Pathetic from Arteta costs us again. by Konstantin Mitov
Well lovely Arsenal people, what’s the excuse for Mikel Arteta now? We were shocking again and I warned you about this last week. Our negative style lacking creativity will cost us. I am so depressed I just wished we went to play amongst ourselves instead of watching whatever this excuse of a performance was.
First of all, our main attacking weapon is our left back Kieran Tierney. I am looking at Partey thinking ‘come on, drive with the ball’, but instead it’s always sideways and backwards.
Ceballos was shocking. We could’ve tried subbing him, and moving Saka into the number 10 with Pepe on the wings, to introduce more threats. Instead we waited and waited. We only made a sub when Saka got injured and when we went a goal down.
What really hurts me is I not once felt like we can score, especially in the second half. To me it looked like only one team could win it and sadly they did. It’s hard not to look at Arteta here.
I was alarming you fair readers of this forum that we are too negative and we didn’t push enough neither against Man City nor Liverpool. We were lucky against West Ham and I stand here hating myself for being proven right again.
Our attack was so lacking imagination I was wondering why on earth are we not having Ozil in the squad. Our subs were late again and failed to make an impact.
I am seeing Pepe with the ball trying to pass it forward and everyone is static. The only player we had with ambition to pass the ball forward was David Luiz and he got injured.
Arteta said he will take responsibility and I hope he does. He was backed this summer and our game plan hasn’t improved at all. We’re basically a cup team. We only believe we can do it in a one off standout, and when there is a cup on the line we pull ourselves together.
The FA cup was really nice, but it may have again papered over a massive crack. And if I’m Kroenke I’m looking at a top 4 wage bill from a team that finished 8th.
I don’t know what these players see in Arteta, but if I am Aubameyang I’m wondering what I am doing on the wing creating the best chances we had for our right back!
You can see why Lacca was dropped against City, he was anonymous again. We don’t trust Eddie, so why don’t we play Auba through the middle?
We lack players who can take someone on 1:1. Why don’t we try Smith-Rowe for example? I’d rather see Willock on the pitch instead of 3 DMs. At least I’ll know the boy will play with desire and he’ll look to create something.
I saw more imagination from Elneny against Rapid Wienna than any of our midfielders today. I think the problem is we pay too much money to players and they get carried away. Auba has been dreadful since his new deal.
This set of players have got too much power and not enough ability on the pitch. Our “manager” was assistant to Pep and I doubt that all he learned was anti-football. Our players have become so organised they forgot how to create.
It’s so bad even I wish we had Wenger there encouraging them to “express themselves” and create something. This will be another very rough season and I think Arteta will very soon be hit under immense pressure, or at least he should be if we ever want to be a top team again.
We must very carefully understand what our place is and we are an 8th place team and deservedly so, and in our last 4 games we did nothing to change this notion. I do not want excuses. We went cheap on the manager and we are paying the price.
Jonstantin
Good Analysis
My problem is his attitude towards certain players
Saliba suddenly isn’t good for any game
Runarson can’t get a game even in Europa
Martineli couldn’t get a game while nkettiah gets loads of chances until auba received a red card and was forced to play him
Goundouzi was not good enough to play and was loaned while nkettiah,willock and Nelson were all good to be in the squad
We have 8cbs but still had to play Luiz and Gabriel against Vienna knowing fully well they will still play against Leicester
Saka looked tired and needed a rest after watching him play against Vienna (a game he should not have played)
There are many decisions and preferences when it comes to certain players that is not understandable
Indeed, MA will have to learn to be a fatherly figure. He needs to harness the best attributes from every player and create a good team.
He is young and just a decade or so older than some players.
He may be showing some dictatorial tendencies.
Either my way or no way.
And Mesut Ozil cannot get a game for WHY exactly? In this squad? With these tactics? Under this manager?
If ever Arteta needed a player it’s now, and the ONLY player on the Clubs books who can at least get the ball moving forward is Ozil.
And Arteta might just realise soon that he is now being looked at as the sole reason we are now playing worst than under Emery and looked what happened there
I am tired of this ozil debate
Anytime we played badly it’s because ozil didn’t play
Ozil was not in the game at halftime when we did okay and created few chances
I have watched worst game where ozil was completely invisible
I am not saying he can’t do a job but taking every chance to bring him up is now becoming annoying.
But now is EXACTLY the right time to bring it up PAL.
At half- time Rogers would have told his team to carry on playing exactly as they are. Arsenal have nobody to break us down. We will get that ONE chance when they are all pushing forward.
The script was already written PAL and you are blind if you could not see it.
Where was our different approach in the second half? What did our subs do to impact the game ?
Arteta has tightened us up at the back. But at what cost? We have Auba not getting himself into games because he is being forced to play too wide. Name me one move yesterday where we broke through them and created danger? Hopefully crosses into the box and we have NOBODY in our attack who can actually hear the ball properly.
Arteta has achieved the impossible- he has made us even more predictable than the final years of Wenger and the disaster that was Emery.
Is this the same Mesut Ozil who had had 4 assists in 42 premier league games in the two seasons prior to this one? 42 games that included 10 losses and 15 draws.
Yes the same Mesut Ozil who started EVERY EPL game under Arteta up until lockdown when we only lost ONE GAME. And he was removed against Chelsea when we were leading 1-0 with 10 minutes to go before losing 1-2. The exact same player PAL
The facts are that Mesut Ozil has just five (5) assists for Arsenal in his last 4119 minutes. That’s an assist rate of one every 824 minutes, or one every 9 full games. At that rate, if Mesut Ozil played every minute of a 38 game Premier League season, he would have 4 assists. Add that to the fact that he offer ZERO defensively . He’s finished,a busted flush. Suck it up buttercup
That was also at a time when our defense was one of the worst in history and were leaking goals for fun!! Ozil can only do so much. Ozil needs quality around him. Arsenal have not had that for over decade!
Facts are often misleading when players are played irregularly as Ozil was through UE’s time at the club.
HE also had alot of issues off the field which would play a part in performances.
The fact is we do not have any other player who can unlock tight defences and therefore i do believe it was a mistake not to register him for any comp and this is why i believe the club made teh decision based on money over performance and good of the team
I am an Ozil fan and will always be however, when your time is past, it is past. Ozil has not been included in the EPL and EL, hence why whinny over spilled milk. Its annoying that every loss, Ozil becomes the messiah that was not included. Please let all the Ozil deluded fan continue to suck up their pains if they feel they do not know what it means to MOVE ON with life without him. Get off the platform and follow Ozil. I still like him and will always but not to see him as the missing messiah to every mistake or loss. He is gone and gone for good. A loss is not the end of life please.
Buddy you can phase out any player but you replace him with someone else. I am Ozil fan too but not necessarily we need Ozil on field. We need a playmaker.
And this kind of mentality has made good at defending but bad going forward. Because fans like you only emphasis defensive stats of a player, even they process other quality. Our front 3 is defending with their life. They are in our D-box when our defenders are trying to start a counter attack. There was not a single person in midfield to receive the pass and execute the counter attack.
Yes five assists but show me anyone with more in our current team or anyone better than him in number ten role
Phil
You are right. Without a key how can you open a door? Xhaka is slow in body and mind. Ozil is fast in mind. Play him as central midfield creator where he can control a game. We are going to end up with 11 clockwork robots the way Arteta is going. He is destroying any freedom of creative skills. Bunch of robots if you ask me.
the sameOzil who even Rodgers agreed with Arteta’s decision that he was no longer productive! Chapter closed.
MA said he knew Rogers game plan, just waiting for one chance, and yet did nothing about it.
In first half Luiz was working as a deep lying playmaker. Once he is off the field we struggled.
And its not an Ozil debate anymore. We need a playmaker and it seems that we need it now.
I’ve heard most fans call out for a 4-3-3 setup. Many specifically called for a Partey-Xhaka-Ceballos midfield 3. The team the manager put out yesterday is as close to ideal as possible. Why was the performance still underwhelming?
Now, the calls for a #10 (an Ozil) is beginning to ring louder. But take it from me that we can have our wish yet still end up getting an underwhelming team performance. I must admit, though, that the team yesterday really looked short of creativity, especially in the second half. Turns out our most creative outlet (Luiz) got injured.
There’s something fundamentally wrong with the team. I have no clue with what that is. As with the writer, the buck stops on MA’s table. He has to take responsibility.
If you think that was a 4-3-3 formation Arsenal deployed yesterday then you were watching a different game than the rest of us.
Exactly, They still wanted to use the wings as they have done with 3 at the back.
Maxis…
You posed a thought provoking question: Why was the performance still underwhelming?
In trying to provide answers, we all seem to know better than the coach going by the myriads of knowledgeable solutions offered by our “intelligent” fan base, which is wonderful to note…
But in all fairness, we should ask why Mancity, Chelsea, and even Liverpool (in the EPL) all couldn’t win or break us down during our long-forgotten glorious run to lifting the FA Cup last season? We need to understand that “packing-the-bus”, now called “a low block” means you need to send atleast 8 – 9 of your players into enemy territory to breakdown 10 opposing men…. To think that one creative midfielder is all you need to overcome such a tactics is a display of naiveness.. And that’s the reason why even Sterling, Debruyne, and all the attacking forces of Mancity couldn’t breakdown the Leicester team in their 5 – 2 loss, instead they were caught on the counter attack time after time..
It’s simple, if you play against a low block, then your chances will be extremely limited even if you have the best creative midfielders in the world, so, it simply means every half chance must be taken….. TO HAVE Lacazette, and even Auba not taking clear cut chances, or half chances, can never be the fault of Arteta…
You say, it all falls at Arteta table; Yes, I agree, but what do we all want him to do next? Play Olayinka from the u23, or bring in Azeez… Honestly, Arteta can only work with what he has in the first team.. Auba can’t play the central role because he lacks ball holding capacities, and only strives when running off the shoulders…. Eddie is worse with his first touch and ball control…
Conclusion, we need to give Arteta time, in my opinion, two seasons at least, to off load the baggage handed over to him, and slowly bring in his own players..
Fire, let’s just take a look at the team he put out and who he has signed (MA) and is responsible for.
Leno= His keeper, simply because he chose him form two top (not world class) men…his decision.
Bellerin= His choice: He signed another right back, but feels he is not better than Bellerin.
Luiz= His choice, as he has given him a new one year contract.
Gabriel= His choice and a brilliant signing it seems.
Tierney= His choice and another brilliant signing – Mikel is fortunate to have him at full fitness now..
Ceballos= His choice as he signed him on another years contract – however, I don’t believe he would have don, if the rumours about Courtinho are correct – hence the late signing.
Xhaka= His choice…dropping Elneny and AMN to the bench, obviously means he sees this player as better than those two.
Partey= His choice and what a sigining he looks to be…fingers crossed.
Saka= His choice and a player who is being played out of position – if we compare his time out on the left hand side last season.
Lacs= In one week ,out the next…isn’t this the kind of decisions that the fan base was querying under UE?
Auba= Not being given the balls he needs to score the goals…again down to the managers choice of starting eleve.
So where is the “deadwood” that you are suggesting he inherited?
Xhaka? But he left out AMN, who was currently in the form of his career – Elneny who has come back from loan and been a revelation…obviously MA doesn’t see him as “deadwood” then does he?
Bellerin? Well he signed Soares, yet can’t find a place for him, so either he made a mistake with Soares, or he doesn’t view Bellerin as deadwood, rather his own signing.
Mustafi? Mistake ridden player, who has improved under MA and was chosen to be on the bench.
The style of play, the tactics, the team and the squad selected have all been endorsed by Mikel Arteta in one way or the other and the performances are what we should judge him on.
All this “deadwood” talk is hiding behind the fact that we have not improved ON THE FIELD, except as a defence and four of the five, Leno, Luiz, and Tierney, were all UE players and Bellerin a AW player.
So tell me, what “deadwood” players, from the squad against Leicester, do you think he classes as such?
The fact of the matter is that Arteta’s ultra defensive mindset will look good against top teams as we try to hit them on the break. But whenever a team surrenders the initiative to us, we look clueless. He should stop wasting Auba on the flank. I would rather have him in the box when we have our few clear cut chances than wasteful Lacazette. Why is AMN not playing? Arteta makes George Graham look expansive. Yesterday, there was a sense of inevitability about the outcome. As we were huffing and puffing aimlessly, I knew we were going to get sucker punched.
Ahmad73…
I will always respect our different opinions and views, but no matter how much football we have watched (which I feel many have never really played, except at a PlayStation), we would never be professionals… Its like this, no matter how many documentaries you may have watched about how doctors conduct surgeries, you can never be in the position to dictate how a surgery should be conducted.
We all have opinions and suggestions but please always know in the end that its not pure science. Instead, what we should be discussing is, are we seeing improvements and are there intentions to further improve? …
Would you have predicted that Leicester will adopt a low block against an Arsenal team? Isn’t that an indication as to how Rodgers has rated our team… Yes, he succeeded yesterday, but it could have gone against him and we all will be criticising Rodgers and praising Arteta… Would you have predicted that Luiz will play over 30mins of the first half in the opposition’s half? And then get injured at the start of the second half… It only shows how far we have come a long way from the decline of the recent past… Football is a game of chances in many moments that must be taken against the best teams… And that’s why an empire of wealth has been built over the outcomes of football games.. No one gambles over a definitive science….
We all ask too many questions, which is fine from a fan’s perspective, but in the end, can we just trust the coach and give him time..
The present message to be preached to our highly touchy fan base is the need for patience as we all continue to brandish our swords…
Our team has declined over years of constant acquisition of poor quality players and we do not have a magician to fix that in 10 months. It’s all a function of time, particularly the need for time to rebuild. So we ask, are we starting to rebuild? The answer is yes, Arteta is rebuilding, there will be pit falls during the process, but the process is clearly right..
Conclusion: we sometimes live in dreamland, where we think Arsenal should be winning the Champions league already, but reality check, we were actually becoming possible candidates for a lower table finish before Arteta took over… We were a team without belief, no commitment, no aggression, no spirit to fight…. These qualities are returning, stay steadfast!
Fire
I am realistic in my expectations, and am deluding myself into believing that we can win the ECL. We could not do it when we were really good, so for this current lot to win it would be a miracle. That said, I am frustrated with the ID that Arteta is developing. That of a team playing with an inferiority complex. While we cannot be expected to win all games, sometimes it is the manner of losing that is more disheartening. I fully expected Leicester to sit back and try to hit us on the break. And as the game wore on, and especially when Vardy came on, I said that ‘bastard’ would get us. It is such games that will define our season, not losing to Pool or City. Leicester are in our competition zone, and losing to them at home hurts us. Arteta surely needs time, but he is not above criticism. Winning the FA cup apart, I see some alarming similarities with the Emery brand of football. And I am not at all looking forward to next week at Old Trafford.
* am not deluding myself…
Ahmad73..
I totally agree with that no one is above criticism, which includes Arteta… I also agree that we should be winning such games as yesterday’s. And your points are valid that the manner of the loss was an issue…
But why I am not too critical of the recent loss is that we truly created those chances and it was all about not taking them… Any team will struggle against a low-block, particularly when it is against a good team like Leicester and in such cases, you must take your chances.
Ahmad, Leicester had just one chance and they took it, and we had at least 4 chances and took none… I don’t know if you understand my point, and honestly, what can Arteta do if his strikers don’t hit the net with a gapping goal?
If our early goal wasn’t cancelled by VAR, honestly, it would be a different game, and in general we didn’t play so badly except for the lack of a cutting edge in the final third…
Finally, there are some qualities that our players lack that does not allow Arteta to adopt a free flowing attack, and that is: our players lack close ball control and the ability to possess the ball in tight spaces, which every top team should have…. So they easily lose the ball in dangerous areas, which could hurt the team badly…. So for this reason, they are often cautious.. I would wish they were better players in this regard, but that’s the honest truth, majority of the team are not … So Arteta has to adapt to what he has…
But if you can just believe me, the man has the process of correcting flaws when they appear. He did it with our defence and there are clear intents to solve the attack too, but all these would take time…
I can assure you, though many won’t believe, that it won’t go the Unai way, there lots of differences, which we could discuss on another day…
I look forward to an article that would analyse why Arteta won’t go down the Unai way!
Till then, keep your brilliant and well thought out posts coming!
Cheers!
Ahmad73…
I couldn’t see your last response, please can you repost?
Thanks!
Com’on Ken…
You used the word “endorsed”, but tell me, who else could Arteta have used? If he dropped Xhaka and played Elneny, you would still use the word “endorsed”. But that word “endorsed” is clearly different from “signed”. You also used the word “choice”, which differs from the word “signed”. In your list, you only used the word “signing” for three players, including Gabriel, Partey, and Cebalos. I know you do understand what I mean when I talk about players that he inherited and those he has actually signed. He has had to work with every player he inherited by trying to improve them, and whether we like it or not, there is a limit to which you can improve a supposed professional…
Amongst your list, I would only accept Cedric as the major under performer of his buys and in hindsight, he was bought only as a cover for Bellerin and not really to replace him. Well, if Cedric could improve, then surely he will replace Bellerin, but that’s only an “if”.
The point I am making is that most successful coaches all had to bring in their own type of players over at least two seasons… We are seeing similar actions with Ancelloti over at Everton… Well, if Arteta had the same budget as Pep, then maybe he could have brought in all his players within a single transfer window. It is clear to see the type of players Arteta wants or would want to have, which has reflected in his recent thrust for Aouar, whom he couldn’t get for lack of full support… Or if only he had the budget Frank Lampard had, he would have purchased his type of players without worries about their price tags.
To bring my point home, and if I am correct, only Milner, Origi and Lallana were the players who survived from Klopp’s first season up until he lifted the EPL trophy four years later. Klopp only won his first trophy after 3 years with Liverpool, but all through the time, he kept discarding the supposed “deadwoods” in his team and replacing them with world class players.
Ken, please do critic Arteta’s tactics, game plan, or team sheet, but remember that football is not a pure science or deterministic function, and so we can only analyse the process in more details and be patient enough to the know that the outcomes will surely follow in time, mark my words, in time!
If I felt Arteta’s process was faulty, I would speak out, and by “process” I mean making clear efforts to solve eminent problems. He inherited a “soft-belly” Arsenal team and clearly his process has solved that problem… In solving that problem, other issues have arisen in terms of creativity and the efficiency of our attackers, and again, I am convinced he is head-on towards solving them by the purchase of Partey, and his intent to bring in Aouar. So he needs time, just as any other coach who inherits Arsenal would have needed…
And finally Dan, you may be unable to see those players as “deadwoods” simply because Arteta’s philosophy, ideology, and application to the game has evolved them and made a change…
Conclusion: It is still too early to critic Arteta, give him time to arrive at his starting eleven, one that we “knowledgeable” Arsenal fans will no longer have opinions about; one that we will be proud of…
And when it becomes rosy again, I will always remind you about this post…
Cheers Ken!
Fire, thanks for the reply.
Now the use of the word “deadwood” has been applied to both AW and UE’s reign as manager/coach, yet we are not doing the same with those players that MA has decided to re-sign or actually sign himself.
Make no mistake, I believe MA is the right choice for our club, but as we did with UE during his 20 game unbeaten run, we mustn’t put his mistakes down to others.
For instance, dropping AMN, when his performances were attracting attention from the likes of Liverpool and saw him getting his first senior England call up.
Wehave also witnessed Elneny displaying the skills and commitment that, perhaps, he was signed for in the first place?
So why should we not start to query why these two players, in the form of their careers at our club, find themselves on the bench, while one of the so called “deadwood” players takes over the position…and straight away the back and side to side passing takes over?
That was MA’s decision and, you ask why he shouldn’t have known the tactics that Leicester would employ….and yet they got it spot on as to what tactics we would employ wouldn’t you say?
Let’s remember that MA has been at the club for for the best part of a year and presided over two transfer windows.
Of course, the internal mess he inherited has been major time consuming factor in taking us to where we are now and he has done a brilliant job in getting the club back to where it needed to be…I don’t believe anyone could have done a better job.
But, one cannot, nor shouldn’t, shy away from the mistakes he is making – just as we didn’t when AW and UE were doing the self same things.
Tactics, playing players out of position, signing players who aren’t good enough (“deadwood” as you describe them), timing of substitutions, negative approach to every game and, seemingly, having “favourite” players.
There will be need to remind me of my two posts, because I always remember what I say and I sincerely hope that I am wrong when I draw attention to these things – after all, I want Mikel Arteta to succeed as much as you do.
But, since the start of the season, we have lost to Liverpool, City and now Leicester, when we should/could have won those games with the squad of players we now have and if we had used the right tactics and players – that is down to MA pure and simple and, of course, my personal opinion.
Please remember also, that when he re-signed Luiz, he was endorsing the player, as he did with Ceballos – no copping out of him being responsible for both players still being at the club.
If he wanted to, why hasn’t he treated other “deadwood” in the same way as he has a certain NO.10 and then kept Torreria and Guendouzi as part of the PL squad?
He has my 100% support, but let’s not hide behind the fact he, supposedly, inherited rubbish – those players won the fa cup, finished 6th and 5th, got to the Europa semi final and final in consecutive seasons and then won the fa cupand CS again!!!
We have now greatly improved that squad…so why isn’t it happening out on the field of play?
It has to be down to the manager/coach and that is Mikel Arteta.
Again Ken,
You are totally spot on and that is why it is always so interesting to have such discussions with you!
I will not argue against your opinions since you have based them on the present performances and outcomes… And I feel you are indeed correct as to why certain players were left out. For example, AMN and Elneny, but I feel going with the 4-3-3 system of yesterday, it is easy to understand why they were left out, particularly in the case of AMN… But going forward, I am convinced Elneny will be brought back in…
I am convinced the Cebalos – Partey – Elneny combination will work and I will leave my reasons for another time..
As for Ozil, there are definitely background issues that many of us, including myself, may remain unaware of… But just as we cannot continue to argue as to why Carzorla was released, or Sanchez for example was allowed to leave at his peak, so we cannot continue to argue why Ozil has been left out…. The reality is that he is out at the moment, and the players on ground must move on so too with fans.. In all honesty, whether we like Ozil or not, he is currently not in the squad… We can only continue to postulate, and debate why he is out… And in as much as I would note that we lack creativity, I wouldn’t say that’s the only reason why we have lost these few games, instead, I would wonder why our clear cut chances weren’t buried… I can say the games could have been different if we took our chances, and that no coach can take such goal-gapping opportunities for our strikers… Its their job! But when he puts such strikers on the bench, we come screaming out again…. And that’s the reality…
Players are played out of position to accommodate for the weaknesses in the team… By changing the formation, as many would want to see happen, some players must adapt if they must survive, at least until capable hands can be recruited… That’s my opinion in this regard…
Lastly Ken, I do understand your viewpoint and I am not trying to avoid blaming Arteta for his errors, but instead of dwelling on it, instead, I would prefer to collate sufficient data over time in order to arrive at a better judgement, and choosing to focus more on what the core principles are, and asking if they are right and evident…. And if they are, I will always trust the process…
Again, I do understand your points and they are worthwhile…
Nevertheless, thanks Ken! Your views remain brilliant! Its always a pleasure…
Cheers!
Ditto Fire and just to confirm I don’t dwell on the Ozil decision, but wonder why others have not received the same treatment.
Ken,
Ozil’s situation is clearly beyond both Arteta and Ozil himself, instead, I am more convinced it is a board issue… I strongly feel Ozil has had too many off-the-pitch issues with the board, stemming from his social media issues, to the China comments, to the refusal to take a cut, and now to offering to pay the mascot wages. All these have been quite embarrassing to the board. Further, I truly feel Ozil has a character problem, and its obvious with the issues he had with Mourinho at Madrid, the German national team, Unai, Freddie, and now maybe Arteta… He seems to cut a figure that cares little for the respect of authorities (my opinion), while hiding under the guise of fighting for the rights of humanity, though I may be wrong…
I cannot deny his technical abilities in the ball, which are often displayed only when he feels like displaying it, and at other times, he would leave the team to work it out themselves. His low work rate could really cause division in the team, particularly when other players see themselves working hard to run back and Ozil slacks upfront in an “I-don’t-care” attitude! Such could easily breakdown the fabric of any team if such preferences are shown to one player over others..
The above are my own opinion and I feel in the end, Arsenal is the team, there was and will be an Arsenal before and after Ozil is gone… So he should apply himself to the rules and requirements of the board and simply do the job at hand…
Ken, I feel that is why Ozil is receiving a separate treatment from other poorly performing players…
I would have loved to see him flourish by applying himself to the new demands of modern football, just like AMN did and is still doing… However, I guess having a Tweeter followership larger than the club may be a deception as to the range of his powers…
I wish him the best going forward, but to ever stand a chance of reappearing in January, he would need an attitude change and an application to the demands of the board and maybe the coach…
These are all my opinion!
Cheers!
ken1945 What the F**k is he going to do with PEPE not a premier league player and never will be do you agree dont put a shift in
towny254, with regards to Pepe, I cannot see how dropping him, then bringing him back, then dropping him again, can give the player any confidence whatsoever, do you?
On Auba’s display in his position (as MA has defined it) Pepe wouldn’t have put in any less of a display I would suggest – asking the question, once again, what was MA thinking about?
I do believe we have paid well over the value for the player, but it needs MA to have the courage to give him a run of three or four games as a first choice selection and substitute him if needed…just my opinion of course, but I don’t view him as a total right off just yet!!!
“Make no mistake, I believe MA is the right choice for our club,”
Sorry to disagree with you can. So far MA did not do anything for me to prove that he is the right choice. As a matter of fact I see a Guardiola trait in him that I don’t like which is either over confidence or arrogance. That shows clearly in his team selections and the way he moves his players around. However there is nothing I like more than to see him learn and succeed. I am rooting for him but trust and respect are earned not given.
Hmm lcw, just go back eleven months and ask youself that question again.
Ken, I find it disingenous to attempt to label, inherited players as MA ‘s choice. That is not being honest, imo.
OF COURSE HE CHOSE THEM FOR THE TEAM FROM WHAT HE HAD AT HIS DISPOSAL. HE CAN HARDLY NOT PICK ELEVEN PLAYERS AND A BENCH!!!
I much dislike this manipulation of the whole truth to try to persuade us that most of these players are his choice, AS THEY ARE NOT! Having to renew an inherited players contract because stingy Kroenke will not allow him to buy better also does NOT make that player his choice!
And what makes that far worse is that you know that every bit as much as I but are choosing a half truth above the whole truth! I would appreciate your direct answer to THAT , even if you ignore the rest.
They are merely his choice from what he has available right now and that is NOT AT ALL THE SAME THING. His own inputs , PARTEY and GABRIEL, are right now our two best players and given time, more of this standard will transform the team and replace the hard to shift deadwood.
What you are doing here is one main reason why you and I DO NOT SEE EYE TO EYE ON SO MANY ARSENAL MATTERS, EVEN THOUGH I MUCH RESPECT YOU AS A MAN.
Ken I have just read Fires posts to you and he is a brilliant mind and I much admire his intellect andhonesty. He has a far more diplomatic style than I have and I freely admit that. But perhaps -and this is only speculation – his compulsion to find the whole and total truth may be just little less determined than mine. Moreprobably though, he is just a less fierce person with greater diplomatic skills( which doesn’t, by itself, say that much!! ) Such a gift is not in my power. But truth is!
Jon, I’m sorry, but the main thrust of your disagreement with me is as flawed as saying its not down to MA.
You say that it was kronkie’s stingy approach that meant MA had to resign Luiz…. so if we agree with that assessment, wasn’t it kronkie’s stinginess, that forced us to sign him in the first place, along with every other signing where the club was outbid… you know the ones that you described as dross?
However. I don’t take your view that he HAD to resign Luiz, when we had Saliba, Holding, Gabriel, Mustafi, Tierney, Chambers and Mari all able to fill that position – it was his decision to resign him and nothing to do with kronkie.
The same goes for the club when they bought Pepe nothing to do with UE or kronkie, they decided £72 million was good value and I wouldn’t dream of saying that was MA’s decision.
You say that I am manipulating the whole truth, but you can’t have half a truth or even a quarter can you?
The whole truth is that MA offered him a new contract, it was his decision based on what he thought about the player.
You are not telling the whole truth, when you say his own inputs are a success… the players you name are, but what about Soares, Mari (who you have already criticised) and, again, Luiz?
That’s avoiding the truth Jon and you are starting to do exactly what you did with UE, avoiding the fact that MA is capable of making mistakes.
Playing Xhaka in front of AMN and Elneny proved to be a mistake and I note you classed all three of them as “deadwood” – it’s all about opinions, but to say that MA hasn’t backed Luiz to the hilt is quite ridiculous and that’s the truth.
Jon, just to confuse you and your “whole truth” statement even further, it is being reported that Mustafi was offered another contract that he turned down.
Now, as your views on the player is well known and we have such a large squad of players to choose from, what explanation would you give for Mikel Arteta offering this player a new contract?
Isn’t he THE clearest example of what you have called “dross” and yet MA wants to keep him?//
Would love to have your explanation on this one Jon, because if he had signed it, Mustafi would have also been one of Arteta’s siginings surely?
Ken,
You have got me laughing there as well! Although your question was directed at Jon, nevertheless, a few thoughts may be appropriate at this point, even though Jon may still provide his own response…
I wouldn’t think that “signing” an entirely new player of his choice is the same as “resigning” an already available player at the club… This can be further debated if you still think otherwise…
Now, in the interesting case of Mustafi as well Luiz being resigned, I feel finer thoughts can yet be applied. Presently, I don’t think the club has the intentions to sign new players in the defence. However, it should be cheaper keeping an existing backup in Mustafi than allowing him to go, and then beginning the search for replacements and the need to cough out huge sums may be difficult to execute in the current clime…. Further, a lot of considerations would definitely have been invested in determining if Mustafi should be retained or not, and they may have come to similar conclusions…
Nevertheless, I can’t thank Mustafi enough for refusing the deal… I guess Arteta himself would thank Mustafi for making the right decision….
Now your beginning to worry me Fire!!
Your saying that it was cheaper to retain a player who had made so many mistakes, simply because they had no intention of buying defensive players?
Gabriel, Suares, Salibas come to mind by any chance?
Also, if the offer was made, as seems the case, why would MA be thankful for him refusing it?
Now, back to your response to resigning a player who wasn’t one’s first choice and whether that endorses said player.
What you are suggesting, that available resources for a replacement for either mustafi or luiz, had to be considered, flies in the belief of their actual reported values, their reported salaries and the available talent MA could call on.
I am finding it very difficult, if not impossible, to think of any other instance at our club, when this has happened – perhaps you could give me an example when any previous manager re-signed a player with the history of both mustafi and luiz?
Do you really believe that MA would accept such a situation, if he didn’t want it to happen?
Come off it Fire, you are cracking me up with this theory and the simple fact is that MA has endorsed Luiz and, if reports are correct, mustafi as well.
As for the present climate, haven’t we just signed a £42,000,000 player and agreed a reported £300,000 a week contract for another?
Money no object there for MA it seems.
As I believe in MA, 100%, I need to back him, but let’s not give him a free ride by saying his decision making is not down to him, as he is now in charge of everything to do with squad decisions – something I have covered in a article sent off today.
Spot on ken
Oh yes Jon! Truth is definitely in your power! *laughing* Nice construct there Jon, nice! I guess we can only succeed as a people if we are able to blend and apply in a great synergy our individual and different prowesses and gifts! There are many brilliant minds here, and many are able to apply thoughts even after a painful loss of a game, and they are able to ask questions and seek the truth through a painstaking application of thoughts..
For many others, it’s often difficult to apply thoughts in an inflamed mind, particularly after a loss! Probably because many are deeply emotional and in other cases, may be their expectations don’t match the obvious reality…
The movement for a greater application of thoughts and reasoning to our different expressions, conclusions, and actions is gaining greater strides since it is more about arriving at the truth with sure respect for our differing views….
I look forward to your articles Jon!
Ken, Tierney was not signed by Arteta, but when Emery was head coach.
Very good Analysis.
Well said Phil.
Nothing was correct from the starting line up. Lava cannot and control the ball. Auba could not take the ball any further and it has become easy for any defender to mark Auba. A free kick from the close range can not be on target! For Arteta,Cabalos is a very good CM and for me he is not good enough to play for any top premier team. He is habituated to lose the ball against run of play. Mid week, we were taught a good lesson in the Europa league match but yet we have not learned the lession. Arteta replaced Luiz with Mustafi who was miles behind Vardy when he headed the ball in. Our defenders were invited in to create chances and as a result they need to cover whenever there was a counter attack. In these scenario a player like Saliva who has the pace compared to Mustafi. It is pity that Arteta could not understand even this simple logic. I don’t understand the reason why Pepe didn’t start in absence of Willian! Again Arteta asked Auba to operate from right wing. In simple, everything went wrong and things are not going to change even if Arteta takes responsibility. As an Arsenal fan, I would want to see and pray for our team to end the season in top 4 but the way how currently things are going, even 8’th position is a big question mark. I am really surprised and worried.
Pretty good article.
Pepe should start on the right, Saka left, Auba middle.
Laca should be backup to Auba.
If Ceballos is unable to create, we should try Willian as AM or at least Smith Rowe.
Xhaka should not be a starter. If we play Elneny, Thomas + an AM can have more freedom going forward.
And like Konstantin said players should not be afraid to express themselves beyond the structure. As soon as the structure is found out, the opposing managers can counter it and Leicester did that with ease.
Next 4 – ManU, Villa, Leeds, Wolves are going to be tough. Need at least 7, 8 points from these, but I just don’t see it. Especially worried about the Leeds game.
Exactly! Diogenes, 1st we need to sort out the team, and have regular and stable CBs and CMs, and correctly, he needs to pair Elneny and Partey, have you all noticed we really struggle when Elneny isn’t in the team, we talk about Partey and actually Elneny still proves to be the player that made the most impact in the team this season,and Elneny is actually the only midfielder that can be comfortably paired with Partey, Xhaka and Ceballos and the team actually ticks.. he is unique, he’s the only midfielder that can press correctly and can pass the ball to decongest the high press and actually allow the other midfielders to move forward with the ball, he made Partey shine in the Wien game, he did well with Ceballos the Sheffield game, and well with Xhaka the Fulham game, and we’ve actually struggled without him, Xhaka is too slow and over works his midfield pairing and i knew when i saw the lineup it will show in Partey, and to be honest, he needs a solid pairing before he does rotation, how does it happen if you don’t have a foundation? we need a stable CM then when sorted you can rotate on performance, and yes ceballos should play a more advanced role, same to xhaka, willian, smith rowe, and definitely, doesn’t make sense a wolrd class striker playing wide! he knows better than that, Auba strikes and let wingers provide width! MA wasted us, ceballos was out! completely! not subbed, xhaka too, partey ineffective! clearly he had to change the mid but didn’t, that means the most effective player already proven doesn’t get to play out of the manager’s’ favoritism, Elneny changed the game against Liverpool, Carabao cup, and actually helped a great! deal in the league defeat, without his press Liver had us for 10! and he even proved when xhaka was subbed, he ticked with ceballos and we actually created chances squandered by Laca.. why isn’t Elneny playing?! and he’s constantly rotated while he’s the difference
Been suffering from insomnia of late, so took myself off to the quack.
After a brief discussion, he asked me if I had been doing anything to help ease my condition.
I replied I had been counting sheep, without success.
“I’ve had an idea” the doc’ said, “we’re going to use your beloved Arsenal. Forget the sheep, from tonight onwards I want you to repeat the following – and remember this must be done in a very slow, repetitive and predicable way”.
SIDEWAYS,BACKWARDS.
SIDEWAYS, BACKWARDS.
SIDEWAYS, BACKWARDS.
Tried it last night – fell asleep in five minutes!!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 brilliant!!!
Give it a try Sue.
However beware, the above has one very disturbing side effect ……….
DEEP DEPRESSION !!! 😞
A.J I felt the side effect just reading it.
It is too early for a stiff one so now what?
Good one!
No, go for Icw – in fact forget the water with it !
You know what particularly rankles with me, not one single user of this site did not know Vardy was going to score when he came on.
First 20 or so, I thought O.K. we may just be on it tonight.
But as the game wore on, I just knew we were going to blow it.
Then Vardy on at 0-0 late on, absolutely knew he’d win it for them.
I just have pictures of Xhaka and Kolasinac next my bed and I fall asleep instantly. Actually, I pass out!
When I wake up in the morning cover the pictures quickly so I don’s start the day on a bad note!
Same story as with City. We had 2 great chances, and squandered them. We scored a good goal which Xhaka idiotically cancelled. Lacazette missed the other. If you don’t score, the opposition will.
8 goals in 6 matches, dreadful. After Fulham we’ve scored 5 goals in 5 matches.
And I don’t know why people are suddenly siding with Özil. He literally got what, 2 assists last season? Didn’t see him then moaning in the papers how crap he has been. He just did his 10% effort, showed up in training and collected wages. He probably wanted to play this last season as best as he can so someone would actually want to sign him next summer. Good thing he’s cast out, he offers nothing and has only played for himself in the past 2 seasons.
He didn’t unlock defenses with Giroud and he most certainly didn’t do it with Aubameyang either.
Oh come on, rise beyond your hate. No way Ozil would have been less creative than Ceballos yesterday. Even at his worst – no way.
And that you would say he didn’t unlock defences with Giroud is just shocking – he had 19 assists that season – 3rd best in the history of the EPL.
So they complain about our players on offense and yet they blame Ozil for everything bad at Arsenal. If you go back and watch the games last 2 years, Ozil created plenty of chances yet they were squandered by those same players. As a matter of fact the 2 chances one to AMN and one to Lacazetter were tap inns with an empty net. Attacking Ozil is simply proving him right.
Just like most people who just see what they want to see with Ozil.
Considering he barely played under UE and Freddie and only played for MA from December till lockdown, he was still our biggest chance creator.
Assists are great they really are but if your strikers can’t hit a barn door then you will always look bad.
I do think Ozils time has come but, we all know what he can produce, you dont just lose that over night. We have him and pay him so why not use him in some capacity? he is without doubt the only player we have who can unlock a low block defence.
But still im bemused with the tactics used last night and players playing where they did
For creative players like Ozil, you can’t only look at the assist stats. You also have to look at the “chances created” stats. In fairness to Ozil, I think he’s ranked consistently high up on the chance created table. I even hear he created the most chances for us last season, despite playing only a handful of games.
You could create a big goal scoring chance, but if the striker doesn’t convert it, then you don’t get the credit. Take for example the chance KT created for Laca, the fact that Laca didn’t score doesn’t diminish KT’s effort.
👍
34 to be exact, the next was Pepe (also being hounded by the same fans) but with more playing tome…just saying!!!
Lets just accept that there is a dip in form of our attackers.I mean,4 chances on target are more than enough to win a match
Absolute disastrous from MA
1st he axed Ozil, why because he doesn’t track back and contribute in defence…
Does axing Ozil made our defence strong!?
We did concede yesterday, in Europa as well and in almost every game except Fulham who is anyway awful…
We lacked creativity, and even though yesterday he fielded Xhaka, Ceballos and Partey, Still team was playing as 3-4-3 with Xhaka dropping as left sided CB
And if you don’t want play Ozil then play ESR, with Ceballos and Partey, Drop Xhaka completely and ask Partey and Ceballos to support defence and attack as the case may be… Change something damn it…
Absolutely rubbish and horrible tactics by MA….
Initially MA’s team winning because he used have only one game plan… Sit back hot opponents on counter….
Now other Managers knows very well that MA’s team only knows this… Sit back and hit on counter….
Against Man City, Pép fully changed his tactics… He never tried to attack Arsenal… He just asked his players to keep the ball moving and defend in numbers….
Yesterday Brendon Rogers did exactly same thing….
Sit back and hit Arsenal on counter…
And MA didn’t have any answers to those tactics because he doesn’t have any attacking imagination and as usual there is no creativity in team….
If this continues then soon MA has to pack his bags and move away…
Man Utd still struggling when Sir Alex left them… Utd didn’t have any succession plan with them…. and they are still struggling…. Same thing happening with us…
Look at Leeds Utd…. What an entertaining football they play even with limited quality they in their team…
MA cant bring Ozil now because it’s ego problem and loss of dressing room…
Point of correction auba hasn’t been dreadful..what’s really going on is that with the way arteta plays we need a playmaker(ozil) in the middle and a player like auba as a CF not on the wings..laca and eketiah isn’t the answer at all the earlier arteta realize this the better for us before auba gets frustrated cos we can continue to rely on wings alone we need a spark in the middle..was really really disappointed yesterday won’t lie
Our attack is letting us down and I don’t understand why.
Maybe Arteta should stick with Aubameyang up front and flank him with Saka and Pepe.
If Willian is too old to run the wings he should be behind Aubameyang looking for spaces to thread a pass.
Ceballos and Partey should be behind them
Correct. Or dare I say, Lacazette behind Auba. He can hold the ball,win the ball & is usually good at linking up play.
The board, arteta and some arsenal fans are just so pathetic.
One thing is to ostracize a player, another thing is not having the back up plan to limit the damages, caused by not using that player.
Truth must be said, Mesut Ozil still holds a strong influence at Arsenal beyond what the Gunners board might think.
The controversial saga, that led to the omission and exclusion of the German from Arsenal’s main squad for the 2020/2021 Premier League, and Europa league is why Arsenal is currently struggling
Mikel Arteta failure to have an alternative creative player, almost similar in fashion to what Mesut Ozil offers is a grave mistake the Spainard is making which Unai Emery, did whilst as manager of the club.
Yes, you do not want or like Mesut Ozil in your team, but do you have someone suited to replace and soften the impact of not having such a gargantuan player?
Unfortunately, the answer is No for Mikel Arteta, because mere looking at the Gunners last three defeats, the dire need for exquisite and excellent creativity was very obvious.
Without that much creativity of insightful and defence splitting passes, Mikel Arteta has turned Arsenal into a laborious, and boring team solely focused on backward, and sideways passing.
Even though, much blame should be placed on the shoulders of the players for not taking their chances in the first half against Leicester City.
The apparent dearth in constant creativity from the midfield raised its head once again when Leicester City, decided to close shop and become even more defensively minded with hope of catching Arsenal, on the counter which they did to perfection by scoring a goal from their first shot on target.
In simple summary, the lack of creativity is haunting and hurting Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta’s failure of having an alternative back up to the absence of Mesut Ozil, is a serious mistake that could cost the Spainard his job, if form and results continues to fall.
Another thing is Playing Players Out Of Positions
When Unai Emery excluded and refused to play Mesut Ozil in the first team squad, the current Villareal coach, began to indulge and dabble into tactical experimentation of playing players out of positions.
It first started with playing Lucas Torreria as an attacking midfielder, which seem to work at some point but failed woefully.
Then switched to Joe Willock, to offer the creativity sorely missed in the team which as expectedly, did not live up to expectations.
Yet, a certain Mikel Arteta is also making the same mistake which he is oblivious of.
That mistake is Aubameyang, playing on the wings whilst a Lacazette continues to be average, and often below average as a centre forward
My question is if arteta knew ozil won’t be available for the season why didnt he go all out for an attacking midfielder after getting partey,I know we are missing chances buh this is the emirate we should be creating lots of chance which we aren’t…I will surely blame arteta at the end of the season if we fail to qualify for the champions league
I do not like to critic writers, but this is simply an attempt to score cheap patronage from an article that has no proper line of thought… Your article is a wavy and unsettled as your underlying thoughts seem to portray…
How can you say ” I am seeing Pepe with the ball trying to pass it forward and everyone is static”, and then continue ranting that everyone is passing sideways including Partey. So my dear writer, if everyone is static, then were should our midfielders be passing to, or driving forward to? So if Ozil was in game, where or who will he be passing to? Same static forwards? Com’on, if you must write, use the opportunity to straighten people’s minds by giving them analyses they may not have observed due to their inflamed minds… Use your powers as a writer to achieve a better environment rather than such carefree spray of distorted thoughts.
Please give some thoughts to your writing and have a line of thought…Sorry to say, your article is a total confusion… Many who are still inflamed would enjoy your scattered expression of feelings since it appeals to them… But if you cannot figure out, think, analyse, and push some useful conclusions out to the public, then don’t write…
Fire Welcome to the “frustrated with ill thought out writers” critic club! As a professional writer myself, I have been fighting a long, lonely and frustrating battle to try to instill the ability to think before writing , into the heads of many on here. Some hasty folk write articles, more by far write posts.
There are a number of thoughtful and considered fans on here though and personally I always hope to meet more. This is why I much appreciate you and would again urge YOU to contribute your own articles. It would raise the standard and set a fine example to those who wish to write but have little ofreal thought to add to debates.
I have not your gifts for diplomacy and do not so easily suffer unthinking folk and those who avoid truth because of personal prejudices.
I do most sincerely hope you will now stay as a regular on here and join the minority who wish to think before we write articles.
My own third and final part of my fan/ club trilogy will appear this week . It will concentrate on how I envisage the fan to club and vice versa relationship will evolve over the coming years.
Jon…
I truly had your thoughts in mind while I was constructing my response! Particularly understanding why you are often compelled to dole out your piece of mind! I found myself having to revise my response three to four times over because I kept wondering why I was so provoked by the article! Now I understand better in my short stay here at JA!
Jon, you really brightened my evening with laughter following your statement about my diplomatic gift! I admire your choice of words and construct of your ideas… Thanks! We truly need diplomacy in a belligerent atmosphere as we have in the Arsenal fan base… Often trying to appeal with choice of words to their inflamed minds… Even sadder is that we need to keep appealing even after we win matches, talk less of after a loss…
On your articles Jon, how I do access your first and second series? Any links? Or keywords to do a search?
I would be interested in reading them…
In the time being, we would need to be steadfast accommodating our diverse opinions and thoughts while making efforts to ensure that people apply thoughts to their expressions as a foundation for a better, warmer, and more respectful interactive atmosphere, which is missing in our world today…
Cheers!
Great analysis Man .Arteta is proving to us that he is still learning Coaching with Arsenal and the blame is fully on Kroenke .A billionaire owner that don’t wants to spend money on his club .It’s a pity though, and We are in for a long and tortuous journey this season. With the way Arsenal is playing now , making top six will be a Mirage, never mind making top four. Negative football, no creativity, our attack is so blunt. Auba has seriously become a shadow of himself since signing a new contract.Laca is never a prolific striker, and he will never be. As for Mustafi, it’s criminal that he is still playing for Arsenal .Six matches and already three defeats. Things are not looking good at all.
I dont understand what MA was thinking during the game. He could see Arsenal could not break down Leicester, he could see we are not moving the ball forward, so either change the tactics or change the personnel. Dont wait till something happens. I feel both ESR and Willock must be used more regularly. Play ESR with Partey and Ceballos, play Auba in the CF position with Pepe and Saka in support, if ESR does not work play Willian as no. 10, do something that keeps the opposition guessing. Look at Leeds, they play expansive football with not so great players, if they can manage why not Arsenal?
In an ideal who would I keep from this starting 11? Tiernay Gabriel partey aube saka … maybe Leno … that’s a shocking indictment of a decade of team building
Arsenal has some brilliant attacking players so to go scoreless for 95 minutes is so disappointing. Maybe they need to take the hand brake off. Play with some freedom again.
Why was Auba playing on the right someone should please explain to me
Arteta plays with so much fear that is now becoming annoying
Like safety first
Williams,Pepe,Auba,saka,lacazette suddenly non knows how to attack anymore
It looks like we’ve been found out,it is 2 games in a row now that teams are defending with low blocks against us,giving us more possession and the initiative,waiting for us to make a mistake(opponents know we have mistakes in us) or hit us on the counter the way we used to do it to other teams ,I don’t like to single out players but MA should start playing Elneny instead of Xhaka for obvious reasons.
This is shit look at the way arsenal are playing, no creativity arteta is bias what on earth is ceballos doing in setup after a match winning performance from elneny in the europa league yet he dropped to the bench both auba, laca,xhaka, ceballos are no were to be found and no creativity and for now i think elneny is the only creative midfielder in arsenal squad for now and he is in form of his life. Arteta have a hill to mount on.
Just realized we lost to all three last season’s top five teams we’ve faced thus far😱
Arsenal is playing without purpose. One wonders how they expect to score goals when theirs is to hold balls in their own half. This did not even change even after they conceded a goal. They was even nothing to write home about the Europa win last Thursday. Arteta should not talk of players to come to Arsenal because he cannot push the players he has to go for wins. I see as if Arsenal has the players which can compete at any level if they want to and this we saw when they won FA cup. It is the manager and his players that must give us the result.
We have invented a new style of football. Fearful, hesitant, nervous, scared, and worrisome football. First meditate on everything that can go wrong, then convince yourself it will go wrong. Then drop your most creative players and lastly bore everybody to death. Arteta’s new total (fearful) football.
To beat Arsenal let them pass all day
facing 9/10 men defence. Then a sucker punch wins the game.
The thing is run at defenders that will cause them to backtrack opening up
space.
If Arteta persist with this style at4 Ot, Arsenal could lose again.
Of course Arsenal can also win.Thats the beauty of the epl.
My grandmother said one bird singing does not signal spring.
So the odd win here and there with a performance like this does not put us anywhere the level of where this club should be.
At least with Wenger (who I wanted sacked) there was chances created and football played in a way that was attractive. I never thought I would long for the days of Sanchez/Ozil terrorizing defenses because i wanted to see so measure of steel and resolute defending. Arteta has plugged the leaks and I applaud that. But his brand of football is not going anywhere the top. It will drain the players energy and ambition because no self respecting player is going to buy into this long term.
The decisions of the manager and he club make no sense anymore.
#10 you imply the point I am making. Arsenal is a lopsided team; and the fans have come to expect this. Under Wenger in the redemption after the stadium building phase, we built a decent attacking side. We were beautiful again – but weak. MA seems to be interested in the opposite – building the lacking spine. What did we learn under Wenger. Half a team is not good enough. If you do a magic trick long enough, you will get found out. What is needed is a team. If Arsenal had changed they would have bought Partey and the #10 that was needed. By the time the spine is in the front line will tire; then we will build the front – and the spine will tire. It does not work. That is why Wenger’s redemption phase eventually failed. What is needed is a good 200 million as a one time investment. But this will not happen with these penny pinchers we call owners. They are as deluded as most fans who await a miracle. MA made some clear errors but Arsenal’s biggest problem is related to the economic philosophy of the owners – investing salt and expecting sugar.
@HERB
Is it really the investment though?
72 mm on Pepe 45 on Partey 27 on Saliba
66 on Auba 45 on Laca and astronoical wages on Willian/Luiz etc.
That is over 200 mil in a year or 2 and nothing to show for it. If i was the owner I would not invest more $$ in a project that is going straight to the mediocrity. Maybe it is the actuall manager and the football directors that either can’t buy the right pieces to the puzzle or they do not know how to build it. Look at Wolves for example : a manager that knows what he wants has transformed this side from relegation feeders to top 8. Look at Leeds now same principle. Great manager and going places. Sad to see Arsenal float around lost.
The majority of these players have now failed under Wenger, Emery, Ljundberg and now Arteta. When are these pampered, overpaid, so called “professional” footballers going to take some responsibility for their on field performances?
My concern is that it is less cost to churn through managers, than address the deficiencies in the lack of heart, commitment, winning mentality and aggression and mental and physical frailty of the squad.
Smith-Rowe and other academy boys should get more involved. our midfielder has been a mess for so may seasons now. why keep Dan and pay him so much? why buy William at his age when we have young boys ready to go, why not spend cash on a really ball carrying midfielder? actually even two creative players. why not moving Saka to number 10?