Mikel Arteta lamented another night of missed opportunities as Wolves beat Arsenal 2-1 at the Emirates to leave the Gunners rooted in the bottom half of the table.
The Spaniard was also quick to send his best wishes to Mexican striker Raul Jimenez who had to be taken to hospital following a sickening head clash with David Luiz.
This is what he had to say when he faced the Sky Sports cameras…
On David Luiz after his clash of heads with Jimenez…
David is okay. He has a nasty cut [on his head]. He was conscious, they [the medical team] did all the tests for him and he was completely fine. But he wasn’t comfortable playing with that. Obviously, we’re really worried for Jimenez because it looked really nasty.
On it being obvious both players had a problem…
Yes, when you see the reaction of the players, that’s concerning obviously. You know that something bad is happening. We’d like to send him our best wishes, our love to him and to his family as well who are suffering. Hopefully, it’s not as bad as it looks.
On Luiz continuing to play…
First, the doc has to check [the player], there’s a protocol to check that he hasn’t lost any consciousness, which he didn’t. They have some tests they have to do before putting him back on the pitch. David was just concerned about the cut nothing else. They will continue to do some checks in the next three hours but he was fine.
On why he took Luiz off…
He was very uncomfortable, he could not really head the ball. Obviously, a central defender that cannot head the ball cannot continue playing football.
On the performance…
A really bad result. The performance in the first half, we had our moments and they had two shots on target and scored twice. We had a great reaction in the second half, we went all for it. The team showed their desire and how much they wanted to win the game. We created opportunities, we created the chances and the goal didn’t arrive. Obviously, I’m disappointed because I think we merited more from the game.
On if he’s concerned by the home form…
It is when you lose three games in a row for different reasons. Obviously, I’m really concerned and I’m responsible for that. I must say that the reaction the team had, the way we played the second half, it was what I expect from them with more quality, more ability. At the end, the desire and the willingness to go and get a result was there.
On the lack of goals…
We have to put the ball in the net. We created chances but in the end, it’s about putting the ball in the net. In the first half, they had two shots on target and they scored two goals. One with a little deflection and the other a great action from Adama [Traore] which was really difficult to defend. When we had the chances, we didn’t [take them]. The goals will come. I insist. We have to keep pushing the players and believing.
On creating chances…
I always want to create more chances. More chances and more shots on target. We don’t hit the target enough. We put 32 crosses in today and the quality of those crosses has to increase. We need to be more consistent. We had enough chances today to win a football match and we lost again. No excuses, we need to improve.
On Aubameyang’s form…
I don’t like to personalise about one player. We all have to score around the team. It’s our responsibility to do that.
On form dropping off…
You look at the results, it’s exactly like that. The way we lose football matches is by very small margins. Again, in this league as it is at the moment, things are not going our way. It’s not time to feel sorry, it’s time to work harder, everybody being united, pushing the same way and I think it’ll come. We just need to work harder and keep doing better what we’re doing.
No shit Sherlock!
Shit has hit the fan!
It’s time to cut this fantasy short. This guy is out of his depth.
His out of his depth. It’s becoming painfully obvious. He has coached out the players’ attacking instincts. You can structure how you play defense but you can’t structure how you attack. You need the unpredictability that comes with creativity in order to be successful in attack. He is trying to dictate every aspect of the game. This will only lead to failure
He isn’t out of his depth, he’s just facing a serious crisis early in his career. This is how managers learn and improve — on the job (it happens nowhere else). He will turn this around. When he was hired, we knew this would be an eventuality, but instead he decided to bring in a trophy first. Well, now we have it. We simply need to rally and overcome it. Or be miserable. Arteta isn’t helping himself with team selections. Our midfield is simply too slow, and teams like Wolves (like Leeds) are quick and press with intensity and move… Read more »
He must have thought he was mighty smart to drop Ozil from the squad. Our chances are as scarce as the score line in other games now.
Yeah, you have to think that he rues that a bit, but management is about tough decisions and he’ll learn from it. The loss is ours, of course.
“He will turn this around”
what makes you so sure, he has no track record or history in management.
This is his first gig, he has L plates on. imagine in F1 they just put someone in a Ferrari because they just passed their driving test, that would be unthinkable but Arsenal football club can be steered by a novice!
KSE got a lot to answer for.
Because he steadied our defence (previously unthinkable) and brought a trophy to the club (beating top teams in the process) in his first season, because he’s trying all the right things to get us playing better football, because everyone from player to former manager has indicated that Arteta is an excellent manager in the making, because he doesn’t hide and takes responsibility for what is happening. And, finally, because I have faith in him to bring this club back to the top.
“Because he steadied our defence (previously unthinkable) “- we have had the worst start in prem history and you have bought the line that he has sorted our defence.
Bro you are funny. the rest of the points you made are debatable at best and very funny to be honest
Bro, I’ve very glad we see things differently.
we do see things differently.
I see excuse after excuse made for arteta and not much but hope and belief that he will turn things around with no previous history or track record that he can even do so.
We are living on a hope and prayer more so that anytime else because we have a novice coach at the helm and it is really no certainty that he will turn this downward trend around or evidence that he has the capacity to do so.
we are hanging on stories of how good he was at Man city.
There is no denying that — Mikel Arteta has no experience as this is his first head coaching job — thanks for pointing out the obvious. He can’t make any up or lie about his resume. He hasn’t been in this situation before. But that doesn’t change my belief, nor his, that he can solve these problems and get Arsenal playing well again. That’s how one accrues experience. Managers go through this all the time. Three weeks ago, everyone was wondering if Pep had lost it once and for all. They smashed Burnley 5-nil and “City have their mojo back.”… Read more »
You state that it is obv his 1st job but yet compare him to Champions league mangers that have a track record of success . He is comparable to Lampard not Pep, Klop etc.
Great you and he believe that he can turn it around what is that belief based on?the 1st 6 months of his reign?
A club valued around 1 billion should do more due diligence when choosing who leads it to the next level.
It does not matter if he goes or stays because the problem is KSE poor decisions since they fully took over.
My comparison is intended to display that all managers, experienced and inexperienced, go through difficult periods of management in which their teams underperform. Lampard knows what that is like, too.
I’ve already stated clearly why Arteta has my faith. You disagree, which is great.
We did our due diligence on Arteta: we nearly hired him before going with Emery, and then we went back and got him. That is due diligence — we thought twice, and got our man. He wasn’t a panic hire by any measure.
If the problems are with KSE, then we’re done here.
Are you comparing Wilder to Pep?
Are the expectations after 10 games that we finish above Sh-effing United?
City were and are missing first-team players, and not just because they have been frozen out or sent on loan.
Regarding “We will surely return to where we should be”, I would rather we part ways with Arteta rather than celebrate winning the championship in 2021-22.
No, I’m drawing a comparison by suggesting that an extremely successful manager (Pep) and a nominee for last year’s manager of the year award (Wilder) both have endured difficult starts to the season, to try and lend some context to the current period of poor results we find ourselves in. Of course the expectations are higher, but we need to be realistic at the same time about the speed of recovery: we edge Sheffield by 2 points last season. Very disappointing to read that you think Arteta should be sacked, but I guess you don’t put much faith in recovery… Read more »
We may have our worst start in prem history but that’s down to shit offense. We’re 1st in through balls, but 17th in goals, 15th in shots, 16th in SOT, and 14th in goals from inside the box. We’re attempting a lot of crosses the last couple matches, but they’re leading to nothing. Frequently they’re just plain shit crosses, and we don’t have the kind of strikers on that you send high crosses to, or there’s only one man in there and he’s surrounded by 3 defenders. For reference, that club at the top of the table is 2nd last… Read more »
He has steadied our defence so well that we have a GD of -2 after 10 games. If conceding less goals costs us scoring goals, isn’t that a (big) negative?
In all seriousness though, thank you. Was feeling the equivalent of the worst hangover-headache ever, but you managed to make me chuckle for the first time since that shitshow.
🙂
Sometimes in football, you need to score goals to win
It is a big process. Whatewr
Some even say anytime, but I am not sure about that.
Oh just STFU now you lego hair Muppet. Your whining is falling on deaf ears
The actual Hank Scorpio would never say something so ungenerous.
No we weren’t better in the second half, didn’t have a shot on target untill they decided to drop off and concede territory. We were clueless for as long as they were in our faces. Even then we were just passing around the box and crossing aimlessly. I’ve seen Bolton, Blackburn and Stoke play better football than the absolute torture we are putting out these days
Yeah comments like that really make him sound a bit deluded, it was obvious to anyone watching that what happened in the second half was down to Wolves and not us. I used to always agree with what Arteta said but even what hes saying now is starting to wind me up
What if he’s just a good salesman? What evidence is there to believe he has it? No attacking style as of yet, can make the defense work if he parks the bus. Big Sam and Pulis must laughing their ass off. I don’t want Arteta sacked tbh, I like him and would be more than happy if he manges Arsenal for another 20 years. Signs are not good though, some fans are not as patient as I am.
Outplayed by Villa, Leeds, and now Wolves. I realize the league as a whole is improving leaps and bounds. No team is a walkover anymore, but jesus christ it’s getting embarrassing.
I’m so confused by the tactics, pumping crosses into Auba seems ridiculous.
No one improves their crossing at Arsenal, Theo, Sagna, Bellerin, years and years but no improvement.. or is it something you have it or you don’t?
Unfortunately spot on.
He’s sounding – like the team are playing.
‘ARTETA: WE HAVE TO PUT THE BALL IN THE NET’ – Phew! Glad he’s got the basics then… by that analysis, can we all claim managership and the multi-million pound wages that go with it?
I would feel better if we start hitting the target more in the 1st place.
I actually didn’t notice who their keeper was, despite Arteta’s satisfaction with the 2nd half reaction.
I do sympathize with Arteta abit here. Tactics aside, our final third quality was horrible and that isn’t down to the manager so much because these players are definitely capable of more, we’ve seen them do better before. Our crossing was dreadful, a couple of straight forward through balls were inaccurate, simple flicks/one-twos were misplaced. I don’t know if it’s downed tools, lack of confidence, over coaching but it’s all culminating in one big storm that Artetas hasn’t figured out a solution for. We’re fast approaching the limit of letting him sort it out. I don’t expect us to be… Read more »
Agreed, the time is very quickly approaching for some possible difficult decisions. A lot of talk from Arteta but not much progress. We may well have a new manager or at least be on the hunt for one in the new year. Hoped this hiring would work out but it’s looking quite dire. As you mentioned, we can’t even seem to do the basics now
Does anyone notice how often Tierney bottles going forward? Mostly he turns backwards really awkwardly and passes back to Gab or Leno. I know he’s one of the only people with ‘fighting spirit’ but he needs to be more confident going forward
He was at the start, put some for Martinelli on a plate, but then he was turned into a CB and maybe that played a part
How I yearn for Martinelli.
Even before his injury, Martinelli wasn’t played much by Arteta.
Arteta dropped him too, he only came back to play once Auba got banned for 3 games. Didn’t make sense at the time, most hardworking and ruthless finisher dropped for no good reason.. it’s started to make sense now though, wasn’t to do with him at all..
Don’t worry, he will get the creativity and flair coached out of him aswell. Tierney keeps passing back because he is being told to, he didn’t do it as much when he first signed.
Dont agree with this, Tierney always looks to go forward and then sees no movement and turns back, you can see it from his hand gestures half the time
He was easily one of our better players going forward as well. He is no Saka, but when the players around him seek overlaps he is brilliant, unfortunately they do it half heartedly at the moment
Yes, that’s the problem and has been almost since the start of the season. Identifying the problem is one thing – I guess 95%of Gooners came to that conclusion some time ago – it’s doing something about it that’s the trick. So far, it is a trick beyond Arteta. That doesn’t mean he won’t find the solution, but he needs to do so pdq.
Possible Unpopular Opinion- when Freddie took interim charge he booted out half the first team and brought in some more of the academy boys. Although initially results weren’t great, by the time he handed the reigns over to Arteta I feel that our attack had substantially improved and the players had more drive and determination. Is it any coincidence that after Ljungberg left in the summer our attacking play became a lot more predictable and blunt?
Interesting. My other unpopular opinion is Ozil. Despite his lack of any of the golden stats, one thing I did notice when he played is that we enjoyed possession further up the pitch which resulted in our midfield and frontline closer together pinning the other team in and also giving us more passing options making everything less predictable. We are really missing that link up player between our midfield and attack. Nothing goes through the middle anymore so other teams can just be compact and defend crosses into the box knowing none of our stikers are lethal when it comes… Read more »
Beginning to sound like Unai
And the team are looking like they are playing for Unai….
You mean like Villareal?
I’m practically concerned about our right back Bellerin. He hasn’t improved with age. Way too sloppy in possession, poor crossings, poor throw-ins(strangely) and not robust in defense. I think his lifestyle has affected his play. Cedric or AMN should start in the next game.
Auba was really not interested in this game. Awful body language.
His lifestyle? As in being a dedicated professional who works really hard? No talk of him being out late before games, no reports of sinking or smoking, what lifestyle are you talking about?
Ahem. Drinking not sinking 😶
I thought he mostly played okay. If we moved the ball faster I think both Bellerin and Tierney would look a lot better
Silly Comment, he had a bad game,what’s his lifestyle got to do with it, so he likes fashion.
Its the system we play, over coached,he’s been one of our better players this Eason.
And he’s the captain. The header chance where he turned his back said it all. It was a great chance, he bottled it.
I don’t even think Partey would’ve made that much of a difference. What the fuck are trying to play here? I’m tired of blaming the players because the performance they’re serving us are the same. That mean the instructions are pretty much the same. And the fuck happened to the much highly touted non negotiables? Spurs are a scary prospect now…fuuuuuuuck
I’d argue something is a lot less scary when you are certain of what is going to happen. They are going to batter us, best make your peace with that now. Football moves in circles though, and our time will come again.
Maybe that’s the game this team needs to wake them from their slumber, because I don’t think you can go into a NLD playing this kind of passive, timid, lifeless, no-balls football.
If they do approach the game that way, then I honestly don’t know what happens next, because god knows we need stability. But this kind of turgid football can only go on for so long, particularly with the way the league is built now, top to nearly bottom.
I noticed Auba really struggled tonight, everything looked laboured and his second half chances he seemed to be sluggish to react. Also seems Bellerin is not able to pass to the player on the wing. He cuts inside and doesn’t seem capable of passing to the outside winger even if he is open.
Arteta is Moyes’ disciple, not Pep Guardiola’s.
Stale, turgid football. No attack. Just counter attack. No creativity.
That’s who he is. That’s how he won the FA cup. And that’s all he can do.
Arsenal is in deep shyte at the moment. And, btw, keeping Luiz on the pitch was foolish. Not only for player safety, but for the sake of the team. Daft bull$hit. MA is looking more and more out of his depth.
Too true. A real underdog mentality which has helped win the odd game against big teams but you have to question whether with those tactics and mindset that he is the one to take this team forward. I’d hoped he would and hope that somehow he can but am tired of seeing the same shit played out and the hearing the same words after each inevitable failure
West ham look better than us so that’s disrespectful to Moyes.
I’d argue that during the restart, especially against the top teams we played against, there was actual counter attacking going on, an actual game plan, and the team more often than not played with a sense of purpose. It didn’t feel sustainable long-term, but it showed us a plan and a certain level of execution of that plan. But since the new season began, that sense of purpose has eroded and we’ve been left with a confusing, stale approach. Counter attacking to me means that you defend a lot, you defend hard, and then you spring into attack. Our defending… Read more »
It was incredibly irresponsible by all involved in keeping Luiz on the pitch. Firstly for player safety and as for as the match situation, we had an immediate replacement in Holding.
I said the same a few games before and got mocked. Glad you said this.
Football reasons, non negotiables blablabla…
Yep. These sound bites are beginning to bore the shit out of me as well.
Almost as much as the ‘football’ we’re supposedly playing at the moment.
It’s your own fault, Arteta.
If Leno can kick the ball over the half way line, surely he should be taking our effing corners?
😂
There’s only so far talking tough and dressing the part will get you. FA cup win apart, Mikel hasn’t exactly improved us despite having better personnel and the football we put out is mind numbing.
He should be grateful the stadium was empty tonight
Wenger IN !
Even AW at his worst is better than this. Cue for those cunts who wanted us to drop out of CL for a couple of seasons to force him out to enter.
And W.O.B.s out!
Flop by leno again. A good keeper would stop that not push it back into danger.
Arteta is dying on his sword. And we are watching some shit football
Blame him. Hes been there one year and ae have regressed.
What a dog of a season we having. Arteta out. Bring in pochetino or allegri. Someone with pedigree not just an uncapped midfielder unfit to lace mesuts boot
Firstly sacking Arteta is not an option. If anyone the board is the first to go. Secondly if we decide to have a new manager can we please stop looking for pragmatic ones? Marsch, Glasner, Rose, Hasenhuttl, Potter, Favre, ten Hag… This is the managers we should be looking for. I am sick of boring football. I don’t care about their reputation, I just want to enjoy football again.
I don’t think ‘pragmatic’ is necessarily the wrong approach. I would prefer someone with a single, clear approach. Which should not be ‘U-shaped’ passing followed by a cross into the box.
I’m tired of watching a team put in 32 crosses
Surely the definition of a cross is it has to get psdt the first defender…. Do there were only 6 I think
No ideas. No creativity. No fight. No wile. No guile. No leaders. No belief. No sense. No brains. No balls. No guts. No ambition. No pride. No wonder we are where we are.
Can’t you feel the magic of the process? Trust the process. Be the process. Etc etc
No.
People like Xhaxa, Willian and a host of others are lucky the stadium is empty right now. If we get thumped next week Arteta could be gone.. Im not sure its entirely his fault. We have been poor since Wenger left. For the last couple of seasons we have scrambled for so many reasons why when i think the truth of it is that we are just not that good. Everytime we play our look at our Centre mid 3 first and we rarely have the better players in there.. I look wide and we never have the better players… Read more »
I don’t trust the pointless crosses, and I sure as shite don’t trust the never-ending process!
He won’t talk about individual players and I think that is an issue. Auba looked uninterested today, and it’s worrying as he is our only threat in front of goal. He is no captain of Arsenal.
I have lost faith in MA, but praying he turns it around.
I didn’t see desire at all, I saw 11 players that missed close to every decisive pass, appallingly out of synch. Could be the pressure to perform, but the way we have collapsed in collective attacking quality… looks deeper than a matter of dip in form. Is the dressing room is lost? I don’t want to believe it is so, but it takes a hole lot of optimism to ignore the signs of disharmony on the pitch. Saka should not have started, Arteta has to protect him from burnout, clearly Luiss was to be taken off. And what has happened… Read more »
Something is very very wrong in our squad, yu can’t dance around it much longer, if you can’t fix it you need to tell what it is.
Not rocket science. Been saying this for a long time now 1)Years of poor decisions in market. Many delusionally thought we were in better hands first with over rated scout turn Transfer chief Mslintat who brings ex-Dortmund charges lazily…some hit, some miss. Then Sanlehi takes over tries to be too clever brings in Pepe and Saliba. Then Edu appointed with more inexperience to compound Arteta and brings in Willian dicks around with Lyon on Aouar but ends up spending same sum on Partey anyway. 2)Meanwhile midfield lightweight with options like Elneny and Willock never mind Xhaka. Players on 350K not… Read more »
I would imagine the friendships a lot of the players have with Ozil is not helping. They know he’s by far our most creative player and he’s been left out of squad for reasons we have not been told. Must be hard knowing either the club (I suspect) or Arteta (I doubt) has treated their friend so badly because he spoke up against Chinese treatment of his fellow Muslims.
Right or wrong this is an angle that can explain what we see on the pitch
Luckily the head injury debacle is overshadowing just how shit we are.
Nobody cares about us anymore. We don’t scare anyone. Wenger use to have the advantage with technical skills but we have allowed the rest of the league to creep up. Frankly many of the other also ran teams control the ball better than us, have arguably more more skillful players. Which is why it was imperative to buy a creative and technical player like Aouar this summer which Edu mucked up. We had opportunities before to be fair to Edu when Mslintat failed to go for Mahrez instead opted for cheap option Mhkitaryan and then Sanlehi bought one season wonders… Read more »
The hubris of Arsenal fans… Emery 10 games in 16 points sacked Arteta 10 games in 13 points…we are going in the right direction. Own goal by Arsenal fans. CL top4 every year not good enough stale. Now we win a couple of europa matches against minnows and self pleasure ourselves. meanwhile closer to the bottom we go. Technical quality of this team eroded. Wolves and many other used to be also ran teams can control the ball so much better than us these days. Arsenal fans continue to blame their pet peeves say Xhaka or Mustafi or Laca as… Read more »
In Emery’s second season (late Oct. last year), we had 16 points from 10 games. From what I could find, we parted ways with him after 13 games in which we had a collected 18 points. Our next 4 PL games are Sp*rs (A), Burnley (H), S’hampton (H) and Everton (A). I know we all want Arsenal to go on a long unbeaten run, but given our current form, do you feel we can win even 2 out of those 4 games? In an absolutely bizarre twist, I feel like Arteta is showing poorer man-management skills than Emery (you have… Read more »
Do you really think that any #WengerOut zealots will come on and say they were wrong. I’m not one of those but I think it’s fair to say he moved on an the right time or maybe a season or 2 too long. He did brilliantly do navigate us through the new stadium and heavy debt times which we should remember corresponded with the start of the GFC. He needed to move on but what has followed in almost every aspect thereafter could kindly be described as a shit show. Looking at those games and taking into consideration our team’s… Read more »
We would’ve arrived here with Wenger as well. And sooner or later he would’ve been gone anyway, so this same board would’ve handled his succession. Going through this phase of mediocrity was unavoidable. You simply forget how excruciating the last years of Wenger were. At least now there’s no cult of personality around the manager, and the board would get rid from underperforming managers sooner.
Your last sentence is probably the best sentence ever written in the history of this blog; both in the articles and the comments sections. I’d also love to hear/read what those pricks have to say now. Sadly, I expect them to rewrite history and still argue that they were right, because to them, it’s more important to be right than to see our club succeed. They will not acknowledge that even the worst days under Wenger were better than what we are seeing now. They will say that the mistake wasn’t to lose Wenger, but to replace him with the… Read more »
It was obvious to those pricks that the was no going back up with Wenger only down. While further tarnishing his legacy. Were things really that much better? In the table, yeah. But by that point Arsenal had long lost its identity, stopped playing “pretty football”, never mind a spine or a will to fight. I was dead inside, not hoping for anything good and having PTSD before a big game already under Wenger. I remember those days pretty well. If you think that Wenger could magically turn things around and at least pull that team back into CL, I… Read more »
Compare the results of his last season and the last two we endured. Enough said.
All we have are hypotheticals. It could be that Wenger might have gotten us relegated. It is also possible he might have taken us to the UCL places. Which is why, having parted ways with him, Emery’s first season was not the worst possible outcome. I may be the biggest Arsenal-supporting Wenger fan, and if he ever manages another club again, I will keep an eye on how they are faring. However, having got rid of him, no one (irrespective of how they leaned re: #WengerOut) can turn around and say that finishing 10th in the league is now acceptable.… Read more »
And the banner is due. Trouble is, the club leadership has neither vision, nor ambition, nor even basic competence. Any manager would be hindered under the circumstances, which is why I believe mediocrity was inevitable unless we really lucked out and struck gold with Wenger’s successor. Still, it’s not outlandish to expect from a manager to do better with this group of players, is it? So yes, keep changing managers until one delivers or at least shows some promise. With Klopp at Liverpool it was obvious that he had a vision and his team was buying into it. What is… Read more »
“So yes, keep changing managers until one delivers or at least shows some promise.” You lack the class to be an Arsenal supporter. Just go support Chelsea; you’ll fit in perfectly there. Or join those yobbos at Celtic from the other night.
What does “class” have to do with it? How is it classy to keep a clearly underperforming employee when it’s to the detriment of the club? I figure if you have no ambition and don’t care about competence, but only about some weird optics, then it might be acceptable. Any other scenario? Also, thanks, Arsenal supporter class police, but I’ll keep my badge.
Your last sentence proves beyond doubt that you’re certainly not “the biggest Arsenal-supporting Wenger fan”, or you would never have made such a suggestion. Yes, Arteta deserves a lot of criticism right now – the mug decision to omit Ozil from our squad is costing us a lot – but we don’t have to be scum. The one advantage we’ve had from playing behind closed doors, is that there can’t be the toxic atmosphere in the stadium that has cost us so many results in recent years. And you’d want to see some toxicity back at the club?
I don’t know what’s worse; your debating skills or your writing skills. But assuming I’ve correctly identified all the missing words in your statement, I should have interpreted your “point”. “Were things really that much better? In the table, yeah.” The table is the most important thing of all here mate. Speaking factually, we were much much better than this, even in Wenger’s worst days, but you think your opinions are more valid than facts. The only reason you, like so many others, believe this bollocks about us lacking a spine and a will to fight, is that the commentators… Read more »
Ahem. I witnessed the groundhog decade under Wenger. Wenger’s Arsenal, not some analysts, consistently taught me what to expect again, and again, and again. Just a little bit worse with every next iteration. Slowly the pretty football went away. Then the myth of “developing talented youth”. And finally – guaranteed top 4 finish. You have your idol and you’re intensely defensive about him. Well, you do you. In my world my “guarantee” that we’d slowly go from top 4 also-rans to EL also-rans under Wenger is just as valid.
Calling for John Cuntingham, Fatso and Tobin!
Here’s a legitimate question for these Arteta out people. Who replaces him? Realistically who would Stan bring in? That is simple, who is cheapest. I don’t see any manager taking this load of utter shit average players and being successful. Pep would get relegated with this team, he’s never had to coach useless “footballers” in his career. So enlighten us with your deep knowledge of what manager would work at this club for cheap and no real power to clear out the rot in this squad. These players are really bad. Most of them wouldn’t even stand out at Fulham.… Read more »
I don’t think the team was much different during Emery’s last few games. Kola/Nacho (before he was sold) on the left, Mustafi/Papa in the centre, Pepe on the right wing and Ozil are the only ones that come to mind. Tierney and Gabriel are definite improvements, Willian is a bewildering choice, and Ozil’s position was redundant at the time of submitting the PL and UEL teams. What cannot be disputed is that all these are Arteta’s decisions. Which is why we are in a worse position despite having strengthened the team.
Before you can score goals, you need to get the ball in front of the net first and shoot. We prefer suicide passing in our own 6 yard box or take too many touches to move the ball forward let opponents get themselves comfortably organized. that’s the Arsenal way. then we don’t make enough off ball runs, or carry the ball with intent instead funnel it left to right and put in a hopeful ball ala Jenkinson. Tierney today was poor with crosses. At very least Bellerin put in a couple of dangerous crosses (and to some extent Willian) but… Read more »
One word: Ozil
Then WTF kept Luiz on?
“Obviously, a central defender that cannot head the ball cannot continue playing football”
Once we lost Cazorla, we lost some of the magic. Then Ramsey…Ozil…., These kids Willock and Reiss are over need more experience elsewhere. We are watching amateurs.
FFS – Just bring back Arsene Wenger, and tell all the old W.O.B.s to fuck off!
Jeez! He is starting to sound like Michael Owen
Don’t want to be that guy but Arteta has since last season reminded me of Garry Monk. I remember a Sky interview when they were bigging him up as an English manager with modern methods and he was going on about how he has places for players to sleep at training and even though he has three kids he works 18 hours a day etc etc. He was fired a season later. Arteta gives me the same vibe. He’s new but his methods already look labored and outdated. He looks the part, talks the talk but when it comes to… Read more »
The issue is more about chance creation
I think Arteta is too inexperienced. we are in a worse position than Emery last year. Let that sink in. Luiz was not himself after the clash. it was obvious to see. but Arteta waited for 2 goals and half time to substitute him. that’s all on him. Player on each position are not completing their basic duty. midfielders are not controlling the proceedings nor spaying advanced passes. wingers are not taking spaced behind defenders and are crossing really badly strikers are not taking chances nor scoring Only the defense did ok despite two goals. but They were far too… Read more »
Imagine yourself, an Arsenal fan, hitting some lottery and got a few billion pounds.
Bought a brand new football club, as Kroenke will never sell Arsenal, now which Arsenal players you would buy –
I thought for a while, and the only answer was Saka. And he is also there at a stretch, because I am an Arsenal fan
And Martinelli
Arteta Signings :- Pablo Mari – Injured (Still unsure about his qualities) Cedric – Squad player Runarsson – Squad player Willian – Player past his best Gabriel – Great signing, still has lots of time to improve Partey – World class player, Injured atm My point is, just compare our signings to that of Chelsea and Liverpool, they sign players who can straight away get in there starting line up. I refuse to believe that arteta rate all of them as world class and introduce them in line up. But this is how the ownership has dealt with signing player… Read more »
If you continuously shout at a dog it becomes an insecure, unsure, timid creature. The same goes for people. If your boss is shouting at you and overriding your decisions all the time you will give up. This is what is happening to our players, Mikel is undermining their decision making and confidence and he needs to stop it, fast. I’m worried in a way I wasn’t even with Emery. We knew Emery would be fired, I don’t think Mikel will be, so he needs to wake up now and sort himself out, because until he starts allowing the players… Read more »
Too many backwards passes to get near scoring goals. Until Nelson came on, I had no confidence they could even beat a single player.
I am sure I was not the only Gooner screaming at the TV last night last. I mean the amount of times Ceballos or Xakha had the ball, I was thinking just pass it to the full back for fucks sake they’re not tightly marked, but over and over again the passes were going back to the CBacks. It really started to grate on me last night. WTF has happened to that once promising pairing of Xakha Ceballos, they looked pretty decent during project restart but they increasingly look like the worst MF pairing in the league! I too think… Read more »
This was a great
This is not a question of form, something has happened in the dressingroom, which has killed the team spirit / inspiration. We need a REAL explanation mr Arteta!