Angers SCO v Arsenal | July 31 | KO: 18:30 BST

Its funny how Emery will most likely be given a very good set of players this season if we indeed buy a cb and Tierney. Yet they may all be wasted by his midfield philosophy.

Modern football in the Premiership demands running power in midfield. Xhaka and Guendouzi have none of that. Sp**s will win the majority of their games by Ndombele and Sissoko running over teams and their forwards profiting from broken play.

We are going to play a 4 2 3 1, with whoever as the 10 playing as a centre forward. On top of that we will have two midfielders who can't operate in a two.

The double Pivot is outdated and pointless when you have a specialist holder in Torreira.

Play him at the base and play Ceballos + one of Willock/Iwobi and Guendouzi ahead of him ffs.

 

Is this our first trophy under Emery?

 

we won tank team of the season, surely

 

Can anyone tell me what happened? Did we win or did it go to penalties? And please dont troll me.

 

Not sure. We got to 42-42 when Mustafi was given a turn. He missed and proceeded to blame Emi for distracting him. Jeff tried to take his pen but Mustafi decided to sit on the penalty spot in protest. Ref called for a break and the field is deserted except Mustafi. Shootout is to be resumed tomorrow.

 

I was travelling with ship and missed out on the ending of the game. I don't quite understand what people are saying here. Did AMN score the match winner or did it just go draw or did it go to penalties?

 

Game ended 1-1. Nelson scored for us. We went on to win 4-3 on penalties. Mkhitaryan missed his.

 

We won on pens.

 

Thanks! Thats good to hear. Mkhitaryan missing doesn't surprise me.

Thanks!

 

Questioned this decision last season, looks to have paid dividends. Good stuff from Ljungberg.

 

But there was a worrying moment for Reiss where he hurt himself without player contact. Not seen him afterwards on the pitch, still unclear to me.

Was the best player alongside Martinelli with Willock rock solid from when he came on.

 

Wish wed go for 4-3-3 we need three in mid so we are not overrun and outnumbered all the time. As others have said I like the look of
Willock. Lucas. Cabellos

Forward 3 of.
Nelson. Pea. Pepe

 

Did Nelson go off injured? Only was able to watch the highlights.

 

Where is Saka btw?

 

I was of the impression Ceballos will be playing in front of Torreira and Xhaka, who is more of a number 8 and can help make it more of a 3 man midfield rather than playing someone like Özil there

 

Nelson is very explosive. That's one of his best attributes. His explosive acceleration with elite close control and change of pace.

 

Unbelievable! Couldn't make this up!

 

People putting Nelson in starting lineups for next season?

Hasn’t done a great deal this pre season for me. Been more impressed with Martinelli tbh. Think they’re is a good player in there but it needs to be eased in to the first team not shoe horned by over hyping.

 

It still comes down to stupid instructions from the manager. Willock is an 8. Yet when he came on yesterday he was given the instruction to play as a 10. He came on, basically played off the striker not receiving the ball. He got involved when he became one of the two sitters.

The way we look to progress out of the back is ridiculous. Pass the ball along the back four until a midfielder is able to receive it on his correct foot, not take a year to turn and have the balls to play a forward pass to a number 10 who has found space. He will then play it wide and our winger who can't take anyone on will either slide it to the full back or go back to one of our two pivots to start the cycle again. If we lose the ball and our full back is high up the opposition simply receive the ball in their space and run at us for 20 yards because our two pivot players can't tackle or run. If the number 10 can't receive it the opposition midfielders can simply run through our midfield because one of them can't move. If we press and fail to win the ball they can run through us because we have no numbers or pace centrally. They can also just hit it over the top and chase because our defence is clueless and our midfield can't win the second ball.

The way Emery wants to play and the way he sets us up encourages the opposition and brings them confidence.

What is the point of having Auba, Laca and Pepe if they score and then walk back hands on hips watching as our midfielders don't tackle, track, get outnumbered, out paced and our defenders are exposed and feel the need to make desperate attempts to defend leaving to the opposition scoring. Pepe will not prevent any of that from reoccuring. I don't even think a top centre back will change that as Emery will happily play Xhaka and Guendouzi as a double Pivot.