What, or who, do Arsenal need to change next season to maintain a title challenge and prevent another collapse? by Ben Dungate
If, at the start of the season, supporters of Arsenal Football Club had been offered the chance to be challenging for the title with a handful of games to go, most of us, if not all us, would’ve jumped at the chance. Therefore, this season cannot and should not be judged on what has been achieved, which is objectively excellent.
Having lead the league for the majority of the season, the team has demonstrated an ability and willingness to lead from the front, and when coupled with being chased down by one of the most talented and accomplished teams in Premier League history, is a credit to the players, the manager, and the everybody to do with the club.
To have been so consistent and to have dominated a lot of matches the way we have speaks credit to what has been done behind the scenes. Indeed, using terms such as ‘capitulation’ in the context of 3 consecutive draws, one of which was at Anfield, a notoriously difficult ground for most teams in the league, tells of how far we have come.
It is this level of achievement that makes what has transpired over the last few weeks all the more galling and disappointing.
So where to point the finger as fans? As the manager the buck must stop with Mikel Arteta. In particular, his in-game management and refusal to drop his favourite players seemingly regardless of their form or levels of fatigue.
Most fans would agree that the signing of Jesus and Zinchenko from Man City last summer have elevated the club and First XI to a degree that would have surprised even the most optimistic of fans. However, just because they have brought a winning mentality and enhanced level of technical ability, and with it expectation, does not mean they should automatically get in the team ahead of other players who may be playing well or on a run.
It is this unwavering selecting of these players in particular that has actually had a detrimental effect during the run-in. Zinchenko has been fantastic for us but his less than brilliant defending has been highlighted by opponents and Arteta has not reacted. He has all manner of options available to him, but hasn’t done anything, he’s just kept picking the same team and expecting a different result. Zinchenko has cost us points and has left Gabriel high-and-dry on numerous occasions, most recently against Southampton where Theo ran in to score, by being out of position.
Jesus is a brilliantly gifted footballer and offers so much to the team but what he doesn’t offer is a regular supply of goals, which for our No.9 just isn’t good enough. He appears all over the pitch and works tirelessly, but in doing so vacates the very position we need him in. It’s easy to see now why Pep utilised him primarily on the wing as his tendency to drift is less burdensome when not in such a pivotal position.
A little while ago a contributor to Just Arsenal claimed that Thomas Partey was one of the best Defensive Midfielders in the Premier League, but right now he is barely the best DM at Arsenal. He has looked a shadow of the player we were watching a few months ago, where every pass found its mark and every tackle was made cleanly and brilliantly. He needs help, but Arteta appears to suffer from the same affliction as Arsenal Wenger with a complete unwillingness to adapt and modify his approach. This is a limitation to a clearly gifted coach I hope he grows out of as it has probably cost us a chance at the title this season.
Ben Dungate
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He doesn’t have much choices this season, because most of our fringe and squad rotation players aren’t better then his favorites
Maybe only Trossard who deserves to start in the CF position. Zinchenko is better than Tierney at playmaking and Partey is still our best CDM despite his performance drop
If we sign better players in the summer, I’m sure Arteta won’t hesitate to replace his favorites, because he has given them one full season to show their capabilities. Remember that Arteta was ruthless to Aubameyang after giving our ex-captain one season
I’d say Ramsdale needs reminding he isn’t or hasn’t been at 100%. I think Taylor is as good.
Taylor? I think we just have Turner and Hein as Ramsdale’s backup
Ramsdale has shown that he is good enough to make us finish as a runner-up in a long marathon like EPL, but we might need to have another GK for the knockout competitions. Turner played pretty well in World Cup
Your last point is interesting insofar as Arteta would have learned from Wenger, but wouldn’t he have also learned from Pep?
That said, I’m beginning to think that some of the signings made haven’t cut the mustard this season and have either gone on loan or got a chance and not taken it. I’d forgotten just how much Vieira cost and can only hope that he’ll adjust for next season. Lokonga and Tavares needed time away so I’m definitely looking at a thin squad. ESR hasn’t had much of a chance but reading between the lines, Arteta wasn’t convinced by his readiness – and not necessarily a physical readiness. The one thing I’m not is any sort of tactician but I could see that we were 2-0 up in two matches with Arteta’s ‘favourites’ playing. This is a mentality thing which I felt had been erased, but clearly not. Realistically, the absence of Saliba should not have made such a difference- but it appears that it did. This is not a pop at Holding but rather on Arteta for not trying something else in the face of what became 3 unpalatable results.
We have the personnel to change our style but not the willingness from the manager. We could use Tierney as a legitimate LWB or LCB and free Zinchenko to do what he is actually good at. We could/have used Ben White in a proper back 3, not this weird hybrid that Arteta is so obsessed with, which would’ve provided Holding with some much needed support and maybe actually got some good out of AMN instead of shipping him off to Southampton to go down with the ship and get nothing but negative experience. AMN is an athlete and might have relished a more attacking role as a RWB but he looks destined to leave the club instead. I think the problem is that Arteta has recruited himself into a corner where the players he has bought only fit this one system he likes so much. Let’s see what transpires in the summer.
We had players to rotate earlier in the season, and still have some now.
Before injury Tomiyasu could play either FB position and CB as well, yet only got sniffs as a late late game sub.
Could have rotated Tierney in more, we certainly needed his defense lately, yet has had few chances to start.
Trossard can play anywhere along the front, and despite his great form has been immediately dropped to the bench, and has coincided with our dip as a team.
Jorginho can play in midifield, ESR,and Zinchenko is a better fit as a CM than a LB; yet don’t really see those switches.
We don’t have quality at every position, but we certainly have enough to rotate players into the attack, midfield, and defense.
Your last paragraph sums it up
There are players but we don’t have the quality
We are predictable. Same team same tactics week in week out, home or away. The city game called out for Tierney’s defending skills and ability to break at speed. Jorgenio should have played to strengthen the spine and take the pressure off the CBs but we went with Xhaka parked upfield doing nothing until it was too late. Subs are always too late. How Viera gets ahead of ESR I have no idea. He is not a premier footballer. ESR is. When Saka and Odegaard are off form then we still don’t change it. Pep changes, not drops players to fit the game. Take it in Mikel.
Answer to the question is “Yes”.
Either Arteta doesn’t have much faith in his second string or he has had picked up a bad habit of his former boss. Could be either. Or both. The former though is understandable, given the comments by even the most optimistic fans about Viera in particular. More worrying is the defensive cover – or lack of it. This issue though can be fixed. Some clever buys in the summer and he can start resting key players.
Unfortunately, if, as many fans suspect, he is over playing favourites, no amount of wheeling and dealing can sort that. That requires someone in the management team having a long hard chat with him.
When a player knows that irregardless of their performance they are assured of starting every game it leads to complacency. That is what is happening at arsenal now with the help of Arteta.
The reason why players train every week is to give the coach a chance to field those who are at their peak ,I don’t see this at the Arsenal and its leading us downwards.
I can only agree!both @ Ben and @Durand are right.MA had different options both players wise and tactics. Had he done so,I believe that we would have been able to beat West- Ham, Southampton and possibly Liverpool too.even 2 wins out of 3 would have been great.