I was reassured by Mikel Arteta’s pre match Champions League press conference.
He rightfully stood by his convictions from Saturday, but stressed that he also looks inwards and asks himself what could he have done better?
It’s almost like someone had a quiet word and said, while happy to back him with the club statement, from a PR perspective he needed to take some accountability as well. Or at least pretend in front of the public.
I hope our manager wasn’t just saying what we want to hear.
I pray he has the ability to recognise his errors.
While the best coaches don’t get pressurised to make decisions, the greats can also recognise when something is not working.
They put their ego to one side and admit they were wrong for the sake of the team.
That’s why our starting line up on Wednesday is crucial.
Let me stress, we should be beating a team 15th in La Liga on home soil.
Long term though, who starts against Sevilla could give us a sign of how realistic a title challenge is.
Because you rarely become Champions with an average keeper and striker.
Now is the time to see if our boss understands that.
I understands the need to protect Raya’s and Nketiah’s confidence.
Yet if your able to be ruthless towards Ramsdale and drop him based on small details then by the same criteria, Raya’s body of work is enough to be dropped.
The keeper in his 10 fixtures as a Gunner has made more errors then Ramsdale has in two years.
Given Arteta claimed he didn’t have a number 1 and would select based on game from game it’s getting harder for Ramsdale to be on the bench without questioning from Gooners.
At the other end of the pitch, we need a plan B until we can buy a striker in January.
It’s not just that Eddie doesn’t score enough it’s he’s not as busy as Jesus. Jesus is unpredictable in his movement, moving to the wing, coming short for the ball.
Eddie is old fashioned; he comes alive in the penalty area but is invisible elsewhere.
A Martinelli through the middle or Trossard as a false 9 gives us unpredictability, with defenders then not knowing who to mark.
If Raya and Eddie start both of the next two games, we don’t win the title.
It means Arteta can’t admit he’s got it wrong.
Dan
The whole world except arteta and Edu including pundits and fans of other clubs have observed that Raya and Havertz aren’t credible additions and have lowered Arsenal standards . Arsenal is struggling to play well; Arsenal is strugling to score goals. Why can’t Arteta admit the fact and make the necessary changes on time to save our title chances.
Who knows if we wouldn’t have won at Chelsea and had at least a draw at Newcastle in the absence of these 2 players? Why can’t Arteta play Zinchenko at midfield?
Raya is 2 times better than ramsdale
It is absolutely difficult to agree that Raya is better than Ramsdale.
Raya is unfortunately very careless.
They are both good but Ramsdale is careless some times.
Too careless
Too careless and Jesus is useless in the team. We are better without him in th team
They played well at St James Park and Nketiah tried to stand on the ground despite his small stature against Newcastle’s towering CBs. It was Magalhaes who was flopping around at the slightest touches
Spot on GAI.Neither Ramsdale nor Raya are top quality keepers imo, and I certainly hope we do not take up our option to buy the Spaniard at the end of the season.As for Gabriel,he is back in panic mode and should be replaced by Kwior.
I also think Ramsdale and Raya have similar abilities, so Arsenal had better use the money to sign another player instead of another GK
I want to see Kiwior too in tonight’s game
Raya is far better than Ramsedel but with Nketia it is a mistake , cos Jesus costed us last season, how can you fail to add on a good finisher to the squard instead you buy a chelsea flop along of many yet xhaka was one of our best players last season.
Sometimes Magalhaes plays too much of high-end which causes him to press the panic button. But at some point, I think this is the coaches plan to press.
Ramsdale is a better keeper and character than Raya, he’s also younger and will improve. His mentally is of a winner too. Never happy with his performance, mark my words he’ll be one of the best in years to come.
Played well? The score sheet says 0-1. which means we did not score any goal! Agree GabM had some bad moments but the score sheet says 0-1, the only goal scored was due to Mr. Flappy hands getting caught out (nothing unusual)
Mikel is too proud to swallow his pride and admit his mistakes. Raya, Zinny, Kiwor, Partey, Joprginho, Elneny, Kai, Eddie, Nelson, GabJ – 10 players on our rolls, either useless or perennially injured. We could have had 10 better players – some on the starting line up, some on the bench for squad depth
Gai, be real without sentimental judgment. if Raya didn’t miss his positioning he would have done better with Wilock cross he flopped. GMagahaes isn’t to blame. I don’t understand a CF playing well without an end product all I see was Nketiah running around without any cutting edge. He was average in the game. Raya and VAR cost us the game. Let’s move on.
Completely agree. Raya has cost us a lot of points in just a few games, and is certainly not Champions League calilbre! Will Arteta be able to admit to his mistake though? I really hope so, but my guess is that he won’t unfortunately.
Despite Raya inconsistency yet he’s still better than Ramsdale.
A lot? How many?
It will be statement enough to switch keepers, and with the possibility of Eddie being injured, nothing more needs to be said.
Short keepers are a no-no.
Ramsdale and Raya are not top keepers.
Nketiah has never been good enough.
Championship level at best.
How the hell he has played so many first-team games is unforgivable.
A so-called top side relying on him is a joke.
All this talk about Ramsdale!
He was in goal against West Ham in the League Cup and conceded three – the highest the team has concede this season. And yet we keep making him up as the better option!
Or is it because he is English? Sigh.
Please let the coaches do their job.
Thank you very much Ramsdale is prone to Silly mistakes that Costs the team we should the Coach do he’s job without so much noise Competition is healthy if he wants to be back he earn it by training hard like his team mates period
👌
Spot on especially the last sentence 😉
No I think it’s because Raya in 10 games has.paased the ball to Alvarez and Palmer
Was at fault for Lilles goal and in NLD
Has been out of position for crosses at the Bridge and Saint James Park
Spot on
Where is Odegaard?
What is the mystery injury ?
I suspect there is more to this than what Arteta is
letting know
What are you suggesting?
SueP
I think there is more to this considering the fact that Arteta has not been forthcoming on the type of injury and the fact that he said Odegaard loves to play for his country plus he made Jorginho captain for the Newcastle game.
Maybe I am reading too much into it but if I am the manager and a question comes about fitness I would answer a lot clearer than Arteta.
What I am worried most is the fact he is messing with the team too much and e can see the signs on the performances so far this season.
Hopefully I am wrong.
So do I
My mind was saying this could be a knock but the team news says he is injured.
Agree on Raya never rated him at Brentford. There is a reason during the summer where the spuds and chavs were desperately looking for a goalkeeper and didnt sound him out. It is time for Ramsdale to be reinstated.
Eddie… sorry, but no…
Comparing Eddie and Jesus is like comparing Chalk and Cheese.
As you have pointed out, Jesus is a hybrid forward who can play across the front line and create his own opportunities. He will always vacate the space by coming deep to search for the ball which can be infuriating when we play with 2 wingers who should be putting the ball in the box. Hence why Saka and Martinelli will always invert looking to either pass the ball or take a shot.
Eddie is the total opposite who is happier to play in front of the central defenders and be a nuisance in the penalty area. Unfortunately, as I have said above with the way we are programmed to play he never gets the service and appears anonymous, which isn’t Eddie’s fault as it is not within his skill set.
I stand by this… if you supply the opportunities to Eddie he will score a lot of goals.
Anyway getting back to the point…
Will MA put his ego to one side… like 🦆 will he. You will have more chance of getting blood out of a stone.
Man, I don’t know about anything anymore.
Whenever Xhaka did something to piss of the fans and they start calling for his head, I used to think to myself, who else are you gonna replace him with? Who else is gonna plug the gaping hole of grittiness, crispness of passes, steeliness of presence and quality ball advancement that will be left behind? Maybe ESR if he could learn the art of raising his head and pinging a ball.
I already knew he will be hard to replace. Just didnt know his loss will affect everyone from Saka to Jesus to Odegaard and others. Just plug in the match where Xhaka is on the field at the same time as these players and see for yourself.
I shuddered at the thought of a reality where we were priced out of Declan Rice and had to face this season without him, Xhaka and Partey
It is amazing how well we cleared out overpaid players we did not want only to get new overpaid players like KH.
I guess is it Mikel’s players now vs Unai or Wenger’s
Same old story.
Except now we are back contending for the PL title 😉
I would like to think we could have done one better this year but it looks unlikely no ?
However you play it and whatever team Arteta selects, he will never, I repeat never, admit he was wrong about Raya and Nketiah, similarly regarding Havertz.
In general, Managers don’t like to admit that they were wrong because it makes them look weak and they don’t want to lower the confidence of the players I think
At least 50% of players who are sold or loaned in the Transfer Windows are considered failures by fans and Managers.Fans can vent their frustrations verbally but Managers have to be more diplomatic as they may be working with these failures in future when they are sacked by their current employers.
Interesting how Pepe was deemed surplus or not good enough by Arteta, yet he continues to “showcase” Havertz, in spite of his underperformances. I don’t think Arteta will own up to his mistake on a level with Pepe’s transfer.
Nketiah has proven time and time again he is not good enough to be at Arsenal. 6 years over 140 appearances, yet some will still find excuses for him, and Arteta is among them. Cut the cord it is time he is moved on.
Raya is a player Arteta has wanted before this year, absolutely no way Arteta admits he is not an improvement on Ramsdale.
Neither GK is pulling up trees; both repeat mistakes and don’t seem to learn and improve. Don’t really see an improvement in the GK department regardless of who plays.
Raya was a stupid signing, Nketiah a waste of time, Viera totally lightweight in every way, and worse of all Havertz for £65 mill is rubbish, was Arteta pissed when he signed Havertz, because that would be his only excuse.
We were close last year and MA mismanagement of players and lack of rotation (plenty of easy games to have rotated players) cost us the league
We went backwards this year after 200 mil spent.
And if Rice was not here we would be further back.
I hope Arteta is not in a conspiracy to oust Ramsdale from Arsenal.
Conspiracy theory???? Tell me more…..