I LOVE A NORTH LONDON DERBY WEEKEND.
The banter on the group chat is firing up. The nerves are starting to jangle. There is a LOT of pride on the line.
Spurs look like title contenders. Jose has made them nasty. They’re well organised, they have the special sauce in Kane and Son that keeps you in contention if you keep them fit, they look very strong.
Arsenal is a mess. Our form has been shocking. Big players have shrunk. Young players have struggled to make headway. Our rookie manager is overseeing a bonfire. Can he tame it? Can he do what the big managers do when the chips are down? Can he shift the narrative on the pitch like he has done off it this week?
As Janan said in the latest podcast, most other managers have a history you can point to, with Mikel, it’s faith-based. North London derbies are about faith. Form is rarely a factor. It’s a crazy moment in time when a concoction of wild elements are slammed together in a Büchner flask, and you hope the end product works to your hypothesis.
Mikel Arteta has a job on his hands. I tried to eke out some good news from Arsenal in the week and there wasn’t much to be had. There have been lots of problems to deal with. Stories leaking from the camp seems to suggest a 1997 style come to jesus meeting. Reporters are saying it was constructive and the path forward was clear.
Thursday night might have been against a nothing team, but for me, those are usually the games you worry about. The fact we landed a dominant performance can only be a positive. The players were aggressive, they were bold, they took chances. We need that vibe to flow into Sunday.
Can that carry through to Sunday? That’s the test. I think it’s amusing reading people demanding we play the same way against Spurs. This is why fans aren’t coaches. We’re going to The Lane to shithouse the master of shithousery and I am ok with that because it’s the only option we have. If City can’t blast Spurs away, we’re not going to. If Chelsea can’t score against them, we’re not going to hit them with a blitz. Setting up to lose to satisfy aesthetics junkies would be the rookiest of errors.
The good news is there’s a high probability we’ll see Thomas Partey. That’s huge for Arsenal. We have lacked a press resistant midfielder with his class. Put him next to Mo Elneny and we speed everything up to the level we need. There’s also a shout for AMN to start after his ripping performance against Rapid. Imagine that, 3 midfielders with legs? Game-changing stuff right there.
I don’t know how we’ll play, but I wouldn’t be shocked to see Lacazette pick up that link-up role against a team he likes to produce again. I think we need an athletic midfield that can pick up the movement of Kane, Son and some of the creators. Højbjerg has been a key player for them this season, it’ll be interesting to see how we deal with him.
This 90 minutes is all about closing the widening gap at the top. It’s a moment for the squad to show there’s a way forward. It’s a game that big teams would eat up. Are we going to be a big team this season? There’s no better moment to find out.
Before you go, I need you to listen to our latest podcast. We welcome Janan Ganesh into the AO fold with our regular Alex. It’s an evergreen podcast. We talk about Arteta, leadership, football strategy, and fixing the creativity issue. It’s a good listen, so put it in your ears and give me a 5* rating on Apple. THANK YOU X
If bloody Alex Scott can see it why can’t Arteta?
Looks like Mourinho is more worried about Arsenal than Arsenal..haha
Pedro never comes on when Arsenal lose shameful.
We need to face reality and fast. Arteta may be a great coach, but that is NOT what is required to run an elite team. Clement was a great coach and Ancellotti relied on him heavily, but when he became a manager he was found out. Shakespeare was a great coach who put on unbelievable drills, but when he became a manager he was found out. This is not about making drills and training sessions interesting for bored, over-paid athletes. This is about motivation, man-management and the subtle nuances of decision-making that is beyond the norm. Its about knowing how… Read more »
Troopz has already started arteta out….we all know how that will end.
DanielI really wanted Arteta to succeed too. I wanted to believe the generational progressive manager talk from Pedro. But it gets to a point where what we actually see on the pitch is so bad, where the decisions around the squad are so senseless, that that cognitive dissonance can’t be maintained
Haha right maahn….I swear I dont want to hear any more of this process talk
Pedro needs to apologize to the Arsenal fans.
Overhyping a noob assistant coach and helping him get the Arsenal job. Fvcking media and advertising clowns.
Chelski are a well run club. When it was clear that Villas Boas was out of his depth and things weren’t going to improve, they didn’t let him finish out the season because “he deserves more time” or “he doesn’t have the players he needs for his system.” There’s no point in staying on a sinking ship just because you’re invested in it. Sunk costs are sunk.
Here is a stat Pedro will like : Mourinho is the first Spurs manager to win his first two NLD since the 50’s .
Willian is the shittest player i’ve seen at arsenal for a long time. He has done nothing since those assists in the opener against fulham. Get him to fuck away from that starting 11.
I’m truly scared about Arsenal’s future as stop club.
It’s nit just the inexperienced manger feeling his way around. It’s the entire structure of nobodies around him.
Most people know Arteta isn’t fit for purpose and it should be an emotional sacking, but a firing all the same.’
He could go on to be a terrific manager when he’s learned how to cross the ts and dot the is but right now it’s not going to work for him at Arsenal.
Someone needs to stand up for Arsenal now, not in 3 months time when the damage is irreparable.
Goalkeeper: Leno is decent. He’ll do for now because we have more dire needs. Rightback: Bellerin not good enough. Cedric not good enough. Sell one of them and buy one for the starting XI CB: Gabriel is brilliant. Rob is good for backup. WTF is going with Saliba. Mari is good for backup. Sell the rest. LB: Tierney is brilliant. Kola is gone at the end of the year, buy a backup to Kieran. CDM: Partey/Arteta are solid. We’re good here IMO. CM: Big problems. Dani is good. I think AMN needs to be a box to box. I think… Read more »
I think we will draw against Burnley, and then lose the next three games (Southampton, Everton and Chelsea).
Arteta will not handle the pressure, he will be fired, a provisional coach will take over, we will take time to hire a new coach, we will play the to fight against relegation, my prediction is to finish in 14-10 position in the best scenario. And you can forget about Szbosozlai, he won’t transfer to our shitshow
“BTW, the powers that be (pundits, media) will not call Arteta out straight away… most of them hate us, and probably secretly are pleased to see us dig a huge hole, shit in it, and then climb into the brown stuff…”
They are loving it – they’d love to see us go down.
Can someone find bellerins stats for today?
He should never play again for arsenal.
Imagine how bad arteta must think AMN is for him to be unable to displace Bellerin or xhaka. LOL
Then you recall he turned down 20m for said player he thinks is awful.
Arteta is an absolutely awful manager who needs sacking in the morning.
uns of BrixtonDecember 6, 2020 18:33:44
Emery was sacked for the unacceptable return of 18 points in 13 matches – Arteta’s on 13 points from 11 matches.Even if we win our next 2 which I can’t see why is one point more acceptable? If he gets less points why shouldn’t he be sacked?Because Emery had a whole season plus a lil more.
You must be joking.Are you ine if those ‘urging patience’ and ‘trusting the process’…or you think arsenal are too good to go down?We are in relegation form my guy this cabt continue
Stop this crap about Arteta being a great coach. Is he blind. Would Pep play Xhaka for more than 20mins before yanking him and making sure he gets a million miles away from his team. He was a shit midfielder that has evolved into a shit coach.
Allegri is available
Mourinho respects Arsenal too much. Could have ran a cricket score today
Sold martinez Signing willian. Continues to pick bellerin. Continues to play xhaka. Continues to play willian. Kept xhaka when the sale was on. Kept AMN which was a good move but then doesn’t play him. saliba not in the Europa squad. Ozil not in the squad but no replacement lined up. Guendouzi and torriera shipped out, players better than whats left bar partey. Playing willian as a striker against city rather than auba. Being in the job a year with two transfer windows and still not having a settled formation. Theres more but you lose the will to live listing… Read more »
I blame Arteta, But I might be one of the few people who doesn’t think changing managers won’t do us any good. What I want is for him to see some players are bust. He needs to see that most of our midfield players shouldn’t play. If partey is back, I want him to go for a solid athletic midfield with AMN and Elneny. And we can try to invest in january. I think the reason he is using the wings so much is because we have shit midfield players. I expected us to lose this game. If we change… Read more »
Arsenal attempted 35 crosses against Wolves
Arteta: ” I’m telling you if we do that more consistently, we’re going to score more goals.”
That’s all he knows about offense. I start to think that he is not qualified to be the head coach. He should go back and be an assistant and do his formation year.
Partey walks off.
Discuss.
Bellerin is a liability and can’t take a throw in.
Discuss.
Granit Xhaka “ I just don’t get him”, as per Jamie Redknapp.
Discuss.
Auba looks fed up.
Discuss.
What do Arsenal do in training apart from practicing passing sideways and backwards?
You missed
Manager: worst in last 50 years, bin immediately
who thinks*
What a sad way to end the weekend. Only thing which can light it up a bit is if Arteta is sacked.. can’t see him anymore.
Sticking to Xhaka and buying Willian are the worst decisions ever.
Can’t believe Torreira was worse than Xhaka.
Can’t believe Willian can’t even beat the first defender on a corner.
Can’t believe any of our players can’t win a 1-1 comp.
Can’t believe we are 15th, after almost 1/3rs of the season.
Awful. F*cking awful mate.
Arteta is not a great coach. How many arsenal players are better now than when he came. Answers on a postag stamp please
The entire offense is worse and the defense is about the same but jay plus a more defensive formation. We still lose every week.
China you’re too generous, Bellend
gets minus 10 /10
underrated CoqDecember 6, 2020 18:39:46
Pedro needs to apologize to the Arsenal fans.Overhyping a noob assistant coach and helping him get the Arsenal job. Fvcking media and advertising clowns.
Mics_December 6, 2020 18:39:47
As if that wasnt enough…he called mourinho finished and arteta a modern tink tank….I can confidently say all that is bullshit
Horrible decisions, meek tactics, trusting the wrong players and over complicating things.
Who does that remind you of?
Dissenter
That’s the scary thing – the so called “doomers” aren’t exaggerating what’s going on at the moment.
Faber
*****And worse, he has eradicated all the DNA that Wenger built… the Arsenal way is no more.*****
Absolutely,
He is killing it for the next manager too.
Arteta has left them Willian, Soares, Mary, PEA and Runar etc
He will go down at the worst manager in the clubs history and the last manager we had was a clown.
that takes some doing, but he has managed it.
practice.
So I mentioned how Dier was shit talking us calling Arteta a great coach and now Mourinho is at it.
Fuck sake.
They could have blasted us 6-0 if he they needed to.
Five games coming up in Twelve days.
Three of those are Premiership games
Molde in the Europa and Man City Caraboo cup..
1981/82
17th Arsenal 11 games, 12 pts
2020/21
15th Arsenal 11 games, 13 pts
Our worst season in almost 40 years. BUT PLAYER POVERTY! It’s normal we are behind Leeds, Newcastle, Villa, Palace, Wolves, Southampton, fkin Moyes is 8th places ahead of us. Not a manager difference for sure.
Both Spurs and wolves were completely happy to let us dominate possession in the second half, because it’s well known that our attack is utterly impotent. It’s laughable for the opposition. A joke.
“Guendouzi and torriera shipped out, players better than whats left bar partey.“
This gets overlooked too much.
Sacking the manager means sacking the board who hired him which isn’t going to happen.
I was saying player poverty all of last year and Pedro thought it was an excuse for the “incompetent” Emery.
Same players will get Arteta sacked.
BELLERIN WITH ANOTHER FOUL THROW TODAY WTF!
I would not fault the media for loving it if we did go down (God forbid)… the story that would make for them would be immense, and they would milk it for every cent they could. ‘The greatest club in the history of the Universe gets relegated’ – that would sell lots of copy. So, of course they want it to happen. And if we believe in the power of the media, then some fucker somewhere is figuring out a stratagem to help make it happen: “Make sure they keep Arteta for as long as possible, as that is the… Read more »
Graham62
Partey walked off because he’d aggravated the thigh injury – Arteta physically pushed him back on and he then made it even worse.
The handful of good players we have are going to start looking for lifeboats if we don’t sink Arteta soon.
As much as I want Arteta to succeed, he had a stinker tonight..
1. Starting Xhaka and Willian
2. Rushing back Partey
3. Only 2 subs used
4. Making Saka RB after subs
5. Playing Xhaka the full 90
6. Keeping Auba central when he looked like he doesn’t want to head a ball
7. Eddie playing right side-ish after coming on
Cant say a thing about what was done positively from the touches tonight I am afraid. If Arteta is a saucy manager as Pedro suggests, that sauce had all the wrong ingredients tonight
When City and Manure win the game in hand they have, we’d be effectively 8 pts off of Leicester in 6th place. Season is already over.
We deserve relegation, playing like this.
Calm and measured Graham, calm and measured.
Partey plays his first game after injury and finds himself paired with GX.
Who in their right mind would see this as being a sound decision?
No wonder Partey walked off.
Interesting this, Klopp isn’t starting Jota because he didn’t want Jota fraternizing with the wolves players in the tunnel before the game.
We need Allegri ASAP, .no one else please
But 1 thing is for sure — Arteta has Special Sauce..
It could have been a wonderful summer selling Laca, Xhaka, Hector, AMN, Auba, not buying Willian and collecting that 100m to build a team.
Those funds could have been used wisely (considering we had Partey money already from Emi)
I don’t believe we could have worse playing our U23 l!!
Partey’s come from playing under a top coach in Simeone – he’s got to be thinking “it’s not April what the fuck is going on”
CalypsoDecember 6, 2020 18:39:50
Here is a stat Pedro will like : Mourinho is the first Spurs manager to win his first two NLD since the 50’s .
Heres a stat you will like
The last Arsenal manager to let Tottenham win two north London derby’s in a row was Terry Neill back in 1982.
Terry Neill is also the last Arsenal manager to lose 3 games at home in a row, a record which Arteta broke last week.
We’ve broken more records than goals scored
Hjobjerg for £15M. Partey for £50M. How many more first teamers could we have bought this Summer?
Auba is so out of form. He needs to get back to himself. I still like him and Bellerin. Shoot me.
But I can’t stand xhaka. I was mad when he didn’t go to Berlin. I wanted us to keep Guendouzi. Ceballos as it turns out is not a very good player. We need to send him back. If AMN doesn’t get his chance in midfield we need to sell him to raise funds. Willock and ESR and also Nketiah need to go on loan until they can prove they can make an impact as good as Abraham and Mount.
Partey can’t believe what he’s joined.
He obviously hasn’t been following us recently.
raptora
Arsenal went on a 6 game winning run after the 11th game, i can’t see this team doing the same.
Podence is someone we should sign desperately.
The goal of this this season is simple; remain in the premier league.
I doubt if Mikel can achieve this goal. He’s like an intern performing a complex surgery.
If Edu isn’t sounding out managers to take over then he’s a fool.
Partey is no longer playing in a league that has had the same top 3 for the best part of the last decade.
Bellerin is being a little cunt.
He’s been penalised how many times for foul throwing and he still hasn’t adjusted? Ridiculous.
Pedro
You posted a couple of weeks back that we had a decent chance of picking up 3 wins against Leeds, Wolves and Spuds.
How has that panned out?
When former players like Souness and Redknapp shake their heads in disbelief at GX, what does that say about Arteta.
I don’t know of any other manager who would pick GX to play in their team.
We played that exactly how Jose wanted us to and set up for, how fucking far do we have to drop before a glimmer of light appears in the league?
Never saw scenario where Arteta wouldn’t see this season out, I do now. Next three have to be critical.
Alex Scott, Arsenal fan, calls it:
https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/competitions/premier-league/12153626/what-is-arsenals-style
Make her the manager.
Arteta just said ‘we will keep fighting’ in his post match interview. I think that’s the phrase I have heard the most just before a manager is fired! I hope it happens again this time
Pressure on Arteta, if we fail to get 3 points against Burnley, time to pack up
‘ Hjobjerg for £15M. Partey for £50M. How many more first teamers could we have bought this Summer’
Someone has caught on
No one else is taking cheap shots at me for recommending Hjobjerg.
We have a lot of arrogant fans and full deserve our fate. The EL club that keeps up the pretense of being a CL club.
If I were to assess the game…..
Fuck.Hector.Bellerin
Arteta pushing Partey back on is clown school – I hope he’s asked about it.
Daniel Altos
Here is a stat you will like, Arsenal under Wenger went 6 games without beating Spurs the longest in their history.
Can’t understand why Maitland never came on for a more
than poor Bellerin?
And why Elneney was not used.
We looked better with Cellabos.
Player poverty is something you can argue if we come sixth or seventh and expect top four. It’s ridiculous to use that as an excuse when we’re fifteenth. Are there fourteen teams with better players than us? It’s the manager allowing Bellerin and Tierney to push up so far that when we lose the ball we are so short in defence. To be fair to Tierney he is a proper footballer and busts a gut to get back in position. It’s Arteta that allows Bellerin to stroll back. That bought and plays Willian. That plays Xhaka week in week out.… Read more »
Arghhhh
The partey debate again. He is injured you stupid cunts. He shits on Hoijberg. Just because he played 3 games doesn’t make him worse. I know everything is negative now but This is being a cunt.
So we are basically waiting for Burnley to put the final nail in the Arteta coffin. Woe is us
‘ Pressure on Arteta, if we fail to get 3 points against Burnley, time to pack up’
Why wait for us to beat the 18th place team on the tables if we beat Burnley at hims, what does that prove”
Arsenal vs Burnley will be a proper relegation scrapper between two shit team. At least Burnley have been in this position before.
As soon as Arteta brings Peter Crouch back out of retirement his 35 crosses per game tactics will become pure gold.
Hoijberg in our midfield wouldnt do better than Torreira.
Guys, please stop blaming the players.
For example, Bellerin is being asked to play a style that is totally alien to him – bomb down the wing and drop a cross for the big man… who does not fucking exist.
All his life he has been educated at Barca and then under Wenger – short, sharp intricate passes to develop overloads in and around the penalty area with short passes though into space… not this shite.
Mourinho doing an Alan Partridge
‘They work like animals – I like animals, don’t get me wrong’.
Cant imagine Poch would come to Arsenal, but we might be able to get someone like Allegri or Ernesto Valverde? Nagelsmann’s contract is through 2023 and to be honest, why would he leave a club in the champions league to come to our dumpster fire
Rich: “Partey is no longer playing in a league that has had the same top 3 for the best part of the last decade.”
You are aware that before Simeone reached 8 top 3 finishes in a row with his first in 2012/13, Atleti’s last top 3 finish was in 1995/96 and they got relegated 4 seasons later.
Atletico is a top 3 team because Simeone made them a top 3 team.
Arteta is managing us to a 15th place, possible 16th after Brighton’s game.
You are clueless.
Hahahahahaha Mikel Arteta getting schooled by a lady, our so generational coach being told how it is 😂😂😂😂. Arteta is fucked. Won’t even get a job as a coach again that’s for sure
Expect a bid for Newcastle’s Andy Carroll.
Good Lord
Le grove the has one saving grace. The Wenger “careful what you wish for” fanboys are few are far in between and chased away.
Twitter is awash with the Muppets. Can’t get a rational word in
Marc Faber
Bellerin was awful today.
He’s a lefty, so you can understand him not having much going on between his ears.
However that’s 4 foul throws this season, why can’t he take a legitimate thrown in?
However that’s 4 foul throws this season, why can’t he take a legitimate thrown in?
>>>>>>>>>>
Needs some meat inside him.
Disappointed as we all are. Chelsea showed us last week exactly how Mourinho’s team will play. Every team has worked out how to play against us-let us have the ball,pass it to the wingbacks-they will fire in a hopeful cross,and repeat. I think Arteta is drowning and should be called to a meeting and told he must win the next 3 games or he is out. He should be relieved he will not be facing a full stadium as he would be booed out of there. The non performers should be sold or loaned in the first week of the… Read more »
Imagine having a dig at the players after Arteta is having a disaster class behind colossus like Leeds, Villa, Palace, West Ham, Newcastle, Southampton.
Far better balanced teams, yes?!
Seems Arteta has what Maureen has with Deli Ali
a touch of the cold shoulder tactics.
Except Arteta has done it with to many players
and that really has not helped his cause.?
Dissenter
Most people weren’t mocking the Hjolberg signing.
Just the usual few who are once again absent.
Any word from the manager? I’m sure he’ll explain how we played well and that results will come. Based on what exactly I have no idea. For Wenger the Next Level was ‘The Next Level’, for MA The Next Level’ is mid-table security….
Rich having a go at Partey and Bellerin.
But saying nothing against Arteta.
You can’t make it up!!!!
If Brighton win their game in hand tomorrow, we’re down in 16th.
We’re also fortunate there are some really terrible teams at the foot of the table this year. Last season after 11 matchdays 17th place had 11 points.
The senior leadership need to take a very rounded view of the medium term, because our club with the massive losses and completely unrealistic wage bill is looking oh so similar to Leeds in the early 2000s prior to their disappearance.
IQ
Bellerin doesn’t necessarily have to be out of position bombing down the wings ………..he was in perfect position to do the right thing for their first goal, he just failed miserably.
He got drawn into Kane unnecessarily leaving Son who was always the bigger danger at the moment.
This whole sequence between Bellerin and Holding backing off Son until inside the box epitomizes our defending under Arteta.
56 crosses today…
Good god.
Touch of Moyes 🤢 atm.
@Rich
The clue is in ‘a professional footballer doing 4 foul throw-ins …’
Humans are notoriously precious creatures and that equally applies to professional athletes who are over paid.
When the pressure is on, and you are being asked to do something abnormal and not in sync with your natural game, you start making stupid mistakes. You start thinking, when you should just be just doing…
Guns of Brixton
Honestly Arteta makes one to want Arsenal back, with his flaws and all.
I’m as Wenger-out as they come but even I know that Wenger won’t have us with 10 goals in 11 games with a GD of -4.
Wenger will get us playing better than anything Arteta could ever do.
It’s d blueprint for disaster playing bellerin and willian on d same flank Two players who cannot defend and contribute f**k all to attack. What does AMN has to do to make ds team. He was d obvious alternative to bellerin but arteta won’t see it.
Arteta coming next.
Lol, Podence would never leave Wolves for this arsenal team. Nor should he. A Wolverhampton player is too good for Arsenal. That’s a fucking depressing thought. Arteta has to go before this get even worse. Talented young players won’t want to come here and who could blame them? We haven’t won the league in sixteen years—a lot of young players won’t even remember it. Even during the banter years, at least we had the reputation of a team that played aesthetically pleasing, exciting attacking football and were in the champions league. It’s been a long while since either of those… Read more »
*To want Wenger back
I do like Alex Scott in those leather trousers and strappy heels. 🍆