Tottenham have now finished above Arsenal for the last four seasons and could be classed as a Top Team, and are on course to finish among the European places again this season, whereas the Gunners are looking set for playing the next campaign with no involvement in Europe at all.
Unless, of course, Arsenal win against Tottenham and go on a long winning run in the League, as well as moving closer to the Europa League Final. (Could the next North London Derby be played in Poland?) But to carry on winning, Mikel Arteta’s side need to regain their “winning mentality” which kept us in the Champions League for over 20 years under Wenger.
Ahead of the Spurs game, Arteta was asked how important a “winning mentality” was to Arsenal, and he admitted that we are still in the “process”. “Absolutely. The level of leadership, the passion that you play with and the belief that you have amongst the squad, to fight for every single ball for 96 minutes… Then it’s about learning how to win. Every game is different and you have to find the way to win it.
“There are certain things that are some basics you have to do every game. Sometimes there are some things you have to control because of the opponent, because of the circumstances, because of the time that is left. That’s a process we are in and we have to improve very much to be able to fight with the top teams.”
Recently though, results have been going our way again and we are rebuilding our confidence. If we can beat Tottenham, perhaps it will give us another boost and help in our process of building this “winning mentality”….
The winning mentality should be started by playing from the back confidently and minimize the mistakes, despite the criticisms from the fans and the pundits. We could’ve played much safer by making a lot of long clearances, but we need someone like Giroud upfront to win the long balls
Pochettino also instructed his team to build from the back and asked his players to be brave when playing like that on the pitch. Arteta is trying to instill an elite playing style into the Gunners and we must support him until he shows no progress in December
Did I read that GAI that you expect this system to fail and Arteta to fail by December ?
On the contrary, I hope Arteta succeeds. But he has to guide us to a better position in EPL table before 2022, otherwise the players could lose their confidence
Glad to have that cleared up😊
Arteta is right.
The winning mentality is key.
So does Arsenal have a winning mentality?
Winning owner? No.
Winning scouting network? Decent.
Winning manager? He tries hard.
Winning player mentality? Maybe.
I say give Arteta another 14 months
by then will we know if he has instilled
the winning mentality into this club
Please Please Arteta get your team selection right for spuds game don’t play suicidal football out from the back should know by now it doesn’t work and finally and most important is to take that smug look off Mourinho face by winning the north london derby cznt stand the guy and if his snidy
comments saying he doesn’t look down the table only up does not motivate this team to go out and give everything they have to win this game then nothing will!!
Yes Dani,if Arteta really want to prove he is the one to take us to where we belonged,then he should get it right tomorrow by putting that bad record in the league against baby brain,Mourinho to an end.
Lets be honest for once! Right now, the whole team does NOT have a winning mentality throughout it and we all see that constantly. IF we did, we would not constantly make predictable defensive errors and Luiz and Xhaka are the two current regulars most guilty of this, so neither of those has the required winning mentality IMO.
Tierney does, Gabriel does, Saka does, Auba does not, Bellerin does not and so on. SOME only of our players have it but without ALL having it we are still weak and that is the plain truth, unpalatable though it will be to SOME, on JA.
I want to make it plain that I do not confuse naked aggression, as XHAKA shows, with a winning mentality.
For that mentality you need BRAINS and football intelligence, not out of control hotheads and chancers.
The team lacks the winning mentality and that starts at the top; Ownership and filters down to the players.
For example, Elneny came on to help ensure a draw as the result, not to push for a goal. Where is the winning mentality from our manager?
The players share in the blame, but the manager is at fault. How many times have we started matches lifeless and lacking intensity?
We often joke about how sluggish we start or play in the 2nd half of games. Again, that mentality filters down to the players. Errors by Luiz, Xhaka, and Ceballos should have rooted them to the bench.
Willian’s trashy start should have relegated him to limited appearances not guaranteed sub appearances.
The club needs a serious evaluation at season’s end. Which players are we building around, & which can support or reinforce them?
Has Edu improved the club? Is Arteta taking us forward? Has restructuring the scounting been an improvement?
Have we learned nothing about consolidating power within the club? Wasn’t that a concern when we were declining in Wenger’s final years?
I was hoping you were going to finally interject my JA brother, as I’ve been propagating similar notions late last evening and this morning…it’s not just that Willian was given bench opportunities, he’s likewise being shoehorned in on the right now, instead of players who have either shown better form out there or even those who clearly should be considered much more pertinent to the team’s success moving forward
ultimately my concern is can we really afford to proceed any further with the Arteta/Edu experiment if they continue to fail the “eye test”…I believe we have some great young prospects, several of whom should have seen significant minutes during this supposed “transitional” year, and I don’t know if I can trust Arteta to do the right things and/or make the tough decisions
I just think his ego has gotten in the way of what should have been his long-term vision for the club…after all, the whole point should have been having him grow as a manager with a relatively youthful nucleus of players, which went tits up when he started reading his own headlines…it worries me greatly to give someone like that control over the purse strings, especially with our obvious financial limitations, and the developmental arm of the club…on a side note, I was pleased to read a recent article about Richard Garlick’s role regrading the potential acquisition of several young up-and-coming prospects
My concern is the number 1 priority, the “Owner’s Vision.”
Arteta’s ideas and “vision” as it were, should fall within the larger vision and direction of the owner.
For example, if Kronke thinks our academy should represent a larger percentage of the roster (Saka, AMN, Willock, Azeez, Balogun, etc…) then it’s Arteta’s job to make it happen and be successful.
I’m concerned our absent owner has too quickly and too eagerly handed over too much power to an inexperienced manager. He was promoted from “coach” to “manager” prematurely, based on 6 months of results.
This season is a regression so far, it can’t be denied. I continue to believe there needs to be a revaluation at season’s end.
I’m not calling for Arteta’s sacking, merely identifiable goals and standards. If we are not in the top 8 in December, for example, next season (2 years under Arteta) then he should go.
There is nothing to gauge his “success” or “development” with the club. Perhaps this is by design as “standards” got Wenger removed & Emery sacked.
I think this absence is harmful; it gives Arteta a sense of arrogance & entitlement, excuses underperforming, (from players & management) and doesn’t adequately address the fan’s concerns.
I have tried to remain steady in my criticism; judging results and actions not personalities. Is the manager punching above or below their weight? Are they getting the best from the players? Are we fighting & losing, or lacking fight altogether?
We still have no style, we cannot articulate the philosophy that appears amorphous, and youth aren’t being developed under the manager’s style & tactics, but sent on loan to learn another manager’s style, philosophy, and tactics.
The Arsenal Way is ceasing to exist, being replaced by “Arteta’s Way” which as yet is undefined.
Exciting attacking football is dying under his watch, replaced by robotic players, static play, scripted football lacking any flair, style, or character.
Introducing Elneny to concede a draw is the perfect example. It was individual talent and momentary magic that got us ahead, not static tactics and organizing to defend a draw.