Rightdm00

Putting Jack out wide in that free role was the first step. Now just have to find the proper midfield combo. I am 100% with you that Nakamba and Douglas will be 2 in the double pivot. Playing Jack, John and only one of our wide men also means we don't have as huge of a need to find another wide man in the January window. We can focus all of our resources on another striker and maybe another midfielder if the right deal shows up.

Which we can fix in the January window if need be. If we had major issues say like cheap owners, a clueless manager, or multiple holes in the squad I would be panic stations. But this team just needs some fine tuning. You have to be good enough to get a lead to then throw one away. These 7 games we have shown that the Prem isn't to big for us and that we can hang with pretty much anyone bar maybe ManC and Pool. The issues with this team can easily be fixed given the resources of our Owners and the know how of our managerial team. Until our Owners pull a Lerner or Dean goes all Steve Bruce i'm keeping the faith.

That was a typical Hourihane performance. If he doesn't get goal or assist it's hard to find his imprint on the game. I would rather play Douglas so Grealish doesn't have to drop deep all the time to start the attack. Connor has alot of great traits but if everyone in the midfield is healthy I think he makes the 18 but not the 11.

I think maybe a few on this forum needed to have more realistic expectations. Dean said at the start of the season the goal was to stay up. And that he would go out to win every game. We've done exactly that. Name a game where we weren't in til the end? A promoted team who's own CEO said we are a year ahead of schedule, what exactly were you expecting? We finished fifth in the Championship ffs. Their's no God given right to a comfortable mid table finish in the Prem. We are in a fight with about 10 other clubs that desperately want to stay in the Prem like us. Many of them, think Burnley and Bournemouth, have been in this fight for years. While Villa is just getting started. We are 7 games into the season and we are one point off our target position on the table. By no means should we be happy but the way some talk on here you would think we are 20th still looking for our first goal.

We have a defender winning the physical battles, always seems to be in the right spot and then put the ball on his feet and he calmly pulls off a Cruyff turn when under pressure to retain possession. This team has some issues, namely the midfield being far to easy to play through at times, but Ming's isn't it.

Dominated the first 45 but second half again Dean leaves the changes to late. Trez comes on but only due to injury and Davis, as others have stated, was 20 minutes to late. Moving Jack out to the left and giving him a free role was a masterstroke. Gives me hope that Dean has no problem changing it up when needed. It's still early days and we seem to be up for every opponent. Can't really ask for much more. 17th is the goal and I still have faith Dean can get us there.

Playing Connor and Nakamba allowed John to stay forward without us sacrificing the midfield. Going forward I think that is the way we have to play. This is the first game Jack and John both looked completely comfortable in their positioning. More of the same Deano.

Jack in a free role on the left was everything I hoped it would be. He was interchanging with Connor on the left, dropping deep, just popping up everywhere. By far his best game for us. If only he had brought his shooting boots.

Wants the ball to feet but that's not what we have him up there for. I'm ready to see Keinan get a run out.

Davis should have been on after Wesley got knocked out. Dean leaves it to late again IMO. We come out flat and he does nothing to shake it up til it's too late. I love how Dean sets us up to start but our 2nd half performances leave alot to be desired.

He is a **** player but he is also only 21. He doesn't even turn 22 til the end of the season. Jack at 21 was the same way blowing either red hot or Ice cold. If it takes Douglas 3 years to come good then even better for us. Hopefully the buyback either has expired or it's like 45 million. Also I like the idea of Nakamamba, the more mature player, shouldering the majority of the responsibility at the DM spot while we find Douglas about 20-25 appearances. Douglas has probably never experienced pressure of this level before. Not only premier league football, arguably the highest level of the sport outside the Champs league, but a relegation fight. A fight where every mistake is amplified. And guess what young players do, yep they make mistakes. What I'm saying is keep the faith with Douglas. Their is a definite player in there. Hopefully our club and supporters give him the proper atmosphere to grow and find that next level.

It's bad, like really bad. I fully agree that he brings alot to the pitch but when you have a striker scoring 1 in 3(very average) then you need other people to chip in with a couple goals. We probably need 5 goals each from El Ghazi and Trez. I can see El Ghazi getting his but I have no idea how Trez even gets his first goal.

Just re-watched the game and I still cant figure out why dropped so deep in the second half. It just kind of happen. After Mings run down the left Arsenal got a couple minutes of sustained possession and we just kept dropping deeper and then stayed there. We tried to play out of the back a couple times in that span but the ball stopped sticking. Smith definitely could have taken that moment to shore up the MF or throw on Keinan to help provide another outlet up top. Having watched how drastically our performance changed 1st half to second I am fully convinced that it's a fitness issue. There were a couple of attacks early in the 2nd half that not one of our midfielders got anywhere near Arsenal's 18 yard box. Arsenal didn't even really up the tempo we just kinda let them have it. Third team (Spurs, Everton, and Arsenal) where our defensive line was almost forced into our own 18 yard box. If you want to say its a nerves thing, like as the game goes on we just try hold what we have, I can believe that but I definitely feel our stamina is not where it needs to be.

Wow he is literally playing off of Wesley's shoulder as a second striker. I don't have a problem with Mcginn playing that way it has obviously reaped benefits for us but we really need another CM for cover. That just leaves way to much ground for Grealish and Nkamaba to cover. What's the point of playing 2 wingers if one has to drop in the midfield to compensate for your actual CM venturing forward. Maybe it's time to try a double pivot with 3 in front and Wesley as the lone striker. Mcginn needs to do his thing up top but it shouldn't be a winger having to cover for his forward runs.

Smith said in the post game that the team set deep in contrast to his instructions to move up and press Arsenal. If that was the case then why not make the changes necessary to help his team push the line up. Instead he just watches us drop deeper and deeper. So yeah some of those inflexible tactics he showed us in the Championship are starting to rear their ugly head again.

Blaming anyone on defense for this loss is daft. We were setting our defensive line 5 yards in front of the 18 yard box in the second half. Eventually even the best defender will make a mistake. Engels and Mings both cost us a goal but that's fully down to the complete inability of our midfield and forward line to even give them a minutes time to regroup after a defensive stop.

I think it's partially conditioning but honestly his possession retention just stinks at this level. He is a beautiful sight with the ball charging at the opponents box but he lacks the ability to lose his man if he receives the ball deep. He tried the butt/hip move at least twice in the 2nd half and both times he was easily dispossessed. In the future if we are protecting a lead sub in another MF and push him further forward. When teams start pressing he is way to easy a target to pick on.

He looks it right now. Can he figure it out, sure. It's not all doom and gloom but man some of these decisions have really hurt us. The lack of subs, allowing his team to sit so deep.... That's the one that drives me mad. The naivety to think you can sit almost on your 18 yard box and defend for 30 minutes against an attacking team like Arsenal. You can stay solid at the back without conceding that much of the field. Massive disappointment. Also the word was out there that Trez was a poor finisher but damn strike on the break in the second half was sooooooo bad.

All three goals have such a variety. Turn and swivel for #1, flashing across the box for a header for #2, and make sure you catch #3 a really nice solo effort. Really shows off the variety of skills he has a striker.

The advanced wingers/wide forwards aren't working. Jota has been good but the left side winger has been a passenger in almost every game. Before we give up on the 4-3-3 I agree with the other posters now and think we should try Jack on the left side. I worry about him getting isolated but something needs to change. Our midfield is far to light weight right now. Whether it's over the top or through every team so far has managed to outplay our midfield. Playing Jack out wide is less than ideal but until we can upgrade our wide options in the winter window it may be our best bet going forward.

Doing the rewatch right now and Tyrone was downing a freaking Redbull right before kickoff. That is the first time I have ever seen a professional athlete shoot a red bull right before kickoff. Is this a normal pre-match routine or was he a little sleepy at kickoff.

Maybe I came across a little too harsh. Let me try it another way. In American Football(NFL) you have to take a couple deep shots a game to keep defenses honest otherwise they just crowd out the short passes. I feel that Mings was hitting many of those long balls under instruction from Deano. Mings went deep and Engels kept it short or drove into midfield. I think it kept the Everton back line from crowding out the midfield like Spurs did against us in the 2nd half.

I can admit in my younger more hot headed days I was a bit of a trash talker. Seeing Wes getting underneath Mina's skin warmed my heart. Love the all the different characters this team has. Ming's calm under fire, Mcginn the bulldog and Wes not scared of a soul. Edit: Mings has a home design business no idea how good he is at clamming

One game and Mings a hoofer and Hollywood passer. Against Spurs his "Hollywood" ball set Mcginn up for the first goal. He also had a couple pinpoint long balls versus Bournemouth. One of them the Bournemouth defender misplayed and presented Mcginn with a killer chance. Given Smith's after game comments it's obvious that's this a style of play they have worked on to counter act the high press.

Second game in a row he's done that. I think teams know Wes is a bit of a hot head. Ming's isn't about to let that happen. Love him.