30 Aug 2019 13:00:58
Portugal, Germany and Belgium!
Decent group stage without long distances
Think we done alright there to be honest.
30 Aug 2019 17:08:42
Good games for the younger players and squad players to get time in.
Yes there is a back door ticket to the champions league for the eventual winners but is that really how we want to get back in Europe's elite competition?
Knock the front door off it's hinges by finishing top 4 and use the Europa league for squad match fitness and young player development only.
30 Aug 2019 17:34:33
Top 3 - come on 62, get that bar at a decent height. :-)
30 Aug 2019 17:37:42
Good draw. Of course we must try and win this competition and qualify for the CL. Qualification by finishing top four would be ideal.
3 seasons out of the CL is too long.
30 Aug 2019 18:38:40
Nuno will be a Wolves legend if he wins the Europa and finishes 5th wile Ole will be sacked if he achieves the same thing.
I suppose it depends if you think Arsenal should be considered Wolves or Uniteds level as a club and we think ourselves as a top 4 or cup club!
30 Aug 2019 19:10:39
I'm happy to accept the bar being set at top 4 SY mate but obviously RG isn't because he's not in the least bit confident his man Emery is capable of clearing it :-)
Happy to proclaim Emery superior abilty to Poch Ole and Frank but not happy for him to have the bar set at the same height as them :-)
30 Aug 2019 19:45:19
We have the attack to finish top 4 so a bit early to be relying on winning the uefa league, the Liverpool game was always going to be one of the toughest games of the season especially this early on
We will spank the spuds tmrw 4-1 and Poch will leave to join us as a youth scout 😂.
30 Aug 2019 20:04:48
Agree 737 mate the Liverpool game was always going to be an extreme long shot as will going to City be too.
We will even start as underdogs at home to both those teams but the against everyone else we have the squad to compete, the most obvious concern for me is if Maitland Niles gets injured who plays RB and if Monreal leaves we will be waking the same tightrope with Kol until at least October, possibly longer at both RB and LB.
30 Aug 2019 21:12:33
Best opportunity we’ve had in years to make a statement against a Spurs side that are in a mess.
Must be brave = don’t state we want to win 5 3 then lose your balls when you play Pool etc. Stick to your game plan and stick with a starting 11. We’ve gone from no plan B with Wenger to no plan A with Unai Wenger ( the later year Wenger )
As long as we get the defensive structure right we should get a big home win but if wrong we leave a window that Kane etc could expose.
Don’t play the clown in a back 4 please
AMN Sokratis, Chambers Monreal
Torreira, Luiz
Ceballos
Pepe, Lacazette, Aubameyang
COYG.
30 Aug 2019 22:19:23
It's a game we dare not lose that's for sure.
Spurs have problems that's obvious and we should be able to take advantage of them, a draw would be a big disappointment but defeat would see the end of summer feel good factor ivaperate before our very eyes.
It will be a travesty if Xhaka takes the place of Torreira Ceballos Guendouzi Wilcock or Luis in midfield but it's highly likely he will.
I'm not sure if we will see the 3 up front either, I think Lacca will probably start on the bench again.
My side would be
Leno
Maitland Niles Papa Chambers Monreal
Wilock Luis Cellabos
Lacasette Pepe Auba
But I expect Emery to pick
Leno
Maitland Niles Papa Luis Monreal
Torreira Xhaka Wilock
Cellabos
Pepe Auba.
30 Aug 2019 23:07:30
So you opted for Wilock over Torriera otherwise no difference - why drop Torriera for him out of interest? Personally I think the youngsters have done ok but show their youth and in big games I would not want big mistakes from them as they will be punished. Let them learn in EL, league cup and lesser opponents. interested in your opinion.
31 Aug 2019 07:13:39
Chambers in v toot!
My team:
Leno
AM-N Sokratis Luiz Kolasinac
Torreira Cellabos Xhaka
Pepe Lacazette Aubameyang
Emery
Leno
AM-N Sokratis Luiz Monreal
Ceballos Guendouzi Xhaka
Pepe Lacazette Aubameyang.
31 Aug 2019 09:44:45
It's tough on Torreira SY mate but I think Wilock has done well and I
think it's really important if a player comes in and does well they retain their place regardless of age or reputation because it promotes real competition for places and makes players afraid to lose their place as they might be ages getting the chance to win it back.
Treating all players the same where no one is guaranteed a place and all places are won on merit can only raise the standards of everyone.
31 Aug 2019 10:34:38
Would amend my midfield to: Torreira Ceballos and Xhaka.
Monreal has left so Emery will probably okay Kolasinac.
31 Aug 2019 11:07:30
Kol in a flat back 4? It's going to put pressure on someone else to cover him and compromise they're own duties.
He's a wing back not a fullback any manager with his wits about him will look to expose the space he leaves behind him for fun, Guendouzi has quite often ended up playing CM/ LB in order to try and cover the space left by Kol in the past when he's in a flat back 4.
I'd now go
Leno
Papa Luis Chambers
Maitland Torreira Ceballos Kol
Lacasette Pepe Auba
My reasons would be through necessity rather than choice.
31 Aug 2019 11:53:03
Chambers in the starting line up and on the left of a back three? G62, I understand you find Chambers irresistible in his tight shorts, but a first team slot and on the left, surely not.
In a 4-3-3, with Kolasinac at LB, Aubameyang on the left of a front three will have to assist in the defensive side of the game, as will the player selected on the left of the midfield three.
I would imagine Tierney will become the first choice left back in the not too distant future.
The compelling thing about Emery is that his team selection and tactics are unpredictable and changeable.
31 Aug 2019 11:57:15
Huge call on selling Nacho - that’s left him real short at left back. He made a similar call last year putting Chambers our on loan leaving him short at CB.
This has surely directed us to a back 3 now and Luiz playing as one of the three
I would have kept Nacho - huge unnecessary risk from the boss
I think your team 62 is almost the default team but I think Spurs will dominate that lightweight midfield and there lies our problem. It’s a small inexperienced midfield with no grit or power. We should have invested better in CM with a proper bulldog to win the battle. We miss a Paddy in there and would sort the defence out over night. With Nacho there you could push Luiz into midfield for that bite. Now we are toothless 🤬🤬. That paves the way for Ceb to be dropped or Laca to be dropped and bring in Granit!
We should have kept Bliek or whatever his name is - annoyed we Emery on this lack of power in midfield!
That’s the change I would make and as we are at home - I would play the 3 up front and drop Ceb but then who creates?
Huge call selling Nacho in my opinion and one he didn’t really need to make but may be his hand was forced.
COYG.
31 Aug 2019 12:26:55
911 - “The compelling thing about Emery is that his team selection and tactics are unpredictable and changeable. â€
I would say
The most annoying thing about Emery is that his team selection and tactics are unpredictable, constantly changing and at times nonsensible†:-)
Take the Liverpool game as a great example and not taking Luiz off when the clowns already on a yellow and got mistakes written all over him, which manager made the right tactical decisions Klopp or Emery? Forget who has the best team, what manager made the right decisions and coasted against the opposition?
31 Aug 2019 12:40:14
In the City game last season we played from the back against a team that pressed high up the pitch which put us under ridiculous pressure. What did we do against Liverpool? Exactly the same and put us under needless pressure., he needs to be smarter.
31 Aug 2019 13:01:42
Emery reminds me of want to be tennis player who's got an excellent record at Queens club level but yet to make an impact on the grand slams like Wimbledon.
So far he's strictly the king of Queens and yet to appear in a Grandslam quater final (top 4 Spain or England) or make the champions league last 8)
Strictly small time manager with small time silverware record up and ones who's failed when tested at top level each and every time to date, we can only hope for better things from him.
31 Aug 2019 13:11:37
I agree SY the Nacho decision was very high risk leaving us only with a so far inexperienced injured natural fullback and a wing back who so far has struggled in a flat back 4, on the face of it not a smart move.
31 Aug 2019 14:03:08
I respect Keown a lot and I think this sums up Emery’s main issue which causes huge issues for our weakness.
On February 3, for example, Arsenal used a classic 4-4-2 formation against Manchester City.
Emery loves to chop and change his shape. He showed that last season, â€
“On February 3, for example, Arsenal used a classic 4-4-2 formation against Manchester City.
In the following fixture, they used 3-4-3 against Huddersfield.
“Next up came a 4-2-3-1 shape against Southampton, then a 3-4-2-1 against Bournemouth.
“Even I'm getting confused just thinking about it. As a defender, you like consistency. You like to know what you're doing. So far this season, Emery has stood by four at the back.
“I’d suggest sticking with that for Tottenham, as well as starting their big three in attack. â€
It’s not a strength - is a huge weakness.
31 Aug 2019 15:47:31
But he can't stick to a back 4 without playing with 2 of the 4 being out of their natural position.
Maitland Niles is not a RB and Kol isn't an out and out LB.
Both our would be first choice fullbacks were injured before the season even started and now Monreal has left we have no natural out and out fullbacks available but not due to unforeseeable injury but because of extremely poor squad management.