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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Nelson

Aube is not very good passing.

And yes, great finishing from Eddie

Leedsgunner

I told you Nketiah would come good!

TheLegendaryDB10

Fantastic cross by Saka and excellent goal by Eddie.

Pierre will be happy.

Useroz

Rubbish passing all over mostly short and weak. Had they lunch ??

Guns of SF

Auba has some limitations for sure

vickingz

Nkechiiiiiiiiiiiaaaaa

Useroz

Can bellerin look right and pass forward for once ??

Paulinho

Everton have two good athletic forwards but are garbage everywhere else.

We should dick all over them now.

Dissenter

Maybe now Nkettiah can lift off and we can all see what Pierre and the manger see already.

That Dreamcast Kid

Özil should’ve just get a cheeky touch to chip that in lol now we are on the ascendancy time to put them to put the knife deeper

Guns of SF

MVP is Saka!!!!
Make it 60K per week now!

Guns of SF

whoooo

That Dreamcast Kid

oooof thank you and goodnight indeed!!!!!!!!!!

now to increase the GD!!!!

vickingz

A beauty

Champagne Charlie

Hate when Auba starts wide 🤡

Goonah

was he onside?

nice pass Luiz

Leftside

Auba! What a finish!

Habesha Gooner

Nice pass Luiz, And wonderful finish Auba.

Jamie

Get in! Get stuffed!

TR7

Yeah, I was lambasted when I said Martineli was not a special player and Saka was the real deal.

Great finish and great ball. Carlo’s sauce might be off. Still want the kroenke’s out of our club though.

MidwestGun

Whoooooo yes… Nice… finish.. Auba….time.

Dissenter

Pierre
You’re the man. I grant you that.
Auba has more room with Nketiah on the field.

Leftside

CC stop goading my good man! Lets hope we can keep on!

Guns of SF

Luiz atoned

Nelson

That’s what Auba is good at.

Useroz

Nkettiah irks. Something about him must have lost over the cable tv transmission !!

Shows us you care boy…

Saka passes better than bloody MF

Leedsgunner

What a come back!!!! Come on lads….

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

Auba channelling his inner Henry!!!!

Danny

Best 10 minutes for years.

DaleDaGooner

That pass by Luis was the everything!!!!

That Dreamcast Kid

TR7 we can’t win all the battle just need to admit we got something wrong sometime

in the end it’s all for the good of the club ggnore Everton

Tony

Arteta 2 Carlo 1 has a nice ring to it

Dissenter

They have to wrap Saka in cotton wool.
Kola is out again, for Gawd knows how long
Tierney …

Leftside

I tell you what, a Tierney has some job to get into this side. Saka is going from strength to strength and the fact that he’s from the academy makes it all the more sweeter.

Bamford10

Superb pass from Luiz. Maybe HE’s the best passer in the team. 😉

Ceballos the best midfield passer, Luiz the best passer among our defenders. Both excellent passers.

Ahmeducrazy

eVErtOn ARe sHIt thIs Is nOtHing spEciAl

TheLegendaryDB10

Well done PEA!!!!

Come on The Arsenal!!!!

We still have out moments but really glad to see that the team was not phased out by that early Everton goal.

Paulinho

Think Soares can fill in at left-back.

Useroz

Nkettiah That’s more like it.

Jesus oh my. Saka soon be out of our reach !!

Effortless cross. That’s how good that was.

Dissenter

TR7
NO ONE has ever suggested that Saka was not a special player. I don’t know what you’re gloating about.
Saka gets the most plaudits on this site for his excellence.

Leedsgunner

I hope Arteta still tears them one at half time for conceding so easily… another clean sheet would have been sweet.

GoonerDave

Auba finishing like the master TH.

TR7

Ceballos like Ozil is not a physical specimen but he has shown his quality. Some excellent passing from deep areas. Ozil has been very poor.

Bamford10

Paulinho

That would be great, if true. I’d like to see Saka as the wide left forward.

MidwestGun

Saka is such a key to our play opens up the whole pitch for us.. hopefully can stay healthy.. He is young enough.. when I was 18.. I felt like I could run forever.. those were the days… hahahaha But yeah he will need to have a backup at some point.

On another note .. had no idea Baines still played.. thought he had retired.

Dissenter

No one complains about Xhaka these days.
Ishola and Marc robbed of their bone of contention. 😁😁😁

G

“” Don’t blame Saks for not signing. Far to good for Arsenal. Wasting his time at this Mickey mouse club.””
Fuck off then and support another club

Dissenter

Did anyone else notice Sidibe keeping his legs closed there, Defenders are scared of Saka already.

DaleDaGooner

Does Saka want to keep playing Leftback though? Cause he’s a self professed Forward. Pay him what he wants! Deserves it. How many involvement in goals now?

Ahmeducrazy

G

Exactly

That Dreamcast Kid

yeah don’t put ze handbrake on now lest we go on oversteer and drift and crashed and burn

time for pedal to the metal finish this lot once and for all leave them behind until you can’t see them on the rear mirror anymore

Dissenter

Paulino
Pablo Mari on the left will be an untested option, like rolling the dice.

Zacharse

Tv showed a flash of his face and my god Leighton baines looks like hes 50

vickingz

Mustafi ooo

DaleDaGooner

I like Ceballos. We should keep him if Real don’t want him.

MidwestGun

I keep thinking my tv.. has color block issues but.. no … its just Mustafi’s hair.

That Dreamcast Kid

well he has the chance to interlink with Martinelli and Auba on that flank I think that is motivation enough if he has his head on his shoulders

saying that we still need to compensate him for being a loyal servant thus far

TR7

Ceballos really playing well today

Guns of SF

Pepe really needs to use that right foot

That Dreamcast Kid

the fuck was that red card please!!!!

That Dreamcast Kid

come on VAR show your worth you cunts!!!!!!

Guns of SF

AUba working hard on D

Danny

Bollocks

Dissenter

Leno wasn’t brave enough there
Freaking coward

That Dreamcast Kid

fuckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk itttttttttttttttt fuckdmasbocjadskjsdsjkSDKja

of course it was given

fuck PMGOL

Leftside

Argh ffs

Habesha Gooner

Argh. was going fine till now. better than I expected

Samesong

Leno is a pussy.

Leftside

Both sides are so fragile, coyg!

Guns of SF

Terrible keeping for Richarlison who should have seen red perhaps

vickingz

Oh, not again

Samesong

Always shoot ourselves in the foot.

Leedsgunner

Arteta is going to be livid.

We need people who can win headers.

TR7

2 silly goals conceded

MidwestGun

Ugh.. defending is still shaky.. was just about to type we just need to get to haftime and regroup to put this one away.. new game now.

Bamford10

We came back well, but neither Xhaka nor Ozil does enough for the team for me. Replace Xhaka with someone like Ndidi, replace Ozil with someone like Maddison. Keep Ceballos. We would be a much, much better team.

grooveydaddy

Doh!

DaleDaGooner

That’s on Leno

That Dreamcast Kid

with that foot high stud showing you want to see Leno go for that?

absolute bullshit from the ref again

major major decisions against us again

bloody bollocks

Leftside

Those goals were horrible to concede.

Zimmie2652

Why is Leno such a weak twat? Come the fuck out and own those little blooped balls.

Samesong

This game anyones now. All it takes is Everton set piece and goal now. Giving away stupid freekicks is going to be our downfall.

Georgio

There goes the fragile Arsenal again. Thought we were loosing that personality. Guess not so fast.

Guns of SF

Ozil needs to sit down.
Did didly squat today

Put some energy in the midfield…
Torreira, or even Willock…

Champagne Charlie

Goal in the first minute and last minute of the half, that’s concentration. Arteta needs to bollock them at half time.

Goonah

Thats on Bellerin for me. Kola before. You can’t put them onside like that

Guns of SF

Move Dani into the 10
Sub Ozil and have Torriera with Xhaka..

need better protection in the back

Redtruth

Back to the drawing board with this monkey defence….

Valentin

Here is why Leno is not a great goalkeeper and Arsenal should upgrade this summer!
Great shots stopper, but poor on his line and poor distributor also probe to mistake.
Statistically he commits one error every 8 games that directly lead to a goal.

Leedsgunner

We can’t deal with anything in the air…. anyone no if Saliba is good in the air?

Wasi

Individual Mistakes costing goals again.
When will we learn.

Also Saka should NOT be marking Mina on set pieces.

Valentin

Prone to mistakes.

R.S.P.C.Arsenal

Leno bottled it
For a kraut that’s a no no
He’s too inconsistent out.

RodneyKing

This is so frustrating. Same old, same old.

We’re world-class going forward but so dopey at the back. Everton’s only chance of scoring was from a set piece or fortuitous deflection.

Dream10

Torreira for Dani Ceballos btwn 45-60 mins

That Dreamcast Kid

but yeah in the end his indecision to come out from the initial corner is his Achilles’ heel his ultimate weakness

Leedsgunner

*know… sheesh