Arsenal has been a better side since Mikel Arteta became their new manager.
The Spaniard’s appointment was met with mixed reviews with most observers believing that Arsenal should have gone for a more experienced manager.
However, he seems to be proving his doubters wrong with players who were underperforming under Unai Emery now looking like better players.
Arsenal has now lost just one game under the Spaniard and they will head into their next match full of confidence after beating Bournemouth 2-1 to reach the next round of the FA Cup.
For those wondering what has fueled the Arteta revolution at Arsenal, Lucas Torreira has given them a glimpse into what has been going on behind the scenes and how Arteta has managed to get them fighting for the team again.
He told Sky Sports per the Mirror: “He obviously spent quite a lot of time working with Guardiola, who is one of the best coaches in the world, and I think during that time he would have taken the best he can from Guardiola.
“He wants us to be bold and take risks. He wants us to be in continuous movement throughout the match. He wants us to try to look for those passing lines at any time during the game.
“He’s the kind of coach that wants us to be providing an option for our team mates and wants us to be an offensive team.”
Arsenal is ten points behind Chelsea who are fourth in the league table and qualifying for the Champions League, while difficult, is not completely out of reach.
Why must our players after couple of games on top, suddenly start spilling like little kids? Are the coach instructions and tactics not meant to be kept a secret within the squad?? Now, other teams will know our secret and search for a way to put a stop to our play..geez you guys should grow up for once!!! Too much talk😣😣😣😣.. Someone remind them we are still in 10th for Christ sake!!! Get to 4th first and then you can start blabbing since you can’t keep your mouth shut 🤐
I bet most EPL managers would know Arteta’s tactics after watching the videos
That was why Conte’s and Wenger’s 3-4-2-1 systems did not work anymore in the second season. This also happened to Ranieri’s 4-4-1-1 system, after his rivals figured out how to counter that tactic
I think tactics are still important, but player’s motivation and fitness levels are more crucial to stay on the top. Klopp’s players excel in those aspects and Arsenal should have gotten rid of their languid players, as what Klopp did to Coutinho
I guess you didn’t listen to klopp post match interview yesterday in which he spent at least 10 minutes explaining what his team did or didn’t do right or when he was on sky explaining Liverpool’s tactics,there is a difference between knowing your opponent tactics and stopping them!
Spot on SAGooner.As the great Bill Shankly once said football is an easy game ,all you have to do is pass and run into space.
Fine article but wrong final conclusion about top four. It is out of reach but all else is hopeful now that we have a PROPER manager in charge. We are not going to mke up ten points on Chelsea in 14 games and that should be obvious. We would need to go unbeaten with hardly any draws either and that is unrealistic, EVEN with MA!
Chelsea have Leicester man u and the spurs in there next three games mate so you never know 👌 if they drop 5-6 points it could be done
Three draws would be perfect lol 🤞🤞
Sorry Rory , I don’t indulge in self fantasy but am a sober minded realist. That helps me as I AM ALSO A SUCCESSFUL PROFESSIONAL BETTOR. NEVER FOOL YOIURSELF WITH FALSE HOPES, IS SOUND ADVICE.
What lol? You seriously you think catching 10 points is “fantasy” on a very inconsistent chelsea side? There is realism and then there is pessimism bud. I admit it’s an uphill task but to say its fantasy is preposterous.
Yes and mine is realism. Yours is mad optimism based on , er, what exactly, leaving aside clear fan bias. I am not a successful pro bettor without being totally bias free when I bet. THINK ABOUT IT.
“He wants us to be bold and take risks. He wants us to be in continuous movement throughout the match. He wants us to try to look for those passing lines at any time during the game”
Sounds like Guardiola’s method, but not all attackers and midfielders are willing to take high risks like Sanchez
We need impactful attackers and creators who can split defenses. Pepe has the physical attributes necessary to produce that, so maybe Arteta has to show him some videos of how Sanchez cut inside from the left side
Let’s not also forget that some of these players were underperforming with AW as well – that made it harder for UE, who was completely out of his depth anyway.
We have had nearly four years of discontent and awful football at the club (some will argue more ), in approximately four weeks everything has changed. Who cares if the players are coming out in support? Let’s tell the world we’re back as a club and we’re doing that with no financial support or bailing out from the owner.
Oh Yeah!!
Ken, probably Wenger, Emery and Ljundberg told them the same basic instructions, but for whatever reasons the players were unable or unwilling to carry them out.
The thing is with Arteta, the players realize that after seeing off the previous manager/head coaches, the Arsenal owner and Board will be adverse to pulling the plug again. They realize with Arteta it will be his way, or out the door. Hopefully discipline at last.
Hey Austin, talk is cheap. What Torreira has said is easier said than done on the field of play. Every coach worth their salt would have seen one or two things without Torreira’s ‘blabbing’. Planning a match strategy to counter us leaves the opposition open somewhere else you know.
Let him talk. He’s a human and so are we. Besides, how would we have known what goes on behind the scene if he didn’t talk?
I like the fact that the article was honest enough to admit to how the appointment of MA was underwhelming. I always thought he would be a success. But we’ll wait and see how far he will go. I think he will go very far. Probably be the first to bring home the elusive Champions League title we so much desire.
But first, the Europa League title is a good place to start.
Interesting.
The appointment of which coach, GP, would have been overwhelming, in your opinion? Would Allegri have done better up to now? Or Vieira? Or Nagelsmann? I believe Mikel’s appointment is exactly OVERwhelming due to the sheer pragmatism and foresight of the Arsenal board. Mikel is a tough cookie, and this will become even more apparent as time goes by.
For me the most telling bit was “…he wants us to be providing an option for our team mates…” and “…he wants us to be in continuous movement…”
That is exactly what my rant has been about when Emery was in charge, and Freddie as well. No midfield options, no-one running to create space, no support for the ball carrier. It’s so mind-bogglingly basic. Football is about running, on the ball and off the ball. Unfortunately during the latter part of Wenger’s reign they started to forget about the off-the-ball part and it just continued. Well done to Mikel for kicking some butt, but it really isn’t rocket science.
👍 As I stated above players “unable or unwilling” to carry out the basics of football.
Arteta is a good coach for players and it shows, so did Emery for a long minute…
But at end of the day; when results are not there, grabbing a 1point/game means nothing and it eventually start affecting team.!
Torreira feels & knows he’s benchable and can be drop at any games if Arteta gets formation right.
Arteta so far has not showed anything better than Emery in 2019/2020 season; in term if results! 4draws, 1 lost home and Man U win wich played poorly as it got this season!
We going to Burnley, all Arteta needs to do is play Bournemouth first half’s formation! And hopefully got that he should not change formation to start second half; a lost!
First half was 4123, Gendouzi DM infront of defense is enough. Allows 2 remaing midfields to focus on playing forward & attack; Willock and Saka who is a wonder in that attacking midfield spot, doubling threat more often with winger Martinelli played for Auba.
Xhaka was behind him all first half, LB position then, but playing high as well Wich made that wing impossible to play for opponent in first half. That Wing was on fire, fried like KFC 🙂
When he switched Xhaka back in middle, Saka in back; he couldn’t run. forward as much but defend as RB, and Xhaka playing alongside Gendouzi, 2DMs completely lost our great formation’s balance and not playing forward, looking lost, desorganized!
All Arteta needs to do is have 1DM close to defense 4-1, then it gives him many options!
If you remember a couple of months ago under Emery and Freddie there were rumours flying around that Torreira was not happy and wanted to leave in THIS January window. Whether there was any substance to those stories or it was just tabloid BS we’ll never know but you could tell by his body language and performance he really wasn’t happy. Where are all those stories now??
I for one am over the moon that he and the squad are now enjoying playing and relishing playing for their teammates and the badge.
With their new found enthusiasm let them talk, shout, sing and dance. In fact get Kanye West over to make a rap record with them.
👍👍
Dan, the stories of him being unhappy died down because unlikeEmery, Arteta plays him in his proper position, DM and not AM or in one game I watched live, RW.
My comment was more aimed at Austine wenger’s comment which in essence was suggesting our players should pipe down.
I’m just happy they got their mojo back.
Torreira Xhaka and Auba, Mustafi all wanted should have been all gone. We have young players who are not just ready but stepping up!
Niles, Willock, Martineli, Saka, Nelson, Gendouzi, Nkethia…They see players their ages stepping up and given their chances in top clubs today!
Nelson should have been left alone in Germany growing with games as Sancho he was emulating with lots of buzz, we got him back for that; but for what?
They need to start and be involved in 30 games per season in order to devellop, UK is not best place for that step; they don’t get enough games which highers injury risk!