Mikel Arteta has admitted that he is worried about the season ahead after his Arsenal side conceded yet another goal because of defensive lapses on the ball.
The Gunners gifted Chelsea their second goal when Hector Bellerin seemingly gifted possession to Tammy Abraham in their defensive third, whilst their opening goal came from being dispossessed in midfield, with the Blues quickly thrusting the ball into attack for Time Werner to pounce into action.
Last season we witnessed way too many goals going against us due to errors also, and the manager has admitted that seeing another error today has given him ‘worries’.
“It worries me because when you give the ball away when you’re in the position we’re in, in one or two passes they can attack your goal,” Arteta told Arsenal Media after full-time against Chelsea. “It’s a really difficult situation to resolve. From those situations as well, we created many chances today. We need to know when to take the risk. It’s more about the perception and interpreting the players that we have to use in certain areas more than the actual action. But you know that against these teams, they punish you in the Premier League.”
I don’t think my heart can take too much more of the errors that we almost became accustomed to last season, and am hoping that certain players (who don’t even need naming) will either be sold on, or will learn to focus better in these clutch situations, otherwise the manager will need to make the big decisions on his team selection and put things right, or eighth place could prove to be the best we can hope for.
How often do you see the Champions League teams giving away easy goals?
Patrick
Because MA has not got a clue about managing a big club and he as ad 18 month’s to sort it but he can’t. Until you lot can see it we will be in a fright to get out of the bottom 6 with him in charge
Play Bellerin and that’s what you get….so many times.
Not really bellerine per se. He did not play much last time. Arteta is forcing playing form behind football with players not suited for the system, Staring with the weakest lik Leno, He cant keep his nervers and he is not quick with his feet for this.
Sorry Tom, we can register only 25 men for the season, but with Leno (average),Bellerin (horrible), Holding (average) Kolasinac (uselessly below average ) Xhaka (poor) Eleney (below average) Laca (average) Pepe(average) Willian (poor) Nelson (average) Eddie (poor) Those are 11 poor to average players for a club with top 4 ambitions. Deadwood have to move for players to come in. Ben is a replacement for Luiz. Tavares is a replacement for Kolasinac who will “honor his contract” Sambi has come in for Cabellos (who in turn came in for Guendozi) Plus we still have Torrera and we have no clue what will happen to him. AMN wants his MF position and seems adamant.
Mikel inherited a troubled club, give the man time till the deadwood is gone, he will have to honor their contracts as no one whats them, Mikel’s hand are tied and we all know it, but some without perspective keep bashing him. His mistake I feel this season is to keep Xhaka, a repeat of previous season. With Villa strenghtening, Everton with Rafa, top ten seems to be a decent result if the above mentioned error prone players are not removed from the club .
As long as he still stands by players who are clearly not up to the task then these kinds of mistakes are always going to happen.
There is still far too much “deadwood” embedded in the Arsenal Squad.Unfortunately the one thing that most of them have in common is a salary which does not represent their abilities..meaning that they are nearly all impossible to sell and in a couple of cases…even “give away”.
Joel
I agree with you on too many “dead woods” in the team. For instance Bellerin should not be making such mistakes considering his experience. Also, we still need players with grits in our midfield. Players that would lose possession and equally fight to regain it back like Yves Bissuoma. I just hope Arteta and Edu knows the type of players they need to buy. It’s good the market is open after this game.
Please sign maddison,lautaro,ramsdale,and new right back
Overall a pretty disastrous game for Arsenal. Another defensive mistake, this time by a player we are looking to sell, plus a serious ankle sprain that will keep Partey out for 5 weeks. Willock’s strike was over the line but not given, and to cap it all a good goal by Abraham who Chelsea want us to sign for £40m, but who we don’t need.
I agree Biscuitburn
What our opponents have finally figured out is: if you aggressively press our midfield especially when we attempt to play out from the back, there is almost a 50% chance of winning possession in a dangerous position. Our build up play is too slow and predictable, lacking intensity and purpose. Do we still have enough time to sign replacements for Hector and Granit – players clearly not suited to the style of play? Worried, would be the polite word.
He speaks as though he is managing the under nine’s on Sunday!
We’re talking about what used to be one of the biggest clubs in the world!!!
My god how far we have fallen!
The guy is so out of his depth it beggars belief..
Arteta should look in the mirror to answer his question and concern.
18 months and REPEATING SAME MISTAKES, the buck stops with the manager. No excuse why this still happens, yet Arteta avoids accountability.
10 players so far he’s hand picked, spent over 150 million in transfers and wages, so who is to blame?
Can’t put this on Krone, board, Edu, or the fans.
This monstrosity is solely down to Arteta and his inability to improve play from the back, tactics he insists on.
Evolutionary improvement by December he has to go, his excuses have dried up.
It’s not about preseason results, it’s about
1. Individual performances & preparation
2. Showing instructional improvement from last year
3. Improvement in buildup play
4. Eliminating costly mistakes
5. Learning from mistakes last year.
18 months now and STILL play like a pub team building up from the back
18 months and still overwhelming side and back passes
18 months and we crumble when midfield and defenders are pressured.
Really starting to question Arteta’s “coaching” ability while continuing to see same mistakes repeated.
Rookie or not ANY manager worth anything should have corrected this in 18 MONTHS! Especially if he mandates this type buildup, players should be capable and confident of this after a year and a half.
Completely the managers fault, yet some will ignore any accountability from the manager, and will cite final 7 matches over 2 8th place finishes.
Stop playing crap players! Bellerin is just the worst!
Identical issues to last season:
-decent possession with very few genuine opportunities created
-sideways and backwards passing
-slow through the midfield
-Auba missing sitters
-Laca getting no service
-lots of mistakes at the back
-MA forcing Leno to play out from the back when he clearly can’t
This is exactly what all the MA are voting for! I support Arsenal over and above MA!
Maybe Mikel Arteta should drop into see George Graham about how to train a defense. George could bring along his length of string with Martin Keown, Tony Adams and ex coach Steve Bould to demonstrate.
As has been said by others Arsenal has became too “nice” and there appears to be no ramifications for players’ poor performances. Can anybody imagine what the old Arsenal defenders would have said to one of their number in the dressing room, after he had made a mistake like Bellerin’s? Let alone having to face George Graham himself?
Structure, discipline, bravery and commitment in defense are required from players and manager.
Agree Ozzie, the “nice” culture was brought in by Wenger. Unai tried to change it and got sacked. Mikel tried to change it, it is just to rigid to be straightened. No one wants these players, I feel we made a huge mistake not accepting the penuts we were being offered for Xhaka. A good wake up call before the season starts, so no high expectations with these players.
Arteta has actually trained the defense very well. Took on a dreadful defense, and made them the 3rd best in the league last season. If you look at last season, rarely were we torn open at the back, which happened all the time under Emery and Wenger. Tactically, it’s the best defending we’ve seen for something like 15 years. What’s costing us is the individual errors.
The individual errors are down to a lack of quality. Mari, Holding, Bellerin and Chambers are not starting quality, but until we can get more in and out, Arteta can only work with what he has. Great signing in White, and Gabriel when back, will really strengthen us.
Because we were passisng sideways all the time and hence finsished in the worst position in over a quarter a century.
The best form of defence is not only attack but you need fast and brutal defenders. Leno is mot suited for passing from behind and in such type of play a golie has more touches than any one defender.
Just throw ALL the money at Antonio Conte and BACK him!!
I cant understand why MA is insisting to play from the back when our players simply cannot adapt to it. Unless there is a see change in tactics, player attitude in terms of taking responsibility I fear for the worst. Hope things change for the better.
You said it all Patrick, it’s very difficult to watch. Arteta owes it to all of us to find ways to dispose of those lazy players in the squad who have constantly undermined the labor and efforts of others and bring us pain in the process. It is very plain to see that they have mentally checked out and are no longer desirous to give their all. Hector Bellerin has often made it clear that he can no longer be trusted to give us his best so why not let him and the likes walk away even if it is for free or whatever they’re able to get. He has been very annoying over the past seasons, worse than Willian.
Do not plan any player that does not want to play for you, unless he is fully dedicated to the vision and is professional enough to separate emotions from a call of duty, keep him out if not, the sad story will continue endlessly. Thomas and his injuries, it’s time something is done about it, we can’t have and yet not have him. Can someone tell Partey to please STAND UP
So sad to see the same non-productive football. So sad to see so many lesser quality players hogging the team and the books. It was groundhog Day against Chelsea. I thought there would be different football….but it was the same. “If thing’s don’t change they stay as they are”. Our football needs refreshing. A new midfield maestro….why not Aouar? Definitely Max Aarons at RB. Laca and Auba are generally past their peak together. We need one to leave and some quality forward in. Please no more Willian, he must go. Another season of Xhaka is detrimental to progressive football. Elneny tries hard but he is totally one-dimensional. Hope it will not be the ‘same old, same old’. Disturbing.
One closer look at the build-up leading to Chelsea’s first goal against us shows our team’s weakness clearly. When there was a turnover of possession after a couple of scrambles, Chelsea had two attacking players in our half with only one defender ahead of them between them and the goal. The ball fell kindly to one and he fed the other to score the goal. But, if any of us remember our games last season, whenever we regained possession of the ball, our forward players had to make a dash from deep within our own half with at least a couple of defenders ahead of them to intercept any dangerous balls. Until this is addressed, our chances of scoring goals and there by winning matches are very slim.
I disagree with people that wants the exit of Zakah, he may not be as good as you wanted but honestly without him last season we really struggled to draw matches not to talk of winning. Tell me a midfielder in our current midfield that gives accurate long rage passes and that ability to encourage others to put in their best during matches. Zakah has a good leadership quality than our current captain a leader that will not be happy with a bad result. Among all to be offload i will want Zakah to still remain with the team. My opinion thank you.