Emery -Marks out of 10

Samir, good comment but I disagree it can be called a good season if you bottle the end that hard.

We're basically back at square 1 again because of it. The fans are angry, squad demoralised, no funds and it was because of the major bottle job

6/10

This season was more a stabilizing one. Cant change a whole mentality of a club overnight, and with 4 signings.
We need to get players to suit Emerys desired style of play - full backs and wide midfielders - to give him a chance.

Next season needs to see improvement or it is time for Paddy Vieira to come home.

comment by Scruttocks (U19684)
posted 3 hours, 11 minutes ago
Samir, good comment but I disagree it can be called a good season if you bottle the end that hard.

We're basically back at square 1 again because of it. The fans are angry, squad demoralised, no funds and it was because of the major bottle job
----------------------------------------------------------------------

I don't think it was a 'good season', but I think it was better than I expected all things considered. Admittedly though, that isn't saying much.

I thought we would have a season like United would have...before OGS came in to to give them false hope for top 4. I had no expectations this season.

However, as you say, we got ourselves into a very good position and bottled it hard. But I don't know how much of that is down to Emery or how much of that is down to the weak mentality these guys exhibited from the Wenger days. Baring in mind it takes time to change a culture/mindset at a club.

That's why I'm a bit reluctant to criticise him too much.

You can improve mediocre players to an extent, but their shortcomings will always rear their ugly head at pivotal moments.

Yeah that's fair enough. Personally I'm not sure it's better than I expected.

League wise I expected slightly better than what we got, inconsistency and 5th or 6th place but with some promising changes in system with signs of improvement for the following season.

Europa I honestly expected us to either win or lose only to a top side. Beating Napoli and Valencia was a decent effort, the final was poor but it was mired from the start by the politics of it.

Given all the very obvious failings of Wengers final years I feel Emery finished the season with too little progress from what was a very low starting point.

I don't think we're any closer to knowing our best formation, how to or whether to even try and fit both Lacazette and Aubamayang into the first 11 and the mentality have actually regressed in terms of performing when it matters.

*the mentality may have actually regressed

All that said, I'm more than happy to give him another season.

The signings were excellent (if it was predominantly him who sanctioned them).

Major problems are defense, CM/CAM and wide so a lot of investment is needed.... so basically we're facked.

What's our identity under Emery? We started of playing from the back with a Hugh press but what is the style now?

The brand of football this is season has been the worst I have seen

It is a 4.5/10 for me, 5 at best.

One of the reason we all wanted a change is because we thought this squad was truly underperforming under Wenger and he was incapable of getting the best out of it. 12 months further down the line, I don't see any improvement. That is despite the fact we spent £70M last summer and have added 5 players, 3 of whom are starters when available (this seems to be ignored a lot).

Yes, our league position has improved which is the most important facts. We were also closer to the teams around us. However, it doesn't tell the full picture.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D6YPh0TXkAA1MdR.jpg:large

Above is a link to the teams around for the race to top 4. To me, the only reason we were closer this season is because they were just as c.rap as we were, not because we genuinely improved. If they all performed like they did last season, our race for top 4 would have been over by April.
United had the Mourinho 3rd year syndrom, Chelsea had a new manager who was also struggling with his team and Spurs didn't spend a single penny.
Now, we can all hope for a similar scenario next season but let's face it, it is very unlikely that these 3 teams will under perform the way they did. Some of the players Spurs are linked to are capable of taking them to the next level and Chelsea might well appoint Allegri.

So if you don't take into account the league position, we are down in every other metric system: Less goal scored, similar goals conceded, less possession, less chances created.
I see lots of people claiming we have improved on the pitch. But then, when you ask how or where, the only answer given is that "if you can't see it, then you are just bias". I find it very convenient that the only way to measure our improvement is....subjective. Nothing that any stats available can back up.

But the season is over and let's face it, there is no way things will change so I'm OK to give him another season and hoping to be nicely surprised.
But to those who keep saying Emery needs his own players, his record when it comes to signings ain't that great so I wouldn't hold my breath. The Denis Suarez story could be just a teaser of how things might turn out this summer.

With so much change and upheaval at the club during the last 12 months, it's hard to judge Emery without also considering the contributions (or otherwise) of Sanllehi and Venkatesham.

Unlike other Gooners, I don't think the new signings have been all that great. Indeed, Leno apart, I think they've been fairly ordinary. Guendouzi is still young and has shown a lot of promise, but even he's hardly been the revelation some make him out to be.

Sokratis has been a solid addition. Torreira has had half-a-dozen good games. That's it.

Our general play hasn't noticeably improved since the previous season - indeed it's been a bit of a mess for much of the time. Tactically we've been more solid against better quality teams, thus highlighting one of Wenger's main weaknesses - again hardly a revelation - but less so against teams you'd expect us to get something against.

4.5/10 - though that would've been a bit higher (not a lot though) had we won on Wednesday night.

Fully agree with your assessment and would give also a 4.5/10, Lex.

Yes we have more points than last season but this is because of our opponents about top 4 were equally weak. We needed one more victory to get top4. He couldnt bring this team to get it and we had more than one chance.

It isnt alone his fault. Players let him down with terrible individual errors.

People who thought Emery would sort out our defense immediately with better tactics, motivation were disappointed.

The frustrating thing is that it should have been a relatively good season , the missed pen against Spurs and one point from last four games against beatable opposition was simply not good enough. Teams with CL ambitions should be beating teams like Palace and Brighton at home even with squad players involved.