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Arsenal FC | 2019/20 season

Is there any hope for Arsenal this season? Is Emery's judgement under question now?

Needs to be sacked. It seems he was picked on the basis of being the one who closely resembled Wenger the most. His substitutions today were shocking... clearly doesn't have a clue what he's doing!

To all my fellow Arsenal fans on PP, I mentioned before the start of the season and I'm saying it again now, time to wake up and smell the coffee because we're not getting top 4. No Chance!

It will be humiliating to see a Chelsea side, which recently lost Hazard and was banned from bringing in any new players this summer, actually go on to finish above us. Truth is they look like a much better team.

I will continue to boycott the Emirates.
 
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Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka says the Gunners "were too scared" as they let slip a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at Watford.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored twice in the first half for the visitors but the Hornets hit back after the break through Tom Cleverley and a late Roberto Pereyra penalty.

Watford finished with 31 shots on goal, 23 of those coming in the second half.

"No-one wanted the ball. In the end we are happy to take a point," Xhaka said.

"We didn't show our game in the second half, we were too scared."

Watford's first goal came as a result of Gunners defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos giving away possession inside his own area, allowing Cleverley to score.

Since the start of last season, Arsenal's players have made a combined 14 errors leading to opposition goals in the Premier League - at least two more than any other club in this time.

The 31 shots Watford had against Unai Emery's side were the most Arsenal have ever faced in a Premier League fixture since Opta began collecting such data in 2003-04.

Xhaka added: "Every team in the Premier League is strong enough to score but you have to keep calm, to show good character, to be mentally strong. We weren't today."

After winning their first two Premier League games of the season against Newcastle and Burnley, Arsenal are now without win in three following defeat at Liverpool and draws against Tottenham and now Watford.

"We have a lot of young players," said Emery. They will really learn in the next matches.

"We will continue with our way of working. We need to improve, to take some information from this match. But also we'll learn about that."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/49708521
 
I know certain Arsenal fans that have grilled me in the past for saying that Xhaka is utter rubbish yet they still feel he's necessary to the team as if he's the second coming of Viera :))) This guy is one of the worst signings in our club history the same way Chelsea signed Torres. Emery got his tactics wrong and our players are always getting injured. Massive focus needs to be put in for buying BIG name defenders, how can a club who had Lee Dixon, Tony Adams, Sol Campbell etc, struggle to find defenders?
 
I wrote earlier Luiz is a clown and someone replied, hes not lol.

Its a shame a player like Aubameyang is in a such a poor side. Klopp knowing him well, should have tempted him to Liverpool. The rest of the Arsenal players are either rubbish or over rated.

Watford outplayed them and deserved the win, were very unlucky.
 
I was screaming at the TV screen quite a few times while I was watching the second half of Arsenal's draw with Watford on Sunday

With the Hornets managing 31 shots at goal in 90 minutes, and 23 of them coming after the break, statistically it was the worst defensive display by the Gunners since Opta's records began in 2003.

Watching them in the MOTD2 production office, it certainly felt that way.

From having their opponents by the throat when they were 2-0 up, Arsenal inexplicably handed Watford a way back into the game in the most naive way when they conceded after trying to play out of their own area from a goal-kick.

But what made things worse was that Unai Emery's team could not react when things went wrong for them. Instead, they disintegrated.

That one mistake was enough to derail them completely. In one moment, all their confidence evaporated. After that, they could not make a decision, and they could not make a pass.

Their game-plan simply disappeared. They were fortunate only to concede one more goal - from a penalty after another silly foul by David Luiz - and were left hanging on for a point against the Premier League's bottom side.

It could easily have been a lot worse.

As a team, Arsenal's collective brain deserted them in the second half. As individuals I was looking at them in horror, thinking how are they conceding so much space, and wondering exactly who was picking up who in the box.

There seemed to be a fear that gripped their players, something their experienced Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka admitted afterwards.

We could all see it too, and it is really worrying for Emery. I think the second half was probably the hardest 45 minutes he has had since he took the Arsenal job in the summer of 2018.

Emery now knows he has got to restore confidence in the hearts and minds of his players, and also put together a plan.

He has got to work through what Arsenal are doing wrong, and also work out whether they are good enough to play the way he wants them to play - because it is like watching schoolboys sometimes when they try to bring the ball out from the back.

'Don't play short, just because you can'
Arsenal had already had a warning in the first half, when they tried to play out from a goal-kick and Matteo Guendouzi was caught in possession.

They did not learn from their mistake. Instead they repeated it, and eventually handed Watford a route back into the game.

Yes, there was a suspicion that Gerard Deulofeu was in the box when he intercepted Sokratis Papastathopoulos's clearance to set up Tom Cleverley to make it 2-1, but it was a totally unnecessary decision by Arsenal to play that way in the first place.

I was a player when the laws have changed in a way that affected defenders - like when goalkeepers were stopped from picking up back-passes in 1992.

There was no choice then, you had to change the way you played, and the way the whole team played too.

But in this situation, teams do have a choice. You don't have to play short passes inside your own area from goal-kicks, just because now you can.

I think we are in a bit of an experimental stage with it, with some teams doing it when it just doesn't suit them, and others doing it at the wrong times.

The latter was the case for Arsenal on Sunday, when they were architects of their own downfall.

I admire that they are trying to play out of defence but, if they really wanted to do that, there was another pass on for Sokratis - wide to right-back Ainsley Maitland-Niles, which was a much safer way of doing it.

If you do what Arsenal did and get it wrong, then it is comical and you look stupid.

It is crazy football, really, because if you mess up, you are giving your opponent the ball on the edge of your own area - and it ends with you conceding a tap-in.

'Gunners' game-management was non-existent'
If Arsenal prepared for this game by practicing passing out from the back, they didn't seem to get to the next stage, which would have been 'what happens if we lose it?'

When Watford pulled a goal back, there were no answers from the Gunners. They had no way of seeing the game out.

They tore up their previous tactic, which was to pass the ball, and seemed to change their thinking to 'let's just go long'.

But when you do that, you have to do it as a team, and move up the pitch.

You might try to target one side, so you have the numbers to get the knockdowns, hold the ball up there and squeeze the opposition in that area.

However, Arsenal did not adapt their shape to do that in any organised fashion.

Instead they just played aimless balls to isolated strikers, and everyone else stayed rooted to the spot in deep positions, still on the edge of their own box.

Each part of their team was strung out and completely disconnected, which meant they could not keep possession - it dropped from 57% in the first half to 37% after the break.

Things got so bad for Arsenal, it was almost like watching a training session, with Watford attacks coming one after another. It was relentless.

When that is happening to your team, as a player you want to take control. You make yourself more compact as a unit, and stay in contact with each other.

Arsenal's game management was non-existent, however. If you were in their defence, you needed binoculars to see their front players, they were that far away.

'Alarm bells must be ringing for Emery'
Graphic showing Arsenal have conceded 96 shots in five Premier League games this season, more than any other top-flight team
This is all pretty basic stuff, and a lot of the time, if you are keeping the right space between, say, defence and midfield then it goes unseen.

When it doesn't, you concede chances at the rate Arsenal were in the second half.

Alarm bells must be ringing for Emery, and he needs to get on the training ground and sort things out.

Without Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on the pitch, Watford would have won - and they certainly deserved to.

Arsenal have already suffered 20 away Premier League defeats in just over two seasons, which is simply not good enough for a team that wants to make the top four.

Emery has only been in charge for one of those campaigns, but the worrying thing is his side still have huge issues defensively, and they do not appear to be improving. In fact they seem to be getting worse.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/49710780
 
Arsenal drew 2-2 with Watford, City demolished them 8-0!

What a huge gap in skills/talents/management!
 
Good stuff from Arsenal to get out of jail but I found Emery's defence of Xhaka little laughable to be honest:

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Emery defends Xhaka

Emery also defended midfielder Granit Xhaka, who was jeered by some sections of the home support when he was substituted after 72 minutes.

"My opinion is we need our supporters and we need our supporters helping each player," added the Gunners boss. "Today I changed him because he played 90 minutes on Thursday. I preferred a fresh player. But for me he is a very important player for us.

"He has a big commitment here. I am sure he is going to achieve the best things. We are professional. He is an experienced player.

"He knows sometimes we are criticised. We need to be mature and continue working. I am going to support him. He's a good player."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/49705154
 
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Arsenal’s defence will cost them top 4 and a defeat in the Europa league again.

We can’t seem to do anything right with our money no matter how much we spend since our move to the Emirates
 
Good stuff from Arsenal to get out of jail but I found Emery's defence of Xhaka little laughable to be honest:

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Emery defends Xhaka

Emery also defended midfielder Granit Xhaka, who was jeered by some sections of the home support when he was substituted after 72 minutes.

"My opinion is we need our supporters and we need our supporters helping each player," added the Gunners boss. "Today I changed him because he played 90 minutes on Thursday. I preferred a fresh player. But for me he is a very important player for us.

"He has a big commitment here. I am sure he is going to achieve the best things. We are professional. He is an experienced player.

"He knows sometimes we are criticised. We need to be mature and continue working. I am going to support him. He's a good player."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/49705154

Couldn't agree more MIG - Emery is a clown and holds no regard for meritocracy. He needs to be sacked.
 
We have three defenders (arguably all first choice) coming back soon.
I'll reserve judgement until then.
 
Xhaka has it all to be a great player, but his recklessness has been the death of him. It has now reached a point of a complete disowning of responsibility and this could stem from the immense trust bestowed upon him by the manager.

A very misleading player with what he promises I’m afraid.
 
I like Xhaka but it is difficult to defend him. His mistakes and lack of mobility outweigh his good qualities. I would like to see him sold for a mobile player who also has good recovery speed.

Yesterday we got out of of jail slightly. Need to see more of a style from Emrey. He is a bit defensive but our defence is not looking solid.
 
Unai Emery praised "fighter" Gabriel Martinelli for making the most of his opportunity after the teenage forward scored twice in Arsenal's 5-0 Carabao Cup win against Nottingham Forest.

The 18-year-old summer signing made his first competitive start in the third-round game at the Emirates.

Martinelli opened the scoring with a powerful header before scoring a superb long-range second in injury time.

"He's hungry to have that opportunity to help us," said Emery.

"He is very humble, he fights. I told him to have some patience for his opportunity to do like he was doing. He did that. He deserved it."

Arsenal were playing only 48 hours after coming back to defeat Aston Villa 3-2 in the Premier League, but they put in a dominant display against their Championship opponents.

As well as Martinelli's brace, Rob Holding marked his return from 10 months out through injury with a headed goal while Joe Willock and Reiss Nelson were also on the scoresheet.

Nottingham Forest, who like Arsenal made a raft of changes for the tie, barely troubled their opponents with their only shot on target a late Sammy Ameobi strike that was comfortably saved by Emiliano Martinez.

A big win was capped by the return from injury of defenders Holding and Hector Bellerin after lengthy spells on the sidelines while summer signing Kieran Tierney also made his long-waited debut after recovering from a groin issue.

Emery added: "Some different players gave us their performance and came back after injuries - Rob Holding, Kieran Tierney and Hector Bellerin. This was a good result, a good match, a good game.

"We can be positive for different options."

Martinelli makes his mark
Few fans had heard of Martinelli when he became Arsenal's first signing of the summer, joining for £6m from Brazilian club Ituano in July.

However, back in his homeland he is viewed as having the potential to become one of Brazil's superstars and he certainly impressed on his home debut for the Gunners.

The teenager, who made his Premier League debut with a late substitute appearance against Newcastle in Arsenal's season opener, played futsal as a youngster and the close control and dribbling skills developed from that sport were on show against Forest.

His first goal also showed good strength and awareness as he attacked an excellent first-time ball by Calum Chambers to power home a header.

That strike made him the youngest player to score on their first start for Arsenal since Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain against Shrewsbury in September 2011.

But the best was yet to come. With the game deep into injury time, Martinelli received the ball 25 yards from goal, skipped one challenge before arrowing a wonderful strike into the top corner.

It is early days, but Martinelli showed plenty of potential to suggest he could become a hugely exciting talent for the Gunners.

"We were waiting and watching him, how he could improve with us," added Emery.

"He played very well in pre-season, he was working each training with big spirit and performance."

This was a fine display of attacking football from Arsenal but what will have been just as pleasing for their fans was the clean sheet.

Arsenal had conceded 10 goals in their last five Premier League fixtures and this game provided Unai Emery with the perfect opportunity to give some minutes to those returning from injury.

All eyes were on full-back Tierney as the £25m summer signing from Celtic made his debut after recovering from a groin problem, while centre-back Holding made his first start following 10 months out with a knee injury.

Holding's goal will have gone a long way to helping him put recent injury woes behind him while Tierney put in a hugely impressive performance full of excellent crosses and surging runs down the left flank and he could now be in contention to face Manchester United in the Premier League on Monday.

The standing ovation he received on being substituted spoke for the fans' appreciation and the applause continued for his replacement, Bellerin, who made his return to first-team action after nine months out with a knee injury and even managed to provide the assist for Willock's goal.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/49723455
 
Granit Xhaka: Arsenal manager Unai Emery names midfielder as new captain

Arsenal head coach Unai Emery has named midfielder Granit Xhaka as the club's new permanent captain, replacing Laurent Koscielny, who left for Bordeaux in the summer.

Emery told the squad of his decision on Friday, after consulting with players.

The Switzerland international, 27, has led the side in six of their eight games in all competitions this season.

Arsenal's next game is away to Manchester United in the Premier League on Monday.

Emery is still deliberating over a vice-captain, with forwards Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang understood to be the leading contenders.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/amp/football/49850242?__twitter_impression=true
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Better for you I never talk about why I really left Dortmund Mr Watzke you such a clown &#55358;&#56609; I remember that time you said we never gonna sell Ousmane then you saw more than 100M you were the first to take that money &#55358;&#56611;&#55358;&#56611;&#55358;&#56601;&#55356;&#57341;don’t talk about money please!!! Leave me alone pls &#55357;&#56911;&#55356;&#57341;</p>— Aubameyang P-E (@Aubameyang7) <a href="https://twitter.com/Aubameyang7/status/1179726155672408065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Arsenal are in 4th position in the premier league table currently. There is a huge gap between #1 and #4 (9 points).

Not the ideal start for them.
 
Arsenal boss Unai Emery left midfielder Mesut Ozil out of his squad for Thursday's 4-0 Europa League win over Standard Liege because other players "deserved it more".

Gabriel Martinelli, 18, scored twice, while 20-year-old Joe Willock and Dani Ceballos, 23, also found the net.

Ozil, 30, has now been left out of the squad for the Gunners' past two games.

"We have to give the chances to the young players and they take them," said Emery.

Arsenal are fourth in the Premier League going into this weekend's fixtures and host Bournemouth on Sunday (14:00 BST).

On Ozil, Emery added: "When I decided he shouldn't be in the squad it's because I think other players deserved it more.

"He needs to continue working. Tomorrow we have training with the players who didn't play, and on Sunday we have another match - and we are going to decide the same.

"Our target is to win on Sunday against Bournemouth and we want to carry on our same way in each match."

Emery picked a youthful starting XI to face Belgian side Standard Liege, making 10 changes to the team that drew 1-1 at Manchester United on Monday.

As well as impressive displays from Brazilian forward Martinelli and English midfielder Willock, Scotland left-back Kieran Tierney, 22, and 19-year-old England Under-21 forward Reiss Nelson also caught the eye.

"They are close to playing for us at the highest levels," added Emery. "They showed they can perform and they can score. They are playing well, it's good."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/49929376
 
Cape Town - Arsenal defender Shkodran Mustafi has hinted at a return to the Bundesliga as he suggested his next move could be the most important of his career.

Mustafi, who joined from Valencia in August 2016, has started both of the Gunners’ Europa League ties, as well as the 5-0 Carabao Cup win over Nottingham Forest.

However, the German centre-back has yet to feature in the Premier League this season, having been expected to leave during the summer transfer window.

The 27-year-old, though, remains determined to look ahead.

"There were talks about leaving the club in the summer, but there was no option that suited everyone. Arsenal had some demands too," Mustafi told Der Spiegel.

"The next move is extremely important for me to be able to write a positive chapter again.

"If I move to the wrong place now, then the situation may not improve at all. In the future, I am open to offers, from the Bundesliga as well."

Mustafi also said he had been left “very angry” by comments from former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit, who had called him ‘the king of blunders’.

The former Sampdoria stopper feels he can accept it when fans are critical of him but said a former professional should know the difficulties players face on the pitch and be “a bit more sensible”.

Given that he was not involved in the squad for Arsenal’s last fixture before the international break when Unai Emery’s side beat Bournemouth 1-0 on Sunday; it looks like his days in north London are numbered.

Mustafi will no doubt be hoping that a move will materialise during the January transfer window to allow him to continue his career elsewhere.

In the meantime, the third-placed Gunners will look to keep the pressure on Manchester City and Premier League leaders Liverpool by picking up three points when they travel to face Sheffield United at Bramall Lane in their next game on October 21.

https://www.sport24.co.za/Soccer/En...s-mustafi-hints-at-bundesliga-return-20191010
 
There is a mutinous mood lurking very close to the surface at Arsenal - and the fractures in the relationship between manager Unai Emery, his players and the home support were exposed in the undercurrent of a poisonous atmosphere at Emirates Stadium.

Emery is an increasingly divisive figure as Arsenal fans grow frustrated by the Spaniard's failure to stamp any obvious identity on his side and old failings from the Arsene Wenger era remain unaddressed.

It has led to a nervy, toxic environment when things go badly, which was in evidence in a remarkable public show of dissent - his sympathisers might generously call it defiance - from Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka.

The collective state of mind inside the stadium had already darkened after Arsenal coughed up a two-goal lead to Crystal Palace and it boiled over when Emery decided to replace Xhaka with Bukayo Saka after 61 minutes.

Match report: Arsenal 2-2 Crystal Palace
Emery's decision to appoint Xhaka as captain was bold given that he has never been flavour of the month with Arsenal's fans, but it was a very public show of trust in the Switzerland international.

As the number 34 flashed up, the reaction from Arsenal's fans was one of the largest cheers of the game, an outpouring laced with happiness, scorn and sarcasm.

Xhaka, quite rightly, is a proud professional who has felt the wrath of Arsenal's fans before. But clearly this was too much and he reacted with a provocative, goading response that only drives further at the tensions gripping this club and its fanbase.

With Arsenal needing a shot of urgency after losing their lead, Xhaka's laboured stroll towards the touchline lit the fires of fury in the crowd and they turned on the captain, who responded by steadfastly refusing to get a move on, waving his arms before cupping his ears to those who taunted him.

Xhaka then slapped Emery's outstretched hand before stripping off his shirt in full view of the crowd and disappearing down the tunnel.

He is only human, but this was foolish, counter-productive and unacceptable from Arsenal's new captain. It was a response that will only widen the gap between manager, players and fans.

Xhaka was in the wrong and Emery will need to address the situation instantly. He must hope it is not already too late because this reaction may well have lost even those who have been giving Emery's captaincy decision the benefit of the doubt.

And then, for good measure, thousands chanted for Mesut Ozil, the gifted maverick placed in exile by Emery, not even on the bench here and seemingly persona non grata.

Ozil has also been a target for Arsenal's fans, but his absence when the team searched for that crucial touch of inspiration late on smacks of Emery cutting off his nose to spite his face, for all the German's failings.

It sounded like a chant to chip at Emery rather than a serious gesture of support for Ozil, who most accept has had his day if Arsenal can find anyone to take him off their hands. Emery is actually in danger of making him an unlikely martyr if this crowd reaction is anything to go by.

All in all, it was a thoroughly uncomfortable 90 minutes for Emery once the glow of those two early goals from Sokratis and David Luiz had worn off.

Luka Milivojevic's penalty and Jordan Ayew's header earned Palace a point, although Arsenal were understandably frustrated that a late strike from Sokratis was the latest victim of VAR. Plenty of us inside Emirates Stadium struggled to spot the apparent infringement by Calum Chambers on several viewings.

The cacophony of jeers that greeted the final whistle was not just an outpouring of VAR-induced invective, it was a reaction to yet another flawed Arsenal performance.

Quite what watching Arsenal director Josh Kroenke made of it is anyone's guess.

There is no doubt Emery is reaching a critical phase of his reign at Arsenal.

He was hired to cure the ills of the Wenger tenure, in which the great man let things drift in the context of chasing a Premier League title and too many familiar faults reappeared on a regular basis.

Now, 10 league games into his second season and after reaching the Europa League Final last term, Emery is facing searching questions.

The odd anomaly aside, not much appears to have changed at Arsenal.

They are talented, attractive and devastating on their day. As they were under Wenger.

They are too often easy prey to committed opposition on their travels. As they were under Wenger.

They are prone to a soft centre and fallibility under pressure. As they were under Wenger.

It has all been on show this week, from the dismal defeat at Sheffield United on Monday, the struggle to victory against Vitoria Guimaraes in the Europa League on Thursday, and this home draw with Palace.

Emery's big problem is there is no obvious personal stamp on the team, no clear strategy, no compelling evidence he is any sort of upgrade on Wenger.

Arsenal's fragility was shown here once Palace pulled one back. Suddenly they were nervy, edgy, as were those inside the stadium, and it was no surprise when Ayew arrived unattended at the far post to restore parity.

The Gunners are still not physically or mentally strong. Palace could sense it - as could Arsenal's fans.

And it is in this unsettled, fevered atmosphere that anger and emotion takes over.

Arsenal may be fifth in the Premier League, but there is now a four-point gap to Chelsea in fourth.

There is also a sharp contrast between the serenity and unity of Chelsea under Frank Lampard, just months into the job, and the fractious sound and fury on show here.

Arsenal's league position may look healthy - but no-one would say all is well in this part of north London.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/50201291
 
Arsenal manager Unai Emery says Granit Xhaka was "wrong" to react angrily and gesture to the fans as he was substituted during his side's Premier League draw with Crystal Palace.

The Gunners captain was booed as he walked off the pitch at Emirates Stadium, prompting him to cup his ear.

He then took off his shirt, walked past Emery and stormed down the tunnel.

"He's wrong but we are going to speak inside about that situation," Emery told BBC Match of the Day.

The Arsenal boss added: "I want to be calm but, really, he was wrong in this action."

News of the change was first greeted with ironic cheers but they quickly turned to boos as Xhaka took his time to leave the field, sparking an angry reaction from the 27-year-old.

It is not the first time Xhaka has been booed by his own fans this season, with Emery publicly defending the Switzerland international after a game against Aston Villa last month.

That uneasy relationship with the Gunners fans did not stop Emery appointing Xhaka as club captain in September after the summer departure of Laurent Koscielny.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/50202543
 
Arsenal fans are deluded

The quicker they accept the club is not the one from yesteryears, the better they will feel. There is is no quick fix.
 
Arsenal fans are deluded

The quicker they accept the club is not the one from yesteryears, the better they will feel. There is is no quick fix.

You are 10 years too late with this post. Arsenal fans are no longer in denial and fully accept that the club is in shambles. Of course there is no quick fix. Man United have been struggling since 2013 and Liverpool have not been able to win the league for 30 years. Once you regress as a football club it is very hard to get back on your feet because the other teams are also evolving.

Arsenal took a step in the right direction when they ended the Wenger era and restructured the hierarchy of the club. Now the next challenge is to find the right manager at the right time who can drive the club forward. Again, it is easier said than done because someone like Man United are yet to find a replacement for SAF and have made a string of poor appointments.
 
You are 10 years too late with this post. Arsenal fans are no longer in denial and fully accept that the club is in shambles. Of course there is no quick fix. Man United have been struggling since 2013 and Liverpool have not been able to win the league for 30 years. Once you regress as a football club it is very hard to get back on your feet because the other teams are also evolving.

Arsenal took a step in the right direction when they ended the Wenger era and restructured the hierarchy of the club. Now the next challenge is to find the right manager at the right time who can drive the club forward. Again, it is easier said than done because someone like Man United are yet to find a replacement for SAF and have made a string of poor appointments.

Its all about timing and the 'blank cheque book' as well. Arsenal thought they appointed the best available option at the time with Emery. Why are Man U or chelsea always in advanced talks with elite managers but there is no talk of this with Arsenal? They are just terrible with the timing of these appointments. Emery will most likely not get another contract at the end of the season, who are Arsenal looking for as a replacement??

Its the lack of being proactive which has been hurtful as well. A lot of the Arsenal rejects ended up to have decent career's at spurs. There scouting is equally terrible at the moment. So many terrible players who really are not starting XI material in most of the top clubs in the world are starting regularly for us.
 
Unai Emery says that Granit Xhaka is "sad" and "devastated" after he was booed off the pitch by Arsenal fans in Sunday's 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace.

The Switzerland international's substitution was met with cheers before he cupped his ears to the fans before removing his shirt and heading straight down the tunnel.

Emery said that, after speaking to the player over the last couple of days, Xhaka is overwhelmed by the incident.

"He is devastated, he is sad about the situation," Emery said.

"Really, he knows he was wrong. He feels inside, very deep. But he normal like a human, every player needs the supporters' support.

"I spoke a lot with him that he needs to learn that when we are having good matches, they applaud us and we are happy.

"But when we are in a difficult moment and receiving criticism, we need to be strong and to know and to learn to play under that pressure.

"It's our work. The supporters are the most important thing in our life because they are a supporter, they are a fan, they are the people behind us. It's a reason to play professional football, we can't play with our friends.

"After that wrong situation on Sunday, it's a challenge for me and every player. When the supporters aren't happy with us because maybe we need to play better and improve things to be strong, we needed them then. But first it's for us."

Emery confirmed that Xhaka would not be part of the squad that travels to Anfield for their Carabao Cup fourth-round tie against Liverpool, live on Sky Sports, but confirmed that it was not necessarily down to Sunday's events.

The Arsenal boss said he thinks that there should be an apology from Xhaka, but acknowledged now is perhaps not the right time.

"I think we make individual mistakes and we need to make apologies for one circumstance. We suggest him to do that (apolgies)," Emery said.

"We are looking and we are seeing that he is devastated and very down. First is to look after him. We need our family, our friends, our supporters to support us, like us, love us. He is not feeling that with the supporters at the moment."

Asked after Sunday's game if Xhaka would remain Arsenal captain, Emery said that it was "not the time to talk about that" and the Spaniard is still coy on whether the 27-year-old is the right man for the armband.

He said: "At the moment, I don't want to think about that.

"I explained why I decided [Xhaka should be captain]. He has the values, the respect in the dressing room, the experience.

"He is captain of his national team. He has the condition to be the captain and I decided that because the players respect that. He was wrong on Sunday and it wasn't the response of a captain.

"First, we need to recover him as a human and as a player. Then we will look how we can improve and how we can continue in that way with him, the team, with everybody."

https://www.skysports.com/football/...er-he-was-booed-off-the-pitch-by-arsenal-fans
 
Arsenal will offer counselling to captain Granit Xhaka after his angry confrontation with home fans during Sunday's 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace.

The Swiss midfielder was booed while he walked off the pitch, prompting him to cup his ear, walk past boss Unai Emery and storm down the tunnel.

Emery said: "He is upset, devastated and very sad.

"It is not only yesterday and today. He is feeling the supporters don't like him."

The Gunners manager said he did not want to speak about whether Xhaka may lose the captaincy.

"His behaviour was perfect in training [on Tuesday], with the group and with the club. He knows he was wrong. He feels it inside very deeply," said Emery.

Emery said Xhaka should apologise to fans, but added: "I don't need his apology. Because I know he is devastated, we can speak about all the situation but first it's him.

"He is now very down and we need to support him.

"My ideal future is to watch again Xhaka playing and every supporter supporting him. I don't know if I can or will achieve it but this is my ideal.

"Also for him it's the same but also I think we need now to be calm step by step so we can progress."

Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/50229350.
 
If Arsenal don't make the champions league again then there's a high probability that Aubameyang & Lacazette will want to leave in the summer which would be a huge blow to the club. Can't see them hanging around to fight for a Europa place every season.
 
Mourinho to Arsenal is happening. Incredible how things change in football - at one point, it was more unlikely than Leicester winning the league in 2016.
 
Mourinho to Arsenal is happening. Incredible how things change in football - at one point, it was more unlikely than Leicester winning the league in 2016.

Would be a massive dis-respect to Wenger. But I think all is water under the bridge now because Mourinho did apologise for his verbal attacks on Wenger.

Would take him any day over Emery
 
Would be a massive dis-respect to Wenger. But I think all is water under the bridge now because Mourinho did apologise for his verbal attacks on Wenger.

Would take him any day over Emery

Raul has no emotional connection to Wenger. If he thinks Mourinho is the man who elevate Arsenal he will hire him regardless of how Wenger feels.

As far as the fans are concerned, a considerable number are against the potential appointment of Mourinho because of his comments about Arsenal and Wenger in the past, but if he gets the club to challenge Pep and Klopp everything will be forgotten. He is young enough to leave his own legacy at the club.
 
Mourinho to Arsenal is happening. Incredible how things change in football - at one point, it was more unlikely than Leicester winning the league in 2016.

It is trending on Twitter lol.

Why are you convinced it will happen?

I don’t think it will happen to be honest.

We have appointed former Arsenal players in key roles so far, also Raul has said he wants the values of Arsenal to be continued.

I think we may go for Arteta or appoint Freddie.

If ain’t one of them I think Rodgers may be apportioned.
 
It is only just SUN spewing nonsense

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Jose Mourinho is open to replacing Unai Emery at Arsenal, according to ESPN FC sources. <a href="https://t.co/SKnIhyghxc">pic.twitter.com/SKnIhyghxc</a></p>— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNFC/status/1189526580852416514?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
It is trending on Twitter lol.

Why are you convinced it will happen?

I don’t think it will happen to be honest.

We have appointed former Arsenal players in key roles so far, also Raul has said he wants the values of Arsenal to be continued.

I think we may go for Arteta or appoint Freddie.

If ain’t one of them I think Rodgers may be apportioned.

What values of Arsenal does Emery represent? Arsenal made a clear shift from its values when it removed Wenger and restructured the hierarchy of the club, and rejected a former player (Arteta) for Emery who Gazidis wrongly thought was ready to take Arsenal to the next level.

Arteta has a good chance of replacing Pep in a few years and it is unlikely that he will be interested in managing Arsenal after getting snubbed last year.

Freddie as an interim manager is possible but there is no way Raul goes for him if Mourinho is available.

Rodgers is doing a tremendous job at Leicester. It is too early for him to jump ship.

In my opinion, unless Pochettino or Zidane get sacked before Emery, Mourinho would be an Arsenal manager before the end of this season.
 
It is trending on Twitter lol.

Why are you convinced it will happen?

I don’t think it will happen to be honest.

We have appointed former Arsenal players in key roles so far, also Raul has said he wants the values of Arsenal to be continued.

I think we may go for Arteta or appoint Freddie.

If ain’t one of them I think Rodgers may be apportioned.

I can see Mourinho coaching Arsenal and much sooner than expected.

Once again we let another 2 goal lead slip :facepalm: :(
[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION]
 
I can see Mourinho coaching Arsenal and much sooner than expected.

Once again we let another 2 goal lead slip :facepalm: :(
[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION]

His substitutions killed the game. Bottler.
 
Players celebrating on social media after blowing a 2 goal lead (twice), conceding 5 and losing on penalties. I know he’s young but what the hell?



<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">❤️⚽💪🏻 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ComeOnGunners?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ComeOnGunners</a>🔴<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LT11?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LT11</a> <a href="https://t.co/gdtx90B45A">pic.twitter.com/gdtx90B45A</a></p>— Lucas Torreira #LT11 (@LTorreira34) <a href="https://twitter.com/LTorreira34/status/1189672977945808901?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Manager and useless captain need to go. 10 Games into PL game season and not 1 decent performance. Defensively and going forward worse than ever. No identity or style of play.

Arsenal need to cut losses now rather than waiting till end of season.
 
His substitutions killed the game. Bottler.

Indeed. Bringing Ozil off was poor from him. He was involved in 3 of the 5 goals.

Mustafi was responsible for conceding Liverpool's first and their last goal which took the game into penalties. He should never play again for Arsenal.
 
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Bringing Ozil off was probably his way of admitting that he needs him for the rest of the season by saving his legs.

Ozil was immense yesterday but this was Liverpool C team.
 
Indeed. Bringing Ozil off was poor from him. He was involved in 3 of the 5 goals.

Mustafi was responsible for conceding Liverpool's first and their last goal which took the game into penalties. He should never play again for Arsenal.

Mustafi and Xhaka. Because of these two guys the AFC board might go back into their shell of not taking risks on big money players. Pepe might soon be added to this list.

I think AFC need to be bold and take on an established £150M player to see if this brings them the much needed spark in their side. Be bold and go for a Neymar, Mbappe, Hazard, Bale or Griezman type signing.
 
Mourinho is the last hope for Özil. If he cannot get him back to the 2010-2012 level, it would be very clear that he is finished at the top level.
 
Mustafi and Xhaka. Because of these two guys the AFC board might go back into their shell of not taking risks on big money players. Pepe might soon be added to this list.

I think AFC need to be bold and take on an established £150M player to see if this brings them the much needed spark in their side. Be bold and go for a Neymar, Mbappe, Hazard, Bale or Griezman type signing.

Unless Raul can sign Messi, which is more unlikely than Raul signing Hafeez, one player will not make a difference to this side.

Messi alone would help Arsenal challenge City and Liverpool, but there is no one else in the world who can bridge the gap on his own. This team needs 3-4 quality players and it will take 2-3 windows.

Arsenal right now is it a similar level to where Liverpool was in 2015 when Klopp took over, and he needed 3 years to make them a title-winning side. Mourinho will need similar backing and time, which he didn’t get at Man United.
 
Xhaka, Mustafi, Papa, Ceballos, Lacazette and Kolasinac should all leave the club next summer.

Özil’s future depends on whether Mourinho backs himself to get the best out of him or not. I would personally like to see him go because he is grossly overpaid.
 
Xhaka, Mustafi, Papa, Ceballos, Lacazette and Kolasinac should all leave the club next summer.

Özil’s future depends on whether Mourinho backs himself to get the best out of him or not. I would personally like to see him go because he is grossly overpaid.

Lol along with Ozil, you want two other central midfielders gone. Where is the service to Aubameyang going to come from? The likes of Saka, Nelson and Willock are too raw to fulfil this role.

Last night Ozil showed his class. I don't know if you were watching it on a Channel/Stream hosted by the Sky Sports Commentary team, but if you did, you would have heard a certain ex-Arsenal player, Alan Smith say "with Ozil in this form, it is clearly a mistake from the manager to be leaving leave him out of the side".

Ozil's issue has always been away from home but last night you cannot fault his performance. Emery needs his head examined for subbing him off.

I agree with you on Xhaka, Mustafi, Pepe, Kolasinac and perhaps Ceballos (from what we've of seen him so far) but why do you want to see us offload Lacazette? He's quality and given that Aubameyang is 30, he will be even better as he'll be hitting his prime by the time his fellow forward is past his best.
 
Mustafi and Xhaka. Because of these two guys the AFC board might go back into their shell of not taking risks on big money players. Pepe might soon be added to this list.

I think AFC need to be bold and take on an established £150M player to see if this brings them the much needed spark in their side. Be bold and go for a Neymar, Mbappe, Hazard, Bale or Griezman type signing.

By far the two worst signings for Arsenal I've seen, having supported the club since 2000.

The problems lie mostly in our defence and defensive midfield. We need a quality players in these positions who I must stress are leadership material.

Xhaka as captain of Arsenal is analogous to when Sarfraz was captaining Pakistan cricket. Not only are they underperforming players but they are liabilities for their respective teams. Although captaincy of a football team is less significant, as it is largely ceremonial, this does not prevent the fact that they both set bad examples for the rest of their team.

Emery does himself no favours, on one hand Ozil can't even make the bench, whilst we have a liability in Xhaka not only playing first team for the club, but actually made captain, it is difficult for him to command respect and trust from the rest of the team. This is all it takes to change the team psych.
 
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Lol along with Ozil, you want two other central midfielders gone. Where is the service to Aubameyang going to come from? The likes of Saka, Nelson and Willock are too raw to fulfil this role.

Last night Ozil showed his class. I don't know if you were watching it on a Channel/Stream hosted by the Sky Sports Commentary team, but if you did, you would have heard a certain ex-Arsenal player, Alan Smith say "with Ozil in this form, it is clearly a mistake from the manager to be leaving leave him out of the side".

Ozil's issue has always been away from home but last night you cannot fault his performance. Emery needs his head examined for subbing him off.

I agree with you on Xhaka, Mustafi, Pepe, Kolasinac and perhaps Ceballos (from what we've of seen him so far) but why do you want to see us offload Lacazette? He's quality and given that Aubameyang is 30, he will be even better as he'll be hitting his prime by the time his fellow forward is past his best.

Xhaka and Ceballos should be replaced by superior midfielders. I am not suggesting that Nelson, Saka and Willock should be relied on at this stage.

Last night Özil did show his class, but he was up against a Liverpool team that would probably be close to the relegation zone if they were to play all 38 matches in the league. We have seen enough of Özil to understand his strengths and weaknesses. He is a creative genius but when you don’t allow him space, he barely has more impact than a random Championship midfielder.

To get the best out of Özil against the top sides, you will have to set your team up like Mourinho did in 2011-12, where Madrid scored 120+ goals in the league and Özil was at his creative best. Mourinho played Xabi Alonso and Khedira at the base of the midfield. Xabi Alonso was exceptionally good at cutting passing lanes and Khedira worked tirelessly throughout the 90 minutes.

On the right hand side, Di Maria would track back while the likes of Ronaldo and Benzema would drag defenders out of position with diagonal runs. Moreover, they had a defensive right-back in Arbeloa who would rarely get caught out of position. As a result, Özil had the luxury to operate with plenty of space and no defensive duties.

As far as Lacazette is concerned, I don’t think he is quality. He has a very below average output in terms of goals and barely scores away from home. In his two full seasons, he is yet to hit the 15 goal mark in the Premier League which is nowhere near good enough. It is very clear that Arsenal cannot bridge the gap between themselves and the top two sides with him leading the line.

He is slow, he is not physical, his touch is not great, his finishing is erratic and his only great quality is his work rate. However, overall, he is a jack of all and master of none and has found the jump from Ligue 1 to the Premier League quite steep. There is a reason why he had to join Arsenal at the age of 26 - none of the top European clubs had shown concrete interest in him. He is in his prime right now and it is not good enough at all.

Furthermore, he has also forced Aubameyang out of position. Arsenal would be much better off by selling Lacazette and buying a LW. Signing of Lacazette was Wenger’s last goof up in the transfer window. He was hunting for a winger/wide forward in the summer of 2017 especially because Sanchez’s future was uncertain.

However, when he failed to land his #1 target Lemar, he ended up with a number 9 like Lacazette. Few months later, he ended up signing a superior striker in Aubameyang which made the signing of Lacazette pointless. He should have either signed Aubameyang in the summer of 2017 or signed a winger instead of Lacazette.
 
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Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka says he "reached boiling point" after "repeated abuse" as he explained his angry confrontation with fans on Sunday.

The Swiss midfielder was booed while he walked off the pitch at Emirates Stadium, prompting him to cup his ear.

In an emotional statement, he said he had been "hurt deeply" by comments on social media and at matches recently.

Xhaka, 27, said he got "carried away" and reacted "disrespectfully" to fans, which had not been his intention.

Arsenal boss Unai Emery had called for Xhaka to apologise for his reaction but the player fell short of a full apology as he broke his silence for the first time since the incident with a statement on Instagram on Thursday.

"The scenes that took place around my substitution have moved me deeply," said Xhaka. "I love this club and always give 100% on and off the pitch.

"My feeling of not being understood by fans, and repeated abusive comments at matches and in social media over the last weeks and months have hurt me deeply.

"People have said things like, 'We will break your legs', 'Kill your wife' and 'Wish that your daughter gets cancer'. That has stirred me up and I reached boiling point when I felt the rejection in the stadium on Sunday.

"In this situation, I let myself be carried away and reacted in a way that disrespected the group of fans that support our club, our team and myself with positive energy. That has not been my intention and I'm sorry if that's what people thought.

"My wish is that we get back to a place of mutual respect, remembering why we fell in love with this game in the first place. Let's move forward positively together."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/50257148
 
Xhaka and Ceballos should be replaced by superior midfielders. I am not suggesting that Nelson, Saka and Willock should be relied on at this stage.

Last night Özil did show his class, but he was up against a Liverpool team that would probably be close to the relegation zone if they were to play all 38 matches in the league. We have seen enough of Özil to understand his strengths and weaknesses. He is a creative genius but when you don’t allow him space, he barely has more impact than a random Championship midfielder.

To get the best out of Özil against the top sides, you will have to set your team up like Mourinho did in 2011-12, where Madrid scored 120+ goals in the league and Özil was at his creative best. Mourinho played Xabi Alonso and Khedira at the base of the midfield. Xabi Alonso was exceptionally good at cutting passing lanes and Khedira worked tirelessly throughout the 90 minutes.

On the right hand side, Di Maria would track back while the likes of Ronaldo and Benzema would drag defenders out of position with diagonal runs. Moreover, they had a defensive right-back in Arbeloa who would rarely get caught out of position. As a result, Özil had the luxury to operate with plenty of space and no defensive duties.

As far as Lacazette is concerned, I don’t think he is quality. He has a very below average output in terms of goals and barely scores away from home. In his two full seasons, he is yet to hit the 15 goal mark in the Premier League which is nowhere near good enough. It is very clear that Arsenal cannot bridge the gap between themselves and the top two sides with him leading the line.

He is slow, he is not physical, his touch is not great, his finishing is erratic and his only great quality is his work rate. However, overall, he is a jack of all and master of none and has found the jump from Ligue 1 to the Premier League quite steep. There is a reason why he had to join Arsenal at the age of 26 - none of the top European clubs had shown concrete interest in him. He is in his prime right now and it is not good enough at all.

Furthermore, he has also forced Aubameyang out of position. Arsenal would be much better off by selling Lacazette and buying a LW. Signing of Lacazette was Wenger’s last goof up in the transfer window. He was hunting for a winger/wide forward in the summer of 2017 especially because Sanchez’s future was uncertain.

However, when he failed to land his #1 target Lemar, he ended up with a number 9 like Lacazette. Few months later, he ended up signing a superior striker in Aubameyang which made the signing of Lacazette pointless. He should have either signed Aubameyang in the summer of 2017 or signed a winger instead of Lacazette.

Well all I can say is most of the fans disagree with this. They voted for him as the player of the 18-19 season:

https://www.arsenal.com/news/201819-player-season-alex-lacazette
 
Arsenal manager Unai Emery says captain Granit Xhaka will not be in the squad for Saturday's Premier League game against Wolves.

Xhaka reacted angrily to being booed by home fans when substituted in last Sunday's draw with Crystal Palace.

After facing criticism in the aftermath, the Swiss international said he "reached boiling point" as a result of threats to his wife and daughter.

"We need time to recover the normality in him and for us," said Emery.

"He said sorry, he gave an apology to the supporters and now is time to focus on the match."

Emery was asked whether the 27-year-old midfielder remained his captain but did not answer directly, saying instead: "It's not in my mind that he will play tomorrow. I am thinking tomorrow he is not going to play.

"Now we need to focus 100% on the match. Now we are going to train and at the moment he is not in my mind."

Xhaka has started all but one of Arsenal's league games this season.

His withdrawal after 61 minutes against Palace was followed by boos and he reacted by swearing and removing his shirt before walking down the tunnel.

Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright said Xhaka owed Arsenal fans "a lot more" and should have apologised quickly after the incident.

Earlier in the week Emery also urged Xhaka - a £35m signing from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2016 - to apologise.

When he did speak about the incident, Xhaka said the reaction to his substitution "moved me deeply".

The former Basel player also said he had been upset by comments he had received on social media and at matches recently. They included 'kill your wife' and 'wish that your daughter gets cancer', he said.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/50264218
 
Got to be beating the likes of Wolves at home.

They seem to be lacking confidence with the manager not helping matters.
 
Got to be beating the likes of Wolves at home.

They seem to be lacking confidence with the manager not helping matters.

They should atleast out shoot let alone beat. It was arsenal who were hanging by the thread in the second half. And imagine the nerve by the manager to come out and say along the lines of "we are progressing". Absolute bullsheet
 
Leicester away next Saturday. Hopefully the last time we will see this clown.
 
Leicester away next Saturday. Hopefully the last time we will see this clown.

Leicester will blitz away. I do hope it is a massacre. Or else we might hear the usual "played well" after match drivel. Emery turned out to be as adamant as Wenger on last legs. I mean how on earth is Sokratis still playing!!
 
Leicester will blitz away. I do hope it is a massacre. Or else we might hear the usual "played well" after match drivel. Emery turned out to be as adamant as Wenger on last legs. I mean how on earth is Sokratis still playing!!

He has lost the dressing room, which means the players will probably not even try to win next week. Apparently Mourinho had a meeting with Raul and co. last week. It is happening.
 
He has lost the dressing room, which means the players will probably not even try to win next week. Apparently Mourinho had a meeting with Raul and co. last week. It is happening.

Mourinho comes with a lot of baggage. Most importantly he needs big budget which i am not sure Kroenke will be looking forward to. Secondly he has very little margin for error with fans. I am not sure it will happen. I would be ok with him and i am his biggest critc. At the moment, an identity is what Arsenal require, be it defensive or attacking.
 
What values of Arsenal does Emery represent? Arsenal made a clear shift from its values when it removed Wenger and restructured the hierarchy of the club, and rejected a former player (Arteta) for Emery who Gazidis wrongly thought was ready to take Arsenal to the next level.

Arteta has a good chance of replacing Pep in a few years and it is unlikely that he will be interested in managing Arsenal after getting snubbed last year.

Freddie as an interim manager is possible but there is no way Raul goes for him if Mourinho is available.

Rodgers is doing a tremendous job at Leicester. It is too early for him to jump ship.

In my opinion, unless Pochettino or Zidane get sacked before Emery, Mourinho would be an Arsenal manager before the end of this season.


Emery was appointed when Gazidis was in charge. Raul was making appointments that made it seem like he wanted to follow the Wenger traditions.

But this Mourinho stuff is gathering steam today with reports he has met Raul numerous times.

Looks like this will happen.
 
I can see Mourinho coaching Arsenal and much sooner than expected.

Once again we let another 2 goal lead slip :facepalm: :(
[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION]



Looks like it will happen. Don’t think Jose would be meeting Raul for something that isn’t football related. Raul has a known relationship with Jose agent as well.

Leaks coming out today that they have met numerous times. Furthermore these leaks of Emrey not being understood by the players, him not wanting to strip Xhaka from the captaincy and that he wants the players opinion. Seems as though these are being leaked so it gives us a reason to be sacked.

A bad defeat to Leicester will probably be the end.
 
Looks like it will happen. Don’t think Jose would be meeting Raul for something that isn’t football related. Raul has a known relationship with Jose agent as well.

Leaks coming out today that they have met numerous times. Furthermore these leaks of Emrey not being understood by the players, him not wanting to strip Xhaka from the captaincy and that he wants the players opinion. Seems as though these are being leaked so it gives us a reason to be sacked.

A bad defeat to Leicester will probably be the end.

How the hell did Wolves, a supposedly pragmatic team away to a big 6 side, muster 25 shots!! They went through Arsenal midfield like they weren't even there.
 
How the hell did Wolves, a supposedly pragmatic team away to a big 6 side, muster 25 shots!! They went through Arsenal midfield like they weren't even there.

Players seem confused on the pitch.

When you don’t have a core philosophy, it’s difficult for players to fight when things get difficult.
 
Sources at arsenal have denied the meeting ever took place. According to them Raul has not met Mourinho for years now.
[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] [MENTION=141114]Hasan123[/MENTION]
 
Seems Ars fans would be happy to have Mourinho...how the standards have dropped. Same Mourinho that was mocked.
 
Seems Ars fans would be happy to have Mourinho...how the standards have dropped. Same Mourinho that was mocked.

Mourinho’s only purpose would be to extract £200m from the owners and tighten up our defence...

My first choice will always be Simeon
 
Sources at arsenal have denied the meeting ever took place. According to them Raul has not met Mourinho for years now.
[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] [MENTION=141114]Hasan123[/MENTION]

Won’t look too much into it. I think there is too much smoke for there to be no fire.
 
Sources at arsenal have denied the meeting ever took place. According to them Raul has not met Mourinho for years now.
[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] [MENTION=141114]Hasan123[/MENTION]

This reminds me of 2016 when Man United would regularly back LVG but it was pretty clear that they were working behind the scenes to rope in Mourinho.
 
Sources at arsenal have denied the meeting ever took place. According to them Raul has not met Mourinho for years now.
[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] [MENTION=141114]Hasan123[/MENTION]

They are hardly going to say they want to get rid of Emery.

In the last couple of weeks there has been a lot of negative things said about Emrey. It's just to give Arsenal reasons why they sacked him.
 
Now rumours going around that Arsenal may target Arteta. Don't think these rumours of Mourinho and Arteta would be going around if Emrey was safe.
 
Arsenal always in bad luck with whose Availlable.

I feel Arsenal pay their managers half of what Liverpool or City pay theirs.
 
Arsenal always in bad luck with whose Availlable.

I feel Arsenal pay their managers half of what Liverpool or City pay theirs.

Wenger was consistently the second highest paid manager in the premier league, just behind Sir Alex.
 
Mourinho at Chelsea was getting paid twice as much as Wenger was.

Mourinho’s second spell at Chelsea was on a different level that I”ll give you BUT for all their faults Arsenal wouldn’t lose out on a manager due to the salary
Whilst Wenger was at Arsenal, times of austerity, he was still the 7th or 8th highest paid manager in world football.,

I think an elite manager isn’t going to worry about his salary as much as what the club is willing to spend on new recruitments.
 
Wenger left a year or two late, we should have taken our chance with Pep and Klopp then. Even now availability of head coaches that meet the philosophy of Arsenal are unavailable.

I don’t want Mourinho anywhere near Arsenal. He is a proven manager but in the past 2-3 years whilst managing Chelsea and MUFC; he’s looked out of ideas and has looked very one dimensional. Arsenal have a good bunch of youngsters coming through Willock, Saliba, Jules, Balagoun, Nketiah, Saka, Nelson and Martinelli. Mourinho has no good history in managing and developing youngsters. Only youngster I see benefiting in Saliba under Mourinho.

Realistically, Arsenal will keep Emery a game or two; if Arsenal lose badly again... Especially v Leicester; we’ll probably see Ljunberg managing the side till the end of the season.

But let’s get one thing real; Arsenal have lost their DNA, they have declined as a footballing team, bad crop of senior players at Arsenal and Emirates Stadium is a theatre, not a football stadium. I back Xhaka fully what he did.

Short term solutions: Ljunberg, Arteta, Guus Hiddink or Benitez.
Long term: Nagelsmann or Rodgers.
 
Mourinho’s second spell at Chelsea was on a different level that I”ll give you BUT for all their faults Arsenal wouldn’t lose out on a manager due to the salary
Whilst Wenger was at Arsenal, times of austerity, he was still the 7th or 8th highest paid manager in world football.,

I think an elite manager isn’t going to worry about his salary as much as what the club is willing to spend on new recruitments.

A manager like Mourinho would make sure that his contract is bulked up knowing he will be sacked from the club instead of running down a contract. He isn’t a long term solution specialist, just a quick fix specialist.
 
Mourinho at Chelsea was getting paid twice as much as Wenger was.

Wenger was on 10 million pounds a year on his last contract. That was one of the highest paid managers in the world at the time.
 
Midfielder Granit Xhaka has been stripped of the Arsenal captaincy with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang taking over, Gunners' boss Unai Emery has confirmed.

Xhaka, 27, was involved in an angry confrontation with home fans during the Gunners' 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace on 27 October.

The Switzerland international was booed as he walked off the pitch at Emirates Stadium, prompting him to cup his ear.

Emery later said Xhaka should have apologised to the club's supporters.

"We make mistakes, we need to apologise and we suggested for him to do that," said Emery at the time. "Really, he knows he was wrong and he feels inside very deep."

However, Xhaka refused to go that far, although he did say he got "carried away" and reacted "disrespectfully" to fans.

"The scenes that took place around my substitution have moved me deeply," Xhaka said in statement on Instagram last month. "I love this club and always give 100% on and off the pitch.

"My feeling of not being understood by fans, and repeated abusive comments at matches and in social media over the last weeks and months, have hurt me deeply.

"People have said things like, 'We will break your legs', 'Kill your wife' and 'Wish that your daughter gets cancer'. That has stirred me up and I reached boiling point when I felt the rejection in the stadium on Sunday."

Xhaka has been left out of Arsenal's squad for their Europa League game in Portugal against Vitoria Guimaraes on Wednesday.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50309446
 
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