The pressure on Mikel Arteta has started to increase from a significant portion of the fanbase following a string of disappointing performances culminating in yesterday’s FA Cup elimination at the hands of Manchester United.
As things stand right now, Arsenal are still in the Carabao Cup, Champions League and Premier League title race and this season could still turn out to be a successful one, however, confidence seems to be declining that Arsenal will end the season with any form of silverware.
If we are honest, it is unlikely that we will reach the Carabao Cup final following the 2-0 home loss to Newcastle United, I am among those who just do not see us beating Newcastle in the return leg at St James Park so the reality is that we are probably only still in the title race and Champions League.
Do we see Arsenal winning the Champions League? I don’t, not with the forwards we have and the extended absence of Bukayo Saka and as for the title I just do not see Liverpool falling off the cliff, the title is theirs to lose now.

So, from my own perspective, I do not see Arsenal picking up any silverware this season and considering what we did in the last two seasons, I find that unacceptable.
Do I think Arteta should be sacked right now? No, I do not, not while we are still in a title race and the Champions League but the question has to be asked, has Arteta reached his ceiling with Arsenal? Is he the man to take us to the next level?
Would another manager with far more experience and a winning track record be a better choice to take us that one step further to glory, a Diego Simeone, Jose Mourinho, Max Allegri etc?
The last thing I want to see at Arsenal is a return to the toxic years we all witnessed at the end of Arsene Wenger’s tenure but I fear we will be in that scenario if Arteta fails once again this season.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
He should walk today. I said he should stay until the end of the season previously however what’s the point. Nothing going to change and he cant be trusted with any funds. The downfall started with Cala , Merino and Sterling. The exact opposite of the player profile we needed. Does everyone know the backstory behind Calafiori ? The guys knee completely blew out when he was 18 and got told he would never play again. Why would you go out your way to sign him with that on his record. Especially considering how many injured defenders we already have on the books. Unpopular opinion Havertz was a better signing than Rice and neither of them are good enough at the same time.
Agreed, he should leave now and we get a replacement in with enough games to go so he can assess squad for summer transfer window.
Why wait unt the summer and the new manager then has less time with the squad.
I do believe we have a medical team who have a rigorous assessment of players and pass on their results to the management.
Of course, MA is responsible if their checks weren’t thorough enough, yes?
He’s no special manager like we were told to believe,can he improve the squad ?probably if we spend another 200 million for him .
Pointless talking about it tBH as he’s just signed the most ridiculous contract in our clubs history for being a prospect.
No trophies at the end of the season and worsening league form then I hope he does the right thing and slings his hook .
Really unlikeable person IMO
I can’t imagine being micro managed at my place of employment. I can just imagine over time how my performance would decline.
I imagine that is what is happening here to a degree.
Thank you! I always tell my friends how unlikeable he is. He comes off so pretentious in his prese conferences and he fibs all the time he’d be better as a politician. Seems like a kid who was told he was special all his life and believed his own hype. I bet he smells his own farts lol
The reality as I see it is that Arteta has overachieved the last two seasons, giving a distorted reality of what are actual reasonable expectations from the fans. Our squad just isn’t that great as whole apart from a handful of outstanding players.
Had Arsenal finished top 4 instead of runners-up the last two years we would still be moaning about the disappointing performances but no one would be calling for his head. Based purely on a like-for-like comparison on squads in between us and Man City, Arsenal had no business being that close to winning the league.
The issue is now City have regressed but Liverpool have progressed by an order of magnitude and their strength in depth, particularly in the forward positions, grossly out performs ours. Just looking at their forwards, there isn’t a single one of our players any right-minded fan would select ahead of theirs aside from Saka, but it’s not like even that is a slam dunk compared to Salah.
This season needs to be viewed as a consolidation season now. We are extremely unlikely to win anything but that’s ok, it’s the regression in style and performance that is of major concern.
Arteta has done enough to be given at least the remained of this season and probably next to see if he can find a way to get the team firing again and performing better. At that point, if the team is sliding down the table expect him to leave but only when that happens. He isn’t going to be sacked because the football is rubbish.
I would agree with parts of your comment.
The regression is the biggest concern for me; from numerous players, to the style of play, to even the decisions/tactics from Arteta seem to have taken us backwards.
The Summer’s window looks like a waste of funds IMO. Calafiori is so injury prone, can anyone actually judge if his performances have improved the squad? Has he even featured enough to tell accurately?
Merino was just more of the same, but a lesser version. Same skill set as Rice and Partey, but a far inferior version in my opinion. He can’t pivot, dribble, and break a press by himself or build up play. Offers nothing really in helping our attack scoring or creating more chances.
Sterling, I don’t even know what to say really. Perhaps actually seeing him play some games might help, otherwise we loaned someone to take up a roster spot and sit on the bench.
We needed a better striker than Havertz or Jesus, but Arteta won’t admit they are not good enough. Perhaps in 4 years he will, much as he did with Nketiah, albeit 4 years too late.
Also, a B2B midfielder or attacking midfielder would help, we have 4 DM’s now midfield looks as shaky as ever.
He could use Zinchenko in the Xhaka position and add some much needed creativity to the side and rotate that position with Merino. Rice is a great player but he is a great defensive midfielder who can bring the ball out, not what Arteta has been using him as. He lacks the refined technical ability to properly aid the attack in my opinion. A team with Arsenal’s aspirations should not have their best player so far this season be an 18 year old converted midfielder playing at left back.
Arteta’s tactics just need a physically-dominant CF and a plan-B to attack differently when we can’t score
Unfortunately, he didn’t sign that false-nine type and I don’t think Kroenke will be willing to buy a new player in January
His tactic worked very well against Man United, but Havertz, Trossard, Odegaard and Rice squandered the very-easy chances to score
If he gets the boot at the end of the season, he’d likely win a major trophy with another team after a one-year break, because he’s a very talented manager
You are correct however all those players mentioned where signed by Arteta and the blame must solely lie with him.
You cant be scared to let go incase it doesnt go right. Just look at Barcelona they got rid of a club legend in Xabi and have just smashed Real Madrid in a cup final.
Its no disrespect to Arteta to say he isn’t good enough to win the league because not many are.
Xavi
Arteta must be blamed for signing inconsistent players
I’m willing to gamble on another manager, but I just think Arteta could’ve perfected his tactics if he signed the more suitable players
I truly believe we wouldn’t be having this conversation had we bought an attacker either left or central and a goal scoring left 8. But we didnt so here we are.
But he will not sign such players, Arteta signs players he likes and not players the club desperately needs.
Your last statement is true. He won his only trophy with Wenger/Emery’s players. He could win in another team with the outgoing manager’s players. With his team he can achieve nothing special. With 800M++ he could have assembled a team of Kudus, Isaak, Bruno Guimaras but alas we have Kai, Merino, Sterling, Gabby J. who among themselves could not score one goal in 2 cup games! Not to mention Viera , Lokonga while getting rid of ESR .He relies on Gabby M as his goal threat. What a shame. After spending 800M++, he relies on an academy graduate trained during the Wenger era and played by Emery. What an expensive nonsense we are fed. Honestly, he should walk or be made to walk if we go out to NU. Give time to the new manager to set in and hire the players he needs. But, who will take the likes of Kai, Gabby J, Trossad? Another squad write off?
Talentedwith 5 years of experience now? Yet can’t recognize he needs a plan B or dominant CF.
Nah,,,,, ceiling????? More like the window sill, or most probably the bottom step of a staircase. Team selection, player management, in game time management is pretty well much mediocre to be fair and honest. He is the second highest paid manager in WORLD FOOTBALL. 15 MILLION POUNDS. He turning football into a difficult game to score. He’s making it look like ROCKET SCIENCE to create and score straight forward goals. It’s the way he sets up his team. His press CONFERENCE’S before and post match are an absolute embarrassment to those have some form of FOOTBALL KNOWLEDGE. It would not surprise me in the slightest if Tottenham put him well and truly out of his pitiful misery. I’ve heard that arguments are breaking out in the toilets of the Emirates. We are not far from the bad old days of planes flying over the Emirates with ARTETA OUT and ARTETA IN. And I will never use injuries as an excuse. That’s been part of football since the wheel was invented. He’s had 5/6 years to build HIS SQUAD. He’s just broke an Arsenal record of being knocked out of the FA CUP either in the 3rd or 4th round of that competition. He’s slowly going down as the WORST ARSENAL MANAGER in living history. Arsenal have the highest ticket prices. Yet there are no TROPHIES to show for it. And the most INSULTING thing to PAYING SUPPORTERS, is that he’s dishing out the most dross boring football seen in many years
Worst in “living history”? I can remember Billy Wright & Don Howe. True about the other stuff though.
@Jax. Right you are mate. I totally forgot about Don Howe. I never like him. He used to be partner in crime with Terry Neill. I started supporting Arsenal in 1977. So I would have been 11 years old. At least Neill got Arsenal to 3 FA CUP FINALS and a EUROPEAN CUP WINNERS CUP FINALS. 1980 could have been a massive success for Arsenal. They lost to West Ham in the FA CUP FINAL, and went down to Valencia in the CUP WINNERS CUP FINAL in a penalty shoot out. That was a hectic season. They played Liverpool in 3 replays to reach the finals. They had a tough 2 legged Semi Final battle with Juventus to make to finals. They played alot of football leading up to those two finals. And unfortunately it really showed. They looked legless when walking out onto the pitch in those finals. I don’t think the wanna be Arsenal supporters of today would appreciate the history. They had smaller squads in those days,,, and were only permitted one substitute,,, and that player had to be nominated on the team sheet. If the goalkeeper got injured or sent off,, an out field player would play in goals
“Worst manager in living history”. Clearly you are about 15 minutes old because this is up there with the most ridiculous comments I have ever read on this topic.
It is quite something that 18 months ago I was being hounded for saying I don’t like Arteta and now I have to be the voice of reason to those very same people that said I was a fool!
Arteta isn’t even close to being the worst Arsenal manager in living memory. Jeez, he isn’t even the worst of the Premier League era. You lot are just immature moaners because you believe Arsenal have some divine right to win trophies. Some of us are old enough to remember equally tedious football but with very little success. It was only a few years ago we were finishing 8th and 30 years ago we finished 17th!!
Get a grip. Yeah, the football is crap right now but it hasn’t always been under Arteta and we need to believe he can get them playing well again. It is down to him and I haven’t always supported him, but I would rather have a manager who can get results by any means than bin him off for the unknown.
I think you’ll find Billy Wright has been our worse ever manager.
We need a massive clear-out starting with the manager and including Sterling, Zichenko, Jesus, Trossard, Havertz, Tierney, Jorginho.
And replace them with who? You can’t get rid of that many players in one go and expect anything other than disaster. If he actually used them correctly it would help. Tierney is perfectly capable when he’s fit, but Arteta is rooted to this inverted LB nonsense. Zinchenko would be far better as a left sided midfielder, Jesus is a RW and Sterling has played most of his career as an LW.
If you have a drawer full of cutlery but insist on using a fork to eat soup you are always going to struggle. Use what you have properly, only then can you establish whether it’s good enough.
I think it’s called coaching Ben!!
Well, there is that, Ken! Arteta is incredibly infuriating but he has had this lot playing well in the past and we have to hope he can do so again rather than calling for his head because we somehow managed to grab defeat from the jaws of victory.
BTW we watched the match with friends and I called the direction of Odegaard’s penalty and the save before he took it. It was way too apparent which way he was going to go. And their keeper made a great save from Rice, so the chances were there.
Ben,
This is why Arteta needs to go. I agree with you that the players there may play better if the manager played to their strengths, something Arteta seems to not want to do.
So, although I can’t give you a name out there to replace him, I’m sure the clubs bigwigs will have there feelers out looking if they’ve got any sense.
Arteta seems to be all about the players fitting his system, well as that appears not to be working. Here’s a thought, why don’t he try playing to the players strengths, in system that both the manager and player can adapt to.
Simone Inzaghi is one, if people are asking for a name.
Has won trophies in the Italian league, around 48 years old, and most importantly he has shown he can adapt and adjust tactics when needed; something Arteta is unable or unwilling to do.
Don’t know if Inzaghi is the answer, but for those asking “who” Simone Inzaghi actually can win trophies and adapt his tactics, he is not fixed on them.
@Gai
If Arteta doesn’t see the need for a physically dominant CF and has no planB in matches, then he is no longer fit for a club of Arsenals size. He is competing with “sharks” in Epl. Despite injury to Saka and Nwaneri and Matinelli/Trossard lacking clinical form he insisted in his interviews that he doesn’t need any forward players.
Arteta’s lack of previous experience and stubbornness seem to be affecting his abilities to perform when it mattered most.
A pro-active coach shouldn’t wait till one of Jesus/Havertz is sidelined before looking for emergency quick fix. He is a Tarlented manager but football games is about results and achievements.
Like you said if he leaves Arsenal he could win trophy else where, yes you are right but I don’t think it would be Epl.
Why is being dissatisfied with a bad job of currently the 3rd highest paid manager in the world classified as toxic?
Arteta apologists have shown me Arsenal have some of the most hypocritical fans in the world.
There was a point some years back when Spurs were doing so well compared to us yet we kept mocking and laughing at their failure to win trophies, as we continue to do that to this very day.
Yet because Arteta is so special trophies do not matter anymore? Pochetino did a far better job with less than Arteta has done in 5 years yet we kept mocking him day and night, left and right, up and down, back and front, inside and outside because he did not have any trophies to show for it.
How many times do I read here on JA that Harry Kane has taken a Spurs jinx to Bayern?
What about our jinx??? Oh I forgot, trophies do not matter anymore…only when it comes to our rivals they do!
HH,
Well said. I can’t disagree with anything you said really. And I wouldn’t want to.👍
I wonder what the next phase is going to be under this awesome manager of ours.🙄🤦♂️
It all looked so rosy when he won the FA Cup in his first season, until of course you remember it was basically with Emery’s squad. Do I think we will win anything this season? Possibly, as it is possible to get two goals at Newcastle but can we also stop them from scoring, I doubt it with our defence at present. Champions League, I don’t think so. Premier League? I can’t see Liverpool slipping up so badly but also there’s Forest waiting in the wings, and not a team to be discounted. One thing I am sure of is we will get top four and it’s not the right time for him to go right now, but at the end of the season yes, if we win nothing. We are in for a very bumpy ride till the end of the season.
No it didn’t
I remember pointing out he twice finished 8th , our worst finish in quarter of a century
Turning point to me was when club and some fans called 5th progress
GB
I think you are showing valiant optimism if you think its possible that Arsenal can turn around the home defeat against Newcastle. For fear of being referred to for the umpteenth time as an Arteta apologist, I think the level of injuries sustained throughout the season so far, with no sign of let up, will leave us in your top4 spot but nothing else. As far as the season goes in the remaining weeks, I hope that a reasonably settled side emerges again and then I can at least judge where the club is at. If Arteta is replaced, then I’m sure that will be an honest reflection by the board that they believe he cannot move the club further forward.
In addition, I find it amusing that you mentioned that Arteta won the FA cup with another manager’s players. The reason I mention this is that Emery didn’t win anything with them during his time at Arsenal and yet he has been given excuse after excuse by those who now call me an Arteta apologist. Perhaps I should refer to them as Emery apologists considering his record at the club. 🙂
SueP,
They never afforded Emery the patients they’ve shown Arteta.
Derek
There is a ton of difference between a Spanish serial trophy & league winner at wealthy PSG and Mikel Arteta who was earning his stripes in his first managerial role. It’s just not reasonable to think patience and time wasn’t needed. It really wasn’t Arteta’s fault that the dressing room was toxic
SueP, just my opinions below, no disrespect to yours
1. Emery came close to top, player mistakes cost him top 4.
2. Emery took us to EL finals, players did not care to win it for us (that is a debate for a separate date)
3. Emery tasted success in the EL with 2 teams on a shoe string budget, the board should have given him more authority to stamp his influence. Remember he was a coach, not the manager.
4. As for injuries, Arteta very well knew Gabby J, Zinny, Tomiyasu are injury prone, Jorginho & Partey are aging and he hires Calafori (knowing that he had a massive injury just 3-4 ago), hired lackluster Merino aged 28, Rice at 100M who is neither a CAM nor a CDM, Kai who is neither a CAM. All square pegs in round holes. If he needs players to play as per his gameplan, then hire the right players, do not jeopardize the players carriers and teams chances by not playing to their strengths. Stop hiring cast off and flops and try to rejuvenate them, it seldom works.
4. If Nuno and Enzo finish above us, then he needs to be sacked.
TSRS
I don’t have a personal dislike for the man who I think is an honourable person. You have given me several excuses for Emery, blaming the players and the management and then listed all the things that you think is wrong with Arteta. I call that being an apologist for Emery. Yes, he did brilliantly in Spain but couldn’t bring a European trophy to PSG or Arsenal. He was supported in the transfer market to the tune of well over £200m. Why did the players become toxic? Don’t reply to that, as I’ve heard all the excuses before. Everyone has said Emery deserved patience, but why? He lost the dressing room and that was the crucial factor.
Now, I know that Arteta isn’t Peter Perfect, and the current situation brings with it an understandable concern by supporters. Should Arteta lose the dressing room which would inevitably lead to dropping down through the ranks and it becomes as obvious as it was under Emery, then I’ll have no hesitation in calling for him to go. No patience and no way back. Until then, I find the constant attacks totally unnecessary and counterproductive to the team and manager in a season that has brought many challenges 😊
Lol. Funny how an Emery apologist and an Arteta apologist would each interpret the justifications made by the other as excuses. Confirmation bias maybe?
I’m ok with being an Arteta apologist – I’ve been called one since he started. It’s the same people who do this make multiple excuses for Emery when given the chance but would never consider themselves to be apologists. Funny that!
Me too Sue. He’s done OK. Trod water for a couple of seasons and made it to fifth and second in the next two.. Not perfect by any means considering the money spent but improvements all the way.
…and I didn’t even include an FA Cup 🏆
SueP, the last sentence may not hold true. Fans debate on social media platforms, the manager/players hardly bother to read the comments on the numerous Arsenal blogs.
I stand by my opinion that Arteta is not a bad coach/manager (somewhere else someone commented that he is worst AFC manager, not true).He succeeded where Pat Viera, Henry, Lampard, Rooney failed. I want the man to succeed. Is he a title winning manager, from the way things stand – No! He cannot be unlucky thrice.
I want him to get players who can play to his gameplan or he change his tactics to the players strength. Bowing out of 2 cups in a week is not good, whether is in sync with the dressing room or out of sync, only time will tell. The results speak the truth of his & the players abilities & capabilities.
I never intended my post to start the pro or anti Arteta debate. All I did was point out that every time I read about how hard done by Emery was at Arsenal, I think of his record which was terrible considering his body of work elsewhere. If peeps want to feel like being apologists for him, that’s also fine by me. I just find it amusing that they probably don’t realise they’re apologists themselves
SueP,
Are you saying that because Emery was a Spanish serial trophy winner and a League winner at wealthy PSG, that he didn’t have the same right to time that Arteta is.
And as for your wealthy PSG jibe, well we’ve seen the money wasted by Arteta haven’t we, having been well backed by the owners.
Havertz, Calafiori, Merino, Zinchenko, Jesus,(Sterling loan).
Yes he’s signed some good player’s to, Rice, Odegaard, Timber, Raya.
But overall his transfer dealings have been underwhelming.
And after three seasons, we’re still waiting for him to address the striker situation and better cover for Saka.
Just how much time should we afford Arteta.🙄🤦♂️
There you go Derek, being an Emery apologist. 😊 The most fundamental reason for not being patient was that it was as clear as day that he’d lost the confidence of his team. There was no way back.
I don’t expect anybody to like Arteta. Most of what I’ve been reading lately has been opposed to him. I might not agree but why do I have to be referred to as an apologist? I just find the excuses offered up in support of Emery amusing which was the purpose of my original post. They are from the very people who call me an Arteta apologist and don’t recognise the same traits in themselves
SueP,
I personally have never called you an apologist for Arteta, and I wouldn’t want to.
Now while Emery may have lost some of the player’s, I’m not so sure he lost all of them.
That said, Emery given time could have done what Arteta did and cleared out the bad apples and got his own squad together.
And with his track record of winning trophy’s, you know those shiny things that club captains lift🤷♂️, then who knows where we would be today.
And my opinion on Emery doesn’t make me an apologist for him either. 😉👍
Now, now SueP, you’re making reasonable statements again and being labeled an Arteta apologist as opposed to simply having a broader perspective of the matter which may include being either complimentary or critical of MA in the given “discussion”. I guess you’re too much of a threat to their one sided narrative.
👍
Confused by those on this board that are wowed by Slot but were the same probably saying Klopp out, when his list of injuries was horrific. Obviously now when they are fit, their squad is a good one and Slot is overachieving. To discount the effect of the number of injuries Arsenal’s squad has is insane. I also think most are discounting the offensive effectiveness Benny Blanco has on the squad, and we sorely have missed him this year. I really like Timber but am not certain what his best position is.
Many said Timber was an improvement but to me, the loss of White had been immense so I agree 100%.
Slot’s half season of success is just being used as another way to “prove” MA should have been able to do the same. These commenters don’t care about the possibility that your points are valid since they don’t fit their narrative.
I agree that the club has missed Benny tremendously. Timber has done fairly well imo but I believe he is still adjusting to the PL and will need more consistency. The injuries on the right side are making his job of bedding in as our RB even more difficult than it would have otherwise been. With Benny out, at least in the short-term that is where he must play.
SueP yes Arteta won FA Cup in his first season and Emery took the club to Europa finals. He would have won it too if your group and the Board had not insisted that he must play Ozil in place of Iwobi. Has Arteta crossed quarter final in the two Europa played? No. Emery left and won Europa by eliminating Arteta managed Arsenal. His new club AV was the reason Arsenal didn’t lift Epl last season and went ahead to qualify them for Champions League and they’ve already beaten Arsenal’s nightmare Bayern Munich.
Okey Joseph
I have no idea what you mean about my group. What group? I had no idea a group and the board insisted Ozil played that night.
But here you are being an apologist for Emery by discussing mostly what he did before he came to Arsenal and what he’s done since. It is absolutely irrelevant to what he couldn’t do at Arsenal
He wasn’t given the chance was he SueP. OPPS! there I go again, being an apologist for Emery.😉👍
OPPS! I meant OOPS.
OOPS! Silly me.🙄🤦♂️
Hilarious Derek!
😊
The answer os YES.
Is YES.
Unless Artetas stubbornness is removed then he should leave. He has had long enough and this insistence that we do not need a striker is now farcical.
Insanity, doing the same thing over and over again hoping to get a different outcome!
A very good question that’s impossible to answer at this moment in time.
Come the end of the season, we will have the answer though.
I’m going to shock many but no
I never said Arteta out , I simply said he’s not as great as we make our
Done a good job but not a great job
Yet it sums up our fan base because in reality the truth is in the middle.
It’s a pointless conversation as our owners gave him a new contract are not going to suddenly sack him for finishing 2nd
I will say what I did when Mr Wenger was here , we don’t win title under current ownership
You’ve been a logical critics Dan though you went overboard at times….. as for the owners it’s business as usual I guess
Some good young players have left the club because of MA’S stubbornness also would the likes of Liverpool.,Manchester City etc ect not get cover for our best players and get the striker we’re crying out for.I think us Arsenal fans are a bit out about 2nd place this season
Sadly I think that he has plateaued for all of the reasons stated above. I don’t think that we gain anything by moving him now though.
My other worry is what is in the organization behind him. Arteta is not solely responsible for our transfer business (I know he has a major role but it isn’t all him).
A striker has been needed for years and we love an injury-plagued fullback. I still don’t know why we bought Merino and we overpaid for Havertz (I think he is a good signing at half the price).
If we don’t have a clear plan then it will be much the same with different faces.
The frustrating thing will be that we invariably will go on a great run of form but come up short. That will show all is well. If we are really lucky then some of the run will get us fairly far into CL for a bit of cash.
If the money keeps coming in and we qualify for CL then KSE will be fine with status quo…
Right now I have absolutely no confidence we will win any given game. We can play down to our opposition and we can’t score. And we play such unappealing football right now – if we were getting the wins it would justify the pain but we aren’t getting the wins. But we also have games when people actually convert their chances and we look good.
Regardless, beat Spurs and COYG!!!
Dan, your comment is shocking. I agree with it except the ownership matter. It seems to me that they changed course and decided that rather than keeping the purse strings closed and risking Arsenal falling who knows how far because of it, that they would attempt to infuse enough funds to potentially make the club a contender again. It barely missed in winning the title and the question is now whether they are satisfied with that or whether they will continue to infuse the funds necessary to make it happen. I take it you do not think they ever will, I hope they do but we’ll have to wait and see.
No mate
I go back to when they first had power on board
Evidence has been there that they do not care about us being Champions
Why some thought that would suddenly change
I agree that they likely do not care about us being Champions from a footballing perspective. However, I do believe that they concluded after Mr. Wenger’s time that making the UCL or finishing high in the table would no longer be a certainty and realized that they needed to be much more open to the significant spending required for the monetary benefits that come along with major trophies, being in the UCL, and increasing the value of the club. So far, successful only on 2 of the 3 objectives which I believe they had.
Yes. Yes he has
There’s very little chance that Arteta will be sacked due the huge payout this would incur. Best to hope he turns the corner and comes up with something.
No team with the level of injuries that Arsenal has had this season that would not wobble. Mention one.
While not making any excuses for Arteta(I don’t need to!), I think that things must be taken in proper context. But I admit that this is something very difficult to do when feelings are hurting and tempers are high.
Last season the team was very lucky with injuries, and so there was relative consistency to the games and results particularly in the second half of the season.
May be the medical and other analysts in the club’s payroll should research the reasons behind this ugly turnaround with a view to profering solutions going forward
It’s how we are losing
The injuries have nothing to do with the tactics
Liverpool have done ok. But people wrongly say, their injuries were not top players. BS. They were missing keeper, CB, Midfielder and striker, the spine. They just managed. And thats what you do.
So true. The big difference is that Liverpool have quality in depth and maintain a high standard even when they have injuries, We don’t have quality in depth. We have average in depth. When will we realize that our squad has been trimmed to the point that these injuries have backfired on Arteta. What is already a thin squad in terms of quality is pretty much as weak a team as we’ve had in decades!
I disagree GD, our squad is very good. We have some squad players who are injury prone but player for player we are strong and have plenty of experience in the squad. Raya, Neto, White, Timber, Tomi, Saliba, Gabi, Calaforini, Zinchenko, Tierney, Lewis Skelly, Kiwior, Partey, Rice, Jorghino, Odergaard, Martinelli, Trossard, Saka, Haverz, Jesus, Stirling, Nwaneri, that is 24 off the top of my head. Probably more. The squad is not thin at all.
Forgot Merino.
So everyone, who looks for every excuse, stop using ” our squad is thin” narative. Its not true. It may be poorly managed but its not thin.
Maybe. I’d give him one more summer of investment. If he can’t get anything done spending close to 1bill…. He isn’t the one
Really ?
I have been saying since long. This stubborn Arteta will land Arsenal in huge financial debt without winning anything significant. For all his investment, very minimal involvement of academy players, buying average players with huge transfer fee, giving our players for free. Still no trofy to show
Let him bring at least two striker now
I don’t really think about it in terms “I want arteta out” – I think of it as: yes, now would be a good time for him to leave and be replaced. I do think he’s hit a wall (not necessarily his ceiling) and I think he needs to leave both for us and for himself. If he stays and we start to decline, which is, unfortunately what I can see happening if he stays on, then it will damage his reputation, probably his confidence and it could very well leave us in at least as a poor position as we were in when he joined. If he leaves now (summer) then he’ll be leaving behind strong foundations for the next manager. Then it’s up to us to find the best possible replacement – needs to be someone with some fresh ideas, but who can also fit in with the core of very good players we do have. Will we do that? I don’t know, but I think we have to try.
For arteta, it’s a good time to leave – he’s impressed a lot of people, and a bit of time away and a new setting could be what he needs to move forwards. He could use this experience to go again with a very good club, and with his way back up to a top European club.
I’m trying to look at this as a positive opportunity, but I worry that waiting too long will be very damaging.
*work his way back up
If we win nothing this season it becomes very sticky and sqeaky. We have some big players contract running out in 2027. They will not stop, if they see trophies elsewhere. Their values will get smaller as time goes on and if we can not win a big trophy this year. Its a whole new shitty ball game. 5 years is easily long enough. Deliver or ship out. We wont keep our best player and I don’t trust Arteta to deliver or replace the players that would leave. Especially if we hang on for too long.
“Worst manager in living history”. Clearly you are about 15 minutes old because this is up there with the most ridiculous comments I have ever read on this topic.
It is quite something that 18 months ago I was being hounded for saying I don’t like Arteta and now I have to be the voice of reason to those very same people that said I was a fool!
Arteta isn’t even close to being the worst Arsenal manager in living memory. Jeez, he isn’t even the worst of the Premier League era. You lot are just immature moaners because you believe Arsenal have some divine right to win trophies. Some of us are old enough to remember equally tedious football but with very little success. It was only a few years ago we were finishing 8th and 30 years ago we finished 17th!!
Get a grip. Yeah, the football is crap right now but it hasn’t always been under Arteta and we need to believe he can get them playing well again. It is down to him and I haven’t always supported him, but I would rather have a manager who can get results by any means than bin him off for the unknown.
Looking at the record breaking calendar year 2024 the club has just had, and comparing against where we were at 3 and 4 seasons ago, your analysis is we are on the wrong road, and need to make sackings of management and coaching?
State of this header and comments. What a load of hysterical piffle.
The weakness of the argument is this from the header “ and considering what we did in the last two seasons, I find that unacceptable.”
You thought the journey we are on would be as straightforward and simple as that, plain sailing to football domination without any bumps in the road?
Seriously? Like there’s no fierce competition out there at the sharp end?
I’m saying fans need to chill. Get some perspective. What makes a football destination so great sometimes, are the ups and downs of the journey there.
So stop moaning “are we there yet” like spoilt children, start to enjoy the ups and downs of one of the greatest rides you can go on.
21 years without a title and yet fans pay for some of the most expensive tickets and merchandise in the world
Not sure you can call Gooners spoilt
Sometimes you have to stop dreaming and look at reality. Five years, 800 mil spent, boring football, blaming refs, blaming injuries every season and abysmal cup runs. The fact Arteta has ignored a striker and has no plan b and sticks rigidly to a system that is flawed. Says to me, wake up and smell the coffee. We have wasted talent and money and soon contracts of big players are running out and they are NOT going to stop to be league and CL fodder. Its gtimmer than you realise.
Grimmer.
👍MoonGirl. I also noticed the odd way in which the last two seasons were used as a way to purportedly support the conclusion and yet ignored for their obvious potential to make a totally different argument when looking to the future.
Expectations were always going to grow, i’m disappointed how some fans handling the expectations though. And to be honest I was gobsmacked – bruised like a banana after last two games too, so frustrating seeing opponents celebrate only after we create chances but didn’t take them.
At least the football performances are still full of desire and effort – Rice has played on with a broken toe and Ode is playing through goodness knows how many knocks and issues this season. Great chances to put big games to bed are being created, they just need to find their scoring boots.
I can’t over react. In the bigger picture I have a feeling Arsenal will be strong contenders under Arteta again next season. Anywhere in top 3 likely. Merino and Cali will have settled in by then, Sesko and Douglas Luiz – summer deals I sense already all sown up – will instantly bring something to the side too. And amongst all this unrest and anarchy, let’s not overlook Nwaneri and the young king have had breakthrough seasons and are providing first team something right now let alone the years to come. I”m looking forward to Mylo in his natural ball carrying midfield role from next season. Saliba is getting better all the time too, to the point we will be too small a club to keep hold of him. Fortunately his international form is dire, and that wrecks his share price 🤭
Arsenal will deffo look all round stronger a real deal from start of next season. Maybe a CL will come before a Prem title – the new CL format is tougher on big clubs, all sorts of sides could come through middle to the finals of this format. The second round is cup draw like before, only with big sides out of sinc this time.
Whilst Man City & Chelsea will lock down Prem titles between them in the years to come, after this one.
We won’t win CL
Arrogant to even mention it
I stand by what I said. I was looking to how the coming years play out. The new look CL tournament is going to knock big clubs out early, leading to more open last 8 and last 4’s than anticipated. Whilst Chelsea and Man City have the Prem top 2 locked down between them for the foreseeable seasons after this one, it makes the CL become the more easier trophy route than PL title, for PL top 4 sides.
For Liverpool, this somewhat unexpected title tilt is the last hurrah for the team Klopp built – think of the investment needed to be got right without Salah and VVD next season onwards, Liverpool current owners have neither money or inclination to invest like Chelsea and Man City – what transfer pond will they go fishing in – so the coming years will be the scramble for Liverpool to make top 4 finish, along with Arsenal and the others.
The scramble for PL top 4 is on verge of becoming ultra competitive, but winning the CL likely less so in this format.
MoonGirl
I mentioned previously that the league as a whole has become more competitive and had the P taken out of me. Now you are referring to ultra competitive. Competition is where it should be at and not just in the hands of a few. 👍
Liverpool are 6 points clear with a game in hand
Walking towards the title and Its January
It’s essentially over
How is that competitive?
“essentially over”? 😄
You chose not to read my post correctly and made the wrong assumption Dan. Other people have done the same
Read it again is my suggestion
I referred to the league as a whole with many clubs now in a position to COMPETE whereas it was a small group in the past.
It’s 7 points.
4 if we win at Anfield late in the run in.
Liverpools opening fixtures allowed a blitzkrieg of a start, their run in is fall of minefields and tank traps: Liverpool to Everton, Bournemouth, Fulham, Brentford, Manchester City, Brighton, Villa, and Chelsea.
Liverpool over reliant on VVD and Salah.
In Fever Pitch they didn’t get tickets for Anfield because they didn’t think it would be title decider – but the side was great from corners all season, and life often repeats and imitates art.
Thank you. 👍🏻Unfortunately, it’s a fact as a squad we are clearly caught short now, makes very hard to convince impatient angry mob that in bigger picture Arsenal are so far ahead of the rebuilding game.
It appears Sesko and Zubimendi coming in the summer. That’s exciting spine of
Raya, Saliba, Zubimendi, Rice, Ode, Sesko, Saka – a world quality spine all on youthful side with strongest years ahead of them. Arsenal now miles ahead of Man Utd, Liverpool, and Man City in building the team.
The rebuild of the Arsenal side into something genuinely world class is actually surprisingly fast in the big scheme of things, when you consider the spending rules and limits each year these days, and only annual summer transfer windows to do the big quality signing in, and then it’s down to your targets wanting to come, their club willing to talk – considering they need a replacement for their star leaving is why you can’t do big signings in January.
If you can’t get quality target part of your rebuild, do you just buy anyone with the money? Does just anyone come in to replace Havertz at 9 and do much better?
The impatient angry mob insist they are not impatient by saying, when was the last title? Can they not see the turn around in team building and recruitment in 2020s, compared to the mess the club got its squad into during period before Arteta’s appointment? 🤷♀️
So a front line of Havertz ,Martinelli and Trossard or Sterling can win the CL ?
Would you say that if they played for any other club ?
Very unlikely Dan. Though as we have seen in International tournaments, sides with solid defences can go a lot further in knockouts, than sides with superstar forwards.
But I was talking about the coming years, and that the Premier league could become harder to win in coming years than the CL. This change to the CL format can have big clashes earlier in knockouts, so the draw could open up for sides like us, where we would be favourites for the ties, regardless how late in the completion it’s getting. Just like you get in world cups.
So the next big trophy for Arsenal could be a CL, not PL.
A side with a quality spine of Raya, Saliba, Zubimendi, Rice, Ode, Sesko, Saka should make a few Prem top fours. It’s not that crazy is it?
If they were at another club, I would still say I have seen all 4 of those players play better than current form. Trossard hat trick at Anfield, only 30 and wants 3 year contract from us. Sterling only 30 too. Martinelli doesn’t seem to trust his body after a hamstring issue. Kai wants to be number 9 for both club and country, so there’s no criticising his ambition, but it might be he’s better as the exciting 10 he was when starting out in Germany.
👌MoonGirl, I wouldn’t even dare to go into the potential future they way you have but it is refreshing to read a comment from someone who is open to the positive possibilities as well as the negative ones.
MoonGirl,
I didn’t know you had a crystal ball and could see into the future.
Can you tell me when Arteta gets his marching orders.🤣😂😉👍
MoonGirl,
Have you been at the sauce again.🙄🤦♂️
I think he has reached his ceiling. The only tragedy is we also don’t have a director of football! Having both positions vacant may greatly affect the running of the club, I think.
🤔 Admin, why is my comment in moderation yet I have been posting well before and can’t recall breaking any rule or posting inappropriate stuff???
Admin response
You did not break any rules, wordpress holds some comments for moderation and I have been slow to get to the comments as it is not usually my job, I am covering the comments for Admin Pat.
I have removed you most recent post because you said some reactionary things that in hindsight you may not have meant.
I can assure you, you have not been blocked. Have a nice day
Admin Martin
@Admin, still no response 😅😅😅
Why would you suddenly block my posts without any wrongdoing from my side???
Admin response
I have removed the parts where you left some reactionary comments, I have explained the situation in your earlier post and I reiterate, you ahve not been blocked and you have done nothing wrong, well, apart from some of the removed parts.
Admin Martin
No, he hasn’t! Sky is the limit. 😎🙂