Unai Emery - Initial thoughts: Page 8 - The Arsenal discussion forum and community: One More in the Tolly

Unai Emery - Initial thoughts

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert

One of the biggest positives I'm seeing is how quickly and aggressively we look to (and usually succeed at) win the ball back.

Claudius

I'm cool with what I see.
The quick wins make sense - winning the ball back, breaking faster, having more variety in attack.

The things that require more coordination and coaching are obviously taking longer - building from the back, closing down attackers, etc. This is a transformation. The players need to get used to the new ways of working. It doesn't happen overnight. And we also shouldn't expect everything to be implemented overnight

Anzac

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert wrote:
Could a three of Xhaka, Torreira, Guendouzi work? I feel like all three are needed.

ATM our midfield 3 in the last 3 games is Xhaka - Guendouzi/Torreira - Rambo.
If anything I could envisage Guendouzi perhaps replacing Rambo if he departs - he reminds me of Rambo at CM but with better pace and tenacity to reclaim the ball.

Anzac

Another 'positive' thus far (5 games) - saw a comment that our current form over a full season has us on track to match MU's 81 points for last season, which should be good enough to regain top4.

QuincyAbeyie

9/5 = 1,8.

1,8 * 38 ≈ 68. So no, we still need to improve.

Klaus

In fact, 68 points puts us closer to where we finished last season than it does to Liverpool who nicked the last CL spot.

Anzac

Quincy Abeyie wrote:
9/5 = 1,8.

1,8 * 38 ≈ 68. So no, we still need to improve.

Yup - my bad I hadn't read the full comment properly & it was based upon the supposition that we win both the next 2 matches v Everton and Watford as they are both Home games.

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert

Watford will be tough.

Meatwad

pleased so far.

Coombs

Have to say that I'm becoming more and more interested in the idea that Emery seems to have, somehow, solved the parking the bus problem to some extent. The way we play results in a totally different game that is much more open and far less vertically compressed. We'll see what starts to happen as we get better at it and teams start working it out a bit more, but for now, I'm enjoying the games for the most part.

lorddulaarsenal

And yet he’s doing it with dross players

Rex

Funny thing is that mediocre teams right now feel bold enough to pressure us really high up the pitch because we look like we are going to reward them on a regular basis by gifting them the ball in dangerous positions. If we actually get better at playing out from the back, then my guess would be that fewer and fewer teams will bother to try to press us in that phase of play. That is, exactly what we saw with Man City when Guardiola arrived.

To Coombs’ point, if we improve playing out from the back then I reckon we will have to deal with those sorts of problems again.

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert

Which is why we need a superstar wide-man. They can always Bail you out.

Coombs

What a missed opportunity.

ohboy

Star wide men 😆

Not bringing in one is our biggest failing over the last ten years.

You can see if we had one right now, we would be a completely different team.

Sicario

Imagine Ribery circa 2007 or Michael Laudrop circa 92 in this team!

Meatwad

and pele circa 1960

Sicario

Meatwad wrote:
and pele circa 1960

I was only referring to wingers bro

Claudius

This is more or less where I expected us to be after 6 rounds, at least relative to City and league position. Pool are doing better than I expected. We could hit 5th earlier than I predicted (9th round). So overall, can't complain about the outcomes.

The process looks painful though. I wonder if today Emery played his best 11 on paper and hoped for best. But even if that's the plan, the formation is wrong, and we are not getting the best out of any of the 3 players behind Lacazette.

So, overall I'm happy. Only things I want him to focus on are

Fixing the front four, putting the right mix of players and formation to get maximum output
Getting better coordination from back four, both in playing out the ball, and facing defenses.

Everything else I can stomach

Don Pacifico

People keep going on about our formation and square pegs/round holes...we've had one transfer window and as far as I'm concerned, Emery is doing his best with what he's got.

If we get to the end of next season and there's still no sign of the defence improving (etc.) then I'll moan but for now, I'm quietly content with our progress. I already feel confident that Emery can get more out of these players than Wenger could.

« Previous Page Next Page »