Because I’m humble, I don’t get too despondent about Arsenal going out of the FA Cup.
The key to not being arrogant is you don’t make bets that we are going to win the Champions League or lie that Arteta has improved our record against Man City and Liverpool just because we finished in the top 4 once in 6 years.
You therefore equally stay level-headed when your team loses a few games.
Are we in crisis? Of course not.
Have some Gooners been brought down to reality? Yes.
But that’s different.
All the last few weeks has confirmed Is what we secretly all knew.
Whisper this quietly …. Arsenal have some decent players. Mentally though we lack the mindset to win the title, don’t have enough leaders, and have a good but not great manager.
You see there is a way to lose a match.
I was angry how we lost at Fulham. I can’t have that same emotion from Sunday.
My love for the Gunners has never been defined by how many trophies we lift.
I have long accepted I will never see us Champions again under the current ownership.
All I want is my team to be the best they can be.
I can’t question our attitude at the weekend.
Play like that again, we will win more often than we lose. Klopp won’t want us playing like that when they next visit the Emirates.
The issue is …. Liverpool’s smash and grab wasn’t a one off.
That’s what makes our manager not great. Because by now he should have seen the warning signs and done something about them.
Incredibly, this was our 4th fixture this season where we failed to score.
That used to be unthinkable for our club. Even in Mr Wenger’s darkest days, you could guarantee his teams would make a chance late on.
For the third consecutive game, once behind you gave up on the idea of us scoring.
Do you remember when I said at Newcastle, I was hoping Arteta focused more on our lack of creativity then a 50/50 decision by the officials?
He didn’t!
Havertz was guilty of too many chances against Liverpool. Yet we knew after years of evidence from across London, he can’t be relied on to finish. Our boss chose to invest 65 million in him!
Reiss Nelson was through on goal in the opening seconds, his heavy touch took him wide.
No one was shocked. He’s played 82 times for us and still looks like a Championship level player.
Eddie Nketiah only came on for the final 10 mins, hopefully acceptance from the gaffer that he’s not at this level. He’s played 157 times for us.
How does he and Nelson get 100,000 pound a week when Pepe gets a contract ripped up?
We over-rely on Odegaard as our sole piece of midfield flair, yet Smith Rowe can’t get a start.
The Spaniard was too busy changing goalies just…. because.
Just like the whole ‘Partey at right back’ experiment which only ended because he got injured.
Classic examples of a rookie coach being told he’s better than he is, believing in his own hype and trying to be too clever.
That’s the issue ……
A manager and squad not as good as so many make out.
Dan
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