Occasional Wins are good – but it doesn’t solve anything!
Isn’t it nice that when things are going well, everything seems forgotten or swept under the carpet, at least until the next downfall?
Yes, being an Arsenal fan right now is not all doom and gloom. It is nice that we are on a winning streak and the team seem together, more confident and happier.
Yet I can’t help but think: The club is still nowhere near where it should be!
There are still some players that need to be sold and who need to move on, and there is a hell of a lot more work to do to make this club great again.
This is by no way a disrespecting or negative article. But it is merely stating the facts.
It’s like Covid, we had such a tough time over the last few years and if one day cases are at zero that doesn’t mean the next day it won’t rise. As much as we hope it doesn’t, we are no way out of this pandemic, at least not yet.
So, it is the same with Arsenal and with football. Just because we are on a good streak, everyone seems happy and things are going our way, it doesn’t mean this will continue until the end of the season. As much as we would want it to, I do not think this team is strong enough, YET!
They may prove me wrong and I hope they do.
But, like I have previously said, we cannot compete with the likes of Manchester City and in particular Liverpool, at least not yet.
Of course, it can be argued when we lost to City we were pretty much rock bottom, but would the result have been any different if we weren’t? Realistically I would say no, because they have a much better squad, although it may not have been five goals conceded, and given how we swept Spurs aside well you just never know.
We have tougher games to come with the main standout being Liverpool. If we get a result against them then maybe it can be argued we are on some way to being the team that Arteta was brought in to create.
But until then, although a win is a win and although things are positive, let’s not all sweep it until the carpet until the next fall from grace, let’s be realistic while still getting behind our team, yet acknowledging we have lot more work to do if we want to be champions again.
Gooners?
Shenel Osman
@sh3n3l_
Obviously this is my opinion and I’m sure some fans will get a little butthurt but until we get a proven top top manager we will never get back to where we should be ,how anyone who as watched us for nearly 2 years under Arteta believes he has the credentials to be a top manager Is completely fooling themselves .
Will we get better than 8th this season? Bloody should do with this team but for me that’s not an achievement as we shouldn’t have been 8th last season ,I just don’t see anything special whatsoever in Arteta but ofc that’s my opinion and I’ll stick to that .
You have beaten me to it. Most keep saying Man city and Chelsea have better squads yada yada yada and purposely ignoring the fact that they have top class managers. I don’t know if that is being in denial or something else.
I will not congratulate the manager for beating the likes of Brighton or Crystal Palace. That is his job and he is being paid for, he should be doing it every week. Beating bottom half teams is an absolute basic required of Arsenal manager.
For the sake of argument let’s remove Liverpool, Man City and Chelsea. That leaves the top 4 spot up for grabs. Now can we honestly say the other top 4 contenders namely Man Utd, Leicester, Spurs and West Ham have better squads than us?
If one says they have then he/she proceed to explain around 200M spent and more than 10 players signed for the past two seasons?
If a person spends more than 200M to bring in more than 10 players and the squad is still said to be inferior, why is he still at the Emirates?
The days of excuses are long gone, only results matter and come December he should be sitting in the top with certainty. Only then can we say there is anything resembling a process or progress.
Atletico overcame incredible Barca and real Madrid sides to win la Liga under simeone (much more so the first time), which shows what top class management can achieve.
It was something he built towards over a number of years though; it took time to improve the squad and solidify a winning style and mentality. Not sure if Arteta can do that but he’s bought himself some time I think.
Right now it’s still the forward areas that are a concern – our best forwards are ageing, ESR and Saka still learning and Odegaard hasn’t clicked
Simeoni was a thug as a player and as a Manager he crosses over the line in terms of respect and decency.This is reflected in the way his team acts on the pitch as they constantly harass referees and top the league for fouling and bookings.He may have achieved a modicum of success but his team are highly unpopular with most Spanish fans who regard Athletico as an example of how not to play the game.He will hopefully never be appointed Manager at Arsenal.
We get fair few red cards ourselves. I don’t think atletico are the nicest side but neither were Barca or Real Madrid – a lot of divers in both sides and Real had Ramos and Pepe in their defence for years.
I still like the underdog story – don’t see atletico as particularly worse than their competition to be honest
Dan kit I totally agree with you we should have made good steps from last season but I still can’t see it 2 years now in charge and I think come the end of December we have to change. Whoever give Arteta this much power want their head looking into. Saliba 2years now and still not played a game for Arsenal amid getting rave reports Guendouzi picked for the French national team and yet not good enough for Arsenal
I really do not understand the essence of this article! It only comes along as a call to remain negative in our thinking even though a number of positives have arisen recently. I really feel worried for such a mindset.
Yes, nothing remains positive forever, that’s a fact of life! But does that mean you should not be positive minded? The team seems to turning the corner and striving to be better, isn’t that good enough to ponder upon?
Just as we will ponder and dwell on the negatives when it comes around, why don’t we enjoy the positives while it lasts, understand why the postivies have arisen, and try to stick with it.
Once again, this article simply aims to keep people believing in the negative, because it is often the easier path to follow for the weak!
totally agree!! all these doom and gloom fans the ones that only want us to fail.
or they actually want us to SUCCEED…shake your head lower case carl
Great post Indeed! Thia article is like a rallying cry to stay negative and a textbook example of a straw man argument:
Step one – Accuse fans of sweeping everything under the carpet after a few good results (which virtually no one is doing)
Step two – Criticise fans for doing so (even though they aren’t)
Shenel, I’ve got no problem with you choosing to stay pessimistic, or realistic, or whatever you want to call it. Knock yourself out. But have the courage to own your opinions instead of creating these false narratives that you can then tear apart.
Absolutely spot on Voyageur.
Yes, but we’re slowly building the team. We haven’t lost a game yet since the trashing in Manchester
We didn’t get the best results in Brighton and against Palace, but we won against Spurs, Villa and Leeds. If we win the upcoming tough away match in Leicester, you and other sceptics should stop doubting Arteta
And if we lose?
We haven’t lost a game since…… Weren’t we the best team in the country after December last season? What happened with 150M spent and all?
Like I have pointed out above, putting aside the top 3 there is no reason why we should not be contending for top 4. The rivals for that spot are just as good or as bad as us.
There have been moments of good performances and unbeaten runs before so let’s wait and see if this time they are going to last.
If we lose without any brain fart incident from our players, Arteta is currently just too inconsistent to be Arsenal manager and he should be ready for the sacking in December
We should at least get a draw, otherwise forget about top six finish
It’s all about the performance. We can play well and lose a game like this, and I think that’s ok. If we get dominated and completely stifled, then all the positivity will drain away…
Yes, the result will also depend on our players. I’m sure Arteta’s tactics can break Leicester’s defense, but the plan will be ruined if we get a red card or if there are misunderstandings in our defense
some many caveats, so little substance GNI
Just wanna mention what could ruin Arteta’s plan and we should win if there’s no error in the back
you can’t have your cake and eat it too all the time and not expect someone to call you out on it
The 1st choice goalie & defence are sorted for a back 4, but still lots of work to do in the next few transfer windows. Midfield still needs a couple of signings, and upfront needs some major work as Laca & Auba are getting on, and Balogun/Martinelli/Nketiah are not good enough, at least not yet. And that’s just the first selections, before we get to covering injuries & strength in depth. So yes, it’s a good start to the overhaul / rebuild, but it is only the early stages at the moment, and there will be ups & downs for some time before any kind of consistency is reached
Arsenals 12 game record so far this season can best be described as predictable. The only minor surprises were the opening day loss to Brentford when our team was ravaged by injury and Covid and the home draw with Palace. Otherwise every other PL result was totally predictable. Soft Carabao cup results again all predictable. Results have reflected the calibre of the opposition never our performance. Leicester away should logically be a narrow loss. Watford +Newcastle should be narrow home wins despite new manager bounce teams. Liverpool away ought to be a loss while if Spurs win this week Man U might be another new manager bounce loss. If we are to break out of the 7th-8th funk we need to get a result against the grain. Leicester could well be that game.
i can see something taking shape at Arsenal football club and that is a building of a whole club from the sandwich lady to the top!
Arsenal are now looking like a football club at last.Arteta is doing a brilliant job with the young players and the team as a whole. 8 games unbeaten in all comps. unbeaten runs are what builds confidence. The great Arsenal teams all had these unbeaten runs. It shows the squad and everyone involved at the club are now all signing up to what Arteta is building. The players brought in have been exactly what we needed and has proven Edu is talking to Arteta in regards to what type of player is needed to bring the club back.
Let the doubter doubt 🤷♂️i am going to be up beat and positive !! Come on you Gunners !! In Arteta and Edu we Trust !!
You sound funny man Carl’.
Seeing the queue of managers wanting to sign to manage Man Utd show how ‘shrunken’ the Arsenal glow and charisma is……it’s gone, AWOL. We stutter like a team with a football stammer. The glow Arsenal’s name once produced has been turned to grey and many supporters accept it. That it is acceptable is disturbing. It makes me sad though….we are not the same exciting, original Arsenal. We are an imitation Arsenal. Shame those top managers are not queueing up for Arsenal.
My objection to this article, as with so many is that it actually says nothing of any insight, of knowlege or real personal opinion, beyond a general writers dismal outlook.
It simply regurgitates, for the umpteenth time, the general negative vibe from so many fans; almost all of them younger ones who lack patience, fortitude and who are highly self entitled.
I’ll get slaughtered for simply stating my view, simply because mine does not fit the agenda of the characterless “kids” on here.
I will now get wrongly criticised as an Arteta lover, when I never wanted him in the first place.
But simply because I for one, believe in supporting the clubs managerial choice , until I think he has had a fair chance – which he has not so far – the vicious “kids” on here will now attack me and the few other fair minded fans , who are mostly older fans.
Frankly, I despair of so many younger fans today, many of whom w are attack dogs run riot and who DEMAND all they want and demand it almost NOW!
I’m 41 jon ,does that me make me a characterless kid because you believe my views are negative .
Why not just air your views without trying to make it into so kind of p1ssing contest .
We get it you are far superior to the rest of us humans but jeez give it a rest sometimes ,your head must Hurt constantly.
DAN, 41? Then act like it, instead of a kid! You ARE negative and constantly so!
My paragraph beginning”” I’ll get slaughtered….etc”. was so easy to predict, esp with the manynegative fans like you on JA!
Thanks Jon 👍
You are welcome !
You forget to put Jon, in your opinion. What you say is not facts but your opinion. The way you write things is to bully and ramrod your opinions as being the way it is. Arteta hasn’t had enough time because Jon fox says so, Xhaka is crap because Jon fox says so, all writers are immature because Jon fox says so. How rude and arrogant you are and WRONG! People have an opinion and dont need to be castigated, when its different to yours. Their opinion isnt wrong and yours isnt right.
So then Reggie, where in your post does it say this is only YOUR OPINION?
Is 98 games managed not a fair chance? Winning just above 50% of those games. And guess what? 8th placed finish is just above 50% of the league position, for two seasons in a row. And continue to guess what? This season played 9, winning 4 so far, just below 50%. Do you notice the trend? 50% is all he is capable of.
That is not just an opinion that is math, that is data, those are facts. You can’t refute facts.
Many have been sacked for less. Di Matteo with a champions league win (the first in Chelsea history) comes to mind. Before you say Chelsea has a sacking culture ask yourself this, what was the difference in squad quality between Lampard’s struggling Chelsea and Tuchel’s Champions League winners?
To add to that, we currently sit at 10th in the table with less fixtures than our rivals, a 50% of the league position.
Old duffers unite! I’m 61 and I am with you. Patience and realistic looks at where we are at all times is needed. The squad needed a complete overhaul and we are about 50 % thru it.
You do t wanna get into bed with jonny boy @weeble just because you have been on this earth longer than some .
The blokes about as clueless as our manager which doesn’t bode well for your opinion buddy .
No offence but age as absolutely nothing to do with who’s right or wrong ,a 10 year old could tell you that Arteta is the wrong choice for this club .
Facts are Arsenal are nowhere near where we want to be but we all know that.
If we, as fans, could see a consistent and determined way of playing, there would be a lot more positivity, in my opinion.
When we watch the spud game and then sit through the Palace game, followed by the Villa victory, how can we understand the differences?
There is no doubt whatsoever that we have very good players (as we have seen) and we should be expecting them to perform every week.
MA is paid handsomely to ensure that happens…. do that and he will get the fanbase behind him, as they did against the spuds/villa.
so true Ken…our eyes don’t lie
As things stand now at Arsenal in current results obtained in games by the club. I think us the Arsenal supporters should take to encouragement and be enthusiastic to positively be supporting Mikel Arteta and the Gunners. But eschew any kind of negative comments making against them at this Juncture.
More especially as our beloved Arsenal FC have reached an 8 match unbeaten run in all competitions. More grease to their elbows!!!
This feast followed after they had initially suffered some blushed in their EPl campaign early this season. But us all know, the Gunners have recovered from those blushes to now be on an 8 match unbeaten run. Which I believe has instilled confidence into MA and the Gunners to continue in their current unbeaten run form with a win away to Leicester tomorrow in the EPL.
A match that I am more than confident the Gunners will take the Foxes to the gun in the game and shoot down at least 3 of them. But no any Gunners will be hurt by the Foxes in the game. As the Gunners will be very smart in their game playing to avoid any injury causing onslaughts on them by the Foxes in their play in terms of scoring against Arsenal. Or cost them any bookable Red Card offence in the game.
My Match Result At Fulltime Plus Is: Leicester City 0-3 Arsenal.
Arteta should have already be gone by now..
To me in all honesty he is worst than Emery, there is absolutely nothing he is doing right now that Emery didn’t achieve double.
Emery equally inherited a poor Arsenal team
Emery went on a 22 game unbeaten run
he also was beating the top teams at ease
he was getting the best from our young players
He was ahead in league position and cup run.
So what’s special in Arteta now?
The mere fact that Arteta has being in England, played for Arsenal, knows the league inside out, saw first hand of the problems we have in the team, Being at Manchester, worked with a world class manager and players, Has been facing Arsenal home and away during his time with Guadiola, came in and inherited better players compared to Emery who came from a different country/culture and also struggled with the language, backed excellently yet still he is still underperforming with double 8th finish..
I don’t know what it is that has blinded the Arsenal fans to always accept mediocrity at best..
Even if he wins Leciester or Manutd he wouldn’t have my vote.. I have seen enough both on and off the pitch to know that we can’t achieve any real success with him in charge.
There is only one relevant fact; Arsenal are currently 10’th in the league.
All the rest are subjective views mainly based on feelings and belief.
In my opinion 10’th is nowhere near good enough.
But it feels better right now, because we had such a disastrous start to the season. If we had been hobling along around 10’th right from the first 3 games, I think many more would be unsatisfied.
Then there is the belief. Some may believe, what we are seeing are signs of good things to come. Others may not believe. The amount of people on each side of the fence or indeed on the fence will change according to every game.
Excellent point, the reality in everyone’s face is that the table doesn’t lie.
Remember when 2 previous managers got fired for finishing 5th and 6th? Meanwhile, Arteta gets praised for finishing 5th and 6th, all due to too many people accepting lowering the standard.
8th place finish 2 years in a row. Midtable most of last year, currently midtable this year. Sorry but don’t see the progress. Where? When? Call me negative if you like, I prefer realistic.
Midtable finishes, midtable performances, from a coach who spent 200 million since he arrived, over 11 new players, and still midtable.
He hasn’t even finished 6th and he does not look likely to.
A negative article feeding negative thoughts. Arsenal is building block by block, the players and manager are trying their best. We have to support the team and if we cannot do that atleast we shouldnt keep criticising from sunrise till sunset. The team has shown signs of progress. Except for the Brenford game and the Crystal Palace game, its not that results were totally unexpected. We are not owned by a oil billionare or Arab sheikhs to have a overnight change in team players and managers. We dont have the sack culture of Chelsea and patience is required. Of course performance matters the most, but I feel realistically the players and the manager are giving their best in each match, so lets support the team.
One step at a time.
I’m happy for now with signs of progression, let’s give this burgeoning young squad time to grow and gather some confidence under their belts before ripping them apart..