Emery found wanting
I understand we have injuries and so on, but look at who was on the bench, look at the team he picked, look at the formation, and where the hell was a plan B and all that comes down to Emery, the buck stops with him.
Mesut Ozil
He was our captain, he must stand up and be counted but instead he went missing. Compare his performance as captain to that of Troy Deeney for Watford against Wolves and you will see a clear difference. Ozil does not have that drive, he does not inspire, he lacks passion, he lacks urgency, and far too often he goes missing at crucial times.
Lack of depth
We simply have no real quality in depth. We do have injuries and suspensions, yesterday we had no Xhaka, no Torriera and Ramsey does not look 100% fit, and the replacements in the middle of the park are just not up to it. Elneny is not up to standard, neither is Guendouzi, though time is on his side, and too many other players are just not cutting it on a consistent basis; Iwobi, Mkhitaryan etc.
The bottom line is we lack quality in depth and it will take more than one transfer window to put it right.
To lose to a team like Everton?
That’s just the kind of arrogance that makes us so disliked by so many fans of other clubs.
We got beaten by a team that had won its last three games and were at home with a passionate and supporting fanbase behind it.
We weren’t up for it and they were…deserved to beat us…let’s move on and stop beating ourselves up. because it doessn’t change anything does it?
Arsenal used to beat mid-table teams like Everton easily. The point gap between them and us is also big
@Kenny Rolfe has explained that Everton is a big club with a long history. I respect their background, but they have been mediocre team for a long time and Arsenal should be able to defeat teams like this without sweating
However, I agree that they deserved to win yesterday, because their players seemed to want it more than ours. The lack of energy and motivation at away games is what puzzles me, maybe there is something wrong with the system Arsenal have been using in the last three seasons
gotanidea, The Arsenal used to beat mid-table teams like everton easily?
Well that’s very true, when we had a team packed with dross players, as TMJW describes them, and under a manager with no tactics, as TMJW describes AW.
How DID we do it…I ask again…how DID we do it??
Let’s hope that UE’s reported £15,000,000 salary (give or take £10,000,000 with no clauses attached…I read it in the media) will see us bring back those days of beating mid-table teams, once the dross (like Iwobi?)has gone, andlet’s not be seen to challenge for any cups, as they are below the esteemed club level we see ourselves as being.
Nice little things to win, but not up to our standards are they?
Cups are only for those mid-table teams with dross players, not the mighty Arsenal who everton had the audacity to beat on sunday.
Hahaha!
Is this the same Ken1945 who by his own login, says that Vieira and Adams were a poor choice of captains because of their disciplinary records? And apparently, according to Ken, Emery DIDN’T inherit ANY problems, and that Wenger left Arsenal in a great position?
Clueless!
Just read this most peculiar post that makes no sense whatsoever and as usual., full of misleading and inaccurate quotes and assumptions:
1. Where have I said that wenger left The Arsenal in a great position?
He didn’t and that’s why his last season was so awful and why we didn’t qualify for the CL.
2. Where have I said that emery didn’t inherit any problems?
He did, some of Wengers making, some of kronkies making and, most off all by gazidis’s making.
He has also created his own during his first season to add to that list.
Just as your BS about salaries and contracts, you make thing up to support your argument and do not acknowledge the facts when they are given to you.
Now for the first part and I assume you meant to say logic and not login?
Again, let’s just look at what youv’e implied…
because I stated the FACT that Sokratis has picked up ten yellow cards, has already been banned once in his VERY FIRST SEASON and now misses two vital games as further punishment for his WWE tactics, you “logically” assume that I don’t think Vieria and Adams should have been made captains because of their disciplinary records?
That’s the kind of logic that you must use when blaming Wenger for the Ramsey debacle and/or Ozil being offered whatever salary, when it was plainly stated by gazidis that he had taken control of that side of things.
As I said before, both AW and UE have to be miracle workers to get the results they have, with your so easily dismissed “dross” players. Unless of course, your assesment of them is correct and UE/AW have got it completely wrong!! hahaha.
Xxnofx, the one goal is true of course and TMJW will probably blame wenger for that as well!!!
Everton has the financial capability with moshiri and possibly usmanov backing…..
they have been spending alot to strengthen the club
Just rubbish unay
One goal conceded in 5 games also ken .
Most top European teams are dominant in ball possession and usually able to score first when playing against weaker/ poorer teams at away
Wenger’s Arsenal excelled in possession due to their slow tempo and merry-go-round short passes, but usually conceded first at away. Whereas Emery’s Arsenal lose the midfield battle sometimes, because they have more defenders than midfielders in their three-CB formation
This can be fixed by having more skillful midfielders that are able to create more touches on the ball and protect it, like what Andre Gomes did yesterday. Suarez had the quality to be Cazorla 2.0, but Emery seems to see him as a winger
Everton are not a great side as you say, but are you suggesting we are?.If so you are mistaken.Like many others you are suggesting our central midfielders and Ozil were responsible for our defeat.This is not the case.The three players in question failed to make an impression but the real culprits and the weaknesses we have had all season lie in our centre backs who are simply inadequate.Mustafi, Socratis and Monreal would not get a game for Norwich,no disrespect intended, never mind our top four challengers.They played so deep, because they lack the attributes of top quality defenders and are unable to risk playing further up the pitch.Because of this our defensive midfielders had to start any interplay inside their own half and had little support from our wing backs who on the day were equally mediocre.Your piece fails to mention the weaknesses in our centre backs so I can only assume you do not consider them to have contributed to our defeat?Emery, who has done well to get us in the top four really must abandon this defensive 3 centre back system which merely highlights our deficiencies in this area.
Grandad, you beat me to the question about “The Arsenal being a great side”.
Surely, that has been the opposite of all those who bemoan “the barren years”?
I’m afraid that your overall view of the game doesn’t suit those who want to blame individual players, but Sundays game was just that…a team failure.
Grandad, your post as ever is full of sound reasoning and truth. FACTS – OUR attack scored column is better than all our rivals bar the top two ONLY, so that is basically fine. BUT our “defence” is and has been for several years a sick joke and charade. Leno apart, we do not have a single top level pure defender at the club. We have some promising ones who look as though they MAY WELL become top level, but at that level are still unproven as yet/ All the CB’s, bar Holding, who have worn our shirt this season are rubbish, even the least awful, who is Sokratis. Kos is still good in snatches but no longer reliable or reliably fit so I discount him as NOT being remotely what we urgently need. Mustafi and Monreal are no more CB’s than is my cat frankly, and should be got rid of ASAP. Fact- unless and until Kroenke decides to invest serious money in this pathetic defence, which is unlikely to put it mildly, our chances of major defensive improvements are next to zero. I remain, as ever, a realist, NOT an optimist. And this, despite my complete faith in our manager ; a man however, who has both hands tied behind his back by KROENKE!
The Everton defeat was a combination of us having so many average players in general, and completely the wrong lineup from Emery. We’ll look so much better next season if he can move on a lot of the dross he inherited, and hopefully no injury crisis again!
As I said before the season began, fans are deluding themselves if they think Emery can sort out our problems in just one season, especially with the amount of injuries he’s had to contend with.
ThirdManJW you are exactly right. Merlin the Magician would have trouble achieving more than Unai Emery with this squad.
Admin’s point 5 regarding Arsenal’s lack of squad depth is most relevant.
5 major concerns for me are :-
Watford A
Napoli A
Wolves A
Leicester A
Burnley A
And then lack of quality
I can’t accept a lack of quality for these games. This squad has had great results against some of the top 6 teams which much better squads than Watford, Wolves, Leicester and Burnley.
It is about our mentality and the way we approach away games, not about the quality of our squad.
When we play Man U or City or Pool or even Spurs and Chelsea we have a reason to worry about the relative quality of our squad, not in any other games.
TAC, provided all players are fit and available to play.
true. But against Everton, we had enough quality on the bench to win this game. Why start Elneney? Why even bother suiting up Suarez if the manager clearly doesn’t rate him. Why not start Aubamayang?
For me, until we lost to Everton the PL was a more likely avenue to CL football than winning the Europa League. Therefore I would have started my strongest 11. against 11 and save no one for the Europa league.
We are now 5th in table.
Arsenal’s away struggles in these last two seasons is a rather intriguing situation. Before now, particularly in Wenger’s penultimate season, the reverse was the case. We used to struggle at home especially against the “lowly” teams and thrashed them away from home. And the explanation was that at the Emirates, these teams ‘parked the bus’ and made things difficult. Whereas at their own homes they came at us thus exposing themselves to our explosive attacking football.
Today these teams attack us and we have no response.
The counter attack, which used to be one of Arsenal’s strongest playing attributes, has virtually gone.
Somebody had better find what the problem is and get it fixed without further delay!
Well Corporate man, there are plenty on here who think they know better than UE/AW with regards to that little connundrum.
Shouldn’t be too difficult, sell all the dross, sign the top six players in the world, make Iwobi captain and the rest will be history.
Your point is a really good one and I would like to add to that the atmosphere at the Emirates during AW’s last season was toxic.
In my opinion it affected our players, who played so much better away.
Now, the media and our own fans are just zeroing in on the away performances and the players, we know, read the comments.
The Emirates is buzzing, hence the results, just my opinion and probably completely wrong!!
Hi Ken, Thanks for the kind ticket offer for the Brighton game and I am glad to accept your offer. I cannot quickly find your relevant post(thread) offering it but I am on for it . I will ask Pat to let you have my email address and wait to hear details; cost of ticket, where to send money and so on. And many thanks. Hopefully ere too long we can meet in person. Please post to me on the newest thread you view that you have seen this acceptance.