Arteta makes Mesut Özil the centerpiece

by .

via @Arsenal

HAPPY NEW YEAR! HOW ARE YOU FEELING? Ok, ok, I’ll stop the shouting, but I will maintain a quiet energy with the prose because I need you up for the BIG game today.

It’s a huge one, Arsenal takes on Manchester United at home for Arteta’s 3rd game.

I think it’s a stretch to think we’re going to take points from them today. A draw would be excellent work, 3 points would have us all buzzing, but when you look at how their squad is fitness-wise and look at ours, it makes for grim reading.

We are missing a lot of defenders, which is difficult to deal with because even when we’re fully fit, we’re not exactly 90s Milan at the back. There might be some good news with regards to Bellerin who is close to returning, but knowing how fragile he’s been, you’d be hard-pressed to imagine he’ll start.

The manager was keen to impress that the defensive failures at Chelsea; with a very weak backline, were not structural.

“It wasn’t a transition where we had a bad structure or a bad organisation, when we are defending big spaces on equal numbers or are outnumbered – it wasn’t the case at all,”

“We made one half-bad decision [to back off] and these teams, when in space, they punish you, for sure. But the other option is to defend all the time and be there [in defensive areas] and we don’t want that.”

So at the very least, we’ll be prepared to deal with United. They have extremely fast forwards, they’ll probe for counter-attacks and they’ll look to stretch us using width. Arteta only recently tasted a loss against them when he was at City, it was quite a lucky United performance, but OGS had his team of workhorses make last years Champions look very old.

Going forward is where we’ll have to provide something more interesting. Containing their threat won’t be enough, we need to create chances. The good news here is Gabriel might be back in contention, his aggression in the press and all-round threat could be highly valuable to us. I’d also imagine we’ll be seeing a start from Pepe, there has to be some rotation today and that seems like the most obvious place to start. It’s hard to work out what the issue is with the Ivorian because no one will say explicitly, but it reads a blend of work rate and general fitness levels. 3 managers in a row can’t be wrong.

Ceballos is also back in contention, people forget he’s a young player, under a coach that helps him, he might be U21 Championship Dani, so it’s a new start for him.

Xhaka is also fit. Again, not my favourite player, but he’d start in our midfield at the moment. If he doesn’t play, we’ll know he’s off to Berlin. Worry with him is he mails it in as a final fuck you to the fans that booed him.

I mused before the manager started that he’d look for a turnaround project, and it seems he has one, he’s going all out to make Mesut Ozil the star of the show again. Makes sense, he’s used to having lots of #10 like talents to work with at City and on his day, no one can touch Ozil. Additionally, we have no one that gets close to him on the creativity front. We are a more intelligent team with him at his best. The German looks happy on the pitch, he’s put in two dirty shifts, he’ll have another chance to find his level again today and hopefully offer something more decisive.

“Mesut is putting in everything he has and his numbers, physically, have improved so much,”

“On his own he can’t do it. He needs the collective structure, organisation and his teammates. He needs the team to play in a certain way to facilitate his strengths more and more in the game. That’s what we’re trying to do.

“I put him in the team if I see every day that his attitude, desire and understanding of what we’re trying to do is there. The moment that this changes, then he won’t play.”

At the end of the day, he loves living in London, he loves his contract, and he’s a human… he’ll want to be impressing the fans, no one wants to be hated. He might also have the afterlife on his mind, if he tanks another manager, no one will risk giving him the big bucks in 18 months. Wenger didn’t have a machine that worked for him towards the end, Emery couldn’t see past running him into the ground in a shit system… it seems like Arteta has a more thoughtful approach to extracting creativity from him, whilst pushing him to support the system. It’ll be very interesting to see what the physical output looks like today, because he has done a lot of work in a short space of time. Some will say we’ve seen this film before, but maybe with a more elevated thinker in the dugout, it could be a different ending this time.

The main worry I have about today is how another loss will affect morale. Bournemouth was just an unlucky day at the shooting range, the Chelsea game was bad luck with fitness and Mustafi… we really need a result to prove out the hard work and progress. The fans will be buzzing for the game this evening, a classic win would be a great way to start the year, let’s see where we land.

Right, that’s me done, see you in the comments x

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Dream10

Samesong

Ings goals are the main reason why Southampton will stay up. No chance they sell him.

Wenker-wanger

Wenger was shite and emery had tactics at least but had zero communication skills and seemingly no popularity with the players.
The rot was set in by Wenger in the holiday Home with high wages set up he let flourish.

Gentlebris

Ishola, glad you are here.

Would do you think the result has to be today?

Samesong

We really need a win today.

China1

Pierre why would you presume that all the negativity will return to ozil soon?

If he’s an elite and just misunderstood player who is better supported by the new regime then surely he’ll be more than able to maintain his good form and logically improve on it as the team builds familiarity and confidence with the new manager and system

It’s almost as if you expect that your favourite player might soon perform his world reknowned vanishing act again and draw calls of laziness from (almost) everyone who isn’t you…

Almost…

TR7

Deulofeu scores ! I will take him at Arsenal.

Receding Hairline

TR7 except we really didn’t play possession based football against Chelsea. We surprised them with energy and the extra man in midfield, once the change was made and second half started we played deeper and deeper. Barely held on to the ball nor did we win it back.

Early days but the proclamation of the return of possession based play is a bit premature. Maybe give it a few games more.

China1

A draw against this utd team is not excellent. They had something like their lowest points tally at Xmas for a few decades. Half the league has taken points off them

They have a handful of good players and extremely hit and miss form.

If they show up at 100% they’ll likely do us but the league table says they usually aren’t showing up close to 100% and that means the door is very much open for us to get a result

Ishola70

Gentlebris
“glad you are here.Would do you think the result has to be today?

Well if the team don’t win tonight then there really needs to be an away win at Crystal Palace

Receding Hairline

Un na nai we didn’t outplay Chelsea. A football game is 90 minutes. We were under pressure for an entire half.

Nelson

Most of us were willing to give Emery the benefit of the doubt until the season ending collapse and the total lost of confidence this season. As an Arsenal fan, I wish the fan base be united for awhile and support the coach and the players. I think they need our support.

Wenker-wanger

Lots of very good players that would lift us…Redmond, delafaue,Traore..and more.
Proper performing premier League players.
The folly of buying French league duds surely must end.

Dream10

Hasenhuttl is a good coach.

Receding Hairline

Nigel Pearson if he beats Wolves today that would be a dream start. Doubt they can though, wolves going a goal down is nothing, such a mentally strong team.

Ishola70

“What are you expecting? George Graham/Jose bus parking?”

Well that’s what we saw in the second half against Chelsea.

Valentin

Julian Weigl is available for €20 millions why not go for him and accept Xhaka departure?

Batistuta

We’re 13th now and if you look at our upcoming fixtures, hard to see where the win is going to come from… Teams in and around us are picking up points left and right and it’s getting crowded down there…. We need to pick up a win today

China1

Wenger wenker buying from the French league doesn’t mean buying duds, it just means we’ve bought duds

We could’ve bought kante way back when or mbappe before Monaco or their entire national team if we’d been early enough…

France is currently an absolute hotbed for young talent so I think your ire you should be at our scouts for getting the wrong players rather than the league

Receding Hairline

Don we beat Chelsea 2-0 at home last season, they were thoroughly nullified that day. Who was our coach last season?

Unthinkable indeed

Biggles

I think it’s important that we judge Arteta by the same metrics that we judge any other manager/coach – results. Fast, attacking football with lots of goals is lovely, but if you don’t win, it’s all for nought. I’ll cut Arteta some slack at the moment because 1) we have a lot of injuries 2) I think we’ve had a mentality/leadership issue for years 3) he’s an inexperienced coach and I think that means he will face a harder time getting buy in from the players that say Klopp would have. He DOESN’T get slack for but having his own… Read more »

Marko

Julian Weigl is available for €20 millions why not go for him and accept Xhaka departure?

He’s joining Benfica

Batistuta

Holjberg again having another good game in midfield for Southampton

Dissenter

It seems like Watford we’re dead certain to go down, same as Villa. Now only a bad gambler will bet against them.
It’s only a few hours into the new year and our in-house sponge bob square pants is still in denial about our proximity to the drop zone.
Head in sand … all is good

Samesong

Don

That’s right.
Why are we not looking at these players?

Marko

This is true though all the good will and best intentions with regards to Arteta is all well and good but we need to start actually winning games and give up on being impressed when we don’t. Feel like he has to get a win tonight honestly.

Samesong

Loftus cheek wasting away at Chelsea.

Samesong

My bad he’s injured.

TR7

Same

Loftus Cheek and Deulofeu are the kind of players who won’t need a lot of bedding time should we go for them. Loftus Cheek is exactly the type of CM we need at Arsenal.

Gentlebris

‘Well if the team don’t win tonight then there really needs to be an away win at Crystal Palace’

But we have to win today, Ishola!

I tried extracting a comment from you because you are well known to be sitting on the fence re- Arteta.

But you must know we have to win!

Pierre

At least it will create a little tension and excitement if we are dragged into the relegation dogfight.

I’d like to see us have a couple of good cup runs.

Champagne charlie

We lost our opening two games under Emery and then went on a 23 game unbeaten run, he was eventually outed as a fraud here.

Let’s just stop the pretence about what “needs” to occur in terms of results in the immediate to dictate this or that.

Ishola70

Biggles
“I think it’s important that we judge Arteta by the same metrics that we judge any other manager/coach – results”

Honestly Arsenal shouldn’t be operating in some parallel world to the rest of the entire football universe.

It just doesn’t work that way.

Coaches/ managers in the end are judged by results.

Arteta if he proves good enough will temper and allay fears soon enough with some positive results.

Marko

England is the place to be now. So much talent coming through our academies. Not sure that’s totally accurate. It’s just that more and more German clubs are doing what English clubs used to do for years which is pick up young talent for their academies with the hope that they’ll make it through. But in all honesty outside of Jadon Sancho who’s an absolute freak there’s not much more to go on that England is producing better talent than other countries at the moment. You look at Nelson on loan at Hoffenheim did very well more or less but… Read more »

Bamford10

Charlie Well, one, those are two different claims, so please stop treating them as one and the same claim, i.e., please stop with the bogus straw-man argument. Two, are you still of the view that Wolves do not have a better squad than we do? Interesting. If so, please note that Arsenal were only four points below Wolves when Arteta took over. If we have better players than Wolves do, as you’ve now implied several times, then surely Arteta should be able to make up the difference (4 points) between us and them in the 20 PL matches he will… Read more »

TR7

‘Let’s just stop the pretence about what “needs” to occur in terms of results in the immediate to dictate this or that.’

We aren’t going to get relegated and we aren’t getting top 4. I don’t know why people say ‘we definitely need a win today/next game’ kind of stuff.

Marko

We lost our opening two games under Emery and then went on a 23 game unbeaten run, he was eventually outed as a fraud here.

We’re one win in what 13? He needs a win soon

Champagne charlie

Marko

I don’t disagree, I’ve said as much is important for confidence and overall adherence to Arteta as a leader. But it’s going overboard when folk claim we need this or that return in results. We’ve been down that path before.

Aussie Gooner

Should West Ham win today and win their game in hand (big ask I know) and we lose today they will be above us. Yes we will be in 14th place! Should Villa, Watford, Norwich and Bournemouth win today we will be in a religation battle pretty soon. Why do so many have their heads buried in the sand? This is the reason we are in trouble. I know many on here are counting on Arteta sauce, new manager bounce, top 4 squad etc but really – wake up and smell the coffee. 1994/5 we finished 12th – yes 25… Read more »

Receding Hairline

We need to win because we are desperately close to the relegation places, we need to win because the longer we don’t the more the doubts continue and the so called fragile confidence remains fragile at best. We need to win because everyone else is managing to do so without compromising the long term future of their football club or their style of play. The idea we should all forego results to build a brighter future is flawed. We are playing our second home game in a row,we haven’t won at home since October, we need to start winning football… Read more »

Marko

Loftus Cheek is exactly the type of CM we need at Arsenal.

Yup

Ishola70

TR7

“We aren’t going to get relegated and we aren’t getting top 4. I don’t know why people say ‘we definitely need a win today/next game’ kind of stuff.”

Surely this complete pass stuff has to stop.

And no Arsenal are not comfortable enough in midtable atm to be just shrugging off defeats or lack of wins.

Dissenter

Pierre
‘ At least it will create a little tension and excitement if we are dragged into the relegation dogfight.’

You really want to put this young manager, relatively new back room and characterless squad through a relegation dog fight?
Not surprising though, coming from you.

SWGooner

Danny Ings on the scoresheet again.. would be a nice upgrade to Laca!

Receding Hairline

Watford go two up. If only they knew the harm that would to the future of their club.

They have hosted United and Wolves at home since appointing Pearson and it seems they will be picking up Max points from both games. Long way to go yet in the game before Charlie celebrates a wolves goal like he did the Newcastle equaliser the other day.

Bamford10

Wow. Watford up 2-0 on Wolves. This again speaks to how competitive the PL is this season.

Batistuta

Absolutely burying your head in if you saying we don’t need to win games cuz we are not getting relegated or cuz you feel we are too big to be dragged down there….Take a look at the table and look at our upcoming fixtures… We absolutely need to start winning games

Ishola70

Let’s just say if Arsenal don’t start winning and let’s say for example in the next three or four EPL matches then there will but no choice but to demand wins.

The it’s ok line with perceived improved performances but no concrete result to back it up will go totally out of the window.

It will then become we don’t care how shit we play we need to win any way. Ugly, unimpressive.

Marko

I’ve said as much is important for confidence and overall adherence to Arteta as a leader Exactly so we need a win soon. You’re bound to get people going overboard that’s just natural with dissenter about and with people like bris who are just so against the appointment but irrespective of that we are a club struggling to get results,low on confidence and with an inexperienced manager who people have doubts over. The sooner he gets a win and then another win and another the sooner things will actually look up and not just things are looking up because we’re… Read more »

CazOnARola

Realistically draw is the best we can do with this set of players after 3 games in a row no matter who is managing the squad. Having said that, the subs in the last game were a tad late. There was definitely and option to send willock on and ask him to sit on jorginho. But again it’s willock /any player in the squad disciplined and for enough to do that? We will have to give Arteta the benefit of the doubt and wait for 10 games before we judge how he reacts to changes in tactics from the opposition.… Read more »

Batistuta

Also we’re not comfortable in mid-table, we’re most likely going to lose our next two going by form which will mean us being right in a fight down there… I don’t get where some of you are getting this confidence that we’re too big to be dragged down there from

azed

“We had the beating of chelsea a few days ago. Only a Leno howler allowed them back in.”

In

We’d have been Spurs away last season but Aubameyang’s penalty miss and Mustafi’s brain fart let them win

We’d have beaten Brighton last season but Xhaka’s stupidity let them in.

Mustafi cost us the second goal against Crystal Palace last season

You blamed Emery for not finishing 4th, you have to blame Arteta for the mistakes of the players. You can’t have one rule for Emery and another for Arteta.

Dissenter

RH
‘ Long way to go yet in the game before Charlie celebrates a wolves goal like he did the Newcastle equaliser the other day’

You this guy. You gave the memory of an elephant.
Charlie jumped at the Newcastle goal then quietly went away when the result didn’t prove whatever point he was trying to make.

CazOnARola

Makes it doubly hard *

Dream10

Southampton vs Spurs
Mike Dean doesn’t even review the handball incident on the screen pitchside. He relies on Anthony Taylor’s judgment.

In Serie A or BuLi, the ref uses the monitor and likely awards a penalty. PL referees interpret the rules the way they want to. Awful

TR7

5 wins and a draw needed in the remaining 18 games to avoid relegation – I think we will be able to manage that.

Batistuta

Southampton have been brilliant today and of late, amazing how they’ve reacted to that mauling from Leicester some weeks back…. Bedranek, Ings and Holjberg bossing it today….

Spurs meanwhile are a very confusing team

Receding Hairline

Dissenter he hoped no one noticed but I did. Was becoming very uncomfortable he was with the Ancellotti praise he became a Newcastle fan.

Fact is that Carlo won his first two games and Newcastle had a combined total of attempts on goal in the matches that was quite staggering. Shows improvement can coexist with results.

Marko

Eh sure Don. Probably just as much or more German, Spanish, French talent coming through. Also of the 18 players cited as evidence only 7 are starters for their parent clubs.

Batistuta

Dream10

It’s Mike dean and spurs, what did you expect

Receding Hairline

Everton not Newcastle with regards to the attempts on goal.

Receding Hairline

TR7 telling that you cared enough to check what was needed to avoid the drop.

No one really thinks we will go down, but seeing us plummet down the table after every match day is worrying. Really takes the enjoyment out of the game.

Dissenter

I still can’t believe that most of us sneered at the prospect of Nino managing Arsenal
Wolves have real mental strength and character.
Then have players a gazillion games this season and keep coming back. Then have as readily identifiable style.
He’s a very good manager that’s backed by a good organization

Dream10

Southampton are on the brink of conceding. Going to be frustrating

Receding Hairline

Don there was nothing earth shattering about the performance against Chelsea. Just more energy in the first half followed by a second of everyone behind the ball.

Did you even watch the game?

Marko

Sad thing is that we can’t even be bothered about the results of other teams anymore because game to game we don’t know if we can win or not. We simply have to turn our form around pronto

Cesc Appeal

Doubtless Spurs will get a penalty at some point before the end of the game

Dissenter

In support of Bamford
Wolves have a better squad than Arsenal
More balanced, more versatile and far more athletic

R.S.P.C.Arsenal

Do we think art will change it up tonight…

Samesong

Diss

I’ve been saying this about Nuno for ages.

Dissenter

“ Sad thing is that we can’t even be bothered about the results of other teams anymore because game to game we don’t know if we can win or not. We simply have to turn our form around pronto”

Yuuup
The prospect of Spuds losing doesn’t excite me as before. We have bigger problems

R.S.P.C.Arsenal

Cesc

As eggs are eggs
They will..

Batistuta

Cesc

More like Southampton getting a second…Spurs have been absolutely horrible today

Dissenter

Double whammy
Offside and hamstrings

Pierre

Dissenter
“I still can’t believe that most of us sneered at the prospect of Nino managing Arsenal
Wolves have real mental strength and character.
Then have players a gazillion games this season and keep coming back. Then have as readily identifiable style.
He’s a very good manager that’s backed by a good organization”

Yes ,he’s the complete opposite to Emery.

Champagne charlie

“Wow. Watford up 2-0 on Wolves. This again speaks to how competitive the PL is this season.“

How does this one fit into your narrative? Go on lad, spin a few more lines of wisdom.

Marko

the money and effort that been poured into British academies in the last decades and the fact that Messi and Ronaldo’s decline handing a new era to premier league clubs I’d expect to see our academies being extremely fruitful in the coming years. What does Messi or Ronaldo have to do with anything? This is my point there’s no obvious era of anything from British clubs with regards to talent coming through the academies at best all your doing is catching up on other countries and what they’ve been producing for years. It’s not a slight or anything but you’re… Read more »

Samesong

Mourinho what hes doing lol?

Champagne charlie

“In support of Bamford
Wolves have a better squad than Arsenal
More balanced, more versatile and far more athletic”

Can you explain why we finished 13 points clear of them last season then?

Then tie that in with how our squad wasn’t top 4 quality when we finished 2 points off 3rd.

Cheers 🤡

Dissenter

Pierre
…and yet Emery is the more decorated manager.
Get over it. Managers get fired all the time. They go else where and do well again.
Emery deserved to be sacked, just so that you know.

Receding Hairline

Lol @ Don

Apologies, I forgot myself.

Your absence on here has made me forget you are not to be taken seriously.

Valentin

Marko,

That was my point.
He was available for less than what Hertha was willing to pay for him. Why not try to buy him?

It is not like Xhaka wanting out was a big surprise out of the blue. Even with him staying , reinforcement of a talented defensive midfielder should have been a priority.

Valentin

I meant Julian Weigl was available for less than what Hertha Berlin are willing to pay for Xhaka.

Dream10

Ten goals from midfield for Eberechi Eze of QPR in the Championship. Good player. Has some of Grealish’s style. Think he’s a better dribbler. Spurs linked to him unfortunately

Receding Hairline

I wonder how Pierre think Emery finished third three times straight in La liga, won a certain competition in Europe three times straight, got appointed by PSG, moved teams to divisions they have never been in their history while all the while being a complete idiot or as someone on here will say a fraud.

Dream10

Valentin

Do you think Weigl is too slow/weak to play in CM for us? All four of Torreira, Xhaka,. Ceballos and Guendouzi struggle to cover space when most PL matches turn into an end to contest.

Dissenter

CC
“ Can you explain why we finished 13 points clear of them last season then?”

I believe you used the same defense when I stated that Leicester had a better squad.
If our squad is as good as you at it is then surely Arteta has to start getting results like Brendan did when he took the Leicester job.

Marko

To be fair if Wolves have two RB’s and two LB’s then they have a more balanced squad than us. If they aren’t forced to play players out of position to fill in the LW/LF position then they have a more balanced squad than us.

TR7

Most of you were swooning over Raul’s work in summer transfer window but now apparently every team that is not in the relegation zone has a better squad than Arsenal.

Marko

I don’t know why we didn’t try for Weigl. I wouldn’t have minded him. Maybe Arsenal are looking at someone else or Mikel has been more focused on trying to convince Xhaka to stay. Still some bargains in that area available I think. Bruno Guimaraes is going for a similar fee, Emre Can and Rabiot could be available on loan and Sander Berge nearly joined Brighton last summer for 22 million

Unai

Our squad is a fricking mess at the moment.

Not making excuses for Arteta, it’s been this way since Wenger.

Needs investment but as it’s not coming, we can forget thinking of competing for top honours any time soon.

Marko

Most of you were swooning over Raul’s work in summer transfer window but now apparently every team that is not in the relegation zone has a better squad than Arsenal.

I mean he did some good things but he didn’t properly address the defence or midfield and went into the season with one injured RB. Hardly the same as thinking that the squad is good enough is it.

Batistuta

Serge Aurier has put in some abominable crosses today

Receding Hairline

For the second game in a row Watford are reduced to 10 men and for the second game in a row they come away with three points. Color me impressed

Danny

Spurs lose, Chelsea draw.
Now what the fuck are we going to do?

Pierre

know
We have invested , badly I’m afraid .

I’m hoping that Arteta has stipulated that he must have the final say on incomings and outgoings or we can all expect the incompetence to continue.

Dissenter

Marko
You do realize that we have been playing two poor wingers as RB and LB for the last two seasons, right, referring time Bellerin and Kolasinac
Then you have an stacking midfielder who runs to the lines to disappear
Then add the absence of a midfield dynamo engine and midfielder that can control games
Honestly I can think of any position where the Arsenal play is overwhelmingly better than the Wolves counterpart. It may be ossiento make an arguable claim that Auba is better but then he doesn’t do some things right.

Dream10

Adama Traore completed 14 of 18 dribbles today lol. That is ridiculous

Hope Pogba ain’t playing today. Didn’t travel with the team. Rumor that he might be at the team hotel ffs

Marko

I’m hoping that Arteta has stipulated that he must have the final say on incomings and outgoings or we can all expect the incompetence to continue.

I dunno man recent comments on Ozil and apparently he suggested Xhaka as a signing for City are huge warning signs. He should have a say but I dunno if I’d leave it up to him.

Ishola70

No Leicester collapse Gentlebris lol

Dissenter

Every time teams lower than us win, it just piles the pressure on.
The bottom is moving up and we are static.