Hi guys, I have been a die hard Gooner since I was 4 years old, (I’m now 65!), so I feel I have a pertinent point about our crumbling title challenge!
Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that our faltering form has arrived since Gabriel Jesus came back from injury!
I love Jesus, but I feel that since he has been back, the other players have a mentality of, ‘Oh Gabby is back so we’ll cruise through the end of the season!’
Whereas when he was injured, ALL the other players raised their game to compensate for his absence! Now he’s back, the rest of the team have eased off – though not all of them! I also think, for the run in, Arteta needs to play Trossard for the full 90 minutes and drop Jesus to the bench, at least until he stops missing chances to score!
And finally I keep hearing about Arteta wanting to strengthen our midfield (which is needed), but more importantly, we need a big strong target man, in the mould of Haaland!!! Please buy said striker Mikel, because if we don’t get him, we will be out of the Champions league before we can say, “We should have bought a striker!Stephen Hancock
Arteta proud of our comeback after Arsenal 3-3 Southampton
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Jesus shouldn’t have replaced Trossard in the CF position, because Trossard was still productive at that time. But let’s not cry over spilt milk
Jesus is a very good CF, but I agree that we need an alternative to him. None of our CFs is dominant in hold-up play and in the air
I agree with you.
Well done Stephen, you’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly just as I have over the 70 years I’ve been supporting The Arsenal.
I see the point your making, but I feel that Friday’s result, in particular, was down to individual errors and a weak starting eleven that MA selected.
I also believe that Trossard should start, along with Tierney and Xhaka this coming Wednesday, because their experience will be needed against city.
One last point, I believe that missing Saliba is much more of a reason than Jesus, but that’s my personal opinion.
How about games where Jesus is playing well and Saka is lost yet the manager never takes Saka off? Instead he takes either Jesus or Martinelli off for Trossard.
I was thinking the very same. He’s off the pace, ever so slightly but enough to miss the chances that come his way. I rhought we got a bargain last summer but realise now it was Pep who was the smartest.
I agree with you that Jesus has missed obvious chances but I think other players have compensated for the missed chances. We have scored seven goals in the last three games, so goal-scoring is not a problem for the team.
The obvious problem with the team currently is the poor defending which has coincided with the drop in Partey”s form and Zinchenko’s lack of awareness in the defense ( Liverpool’s equalizing goal and Southampton’s third goal).
As someone suggested after the Southampton game, Arteta should gave played Zinchenko in the midfield and Tierney at the left back. This gives a better defense balance on the left side.
I think Mikel underestimated Southampton by playing Vieira in the midfield.
Whatever happens on Wednesday, I expect this team will continue to improve. Ciao
I wouldn’t point a finger at one player in particular but at the overall team performances since the World Cup, where we’ve had some very hairy games which have included early conceding and late recovery moments.
Roll on next season when we’ll hopefully have sorted these issues out.
Interesting to see someone else who thought that. Bar the utd game, the teams standard up to FIFAs, ‘roll on a bed of money’ in December was the highest I’ve seen in years. Fluid going forward, excellent movement off the ball, and the defence looked solid as did the defensive formation. No silly goals were being conceded as a result. Post World cup the team has ground out results rather than the polished performances from before. Injuries to key players has played it’s part in that, but more depressing is the teams mentality went from oozing confidence and style, to having to come back from conceding silly goals, and over the top player reactions to winning replacing collective assurance.
The low point, and turning point, was Everton. Had we won that game and not let Dyches physical approach rattle us yet again, we would’ve had sufficient daylight between us and City to avoid the high pressure recent games put on.
But, all this is hindsight. Arteta needs to get a positive result against City, even if we lose 1-0 or 2-1 that will stave off the hysterical headlines and maintain confidence. If we get belted then it will be a herculean task to avoid an end of season collapse. Then of course we face Newcastle…
You have a good point as we were scoring 3 to 4 goals a game. But it is more down to our apalling passing being to slow and predictable. This is down to 3 players. 1st our goal keeper holding the ball too long before making a predictable pass. 2nd Tierney making too many back passed from advance position. 3rd Holding taking too long to release the ball only too end up making a sideways pass or giving the ball away. So the new additions have weakend our side.
YES actually since jesus came back from injury he has been wasteful in front of goal and has been less productive in his overall game changing the existed rythm and understanding between Saka, Martinelli and Trossard. We scored more goals, win more matches and bettee understanding on the pitchwhen he was injured. But i would blame Arteta for damaging the flow and system.
Now I understand why people say there’s no need changing a winning team. No doubt Jesus is a good player, but his return and subsequent replacement of Trossard has diminished our potency. Our rhythm and concentration have dropped significantly. Gaffer has to realize this. There’s no for sentiment, ruthlessness is the way. Rest Saka and Jesus. Play Trossard and Nelson. Pep does rest Debruyne and Silva in some games.
Jesus (and im not knocking his ability) has changed the whole dynamic of the team when we haven’t the ball. I heard a few weeks ago carragher praising jesus because he was at CB Lb midfield RB etc. I sat there and watched and thought, what a stupid statement because he is our centr forward. In that very same game we slowly came under pressure and every player was out of position, didn’t have a clue where anyone was and we had no outlet ball. Jesus was not doing HIS job, he was doing everyones job and actually messing the whole job up. Over the winter we because reliant without him and played a different style, when we didn’t have the ball. Nketiah or Trossard never ended up at RB LB etc.
Agree – this is my impression as well. He needs to press from the front and stay there
Spot on 👍. Center forward should do all (marking, pressing, dribbling, scoring, etc) in attack not in defence or midfield
Will anyone commend a defender for always running to attack in search of goals while being ineffective in defence?
👍
Not bacause- became!
True and spot on,team levels have drops since Jesus return. MA should start Eddy nTrossard and we shall win our remaining games
Jesus was not scoring before his injury. I really dont expect him to score more than 10 goals a season. We still need a big centre forward like Mitrovich or Ivan Toney. They are proven goal scorers and can be used when we really need go forward momentum.
Also what has happened to Smith-Rowe?? He was brilliant before his injury and can fill in a number of positions. Is Arteta just keeping him in cotton wool until next season ??
I can’t agree more…Jesus missed 2 gilt edge chances towards the end of the game. He does this often. We need a ruthless 9 next season. I pray we get one ,another midfielder and some more strength at the back.
Seems to me, it is our defensive game, that isn’t up to the standards, we have seen earlier in the season.
Don’t think it has much to do with Jesus.
@AndersS, I agree with you to some extent it is not Jesus. We do not lock goals in our game, our problem has been keeping the lead or clean sheet. So it’s more about our defence than our attack. And start from the midfield. I party losing concentration lately in the middle, thus putting pressure on me defence.
“Partey’s lapses in concentration is putting pressure on the defence”
Squad rotation is our problem. Not Jesus. Just feel Trossard has not been given enough game time despite being effective.
Arteta is to blame. He is not always ruthless in making changes. Until he stopped choosing his preferred players over those that will give us results, we will continue to complain every week. Start Tierney and Trossard. Allow Jesus and Zinny come in from the bench. But Arteta I know will do the opposite and manc will render duo ineffective and we will loose the match. Start these players and we will get something out of the game. Ramsdale, White, Holding/Saliba, Meghales, Tierney, Partey,Xhaka, Nelson, Trossard and Martinelli. The trio of Jesus, Zinchenko and Saka should come in from the bench between 60 – 65 mins. If only Arteta can listen.
I believe that our last 3 results were partly due to individual errors.but we should ask ourselves why is that.my answer is team/players selections.
Let’s take TP who in my humble opinion was culpable of several mistakes in the last few games,2 which ended in goals.i watched him against the Saints,he was trying to track back but you could see he was running in an empty tank.are you telling me that a fresh and rested Jorginho wouldn’t be better for the team than TP! I’d play him knowing that he is not on TP level but asking to cover our back 4.what about playing Zinchenko in midfield (Jorginho/Zinchenko) against the Saints? Zinchenko, we know he is not the best defender but recently it has been worse and cost us goals too.if you check the Saints first goal from Ramsdale “mistake”,you can see Zinchenko asking for the ball with both his hands when passing to Gabriel or White were better and much safer options for Ramsdale.then you have MA saying before the game that he wasn’t sure if Jesus could play 90 minutes.why not start with the in form Trossard ?and in the 2nd half when opponents tire and spaces open up bring Jesus to bring chaos.i can’t blame Martinelli,Saka or MØ who once again showed that given the chance they’ll score.
No. You are not the only one that has seen this. He misses too many, yet receives the praise for bringing “winning mentality” to the team. This team would have done better with Jesus Gabriel on the bench. Saliba, Saka, Odegard and Partey have been the team.