Sh*te data and straw men

by .

I am BACK in New York after spending some time in the very beautiful Savannah. I highly recommend if you are ever in Georgia, what a place.

Back home, I was again pondering the weirdness of the criticism that continues to rumble around the new regime. It doesn’t come from serious people, but it is always shocking to me how fucking atrocious internetters are when they’re let loose with bad data.

Comparing Unai Emery to Mikel Arteta is, firstly, a very dumb proposition barely 11 games into his tenure. It’s so dumb, Liverpool fans actually did it when Jurgen Klopp took over from Brendy and started a #KloppOut campaign off the back of it.

This tells you two things.

1. Don’t replicate Liverpool fan behaviour
2. Don’t play the data game unless you are really fucking sure you have a robust argument.

Here is the math for the Spurs fans that were up in your Whatsapp groups with the ‘analysis’ of Arteta courtesy of Champagne Charlie in the comments.

You’re comparing Emery’s point average in a 13 game sample to Arteta’s 8 games. Won’t bother rehashing the old ‘sample argument’ that was brought front and centre with the embarrassing xGA stats previous, will just illustrate with the following:

11 points in 8 games = 1.38
We win our next game = 1.56
We win the game after that = 1.7

The state of trying to pull trends in data with fluctuations like this 😂😂

Also, just like to remind you that Emery was operating with 12 months in the job and 150 mil of talent to supplement HIS football ideology. Mikel Arteta by contrast is picking up pieces mid season.

Another swing, another glaring miss.

Data points you ‘should‘ probably like.

We’ve kept 3 clean sheets on the bounce, 5 in 11 (with two games that we went down to 10 men) with a hodgepodge of teenagers, players we thought were dusted, and plenty of non-defenders mucking in. We can celebrate that. So when certain types say ‘I don’t see an improvement’ ask them if they ever felt like they were watching a team that was tough to break down under Emery, or if they ever felt like they were witnessing something even close to competency when it came to Arsenal defending.

You might also ask who the only team in Europe is to be undefeated in 2020? It’d be Arsenal. Again, not a totally electric statistic because we’ve drawn a lot of games, but when you add in further context, like, say, ‘Emery oversaw our worst start in 30 years and Arteta started in late December’, it starts to feel saucier. Low Scoble rating for sure, but we’re definitely spicier than a Heinz Ketchup at the moment.

Sure, there are lots of things we’d all like to see improve. We’re still making mistakes in dangerous places, our attack is hardly Liverpool fluid, but if you are out here complaining we’re not champions elect form at the moment, you’re a fucking idiot. I’m really sorry to be so blunt, but I absolutely mean it. That Liverpool thing didn’t happen overnight, I can assure you.

Additional areas of improvement to point towards.

You might not like Mustafi, Xhaka, Ozil or Luiz… but you cannot argue their performances have dramatically improved. Shkodran Baresi looked like he’d rather snort a Wuhan sneeze than play a few weeks ago, now he’s operating at a very, very good level of football. Granit Xhaka keeps getting better, I’ve been a vocal anti-advocate of him, I called him a mistake terrorist, but he’s doing well. David Luiz looks reborn, a frizzy-haired warrior. Mesut Ozil is slowly but surely feeling his way back into elite-level football. It’s not a longterm solution, but however you chop it up, players that were once deemed bin-worthy are now delivering hardworking performances. Even players we liked but thought were ill-suited are upping their levels… remember when we assumed Torreira was too small to hack it in the league? That Dani Ceballos was a write-off because his hair was too neat for the UK? It’s great that these players are showing their true colours now they are motivated and fired up about the vision.

‘The Uncoachables’ was such a ridiculous excuse, cooked up by the Emeryista, who still weirdly fetishise a manager about as sexy as a septic cock ring. No elite-level player is uncoachable. Sam Allardyce has made a living training bags of rotten potatoes to keep clean sheets. Hardly a shock that Arteta can make World Cup winners look a little better.

Finally, the kids. You can’t knock ’em. They are stepping up to the plate, learning hard lessons, and rarely hiding. To repeat, Ceballos looks like he might have a future, Guendouzi is a mess but he’s learning from someone that won’t tolerate his drama, Saka looks absolutely elite, Gabriel is inconsistent but taking praise from nobodies like Ronaldinho, and the others are showing they have teeth. Not perfect, but at least they are getting game time and a proper chance under a proper coach.

Moaning we’re not he complete package is such a base strawman argument. No one ever thought we’d be where we needed to be in 2 months. However, we’re starting to get better results, we’re hard to beat, and we’re slowly but surely finding our way in attack. We’re doing all of this without a proper preseason. We were in a process under Emery that wasn’t ever leading to a better Arsenal. That has all changed. Under Arteta it’ll be bumpy, but we’re heading in a direction that’ll take us places. We will need a good summer, lots of hard work, and a good start in August, but I don’t think we’ll be making excuses in May 2021. Unless we fail, then I’ll be blaming hair pills and dry grass for our problems.

Anyway, let’s keep it positive.

We have a chance to show our mettle at home against an Everton side that will give us a very good game at the weekend. Carlo has his players focused, better structured, with bit more bite to their game. He’ll be desperate for the win this weekend, but so will Arsenal. Our club needs momentum, win that game and the next 8 look far more attractive, drop points and it’ll feel like a miserable step back.

I’m still looking for more fluidity in attack. I don’t think we’ve cracked it by a margin, but at this point, I think it’s more about repetition and muscle memory than anything else (with this squad). We need a few sexy goals and a real ‘wow, this is the future’ performance to start the ball rolling there. A simple improvement would be finding the target a little more often. I think the type of chance we’re creating is improving, but some of the shooting has been less than ideal… and from players you expect more from. Imagine me as the coach?

‘Erm, guys, could you try and shoot the ball at the actual goal. Thank you.’

Right, big game tomorrow, fingers crossed we smash them and the Gypsy King deals with the Bronze Bomber. x

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Graham62

Martinelli must have picked up a knock in Greece.

Major_Jeneral

The lineup is OK. After that hectic sourjourn to Olympiakos it only make sense to mix it up a bit.

Saka is an injury risk.
Torreira may not be fully fit healthwise(he was ill)
Nketiah is fully rested. (lacazette needs a breather. My only concern is kolasinac he must take care of DCL. And not forget his defensive duties.

Habesha Gooner

Poor team selection again. I don’t feel good about the result today. We are going to get over run in midfield. No Martinelli for Nelson if he is not injured is an abomination. You don’t leave out your second highest scorer. And Nketiah hasn’t shown enough to be selected again. Arteta has his favourites and I don’t like it one bit. It’s just poor management. Very worried

Graham62

Could this be Eddie’s day?

Chris

Here come all the armchair tacticians critiquing the line up!

Graham62

Team selection.

What do we know?

Exactly!

raptora

Imagine how we can have a proper winger in either Saka or Martinelli on the left wing with Auba down the middle but instead we are playing Nketiah who is an eBay Aubameyang and Auba of position.

Chris

Graham

Fuckin’ A

Graham62

Chris

Exactly!

Left Testicle

Oh dear – that line up.

jwl

The ice hockey team I support lost last night to a team that had to play 42 year old goalie who never played a professional game in his life until yesterday.

If there is balance in the universe, Arsenal are going to win 4-0 today to make up for embarrassing loss yesterday.

Leftside

So what if some people have reservations with the lineups why should that bother on here?

Victorious

Leftsidesanch

But it so happens these armchair managers most often get it wrong than right! , you’d think they’d learn to keep their gob shut for once and see the match unfold eh?

Pierre

Why would anyone be surprised at that line up .

Other than Kolasinac , it was easy to predict if you understand how Arteta wants the team to play..

The 4 players on the pitch who will be the most disciplined defensively will be mustsfi, Luiz, Xhaka and Ceballos with Ceballos dictating the play from deep midfield .

Aubamayang and Pepe will often push into the centre to support Nketiah allowing the full backs to push on into the space vacated on the flanks.

Habesha Gooner

We aren’t criticizing tactics. We are just giving opinions on who deserves to start based on merit. And I am sorry but Eddie is not it. This for me is an accident waiting to happen. It is what Wenger used to do with Ramsey. He played him anywhere just to not leave him out. I hate that. Players should have one position if not for emergencies. Then you have backups. If the backup plays better he is a shoe in. That’s how Football is. Pick a formation play the best players in that position.

Gentlebris

Martinelli should at least make the bench. His electric energy is second to none in the team. What now happens if we need exactly his energy mid game?

raptora

If I see our ideal lineup in a different way I will say so. What’s the prob?

And imagine bringing up the Newcastle game to prove me wrong where we basically wasted a half time of football not doing anything. Or the Olympiacos game where Leno was our best player LOL!

Nelson

It is a home game against Everton. It is better we go on the attack and score more goals than them. If it was an away game, than we need two dedicated DM’s.

Left Testicle

Priceless. Slagging off anyone who dares to question the team selection as ‘armchair fans’. Are you at the Emirates Victorious?

Bojangles

Saka is 18, he’s already played 2 games this week. Had he played today and got injured the same posters calling for him to be in the team would be the first to blame Arteta for playing him.

Bamford10

Arteta is working with a very weak squad, and it’s a little unclear who is carrying knocks, so I’m not going to criticize him. I personally have seen nothing from Nketiah to make me think he’s going to make it at this level, but I also recognize that Arteta is short on options. I think Arteta wants to dominate possession — and this partly explains his playing Ceballos, Xhaka and Ozil together — and this may work out, but at some point the lack of mobility, quickness and athleticism in that group is going to be a problem. I think… Read more »

Pierre

Habesha
“We aren’t criticizing tactics. We are just giving opinions on who deserves to start based on merit. And I am sorry but Eddie is not it. ”

Eddie has started 2 games this season
Away.to Bournemouth 2-1 victory .
Home to Newcastle 4-0 victory .

Looks like he deserves to start .

raptora

It’s why Saka should have not started in Greece. So Kolasinac would have played there and Saka play today. But whatever. I can’t comment on it I guess.

raptora

Imagine not playing a 60m striker and a 55m striker but a Leeds reserve who hasn’t shown much.

Zfree

Pepe match winner today. Baines and Schneiderlin defending that side lol

Bojangles

But he did play in Greece. Get over it.

Pierre

Bamford
“I think it’s also worth noting that he likely has his eye on Thursday night — and he may in fact be prioritizing Thursday nights at the moment.”

He has picked what he thinks is the best team to win this match , Thursday wouldn’t come into the equation.

Bob N16

Habesha, who is playing out of position in a way Ramsey was ‘shoehorned’ in? Surely Nketiah is playing in his best position.

Bamford10

“Armchair managing” is kind of what people do here. Always has been, always will be.

Graham used to have no issues with “armchair managing” when Wenger was in charge. For some reason, he now sees this as inappropriate.

Care to explain this change in POV, Graham?

Nelson

We are playing three games in a week. And we have another game on Thursday. Rotation is a must.

Graham62

Pedro

What histrionics?

Spanishdave

Why Nketiah ?
Don’t see anything special in his play. Scuffs his shots and very lightweight.

Habesha Gooner

Yeah pierre That’s is not good reasoning at all. Martinelli has 10 Goals already this season. How many times did Eddie touch the ball against Newcastle? Bielsa left him out because he doesn’t contribute enough to their game for a championship club but he can for us? Even if Martinelli isn’t starting Lacazette should start seeing he is finding his scoring boots. If we don’t get a result today or we get over run in midfield the blame lies on the feet of arteta.

Left Testicle

Raptora,
Don’t you know? You can’t have an opinion unless it is aligned with Arteta’s.

I want Arteta to succeed but don’t believe you shouldn’t be able to question the team selections or tactics.

Defending every Arteta decision is getting tiresome and cult like.

Batistuta

Don’t see anything wrong in having an opinion on the line ups on match days… It’s kinda a football tradition, what is with some of you and trying to shut down others

Zfree

I have this game over 2.5 goals and Arsenal to win

Batistuta

Again not happy with Auba out wide, makes zero sense especially as Nketiah hasn’t really done anything of note in an Arsenal shirt but we’ll see… Hope we pick up the win

Habesha Gooner

Bob N16
Aubameyang as a C.F and Xhaka as a DM. He is staring Xhaka not to leave him out. Ceballos is Also A CM. It was okay against Newcastle but Everton have more going forward and I think It will expose us.

Graham62

B10

I didn’t question Wenger for 10 years but remember he was at the club for 122 years!( felt like it).

Arteta is there for a few minutes and some people already starting to question his selections.

Probably the same folk who stood by Wenger for so long.

Dissenter

Pierre
‘ Eddie has started 2 games this season
Away.to Bournemouth 2-1 victory .
Home to Newcastle 4-0 victory .Looks like he deserves to start’

Bollocks
He scored in neither of those games and we kicked off only when he was off the field.
At the end of the day, it’s Arteta;s prerogative to choose his starting eleven. I hope Nkettiah takes his chances but stop the nonsense. You talk upmNkettiah who’s the manager’s pet and look for ways to knock down Martinelli.

Nelson

Shit! I should have pick Pepe in my Fantasy 11. I have Aguero as my captain. He missed a penalty and had zero point this week. Dame it!

vickingz

No doubt, arsenal is losing today. I thought it was obvious that our midfield got penetrated at ease against Newcastle with players not as hardworking as Everton’s players. Nketiah? Sounds like nkechi

Habesha Gooner

Bob N16
Aubameyang as a L W and Xhaka as a DM when they are a CF and CM in actual play. He is staring Xhaka not to leave him out. Ceballos is Also A CM. It was okay against Newcastle but Everton have more going forward and I think It will expose us. I didn’t like it when Lacazette was forcing auba wide but understood it because they had more goal threat but for Eddie that’s a No from me. He needs to work on his game out on loan.

Dissenter

It’s good to see whet Graham62 is like when he’s on the other side of the spectrum
Now he’s the one trying to burnish Arteta at every turn and silence the folks on the other side.
He’s the new AKB.

Pierre

Habesha
“Yeah pierre That’s is not good reasoning at all. Martinelli has 10 Goals already this season. How many times did Eddie touch the ball against Newcastle?”

This season , in all competitions

Eddie , a goal every 66 mins

Martinelli , a goal every 80 minutes

Lacazette , a goal every 194 minutes.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.fctables.com/players/martinelli-441501/&ved=2ahUKEwiQ_OXK6ufnAhVMZMAKHR7aBRAQFjABegQIARAB&usg=AOvVaw2Z3NQf_YILj0galqXf_JIu&cshid=1582466850147

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.fctables.com/players/edward-nketiah-351981/&ved=2ahUKEwiyn_KO6-fnAhUMHcAKHXzlC58QFjADegQIBBAB&usg=AOvVaw3SOcgosEwIUrhsaK3-p36h&cshid=1582466883158

Sid

Clearly from the lineup another dose of weekly mourinhoball is on the way, but we have strikers capable of sneeking in a goal.

Im telling you this for free!

Zfree

All these people thinking our midfield is going to overrun by schneiderlin and Fabian Delph? Have a word

MidwestGun

Hey Ladies…. How’s things..? Huge match today.. Well my take on lineup is Arteta likes to utilize all the players available to him and rotate. Keeps players fresh and sharp as they might be selected for any match. Other then Luiz.. I don’t think he has favored anyone. Possibly Xhaka. This is the thing Wenger rightly got skewered for is not rotating properly. He would play players until they dropped from injury. Whether the players are good enough or not is another matter.. but I don’t disagree with rotating. I think Auba will pinch in as a second striker at… Read more »

Zfree

The worry is Richarlison against kolasanic. Will Auba provide some good cover on that wing? Will Mesut put in a serious shift?

Dissenter

‘Huge game for Eddie, more likely to be here next season than Lacazette and he’ll work like a dog with more speed’

He’s the most passive player on the field. He’s not desperate nor hungry. He does work as a mole.

Habesha Gooner

Seriously Pierre? You really don’t think Nketiah is better than Martinelli do you? If you do I am not going to debate it. We will see how their career will pan out.

Sid

The tactic will be zero midfield play, hope to get goal on the counter.

Im telling you this for free!

Batistuta

You’d think Nketiah was prime Pele the way Pierre goes on about him, like he sees something the rest of us don’t see that the lad has…Hopefully the lad has a blinder and shuts us all up

Dissenter

Contrast Nkettiah with Calvert-Lewis
One has desperate urgency and is a handful to central defenders, the other is laidback …looking for a tap-in.

Danny S

Arteta must play different players for different reasons.
I’d really like to see auba up front just once, but hey ho.

COYG!

TR7

No problem with a kid given a chance.

Chris

Fuck me everyone is entitled to an opinion, that goes without saying. But it’s all negative energy criticising the line up when there are very good reasons and logic behind the selection. Seems like some want to plant a seed to say “I told you so” later on when instead maybe trying to discuss and find the reasons behind the line up rather than moan about it.

Anyway enjoy the game all, UTA

MidwestGun

Sid.. When you use the same catch phrase over and over it turns all your comments into a cartoon comment… and people basically tune it out.. Tick Tock.. Truth hurts… lol..lol… lol… And I’m telling you this for free… and you heard it here first.

Also I don’t think you are right.. We are set up to control possession. We will see if it works.

Pierre

Batistuta
“You’d think Nketiah was prime Pele the way Pierre goes on about him, like he sees something the rest of us don’t see that the lad has…Hopefully the lad has a blinder and shuts us all up”

Yeah” good movement off the ball ” is prime Pele is it.

All I’ve said is that he has as much right to start as anyone..excuse me for showing support for one of our kids coming through the ranks.

Nelson

I like Kola will be OK. He is strong physically. I am worry about Xhaka. Iwobi will toy with him.

Bamford10

Dissenter

Calvert-Lewin is a physical beast as well. Makes life difficult for CBs. Nketiah? Not so much.

Batistuta

It’s because of Pierre’s commitment to a certain form of supporting the club, what you might call “the old school way”. For him, supporting academy products — even if their merits are dubious — is one of the supporter’s highest callings. See his raving about Willock for further evidence of this.

Bamford10

Batistuta

The last bit of his comment at 16:27:28 confirms my analysis.

azed

Also I don’t think you are right.. We are set up to control possession. We will see if it works.

Are you telling us this for free?

jwl

And it’s Arsenal,
Arsenal FC,
We’re by far the greatest team,
The world has ever seen …

Leedsgunner

Decent line up… with a decent bench too. Nketiah will come good.

Bringing on Lacazette as a sub is good man management — keeps him hungry and sharp and at the same time by starting Nketiah, Arteta sends a message to youngsters like Saka that if they commit to the club, the club will commit to them.

No club gives youngsters a chance to impress like Arsenal.

MidwestGun

No Azed, because time is money. 😀

Paulinho

Very average Everton midfield. Should be winning this.

raptora

Chris,
I’m not commenting on the lineup just to gang up on Arteta afterwards. I like the work he’s done outside of match days. I would like him to improve his in-game decision making. And it includes picking the best lineup imo ofc. And making the right subs. I feel like he’s been lacking in both departments. So I talk about it.

MidwestGun

Mustafi’s new hairdo though.. hahahaa Oh man.

Leedsgunner

And it’s Ar…..se……nal,
Arsenal FC,
We’re by far the greatest team,
The world has ever seen …

vickingz

Just imagine

Danny

Great start lads………

Samesong

What a joke

TheLegendaryDB10

Come on The Arsenal!!!!

That Dreamcast Kid

lads wtf was that?

Habesha Gooner

Fuck

Samesong

By the time Leeds had sung the Arsenal song Everton had scored.

Leedsgunner

Oh dear.

Come on… Kolasinac asleep there.

vickingz

That was from nketiah o

Leftside

Come on guys get your head in the game, some people still aren’t in their seats even

Champagne Charlie

What on earth is Kolasinac doing?

And how’s that not a high boot given he volleyed Luiz? Lol good start.

azed

Lol!

Spanishdave

58 secs
Great defending well done
Dangerous play boot around his head?
No VAR for us then

MidwestGun

Luiz mistake… only took 60 seconds.

jwl

“All I’ve said is that he has as much right to start as anyone …”

Pierre – this is the kind of thinking that leads to Sanogo starting against Bayern in champs league.

Leedsgunner

Kolasinac at fault there.

Dissenter

David Luiz is still shit…all that nonsensical smoke blowing up Arteta’s arse.

raptora

Oboi.

Bamford10

Let me guess: that opening goal for Everton was somehow Emery’s fault.

Paulinho

Shocking defending.

Everton’s physicality is an issue.

Jim furnell

WTF is Kola up to???

MidwestGun

Bamford… please .. lets not talk about Emery… I’d rather fly to China and start licking doorknobs then talk about Emery.

vickingz

Will bellerin ever learn how to shoot at goal?

Leedsgunner

At least we weren’t have to wait for Arsenal to wake up. They will have to on the ball for the rest of the game from now on.

TheLegendaryDB10

Wow… not the kind of start you would want.

A bit gobsmacked but not surprised. We really should have properly cleared that ball out.

Come on The Arsenal!!!

Spanishdave

Ok Bellerin lean back oh the ball goes up does it?

LeMassiveCoq

Bellend

Bamford10

Great ball from Ceballos. Best passer in this team. Auba should have done more with that.

Danny S

Been such a good few results this weekend with spuds and Leicester, we can’t fuck this up.

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