Arteta frustrated by Arsenal throwing away another two points

Poor old Mikel Arteta, he has arrived at Arsenal to take over a team that can’t win a game and keeps surrendering a lead when they are in front, and he tries his damnest to change the training regime and the mentality, but the same thing keeps happening over and over.

We have won just one of his 5 League games in charge, and he feels frustrated by his team looking in control and then bottling it in the end. The boss told Arsenal.com after the game: “I’m very disappointed today. I think the performance deserved three points and I think we lost two points. In the Premier League, if you don’t put the game to bed then in the last 10 or 15 minutes this type of team just need a long ball, a second ball, a set-piece, and you can give the points away. That’s it.

“Yeah and there’s a history of [nerves in the stadium]. It makes it even more. In the Premier League we are 1-0 up and in the last 10 or 15 minutes you have to be careful, because anything can happen.

“I don’t know what was done before. I think they tried to do the best possible thing. I inherited a team that was in a difficult situation and we’re trying to improve it as much as possible. I don’t know. In the second half, Sheffield United didn’t generate any efforts on goal – it’s just one long ball, a second ball and then someone put it top bins from an incredible angle. It’s difficult to control it.”

Arteta was then asked if he thought the players were still suffering from not being fit enough to last the full 90 minutes, but he disagreed with that. “I think they all went full gas and I think they all tried really hard.” he continued. “I think we put them under real pressure every time and we didn’t allow them to come out the way they do, to generate the overloads in wide areas and control the second phase, or put balls into the box. I don’t think that was the case.

“Maybe in the first five or 10 minutes, we had to figure out the game a little bit but after that I think we did. Then when you’re 1-0 up, the last 10 minutes things change. They changed to a back four and they started to commit more bodies forward, and then they’d have six players in front of the ball. It’s more difficult to control when they play long balls or second balls like this. It’s not easy.”

Well, he doesn’t sound very happy, which is unsurprising as he thought they would now fight to the end under his guidance, but it looks awfully like things haven’t really changed that much just yet. I sincerely hope he can get the team back up and motivated for the trip to Chelsea on Tuesday. The Blues will be hurting after battering the Newcastle goal this evening and then being hit with a sucker punch in the last minute. They probably feel the same as the Arsenal team right now, but who can recover the best before Tuesday?

Fingers crossed!

Admin Pat

30 Comments

  1. On the previous thread, I saw some people attacking Xhaka for his role in today’s game. Question here is, what exactly are you expecting of him? Who in the arsenal team gives us similar transition to his? Sideways and backwards passes? How about all the times he released Saka down the left? You’ll go on and praise Saka for showing attacking intent without praising Xhaka for providing him with the assurance of cover right behind?
    I can understand one who blames ozil, because he’s not delivering on his one job. Creating chances but Xhaka, most of our goals under Arteta have come from Xhaka overloading the left flank, allowing the left back to become a left winger and the left winger a striker.
    And just to rub it in, just like y’all hoped everyone after Emery would kick Xhaka out, you should just know that as long as he has a contract with Arsenal, barring a catastrophic change, any manager will start him because no arsenal player plays more forward passes than him. Check the stats

    1. But he’s Average despite whatever you state.! For the only single thing I see him doing mostly that seem okay is the Long Range Pass he often play once in each Halve.
      With Frigging Zero goal this season as a Midfielder C’mon! With a single Assist.

      That’s fu**Ed up!!

      1. Xhakas failings, tackling, limited ball carrying, hot headedness, limited in tight spaces all contrbute to our slackness and nervousness, especially at the end of games. I have never rated him, am still actually waiting for a MOM performance and a midfielder should actually be able to influence a game positively, he cant and doesn’t. Its no coincidence since he has been at this club we have looked disorganized in midfield and dont protect defence. Saying he covered for Saka and started his moves is not true, Saka actually worked with Martinelli and often carried the ball out of defence. I dont rate xhaka and nothing about him inspires me at all.

        1. This is the weakest Arsenal midfield in living memory, without even considering the defense.
          The Board can’t continue letting the head coach take the fall; Arteta must be supported in the transfer market to buy the players he requires to suit his phylosophy.

    2. We need a good CM, a mobile one who can link defence to attack, can keep the ball n pass forward. Torreria n Xhaka r both DMs. Actually if you observe Xhaka plays more deep then torreria most of the time he plays next to CBs..that’s killing us because our midfielder are both defence minded n there first instinct is to pass the ball back hence we are struggling to connect n transition from defence to attack. Ozil is not dropping down either n stays up there in attack. We need a proper CM in mold of Xavi, carzola, viera, pirlo type player more then any thing else.

  2. Off the topic get rid of lacazette please I would swap lacazette for lamer and 10 million lacazette is so bad he could not score in a brothel least lamer as youth on his side go on mikel just do it

    1. Hate to say it but he doesnt look right at all id rather sell him and buy the Jovic off Real. if thats how you spell his name.

  3. Thank you for him Sue, poor Mikel! But soon, as everyone, then start doubting, then go “Arteta out! As for Emery!

    Wenger spoiled all of us, made us brats, expecting him to win Trophies as he had us used to. But it was a true miracle to keep us in top of the league for over a decade with no money! No one seems to realise what he had to deal with Kroenke; he was on his own, finding ways to keep us on top and attractive club for top and young players!

    Kroenke runs this club as a business and doesn’t care for legacy, fans or anyone!

    Look at Spurs, Everton moves, they went for top coachs with an ambition to get to next step, level! We went for a non coach and an assistant! Save money and keep us in stadium with ex players with our fiber, touching our hearts!

    Arteta has no money to get players he wants just as Emery who asked Maguire to pair with Kos, Partey and Zaha! Got Luiz for Kos, Ceballos loan instead Partey and Pepe in payment plans instead of Zaha. Injured Tierny & Saliba in France in payment plans!

    Then of course, he was nervous and under pressure with a team he can’t find way to fix defense which affects rest of the the pitch, our game and spirits! Frustration from coach to players!

    Arteta asked for Koulibaly as priority, his price dropped summer 100M to 70M, deal can be closed with 60! But Napoli wants cash, need to buy replacement and rebuild team!

    Now I’m not happy about Arteta because he knows greedy cheap Kroenke, he can get Koulibaly by including Torreira & Kolas + cash in a swap as Napoli wants this 2 players!

    Add 30M cash to close this deal is possible for Kroenke, that’s it then, no money!

    He probably wonder how he replace Torreira and Kolas then, already in need of an option, being forced to play Saka. Same for RB!

    Defnetly has him confused! But it just takes to sell Xhaka 30M, get Serri available for 12M, Rabiot available on loan, still 18M more than enough to get decent RB and LB as back up!

    Therefore I am blaming Arteta for his lack of creative mind because Koulibaly been handed to us!!!

    Then it is just unreal to see him play same formation that doesn’t all season nor can work! We miss that top CB, any pair we have, combine is not good enough, we saw it all last season and til this day!

    To have midfield to fill central defense hole doesn’t work, it is not their position nor allow team transition, play forward but defend!

    It will take to play Luiz infront of 2 CBs to limit damages and mainly because we then play forward with midfields focus doing so, team playing higher and danger coming from everywhere!

    Must try this for next game as Kolas and Bellerin should be back.

    Bellerin Holding Mustafi Kolas
    Luiz

    Then he has many options in middle and upfront, upon games! Not two midfield and tam playing backwards!

    1. Mogunna, Arteta as head coach needs to be supported in the transfer market to get the players he requires to play his system. As you rightly state the Board expected Emery to coach the players they provided to him and we all saw how that turned out.

  4. Leno
    Bellerin Koulibaly Holding Kurzawa
    Seri Rabiot
    Ozil
    Pepe Laca Auba

    Sokra, Mustafi, Kolas, Torreira, Eleny, Xhaka all wanted; out!

    1 RB, 1 LB, Koulibaly,Seri, Rabiot in instead! That’s what this team needs, get rid of players to get new ones to improve this team; smart business and choices!

    Torreira, Xhaka,Mustafi wanted out, why keep them, they will lose value as all team!

      1. Ozil has played 9 games for 0 goals and 1 assist, as an ACM. He looks to pass all the time, will not run on goad and refuses to shoot. Arsenal are getting no goals from midfield.

    1. Full of flaws, holding not up to de level of this club. Kurzawa poor LB, he is PSGs 3rd choice for LB..we have much better. Bellerin injury prone n poor in defence. Rabiot overrated n constant trouble maker..not worth it. Auba should be through middle n LW should be rotated between Saka n new winger. Let auba n Martenlli play upfront Martenlli as auba future replacement. Ozil is passed it should be replaced by younger n more enthusiastic AM.

  5. Rubbish!!! Loads of rubbish!! Can’t you see that arteta has already improved the defence even with the players available to him. We don’t ship in goals again, but even with the best defence , you can still concede one goal like we are doing once in a while. The real problem is our strikers are not scoring and killing matches to underline the improvement in defence even with these players. Laca, pepe and ozil really need to step up.

  6. I don’t know how you watch your matches or if you saw the game. But to be fair, Xhaka had a good game yesterday. If not for his clearance we could even have lost. I expect more from pepe, laca and ozil. I don’t know why Leno is not under the spotlight, for me lots of question marks on him. Am not convinced he his a keeper that wins you the league.

  7. It seems the Kroenkes want us to sign poundshop players. That’s why we could end up like the Kroenke’s American team. The worst can happen.

  8. Spot on, Ozzie Gunner! Xhaka gets blame, Mustafi all the time.. but Ozil never. Why??? Ozil has been CRAP for at least three seasons. Arteta’s biggest failing has been inclusion of Ozil. Now that Ceballos is fit, play him.. instead of playing 90 plus minutes with 10 men!!

  9. Arteta was right about the disallowed penalty; Mike Dean strikes again and VAR Atkinson will not overturn the on field referee. Can anyone explain how Pepe ran into the out stretched leg impeding his progress and why a penalty was not awarded?

    1. Leg stuck out ball missed, pepe goes over outstretched leg and goes to ground, Dean and Var say no. Why isnt Pepe booked for diving? Why is a penalty not given?

      1. Simplzz we are not Liverpool lol!, We are lucky they didn’t show Pepe Red for diving…VAR is in hands of morons who don’t know how to use it. The whole ref system in primer league needs to be revamped. Season after season we see poor referring decisions. Only thing constant about the refs in this league is that they are constantly poor.

        1. If VAR and refereeing were just, we would have 11 points more right now. 11.
          We’re 20th out of 20 clubs when it comes to refereeing decisions.
          But ‘it all evens out’
          LOL
          English refereeing has been biased against Arsenal for too long. We have better chances of winning the CL in the next 10 years than the EPL.
          Unless we play Barca or Real, that is, the UEFA official teams…

  10. Fact.. This Arsenal squad needs stripping down and rebuilding. We all know who the weak links are so it’s not worth stating names. The question is, “Will MA have the full support and funds to do his job at the end of the season?”. We’re going to need at least 3 big experienced signings and at least £130 million!

  11. What you inherit is what you play with, almost every manager has to do this, some are lucky some are not,Arteta is not. Mekel needs quality players that can unite not what he has been given. When he got the job I only questioned his grit but I withdraw that suggestion, he lacks the players and he won`t get them via Kroenke. Have faith my friend, we have faith in you.

  12. It hurts! truly, truly hurts to see these guys commit the same crime week in week out; imagine where we would be if we had managed to win most these drawn games, they’re all saying. good things about the club and the team but watching them a times is like drinking sour milk. When will all these BIG BOYS LEARN, yesterday, our goal against Sheffield United was made and delivered by the two youngest members of the squad…who conspired to lose it; the BIG BOYS…it surely sucks…

  13. Lets hope and pray that salvation comes on Tuesday…its very scary seeing that we are much closer to relegation than the top 4…seriously scary …This is the GUNNERS we are talking about. Mr. Wenger and his cohort knew he wasn’t going to be there forever and yet failed to plan adequately for a genuine successor…selfish, selfish people.

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