What would you do if you were the Arsenal coach?

What would you have done differently if you were the coach at Arsenal? by Sylvester

Okay folks, here is a million dollar question to those who have been so vocal, and aggressively so, when discussing matters relating to Arsenal. If Emery was to be sacked today and you were appointed the Arsenal coach, what will you do differently to revive the fortunes of the club?

It is not a hidden truth that Unai Emery is living on borrowed time, as far as being the coach of Arsenal is concerned. In recent games, the Spaniard seems to have lost his way at Arsenal; we have been losing games we should be winning, we have heard stories of players not being comfortable again at the club and to crown it all, we seem to be set to be on the verge of ending the season without Champions league qualification.

So let us assume I was to be appointed as Arsenal coach, these are the things I would do to make a difference.

1. I will sell players who seem to be tired of playing: To be honest with you, at Arsenal, we have players who seem to be playing just to get paid. This set of players wonโ€™t put their lives on the line for Arsenal and it is affecting the game negatively. They donโ€™t turn up in games that the team needs them to turn up for; they virtually stroll on the pitch, when the ball is not with them. These players are noticeable and it will be a waste of space to call out names, for now.

2. I will look inwardly to see if I can make leaders out of my players: Every team needs leaders who can motivate and inspire them to cross over the finish line, when things seem to get difficult. We have been involved in games this season, where all we needed was the believe to finish off such games in grand style but we have always been found wanting. At Arsenal, we need players who can lead the rest of the team, in difficult times.

3. I will work on the defence: The defence needs to be over-hauled and that is just the truth. At times I ask myself what David Luiz is doing playing at Arsenal? When Arsenal needed a solid defender that would improve our defensive play, the only player they could get was David Luiz! Who does that? What a weird decision. If I was made the coach, I would work more on the defensive side of our game and get me players who are ready to work with me.

Thatโ€™s all folks. If you were made Arsenal coach, what would you do to turn things around?

Sylvester Kwentua

43 Comments

    1. Who is the pro……the coach or the emotional fans? If he listen to the fans, how many instructions will he have to deal with?
      I think we should stick to the fandom, just enjoy the game and display measured emotions, it’s just a game. It’s fun when we win, but we all know no team can win all the time.

    1. In an earlier article you called for 4-3-3 formation with Chambers as your DM..
      Now you want 3-4-1-2, you just keep making it plain and clear you post without thinking about what you really want other than wanting to be the first to comment.
      SMH

  1. if i was be UE, i will go for attacking football, with restless players, new defence (CB) & Finally sale the weak midfield players

    Malish Stephen

  2. Change the Formation to 4-1-4-1.

    Leno
    Bellerin Sokratis Holding Tierney
    David Luiz
    Pepe. Ozil Ceballos Aubamayeng

    Lacazette

      1. I would like to see it as a trial – would definitely help going forward but we will need a real defensive effort from the wings to help in the middle. We have nothing to lose right now.

        I wonder if we would function better with one of Ozil and Ceballos and somebody a bit more defensive (not quite sure who that is at the moment though).

  3. I thought you’d never ask this question.
    1st, play 4-2-3-1.

    Leno
    Bellerin-Holding, Chambers, Tierney

    Torreira – Geundouzi

    Pepe- Ceballos- Aubameyang

    Lacazette

    . In the January transfer window, sell Xhaka and Mustafi, and buy a centre half.
    In the summer window, sell Mkhitaryan, Elneny, Ozil, Kolasinac, Sokratis, Luiz and Chambers. Buy a centre half, a defensive mid in the mould of Doucoure or Ndidi, and buy a number 8.

    And lastly, get Eddie Howe or Max Allegri in the summer as our permanent coach

  4. Modified 3-4-3

    ……………………Leno

    ……Chambers……..Sokratis……..Holding

    …………………..Luiz(c)

    Bellerin (RM)…………………………Tierney (LM)

    …………….Ozil/Laca/Martinelli (AM)

    Pepe (RWF)……………………………Saka/Martinelli (LWF)

    …………….Auba/Laca/Martinelli (CF)

  5. I would put in my resignation first thing tomorow morning, cause things can just go from bad worse from now,,, bfore we get relegated…

  6. I would:
    Rejuvenate the defensive four.
    Demote Luiz, Sokratis, Mustafi, and Xhaka to a wall for practicing freekick.
    Give the armband to Rob Holding.

  7. I will revert back to last year , when we went 22 games unbeaten , playing an attacking style.

    i will go for

    Leno
    Bullerin..Holding..Luiz..Tierney
    Torreira.. Xhaka
    Ceballos
    Pepe…. Aubameyang… Ozil or Lacazette.

    we need to dominate games, I don’t know what Gwendouzi is doing in that midfield. only playing for himself, no positioning, no awareness, no toughness.we already have able ball winners in Torreira and assist king Ozil.
    I really fear for arsenal under Unai Emery, I am not sure this man has a clue about the English game yet, let alone his communication problem. MY ONLY SYMPATHY IS FOR NICHOLAS PEPE.

    1. But you know what Xhaka is doing there right?
      The one who seems to slow down our play and cause unnecessary errors

  8. I WOULD NOT ACCEPT THE JOB OF HEAD COACH UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES BECAUSE I DO NOT HAVE PROVEN PEDIGREE AS A TOP FOOTBALL MANAGER. SIMPLE AS THAT!

    1. But I still think you would do a better job than Emery, Jon, also the players would understand your CAPITAL letters better than they can understand Emery.

  9. If I were the manager of AFC:

    I would fire up my players and motivate them as Klopp and Pep do.

    I would adopt a high pressing style that would help team defending

    I would instruct my team to shrink the pitch when we lose the ball and to expand when we win the ball.

    I would play Laca and Auba/Laca/Pep upfront with Ozil behind them

    I would play with only one DM in Torreira sitting just in front of a 4 man backline.

    I would have 2 energetic midfielders supporting both the front line in pressing when we lose the ball and being open for Ozil when has the ball as well as helping the defenders in defending the flanks. Maybe Wilock(left)/Chambers(right).

    With the ball:
    Auba-Laca-Pep
    —-Ozil
    Willock-Chambers
    —Torreira
    Thierny-Holding-Bellerin

    Without the ball:
    —-Ozil
    Auba – Laca- Pep
    Wilock – Torreira
    Thierney – Holding – Chambers -Bellerin

    This style would require a lot of energy and nothing from Ozil. As soon as we lose the ball we press as a team (minus Ozil) and foul within a few seconds if we don’t win the ball back immediately (like City). When we drop back to defend Ozil stays upfront to receive the ball when we win it back to set up a counter-attack.

    There would be many more intricacies to this formation and tactic, too many to cover. But since I was manager I would no more than you and the results of my great style and the attacking system would prove this.

  10. I would endeavour to sell the following players for starters.Socratis,Mustafi,Luis, Xhaka, Kolasinac, Torreria and Ozil.Unfortunately Ozil is no longer a sellable asset and I very much doubt if we would get more than say 30m for the trio of mediocre CBS mentioned.There is a market for the other three and I would hope they could generate say 70m in all.The 100m should be used to buy three players if possible,namely a CB,DM, and an energetic box to box midfielder.Rome wasn’t build in a day and it may take one or two transfer Windows to achieve this essential rebuilding of our squad .

  11. 4132
    leno
    bellerin chambers holding tierney
    luiz
    willock guenduzi cabbelos
    auba lacca

    change to 4123 at home
    midfied willock and guendo
    pepe lacca auba

    torriea too light for prem bring in dacora from watford sell xhakkka rent out ozil

  12. i would ask for my p45 , and, leave as soon as i could. i would then retire to a tiny fishing village and live out the rest of my life spending the millions that i had already taken from the arsenal.i might even consider a trip to a dentist, treating myself with some of the salary that i extracted from arsenal under false pretenses.

  13. Reading all of the interesting comments is both enjoyable and disheartening because I don’t think we will do anything. And like John Fox, I shouldn’t be hired for the job ๐Ÿ™‚

  14. Thank God, none of you is a coach including me, so it is easier said than been done, but no one is talking about 4-3-3 formation, just because of their love for Ozil, Manchester city and Liverpool play this type of formation, why not Arsenal?. This pattern of play requires energetic players and not the lazy types, and presently this type of formation is the winning formation in EPL.

    1. That’s a very fallacious argument comparing Man City and Liverpool and sighting 4-3-3 formation as their common element of success. Their style of play is very different strategically. The only common factor is their pressing off the ball, which Klopp has mastered with the current liverpool squad. But they play differently.

      And formation aren’t that a big deal really, the only good that comes out of playing a fixed formation every game is that the players become more comfortable and improves their positioning on the field, as they know where each of their players are at any point in time.

      And every team have different formations when they attack and defend so it’s not really one formation that a team plays all game.

      More important is tactics, but you don’t devise tactics in a vacuum without considering your squad. So team selection and player development goes hand in hand with tactics. Then comes the decision of formation, like which formation complements our tactics and also helps mitigates our players weaknesses.

      And I personally don’t think we have the right kind of players to play 4-3-3. We can play 3-4-3 though, and that suits our players as we have better attack than defense.

      Our midfield need brutal athletic training and until then 4-3-3 is out of question.

      1. If 4-3-3 is out of question @ Daulat, then Arsenal is still seriously behind, most successful clubs in Europe presently employing this formation to prosecute their tactics, Emery tactics can best be achieved using this formation whether in an offensive or defensive pattern. No wonder we are lagging behind seriously

  15. First I would bench Guendouzi for the EPL, play 3412 or 343
    EPL…
    ……..Leno
    ..Cham..Luiz..Socr
    Bell.Torr.Ceba.Tier
    ……..Ozil
    …..Auba.Laca
    343
    …Pepe…..Auba
    …….Laca

    Europa League and cups
    ……..Mart
    ..Hold..Must..MAvr
    AMN..Guen..Will..Sead
    …Rowe…..Saka
    ……..MArtinelli

  16. I would play what few pointed; someone to sit infront of both CBs, meaning 4-1 formation.

    2 players can, played there; Chamber, MVP at this DM precise position on loan last year and Luiz who played there at Chelsea many games.

    It then gives different options in the middle and upfront as in back 4.

    Bellerin Chambers Holding Tierney
    Luis

    Bellerin Mustafi/Luiz Holding Tierny
    Chambers

    Chambers be first option but both would work. Then many options upon games, play 2 players infront of Chambers; can be Niles, Gendouzi, Willock, Xhaka, Torreira or Ceballos.

    Then Ozil infront of these 2 players who feeds 2 strickers.

    If we chose to play 3 strickers, Ozil assisting them, with Chambers as DM, it is fine to just add another midfield, anyone really, Torreira, Niles, Willock, Xhaka can play along with Chambers as DM, Ceballos if we go for an all attacking gunning game.

    We miss a top CB, without a beast DM, the all central zone is a huge hole, Swiss cheese! Therefore a CB who can also play as a DM is how we lock that zone.

    But I’m not sure our view will matter, as long as Emaery is there, we can’t expect anything different than what he displays. Torreira had a great game against Argentina last night, he is a mobile defensive DM, like Kante like. They need safe CBs to play.

    Cheers!

    PS: this break does good, so much drama and worries each week end now. Take a briever before winter Sprint all the way to after boxing games will be a long journey! Then til end of season ; Emery will be there as Kroenke decided to, saves him money to not fire him, you guessed it.

    Courage gunnaz!

  17. Obviously as a Coach I would have all the players on board and I`d be driven to an away game with them inside me ! ๐Ÿ˜Ž

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