A lot of Arsenal fans are now calling for Mikel Arteta to be sacked, that number has increased in recent weeks after a run of three losses against fairly mediocre opposition.
However, the season is not yet over and there will no doubt be some twists and turns before all is done and dusted and so it is probably a little too early to be calling for the manager to be sacked.
If Arsenal does finish top four that is better than most fans expected this season I would suggest, the same could apply if we finish 5th or even 6th but one cannot ignore the fact that we were clear favourites to finish top four just a couple of weeks ago.
So what do we judge the season by? Do we judge it based on last seasons finishing position or where we were just a few weeks back?
Expectations change and that has clearly happened in this campaign and that has changed the goalposts for Arteta and how he is judged.
So, the question for me is what is the minimum that Arteta must do to keep his job.
That is top four and that is because expectations did change, at the start top-six would have been acceptable but the minute we found ourselves securely in fourth I then changed my expectations to a top-four finish at a minimum.
Anything less and Arteta loses me.
Top 6 but I’m doubtful we will even get that and more likely 7th which will be embarrassing. Having said that I also doubt he will be sacked even if we finish 8th for the 3rd year running!
For a team that had no European football the whole season and had no prolonged cup runs all season, meaning we’ve literally been playing one game a week all season long…I’m minimum is top 4 anything less is not acceptable
4th
Even that would sway my opinion of him though ,I’ve seen enough .
Would not sway *
Me too Dan 👍 there’s nothing he could do now to change my mind on him. Terrible man management, tactically clueless, arrogant and massive ego.
Same mate ,but apparently if you can get high earners and big egos off the wage bill(in other words players he couldn’t manage) it makes you a world class manager .
Also he’s got the fans back as a family and right behind him ,but going by yesterday’s poll that couldn’t be further from the truth .
Loaning/selling out all those players in Jan with no back up was an awful decision. 2/3 injuries on top of that and it’s no surprise what’s happened. I think we will lose at LEAST another 3 games and I’m being kind. So I think Europe unlikely.
Mikel Arteta should be sacked.. no January signings and yet letting players go.. Mikel Arteta out
In the summer no one on planet earth expected Arsenal to get top 4 so I believe 5/6 will guarantee Arteta stays.
What about 7th?
8th 8th 7th looks like no progression.
yet I reckon if we get Conference league it will be touted as “We’re back in Europe” we’re on the way back on the right track let’s finish the process.
Yet again tho if Tottenham get Champions league and our fans go major ranting that might be enough to to convince the Board to swing the axe.
But consider my comment below too.
Arsene Wenger’s first 3 years as Manager.
AS Nancy.
Season One. 12th.
Season two. 18th
Season three. Relegated.
Mikel Arteta’s first 3 seasons as Manager
Arsenal.
Season 1. (25 games) 8th
Season 2. Full season 8th
Season 3. After 31 games. 5th equal.
A little more faith and patience please.
Comparing AW at AS Nancy to MA at Arsenal is probably the stupidest thing I’ve even seen you comment….and you’d already set the bar extremely high.
😂
@PJ-SA. I have this character flaw where I allow facts , evidence and truth to get in the road of my opinion. You oughta try it some time
Firstly the actual “facts, evidence and truth” are very different to your own interpretation of them.
Then let’s put out all the facts shall we, or do you pick and choose as to what suits your narrative?
-What was the budget AW had when he was at AS Nancy?
-What was the value of the squad on his arrival at AS Nancy?
-Forgot to mention AS Nancy losing a whole bunch of their top players in that period?
-Conveniently leave out that AS Nancy had finished 16th the year before Wenger joined so 12th was a great improvement for a rookie manager….did MA end higher or lower than the season before he took over his first role?
-Was Wenger as assistant manager under the best coach ion the world for a few years to learn tips and tricks?
I can go on and on….stupid comparison, end of story.
Wenger AS Nancy. 12th 18th and relegated no matter how you dress it up is a is terrible record. Man City Liverpool Chelsea Man United are 4 of the top 7 sides in the world in the PL the toughest league in the world. Guadiola Klopp Conte 20 years experience Moyes Rangick 30 years experience Tuchel 15 years experience . Arteta by comparison is only in his “second” full season. Yet Arteta managed the youngest side in the league up to 4th after 28 games. A phenomonal achievement. Think about it. Arteta had two seasons of Covid and empty stadiums circumstances no rookie manager ever had to deal with. While the team has run out of steam late on the truth is no one on planet earth expected top 4 in the summer so top 6 will be a phenomonal achievement. Arteta in#
It’s pretty stupid. Arsenal is not a training ground. If he needs to get his traning badges, he should get learn at a Championship side.
@fairfan
Well said, although a more relevant lesson would be Klopp at Liverpool. Took him four seasons to win a trophy, and now look at where the club is. I wonder where the club would be now if they listened to the fans and sacked after 2/3 seasons?
Comparing Klopp who won 2 league titles in Germany to Arteta is just clutching at straws ,when he came to Liverpool there was an upward curve as soon as he came in I believe he got 8th then 4th ,2nd -winners ,now that is what you call progression .
Arteta as come in with no managerial experience and is learning as he goes along 8th,8th and now sitting in 6th while still not seeing a clear improvement on the field .
Massive gulf in class between Klopp and the matorbore .
Now imagine where the club could end up listening to fans that have their heads buried in the sand while still coming up with excuse after excuse ,it’s like they want us to fail ,which I cannot work out.
You’ve just strengthened my argument for patience Dan kit. Thank you!
Like you say “Massive gulf in class between Klopp and the matorbore”. Klopp was a world class manager, with a huge amount of experience, yet despite that, the fans had to extremely patient for him to deliver (almost 4 years), and he inherited a far better situation than MA did.
Please stop with this 8th twice, because its so out of context. For the umpteenth time, MA joined mid season when we were playing like a Sunday league team.
Patience is great when you see an improvement ,I don’t as do a lot of other fans ,the excuses have all been used up now ,buck stops with the manager let’s see where we are at the end of the Season ,then come back to me .
So the defending, and work rate hasn’t improved? There’s just as much noise coming out from the club and the players as before? Still no bond between the fans and the players?
I guess we must be following two completely different clubs.
Maybe bond between the fans and players but not between the fans and manager .
Another manager dividing the fan base and when that happens it usually means something isn’t working
Defending ? No better than in the last 10 years ,just because he spent most of his bucks on defensive minded players does not automatically mean we are better defensively .
If you don’t blame MA for finishing 8th in his first half season, then don’t praise him for winning the FA cup in the same half season cos some FA cup games were already played before he took over
So if Arteta doesn’t get any praise for an FA Cup (as if he wasn’t there) how could you criticize his league performance then?
Going by your logic then you can’t use klopp.
Klopp finished 4th in his first season.
Klopp was a runner up in the ucl his second season.
Klopp won the Ucl in the 3rd season and finished runner up in the league a point behind the league winner.
Klopp won the league in his 4th.
He didn’t took klopp four seasons to win a trophy like you claimed.
Now back to Arteta excluding the half season were he won the fa cup and we won’t count the 8th.
In his first season finished 8th.
Second season no European competition.
And likely to finish below 4th.
How’s that comparable..
Now let compare the team both inherited.
Apart from countinho at that time, none of their player would make the starting line up of what Arteta inherited.
So how can you say Arteta inherited a bad team.
When most of them would start for Liverpool then.
FF you do love mentioning planet earth you’d give David Attenborough a run for his money 🌍
@Kev82. Just saw the latest David Attenborough doco about the give up with out a fight species. with their distinctive song “we only sing when we’re winning”
Ironically he’s a Chelsea fan so I’m sure they have plenty to sing about 🎶🎶
For me it was 5th place and at least making semis in the FA Cup….which is very reasonable considering we have no European football and the large amount of money he’s had over the past 2 years at his disposal.
FA Cup was embarrassing and that ship has sailed so I’d say he has to end 4th. If he ends 5th or lower it just gives him more opportunity to damage the squad as he appears to have no concept that players get injured and we need suitable reserves.
PJ-SA 👍👍
4th, it always has been.
No one said forth at the beginning of the season ,I repeat no one (except from half the fan base )but I’ll repeat again no one said it .
@Dan Kitt. Now don’t go making up lies Dan. The truth is no one said 4th at the beginning of the season. No one. You certainly did not predict 4th place and after the 0-3 you wrote the team off totally.
I did, i have always said each season 4th is the minimum this club should be aiming for. I know many other fans who said the same FF.
@wynoning ,there is a difference in one saying we would get 4th and then expecting 4th ,I’ve said 4th all season you can go back right to the beginning of the season if you like but I can assure you that was my stance and like Reggie said there was plenty more .
I thought you said two weeks back that 97% didn’t say this and now it’s 100% atleast be consistent with your repetitive posts .
Nobody on planet earth predicted Arsenal would get top 4. Nobody. That is the simple truth.
“Aim for” is vastly different to “predicted” top 4.
But we can agree to disagree.
I’m fine with that
Lol
No FF im not agreeing to disagree. I disagree with you, you are wrong!!!!!!
I can’t say it enough! There has been way to many errors from him as a coach. Not rotating player, wrong team selection, letting the wrong players leave, not valuing players enough, sticking with players that have put us in serious trouble in games, spending money in areas we didn’t need to spend, tactics, not being able to get the best out of players. On and on. I also believe the club do not want to fire him but for me it’s top 4 or he should go.
For me it’s more than just a 4th or 5th place finish. You have to consider other factors in your determination.
Man management has not improved in my opinion. Players frozen out and dropped, not developing some over the course of the year like Tavares, Lokogna, Nketiah for example.
If Pepe isn’t delivering what he wants then correct that in training. A £72 million asset rarely used when better than other bench options, and killing any chance of recovering that money in a sale later.
Trimming fat in January down to the bone, and now it’s come back to bite us.
Style of play has not improved in 2 years, struggles with changing to any plan B.
Collapsing with only PL competition, do you trust him to manage 3? European games, PL, and FA Cup, (I don’t count the mini cup)?
£250 million, complete control, and from 8th to 6th is acceptable?
Standards matter, and 2 1/2 years later he should be an improvement on what got Wenger and Emery sacked.
4th or be gone.
Someone said he was tactically better than Emery and ,get this Wenger .
Like you said 2 years and the same dire football and his only plan B when things go wrong is to stick 6 attackers on the field in the last 15-20 mins and even that does not work
That emergency plan was wengers, so Arteta is copying.
Yet another pointless “what if” article that asks a needless question. MA will not be sacked, whatever happens from now on this season, because he has already proven to the OWNERS SATISFACTION – and mine btw- that he is a fine manager and the right choice for us.
Unlike the many MA ranters who repeat their reasons for wanting him gone, daily, sometimes hourly, I will not bother repeating my reasons why not, as all who are regulars onJA already know them.
About the only thing that Kroenke and I have in common ,which is vastly different to the views of the manay self entitled “JA children”, is that we do not have ludicrously unrealistic demands and expectations.
Esp in such a short time and given the massive job he inherited and the unholy mess we were in at that time.
Fair enough Jon, perfectly reasoned opinion.
My opinion if I’m to remain consistent, is it’s the manager’s job to meet the standards/expectations of the club, not for the club to lower their standards for the manager.
Childish? Perhaps. Spoiled? Perhaps. But the club’s created these monsters, fed their expectations, got wildly rich, and make excuses when they now can’t feed them.
I expected that from Wenger and Emery, and was of the opinion they needed to be moved on. Now, 2 1/2 years, without 4th Arteta should go
Others like myself just expect more ambition from our owner and better results from the manager.
I’m sure other managers would have jumped at the chance for £250 million and more this Summer, complete control over player decisions, and 2 1/2 years patience to turn it around without getting sacked.
Yet only Arteta had this offer?
Tailor-made for Ten Hag and what he’s done at Ajax.
Conte went to spuds with far less funds and patience being offered.
I’m sure Josh realized it would take a bit of time and hundreds of millions to right the ship.
So why a zero experienced assistant manager with no CV of managing or building anything?
Arteta dazzled them with his power point? Perhaps pointed them to his accomplishments? Maybe his stellar work developing youth?
Frankly many managers could have given players away, spent £250 million, lost European football, and failed to finish higher than their predecessors.
Without standards what does it say about the club?
Many (myself included) cried “4th isn’t enough” now too many cry “6th is acceptable because….”
Sorry, but not me. I choose to draw the line and will not lower expectations, or accept excuses when they aren’t met.
I’ve “settled” enough already. First the stadium excuse, hasn’t hurt the spuds has it? Then the “4th place trophy”, then “if there are better players we’ll get them” after “compete with the best” speech.
Now it’s “youth” or “project” or “process” a never-ending string-along baiting fans to buy in.
No, now it’s “show me” time. Billions of dollars in the PL, hundreds of millions for participating clubs, riches no one could have dreamed.
Owners, players, managers, everyone getting more, yet fans expected to settle for lower results and excuses. Sorry not me, not anymore.
Wow!!!!!!!! Great reply Durand, AS IT IS!!!!!!! Im in awe.✌👍👏
Thanks Reggie, I’ve just had my fill of “bait and switch” tactics. Seen Kronke do it before, ask St. Louis about the Rams.
Always an excuse why something isn’t getting done.
1. Kronke hasn’t invested, but now he has.
2. Covid, but other clubs coped, some even improved.
3. Youth now, but it was chosen wasn’t it?
4. Patience with Arteta.
Yet they decided to go the inexperienced route and expected fans to swallow it.
Josh talking big about “winning” getting back to the top, blah blah blah.
If he’s serious, then 4th or fire Arteta.
Players have expectations, perform or else, where’s our patience?
Josh was spend or else, and he has.
Yet Arteta gets excused again and again. Why is he the exception to this rule? Young players get blamed, but not the young coach?
I’ve been fooled too many times by ownership, no more, my eyes have been wide open this year, I’ve seen enough.
That’s why I repeatedly say “standards matter” for ownership, players like everyone says, but not Arteta apparently for too many.
4th was an achievement at one point, then ridiculed as a “trophy” now I guess a triumph for Arteta?
So much for standards under Arteta then.
👍
Remember JA children ,no ranting allowed on a fans forum that’s not what it’s for ,it’s a place where you must talk about yourself and only about football if you agree that Arteta is the man .
😂😂😂
What, like you do?
Don’t think you got my post Pat .
It’s almost impossible to have a reasoned debate without the joyous camaraderie of those who are desperate to see Arteta out filling every orifice.
Since it seems the predictions about Arteta and his suitability may yet come to pass, it is hardly worth having an alternate view or a different angle to consider for fear that the vultures will descend en masse (although technically speaking I think vultures feed off the dead) And I’m not, by the way
It’s a feeding fest
Sorry to hear that Sue. Maybe its because the numbers of Arteta believers are getting overwhelmed with the growing amount of disbelievers. I think most of us try to debate but it does become tedious when obviously it is becoming harder for some to debate because there is less and less plausible opinion and (not you Sue) we then have to put up with being called Children, Plastic fans, Not Arsenal supporters, Immature and many names, while we just keep spouting our opinions why we think what we think. I speak for all of us (well most) we would love to be proved wrong about what we think. Some of us do try to back our opinions up with snippets of information but all we get back are insults or trust the process. Trusting a process which isnt actually there is hard for some of us to do. But like i say ultimately lets hope Arteta finds the key or he get the push and soon. As long as Arsenal are trying to improve, i dont mind either or. My heart is not with Arteta or Wenger or whoever, its with AFC. We all want the best.
Thank you Reggie for your reply
My standpoint has been of support and a feeling that he will come good. It’s fair to say that in football time to prove that point is scarce. It’s well known that I would not have hired a man learning on the job at a club with the history and support that is Arsenal FC; a club that needed a quick reply to the 3 years out of CL football
I’ve read mocking posts about the green shoots emerging. I thought they were. They might still return. The thing is, Arteta is still inexperienced in the grand scheme of things Without doubt he should have been cutting his teeth in the Championship but I don’t see him as a failure. I just think it may prove to have been wrong for him to have started at a top club first. Even Gerrard has found the EPL harder than I or probably he though thought.
I then look at the league table and see 3 outstanding managers leading the line with the distinct possibility of Conte, another top man, taking 4th place too. Outside of that it’s pretty slim pickings
I would add that ManU have never recovered since the Ferguson years and on last night’s showing are light years away from stability and success. I think Arteta – no doubt with the agreement from above began a purge of troublesome players – a decision that I believe was right. I personally shudder when I think of Ozil and how he split the fan base.
On to the future, this is a crucial week. I’d like but don’t expect a point from tonight and anything less than a win against ManU could seal Arteta’s fate come the end of the season
.
It’s funny, but fairfan who hilariously trots out the same rhetoric is right. I don’t think anyone expected a top4 place. My improvement for the year was Europa League and build for the CL from there. 8th again wasn’t good enough but results were improving this season until recently.
Like many others, I’ll see what happens at the end of the season but there’s not a whole load of elite managers looking for a job that would fit the Arsenal character/ethos. It’s a tricky situation for the club. Do they stick or twist?
Top Six and a possible 13 defeats is still not good enough. Mind you the promo blitz by Edu Arteta and Josh was manufactured to cover there arses by lowering expectations and conning us to believe in their so called process.