Wolves and Arsenal both look for creativity spark

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So I’m watching Everton lose to Leeds United at home. Ancelotti, a manager plenty of Arsenal fans talk about when we lose, is just 3 points ahead of us going into tomorrow’s big game. He’s had money, he’s one of the most experienced managers in the game, he has an excellent squad to work with… but it’s still hard.

If we beat Wolves, we go from 14th onto the same points as the clubs in 6th position currently.

Say what you will about our miserable play this season, we’re still in the mixer, and if this is our bad patch… we’re more than on target to compete for top 4 this season.

Therein lies the challenge, to keep up with the pack, we have to start winning games and we really have to start scoring goals. Wolves is going to be a big test for us, on paper, they’re basically the same team as Arsenal this season. Defensively, they’ve conceded 10, and going forward, they’ve scored a meek 9. They average 3 shots more per game than us, but only about 1 more on target. They have one more point than us though.

Both teams need to find a bit of spark in front of goal. Both are dealing with very different problems. Most of our first team issues stem from experienced players bombing, and new signings not settling or picking up injuries.

The biggest issue for Mikel is getting Auba scoring again. He’s massively out of sorts and in our low margins system, we simply can’t afford for that to be the case. We get these fake hits of dopamine from the Europa League that don’t really tell us much. I have my doubts we’ll play a 4-4-2 against Wolves, but what we might see is more of our wide players going direct and coming inside.

The hope is Thomas Partey and Bukayo Saka are fit. That should immediately give our midfield and attacking options more sex appeal. Seeing Xhaka in the starting 11 again isn’t going to be good for anyone. The question then becomes who compliments the Ghanian. I reckon we might see Joe Willock and Dani Ceballos given a role again, mostly because it’s the only real options we have at the moment.

The front three, assuming we’re going 4 at the back will hopefully be Saka, Auba, and maybe Nelson. I think we need directness and speed tomorrow, Reiss has those vertical runs, and he looks very, very motivated at the moment. That said, if anyone is going to get played into form this season, it’ll be Willian. Salt Bae’s best friend needs the same love Pepe gets. However, he needs to ball into his feet faster.

Tomorrow really has to be about speed. We’re rubbish building up slowly. If we have pace in our frontlines, we need to exploit it with quick balls. We can’t afford this slow passing combined with players running the ball up the pitch from deep positions.

We also need to take chances. Have a shot. Play a speculative pass. We are so predictable at the moment and it makes us easy to defend against. To achieve that, it means Willock has to step up, it means Saka and Reiss have to be at their best, and it means Auba needs to lead by example and get back to form.

Arteta had this to say on why we are playing the way we are.

“In football, time is very precious and people are very impatient. But if you don’t respect the processes and you ask certain people to do certain things when the foundations are not there, it’s a really dangerous thing to do.

He’s basically saying we don’t have the player to do the things he wants right now, and if he were to prove out that he doesn’t have the players, he’d look even worse than he does now. It seems very certain that we’re going to make moves for a creative player to help us move towards a better Arsenal. Isco is the latest to be linked. The Spaniard is very much out of favour at Real Madrid and they are in all sorts of financial bother. The rumour is a loan move to perm signing. I don’t like these deals for older players, but he’s certainly an outrageous talent when he’s focused. I just get the Ozil jitters when I read through the stories about why he’s not playing. If he bombs, on the money they’d want, we’re in another bad situation without a sell on clause.

We’re still being linked to the Hungarian from RB Salzburg. The Athletic reckon Arsenal are worried about his ball retention rates and his lack of ability to go past players. However, Jesse Marsch loves him and reckons that can all be developed. He called him the Hungarian Beckham. I think we need two players, we need someone that can beat players like Isco or Aouar, and we need someone that gives us goals and final balls from midfield. We’ll see where the club takes it, but at least it’s looking good for improvements.

Finally, Dani Ceballos dropped an apology press tour. He had this to say on Emery and Arteta

The team was almost dead – but after Arteta’s arrival we won the FA Cup and the Community Shield.

“It’s not even a year since he arrived and he has given a radical change to the club.

“He’s the soul of the club and he’s lucky that the players trust him 100 per cent.

“Arsenal need him, in part because he takes the initiative most of the time.”

I will say it again, the weirdest people in the Arsenal community are those that try and right the wrongs of the Emery tenure after we have a bad game. It is incredible. The fashion equivalent of of defending a gilet. The fine dining equivalent of taking your wife to a Jamie Oliver restaurant for a 25th wedding anniversary and asking for some ketchup for your bread roll. Defending Emery is a keyword trigger for MI5 that warns “DANGEROUS PERSON.” Just stop doing it. It’s really weird.

Right, that’s all you’ll get from me today. See you in the comments!

 

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DaveB666

Bellerin owed us that – his dawdling caused it!!

Samesong

Podence looking like Hazard out there.

TheLegendaryDB10

Ashburton

Retirement home

Why do you think Willian signed a juicy 4 yr contract and now doing absolutely zilch?

Marc

Good news the Wolves player is OK.

Useroz

Don’t see where our goal(s) would come from ,seriously

Champagne charlie

So, so careless with the ball.

Kaz

We should sign Podence after we sack Arteta

Marc

“How can arteta watch an hour of this and change nothing tactically. Is he happy?”

I don’t even know what to say to that.

TheLegendaryDB10

Gazzap

Is he happy?

It’s more a case that he doesn’t know what to do.

Mr Serge

We cannot lose this game as well

Jim+Lahey

“How can arteta watch an hour of this and change nothing tactically”

You’re assuming that he knows what is going on. He doesn’t. The man hasn’t got a clue.

Left Testicle

Good news on Jiminez.
Can we just give Xhaka the concussion test.

Habesha Gooner

Ceballos and Xhaka cant play in a double pivot in 4231. They can play in a 343 but it is still not very good. It sucks.

Gazzap

So that’s a free kick. But the exact same foul for us on ceballos was not a penalty. Ok.

DUIFG

Another xhacka 2 out of 10 performance, my o my have we suffered with this guy, he must be a champ behind the scenes, gets picked consistently

Graham

Guernsey Gun – I go back a few years more to the mid 70s. Things were very dire then but mainly as the team was rubbish. Now we are just somewhere for checked-out players to go to earn some big money in their last few playing years while being able to stay in London.

Guernsey Gun

I’m so happy, this is elite generational coaching.🤷🏿‍♂️🍺😎

Useroz

Sub Willian with Nelson or somebody

Isn’t working

AMN for Xhaka might as well

Left Testicle

Arteta looks more ‘Man at C&A’ than Manager.

Radio Raheem

Worth noting this is a Jiminez deprived Wolves. He’s a big part of how they play.

LeMassiveCoq

This is truly awful. The only people we can’t blame now are the fans..

SpanishDave

Arteta has been Wengerized.
Can’t Sub until the golden 67 min not allowed.

Just asking but which generation is arteta’s coaching abilities from? 1890’s

Guns of SF

i think we will score and it will be 2-2… at this rate

Useroz

Wot rubbish corner routine is that

Left Testicle

AMN isn’t on the bench.

Marc

If Arteta waits until the “Wenger Window” to make a sub 68 – 72 minutes then he needs to be sacked.

Nelson

WTF is Holding’s header!!!!

All we need now is Nketiah to come on

Useroz

Second routine better

Spot on.

Need another sub

TheBayingMob

“ Spud’s A
Burnley H
Southampton H
Everton A
Chelsea H

What are we looking at 4 points from that at best?”

I think that’s optimistic. I reckon 2 points. A couple of draws there against Burnley and one other. I don’t see this team winning many this season seriously lads we are looking at relegation form here, and it’s hard to see how it changes?

DaveB666

So our set piece specialist has come on – piss poor against Leeds – point to prove Nelson!

Kaz

We can still win this, despite the poor performance.

I hope we do.

But can we leave the elite generational coach propaganda now Pedro?

Guernsey Gun

Graham I’m a realist.i love that old school arsenal hardness. We are pathetic now. Old school fans no what real arsenal were.

DUIFG

Another 200 bags for William, for standing around, laying off balls, thanks for coming

LeMassiveCoq

Has anyone noticed how nobody passes to Xhaka unless they have absolutely nothing else on?

Useroz

Ceballos can’t cross Cant past the first body anyway

Mr Serge

This is so dire and depressing if we lose this we have lost more than we have won. That’s bottom 3 bullshit right there

Kaz

Gabriel is quality

Radio Raheem

We certainly can win this Wolves are quite open.

Matt

Is there a more boring team to watch in the league than us?

TheLegendaryDB10

Re Holding’s header… I am more… what the fuck is he doing there.m? A defender should be targeting at the back and not be in a position to score (and where a forward player should be).

Useroz

Take xhaka off. Ffs. We are one man down

Sub now

DUIFG

We will probably score and get a draw which competely iverlooks how rank its been

Mr Serge

Matt Burnley but that’s it

Mee

the arsenal horseshoe has begun

raptora

Imagine not subbing one of your CMs to play Laca and go 4-4-2.

IQ

Two. Bellerin as well.

Left Testicle

Arteta better fill the 2,000 fan quota with friends and relatives.

Guernsey Gun

We are so so lucky….captain bullshits sauce is strong…

Ozy

Arteta out.

JJ

We are a team of lightweights that spend half the game on the deck.

Nelson

Neto has taken Bellerin to the cleaner!!!

Radio Raheem

Neves has the looks for Hollywood should he want a change of career.

WengerEagle

We’re actually atrocious.

That OT penalty will have papered over the cracks here because if we dropped points there too, Arteta would have been feeling the heat by now.

Like Ole’s PSG result, bought him time.

Left Testicle

Arteta Out?
A O let’s go!

Guernsey Gun

Generational management. It’s beautiful to watch.

Ishola70

Jimenez probably nets that header from the cross that just came in from Wolves

SpanishDave

Could be three home defeats in a row and only one point since MAn U game early October

Marc

The only 3 players we have who haven’t seriously regressed are Gabriel – makes you worry what might come, Saka – naturally progressing and Xhaka – couldn’t possibly get any worse.

What is Arteta doing to the players?

Matt

Can we stop talking about how world class saka is as well now. He’s a decent player. Nothing more at this stage. We are just so shit that he looks much better by comparison.

Habesha Gooner

If Partey doesn’t stay fit for the season, we are finishing below 10th. This midfield needed to be dismantled. But we gave away the better players and kept the worst.

Guns of SF

wolves just sitting back- seems like no big deal for them
We still trying to find a way through the wings… nothing via center

Mics_

Another shocking performance. This is not an improvement over Emeryball. Three home losses in a row if this stands?

The backpass

Sauce Mcsauce

It’s so blatantly obvious Arteta has lost the team. Just look at their body language , they are so disinterested

Left Testicle

Mourinho is going to be ruthless.

Samir

Every single game we play now is a difficult one. Truth is our squad is terrible.
The only players we should keep are;
Leno
Gabriel
Tierney
Partey
Saka

We need to protest against the Kroenkes or we’re going to be the next Everton.

R.S.P.C.Arsenal

This time last year it was auba sign da ring

Now it auba sell da ting

Useroz

Not falling for us

Guernsey Gun

Arteta is The Arsenal manager.?just think about that…what a total cunt.

SpanishDave

That’s Auba right now standing around doing f a

Rich

Wish I’d thought to get some diazepam

Matt

Auba you lazy prick.

JJ

Auber looks so half assed in everything he does. Got his contract now on vacation.

Useroz

Quality of crosses need to up

Take it first time rather Nelson

Samir

Auba has taken us for a ride too…got his new contract now doesn’t care. Should be dropped!
Get a youngster with some hunger in there!

WengerEagle

Spurs are going to do us next week and if Kane and Son are in the mood, it won’t be pretty.

Bite the pillow time.

Guns of SF

ahhhh ugh nelson! almost

Left Testicle

Auba is playing like he doesn’t want to be there.

raptora

Aubameyang doesn’t feel right. Like he has COVID or some other sickness.

Ozy

What happened to Auba?

Guernsey Gun

The tools are down and have been for a while..

Nelson

Auba doesn’t look like he cares.

Kaz

Auba proving he doesn’t give af about Arteta right there.

G8

Get the fucker off
He couldn’t score in a brothel!

Leftside

auba looks off, completely off here

Matt

COVID? He’s a lazy mercenary prick.

Danny+S

I think somewhere along the line, Auba has decided he doesn’t like Arteta.

Davedale

Just look at aubas body language when that ball comes to him in the box……good strikers are alert and come to life when they see that chance…..he just sort of waved a leg…..and then it comes back to him from xhaka and he doesnt move just puts a shit ball in to the box…..he along with all the others out there just dont give a fuck

Ishola70

Fucking Willian

Yes he put in one cross for the goal but really another nondescript performance from him.

He’s been toilet since his arrival

R.S.P.C.Arsenal

Arteta is a cunt
The biggest cunt Spain have sent us bigger than the Spanish flu

The man is a cretin a cunt and a fraud

Fuck off you rangers reject

Left Testicle

Auba will still pick up his £250,000 this week.

WengerEagle

Long time Ozy, good to see you pop in for the freak show.

Marc

Pedro said certain posters only appear after a loss – I’m beginning to wonder when we’ll see Pedro again.

This is just awful.

Dissenter

We look like we have a frantic goal in us

Guernsey Gun

We are so lucky. What acing arteta is.

G8

Or could be Arteta’s ruined his confidence!
Take him off already along with xhaka

raptora

“I think somewhere along the line, Auba has decided he doesn’t like Arteta.”

Maybe he was promised he will play through the middle, just to be played for months on the wings? No idea.

Matt

This club is flatlining. Genuinely think the days of mixing it at the top are gone.

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