It always stings.

by .

Losing a North London derby isn’t supposed to be easy. It’s not supposed to come with positives. It is always utterly shit. Losing to ‘that’ Jose Mourinho mess stung like a wet towel to the backside in a cold December Sunday League dressing room.

Everything about the loss hurt. The simple summation of the game is we didn’t take the sort of chances we normally would and individual errors cost us big again.

Kola was unable to execute a standard 10-yard pass to David Luiz. The Brazilian, low on pace at 33, didn’t have a recovery in him. Martinez, maybe didn’t make himself big enough for the Son chip. You cannot coach that sort of idiocy out of players (Emi is subtracted from that comment), it is absolute Sunday League basics. The second goal was another set-piece calamity. Kieran Tierney found himself picking up Toby from corner, no one else was paying attention, we conceded.

In attack, you saw Auba air shot from a cut back cross in the first half. The second half saw him rattle a fairly standard finish against the bar. He forced an electric save from Lloris on the half volley. Normally, you convert those. Yesterday, we didn’t.

We deserved the result. You know what Jose is going to do to you and he did it. At the highest level, you need to concentrate for the full 90 and we have players that are rarely capable of that. The Kola piece was particularly irritating. Arteta said that no one complained about his defenders when we were keeping clean sheets, I’d disagree with that. Kola was absolutely awful in the last game, so we knew something was brewing. What was alarming was how everything fell to pieces, particularly when we went a goal down. Mustafi was attacking shadows, the shape started to pick apart, and the usual suspects weren’t sharp enough.

The other absolutely key issue is the personnel in midfield. Dani Ceballos was excellent, he really put in a dogged shift, but we still struggled to create from midfield. I think part of the gameplay was to have Lacazette drop in as a 10, but that came with its own problems.

Someone asked me after the game if I still thought the players were coachable. Absolutely. It isn’t even up for discussion whether the players have been improved by better coaching. Our team is better structured, we’ve beaten some good teams on the road, and nearly all stats point to clear improvements across the board. Coaching though, will not solve for Kola making a mistake that bad from 10 yards. The mistakes, sadly, always wait in the wings with certain players. Sometimes you’ll see David Luiz have a towering game, other times, he looks like the least experienced player on the pitch. Mustafi had a great run, now he looks like he’s playing with fear again. The only way you solve for those issues is new players. The only way you deal with them this season is to continue to give them confidence and hope we see more games like those at Leicester / Wolves / Sheffield United… versus the messy output today.

On the match, I was a little confused with the post-game buoyance from Arteta. I thought we deserved the loss and couldn’t quite match his enthusiasm for the performance. I suspect maybe he knew there were a lot of tired legs out there and he knows if we go into the Liverpool game feeling sorry for ourselves, it’ll be a rout.

What I will say is the whatever you think about the game is at least we’re looking at that match as a lost opportunity. We weren’t battered or opened up. We were shithoused, but like, barely even shithoused. We should have won based on chances and not making stupid mistakes, and that’s the talking point.

We have 3 more games in the league this season and an FA Cup game that looks like it’s going to be very, very tough. Then the real work starts. This summer has to be big. If we don’t buy well and upgrade the clear areas we’re struggling in, we’ll have more games like this. Our summer needs end with a squad that is built for the vision of the coach, if it’s not, then what is the point?

Liverpool in 2 days. My word I hope we have something to give. See you in the comments.

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andy1886

Why oh why would we loan Saliba again?? Makes no sense, it’s not as if we have great CB’s and that he’d struggle to get in the side is it? What about Luiz’s influence which is suppose to be so helpful for the younger lads?

Seriously, people were pissed that we loaned him back this season, doing it again is bonkers, I thought that he was a great prospect ffs!

Given our financial state spending that sum of money on a player who wouldn’t even play for us for two years is insane. What are they smoking indeed.

rollen

Fair points. Summer will tell us everything about clubs future.

Graham62

2-1 MU.

Martial great goal.

azed

Pedro

If we are signing players like William, we might as well give up any pretence of us trying to be a big club. We are the new West Ham or Everton.

DigitalBob

Martial’s really improved this season, great goal. Pogba’s recovered from that poor start.

Receding Hairline

Azed you knew we were in for a shit summer after the four year deals handed out to those two who have barely played.

Now we are talking about loaning Saliba? Selling Pepe after one average season? What kind of football club do we want to be really?

andy1886

What the Swiss Ramble hints at but doesn’t offer an opinion on is that Stan could tack on his £505m loan that he took out to buy out Usmanov onto the club’s debt holding. It’s up for renewal this August so it could well happen.

If that’s the case then Stan would make the Glazers look like benevolent benefactors in comparison.

Majesticgooner

We go on about the defence but the attack also needs to be questioned, I can’t remember any arsenal player actually dribble past an opponent , our wide players never try to take on their man, we have no midfielder running past the strikers in the the opponents box,sometimes it’s just passing for stats sake, sideways, backwards. As for Pepe , Arteta has got to try switching him to the left, or up front, because playing him on the right does not seem to be working. Going forward next season we need players that can make things happen in the… Read more »

Graham62

OGS truly understands the MU culture and ethos. He played a part in the most successful period in the clubs history. He knows what the fans want and expect.

Does Arteta understand what we want and expect?

The jury is still out on that one.

Ernest Reed

“Does Arteta understand what we want and expect?”

Absolutely he does Graham, the only difference is that OGS has owners who have more money than sense but still spend.

I think this one is an unfair comparison.

Dissenter

Ernest
Why is it an unfair comparison?
..and what makes you know that he “absolutely understand what we want and expect”?

Graham left the possibility of reasonable doubt whereas you prefer to exclude the possibility that you could be wrong. You think every young manager goes the distance?

Tee

Kinda funny reading a post that’s compared our defence stats with Chelsea’s to prove a point.

I think the best would have been to compare Emery/Chelsea defence stats with Arteta/Chelsea defense.

Citing the problems in team; s acceptable but trying to prove a point by comparing Arteta (who took over midway) Emery who gave us our worst start in donkey years depicts pettiness.

Arteta was at fault and he said it in his post match interview that he faltered in his in-game management which is still better than a manager that throws his players under the bus at every defeat.

Dissenter

Talking about pettiness, which manager throws his players under the bus at every defeat?

salparadisenyc

Emery is gone… deal with it.

Pierre

Maybe someone should tell the manager and players that a game of football is 90 minutes long . We have conceded goals from the 80 minute mark onwards against Chelsea(3) Olympiakos Bournemouth Tottenham Leicester Shef utd (2) Manchester city Brighton A total of 11 goals scored from the 80th minute mark . From the first minute until the 80th minute mark, we have conceded just 10 goals. Is it psychological or are we running out of gas towards the end of games. Could Arteta’s game management be better in the closing stages . Do we become more negative as the… Read more »

Ishola70

I think it’s psychological Pierre.

The mental fortitude of these players has been questioned before.

Gentlebris

There is no debate…

The only way you do a rebuild project is to look for experience sprinkled with well documented history of success. You don’t hire an intern from another firm and ask him to lead an important rebuild project in your company. It’s madness.

Hiring Arteta should hold a world title as king of dumbass decisions.

Ernest Reed

Why would Arteta take on this particular job if he was not aware of the culture and fanbase at Arsenal, Dissenter? Would you rather have preferred a moron show up for an interview who (a) cant speak a lick of english and (b) uses a Powerpoint presentation to “wow” the Idiot Gazidis? I would say that Arteta will last a lot longer than Emery and the reason as to why is because he does in fact understand wants and needs of the club. And to point, why would anyone give a rats ass as to what the supporters want and… Read more »

TR7

‘Is it psychological or are we running out of gas towards the end of games.’ I think it is more of a tactical issue. We play very safe and measured football in the first half and our passing is generally confined to our half. We try to pick up our tempo in second half and from 45th to 75th minute we somehow manage to strike a good balance between defense and attack. But due to poor substitutions, tiredness and lack of focus and to some extent the opposition also chasing goals in the last 15 mins, we kind of fall… Read more »

Tee

🤣🤣🤣 Graham with another one..

Ole manages a team that can piss money on the wall without looking back compared to Arsenal.

Ole had done jackshit till Fernandes came into the picture but our lord graham and Diss already are hyping him like they did Carlo Anceloti. It’s no surprise Diss is a flip flopper.

Who knows who the next flavour of month manager to be hyped would be for them.

Dissenter

Ernest
“I would say that Arteta will last a lot longer than Emery and the reason as to why is because he does in fact understand wants and needs of the club.”:

There you go again with your absolutism
Arteta will be assessed based on results, no different from any other manager. Hard cold facts like points on the table etc…not because he “understand wants and needs”.
He is the head coach not the clairvoyant.

Big Perm

Why can’t I comment?

Ernest Reed

There is no winning with you Dissenter. Any point that is counter to yours is met with an automatic rejection and accusation, in my case its absolutism.

Whatever floats your boat is always good. We differ in opinions and thats okay by me – agree to disagree then?

Emiratesstroller

Pedro Arsenal have been buying the wrong defenders for years. Part of the problem is that we are always looking for bargains in that department and until now I have yet to see one good outcome in the last 10 years. Currently the only player on our books who might look remotely like a top 4 defender is possibly Tierney. All the others are frankly below the standard to sit on the bench let alone start in the first team. It is high time that the club employs a scout and coach who understands the art of proper defending and… Read more »

Gentlebris

‘Could Arteta’s game management be better in the closing stages .’ These are the very first months in Arteta’s life he is managing a game as the leader of a team. Seriously what do you guys expect a blue-nosed novice to do with these crazy issues at Arsenal? Arteta is so confused he thinks Luiz, Mari and Cedric are the way forward, and seriously I don’t blame him. He didn’t come to Arsenal forging papers as having led a team on the cruise before let alone leading a big team out of a quagmire! Yet those brick-headed fart machines gave… Read more »

Redtruth

How anyone can compare a novice to a seasoned campaigner like Emery is ludicrous.

This is as good as it gets with Arteta, who has massively overachieved .

GunnerDNA

Ernest Reed,

“And to point, why would anyone give a rats ass as to what the supporters want and need? He answers ultimately to the ownership of the team, not you or I“

Unfortunately the owner is smart enough to know the importance of the fans and will act if the fans demand change. You are missing the important fact that it seems like Meekel is a Bum. Y’all mad embarrassing acting like widower when Arteta limitations are highlighted

MidwestGun

Pretty sure Arteta is well aware of what is expected. We just recently shit canned our 22 year long manager he played under. And then the one after him after less then 2 seasons for not making the CL. Everyone knows CL is min. expectation. What we don’t know is how he wants to get there. All the overtop speculation and criticism on here over the last 48 hours was laughable reading.. many saying they hated Arteta already after 18 matches, taking over half way through a terrible season and then PL Covid-ball restart with no fans. Sad fuckers. The… Read more »

PieAFC

Why we kidding ourselves. The rebuild was going to be huge. Guardiola, Klopp all had season before eventually “their” systems started to bare the fruits of its labor. Arteta needs time, the players he wants. Not the dross he has inherited. Let’s get off his back. He’s taken on a fucking mess at our club, not exactly a settled shit. The culture at our club was cotton to the core. Just the murmurs of what players were saying about Tierney during training is all you need know. We need to get rid o the players, here for the retirement money.… Read more »

Ishola70

Midwest

You talk as if these players won’t flop again. As if it’s an impossibility.

Well they have in the recent past and are capable again even under Teets.

They can’t be entirely trusted these players.

Redtruth

Arsenal conceded only 1 goal from the 80 minute mark in Emery’s last 13 Premier league games with the club
.

MidwestGun

Ishola-
Where did I say the players won’t fail? must have missed that when I was typing?
What I said was much of the criticism I read over the last 48hours of Arteta was laughable and it was. Go back and read some of it.

Ishola70

Pie AFC

“The rebuild was going to be huge.”

“Arteta needs time, the players he wants. Not the dross he has inherited”

“He’s taken on a fucking mess at our club”

“The culture at our club was cotton to the core”

Sounds like at least a five year plan/rebuild to me.

Player poverty?

PieAFC

I’m shocked Luiz was given another year. I hope to keep around the squad, do his thing. He shouldn’t be anywhere near the starting line up next season. Shambolic on many parts if he is.

It looked promising in the summer, the acquisition of Edu. We’ve got some work to do behind the scenes and on the pitch.

I don’t think Auba will stay either.

MidwestGun

Upstate in particular was practically foaming at the mouth.

Big Perm

Why all the criticism of Arteta when it’s evident we’re a totally different team to the one he first took over.

Big Perm

Ffs why can’t I post?

PieAFC

I’m not saying player poverty.

Come on, this has been a massive weird year, with and without the football. Some of our players are not anywhere near the quality needed to succeed.

Has there been some improvements, albeit slight. Yes, are there the same mistakes in the team, yes.

We can’t judge Arteta during a year were the team have been awful all season and during a year with a pandemic and football looking dross since in parts since it’s return.

And so many of you called for Rodgers, Leicester have been fucking shite for 11 games now.

Redtruth

We’re conceding 1 a game and still.losing
Back.to the drawing board me thinks.

MidwestGun

Southampton with a stunner.. in stoppage time.

PieAFC

I’m just more for some patience. A full pre season, so potential buys in the summer. Maybe a little clear out. This season has been bad. We’ve played really well in some, but definitely a season I cannot wait to end.

So much uncertainty at Arsenal right now. Who’s staying and who isn’t. That’s an extra 5-10% effort on the pitch.

Pierre

The defeat to Tottenham was our first defeat in 6 games so no need to press the panic button. We lost our best chance of winning the game when kolasinac handed Son the equaliser which was a pity as Tottenham would have been there for the taking. The performance v Tottenham was decent, not great, just decent. Events have conspired against Arteta since he took over.. 4 red cards , penalties , late goals , injuries and defensive lapses have all taken their toll . We needed organisation and discipline throughout the team and he has given us this. Only… Read more »

Receding Hairline

Lol @ United

Ishola70

lol Pie your previous post screamed player poverty.

I was even going to praise Emery in pulling up this heap of shit to even challenge top four in his first season such was your player poverty post.

Olumide

Tee
Ole had done jackshit till Fernandes came into the picture but our lord graham and Diss already are hyping him like they did Carlo Anceloti. It’s no surprise Diss is a flip flopper.

This kind of talk is ridiculous.
Arsenal are currently 9th so save that talk of Ole doing jackshit.

andy1886

Lol, United concede a last minute equalizer and stay 5th.

Pierre

Ruth
“Arsenal conceded only 1 goal from the 80 minute mark in Emery’s last 13 Premier league games with the club”

I’m not sure that is a positive Ruth , as you are basically saying that we were shit for the first 80 minutes during those games ….hence his sacking.
.

Champagne charlie

“I’m not sure the improvements have been slight. We’ve kept 10 cleansheets, beaten Wolves away from home, actually started doing better away, reduced goals per game by 0.64. We have better structure, we’re tactically more interesting in each game, and the players are bought into the vision.“

Yea, but have you seen our xGA vs Chelsea since Arteta arrived?

Makes you think. About what nobody knows, but it made Receding think anyway.

Guns of SF

Good for Saints
Go down you manure scum shit

Redtruth

Surely the board sacked Emery to get the season back on track.
The problem is it hasn’t worked and we’re not even close to to what was hoped for…

Olumide

Pedro
Olumide, we’re 9 points behind United in our worst season ever… and they’ve had 18 months of Ole G and he’s spent 200m.

9 points behind shit Ole sounds good considering we’ve lost 15 points from winning position since Arteta came.
I guess that calls for celebration.

PieAFC

Pedro.

I’m all for Arteta. I love the appointment. I’m wanting people to be patient with him.

We need patience before really saying what’s going on moving forward. My choice of ‘slight’ is without anyone else jumping down on the post of me overreacting.

Arteta needs time. I’m willing to give it to him.

Guns of SF

Pedro what your sources say about who we getting?

Thorough

We are utter mugs. We should have built this team around Sanchez whatever it took. I’m watching inter now and Alexis is fantastic. He made the second goal out of nothing. It was like he kept passing the ball to himself.

salparadisenyc

Fergie time.

PieAFC

Some players suit some managers system, some don’t Moses looked unreal under Conte. Some players benefit some don’t. Doesn’t mean player poverty. The players we have are clearly not suited to what Arteta wants to play, the fitness was an issue. Some players also lacking the professional attitude to perhaps want to succeed. We can’t judge Arteta with the players we have in defence now, who even in great form, you know will have an error in them during a game at any moment. We’re setting the team up to cover the inadequacies of the squad. We’re so unbalanced as… Read more »

Redtruth

Pierre.

What it showed was a departure from Wenger’s flops who habitually conceded late goals.
Now we are back to square one and conceding late goals.

roaaary

Football starts with structure and thats what arteta has given us.
Under emery we were 11 players on a pitch with no control. The difference to now is immeasurable.

Changes take time to see drastic impact. We have switched to 3 at the back because our players are so bad. A summer of cleaning up and we will be in a better position.

People like red are just trolls wanting to argue for argument sake. The fact people engage with his boring conversation encourages him to spout more bullshit

salparadisenyc

Thorough

Can’t agree with that, Sanchez wanted out. What we should of done is taken the City bid that August and used that to start rebuild. Without letting Wenger piss it all away on Lemar.

A mini (very) Coutinho moment.

roaaary

Whilst statistics still aren’t amazing, the way our team position themselves through a game has improved. With time, we will see more expansive football, better team moves and eventually better results.

Guns of SF

i dont care what anyone says- our players are not good enough in midfield and central defense.

We have crap on the bench

We need a proper CAM and get back to 4231

We need a proper right winger… not sure Pepe will cut it. Reiss needs to get minutes to show what he can do

Ishola70

Pie

“Some players also lacking the professional attitude to perhaps want to succeed”

Well these players wouldn’t be of use to any manager let alone Arteta if you are insinuating that.

Receding Hairline

But Pedro we already have a top four squad why do we need a good summer to compete for top four? I mean you don’t rate the united or Chelsea coach so surely the fact we have a better coach should seal the deal

Daniel Altos

One of the fittest sides now Southampton Hassenhuttl gets to make a few additions to that team they will be a pain in the arse for every team next season. Work horses and some nice little players there. His sides in German always worked and closed down superbly well too.

Ishola70

roaaary

“We have switched to 3 at the back because our players are so bad.”

Well let’s hope we don’t see a back three next season or that will imply that the players we have are still bad and midtable will beckon again.

The plaster can only conceal for so long.

PieAFC

Ishola

And yet they are still at the club.

We have a fan base still crying out for Ozil who’s done fuck all for years, declined for many season and come out for excuses when things don’t go our way because the lack of inclusion of one player.

As I said clear out.

Gentlebris

Gold standard comedy is people here saying Arteta inherited a mess when the man himself is busy scouting for great ballers like Mari and Cedric, and desperately holding on to absolutely top players like Xhaka and Luiz.

Olumide

RH
But Pedro we already have a top four squad why do we need a good summer to compete for top four? I mean you don’t rate the united or Chelsea coach so surely the fact we have a better coach should seal the deal

It’s all about the shit players right now. Nothing Arteta can do. The same players that Emery took within 2 points of 3rd place.
Now, Arteta needs a clearout to ‘compete’ for top 4.

salparadisenyc

Olumide,

You forgot the part where we absolutely tanked this season away before Christmas.

Daniel Altos

PedroJuly 13, 2020 21:11:27
Olumide, what it tells you is that with a good summer, we can compete. Ole has been getting some outrageous hype on here. Same with Brendan R, who is tanking. Same with Frank.They all have better squads than us.

Leicester don’t have a better squad than us…or isn’t that what the general consensus was here few months ago?

PieAFC

Gentlebris,

Do you really think he had a massive say in actually WANTING them than agreeing that it was something needed in the situation we are in financially.

Cedric isn’t a bad player. Euro winner with Portugal, not a massive name. Nevertheless a good cover for right back during gruelling seasons. I have no problem with this.

Especially before we knew AMN enthusiasm for the cause.

Mari the jury is still out.

Daniel Altos

PedroJuly 13, 2020 21:25:49
Dani, interesting to note that people were calling for his head earlier in the season.

I think the 9-0 loss was a massive turning point for him….he has been mustard since then…finally showing his Leipzig colours and they do have nice young players

Receding Hairline

Pedro you led with a good Sumner, so one can only assume you are not convinced the present squad can make top four under superior coaching

Olumide

Pedro
Olumide, it’s the same group of players that Emery added 100m worth of talent to and gave us our worst start in 38 years.

And last I checked, those players are still here. Arteta should use them.

Gentlebris

‘Bris, do you think that Arteta is an Arsenal scout?’

Sir P,

No and neither do I think Wenger was a scout re- Sanogo(Yaya).

And we must at least credit Arteta with the Luiz and Xhaka things at least, or do you have a spin for that too?

Daniel Altos

I would prefer leicester’s squad Pedro but I remember me and someone else here(can’t figure who) getting stick for saying that Leicester has a better squad than us.

Nelson

Obviously, the inexperience in Oli shows. He didn’t rotate the starting 11 enough. Bruno Fernandes’s passes were way off today. Shaw injured himself while running. They were overplayed.

Champagne charlie

“It’s all about the shit players right now. Nothing Arteta can do. The same players that Emery took within 2 points of 3rd place.
Now, Arteta needs a clearout to ‘compete’ for top 4.“

Arteta has already been improved on the shoddy performance level from Emery earlier this season with the same players.

Do you think the new manager should go a summer without any squad changes so he chan really flex his coaching talents or something? He’ll have his own desires for the squad, it’s not that deep.

Emery had his own desires and it landed him the sack.

Olumide

salparadisenyc
Olumide,You forgot the part where we absolutely tanked this season away before Christmas.

Yeah Emery left us in 8th position after 13 games in a 38-game season.
Big deal. Absolutely tanked indeed. Never happened in football.
I guess we need 2 years to overcome that.

Leftside

Pepe actually looked good post lockdown up until yesterday. Player better towards the end of the half. I liked when AMN and him were on our right.

Theres at least six players who should be shipped out before we begin to think about shipping him out. They’re more problematic for this side than he is.

GunnerDNA

“We’ve kept 10 cleansheets, beaten Wolves away from home, actually started doing better away, reduced goals per game by 0.64. We have better structure, we’re tactically more interesting in each game, and the players are bought into the vision” 10 clean sheets against teams with trash strikers. Wolves was not too long ago playing in the Championship, so beating them ain’t special. All the other stats you’re leaning on is mad selective. If it’s not a game with clean sheet the team doesn’t win. The “we are more tactical interesting in each game” is playing 8 men behind the ball.… Read more »

PieAFC

Leicester have better players in the middle than us, centre backs, for sure. But lately they’ve been awful. Not all over the pitch they don’t.

Tielemans, Maddison would get in our team. I’d take Ndidi, too for a defensive midfield pivot.

Leftside

Leicester have better balance than we do and play better as a team, same with Wolves.

The Backpass

“But Pedro we already have a top four squad why do we need a good summer to compete for top four? I mean you don’t rate the united or Chelsea coach so surely the fact we have a better coach should seal the deal”
LOL

Olumide

Pedro
Olumide, which players do you think are making a difference that aren’t playing?

That’s not the point. If Emery added £100 million worth of players to a squad that was 2 points away from 3rd, then surely that squad should be good enough for 4th?

Isn’t that why we sacked Emery because we thought he should be doing better than 8th with that squad?

Now we’re 9th and the story is ‘that position is as good as it gets with this squad’.