Well, I threw my toys out of the pram yesterday. Nothing like a Spurs loss to really bring the emotions out. Today, we get back to the mission… which is like, you know, a win or something.
Things aren’t great for Arteta. He can’t hide behind many excuses, though clearly, there are some. I think the theme that has come via the interesting criticism is that the biggest mistake of his tenure thus far has been enablement.
He came into a mess, he knew the stories, but he still backed the bums who always let the managers down.
He also threw his name on the strategy deck of short-term fixes, one he should have recognised was tainted badly by history.
His biggest mistake was to stand by ideas that have failed since 2014.
Is he a bad coach? No.
Is he finished at Arsenal? No.
Can we turn things around? Yes.
The journey was always going to be rough, maybe I didn’t expect it to be this rough, but still… this is a big job that requires more than one man to contribute value if it’s to be completed on time and in full.
Something has to change though, and I think there’s a pretty clear consensus amongst fans, explayers, and pundits on what that needs to be.
HONESTY
The season is more than likely over in the Premier League. We’re not competing for top 4 now. We’re playing for a respectful finish and some improvements in January. Arteta needs to front up about the season and he needs to look to the future. He tempted us with top 4 knowing we were 6 players short of what was needed. That’s quite the porky to tell the fans, now he has to rectify the lie, be honest, and tell us what IS possible. Get it out the way, no bullshit or protecting feelings.
One of the biggest things you learn in management is that it does not matter how likable someone is, if they are shite, they will ALWAYS let you down.
Now, I’m not talking about kids. I’m talking about experienced people that have entrenched behaviours and clear patterns in the way they operate when the pressure is on. Mental weakness never turns to strength. Laziness can shift into a blip of good behaviour, but always, the bad self waits in the wings. Character… well, that is set in stone. It’s even worse if a collection of bad characters form the backbone of a culture at a football club.
That is where Arteta is with this project right now. He thought he had fixed it with his cup win. He was wrong.
He has been burned for enabling. Now he has to draw insights from the wounds, formulate a simple plan forward, then implement it with brute force.
EXPERIENCE
We have spent 7 years watching the club shuffle in ‘experience’ that just doesn’t have what it takes to deliver over the course of a season. The biggest letdowns are the big names. Most of them aren’t on Arteta. They are the responsibility of past managers, CEOs, and sporting directors. Two of them, Auba and Willian are on Arteta, but there is still hope there.
Xhaka, Bellerin, Mustafi, Luiz and Lacazette aren’t cutting it and there needs to be consequences. It’s time to move on them. Make a statement. It’s time to accept that these guys will always, always, always let you down in the end.
Arteta came in like a fireball of logic and pragmatism… he played those that deserved it, dropped those that were shite. So simple. Where did that approach go? How can you soil your own non-negotiables so badly?
It needs to change. The big names need to be treated the same as the smaller names. Bad performances on and off the pitch must have consquences.
THE HALE-ENDERS
On paper, they aren’t up to the level. We know that. However, they work hard, they are all athletes, and on a good day, they make the system look like a system.
Arteta doesn’t like using them because they make mistakes. Well Mikel, so do the senior player that have us sitting in 15th.
AMN is the legs in midfield we don’t have. Reiss Nelson has the power and pace we don’t have out wide and he’s at the very least hungry. Eddie will doggedly press, he surpassed Shearer’s record for the U21s. Maybe ESR could offer more mobility to that #10 role we put Lacazette into. Could Balogun be any less interesting than what we have going on right now? If we like lobbing long balls into the box, Moller just landed player of the month for the U23s. At least he’s big.
If Arteta is honest with the fans, then the Hale-Enders approach is easier to implement. Fans know that we’re shit now. Our season went with Thomas Partey hobbling off. I think we’d all prefer to see the kids have a crack at doing something interesting. At least they’d care. At least they’d improve.
PLAY TO WIN
Arteta needs to do what works with players that give a fuck. He doesn’t need to play Pep-lite football. He doesn’t need to appease our every whim (irony of me listing three ways he can fix the football is not lost on me). He does need to give us footballers that look like they care.
If 4 at the back doesn’t work, then play 3 and ignore the whinging.
If Auba is best out wide, leave him there, the player wasn’t complaining.
If 10 games in a row will make one of the kids ready for the league, let’s do it and enjoy watching a team grow together.
The current approach of rolling out a transition system that the senior players aren’t interested in playing is really, really not clever.
Get back to what worked last season. Hungry players putting on a show even if it was disgusting to watch. A death spiral can be arrested. Miserable players can be brought back to life. You can get a 10 game run out of this squad. This can be better.
We need some magic and a lot of hard work. Let’s see what Mikel has because he’s not going anywhere.
“He was a respected man across europe and a respected footballing man” Except the only club interested in him was in the German 2nd division, why weren’t Liverpool interested in him? Surely Klopp would’ve said this is a guy we can’t let slip through the net?. Dortmund have coped fine without him. As for Pepe if he was so good why didn’t he have a list of players 10 times better for a 10th of the cost? His legacy at Arsenal will be “what a fucking waste of time that was” – the pro Mislintat posters were telling anyone who’d… Read more »
I get Torreira because he really didnt seem to be able to settle in England. You can see that from what hes been saying while at Atletico.
I was with Arteta at the time with Guendouzi, and I get he’s a little shit behind the scenes. But I’d rather have him than Xhaka.
I didnt like what he said at the Brighton game to Maupay (Im getting paid loads youre not haha), but I did like that he showed some mettle. Seems like he hates losing which is a trait we need in our squad right now.
Marc
True.
Venga Dani
Did he really say that?
I’m not so sure.
Marc
Mislintat made a decision to go with the Stuttgart start-up again job.
He liked the idea of starting that club from scratch again.
Keep on arguing against him Marc.
What we saw in comparison with Raul was top notch wasn’t it.
Ishola
Triggered, its like clockwork.
Marc doesn’t seem to understand that Raul was in the senior position while Mislintat wasn’t.
We will never know how much of an influence Mislintat would have been at Arsenal because he was never afforded a senior role.
One fact that I was surprised to find out was that since we signed Xhaka we have failed to qualify for the champions league, that’s damning. I’m not saying he is a bad player but he just isn’t a good fit for the premiership, to be successful in the league you have to be dynamic , you need to offer something defensively as well as going forward, he is neither. We also lack dribblers in the team, at least the team Arteta picks, only saka and when he plays Pepe do we have that, until we address that we will… Read more »
Ishola
It’s not one good makes the other bad. Mislintat did fuck all at Arsenal, is well known to be a difficult character and who’s legacy at Arsenal is nothing.
You’re chasing a fantasy of what could of been that bears no resemblance to what he actually did with us. Are Dortmund still signing great rough diamonds?
Sal
“Triggered, its like clockwork.”
lol tbf it seems it’s only Marc on here that is so obviously anti-Mislintat.
Dissenter was dissing him in the past as well as I recall but as we said before that’s probably the old they are gone they are shit syndrome at play again.
1. Xhaka will one day make a back pass from the goal line 2. Arsenal is playing like Arteta did 3. Arteta will not back back youngsters like Wenger 4. October 22nd – very important date . Ozil out of Squad. (seriously? not even for 10 minutes in a match? Not hardcore in practice? Not preparing reports? Any other non- footballing reason? We can keep debating whose fault it is but the only losers are the fans and the club. Period. 5. The best comment by far was by Vince McMahon “Kroenke should be arrested for impersonating a good businessman.… Read more »
Marc
” Are Dortmund still signing great rough diamonds?”
Are you trying to imply that Mislintat was not responsible and had involvement in purchasing past young Dortmund players?
Dortmund have a very good overall nework that included Mislintat. He goes but they still function.
Mislintat was credited with bringing Pulisic to Europe from some obscure USA club. Is that rough enough for you? Tell me a recent Dortmund young purchase that has been as rough as that?
What a goal.
Angelino is crazy good at LWB.
Ishola
I couldn’t give a fuck about him and I’m glad he’s gone. I just don’t get how people can be so enamored by a guy who was a complete failure.
If Stuttgart are selling players they paid £0.55 for £90 million in a couple of years we’ll can have the conversation again.
Roy
“4. October 22nd – very important date . Ozil out of Squad. (seriously? not even for 10 minutes in a match? Not hardcore in practice? Not preparing reports? Any other non- footballing reason? We can keep debating whose fault it is but the only losers are the fans and the club. Period.”
And how they celebrated on here on october 22nd . … and how foolish do they look now we are bottom of the league in all creativity stats..
Fools.
Banford crying right now.
THink you’re off the mark calling Mislintat a failure. He wasnt even here long enough to really start a project let alone fail at one . The fact is, he left when it became clear that the technical director position that Gazidis promised him was no longer on the table.
Angelino again at heart of it.
0 – 2 Manure losing!!!
Pierre, posters celebrating Ozil’s omission from the squad isn’t half as bad as Arteta making that decision while at the same time having him practicing with the squad.
Unless I’m wrong about the last part being a fact, that’s the dumbest thing I’ve seen in 40 years of me being around football……..no hyperbole here whatsoever.
Come on Pierre, trolling at your age. It’s sad.
Bring on the RANGNICK. He is the identity we have been lacking. demote Edu & Arteta. Let them learn from the GOAT of Directors of football.
WOW so nearly 3-0
Venga “THink you’re off the mark calling Mislintat a failure. He wasnt even here long enough to really start a project let alone fail at one . The fact is, he left when it became clear that the technical director position that Gazidis promised him was no longer on the table.” He could lose interest the longer he was here when it was becoming obvious that his path was blocked to the more senior role that he was apparently promised when he first joined. In Mislintat’s first proper season with real involvement fresh on the job well we could call… Read more »
“Angelino again at heart of it.”
That bald City reject? If it is remember being quite impressed by him for City against Liverpool a while back.
Yes Dali – we can pray
Mong United.
A club of failure.
Just like Arsenal.
Juve bossing Barca at the Nou, The naysayers wont put this down but Rambo sparkling.
2-0.
Bit of a nothing game isnt it though, Sal? Arent they both already through? Not saying Rambo is shite btw
Sal
” The naysayers wont put this down but Rambo sparkling.
2-0.”
He was the only player at Arsenal when Emery arrived that you could actually think could be put in the higher class bracket.
But he had already decided to leave for pastures new by then.
“Juve bossing Barca at the Nou, The naysayers wont put this down but Rambo sparkling.
2-0.”
That can’t be right Sal. Godfather posted an article by those football sages at the Daily Mail claiming he’s their worst signing in five years. Then again, according to about three Daily Mail ‘exclusives’ last season, Ramsey should be playing for Cardiff around now.
We will probably never know which players were Mislintat’s first choice. What we do know is that he plucked Guen from obscurity, a player whose value went up higher than virtually any other player in Europe (70M at some point according to CIES) until the Arteta conflict. We have also seen the amazing potential of Mavropanos, but unfortunately nonstop injuries have stopped his progress – not Mislintat’s fault as he was fine when he joined us. But for a player who cost 1M still amazing that he plays in the Bundesliga every single time he’s fit. Mislintat also wanted Soyuncu,… Read more »
Watching Barcelona a d the motley crew of average and past it players plus a clearly disillusioned Messi is like watching the crap Arsenal of today. Difference is we slid down to insignificance while Barca fell off a cliff.
Marko’s boy Orban with a goal lol, 3-0!
Mancs being smashed.
Ansolutely smashed.
Shame that was marked off – great set piece routine
Barca are done for as an elite side for the next while.
Messi definitely gone in the summer.
Kris
“but still slightly better than our recent months and the Raul fiasco.”
Slightly better?
In Mislintat’s first proper season at Arsenal after old Frenchie fucked off Arsenal failed to get top four and CL football by a few points.
That Arsenal fucked Mislintat over thereafter by blocking him from a senior role he was promised was Arsenal’s poor call.
That little cunt Raul.
Morata looking sharpers than i’ve seen.
Can’t see anyone in Europe being interested in Messi. Retrograde step bringing him in for extremely short-term gain.
Paulinho
Don’t disagree, his best years are behind him and he will be 34.Have always said that his game will not age as well as Ronaldo’s because Ronaldo is a much more off the ball threat and can play as the target man.
His wages will be an albatross for any club. Only City, United or PSG could afford it.
WE- Yep, said about four years ago I(reluctantly) would have Ronaldo above him simply because Ronaldo’s threat is more equally distributed between off the ball movement as well as on the ball ability. With Messi it’s just the same old drop deep routine and looking for someone to combine with before breaking into a dribble.
PSG game suspended as fourth official said ‘this black guy’.
😂 I can’t with you lot.
No one will want Messi?
Hahaha
Paulinho
Ronaldo is the best header of a ball I have ever seen, something like 15% or more of his goals have been headers which is well over 100, crazy number.
When teams are sitting back and hard to break down, you can go wide and lump it into Ronaldo to get on the end of, Messi just does not have that threat to his game.
Messi used to be able to weave through crowds of bodies but he’s no longer as explosive and agile and he is nowhere near as good a finisher as he once was.
Left Testicle
“PSG game suspended as fourth official said ‘this black guy’.”
Has he also got a big nose and ginger hair this guy?
How silly of the fourth official not to just say that big nosed ginger cunt.
It’s not that nobody will want Messi Kaz, nobody that can afford Messi will want him which is very different.
“Messi used to be able to weave through crowds of bodies but he’s no longer as explosive and agile and he is nowhere near as good a finisher as he once was” Against the real top sides he needed Iniesta to cut through teams. Iniesta was a freak in his own right and he and Messi would often have a mini keep-ball session and then Messi would wait for the right moment to spring into life. Without that dribbler to link-up he often looked a bit impotent. Argentina lacked that player and not once did Messi ever excite me when… Read more »
What’s happening at Barcelona is the same as what’s happening at Arsenal, they’ve also employed a shit manager. Koeman is shit.
Paulinho
Somewhat agree that Iniesta was fundamental to getting the best out of Messi but he has had outstanding years post-Iniesta as well.
2018/19 he was incredible, would have won the Treble if he had any sort of competent defenders behind him.
“PSG game suspended as fourth official said ‘this black guy’.”
Seriously?
WE – What do you think of Frenkie De Jong?
TYAG
Yep, Barcelona are Arsenal on steroids.
Bartomeu has rotted the club from top to bottom between compromising the running of their academy La Masia and stripping funding, spending more money that anyone in Europe on piss poor players and overpaying for good but not elite ones like Coutinho, Griezmann, Dembele, De Jong and sticking them all on ridiculous contracts, hiring incompetent managers in Setien and Koeman and last but not least, pissing off Messi.
PSG & Man City both want him and can afford him.
He won’t get more than a 3 year deal though.
I think PSG will work better for him but Aguero + Guardiola might have enough sentimental value to clinch it.
Some saying he said ‘this black guy’s some saying he said the ‘n’ word.
Paulinho
Doesn’t do a lot for me, good player but lightweight and flitters in and out of games.
He’s a smooth technician but he lacks any real world class aspect to his game and he doesn’t strike me as an alpha personality, happy to sit back and be passive in there. Too many games pass him by.
Do you like him?
I can’t believe that the fourth official would have said the n****r word that is being reported.
If he did then that is ludicrous from that fourth official.
Or are the players reacting to the word black?
Have to think Barca’s big spends over last decade will be looked at as what not to do in Sven’s forthcoming book: Fear and Loathing in North London.
Pokr old Nessi getting stick for what I have been saying for years.
He is Romanian. They’re racist fookers. Is that racist?
WE – Pretty much agree with your appraisal from the limited amount I’ve seen of him. His performances never seemed to match the OTT hype.
Official also said. “ No one likes us and we don’t care .”
Some on here might not get that one.?😏
We are going to see more instances of the booing btw with the taking of the knee which was heard at the Millwall when the fans get back to the grounds in bigger numbers.
Millwall are scum as we know but many folks are just going to show that they are fed up with this constant identity politics which is so divisive.
When do the players stop taking the knee in EPL matches that was instigated by an event in another country? Is the taking of the knee forever?
Would love to see 3 teams going out in the group stages, Man Utd., Real & PSG.
3 nil another pen for RR7.
Loooool Koeman getting into it with Juve bench.
Martinelli got 45 mins with the u21s at Wimbledon tonight.
Ronaldo and Juve humiliating Barca here.
Martinelli got 45 mins with the u21s at Wimbledon tonight.
>>>>>>
He lost 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.
Since when it’s racist to describe a black guy as a black guy or a white as a white? Normally that’s how you describe a person to police if you are asked.
World is gone fucking mad.
The fourth official said the N word to describe a coach?
I guess it’s finally been revealed what Un does for a living.
Quite like Juve’s midfield. Always liked Arthur, and they’ve got good runners in Rambo and Mckennie.
What would happen if a black player called another black player the ‘n’ word?
“Would love to see 3 teams going out in the group stages, Man Utd., Real & PSG.”
I was going to say that they’d end up in the EL but let’s be honest – what difference does it make.
Lefty Testicle
I think the “this black guy” statement was more clumsy that racist. Apparently the “N” word means black in Romanian.
Fourth official being substituted. Game to restart.
Or maybe not. One of the teams still thinking it over.
Left Testicle
“Fourth official being substituted”
lol he had to be subbed off. Wasn’t cutting it tonight.
Seen much better displays from him in past matches.
He was disappointing tonight.
Left
What is there to think over? Whether the guy’s said something unintentionally offensive or is wearing a pillow case on his head he’s been removed and I’m sure we’ll see consequences but we’re talking about professional footballers – get on and play some football.
Short Ramsay’s contribution since we are talking about him…
STAT ATTACK:
Aaron Ramsey’s last 2 seasons at Arsenal:
17 goals, 20 assists in 4637 minutes. A goal or assist every 125 minutes.
Arsenal’s entire midfield since Ramsey left:
12 goals, 14 assists in 16282 minutes. A goal or assist every 626 minutes.
Shock, horror! https://t.co/ynGA7kQXp3
Evergreen Buffon with another sexy save.
Marc,
Agree. If he has said the ‘n’ word and the game doesn’t go ahead racism has won. Get on with the game. If he has been racist he will be punished.
Remember when Christopher Nkunku was linked to Arsenal
Many people turned their noses up act him because of the Emery link.
Left
It really has got to a stage where I think people want to win the competition of “I’m offended more than you”.
As you say best way to beat these idiots is to laugh at them and play the best football you’ve ever played.
Fernandes is a special player
Hahaha oh dear Ole.
That’s what Holding should have done to Son on Sunday; hack him down.
Take one for the team.
hahaha 3-0
Leipzig 3-0
Harry Maguire 75m defender, hahaha
What happened to Nagelsmann’s jazzy 3 piece suit
“12 goals, 14 assists in 16282 minutes. A goal or assist every 626 minutes.”
Love to know who scored those 12 goals or what games. Can’t think of any at all in a match of any importance.
@Mb
“Aaron Ramsey’s last 2 seasons at Arsenal:17 goals, 20 assists in 4637 minutes. A goal or assist every 125 minutes.Arsenal’s entire midfield since Ramsey left:12 goals, 14 assists in 16282 minutes. A goal or assist every 626 minutes.”
Yup. Emery couldnt buy a win after Ramsey got injured in our run in.
Players not happy as fourth official will swap with VAR official. 10.30pm in Paris, only 30 minutes played.
Koeman be sacked tonight? 4-0
If United scores quickly then it’s game on
WE
Maybe we can sell Arteta to Barca?
WE
“Koeman be sacked tonight? 4-0”
Who else will want that poisoned chalice
Poor Bonucci he deserved that.
Dissenter
Wenger? 🤣
Messi taking frees like PEA attacking headers.