Last time Arsenal lost to Aston Villa, we’d just made the FA Cup final after beating a Manchester club. History repeated itself brutally yesterday as we succumbed to a very bright side by 3 goals at home.
Not. Good. Enough.
We’ve lost 4 games out of our last 8.
We have not seen a proper performance this season that you’d class as ‘Arsenal like.’
We are too reliant on a fine margins game.
It’s important not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Last Monday, we were all feeling pretty great about beating a record that had stood for nearly 6 years. The season is going to be bumpy, it’s the nature of a new manager trying to do something ambitious without the tools he needs.
However, let’s be honest, yesterday was absolute garbage. No one showed up to perform. There was no fight, no urgency, and we looked very much like a side that doesn’t like to play in the rain.
Mikel is an absolute control freak on the touchlines. That can work a dream, like it did last week, but more and more, we’re starting to see his choreography expressed as dull and boring. I imagine Arteta believed that he could power through this season by having a tight defence, combined with an elite attack that outperforms xG. We have two or three power plays that we were executing really well last season and we’d nick games.
That plan has unravelled because his big names aren’t showing up. Players we have over-invested in aren’t putting in a shift. Auba, for whatever reason, has not been the same players since he signed his new deal. Willian is the not the dreamy operator we saw at Chelsea. Lacazette is no longer an elite finisher. In fact, he’s unreliable, and he doesn’t look anywhere near the level he should be. We’re spending £680k on those names, that’s an astonishing figure for the current output.
I had a big fear this summer that we were making the same mistakes we’ve made in the past. Relying on unreliable plauyers by expecting them to change. Giving massive deals to players that are there for the retirement fund. It’s early days, but things are not looking good.
What makes it worse for me is that Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins cost Villa £28m, likely about £50k a week, and he put in a better central performance than I’ve seen any of our strikers put in for a long time. He made great runs, he held the ball up with strength, he brought other players into the game. He scored two goals.
It goes without saying that Jack Grealish had another great game, but even worse, Ross Barkley looked like the sort of player we don’t seem to have. How can Villa, with their wage bill and resources, seem to have players that can play better football than ours?
Mikel needs to find a plan for the smaller teams at home. We can’t be a beta team that hopes to nick it against small teams. The fine margins game is joyless, and quite simply, we don’t have players to consistently execute against it. Atletico, we are not. The problem is, which players to we deploy to make it happen? Joe Willock and Reiss can do it in the Europa League, but it’s fanciful to think they’ll suddenly do it in the league. Nicolas Pepe is just not a good player, we have to accept that reality and move on, the worst £72m + £150k a week spent in history? Maybe. ESR? I mean, would be nice, but the guy can’t stay fit.
Also, worth noting that when we tried to chase the game yesterday in the second half, we were ripped to shreds. The idea that there’s some elite attacking combo hiding away in our massive squad is probably a bit fraudulent. Thomas Partey is a great player, he has helped give a little more to the way we play, but as soon as he left the pitch, we were shite.
At least Arteta was frank about the state of that game.
“I don’t feel like we were the team we’re supposed to be, we performed below our standards, our ability and I didn’t see the spirit for the first time that I have seen every day in training and every day when we compete,” Arteta said. “This is totally my fault, it is why I am here, I am responsible for that, to make sure the team performs and competes at the highest level every three days. Today I haven’t done that, so obviously it is my fault.
“It is very tough to find the reasons. I cannot say that I have seen a change or this week they train a different way. I would be lying if I said that. Obviously there was something there that [Villa] wanted much more than us and they showed it.
Being the big man and taking responsibility is noble, but really, we need solutions, because what we’re seeing is quite unimaginative. There needs to be a better plan than this moving forward. Losing to Villa playing like that is really, really poor stuff. Especially after what we did last weekend.
As with all blips, it’s how you come back from them. Currently, 4 losses in the league by November looks very bad. He needs to come back with a better plan. He needs to go on a quiet run of wins. We need to see him move this squad of players forward because we cannot be getting bodied by Aston Villa at home. It’s not the Arsenal way.
The coaching staff has two weeks to think about this. Let’s hope he can be honest about some of the mistakes he’s been making. Over to you, Mikel.
See you in the comments.
Sucks. Big. Time.
Hey, first… cool.
Need to get a life.
1st
2nd
@Arsnil… err, no. That would be me, methinks.
Mid-table mediocrity!
Europa lol. I know ppl don’t want us to play Willian, but in such games where you’re main problem is getting the ball forward cause your CMs are outnumbered 2 v 4 or 2 v 3 is to play Willian on the left. He has lost his place but it’s probably still one of the best passers in the team with decent ball control Auba middle, Willian left and Pepe right is the way to go in such scenarios, as the inverted wingers will help spread the ball and provide numbers to your 2 man midfield. I’m in no way… Read more »
I don’t like the ‘Auba new deal’ agenda being floated. Give the guy some service, try him in the middle, the manager is primarily responsible for his lack of opportunities and dumping on the player is peddling a false narrative.
He has lost his pace *
It is like how wenger would play Nasri/Rosicky or how Pep plays Bernardo Silva as a “technical winger”
Is the opposition let you have the ball and let you bring it out easily unlike yesterday, then switch it up and by all means go direct from the wings, bring on Nelson at 65 min.
Agree andy. Auba also created two decent chances for Willian yesterday from his wing play.
I get why you’d say Nelson & Willock couldn’t step up to play PL games like they have in the EL… but Ollie Watkins has just stepped up from championship level and put in top performances against Arsenal & Liverpool… You’ve gotta give players a chance!! Given the awful showing from Willian & Laca all season so, there’s no reason to not give the younger players a shot!
Unless Arteta changes the mindset of his tactics it’s almost irrelevant who he picks. Sure Willian, Lacazette and Pepe are total shite, but is this because of the tactical strait jacket the team is playing in ? The 3 at the back, at least the way we employ it, seems to be stifling any creativity in the team. 9 goals in 8 games – and four of those were against a very poor Fulham.
After the Manure game I said then that it was not the big games, but the ‘winnows’ that would be tough for Arteta as he has not shown any gameplan for those fixtures that actually work. Instead we have relied on ‘dumb luck’ as a strategy to unlock well organised teams. And now, our worst fears are realised … not only are we facing well disciplined, well organised teams, we are now facing teams who have creative weapons who can quickly and easily unlock us. Villa did to us what we did to Utd … pressed hard, broke hard, and… Read more »
Decent post, bar one thing. How can you state categorically that Pepe is just not a good player? Based on what exactly? How many games has he been given consistently. How come Xhaka, Willian and Lacs can perform poorly game after game and still get plated but Pepe isn’t even worth a couple of games to see if he settles?
Arteta Serbs to have his favourites, and that will contribute to his downfall if he doesn’t change. Pedro seems to do too
I have been back & forth foul-mouthing and praising Arteta over the last 6 months. Only thing in favour of him is that he is quick learner and will learn from his mistakes. But how long should we wait for him to learn that willian and laca are bums. Is arteta starting them because he has no better choice? I mean starting willock, reiss and ESR can’t be much worse. Atleast we can sell them for better value if they gain some first team experience.
Arteta is choosing to invest in ford when he has the option to invest in stripe, venmo, intuit and the likes. Teach him investment 101
Criticism of Lacca is misplaced as is Willian. The fault lies with Arteta. Lacca is being asked to play the role of a Giroud: drop into midfield, collect the ball with back to goal, withstand the smack in the back of a massive CB whilst controlling… and then once (if!) you have it under control, lay it off to the wings or CM. Then after you have done a Giroud, sprint into the box ready to leap like a salmon for the inevitable cross… How the fuck is Lacca, all 5’8″ of him supposed to do that? Madness… Lacca’s game… Read more »
Esr and Nelson are injured. Willock was woeful in the first Europa game that we played and won 1-2.
Ollie Watkins has stepped because he is actually ready to play at this level. So far willock hasnt shown that. He dissappears from games and doesn’t very into good receiving positions to help his team mates and become s passing option. Willock is best used as a super sub or as a floating second striker/old fashioned 10 against teams that will not make it difficult for our Mids to bring the ball out.
Strange how Arteta and Emery had the same sort of problems, suggesting something inherent going on. Sadly, it seems the powers that be were not prepared for the magnitude of Wengers departure and how to handle it , though they are clearly trying to make amends with some very expensive players. I suspect Wengers ghost will inadvertently eat up more managers than just Emery if they don’t improve things, it would be a shame if Arteta gets caught up as a victim in this, firmly believe he will be an excellent manager in the years to come . And let’s… Read more »
Well, you have to say that was a uber Emeryesque performance if there ever was one. It’s the inconsistency that is going to kill us. I mean how can we beat the likes of Man United but then fall so lamely to the likes of Aston Villa? I think we need to start rewarding some of our youngsters with appearances against these sides… we need their energy to give the established first teamers a kick up the backside. Willian, for all his experience, doesn’t look interested… but he does look distinctly over the hill. Pepe needs to start, if nothing… Read more »
BTW , I do NOT advocate the crap that Arteta seems to want to play … i.e. playing with an imaginary big target man. Its a shit system and not the Arsenal way.
BTW 2: Maybe Lacca is really bigger in real life? Maybe up close to Arteta he seems like a 6’4″ monster… that may explain things.
Oooo…our new Partey Boy is injured. Whoops.
Willian never was, never is, never will be a dreamy operator.
The reason Auba is not perfoming is because in terms of chances created we are in the company of WBA.
Auba has watched Ozil. Why should he keep up pretence he’s a world class forward? He’s a million richer every month. He’s retired.
Also, please do not blame the board except for the possible reason that they are dumb enough to listen to blogsites such as this. “Please hire Arteta, he is a genius even though he had done fuck all. Pep really likes him and takes him everywhere he goes… blah, blah, bollocks, bollocks, bollocks” If the board had any brains, they would have done what any leading corporation does when recruiting top talent. Firstly, what do we need, secondly, who is the best out there that HAS DONE THIS OR IS DOING THIS SHIT… thirdly, go get him. If they had… Read more »
There is nothing worse seeing Auba crossing for Lacazette and Willian. He should be in the centre getting on the end of crosses. If you are a defender you would like to see Auba away from the goal as far as possible.
We need something a bit unpredictable up front. Why not try Nelson, Willock, Balogun? Willock is different to what we have in the midfield. At least have one or more on the bench.
Pedro
Tim Cahill with egg on his face and you for uploading the video.
TH14 would be going bat-shit crazy if he had been receiving the service Auba is right now. The headline is spot on, we need a new plan because the players we have ARE better than this.
The positional game isn’t giving the team the attacking freedom they deserve. Willian spoke of this in a recent interview. The players look frustrated and short of confidence. This will continue until it all finally clicks into place or Arteta tweaks his philosophy.
I have a simple solution, sack him
Not much more to say other than this is a really poor team being managed by a novice manager, who quite frankly, should be managing at the Championship level learning his craft as a stating point. Ive watched enough matches now to know well enough that this team is truly a mess and it goes well beyond the manager. Said it before a number of times and will say it again, this is not sustainable, period. There is more wrong than right at the moment with this team and the next two weeks aren’t going to change it because Arteta… Read more »
Before I forget: remember it is much, much, much easier to set up a team to be well organised, defend, defend, defend and then score goals on the counter as we have done against the bigger teams recently…
… and much, much, much harder to play expansive, creative football that unlocks any defence.
Leeds
Are Man Utd really that much better than Villa…
3 league games without a goal. God knows how many games without a clean sheet. Auba, laca and Willian in huge wages, will be impossible to move on and have zero resale value. Players buy-in going down rapidly. When you have plenty of misplaced passes, shit finishing, players falling over themselves like Tierney, all of it points towards lack of concentration which stems from lack of conviction and self belief. Lack of motivation. I don’t expect things to improve under Arteta. And I don’t expect the club to improve as the management aspect has been shit. Getting a rookie CEO… Read more »
As I wrote the other day, Arteta is a good cup manager but an awful league one, he reminds me of Terry Neill who had some great players, did very well in cup competitions but did fuck all in the league. If this is ok with the Board, Kroeke’s and Edu then fine but I doubt I’ll continue watching league matches anymore.
Last night the Misses came in and saw me suffering during the match and asked me why I bother, sadly I think she’s got a valid point.
Arteta needs to make big changes and quickly. Villa just gave the rest of the league the perfect blue print of how to beat us yesterday.
Good points :- Can coach defensively ( though more to do with parking the bus ) Can do well doing a smash and grab job against the top sides (though unproven in the league when it matters ) Won a cup Talks a good game in interviews.Bad points :- Daft egotistical non – negotiables foibles Can’t coach an attack if his life depended on it . Not accepting the xhaka bid ( obviously too slow for this league) Not accepting the AMN bid ( never plays ) Failing to get a creator when accepting both the above bids would have… Read more »
We beat man u because of Pogbas stupidity not that we played well.
Horrendous
Destroyed by Villa.
He has got to stop playing three at the back in home matches. It is over cautious and sends the wrong signal and can give the initiative to the opponent.
We were outnumbered in midfield yesteray in a home match again not good enough.
When we are at home we go 4-3-3 and we attack. If Arteta is too shit scared to do this because he doesn’t trust his defence then get rid of them.
Doing this can help matters although it is a very forlorn hope as far as top 4 is concerned.
Lee from AFTV is one of the better fan analysts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIx0ZwOXPrk&t=409s
Arteta wants to give Mustafi a contract extension but at the same time he’s praised to the heavens for binning off the only midfielder we have who can pass and add fluidity to the team.
Absolute madness from the fans.
Drop Laca and Willian to the europa squad, move Abua through the middle Sakka on the left Pepe on the right and see how it goes? To me Arteta has a touch of the Arsène Wenger about him, continuing to pick his favourites it seems regardless of form. He has seen Laca and Willian stink out the 1st team since the 2nd game of the season. I know Pepe isn’t grate right now and that we paid well over the odds for him but he’s assisting and scoring. Which is more than what Willian is doing right now, this is… Read more »
We need to play more forward passes. We spend more time passing backwards and sideways around our penalty box than we do trying to pass in the other teams box.
I don’t get excited seeing our midfielders choosing Leno as the best option. The excitement there is more heart in the mouth than thrills.
Where has the pressing gone? Why are we so deep all the time?
Come on Arteta I thought you were a man with a plan. Let’s see it..
As many have said before we should be better than this, it’s on the system now and playing players out of position along with playing some players regardless of output. What have Laca and Eddie done to start in the middle ahead of Auba? Fuck all that’s what. Same with Willian on the right ahead of Pepe, granted Pepe isn’t in great form right now but give him a run of games and it might pay off, at least he usually scores or assists even when he doesn’t have a good game and we severely lack end product. It’s not… Read more »
I miss Wenger. He didn’t coach good defences, but at least he coached good attacks.
I would rather watch a good attack than a good defence.
It’s official, we are a Sam Allardyce team, playing crap football and defending with 3 blocks, occasionally able to pull a giant killing win
Arteta is running out of sauce, if he ever had one!
But kudos to him he took full responsibility and didn’t blame the weather or the democrats!
We are Arsenal why are we playing 3 centre halfs and 2 holdind mids against Villa at home- too negative and I will say Bellerin legs have gone and Holding is a championship level defender all our trouble was down our right piss poor
I don’t know about arteta , I think arsenal needs a new plan . That was fucking embarrassing last night back to levels of emery’s dog shit .
Just get in Negelsmann for goodness sakes
Who was it that was telling us if arteta had taken over from Wenger we would be in the ucl right now or something along those lines?Do people honestly believe that shit?I mean it’s one thing to view emery as an absolute failure but it’s an entirely crazy thing to say such.Arteta has now lost more home games than emery did for crying out loud and under emery at least we were banging in goals.When was the last time we failed to score in 2 straight home matches?I am willing to give arteta time but some of you need to… Read more »
We weren’t at the races yesterday, and once Villa got in front, there was always a danger we’d leave huge gaps chasing the game that Villa are designed to exploit. The first goal yesterday was so important, we’re not really designed to chase a game against an elite attack that’s full of pace and movement. Villa will do this to plenty of teams this season, they hit Liverpool for 7 just a few weeks back, and they could have easily got into double figures on the day, and that’s no exaggeration The big issue that Arteta has, is the same… Read more »
Arsenal are a Top 4 contender?
Nothing in their overall performance this season would lend validity to that claim.
Unai Emery’s Villarreal are second in the La Liga standings. I didn’t like emery for one bit at arsenal and I think arteta is no better. Pedro’s agenda against emery primarily included the following – 1. can’t work with big name players like ozil (even arteta can’t work with ozil) 2. Can’t motivate players for smaller games (even arteta has not been able to motivate these bums to turn up) 3. Bad defensively (UE atleast told us that he likes to win games 5-4 instead of 1-0. Arteta talks load of crap but if push comes to a shove his… Read more »
The thing is , it’s very easy to get convinced by Arteta, he talks a very good game.. The players , the media, the pundits and a percentage of Arsenal fans have fallen for his rhetoric.. They are convinced that he will be a success, they can’t all be wrong, can they? What has happened in the last 3 years is first Wenger was ousted as the media, pundits and a percentage of the fans(not me) believed he was under performing . Emery was brought in and the media , pundits and a percentage of the fans (not me) were… Read more »
Nullifying your strengths to improve your weaknesses is not good coaching practice. As a coach, in any sport, if you over emphasis the weaknesses day in day out, you will suffer the consequences when it comes to applying your strengths. Arteta’s “control freak” mindset is backfiring big time. I don’t like what I see and significantly, what I see is players underperforming and going through the motions. Tierney is a combative, dynamic, bomber. He has pace, aggression, passion and quality of delivery but where is it? He is stifled by the system and structure and Arteta’s stubbornness to let players… Read more »
I am afraid that Arteta has been sussed out. Smaller teams know that we have no central midfield and are toothless in attack, so they can let us have the ball. Basically there are two blueprints to beat us: 1) Let us have the ball, soak up pressure and beat us via a sucker punch on a counter-attacking move with a long ball in the channel behind the wingback. Technically we play with 3 at the back, but when in possession Tierney is usually much higher and therefore play with only 2 CBs. Once wide the central CB has to… Read more »
Can’t really make a cause to play Holding ahead of Luiz. Luiz is by far superior and yes he can have a 3/10 game but he’s normally one of our best players, while Holding is consistently average 6/10 game in game out. Get this dude out of my face.
Same goes for Laca. Wtf is he doing in our team?
The problem is that Artetaball is bland, safety-first football that stifles the front line. Auba and Laca barely even find themselves in positions to shoot anymore because they’re too restricted and preoccupied with following the structural set up. We’ve lost half our games and have a negative goal difference, being slightly better defensively doesn’t mean much anymore. Mikel needs to get real and find a way to integrate the front line properly because we will not be getting anywhere near 4th without goals from Auba.
Marc Faber Some great points there. Especially asking laca to play a giroud is never going to work and the reason it is being asked is that we have to depend on 3 at the back, and arteta wants laca to come deep to add another body to the midfield when attacking. As someone said yesterday parking 7 behind the ball is isn’t exactly making the defense better, its focusing on defense while sacrificing attack. If the defence was made ‘better’ we wouldn’t have folded like a house of cards when we went goal hunting in the 2nd half and… Read more »
I already made my mind up on Arteta several weeks back, you won’t be surprised.to hear which way I’ve swayed.
That’s me.
“It’s important not to throw the baby out with the bathwater”
A dingo ate our baby.
“Arteta started to lose my support in his handling of the Ozil situation and continually spouting bullshit as to the reason why he wasn’t selecting him.”
Ozil being a lazy piece of shit is not bullshit, Pierre. Emery saw it and Arteta saw it. The whole fucking world outside of you and your boot licking troll brigade saw it and still sees it.
For crying out loud Pierre, put a sock in it.
Pierre, Spot on mate!
“Arteta started to lose my support in his handling of the Ozil situation and continually spouting bullshit as to the reason why he wasn’t selecting him.He compounded this with erratic decision making regarding
1) the signings of Mari and Cedric
2) the sale of Martinez
3) his treatment of Guendouzi
4) His treatment of Sokratis
5) the Saliba debacle..”
Imagine if there had been 60,000 in the stadium last night.
Exactly!
How many here think Arteta will be able to beat the points tally of wengers last season or emerys 1st season?
Pierre
I agree on most of what you’ve said, except for one small thing,
Oh, Ernest got in first.
You remain a lone wolf on this.
Arteta was literally on the touchline instructing every single pass, let these players play, and you could help yourselves by putting your best players in their best positions. It may not amount to much, but we’d do a lot better. We don’t create enough chances, score nearly enough goals and when we do get chances they usually fall to Lacazette who has regressed significantly. Auba has been off colour this season but you can bet he would be sticking more of these chances away. What on earth has Willian done to earn starts at this football club? Arteta talks a… Read more »
We now know why Arteta was happy with a 1-0 defeat to city and made no attempt to rescue the match..
Fear of conceding more goals.
It is much easier to stand in front of the media and explain away a 1-0 defeat than a 3/4/5-0 defeat…
If you are a guardiola at man city with loads of money, then you can have non-negotibles. Because you can turnover players easily with money and power. But non-negotiables at arsenal is uncalled for at this point in time. I understand ozil decision because he has been shit in some important games and his performance has not been so great. But never understood guendouzi decision, he was playing well, has the drive to progress the ball and be ambitious. Arteta should have just tried to use his energy in a productive way instead of banishing him.
That’s right, as soon as Ozil was dropped, Pierre just knew Arteta was a dud.
Remember though, Pierre’s obsession with Ozil is just one big troll. Honest.
Pierre I agree with most of what you said, except the ozil point, he is a washed up footballer, and if he was playing yesterday he would have been sulking and hiding like he has been in the last 2 seasons, he wouldn’t have done anything of note I can grantee you that,
we have seen enough of him to know he is not to be relied on.when it matters
Like we can’t convince Pedro Arteta is not that special, it seems impossible to convince you about Ozil !
Meanwhile Lampard finally worked out to play Kante at the base of his midfield. Expect that team to be very formidable now.
Amd seriously this non-stop shouting instructions from the touchline has to stop. There are times, I’m hearing ‘dani.. Dani… Dani…’ over the commentators.
Imagine being a top professional footballer, being constantly micro managed, go up, tuck in, press now. No one likes being micro managed and especially not on fucking TV.
I’ve never seen any manager being so involved at a play by play level. We had wenger, go out and express yourself, and now we have arteta, stop thinking and do as I say, approaches to the touchline management. Only as an arsenal fan.
Good points Graham
There are far too many players that are being restricted in his over cautious defensive approach.
He has got to take the stabilisers off the bike.
As one fan said it is easier to coach defence in a team in comparison to attack
If all that Arteta can offer is being better structured defensively and that defence can be destroyed at any given time like last night then Arteta is not good enough to be manager of Arsenal FC..
After yesterday anyone who believes Auba should still be playing out wide needs their head examined..the only argument people had was that he scored a lot of goals from that position earlier on…well that’s because we had a midfield of three in those games with players like Ozil who could orchestrate atracking moves ..just because Auba scored that goal against City everyone somehow assumed teams won’t shut that route down. The guy has been reduced to literally play as a side boy supplier when he’s in fact the best striker in the team. Yesterday he looked nothing short of depressed.… Read more »
The treatment of Ozil was justified, the treatment of Torreira, Guendouzi and Saliba isn’t.
Know he can make the odd howler, but looks to me that we suffer in some aspects at least when David Luiz doesn’t play.
There, I’ve said it, I feel dirty
Chelsea look like they will be gone and away over the hills now.
We won’t be getting close to them in the league now.
And finishing above Spurs this season looks very unlikely at this point.
“Yesterday really hurt seeing such an imposing and confident keeper who could have been an Arsenal legend playing for an opposing team. ”
FFS Buzzy, he had nothing to do yesterday! Stop hurting yourself.
And of course the man chuckling to himself last night was Emi Martinez.
Our league chance of top four is gone , seems knee jerk but there’s nothing in our play to suggest we getting that far in the league . I honestly think we’ll end up 8th to 10 th unless arteta drastically changes his whole ethos .
It’s europa league or bust.
The difference between villas players energy, desire and drive last night compared to our lot was staggering!
We looked so timid and out of ideas, we didn’t register a single shot on target for over 70 mins and had 2 sloppy ones in 90 mins. Martinez was having a picnic!
So city, pool, Chelsea, and spurs we are never catching. Leicester seems to be kinda out of reach as well, especially with players returning from injury.
So the best we can hope is 6th, yes? Which ofcourse assumes we rise up to see off the challenge of utd/wolves/Everton etc.
See that happening?
The hope with Chelsea was that they would continue to leak lots of goals.
But for more than enough matches now they have tightened up considerably defensively .
Add this to their goal potential and we have zero chance of fimishing ahead of them in the league.
The stick Pepe gets in comparison to Willian is hilarious. Pepe has a lot of faults but he does at least make things happen. Willian has done more harm than good in his short time at this club yet he starts games? I don’t care how subservient Willian and Laca are in training and how much they run around, they are not performing and they need to be treated the same as Pepe has been or it just looks like Arteta has favourites. Pepe scores and assists and is in and out of the team, so explain why the other… Read more »
“Arteta was literally on the touchline instructing every single pass,“
See, that’s just crazy, and I’m surprised more aren’t bothered by this.
Forget the micromanagement aspect of this for a second if you can, even though that would drive me fucking insane as a player, but while shouting out directions on defense makes some sense , doing that on offense is beyond stupid. You realize that defenders can hear you too, right?
It should not be forgotten that Aston Villa tore Liverpool a new one. Are Liverpool a failing team? Far from it. Perhaps Villa are going to be this season’s plucky giant killers? Obv we can be criticised for not stepping up, bit isn’t this perhaps a case of the players not taking the opposition seriously and getting screwed?
If Arteta finishes above Leicester he will be doing well and Leicester are not top four guarantees of course
The thing with Leicester is that they can lose matches but they have shown now under Rodgers since last season that they can go on winning streaks. Not draws. Winning streaks that gets those points up to propel them.
TheBlaster
Liverpool had Adrien in goal and he made a lot of howlers.
I don’t think Villa beat Liverpool again if they were to play.
Us on the otherhand…
(I.e standard Arsenal behaviour for the last decade)
“Obv we can be criticised for not stepping up, bit isn’t this perhaps a case of the players not taking the opposition seriously and getting screwed?”
No, they know that Villa shellacked Liverpool already. The element of surprise should not be a factor. Yesterday’s result was the direct result of playing in a rigid system that cannot respond to deviations. This is going to be a very long season
Tom,
I’m amazed more haven’t touched on that on this forum. That was my biggest takeaway from this game. If we are a team that are well oiled in attack it may make sense but we’re so unsure of ourselves and nervous going forward I can’t see how it’s helping the players.
There are no crowds in the ground, everything can be heard with so much more clarity so as you typed, the oppositions players can hear everything he wants us to do and then nullify it.
Honestly, I think Mourinho is who we needed.
Mourinho encourages a leadership mentality, gets his players to die for him and challenges the players to be warriors.
He tanked at Man Utd as soon as Zlatan left because the players didn’t have the mentality or strength.
Willian played his ass off under Mourinho and I expect a few others would have upped their games considerably.
He called Ozil a lazy prick to his face and gets Ozil playing his best club level football..
He would absolutely throw out players who are consistently sloppy.
“Honestly, I think Mourinho is who we needed.”
Get a hold of yourself, Kaz! Going full on ridiculous is never a good look for anyone.!
The biggest ignominy of this entire shambolic Villa episode is, actually proving Martinez right. It was clearly not a step down for him, moving from Arsenal to Villa. Look, when you have chutiya shit management for as long as we have had, first with the limp dick Gazidis, then with the thieving fraudster Raul, and now with a rookie marketing schmuck in Vinai, with absentee top management sucking American dick, as a club you are bound to see slipping standards. You know one of the key indicators of slipping standards and lack of structure – believing in false Messiahs ala… Read more »
@Ernest
We appointed a rookie with no experience and allowed expectations to get amplified because he’s a nice talker.
We couldn’t get more ridiculous.
For me the finger points at Auba. He made the difference in innumerable games last season. Now he is a ghostly presence somewhere on the pitch. A reminder in a sense of Ozil. If you give an older player a long contract at a massive increased salary you must expect a sigh of relief and a drop in endeavour. And I’m afraid Arteta must take the blame. My heart sank when he made clear that Auba was vital to the Club A big mistake. Another reminder of Ozil. Weak-kneed stuff. Far better to have sold him rather than give in… Read more »
Pool, City and Chelsea will finish a lot of points ahead of us. That’s a certainty.