Following the mid-season break, Arsenal will face Crystal Palace to kick off the second half of the 2023–24 season.
Of course, the Gunners expect a win in that game to reverse their recent losing streak of three games. Aside from that, there are expectations for the coming months. Gooners expect the Gunners to enjoy a strong second half of the season, picking up win after win.
Mikel Arteta, on the other hand, may need to tweak one or two aspects of his team for this “perfect run.” If it weren’t for the FFP regulations, they could make some marquee signings this winter, but they can’t because they overspent last summer.
Arteta may need to rely on what he has. Emile Smith Rowe is one of the players he can consider to change his fortunes. The Hale End graduate has not played much, but some believe he can be a difference-maker for Arsenal going forward.
🗣Emile Smith Rowe: "The injury is behind me and I want to kick on by getting on the pitch."💪 pic.twitter.com/4ErljdNQZI
— Arsenal Techy👩💻 (@immatechy) January 20, 2024
Some believe he is the definitive answer to the LCM position, which hasn’t been adequately filled since Granit Xhaka’s departure. Kai Havertz has performed well in recent weeks, but integrating him into the team has cost Arsenal efficiency on the left wing. With the title race on the line, it is time for Arteta to be ruthless and attempt something new, such as playing Smith Rowe as the left-sided No. 8.
The 23-year-old’s ability to carry the ball into the final third is exactly what the LCM role requires; he would offer something fresh.
Though I recommend him as an LCM, he can also be used as an RCM. Alternatively, during games, he can swap with Odegaard. That would offer Arsenal the unpredictability that Arteta has always spoken about.
Interestingly, reports from the Arsenal Dubai training camp claim that Emile Smith-Rowe was the one who stood out the most. If he was fantastic in that camp, Mikel Arteta should give him an opportunity in the next few weeks; he may not regret it.
Emile Smith Rowe could be like a new signing, and may be the spark that sets Arsenal on fire again.
Sam P
MID-SEASON Report – Here is the latest DUBLIN ARSENAL video featuring OZZY, EAMONN, CRAIG and Jonathan looking back at how the Gunners performed in the first half of the 2023/24 season
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Logical thinking surely says that either MA uses ESR and doeas so PROPERLY – which means NO pointless last three minutes subs – OR he sells him this window. PoIntless last few minutes sub appearances alone, will only reduce any transfer value he has, to NO BENEFIT whatever to AFC.
As things stand currently, we have a talented, young, fit, loyal and engaging young player whose use to us is being almost entirely wasted and that is only down to MA.
Personally, I hope that ESR is immediately reinstated as a regular starter and that our far too cautious manager AT LONG LAST, actually realises what a talent we have but whom he, MA HIMSELF, is wasting. Sigh!
Absolutely spot on so I wont add to it
Oh, but some commenters say he’s injured ALL the time. The lengths some will go to excuse anything the manager does or doesn’t do is annoying to say the least. Generally, I support MA but I wish he would let everyone know the real reason(s) why ESR is not being played. We could at least not have to continue guessing whether he has good reasons or whether he is being an idiot in our opinions.
I am sure most will agree with you but when I (and others) say Arteta is the specialist in devaluing players I am called dishonest or someone who does not speak the truth.
I am not surprised and I don’t care as I have already realized long ago we live in an era where truth has become a lie and the lie is said to be truth according to who say it and what agenda it fulfills.
Sadly we live in an agenda filled era and very few of us see it as it is!
HH, We, and by “we”, I mean humankind, at least those of us fortunate enough to live in countries where a form of democracy is practised, albeit imperfectly,as in Britain, in my case, ARE VERY WELL AWARE that most large institutions, including all corporate entities DO INDEED have an agenda.
MOSTLY THIS INVOLVES HUGE PERSONAL AND CORPORATE WAGE RISES, PRTOFITS AND POWER OVER OTHERS.
Many institutions are either useless or corrupt or both. FIFA, UEFA AND IFAB being prime examples of BOTH, among the ones concerned with football. Although I think it best to trust individuals until threyprove untrustworthy, I tend to automatically distrust large groups of peole under a corporate banner. PARLIAMENT , The Church of England and Roman Catholicism, the Penal system and many more, in Britain and elsewhere, are fundamentally uncaring of others and essentillay corrupt from top to bottom.
Although ALL contain SOME GOOD INTENTIONED PEOPLE, WHO ARE HOWEVER, MOSTLY HELPLESS TO CHANGE THE STATUS QUO who fail to chage things en mased for tth good of others. The Post Office scandal, infected blood victime som egoing back ove rforth years are case in point.
Even though now outed. the many helpless victims are STILL chasing evasive PROPER justice.
So agendas are rife, whether for good or more often for BAD.
AND SOMETIMES EVEN FOR EVIL!
So do a great many private individualhave agendas.
For example, it could be said that MY personal agenda is to stand up for free speech and for as much freedom as possible from governmental and corporate control, under the law, for all individuals within that country and to also to raise general awarewness about those harmful agendas that control freedoms of others.. Though many agendas are for good too, it must be said.
To conclude , I seriously believe many more than you think, DO realise that agendas control and restrict our lives, but relatively few think we ordinary folk can do anything to change that .
I am among those “relatively few”number and will fight injustice and those who seek to control others freedom, till my dying breath.
Unleash the kid or loan him out immediately.
If the gaffer fears aggravating his injuries, why not test him in a new environment before he develops ring rust.
Loan??? Makes no sense
Yes, it’s time to try him out in the left-sided AM position. I don’t think he’ll be as inconsistent as the other AMs in that role
If Arteta doesn’t plan to do that, he’d better sell Smith-Rowe to West Ham and use the money to sign a new CF this month or in the summer
Yes👌
I have been repeatedly saying ESR is one of our most talented Academy players after Saka. The only thing holding him back is his injury issues. Now that he is fit, I hope Arteta utilises him to the fullest and best. He can play multiple positions, as a left no.8 or on the wings or even as a false no.9. He has got tremendous control of the ball and great finishing ability, something we really need at this point in time.
I think it’s pretty clear that the ESR is situation is the one thing that unites every Arsenal fan; we all love him and not only want him to stay but to be an integral part of this side. So, we can expect Arteta to do exactly the opposite and probably sell him.
The mere fact he puts more faith in Reiss Nelson, who may be a nice lad and a decent player, is not even close to being as gifted as the ‘Croydon De Bruyne’. That’s what we used to call him he is that good!
At this point Arteta’s ego is damaging everything at the club and we stand to lose some true fan favourites in Kieran Tierney and Emile Smith Rowe whilst the team struggles along in the areas where those 2 players are most effective.
Whether it’s arrogance, ignorance, spitefulness or ineptitude, it’s irrelevant. Arteta doesn’t know how to manage his players properly and in doing so ruins their relationship with the club.
Strange isnt it, how two fans , in Ben and myself can both agree that ESR is shamefuly underused to almost no avail at all, YET differ so VERY MUCH about our opinions of the manager.
I see MA as being stubborn on THIS matter and will gladly agree he has made other errors too.
But unlike BEN who cearly disregards ALL MA s many otherwise good qualities, I accept that we do , clearly. NOT have the best manager of all.
As I , unlike Ben, am a realist and see no appetite among fans in general for a managerial change, a view which I share.
I also think many fans on here, Ben included, are out of touch with context and reality and have a self entitled view that we Arsenal fans have a divine right to DEMAND a top Prem position, or else!
I utterly reject as unrealistic and unhelpful to the club they follow, that rather unthinking type of “support”!.
Spot on Jon. I think fans just let emotions intrude sometimes (me included occasionally) and draw extreme conclusions because of same. Add that to the arrogance of certain fans and lack of respect for others’ opinions (even starting out comments with insults or name calling) and you end up with something other than good insightful discussion. Hey the match is starting.
Jon, I’m not sure where you got the impression that I demand Arsenal have some sort of divine right to challenge for the EPL title each season; I do not.
No team has the right and not should they. It is obvious that all teams see periods of prosperity and woe throughout their existence, and in that regard as Arsenal fans we have been truly spoiled.
So, no I do not think we are entitled to anything and have experienced way more stability than any other club in the land. All I ask is that our manager treat his players fairly and not show favouritism.
I will not pretend to like Arteta; I think the cat is out of the bag on that one. I think he is a very talented coach, and could well go on to become a truly remarkable manager. But at present I don’t like how he appears to manage good players and demonstrates an inflexible naivety to his tactics sometimes.
Arsenal are in a far better place than we were when Arteta became manager. We have some of the best young players in the PL who have been coached into a title -challenging team by one of the best young managers around.
There have been setbacks but it is ridiculous to suggest that Arteta is damaging everything at the club.
What you have written is spiteful, disrespectful and dishonourable.
DAVID, though I do not , obviously, claim that being “unthinking” is as awful a fault as are being “spiteful, disrespectful and dishonourable”- a sentence of yours with which I am in full agreement BTW – “unthinkingness” to me is still a pretty awfiul fault to have, as Ben DOES!
Jon, you really do write some utter tripe and garnish it with the most dreadful overuse of punctuation. Splattering the page with an abundance of unnecessary commas. Do not waste them, Jon. They can make or break a sentence. They should be respected.
I know you think very highly of yourself, and that’s ok because everyone needs at least one person in their corner. Self love is very important these days; something I’m certain you’re very familiar with.
I have many faults but “unthinkingness” isn’t of them; I probably think too much. To accuse someone who simply shares a different opinion to your own as being unthinking is quite unkind. If my skin were as thin as Arteta’s little book of tactics, I might have been offended.
How is it spiteful, disrespectful, or dishonourable? I stated that in my opinion his misuse of players has damaged their relationship with the club. You don’t have to agree but nothing I wrote fits the criteria for what you said.
And the club should be in a better place than we were when he became the manager, he’s spent £680 MILLION!
Imagine if Arsene Wenger had been allowed to spend the money Arteta has during the last decade of his tenure. I think he more than earned the right.
We need him ASAP…arteta it’s time for change bring ESR in to team
So, was Arteta using ESR today as a long term part of our team,
or was he just putting him in the shop window.
I suspect the latter, so I hope his cameo appearance today has
whetted the appetite of Villa, West Ham or even Newcastle.
Sadly, I think we are going to miss out on Zubimendi….
For a fact, Arteta was the manager that brought the best out of ESR and made him sign the new contract also gave him or approve the 10 shirt.
How do some of you now believe Arteta doesn’t value same player is beyond me.
This is a good player that hardly stay fit and that has forced the manager to be more cautions in using him, it’s as simple as that.
Good managers recognize when to move on from a promising talent that is rarely available for selection and I expect that from Arteta soon.
I do hope ESR stay fit this time around for fee weeks and build proper match fitness that has been lacking for the best part of 2 seasons now. Yes that how long it has been since his first major injury.
Time will tell as I often say.
ESR has more impact when he plays, and is more productive than Havertz in similar role. I think most would agree, as it is plainly seen on the pitch.
Let’s wait and see which of the 2 gets the chances to start, and who mostly comes off the bench.
I tend to rely more on one’s actions than mere words, so let time show the truth.