TRO

well, I think with players back and strengthening, it will make a big difference.

there's a thought. I think we will get 1 more win....but I don't know against who.

Are we ready for Champions league?.....missing out on the Europa, is a huge step up. Don't get me wrong, I want to achieve it, but I wonder, if we are actually ready for it.

I can't argue Sheepy, with all that. I can tell you, at 2-0 up, I was still nervy. I accept the magnitude that Emi exudes in every aspect of his play, but I thought it was coming, like another Brentford. You are right, possession is only one aspect of a game, and sometimes it is for possessions sake, but when you haven't got the ball, you can't affect the game and the frustration builds.....and it's like boxing, the body punches, rarely knock you out, but they wear you down.....and they wore us down.

we would need to know the criteria for winning it.....is it a points system?

I've got one.....we are in line to conceding more goals since, the 2019/20 season, where we finished 17th. shut up!!!!!!!!!!! just kidding..................................i think.

I am not saying you are wrong, but just offering an alternative view. When a team can't get the ball, for a numbers of reasons, there is a tendency to retreat.......whether its by design or not, it's a natural instinct. I am unsure, where the blame lies.....other than the eye test and the stats tell us, we had 28-30% possession....that's unusual at home.....why I don't know.....but we didn't engage with them and stood off....some say maintaining our shape, ok I get that too. but If you allow teams to dictate play, by not challenging them, or not going after them, you surrender the initiative and subsequently, their confidence grows......and if you do go after them, you have to win your share of duels. In many cases,they then, overwhelm you with, pressure, until you crack. I don't believe, Unai Emery was expecting that.....happy to criticise him, if it's warranted.....not sure its is. I saw too many players off it.....and dining out on the 2 goal lead and Chelsea was having none of it......why? not sure. In this league, you have to do many things, and competing is one......if you don't, and coast, or play in a passive manner, you are liable to get dumped on your rear. All the teams, even the bottom ones......are willing to fight and scrap, and they can easily overcome a team, that don't fancy it......We have even seen it in domestic cup competitions.....superior talent, does not always bail you out, on its own.

I simply think you are wrong. What he has done in the past, with other clubs, is probably what he has had to do, the same as with us. He has been with us no time, so WIP is well and truly on.....I can almost Guarantee, he will have one eye on how many goals we have conceded and another on how we let teams back in from winning positions.....these will be on his agenda. I can categorically tell you, we won't win the big prizes, having scant regard, for defending and I don't believe unai needs me to tell him......Unai is playing a way, right now, that gives him the best chance of winning, with the personnel he has......that's all he can do, so our style as you call it, will be borne out of that. If you think we have to change our style, to concede less goals, I think you are wrong again...becoming more resilient, does not necessarily mean, compromising the scoring of goals.....That is not so. If you trawl back through recent seasons, all the top 4 teams have a dedicated focus, on conceding few goals.....whilst scoring freely. It's a fallacy to suggest, we can reach the heights Unai wants to reach, conceding heavily or in excess of 50 goals..... I have every confidence he will be looking at shoring up our defence,( whole team) next season, without compromising, goals scored or our style of play.....The top 3 have proved this season alone, that attractive football can go hand in hand, with a tight defence....check out previous seasons. What did Fergie say?....."Goals fill stadiums, Defences win trophies" There is no compromise to be had....we just have to defend better, to achieve the top places.

yeah, I get that, but it also shows how we have relied on him.......In contrast, Raya at Arsenal is ahead of Emi, for clean sheets......my point is, defences play a huge part in Goal keepers stats, and Emi deserves more protection imo. maybe that's on the agenda, for the summer. Emi is a huge reason of why we are 4th.

Get to the ground early, with your boots......you might get a game yourself. I don't think he is at the level, for where we are going.....football IQ is suspect.

What type of midfielder is he? or hasn't he determined that yet?

I think our style of play is a cop out.....we are WIP.....and his focus, is just on winning, each game. He is playing the way he does, with the personnel he's got. He just finds a way, he thinks he can win, with our squad.....which is remarkable. I just simply do not, buy the idea, we will concede 5O odd goals in the league, by design and accept it.......sorry, he is more savvy than that. Do you think, the top 3 have compromised their style, by conceding only 30 odd goals all season, and being in contention with us, with our attacking haul......that will not be lost on Unai.....and that's his challenge, when he says, "I want more".

I don't buy that, in the context you have presented it. Unai sets us up to win a game, with the personnel, at his disposal.....if that means just outscoring teams, that's where we are currently at. I don't think for one second, Unai is happy with the amount of goals we have conceded this season, despite our offensive haul....He will not be happy on how we surrender leads so easily either, and I don't believe its how he wants us to play.....its just needs must, with what we have, personnel wise. You only have to look at the places, he wants to go.....and see the goals against for those teams, while still competing with us on goals scored.....He wants to be doing that too. We are WIP.....and the next stop on Una's journey, with us, is....tighten up. I will be amazed if he has no interest in doing that, because you simply cannot challenge for the top prizes, conceding the goals we do......both number and quality. Some of the goals we concede are sloppy and avoidable.....and it's not always the back 4, its midfield too... we are wide open and too easy to play through, against certain teams. I do believe, he will address it.....he's too intelligent not to.

yeah, all 50 Millions worth.....I'll bet Wes will light a cigar, in satisfaction.

sadly lIghtweight at present......his whole demeanor is full of melancholy, as opposed to Fire & Brimstone.....one way or another, you have to find some menace in your game to effect it, properly, and become a pest to opponents.....I don't see anything at the moment.....it must be a worry for the club, at such a high transfer fee. The thing, I don't understand, is, he was reputed to be lightning quick.....and I don't see that, either. Bailey was meant to be too, and I didn't really see it, with him.....folk said, Bailey's injury may have nullified his pace?......but while he plays well at times, his pace is not blistering, like Barnes or Garnacho etc..

I know the picture you are attempting to paint....but is it entirely fair? I can think of other goal keepers in the league, where, those results, might have been the same. Let's be fair, we have been spoilt with Emi as we was with Bozzie. I think some of those losses, were as much the defence as a whole's issue.....not just Olsens. The eye test tells me, we rely on the goalie too much at times.....who has saved us umpteen times, to get positive results.

This is certainly not a criticism of Emi, on the contrary.....but we have come to rely on him too much. imo. I think when he is out, it's as much a indictment on our defence, as it is on Olsen. Sure there is no comparison.....but defenders should be protecting, better than they do. At the level we are at now, talented shooters will score from outside the box.....they have to be closed down, and challenged......The goalie should be the LAST line of defence, not the only line of defence, and Emi has saved us too often, for my comfort. Emi is exceptional, and we have come to expect, too much imo......A goalkeeper as talented as Emi should be winning the clean sheets award, not Raya......that IMO is down to who is in front of them. However...I will choose to say, why Goalies play out from the back with short passes directly in front of goal as opposed to playing to the side, I simply don't know......Raya was a perfect example of a donut, who nearly blew our away win( supporting Arsenal on the day) Any feisty presser, can easily, create a turnover and score.....its an unnecessary risk imo. I cringe when Emi does it too.

I am not so sure....The crucial stats were not for good reading, even before Emi's exit.....and my eye test on the night, suggested, they was gradually working their was back in to the game, without much resistance, even at us 2-0 up.... We have seen this before. Chelsea was winning the possession battle all through the game.....and after their first goal, the inevitable was arriving.....Gallagher and Caceido had the freedom to dictate. Look, they are entitled to an off night.....The season is not the issue, we all know it's been great....and we are hugely grateful....but I would be amazed, if that performance, (and the detail of it) does not resonate in Unai's mind, when he makes plans for the summer recruiting. When Unai says "I want more".....That is a euphemism alright.

Jas, we have had an unbelievable season.....but we all went down to support the team against Chelsea, not expecting such a passive display, from the midfielders. Not a man in the ground, would have expected a 28-30% possession Stat......On the night, it was poor.......and to be accurate, we would not have had the season we have had playing like that..... That performance was not reflective of the season as a whole, we all know that. Some say, they are out on their feet....but it seems to some fans, we are better, with more momentum, when we play 3 games in a week, with a 3 day rest......so I am not sure, the mitigation put forward, about energy, is accurate......it could be, but events leave me, unsure. We can only talk about the game, when it's a "Ratings and Reactions" thread....We all know how good Dougie has been, and we can all remember, back to before Kamara arrived....when he struggled with McGinn in the pivot, in some games. Dougie is not a dedicated no 6 imo, and certain aspects of his game is highlighted, like staying on the ball, when we have feisty opponents, happy to challenge for the ball, with conviction....Dougie wants time, and he doesn't have it against teams like Chelsea. He is to be applauded imo, for being deployed in a role, he always gets put in to, when the DCM gets injured or suspended....The fact we only have one experienced one, is a glaring issue in my book....and the long term injury to Kamara, has highlighted the plight. Dougie is a wonderful player, when he is played in the role he is best suited too......I cringed a bit, when I knew he was playing in that game, because I suspected, what actually happened...he was overwhelmed. I accept, that a number of players are playing in not necessarily their best position, due to injuries.....but, personally, I feel some are struggling with not having a quality dedicated CDM to hold things together.....and give them ( the players with guile)a platform to play from. We can all see how Rice, has given a platform to the Arsenal creative players, to concentrate on their job and we are all well aware of the miss City feel when Rodri is out..... Guimaraes has a similar effect with Newcastle. ....We need at least one more holder in the middle. I don't mean just a stopper.....I mean a quality, midfielder, who can attack and defend with equal aplomb.

I agree. It wasn't a prudent signing, was it.

Such an honest and accurate rendition. spot on.

I think as another poster pointed out.....he thinks he has more time on the ball in the 6 role, than he has in the 8 role.....Dougie is not a 6, he has just been deployed there, through a lack of dedicated alternatives. I wouldn't call it bottle jobs.....I would say, our only way to win games is primarily through attack, meaning we just have to score more than the opposition......We do not have sufficient personnel to consistently hold on to leads. The games we have won, and won well, have been through attacking prowess.....We don't win ugly, because we can't.....we don't have the players for that. when you are aiming high, like we are, you need a broader church of player profile....I am hoping in forthcoming windows we go some way to rectifying that. When folk say, we are down to the bare bones, through injuries, it's not the complete story for me.....I think we have been lacking defensive IQ, Particularly in midfield, for quite some time....and in some games, it shows more than others.

I don't think we have the options in the squad for it..... we can't bring anyone on, to help with it, because they don't exist. sure we have Tim, but is he ready for this level? To just have Kamara.....is a weakness in the squad IMO

it's not just the press. Its runners too. We struggle to stop opponents running at us, one on one....The defensive IQ is lacking in midfield.