Dust yourself down people, it’s time to wipe those tears away, and put on your big boy Gunnersaurus trousers.
The weekend was a nightmare for the project. We had a pretty average first half of football against a team that has been beating teams this season. Then everything went wrong again. Our 32-year-old signing felt something after a long haul flight and a party with Salt Bae. Our most expensive signing ever landed a red card for a very dim explosion of temper. We didn’t get to see if the half time chat could have an impact.
Still, we live to fight another day and another day comes a lot faster this week.
We play Molde. Word on the street is Mikel Arteta is going to put Pepe straight back in the side to make amends for his shitty performance and behaviour. The player apologised yesterday and the manager is clearly looking to bury this issue before it gets out of control.
A lot of fans were quick to point out that this incident was the same as Maupay and Matteo. Well, things moved a lot faster in the right direction. The player said sorry to the fans and he certainly doesn’t have any of the backstory issues the Hertha player has.
The shame of the Leeds game is we did address the setup and formation like every fan said they wanted. Obviously, a change like that wasn’t going to be an instant hit, and trying anything out against a brutal Leeds side was always going to be challenging.
Now Arteta has to do it again vs Molde. We need to see central strikers playing through the middle and it’d be ideal to see someone like ESR given some game time so we can see what he’s all about. I mean, at this point, I’d love to see more of the next-gen talent on the pitch. If Balo is staying, start him. If one of the kids can play a forward pass, let’s see them. We should be using Molde to find out if anyone is willing or able to make the jump.
We also just need a fucking palette cleanser out here… a mint sorbet of a game if you will.
Wolves were held to a draw against Southampton last night, but they had 20 attempts at their goal. Make no mistake, this will be a tough game and I suspect they’ll not play a deep block again. We need a win though, we really do.
The good news for the weekend is we’ll hopefully be forced into some positive changes. Thomas Partey returns to our midfield. He’s a dream player and the perfect antidote to 90 minutes of Xhaka. We’ll also start Saka at the weekend if he’s fit. He’s a dream of a player, he looks confident, and I hope he’s given the wide left role. I’m not really sure what we’ll do on the right, but I hope it’s not Willian again.
There were a lot of things wrong with the Leeds game, but I can’t help but be most pissed at Granit Xhaka slobbering over Alioski after the game and protecting him from Tierney. This guy was our captain, can you imagine Paddy doing that? Adams? Embarrassing. It shows how far this so-called high-performance culture has to go.
I wrote a piece back when we had that bad result against Aston Villa last season. My take was that you can’t train character and that it’d be a mistake for Arteta to invest too much hope in players that have let the club down consistently over the past 5 years. He’s now learning this lesson the hard way after thinking he could change ingrained behaviour. The summer transfer window was dominated by indecision from the whole of Europe. Players wouldn’t leave big contracts and small clubs weren’t interested in spending money. That meant we kept a bunch of players perhaps we shouldn’t have. Now the vaccine is on its way, those issues will resolve, we need to take a fucking sledgehammer to the wasters in this squad because no amount of coaching is going to save players that thrive in the comfort zone.
Arteta’s biggest mistake has been to trust the senior players in this squad. He needs to learn fast and let a younger generation of players guide the future. We hired a generational coach to coach, not try his hand at ‘one last job for the boys’ approach at winning the Champions League.
The soul searching will continue this week, let’s hope there’s a reaction coming because it is shocking that we’ve not seen a blowout performance and it’s November. We are not one player away from anything. There aren’t even hints at a better way forward. The pressing has stopped, we don’t know how to attack, and everyone is playing like a bum. That’s on Arteta and his coaching staff. Things need to improve. Let’s see what he has up his sleeve.
1
2
Literally expecting the same drab football against wolves if I’m being honest.
Boom
Partey should help tho
Sid, you silly goose 🙂
No light. No moving forward. Arteta and his signings have to go.
I don’t think we’ve got many options other than putting Pepe into the team Thursday night. We will want to keep as many fresh legs as possible for Sunday and our wide options aren’t great at the moment beyond Saka. Not sure what the best medium term plan is for right wing. Try to rehabilitate / get something out of Pepe, hope Willian finds some form, hope Nelson can do enough to see the season out? None of them are filling me with a huge amount of enthusiasm at the moment. It is good to see at long last that… Read more »
Pedro and his wishful thinking… SMH…Here’s a bold prediction. We’re going to lose to Wolves and Spurs in embarrassing fashion, and Arteta will be out of a job by Xmas. The sooner someone competent comes in and takes over, the better.
Upstate
I must admit I though Pedro would give it another day before sweeping the weekends mess under the carpet.
Up 4 grabs
‘His job is not on the line and neither should it be at such an early stage. He’s had difficulties to overcome such as the pandemic and lack of pre-season. The form is up and down and maybe that’s to be expected to an extent. Not because he’s a new coach – Arsenal shouldn’t be an apprenticeship scheme for managers – but because transition takes time.’
Perfect summation of the situation. People need to get a grip, stop losing their shit and be realistic. Things take time and absolutely things wont be plain sailing
If Pepe doesn’t fit into the future of the club than you have to put him into the showcase window to sell him. Don’t know if mighty Molde will suffice.
MD
Whilst you’re are right on that front you also need that shop window to make him look worth buying – I’m not sure Arteta can do that.
People need to be realistic? I am, Rob. Very much so, in fact. Arteta has had plenty of time, and I’ve seen enough from him to say that he’s not the right person to take us forward. Shocking decisions have been made by our manager but all would be forgotten and forgiven if the results were positive. Unfortunately, they are not but most importantly the football on display is the worst I’ve seen in over 20 years supporting Arsenal.
Marc
I honestly don’t know what it would take for Pedro to finally admit that he was wrong about Arteta
Generational coach…….😂😂😂😂
Superrob
,Those aren’t my thoughts either, I thought there were recedings.
I think his job is on the line, his remit was top four finish, we’re 5 points off that already. The next six games are all dodgy barring Burnley and by boxing day after playing Chelsea we could be miles adrift.If we are I could see him sacked. The form we’re in with no change in formation in tactics and some players already looking like there not hundred per cent behind him could well push him out.
Binning Arteta is a bit of a conundrum at this point. Who is available who can coach this heavy imbalanced squad into at least a top 4 team? It feels damned if we do, damned if we don’t. Arteta is very stuck up in his ways and all, a more fashionable Allardyce if you must (at least he had Okocha for flair). Arteta has all the players on a leash and we are utterly shy of creativity. Binning him on the other hand means a more experienced coach will probably need to rip the whole set up to ground zero… Read more »
Val
That’s my point, you source everything from Google and ‘my old mate’, you’ve fuck all real experience in areas you talk about with superfluous confidence and certainty. Ignorance isn’t bliss, you’ve never heard of it.
Next you’ll be telling Pedro how to write a blog properly because your ex girlfriend did this thing once and there was an outcome, or educating Jamie on Nigerian culture.
And you talk about me and ivory towers? The irony runs deep. You’re a fountain of knowledge, just so happens that fountain has an HTML, or a fanny you’ve sniffed.
Upstate
My real worry in this is everything that’s happening is what the concern was in hiring a rookie who’d never managed a team in his life. I think he is a good coach but there’s a world of difference between being a a key member of the management team and being the main guy.
He / we might get lucky and it suddenly clicks but right now the only teams who have scored less than us are in 17th, 19th and 20th positions after almost a quarter of the season.
Arteta’s job is not on the line. Whatever happens, he should be allowed to finish the season and we start from a clean slate.
With players like Ozil and Mustafi out of a contract in the summer, we will have a new beginning.
From previous post: Fucking Giroud, seriously. Are we even a serious football club anymore? Isn’t Crouch available? If we want a target man there’s plenty of up and coming players we could target that isn’t a lamp post, Thuram for example could probably still be got relatively cheap, although we should have bought him before he went to Germany for 11m. If all we want is an upgrade on Laca the choices are even more plentiful, Giroud isn’t it though. Doubt we’ll buy more than 1 player in January and Cam is absolute first priority, after that we also also… Read more »
Pedro
“we need to take a fucking sledgehammer to the wasters in this squad because no amount of coaching is going to save players that thrive in the comfort zone”
Almost like you’re saying that some of our players are uncoachable, surely not? Shocker…
“Wolves were held to a draw against Southampton last night, but they had 20 attempts at their goal. Make no mistake, this will be a tough game ” Since the Fulham game every other game you have warned it will be a tough game, even against pub teams in the Europa league yet you still persist with the generational coach line. “We are not one player away from anything.” I couldn’t agree more “That’s on Arteta and his coaching staff” That’s the problem, his coaching staff is headed by a midtable merchant and kids playing coach, no wonder every game… Read more »
CC, You are like a kid who has just proven wrong and can’t just admit it. I initially wrote a throw away comment that my friend a medical surgeon confirm to me that yes smelling bad can have a negative impact when in triage. You saw that as an opportunity to attack me, like you spend your daily life anybody who disagree with you and expose you for the sad little ignoramus that you are. I just answered by giving link to professional body proving my point. But clearly that went above your head. I don’t know why I bother,… Read more »
What are the odds that we draw Villareal in the first knockout phase of the EL?
Pedro will be terrified.
Did you guys read all the way to end? I was actually pleasantly surprised that Pefro did not sweep anything inder the carpet and acknowledged that our dire performances are due to Arteta and his staff.
This is a good read from Salzburg Manager Marsch, touches on a lot of the intangible stuff many of us are willing into place at Arsenal after a very stale period.
https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12134812/jesse-marsch-interview-red-bull-salzburg-want-to-win-the-whole-thing
I think we will win on Thurs and Pepe might even score!
Hopefully that happens to bury this shit and move on…
Wolves will be formidable, good thing TP is back… he will have his work cut out for him…
Those wolves keep moving and get stronger as the game wears on
Lol Pedro finally coming around to player poverty.
Hey Receeding…
Any midweek tips for the champions league and Europa games. Lots a bucket load last weekend
I almost feel sorry for Pedro – he went at Emery so hard that any defence he tries to put up for Arteta has one of his own quotes waiting to be dropped in contradicting what he’s said.
All the fanbase wants is to see a projection that Arteta knows what he is doing. So far, he only has one league game to write home about and make no mistake, Fulham were utter shite. We cannot replicate Pep’s City in any way or form but at least he can create a single, more exciting identity of play – whether it’s with the kids, I don’t care at this point. My concern is Arteta is more concerned about his non-negotiables and interview highlights than actually creating a cohesive, winning formula for the team. Wenger was perennially getting us ze… Read more »
Freddie, Please name a target man available on a free or at a very cheap price who is already familiar to the EPL and who could do a job straight away if we get during the winter TW. Like people wrote, if Giroud is granted a Bosman by Chelsea, we would be stupid to ignore that and spend millions that Arsenal does not have on a player who will then need 6 months to adapt. I am not ready to consider that season as a wash. So if Arteta refuses to change system, Giroud would be the perfect cheap, ready… Read more »
“yes smelling bad can have a negative impact”
Poor Val. Sorry to hear, maybe it’s your breath?
Luteo,
As usual one battle later.
We were talking about your underwear and how their bad smell affected your judgement.
Val
No, I saw you once again use your pseudo-knowledge to state a Val-fact on a subject you haven’t any actual experience in.
Then you doubled down and went Ronny Pickering on the matter asking me ‘if I’ve ever been in a Triage Hospital’ – you haven’t, and instead were regurgitating a tale from one of the many ex-girlfriends that you use as sources.
So again, you’ve no actual knowledge on the subject, just Google and some old flame. Enough to consider yourself an expert mind you so crack on.
shad
You can tell Arteta’s feeling the pressure and he’s not dealing with it well. The pre match press conference where he spoke about finding the source of the leak regarding the Ceballos / Luiz spat is just another sign of him not being able to see the wood for the tree’s.
Arsenal posting a picture of Tierney and xhaka on the plane #noproblemhere
That not set up much.
Luteo don’t ever head into triage with piss stains on your white undies, you’ll be there for hours no matter your symptoms.
Source: Val’s ex-girlfriend.
@Val,
We gave Willian a 3 year contract, extended David Luiz’s contract, and gave Mari and Soares 4 year deals even while they couldn’t do 2 keepy-ups out of triage. Giroud will definitely be on a 2 year contract with option of a 3rd given that our contract team is run by the penguins of Madagascar.
“We were talking about your underwear and how their bad smell affected your judgement.”
Stay away from my underwear you pervert.
Pedro – where did it all go wrong?
From running an Arsenal blog with the most popular comments section to running a blog who’s comment section is now mostly about piss stained underwear!
Shad, Maybe, but Edu is supposed to have clean up the contract team. Like I said Arteta needs a different type of striker for his system to work. Outside of Moller in the U23, nobody at Arsenal can do that role. As we are officially skint, I would welcome any 6 foot plus striker with a pulse, if it were to make the football more efficient. I am not even talking about more visually bearable, just more efficient. There is no way we can continue with expected Goals Against higher than the expected Goals for without sliding further away from… Read more »
Arteta didn’t address the main things though, we want Auba central playing off the shoulder of the defender, not running back acting as a high line defensive mid. Cebellos and Xhaka are just not fit for purpose and the manager should know that, he’s seen how shite we are plenty of times with them there so why not set up AMN in the centre and do something proactive? Gives athleticism and much needed verticality in how we play, we know AMN can beat a man with his dribble too. Willock tried bless him but he wasn’t imposing himself, but if… Read more »
Batistuta you and me both, Galatasary summed up my weekend yesterday. Sparta Prague too.
I have a nice BTTS game ongoing from the weekend though, 14 games, 7 still pending
PSG vs RB, Inter vs Real, Bayern vs Salzburg, Rangers vs Benfica, Dundalk vs Rapid, Nice vs Slavia, Lille vs Milan all BTTS
Luteo
How’s you little one doing. Good to have you back,
Were you the one operating those Venezuelan dominion machines by any chance?
Marc,
Talking about unbearable football, do you intend to volunteer to pay for the privilege of attending the games soon?
If you do, please do not boos too loudly, we will be able to hear on TV.
I think most worrying is seeing that the only attacking change made was to play Auba center after weeks of complete nothing happening there. Pepe – not a big change- he is a winger and could be a starter. Other than that, there was nothing- aside from Saka trying to save us. I doubt we see anything resembling a “new” style of attack against Wolves. Wolves like to hit on the counter, so maybe we should sit back like them. Make it a bore fest and try to nick a goal ( which is the only strategy I think Arteta… Read more »
Batistuta I also fancy Ajax, Lazio, Athletico Madrid, Liverpool, LASK link, and Roma to win their European ties
Interested to see Camavinga up against this Chelsea’s team/midfield.
Seems a guy that could really make the very top grade in European football. Makes the likes of Willock and ESR look a bit Poundland by comparison. By a bit, I mean a lot.
Valentin
Right now the idea of actually spending money on watching this shower is not something I can build any enthusiasm for.
One of the news channels earlier had a piece about the high demand they’ll be after 9 months without football – I think Arsenal will be glad there’s only going to be a small number of tickets available.
MA is always an interim manager., a project until we get the real one like Klopp. Having said that, if he can replicate what Pep did with Barcelona in between 2008 – 2012 then its entirely something else. I don’t think we have the squad to do it anyway. Nevertheless, we need to give him time. We do not want to do a ‘Liverpool’ or ‘Man U’. We need to persevere with MA at the moment. It does appear that he has addressed defence to some extent except right back. I love Bellerin to death but it feels like his… Read more »
Marc, I suspected as much. I think that Arsenal may have a nasty surprise when they start calling the season ticket holders. Many will just delay their return between financial insecurity, health concern. Others will just consider this season as wash and wait for next season. Many of my former colleagues in the city who are long term Arsenal, Chelsea and WestHam season ticket hokders could afford the payment because lockdown meant they cut down on expenses (no transport, no lunch, no bar tab, …), but will not renew by fear that the real carnage in the city will start… Read more »
Sin bin
Valentin
I’ve got 6 credits – I’ll either use those once the stadium is fully open around April or against next seasons ST.
One way or another whats going on will be at least partially sorted by then.
Val,
Any special intel on where Willian’s brother went on his honeymoon after his wedding in Dubai last week?
Sin bin?
Who?
I thought i had been
Sid
Well we can always live in hope!
I’m not seeing it. Arteta’s problem is the squad. i said after the last europa league game that id never seen us start a stupider front 3 than willock pepe and eddie and i really like eddie.
We lack competent attackers, not speedy or technical players. pepe is the avatar. i agree i’d like to see balo esr and some others pop up. nelson and willock simply arent cutting it and may be the kind of players who need to find their games at smaller clubs…
someone on here actually called me racist for saying willock was dumb lol
@azed
“With players like Ozil and Mustafi out of a contract in the summer, we will have a new beginning.”
How is that going to work. Ozil can’t represent Arsenal and Mustafi is not being picked. The new beginning should be here, since it hasn’t materialized, the comments here are calling out Edu & MA.
Having been super-critical of Arteta this season, I would say that it is still way too premature to come to any definitive judgement about him one way or the other. The fact that he has no independent record of his own to speak of (being an assistant to Pep doesn’t count no matter whether he was a @cone boy or @Pep’s cerebral cortex) means that nobody can really point to his record at Club X or Club Y. He’s lost his way, after being successful using “pragmatic” (i.e. super defensive) formations, tactics and performances against Liverpool, Man C, and Chelsea.… Read more »
If you look at the recruiting since AW left it is atrocious. AFC bought DNA Stat, but they pushed out or let go the scouts and recruiting staff as a result those left in power conducted abysmal deals until the top hierarchy was cleaned up by Stan Lewis but it now leaves people in charge of player recruitment that newbies and amateurs.
True they inherit the mess of 8 Center Backs of which one is ineligible and they still can’t get two squads together that can compete in the EPL & UEL.
Crouch was born to grow a tache.
Dissenter (Chief Planning Officer, Dominion)/Luteo (Chief Field Operations Office, Dominion),
Just wanted to congratulate you both on your successful conspiracy to defraud Trump of his rightful claim to the Presidency.
By the way, how did you manage to persuade Soros to fund your operation?
And bringing back Chavez from the dead…..that was cool.
Looks like John Holmes
Marc Make sure you don’t forget your freedom pass…. Have you ever heard anything so ridiculous? The sad thing is, politicians will pass the buck, venues won’t let you in without your freedom pass, and instead of everyone standing together and refusing to bow to their tyranny, the sheep will just agree to it. I’ve already had COVID, it wasn’t particularly pleasant, but will now have some level of immunity, but even with immunity, and a 99.6% chance of living if I catch it again, at my age and health demographic. They want to screw up perfectly healthy immune systems.… Read more »
“If you look at the recruiting since AW left it is atrocious. ”
Where as Mustafi and Xhaka are £70 million worth of joy, turning down £60 million for Sanchez only to swap him for Miki 6 months later was a move of such brilliance even now it stuns people and the £350k per week for Ozil is an example to all clubs everywhere how to negotiate.
I’ m dumfounded. The big problem is lack of goals, we have a guy with a natural gift for scoring, and yet we don’t play him. How can that be? I am talking about Nketiah, of course. He ought to be first choice as striker. He is a reminder of, say, Michael Owen. Someone who thinks and acts twice as fast as anyone else in the box. You can’t train that, it’s an ability that is innate and inborn. If Arteta has a fault it’s too much respect for the elderly. Auba is not scoring? Okay, drop him. Right now… Read more »
Dissenters a left wing nut job he probably thinks tierney was exhibiting toxic masculinity and should have to attend an inclusivity and diversity summit
London
I’m guessing that you have a similar view to me – ie Pepe if you’re going to get sent off for violent conduct really hurt the fucker.
Marc,
Pepe perfectly sums up Arsenal these days.
A nine-stone pacifist weakling who (correctly) manages to get himself sent off for the most gentle act of “violent conduct” ever.
I’m mindful that Arteta is a young manager with limited experience so on that singular note, he deserves some time to sort out the obvious deficits. My main concerns are that we needlessly promoted him to manager when he’s still supposed to be fine-tuning the art of management. Now he has his hands all over the squad and it’s not looking good. The club may have tried to correct the flaws that led to us overpaying for Pepe by giving the manager more say in recruitment but Arteta just used that extra powers to sign dubious quality players like Mari… Read more »
Marc
I don’t think Pepe was trying to head butt Alioski.
I think it was more of trying to intimidate him like “what are you gonna do now you fucker’, staring at him eyeball to eyeball.
It seemed to me that it was trash talking and gesturing gone bad.
Marc,
Word of advice: don’t get too close to London G.
He’ll enlist you in his ongoing war against Dead Communists like Chavez and convince you that Stalin is still alive and is about to invade North London.
WOAB
Mate I think it’s a bit late for me on the right wing front – I think we should bring back the death penalty for walking too slowly.
London gunner
You the one who votes for Corbyn, the most bland and tepid politician of all time.
I wish Tierney had not been restrained, let the William Wallace in him tear Alioski to shreds
Marc
If you are getting sent off you should it proper not powder puff shif like what pepe did.
Honestly think he didn’t want to be on the pitch.
I’m no fan of corbyn but at least he is an arsenal supporter I’ll give him that.
Can someone finally set the record straight here, do we have a top four squad or not? Or is it a top eight maybe? Emery destroyed a top four squad because he couldn’t speak or coach and that’s just a fact, but now we have a much better coach , some even call him generational, so surely it has to be the players then. Maybe they haven’t recovered from all the destruction and soul crushing Emery had unleashed on them. My only worry with Arteta is his jacket selection. Pep didn’t start wearing funky clothes until his later City years,… Read more »
Former Juventus and Milan coach Allegri is currently available. Lets ditch the clueless one asap, His so called sauce tastes like Surstromming. Nasty stuff.
“Can someone finally set the record straight here, do we have a top four squad or not?”
It ceased to be a top 4 squad 32 seconds after Arteta got the job.
Dissenter
The little one is good, thanks. Newborns overall are pretty dull though, I have to admit. Except for yesterday when he actually managed to hit the wall about half a yard away with some projectile poo while he was being changed. I was really impressed. I’m hoping it means he has strong core muscles.
London with the old “if you’re gonna give her two fingers, give her the whole fist” argument.
Is Clement Grenier an ‘almost signed’ player too, or am I making that up? Pretty sure Arsene was hot for him years ago.
Global
I don’t think you’ll get many hits with your surströmming reference here. Agree that’s it’s rancid stuff though.
Giroud has just scored.
I would love to see us change up our performance’s as all of us would.
I feel Arteta is too stubborn and somewhat timid in his approach,however if his entire philosophy is us nicking a goal and holding out.
Why,are our corners and freekicks so woeful?
Hopefully one of our highly paid backroom team will notice and inform the coach of this.
I would give Arteta until the end of the season,but feel he may be gone by January.
Excellent work on the blog,by the way.
Rather than bringing back Giroud how about finding the new Giroud.
Getting rid of Arteta won’t get rid of the huge structural problems in the club he and his predecessor have faced.
If we lose Mikel, we won’t get from the top drawer of managers, we will get an expensive journeyman or a hit and hope
The problems at this club lie above Arteta.
And just who is running things on an operational level? Vinnai? Josh? Edu? ….not exactly the types or experience running most top clubs
I still like Giroud’s header.
Who is the new coach Pedro referred to that everyone hates?
Dis
“I don’t think Pepe was trying to head butt Alioski.”
I think you are right. Since Pepe is taller, he has to look down before talking to Alioski. He just came too close to him.
@David Smith – agreed. I think we need a stronger technical director than Edu. We can’t afford to have both our manager and technical director learning on the job. A strong and experienced technical director who can challenge Arteta is essential – especially as it seems it’s Vinnai, Arteta, and Edu making up senior leadership under Kroenke at the moment.
Things are sure dire right now, and we better get results in the next three games and play some nice football to boot. Otherwise Arteta may well find his time over very quickly, and it would be the right decision based on the results.
I read a lot of stats on how few goals we have scored. To be fair to Arteta, we have also conceded very few goals this season. Maybe we should relegate him to being a defensive coach and bring in a Manager?
Venga and David Smith
I’m on board with the concept of a proper string minded and experienced DoF
We needs someone to tell Arteta ‘Hell NO” . A manage ought to have a strong say, but that’s where it should end.
“Except for yesterday when he actually managed to hit the wall about half a yard away with some projectile poo while he was being changed. I was really impressed. I’m hoping it means he has strong core muscles.“
The antithesis of some posters you might say. Naming no names, Val.
I reckons we beats wolves 3-1
I have a feeling we will be wildy consistent all season including winning some and losing others rather than a death spiral most predict