Unai Emery

[PaulWinch again]

Signing Maatsen wasn't a problem and I seem to remember it going down quite well at the time.

I think he’s a good signing and I’m glad we’ve got him. The problem is more we didn’t/weren’t able to address areas of the side where we were weakest.

[pauliewalnuts]

I’d agree with that.

I like Maatsen, he’s a good player who will get better still.

I am just not sure, knowing now what our PSR position was, I’d have spent that figure on a left back at that point

[olaftab]

Losing to Liverpool and Spurs away is a distinct possibility even if we play well however the manner of those two defeats was not acceptable. At Spurs we were leading for almost 50 mins and then capitulated. At Liverpool conceding two goals from a position of advantage was total incompetence. Emery needs to sort this shit out.

[Demitri_C]

Losing to Liverpool and Spurs away is a distinct possibility even if we play well however the manner of those two defeats was not acceptable. At Spurs we were leading for almost 50 mins and then capitulated. At Liverpool conceding two goals from a position of advantage was total incompetence. Emery needs to sort this shit out.

Agree with this

I’d agree with that.

I like Maatsen, he’s a good player who will get better still.

I am just not sure, knowing now what our PSR position was, I’d have spent that figure on a left back at that point

Agree with this also. I think 50m for onana as well was too much money.

[jon collett]

I'm sure there was an element of mutual backscratching with the Kellyman/Maatsen deal, but it still ended with us paying £30m+ for a left back we didn't really need. And I like Onana, but £50m was a huge amount of money for him. I didn't think the summer's business had prepared us adequately for this season, and so far it's definitely working out like that.

Yes it’s still a mystery what Monchi has contributed after a huge fanfare when he arrived!

[KevinGage]

I'm sure there was an element of mutual backscratching with the Kellyman/Maatsen deal, but it still ended with us paying £30m+ for a left back we didn't really need. And I like Onana, but £50m was a huge amount of money for him. I didn't think the summer's business had prepared us adequately for this season, and so far it's definitely working out like that.

Even in the mad, mental world of modern football £85 million is still a huge chunk of change.

I don't think we've seen value there at all.

[Ads]

I think we did excellent business in the summer. If you get a chance to buy a player of Maatsens quality you do it. The rules conspire to make it the only window where we can feasibly afford him. Digne has maybe 1 season left in him here and we've already replaced him

£50m is market value for a player of Onana's quality and potential. In an ideal world we wouldn't have had to sell 2 of our better players (albeit Luiz was much more integral) from a position of strength. Such as it is. Still loads of quality just a shame our 3 best midfielders that make Emery's system are currently injured.

[Mister E]

I think we did excellent business in the summer. If you get a chance to buy a player of Maatsens quality you do it. The rules conspire to make it the only window where we can feasibly afford him. Digne has maybe 1 season left in him here and we've already replaced him

£50m is market value for a player of Onana's quality and potential. In an ideal world we wouldn't have had to sell 2 of our better players (albeit Luiz was much more integral) from a position of strength. Such as it is. Still loads of quality just a shame our 3 best midfielders that make Emery's system are currently injured.

Agreed but I think sending both I-J and Barrenechea out on loan has left us short as injuries build. I'm not suggesting that they are necessarily world-beaters but they had both had good first-team experience in the Italian League.

[Ads]

Every 442 Emery has ever played as had an unorthodox wide player. That's Ramsey in the system, which when he's on it like he was at Liverpool, is an excellent player. It also has big buggers in midfield. Onana and Boobie fill that.

[Demitri_C]

Im in the camp of i really do like maatsen but think the money should have been spent on a quality right back instead

Onana i think we paid a bit toi much for. But he is young so could still be  a good long term signing

[Risso]

I think we did excellent business in the summer. If you get a chance to buy a player of Maatsens quality you do it. The rules conspire to make it the only window where we can feasibly afford him. Digne has maybe 1 season left in him here and we've already replaced him

£50m is market value for a player of Onana's quality and potential. In an ideal world we wouldn't have had to sell 2 of our better players (albeit Luiz was much more integral) from a position of strength. Such as it is. Still loads of quality just a shame our 3 best midfielders that make Emery's system are currently injured.

Why has Digne only got one season left him in? He's in possibly the best form of his career, and is only 31. It's not like he relies on blistering pace, so could easily have another 3 years at the top. Walker and Trippier have shown it's possible to play as a full back in the Premier as you approach your mid 30s, although both of them are declining in ability now.

[Ads]

Whether it's a season or 18 months, the point remains; there's a finite amount of time left with Digne, whose decline will start if he's at his peak now. Tripper is well past his peak, Walker is blessed with an unbelievable pace which masks what a shoddy defender he is. If Maatsen had gone to Dortmund permanently, we wouldn't be spending £60m on him in the future. Not because couldn't, but that we're not allowed to.

[Olneythelonely]

Man City got battered by the same team 4-0 yesterday.

im sure all city fans are thrilled about that.

You think losing 4-0 is acceptable because they beat city 4-0? Your expectations must be low if you think that

It was 4-1, for a start.

[Demitri_C]

Man City got battered by the same team 4-0 yesterday.

im sure all city fans are thrilled about that.

You think losing 4-0 is acceptable because they beat city 4-0? Your expectations must be low if you think that

It was 4-1, for a start.

That makes it better then
 A marvellous  result

[usav]

Unpopular opinion maybe, but I think our troubles (which stretch back to last season) revolve around Morgan Rogers.  Don't get me wrong, Rogers has brought a lot of good things to the club and he is a great player, but it also changes the way we play. Similar to how Bellingham and England haven't always clicked, it needs the right system.   I fully trust Emery will figure it out and I personally don't think we are that far away from getting it right.