Unai Emery

[eamonn]

It's a squad game, players having a month off after Sunday doesn't matter, the rotation would have been more due to players only having two and a half days rest between last night and 2pm Sunday and Brighton had an extra night. I'm alright with him testing out fringe players, most teams do it in the League Cup, a lot do it in the FA Cup.

Disappointed Sanson didn't get a run-out though, McGinn was spent and we needed someone to get their foot on the ball and retain possession in the last 15 minutes.

[tomd2103]

It's a squad game, players having a month off after Sunday doesn't matter, the rotation would have been more due to players only having two and a half days rest between last night and 2pm Sunday and Brighton had an extra night. I'm alright with him testing out fringe players, most teams do it in the League Cup, a lot do it in the FA Cup.

Disappointed Sanson didn't get a run-out though, McGinn was spent and we needed someone to get their foot on the ball and retain possession in the last 15 minutes.

Sorry mate, but I'm not OK with fringe players being tested out in the cup games like last night.  Maybe against lower league sides, but that was a big game last night with 7,500 of our fans travelling up there and we should have gone full out to win it.  As someone pointed out in an earlier post, we haven't won a domestic trophy for  26 years or in this century, so that's why there is some frustration there.

[eamonn]

I know, and people are clearly divided on this, no worries.

When he delivers the FA Cup for us in May, wounds will heal 

[john e]

The only reason people are saying the plan was been executed correctly in the first half is because it was 0-0
We were absolutely dreadful lost the ball all the time no creativity on the pitch at all and no pace, I could see from the very first minute that we were not going to be able to attack or play any decent football, the full backs one an old age pensioner the other absolutely useless, every time YOUNG got the ball on the wing he was caught up easily by the defender

Honestly it was a shambles of a team selection and the only reason we were in the game at half time was because Man United were just as shit
I would put my life on the fact that if we had of played a proper starting 11 the game would’ve been over before half-time, Man United were that bad
And we fucked up big time

The other thing to say, when me and others say we were disappointed in the lineup etc and Emery got it wrong it doesn’t translate into writing him off or thinking he should go
I’ve waited years for a foreign manager with a brain I ain’t giving up on him now

But it doesn’t stop me being totally pissed off with another golden opportunity for a bit of silverware thrown away yet again because of piss poor judgement

[Risso]

The only reason people are saying the plan was been executed correctly in the first half is because it was 0-0
We were absolutely dreadful lost the ball all the time no creativity on the pitch at all and no pace, I could see from the very first minute that we were not going to be able to attack or play any decent football, the full backs one an old age pensioner the other absolutely useless, every time YOUNG got the ball on the wing he was caught up easily by the defender

Honestly it was a shambles of a team selection and the only reason we were in the game at half time was because Man United were just as shit
I would put my life on the fact that if we had of played a proper starting 11 the game would’ve been over before half-time, Man United were that bad
And we fucked up big time

The other thing to say, when me and others say we were disappointed in the lineup etc and Emery got it wrong it doesn’t translate into writing him off or thinking he should go
I’ve waited years for a foreign manager with a brain I ain’t giving up on him now

But it doesn’t stop me being totally pissed off with another golden opportunity for a bit of silverware thrown away yet again because of piss poor judgement

Exactly my thoughts John.

[john e]

The only reason people are saying the plan was been executed correctly in the first half is because it was 0-0
We were absolutely dreadful lost the ball all the time no creativity on the pitch at all and no pace, I could see from the very first minute that we were not going to be able to attack or play any decent football, the full backs one an old age pensioner the other absolutely useless, every time YOUNG got the ball on the wing he was caught up easily by the defender

Honestly it was a shambles of a team selection and the only reason we were in the game at half time was because Man United were just as shit
I would put my life on the fact that if we had of played a proper starting 11 the game would’ve been over before half-time, Man United were that bad
And we fucked up big time

The other thing to say, when me and others say we were disappointed in the lineup etc and Emery got it wrong it doesn’t translate into writing him off or thinking he should go
I’ve waited years for a foreign manager with a brain I ain’t giving up on him now

But it doesn’t stop me being totally pissed off with another golden opportunity for a bit of silverware thrown away yet again because of piss poor judgement

Exactly my thoughts John.

Worrying isn’t it, me and you agreeing with each other far too much, it’ll end in tears I tell ya

[eamonn]

Young has played plenty of times this season for us though, and been lauded as one of our better players.

[N'ZMAV]

just thinking if he'd have played a full side last night, and had to rest players for Brighton then people would have moaned. The squad lacks real depth.

[Percy McCarthy]

Cannot believe some of the posts I am reading in here.

We haven’t won a cup for 26 years mate or finished in the top half of the prem for a decade
Once we give up And accept rubbish lineups rubbish performances and rubbish players Nothing will change

It doesn’t matter whether the manager has been with us for 2 games or 200 games you should never throw in the towel, Which is effectively what happened last night

So you might not like it but I will never give up Wanting us to win every game and every cup game, last night‘s first half was complete bollocks On every level
And the moment we accept that we’re fucked

It’s not that he doesn’t like it. He can’t believe it. Which betrays a stunning lack of insight.

[Percy McCarthy]

I agree with Risso and John e.

Me too.

Also, I think there’s a correlation between people who keep shouting ‘it’s two games in’ thinking that Emery has now cleverly sussed which players are shit after erm… one game.

[Risso]

just thinking if he'd have played a full side last night, and had to rest players for Brighton then people would have moaned. The squad lacks real depth.

Why would he have to rest players for Brighton? If we can't play a mid-week game followed by a weekend match how on earth are we going to manage if we ever finally qualify for Europe?

[Percy McCarthy]

Cannot believe some of the posts I am reading in here.

We haven’t won a cup for 26 years mate or finished in the top half of the prem for a decade
Once we give up And accept rubbish lineups rubbish performances and rubbish players Nothing will change

It doesn’t matter whether the manager has been with us for 2 games or 200 games you should never throw in the towel, Which is effectively what happened last night

I get your point but I would rather no write him off after a couple of games. In those 26 years we have been in 4 finals (I dont count the play-offs), 2 FA cup (2000 and 2015) and 2 league cups (2010 and 2020) and as you said not finished top half for over a decade. In those years we have also in the last 10 tried to get the right manager in, using new manager bounces, tried and tested, young and hungry, any stable pair of hands, up and coming and it has had limited success with a few false dawns.

What is the alternative? Keep the merry-go-round of managers until we find one that will bring success, using the new manager bounce? Constant approaches that do not work? In that 26 years we have had 4 owners with varying levels of success. 
I am not saying we accept mediocrity at all. I just think we need to be realistic that this group of players who can give the performances ala Brentford and last Sunday are also capable of capitulation now under a third manager. One who I believe will sort this mess out.
In short, the same group of players who havent looked like ripping up the league still dont look like they will so Emery will have to work with what he has, reinforce where he needs and build a squad up that can handle being in the Europa league if and when we get there.

I just think we have to at this point in time be a little more patient and realistic, focus on getting us up that top half, get the team coached and have a damn good run at the FA cup as that is the one I want us to win. I just want us to walk before we run.

We all want the same thing at the end of the day but I do feel we are getting ahead of ourselves a little as we know this team can perform. They just arent consistent at it. I do believe that he was naive yesterday in the team selection but at least now he knows what he is working with. Martinez is frustrating as we need to get stronger and tell internationals its club over country. We pay the wages and as a keeper, he is low risk enough he could have been played but do many prem sided field their first choice keepers?

I am angry over last night but I could see it was a little heated on the boards so kept away but I dont think we need to throw the baby out with the bath water just yet. If it all goes tits up, then I will be the first to admit I was wrong. I just have a good feeling about this manager and the success he could bring.

Where the fuck are people reading about Emery being written off? I’m absolutely buzzing about his appointment.

Is it not possible to hold the views that he will be a great manager for us but he fucked up last night?

I think this is maybe why some people ‘can’t believe’ the criticism. Maybe they’re not actually reading the posts properly.

[Percy McCarthy]

Reading some of the comments on here, surprised no one has started an Emery Out thread

You’re easily surprised. No-one has remotely suggested it.

[Malandro]

It’s such a short sighted thing to do. It’s not like we have a huge amount of games to face in the the next few weeks.

Done now anyway. At least we have binned the fuckwit.

[Percy McCarthy]

Liverpool,Everton and West Ham changed their entire teams.Brentford probably made the fewest changes and went out at home to Gillingham.
Brighton played on Wednesday and will have had more rest.
The point about finding out about your squad players in match games is important for a new manager and gives them game time if they need to be called on.

By not repeating it, are you acknowledging that resting players with two games to go before a long mid-season break will have no positive or negative influence on their fitness in April?