These notes have been compiled over the last few weeks as we’ve got an embarrassingly low period. The performances have been consistently below acceptable levels and there is not much room for analysis or insight. We’ll blame it on the November dip and hope that the immediate future is bright! Emery Ljundberg

We have been living out my nightmare and perhaps my greatest issue with Arsenal as a club – dropping points to lower-level teams and crumbling under any opportunity to staple an advance in the table. It is justified that Emery and Xhaka are taking the majority of the heat. However, it occurred to me that we may be witnessing a generational shift in the squad.

The players that have been carrying us through matches are mainly those that are new to the squad. Players like, Guendouzi, Saka, Chambers, Leno, and Willock have been stepping up in areas where one would expect the senior players to perform. It makes me wonder if they are able to excel in the constrained and disorienting structure that is being imposed on them, while settling in with the Premier League. The illegible strategy on the field may be too much of a hurdle for players who are programmed to handle. It ultimately falls on the manager to get the points first and then try to change the paradigm of the Arsenal playing style. The majority of fan debate seems to be leaning in this direction.

It’s not entirely on the manager to make it comfortable for our senior players, though. They have a responsibility to adapt and find a way to get the best performances out of themselves in the imposed structure. This is where leadership comes into play. The best leaders know how to meet the manager’s demands while still allowing themselves and others to break the mold on the pitch. It is no secret that we are lacking the figureheads of talent for the other players to look up to in these scenarios.

Positives have been evading me as I listen to the echo chamber of concerns with the club. It is incredibly important that we as fans remember that people (media) make money off of definitive and provocative statements. The formula of the media stories is exhaustingly transparent and we would be happier as a fan base if the greater population would begin to realize it.

There are some silver linings in individual performances. Chambers has truly broken the cycle of perpetually loaned players through shear effort and determination. Martinelli is bringing a raw goal-scoring taste for blood every time he steps on the pitch. We have multiple youth players teetering on the first-team squad.

Emery was ultimately unable to stay at the club through this rocky period. He may have been able to implement the style of play that he was trying to force, but he HS not taken the transition into account. I don’t think that anyone expected us to have retained this capacity immediately after the low final years of Wenger. This group of players is one of the most talented that we’ve had in years. Let’s hope that Freddy Is able to utilize players strengths and build a system around them for the rest of the season!

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