Opinion: Can we agree that Arsenal is in crisis now?

Arsenal has been struggling lately and last weekendโ€™s draw against Leeds United makes it no goals in open play in four of the last five league games.

Our game against Leeds United was the match that we needed to win after losing to Aston Villa just before the international break.

Even though Nicolas Pepe was sent off in that game and probably changed the result of the game, we didnโ€™t exactly look like winning the match before that incident.

Taking a point from the game after playing most of the second half with ten men, is also commendable.

However, looking at the bigger picture, if we cannot beat a Leeds side that was beaten 4-1 by Crystal Palace before the international break, then we should consider our form worrying.

For me, we are currently in crisis mode. I trust Mikel Arteta and I have been delighted by the changes that he has brought to our team, however, it feels like our players are back to their old selves.

Old habits die hard and I have feeling that our players have now returned to the start of last season when they struggled to win matches.

If that is the case, then Arteta has his work cut out for him.

An article from Ime

Tags Mikel Arteta

61 Comments

  1. Absolute panicking nonsense! SHAME ON YOU for writing nonsense! Have you ANY idea of the true meaning of “crisis? Sigh, at your juvenile childishness!

    1. Absolute arrogant nonsense! Shame on you for commenting childishly! Have you any idea of the true meaning of discussion facts and opinions? Sigh, at your senile hating!

      and btw your caps lock was sometimes on, i will keep on reminding you about it until you better your manners which (it seems to me) you never learnt despite your old age and experience which you love to remind everybody of

      1. I have to agree with Jon on this one. He is right the writer think we are in a crisis and went on to give very lame reasons why he think so.

        If this is not spreading negativity to an already negative atmosphere I don’t know what it is.

        1. thats perfectly okay if that is your opinion but I think there is a big difference between what you wrote and what Jon wrote, Jon doesn’t merely disagree his main target is to attack somebody who writes a lot articles in his free time which should not be confronted this harshly and he always blabs on about age, maturity and everybody who doesn’t agree with him is juvenile ๐Ÿ™„

          1. You are a long time reader you should understand Jon by now. Unlike some of the unpopular commenters such as Invader Zim, Jon does not write from the heart rather from the head.

            While someone like Invader Zim would write from his emotions probably without thinking or caring, Jon knows what exactly he is writing and is expecting some kind of reaction from his comments. I think the correct term is a troll if I am not mistaken.

            If you donโ€™t understand him he is going to get you every single time.

            Still in this instance I agree with what he wrote.

          2. KRISH, IT IS MY PERSONAL CHOICE WHEN I SOMETIMES USE CAPITALS. ARE YOU AGAINST FREEDOM OF PERSONAL CHOICE, AS YOUR COMMENTS INDICATE THEN?

      2. Krish,
        JF used to scare the pants off me, but it seems to be very much part of his online personality. He clearly loves the Arsenal and gets extremely passionate at times. Take a step back, chill and then chill again. I am sure you won’t change him and he won’t change you.

    2. @Jon Fox please moderate your language. This is a discussion forum for Arsenal fans. I agree there is no crisis but you have no right to talk, shout, as reinforced by use of capitals, and touch on our younger fans in this way. I have followed our club since 1968 but my views and opinions are no more valid than someone who has followed the club for, say, five years. Please sir conduct yourself with a little decorum.

      1. Dennis, you may be only a fan for ten years less than me but you cannot be a regular user of this site or you would have read at least one of the many, many times I have explained that I use capitals for EMPHASIS. I am not shouting.
        I am a theatre person, well used to acting techniques which include voice inflection, emphasis, pitch, pause, power, pace and many other techniques that in writng one can only use by capitals. Hope that helps, because it is not wise for one older fan to criticise another when he(the first fan) is ingnorant of the facts. Hope that helps your understanding Dennis!
        I also believe in freedom of speech. Do you?

    3. jon fox, what more do you need to see that we not only on crise but totally lost.

      12th in table with wolves & Spurs everton chelsea, saints on their way for hollidays.

      If we draw or eaten by Wolves sunday, we can be 15th or 16th.

      Maybe that will be enough for you to smell the bloody coffee monday morning, wake da heck up!

      We have a total failure, a wannabe coach, a lunatic who think he became Guardiola overnight!

      Look at Spurs, this man won titles everywhere, and some have the nerve to bash him, sitting at top of table!

      We had opportunities and still can land a top coach today; why didnt we til this very day is main question.

      A louzy management no top coach can work under, they need a desperate one so they can control him, ban Ozil for 2 years to not pay a wage thry gave him!

      We precisly need Ozil to unleash and unlcok our attack issue. We missed a player as Partey to secure his back and our CBs. We have him but ban playmaker who couldnt play his game without a Partey behind him.

      Simply nuts management.

      We used to be the most exciting team to watch even if not a fan. Look at this team for a year, we needed cup to make it to Europa or we wouldnt and so happy now but asked “Wenger out” for not making it to CL!

      Arsenal owner is paying all his trickeries and we do for these awful Wenger out!
      So embarrassing stuff…

  2. If we are hoping for a top 4 finish, which i think is out of the question, the fact that we are not scoring and the form we are in this season 4 w 4d 1 draw. Then yes we are in crisis. The next game is even bigger than the Leeds one and a loss or failure to score would be even more debilitating. The present form has to be turned round and quick. Financially we cant afford not to be in the CL next year, if we have blown our chances of challenging top 4 by jan, we only have EL. THAT IS A CRISIS.

    1. How about this side to take us forward:
      Leno
      Mainland Niles Gabriel Luiz Tierney
      Elneny Partey
      Ozil/Willian/Pepe
      Bellerin Aubemayang Saka/Martinelli
      4-2-1-3

      I think it adds pace, width, players in natural positions and potentially some flare

      Patrick (my first post!)

  3. Think it’s a bit early to talk about a crisis, but I suppose different people have different definitions of what constitutes a crisis. Have some faith for now. COYG!

  4. The day we appointed Arteta as head coach, that the day we increased the crisis that we had. Compare the current squad with the one’s during Wenger’s final years in charge. The current squad is far much better. But we always finished in top4 under Wenger

    1. IMO, the day Wenger chose Xhaka over Kante that day our crises started.We were crying for a top notch CDM but got this. Even jokers pull off better tricks. In that case we should have not transferred Coqualin, he was doing a decent job. Notice after Xhaka’s arrival our journey to mid table began and coach after coach performed miserably starting with Wenger,Emery, Lumberg and now Arteta. Next came the 350k/week fiasco, where by we blocked the wages of 2 or 3 good midfield players. Then we let go of Ramsey , not that he was great, but the lad played with his heart for the badge with the limited skill he had. Then we overpaid for mediocre players – Laca, Cabellos (loan fees), transferred freebies – Kolasinac, Willian, Soares, Luiz, Mkhitaryan. Signed Saliba and not even making it to the bench. Retained championship level players – Nelson, Willok, Elneny.
      To sum it up, we are in crises if we consider ourselves as a top four side as the league table does not lie. Not scoring goals from open play is a crises.And seeing Mou and the roosters on the top of the perch, it is more painful. Unfortunately Mikel or any other coach/manager will have to work with what we have at least till the summer window. I do not hold Mikel responsible as he is working with lost causes. Give him credit for wining the FA & CS. TG, with limited competition Wenger finished outside top 4 for two consecutive years, he had to go and went. That was the only good thing for the club after Mikel wining the FA cup.

      1. We know Arteta is an intelligent man speaking 5 languages, but he has been in Arsenal long enough for him to know better what is his best team, and it does not bode well when not, so I am not sure if he will succeed at Arsenal. I have followed Arsenal since I was a kid, and that is a long time. Arteta could progress sooner as a manager if having someone he can discuss things with in a manner that can help him making some decisions much faster. He should have ” a shadow team” to implement formations sooner, and also possibly fasttrack certain players when having a higher potential than players ahead of them. Age 19 is old enough to fast track players if having the needed positional sense top players need. The right physical training over 3 months will make a 19 year old ready for top level football without over training at all. I know this from experience!

  5. No crisis. Wait until we drop to the bottom three.
    OT. The Mail is reporting Maradona’s died of heart attack, but can’t find any info elsewhere.

          1. Yes Sue and one of the greatest players we had the pleasure to watch players like that are very rare Pele is another one

    1. Such a sad day for football..you can love him or hate him but you can not deny he was one of the best players ever to grace the game.

      1. Mohsan
        Maradona was a great great player
        It was his hand of God that scuppered England and I will remember him for that too

        1. SueP: remember him for the second goal. That was the greatest goal scored on such a stage. I remember even Ian St John said he applauded that goal when it was scored.

  6. Too early to be described as a crisis but Arteta is having a wobble. I donโ€™t find it helpful for my well-being to be thinking about it so Iโ€™ll concentrate on keeping the positive vibes going…plenty of time to turn it around ๐Ÿ™‚

    1. Spot on. A crisis a wobble does not make.

      Hopefully Arteta is made of sterner stuff then the “chicken littles” on this site.

    2. SueP: I contend we are in crisis. We have not scored from open play in over 500 minutes. If this is not a crisis, I donโ€™t know what is.

  7. Whatever you want to call it, it isn’t pretty! Let’s hope this ‘slump’ vanishes as quickly as it came…

  8. I don’t see it as a crisis, last December when MA took over was a crisis.

    The only thing missing from our game is tactics when going forward.

    Our defence proved it’s worth against leeds… who put three goals past klopps men earlier in the season.

    We desperately need a proven playmaker who can change a game.

    Leno, Tierney, Gabriel, Partey, Aubameyang, Saka and Martinelli are the backbone of ANY team in the PL and we have more than enough very decent players, such as Bellerin and AMN for example, to put out a top four /six team…. but we need creativity and that is what MA has failed to achieve to date….over to you Mikel.

  9. Ha ha!!! What?

    So the message is “Everyone fall apart after 5 games!!”

    Typical hysterics from negative Arsenal fans. Leave the club to them, and we’d sell every player on the team and the manager on weekly basis.

    There are obvious problems with how we are playing but Arteta is smart. Klopp did not win trophies in his first year at Liverpool and it took a few years to get into last year’s form.

    Let’s not panic and get hysterical.

    Criticize the performances if you want, some of them are pretty catastrophic, but don’t attack your own club and call for players and managers’ heads. We’ve a group of players that can beat anyone on their day. Give them time to work out the problems in the system. Fans may get exasperated at times, but creating an adversarial relationship with players likely won’t improve performances.

    In times of adversity teams have to come together, not fall apart and fight themselves. I know the AFTV contingent don’t understand this as it is “their” club to destroy at will, but fans are the 12th man on the team and the club need their solidarity too.

    Show some class.

    1. Your last paragraph sums up my feelings about this article. What was even the intent of the writer? Does he really believe we are in crisis or he just wanted to stir things up?

      Things are currently not rosy. A little bit of positivity and hope would do some of us a lot of good.

  10. Stephan, that’s a bit of a roller-coaster post – one minute the fan base is hysterical – the next minute the performances are catastrophic – but we can’t give our opinions, or show some nervousness because it lacks class??

    I would suggest we have a very caring, if over reacting, fan base, with everyone wanting the club to succeed, be cause they care.

  11. We can deny the situation all we want. We can be optimistic all we want but unless MA changes course we are just kidding ourselves. Facts are facts we are currently in crisis mode.

  12. Arsenal Football Club 1886.

    The History

    The Badge

    The Shirt

    The Highbury Years

    My Arsenal, Your Arsenal Our Arsenal.

    However we put across our opinions on here, both young and old, our feelings are born out of frustration.

    Although nothing in life is a given we know, as does the world of football in general, we should be dining at the top table.

    We are currently feeding off scraps, and us fans are as frustrated as hell.

    Crisis, decline , stagnating call it what you will, there is something deep seated at out club that seemingly repeats the same errors year on year.

    We need a drains up, change of mentality and I would suspect a more driven, passionate owner.

    The wait goes on.

    Keep the faith,
    COYG.

  13. We haven’t been playing football that is enjoyable to watch and the envy of other teams for a decade … That’s the crisis … Sure we can intermitantly put together a string of decent results … Win a cup now and again (not in Europe of course)..throw up a decent youngster … but it’s ephemeral and at some point a losing mentality becomes hard wired in to the outlook of the club with fans thinking that second rate players will carry us forward … Sadly it’s tough to see a change with the greedy yank still pulling the purse strings …

  14. Unfortunately I do not agree with the writer on the timeline. The club has been on a crisis for the last 3 years. The last year of Wenger’s reign and the UE and MA stints have not put the club in the right direction. Tell me in terms of:
    1.League position it is worse now
    2.Recruiting not good enough. Failed buys with
    no impact
    3.Negative football in terms of entertainment

    I can go on but I think the main reasons we watched Arsenal in the past was trophies and great football

    None of that is even close to us anymore. So to state we are now in a crises is too little too late.

    We have been there for a while and God knows how are we going to get out.

    1. I first went to the Arsenal in the late 60โ€™s with my mum and dad and have been going intermittently ever since. It was never about the trophies or great football; it was about the club. There was beautiful football under Wenger but an awful lot of One nils too and mini slumps over the years.

      Itโ€™s what you sign up to when committing to any team

      1. SueP…

        Your comment is simply spot on! I read through all comments following an article that seems to be sounding an alarm bell, and found yours really encouraging!

        Opinions are most appreciated when they are supported by sound reasoning and not simply by an attempt to unleash an inflamed mind…

        I hope everyone can express themselves in a manner that supports progress similar to your comment.

        Cheers!

  15. OT
    RIP legend
    Diego Armando Maradona #๐Ÿ’”

    Real madrid won๐Ÿ’ฏ
    Liverpool lost๐Ÿ’ฏ
    But still the pain of losing a legend……๐Ÿ˜”

    1. And even Hazard scored ๐Ÿ˜ฑ haha!! Great result.
      Not a single shot on target for Pool ๐Ÿ™‚ It must be catching ๐Ÿ˜‚
      One last thing – It’s match day!!! COYG

  16. Arteta has to go now. Very astute article
    This is worst start for 34 years. We are in full blown crisis right now
    The whole squad is regressing rapidly particularly the forward players. This is all in Arteta because he is a rookie clown manager totally out of his depth.

    He is very arrogant to have taken this job without first gaining managerial experience so he would have something to fall back on. He talks a good game but it doesn’t translate on the pitch and his decesion maki g since taking over , defense aside has been absolute it shocking. Too many to list here.

    His continued mistakes are costing is game after game . It cannot get worst than this. Get rid now, rha k you for FA Cup
    We could have gotten Mourinho or Ancelloti bit we bottled it. We also has a chance of Rodgers who is slightly below those two bit still miles above Arteta.

    He has tended us into a proper lower midtable team now but

  17. I suppose it is all a matter of opinion, as there is no objective definition of what constitutes a crisis for Arsenal.

  18. I just dont understand what Arteta is upto. Agreed, he has improved our defence and made us difficult to beat but what about our midfield and attack? We just cannot seem to score from open play in the PL and our shots on target and chances created are declining by the game. We should have gone all out to sign a CAM along with Partey in the summer but our hierarchy thought otherwise and also did not include our one single most creative player in the PL playing list. Ozil would have thrived with Partey and Gabriel behind him and Auba upfront. MA has to make instant and rapid changes or else we will be close to relegation.
    N.B I feel that certain fans on this forum respond in a very angry and arrogant manner to articles. One must understand that a article is the individual opinion of the writer and one has the freedom to agree or disagree. However, it does not mean one must ridicule and criticise the writer to such an extent that it leaves a bad taste and hinges on undiplomatic behaviour. One must have control on the words being used. Also heartbroken that a legend named Diego Armando Maradona has passed away, he brought the world to its feet with his magical game. Rest in peace, Diego, there will never ever be another player like you.

  19. @sue
    Sue some of us have not had the privilege of been fans for so long hence the attraction was the fact Arsenal did play nice football and had success into winning titles. There are many things that could attract fans to a particular club and aside from the
    geographical reasons. We are not less committed to the team but I think that 3 years of spiraling out of European places deteriorating football style and many recruiting errors are not a transition as Ibraheem above cited. Transition would be something like Chelsea faced last 2 years . No titles but still in European contention while they rebuilt and now challenge back for a title. Arsenal are seemingly way off the pace. So for now whether we are fans from our childhood or later on in life we all have to be patient but also objective. There is another post today about the win at Molde. And as a fan I want my club to win but I also do not want to loose perspective as some of the posters touting this as a great way to respond. There should never be any question whether we beat Molde or any club in their range no disrespect to them. I hope the club addresses this properly at some point because the last couple seasons we are burring our heads in the sand as a great English band said in a song!!!!!

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