Live Match Discussion 2018/19

[Deutsch Wolf]

Xhaka is fucking shit.

 

[Jack Regan]

How very Arsenal of them...

 

[Boozad]

Arsenal will Arsenal...

 

[AndyWolves]

Arsenal are so much better but Warnock finds a way to make Cardiff look dangerous. That said, Arsenal should have put this to bed in the first 30 minutes

Usual gamesmanship from Cardiff that you would expect

 

[Boozad]

Why the fuck is Emery persisting from playing out from Cech when his short distribution is woeful? Plenty of teams will take advantage of that mess.

 

[YoungWolf]

Because quite soon it will be Leno who will be in goal. Short term there might be suffering but long term they will be better for it (though they need to recruit better IMO). People said the same thing in Guardiola's first year in England.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Leno is a rubbish goalkeeper though.

 

[Boozad]

City were never this bad at playing it out though, they had the players to at least give Hart and Bravo options, Arsenal's outfield players aren't doing that which is just exacerbating the issue. It's going to take more than a keeper change for it to work.

 

[YoungWolf]

it's definitely going to take some time for Emery - if he is given it. Bellerin is really poor, and both centre backs are pretty suspect. Then you have a non-existent midfield until Toreira is deemed ready (I really rate him) and then there is a real lack of balance across their attacking players. Personally I think I would play a 442 diamond with this set of players but don't think that suits Emery's 'philosophy'. They have spent a lot of money on players they aren't really sure how to put together in a team.

 

[Jack Regan]

He should just put Leno in goal in that case. It's like us signing Rui and then not picking him, bite the bullet and put the keeper in the team that you've specifically brought in to play.

 

[YoungWolf]

Leno is a rubbish goalkeeper though.

He is definitely overrated but I think I would rather have him than Cech at this point. Either Emery doesn't rate him or he's giving him some time before to settle in before playing him.

City were never this bad at playing it out though, they had the players to at least give Hart and Bravo options, Arsenal's outfield players aren't doing that which is just exacerbating the issue. It's going to take more than a keeper change for it to work.

Except people slated Stones and Otamendi endlessly (lost count of the amount of arguments I had with people, not necessarily on here, defending Stones). They had Zabaleta and Kolorov as their full backs too. But a combination of perseverance with those players, Pep's beliefs and better recruitment has seen them be brilliant at it now.

 

[Boozad]

Except people slated Stones and Otamendi endlessly (lost count of the amount of arguments I had with people, not necessarily on here, defending Stones). They had Zabaleta and Kolorov as their full backs too. But a combination of perseverance with those players, Pep's beliefs and better recruitment has seen them be brilliant at it now.

Otamendi I can understand as he's really not very good on the ball but Stones has always been able to play, Kolarov was always a good outlet and to a lesser extent Zabaleta was a decent option on the right. I'd have those three any day over Mustafi, Bellerin and Monreal if I was going to play out from the keeper. Those three just aren't suited to it at all.

 

[YoungWolf]

Arsenal score a lovely goal after stepping it up for five minutes.

 

[Boozad]

It was a great layoff and finish.

 

[YoungWolf]

Otamendi I can understand as he's really not very good on the ball but Stones has always been able to play, Kolarov was always a good outlet and to a lesser extent Zabaleta was a decent option on the right. I'd have those three any day over Mustafi, Bellerin and Monreal if I was going to play out from the keeper. Those three just aren't suited to it at all.

Monreal and Bellerin (who has regressed, but technically is still good) are good enough footballers to play out from the back. They are better full back options than Pep inherited IMO. Centre backs are the issue really for them. Mustafi actually tries to do the right things but isn't really good enough and I'm not convinced by Sokratis in that sense either.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

It was a great layoff and finish.

Fabulous Roger Johnson impression from Morrison.

 

[YoungWolf]

The supposed "hard man". Don't think Colin will be happy with him about that.

 

[YoungWolf]

Bloody hell

 

[Jack Regan]

Danny fucking Ward haha! Awful!

 

[Boozad]

Monreal and Bellerin (who has regressed, but technically is still good) are good enough footballers to play out from the back. They are better full back options than Pep inherited IMO. Centre backs are the issue really for them. Mustafi actually tries to do the right things but isn't really good enough and I'm not convinced by Sokratis in that sense either.

I don't know, Zabaleta in his prime was a pretty good full back, maybe it's tight between him and Bellerin as I think the latter's better suited to bombing forwards than defending. I always really liked Kolarov and I'd pick him in his prime above Monreal any day of the week.