There is just one more game to go for Arsenal this season, the Europa League final against Chelsea in Baku on the 29th of May and Unai Emery has laid out exactly how he will be approaching the next 16 days.
Preparation is key, players need to maintain their fitness, avoid silly injuries and get themselves mentally right and Emery has decided that treating the period before the final as an international break is the best way forward.
‘We prepare like when it’s an international break,’ he said.
‘We will have two days off and for the first week we will not be thinking about the final.
‘We will train three days in London and then next weekend we will have it off and then we will start on Tuesday in London with three days training preparing with all of our focus on the final.
‘We will go to Baku three or four days before the final, Saturday I think, and prepare for the match over the last three training sessions. ‘It’s the same as when we have an international break.’
Seems like a solid plan to me, certainly better than taking a break in Dubai because that never worked out too well did it.
Chelsea, in their wisdom, have a friendly planned for the 16th in Boston, USA, against New England, lunacy simply does not cover it but it is their choice and they will have to live with any repercussions from such a boneheaded decision.
The Arsenal players will be well drilled, well trained and well prepared and it will come down to whichever team puts in the best performance on the day and the next 16 days will be key to that and for me, I reckon Emery has got it just about right.
Ozil was the worst of all the three players under consideration.His wage should match his impact on the pitch. Miki is some how better than Ozil interms of output and lastly Iwobi has done a decent job in some matches.This is my opinion and every Arsenal fan can also give his/hers.
Yep. Ozil was terrible
I supported him after his 19 assists season but enough is enough
Ozil doesn’t produce defensively and very little offensively. And he gets the wages of two quality players. We need to free up those wages. We aren’t rich
I’m not keen on Mkhitaryan either but he is a bit better than Ozil
Iwobi- 7 assists
ozil- 2
Iwobi gets so much hate when he’s had a far better season than Ozil. The bias is just gross and I cant wait until Ozil leaves so he can take all the fanboys with him. Any gooner knows what ozil is doing to this club, and sees his lack of effort clear as day.
I think our players have a huge psychological advantage going into the final. Emery has proven himself in the past that he is the king of UEL. The only thing I am worried of is Hazard wanting to win his last game for Chelsea before leaving for RM. Our right full back that day will have to be at the top of his game.
We have shut down hazard on more than one occasion we can do that again
Yes you’re right.. but one moment that has stuck with me is.. when he went past practically the whole team, Coquelin ended up on his arse & Hazard went on to score the goal of the season ?
?? That was downright inexcusable. A tiny Hazard swatted him off like a fly while Koscielny looked on waiting for his turn to get destroyed. Let’s hope Torreira will take one for the team and bring down Hazard instead.
It was awful, QD… still makes me feel nauseous thinking about it now! ?
I’m sure he will, Lucas takes no crap ??
I believe that our players need to approach that match with the intention of qualifying for Champions league next season and seeing Chelsea as the only team to beat and reach there.I’m sure we shall overcome our neighbors in the final at BAKU
When did the squad have Dubai training again? Was it the march international break? We won our first game after the break so that can’t be blamed for our poor form surely?
@ Nonny, Sure! we can do that again. But being his last game, he will obviously want to go in style. So we have to be at our best defensively. One thing I know is that Mustafi should not be anywhere near that line up.
Yes mustafi most not there and let us pray against injury
Lets hope AMN will have a decent game on that night and Xhaka will be able to neutralize the midfield without making errors
I watched the repeat of City’s game yesterday and I was jealous tbh. They were like 4-1 up and Pep was still bringing De Bryune on. I mean, the quality and depth of their midfield is just something else. You come back to our team and we are relying on Xhaka and Guendouzi to control our mid. These two would not even make the 25-man squad at City. I think we need serious investment into this team before we can think of taking the EpL
It was painful to see, but City’s investment is completely unrealistic, and unsustainable. Their back four and keeper alone cost around a quarter of a billion!
Not unsustainable while the world still needs oil! Just pointing out the obvious truth!
But the problem is that some of these guys were within our reach. Surely, we would have afforded someone like Bernard or even Mahrez. Over the years, we had the chance to sign a number of players who went on to become superstars but for some reason we didn’t. Hazard and Suarez are two of the names that come to my mind. Instead, we spent money on the likes of Xhaka, Mustafi etc. So, the real issue is that we have never had a solid plan
Yeah, it’s called having a literal unlimited transfer budget. Perhaps if we too could spend over a billion on our squad we would be in the same position as them, ya think?
Congratulations must be said for Arsenal reaching the final in a difficult seasons were expectations of success are always high on this clubs agenda.
Also congratulations to Auba for the Golden boot.
Also I think we can put to bed the outcomes of the Sanchez deal as being one in which AFC got the best outcomes expected.
I feel top 4 is more a bragging right these days then anything else…being in the CL is great and as shown this year, especially when there is fallen giants (Juve, R.Madrid, Bayern) there is an opening for the other teams who are in a cycle of progress (planned over a period of time).
Arsenal are in the beginning of a new process. Auba, Laca, Leno, Gendouzi, Torriera, Holding, Bellerin, M.Niles are the future of this.
Sokratis, Kosalinac, Ozil, iwobi, Xhaka are the support for them and Nelson, ESR, Eddie, Baku, Willock are the contenders to join them.
One thing Klopp said which is hugely sufficient is that their team has been consistent over the time he has been there. Alot of ‘average’ players in Milner, Matip, Henderson, Origi, Shaqri, Lorven have supported this squad of talent that is Salah, Mane, Arnold, Robertson, Wjd, Keita, Fabino, Allison, VVD. In the end they play alot of football together and understand the league. Spurs is the same, City is the same. Chelsea is actually the same point too (just their managers keep changing).
We will need to harness this squad of players with not just chances of ins and outs but also we will need to up the levels of expectations.
When ozil and Sanchez came that occurred. Better players does that – but we need more of a rise in levels of expectionation and that will come from what the manager sets.
First that starts with the final!
We will start a process when we have a capable squad of players right now
We have a squad devoid of qualify in all position bar striking position
If only our midfielders will have the same Mestalla spirit of Auba and Laca and keep Chelsea defenders busy and if only Emry will stop starting Ozil and Mihky same time, then Hazard will not be hazardous to our defense, he will be shut off, as long as AMN and co will not allow him to cut in and shoot, Chelsea will be killed and buried. The players should know that the obstacles btwn their qualification for UEFA are themselves and lastly Chelsea. They should see the match as battle for their lives, a must win match, trail blazers and pacesetters match, carry a now or never attitude into the field and victory shall be ours.
There is more to success than money it certainly does help but look at man u they spent nearly ,800 millions in the last few years and finished 6th getting beaten by already relegated Cardiff,we have to buy smart!
exactly man city and man utd spent a lot of money. man cityhad a specific plan with good technical players supported by direct players with pace who are mostly under 25 to reap the reward of the spending for at least 5 years. man utd just went after players that were more diva star and players who were wanted by other teams like sanchez, fred without a hint of transfer planning.
Liverpool spent their money recovered by sales of star players and got it RIDICULOUSLY right most of the time with transfer like salah, mane, firmino who weren’t huge stars, got it right with big money spending with alisson or van dijk and unearthing talents like arnold, gomez and robertson.
Arsenal were more hit and miss with big money signings with lacazette and aubameyang transfers nullified by horrible signings like xhaka and mustafi. There was also no planning as buying 2 top class strikers in a season while you play with only 1 is bad while ignoring huge holes in the defence.
Emery is far from perfect but i am sure he would have spent the 80m wasted by wenger on xhaka, mustafi much better.
I am just hoping Emery goes gung ho in Baku and sticks with the Auba and Laca partnership rather than playing a more conservative team and one forward in favour of an additional midfielder in the hope of nicking it.
We aren’t good enough defensively as a team to go out and keep it tight and only play one forward. Our plan should be to go all out to outscore them like we did in Valencia.