Late post today, things are a touch quiet in the world of elite-level soccerball.
The theme we’re going to touch on is the chase for a higher league position.
The Premier League gods were kind to us today, after treating us very shabbily over the past month with injuries and some horrendous luck, they opened the gates of the Top 4 to us once more.
Manchester United drew against Wolves.
Chelsea drew against Leicester.
Spurs have to play a wounded City tomorrow with a side in such bad shape, they tried to loan Olivier Giroud.
This season for me is still very much a write-off, but I doubt it will be for Mikel who seems to be very aggressive with his timeline. He wants to win a cup this year and he wants us to challenge the top 4 this season.
The Burnley game presents itself as an opportunity to see what we’re made of when chances are presented to us. 3 points takes us to 9th. Assuming Spurs lose, that’d have us 1 point behind Jose Mourinho’s sinking ship. 2 behind OGS. 8 behind Chelsea.
Making top 4 is a massive stretch goal regardless of how inconsistent Chelsea have been. We’d be expecting Arsenal to turn a huge corner inside a month and have consistency of results, something this squad hasn’t managed since the 22 game unbeaten run in 2018.
Stranger things have happened though. We are defensively far better than we’ve been in years, there are sputtering signs that the team is responding to the attacking demands Arteta is placing on them, and we’ve added a bit more depth to the squad that could help reshape how we play by opening up other areas of the pitch.
Also worth noting that Chelsea plays United, Spurs, Everton and Bournemouth in their next 4 games. Only one banker there. United, amirite?
Unai Bummery has been reimagining his tenure at Arsenal.
“The process was good. When we played possession, we did it; when we had to press, we did it. And we were competitive, playing as the game required. With moments of possession game and moments of three quick touches.
“This second year, we have not played well; we have not defended well; We have not been competitive; We did not transmit. And I told the players myself. There were several problems: four captains; the Ozil-Kolasinac case; Pepe’s signing, which needs time to be that of France. We didn’t play well, that’s for sure.
“That brought us bad results, there was no improvement, the fans focused on me and they threw me out.”
The process wasn’t good. Let’s clear that up right away. Players found the video analysis dull, no one knew what they were doing, and no one could be bothered with pressing. Then let’s land on the last bit, there was no improvement in the first season, statistically we regressed everywhere on the pitch, then the fans turned in the second season when their continued to be no improvement. What a joker. We didn’t run him out of the club, his shocking tenure did that all by itself.
There’s another piece where he basically says Arteta is doing the same thing as him. True, similar setup, similar starting line-up… the difference is Arteta leads, communicates and implements strategies on a different level.
Mesut Ozil sums is up nicely.
“He’s doing a good job. He’s hungry for success. Everything about him is positive.
“Arteta’s story is a bit different because I don’t remember when he quit football, but it hasn’t been over that long. In this way, players can understand more easily.”
Connection. It’s so important. Emery didn’t have that with the players. That’s one of the ingredients in the special sauce. Still baffles me that there was an actual debate about that for so long, but here we are, half the internet still thinks Pep Guardiola is a fraud because he hasn’t won a Champions League with Preston.
Staying on Ozil, we apparently turned down a bid from Qatar for the player. Rumour has it the player and the coach were interested in the deal. I’m struggling to fathom that. We have very few players that can move that ball through the line, so the idea we’d stifle our attack at the last minute seems a bit absurd for me. Ozil is important to the manager, hopefully we see a return on that faith with some assists and goals over the next 3 months.
Read some sad news that Jack Wilshere is broken once again. He really has had the roughest of 10 years. I mean, not by normal human standards of disability, but I feel for the guy regardless. Could have been a generational talent if he’d stayed fit. That Barca game he dominated was one of the most special performances I’ve ever seen from a teenager.
Anyway, I hope everyone in the UK is having a banger of a Brexit party this evening, let’s hope the Tories make it easier for us to sign players from South America in this new era. Next Messi needs to be at The Arsenal.
Right, see you in the comments. x
I don’t care how but we need to be winning this somehow.. Need somebody to step up… Auba, Marti, somebody.
Why do we have Auba wide, this shape is dreadful, it made a bit of sense with Saka on, now it hasn’t got a leg to stand on
We must achieve 3 points from this fixture.
Another abysmal from the great slacker.
Auba on LW is a waste.
I get that we need to play our own players ahead of loanees, but I am not sure why Arteta keeps overlooking Ceballos, he’d be much better than Guendouzi or Ozil
Is Leno the son of Dracula… it might explain why he’s afraid of crosses.
_____
Funny but yet sad because it’s true.
the lack of a class CAM is showing big time
Cannot create shit
Good shot Torreira we need more of that tho!!!!
As per norm we go mouldy in the second half.
Xhaka has not been our best player.
They’ve bullied us into submission. It looks like we are playing to avoid being clattered into.
We need to start signing players that can stand up to the physical part of the game
What kinda badluck is this calling himself willock
WTF was that from Willock?
Another abysmal from the great slacker ozil.
Why was Bellerin so far up?
Willock constantly goes for the less clever option of going for goal when teammates are in better positions and quite frankly, he doesn’t have it like that.
If laca scores in the next 20mmins I will eat my shoe
Don’t get the ozil hate today, he’s been one of the better of a pretty poor bunch. It seems like many are determined to blame him regardless of how he actually plays.
Looking brighter with willock on for mesut
Take laca off now he is poor on the arteta system
Terrible design making there from Willock, so ponderous
Martinelli & Auba abre being wasted
Willock should be stoned out of arsenal
Eddie on for Laca…. might as well
we are not doing shit
Lads, it’s burnley..
But first
Raul needs kicking out. He blocked Ozil transfer to Quatar. At least we would have saved fees
Get pepe in.
Should have kept ozil.and subbed off laca.
We are playing with fear, like trying to battle with the hands shackled.
there are way too many backward passes.
‘Willocks really doesn’t see the game ahead of him.
Guendouzi consistently slows play down. Takes too long to move the ball on and doesn’t have the pace to carry the ball effectively himself.
25% less chances created under Arteta…
Whomever blocked Ozil from moving needs an immediate firing
Guendouzi slowing the game down
Pepe is fairly wasteful, I don’t get the impression he’s good for an10 main impact sub, he will create but waste in equal measure, he needs sufficient time on the field, ffs!
Sideways and backwards
Rolled
I saw a stat that arsenal have the fewest shots in the entire league since Arteta took over. Not great….
Can we shithouse a win here
Come on boys …. we can still win this.. pick it up. A little too casual in the midfield. Quicker decisions. Sense of urgency.
That rolled was meant to be Rollen
DaleDagooner
Pretty much
I’m not a big Xhaka fan, but he has improved significantly under Arteta. Arteta seems to be effectively maximizing his strengths and minimizing his weaknesses.
Some of the vitriol on here is disgusting. ‘Willock should be stoned out of Arsenal’. – you should be embarrassed.
Damn. Bellerin cannot get a break this year. Poor lad.
Who’s injured now?
What was it kroenke and the board said, competing with the likes of Bayern etc etc…hahahahahahaha. we can’t even compete with Burnley ffs
How is Jordan Pickford better than Nick Pope?He surely deserves to be England’s number one
Jesus, we keep talking about how bad utd and spurs are but we are so shite, it’s embarrassing.
17 mins to go,,,, take laca off…. will arteta do something??
Commentator just said we’ve had a 25% drop off in chances created since Arteta took over.
1) Ozil has played almost all games since Arteta took over and yet we are creating 25% less chances which goes against everything Pierre claims.
2) Player poverty is a thing. Arteta’s improvement in defence has come at the cost of the attack.
If that Ozil rumor is true the it’s a sackable offense.
You have a chance to offload the unproductive mill stone on your wage budget and you passed on it.
Damn luiz got some of pope’s arse on his head
Its been a bad display but the three points still up for grabs
Cant believe three managers Can be wrong it must be something with ozil a player earning 350 grand a week are supposed to be running games every week putting in stellar perfomances instead he is playing like a limp dick,frankly it is an embarrasement.
Where’s Pepe? Is our record signing really so shitty that three different managers don’t rate him?
Raul seems shady as shit.
Tyag, I’m very much an arteta man but kroenke can’t legislate for tets playing a traffic cone up front and benching a 72m player
Azed
This summer, we need to bolster midfield. need creativity, power and scoring
We can’t buy a bloody goal.
All the spiel about how Arteta has got us playing better football after the Bournemouth and United games has predictably died a death.
Ohhh damn… Fuck sake… need a goal. ugh.
We are playing with fear , no confidence just fear of loosing.
Arteta seems unable to change this pattern.
Disarray
0-0 here i think- another draw looks to be coming
If ozil was up for a move, why in the world would Raul veto it?? I don’t trust Raul and his super agent cronies. The Soares loan doesn’t make a lick of sense.
we’re in the 75th minute. Where is the 3rd sub
Things improving a bit now for Arsenal
Artetas in game management needs improvement. How the fuck is laca still on. Or guen?
Seriously get laca off, move auba central and get pepe on. 3 points are up for grabs here.
Paulinho
“All the spiel about how Arteta has got us playing better football after the Bournemouth and United games has predictably died a death.”
Why doin’t you wait for Pedro’s post
He will find an angle.
Jesus Christ
Imagine these useless players
It crossed the line!
Mics_
We are playing Xhaka at LB. But signing a cover Rb/Lb doesnt make sense.
Lucky
It didn’t cross the line..
Fucking shit cunts.
How many players ball watching. That is so fucking lucky that wasn’t a goal
Arteta poor today
It is quite astonishing that auba and laca cant buy a goal between Them against these cloggers.
Nick Pope is a really good GK. More commanding on crosses than Bernd Leno.
He’s easily a top 6 keeper.
Technique has let Willock down on a couple of occasions. Dynamic player, hopefully he can become more refined with his passing.
Guendouzi needs to have more confidence and play it forwards. Xhaka/Torreira well him in this aspect.
Martinelli isn’t the cleanest technically. Similar to Aubameyang. Need Pépé/Nelson to balance out their lack to refinement on the ball
these crosses will be our undoing…
record number coming in… like we need a bomb shelter or some thing
Holy Fuck… come for the ball Leno.. sheesh. That was lucky.
I loved Ozil pre Arsenal. But reality is , the English premier league is not suited to him. It was a panic buy after a dismal start to the season, and unfortunately it’s come back to bite us in the bum. On the wages he’s on you could pay 2 better equipped players in the squad.
Great pass there Guen lol
Arteta is a fool for not giving Burnley back 4 something to worry about in pepe
That counter was embarrassing
Matter of time.
I like Arteta, but his in game management does need improving. I’m assuming he’ll improve with experience.
Fucks sake Guendouzi is SHIT
Lol from Guendouzi, good God.
Guen slows us down in attack so much…. very disjointed ….
need another attacker on right about now…
come on arteta
For fucks sake. No pressure and all he had to do was hit his target with a short pass
Well.. this is all very embarrassing
Guendouzi can’t even make a 6 yard pass
We look scared shitless
This was supposed to be only under Emery.
We are piss poor would have been 1 nil and done
*On the bum
Same shit, different manager.
Take Guendouzi off!!!!!
I guess arteta poured some sauce on the goal line eh peds
Tbf to Arteta, neither of his two biggest influences, Pep and Wenger, are/were particularly known for brilliant in game adjustments.
I’d say mustafi has had one of his better games (aka no mistakes yet)
Does Arteta know we are allowed a third sub?
The ghost of emery has returned
Guendouzi – shock horror – not looking so hot once we play a team with a pulse.