Defense? What is the only constant?

[Pat Rice in Short Shorts]

The only constant in the past several years of dire defending is Steve Bould being left in charge of defensive strategy and organization. It is becoming untenable. Sorry Steve, loved you as player but you suck at coaching.

[Ach]

Koscielny

Get rid. Build from scratch.

[Power n Glory]

Emery made a point that he wants to improve the defending here at Arsenal and made it a priority. Do you really think he's left all that work to Steve Bould and nobody else gets a word in?

[theHotHead]

Well if this is Emery improving our defending heaven help us, cos we are worse this season than we were last season.

I am not sure how that is even possible, because we were fooking shite last season.

[Marsbar100]

It's our offensive game that's an issue, we are to exposed with our full backs going forward, to static in midfield, invite to much pressure, to many turnovers, to many spaces to counter and compounded with having some dodgy defenders that make to many mistakes.

Buy some wide players with pace will mean teams will not be able to press us as much, we will not have to expose ourselves with our full backs being to gung ho, more importantly get some centre mids that can play back to goal turn with the ball and start running at the opposition defense, then we will have more control in the middle keeping the ball is the best form of defense.

[Yago]

Everything is an issue. We made no progress this season.

[Phil71]

2017/18 stats:
Total goals for: 74
Total goals against: 51
Total average per game for: 1.94
Total average per game against: 1.34
Total average goals +/-: +0.6

Home goals for: 54
Home goals against: 20
Average per game for: 2.84
Average per game against: 1.05
Average home goals +/-: +1.79

Away goals for: 20
Away goals against: 31
Average per game for: 1.05
Average per game away: 1.63
Average away goals +/-: -0.58



2018/19 stats to date:

Total goals for: 69
Total goals against: 46
Total average per game for: 1.97
Total average per game against: 1.31
Total average goals +/-: +0.66

Home goals for: 41
Home goals against: 15
Average per game for: 2.28
Average per game against: 0.83
Average home goals +/-: +1.45

Away goals for: 28
Away goals against: 31
Average per game for: 1.65
Average per game against: 1.82
Average away goals +/-: -0.17


On average overall we are scoring 0.03 more goals than last season, and also conceding 0.03 fewer goals.

So to date, in terms of goals scored and goals conceded, we are in fact doing better than we were last season- if only very slightly.

[PairyGrows]

It's our offensive game that's an issue, we are to exposed with our full backs going forward, to static in midfield, invite to much pressure, to many turnovers, to many spaces to counter and compounded with having some dodgy defenders that make to many mistakes.

Buy some wide players with pace will mean teams will not be able to press us as much, we will not have to expose ourselves with our full backs being to gung ho, more importantly get some centre mids that can play back to goal turn with the ball and start running at the opposition defense, then we will have more control in the middle keeping the ball is the best form of defense.

You encapsulated all my thoughts much more concisely than I could even dare dream of.

[Pat Rice in Short Shorts]

It's our offensive game that's an issue, we are to exposed with our full backs going forward, to static in midfield, invite to much pressure, to many turnovers, to many spaces to counter and compounded with having some dodgy defenders that make to many mistakes.

Buy some wide players with pace will mean teams will not be able to press us as much, we will not have to expose ourselves with our full backs being to gung ho, more importantly get some centre mids that can play back to goal turn with the ball and start running at the opposition defense, then we will have more control in the middle keeping the ball is the best form of defense.

There is the still basic issue of defensive organization and stupid mistakes.

At least Emery has started mixing some man marking in with zonal. Still they seem confused who is to mark whom. Klopp didn't just fix LIverpool's defensive troubles by adding better players, he overhauled the whole system. We need to do both obviously.

Mustafi is either a disaster or brilliant minute by minute, Kos is still solid but has lost a bit of speed. Sokratis is our best option. Holding was having a great season until his injury. Bellerin fits the three at the back far better than as part of the back four. Sadly Jenkinson is out of his depth. We have certainly upgraded the central midfield defensively, but Xhaka still gives the ball away far too often as Ramsey used to do with stupid flicks and back heels rather than making a solid clearance or pass. Defending these days has to start at the front, and in truth Lacazette and Aubameyang do track back and win balls but our pressing game is still haphazard. Ozil might have sort of got the message...or not.

If we miss out on the CL the prospect of buying world class defenders is pretty much nil. If Emery does buy it would be one guy perhaps. Wenger pretty much hamstrung the club by paying Mkhitaryan and Ozil so much.

Nobody outside of Colney really knows who is in charge of what, but like I said Bould is the only constant no matter who we buy and what system we use. Not every great player makes a good coach as Adams, Henry and many others have shown.

Once again I am sick looking back on another season of missed opportunity and stupid mistakes. The only saving grace would be winning the EC.

[theHotHead]

Nonsense, this argument that we cant attract world class players because we are not in the CL is balls. In all the time we have been in the CL the only world class players we bought are Ozil and Sanchez.

[Nuggets]

What is the only constant....? ...they are sh1te

[Santi]

Aye, clearly the players and not the setup when we’ve been shit no matter who’s played there the last 10 years right?

Must be about 50 shit defenders we’ve had then.

[theHotHead]

What is the only constant....? ...they are sh1te

They were not shite when we bought them, thats why we bought them.

We have shit defensive coaching, that's the constant. Non existent coaching under Wenger and must be even moreso under Emery because we are worse.

[Pat Rice in Short Shorts]

Nonsense, this argument that we cant attract world class players because we are not in the CL is balls. In all the time we have been in the CL the only world class players we bought are Ozil and Sanchez.

The point was that if we miss the CL as it is becoming clearer by the loss the club won't have the cash to spend in this market. Money attracts world class players these days. One year on we are still feeling the effects of the final four years of Wenger. Financially and on the pitch. We have so much invested in Ozil and Mkhitaryan wages the club let Ramsey walk away and it would take 70m to replace him now.

Emery is on the right path in many ways but the measure of the man will be getting a handle on the defensive side and obviously motivation on the road. The only way forward is to get our goals conceded down to 30 or so per season and not depend on hit or miss scoring.

Hey! I wonder if Big Sam is interested?

[Arsenal Tone]

Koscielny

Get rid. Build from scratch.

:shifty: