Arteta close. Don’t f**k it up.

by .

You gotta love Arsenal.

Vinnai: ‘Yoooo, where shall we meet?’

Arteta: ‘Come to mine, but please, be discreet’

For fuck’s sake, Vinny. What are you playing at? You look like you’ve just performed a tactical chunder after Jaeger Bomb number 6 – the concerned look of a man worried he’s just soiled the tyre of a local gangster.

There are conspiracy theories doing the rounds that the above etiquette was so outrageously amateur, it might have been a ploy to flush out Pochettino.

Don’t be ridiculous. This is just a mistake. Top execs never want to be perceived as sloppy.

Also, let’s square this noise with Poch. The man wasted the last two years of his Spurs career so he could be the first manager in the new stadium. Do we really think that this summer, when he can freely move, he’s going to turn down City, Bayern and PSG to pick up our shit show for half his market value? I very much doubt it.

… but, back to the main story. All the winds are blowing in the direction of Arteta. He had Huss and Vinnai over to his house. I hear he laid on homemade sangria to set the tone… left Shakespeare, Orwell, and Amis on the coffee table to denote the sophistication of his British prose, and he had the Gervais series of The Office running in the background as a subtle dig at some of the goings-on of Unai Emery. The man gets it, he truly does, he even rocked a Savile Row 3 piece, the boy knows what the fans want. Taking the meeting in a home location as well, stunning, the man clearly rolling hard on the 3 free articles a month on HBR, Mikel, may I suggest Team of Rivals; Doris Kearns, a leadership classic, it blew my fucking mind. What a man Big Abe was, could he organise a back four on a cold night in Stoke, no doubt, no doubt.

This appears to be the 2nd or 3rd round of interviews according to reports. We are shifting into 5th gear heading into the final straight, Carlo Ancelloti has just swerved off the road into an Everton shaped puddle, this could be the real deal.

Never underestimate a gigantic fuck up, but this time, it looks like we could see Mikel Arteta at The Arsenal.

Rumours have it that City are upset about how Arsenal conducted themselves, so we’ll be paying out a fee to release the Spaniard, but they’re going to play ball. I would guess there might also be some conversations about when the start date needs to be as well. Does he step into the flames considering the next two weeks worth of fixtures? Or do the club start him in the new year? My guess, the sooner they can get him into the club, the better. We’re a complete mess.

I also suspect he’ll fancy his chances at making the top 4 this season.

This move is absolutely huge for Arsenal. It’d be a step in the right direction. We’re at a low ebb as a club, we’re not going to be able to buy our way out this summer, our only chance of a bright future is to rely on a coach that can develop our exciting young players and see out the senior dross in a Game of Thrones blood bath.

If Arteta signs, which I hope he does, he basically has a 7 month preseason (similar to Klopp). He’ll have to survey the wreckage of what he’s inherited, begin to implement a vision, and partner with the powers that be on what the rebuild will look like.

The OUT list:

  • Mustafi
  • Sokratis
  • Luiz
  • Ozil
  • Auba

All the above players are in the final year of their deal this summer and all bar Mustafi will be in their 30s by next summer. That makes them easier to move on, see Koscielny’s shit-fit last summer for confirmation that older men worry they are one injury away from having their future value halved. I would also suspect we’ll see exits for Xhaka (shite) and Lacazette (2 years left on deal). There could be £150m in fees up for grabs and £1m a week in wages.

With all that in mind, it is absolutely essential Edu and Cagigao know exactly what they are recruiting for. It’s also important they know the sort of staff they should be building around the new coach.

Mikel Arteta needs to be the real deal. We’ve had the fall guy post-Wenger in Emery. Freddie doesn’t really count. We’ve pushed all our chips onto someone that we hope embodies everything we want out of the game. Possession based attacking football of the future. This could be incredibly exciting if it works out.

The great news is the fans have been primed for the job Arteta has to do. There are no illusions about how hard things are going to be. It’s going to take some time, we’re going to see some bad results, we’re not going to have a title-winning side by March. I’m ok with that because at least we’ll be safe in the knowledge we’re building towards something exciting. No more bums at Arsenal, no more frauds that don’t love the club, it’s all about building a modern superclub with a young, innovative coach.

I think the Bundesliga is a great place to look when it comes to up and coming coaching trends. Klopp was my hipster favourite before Thomas Tuchel, now he’s blowing shit up at Liverpool. The top two teams in Germany are RB Leipzig, who have a sub-35 Nagelsmann at the wheel, and Gladbach, who hired in my RB Salzburg fave, Marco Rose. Both managers, total unknowns 3 years ago, now toppling the mighty Bayern. RB doing it with a squad with an average age of sub 24.

Hiring in Carlo would have been a disaster, the game has passed him by. You need modern thinkers that can see football from a different viewpoint, not Galactico relics. Arsenal needs a coach that work effectively with technology, scientists and analysts to gain a critical edge over their opponents. People that don’t subscribe to old fashioned notions, like ‘making more tackles wins you games.’ The sort of talent that’s moist at the concept of cognition in football. Someone that really pisses off Paul Merson and Matt Le Tissier.

Arteta loves the club.

He understands the culture. He’ll know all the things that are right and he’ll have an idea on how to fix those that are wrong. One thing you’ll never be able to accuse him of is doing things that work just for him. Emery chasing Europa League instead of top 4? Felt like he was doing that for the record books. I’m hoping we have a manager that has the right amount of Arsenal DNA. Remember, he took a pay cut to join and won trophies with us. He cried because he loves us.

Look at that video again, right now.

You back… all welled-up? Wonderful.

As for the players leaking their concerns to The Mirror (supposedly). Fuck em’ if they are real. Pep G took over at Barcelona and shipped out the problem children in his first major job at 38 years old. He told Eto’o, Deco and Ronaldinho to leave, then he built a team for the ages around Messi, utilising exciting young players to make him great. Who cares what our senior players think, they’ve been awful, we need a refresh.

A few people have mentioned that I’ve put my neck on the line for this coach. No doubt, because I believe in the idea. I’d rather shoot for the moon than settle on something that’ll ‘might’ move us a few percentage points forward if we’re lucky. Fuck that. We’ve spent 14 years playing it safe. Our meek fanbase has celebrated ‘influencers’ that warned us to ‘be careful what you wish for.’ How did that pan out? Settling for Wenger’s ‘top 4 trophy’ didn’t move us forward. We let him sink our club into mediocrity under the guise of class, he wasted disgraceful amounts of money, built a soft boy culture, and allowed elite players to leave for nothing because his ego couldn’t handle that top names would earn more money than him. Falling into Emery’s Europa League safety blanket didn’t make things better, his Europa experience wasn’t a benefit, it was a low benchmark our players happily sank below. Freddie is a dreamboat, but we knew he wasn’t right. So let’s try something bold, let’s push the needle, let’s see what all the fuss is about with the most hyped assistant manager in world football.

Could it be any worse than what we have now? No chance… and the upside could be incredible.

… before any of that can happen, let’s see if Arsenal can seal the deal. I was asked on Love Sport yesterday what Josh K would be looking for in a new coach. My guess? Someone that can deliver on ‘be excited’, hopefully, he feels that vibe from Mikel. Let’s see what happens, a young coach with vision took LA to the Super Bowl.

P.S. I’m back in London this week… get in! Now listen to my damn podcast and rate it 5*.

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DM

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DM

2

Mr Serge

I hope this happens soon but I don’t trust the board at all

DM

Tr4phy

grooveydaddy

Tr4phy

Guns of Hackney

A couple of salient points to remember. 1. It’s not Real or Barca. He is not joining a winning machine so the pressure will not be as great. 2. Arsenal are the equivalent of Everton or Newcastle and I doubt anyone would bat an eyelid if Mikel cut his teeth with them. 3. He’s a fabulous communicator. 4. The fact that city are so pissed off about losing the ‘cone guy’ should tell you all you need to know. Clubs DONT really care about losing an assistant so why would city, the club who has been smashing prem records give… Read more »

Guns of Hackney

Pardon the lack of formatting but I c and p from last post.

Ernest Reed

Arsenal are such a shitshow of an organization at the moment. My expectations of Arteta are guarded as he truly is joining a heartbreakingly toxic bunch of players. Good luck to him, he really is going to need it.

Guns of Hackney

If the players don’t tow the line, sell and we rebuild with youth and players no one has heard of. I want us to become the Ajax of England.

El Gooner

GOH – all relevant points. Judging by the press (..) seems like Ancelotti was desperate to get another job as opposed to waiting to be approached which surely would have added another 20% to his pay packet.

Pep did get rid of the old guard but “building a team around messi” – not sure that martinelli quite at that level just yet !!

Arteta is a plan I can see working out in theory, never had that feeling with Emery or any of the other candidates. So just need to see if theory can become reality.

Northbanker

Well I’m now in the Arteta camp. Great post Pedro – we need something different and hiring a tired old coach is never the way forward. At best it can give a short term lift but we would get nothing more from Ancelloti etc.

We have got a tremendous line of talent and some of these younger players will make it big. We need a coach to progress this. i hope Freddie stays on and I would love to see Keown in as defence coach. That defence needs drilling asap

HighburyLegend

Ancelotti to Everton.

Arteta to Arsenal.

Go figure… lol

Ernest Reed

You sure about that Northbank?

northbank @ 03:58 | Dec 17, 2019
Arsenal are not getting Arteta because they think he’s the right man for the job. They are getting him because he’s the cheapest plausible (they think) option. That should scare the life out of fans, in fact make them spitting mad. Our club risks being destroyed at breakneck speed.

HighburyLegend

“I want us to become the Ajax of England.”

You have problems cleaning your house ?

Ernest Reed

Btw, thats what Northbank posts on Arseblog.

Ishola70

If Arteta can find a good balance between offensive play and off the ball play then he can have a chance to improve fortunes. If he doesn’t then it will just be deja vu all over again with perhaps some better offensive play on show but ultimately not challenging at the top. The team have been seen as being a joke off the ball now for a very long time. Very damaging defeats over the years because of this weakness. It can’t keep being ignored. I always thought that one of the main reasons in Wenger moving on was to… Read more »

Victorious

I hope the deal falls through so we could properly cement our status as a banter club.

The management is a joke and absolutely deserve the ridicule they’re getting from every corner.

Guns of Hackney

We have to start thinking laterally. Arsenal are not a big club with a monopoly on the best players etc…we now have to realign and become smarter, on the field and off it. As Peter said, we have £150m and some of talent (ironically speaking) we can offload. That will buy us a lot of players if we look in the right places. Let’s look at the good. Leno Bellerin and Tierney (if both fit) Holding Saliba Gued (must up his game) Martinelli That’s 7 players I’m sure we could look to build around for the next five years, providing… Read more »

Ishola70

Nice thought the Ajax of England but Ajax are huge fish in their domestic league and this helps them have a very good platform to carry out their model.

Arsenal not in such a situation.

Unai

Spoken like a true Arsenal fan Vic

CG

A wonderfully ebullient post chockablock of full of goodies from our PedRo- and I off course give him thanks for it. The right appointment finally. It was actually only 56 games ago – that Wenger was at the helm. Since then we have gone from a top 6 team playing fluent soccer to a top ten team and sliding lower playing utter filth and thats after spending quarter of a billion on a new team of players. Quite simply: Arteta will be a brilliant appointment- if he is allowed to run the club lock stock and barrel or he will… Read more »

Ernest Reed

northbank @ 02:46 | Dec 17, 2019
Short answer to the headline, no

That headline he refers to is “WILL IT BE BETTER UNDER MIKEL ARTETA?”

Sounds like a person whose on board with Arteta to me.

HighburyLegend

“Spoken like a true Arsenal fan Vic”

Or maybe like someone realistic and objective ?

Guns of Hackney

Ish Correct but I’m thinking more of the coaching and ability to make players rather than buy them. Arteta simply needs to fish out the poison: Xhaka and Ozil. Once these two are gone, I feel a weight will be lifted from the squad and the supporters. No more groans coming from a crowd watching another shit show from two guys earning £500,000 a match. If Auba etc also don’t fancy it, great. They are gone. Promote Martinelli and get Pepe to actually play football. Maybe Lacazette could then step up to be senior forward. Make Leno or Holding captain.… Read more »

Pierre

Ernie “. My expectations of Arteta are guarded as he truly is joining a heartbreakingly toxic bunch of players. Good luck to him, he really is going to need it.” a bit dramatic there Ernie , some people are too gullible in that they actually believe the shit written about our players on a daily basis. Let’s see how these players get on with a manager who knows what he is doing. 3 months ago ,the self same people on Le Grove were saying what a great transfer window we had and how much the squad has improved.. My opinion… Read more »

HighburyLegend

It’s official, fellas, Everton is more ambitious than Arsenal.

Happy days.

Nelson

It is reported that some senior players wanted Ancelotti at the Emirates. I would asked them to look at the mirror. They are the reason why our team is so soft and gutless. We have to change the culture of this club. Every players need to shape up or let go.

El Gooner

Love to be wrong but not really getting this love in with Holding – when he’s not injured there is no noticeable difference with him on the pitch. Even in a bad defence a decent player would stand out.

HighburyLegend

Nelson, I must admit you got a point.
Got milk ?

shaun

frigging hell the first two MKB’s and the man is not in a job yet lol……………….lol. massive gamble but the managerial crop is pretty thin out there and the narrative is persuasive where Arteta is concerned Just can’t get my head around why we should gamble when we should be doing nailed on no matter the cost like chuking 20 mil at his boss per season as he looks bored and could do with a challenge lol…………………….lol

Ernest Reed

Bit dramatic Pierre? This coming from the penultimate meltdown of melts, who every day makes it a point to slather on the melodrama sauce all over the place as he waxes shitetically over his Wenger fixation. You seriously need help you ridiculous fool.

CG

High Leg

“””It’s official, fellas, Everton is more ambitious than Arsenal.””””

Be The Game of the season regardless.

More Subplots than Dallas.

Arteta & Caretaker Little Fred
Ancelloti & Caretaker Big Duncan
Iwobi and Theo.
Franny Jeffers
Alan Ball ( RIP)

Saturday .

Live commentary on Le Grove from noon GMT

shaun

I don’t think there is a senior player at the club who I respect and think a lot of at the moment . I used to like Laca and Auba but lately there attitude stinks and it’s almost like they can’t even be bothered … sell both and start again in my opinion

James wood

Stones is not part of the answer.
Watching him play out of the back
is like watching a one legged tightrope
walker.
A complete liability.
More Dregs.

Spanishdave

As I said earlier Arteta has some balls taking this job on.
At least he has a working knowledge of our club and knows what he’s up against, so good luck to him.
He will know the youth players and I am sure he will be able to stop the rot.

HighburyLegend

“The appointment of Carlo Ancelotti ‘would be an unbelievable coup’ for Everton, Jamie Carragher told Monday Night Football. ”

Mr Carragher, shame on you if you don’t know that Mr Ancelotti has no SAUCE.
Only Arteta has (Pep) sauce in him.

Northbanker

Ernest – this isn’t me lol. Shorter version of my pen name and I sleep at those times!! I have never uttered such comments and even though occasionally I change my mind it certainly isn’t within 24 hours!!

R.S.P.C.Arsenal

Not sure what’s happening at the club tbh…

Like what Pete says about a 7 month preseason,

Think it’s essential that we don’t have euro football next season.

A season of domestic cups is enough to compete for… fuck da money.

Leedsgunner

Pedro

“Leeds…One of us must die.”

I thought this was an Arsenal blog… not the set of Highlander…?

Thanks for the acknowledgement.

If I get it wrong, you have my permission to rub it in 😉

Leedsgunner

A huge huge risk. Arseblog is behind Arteta now as well as Arsenal Vision…

For our club’s sake I hope I’m wrong and Arteta justifies this confidence.

I cannot believe we’re giving Arteta the controls of a multi-billion organisation just because Pep says he’s good… because at the moment that’s all Arteta has in his corner.

R.S.P.C.Arsenal

Just the he mirror…

You can’t have senior players saying whom they want as manager …
Fuck that’s classic cart pulling the horse.

Not won ove4 by arteta myself… but fuck all else to lose…

What u say stroller…

R.S.P.C.Arsenal

Who do untold want as manager ?

HighburyLegend

@Leeds : I thought the same. lol
Legendary soundtrack from Queen!!

@R.S.P..C. : they wants Arsène back. Why do you ask when you already know the answer ??

R.S.P.C.Arsenal

HL

Don’t look at them no more , untold

Thought they may be beating a different drum like paddy…

Danny S

We need to get rid of the egos that are here for the fat pay cheque and build a team around the younger more industrious players.
The only time you want egos in your team, is when you are doing well and they are there to win trophies, not when you are struggling and they are there cause you offered them more than anyone else.

The team requires major surgery still. Talent wise we are better off than last season but personality wise we are no better.
Hopefully arteta can change that.

Unai

Well, if anything, its obvious that Arteta will get the support of the majority of the fanbase and could potentially, if things go well, reunite us.

Rambo Ramsey

The last person Pedro had this sort of unexplainable admiration for?

Ivan Gazidis

Need I say more?

Pierre

Ernie “This coming from the penultimate meltdown of melts, who every day makes it a point to slather on the melodrama sauce all over the place as he waxes shitetically over his Wenger fixation” what a pile of garbage you write . “the penultimate meltdown of melts, ” ” to slather on the melodrama sauce” “waxes shitetically over his Wenger fixation” Try talking English next time. I have no doubt that in August you were in support of the hierarchy and were taken in by all the rhetoric spewed out by Raul and co.. The fact that we didn’t have… Read more »

Biggles

I think the main thing to remember about Arteta is the obstacles he overcame to become a professional footballer. Whereas Pepe is metaphorically one-footed, Arteta really was: Also, I’d quite like to see the return of the Alice band. It’s a bold choice, can almost hear the clanging of the balls of someone brave enough to wear that around in Glasgow. I’m hoping that Arteta is the real deal. He’s played alongside some truly cracking players over the years, and hopefully he picked something up from that. At Rangers, he played alongside the De Boer brothers, Claudio Caniggia and Henning… Read more »

Ishola70

Freddie really dislikes Ozil doesn’t he.

In his post match presser after Man City he was asked his reasons for replacing Ozil and he replied he wanted a player on the pitch that could run and tackle.

You don’t come out with comments like that publicly if you like the guy.

HighburyLegend

“The last person Pedro had this sort of unexplainable admiration for?
Ivan Gazidis
Need I say more?”

Lol never have thought I could agree with a post from Rambo one day.

Biggles

Guns of Hackney December 17, 2019 09:51:23 … Arteta simply needs to fish out the poison: Xhaka and Ozil. Once these two are gone, I feel a weight will be lifted from the squad and the supporters. No more groans coming from a crowd watching another shit show from two guys earning £500,000 a match. ———————————————————————————— Couldn’t agree more. Mkhitaryan needs to be moved on permanently, but at least he’s away. The other one that I think we need to see the back of is Mustafi, but he is the one that I could accept being rehabilitated if another coach… Read more »

alexanderhenry

Arteta looks likely now. I’m all aboard with this but he’ll have his work cut out.

We’ll see.

RGG

With our club in the position we are in. One win in 12. Report after report of Wenger’s spoilt little brats running the dressing room, the latest, even wanting their say on the next head coach. Gross incompetence upstairs. The useless Gazids replaced with the joke that is Raul…..look at his signings…..Emery, Suarez, Luiz, 70m for a 24yr old that, however fast and skillful plays like a 17yr old……and now he’s going to dump Arteta on us. If we have to go down this route Viera would be better. At least he has a presence. He is an Arsenal legend.… Read more »

HighburyLegend

@alexander : I sense some kind of scepticism in your words…lol

HighburyLegend

“He is an Arsenal legend. ”
And so Arteta. (lol)

“At least he has a presence.”
Yep, but Arteta has sauce.

DigitalBob

Great Post Pedro – I’m excited.

A complete unknown in terms of what he will do as a number 1 but if you love the club you’ll agree this is a positive move.

I’d also love a Barca-like clearout of senior players ala Pep’s first year. We have some real bad eggs doing fuckall for us.

Hopefully he’s appointed by Saturday and up against Carlo………….what a narrative eh!!!

Aussie Gooner

I get it now! We are going to hire a coach who has never failed as a first team coach at the top level! Ingenious!

Unai

Dont get the pining for Paddy, hes doing a worse job at Nice than Emery was doing here.

Arteta is an unknown but we know Paddy ain’t got it.

David Smith

As much as I would like to see Arteta in post, will only believe this once it is on .com Plenty of scope for last minute disasters, upsetting candidates or current employers by haggling, and the risk of insufficient backing from above to take anything for granted. But, it seems JK is genuinely more engaged and hands on than his father, lets hope he can help get this over the line, perhaps the meddling Raul has had his wings clipped ,and the club can finally move on from Wenger, Gazidis and Emery, it really needs to . If we fail… Read more »

Edu me a favour

“” A couple of salient points to remember. 1. It’s not Real or Barca. He is not joining a winning machine so the pressure will not be as great. 2. Arsenal are the equivalent of Everton or Newcastle and I doubt anyone would bat an eyelid if Mikel cut his teeth with them. 3. He’s a fabulous communicator. 4. The fact that city are so pissed off about losing the ‘cone guy’ should tell you all you need to know. Clubs DONT really care about losing an assistant so why would city, the club who has been smashing prem records… Read more »

I’ll back Arteta 100 percent, even though I don’t think the poor lamb has a chance. We are not Barcelona, we do not have world class youngsters coming through. I genuinely believe he is being led to the slaughter, I think he has both hands tied behind his back, and I fear for an unexperienced manager. I think it’s a move by the board and the kroenkes, to deflect away from the shambles the club has become. They know we’re not an attractive option for a top class manager. We’re worse than mid table. 150 million will hardly buy you… Read more »

Unai

TYAG, you think the board and owners are conspiring to ruin both the club and Arteta to save face?

Sounds plausible

David Smith

We have to rely on Arteta being no fool if that is the case. He and his lawyers will be demanding guarantees, though realistic guarantees If he suddenly rejects the club at the last moment, we can suspect the board are giving the manager insufficient backing, but at this stage, I doubt its the case, unless the board/ owner want to see the club relegated. They just all have to work together to rid the club of the mess Wenger/Gazidis created, that takes time. As Emery found, you cannot just force well paid players out the door, no matter how… Read more »

shaun

yes the more I think about it the more it seems attractive as Arteta looks very serious and Mertasaker has questioned him…lol…….lol he could well be the right man as the current squad do not need love they need a two by four and he can sell OZIL to china preferably somewhere near the Xinjiang region as he cleary has more interest in political matters and he has also lost a yard of pace (something he could really not afford) Ozil is done at this level and he knows this as well . We need a mass clear out of… Read more »

Aussie Gooner

“Arsenal, meanwhile, are still waiting for the white smoke from the Kroenke residence. Is Arteta their man?”

From the Daily Mail!

CG

Smudger “”Read that the club was reduced to having a club doctor conducting the pre match warm up against City, if true, what message did that send to the players?””” Is Edu that important these days – that he cant get out of his suit and into his tracksuit to help out so the doc aint got to do it? An Absolute scandal we have more bureaucrats than actual soccer coaches on the payroll. We all wish Arteta well- and is the right appointment. But if he does not set clear defined parameters from the outset about who does what… Read more »

Ernest Reed

My sincerest apologies Northbanker, honestly so.

Ernest Reed

Whatever Pierre, you are a waste of otherwise viable space.

Dissenter

Paul Merson can be so direct at times but he raises some big questions. ‘This is a big, big gamble putting someone that has never managed before in charge of a club the size of Arsenal,’ he told Sky Sports.‘It’s all well and good saying he’s worked under Pep Guardiola, but let’s be honest, Guardiola would struggle managing this Arsenal team. Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp would struggle!’ Merson went on to claim that the players at his disposal will make life difficult for him, insisting that it will be impossible for him to take a similar style of play from… Read more »

Unai

Dissenter, I read that earlier and when I got to the ‘Pep and Klopp couldn’t do it’s part I just thought, may as well be Arteta then.

If failure is guaranteed regardless, what does it matter?

siddharth14

The only thing which can justify the joke of a selection process being undertaken by Arsenal is that Arteta was never the primary target. We have been told to fuck ourselves by the likes of Allegri and Poch which is fair enough. With Freddie really struggling to hold together the team, the club have been forced to go back in for Arteta as he is in a position to take over immediately. I suspect the club are doing this out of desperation and fear of being targeted by the supporters if Arsenal continued their downward slide. I’m assuming Arteta won’t… Read more »

habesha gooner

I am going to judge him at the start of next season just like I did Emery. This is a monumental task. If he even gets us back to being flat track bullies we will do fine till the end of the season. And I don’t get it when people say we should sell both Lacazette and Aubameyang. Do you know how hard it is to find regular goal scorers? One of them has to stay. I don’t think auba is signing a new contract so We should sell him and keep Laca till we find other solutions.

Dissenter

It’s funny reading Pedro writing about Arsenal moving out players to give Arteta a chance.
After 17 months of arguing that the players are good enough, after all the monies spent to ‘improve’ the team… now the rain if gone and he can see clearly now.
See how Pedro is rolling for his boy?

HighburyLegend

“I’ll back Arteta 100 percent, even though I don’t think the poor lamb has a chance.”

Even if he has sauce ??
Lamb + Sauce = LOL!!
(sorry for the vegetarians here…)

Dissenter

Guardiola had Leo Messi, Iniesta, Puyol, Xavi et al when he set out on his first managerial gig.

Who does Arteta have?

DigitalBob

Habesha – Both Auba and Laca are within their final two years, we can’t keep getting burnt by contracts so if they don’t sign up(some probably don’t want Auba to sign up to a new and improved long term deal anyway) they need to go.

KAY Boss

Edu,yh right. This is the most positive post by GoH. Maybe he’s Arteta love in.
Some of you are too quick to write off person who haven’t not showcased their capabilities. Every hire is a risk. Some of are being too dismissive. If the Arteta experiment fails, we move on. I know there are reservations but need to give a chance. I’m in support of who ever is appointed but my expectations are tempered so I don’t get disappointed if things go sour.

Dream10

Link below is Steve McLaren on sky talking about our off the ball deficiencies.
Excellent stuff.

https://mobile.twitter.com/AFCPW/status/1206888303884197888

Link below is of Pato scoring at the Camp Nou for Milan. That boy was a genuine phenom. He was in the Mbappé class of talent. Could have been a generational forward.

https://mobile.twitter.com/TeamMilanAC/status/1206664027964919808

Dissenter

I think there’s still some animosity between th4 city executives and Arsenal. We shafted them very unprofessionally with the Sanchez deal, talk was that they sent a plane and medical staff to Chile to do his medicals before we changed the goal posts. That’s what was behind the nonsensical anger about talking to Arteta. The same rules don’t apply to assistant managers, club chefs, physios or groundskeepers. These are regular jobs…the tapping stuff is not a cogent argument. Arteta welcomed the contact in his own home. He knows what his contract states and he’s not afraid of any consequences should… Read more »

Northbanker

As Klopp and probably Pep are not available, there is no one else who is currently a manager that would give me any real confidence. So for me Arteta is the big unknown but comes with good coaching credentials and a reputation for being ruthless. Those 2 qualities will be need in abundance as we get the best out of our young players, organise the defence properly and clear the senior dross. Arteta seems as well placed as any candidate to do this. So hence I’m persuaded. Of course we need at least a new CB and DM but that… Read more »

Jamie

We shouldn’t be buying any new players until the summer. Arteta has a top 4 quality squad to work with. He can bring back Mkhi (£30m exchange with Alexis) and Elneny (£9m) – both full Internationals. He should play Mustafi (£35m), Xhaka (£35m), Ozil (£42m), Auba (£55m), Laca (£50m), Chambers (£16m). Working with the same tools as Emery will determine how effective Arteta’s methods are, and if they’re better than Emery’s or indeed Wenger’s. Emery took this bunch of misfits to within 2 points of 3rd last season. Over to you, Mikel. Don’t let us down please. More shots on… Read more »

Wasi

Arteta who? Arteta the next big thing. Just hope the club doesnt botch it. Many people saying we have a weak side I disagree. We have a good squad which has been badly coached. We have good players but some bad egos. But we more than have what it takes to turn the season around. We have a core of players we can build around. Players already at Arsenal level we can build around imo -Leno -Bellerin -Laca Players I think have a 80% chance to make it at Arsenal Level. These just guys just need a little bit of… Read more »

Guns of Brixton

Anyone else hear about the rumours that it is Usmanov that brought Ancelotti over and met with him london to make their Everton movr and is eyeing takeover alongside Moshiri?

I hope this isn’t true loool

Dream10

Dissenter

City were unprofessional when they only spoke to Alexis on the last day of the transfer window. They also spoke to a number of our players behind our back, including RvP in 2012.

Pierre

Let’s hope there is a plan this time with regard to the style of football we play and the recruitment of players. I say this, because I don’t believe there was a plan with regard to the hiring of Emery. Emery’s game was supposed to be all about pressing, intensity, and work and playing out from the back , theyyet we had just awarded a massive contract to a player who was not built for pressing and intensity ……..no plan there then. We have a striker in Aubamayang, who i pointed out when Emery arrived that he is as useless… Read more »

habesha gooner

Wait does lacazette have a year left on his contract at this season’s end?

DigitalBob

Jamie – No, just no.

Bring back Elneny and Mkhi, play Xhaka and Mustafi…………..seems your already on the xmas sauce.

Marc

What happens if Arteta has a difficult start and in the meantime City turn their poor season form around?

Will everyone say Arteta was the issue at City?

Left testicle

Wasi,

Heres where you lost me…

Players already at Arsenal level we can build around imo
-Leno
-Bellerin

Dream10

Habesha goober

Aubameyang contract till 2021, Lacazette contact till 2022

Aussie Gooner

Arteta interviewing Arsenal – you couldn’t make it up!

Marc

“Anyone else hear about the rumours that it is Usmanov that brought Ancelotti over and met with him london to make their Everton movr and is eyeing takeover alongside Moshiri?”

I’d be amazed if Usmanov isn’t already involved in Everton in some way. Wonder how long it’ll take him to complain about the lack of a dividend.

guest man aka WW

Like it or not, jingo-man or not…we need a british core of players.
No disrespect, technically Europeans are often better…..but looking at the pace and aggression of the prem, no amount of pepe dummies and flicks will overcome a team with a do-or-die attitude.
Just a core, maybe 4 or 5, to create an arsenal that was difficult to beat.
Get that mean defense and then introduce the fancy-dan matchwinners.
If £70m is offered for aubamayang…take it ! he scores goals but if he doesn’t he is largely useless.

Dream10

Marc

City just going thru a poor spell. Perhaps fatigue. Both Silvas have been poor for a number of matches, plus Aguero, Laporte, Sané. They have enough match winners to play themselves into form

Marc

Bob

Not sure it’s booze to come up with such insane thoughts.

Chika

#AnnounceArteta

China1

Bellerin is a really average footballer imo

He played well in his first season and has varied between average and poor ever since. That purple patch of form in his first season was like 3 years ago!

Sell the hipster before others take note and hisbtransfer value drops!

Marko

I also suspect he’ll fancy his chances at making the top 4 this season.

Gone from a relegation battle to nailed on for top 4. This is going to be some appointment. Strap in and strap on

Jamie

Why not, Bob? It’s not the players, it’s the system/vision/philosophy/communication. Since Emery couldn’t coach these players, and Wenger couldn’t coach these players back into the CL during his last two years at bat, and if Arteta can’t either, at what point do we acknowledge it’s more the players than the coaching? This is a perfect test for Arteta. Similar tools, squad easily good enough to compete for the top 4 (without actually having to achieve a 4th place finish). What else does he need to do his job and get us back up the table by June? He has a… Read more »

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