For much of today’s 2-1 defeat to Brighton, Mikel Arteta stood on the touchline with his hand cradling his face. Usually full of firecracker energy, he looked forlorn, frustrated and slightly lost.
His body language mirrored those of his players who followed up Monday’s defeat to Crystal Palace with another horribly disjointed performance.
While Martin Odegaard’s late deflected strike raised hopes of an unlikely draw, the truth was that the Gunners lost this game way before its dying embers.
“The first half, it was really poor again,” reflected Arteta in his post-game press conference.
“The reaction that we wanted to show and everything that we talked about, we didn’t make it happen on the pitch.
“We were sloppy on the ball, we were second best in a lot of situations, we didn’t show any purpose or build any momentum in the game or play with the right speed to transform the game that Brighton proposed today.
“The first chance that they had, the only chance that they had, they scored the goal and then we created a cold atmosphere, an atmosphere we weren’t comfortable with and when we tried to change it was too late. It was great not to give up but it was too late.”
The visitors established their two-goal advantage courtesy of well-taken strikes by Leandro Trossard and Enock Mwepu who both converted pull-backs to the edge of the box.
Between the goals, scored on 28 and 66 minutes respectively, the Gunners laboured around the pitch, all too often slowing the tempo and seeming to have no idea how to break down the organised blue and white block in front of them. The boss said his players didn’t take ownership of the game.
“It wasn’t a problem of attitude it was the approach and the courage that we showed to play, we didn’t have that purpose,” he said.
“I know them, and we didn’t have the intention to attack and step in and provoke the situations we wanted to provoke and we were looking at each other too many times instead of taking ownership of doing what we have to do. You cannot play like that, you have to make yourself count and step in. Today, we didn’t do it.”
He returned to the theme when pressed again on what went wrong. “We lacked to take the ownership in the game to make decisions about ourselves that could affect the game, instead of allowing the game to go and go and go and take a trajectory that we could see clearly, wasn’t the one that we want.
“When that happens you have to move and take the game into a completely different direction. That has to happen during the match, early. We didn’t do it. By the time we started to do it, it was too late. You could see already the energy was very, very different.”
Having spoken in the week about taking advantage of playing at home in front of supporters who’ve been in good voice this season, Arteta lamented the scraps his players fed the punters.
On the “cold atmosphere”, he said: “We created [it], the fans were here again and they were exceptional, the moment we gave them something with what we tried. We played a game that you could not see the purpose, or the intention of what the team was trying to do.
“What can they [the fans] do, we have to give them [something] and we didn’t give them anything in the first half. This is down to us.”
Having lost twice in a week to opponents most would have backed the Gunners to beat, things get much harder here on in. In the final eight games, Arsenal still have to travel to West Ham, Chelsea and Sp*rs and have a home game with Manchester United.
Qualification for the Champions League, and even the Europa League, looks hard going, especially given the absence of Kieran Tierney and Thomas Partey. It’s not over yet, but it will be if we don’t turn things around quickly.
Arteta knows it, saying: “What happens next? We criticise ourselves a lot, get slapped again because we were really poor again in the first half and then lift ourselves again.
“We know that this road is taking us nowhere, especially where we want to be, we have everything still to play for in the last eight games and we have to have a level of energy and visualising the challenge, the beautiful challenge, that we have ahead. We don’t sit back and see what happens.”
Xhaka doesn´t work at left back and we´ve seen it last season, it´s so frustrating seeing Mikel not to learn from that particular mistake. I feel he is being little harsh on Tavares, it was Partey who should have been subbed at halftime in the Palace game, no matter that he played well in previous games, after playing like that and missplacing so many passes he should have been subbed and he probably wouldn´t get injured also. I agree that Gabriel made bigger mistakes for the goals at Palace that Nuno and that´s why we need Saliba next season in… Read more »
He got the tactics all wrong today. Poor Nuno thrown under a bus. Sometimes I like Mikel and other times, I think he is really unlikeable the way he treats some of our players badly yet turns a complete blind eye to the flaws of others.
I understand leaving Tavares out cos (to me anyway) he looks out of his depth at this level.
But the Xhaka decision is inexplicable. Just play Saka LB & leave Xhaka in midfield. Xhaka offers nothing at LB and by moving him there we left Sambi, Odegaard & ESR all at sea.
Awful, awful stuff from Arteta.
Guaranteed Xhaxa to start at left back next game as well.
Hard to argue with this. Arteta seems unable to learn from prior issues. Laca isn’t working, and hasn’t been. None of the other choices are great, but something else needs to be tried.
Similarly Xhaka isn’t the ideal midfielder, but in the absence of Partey we need him there, not at LB.
And I’m definitely concerned about ESR and Saka ending up with Wilshere-like injuries from being overplayed. Or losing one or both to a better team.
These last two losses are on Arteta as much as anyone.
ESR and Saka overplayed? What happens when we have to play in Europe and have more big games?
Agree on Arteta. He got this one wrong.
We need a deeper squad. Players like Foden and Mount are rotated. We don’t have the depth to do that. ESR looked like he was not 100% and Saka is getting kicked all over the pitch. It’s going to catch up sooner or later. We don’t have a CL level squad. Maybe not even an EL level one unless absolutely everyone is healthy.
There were worse players in our previous squad that got to a Europa League final. We now have much more talented players than before. On paper, this is supposed to be the fifth best squad in the EPL, which at minimum, equates to Europa Level quality.
If our squad looks worse than Europa League level, then that is only the fault of the management.
It’s plain wrong. Saka well within his rights to have a look around a la Sterling in 2015.
There was definitely a case to be made to persist with Nuno. A massive risk no doubt, but would’ve it been more of a risk than Xhaka there? And putting faith in a struggling player can instill some confidence. Why not try Nuno again and instruct him not to push too far forward. Xhaka is needed in midfield, which isn’t easy to admit as a vehement proponent of Xhexit.
Indeed, Tavares should have played against a team that has previously scored 1 goal in 7. All that Arteta managed to do was expose Lakonga (who also looks short of confidence). If you are going to play Xhaka at left back, at least have a holding midfielder in Elneny.
All I remember of Laca was pointing to an imaginary watch. Play Eddie. At least he has something to prove to some employer for next season, rather than a striker that has scored 4 goal this season which 2 were penalties.
Thats rubbish.
Fuck eddie. Hes refused a contract for months. Hes still in the side b/c hes all thats left.
Double fuck eddie. Hea part of the problem.
Best stick with Lacazettes 2 open play goals in 25 matches this season then for the last 8 games.
Although Eddie will be off in the summer at least he had 2 efforts yesterday.
Or put another way, Lacazette – no open play goals for 17 matches and 4 shots ( either on or off target) in 11 games
Eddie’s a lazy self centred bugger, but he still offers more than Lacazette.
Disagree.
Nuno was/is an accident waiting to happen.
We should now play three at the back with Holding in alongside White and Gabriel and then Saka and Cedric as attacking wing backs.
Tavares was a very quick and confident player going forward when he joined us, the change in his game has come from the coaching he’s getting at Arsenal now he looks lost.
We need a manager who will challenge the players to play with confidence…
Agreed.
And he should bring Olise with him
Could have stopped at xhaka doesn’t work [unless he has partey bailing him out and doing half his job for him].
Even when he’s of use to us – because we have no one else available to cover properly in that position – Xhaka creates trouble.
The day that guy leaves this club cannot come soon enough for me.
It’s not as of there aren’t other players out there who are considerably better. Conor Gallagher for a start – although I’ll admit that prising him away from both Palace and Chelsea is a pipe dream.
And what is the purpose of Arteta?
In a season with 1 game a week because our generational manager took us out of Europe altogether for the first time in forever, we are set to concede more goals, score less goals, and finish roughly in the same position as Arteta has finished since he’s been at this club.
Where are we going? Nobody knows and they’re lying to you if they say they do.
Have had that nagging feeling also. I like Arteta and I hope it works out for him. At no point under his leadership though have we looked a truly dangerous team. In the games where we have found some fluidity and created chances it feels more down to the talent of the squad and continuity with the first XI than any tactic Arteta has cooked up. If I am KSE I give him the summer and 1st half of next season. If we’re still toothless and mediocre with only flashes of quality then I think he should go. The recruitment… Read more »
Great comment.
Sadly I dont think KSE give a shit or know what they’re doing.
We were the top spenders in the Premiership last summer. They’ve coughed up the readies, albeit in a loan format.
I think you’ll find our fruitless January window was down to Arteta and Edu, rather than Stan and Josh.
Arteta has had 3 years? I don’t know if the magnitude of change needed was so huge or that in his attempts to enact change he’s out of his depth and created more mess and I’d hate to potentially waste another season. Let’s see where we are at season’s end. Results have been better in the last few months but I agree, there have been too many outstanding performances, though there have been some improvements in the cohesion of our play (starting from a low baseline under Arteta). Fair to say at the start of the season most would have… Read more »
If you’re kse you give him the job for life. Prolly low wage, politically correct and some history.
If we wanted to compete, arteta should have been out since last season
No unless we become as ruthless as Chelsea we will never get anywhere. Take your feelings out of it. They need to sack Arteta and bring in Erik ten Hag before United snatch him.
Are we really improving?
Its hard to admit it but I believe it’s true. The scum have simply got a better manager. They are two up at Villa..
Make it 3 up.
They have that, but they also have a league full of gormless teams who continue to play to their strengths. It baffles me. Honestly.
Villa should have taken the lead in this game. Spurs were absolutely hammered in that first half. Everything seems to be going their way at the moment.
Yep it’s gone there way alright 4 nil.
Just as inconsistent as we have always been.
I think it is fair for a new manager to bring in some level of consistency.
Is fifth much of an improvement?
Maybe – but hardly enough to warrant a new contract…
Why should we treat him in a special way? Do we reward mediocrity? It is very clear that Arteta is very average and he has had 3years plus a costly budget to learn! at a big club, where do you find that?
Not even a porpoise could have saved us today.
Central midfield is a huge issue. Xhaka and Lokonga offered nothing in terms of movement when we were desperate for something
To be fair, the ball was very rarely played out to them – without being immediately returned to the centre halves, who often chose to get the ball forward quicker to the full backs making runs.
It’s a good job they did, otherwise they would have been passing sideways all afternoon.
Xhaka and Sambi need to lose their markers quicker against Southampton.
In fact, the whole team need to move the ball faster.
What is the point of even finishing in the top 4 if we are going to be this sh*t and get smacked in the Championships League? Best we aim for the Europa conference crap cup and play with teams at our level. We don’t deserve top 4 based on the last two games.
The point is the money that finish brings and being able to attract a higher caliber of player
It’s like trying to put a pneumatic drill through solid rock, isn’t it?
I live in Southeast Asia, and Champions League in the past decade have meant waking up at 2am to watch my team get slapped 5-1 in the knockout stage. What a way to ruin your working day.
If we hadn’t played in the ECL, would we honestly have signed Mesut Ozil, Santo Cazorla and Alexis Sanchez….? Before you scoff, they helped, as you might recollect, end a nine year trophy drought with three FA Cups in four years and, but for an annoyingly leaky defence behind them, would have helped us win the title ahead of Leicester City in 2016. That’s why competing in the ECL is always good, no matter what. And that’s before you begin to discuss revenue, keeping your best players and attracting other good players who demand ECL qualification before they put pen… Read more »
Oh dear, listen to it.
Because, clay-brain, if we qualify for the ECL this season we will…
Excuse the bullet points, but some of you still need it to be spelt out for you.
Listen d*ckhead, no need to be a smartass. We all know the crap u put in your bullet points. Not sure how long u been a fan, but we were in the champions league for 20+ years thanks to Wenger. Now tell me where does the spankings from Bayern and Barca fall in your bullet points? We were in the champions league for so long. Where did it get us? We have been in decline since the last time we won the league.
I’ll tell you where it got us.
That’s where it fucking got us.
Where does all that rank in your “bESt wE aIM FOr THe eUroPA cRAp COnFeRENce cUP” negative shite?
Don’t forget to downvote, soft lad.
I think if you’d rather Arsenal played in the Europa than the Champions League, perhaps you should be supporting West Ham with all the other eternal losers? It seems that unless Arsenal won the Champions League every year during Wenger’s reign, then according to you we should have all packed up and go home. Now, you’d rather we didn’t compete in it at all. Were you one of those kids who had a spoiled brat meltdown in the shopping mall every time Mummy said no to the Happy Meal? I think you were. If anyone is being a dickhead here,… Read more »
I don’t agree with him but also wonder what is going on on the training ground. The first half was lost with Xhaka filling in at LB. We don’t have a striker (Lacazette doesn’t count) but he continues to pick him. I would seriously start Nketiah instead. I know Tavares was poor against Palace but today with lost without him.
Imagine having to choose between Lacazette and Nketiah as your striking options. Oof.
😂😂
Well, he had aubameyang but sent him away.
It’s largely irrelevant who your options are. We simply do not create the chances for our strikers.
I wouldn’t trust Tavares.
but there were other sensible ways to structure the squad to make for better understanding.
Whose fault is it? when he buys a player he can’t even trust? Treating him like that is never gonna make him better.
A lot of fans thought ‘Saka would be wasted at LB’
It was even Arseblogs view on the pod.
Depth is about versatility, not just personnel.
As a Left Back, yes he is wasted.
As a Left Wing Back, he most certainly isn’t wasted.
Big difference.
Why does he keep trotting out a totally ineffective Lacazette? Four goals from your striker? pitiful. And how many times do we need to hear about we had no purpose? Isn’t the manager’s job to make sure his team is ready to play? For pete’s sake, please get ride of Lacazette and Xhaka so this man can’t continue to play them and hurt the team. And play Smith-Rowe you moron.
If you want to contrast Man vs Boy look no further than Conte and Spurs. Arteta and Edu predictably neglected reinforcing in January. I mentioned (not rocket science) it will come back to haunt us Conte sensibly brought in Kulusevski and Bentancur both on loan. This is the difference with an inexperience person like Edu put on the helm over actual experience in market and a manager that knows what he is actually doing. Typical Arsenal fans lauding Arteta like some sort of second coming (of failure). In reality our good run was never going to last giving paucity in… Read more »
Would be very interesting if you had as much to say about the results/performances when we win instead of almost solely when we lose.
People don’t go to therapy when everything is tickety boo!
Santa has – for years – demonstrated his ‘glass half empty’ approach Blogs… his doom-laden rants are nothing if not consistent… there is that.
Mate. If you knew anything about football at all, you’d remember that three points for a win can change things around quite substantially. You’d also realise that what might look to be an easy fixture can sometimes be very difficult and vice versa – miracles can someone occur in a fixture that on paper looks doomed. Finally, if you’re going to big up those cunts from up the road, be mindful that they haven’t won fourth spot yet. Yes, they are three points in front of us, but they’ve played a game more. They have a healthy goal difference but… Read more »
Manager of the month curse.
I ask once again, how did Arteta get it ahead of Klop?
You didn’t see us play in March then, I guess. I get why everyone is upset that the wheels fell off these last two games, but if you’re going to judge Arteta on this season, you have to measure the lows and highs, not just the lows. On balance, I think factoring in this squad, its thinness, its youth, and with a manager so young in the job, you’d have to say it’s been a decent season. At the beginning of the season, I said 5th or 6th is about right for this squad. I think we’re on course, and… Read more »
This makes a lot of sense.
I’m calmer now.
But that shitstorm called Sp*rs shows purpose and crushing Villa away. CL seems like a ship leaving harbour while we still checking our tickets on shore.
Even on a tactical level Arteta is clueless.
He should have gone at back 3 allowing Saka and Cedric to take up wing back roles.
That would afford Xhaka in correct position in midfield. entrusting that critical role to the vastly inexperienced Sambi (who has not been also given much time under the belt) and confusing new positioning with Xhaka left always a recipe for disaster.
Too many fans here sipping opiate as per usual.
Did not show any purpose because he doesn’t understand the purpose of players in their respective roles.
Round holes in square pegs and expect results?
Reliant on injury prone players to carry through was always asking for trouble.
Aubameyang is banging in goals for Barcelona. Imagine if we had a manager that possessed communication and people management skills and who could really bring out the best in players. Imagine that. Instead we have a characterless robot who feeds technical reports through social media to fans who would prefer to see the club actually challenging for something rather than reading drivel like this: “We lacked to take the ownership in the game to make decisions about ourselves that could affect the game, instead of allowing the game to go and go and go and take a trajectory that we… Read more »
These Auba takes are really lazy, even if you are invested in being anti-Arteta.
I guess “bUt AuBa” is the new “Xhaka, AgAiN?!?!” post for the rest of the season.
What would you say then given our current situation up front?
What options would you suggest ?
Its lazy to you because it is so obvious a mistake to allow a player who cost nearly 60 million to leave like that and not have a replacement lined up.
Or do you think that is simply part of “the process” that people on here have talked about?
Where do you see this top goal scorer coming from this season considering the options we have?
I’m not anti anything – I just call it as I see it…
I don’t see a top goal scorer coming from anywhere, which is worrying. What I’m saying is Auba wasn’t doing it for us either, underperforming players improve in new contexts all the time, and what he’s doing at Barcelona is irrelevant. It also fails to take into account his disciplinary issues, which was the reason we let him go.
You’re a stupid coach?? You know the team was weak and had injury concerns. But you benched pepe for Rowe, must lacazet play every match??? U weakened your midfield for a left back. Fully knowing Xhaka can’t track back…. You got it all wrong today and you got to admit it not the players😕😕
Biggest mistake wasnt moving Auba onward it was not replacing him. Surely we could have got a striker that would have given us more options, instead a lack of goals is going to cost us on the run in.
Abraham for 32m… or Edouard for 19m… or even Giroud for 1m!!!! All of whom have been scoring – certainly more than Laca.
To add some flesh to the above bones:
Abraham – 23 goals in all comps for Roma in his first bloody season!
HFB – 11 plus 3 assists (plus 2 in 4 matches for France)
Edouard – 6 plus 3 assists (and an amazing 13 from 12 for France u21s)
The one that really burns is Tammy – boyhood Gooner who stated he wanted to join us. And we handed him to Maureen… what would we give right now for just half of those 23 goals he’s given Roma?
In as much as Arteta is trying to put in some streaks, in some situations, I doubt his tactics, decisions and team selections. As a professional coach/Manager, how could you allow your team to slim down to that extent knowing fully well that you’re in pursuit of top 4 and your rivals are so much eager, vigilant, waiting for a slip to overtake you. A check on the squad depth of other teams (Our rivals) should let you know that Arteta, Edu and the Arsenal board are making a mess of the top4 challenge. Letting Auba and others leave is… Read more »
To begin with, we didn’t show any purpose during the transfer window in January and now it has come to haunt us. Auba situation was dealt with in a horrid manner definitely when I look at it now. Yes, Auba certainly wasn’t innocent but seeing that we couldn’t find a decent replacement should’ve been enough to try everything and keep him. We got rid of a world-class striker who is now banging goals for Barca and kept useless Xhaka who acted far worse than Auba and Nketiah who is simply below par. I respect Laca and his attitude. He has… Read more »
I think tactically MA has been sussed out just like Wenger.Thats why its so easy to beat the gunners.
Let them pass all day.When Brighton scored there werd gaps.
The gunners sliw attack with passing all iver the place was stifled.
I think 4th is out.
Line up and tactics were wrong. Players got the ball and didnt know what to do with it. Unfortunately we stuck with alot of players below par, and not enough depth i the squad. The unfortunate reality is 4th place i at risk, and Tottenham are playing much better football than us. They scoring goals, and creating alot of chances doing it. The difference in performance is the coach and experience he brings to Tottenham.
We didn’t show any purpose.
Because you played a tortoise.
(Spike Milligan, eat your heart out)
Shows the downside of not having any European football this season. Sure it gives you more time to work on things without fixture congestion and to rest first teamers, but it deprives players like Sambi, Nuno, Nketiah, and even Elneny, Holding and Pepe the opportunity to play and keep some semblance of sharpness, instead of rotting on the sidelines like particularly Sambi and Nuno have been doing for months. Need to have your bench players get competitive games in, since you have young first teamers who need rest and because you have players with known tendencies (Partey, Tierney) to be… Read more »
Arteta…. All greasy hair gel and fuck all else. The turnip cunt believes he will still turn it around.
Rip
I don’t think we’d even show up in the conference league.
If anyone wants to fight me, I’m going to fuck you up.
😂
I was plastered the first time I had a beer….
We didn’t show any purpose because most of our purpose starts with Partey’s foundational play in midfield. We’ve come to rely on him so much that if he’s off his game (Palace) or out injured (today and likely the rest of the season), we’re an extremely vague side, easy to play against. We have seven matches left that include Chelsea, West Ham, United, and the toilet bowl jockeys. Arteta’s got to come up with a tactical solution to Partey’s absence quick and rebuild the team’s lost confidence. Top four isn’t over yet but it will be if we lose one… Read more »
I would like to hear some intelligent and balanced analysis of Smith-Rowe – what do you think are his strengths? I love that we have a talented home grown player on our books – but in my eyes, he has got to raise his game significantly to reach the level of Saka, who’s done it for 2-3 seasons now in different positions and circumstance. It’s clear that Saka strength is to go past defenders at pace and producing end product in goals and assists. Apart from pace, he has great balance and for a young lad, great strength which makes… Read more »
Arteta completely upset his rhythm selecting Odegaard over him in 10.
Furthermore, since odegaard became a mainstay the play is all to predictable, which doesn’t suit ESR phantom runs in the half spaces.
Clear to see he’s also missing the seniority of a world class striker in the frontline.
Before anyone brings up [redacted] record. His pace was at least enough to scare defenders.
Proper defenders love to see laca on the team sheet.
Honestly don’t think ESR is 100%, be it Long Covid(as someone suffering 15 months on, that shit fucks up the cardio side of life) or not fully recovering from his last injury but Ødegaard playing in his position probably hasn’t helped either, feels like we trying to fit them both in on occasions
As Blogs said, I think he may well be carrying a knock.
Clearly not himself at the moment, but still good to come off the bench to run at a tired defence.
Trust the PRocess. Anyone surprised? Only one person who is to blame for this and this is going to happen every season
Had a week to come up with something…and his bright idea was to play Xhaxa Lb and disrupt the team even more than the missing players already have.
im still going to wait until at least the Southampton and Chelsea away games to weigh in because a pre emptive meltdown is just as bad as the pre emptive celebrations of achieving 4th have been on here.
Top post, well said. Even I, at this moment in time, am giving the manager the benefit of the doubt. If ANY team loses their equivalent of Tierney, Tommy and Partey, they’re going to struggle – with, perhaps, the only exception being Manchester City, your resident FIFA 22 cheat pin. When you also weigh the age old hatred of the officials towards Arsenal Football Club – it took the cunts a mere five minutes to declare something they couldn’t prove but still went ahead with – then the cards are clearly stacked at the moment against the manager and what… Read more »
Some people here won’t be happy unless they’re the ones coaching Arsenal. If Tavares had been played and he got roasted again they’d be critical of Arteta for choosing him.
This is a problem with no perfect solution so shut up and support the team.
It was a no win situation for Mikel. Just because it was “1 goal in 7 games” Brighton so we should’ve started Nuno, doesn’t mean he would’ve had a stellar game, they’d have probably done most of their work down that side, knowing he was the weak link & it would’ve been “Why did we start Nuno”?. Unfortunately we’ve painted ourselves into a corner knowing that KT is made of glass but we’re a predictable side, you could throw a blanket over our starting XI
Edu should do it now (call Vieira)
Yes.
But he’ll probably say we’ll need to speak to Chelsea first about signing Conor Gallagher.
Painful to see how far Arsenal have fallen in 20 years from a team that were paid a fraction of this one.
They are mainly young, but we are desperately hoping just to compete for 4th and it is probably out of reach the way the fixtures fall.
Yet again I got sucked in by a run of results that were not a realistic picture of where we are.
I hear you and agree in part. IMO, our decline began around the 8/9-9/10 seasons, so more like 12-13 years instead of 20. Misguided transfer strategy (bringing in superstar rejects from Spain that further weakened an already deteriorating team culture—Ozil and Sanchez) instead of sensible signings to strengthen the spine of the team (Xabi Alonso), devastating injuries to vitally important players, Cazotla, Ramsey, Eduardo, Rosicky, and most importantly, Diaby, and holding onto Wenger well past his sell by date (he should’ve been sacked at the end of the 13/14 season, a few months after Mourinho destroyed him 6-0 in his… Read more »
What a load of old bilge.
The FA Cup, a “Second Tier Trophy”….?
Get out of here.
We all want Arsenal winning the top prizes every year, but even I, as one of Arteta’s biggest critics, can see that you can only achieve those goals one step at a time. Reaching top four is a massive, massive step. And it’s not easy – as we are clearly seeing at the moment. It’s a big task both physically and mentally for both the players and the manager. That’s why I get annoyed when people disrespect Wenger for his ‘only’ making the top four for 18 out of 22 seasons. Given our resources in comparison to Chelsea and Manchester… Read more »
The way Arteta is handling players is very painful, he’s forgotten his own playing days, his job as coach is to found better formula against his opponent with a matching player, his selection is always the problem, in this case Saka suppose to play from LB Xhaka DM then Pepe in winger so that opponent will not have chance to mount the pressure, Arteta can be trusted even with more funds next season because he lacks some wisdom ability and he doesn’t think about results comes with right player than the once he loves. Arsenal need a better coach than… Read more »
As an confirmed Mik supporter, I nonetheless must ask these questions:
Only you can answer these questions, Mik… only you.
5 valid and obvious points.
Dont know how he cannot see it.
Time to assess if mik supporter should be valid with your points mate
We haven’t often seen eye to eye, but I make you right here I think three at the back with Holding in alongside White and Gabriel might be the way forward. Saka and Cedric as attack minded wing backs, available to track back if needs be. Sambi and Xhaka playing a defensive/attack pivot in midfield. Then a central front three of Martinelli left, Pepe right and Odegaard just behind them centrally in the No 10 pocket. ESR, Eddie and Laca on the bench. There you have experience, a flexible attack and defensive system and, crucially, everyone in a familiar non-panic… Read more »
Having watched the last two games, I find it increasingly difficult to see what Lacazette brings to the team. He doesn’t win headers and he seems to lack the pace to trouble defenders. Surely there must be a better option somewhere at the club. What is the point of having a reserve left back you can’t trust if your first choice is injured. Yesterday showed how weak the squad is. Chaka, Martinelli and Saka all played left back, no wonder we were disjointed.
You look at Benzema his banging them in & shows no signs of slowing meanwhile LacaThreat looks like his lugging a caravan & smoking 20 packs a day. His gone from leader with good hold up play to oooo Laca’s touched the ball just to let us know we are actually playing with 11, in 6 weeks. I was a big Laca fan but when was his last good game? Possibly Watford cause at least he got 2 assists but even that’s embarrassing to say about a striker whose scored 1 goal this calendar year
We’re not far away from repeating the lfc process. We need to find our klopp and move on from rodgers.
Arteta winning the fa cup was the opposite of a blessing in disguise as we would have sacked him logically last season midway.
‘Repeating the LFC process’ actually makes me nauseous. Please stand up man
Man your comment is legendary. Time to thank him for the FA cup and then move on to the next process. We should have sacked him last season, his work is done. Thanks for trimming the squad bye
Much as it pains me to now admit as much, a three at the back formation, whilst we continue to be without Tommy and Partey (KT is out period as we all know) might well be our final card here. For Southampton, I would now play a solid experienced three at the back with Rob Holding joining White and Gabriel. Saka and Cedric as wing backs on the left and right, respectively. Sambi and Xhaka to sit in front of the back three out of possession and move forward in possession. Three up front. Odegaard to play centrally and slightly… Read more »
That is what I have been thinking as well. 5 at the back and two midfielder in Granit and Lokonga gives us stability at the back and difficult to beat (leaking 5 goals in two matches). However we might not detect the game as we usually do but it allows us to be dangerous in counter attacks similarly like how we were at the beginning of Arteta which led us to winning FA cup beating the likes of Liverpool and City.
The last thing we need to do down at Southampton is concede early doors.
Three experienced guys at the back will help that.
With the team I’ve suggested, we have a fair amount of pace on the break.
But we can also get numbers back quickly when needs be
I doubt Arteta will go for it though.
Exactly what I was thinking too. Five goals conceded in two games requires a refocus on defence.