If Mikel Arteta left North London tomorrow, he could claim he had left Arsenal in a healthier position than when he arrived.
Our manager continues to adapt his tactics to find a way to compete with Pep Guardiola.
The final step for the Spaniard to prove is that he can get over the line.
That is what separates the good from the great.
Closing the Gap
That is why it is premature for any Gooner to suggest our manager would be lifting a quadruple this season.
Simply because that is not where our club is in its development.
Manchester City currently have the advantage because they possess core members of their squad who understand not only how to perform under pressure but also how to do so with confidence.
That is not a criticism. The final step is meant to be the most difficult. Many can reach for the brass ring, but if it were easy to grasp, we would not be enduring a 22-year title drought.
The Defining Moment
In the next month, Arteta will earn his salary.
In the early years of his coaching career, he might have needed fresh ideas, but now he and his staff must find a better way to ensure a group of talented individuals embraces the coming weeks rather than fear them.
It has been observed that for much of the campaign, the manager has been calmer on the touchline and more composed in interviews.
His track record suggests, however, that the bigger the occasion, the more his players have struggled to deliver.
I recently watched a documentary explaining how Atlético Madrid needed to avoid defeat at Barcelona to win La Liga.
Despite trailing 1-0 at halftime, players later revealed that at the interval, Diego Simeone convinced them they were exactly where they wanted to be.
There are no guarantees that Arteta can replicate that approach, as not every manager possesses that ability.
The first time a team crosses the finish line, the next time often becomes easier.
Arteta now needs to demonstrate that he can halt any momentum against his side.
That is what defines the very best.
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The quadruple was never in my thinking but winning something this season was, and still is. However now l am not as confident. The squad looked flat before it was hit by all the current injuries, and the belief seems to have gone. Winning the CL was always a tall order in my opinion because there are a number of teams clearly better than us. If we don’t win the PL MA will take a lot of flack, and maybe deservedly so. However, we can still do it, MA can still do it, let’s do it.
We’re now in April, which is Arteta’s worst month, so let’s see if we can turn it around this season 🙏
👍🙏
That’s a good question
I think his decisions were partly the reason we lost the Carabao Cup and got eliminated from FA CUP to Southampton.
I don’t see us winning CL but anything can happen and I hope we do
We’re in the driving seat to win the PL, but this isn’t a certainty. We play City away and City have a game in hand, so a great run by City and average to good run by us could cost us.
I’m optimistic though that we will win.
I know many won’t agree but if we don’t win it, after being 9 points ahead then MA isn’t the manager to take us to the final level. He did a good job building our team but being manager of arsenal for just over 6 years, with one trophy and losing the PL when we were ahead on points, isn’t good enough
But winning the PL this year will be more than enough reason for him to stay
League only for me, everything else is a bonus.
Imagine if we don’t win the league, it will be the mother of all capitulations and we’ll never live it down.
This has always been in the back of my mind, but even more so now after the disappointment in how easily we gave up both domestic cups.
We really need this (the league), after 22 years of hurt and after the last few seasons, I’d say Mikel and the players do too. Hopefully the floodgates will then open and we’ll need a bigger trophy cabinet 😉 But this is Arsenal we’re talking about, so you never know!
Have to beat Bournemouth first… (gulp)
people say that but it’s only 9 points because they have a game In hand
so 6 points with us to play ?
I seen bigger drop offs
if we do this , everyone from Justarsenal meet at the parade lol
Yes but it’ll be the 4th season in a row, Dan. Have to hope we show up against City.
Agreed about the parade 👍
Well its 6 points if City win their game in hand and they can quite easily win us at the Etihad. After thats its 3 points with 5 matches left.
Knowing Arsenal of the past, thats totally bottleable.
Funny enough, if we win B’mouth and dont lose to City, then I think we have psychologically already won the title.
Here praying for City to do us a favor
Sorry, Chelsea* to do us a favor
I don’t trust this Chelsea a bit . Their fans are praying fervently that city beat them because they can’t stomach arsenal winning the title
We can do ourselves favor by defeating Bournemouth
Chelsea need to win tonight stand a chance of qualifying for next year’s CL.
You are 100% on the money.
I have Chelsea fans literally telling me that they hope City beat them for this exact same reason.
Kia, are those Chelsea fans in England and do they go to the games ?
Didn’t the gap drop to just 2 points recently before City bottled it up to 9 points again? Even if we drop 9 points, I do not see City capitalizing on that. Most likely, they will drop just as much.
It will take the greatest failure in the history of existence for us to lose the title.
Correct, they haven’t charged, so far.
I live next to a chelski fan and weekly he praises our league position but I constantly play it down reminding him, we have a bottler manager.
I still remember a fanboi chadtising us reallists that we were in a final, in the last 16 of the FA and CL and top of the league….gone quiet now!@
After those poor cup displays (yes I’m still really pdoff), it makes me wonder if they really want it (silverware). I guess we’ll find out in our next couple of games…
Just saw this:
The Gunners have incredibly never won a European knockout game away to Portuguese opposition, drawing four and losing two of their previous six such matches in the Champions League and Europa League.
Have to hope Gyokeres shows up tonight to haunt his former team 🙏 Really don’t fancy heading to the Emirates with a draw
If we fail to win the league this season, Arteta should retire from everything football.
Regards the quadruple talk, I don’t care how good any team is. No one can ever say they’ll win the lot. There’s a reason no ones ever done it.
The main reason being, you’d need everything to go you’re way. A very unlikely scenario in my opinion.
no but what they do mate is they go…..
‘ well you do you know that for sure ‘
‘ it’s factually possible ?’
it’s called intellectually dishonest
the only issue is most on here try it and are rubbish at it because of their knowledge of the product
Dan,
Although not impossible, as I say highly unlikely. There’s just to many scenario’s you’d need to go in you’re favour.
oh mate I told them this lol
I asked people to bet money on it
Absolutely right Derek (yet again today)
To say that winning the quadruple is impossible is not factual. Saying you can go round a golf course in 17 shots – that’s not factual.
If people wanted to believe that Arsenal might do what has not been done before, then its their right to do so, even if the consensus is that they’re barmy
SueP,
What’s wrong with you, that’s twice in one day you’ve agreed with me.
I think you need to see a Doctor. Although you’ll have to wait 6 days, I believe they’re currently on strike. 😂👍
For me sack this man even if he wins the league . He is not who he thinks he is .
gizzle 👍
I think we are laser focused on one and only one thing, league. Southampton loss was not major, but the complete defeat by City is a bigger concern for us. Hope we pick up our form from Sporting, which we have done many times this season after unsatisfactory results.
I am concerned about if we still know how to player attack after being trained to play with handbrake on for so long. If we want the title, the rest of the season has to be handbrake free. No more pointless side and back passes, go forward and straight as we do have fast and skillful players. Play to player strength, not a rigid system that stifles player creativity, say starting with Zubimendi.
The next 2 games will determine our season.If we play in the same way as the last 2 games we will end up with zero trophies. It is down to the players to step up to the plate.I remember when Arsenal won the European Cup winners cup.Those players put their bodies on the line in that final and we have 7 Premier league finals to win.If today’s players don’t do the same we will fail again
The pattern is well too familiar.
I just hope things are different this time.
Fans are physically and emotionally drained to face another season of total failure. 🤞🏽
If Arteta plays his cards right, has an eye on which players perform in training and in matches, and manages to rotate the right players, Arsenal will IMO succeed. But no player can be on the team solely based on past achievements. As a player, you are no better than your latest game. It is Arteta’s job to set the players up mentally for the games. We should be able to see that the players want this 100% here in the decisive games of the season. If the strength runs out, then fresh forces must be on the field, and they should preferably show the same willpower. If Arteta succeeds in that, we should be able to secure at least one title and with the possibility of two, if we are lucky. Luck is also necessary.
Wise words but a big change in Artetas ideology is needed for that to happen. 🤞
@ WS
Agree with you.
Personally with the current crop of available and injured players I would like Gabriel to be saved for the Bournemouth game.
Would like to go for a 3 – 4 1 – 2 formation as below (with Zubimendi playing a little further in the Odegaard position) :-
Raya
Mosquera Saliba Calafiori
White Norgaard Rice MLS
Zubimendi
Gyokeres Martinelli
Madueke and Dowman as subs as I NM looks like he is carrying a knock and I do not want too much pressure on a kid in MD.
I would actually protect the back 4
Raya
White Gabriel Saliba Calafiori
Noorgarrd Zubimendi
Rice ( Save Odegarrd for Sat)
Martinelli VG. Trossard
For Dan
I thought Gabriel was carrying a slight knock. That is why I saved him for the 2 PL fixtures which I consider more important than the CL QF tie.
Agree with you on Odegaard to be saved for Bournemouth.
Not sure of White in the RB position. I feel his confidence may have been shot. Also have never rated him aerially.
nah he trained
nah he trained mate
Saka and Timber should be back for Saturday hopefully
Simples…….he wont……and never will with his own team and playing style. His robotic tactics are so easy to read that teams can set up to counter. And he chops and changes his squad so often we dont know each game who is playing. Then there is his unique knack of buying good players and turning them into donkeys so sadly dont see a trophy again this season. We will have a bad night against Sporting, lose to Bournemouth then coz city are only 3 pts behind, he will panic and set out to not lose games and bang…rinse repeat. I truly wish I am wrong but sadly.
Wow! You really are pissed off😂😂
Agree with a lot of the gloomy comments but since we are less than 24 hours out – COYG!!
Aretha won us the fa cup .
Aretha was…”A Natural Woman”👩🏽🦱
Who wrote the tune Jax?
Goffin & King SueP.
Carole has a much more laid back rendering on her famous album “Tapestry”
I knew Carole King was involved but not Goffin
I’m almost sure it was both of ’em SueP
I would bow to your knowledge. I was watching an old tv show recently in which Carole King was the honoured guest and Arethra Franklin – dressed to the nines in furs – came on, sat at the piano and sang. CK was in tears along with the Obamas
👍
Sadly I have a feeling our season could be over after the league cup final debacle, I feared the worse going into the Southampton game and felt like the way City destroyed us in that 2nd half it’s killed our season, City know we can’t get the better of them and will be supremely confident going into the game at the Etihad if the gap is 6 points or less. As for the Champions league if get past Sporting I don’t see us getting past one of Barca or Atleti over two legs and if we do it’s either Bayern or Real in the final or PSG who turned us over in the semi last season, a tall order.
Which of those: Bayern, PSG and Real have we never beaten in the past two seasons? Why should anyone think they will “turn us over?” Why do we always underrate our team? When Arsenal loses a game it is multiplied by ten! When Man city loses, it will recover and go on a roll! This is a defeatist mentality. Was the Carabao cup ever our priority, or did we just find ourselves at the final? I tend to think it was the latter. If it had been our priority, we would have played our first choice keeper. Similarly, we wouldn’t have rested some of our top players.
I strongly believe that the competitions we are left with, EPL and CL were always our priority this season. Of course we participated in all competitions and even reached the Carabao cup final but it was never our priority. If we had won, well and good but we didn’t. So life goes on. Let us now brace ourselves for our two priorities.
Having just read Arteta’s pre-match Sporting comments, he claims we didn’t deserve to lose to Southampton on Saturday.
What game was he watching, because we clearly did deserve to lose.
Southampton scored 2 goals to our 1. So they deserved their win.
I really don’t like it when a manger clearly lies.
Derek, a manager can never demoralise his team in public. The negative comments are reserved for the dressing room. Do you remember Arsene Wenger ‘s popular comment: ” I didn’t see that” even when it happened next to him? In every occupation and profession there are ethics which practitioners in those fields must abide by. It would be horrible to denigrate your team infront of everyone. That way, you would give ammunition to your adversaries. You put on a brave face for the public eye!
David Rusa,
I’m in no way saying that Arteta to should slaughter his players publicly. But if players little ego’s get hurt by the manager being honest and just saying we got what we deserved today, and that was a loss then so be it.
Any player who can’t handle that, clearly has the weak mentality that is always being banded about this team.
I know that this sounds super simple, but my argument is this, and let’s use tonight’s Sporting game as an example.
I am sure that, on paper, and assuming players were allowed to express themselves with freedom, most people would argue that were the better team.
Therefore, if both teams play to their full strength with the handbrake off, we should be on the better end of the result.
I think the problem is, this way of playing by holding back is almost engrained in the players heads now.