Has Arteta lost the Arsenal dressing room?

How team selections can be the making or breaking of a game!

There is no doubt that Mikel Arteta does not know his first-choice team. And with a load of talented players it is always hard to decide. Yet fans can see who the best XI is, but the manager cannot!

Now we will never truly know if Arteta had gone with the team who won 2-0 and rather comfortably on Sunday against Newcastle, whether they would have got a better result.

But surely even Arteta is not blind, surely, he could see that the team worked well on Sunday, they gelled, they created, they pressed, they scored, they defended!

Is that not what you want from your team in games? Or is it all about pass, pass, pass and try not to concede?

Well I hate to break it to Arteta, but that is not what football is about, and if he thinks it is, he is in the wrong job!

Gabriel Martinelli made an impact yet again against Villarreal, and after playing well against Newcastle I really thought he should have started. But once again he was overlooked!

Too many mistakes were made in midfield. Partey has lost his defensive ability and his timing was all wrong yet again. Saka and Smith-Rowe clearly need to work on their defensive ability, because they lost the ball numerous times and failed to win it back!

The pressure of “carrying” an Arsenal team seems to have got to both Saka and Smith-Rowe. They exploded onto the scene, but they haven’t stayed at the top for very long.

For the first time in a while though Leno did a good job in goal, but it is no good keeping a clean sheet if you cannot score at the other end!

But what is clear is that it seems Arteta has lost his dressing room! Maybe not all but enough!

I can only be grateful we didn’t get through to the final, because I am not too confident that we would have gotten a result against Manchester United, not with Arteta and his lack of tactics!

And to lose yet another Europa League final to a Premier League rival would surely have been the final nail in the heart of Arsenal fans worldwide.

So, after a shocking and shameful season will it get better? With Arteta? Don’t hold your breath!

Shenel Osman

Tags Martinelli Newcastle

65 Comments

  1. We need hungry players. Imagine our Willok scoring 4 goals against the top 6, what a joy that young boy brings to his manager and team. Our players have no hunger to win. When you are in the finals (last year) and semis this year and still not motivated, then just retire from football. No manager or coach can save these players. The club pays their wage not Mikel, so play for the club! To get the manager sacked the players sabotaged the clubs glory? Treason! Traitors! Get rid of tge bad influences in the dressing room and then think of sacking the manager or else history will repeat. Experienced manager and Rourke manager – same outcome. Man U hired Bruno Fernandes and see where they have reached, we hired someone like Xhaka and now moan our fate.

    1. I bet Arteta promised Aubameyang, Lacazette and Nketiah the first-team striker places, hence he always prioritized those strikers ahead of Martinelli. I guess he also promised the first-team places to some senior players, to keep the dressing room

      Since those prioritized players have failed to deliver a trophy and some of them have played for three managers at Arsenal, we better put them in transfer list. I believe Arteta’s system will work better if he can buy his own CF

      Tuchel also struggled at PSG because Neymar and Mbappe weren’t suitable for his system, but he’s found his compatriot Havertz at Chelsea. We can either make a fire sale or get a manager whose playing style suits our players’

      1. I am tired of excuses
        It is everyone else fault but the manager
        Okay let’s keep aside all other factors and look at the manager what has he done to justify keeping him
        If he stays beyond this season then it is purely not on merit but hope
        He is the worst manager in Epl now
        You can blame the players all you want but 85% of the time they are set up to fall
        Look at the first leg against villareal what was he thinking that was not even acceptable even in a preseason match
        Is either Arteta has talked some fans into believing he has somehow something to offer this club or it’s just mere likeness for him
        You need how many players?
        Maybe he does need a new 25 man squad
        He has how many players now and many still put the blame on players
        Okay let’s assume that the players are not good enough what has he done to improve that
        He is worse than his players
        Just take a look at his line ups, substitutions, tactics they are kindergarten at best
        I can’t understand the sense saying players failed the manager
        Yes Wenger needed to leave and so he did
        Emery didn’t make the grade and we moved on
        Arteta is an experiment that has failed to even show a glimpse of the hype he got we should just swallow our ego and move on because regardless of everything will think the most obvious among all is Arteta’s incompetence and shortcomings.
        I don’t even mind if we have to fire the next manager to replace him every successful club does that
        You need to be a world class and consistent coach to earn your stay here
        For does calling recruitment do I need to remind you that Arteta can field more than half of a team that are players of his choice maybe he needs a new 24 man squad
        You released Niles and kolasinac only to play Xhaka at Lb saying you have no cover
        This guy has been found out there is no one giving a reason based on merit why Arteta should still be manager all people do here is making excuses for him.
        To me the first change we need should be sacking him what can I possibly miss about this guy other than his big talks
        One certain player even said that in 3 years they want to be winners of champions league
        He even talked some of this 💩 into believing that he is the next big thing 😀

        1. Read my last sentence: “We can either make a fire sale OR get a manager whose playing style suits our players’”

          1. A world class manager should be able to be flexible with his tactics and do what is best for the team he has got
            Until he has improved well enough to do any tactics he deems fit going forward

    2. Being hungry doesn’t mean that you can become a top professional player.
      Nor does natural talent mean the same thing either.

      What we need, is a manager who can bring the two things together and, to date, that hasn’t happened this season.

      We have an abundance of hungry and talented players, but it seems that MA doesn’t award talent (Martinelli) or make players hungry (Aubameyang and Partey).

  2. I think so, but it can be fixed by selling the senior players who’ve already played for three managers at Arsenal, in the summer transfer window. We can also lift up the team’s spirit by winning our remaining games this season

    Some fans want Brendan Rodgers as Arteta’s replacement and it’s a bad decision to me, because:

    – He was beaten by David Moyes/ Steve Bruce this season and can’t even win against a ten men Soton. Highly inconsistent for a manager in his third season at a club

    – Can’t even win against Slavia Prague

    – Chose a very defensive tactic against us and Arteta outplayed him. Rodgers’ defensive counter-attack tactics might be suited for Aubameyang, but that Mourinho-esque tactics aren’t the ones I’d like to see at Arsenal

    People want Arteta out, despite giving us two tophies within eight months, yet nobody criticizes the trophiless Rodgers for his two and half seasons at Leicester. If Arteta is sacked, I’d prefer to gamble on Ten Hag

    1. One trophy, with players he inherited, dont exaggerate, its not a good practice. He won with a squad he inherited and changed it so that it cant win a cuddly toy at a hook a duck stall. Open your eyes look whats really in front of you and stop dreaming up stuff that isnt or will not happen.

      1. Yes, an FA cup with the players Arteta never chose. If the trophiless Rodgers is given more than two years to get a trophy, Arteta should’ve been given till December and another transfer window to fix things up

        We can try to contact Allegri, since his defensive counter-attack playing style might suit Aubameyang’s. However, I heard he’s already contracted by Juventus to replace Pirlo

        Some people want Sarri, but I don’t think his system would be suitable for Aubameyang and he returned to Italy to be closer to his family. So we’re left with Benitez

        1. This FA Cup and community shield were three games. Three games counterattacking. That can happen. We won these 3 games thanks to stellar emi Martinez, auba clinical finish and cohesion and defense (amn). That is not the sign that arteta is a genius at all. He got some players he wanted and it did not change anything, league results not better or… worse… His own CF would change everything ?? He has already lot of different people capable of playing CF (lava,auba,martinelli not mentioning nketiah or balogun that he stubbornly never used). Problem is that this fa cup made us (and the board) think arteta is a genius that he is not. Results don’t lie. No cups this year, worse results. He may have put every drop of energy like he said but that is not an argument for keeping him beyond this summer. Every manager (i hope) puts every drop of his energy into his club. I don’t even know why this argument came to the table…

    2. I think you have nothing else to talk about other than the fluke Fa cup
      I never heard opposite fans or even our own fans mentioning the community shield the way you do. It’s just a preseason trophy people barely talk about but I guess mentioning it a thousand times makes Arteta’s cv world class
      For a manager who was an instant success winning trophies can you please tell me why Southampton and villareal ended his season while he is sitting comfortable in midtable
      Bro. He rode his luck when he came and his luck has ran out
      We all know it was Aubameyangs brilliant with Martinez that did the magic but it’s okay a certain de-Mateo won the first champions league for Chelsea only to be axed few months later

      1. Winning FA Cup wasn’t a fluke. Aubameyang’s pace was perfect for Arteta’s old defensive three-CB formation, until it was found out

        Replacing the manager is cheaper than selling our senior players, but I bet Arsenal will try to do fire sale first before sacking Arteta. So you just need to wait until the end of the summer transfer window for the good news

        1. Yes if his old formation was so much good why did he revert to to 2 man cb formation?
          Even his 3 man cb couldn’t save him once his luck ran out

          1. Because it was cracked by other managers. Mark my word, Tuchel’s three-CB formation will also be cracked like Conte’s

          2. 3 man cb or 2 man cb is a pattern that has shown to be successful
            So tell me is it 2 man CBs that has not been found out.
            You can wish him whatever you want but 3 man cb has proven to be as successful as 2 man cb

        2. You are right for once GOI, winning the FA CUP wasn’t a fluke but it was a marker and we have dropped below expectations and the team is now worse.

        3. @gai I can agree on one point with you, if this board and ownership continues then I too don’t see Arteta getting sacked.

          I don’t think its because they see a great manager in Arteta (I doubt whether our owners know the colour of our jersey let alone a good manager) but only because he might be easy to handle (cheaper maintenance cost).

  3. Simple answer…..YES. This club is cruel. The compassionate thing to do….for Arteta, the Players, and the Supporters, a million people, would be to relieve Arteta of his position. To leave him ‘clinging by his fingernails’, is unbelievable cruelty. Arteta can recover and learn his trade at a developing club. The asylum inmates are running this club and treating the Supporters and Arteta, with no compassion. Let Arteta regain his dignity elsewhere. What a sad unethical club Arsenal have become.

    1. Arsenal is not unethical to Arteta, but to everyone supporting it. We’ve given Mikel more than he deserves. He’s rotting us further down the table and should be freed.

      1. Konstatin
        Compassion should be extended all round. To be fair to Arteta there should be a clean break. He will recover his pride elsewhere. For the players and supporters, a million people are more important than one man, but we can show compassion to EVERYONE. That was the teachings of all the wise men of the world…ever. But a million supporters are more important than Arteta and he should leave, preferably by resigning, if not he should be fired.

        1. He won’t resign, he thinks he is the man of the situation. He thinks that only bad luck impeached his team to win and that the project will explode don’t forget…

    2. Fairness and equity: Mikel Arteta has Arsenal in a worse position than Arsene Wenger in his last 2 seasons and Unai Emery’s one season and 8 games. Wenger and Emery were relieved of their positions, so why is Arteta’s situation any different?

      1. ozziegunner

        I don’t know if you are replying to me. Arteta should be fired. That is compassion towards him AND the supporters. Hatred and anger cure nothing. Arteta should be fired, and he can learn the ropes of management elsewhere. Vindictiveness is the most destructive force on earth.

        1. Sean, I was replying to you; however I don’t believe anything I have said is in any way vindictive?

          1. ozziegunner

            Why should there be no compassion to the million Arsenal supporters who have been suffering Arteta, and why should there not be a way to sack Arteta with goodwill? I really don’t get the meaning of what you are saying. I have been Arteta out for longer than most….but I hope he can learn his trade and succeed elsewhere.

          2. Sean, please read what I stated again, why is Arteta not being held to account to the same standards as Wenger and Emery?

          3. ozziegunner

            I’m picking up your context. I agree, the same standards/fate should be for Arteta as Wenger and Emery. I would love to prize Brenda Rogers from Leicester. He would get us playing football.

      2. But to be fair.

        Wenger dropped from 4t to 6th. Got sadked.

        Emery dropped from 6th to 8th. Go sacked.

        Arteta dropped from 8th to 10th. Should also be sacked.

        Each and everyone of them was / is getting worse by the day.

        1. Give the guy a break, let him clear out the rest of the deadwood. Let the youngsters come back stronger, fresh and more experienced next season. A year without Europe, a full pre season with fans back and hopefully no more covid laden weirdness. The squad can start to be aligned towards the next generation and we will see if the poor season was planning and restructuring the squad for the next 10 years. Klopp/ pep both had a poor first season before the players and squad were adapted towards their needs.

          Positive thoughts, what happened to Leicester without Europe? They won the title. Maybe it’s the year we need to adapt, to play less games, travel less and to focus on the league and development.

          Up the gunners!

  4. The club has played 57 games this season.
    How many of those games made you go ‘wow that was a fair dinkum game of footy’?
    Here is my list of memorable games.
    Community shield win?
    Man U 0 Arsenal 1
    Arsenal 3 Chelsea 1
    Leicester 1 Arsenal 3
    Slavia 0 Arsenal 4
    Arsenal 2 Tottenham 1
    Six games out of 57.
    Not much of a list is it?

  5. Latest word is that Arteta supports Kroenke and Kroenke supports Arteta to manage Arsenal until into next season, with a transfer budget to upgrade the squad. Based on the performances under Arteta and his acquiescence of decisions made on player transfers, loans and matchday selections, playing style and tactics, the retention of Arteta appears to be putting good money after bad. The only answer appears to be a sycophantic relationship due to Arteta supporting the Kroenkes ownership and not making unreasonable requests for funding.
    Kroenkes have stated that KS&E have no intention of selling, despite the overtures of Daniel Ek and his consortium.
    Arteta for his part is claiming that Arsenal has lost touch with the top clubs over the last five years (no sh#t, Sherlock) and blames Arsene Wenger, even though Wenger worked under the same ownership. He believes he is the man to take Arsenal back where it belongs and he has the backing of the Kroenkes. In my view they are all deluded.
    Time to get the banners out!
    There is an excellent article in “The Guardian” by Nick Ames, “In trouble from top to bottom: chaotic Arsenal are failing in all areas” well worth a read, including the comments.

    1. It doesn’t matter which players are brought in if the manager doesn’t have what it takes.

  6. The only players I would certainly keep would be Martinelli and Saka
    Partey looks like he wants to be back in Spain and TBH apart from a few good games I’ve not been overly impressed .
    TIerney looks like he’s made of glass and again not that impressed with his defensive side of his game great going forward but lacks pace to defend against proper wingers .
    Lenos mind looks like it’s somewhere else .
    Auba and Laca I would move them on .
    Ceballos and odegaard I would ship back to Madrid and tell them to sling their hook next time they try and give us their scraps .
    Pepe is a tough one because when given a chance he does bag them numbers but Arteta uses him as a bit part player .
    Smith Rowe ,so so season when called upon
    Luiz as been our second best player this season but probably his last good season ,but respect to him for putting his head and body on the line when he’s played .
    The rest are not even worth talking about that’s how low this team as gone
    Maybe it’s Artetas management skills because with the ammo he’s been given we should be Hitting top 4 with these players it as nothing to do with Stan and not investing,that’s just one of them cringe excuses we see bought up to defend the indefensible .
    2 mangers in a row now that have bought this club to its knees one more wrong adventure and this club will be mid table for years to come .

    1. Where’s the money for the wholesale changes you propose, Dan with the economy decimated by the Covid19 pandemic?

      1. Personally opinion that’s all ,and I wouldnt believe all these rumours about no money because of covid ,the usual teams will be spending the usual money while we will be the only team using that as an excuse

        1. Dan, please refer to my detailed comments above.
          I am more positive (opinion again) about many of the Arsenal squad, plus the Academy than you are, given an appropriately competent and experienced manager being engaged.

        2. Glazers are trying to get Sancho and Halland has been priced at 150M. Barcelona trying to bring Neymar back. We might possibly see other high profile sales as well. Money will continue to flow in football. But personally I do like the idea of a self sufficient football club but it should be properly managed from top to bottom.

    2. You have not got a clue about football given your ludicrous comments concerning Kieran Tierney .Have you ever kicked a ball in your life?

      1. Why do you always question people on here about theirprivate life’s and what they have achieved I’m not sure why you feel you far superior to us mortals
        You don’t know anything about me and I don’t feel like sharing it with a tool on the internet ,it was my opinion and I stick by it
        Now look at the reply I gave you 2 days ago and it still applys now .

          1. Grandad
            I read his reply two days ago to you and can only suggest that you avoid responding. I learnt a bitter lesson elsewhere and now avoid unnecessary confrontation. It makes for a much happier life

          2. I’m sorry sue but in the last 2 days he as questioned my loyalty to Arsenal and now tries to belittle me not even knowing anything about me .
            I have no interest in debating with idiots so I Kindly asked him to stop commenting on my posts but here he is 2 days later ,he only had to say he disagree with my TIerney comment and that would have been fine but he had to play the “I’m more superior than you “card .
            What if I had turned round and said well yes I used to play left back for Swindon ,what would that have achieved,it does not matter what I’ve done football wise.
            I have no interest in what other people
            Like to tell us what they have done in their lives I honestly couldn’t give 2 sh1ts .
            It was my opinion and I stick by it

  7. Wenger and Emery both lost the dressing room for different reasons. Wenger created a culture that in his final years went toxic on him. Emery couldn’t communicate with his players in English properly. Arteta won the Fa cup with players he inherited from those two managers, he has since tweaked the team, squad and playing style and took us backwards at an alarming rate. The squad from Wenger and Emery is a very different animal indeed and we play a very different style. Arteta isnt good enough for Arsenal football club he is failing very badly. Its just how long our unambitious owner puts up with a useless manager and WHAT IS LEFT AT THE END OF IT.

  8. I promised myself that I won’t comment again until Arteta is gone, but I just can’t help myself. Arteta never ever gives players a chance to gel as a team he always rearrange the deck, most times unnecessary so, Martenelli might have a brilliant game, next match he finds himself on the bench, no team or squad will be happy with this and the style of play is so underwhelming, I have never ever felt so sad angry depressed about our club, yes the owner is absent but Arteta is ultimately responsible for what happens on the pitch, and please don’t tell me we have a unbalanced squad he picks unbalanced teams most of the time on match days, against Newcastle he got it right, Thursday was just a joke, I mean playing a unfit Tierney on the one flank with a out of sorts Bellerin on the other while you have a left footed centre back on the bench and Calum available just makes zero sense. Enough said rant over

    1. Your comment about martinelli is right. Then MA would argue is protecting him because he is youth ?? But what did he do with Saka ? Almost never resting him. With xhaka ? Could have a break too. Especially for deputizing at LB . Then easy to complain about his injury. Same happened for me with balogun. Even if he resigned, look. Came from the bench two times in UEL. Two goals. Ok weak opposition but not deceiving to score anyway. Since then… ????? One garbage time apparition. That is insane. Not even making the bench during 30 games. Absolutely crazy. Same after the good game of AMN back in Nov/dec in UEL. Then… Not even on the bench or garbage time minute. The only he kept playing was Esr. For the others, what is MA doing ? Cooling off the other when they start playing well ? Do they have a stronger character so he need to cool their ambitions ? Maybe some trick he thinks make them progress ? Except that here it is just awkward mismanagement. Because instead you play Willian, you play Ceballos, you play nketiah. People with no future at the club.

  9. Everyone of you has pointed out an area to be concerned about if you’re an Arsenal fan. Collectively it points to a club that is rotting from the top downwards. I don’t care if the Kronkes give Arteta £100 billion to spend, ethically and morally they are dragging this club down the wrong path. They don’t care about the club, the employees or the fans. Paying off 55 staff during a pandemic and even sacking the “bloody” mascot is cold blooded. Arsenal was a community club and a caring club, but the vision of competing with Europe’s elite with the 60 000 stadium has back-fired. We are now a corporate “ATM” for the Kronkes. I don’t recognise this club anymore but I don’t think the Kronkes will sell so it’s a case of learning to live with it?

    1. Gg, please read my post above, if you haven’t already. The big lies:
      “Arsenal are going to compete with the best in Europe, Bayern Munchen, Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG etc.”
      “Be very excited!”

      1. I agree with what you said, “deluded” hits the spot. I also read nick Ames article, succinctly sums it up. I was a silver member for many years and I didn’t renew it. My £59 a year fee won’t affect Kronke’s wallet but my conscience is clear my friend.

        1. 👍 Thank you for your sacrifice, hopefully it leads to better days ahead.
          If the football gets dire enough, the day tripper tourists may start attending Chelsea, Tottenham, Crystal Palace or even Fulham.

  10. Arteta, needs to see more than physical, helter-skelter all directions running players. He has a weakness in believing that the big stick is the best approach in reining in his players. Benching ace strikers at the expense of discipline?
    Don’t believe intimidation will help the dressing room. World cup winners in the club have been turned into minions. Arsenal, not Arteta has the players that could still get them into the top 6 conveniently. It is not fair to deny Eddie playing time and match his statistics with others. I believe that is a star and will be a loss like Gnany to sell him.

  11. I think you have nothing else to talk about other than the fluke Fa cup
    I never heard opposite fans or even our own fans mentioning the community shield the way you do. It’s just a preseason trophy people barely talk about but I guess mentioning it a thousand times makes Arteta’s cv world class
    For a manager who was an instant success winning trophies can you please tell me why Southampton and villareal ended his season while he is sitting comfortable in midtable
    Bro. He rode his luck when he came and his luck has ran out
    We all know it was Aubameyangs brilliant with Martinez that did the magic but it’s okay a certain de-Mateo won the first champions league for Chelsea only to be axed few months later

    1. 👍 pepe. These 2 lucky games of FA cup are the tree that hides the forrest and that made an average rookie manager without any coaching experience our manager with way too much power here. This has never been seen. Of course we can’t ré made decisions now, it is too easy but i feel sad for ljungberg. He had coached the youngsters, more experienced, older, even better player. Probably was starting a real process. We hired arteta over him because he worked with pep. He might have a secret ? He did not have any magical recipe and is even probably worse. At the time i was happy too like many to hire arteta but it proved probably the wrong decision. Freddie was also club DNA. Looked more humble, not same stick approach managing. Worked well with youth. Now some people beg to let time to arteta. But how much did we give to Freddie ? I can’t imagine what he can think at seeing these boring games…

      1. We need one man. There should be a concerted drive to make him an offer he can’t refuse. Yes…..Brendan Rogers. Brenda will get us into Europe in ONE season.

  12. In as much as we hate to hear the bitter truth, we still can’t do without it. The summary of Arsenal is Arteta is not any good for the job at Arsenal! He is too inexperienced and clueless to lead Arsenal to any glory. The management were looking for a cheap option, and they got one in Arteta. And this is the result of lack of vision. Give these our players to an experienced manager and see what a formidable team they’d be inna very short time. Arteta must be summarily dismissed in everyone’s interest.

  13. Some great comments on here!!!

    One thing I disagree with though, is that MA’s FA cup win was “lucky”.
    Memories are so short and things are conveniently forgotten when discussing MA.
    It was his squad that actually played both money rich City and Chelsea off the park (just as AW had done previously) AND let’s all remember that he took the massive decision to leave Ozil out of the squad completely…. now as a MO fan, I can recall how this decision was met and the praise he was given for being strong etc etc.

    He deserves full credit for that fa cup win and also the CS win against the runaway PL champions later.

    BUT that doesn’t excuse him for what has happened since and I sincerely hope he can find a position at a club where he can actually learn his trade, because The Arsenal is just to big a job for him…. Thanks for that great FA cup win Mikel, you deserves credit for that.

    1. Not so sure I would agree with Dan with regards to Tierney. But Dan is a very honest outspoken guy whose posts I enjoy and respect. Please treat this site for what it is. There is absolutely no need to get personal and insult people over their opinions or their English grammar. In the end we are all GOONERS.

  14. yes, he has indeed lost thhe dressing room. did you all see the leeds game today when they scalped spurs. that is how to play football, passion and 100% passion from the entire leeds team.could we have their manager please, can you imagine our prima ballerinas responding to Bielsa !!, they would not know what hit them. we need a staff revolution at the emirates. lets start by bringing a strong willed manager who will take no guff from our over paid players.i would actually retain arteta and demote him to assistant manager, if only to keep the continuity going. if he did not want a step down then say adios amigo.

  15. While I wouldn’t criticise anyone who wants Arteta out, I support him until the answer to one of these questions is Yes;
    1) Has he lost the dressing room?
    2) is he incapable of learning from his mistakes?

    I don’t think the evidence is unequivocal on either although two is more damning right now.

    Until then I support keeping him as while not even an average manager right now I believe he can very quickly become a very good one. Admittedly that’s more on gut and opinion from folks who know a lot more about football managing than I do.

  16. Arteta has one Arsenal negative record to break- winning a place among the relegated teams. He should be allowed to break it.

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