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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Goonah

“Is there gonna be light at the end of the tunnel tonight?
Hope so.”

Yeah. The freight train coming from the other end!

Drey

Anyone with a free streaming link?

Dissenter

Kolasinac is back!

Upstate Gooner

Top 4 ambition seems to be beyond this club now. Too many good clubs in front of us.

Newcastle, CP, Soton, Sheffield, Everton, Brighton after tonight…. Indeed.

Spanishdave

Ozil s got his taxi ready for the 60mins, poor love he looks tired

Samesong

Auba looks focused for once in the tunnel. None of this smiling bs.

Bamford10

Un Na

They’re way better without Lukaku, and Pepe has yet to show that he improves us. Anyone who has been watching United regularly knows they’re better in attack this season than they were last.

I don’t want to get bogged down in another one of these United discussions. Let’s watch the game and see what we see.

Nelson

Luiz acts like the captain. He is doing the pregame talk.

Dissenter

This had better work.
This is really throwing the kitchen sink at the problem. Three players [Ozil, Auba and Pepe] aren’t known for their defensive willingness.

Elmo

Pedro is going to be ecstatic Tets has gone for the roll-neck tonight.

Spanishdave

Good old Kola never lets you down

Samesong

Pace of united could be a problem.

Ishola70

Arsenal wide open early

Nelson

Our FB’s have to stay back.

R.S.P.C.Arsenal

Poor start

Guns of Brixton

Kolasinic gonna get sent off

Samesong

So Matic dont get a card? wtf?

Cesc Appeal

AMN loves to do it

R.S.P.C.Arsenal

Decisions going united way…
Again..

An honest ref that’s all we want.

Goonah

Get in!!!

coyg

Ishola70

ffs Maitland Niles

Poor

Elmo

Gooal

Dissenter

Hope that’s the take off for Pepe

Santino

Yi pee kee pepe

Thomas

Not even Pepe could miss that one.

Cesc Appeal

Please let that be allowed.

He needs that.

Nelson

Now, the team should calm down.

azed

Yes!!!

Left Testicle

Against the run of play.

Cesc Appeal

Kolasinac is on!

Yes.

Jamie

‘Ave it!!

Dissenter

We can’t take our foot off the pedal now. Have to won this to rest the whole environment

Cesc Appeal

Good work from Ozil tracking back.

That Dreamcast Kid

yeah suddenly Pepe soaring now should’ve volley that better Auba

clearly confidence based player

Bamford10

Maguire mistake kept the runner on. Pepe playing well so far.

Left Testicle

Pepe up for it.

Cesc Appeal

Great couple of minutes from Pepe

Ishola70

Kola easily got inside there on their left

Samesong

Yeah Pepe up.for this.

Marko

Listen lads we need to get rid of this Gervinho wannabe

Left Testicle

Keown is a shit analyst.

Ishola70

Don’t go fucking mental now and over attack.

Spanishdave

Hold on AMN did a forward pass

Samesong

Need a quality right back.

David Luiz is Mustafi Mark 2 loves to dos stupid fouls.

Elmo

Team working hard. Good shape. Need better ideas about taking it forward other than passing back to Luiz to pass long.

Left Testicle

After a good showing against Chelsea AMN has reverted to type.

Dissenter

The referee shouldn’t have booked Kolasinac in the 2nd minute. He’s set a precedent that he cannot keep up to. He’s letting fouls from United go unpunished.

R.S.P.C.Arsenal

Again….
An honest ref….

One day maybe…

Samesong

One thing is that pass from defence to midfield just see Xhaka with a lazy ball and united broke.

Cesc Appeal

Good point from commentators.

Arsenal seem to be having more of the ball here than against Chelsea.

Should help with fatigue.

Dissenter

The effort from the players is crazy, can they sustain this level of physical commitment?

R.S.P.C.Arsenal

Passing back too much…

That Dreamcast Kid

this is literally Emery gameplan though with the Kolasinac cutback assist too

now just game management before quick transition

Cesc Appeal

Love that!

Aubameyang sprinting back for a feisty tackle.

R.S.P.C.Arsenal

Un hate the cunt rashford…

Nelson

Both Auba and Laca’s passes are not good.

Spanishdave

AMN just cannot pass forward he looks all the time to pass back because that’s the cop out pass.

Samesong

Laca been much better so far.

Bamford10

Maguire is having a shocker.

And we clearly intend to possession them to death. Which is smart given how our legs gave out against Chelsea.

R.S.P.C.Arsenal

Same

Let’s judge hi when he has a chance…

Left Testicle

Arteta telling Pepe to press.

G

“” Listen lads we need to get rid of this Gervinho wannabe””
Who u on about

Santino

Proper borefest this is

R.S.P.C.Arsenal

Again

An honest ref just onc3 this season an we win

Left Testicle

Love to give Lingard a slap, the arrogant fuck.

R.S.P.C.Arsenal

Dirty cunt rashford…

A fucking gain

Spanishdave

How was that not a pen?
And Laca well disbelief

Cesc Appeal

Lacazette.

So good and then…

Bamford10

Maguire continues to have a nightmare.

G

Proper borefest this is…. Well turn off and have a wank

Left Testicle

Lacazette with a shot, out for a throw.

That Dreamcast Kid

need to take the clear cut chances lest we rue them like last match

lovely seeing these Arshavin-esque turns from Lacazette and Torreira using their low centre gravity to their advantage

Edu me a favour

This ref …..

Marko

Torreira needs to sit deep and do nothing else the fucker

N5

Hey guys, does anyone have a link please?

Dissenter

I will never feel sorry for any referee who’s fired.
‘They are all cnuts

Samesong

Laca hold up play much better today. Shot was shit but he done all the good stuff.

Marko

N5 Ronaldo7.net the 5th link is working for me

TR7

Torr should have buried that. Willock missed a similar chance against Chelsea and it cost us in the end.

Left Testicle

G
January 1, 2020    20:33:29

Proper borefest this is…. Well turn off and have a wank
…..
That’s why Redtruth has disappeared – cracking one off whilst thinking about Corbyn.

Dissenter

This good spell needs to translate into more goals because of our form.

Spanishdave

This ref is out of his league.
Man U still have the Fergie factor as far as refs are concerned

Left Testicle

What was that from Ozil the pussy.

Marko

Sorry Ronaldo7.live

Habesha Gooner

I don’t know how he is doing it but we are defending mich better since arteta took over. sure there have been stupid moments like Leno and Mustafi against Chelsea but Overall we are doing the basics much better.

Samesong

Torr should have buried that.

Weaker foot again great bit of play.

N5

Cheers Marko I hadn’t noticed CR7 had changed its name. Thanks dude.

Santino

Unlucky in this

N5

Thanks Un na, I’ll look into that mate.

R.S.P.C.Arsenal

Horrible manc cunts,,,,

That Dreamcast Kid

now that’s just Pepe being greedy should’ve just slot Ozil in man

Habesha Gooner

we really need to take our chances.

Bamford10

We’re set up well, but this is pretty much as poorly as United can play. I’d expect a lot more from them in the second half.

TR7

Great stuff but again only one goal to show for it.

R.S.P.C.Arsenal

Toor is holding up the mid,,,

Xhara,…. bah

Ozil … good

Dissenter

Arteta has done something too Ozil.

Guns of Brixton

Watching on NBC

Commentator taking snide hits on Arteta at every chance

Put some of u guys hate to shame

Habesha Gooner

Bamford you really need to stop with the United are better than us staff. They are a poor team. You are an arsenal fan remember.

Spanishdave

Second goal please,
Thanks

Dissenter

Thank goodness
We needed that to break this horrible spell. May the Arteta era begin

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