Ok, 1 point. It’s a start.
The Southampton game followed the same pattern as the Burnley one. Average first half, strong start to the second, a self-inflicted wound… but at least we earned something out of this.
The new reality is this: Getting out of the hole we’re in isn’t going to be a flukey goal and 10 wins on the bounce. It’s going to be something slower and more painful.
Why? Well, the whole squad is shot to pieces confidence-wise and the overall character of the players, in most cases, is a long way from elite.
At this stage, you have to accept the positives when they land. That game unravelled because our players are a bit dim. Gabriel, who has been shit for quite a while, dropped a horrendous mistake after getting booked. It deserves its own paragraph.
Theo Walcott leant into Gabriel on the halfway line, grabbing him. Gabriel fell for the bait and pulled him down… like one of the worst forwards I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching was capable of turning him on the halfway line and scoring.
Honestly. Doughnut 101 behaviour. How do you coach that?
You can be angry about the performance and that’s fair. You can decry a point when we needed three, and that’d be fair. But for me, we’re in crisis and you have to take the joy where you can. A point right now is like the cracker in the desert. Enjoy it and hope something better is coming.
There were positives. The team didn’t crash after we went down to 10 men. Why does that matter? It shows we’re not at Emery levels of performances. There’s some hope there.
Auba scored a goal. He was shit for most of the game, but he didn’t give up, and the finish was painfully telegraphed, but perfect for a man on the edge.
Saka didn’t stop fighting despite having a poor game by his standards. His battling run to set up the goal was superb, he was thrashed all over the place, he stayed on his feet and gave Eddie the chance to play in our beleaguered striker to equalise.
Ainsley needs to start all our games going forward. Put him in midfield. Joe Willock might not be the finished product, but he can run and cause problems. Let’s see some more of ESR. He ‘could’ be better than Lacazette who doesn’t know how to be a #10. The line up might not have produced gold, but it was a new 11, let’s see how they play if the faith is repaid when people come back from suspensions and being dropped.
The takeaway for me was that if we’d kept 11 players on the pitch, we might have done something. We were more daring, the team was starting to show signs of life, and we were creating chances.
The brief has changed. It’s survival now. We need to power through December and try and put some points on the board. Top 4 is a distant memory. We just need to get to 40 points. A shocking shift of expectations, but that’s where we are. But the reality is this: Who is getting more out of these players? Might as well see it out and see if we can start to climb.
January is huge. He needs to shift on the bums. He needs to find some creative players. He needs to start the slow and painful shift towards the new era. The real work starts now and I fear the season is going to be quite grim. We won’t be relegated, but the best we can now hope for seems to be mid-table.
Some of that is on Arteta for not scrubbing the decks of the wasters, but part of this is simply because there has been no coherent strategy for 10 years and we’re paying the price.
This is grim. I am sad. You are also sad. But we have to hit rock bottom to find the next step in the process.
Here are my reccos:
- Survive December
- Clear out the wasters
- Find a couple of creative players on loan that have something to prove
- Blood the youngsters
Wipe your tears, let’s see what the weekend holds. Onwards!
1st!
2nd
3rd
Tro4y
Tr4phy
6th
Think we’re losing our next three though. More grim times ahead.
Shocking performance yesterday team is lacking confidence big time! Some of the football Southampton played in the first half was absolutely sublime! Thought I was watching peak Barca.
WINTER IS HERE!
Two seconds lol
Southampton lacked a cutting edge. You can tell they have no experience putting teams to the sword. A better side – Leicester or Wolves, say – would have buried us after Gabriel’s red card. Let alone the likes of Chelsea or Liverpool.
Pedro crucified Emery for falling out of the top four, yet Arteta – with two extra transfer windows behind him and major transfer funds spent – is permitted to merely avoid relegation!
“It shows we’re not at Emery levels of performances.” True, for all its many failings, the team was never this dire under Emery.
At least David Luiz can give Cesc like passes and that’s one way of being dangerous and score some goals. If he wanted to make that back 3, he could have played Saka as a left wing forward, Tierney at Saka’s place as the left wing back and a central 3 of Luiz, Gabriel and Holding. Instead he puts a LB in a CB role. And we get a goal because of it. But I see nobody talking about it. A system with THREE CBs and you get penetrated right through the middle? Nothing he tries works anymore cause it’s… Read more »
What happened this season is we stopped pressing. We are set up as a pressing side and for some reason we stopped. We let teams run at us, are afraid to commit to a tackle and let in stupid goals. I mean, Wally is a flat track bully and we know he only scores against shit sides. That must mean we’re…
We need to get rid of the German speaking clique. Mustafi, Xhaka, Ozil & Kolasinac. They signify everything wrong with this squad.
Pedro you really are mental at this point. I dont care if I get banned but if you are preaching survival for the same players you expected to finish 4th then you are a huge hypocrite. “Gabriel who has been shit for a while?” You mean the past three month player of the month? If you skew the truth this much no to admit you were wrong and may be the coach sucks then you have gone insane. This is like watching an AKB back in the day. Actually its worse because AKBs could point to the beautiful football we… Read more »
EduardoDecember 17, 2020 09:20:55
Two seconds lol
You are Xhakalson im Ngolo kante
not to admit*
Pedro
Emery’s evel of performances didn’t yield 4 straight home losses.
Eduardo didn’t we go down to 10 men against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and not get put to the sword?
You’re quite”There were positives. The team didn’t crash after we went down to 10 men. Why does that matter? It shows we’re not at Emery levels of performances. There’s some hope there.”
No – we are far far far worse than Emery levels! Our ghost of a director of football shaking his head when he should know better sums it up to me.
I find myself having to read this blog to see just how out of touch it is compared to arseblog and online gooner
This clearly lacks ‘sauce’ but like arsenal it’s a necessary bad obsession
“But the reality is this: Who is getting more out of these players? Might as well see it out and see if we can start to climb.” Emery finished 5th with basically a Ramsey, a Iwobi and a Torreira + Guendouzi. They were supposed to be shit so Arteta forced 2 of them out. We now have Gabriel, Pepe, Willian and Partey (who Arteta managed to break again) and we are suddenly in a dogged survival fight. Makes sense Pedro. “Gabriel, who has been shit for quite a while” Did you really?! “The real work starts now and I fear… Read more »
He and Luiz are not talking, how do yo expect Luiz to play and take his instructions
Lmfaoooooo
Auba and positive in the same breath – really??
The man is a fucking merc. Fast becoming one of my least favourite players. Where we need leadership, we have people like him, strolling around the pitch thinking about what hideous colour to wrap his next Lambo in!
Well, as befits the time of year, we have a pantomime horse of a side, different parts struggling to pretend they are inside the same team. Bright spot for me was Saka, once again, and Gabriel is an idiot.
You might think it was a step forward, but it wouldn’t surprise me that Arteta was just ‘resting’ his ‘big guns’ (aka jaded old hackers) for Everton and Chelsea. It will be three steps forward, two or more back, for some time to come. The pantomime continues.
“Emery levels of performance” lol. Was that supposed to be a swipe at Emery? It was never this bad under him.
“We just need to get to 40 points” Amazing how merely avoiding relegation is good enough under Arteta but Europa league final was deemed not good enough. The levels of bias are insane, Trump would be proud.
Also
“But the reality is this: Who is getting more out of these players? ”
Are you telling me this squad is that shit?
How are we:
12 places behind Southampton?????
10 places behind Everton?
8 places behind fkin West Ham who ppl thought are going to sack Moyes by November on their way to relegation?
Behind Wolves, Villa, Palace, Leeds, Newcastle?
Is our squad THAT shit? Or maybe, just maybe it has something to do with the manager.
Muppetman
How far back are you going??
Southampton were clearly the better team last night but lacked the cutting edge/killer instinct to finish us off while we were playing for a point with ten men. A more clinical team would have won. That’s all.
What a biased post. Again back to being driven more by ego than reality. Pushing for Arteta being sacked is the only thing any sane Arsenal fan should be committed to. We are worse than what we were under Emery. In fact the worst EVER!!
What the hell was this post about?
Gabriel has not been shit for some time. Why would you just drop that in for the player that’s one 3 POM awards in a row?
Saka had a good game and was a danger, creating our best chances.
Get to 40 points? Did you really type that? Ridiculous leap from one extreme to the other.
I’m never normally critical of Pedro, that’s why I come here because I like reading what he has to say, but that was shit, almost emery-esque
““Gabriel who has been shit for a while?”
You mean the past three month player of the month?”
Thanks for pointing that out Habesha, I checked on Arsenal.com and you’re absolutely right, he’s been player of the month for the last three months, the most recent votes was 8 days ago!!!
Do the Samaritans operate in the US? Someone send Pedro their number….
Southampton were slow out the gates for the 2nd half, but were starting to dominate as they did in the first half when Gabriel saw red. Walcott would have been away for a one on one with his pace, so Gabriel fouled him. Eddie did nothing of note other than his assist with Auba playing through the middle and scoring. Teams know how to cut off Auba’s supply out on the left or keep him out of the box unattended. Salah has the same issues on the right, but has a quicker service consequently having an extra yard or 2… Read more »
Pedro still trying to defend his sauce manager.
Demetrious
emery-esque
You mean Wengeresque
PedRo
*****He needs to find some creative players.****
If he landed on Maradona, Best, Zico, Hagi,Bobby Charlton or Liam.Brady in January.
This pudding of a manager – would cock it up.
He would have them playing in the under 23’s by February..
For gawd sake man. He is bloody useless.
Say so. And move on.
I refuse to believe that this is the same Pedro that was pushing for a change under late period Wenger. He knew what a clueless manager looks like. He wanted more than top 4 finishes. Now he wants to keep a manager in a job leading us to mid-table at absolute best.
Nketiah was totally anonymous by the way. The guy has no future at this level, he shouldn’t be starting games. Balogun should be used instead so we can at least see if he has what it takes.
I felt for Gabriel, the guy has been thrown into the deep end and has been charged with marshalling the defence at a young age for a CB. His two yellows at least arose from him trying to do his job, unlike the brainless headbutts and strangulation seen in recent weeks.
Saka was our best player.
Wow you have lost it big time Pedro – your posts and Trump’s tweets are competing to see who can be the most delusional and hypocritical and I think you are giving him a run for his money.
Raptors
That’s just pure biasness, he just won’t admit it.
Ruling by fear demonstrates weakness in the manager, especially fear of making mistakes.
Arteta is no exception displaying fear by his inability to employ different tactics with different players.
As has been said here Arteta probably would be able to give his manager all possible options to beat teams, but incapable of making potential winning decisions.
As with several of Fergie’s assistants, such as Bryan Kidd assistants rarely make good managers.
I know you work in a profession where your clients pay you to make exaggerated if not downright false claims about their product but I had assumed you gave that a test when you blogged rather than dialled it up to a level that were this an advert would get an immediate ASA referral in the U.K.
Sending off saved Arsenal from losing the game just like it did against Leeds.
“It shows we’re not at Emery levels of performances” This is an embarrassing sentence, Pedro. You’re desperately trying to hold on to some sort of credibility by pretending that Arteta has fared better than Emery in any way so far this season. Unfortunately (for all of us), he hasn’t. I’m not sure where I stand on Arteta (whether I think it’s time for him to go – probably? – or whether there’s still a tiny chance he could turn this around – doubtful, but mayyybe??), but let’s get one thing straight: if ANY other manager had come in and had… Read more »
Sad isn’t it that it’s come to this. Just survival mode.
And someone like others is still in denial mode about our manager.
Solve everything but the manager eh.
He should be top of the list for change.
‘We’re not at emery level of performances’
😂😂😂😂 Pedro, please
Things we learned today:
– Our three time player of the month ‘is shit’
– The guy who scored the goal to save MA’s ass ‘was shit’
– The guy who created the goal ‘was shit’
– Nobody could get more out of our ‘top 4’ relegation battlers
– There is no-one Pedro will not throw under the bus to save MA
And everyone is a ‘bum’ bar the real bum on the sidelines.
Arsenal finished above Southampton so what’s gone wrong in the space of 4 months.
How does a great coach leave us in a position where you’re saying we need to get 40 points in December? Am I missing something?
“We just need to get to 40 points. A shocking shift of expectations, but that’s where we are.”
Pedro is 100% right about this part. Our average at the moment is 1.07 pts per game.
It would see us accumulate 41 pts at the end of the season. Dreadful.
Wonder who’s to blame for the shocking discrepancy between expectations before the season started, and the reality we are put in? Last season it was the manager (Emery). But now it’s anyone else but the manager.
Graham – Pedro has just been seen queuing outside the Broadway Wig Co. for a new Trump style wig. He obviously still believes Arteta has sauce and is not smothered with gravy.
Don’t agree on Gabriel look what he’s got round him
Gabriel has been the one positive for me.
Totally agree on Walcott .
Although he is playing with an energy Arsenal did not see
before his departure and is probably quicker at this time
than he has been for the last 5 years.
He will continue to cause problems for teams his pace is electric.
Pepe our most overpriced waste of space take note.?
/
Pedro
*****Honestly. Doughnut 101 behaviour. How do you coach that?*****
employ a generational one.
OK. a post without ‘Arteta is a briiant coach….’ or variations of that statement. Well that’s a start for Pedro rough road to redemption. One step at a time boss.
But I see he is still turbo-charged using underperforming players to shroud diet Moyes’ ineptitude.
Quick analysis of Pedro’s post today:
Pedro’s Ego: 3 – Pedro’s brain: 0.
Pedro has Arteta PTSD hope he can get help.
“like one of the worst forwards I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching was capable of turning him on the halfway line and scoring.”
#16 goalscorer in Arsenal’s history. One of 19 players to ever score more than a 100 goals for our club. Capable of extraordinary counter attacking goals and assists.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhcsjXyStmk
My skin hair still gets erected watching this.
I know everyone one hates Eddie but at least give him credit when it’s due, he had a solid game last night (according to WhoScored he was our best player).
While I’d agree he’s been pretty poor lately but I don’t think I could name an attacking player that hasn’t, you might all be right and he might not make it at Arsenal but considering he’s poacher that’s not getting any chances I think it might a bit early to write him off.
This post is worse than the deluded late Wenger era ones in Untold.
Spot on, Pedro. Spot on with the reccos. Nothing to add, except we can still win FA Cup and/or Europa.Roll on Jan.
Reminds me of the Black Knight from Monty Python – “come back you coward, we can still win the FA Cup!!” (without any limbs).
We won’t clear the wasters, we never do. We will also hear he needs a few transfer windows to get things right, meanwhile another one slips by with the wasters still here and we’re fed the bullshit of waiting for the Summer window, then again it slips by with no additions because we’re fed the line that we have no money and then again we repeat the cycle endlessly. Arsenal is run by clowns just milking the fans simply because the kronkes have no interest. Arteta is crap, everyone knows it and so do you Pedro so stop with the… Read more »
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/arsenal-players-left-angered-mikel-23180658
“They also report that David Luiz was fuming to have been left out of the squad to take on Manchester United earlier this season as an injury precaution even though he felt fully fit.”
How about leaving him out because he’s shit and a liability?
In case anybody missed this:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-9062643/Arsenal-keeper-Bernd-Leno-rages-bad-attitude-team-mates.html
The 3-4-3 formation is not a new formation. It fact it used to be common in South American common until it fell out of favour. Since once in a while a manager reintroduces it. Conte success meant many other managers just copied his template. However that formation is a very demanding tactically and physically formation and it requires specific types of players to work. Because it is an unusual formation it tends to initially baffle opponents, but once they work it out, unless the team has the perfect blend of players it can be easily counteracted. That’s why a lot… Read more »
” It shows we’re not at Emery levels of performances.”
Same number of matches played as when Emery was sacked 4 point worse off and haven’t had a good performance in the PL since New Years day.
Fuck off Pedro
“We need to power through December and try and put some points on the board.”
Everton A
Chelsea H
Brighton A
Pedro – you’re spinning bullshit, telling everyone it’s bad but not that bad and offering a solution without giving an acceptable level of return. Can anyone see us picking up more than 2 points from the above matches and I being generous with that as well.
Valentin,
Excellent analysis.
We won’t be relegated
——————-
Pedro
You keep on saying this but we’re playing our worse football since 1975. There’s every chance if we don’t improve that we’ll go down.
Shit happens and it’s happening right now.
Arteta is finished and if we don’t wake up and deal with it soon so will Arsenal. Where the hell was talk of 40 points and survival being the goal when you where telling us about generational coaching or sauce? You’ve blamed Gabriel for being stupid and saying how can that be coached? – I don’t remember that being an “allowed” excuse under Wenger or Emery? The hard truth is that if last nights results had occurred under another coach you would have blamed that coach for over playing Gabriel, a 22 old player who’s new to the PL and… Read more »
“There were positives. The team didn’t crash after we went down to 10 men. Why does that matter? It shows we’re not at Emery levels of performances.”
The scale of the trolling from Pedro nowadays. The rodents who have taken up lodgings in his gaffe must have really driven him up the wall!
Deluded ramblings.
You got it wrong, Pedro, Just admit that and move on.
Outside of a couple of idiots (maybe it’s COVID related) the entire comments section seems to be turning on not only Arteta but Pedro as well.
I thought Marketing people were supposed to be able to read their client base! No wonder Pedro had to cheat to win the biscuit game.
Dont know whats worse, Arsenal’s abysmal performances or Pedro’s continued defence of a lame duck Manager who has made it crystal clear that he should not be a manager.
Say it Pedro – I WAS WRONG !!!
Sorry Pedro, but you have lost your objectivity. Arteta just hasn’t got it. I could spend hours disagreeing with his team selections substitutes etc. He has all his old favourites who know how to suck up to him and guess what they are always in the team. Yesterday was just as poor as most other games this season. Man management is what most of a coach is responsible for. He has zero skill in this area. Ask the youngsters. Eddie won’t ever make it – Bellerin, Zhaka etc are finished. Sorry but to slag off Gabriel is a low blow!… Read more »
WOAB,
Thanks.
What worries me is that if I and all the opposition manager can spot those problems then why Arteta can’t?
A good manager looks at the players and decides a formation that fits the players he currently has. Conte settled on that formation because he had the right players. Arteta seems to be doing the opposite of trying to fit the players into an arbitrary formation.
Marc
It’s a blog of love
Kindly fuck off Prdro is more P.C. here.
A friend asked me to mention it.👀
WOAB
“Quick analysis of Pedro’s post today:Pedro’s Ego: 3 – Pedro’s brain: 0.”
Look’s like you’re going to have to give a score every day until Arteta is fired. Personally I can’t see Pedro’s brain picking up more than a single point between now and Jan 1st.
@Marc –
He is every bit as bad as those who followed the cult of Wenger in his last days. It is embarrassing reading the mental gymnastics that he has to spin to justify his continued support for a total dud of a manager.
“It shows we’re not at Emery levels of performances.”
Like what is this? We were never this bad under Emery.
@Pedro Saka having a poor game? Which game have you watched, he is the one trying so hard and taking ownership which I cannot see from anyone else in the squad (espacially from Auba who is afraid to take anyone in a 1 to 1 situation, if Laca is bereft of confidence then Auba should be benched for sure as well)…. I’m surprised you didn’t mention AML giving the ball wastefully on 2-3 occasions as soon as he was able to make a good interception/tackle. I would agree with you to see him play in the CDM role with the… Read more »
Tony
You’re right – Pedro I humbly apologise and would like to amend my previous comment to:
Pedro would you please kindly fuck off.
Marc:
“Everton A
Chelsea H
Brighton A
Can anyone see us picking up more than 2 points from the above matches”
When we should be expecting between 6 and 9 pts, now 2 pts is going to be seen as a success. Stopping the rot? What did we stop? We are still 15th, still 5 pts above relegation. Jesus.
Jim
At least Wenger had built a deserved level of good will with the fans. Arteta fluked a cup win and hasn’t given us a good performance in the PL for almost a year.
Should rename the blog to LE ARTETA.
The five stages of grief:
1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance
I think Pedro is still at stage 1. Denial.
The majority of us are probably at stage 2. Anger or stage 4. Depression.
The worst thing is the “tough love” Pedro is getting on here is not from trolls – it’s the trolls who are agreeing with him!
Complete shambles.
@Marc –
It really goes to show the power of ego. Pedro spent months building Arteta up to be something he never was and now that it has all come crashing down he refuses to see it.
This was always going to happen, a man with NO managerial experience takes one of the biggest jobs in world football then proceeds to fail spectacularly. Its game over. We need to appoint an actual manager to get us out of this mess.
Ernest
Maybe Le Sauce
Valentin,
I think what your post showed, simply and clearly, is that the idea that Arteta is a poor manager but a great coach is entirely deluded.
At this point it doesn’t sound impossible that Arteta hired Pedro’s agency and a bunch of newspapers to build him the reputation he needed to land the Arsenal gig and spread the word of how he is a top talent young coach destined to become a superstar like Pep and Klopp.
Pedro might be on Arteta’s payroll.
What else could it be? Can’t think of anything else.
I think Arteta should try stripping the captaincy from Aubameyang. I really dont see him as a leader, especially when things arent going his way, Id rather it be someone with some fight, willing to drag everyone to victory. The problem is there’s very few players in this pussy whipped squad that could do it!
Each to their own, but personally I don’t see why people feel it is OK to give Pedro so much abuse. Do I agree with his views on Arteta, not at all. I’m not even sure Pedro believes them anymore, but he isn’t going to turn around and say he was completely wrong about him and start slating him and demanding for him to be sacked. You may think that is the position you want him to take, but I think he would lose respect from more people taking that stance than he does with his current one, which is… Read more »
Dreadful post Pedro. I can only echo others on saying your post reeks of bias and hypocrisy. “He needs to shift on the bums” Like the one he bought, Willian, and the one he decided to keep, Xhaka. This alone shows you that he is a managerial nothing, too afraid to actuslly take on the actual task of coaching the young players who are hungry to succeed. Instead of that he us trying to shortcut it to the top by betting on some players that are all past it. Not what one would expect from a supposed coach. It in… Read more »
“What else could it be? Can’t think of anything else.”
Like everyone else, it is difficult to admit when you are wrong, some people can accept it easier than others. We are learning that Pedro can’t accept it.
If we get relegated, will Kroenke sell up? If it’s even a possibility then it wouldn’t be too bad! That’s the only thing that’ll save this club long term.
One thing I remember Pedro saying was that no matter who came in after Wenger we would always continue to play the same brand of football as it was in the Arsenal DNA.
Well look at us now, playing some of the worst football in the league. What ever else you can say about Arteta his brand of football is fucking awful.
If arteta goes edu goes with him. Want them both gone.
Then needs to be followed swiftly out the door by all the German clique as someone else said. Then after that the “kia” clique. Thatll be a fantastic start.
Marc Lmao I think Pedro will eventually say him being a marketing man (mad men series) and claim, unsuccessfully I might add, he is using reverse psychology to get the blog up in arms so that Timothy Lewis can report back to old rug thatch head. Thus making Pedro right to be wrong. Pedro I’d like to respectfully echo Marc’s amended comment as it seems to make more sense than your post. As for despot Arteta the first rule of management is to quickly recognize talent or potential talent and delegate. 2nd rule: make educated decisions on delegated responses, something… Read more »
“The club has said they’re behind the manager and believe in what he’s doing”
https://talksport.com/football/628612/arsenal-unai-emery/
Imagine excusing Arteta for having bums at his disposal when said Arteta declined offers for the bums (Xhaka, AMN, Lacazette), wants to extend the bums (Mustafi), and has brought even more bums (Willian, Soares, Mari). Years and years for Willian, Soares and Mari in this club being meaningless signings. What a great way to upgrade your team.
And le grove is not a true representation of the arsenal fanbase at all.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
Unfortunately the majority of the fan base are content to pay their money, sit on their hands and quietly watch the decline.
The simple truth is the only thing keeping Arteta in a job is the lack of fans in the ground. A full stadium and Arteta’s hiding in the changing room asking Luiz to go and check to see if the booing had stopped yet.
Matt
Mostly it’s banter Pedro often uses when he appears in the comments, Pedro knows deep down we respect him and appreciate his hard work on a tight schedule even if it is completely misguided on occasion, such as Gazidis and now Arteta.