The Case for Optimism for Arsenal Fans by Drew
The chances missed; the defensive bad beats; the lack of impact from the impact subs; are the only scenes playing out – some fans would have you believe. It’s like we picked a sour plum to eat. And of course, any former Liverpool or Man United pundit surely would call your attention to the wart on our toe vs the strength of our body. I’ll challenge this line of commentary and say, I believe Arsenal right now are easily the most exciting club in world football and an absolute joy to behold from wherever we are watching from, our global fan base rejoice.
So let’s get to it.
Transformational leadership and talent development has set a new standard in club football development. The competitive nature of Arsenal training and modus operandi through all parts of the club are lessons for workplace evolution the likes that haven’t been seen in clubs at this level.
The restoration of the clubs talent development, recruitment and dominant, contemporary style of pressing, majestic football is just remarkable in such a short time. If we saw this from a CEO of Pepsi, my goodness the success they could have…
There is no team right now that has more decisive final third passing than Arsenal. Competitors are pinned back constantly. Swift action from outside, criss crossing the back line, have been remarkable especially when teams sit back just trying to survive. With competitors backed into their 6 yard box desperately trying to ward off attacks, the channels for finishing are hard to come by. Truth.
But don’t confuse the lack of final 1/10th finishing with lack of stability, control and dominance throughout the remaining parts of the field of play. The past four months have been incredible at how the team has taken on penetrative, all attack football and found a way through to reach a goal differential unheard off, even for Man City glory days. It truly is astonishing.
Consistency has been key, even when youth stutters. Arsenal’s attack and defensive prowess has been stonger than I think any fan could have expected for such a young side. The amount of games won during this season in previous years would have given us the title 3 games ago.
But these recent years the depth of Man City’s squad is just demonstrative. Being 3 deep in any position with world class players, they have an answer, even when a player is off for a week. The requirements of a team to compete with this is extreme. None but maybe Real can muster that spend across all positions to compete.
Even so, Arsenal are neck and neck with them even without this depth. That’s shows tremendous courage and desire for success by the players the like we haven’t seen in decades. This impact is obvious for all at Villa. The first 45 minute squad had the pace and talent but couldn’t keep it up. The replacements did little to change the game. That’s the reality. But let’s not act like this team is far off. 2-4 further depth improvements over the coming transfer windows will solidify our mutual hopes of league success.
While clubs judge success in silverware, maybe us fans should recognize the teams development for what it is; A significant step up the food chain with claws and teeth getting sharper and sharper. Yes, a few knocks along the way, but we aren’t fighting for a fourth place finish anymore. We believe in winning the league for 2 years now. I’ll say that again, we all believe we can win the league and the emotions of not winning is a surprisingly difficult emotion to overcome. For the first time in my life there are periods of play I just can’t watch, because every touch means so much now.
With fans continuing to rally support, the leadership willing to bring in only top, top talent when available, I’m so thankful for the next 5 years of football at this club. Somewhere in there is silverware, we all know it. But we can’t force it. Patience will pay off in spades for all of us and when it comes, it will be a sweet peach.
Drew Schwartz
35 year Arsenal fan, youth soccer league coach and strategy volunteer. Desiring a change from the doom and gloom opinion articles posted after a singular loss in 4 months.
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I am very optimistic, and happy with the story so far under MA.
I honestly think some fans forget how bad things were when he took over, and how much effort, time and money was needed just to bridge that gap to City, let alone surpassing them.
The most surprising thing is that even now, some want him sacked, despite our consistent progression, which almost led us to a title last season, and could still do this season. Arteta is going toe-to-toe with a club that cheats, has unlimited funds, and along with Pep, has absolutely dominated football over the last 6 years or so.
Even the great Klopp only toppled Pep once in the league, taking 5 years to do so.
We are heading in the right direction, and Arteta has proved that last season’s title charge was not a one off, as his critics said it would be. Hopefully he can get us over the final hurdle.
Can I ask out of interest how long would that be okay though
So in 12 months if we are 2nd is that okay.?.
If we’re 2nd again next season, then that’s solid consistency, although it would be disappointing if it wasn’t City we lost our to.
But I do think if we are 2nd, then we’ll need some silverware to go with it.
I understand that expectations change as we progress, so it’s getting towards that time we need to see trophies, I just some fans were way too high too soon given the state of the club.
*I just think some fans expectations were way too high too soon given the state.
Yes Dan, it would be to me and to many others like me. As we are NOT SPOILED and do not throw tantrums like a two yearc old child denied his chocolate, so throwing his toys out the pram.
It is plain that in your post you have ADMITTED, albeit without being bright enough to realise WHAT you have unwittingly REVEALED, that you only support to win silverware and are never satisfied unless the club you say you support, does so!!
THAT is NOT the type of fan I CAN EVER RESPECT, NOR EVEN CALL A PROPER FAN , not at all!
The interesting thing is that Jen doesn’t take into account that city and chelsea were cheating long before MA became our manager, but doesn’t take that into account when talking about what the situation was pre MA.
Imagine MA working under the restraints of paying back the cost of the new stadium, would he have been given up to, what, £900 million to invest at that time?
We forget how bad things were?
I remember not finishing out of the top four for two decades and winning fa cups despite the shenanigans of city and chelsea, shame others don’t!!
Interesting that Ken doesn’t take into account that Wenger moved away from the tactics, formation, and profile of players that brought his so much success.
@Jen
And I think you’re not taking into account that AW felt he had to adjust his tactics and formations according to the changing landscape of the EPL. Jus sayin…
And clearly he got that wrong very badly, so he should have reverted back to what he knew would work, or at the very least, work better than what he was doing.
I think he was too stubborn to admit his changes were a big mistake.
@Jen
Now, apply that very same sound logic to Arteta…Jus sayin
NY_Gunner
Excellent reply! Logical, rational, and perfect response, but you should know by now that fans should never question our manager.
It’s amazing we can challenge City in back to back seasons with a manager that keeps making lots of mistakes. I guess it must ONLY be the players getting us the results 🤣🤣🤣.
And the reason we bottle the opportunities? 800 million and no trophy to show is ONLY players fault?
Did you show this loyalty towards Wenger or Emery or just Arteta?
I put the club before players or managers, even Wenger who I respected so much.
How about you? I apologize if I misjudged you, and look forward to you defending the club rather than Arteta in your comments.
😁😁😁
Hats off to you sir for that reply!
Clearly you haven’t been watching Arteta from your comment, because he has evolved from his early days. E.g. we were a very defensive team, barely creating anything, and now we outscore almost everyone, although defence is still very important.
As Arteta has improved and made changes, so have the results and performances, whereas Arsenal only went downhill under Wenger.
I just easily crushed you with facts! Lovely stuff.
@Jen
After distancing yourself from your one statement, the only thing you showed , is that you don’t even believe the tripe you’re pushing…Jus sayin
No I go on facts, something you hate, because to say we haven’t massively improved under MA would be a blatant lie!
I see! Then you mean by wilfully never even trying to replace the world class Giolberto with any other at all PROPER CDM’s at all.
NOT IN ALL THE YEARS THAT FOLLOWED , EITHER!!
And by buying a long list of dud CB’s THROUGHOUT ALL HIS 22 YEAR STAY.
From SENDEROS, right through to MUSTAFI and the appalling “Greek Wrestler” Sokratis!
He only ever brought in ONE, REAL PROVEN, NO ARGUMENT, TOP CLASS CB of his own ,in CAMPBELL.
Others have tried to hype such as Toure as top class when he was merely GOOD, BUT FAR FROM GREAT.
Koscielny and Veremaalen(injury prone as HE was) ,
were also ONLY GOOD .
Not anywhere near CAMPBELLS, ADAMS CLASS.
Wenger could not recognise a GREAT CB, even if one bit him!
Hmmm didn’t Wenger sign Campbell?
Is he is CB?
PAT respectfully I suggest you read the WHOLE of my post again. Seems, somehow, you missed my reference to CAMPBELL!!
For Jon Fox
You are wrong about Sokratis (the greek wrestler). He was signed by Unai Emery not AW.
Mixed bag as far as the rest of your post. Campbell was excellent. Toure was a great IMO. Koscielny was a little better than good. Nearly as good as the ones currently. He needed a better partner than a Mertesacker or a Mustafi (which was a complete mistake). I would have continued with the other Gabriel (something out of a Frankenstein movie) than Mustafi.
Vermaelen is someone I did not rate.
My gripe against AW was not about CB’s. My gripe was against holding midfielders. He never replaced Gilberto Silva/ Flamini properly whilst having the small creators like Fabregas and Santi Cazorla. He stumbled across Coquelin and then discarded him.
Ones with a proper tackling capabilities along with a bit of feistiness.
IGL You are correct about Sokratis and I stand corrected, and thank you. But as for the rest of your post you pretty much agree with all I say, apart from your differerent opinions of Toure and Kos.
I did not rate VERMAALEN THAT highly. though he had one good season prior to injury problemsand was IMO a good but far from great player. But he did not stay here long Merts was freakishly SLOW and was always therefore an accident twaiting to happen
To me, CAMPBELL stands miles ahead of ANY other CB Wenger brought to our club. You agree with my view of AW’s lack of ANY proper CDM after Gilberto left and that covered a great many years too, disgracefully, IMO!
Yer he STILL finished in the top four, won cups, played in the CL while the Emirates was being built.
Of course, Jen, like TMJW and Jimbo, you continue to ignore the cost, both on and off the pitch, regarding the building of the Emirates AND the repayments thereafter.
Arsene had to cut his cloth accordingly with regards to the players he could afford to bring to the club, especially when NOT being able to buy the top players.
It’s a gamble when being forced to buy at the lower level.
But, of course, you completely forgot to address your original point about MA having to play against a cheating city didn’t you?
When I pointed out to you that AW had to put up with that (from 2008, along with chelsea from 2005 I should add) you completely ignored said FACT and, instead, accused AW of changing tactics!!
You accuse others of not knowing anything about our club, but you either don’t know the facts yourself, or choose to ignore them because it doesn’t fit your scenario of Wenger… just as TMJW and Jimbo used to do.
Jon, I thought you were not bothered about the past and, as a forward thinking fan and a realist, you weren’t going to comment on it?
i am very optimistic for Arsenal under Arteta
Arsenal are much much better team now, and each year [including this one] we get better again
the long term future certainly is bright
i think there may be a few us disappointed with the more immediate term, and particularly the Villa, and particularly as it seemed Liverpool (dropping 5 points in 2 games) had boosted our hopes, only for 3 hours later for the PL to be in Man C hands, whose worse hands could it be in
so yes, looking forward to the coming seasons all I can see is getting better and better, while Liverpool will be in post Klopp and Salah transition, Pep could easily move on to a new challenge, KDB not long left, Haarland dreams of Real Madrid
but today my focus is the hear and now, which felt much better 48 hours ago
I think it fair to expect a commensurate return for the huge investment in the club.
If I were still a paying customer I’d be far more disappointed at a lack of big success than I am right now, but I can see some improvement, if not of the huge trophy type.
Arteta is right for us and likely to continue, but Albert Stuivenberg and Carlos Cuesta may both leave soon, which is not something to be cheerful about.
Do you know that they are off then, Jax?
Norwich are reported to be wanting Carlos, and Ajax for Albert. Not definite on either though.
They would be a big loss though, his two main men.
It’s all about the business in the summer for me. We have out grown players we needed two seasons ago, like Zinchenko and Jesus. We need a striker, a midfielder and arguably another class winger. Not sure about left back as I don’t know where Timber will fit in. Otherwise, I think we are on track to continue to challenge for the title. I am disappointed after Saturday but still believe we are on the right road and happy with our progress.
Timber isn’t a LB.
Agreed, but neither is Zinchenko, Kiwior or Tomiyasu, but guess what.
No but that’s where he was playing brilliantly for us!
So, he played one prem game and didn’t finish? He was playing brilliantly for us at LB? Not knocking the guy because I am sure he is a top player. But your statement doesn’t hold much water. He isn’t a LB, he played a few minutes at the start of the season. That could have been a reason, he got injured. He was signed for us as a RB. We will need a LB, to replace what we have. Timber will be on the right. Ben White has played LB. Suarez played LB. Neither are LBs.
Thank you mate.I challenge every Arsenal fan to study this
It all depends on where we stand after the whistle is blown on the the last match of the season…
So it does NY.
Positive Pete seems to agree, a few posts down the page.
Hurray for Drew!! What an inspiring , patently true and badly needed piece, among all the misery and angst of the usual doom sayers that infest this site.
An absolutely EXCELLENT piece Drew and please DO, DO, DO,, write more regularly. You have an admirer on JA in ME!
I NATURALLY ADMIRE FELLOW REALISTS.
For me it is about seeing growth and being more competitive.
I have seen this under Arteta, and am pleased I must say. However, I have not anointed him yet as many seemingly already have.
He still has issues to overcome before we take that final, vital step of being champions and hoisting silverware.
1. Has to be willing to be ruthless with his so-called favorites. Jesus and Zinchenko need to be moved on, as we find ourselves in a similar position as City regarding those 2.
We need a better fullback than Zinchenko, and a better striker/winger than Jesus; one who actually scores.
2. Handling pressure when the spotlight is on. The moment we face pressure and have to produce, we fail. Early exits from both domestic cups continues, and we are stumbling again and not capitalizing when we have a chance to go clear at the top of the table.
Porto was one game, and when compared to all the other opportunities we missed, it does not show we have overcome that mental hurdle.
I hope this Summer we see needed changes in personnel. Gone are Jesus, Zinchenko, Nketiah, Veiria, Jorghino, Elneny, and others that simply can’t produce.
A striker that can reliably finish, a B2B midfielder and DM, and a backup RB for White and Tomiyasu moved to CB; hopefully not get injured as much.
Is it reasonable to expect some sort of silverware next year? After likely 900 million spent, 5 years on the job, and control of squad and transfers, is that asking too much?
Durand as a fan who agrees entirely with you about JESUS and ZINNY, and who hopes both are moved on this summer, I am bound to say that buying players is always arisky business, UNLESS we buy certain PROVEN top class players like Rice.
Unlike City who bouggt whoeve rthawy wanted when the Sheokh took themover adn Chelski in the early years of criminal Abramovitch, WE have had to cut out cloth when buting VERY FINANCIALLY CAREFULLY for manay years past. We do not have thrt luxury of buying proven word class superstars. Rice is the one exception , who has TRANSFORMED our team, obviously so.
So taking Jesus and Zinny was all we could afford at that time and both seemed, at that time, to be good buys.
Later on, it became CLEARER,that NEITHER are at all special and I SUGGEST THAT BOTH WIL LBE LEAVING US FAIRLY SOON.
Buying does not always work out as fans or managers hope and they have not, AT LEAST IN YOUR AND MY OWN OPINION
Jon
I agree with your opinion, and agree that we do not have the financial luxury of City, but enough luxury to spend 800 million since Arteta has been manager.
My opinion regarding Jesus and Zinchenko is this:
1. Jesus was never a striker, Pep tried and it did not work, so he was shifted to the wing and eventually replaced and upgraded.
2. Zinchenko was never a fullback; he was tried in the inverted role, but once the trick was figured out by other managers, he was moved on by Pep and replaced by a defender, NOT another inverted fullback.
Their shortcoming were well known at City, yet we spent nearly 80 million bringing them to Arsenal and playing them in the same positions where they failed at City.
Now we have to move them on for the same reasons; Jesus can’t score as a striker or winger, and Zinchenko can’t defend and ALWAYS has a mistake in him every game.
They were patches to solve a problem, but now have become a problem in my opinion. Let’s hope Arteta sees things as we do and replaces both with better producers.
Precisely Durand. You put it beautifully!
He certainly does Jon, as you also do, when describing the gamble on players if they are not top notch and the club can’t afford said top notch players.
Now, let’s use that EXCELLENT realism and travel back in time to when the Emirates was being built and, up until 2014, money was scarce.
Wouldn’t you say that ANY manager who kept finishing in the top four under those restraints did a wonderful job and should be recognised for that?
It’s not over till the fat lady sings.🤫
Pete As a singer rmyself, I am always tickled by exactly WHO the imaginary”fat lady” who sings, but only when its over, actually IS?
ANY IDEAS?
I don’t suppose you are posh enough to go to opera but I think it means when you are bored stiff you need to wait for the final aria. In opera it is ALWAYS the fat lady soprano singing to get the depth and volume needed. Check brunhilde in Wagners ring as a blatant reference.
Not that this has anything to do with football….
You’re correct. It’s: “The opera aint over…” and it originates with a US sports writer in the ’70’s.
AD PAT, iT WAS OF COURSE A TONGUE IN CHEEK COMMENT as I know you always realised, even though you pretend not to have done.
I sang opera professionally for a number of years in my younger days before going onto other stage genres and have always known where that expression came from.
Even at my age now, I still give solo concerts – I have one this Friday – and VERY OCCASIONALLY still include an odd piece from opera.
Now you know and I AM STILL NOT POSH either.
I simply wondered IF Pete also knew!
Jon, could it be the late Spanish opera singer Montserrat Caballe who sang with Freddie Mercury? She was certainly a large lady like many opera divas.
Grandad, thanks for your input but my post was merely atongue in cheek question, as there is NO definitive answer to it. I merely wondered , rather mischievously, what Positive Pete WOULD MAKE OF MY CHEEKY QUESTION.
But the expression predates dear old “Monsterfat” as she was unkindly known, by a great many decades. I used to sing opera professionally for a numbe of years in my earlier life.
Not all opera sopranos are fat, nor all tenors either. There are alot of myths surrounding opera that, unless you know the subject, simply continue in their ignorance, decade after decade.
Thanks Jon. I recall us talking about opera singers and your own singing prowess a couple of years ago .In my old age I have been captivated by Classical music to the extent that I listen to Classic FM whenever I drive.I also love operatic arias, my favourite tenor being the late, great Jussi Bjorling while the voice of the Latvian Mezzo soprano ,Elina Garancha is simply sublime.Who are your own favourites?
Good to see Grandad. My favs are Sops Sutherland Schwartzkopf, te kanawa. Mezzos, it has to be the magnetic Cecilia Bartolli. Tenors. McCormack(historically) Gigli Bjorling,inrecent times Pavorotti.
Baritones; Fischer- Dieskau, Evans, Terfel.
I trained as a lyric baritone and sang the prestissimo Largo al factotum in opera concerts and in recitals (plus lieder, mostly Schubert and some Wolf).
But never in the Barber of Seville itself, although I have performed that opera often.
Also a lot of Mozart operas, in particular Figaro in Marriage of Figaro. Also Magic Flute and other Mozart and RossinI operas mostly.
I still sing Largo whilst driving, but its too prestissimo really for the heavier bass baritone, which I have been for some years past.
Now I spend much of my time , when not playing bowls(a massive passion)in giving theatre and music talks to WI, TWG, Probus, Literary socs etc etc and entertaining old folk in care homes and at all social functions, in churches and church halls etc.
Hope AD PAT allows this reply as you did ask.
BEST WISHES!!
Cheers Jon. What a quiet life you lead.
Irony writ large Grandad.
What a refreshingly optimistic article from someone who is directly involved in the game.Patience is sadly a virtue which many of our fans, particularly of the younger generation, seem to lack but as you say Drew we are now a power to be reckoned with and before too long the new Arsenal dynasty may take over from City.With regard to the defeat to Villa, the tactics of playing Havertz as a left eight with Zinchenko at left back backfired once again..Not that Havertz played badly, indeed in the first half his runs from deep caused Villa a lot of problems.The thing is with Havertz and Zinchenko in these roles we have struggled against sides we ought to have beaten, losing to Fulham,West Ham and Villa(twice) and drawing with PSV.I would have thought Arteta would have learned his lesson but sadly he has not.
‘The most exciting club in the world’
I’ll admit I stopped reading at that point. We aren’t even the most exciting club in London! Say what you want, Spurs are more entertaining, regardless of whether it is effective or not.
No doubt I’ll be paraded as some kind of pariah for saying that but Arsenal aren’t the most entertaining team to watch. It’s a good mix of entertainment and effectiveness but we have seen a markable shift backwards in that regard from last season. Indeed we find ourselves worse off for points compared to this time last year.
There is not a person with eyes who honestly say we are the most exciting team in world football. It’s biased nonsense. Some of our football is fabulous but a lot of it isn’t, and most certainly a lot of it isn’t very effective either. The most beautiful aspect of Arsenal’s football at the moment is watching William Saliba dominate every attacker he goes head to head with.
Ben I suggest you have missed thrpoint he made when suggesting we are exciting. He referred IMO to the set up and the near future as exciting, rather than simply the style of fotball we play.
I actually find a lot of our play boring and cant wait til we shifty gear aswe so do so often, going from crossfield passing ans keepingpossession, while th team WAITS for opponents to be out of positiin and then shifting speed quickly.
Only THEN is ithe actual play “exciting” . But I TOOK HIS POST AS MEANING THE CURRENT SET UP AND OUR NEAR FUTURE, PERSONALLY. And not as you clearly assumed it to mean.
Drew did actually say it is the CLUB rather thn its playing style , that is exciting.
I much agree with EXACTLY WHAT he said!
“spurs are more entertaining “ yes they really make me laugh! But in fact I know a lot of their fans who are pissed off with Ange’s hung ho tactics, playing without a midfield and constantly shipping goals.
Reminds me of the good old days of Ozzie in the 90s! I find them particularly enjoyable to watch right now because they keep shipping goals at the wrong end. I would be pissed off too if I supported Spurs.
Great little piece and agree with the writer, it’s exciting times and the future looks bright. Last season we had punched above the expectations from the start of the season. This season we’ve continued the level of challenging for the league. It’s not over, Man city are not having their best season defensively having let on 32 goals in 32 games, last time they had let in this amount of goals in 2016/2017 they finished 3rd. City could still drop points. Their last 6 games is 4 wins and 2 draws. They have a big game tomorrow, if it goes extra time and penalties, might that affect them? Liverpool are also throwing out unpredictable results. This season is far from over. Keep the faith. We are in a great position in the league, have a great defence, only a few games ago were scoring for fun. We get through tomorrow night in 90 minutes, City get through after extra time. We beat City in the semis and play either Dortmund or PSG in the final. Meanwhile, back in the PL, quietly tick off the remainder games with straight wins. Finish the season with a double and make the doubters eat their hats.
Come on Arsenal!♥️🤍