Preview from the opposition: An Arsenal supporting mate gives us the 411

Arsenal fans are a curious bunch. They are known for their outlandish and shouty opinions on YouTube channels and, to be honest, never being really happy. So instead of going to an Arsenal blog or fansite, we spoke to a friend of the pod. Dan Gardener is an Arsenal fan who lives in SE London and used to work with Ben. So we thought we’d get the REAL view on Arsenal.

VFTN: Unai Emery took over in the summer after Wenger finally gave up the hot seat. What do you make of Arsenal’s opening games?

In a word. Brutal. They have been quite bizarre, against Man City we suffered quite a lot from a lack of cohesion between new players and a new system (and the fact we were playing Man City). Petr Cech very much looked like dad had a new pair of skinny jeans which was a bit weird, but he’s looked better than he did last season.

The Chelsea game was also a bit of an odd game. Arsenal created so many chances and probably should have scored 5, but then again they probably should have conceded 6. I’m yet to see any defensive improvement which has been a real frustration, but considering the mess it was in last season, it’ll take some time to fix that.

The West Ham game was horrible. Two drunks brawling in a £50 a seat gutter. The big shame in this match was the complete lack of attacking prowess that was on display against Chelsea, despite scoring more goals. Weird eh? The defense in that game took 3-5 months off of my life. Fortunately, Petr Cech had broken in his fancy new skinny jeans to keep the score down. He probably should have done better on the goal though.

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VFTN: Both Ozil and Ramsey seem to have fallen foul of Emery so far. Do you think he’s proving to be a bit of a hard task master? Do you think that’s needed?

I think it is fair to say that Arsene was capable of giving players an easy ride. I do quite like that Emery has been sticking to his guns more and setting a marker for what he expects. I love both Ozil and Ramsey, but it has been refreshing to see changes made when an approach isn’t working.  

VFTN: Aaron Ramsey seems to be a divisive figure amongst Arsenal fans. What’s your honest opinion of him?

As I stated previously, I’m a big fan and he should probably be made captain. However, he is a very particular player and to get the best out of him you need to build the midfield around him.

VFTN: Cardiff is probably the kind of game that, under Arsene, there would be some nervousness from Arsenal fans. What do you know about us and our players?

Put it this way, I’ll be amazed if you don’t break your goal drought against us. However, in terms of who would score that, you could make up a name and I’d believe you. It seems like Warnock has taken the chance on a lot of very good Championship players in the hope they make the step up, which if I was a Cardiff fan, I’d be pretty worried about. I mean for every Jamie Vardy, there are 15 Sam Baldocks…probably more. When you look at what the other promoted clubs have done, you see what you’re up against.

VFTN: What constitutes success this season?

That’s quite a tough one. I think if we can decrease the number of goals we concede and improve our away form then that would be quite a stark difference. If we had even a mediocre campaign away from home last season then we’d probably have made the Champions League places so that would be a great place to start. If we can develop a sense of identity and a platform to build upon for next season then I think I’d be happy. Which is pretty depressing.  

VFTN: How long do you think Emery will last in the job? Can he go the distance like Wenger did?

I don’t see him being a legacy manager like Arsene, that type of manager is long gone, but I think he’ll be here for the duration of his 3-year contract. Maybe more if he turns out to be pretty good.

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VFTN: What do you think will happen on Sunday? Predictions?

I think it’ll be quite interesting. We were absolutely garbage away from home last season, but I think that the manager is starting to understand his squad a bit more and Ozil will hopefully have the bit between his teefs (editors note: this was the spelling Dan insisted on) after missing out last week. Lacazette has probably done enough to show that he should be playing, Torreira too to balance the midfield.

I think we’ll win 3-1, but a draw wouldn’t surprise me.

Arsenal fans. Agree or disagree? Let us know in the comments and you can follow Dan Gardener on Twitter

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