Has Arsenal’s blistering start to the season made Arteta’s job harder?
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal have started the new season with nine wins from their 10 Premier League outings, but does that make it easier or harder to for the boss to do his job?
With a gruelling 38-game league campaign to cope with, on the back of challenging to win the Europa League, Carabao Cup and FA Cup, Arteta will rightly be considering ways to rotate his squad, and at present, we have largely used our European exploits to give minutes to the extended squad.
While we have made wholesale changes to the line-up on Thursday nights, you could argue that the manager has still not rotated enough, and with the World Cup set to disrupt this season like no other, it is difficult to gauge the best plan of action to deal with the upcoming obstacles.
One thing we have always been punished by in previous seasons is injuries, and while we have already seen Thomas Partey, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Kieran Tierney missing this term, we have more than managed to come through fixtures unscathed. While others have stepped up when needed, you could argue that the manager could have a bit of wiggle room to rotate a little more than he has, but it would be wholly predictable to name Arteta’s XI for any game if we know who is and isn’t fit.
While we sit at the top of the table, we become a target, and many teams will change up their game. While teams will have previously come out to beat us, now more and more teams will instead opt to try and stop us, and try to play out a draw. By failing to rotate at all, we leave ourselves susceptible to becoming a little predictable, never mind fatigued, and we could well come unstuck, and that is without the added worry of losing a key player to injury due to overuse…
Do you believe that Arteta’s job is easier now because his team does more or less pick itself? Or does it open the door for complacency and actually make it more difficult to tinker with the side?
Patrick
CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, please contact us through this link…
Watch Arteta after nerve-wracking win at of Leeds!
Please enjoy, watch and subscribe to JustArsenalVids
Fixtures to World Cup Break;
Psv (H)
Southampton (A)
Psv (A)
Forest (H)
Zurich (H)
CHELSEA (A)
Brighton (H) EFL
Wolves (A) 11th Dec
Return Fixtures;
West Ham – 26th Dec (H)
Brighton – 31st Dec (A)
Newcastle – 2nd Jan (H)
If we can keep everyone fit for the remaining games we have a great chance to be Top of the table come the break. When we come back those 3 fixtures are not bad ones to have plus the window opens for incoming players that may be needed.
We are in a very good position also in the Europa League, beat PSV and we near enough guarnteed top spot avoiding UCL dropouts in next round which means finish Europa with fringe players.
Chelsea is the big one I can see us maybe dropping points at the bridge but if we can get by Chelsea unscathed I may start believing we can actually do this… without a doubt a Top4 finish and finally back in the Champions league also.
Fixtures are kind if we approach them all the same way we have over the season so far.
Harder, because:
– We haven’t visited many big teams’ turfs yet
– The oppositions begin to figure out how to deal with our tactics, as seen in our last two games
– Some of our players start to get injured
– The fixtures are getting congested, because of the four competitions
Arsenal still need to buy players in January. To have a big quality squad is an advantage when injuries set in. A midfielder and a winger will be fine. May be tonight game will convince Edu and Arteta to consider C.Gapko I really like the player, but I dont know who he will bench.
Gakpo is very productive since the last three seasons, but:
– It would likely cost a fortune to sign him in January, especially since he has a long-term contract
– I think he’ll only come if he’ll become our main LW, so Martinelli, Smith-Rowe or Nelson would likely be sold in next summer
The gaffer must play his biggest mind game yet.
And I will explain below how he should go about it.
Arteta should come out and declare he is not after winning the league this year as he is only using this to prepare for a bold attempt to win the 2023 – 2024 season so in short he’s on a dry run technically, while behind close door in the dressing room all attempt and focus is to win at all cost.
What this does would not only take the pressure off the team especially the youngster, but buy vital room to maneuver as we negotiate the grueling season ahead, it may come with a little risk but Xhaka could help with the process.
Ofcourse Klopp and Pepe would take it with a grain of salt
But this should be food for thought as we face our biggest potential bananas skin from the Saints, they are responsible for bringing to an end our longest unbeaten run since the invincible if my memory is correct.
Yes the gaffer has made his job harder by creating this huge expectation, it may take a little thinking out of the box from here onwards.
Same as it always was to be fair, jobs the job tough as it can be. In terms of fans it would be very difficult for anyone to move the goalposts to title or nothing so in that respect easier.
A silly and redundant question to ask us all, by PATRICK. And the reason why? Because it is plain anyone who has any brain at all, that a managers job is easier when his team is successful than when it is losing. The team does NOT more or les pick itself. MApicks the team he thinksbest suited to ech game, bearing in mind injuries, fatigue, tactical shape and opponents.
If that seriously NEEDS to be asked, then this site is in deep trouble as it is insulting our collective wit, by asking such a daft question!
Jon I was about to ask what sort of question is this? You beat me to it.
I don’t think Arteta’s Job as Arsenal manager is made easier but hard if not harder as Arsenal are leading the chasing parks in this season’s Epl title win charge.
Haven seen Arsenal reached this milestone this season as they sit on top of the League after playing 10 games. Arteta is under immense pressure to not flatter to deceive at this stage into the Epl campaign this season. More especially as the Gunners have started the season in a blistering form winning 9 out of the 10 games that they’re played in the Epl.
Going in into their next Europa League Cup match contest at home against PSV Eindhoven tomorrow. And at away to Southampton in the Epl next Sunday. Both the Gunners and Arteta and even us Gooners too are under intense pressure in our thoughts to see that Arsenal deliver the requisite two wins which us are desiring and want to see them get from those 2 vital games for us.
Which if they get the wins from those their two next matches, it will go a long way to further instill confidence in us as to our hopes and aspirations to win the Epl title again this season after our waiting for such a longtime that dated back to the Arsenal Invisibles season of 2023-2024 season’s campaign when the Gunners lifted the title trophy. More so this season, as Arsenal Epl title rival club sides of Tottenham Hs and Chelsea have all slipped in the table in their tonight Epl matches as Spurs lost at away to Man Utd while Chelsea played to a draw at home against Brentford. Which gives Arsenal a chance to increase the points gap between us Arsenal and they Spurs and Chelsea to 7 points and 10 points respectively if we beat the Saints on Sunday.
A situation that makes the Saints game a MUST win match for Arsenal before they take on Chelsea at the Bridge in two weeks time or so.
Wouldn’t it be hilarious if the Gunners at away and home beat both the Saints and Nottingham Forest before taking on the Blues to whitewashed them? Yes! I thinly it certainly will. .
The rotation is made a bit easier with the versality of
fx. Tomi and Ben White , the workrate of Xhaka and Cedric and hopefully
a positive introduction of Fabio and Marquinohoz to the PL ( the same goes for Matt Turner )..
It’s harder for the players
We’ve seen fatigue in the last game