Saturday, October 5, 2024

Arteta admits defeat highlighted nothing new

Mikel Arteta admits Arsenal’s opening day 2-0 defeat to Brentford hasn’t highlighted any new problems but does underline old ones that the club are hopeful of fixing in the transfer market.

Without a host of players due to illness and injury, the Spaniard fielded a young starting lineup at the newly-promoted west London side that came up short against an organised unit that used set-pieces to their advantage.

Sergi Canos and Christian Norgaard did the damage in either half with the Gunners attack huffing and puffing in between.

“We are very disappointed to start the way we did this season,” Arteta told his post-game press conference.

“We had really high hopes and we didn’t get the result that we wanted or the performance we wanted.”

Asked if tonight’s result might up his urgency in the transfer market, especially with games against Chelsea and Manchester City coming up, he added: “We are very clear of what we wanted to do, what our strengths are and where we can improve.

“I don’t think today’s performance shows anything different to what we’ve already seen.”

Clearly frustrated to drop three points against a beatable opponent, Arteta had this message for the fans.

“First of all, I want to thank them because the support that they’ve given to the team, all the travelling fans that were here, and after that apologise for the result.

“We know that we have to improve. We have two big games coming up and we need a different performance to get a different result.”

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btw

“We know that we have to improve. We have two big games coming up and we need a different manager to get a different result.”

fixed

Bob's Mexican Cousin

I think he needs more right backs so that he can play none of them.

truj

And one more year to express himself and buy some RB.

Omash

Mikel is so full of shit

goonerrah

Its funny how his first few press conferences made us all excited. Turned into a politician, chatting shite and not delivering.

Daveo

I think he’s just confused why his shiny new CB didn’t result in more goals.

Brady’s bunch

The first episode of the Amazon series will be a lovely watch 🙈

Daveo

You’re going to watch it? Fuck that. Not supporting the kroenkes pathetic PR campaign that is conveniently also a cash cow for them.

Brady’s bunch

So true I had to give myself stern talking to 😂

Ash

Trust the process

truj

At the end of the day you have to admit that he is our best Arteta.

Vaibhav

This instant noodle generation will never understand what is going on. This ain’t the manager. It is the ownership which is leading the decline. Solve that for any tangible improvement or wait it out with pain.

KibuR

What’s Arteta’s style of play? Two seasons and he hasn’t established any style of play. Every game he is experimenting. Who spend 50million on a player that we didn’t really need? Is White better than Saliba?

btw

Blogs pointing out that he used 37 different teams in 38 games last season says it all. No wonder we look disjointed.

Mentalista

Was it Josh or was it Stan that sent Tavares in having 3 other RBs on the bench? Regardless of Tavares being the better player, how can anyone possibly think the manager knows what he’s doing?

Daveo

It was both of them. They picked a coach without any experience and if they are so removed that it wasn’t their decision then they employed the incompetents that did. And all I get is a barrage of down votes for questioning why we would sell a home grown, athletic, goal scoring midfielder. You cannot honestly sit there and tell me that willock’s skills could not have contributed to that mess. It’s incompetence from top to bottom.

Timorous Me

That felt to me like a very pointed move–like, Look, I’ve made clear for a long time that we need an attacking right back, so since I still don’t have one, I’ll put a left back in that role instead of all these other right back options that don’t fill the team’s needs.

Daveo

I find this hard to fathom. Last season Cedric excelled as an attacking RB (1st Newcastle game was the best game by an Arsenal RB in years and he put in number of good performances at RB at that time). However, instead of backing that good form Cedric was shifted to LB where he struggled and has basically never been heard from since…

rohit

How long till people accept that the owner is not going anywhere. Direct your energy where you may get a result. The team members can be changed and that is why people want active transfer windows. Similarly, managers can be replaced too, god knows why so many people are extra emotional about the manger. He is also just another team member. Have people not learnt anything from the Euros and Copa or Ligue 1 or Serie A last year, EPL last to last year and the champions league prior to that or any of the myriad other contests that have… Read more »

The Arsenal

The Kroenkes are awful owners. But TBH we have spent alot of money…

IGtheshy

Yes, we did spent alot of money. But you can’t say that the owner is not at fault. He is the person hiring the management team. Who give the nod to Raul/Edu etc? It is their responsibility to hire the correct person or fired the wrong personnel if it does not work. But it seems they just happily don’t care, they care more about the amazon series and the whatever token.

Cyprus The Immortal Gooner

We are spending what we have available and not a penny more thus we need to sell Willock to fund another purchase we so desperately need. But yes, we have spend enough to be better than this…

Qwaliteee

Kroeber is the reason we don’t go toe to toe with City and Chelsea in the transfer market for the world class players. Arteta is the reason that the players we already have play boring, turgid shit; backwards and sideways passing for 90+. We are tactically clueless and ridiculously vulnerable defending from corners and set pieces, as last night’s second goal proved. Until we get a new owner, we will buy good players, but not world class players. They will still go to Chelsea, City, PSG, etc, whilst we look on and dream. Until we get a new manager, results… Read more »

btw

I don’t think you can solve this problem with money alone. The best players won’t want to come here regardless, then you pay then stupid wages and complain when we can’t sell them onward. One can certainly blame the process which has over-paid average players resulting in our current catch 22, can’t recruit if you can’t sell.

Viju Jacob

Last year, he cut his nose to spite his face…didn’t register Ozil and kept saying there is no place for a #10 in his system till after Christmas when started playing ESR and it was certain Ozil was leaving. A pig headed manager like Arteta cannot run a big team.
It’s karma for those fans who were vehemently Wenger-out, for finishing out of Top4, so let them savour this numpty who gave us 2 8th places.

Qwaliteee

Yep. Totally agree with all you say.

Qwaliteee

*Kroenke

David C

Kroenke’s other teams are doing pretty well. Nuggets and Avalanche especially. I’m not defending Kroenke but I’m not sure it was his decision to spend 50 million on a defender we don’t need….

Maybe their biggest crime as owners right now is not clearing house. We need a better board, technical director and manager. Everyone can see that. Bring Wenger back in a leadership role.

Alan Sunderland

Far from convinced by Arteta, but Leno Chambers and Mari are ordinary players. Martinelli showed tonight why he didn’t play much last year. He doesn’t suit our style of play. Balagoun not ready for prem,we are a long way off challenging. Arteta seems to me to have most of the squad believing what he tells them is right, think we have to let it play out. My main critique of him would be Pepe, there’s definitely a talented player there, and it’s going to be a long time before we pay 72 million for a player again we should play… Read more »

AFL

ffs, WHAT exactly is our style of play?

and your understanding of the game is non existent, you are however entitled to comment.

Alan Sunderland

What did you not like, the fact that we have a lot of ordinary players? Or that Martinelli doesn’t fit. He would be a good player for a counter attacking team, we don’t play that way. You think balagoun is ready to play up front? Educate me with your superior football knowledge.

Osaz

Whoever turned down this comment is an enemy of this amazing football club…..arteta out!!!!!

Lula

I see a lot of people on here are angry at Arteta and honestly, I am glad. How shit we play is on him.

Tumang

The sooner he’s sacked the better the chances of rescuing the situation

ASH

Arsenal fans learnt more – How to spend 50mn to make your defense worse?

Hank Scorpio

Enough of the platitudes. Only your cult members still drink your Kool Aid.

goonerrah

He must have felt like a big man at City, telling world class players what to do. They probably let him go join Arsenal mid-season because everyone but Pep wanted him gone.

Teta's cult of personality

I thought he was well-liked by the City squad?

Daveo

The man thinks CBs are the avenue to creativity against defences that sit deep. 🤦🏽‍♀️

Crash Fistfight

Generally ones who can’t defend, as well.

pound4pound

I know a lot of people are ready to give up on Arteta right now, and I don’t blame them. Personally, I want to give him a chance to get back Partey, Auba, Laca, and Gabriel, and maybe most importantly, add another creative player. If a few weeks with everyone in place don’t turn it around, then let’s get a new leader.

I’m not saying those personnel changes will improve everything. I just don’t want to toss out the last 4 months of last season because of one game where we were comically depleted.

Henrik

Did you watch those games? Sure we got some points but we did exactly the same thing as we do every game, every single game….

Spoilers: nothing

Hank Scorpio

Gabriel was in an out of the team last season. Forwards need service and that’s still a problem. Sure Partey was out but Lokonga outshone Xhaka. I note Brighton are not bothering to buy a replacement for White who got bossed today. Depletion or not, the issue is Arteta seems to think it’s just a personnel thing. His lessons learned and promised navel gazing have resulted in no obvious changes to the way we play. At what point do we say he’s been given enough time? I don’t know the answer but you’ve got to see progress to justify keeping… Read more »

Daveo

50m on white… When we had a strong defense (WTF has holding done wrong… And ah some French kid waiting for a game) and are desperate for creativity. I ask again. Who would you prefer, buendia for 33m or white for 50m on this team?

Sachin

“But White can play from the back!”

Fuck sake. That game under Wenger against Utd with Frimpong and the kids. That’s what this reminded me of.

There’s no way back for any manager from this, let alone Mikel.

Merlin’s Panini

Can’t help but say I saw this coming. Noticed the parallels when the team was announced.
If this isn’t a desperate plea for new signings I don’t know what is.
Weirdly it was Arteta we signed following that game.

Alan Sunderland

Auaror for 20 million would have been worth a shot. He’s supposed to have to bit of an attitude, so not for Mikel. On brentfords 2nd goal nobody complained. I think we badly need a few a holes. At the minute we just accept things.

cowabunga

Arsenal had better players out there on the pitch than Brentford. Granted, I think we have some poor players, I think it’s more down to Arteta. He makes all our players seem even worse than they are. Our style of play is slow and ponderous with no urgency, and there’s no logic to it. We kill counter attacks. We play the ball wide to cross into the box, with no one able to win crosses. We play out from defense no matter what , but Leno is terrible at it. Now we signed a 183cm centre-back who Arteta apparently wants… Read more »

IGtheshy

100% agree to what you said. Whenever I see Arsenal attack, it just seems so static. Seeing the ball float through opponent’s penalty box which none of our players are able to win it is pathetic. Playing Mari on a high line is suicidal, and he is not even good at the ball on his feet, I wonder why Holding was not filling in at left cb today. There are times which I saw white covering for Mari today. I don’t see any different tactics from Arteta for the next game, because this had been continued from last season and… Read more »

PeteyB

To be fair Holding was injured in the lead up. Maybe OK to sit on the bench for emergency cover, but not ready for 90?

Other problems worry me as much as the next man. Trying to figure out if we would have been much better with Auba, Laca and Partey. That isn’t an obvious ‘yes’.

Alan Sunderland

I agree, I watch every game and was very disappointed with Partey last season. Aubameyang was very ordinary and at times lacazette looked like he was carrying a piano on his back. I can’t see why any of them will be the difference this year. I hope to be proven wrong, but I don’t think our team is very good. A lot of years of poor recruitment has gotten us to this point. I think it’s going to take a few years of very good recruitment to get us out of it.

Alan Sunderland

Gabriel looked fairly average last season as well, thought Holding outplayed him by a long way, bellerin was poor as well, Cedric should never have been signed willian was pathetic, kolasinic is a very ordinary player, as is elneny. I hate to say it but we’ve a mid table squad, no matter who the manager is.

Teta's cult of personality

I disagree that Holding outplayed Gabriel by a long way. Are we forgetting the 0-3 home game against Villa when Rob made Barkley look like Ronaldinho. Their goals came from his side during that game. What about when he got out-jumped by Sterling and Jota for a cross or just allowed Son to hit a worldie without engaging him. Or the fact that he never got one of his headers on target unlike Gabriel, Luiz and Mari Gabriel got COVID and his individual performances took a nose-dive for sure but he’s the CB most suited to playing a high-line in… Read more »

Alan Sunderland

Agree with the villa game, but gabriel was very ordinary in most games last season. Hoping he’s a lot better than what he’s showed so far, same with partey. Apart from about 20 minutes against utd Partey was very underwhelming as well.

Teta's cult of personality

True. Here’s to hoping the newer signings improve🤞.

We need something positive to look forward to.

Alan Sunderland

We could be in trouble if gabriel and partey aren’t up to it. Think we badly need aubameyang to improve a lot from last season.

IGtheshy

I am not sure how these 3 players will help if the tactics is to play wide and cross the ball and hope for the best. Had you seen the screenshot where Xkaha had the ball, and Martinelli and Balogun is in front? A through ball might have been a good attack but our players instinct is to pass it wide to KT. And these had been the same last season.

Daveo

Honestly I think we might be better making white a centre mid. We need quality there and holding is a really good and underrated defender. Tonight white showed exactly what we were all worried about. He’s small and going to get bullied all season. I worry a lot about our box command. Leno sucks at floating balls on the edge of the 6 yard box and white is too small to deal with them.

Sachin

Sure. Since he is quality let’s play him CF also.

Daveo

Look at his statistical profile in posts after we signed him. His data is that of a midfielder. And he’s played a decent amount in midfield too.

UzesGooner

If only we had a giant, athletic defender who could pass…….oh wait, we do but he’s in Marseille

Bleeding gums murphy

Holdings passing is shocking.

cowabunga

Also, I think many fans were thinking, “Oh, well he’s not doing the high intensity game he talks about because he hasn’t had a full pre-season to coach the players and bring up their fitness levels etc.”. So many fans have been waiting for this “new Arsenal” that Arteta was supposed to bring in for this league season. And now seeing that we stink the place out against Brentford, with the same old shit as before, no intensity, no urgency, and so on, that is kind of very fucking big letdown.

Badaab

we finished 8th again, dude. arteta made a host of poor management decisions last year, in terms of tactics (xhaka at lb), man management (rushing partey back early for nld), and recruitment (no backup lb signed in january). he’s not up to the job of building a squad and managing it.

Rob

The manager is the problem. You can’t play “Man City” style with players that aren’t good enough to make Man City’s bench. We are too slow in build up, we are easy to pick apart in defense. Arsenal have tons of speed… They have a weak defense that can’t put pressure on the opposite team because of slow transition play. What we need is a manager not afraid to admit we aren’t where we were… Go back to basics, play defense, get your fast wing players to make runs in behind while playing counter attacking football with through balls and… Read more »

The Arsenal

We have tons of speed yet have looked like the slowest team in the prem for about two years now.

Qwaliteee

At last. Someone on here with some fucking common sense.

Top post, mate. 👍🍺

TP tries hard

He’s had ample time to make this team play as a unit, to instill attacking verve, but the team has not pushed forward after that momentous
FA cup win. We’ve jumped from boring draw to disastrous (and boring) defeat, with some forgettable wins in the mix. Arteta is not the answer.

Badaab

the management of the current players is the problem

goonerrah

Lonkonga and White look good enough on the ball but are not impressive in defense, both in awareness and physicality.

IGtheshy

White literally lose every header with Ivan Tooney. Decent enough player but not sure is worth 50m. Lonkonga looks quite decent but lack experience and sometimes loses the ball. I think he should be the player partnering Partey who will carry the ball forward.

IGtheshy

A big club with ambition would have sacked Arteta last season when we finished 8th. Now, we might have a worse season than last season.

Kentish Gooner

*will

David C

We should hire Ted Lasso!

Badly morning

Oh god Thomas Frank is so much more competent I could weep. Arteta is out of his depth. Football is joyless under his micro management. I’d gladly have seen Xhaka move on but look how he played with freedom at the euros.

Jfmgunner

Something to look forward to: Lokonga Partey as the midfield partnership. If Arteta doesn’t realize Xhaka is an average player at least the next Kroenke scapegoat to get in the firing line likely will. I know Partey has been injury prone but statistically it’s an anomaly and it surely wont continue. That’s the duo and who cares if Xhaka resigns, he can rot on the bench. Now let’s see if this embarrassing loss forces Stan to loosen the purse strings.

Atom

Just spending more money (and we’ve spent a fair amount the past few years) isn’t going to fix what’s wrong with this team. The tactics are fundamentally poor – were an extremely easy team yon

Atom

To play against

j.p. castelo

… and there is no progress whatsoever in 18 month

Rob

Arteta – Arsenal Manager…. But what is he really managing… Oh yes, the media as a human lightning rod for the owners to hide behind. If I hear about a damn process one more time. How about we process some money in a transfer window and get players that want to play?

Lula

thats what management has always been for.

Gonnerhero

All honesty – The bees fully deserved the win. Top class fans giving a standing ovation for Saka. The 12th man surely played its part. Next weekend I’m setting up a stool for pitchforks as the Emirates will get toxic based on the this teams performance.

Badaab

Fans who pay the highest match day prices in the league (during a global economic depression no less) have every right to be as vocal as they’d like about the performance of the team. It’s up to the manager and players to deliver.
To be quite blunt here- arteta needs a kick up the arse and the only place he’s going to get it from is the fans

Iyke

I don’t believe Arteta and Edu have what it takes to get Arsenal club out of shame,
When you compare how recruitment is going on to compare other clubs then you can get the results already,
No system of playing to score a goal only entertainment.

Once a gunner

If only they really do the entertainment

Ben

Arteta is woefully out of his depth as a football manager but then again, there isn’t a single competent or capable person at the club in any management or leadership role as far as I can see. It’s hilarious that Kroenke refused Ek’s takeover bid. Arsenal’s valuation must be declining on a daily basis now. This club has very few things going for it and it’s definitely in the situation where things need to get worse (bad enough to force Kroenke to sell) before they can get better (under new owners). I gave up my season ticket this year (after… Read more »

Badaab

Exchanging one billionaire for another won’t make the team better. The way forward is no billionaires.

STAN-CALLUM

Ben White is garbage and not a 50m CB dude got bullied in the air all game.

Stuart McDonald

This was entirely predictable and came as no surprise. We showed no fight or desire. We lost against a team which will be relegated at the end of the season. A disgrace to the club.

master stan

I don’t think it will get better….. as long as Arteta remains…. let’s call a spade a spade…..no matter the player’s we may add there won’t be any difference 😠😠😠

Tribe

We are about to sink deeper in the coming months. No doubt Arteta will be sacked but who will come in and what will be his “vision”? Will he want to build his own team? Sell players buy new? The endless circle. I don’t have any any any hope that Arteta can make a step and do something, not in this century. You may say I am mad but… bring back Arsene, at least the man will unleash the players to play actual football… Damn how did we ended up in this damn circle. Oh, yeah, and Kroenke’s out anyway… Read more »

Once a gunner

There is Zidane and Conte very good coaches trusted and tested

Tribe

Won’t counter or negate that. But more important is, will our management ever approach them and will they want to grab such a mess? I think those are areas of another level.

UzesGooner

Conte would be excellent. If/when we sack Arteta we also have to replace Edu and get someone competent

assistantref

Why on earth would Conte, a manager who left Inter after winning the title because they wouldn’t back him to win a second and who is famous for not taking any job if he doesn’t think the conditions are there to win right away, come to a club like Arsenal?

UzesGooner

You’re right, he wouldn’t….

Alan Sunderland

Money would be the only reason, the squad ownership and expectations would make him run the other way.

CarlosLA

Same shite, different season. The entire “management” chain is a bunch of novices, totally unproven, without any success anywhere else… nor any success here. Arteta, Edu, Vinai… Josh, if you want to count him. You can be a billionaire and buy an historic club, and then just run it into the ground with the likes of these clowns in charge. Shocking levels Arsenal have fallen to. Complete suckers we are for continuing to care… indeed care more than Stan does. The most honest moment he’s ever had is when he said at MIT that trying to win championships is not… Read more »

He’s got no hair but we don’t care...

We know what we need to improve.
We won’t do it and will then make excuses for not doing it.
Then we’re back again saying we know we need to improve.
The cycle of hell at our beloved club.

Thierry LB

It is just one game. Everyone seems to be blaming Arteta. The players have to be responsible for their position on the pitch and the commitment to defend. The manager can only do so much. First goal today was a mistKe by Chambers and Leno…. The team has to have hard working players. Forward line and midfield need addition. Let us all calm down. Call for the manager’s head in November.

Teta's cult of personality

I think it’s because we’re still playing the same way. I saw our forward players making smart runs but instead of a through ball into the middle, we pass it to Tierney for another cross.

That style of play should have been thrown in the bin after we put in 30+ crosses in the away loss to Spuds but instead we continue with it regardless of the starting line-up. Seems like coaching instructions to me.

Badaab

The manager’s responsibility is to develop a style of play and prepare the team by having a tactical analysis and roadmap. At the moment we have none of those things for the players to build on. The players cannot execute on vague platitudes about isolated incidents when the manager refuses to admit his own culpability in the lack of preparation and development

Once a gunner

So what are you being doing in the preseason if you can not correct last season mistakes, We fans can see the obvious that this team need a very good midfielders not even one but at least two.

But our coach went to buy two defenders where we least needed not faulting the signings, but that is not the priority.

Must we loose to see the reality? what are the board and Edu doing when MA is making this error?

Icy

I don’t blame Arteta anymore. He never been good enough for this job. Now it takes months to suck him and find new manager what cost us another poor season. Owners not stupid just don’t care about the Club in my opinion. And no, it’s not based on this game only.

Mikels Arteta

Keeper beaten at his near post. No real competition for the No 1 spot means Leno will continue his decline
Mari was shaky all game. The guy is not premie league quality
Arteta, the grand delusionist
It may be the first game of the season
But the club is shambles from top to bottom

assistantref

Eh, I’m on the “this is shite” train as much as the next guy, but you can’t really blame a keeper for getting beat at the near post when the ball goes through the defender’s legs from close range. Very few keepers would have saved that shot, if any, unless they had been badly positioned in the first place and were saving it based on getting lucky.

Another Paul

And he was held down for the 2nd goal. How VAR didn’t see that I’ll never know

Goonshow

He was – clearly and obviously – one game in and we’re already being robbed.
However – what was worse was the way he just stood there meekly doing nothing: wrench yourself free… step back onto the bloke’s feet so you both fall and get the ref’s attention… break his nose with the back of your head ffs! Timid and pathetic – WHERE’S THE FIGHT!!

Man Manny

It’s a futile attempt at getting fans on his side.
They can see through this phoney.
Arteta might one day become a good manager, but he is not one at present. He is gradually pulling Arsenal to his level.
It is Time to be ruthless; can we sign Abramovich on loan?

Sulla

that was not nice to watch.

Fraserhead

If there are any small mercies to be had, it is that in the photo accompanying this article the head of Mike Dean is most obscured by a ball. Seeing his face may have compounded the pain 🙁

Lucas

We should replace Arteta with Conte, but KSE has no ambitions

Daveo

They have ambitions… 💷

Gabigol

Very good pressing by Brentford. They really know what they are doing and it shows. Even though it is obvious we don’t progress through the middle, therefore opposition teams just need to block and press passing lanes against us in wide positions. We didn’t have any cohesion. If you have such a strategy you should have a plan B. You could see what Sambi and White were bought for… Quick switches of play out wide. But what if like Brentford every team anticipates this? It is too easy and obvious. The obvious solution is a Tammy Abraham upfront who can… Read more »

UzesGooner

The worst thing was how much Arteta panicked towards the end. Took Balogun off, then Martinelli 5 minutes later so we didn’t have a striker on the pitch….WTF?

White could be good in a back three IF WE HAD SALIBA in the middle, but he’s in Marseille FFS !!!

I’ve wanted Arteta to succeed but that was fucking terrible. I wish we had Tuchel…..

Another Paul

Neither of them made any impression whatsoever to be honest

UzesGooner

Oh, and why the fuck are we giving Xhaka a contract until 2025???

Hail Gus!

Can’t believe he waltzed straight back in to start and arm band too was extra kick in the gonads. Disgrace.

UzesGooner

I can understand why we kept him and didn’t just give him away, but why extend his contract?? Also, if he stays, we have to replace Elneny.

Fucking shambles……needed Saliba on the pitch against Toney last night

Teta's cult of personality

Gabriel and Saliba on the pitch and I think we may have coped better against Mbuemo and Toney. I don’t see Gabi getting bullied by Toney like that and I think Saliba copes better with Mbuemo’s speed.

Billymac

This looks more and more insane with every passing minute. He didn’t need it and neither did Arsenal.

Jon

The creative attacking midfielder is a priority, it won’t solve all our problem.

I am not sure what happen to Ryan, did he reject a contract or Arsenal not offering him a contract. We can’t build everything in this transfer window. If he stay, we could have a back up Gk, and focus our needs elsewhere.

We did well in the second half of last season.

mrugunner

Conte is still available, come on don’t waste this opportunity yet again!!!

Jagun

I agree that the ownership is the problem. The easiest fix to our problems would be for the ownership to bring back Wenger as CEO of Arsenal. He’ll sniff out all the unhealthy inefficiencies and really help mentor Edu and Arteta or sack them if he sees fit. But the ownership doesn’t have the vision and that is the problem.

Teta's cult of personality

Wenger hasn’t even been back in the stadium since he left. Which is worrying when you look at how often Dalglish and Ferguson are still around their former clubs. It would take a lot to get that man back into the mix of things.

A P

Looking forward to watching the players tell Arteta his tactics suck on reality TV.

Shambles

Where are the “it’s just pre-season games, don’t read any meaning into it” apologists?

I must admit though, even I thought we wouldn’t be too shit to get a draw against a team that had never played in the prem.

Qwaliteee

There’s one or two little meltdowns to be found on here, if you have a scroll.

One hilarious one in particular, where the author seems to have finally discovered a very well known Anglo Saxon profanity.

Reality can be so cruel at times.

leon

The Krankies have made the money available to buy the players and they are not responsible for who Arteta decides to bring in. They were responsible for bring in Arteta when there were better options out there. At a time when the club was in crisis to bring in a manager with no management experience except assistant to a manager with unlimited transfer funds is down to them. There is a gulf of difference between assistant manager and manager – the Krankies should have known that. They now have a decision to make do they keep faith in someone clearly… Read more »

LEFT08

Sorry, but this isn’t true. Kroenke has only made available money generated by the club (player sales, wage cuts, commercial revenue). He has invested ZERO of his own money in the club. In fact, he even takes money out as consultancy fees and allowed people like Raul & Edu to line the pockets of agents and make questionable (to put it politely) transfer deals. Kroenke must go and it is up to us fans to make sure he goes.

Corona X

I’d say it was Vinai who was responsible for bringing Arteta in – I don’t think the Kroenkes were heavily involved in that process due to their lack of knowledge of the English game.

Vinai, the old Deloitte consultant who did a sub-par job as our commercial director and was awarded the CEO position – THAT was Kroenkes decision. They can’t see that mistake and won’t fire him – while Vinai doesn’t have the balls to replace Edu and Arteta.

That’s my take on it anyway.

Goonshow

Amidst a pre-season that hasn’t promised anything different – on-field – than the last one, I’ve been slightly comforted by some of the players we’ve been making offers for: Maddison, Aouar; Ode; Martinez… even Abraham.

But here’s the thing: of those few decent prospects we’ve been trying to buy how many would still want to make the move after watching that dog-show??!

Qwaliteee

Well, it’s all down to your idol and his brand of so-called ‘football.’

No one else.

Goonshow

What is it with always feeling the need to slag someone off in your responses, mate? You seem to love this club. As do I. You seem to know enough about the game to make some incisive comments on here (when you’re not screaming at Arteta!). As do I (I’d like to think!) I agree with you on Edu and the Kronks… I don’t (yet) agree on Arteta – not because he’s my ‘idol’ – but simply because I think he’s a decent bloke, who genuinely loves our club, is really committed, and should therefor be given a FULL season,… Read more »

Goonshow

Oh – and it seems I was unfortunately right about the fall-out from ‘dog-show’… Tammy flies out to Roma tomorra!

Bobbyt

For me, Edu and the manager need to go ASAP. I so bored of this, I knew we were going to get rolled over before kickoff. He’s a good man but the jobs too big for him imho.

Bergkamp2Wright

And KSE.

LEFT08

You know what? It’s not even Kroenke responsible for this decline. It is US, the Arsenal supporters. We don’t like what we’ve been seeing for a number of years and yet we continue to buy tickets to games, shirts, SKY subscriptions, merchandise, etc. We are effectively funding mediocrity and allowing Kroenke to profit as his asset grows year on year.

Just stay away, disengage completely, let the incompetent owners and executives run it to the ground.

Bergkamp2Wright

Or protest vociferously until they leave. Rather than allow them to destroy our club.

LEFT08

I’m all for protesting. But it won’t achieve much unless we put a proper dent in their business. Our club will survive in the long run, one way or another – it’s been around 135 years. Their business can crash and burn.

Merlin’s Panini

Time for Bielsa?
At least it would be fun.

Teta's cult of personality

L😂L, Bielsa and Pepe would be fighting each other half the time. It would be renewing tensions from their time at Lille. Would certainly make for an interesting watch on Amazon reality TV.

Unknown

Most of the current players are too soft and gassed to play bielsa high tempo system

iGooner

0 points out of the first 3 games is looking very likely now. And here I was hoping for at least 1 point. My expectations were at the lowest but HOLY FUCK!

Ptafc

why buy a 50m player for a position that wasn’t top priority? White is used to playing in a back 5 which was obvious last night. Him and Mari were hopeless. Why not bring Saliba back – who has been treated so badly by Arteta – and spend the money elsewhere. The club is so badly run from top to bottom. Don’t get Arteta at all, get Conte in

UzesGooner

Don’t think we can bring him back until next season, but if we can we definitely should. Arteta needs to be a better man manager, he can’t expect everyone to be a fucking robot.

Also, when we do actually buy a new keeper, can we make sure he is big, commanding and confident at passing? Maybe the Brentford keeper or find another Mendy somewhere for £20m….

The half

I’m a big Arteta fan but you just can’t say what he’s said there.

“we know how the team is broken, we haven’t fixed it, we lost the game, I are disappoint.”

That being said, we should have won that game.

Can’t see how we get more than three points come the NLD.

We may be trying to run the club prudently but the commercial decisions are stuffing us.

onegiantleap

I don’t know why we keep insisting on playing it wide and crossing when we have no one arriving to the get to the end of these crosses. And when clearly it doesn’t work, we seems to have no other attacking option. Coaching issue, player quality issue or both?

AJD

He had a choice between Saliba and Mari?

UzesGooner

Can we have a choice between Saliba & Arteta/Edu ?

Billymac

It doesn’t matter who comes in if Arteta persists in getting the team to play the same way every game. He has coached them and instructed them to play in a certain way: it’s dull, predictable and very conservative.

Billp79

he should try something new then….

Billp79

missing players and players who we knew were questionable….showed us we lack depth

Brady’s bunch

I think we’re witnessing why a talented young coach cuts his teeth at a smaller club and figures out what’s what before being given a chance at a once great club

Sone

So Arteta will be allowed to ruin another season with his incompetence, we basically play decent football and win matches only when all planets and stars are aligned, so at this point it can be surmised that Arteta has better understanding of astrology than football tactics and strategies.

Qwaliteee

Astrology and cement based hair gel.

Awimb

In order to turn our club around we need to start at the very top, we should not take our foot off the gas with protests over the ownership, we need to keep up the pressure and do everything we can to make the kroenkes sell up, they have been nothing but a cancer to the club since they got there grubby mitts on it. It’s got to the stage where drastic action might need to be taken to achieve this but as long as clueless ownership has over all control of the club then bad decisions will continue to… Read more »

karl

At least we can celebrate moving off the bottom of the table as Leeds take a bigger beating than us!

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