We have frequently seen articles highlighting the mistakes Mikel Arteta has made this season, and I thought it would be appropriate to offer an alternative perspective by listing five things he has done right – even though I may be labelled an “Arteta Apologist” by some of the more juvenile fans within our ranks!
Making the Emirates Our Home: Since our move from the iconic Highbury stadium, the Emirates has often been perceived as a soulless venue, with little connection between the players and the fans. I watched as Arsène Wenger and Unai Emery seemed unable to rouse the supporters, regardless of the results. This all changed after the season we finished fifth under Arteta, when we saw a manager who kicked every ball, displayed his passion for the game, and demonstrated his love for the club. Initially, I viewed him as overly excitable, but he learned to control his emotions and no longer faces criticism from the media or fans. While some may describe him as a “control freak,” his passion is undeniable, much like that of Klopp and Guardiola.
Champions League: This season has seen us break records, advancing into the knockout stages with ease. We had to wait for a long time to experience what had once been a normal occurrence, but Arteta and the players have embraced it this season. The 7-1 victory over PSV was one of the highlights of our Champions League campaign, on par with many of the club’s previous results in this competition. The fact that we are about to face one of the Madrid giants and are the only London club remaining in the competition, especially after Liverpool’s exit, is proof that Arsenal are back among Europe’s elite. Who knows how far we can go?
Premier League Position: After two difficult seasons where we finished 8th, signs of Arteta’s growing influence began to appear. In the last two seasons, we have competed with Manchester City right up until the final game of the campaign. Just five and two points separated us from a club dominating world football, despite them facing 115 charges of financial mismanagement (now increased to 130). Should City be found guilty and have points deducted, the narrative of the last two seasons would look very different, and Mikel Arteta’s achievements would be viewed in a much more favourable light by both the media and a certain segment of our fanbase. I look forward to the inquiry’s results, recalling how Arsène Wenger was also deprived of a title during his time in France.
Coping with Injuries: I believe that every first-team squad player has missed at least one game due to injury this season. While some fans may dismiss this as normal, I cannot recall any other instance or club facing such prolonged injuries while remaining second in the Premier League and still competing in the Champions League. With players like Tomiyasu, Jesus, Havertz, Saka, Martinelli, and Odegaard all suffering long-term injuries, we are still in the last 16 of Europe’s most prestigious competition and second in the Premier League. Of course, our style of play has been affected, and most pundits and fans accept that Arteta has not had the luxury of fielding his strongest squad at any point this season.
Signings: This is where I remind you that I am highlighting the successes – I am under no illusion that Arteta has made some questionable signings as well! First and foremost, our goalkeeper, Raya. What a heated debate erupted when Arteta signed him on loan, replacing Aaron Ramsdale, one of my favourite players at the time. However, Arteta didn’t buckle under criticism from the media and much of the Arsenal fanbase, and look at what his decision has brought us! Raya is now considered one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League, alongside those at Villa and Liverpool, if not Europe. While his playing out from the back still terrifies me, what a signing he has been! Timber, Rice, Gabriel, Califiori, Havertz, and Partey are other examples of excellent recruitment, and to his credit, Arteta has shown a willingness to acknowledge his mistakes in the transfer market, as evidenced by his decision to loan out players like Vieira.
So there you have it, five positive points to balance the recent negative critiques. While I am still uncertain whether Mikel Arteta is the long-term answer, I believe we should recognise some of the excellent work he has done thus far. Our owner has backed him wholeheartedly, particularly with that substantial new contract, and I expect him to remain manager until it comes up for renewal. Who knows? By then, we could be Champions of Europe, something our greatest manager could not achieve, despite trying for two decades!
ADMIN COMMENT
So here are some simple rules which I must insist commenters follow….
You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.
Making the Emirates your home that’s a funny one. I don’t know how it’s like there but to say the great Arsene Wenger who built the stadium and fought tooth and nail to keep the club in Europe and competitive for more than 10 years with tomatoes budget didn’t make it your home is senseless.
When did Arteta cope with injuries other than this season? And he hasn’t coped he is failing miserably. It is the great Arsene Wenger who coped with injuries.
There is nothing good that this substandard manager has done for this great club. It is the club which has given him more than he deserves without getting anything in return.
As a true supporter the day he leaves is the day I will be glad for the club.
HH, what trade was Wenger ? Was he a groundworker, or a bricklayer ? As far as I know, they are the ones that built the new stadium at Ashburton Grove.
Yes they did. Jesus laid out the plans and brought down money and materials from heaven.
Jesus and heaven 😂, you obviously believe in fairy tales 😂😂
HH you’re just boring. Your arguements don’t even make sense you just have a personal vendetta against Arteta. I see you’re back using the word substandard again like you just learnt it. As a true supporter, get a grip we are all true supporters regardless of opinions on current affairs!!!
He is a substandard manager.
Okay how can a substandard manager have the best defensive record 2 seasons on the bounce in the toughest league in the world? How can a substandard manager finish above Jurgen Klopp two seasons on the bounce? The only thing that is substandard is your reasonings and arguments to why Arteta is substandard.
About time we had such a positive article after so much negativity written here recently. And five good things for sure.
I’m pleased that you’ve made a point of mentioning the “Arteta Apologist” accusers Martin.They’re so full of themselves, and some absolutely troll good match going supporters who stand by Arteta.
Sorry Ken, I thought this was written by Martin, your name was way down the page.😂
No problem Jax, at least you got the message. 👍
The article is Ken1945 and not mine Jax
Yeah Martin, corrected now. I bet you’d have loved to have written such a positive article.
No comment
Yet HH, there were fans who were saying that as true fans of the club, they couldn’t wait for Arsene to leave and the day he did, said it felt like they could breathe again!!
They saw themselves as “a true supporter” also so how do you explain that?
Perhaps I’m lucky enough to see both sides of the coin, but I would never compare Arteta to Wenger, as the former is nowhere near the great man, but I do see the difference in Arteta’s first three seasons to the last two and a half – such a shame you can’t admit that much at least my friend.
It doesn’t sit well with me that the same people who criticized Wenger and continue to this very day, act like Arteta is the greatest thing since sliced bread.
I would have been happy with Arteta’s substandard results if he was not wasting so much money. I would have celebrated top 4 like I did during Wenger’s time if he was managing under constraints.
And the purposefully excuses is something I can’t stand even more.
Who would those people be HH ?
You are one sore example.
Please show me where I’ve acted like Mikel “is the best thing since sliced bread”.
But HH, as fervent Wenger supporters, shouldn’t we also be big enough to admit that Arsene wasted money on transfers?
That’s the problem, no manager has been whiter than white and I guess that some of us see both the positive and negatives of every single manager who has been lucky enough to represent our famous club.
Ken1945, have to agree with you on this, AW also hired some of the worser players and during his latter years his thought process changed for the worse, but his worse signings were not as costly as Mikel’s.
Your points 1-4 are without any doubt accepted as truth, signings could have been of better value.
Getting to the QF in the UCL is no small achievement, even going out to RM can be accepted as long as we have an all attacking game and margin is very small, rather than being battered black and blue as was the norm during the AW era.
All of Mikel’s critics want him to succeed and to do that we need the right players to play in their strong positions, that is all we ask for, not a dozen of LBs and GK every alternate season.
I am afraid some of this is highly questionable. How do you determine that Wenger’s worse signings were not as costly as Arteta’s. This is the kind of nonsense comment that keeps being trotted out with little to back it up rather than bias and an incessant desire to deride the current manager. Transfers are inherently complicated issues and no team or manager gets every one right. Overall, our transfer strategy has been good in the last few years if one considers our performances in recent years and the value of the squad.
It is also quite silly to make direct comparisons with a manager from the past.
Some of the comments on this site are not consistent with the idea that all Arteta’s critics want him to succeed. So this view is clearly inaccurate. Some have gone so far as to state that they wanted us to lose with hope that it might mean that Arteta could be sacked.
The criticisms about GKs and LBs does not make sense. We have had significant injury problems at LB. Are you suggesting that we should just ignore this because we have problems in other positions. Our current GK is one of the best in Europe. Are you suggesting that we should not go for a better GK just because we have a serviceable one?
Artetas worse signings cost more and were on more wages and achieved less
Can’t compare the two
Wenger’s best signings are superior to Arteta’s
Dan
Could you clarify who Arteta’s worse signings are please? The fact you relate them to their income suggests Jesus and Havertz. Worst signings usually are what may loosely described as flops and don’t generally get picked. That’s a waste of money and Vieira falls into that category
Plus when will the comparisons between Wenger and Arteta ever end? David is right as it isn’t relevant now
Direct comparisons for some of these players are inappropriate without additional considerations All one can really say is that some transfers don’t work out. Wenger was managing when world record fees were around £20m.
Wenger’s best signings are not under debate as these are amongst the best the PL has ever seen. Context is still important as Wenger was well ahead of many others in his earlier years. However, if you consider the approach to transfers in more recent times the setup of many clubs suggests that the earlier methods are less likely to be as effective.
Why did he spend 30M+ on Ramsdale when he had Raya in mind? Why did he let go Martinez when he would release Leno? Does not add up.
If injuries are attributed to LBs only, then why was Calaufori hired when he had a serious knee injury a few years back? Why were Tomi & Gabby J not transferred when they had value and reliable replacements hired? Due to the prerenal injuries to Tomi & Gabby, we are short on 2 players and today we do not have a decent back up striker, considering we transferred Eddie and he does not trust Butler. Are LBs the only ones in the team? You expect Saka and Kai to play 38 league games + 20 odd UCL games + cup games (in addition to internationals) without a back up? A load of trash talk.
The point is some transfers don’t work, risk has to be taken. But taking risks by hiring injury prone players is something naive or stupid. And repeating the mistake is insanity.
Give credit where it is due and critique where necessary. Blind faith in the manager is something to be laughed at.
I didn’t make the comparison but will always defend Mr Wenger as it’s an insult to his legacy
Fine article ken1945. imo JA needs more commenters who see both sides of the coin like you and thankfully several other regular commenters. I don’t always agree with any other commenters but I try to keep an open mind (not always successfully, lol).
Would suggest the Emirates has gone back to its bad old days this season ?
No Dan, as the fans are still behind the players and manager, while Arteta’s name is sung every game.
Of course there is dissent with the style of play adopted since the injuries, but the support hasn’t wavered, as our captain has observed and commented on many times.
I just felt it’s gone back to not taking it long for anxiety to creep round the stadium
Haven’t we always been anxious at the Emirates Dan?
The only time I’ve never been anxious, is when Arsene got the Invincibles together!!
Well Odegaard is hardly going to come out and slate the fans is he. 🙄🤦♂️🤷♂️
But he doesn’t have to mention them either does he? 🤔🤔😂
Well Ken1945, his sucking up has clearly worked on you.😂🤣😉👍
Dan
You, Ken & Sue are probably three of the handful of people here who could verify that.
A very good article Ken 👍.
Regarding the atmosphere, a big shout out to Mikel for getting the club involved with the Ashburton Army, who have livened up the stadium.
I’m with you regarding Ramsdale. I really couldn’t understand the signing of Raya, but now I can see why he was bought and I admit that I was wrong to question his signing.
AdMartin
Has my post not sent? I’ve tried several times
Yes, for some reason they all went straight to bin. This has been happening a few times to different people. All I can think of is that Pat had put in certain filters and that your post triggered them. I have no idea what the filters are or if they are even the cause. I perviously had nothing to do with comments, that was 100% Pat, he banned me after my infamous Ozil article lol, and so I am slowly getting to terms with everything that Pat handled previously. I ask for patience while I get a grip of the site. Your post has now been posted.
No problem AdMartin
It probably should have gone in the bin anyway!
🤣🤣
As an infrequent attendee at the Emirates I can’t comment on the Wenger years there with any authority as it was high days and holidays that I got to go. I’d say that Gooners are not in my experience prone to mass hysteria as some European clubs’ fans are or like one or two other English clubs are. I’ve been fortunate to go several times this season and I couldn’t fault the crowd. Quiet sometimes but that certainly couldn’t be said for the Liverpool and City games – the latter being like a party
I think you have been brave to stick your head above the parapet Ken1945. I could understand the hesitation with Arteta for the first couple of years as it was inconsistent and uncertain. However, the improvements since then have been fantastic and good flowing football returned to a club that had seen the departure of the great Arsene Wenger after 2 decades of service followed by the short tenure of Unai Emery.
Not all signings are successful as we all know but if they were all as bad as some think, how on earth have the team with support from Arteta and his coaches maintained a strong position in the league?
Saying that our season has been plagued with injuries is seen as making excuses in many quarters and Arteta should somehow manage the situation better. It’s trumpeted that other managers never moan about their injuries but fail to mention that we are still in second and virtually assured of a place in the next round of the CL. All this has been achieved when earlier this season our defence was decimated and Odegaard was out for about 3 months. They begin drift back to fitness but then we have Saka, Martinelli, Jesus and Havertz out, only one of which has recently returned.
I think many of us were getting fed up with the negative articles and comments SueP and so I put this article together.
I’m not really putting my head above the parapet though, as I’m still not convinced either way regarding Mikel Arteta, but I felt some balance needed to be restored.
Agreed on that front. Durand wrote a good piece and it’s not negative nor overly positive. It’s reasonable and well thought out. And balance which your article produced was definitely required
Ken
nice article my friend, to add some balance and another opinion to the ongoing Arteta debate.
I remain on the fence myself, as to whether he should go or finish his contract.
The injuries are hard for anyone to deal with, and he has managed fairly well considering we have held 2nd, but failed to advance in the standings. I would count that as a feather in his cap for now, hopefully he can continue to navigate the rest of the season.
However, another Summer without addressing the striker position raises some questions in my mind. Does Arteta undervalue the position and think a fill-in can suffice? Will he finally admit he needs a striker to move up the table and challenge for trophies?
Arteta has done a fantastic job getting us back into the top 4 and challenging for the title again.
The question remains whether he is the manager to lead us to a PL title or a CL trophy.
I think next year will be very telling in my mind, 800 million spent, control over players, his squad of players and his Artetaball style of play, has to yield a title or trophy of some kind.
Otherwise, I would not be opposed to moving on from Arteta in the following 2026-2027 season, considering all the funding and control he has had over the last 5 seasons.
As usual Durand, we agree with each other on most things regarding Mikel Arteta and have done since he became coach / manager.
The fact that we have been the second best GF club in the PL for two seasons and are currently so again, with our goals spread across the attack, does negate some of the criticism, but I agree we do need a Henry type of striker to go that one step further.
I completely agree with your last paragraph and I have a feeling Mr Kronkie will be of the same opinion. 👍
Ken
As always a sensible article from you, and both you and I, as well as some others try and remain consistent regarding standards and expectations.
Arteta deserves a bit of a break considering his front line has all but evaporated due to injuries, so he has done ok in my mind.
I think “fruition” comes to mind, and it’s time this “process” starts bearing fruit. Otherwise, falling short is akin to excuses, and at this club level with the financial backing he has received, there should be something to show for it.
Otherwise, it is hard to argue why Arteta should stay, and whether he is easily replaced or not. Plenty of managers can do the job successfully without trophies, it’s that final hurdle, trophies that cement your legacy, or herald your failure.
A really good post Durand
SueP
Thank you for the comment, and I agree it was a really good post, lol.
Seriously though, sometimes I comment too quickly during or after matches, and my emotions tend to lead rather than my rational brain.
I am neither for or against Arteta at this point, but honestly waiting for something that shows he is the person to lead us, he is the one to finally deliver a PL trophy or the never held CL trophy.
Perhaps a bit nearsighted, but so far I don’t see anything different than what Wenger could have done, given more time, or Emery given more time could have gotten us back into the top 4 I believe; based on what he has done for Villa.
I feel similar frustration and impatience that many fellow fans do, but don’t know if Arteta is leading us to something bigger, or has stalled out and can go no higher.
This Summer will show a lot to me; how serious is ownership and the board, and how serious is Arteta about a real striker and changing his tactics and bringing something new next season rather than rinsing and repeating his insipid Artetaball.
Your last paragraph, Durand, sums up the situation that we all feel, but to varying degrees. Something needs to happen up top from the ownership down to Arteta.
I just can’t stand the relentless criticism as I think it is wholly unjustified without proper context. We have held on, thus far, this season in difficult circumstances and I suggest that having hardly fielded a settled side all season, the safe football (boring as it is at times) has been the glue when the defence was decimated and lately now that the forward options are so limited. It’s formulaic but I can’t see another option right now.
👍
Guys when peeps say hes dealt well with the injuries
What do they mean
That’s not me being awkward
It’s just that since the injuries to the attackers we have fallen 15 points behind Liverpool
How is that doing well or okay ?
@Dan I think up until to an injury to a certain Havertz, Arsenal had done really well with the crises at hand (injuries). Havertz injury was just the final blow, though most of us will argue it was management’s failure to sign someone to help.
Can you point to where because to me Havertz got injured after window closed days after Martinelli got injured
So in Jan with Havertz and Martinelli drew with Villa and Brighton and lost to Newcastle and Mab United at start of month had Jesus
So let’s say before Jan 1st what injury crisis did we have ?
The crisis was when we lost Jesus , Martinelli then Havertz and I can’t see where he did well – 15 points behind Liverpool
You can’t say the only time Arsenal had injury crisis was when we lost Jesus, Martineli and Havertz only, I totally disagree. Remember we also had injuries at the back, Timber, Gabriel, Saliba, Tomiyaso, White, Zinchenko, Calafiori, Tierney and Skelly-Lewis all had spells in the sidelines. Hence am saying Arteta did well with the crisis because we were still in the hunt(EPL race) up until Havertz and Martineli were injured.
Am giving Arteta this credit because I thought we managed without Odegard and also without Saka though we did miss them.
Remember the 15 points gap is just happening now, before that we had a chance to cut the gap 5 points. Havertz was the last player to get injured if am not mistaken and for me this was the final blow.
Dan
Perhaps I should have been more specific when I said he has done well. I’m no Arteta apologist, but I give credit where it’s due.
We remain in 2nd place in spite of losing both of our non-striker strikers, our best attacker in Saka, Martinelli, and rely on a 17 year old kid, a nearly spent Sterling, and a DM playing striker.
Whether one likes Arteta or not, we remain in second place while our ship continues to take on water without sinking.
Many fans along with myself knew the title was out of reach long before the injuries hit. Gone before Saka got injured, beyond our reach before Havertz was lost for the season.
In fact, I was doubtful after the Summer window when we added a 4th LB in Calafiori, and a 4th DM in Merino.
No striker, only a spent Sterling for attacking additions.
We are in a mess no doubt, but keeping such an unbalanced, injured, defense first squad in 2nd place surely deserves credit, even if Arteta’s decisions created this scenario?
No mate if you look at our results since we lost our attackers he hasn’t done well .
I like Arteta but we can’t make things up ?
He lost 4-0 in Carabo Cup – is that doing well
Knocked out of the FA Cup by Man United at home – is that well ?
Drew with Brighton , Man United, Forest and lost at home to West Ham – is that doing well ?
And worse the football
Teams now park the bus tactically not in hope
They know we generally will struggle to break them down
That’s not doing well
Go look at how many games we won this year and truthfully tell me you would have said ,
‘ well if we get to March our of both cups and 15 points behind Liverpool..our manager would have done well ‘
Dan
I think the confusion is in the context maybe?
My comment was in regards to holding onto 2nd place, not in the chase for a title. The results you mention were poor, and below the standard we should expect, I am in agreement with you. However, in spite of that poor run, we remain in 2nd place, Arteta has done enough to prevent a freefall, so far anyway.
“Doing well” does not relate to the season as a whole, “underachieved” would be the word for me, not “managed well.”
But we have maintained our 2nd position in the table, that was my reference. That is why I said I knew the title had slipped away back in December; our “hit or miss” results were never enough to overtake Liverpool and maintain a first place standing.
Hope that clears things up, if not let me know and I will explain further in detail if you need. Cheers my friend
No mate
I wasn’t saying we didn’t have injuries but losing one player here or there isn’t an injury crisis
You agree that the 15 points has only happened recently hence when the crisis happened he didn’t cope well with it
Well it depends on how one defines or interpretes crisis, maybe that’s where we differ. For me that many injuries was a crisis.
So losing what had been a half fit White regularly and then permanently in November until a week ago isn’t relevant. He and Saka – a great partnership were out together. Martinelli has only just returned as well. Add this to the loss of the forward line and I can’t understand your reasoning that it hasn’t been handled well
Stopped reading at “ Arteta Apologist” by some of the more juvenile fans within our ranks!”
As I expected DK – that’s why I put it in!!
You put it in to stop people reading. Your Article?
Strange ,maybe put it in at the end next time .
No, I put it in to stop any juvenile remarks stopping a sensible debate…. and it seems to be working so far.
A sensible debate !
Good one 😂
By the way ken1945, I bumped into an old friend of ours on another forum recently 😉.
Explain further GB if you would?
Sorry Ken I missed off that it was Jon fox.
I’ve kept in touch with Jon by email since he was banned GB and he seems illusioned with Mr Oliver, Mikel Arteta and football itself.
I hope to see him back on JA one day… thanks for the info and we’re through to the last eight of the CL!!
Not bad after all the doom and gloom eh?!?!
Yes Ken me too. It was on LG I made contact with him.
We could be champions of Europe, something our greatest manager never managed over two decades. 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣🙄🤦♂️🤷♂️
Well we should be in the last eight come 10.00 pm tonight, something I’m sure you’ll find as a negative 😂😊☺️😁
No Ken1945,
If we make it and even this lot shouldn’t muck this up I will be very happy.
And I will hope that we can progress further. Although looking at current form, PSG look like they’ll take some stopping.
It seems they might just have found the right blend in their team at last. Who needs Messi, Mbappe, or Neymar. Currently PSG certainly don’t.😉👍
Well, “this lot” made the two legged tie a formality away from home 😂😂
It seems that you can’t even give credit where it’s due, but let’s watch our club go into the last eight of the CL tournament and remember we’ve done it without a striker and four strikers out injured shall we?! 🤔👍😂
Ken1945,
I need to correct you on your striker comments.
You contradicted yourself within two lines. You say we’ve done it without a striker. And then you go on to say and four strikers out injured as well.
Which is it?.
Make up your mind.🙄🤦♂️🤷♂️
Derek, of course I don’t mind you correcting me, that’s what debating is all about.
However, in this instance, I believe you’ve got it wrong.
Here’s why – we’ve got our four recognised strikers out injured, so we achieved it without any recognised strikers…. what is there to correct in that statement?
Ken1945,
Well the thing that’s wrong in that statement is
apart from the academy strikers, the club doesn’t have a recognized striker.
So therefore we can’t have four strikers injured.
Therefore the injury’s to the four said players, Martinelli (left-side midfield), Saka (right-side midfield), Jesus (left-side midfield, Havertz (Midfielder).
So we currently have no striker injury’s, because we haven’t got striker, recognized or other. Just square pegs in round holes concerning Jesus and Havertz.
Now I see where your coming from Derek.
Can I suggest you go to the official Arsenal website and look up the club’s description of Saka, Havertz, Jesus and Martinelli as to where they play and then come back to me for further debate?
Ken1945,
Yes on the official website it has them down as forwards. I don’t dispute that they play in advanced positions. But it doesn’t make them strikers. And none of them are, and never have been.
You know as well as I do that the club needs an out and out striker. Had we had one in the past two seasons, we could be talking to each other as the fans of the two times in a row Premier League champions. But sadly we’re not, because Arteta hasn’t addressed the position in three seasons now and counting.
So I stand by my stance that we don’t have a striker. 😉👍
Good for you Derek, I guess we’re splitting hairs here.
I’m happy to believe that a forward is expected to score goals, so if you want my reply to be we achieved it without four of our forwards, then I’ll change it… hope that makes it clear for you and all the other thousands of fans who didn’t understand what I was saying!!
The last two seasons and this season to date, we are second top GF in the PL league, supposedly the hardest league to play in.
So up until Saka, Martinelli, Havertz and Jesus (along with other goalscorers) out forwards were doing a great job, wouldn’t you agree?
A striker like Henry would be wonderful and I expect to see one arrive in the summer.
As for thinking we might have won the PL the last two seasons if we had a Henry type player, it’s worth remembering we might also have won the PL if city115 are found guilty and deducted points…. and we would have achieved that with forwards who score goals!!
Ken1945,
Nice response, and yes I agree with you about us splitting hairs.
But you know what I’m getting at, whether you want to acknowledge it is another story. But you and I both know that more than one post on here have been screaming for the need of an out and out striker for sometime now.
Forwards are attackers no doubt, but you know an out and out striker could make a lot of difference in the real tight games, when chances are few and we really need a clinical striker. OOPS!, there’s that word again.😉👍
A pretty good and balanced piece. Even if people want to be sceptical about Arteta as the long term manager who would bring major success back to the club it is worthy for people to acknowledge the positive aspects of Arteta’s tenure to date.
Also, thanks to Arteta for introducing our rousing new anthem ‘North London Forever’ which gets the whole stadium singing at the start of every game.
It’s just brilliant GB
IMO Arteta still has credit in his account. Yes, we are getting to the point where trophies as deliverables are expected, but I have not forgotten the chaotic state we were in when he came in, we were a joke. I hope he can now take us to the next level, I am wishing him every success and would take no pleasure should he fail to do so.
My sentiments too
Well thought out and reasoned article Ken. I realise that excessive and crucial injuries have blunted our progress in the EPL this season but my main concern is that, in my view, we have not progressed since 22/23. Three years of finishing 2nd could affect the players’ confidence and fully test Arteta’s managerial ability. Mind you a CL trophy could change all that.🙏
A bit nitpicky, Emery bought Partey!
Andrew, I think Partey was signed on deadline day 2020 by Mikel Arteta.
Thanks for the compliment regarding the article.
It would have been interesting to see him give it a go against his old AM mates and Simeone. I bet he would have been dominant.
Agreed BB, but I think we have a better chance against Real, who like to attack, rather than Atletico, who have a defensive backbone similar to ours.
Let’s hope we only have Havertz, Jesus and Tomiyasu as our long term injured players, as the two games will be something special that’s for sure!!
Wasn’t that a glorious run by Henry against RM back in 2006? Such a wonderful memory. Unfortunately, the only player imo who would have any reasonable chance of duplicating such a feat (Jesus) is injured but you never know how these things can happen and I’m hoping to stun the Champions once again.
My mistake Ken, I got him mixed up with Saliba.🙏
👍👍
You’re probably right about the preferred opponent. Also, Tchouameni is suspended for the first leg so their defence will not have its normal protection. I hope Bukayo is able to get into form in time for the tie.
Oops. Reply is to ken1945. One of these days I’ll stop hitting the wrong button 🤦♂️
👍👍
And the juvenile drivel continues Ken🙄.
Yes Jax,
Your right, and you really need to stop. 🤣😂😉👍
I’m really, really trying Derek😉
Jax,
I really appreciate it. 😉👍
At least we only had two, maybe three of them this time Jax. ✌️
I feel this has been a good debate with some excellent posts and reasonings.
I was only thinking of one specifically, but it certainly has been a great debate Ken. You should write more often.
It’s taken me a while to get over Pat to be honest Jax and Dan has been writing some excellent articles, a lot of which I disagree with!!!
When a subject arises, I will try and get back to writing more articles and ensure I write “juvenile ranks” at the beginning!! 📝😂
As I read the article, I knew this was somebody with a positive and objective mind. It was, therefore, not a surprise to find out that it was Ken1945. He is one gentleman who doesn’t allow his inner feelings to get the better of him. He remains objective even if it offends others. I have always opined that Ken is our most balanced commentator and it is now glaring for all to see. How I miss the times when we had both him and Jon Fox on this platform! The debates were very lively albeit controversial at times. I can only conclude by saying well done, Ken.
Thank you David, comments like this encourages me to write more articles.
Jon and I have kept in touch, as I have with Phil and Sue – all great stalwarts from yesteryear within JA.
We all had strong opinions, just as newer posters have today and that’s why I find JustArsenal such a great site to debate with other Gooners such as yourself, BB, SueP, HD, Durand, Grandad, GB, Dan and so many many more.
Here’s to sensible debating, rather than point scoring and juvenile statements….of which I also succumb to occasionally!!