Something has changed for the better in the Arsenal dressing room…

Why do we hit rock bottom before we wake up!

We all know that we have not had the best start to the season, and that is something that will always be referenced.

However after the Manchester City game it was said that the players were going to sit down and talk.

Whether that happened and whether Mikel Arteta joined in with the players for that talk we don’t actually know and probably never will.

But something changed after the City game, and although it won’t ever be disclosed it’s interesting to try and work out what it may be.

Anyway you look at it, whether it was the team sitting down to talk to see what everybody was thinking to try and get on the same wavelength, or whether it was just pure embarrassment and disappointment at the way they lost their first three games, where might I add so they should have felt that, we won’t know, but given the beatings we got from Brentford, Chelsea and City something had to be done!

So whatever the reason something has clearly changed in the dressing room. Senior players are stepping up and the youngsters are doing their job as they were before but the team is more together, the team is beginning to look like a team.

Players are finally working with and for each other where the defence is doing its job, the midfield slowly but surely seem to be doing their job, the front line is doing their job, maybe not as often as we like of course but we can’t be scoring six goals a game now that just wouldn’t be fair on other teams 😉 and the goalkeeper, well we all know what he is doing don’t we, but everyone knows their roles and more!

And at the end of the day when it comes to the league as I’ve said many times before a win is a win, whether it is ugly, comfortable, impressive or not, the most important thing is the three points at the end of the game.

But whatever it was that has changed with this Arsenal team in the dressing room, the confidence, character and attitude of the players has to be praised, because it is not always easy to get up once you are down, especially not at a club as big as ours!

It is about time we are seeing, albeit very very slowly but hopefully surely, an Arsenal side beginning to come back.

And yes I do think Arteta deserves a shout out only because he must be having some impact on the team as well, because if the players don’t like a manager no matter how much a team is together if they’re not with their manager it will show. This team to me is showing that they are together as a team of players and with the manager and that is how it should be.

So whatever has happened, its good to see that hopefully our fortunes as a club are changing for the better for the sake of the players, manager and the fans in particular.

And yes I know we have a long long way to go, and no I’m not being fickle or naive, but it’s nice to see there is some sort of positivity around the club at the moment. Things are not being swept under the carpet as much, but it is just a slow slow turning point in a slow process that is changing day by day despite not having the funds that some clubs may have.

All clubs have their issues and all clubs go through bad spells, but it’s the way you get out of them and it’s the character and the attitude you show that is the most important.

And so far so good, Arteta and the players in particular – as they are the ones that go out there and perform, score goals and get the wins on the day- are going about things in the right way.

It’s just a shame we had to get to rock bottom to take a good look at ourselves and realise something was wrong, but they do say people need to hit the worst before they get to the best.

Hopefully, as I’ve said many times before, it is onwards and upwards! Well here’s hoping, hey Gooners?

 

Shenel Osman

@sh3n3l_

10 Comments

  1. The unity, long may it continue, that’s what MA emphasised in his 100game interview, and according to him, if the team continues in this , looking out for one another, covering each other deficiencies, there is no stopping us.
    I just learnt that when he arrived he changed the face of the training ground by putting pictures of legends that have wore the badge with honour, that’s one brave step to bring back passion and culture to the fold, big up Arteta

  2. “we don’t actually know ” exactly! so its a shame bloggers comment.
    “something changed”. Yes, players didnt have covid, players gained more fitness, new players integrated,
    its not a mystery

    1. Rather than put the squad togetherness down to the film crew, I’d like to think that Arteta has, during his time at the club, used his own ability to improve.

      The guy has played under Wenger and coached alongside Pep. If he has any grey cells something surely rubbed off from them and yes, I agree that there were some dodgy times but overall as a managerial novice I think he has done well. There are plenty of seasoned EPL managers who haven’t come close. A risky appointment no doubt, but if this trajectory continues then we may have something to cheer about.

      OGS who has had similar support from the owners has won diddly squat with a squad that has cost an absolute fortune to assemble.

      Not the finished product by any means but a more confident work in progress.

  3. I think the cameras in the dressing room have made Arteta more careful. We know that early on Arteta willy waved and got rid of Saliba, Guendouzi and Torreira. I think he has to be more responsible with the cameras there and that works in Arteta’s favour. So, to me, it’s clear that the squad has improved and is coming together due to the end of willy waving. He’s been forced to mature and the squad are responding to that. Hopefully Arteta is maturing and learning how to motivate the players.

    1. Torreira asked to leave under Emery because he didn’t like living in the UK. He said it publicly repeatedly nothing to do with Arteta. Saliba is more complicated but never fell out with Arteta over his attitude like Guendouzi either. The fact he is doing well on loan vindicates the decision to send him on loan as he’d be on the bench behind Gabriel/white right now (he’s also had some bad games this season, two in Europe spring to mind with us he’d of been dropped for that like Ode has even if he was starting originally.) It was only ever Guendouzi and AMN that had real issues with Arteta and AMN has had no problem winning Arteta over by getting his head down.

      He was also pretty ruthless in getting rid of Ozil, sokratis, mustafi, mhki, willock etc. Which seem to have been left off your list of players who left seems it’s only waving if you disagree with the decision. Likes of luiz/bellerin were convinced to stay on a year until we could replace them properly but are gone. No mention of Nelson being out loan this year either or Arteta refusing to loan ESR/eddie last year. Or his decision to convince Auba/xhaka to stay. All players he didn’t sign to dead that conspiracy some spout when talking about Guendouzi/saliba.

      1. Hey Angus, I’d remove Mustafi from that list of players as MA wanted him to stay, but he rejected our contract offer!

      2. Angus
        I know you get very wound up during a game. It gets to us all sometimes and I know you have got behind Arteta – me too. I sure that IF Arteta wins something this year and gets a top6 it would still not be enough for this season.
        As things stand, there is a lot of jockeying for position. Nobody wants to be proved wrong about Arteta
        Us fan-people have been given a hard time during the lean spells and now there is a bit of either back tracking or sitting on the fence. It would have taken a blinking miracle to have been successful with Ozil and co calling the shots now. Thankfully they’re gone
        I’ve read it here enough times to know that Arteta has his own players so it’s now time for him to deliver. So far so good in spite of us having lucky wins🙄
        Covid and 2 top teams was a bad start
        I have never felt that MA lost the dressing room and don’t believe Amazon has made Arteta a better manager. He’ll have his ups and downs and so will the other managers
        It tickles me that more experienced managers than Arteta have already been given the boot this season
        I’m sure in the fullness of time he will get the sack – most managers do, but I’m not going to pillory him for our current position.

  4. Let’s not forget the Amazon cameras following this season. That spotlight brings extra attention, so whether to prove something or avoid embarrassment, it’s a motivator.

    Still, credit to Arteta, his staff, and the players; let’s also give them props.

    It appears things are turning in the right direction, long may it continue.

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