Anzac wrote:

As such it's very similar to the reason for the flaws in the squad in game re defending - they've been doing it for so long under a system with no real value placed upon it, that they're seemingly incapable of remembering how to defend as individuals and as a unit.

Wenger must have had some dark powers. 

Rohit wrote:

Anzac wrote:

As such it's very similar to the reason for the flaws in the squad in game re defending - they've been doing it for so long under a system with no real value placed upon it, that they're seemingly incapable of remembering how to defend as individuals and as a unit.

Wenger must have had some dark powers. 

If we accept that GG used to train the back4 to work as a unit to tie them together (either figuratively or physically), and that conditioning continued into AW's tenure, then why is it so difficult to accept the same applying for AW's defence/players into Emery's tenure?  Why do we expect Emery to be able to resolve this issue after 6 months when AW failed to do so since he broke up The Invincibles squad?

Because the players/ leaders stayed the same then? They spent a lot more time and won under GG.

The players now barely played for Wenger and nor have they come through the system here. They have all had multiple managers over their careers. Wenger must be some man if he has such an overriding influence. You really need to let go of this nonsense.

Wenger's recruitment in the last 3 seasons hurt us, not the football system he had in place.

It's not nonsense at all. Mustafi looked like one of Europe's most promising defenders before he came here, look at him now.

Drills are a massive part of training and coaching, everyone who's ever played a minute of football can tell you as much. I'm not sure Wenger and Primorac have done any in the last couple of years.

jones wrote:

It's not nonsense at all. Mustafi looked like one of Europe's most promising defenders before he came here, look at him now.

Drills are a massive part of training and coaching, everyone who's ever played a minute of football can tell you as much. I'm not sure Wenger and Primorac have done any in the last couple of years.

Drills AND instructions. I would say Ramsey's last two games have been some of his best just because he has had a clear role on the field, not floating around like a butterfly doing his Steven "I win FA Cups" Gerrard free man act. 

jones wrote:

It's not nonsense at all. Mustafi looked like one of Europe's most promising defenders before he came here, look at him now.

Drills are a massive part of training and coaching, everyone who's ever played a minute of football can tell you as much. I'm not sure Wenger and Primorac have done any in the last couple of years.

Wenger did something then for Mustafi's muscle and neural memory to be significantly damaged in a way that he forgot everything that made him a promising player in the first place. Poor Unai. I actually like him but to place his inability to get this team defensively organized, half of which comprises new players on Wenger is ridiculous.

Claudius wrote:

jones wrote:

It's not nonsense at all. Mustafi looked like one of Europe's most promising defenders before he came here, look at him now.

Drills are a massive part of training and coaching, everyone who's ever played a minute of football can tell you as much. I'm not sure Wenger and Primorac have done any in the last couple of years.

Drills AND instructions. I would say Ramsey's last two games have been some of his best just because he has had a clear role on the field, not floating around like a butterfly doing his Steven "I win FA Cups" Gerrard free man act. 

Those were good games from Ramsey and yet not close to his best for us previously and I am not referring to the 13/14 season. Wenger played Ramsey as a wide midfielder for a prolonged period to compromise for his eagerness. It clearly wasn't as if Ramsey wasn't aware or made aware of his defensive responsibilities. 

Rohit wrote:

jones wrote:

It's not nonsense at all. Mustafi looked like one of Europe's most promising defenders before he came here, look at him now.

Drills are a massive part of training and coaching, everyone who's ever played a minute of football can tell you as much. I'm not sure Wenger and Primorac have done any in the last couple of years.

Wenger did something then for Mustafi's muscle and neural memory to be significantly damaged in a way that he forgot everything that made him a promising player in the first place. Poor Unai. I actually like him but to place his inability to get this team defensively organized, half of which comprises new players on Wenger is ridiculous.

What do you attribute his sudden and lasting downturn in form to then? Did you watch him  before he moved to Arsenal?

Also while there are question marks over our still porous defence why can it only be one or the other? Isn't it more likely that our shit backline is a result of all of Emerys possibly not big enough emphasis on defensive drills, Wenger's complete neglect of them for decades, half of our defenders being either new to club and league, the other half too inexperienced/shit and 90% of them injured for weeks or months at some point? Doesn't it seem more likely that there's more than one factor at play and the calls for Emerys head are ridiculously premature?

I have personally never called for Emery's head. I like Emery, as a man, ostensibly, and a manager. I would give him more time regardless of whether we finish top 4. He clearly prepares the players well for the big games, we don't look listless. We have been unlucky and defensively weak. I won't for a moment think Solskjaer got the better of Emery tactically, a refrain used far too often for Wenger's teams in similar matches which we would dominate but ultimately lose because of inefficiency in front of goal and a poor defense.

Consistentcy of results against other opposition is linked with quality and that's where Wenger left Emery short, not the residual effect of his methods, which in my opinion are dissected randomly.

Emery needs more quality and we need to recognise that he has his weaknesses too rather than put them on a manager gone. Ozil was pampered apparently so Emery doesn't actually have a problem with stars, we have been poor defensively under Wenger so Emery's problems are because of him too.

You are right in that there is no one factor but that's not what Anzac was saying or has been saying everywhere.

Rohit wrote:

Emery needs more quality and we need to recognise that he has his weaknesses too

Totally agree with this. Klopp had to spend £150m on a keeper and a centre back to compensate for his own deficiencies. There's no shame in it, you have your strong points and your weak points and it's probably more important to address the latter with big signings because you can't coach it.

http://www.espn.com/soccer/chelsea/story/3761446/chelsea-investigated-by-fifa-over-100-young-players-transfers

PSG announce the signing of Leandro Paredes from Zenit St Petersburg on a 4.5 year contract for €40m plus bonuses.

Nkunku to Arsenal ?

Paredes is a great CM, insane nobody went for him and insane Roma actually sold him in the first place

Almiron to Newcastle

Hamsik to Dalian Yifang.

Interesting. Never thought they'd actually let him leave.

Rohit wrote:

I have personally never called for Emery's head. I like Emery, as a man, ostensibly, and a manager. I would give him more time regardless of whether we finish top 4. He clearly prepares the players well for the big games, we don't look listless. We have been unlucky and defensively weak. I won't for a moment think Solskjaer got the better of Emery tactically, a refrain used far too often for Wenger's teams in similar matches which we would dominate but ultimately lose because of inefficiency in front of goal and a poor defense.

Consistentcy of results against other opposition is linked with quality and that's where Wenger left Emery short, not the residual effect of his methods, which in my opinion are dissected randomly.

Emery needs more quality and we need to recognise that he has his weaknesses too rather than put them on a manager gone. Ozil was pampered apparently so Emery doesn't actually have a problem with stars, we have been poor defensively under Wenger so Emery's problems are because of him too.

You are right in that there is no one factor but that's not what Anzac was saying or has been saying everywhere.

I don't disagree that there is more than one aspect at play, but for mind most/much of the blame lays with AW.  

IMO there is a culture on and off the pitch based upon maintaining a certain outcome/level of performance for the season, and that this impact both players and staff expectations.  I recall a comment made that the players didn't appear to get upset with missed chances to score, because they seemed to expect that they would be able to create more opportunities and as such it never really seemed to matter.

I've been part of the WoB for over a decade and I'm not going to forgive and forget just because he's gone, until the point that IMO his influence/malaise is no longer impacting the club.

Ok whatever. Who made that comment by the way on players being comfortable with missing chances?

Heard something similar from a journalist last week, maybe Ornstein, who said that of all the top training grounds he visits, there is none more relaxed than London Colney. You never get the sense of urgent and expectation that there will be title challenges. Joe Cole said the other day that despite Chelsea and Arsenal being even on points, he would always advise a player to go to Chelsea because he feels that Chelsea will manufacture a crisis to improve their performance and bring in new management and players, while Arsenal will just move along. There is a view of a low performance culture at Arsenal from those who reports on or have played the game.