Arsenal haven’t won any of their last four matches, and manager Mikel Arteta believes his side’s finishing and game management has let them down.
The Gunners failed to hold onto their lead last night when Slavia Prague scored from an injury time corner kick, and their Europa League run is now in fear of coming to an end at the quarter-final stage.
We should have had a number of goals last night however, with both Bukayo Saka and Alexandre Lacazette both failing to finish off relatively simply one-on-ones, with the latter’s effort striking the woodwork.
Manager Mikel Arteta believes that the team’s game management has also been an issue, as has the finishing which was highlighted in last night’s draw.
Arteta is quizzed on why his team hasn't won since the North London Derby with Spurs, and he claims his side's finishing and their game management has cost them lately 🤔🤔🤔 pic.twitter.com/dHbecZHmPZ
— Just Arsenal News (@JustArsenal) April 9, 2021
Patrick
Certainly not Arteta’s constant tinkering and negative tactics. What players don’t love to park the bus and defend in their third for 90 minutes?
Why play to the strengths of your players? Square pegs in round holes is the way to go.
Arteta just needs more time and money.
Trust the process, trust that square pegs fit in round holes given enough time and money.
I thought the whole notion of deploying tactics that didn’t make sense from a personnel standpoint went out the door with Emery, boy was I wrong on that account…you said it Durand, square f’ing pegs
I can’t believe I’m saying this after the glaring lack of communication during Wenger’s latter years, but maybe it’s time that Arteta spent less time flapping his gums and more time figuring his sh** out…you would figure that someone who professes to have all the answers post-game might try to find a way to conjure up these tidbits of wisdom beforehand once on a blue f’ing moon
keep it up, I’m trapped with my old namesake, with a moderation delay to boot, so I need you to keep preaching the message until things return to some sort of normalcy for the Real Vieira
Completely out of his depth, playing a right back at left back, letting the best keeper we had to leave, so we are stuck with a clown who has no competition, signing Willian, giving Luis an improved contract, it is a mess, his negative tactics are a joke, the sooner he goes the better, the longer he stays the worse we will become, when the fans come back there will be an atmosphere far worse than Wenger’s last few years. We are in a spiral and the blame lies with the board, the owner and the novice Edu. We are a mid table team charging top four ST prices, you couldn’t make it up
Boo-hoo…
Whenever I criticise our team selection, some Arteta brothers on justarsenal will tag me anti Arsenal, but she’s the club I love so I won’t keep quiet. Arteta is not the one 4 us. Gabriel’s the best replacement 4 Tierney not Cedric. Martinelli is 100% better than Willian. Odegaard should always feature when fit. Pablo Mari has no reason 2 be on the bench when fit. Saka should be given a months rest 2 avoid another Wilshire situation. Arsenal have the players but lacks a tactician. Pls try Allegri next summer. Pls show some ambition.
Pls show some intelligence.
There is not much Arteta can do to improve a player’s finishing, but “game management” is a very important factor which does fall directly on his shoulders.Time and again this season, we have given away numerous goals, because our defenders have failed to keep it simple and play safe.Apart from Chambers, who has only recently returned from his lengthy injury, all our defenders have been culpable for errors which have led directly to goals one way or another.Gaffs from Luis have been a feature of his career, and that is unlikely to change.What concerns me is the sense of panic which seems to always be there as we approach the finishing line in virtually every match.Basically we seem incapable of closing down a match by staying firmly in shape and making sure that the ball is hoisted without ceremony into the opponents half.I am particularly concerned because I believe the incidence of panic increases when Gabriel and Ceballos are defending and spreads like wildfire throughout the team.Arteta, somehow, has to instill some composure to Gabriels game otherwise he is going to be yet another centre back who has failed to make the grade at Arsenal.As for Ceballos, I would only play him as an attacking midfielder and keep him well away from our defensive area.I don’t know if any other fans have a solution to our game management problems and perhaps I am being unfair to Ceballos and Gabriel ?
@Grandad- respectfully, I believe you are incorrect regarding the taking of chances. Lacazette is not, never has been, and never will be a prolific goal scorer. He gets his quota every season but that’s it. Aubamayang most certainly is prolific, and has proven this over a number of seasons. So why, in a game Arteta himself labelled as a must win, did he leave out our best striker? Apparently this was a tactical decision. Well it backfired. It may have worked against Spurs, but it certainly did not work last night. In my mind,the coach/manager picks the players to fit the system he wishes to play. But Aubamayang has been so hopelessly inconsistent this season you have to question exactly why Arteta sanctioned a £300k+ per week contract on a player that he has failed to get the best from. Test him occasionally sure. But why has Arteta failed to get the best from one of Europe’s best strikers? It’s the constant tinkering and modifying he insists on, when he has a very good attacking line-up that he is failing to get the best from. I agree there was no excuse for Lacazette missing that one on one, and Aubamayang himself is known to have missed sitters. But this player single handed let won us the FA Cup last season so why does Arteta continue to fail with the strikers we have?
I can stomach mistakes. It’s part of the game. But this rookie manager continues to make the same mistakes game after game. I’m pleased you noted the game management. Surely the near disaster of Spurs at home was thrashed out with the players don’t you believe? It should have been anyway, but obviously the players take little or no notice.
I also am firmly in the camp in believing we might just have an absolute diamond in Martinelli, but is Arteta being fair with him? Just what does this kid need to do to get a game? If Aubamayang is not trusted as a central striker, why is Lacazette allowed to stink out the place as he did against Liverpool ( along with everyone else to be fair) but gets the nod over a player who would have given blood last night.
Another very poor managerial decision in my mind.
As for Willian. He comes in for Lacazette why exactly? This same player had continually failed Arteta all season, and it’s only the youthful skills of Saka and ESR that have saved this managers skin. But perhaps the best of them all, Martinelli , is left out because ……..
Poor poor rookie management mistakes yet again. I cannot see how anyone could possibly defend this incompetent novice. But of course some still will