Arsenal have great players but not much of a team it seems…

Are Arsenal just an individually talented club rather than a team?

It’s another game and another defeat, well it’s not a surprise because this is becoming a normality for Arsenal now!

After comfortably beating Leeds last weekend with an improved performance, although there is a lot more work to do at the club, I myself thought we could get something out of the games against Benfica and City.

But yet again the main thing that let us down was the finishing and with so much individual talent in our squad it is now becoming a deep worry that this team is just not good enough and there is no real connection across the squad despite Arteta having a clearout.

There is no use pointing the finger at one individual because over the course of this whole season, the whole team (including Arteta) are all at fault for the disappointing results, poor performances and just lack of consistency that is costing us points and silverware.

We knew that the work would be long and painful but never did we think that Arteta would come in and put our team in the worst possible position that we have been in, in many, many years.

Yes, individual talents in a team are nice to see and it is of course nice to see the younger talent coming through the ranks, but if they do not click with each other as a whole, week in week out which seems to be the case for our boys. That is a serious problem for our club because it is just not a team anymore, and it really upsets me to say that I just don’t feel like watching them anymore to become upset and frustrated at the poor run of form. I know we are capable of turning around but the belief seems to be lacking, and Arsenal is not Arsenal anymore and that is such a shame.

Shenel Osman

60 Comments

  1. Arsenal have been regressing consistently for some time now. It will really take time for us to get back to where we belong. For us to get to the top;
    – we must invest wisely ( responsibility of the owners to support with fund)
    – we must invest in youth (look out for talented youngsters from our academy)
    – we must get a very good and experienced coach/ manager that can get the best out of the players and must be very disciplined
    Presently we are struggling because we do not want to invest wisely, we are just managing and that is why we are struggling and managing to get results.

      1. Not funny, the same Arteta gave us an FA & CS, no fluke. Ayan is right, we need new faces, dedicated talent, to do that you need to free up spaces and that is what Arteta did in one year,getting rid of utter rubbish. If our players were so great, name me one player in the recent past – say 2 years, who is playing for a top 3 team in a top league in Europe? Don’t count Fanerbache among them. Our players are playing for the bottom half of teams and the sole Lucas Torrera is having a torrid time at AM.Leave aside Auba, Saka, ESR, Partey, Tierney, Martenelli and maybe Leno, the rest of the team would not make it to the Burnley’s bench if they were offered to Burnley. So bad is the team in the league, we need time to get rid of the remaining rubbish. Everton had decent players, Carlo made them better. Arsenal had a majority of rubbish which Arteta has to work with, and 10th is acceptable till the rubbish is binned.

  2. It pains me too
    There is no existing culture and pattern to help new coming players settle in better
    thereby leading to too many disappointing transfers Pepe,Williams,laca,Auba,xhaka,cebelos,partey etc
    This players have reputation and can not suddenly turn bad something is wrong
    Yes it is good to have individual brilliance that can help you win the tough games but as a team how do we progress and create chances even an amatuar can predict every of our move. No chemistry, no understanding, no communication.
    We have enough good players to play at least better football than this shit we play week in week out
    People saying that the performances is good that we have been victims of poor finishing and poor referee officiating, I would want our matches to be analyzed so I will know what matches people are referring to apart from few performances here and there, we have been woefully poor all season.
    Most of our players go out and become good/decent
    Week in week out we single out individuals for criticism but as at times the way we play, progress the ball, and attack is suicidal most times
    Under Wenger we had a pattern, a working system though his might not be the best but it was functioning players find it easier to bed in, even with academy players we could still play our football because everyone is trained within a functioning system….
    Today even with better players we can hardly create chances
    Sometimes everyone looks confused final passes are disgrace, attackers and midfielders look like the are coming from different planet. No cohension, no pattern, no understanding
    Under Wenger we played far worst players and we still at least compete and create chances

  3. We have far better players than teams we lose to and far better players than teams above us. Because we lose it is easy to blame players but the way we play and the tactics are down to Arteta and he isn’t getting anything out of this team with his motivation or tactics. The team is boring to watch and our players look bored and lost as well. We are losing games because of the way we play.

    1. you overetimate our players, the likes of auba and lacca are past their prime. willian is past it too, Pepe is finding form difficult, the only reasonable ones in the attack are the young guns. we need another CF asap at least

      1. It is not an over estimating
        You can get c Ronaldo and messi put them into this team with the way we play you will still say same thing about them…
        Every team have experienced players at the age of Auba and Laca playing for them and putting in performances
        It is not just down to individuals but the way we play is even more worrying than the individuals itself
        Who do united have in attack?
        Do they have better attack than us?
        We have good defense
        Decent midfield
        And a good attack
        Why are we served what we are saved?
        You said Auba and laca can’t get the job done they are past their primes then what is stopping martineli and balogo getting chances?
        This team is not as bad as we are meant to believe

      2. No i am not over estimating anyone. I think you adjamin are the one over estimating Arteta. His record in the league is poor, that is all we know for sure.

  4. What do people expect when you hire an inexperienced coach with no experience.
    1. Promote him to manager
    2. Give him power over transfer decisions
    3. Decide which players are “ready” when many can argue manager himself is not “ready”

    So the club asks us to “Trust the Process” by hiring an inexperienced manager with no resume, and put him in charge of rebuilding a club when he has no experience building anything!

    So sorry, but logic and reason beg me to question this as “progress.” This is merely a ploy to save money by hiring a “yes man” who will push the ownership narrative and lower expectations and ambition but repeating the refrain “trust the process” to excuse regression.

    Wenger was removed, and we hired a lesser manager who unsurprisingly failed.

    We then replaced Emery with an even less experienced manager, (no experience in fact) who I would argue is failing.

    If ownership was truly ambitious, they would have hired an experienced manager with a track record of success and building competitive teams.

    Everton did, but Arsenal can’t? Everton was a more attractive destination than London and Arsenal?

    Arteta should face the same standard as Wenger and Emery, and should be removed this Summer. FFS, bring in a proven manager already, or accept our new normal of mid table struggles.

    1. It just surprises me that Arteta gets a free pass where 2 other managers were sacked. He seems to be exempt from the standards they were held to, and Emery was savaged for his boring football, but Arteta gets constant cover.

      Rather see us have a go at teams with flair and creativity and lose, then act like a turtle hiding in its shell and celebrating a 1-0 loss.

    2. Experienced managers are only considered better or more successful because they are given all the opportunities. More and more top “ambitious” clubs are giving the top role to young, less experienced managers who, if given time, succeed. For example Amorim (Sporting Lisbon, 35), Martinez (Granada,39), Rose (BMG, 44), Stephan (Rennes, 40), Nagelsmann (Leipzig, 33). Oh and try these whose first team management careers started as follows: Cruyff (Ajax, 38) , Guardiola (Barcelona, 36), Dalglish (Liverpool, 34). Nice logic, Durand

      1. Everton got an experienced manager the same time as us, in a worse position, with worse players and never finishing in front of us for years. We got an inexperienced manager in a position of strength compared to them. Who is getting better and who isnt?

        1. 👍 Reggie, people on here said they didn’t want Carlo Ancellotti, because he was “past it”. Obviously Everton read his CV.

          1. Agree Ozzie, i didnt say i didn’t want him, i didn’t but i would have had him over Arteta any day. We could have got him as well he has a home in London.

        2. Reggie: This is exactly my yardstick for comparison. Look where Ancelotti has taken Everton, and where we are with Arteta! The table does not lie!

        3. Tots got an experienced manager and are two points above us and the sack is likely this summer, Man Utd. stuck with their own player and are top 2 by adding quality players. This logic does not hold good IMO.

      2. How about rodgers at Leicester? Southampton? Everton?

        Arteta is failing, doing worse than both Wenger and Emery. Maybe you “trust the process” with a manager who has never built anything in his career.

        Everton is a great example of “what could have been.” Ancelloti was given the reigns like Arteta was, yet look at the difference. Did we even try to entice him? Would he choose Everton over Arsenal and London if presented the choice?

        An experienced manager could have delivered results for us by now, after 14 months. Instead we have only gotten worse results. Add no identifiable style or philosophy, and horrendous man management, and we are exactly where we deserve to be.

        Boring bland football in the mirror image of our manager.

          1. Ancellotti was always my pick when Simeone wasn’t available, prior to Emery’s appointment
            Once Emery was sacked, principally because of player power and downing tools, the appointment of experienced well credentialled Carlo Ancellotti was a “no brainer” in my view. However Arsenal went for the cheap local boy option, whereas Everton signed Ancellotti.

        1. Durand, Carlo does not have to deal with bloated egos and Primma Donnas at Everton like we did/do have here. Ozil, Kolasinac, Xhaka,( a player insulting his own fans with no apology), Laca or characters like Cabellos, Luiz, Socrates, Mustafi, or side way passing maestros like Elneny. Sorry but Arteta can look up to Saka, ESR or Tierney and no one else in this team.

  5. Interesting point which may seems a bit daft but – “great” players don’t always make a great team.

    Over the years of late we may just have suffered from ;

    “Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn’t work hard.”

  6. Arsenal HAD great players that are now past it but on huge wages. Auba, Willian, Lacazette, all fall into this category. Arsenal have mediocre players that are treated like top players. Bellerin, Xhaka, David Luiz, Pepe. And this still isn’t an excuse to be in 10th right now and below teams that have far less money than us. Arsenal is a disaster right now. I’m not sure what the answer is besides for better recruitment and better management. The owner isn’t going to change so whats the point in whining about him right now. If i was a rich guy i wouldn’t be handing my money over to Arteta either honestly.

    1. How many players have we moved on?
      Basically soon you will Add Gabriel,Holding,Martineli,Partey etc to your list
      We have moved on from many players and brought many players in to at least start playing better better football…
      Most of the players are average because they are playing at arsenal on average system and coaching
      We can’t always complain about individuals
      As a team how do we play?
      If Arteta wants 11 world class players before his team can play football then he should be sacked

    2. Watch the next few games and maybe just maybe the TITANIC will hit the ICEBERG. Remember Frank Lampard Chelsea took him as manager he got rid of the deadwood and then they got rid of him maybe Arsenal will do the same to Arteta

  7. Who exactly are the”great players” mentioned in your headline?As someone who played the game and was involved in the scouting side , there are, in my opinion, only three players available to our Manager who might get a game for Man City, namely Partey, Tierney and Saka,Martinelli and ESR are youngsters who they might be interested in, but who are the others you suggest?

    1. So how do you analyze your own great players firstly
      Who and who are great players in city’s team
      Weeks ago when city where struggling they suddenly I heard no one using them as hallmark of greatness
      Backfarwad few months back Liverpool looked formidable with the additional of thiago everyone was rooting for them
      For the fact they are toping the league and in their best forms doesn’t make our players shit
      Sterling,merez, didn’t have better stats than Pepe before he came to us…
      Gabriel Jesus isn’t better than Auba or laca
      Stones isn’t better than holding or Gabriel
      And their keeper isn’t better than Leno
      You can argue that but the different in this players is the team they play for, the system they play, their manager and tactics with the players they play around

      1. Ridiculous remarks Pepe. Sterling and mahrez would have way better stats than Pepe if they were playing in the very average French league. Ederson is rated internationally as one of the world’s top 3 keepers – you think that Leno is one of the other two? It would be interesting how far you could get in your list of man to man “match-ups” before you started to see how ridiculous your argument is. Please include like for like ie the level they have played at, what they have achieved and over how long.

        1. Mbape plays for so called average league, hazard came from so called average league and we saw how good he was at Chelsea….
          Call it anything you like but great players have emerged from there as well.
          Leno in city’s team will be one of the best that is not rediculous it is just what it is…
          Auba in city’s team can be the best 9 in Europe.
          Do you think C. Ronaldo will be world best playing for standard liege?
          The team you play for, and the players you play with makes a huge different
          Neighter sterling or merez will be as good as they are if the are playing for arsenal with xhaka and Eneny.
          Few months ago Alison was one of the greatest keepers in Europe but the injuries to their CBS and poor performances have exposed him a lot this season
          Players around you and system you play in makes a huge different.
          Sala looked Ordinary at Chelsea but is one of the best inverted wingers in Europe today..

        2. Ederson came from Benfica and played in a league I won’t say is better than French league.
          Bernardo silver played for Monaco weak league
          French league doesn’t mean mbappe is average
          Asking me what they have achieved?
          I can also ask what they achieved before coming to city
          Good Players also need good players around they and a functioning system to achieve their full potential
          A team is average doesn’t mean all their players is bad

          1. Also, Ruben Dias played in the Portuguese league and he’s arguably the best defender at the moment in PL.

    2. Agree Grandad – several with potential, but “great”? Two tendancies with our fans – to overrate our better players, and demand big name international transfers – often with egos to match, rather than solid, reliable pro’s from less fashionable English clubs. I cant believe Pepe above saying that man for man our players rate higher than Man Utd? If anything its the opposite atm – the whole is better than the sum of the parts. We are for now a young team with potential.

  8. That’s true. If you compare individual talent of Arsenal as compared to most team above us, we are far better than them. I said it before and I’m saying it now that Arteta is the main problem in all these circumstances

  9. I said it before and I’ll say it again; the biggest problem we have at this club is XHAKA. He occupies the same CM position that has been occupied by Cazorla, Ramsey, Nasri, Wilshere. Yet we keep complaining why we have no creativity in this squad. Can Xhaka drive foward? Playmake? Get out of tight spaces? Somehow he has managed to stay here for years and coincidentally our decline accelerated ever since he joined. The fact that Arteta convinced Xhaka to stay is a sackable offence on its own. Next one is BELLERIN. We used to have Mr. Reliable, Sagna, at RB. Now we have Bellerin who can’t defend to save his life. Those 2 seriously unbalance our team and I will put it here, as long as Xhaka and Bellerin remain at this club WE WILL NEVER TASTE TOP 4 AGAIN!!

    1. I think its because Xhaka doesnt have significant strengths. Well his strenghts, like passing, is something every damn CM has in their repertoire. So there’s nothing special about Xhaka, no “it” factor

      If you compare Xhaka vs Partey, you can see the thrive in Partey trying going forward. Partey is also good in tight spaces, and he’s very calm. Xhaka is slow in possession and gets caught quite often.

      I think of players you mentioned, Santi, Wilshere, Ramsey and I can think of at least one quality they had that we need. Ramsey had an engine, and he got into scoring often even though he was anonymous otherwise. Wilshere was like a sponge, he attracted several players on him when he had the ball which created space. Santi, doesn’t need explaining.
      I can’t think of anything like that about Xhaka.

      1. Agree Mac – but we need the cash to replace him before we can sell. He’s not a bad player and certaily not top of my hit list, but no outstanding skills, very true.

        1. We cannot TRUST OUR MONEY WITH ARTETA look what he signed got Ozil off the books only to put Auba on it and Willian say no more

    2. do you think that replacing these two players (or not playing them) will allow us to have a go at the title…..

  10. Its not the team. Wake up to the truth….it’s Arteta. A quality experienced manager would be doing MUCH better.

  11. Thank you for your support Guy.From his comments ,our Pepe clearly has not a clue about our game.To relate a comparison of quality to stats, is confirmation of this fact.To those who are guided by stats, I can only highlight the fact that sensible fans were able to recognise who performed well on the pitch, and who did not, before stats were even invented.Pele, Puskas , Maradonna,etc all discovered as greats without any mention of a single statistic.Never mind stats, use your eyes and trust what they tell your brain.

    1. Grandad you right I said all along Pepe was not an EPL player and never will be Emery did not want him but the board overruled him

  12. We have players but we don’t have a coach.Arteta can’t deliver even with Messi and Mbappe on the team.Probably he’s going ti ask Messi to play backward and sideways passes and Mbappe to cover for left back.Arteta out!

  13. Poor recruitment as well as coaching/ management would be the obvious answer to the above question. There is a lack of balance in the team. Too many players were brought in ad hoc without much long term consideration. Also too much has been invested on players who won’t come good. Probably no one can explain why William was given a three year contract, or why Wegner extended Elneny’s contract, how we ended up with eight centre halves or why one of either Auba or Laca were not replaced.The two of them can obviously not play together. Then there is poor man management by Arteta. Team chemistry is probably the most difficult thing to resolve and takes years. When Arsene Wegner inherited a rock solid defence along with Bergkamp, Wright and Merson he must have felt like a kid under a Christmas tree unwrapping presents.

    1. Merson was sold at the end of the 96-97 season, when Wenger was not yet one year into his tenure. Wright was sold at the end of the 97-98 season.

      Seems that Wenger couldn’t have liked some of his Christmas presents that much!

      BTW, if Wenger inherited such a great team of players, then why was the team struggling so much prior to his arrival? Or are you trying to tell me that Rioch would have won the double had he not been sacked? Or That Graham would have won another title with that team had he not been caught with his hands in the till?

      Maybe it was time for Wenger to go given that he had been in the job for 22 years and may have gone a little stale, but I would argue that the team left behind by Wenger was not inherently worse than the one that he had inherited. Not the finished products by any means, but sufficiently competitive and with some star qualities that could have challenged for major honours with a few quality additions under a decent manger.

      The idea that Wenger left the team in a ‘mess’ is the narrative created by Wenger haters not wishing to admit that they had no bases for their hatred. These people will slag our players off as being either ‘lazy’ or ‘rubbish’ either as a weapon against Wenger or in support of Wenger’s successors. Ramsey, Wilshire, Ozil et al were not ‘rubbish’ players. They were simply forced out because the new man wished to differentiate from the previous regime (UE in the case of Ramsey and Wilshire, and MA in the case of Ozil and numerous others).

      These haters will even perform all sort of mental gymnastics to try and justify why 10th in late Feb is acceptable but that 6th, the worst finish in 22 years, means that Wenger had to go. They based this absurdity on some mysterious ‘process’ that is headed by someone with no experience being a manager/head coach, much less of building anything resembling success.

      1. Nick, compare the Rioch players man for man, with the final squad Wenger passed on and there was no comparison. This is not to diminish Arsene Wenger’s early achievements with this squad.
        Paul Merson had drug, alcohol and gambling addictions, which Arsene Wenger wasn’t able to council. Despite this when sold to Aston Villa, Merson went on to win player of the season for that club.
        Ian Wright was over 30 and was only offered a one year contract, so he transferred. Both these players would make the current Arsenal squad.

    1. Their is no way our team comes close to mancity or Liverpool, man utd, but we should be up and around Leicester, spurs, Chelsea.
      Arteta is not the man to bring us back to the top,
      Would love if we could get brendan Rodgers and give him enough money to build a team,
      We have some great youngsters in Saliba,gab,Tierney, azeezs, ESR, saka, martinelle, bollagan….

      1. I think Potter would be better.

        And would have a higher odds if we were looking for a new manager.
        – I think he would be cheaper.
        – Sets his team to play such beautiful football.
        – Not hell-bent on showing his authority on young players for petty stuff really.

  14. What is costing us is the impatience of the supporters they did not learn anything from Liverpool Man Utd and Chelsea. Keep changing Managers and we will lag behind. Support The Manager and Judge him by the middle of next season.

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