Arsenal has prided themselves with playing beautiful possession-based attacking football for much of the last 30 years.
Arsene Wenger created an identity for the Gunners when he became their manager and possession-based football has very much been a part of Arsenal’s game till now.
Mikel Arteta has come in and continued with some of the Frenchman’s legacy, but Sunday’s Premier League game against Tottenham showed that no matter how long you have done something, it does not mean you do not change and adapt going forward.
Arsenal hasn’t won the Premier League since 2004, as a matter of fact, it was Jose Mourinho who stopped them from defending their league title that season.
The Special One has hardly changed his style of play and on Sunday, Arsenal were victims again.
His Tottenham side allowed Arsenal to control all the possession while they broke on the counter and scored twice with no need to hold possession.
We had the most possession and other positive things in that game, but we lost the match to a team that had a “negative tactic”.
To be honest, we have had too many years of underachievement to care about what brand of football our team is playing.
I think we need to focus more on the results that we’re getting now more than the style of football that our team plays.
If Arteta will not change his style to get the wins, he might need to be fired while we hire a manager like Max Allegri who can come in and get us trophies.
An article from Ime
Hahaha
On the same blog before we hire MA, articles were flashing that how we can’t bear Jose’s style of play. And even after hiring MA so many articles why MA’s appointment is better than Jose.
Such a U turn
None of our articles are “U-Turns” unless they are both written by the same writer. We can have three different opinions on the same subject posted on the same day! If you are under the impression that only one writer does all the articles on JA then you are badly mistaken!
And even “the same writer” could change his opinion on a subject over a few days, never mind a whole year later…
God bless you for that mature response Admin Pat
Perish the thought that any human shpuld ever commit the “crime”of changing their minds eh PAT! Come tothink of it, theri ewas a time when I thought Ozil a grat player But when evidence compels you to see truth, only a fan who “can never admit they made a mistake” sticks with their old opinion, despite all the evidence to the contrary.
This is not meant as a dig at Ozil.
BUT TO SUPPORT THE FACT THAT WE ALL CHANGE OUR MINDS AT TIMES BUT ONLY THETRUTHFUL ONES HAVE THE GUTS TO ADMIT IT.
The article makes reference of a Mourinho” like “football meaning tactics not the man himself!
Here we go once again with yet another hasty unthinking fan wanting MA out! How, I pity these brand of unthinking fans who think that constantly changing managers while the REAL PROBLEM OF KROENKE is still there, will make any difference. We need a new OWNER, not a new manager, you unthinking fans who want MA out.
OUR MOST IMPORTANT SIGNING IS Dangote, and then but only then, the MANY new players we badly need has a chance of happening.
I HAVE COUNTLESS TIMES SAID THAT OUR SQUAD IS A POOR ONE AND HALF THE TEAM NEEDS UPGRADING. THAT WILL NOT HAPPEN UNDER KROENKE.
Common sense reality!
Just because Mourinho does not play possession based football and is winning does not mean Arsenal should abandon our philosophy of playing attacking football. First and foremost, the current Arsenal team does not have the players or tactics or the right formation to play proper possession based attacking football, the Wenger way which brought so much success to our Club and established Arsenal as a identity and attracted millions of fans round the world to our beautiful Club. Secondly I dont think Arteta has the mindset to play proper possession based attacking football, the Wenger way, because he still imbibes defensive thoughts in our players as is evident by their sideways and backward passing. He is too scared to play free flowing football and has instructed players to not concede first rather than go on attack. If Arsenal plays the real Arsenal way with the proper players, formation and tactics than Arsenal will beat Mourinho’s teams on any day. Abondoning our very fundamental philosophy of playing would be detrimental to the success of the Club. Rather the Club should look at ways and means to getting back to our originality.
gunnerforlife
Do we even have the players to play counter-attacking football?
Do you honestly think we our players can link up the way Kane and Son did against us and have been doing this season?
Look, I am DONE deluding myself we have a good team, WE DON’T!
Partey was unfit and was still our best player, look at Gabriel too. That class will show without effort IF you are a good player.
David Silva, Santi Cazorla to name just two makes unbelievable impact EFFORTLESSLY just like Partey dare I say young Saka.
Do you honestly believe Arteta told our players to pass sideways?
How can you play the “real Arsenal way” without “proper players” like you said- you are contradicting yourself mate. We do not have the proper players period!
How do you think we won the FA Cup and the shield while also beating Man utd, Pool…? That’s right by allowing opponents to have the majority of the possession and hit them on the counter!
But Wegner didnt used to beat Chelsea’s Mourinhos sides
Are their coaches that can bring the best out of our current players?
Our players are good enough to be among the top 4.
The only area we lack is the attack and central midfield.
Only Kroenke can make us win the title by investing at least 300 million pounds, but is that amount of money easy for anybody to throw into an investment project?
It takes passion and a shrewd business man to do that.
S.J
You said our players are good enough to be among the top 4 and then go on to say “The only area we lack is the attack and central midfield.”
Don’t you think this is another ridiculous contradiction especially when you consider the FACT that the MIDFIELD and the ATTACK is the most part of any team and also where our own problem lies??
So how is our team good enough for the top4?
Is the most important part of any team****
what are you talking about? The football is currently worse than mourinho’s. Slow, predictable and toothless
Disappointing that fans believe in short term gains then long term aims.
Just like in life, these people want their candy now and cant wait for dessert to bake!
Short terms are not what I am interested in!
Let me ask this question
Would you want to achieve your goals in life by being negative?
Is that rewarding for you? If so then ask yourself why you accept this for yourself?
BRAVO ! HOW I LOVE A REALIST!
I would gladly in January sell/release Ozil Socritis Mustafi Luiz Kolasinac Xhaka Bellerin Willian Pepe Lacazette Aubameyang and send Ceballos back.
Make 210m on sales
Save 95m on salaries
Total 305m.
Give Arteta 300m to buy 6 players of his choice average of 40m per player and 60m for salaries.
Team.
Leno Runnerson
Tierney Saka Soares Niles Chambers Holding Gabriel Mari Saliba
Partey Elneny Guendouzi
Willock Nelson Martinelli
Aubameyang Nketia Balogun
Six new additions.
Sell Aubameyang.
Make Leno Captain with Partey and Gabriel vice captains.
Leno cannot organize a defense but should be captain..ok then…
so this current woe is Auba’s responsibility?
You are totally right gunner
Trophies are not guaranteed with any manager. Just ask Man U, whos has spent “billions” on players and different managers since Ferguson, and no real success in the league to show for it.
On the other hand since 2001 Leicester being the exception 19 out of 20 title winners had the most expensive
squad.
How do you calculate that? Before the season or after? Do you have any facts?
But, anyway maybe your point underlines mine? Man U is the team with the second highest nett spend on transfers for the last 10 years, and despite that, and despite they have had 4 different managers, they haven’t sniffed the League title for 7-8 years now.
It’s true that endless riches do not guarantee the title but that’s because only one team can win the title. Apart from Leicester in 2016 all of the other 27 PL winners were among the biggest
and richest clubs. The European places also invariably include Arsenal Man City Chelsea Man U Liverpool + Tottenham the biggest and richest clubs. So money is a strong indicator of a clubs position in the pyramid. These rich clubs generally win the domestic cups as well.
Ha ha ha ha
Its better to take son or/and kane
Without them, tottenham is average
Mou filosofi is always give the ball to kane and son
Then Arteta could not utilize this??????????????????What an average manager
MA will end sacked by Arsenal. I feel sad about him really. I hope a former player being able to bring us to new glory but ended in misery.
with Partey is around, I think the return of Wenger will give us an excitement again about football. If Wenger had Partey earlier, we could win more silverwares.
Take two of a teams best players out of any team and they will be average, such a dumb comment, fact is Son and Kane are Tottenham players and will be in the team unless its in your parallel universe.
Arteta loaned guendouzi , torreira and kept xhaka and decided to keep ceballos for another year , the argument that these players have failed under 3 managers and they are all trash is wrong , here is why : lets consider the first eleven that played against tottenham , first the attack : Auba , Laca , Willian and Saka.
Auba and Laca were great players under both wenger and emery , they scored loads of goals , Willian is a new player and hasn’t played under wnger or emery and we shouldn’t have bought him he is arteta’s problem , and saka is 19 years old and has been promising.
now lets consider middle , partey and xhaka , partey is a new player and neither wenger nor emery had him , Xhaka has played under both wenger and emery and has been bad under both now the question is why arteta kept him and loaned guendouzi and torreira knowing how bad he is .
now lets get to defence : first tierney , he has only played under emery and in my opinion he is one of the best left backs , next one is Gabriel he is also new and one of our best players , after that we had holding now here is an interesting one since he has played under all three managers and some people argue he is not good , okay but he is not the only CB at club arteta can use Saliba , why doesn’t he use him ?! after that we have bellerin , i think in this position we should buy a new player or at least play mailand niles.
Then there is Leno whom is a very good keeper in my opinion.
So the people that are saying all of our squad are trash or they have failed 3 managers should use their brain a little better , arteta is clearly failing in both his tactics and coaching theses players , no player has became better under arteta , and saying that’s because they are trash is stupid , it’s because arteta have failed in this area. losing to wolves , aston villa and leicster at home is a failure and arteta should be questioned.
when i see pathetic pundits like Carragher saying we should stick with arteta is disgusting like they actually care what happens to arsenal so what ! we stick with him until we relegate ! the board should start the search for alternatives.
There’s no right or wrong way to play football, a good manager finds a way of playing that gets the best out of the players he has. I thought possession stats would be recognised as pretty much irrelevant after Leicester won the title on 40% possession, but it seems not. In Arsenal’s case the first problem is a lot of fans seem to think the players are better than they really are. The second problem is the people running the club are incompetent, a bit like United but United have more money so can get away with more mistakes. All of this leaves whoever is the manager in a no win situation.
Sorry Jon fox
I disagree.
The squad we have is not a poor one. Actually many if these players were in the squad that finished 6th 2 years ago.
Infact your argument about poor players can further be challenged but pointing out that we have added quality ti that squad this year and last. Gabriel, partey etc.
One of the things I agree with is that kreonke is a problem. I would happily help him pack his bags and sell the club to one of the big African investors who are true fans. Both Dangote who wants to outright buy the whole club and another investor who’s name evades me would be brilliant. They are true football fans as many African natives are as football is most watched and followed sport in many African countries unlike America.
However this is absolutely not going to change. Not soon anyway. In the short term we look at what wenger achieved even under kreonke and he was still able to do a dare I say it good job. Maybe not the best but a damn sight better than MA or Unai is so far.
Now you may say it is unfair to co.pare but that is what the bench mark is and that is where all arsenal fans including your self I am sure expect to be.
The problem with MA is I beleive he is too inexperienced. He has never ran a team. And to go straight to the top without learning abkut the club from a staff point of view is to his detriment. To be honest I don’t see MA as a arsenal man. He is a everton/city man. He played his best years at Everton and learnt there and learnt his coaching style at a club that has a very different ethos to ours.
I think this is why MA is struggling. The respectful thing for him to do would be to admit this and step down or retire IMO.
I think un thinking would be to beleive with the big egos. The fan pressure and little backing from the board someone with little to no experience would succeed.
SHORTBOYGOONER, OK THEN, LETS HAVE SOME PROPER INFO OF YOUR ACTUAL OPINION ON ALL OUR PLAYERS
I hereby challenge you to list all our main squad players and tell us beside each name; good, average or poor. I suspect your over optimistic views will not chime with many realists on here Once you have done so, I will list mine with the sam comments. REMEMBER JUST GOOD BAD OR AVERAGE. OK? Lets us see which of us fellow Gooners considers most in touch!
We all talk about the “brand” or “Identity” of football we play. Me included. The fact is, we got used to a brand of football under Arsene Wenger that every one in the land was envious of. To this day we would love to aspire to it still. The fact is, it’s gone. It left with all the greats like Bergkamp, Henry, Vierra, Overmars and all the others that we were fortunate to see grace the pitch at Highbury.
Today, we have a different club with different owners, staff, players and manager. No it’s not improved since we moved to The Emirates. But football has for every club in the EPL. There is more money and opportunity for every team. The spuds are taking their opportunities vwry well right now. The way they have bought and sold has been done correctly. Let’s not kid ourselves. I know you are hurting by it because I am too. But the biggest truth we should all face is that there’s no point comparing ourselves and debating other teams when our problems are obvious. Our club is being run by people who are simply not ambitious enough to compete like the team we had under Wenger at Highbury. What we have now is a dis-jointed club that functions only for profit. At every juncture this club has failed uphold its reason for moving to the Emirates. To compete with the best! When you consider the redundancies and the sacking of our mascot. The players we lost (due to contracts being run down). The players we brought in to replace them. You realize that class we once had has diminished over the years, and the unity around the club, is nothing more than a memory. Just like our brand and identity! The fact is, we had and we lost it.
Who wants Mourinho football? NOT me. I just want my Arsenal back!
Lets just wait and see
Jose and Spurs is like a Rom Com ,
The ending is very predictable
Very funny, indeed success have so many relative while failure an unwanted orphan.
How time flies, few months ago while arsenal’s tanks cruised past the likes of city and chelsea to 14th FA TRIUMPH and the sheild later, marshalled by MA, without the so called creativity ozil. We all gloated, pundit were all in agreement that he was punching above his class via his results.
Funny enough hearing all these.
It is indeed funny! One cup win for Arteta is success, 3 cup wins in 4 years for Wenger is failure on the scale that some idiot had to hire a plane to fly over the stadium with the banner ‘Wenger out’. All these while the team finished 5th, their lowest position for 20 years (this incident happened before the final Wenger season).
Also, I would take issue with the OP that Arsenal under Wenger ‘under performed’ after our last league win in 2004. Given the financial constraints caused by the new stadium, and the financial doping of the game by first Chelsea and then City, I’d say that Wenger had punched above our weight during those years by finishing 11 seasons (2005-2016) no lower than 4th, with a couple of serious title challenges along the way.
2017 and 2018 were bad by Wenger’s standards, finishing 5th and 6th, when he was disgracefully pushed out after showing incredible loyalty to the club. I know it’s all history now, what is done is done, and we must look to the future rather than the past, and I promise not to mention it again unless someone attempts to rewrite history. That said, what would we give for a guaranteed finish of 6th right now?
Is there something wrong with Mourinho-style football currently? Spurs have scored 23 goals this season. Only Liverpool (26) and Chelsea (25) have scored more. It seems to his current style of football is not that boring.
He seems to be making the best use of his squad and playing to his players’ strengths.
Maxis: “He seems to be making the best use of his squad and playing to his players’ strengths.”
You are 100% correct. It takes a good coach to ‘use what he got’ and get the best out of his team. The notion that we have to buy new players each time we loose is ridiculous. Of course you can buy championships with the but you still need the right coach. Currently at Arsenal we have and adequate squad to finish top 4 but ………
I don’t want any Jose and Mourinho and his style near my team.
Just wait and see where they’ll land soon.
I don’t mind that type of football out of necessity, but I do hate Mourinho. Anyway, it’s not Mourinho style of football. Our very own George Graham played it with great success during the late 80s and the early 90s, winning 2 titles, one Cup-Winners Cup, one FA cup and 2 League Cups.
In a strange way, we already run a Mourinho-like system, as we simply park the bus in the opposing teams side of half then pass sideways and backwards in the hopes that the other team gets so bored that they lose their shape by trying to press at the wrong time, thereby leaving an opening for a potential goal-scoring opportunity…unfortunately we’re usually so concerned with maintaining possession that we rarely lift our heads long enough to spot said openings…I don’t know how many times our midfielders have entered the opponent’s half without ever lifting their heads to look for players running in behind defenders, stop for no apparent reason, turn away from the offensive zone and pass backwards or sideways…this kind of mindless gameplay must be something that is being implemented on the training ground because it’s totally counter-intuitive for most footballers to do so on a regular basis…this is likely why we are so poor when it comes to making passes that allow our players to run onto a ball, instead we constantly make slower, more deliberate back foot passes which negates any potential forward momentum
Maybe even worse than Mou’s system