You know what's happening on Saturday, don't you?

[Peter]

This keeper mess lays squarely at the feet of Arteta. He saw something he liked in Raya but overlooked the pressure in playing in front of 60k for a top 4 club. He also underestimated the loyalty to Ramsdale who played a huge part in last seasons success.
It was a stupid move in my book. We had other priorities and hooking Ramsdale without the requisite string of poor performances, was ill conceived.
We now have two keepers who are a bundle of nerves every time they take the field.
There’s a fag paper between them in terms of ability where their ought to be an obvious step up in class with Raya.

Overall I agree there is little difference in quality, but they have different strengths. Raya is much better at coming for crosses (bar the other night!), he has better hands and he is more comfortable on the ball. Ramsdale is bigger, cockier, his reflexes are better and I have a feeling that he reads the path of the ball better, explaining some of his more spectacular saves.

If Arteta wants a guy who is good on the ball and stronger on catching crosses, Raya is the better bet.

I do agree though, he has created a problem that wasn't there before. Long term, I am hoping it makes us better but in the hsort term it is a big problem.

This is what you get with an inexperienced manager. We all acknowledge that players improve but we rarely have the same conversation about managers. He is very inexperienced and we have seen almost a surplus of ideas and initiatives. This season he changed too much too soon, as seen with the ridiculous Partey experiment alongside a brand new midfield. Bad idea!

But you also get the creativity- look at our work with throw ins this season. We have caught teams out at least three times with weird runs from throws.

[Peter]

Certainly the dressing room was a ****show at that time. Auba and Ozil hoovering the life out of it. Emery didn't deal with either of them.

Villa finished 17th that season and made us look as bad as they were.
We only finished 8th. Behind Wolves.

As good as Emery might be. We didn't see it.

We definitely didn't see it. I couldn't work out what his team was about when he was with us but having watched him since his sides have a very clear identity. I just think he didn't have what he needed with us and the power struggles going on above him meant he couldn't ask for it. By the end he had totally lost the dressing room. It was pretty sad.

If he had had Edu with him, who knows.

Either way, it meant we got Arteta

[redgunamo]

Seconded, 100% agree!

Overall I agree there is little difference in quality, but they have different strengths. Raya is much better at coming for crosses (bar the other night!), he has better hands and he is more comfortable on the ball. Ramsdale is bigger, cockier, his reflexes are better and I have a feeling that he reads the path of the ball better, explaining some of his more spectacular saves.

If Arteta wants a guy who is good on the ball and stronger on catching crosses, Raya is the better bet.

I do agree though, he has created a problem that wasn't there before. Long term, I am hoping it makes us better but in the hsort term it is a big problem.

This is what you get with an inexperienced manager. We all acknowledge that players improve but we rarely have the same conversation about managers. He is very inexperienced and we have seen almost a surplus of ideas and initiatives. This season he changed too much too soon, as seen with the ridiculous Partey experiment alongside a brand new midfield. Bad idea!

But you also get the creativity- look at our work with throw ins this season. We have caught teams out at least three times with weird runs from throws.

[IUFG]

we survive the first 15 minutes of inevitable onslaught from them...we'll be fine

I'd take a point now, mind.

Didn't survive the first 15 minutes. FFS....

[redgunamo]

No, we did not. Good call. Still should've battered them though. #goals

Didn't survive the first 15 minutes. FFS....

[Sir C]

Martinez' revenge, that's what's happening.

It will truly be a 'good ebening' for a certain vampirical-looking dude

I must be Mystic ****ing Meg

[IUFG]

I must be Mystic ****ing Meg

And a dreadful set of results for us this weekend.

****!

[Peter]

And a dreadful set of results for us this weekend.

****!

I know it was Spurs, but seeing Newcastle get another spanking was still kind of nice