Charles Watts has reacted to Arsenal’s poor performances in January.
The Gunners didn’t win any of their last five matches, which ended with a 0-0 draw against Burney.
That is not the form of a club that wants to finish inside the top four.
While the Gunners struggle, the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham are gradually moving up on the league standings.
Arsenal has now been dumped out of the two domestic cup competitions and they are behind in the race for the top four.
This is hardly what fans expected at the end of last year, and we need to win as many matches as possible now.
After the match, Arsenal correspondent Watts tweeted: “And there ends a horrible month for Arsenal. Five games, no wins, out of two cup competitions and now behind in the hunt for the top four.”
Just Arsenal Opinion
This has truly been a tough month for Arsenal as a club, and we can only hope for much better performances from February onwards.
This Arsenal team can do better than it has done so far, and Mikel Arteta needs to get his stars in top shape.
Since the transfer window is still open, the club should try its best to sign a reliable attacker or two before it closes.
In a way it feels like piling on, but when it looks like a duck and acts like a duck, well you know the rest…although it might be difficult for some fans to hear, our current manager simply doesn’t possess the tactical nous required to take ANY team forward, especially not one that has so much to do in the coming months and years…to MA’s credit, he has brought a couple of viable starting and cover options to the fold, all of whom are young enough to contribute for the foreseeable future, but that’s where his positive contributions end…that said, we simply can’t allow this manager-in-training to remain at the helm much longer for fear that should we continue to spin our wheels some of these blue-chippers might seek greener pastures or, even worse, MA’s propensity for opting for such a stifling brand of football could severely hinder both the developmental process and their respective market valuations…to fully understand the highly problematic nature of his continued employment one needs only to properly assess our current roster from tip to tail and try to envision, from what his shown thus far, where we’re realistically going
Five games without a win or a horrible month is a little hysterical. Some of those negative results were, in fact, fairly positive.
Arsenal did lose at home to Man City 1-2, but considering the red card against Gabriel in the 59th minute, Arsenal played a highly competitive match against the champions and first-place side.
The 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup was down to Mikel Arteta naming a weak team, with Nuno Tavares, Cedric, Charlie Patino, and Eddie Nketiah all players who rarely play getting big minutes. That is a combination of setting priorities and managerial hubris, as well as a lack of understanding of his team. Arsenal have the team to win this game, but those players were not playing.
The 0-0 draw away to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semi-final was a good result regardless of other factors. Add in the red card to Xhaka in the 24th minute and the draw represents an excellent performance.
The loss to Liverpool at home, 2-0 in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final has to be listed under the ‘expected result’ category.
A 0-0 draw at home to Burnley is a poor result, but it is one that is possible at any moment; again as a result of managerial hubris. Mikel Arteta, at the behest of the board or on his own, picked a fight with his captain and best forward. What should have been a routine internal issue and a couple of game suspension became a public humiliation of a star player and a loss of an important player for reasons that have more to do with the manager’s inability to manage his players than anything else.
The weakness of the team is more down to deliberate managerial choice and poor man management than quality of the Arsenal squad. Lucas Orreira, Mateo Guendouzi, William Saliba, Hector Bellerin, Jeff Reiss Nelson, and Konstantinos Mavropanos all represent players who would add depth and quality to Arsenal’s first team, but have been exiled from the club due to the fragility of Mikel Arteta’s ego.
Arsenal need to buy a midfielder in January in now small part because two very good senior midfielders; Guendouzi (having a terrific year with Marseilles) and Torreira (likewise performing well for Fiorentina) are on loan. The team needs a striker immediately because Arsenal’s best forward has been banished from the team. There is no quality depth at right back because Hector Bellerin, a 10 year starting right back is on loan and having a terrific season for Real Betis.
These are managerial failures, not failures related to the quality of the players at the club.
I wholeheartedly agree with you, may I add it was right to send AMN out on loan to increase stock value, he should have been sold over the summer. Guendouzi should have been back with us at the beginning of the season and Arteta earning his money by actually managing and turning the player’s bad attitude into a positive attitude, that’s his job at the end of the day. Did Brendan Rodgers give up on Suarez after he developed a penchant for human flesh? Did Alex Furguson give up on Kung-fu Cantona for fly kicking a supporter?
Saka is is a little gem but he looks jaded lately, where’s £72M Pepe to give him competition for his place?
I want to see us sign a new striker but we have Auba, how can he not come in and help us out? I can’t believe he has transformed into a mediocre player from what he was. Something is not right and it’s Arteta’s job to fix it and get him firing! There are no excuses for not getting the best you can, out of the resources you have as a manager.
Lokonga was hiding today, he did not want to get into space to receive the ball. Shows a lack of confidence. Someone remind me how much money he is on? £50,000 a week. Many people don’t earn this in a year. All he’s got to do is run into space and be an outlet for a pass but no, he wants to hide behind another player. Well I’m sure there’s someone else out there that would gladly accept the 50,000 reasons we are giving him, to do the job for us with more confidence. Wilshire would snap your hand off for half of that and not be shy to receive the ball!
ESR subbed for Nketia??? I’m sorry, that one is baffling, if anything Laca should have been hooked but why not sacrifice Holding or Tierney for an extra attacker and go for it in the last 20 minutes?
From what I’ve seen lately, it’s Arteta that needs to go out on loan (maybe Everton) and Wenger comes in as caretaker. Meanwhile, while we wait for PSG to sack Poch, which is inevitable unless he wins every competition PSG are in, which must be the expectation considering they have the best front 3 in the world, Neymar, Mbappe and Messi. Fast forward to the end of the season, Wenger pulls off top four with his wry grin, Arteta gets much needed experience and when Poch comes in, Arteta back to putting the cones out.
To Edu: Guendouzi and Saliba recalled asap, the Kronkes have got expensive lawyers, use them. Flash some serious American dosh in the face of Vlahovic’s dodgy agent and get him to pile the striker into the boot of his car and drive him to us, kicking and screaming if need be. Give him a 48 hour deadline, if he is one minute late delivering the player, bosh an offer over to Real Sociadad and get Isak. Sort it out, we haven’t forgotten the paydays you’ve been handing out to old Brazilian players and their agents recently (Luiz, William, Mari – yes I know Mari is Spanish but he was acquired from Flamengo).
Just remember all those analyst’s that told us we had improved because last January to may we were second in the league and that proved everything. Well let this realist and non day dreamer tell you all THE SEASON IS FROM AUGUST TO MAY and not anything other than, which we never seem to get right. What good has crowing about jan to may last season done us? JS thats what!!!!!