PL: Cardiff vs Arsenal | September 2nd | KO: 1:30 BST | Sky Sports

[Slartibartfast]

Still a good bit of work to do, obviously, but that's a game in which Arsenal would have dropped points last season. These are the games Arsenal needs to find a way to win. Today they did. That's encouraging.

 

[RammiXP]

Balance is our biggest issue right now. Torreira should be starting we look a much more balanced team with him in the side.

We have an issue defensively as a team conceding 8 so far, 4th worst in the league with only Fulham, West Ham and Newcastle conceding more.

We have a number of players who are square pegs in round holes including Iwobi, Özil and Mikhi. If we had 2 of these guys replaced by wingers we would have a more balanced team but we are to narrow at times.

Overall happy with the result given how awful we are away and the fact we need points. However, we are far away from the top 4 at present until we can get the balance right.

 

[Mo Britain]

But the point is the same thing won’t happen with Leno who is very good with the ball at his feet. Goalkeepers are used more in modern football to retain possession and with the high press becoming so common to help play around it from the back. If you use the keeper as an extra outfield player then it’s easier to do that. Cech being **** at it and Emery keep picking him is the problem, not the tactic.

And if Cech stops two goals each game which Leno lets in because he is a better shot-stopper does that justify the tactic?

For me it's not about Cech v Leno. You have a very specialised position (goalkeeper) and you pick your best goalkeeper which still means the one who is best at stopping goals. When you need a heart surgeon you don't choose a waiter who's nifty with a pair of scissors do you?

 

[Gooner Zig]

There's a bit of a knock on effect with Cech's poor distribution. As a defender knowing your keeper is a calamity with the ball at his feet wouldn't be the biggest confidence booster, especially if you're not the greatest with the ball at your feet.

 

[Apollian]

stats wise was a good player, but he didn't suit our style of play. I understand we actually kind of need a quick winger right now but if we had the right ambition and signed one ther would be plenty who could offer maybe a little less output but really effect the side well with their ablity to take on players and open up gaps.

i agree that he can't be considered a donkey like some paint him as. however, him being so stuck on becoming a striker really slowed down his career, he was nowhere near good enough to be a lone striker with his physcality. that is reserved for either strong players or ones with fantastic ability like aguero

my friend, football is all about stats, who scores and creates more is what wins you games. and a minority our fans understood that Theo did just that... the other side of our fanbase just didn't get it. they wanted the likes of The Ox on the field instead of Walcott, and what that did was produce less goals, creativity, impact and chances for others.

Oxlade-Chamberlain 20 goals in 200 games over 7 years at Arsenal.
Walcott 108 goals in 397 games. need I say more?.
I would take production over anything else in football, and some of our fans just didn't get it, simply because they wanted to see flair, players with the ability to go pass players with no idea what to do next. for me that's where Bellerin has improved this season, his a real addition in the final 3rd, but defensively his in a hole, mostly because he has zero-cover and help.

 

[field442]

There's a bit of a knock on effect with Cech's poor distribution. As a defender knowing your keeper is a calamity with the ball at his feet wouldn't be the biggest confidence booster, especially if you're not the greatest with the ball at your feet.

Him being **** with it at his feet isn’t the only problem either. He doesn’t move around his box and create angles for people to play it back to him if we’re being pressed.

 

[Toby]

A lot of people have speculated that Emery is waiting for Cech to make a mistake before dropping him, surely the best approach would be to avoid that in the first place by bringing Leno in...

Wouldn't it be easier and more honest to say: "Look, you're a good guy, great keeper, but you're 36 years old, I want to play out from the back with a good passer in goal, we've got Leno who is younger and can do just that. You've got the Cups and EL group stage games."

If Cech doesn't accept it, bench him for every game.

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

Unai man stop with this s**"t the guy can't bad with his feets

 

[Tom349]

There's a bit of a knock on effect with Cech's poor distribution. As a defender knowing your keeper is a calamity with the ball at his feet wouldn't be the biggest confidence booster, especially if you're not the greatest with the ball at your feet.

Not only that but keepers who are good with their feet play further up the field which offensively means you can compress the opposition deeper and on counters you can intercept the ball before getting through on goal. Cech still plays within his box which isn't the role thats is needed for Emery to pull off what he wants his goal keeper to do. Very bizarre selection of Cech at the moment regardless of being in his best form since arriving at the club.

 

[A_G]

Wouldn't it be easier and more honest to say: "Look, you're a good guy, great keeper, but you're 36 years old, I want to play out from the back with a good passer in goal, we've got Leno who is younger and can do just that. You've got the Cups and EL group stage games."

If Cech doesn't accept it, bench him for every game.

I agree, even if Emery thinks Leno is going to make mistakes while he adjusts it’s just delaying the inevitable. Should go all in on this rebuild and play Leno + Lucas.

 

[yorch44]

We are yet to get the best of the team because Emery does not know his team yet. You have to know your players before finding out if they can play within your system. Not the other way around.

Cech is a shot stopper and not a modern ball to feet goalkeeper! Who does not know that! Emery got a new keeper who is brilliant at that. So why not start him? Cech is made captain and starts on goal and for the past 4 games it has been a nightmare playing and building from the back. The hold tactic is terrible because our keeper who is the master planner on that is not good at that. It makes our entire midfield and defence play like a pub team. How is that not the Manager’s fault? Emery is new but not immunes to critics. He should solve that first and his team will change.

The defence is playing to its best because in terms of personnel and ability that’s what we can get from them. Our defence is suffering because it cannot build form the back. Not entirely down to lack of ability but down to a keeper who is not good at it. Simple. The manager should see and change that.

The midfield is same. Under pressure by opposing teams because they know we would panic playing from the back and press high. Why play Xhaka and Douzy in the same team ? Absolute carnage. Who wins the ball? Who puts pressure on the ball or intercepts? Non of them have that in their game. The moment you take either out and bring on Lucas the whole midfield gets a balance ! An interception! A tussle on the heels of opposition! Winning balls etc. While Xhaka provides options and forward passing. Emery should not take 4 games to know and correct this.

We have Zero width. Zéro. How can Özil and Mhki our creators thrive in such a role. Not even Zidane would. Özil on the width? Why? Is that what City is doing ?

How long did it take for the manager to see Laca is our best striker to play , hold up and bring others into play? 4 games ?

Emery does not have all he needs in terms of options etc but we should be playing better than this with what we got. I am not on his back at such but it’s is obvious we can play better. Using the wrong player in the wrong areas and we can play 10 years and his system would never work.

I agree, truth is I do not like Emery, I dont like managers who impose “his style” instead of getting the best of players you have. Not being close minded. As you said it is stupid to not play Laca. We are not managers but we use logic. Managers looks like they forget logic and try hipster new ideas, like Cech playing with feet.

 

[Toby]

Thinking about it, the fullbacks and Özil might be the biggest problem right now.

I feel Kolasinac was Emery's first option for the left and he's clinging to Bellerin although besides a few assissts he's been very bad.

A midfield three of Torreira, Xhaka and Ramsey has looked the best option thus far, with the Uruguayan freeing up the two others to do what they do best. Problem is it keeps Özil on the wing from where he drifts.

Auba and Laca have to play together, which results in a similarly vacated left wing, where Auba plays as a secondary striker, also drifting in. It puts much work on the fullbacks to cover the whole flank. Monreal is regularly assisted by Ramsey who drifts out to the left a lot, but Guendouzi has been sloppy in that regard on the right side. Strangely, Xhaka also tends to rather defend on the left side.

It is a very narrow system with unfitting fullbacks and/or a misworking support system for them. Two players drifting in from the wings is not an individual problem, as both Auba and Özil have shown they can do it, but it crowds the centre where Xhaka, Lacazette and Ramsey are already.

There's still not enough patterned offensive movement to get out of tight locked situations in which Arsenal crowd the centre around the box with 6, 7 players. I feel there is a lot of tweaking to do.

 

[natural]

Lads believe in Unai Emery, he knows better. Moujinho has said that the fans clap and appreciating moment after their last game created positive vibes for the players, and so far it seems like it has worked for them as they are winning now. I’m 100% sure that if we keep believing in Unai he will take us to the promise land.

 

[gunner4lyfe]

Auba can't play without Laca here. He could if we'd have some actual wingers, but in the current situation it doesn't work.

Xhaka can only look decent if Torreira is doing the dirty work for him.

I want to see Leno against Newcastle just to make an opinion about what we're missing or gaining by dropping the Chelski undercover agent.

Torreira is outdoing Xhaka right now in terms of passing so might as well have Gwen out there.

 

[LG10]

Nah he’s fine when it comes to actual goalkeeping. I don’t know why everyone in football is suddenly obsessed with playing out from the back but I’d rather a keeper who’s solid in the air and a good shot stopper.

Yes there have been a few memes from how bad he’s been at playing out from the back but when it comes to the key aspects he’s fine.

He's not a good shot stopper anymore though. See the Sterling and Aurnautovic goals. We will miss his ability on crosses though, he is very good at collecting them.

 

[ThlRama]

He's not a good shot stopper anymore though. See the Sterling and Aurnautovic goals. We will miss his ability on crosses though, he is very good at collecting them.

He is good at that plus closing down attackers, especially in one-on-one situations. Good shot-stopper I wouldn't say, but he won't concede easy shots just due to brain farts like other keepers, he just lacks reflexes and agility to get to the well taken ones.

 

[LG10]

He is good at that plus closing down attackers, especially in one-on-one situations. Good shot-stopper I wouldn't say, but he won't concede easy shots just due to brain farts like other keepers, he just lacks reflexes and agility to get to the well taken ones.

He's conceded many goals over the years to easy shots, his first game for us he did that. Leno's supposedly very good at one on ones anyways.

 

[Taylor Gang Gunners]

Unai man stop with this s**"t the guy can't bad with his feets

Even Cech's long kicks were poor, he got loads of height on his kicks but no distance.

He's not suddenly going to become fantastic with his feet, but he can make up his mind a lot quicker and stop underhitting passes.

 

[ThlRama]

He's conceded many goals over the years to easy shots, his first game for us he did that.

I'm actually talking about what he's doing since Emery has taken over. Under Wenger he was dreadful in my opinion, but now he seems to have improved a little. His concentration on the basic stuff seems to be right back on.

 

[grange]

Caught the highlights and it looks like both Cardiff and Arsenal could've scored 5 goals easily this game. The defending is still horrific.