Does Mikel Arteta winning the best manager in September give him a little credit? by Sylvester Kwentua
Hello Arsenal family all over the globe! I bring you greetings from a passionate Arsenal fan. The EPL returns this weekend and Arsenal, our darling team, will be locking horns against Crystal Palace at the Emirates stadium, and this is one game that may eventually test Arsenal’s defence, as Crystal Palace is known to harbour a deadly attacking force. However, despite their obvious strengths, something tells me Arsenal would win this match. With Mikel Arteta winning the manager of the month of September, there is this positivity in me that this may just be the tonic needed, to propel a slowly moving Arsenal train, up to speed.
Let us see things this way. In the last month, Arsenal didn’t lose any game! We didn’t win all our games either, but the fact that we halted our losing streak, and grinded out some impossible results, only implies that Arsenal, and to a large extent, Mikel Arteta, was starting to instil the ‘win at all cost’ attitude in the team, and this to a larger extent, improved the belief in the boys that they could actually win a game, without playing a good game.
Arteta right now is one of the most bashed managers in the world of sports, and even while he was grinding out results the hard way last month, nobody recognized his efforts. It has not been easy on a manager who actually has the potential in him, but is saddled with a job that even more experienced managers failed in. Winning the September 2021 Barclays manager of the month after guiding Arsenal to three straight victories, is all Arteta may actually need to propel him to even better outings in the month of October and subsequent months.
On Monday, something tells me we would see a free flowing Arsenal side that will keep the boys from Crystal Palace busy from start to finish. We would also score some beautiful goals and win the match. At the end of the 90 minutes, Arteta would have announced to the fans that he was ready to lead the team to something better than last season, for this season at the least. What do you think famz? Hope we share the same optimism?
Sylvester
He’s obviously talented, but inconsistent. However, he must reach top six in December, when he completes two years at Arsenal
3 years
2 years. 3rd season. Emery was fired end of November 2019.
@GAI, Arsenal will make top 4 this season. Note this down.
Man United have a clueless Manager.
Chelsea has a good first 11 but no depth. Lukaku will soon gas out and they will struggle.
Leicester are also struggling.
Only Man City and Liverpool are showing that consistency.
Man City
Liverpool
Chelsea
Arsenal
That is my prediction at the end of the season
Arsenal should buy Bissouma in January.
Chelsea have depth
@Skills1000 , it’s possible because other big teams play in Europe, whereas we can fully focus on EPL. But Arteta’s tactical decision in Brighton has made me doubt him
About January transfer window, I don’t think we’ll sign a new player. Some journalists said we’re looking for a new CF though
Spot on GAI
Do you remember when beating Burnley, Norwich(2 relegation favs) and Spurs was just considered normal and just another month? It wasn’t that long ago…
The fact that we got manager of the month for this shows how pathetically everyone actually views Arsenal nowadays that we actually got an award for this.
Credit to MA yes for doing better but overall this should be nothing to write home about for Arsenal. He still hasn’t bettered Arsenal, we are just a bit “less worse” recently.
I’ll wait until the end of the year, and see if we finish better than 8th. I didn’t demand he get sacked after first 3 games, and I won’t crown him “redeemed” after the last series of matches.
I’ll wait until we show consistency and a style of play
@PJSA,
Listen we were the only team in the league who won 3/3. And with a GD of 5-1. Everyone else lost points.
I’m a huge critic of MA but the award was given to the right guy. It would be a travesty of someone with 7/9 points gets the nod ahead of someone with all wins.
@DaJuhi.
Fair play to you, and well said.
You fully admit you remain a critic of Arteta, but are balanced enough to give credit where it’s due.
Given the extreme polarisation of opinion re’ M A, I find your comment really refreshing.
Simply because “We are The Arsenal” , and have beaten the three teams in question regularly throughout our history, should any given Arsenal manager NOT be considered for such an award because it makes us appear pathetic “ ?
The last time an Arsenal manager picked up this particular award was Arsene back in 2015 – so perhaps not so “pathetic”.
What’s the alternative, lose all 3 in the month simply to add traction to the Arteta out stance ?
Again, well said DaJuhi.
We’d be top of the league based on October results. It has nothing to do with lower expectations for Arsenal.
Not yet. But MA is redeemable
We finished 8th place twice in a row under him and had an awful start. I’ll see how the next several matches go. We should be at least 6th place by December. That will make me happier
COYG
Just give the man a ten year contract.We want noone else
Well done MA for winning MOM. In truth it means little on its own, like Man of the match, or goal of the month, its an accolade for micro success. August he got Chump of the month, September MOM, the thing that counts and always has is where you are in the league. At the end of the season if a manager gets 6 MOMs but finishes behind someone who got less or none, the plaudits would go to the later and the rest is forgotten. No plastic awards please just real meaningful ones really count.
It’s so ironic that most critics of MA gave him plenty of occupational leeway before adopting a hard line position, yet those whom exist within the apologist realm want everyone to heap plaudits on him whenever a sliver of hope arises…please keep in mind, minus the father/son WestBrom affair, we’ve had one performance of any consequence since the start of the season
What on Earth is “the father/son WestBrom affair”?
And why is everyone who enjoyed going unbeaten in September “an apologist”?
You must know this person always writes something condescending about those who do not share his views.
He and certain others have taken a rigid position based on their parochial view of the world.
They are hoping that Arteta’s Arsenal fail so that they can gloat. That is more important to them at this time than Arsenal’s results.
Most sensible fans are well aware that there is a long way to go in the league. That does not stop them from celebrating the little successes.
The good results and accolades improve the team’s morale and confidence and can help a team develop momentum.
that’s how I refer to that ridiculous 6-0 Cup match, when MA’s starting XI boasted 348 senior international caps, whereas West Brom made 11 changes from their win at Blackburn, handing out five debuts with an average age of under 23…for any manager who’s really concerned about the long-term viability of their respective club, not their short-term job security, that match was tailor made for developmental/deep bench selection options….thus the “father/son” game comparisons
as for your second comment, I’m not sure you fully understood the tenor of my statement regarding those whom I refer to as “apologists”…I wasn’t suggesting that anyone needed to make apologies for an unbeaten record in September, I was simply remarking that those who were heaping praise on Arteta following a fairly unspectacular 4 game run, from an “eye test” capacity, which included two 1-0 affairs, a rather underwhelming tie and a convincing Spurs victory, should have a little more perspective, instead of using this as a way to slag those who remain logically skeptical
I had a feeling you might bin my earlier response, but surely you must understand the point I was trying to make
TRVL,
all i see is that you start your “snotty-nosed kid” routine with anyone who doesn’t wholeheartedly agree with your negativity.
Some of us want to enjoy life, taking the ups with the downs, not consistently tell us that our manager is definitely going to fail.
I don’t understand why you enjoy putting other people down.
Please explain….
so let me get this straight, you and everyone else whom doesn’t agree with either my well-reasoned critique of our manager or the manner in which I deliver my particular message, without vulgarities I might add, have carte blanche to direct disparaging remarks towards myself, but whenever I respond in kind, my message, not theirs, disappears into the ether…this type of behaviour is both hypocritical and incredibly problematic, especially for someone sitting in the catbird seat…btw I’m far from a “snotty-nosed kid” and for you to insinuate otherwise makes you no better than the “me” you have falsely propagated on numerous occasions
Haha, I didn’t call you a “snotty-nosed kid” ever. I was referring to your habit of telling other readers to “wipe their noses” before commenting.
You just need to chill, you can be funny and your over-intellectualised put-downs can be interesting. But I’m just pleading with you to STOP insulting other readers that disagree with you.
Is that too much to ask?
btw the “wiping their noses” comment was in reference to the brownnosing expedition by the poster in question…instead of addressing me directly, they waited until you had entered the fray…so it was your public admonishment that gave them the requisite courage to “pile on”…they clearly believed that you provided them with a “safe space” to take pot shots at me without the possibility of any negative consequences…in fact, they likely expected that you would applaud their efforts, which was rather disconcerting, to say the least
What efforts,trvl. This is called ‘piling on’ is it?
You must know this person always writes something condescending about those who do not share his views.
Hardly aggressive is it? Especially when it’s true!
(And then you proved him right!)
Don’t get me wrong Admin, I’m by no means suggesting that I’m being victimized by the poster in question…as you’re well-aware of by now, I truly relish engaging in some back-and-forth, and if I had my druthers I would love if you provided considerably more latitude in this regards…in the end, all I was asking for was some consistency when it came to the “policing” of words…presently, if you were Arteta, I’m being treated like Guendo, whereas everyone who supports your rainbows and unicorns philosophical approach to all things Arsenal-related is being treated like Xhaka
So tell me why I should delete this true comment…. “You must know this person always writes something condescending about those who do not share his views.”
But you complain I was wrong to delete your reply which was “… this was the functional equivalent of trying to appease the teacher with a bushel of apples…for the love of God, wipe your nose before going out in public.”
Do you consider the first an attack on you? But your reply was okay?
Look, I’m not going to say this again, but I don’t CARE whether you think mine, or anyone elses, view is ” rainbows and unicorns philosophical approach to all things Arsenal-related”
All i WANT is you and anyone else, to stop insulting people who don’t share your views. As I say this is the LAST time I’m going to say it. We’ve wasted enough words on this. Stop insulting people and I will stop deleting your comments. You are not the victim, so stop acting like I’m victimizing you and just TALK ABOUT ARSENAL!
btw I did say the exact same thing as you, regarding not considering myself a “victim”, in the very first line of my previous post, so I’m not sure why you would be suggesting such a thing…as for the issue at hand, it wasn’t so much about the condescension, as I merely stated that it was ironic that someone living in a glass house would be throwing stones, but the implications of statements like “wanted us to lose simply to gloat: or “sensible” fan nonsense, which is just a more passive aggressive way to express the same sentiments as I’m expressing, but in a far less creative manner…that’s all, no need to beat this dead horse any further(lol)
@GAI, Arsenal will make top 4 this season. Note this down.
Man United have a clueless Manager.
Chelsea has a good first 11 but no depth. Lukaku will soon gas out and they will struggle.
Leicester are also struggling.
Only Man City and Liverpool are showing that consistency.
Man City
Liverpool
Chelsea
Arsenal
That is my prediction at the end of the season
Arsenal should buy Bissouma in January.
“It’s so ironic that most critics of MA gave him plenty of occupational leeway before adopting a hard line position”………..I’m one of them……arsenal are 6 points behind the leaders…..and I do know that all the teams have improved a lot..it’s not like before….so every team will drop points……Arsenal do have a chance of getting to the top 6……they can beat 10 teams with Arteta as manager……..if we get into the top 4 then this manager will do for now cos with Newcastle and their new suger daddy…top 4 is going to be difficult………Arteta is going nowhere so I’ll back him and the players……….for now
Arteta has made us a bit more difficult team to beat, it’s early doors but his defensive signings look like an upgrade on the whole. The young age bracket makes it exciting, watching them grow, as a team we defend under Arteta, that was not often the case under our previous three managers/coach. He deserves credit for that, it was our defending mentality that helped seal those wins.