Happy Christmas one and all.
Even if you don’t do the pagan thing, I hope you’re taking the best bits of the festivities and making them work for you this Friday. Beers at 9. Too much food. MASSIVE fight with your partner.
How about presents? How greedy were you with your ask this year?
I asked for a way out of the mess Arsenal have leveled on themselves. Santa is going to have to work hard to satisfy this tall order.
If Mikel is staying, let’s see what he’s got. He’s been taught all the worst lessons over the past 5 months, his big challenge is whether he is capable of actively learning… or whether he’s going to dig his heels in and get sacked.
There’s an old parable Isiah Berlin used in one of his essays.
“The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.”
Leaders are split into these two camps. Lincoln would be a fox. He knew where he was going, but he was prepared to zigzag to get there.
Steve Jobs was a hedgehog. A hedgehog has a singular vision and nothing will shake them from that path. When the world went opensource, he decided to close off his products. When the world offered variety, he went for a narrower focus. When Microsoft let others build hardware for them, he shut off contractors, and created an entire production arm, building out an unstoppable vertically integrated behemoth.
Who does Mikel think he is right now? He looks like a hedgehog. His plan is failing, he’s stuck in a rut, and he can’t see that his singular vision is failing. His one way of operating is tanking and he can’t adapt. It’s unclear whether his vision is even worth being a hedgehog for.
He needs to become a fox. Lincoln knew he wanted to end slavery, but he was painfully aware there were things that needed to happen before he could drive at that goal. He said things he didn’t agree with privately. He wouldn’t commit to anything that would rankle half the country he needed to vote for him. He was extremely cunning in how drove towards power so he could make the changes he felt were necessary for his higher calling.
If you’re going to shoot at the end goal early, boy, you’d better not miss. My oh my, has our boy missed. His lack of patience has cost him a season and most of his political capital with the fans. A grand vision means nothing in politics if you aren’t in power… he’s in serious jeopardy of losing power after only a year.
Arteta needs learn to be a fox. He needs to work out how to get back to winning ways. He needs to start crafting a narrative the fans can get behind. He might have to do some painful things, like give up on players he put faith in. Like admitting he made his very own Ozil mistake. Like winding back the ‘let’s do pretty football’ part of the process and get back to basics again.
Is he capable of being a fox? So far, it doesn’t look that way. He continues to make the same mistakes, trot out bland tired excuses, and flap around like a one-dimensional hedgehog.
This Sunday is huge. The coaching staff has had a week to plot out a way to get at Chelsea. If they fail, it’s going to be really, really hard to picture a way Arteta escapes with his job.
Our season starts at home to Chelsea. Win, and the next group of games feels more comfortable. We rack up some points. We move to midtable safety. Lose? Well, I don’t know where it goes.
It’s time to shut up and support the lads. Let’s see if we’re dealing with a hedgehog powering towards a main road at night, or a fox, that’s raiding a chicken coup before shitting in a farmers wellington boot.
Happy Christmas, have a great day, thank you for reading. I love you all very dearly. x
Top spot
2
3
Tr4phy
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas to all of you fellow Grovers and Gooners across the world!
And a Merry Christmas to you Pedro!
Thanks for all this year Pedro.
Club are desperate for him to turn it around as they don’t have a fucking clue what to do in the alternative scenario. That’s as worrying as anything.
Enjoy the day today.
Merry Christmas from Nairobi. All sunny and nice!
Merry Christmas everyone – and a much, much better new year.
VictoriousDecember 24, 2020 14:03:11 IsholaBasically the point is after everyone is done arguing for Arteta out, how does Arsenal solve the problem that that we are not a good team? Just like to see the conversation graduate to the next cognitive level of awareness. Have you read this blogs comments over the years? Everyone knows that the hierarchy aren’t good enough. And the only people saying our squad has been good enough over the past few seasons were the Emery outs from the very beginning. We are better than 15th. But even with God himself as manager we wouldn’t be… Read more »
Our squad was top 4 quality under Emery, but top 8 under arteta. Go figure
Goal posts move like no tomorrow.
Merry Christmas and a happy new year to all gooner friends around the world.
Merry X MAS TO ALL.
Good health and treasure your loved
ones alway’s present and past.
Onwards and upwards.
Fox or Hedgehog? If we lose to Chelsea, I’ll go with Roadkill.
Merry Christmas guys.
Arsenal 2 – 1 Rent boys.
Merry Christmas from early morning California!
But also merry Christmas (happy holidays) to all you crazy kents.
DB 10 hope the beers are out already for you haha.
And Pedro, thanks for the Christmas post! Hope you do get what you asked for mate
Bacary that’s quite the LOL
Merry Christmas cells
*fellas
Silly phones
Merry Christmas, everyone!
Merry Christmas to all you guys who celebrate it!!
“He hasn’t been a head coach from the very first day he walked in the door,” the Arsenal chief executive, Vinai Venkatesham, said. “He has been doing much more than that. He has walked into probably the toughest nine-month period this football club has had. During that period Mikel has lifted the spirits of fans, staff and players. His capabilities fit much better as a manager than as a head coach” Straight from the horse’s mouth that Arteta was behind keeping xhaka Amn Laca etc etc as I’m assuming he thought his coaching powers would be enough to turn around… Read more »
I mean yes, I am putting 2 and 2 together there. But it’s just more mistakes that are able to be applied to him.
I think that so far as the team goes, the level of quality we have of course isn’t good enough to win the PL (not by any stretch), but it most certainly isn’t worthy of 15th either. It seems to me that we have been hit by that familiar disease Wenger used to call “mental strength” – i.e. the lack of it but what he didn’t tell you is that it wasn’t just the players – the whole club suffered from it top to bottom and still does to this day.. Is it a coincidence that every manager we’ve had… Read more »
Merry Christmas all. Swap hedgehog for groundhog…
We need a van Gaal or more precisely van Gaal. He is ruthless with his approach to man management. He could play a ten year old kid if it needs be. He wouldn’t mind playing the whole b team. I want him short term till the end of the season.
Nice one Bacary, that was my first thought too! Deffo roadkill.
Hoping for a Mourinho meltdown and Spud implosion for Christmas with lots of time off for Harry and Son.
Turkey in, now the drinking starts!
Jeff
Disagree.
Can I say this on Xmas day?
It’s all down to rank bad coaching and poor man-management.
Respect is gained when you stop doing stupid things.
The fact that many of our players are struggling isn’t a surprise to me.
🍺
I think it would be wise for Arteta to become that fox… the fact thay he still hasn’t figured that out is what worries me. Considering that I hate Chelski, I would be very happy to see us win. It would be pampering over the cracks, but at this stage I would take anything for a bit of positivity! (PS: Pedro, the game is on Saturday) Goobergooner Merry Xmas to you! The beers are for later on today. A bit too early right now. 😀 And I have a sufficient stash of beers for tomorrow as well, so that I… Read more »
Nice try, Pedders, but our season doesn’t begin at Chelsea. It ended with Burnley. Tets has shown an unwillingness or – worse – an inability to learn, he’s lost the goodwill and belief of his players, and the majority of fans. I longer believe in him or any vision he might construct from here on in. Chelsea will be a loss with the same sorry cast. I doubt many of us care any more. He has to go. But like Wenger, these non footballing cunts will leave it way too late and screw the chances of the next guy. Plus… Read more »
Merry Christmas everyone…………..
…psssssssttttt. Has he gone yet …?
Db10,
Haha fair mate, maybe I’m just a little on the alcoholic side, cracked a beer before the presents got started 😂.
Sounds like you’ve got the festive period sorted, let’s hope arsenal can bring us something to smile about too!
Also I agree, the fact Arteta is still trying to find his winning formula is more than worrying.
Merry Christmas to all except Lego hair who sucked out the soul of this club. Arteta out! No fluke spree should discount his failure from here on. Get him out so I can start watching the matches again!
Mikel’s finished, mate. Let it go. Instead of coming in and overseeing a mass clear out, he convinced Xhaka and Mustafi to stay and then allowed Kia and his cronies to extend Luiz’s contract and bring in Willian. He arrogantly thought he could do what Wenger and Emery couldn’t and succeed with too many sub-par, mentally weak players who don’t care. Now he is paying the price as many of same players who gave up on Wenger and Emery have now downed tools on him. He is the architect of his own downfall. The Kroenkes need to bullet him and… Read more »
So many mistakes by Arteta. Too long to list, Problem is I cant think of one good decision he has made…Oh Keeping that wasting retiree Ozil out of the team
Both of them should be gone by end January.
Merry Christmas my fellow Gooners!
Please don’t spoil the day by thinking about Arteta and the mess that he is!
You were against the inclusion of Ozil in the team for past matches
It is nice to see that you have shift ground
Ozil being in the team will not make it worse. Rather it will bring creativity into the team.
To me I still insist on the need to employ another coach to take us out of the message we find ourselves. Arteta cannot turn it around.
*have shifted.
* Out of the mess.
Merry Christmas to all.
Best wishes and good luck and thank you, most of all to Pedro.
Our man is a hedgehog mutating into a fox.
Merry Christmas all
Merry Christmas Pedro
Blog of lube
Merry Xmas Pedro and all. Right. Artetas a dead man dying and he’s starting to stink. It’s a shame but lets call a spade a spade. He says this is a long term process then promptly discards the youth in favour of seasoned milfy men. By doing that then as far as i’m concerned he needs to be judged NOW as Willan, Cedric Auba, keeping Xhaka and Laca, Luiz. Mari are ALL players for the NOW and look where we are! Even worse it’s getting to the stage where he’s devaluing our young players. and generally failing to integrate them… Read more »
***Fox or Hedgehog?*** Foxes aint as cunning as this blagger. From the moment he bought the watch for Gazidas, He has ‘ played ‘ the club and its supporters. The Spanish dirty Rotten Scoundrel. Duped the fans too.( even the ‘alleged ‘ brighter ones.) Some still under his nefarious spell. But he has been rumbled and will soon be getting sacked and trousering the Big £10 million. The damage he has done to the club is insurmountable. His legacy will be. Mari for 4 seasons Cedric for seasons Runar for 5 seasons Willian for 3 seasons PEA for 3 seasons… Read more »
Pedro, You are still clinging to the hope that Arteta will change and fix everything, but he won’t. In order to change he has first to realise that have made mistakes. He does not think that he has made any, so he will continue to repeat them. He won’t ditch his non-negotiables and that will lead to more fight with senior players. He won’t drop the senior players who have let him and the club down. Xhaka and Willian will the first names on that team sheet. He won’t bring ostracised players to give them a second chance, but to… Read more »
Merry Christmas from Hampshire.
Fox vs hedgehog is academic at this juncture. Arteta has to go. Would have been meaningful to talk about during the initial period of his appointment. Now gone beyond the point of no return.
The only question is, whether Edu and Vinai also need to go with Arteta or at a later point in time.
Pepe used to play as goalkeeper until 16 years old, if he can’t make it at Arsenal letvput him in goal I am sure that he would be better than Runarsson.😁🙊🙈🙉
I keep saying this but we will gain nothing by sacking Arteta, it’s not him that is causing most of the problems it’s players not playing like Tierney plays a d leaves everything out there he’s a terrier and never stops. Look Arteta has never managed a PL team before, of course he needs some room to learn and develop skills and cunning (like a FOX) to turn this around. But I have faith in him but piling pressure on him is not the best way to get our confidence back and start winning again!!!
Skunk, the stench is worse than groupie cnut!
Prac, Aptera going now is a non negotiable…
Bad decisions Arteta made will do as much if not more financial and thus footballing damages to Arsenal as Wenger.
The thing is, Aptera has done very well and accomplished the damages and his legacy under 2 years, rather than 2 decades!
Goobergooner Ah don’t worry about having an early start. I have done and still do the early hour drinking from time to time. It tends to happen if I am in the mood to go on a total bender the previous night. After collapsing tired and drunk, I’ll wake up and carry on until the evening of that day. Drinking whisky and coke is a pretty crazy thing to do in the morning. But without having some food at some point, one can get very wired. Beer is my preferred tipple to keep going throughout the day though. As Hunter… Read more »
Kroenke is the grinch that stole Arsenal FC
Merry Christmas Pedro & Merry Christmas to the Grovers.
That’s all I came in to say. Take the day off people and enjoy yourselves 🎉🎉🎉
In the process we rust!
Too late to try oust KSE unless Arsenal became such a bad investment eg if we relegate.
Think you are getting confused about the book Good to Great! Hedhogs are great leaders or according to the book are level 5 managers. Foxes are good managers but that’s about it!
Valentin
As I pointed out previously Saliba is eligible to play in the PL and hence cup competitions
Read this article it reinforces my point
https://www.goal.com/en/news/i-feel-really-bad-for-saliba-arteta/1bx4hp3e45bn213a6b7q3c9t4h
The two year rule you previously mentioned is an additional issue for clubs that participate in UEFA competitions
GoonGoonerGone
Not sure if anyone can call Kroenke the grinch after our net spend in recent years. Where they (Stan and Josh) have failed is in how they allowed the money to be spent and the management structure they put or agreed to have put in place.
Merry Christmas Pedro and to all you Grovers.
Fox or hedgehog?
I know it’s Christmas and all and I’m not being very charitable, but at the moment Arteta is actually much more of a skunk.
Terraloon,
Premier League rule U.1.1 only affect players on the main list and not those on the U21 list. The EFL Cup player eligibility rules (that have posted twice) are clear that they refer only to players eligible under premier league rule U.1.1, so Saliba was not eligible for the Carabao Cup.
Moreover, Arteta confirmed during the post match interview that Saliba was not involved in the game, because he was not in the squad.
So you may think that he was eligible to play, but clearly the club did not.
Merry Christmas one and all!!! 🎅🏼
Valentin
Again your wrong otherwise how could Martinelli who like Saliba is included in the under 21 list play in EFL cup matches ?
Arteta said that Saliba wasn’t included in the squad and that comment was examined in quite some depth in both the press and indeed on Twitter
Every article and comment confirms he is Eliot play in the PL and hence could have played in the EFL cup. The not being in the squad has been intrepid to mean match day squad
https://www.givemesport.com/1630863-william-saliba-arsenal-fans-react-to-mikel-artetas-comments-regarding-his-squad-omission
Vintage, what are ‘milfy men’? Have to say I’m a bit worried! Do they qualify for Arsenal Women’s team?
Terraloon,
We are running in circle, I am pointing to the rules and you are linking to some journalists opinion pieces.
Point is moot, because
1) Arteta is not going to select him as he want to get rid of him.
2) Arsenal is out of the Carabao Cup.
Merry Christmas le groveers, bad time to be an arsenal fan. Here’s hoping 2021 is kinder to Arsenal.
Arteta definitely has to go.
Get in ralf and let’s start crawling our way back to a top 6 team. I’m guessing we can realistically challenge for the title in five years time, if it all works well.
Merry Christmas to all
Thanks Pedro for this site. Do t know what o would have die those Wenger years/
This is no longer about Arteta
It’s all about Arsenal.
I find myself sinking into more certain conviction that we are in an inexorable slide towards the abyss of “R” . We have created the perfect storm of events that will dictate what happens to us.
Either way, we’ll be fine. It’s not the end of the world.
Seasons Greetings to everyone!
I am glad to see that Pedro finally comes out of the cloud and identifies what Arteta really is. His character has some strong points but a lot of weak points. I wish I could support the lad, but I can’t see that he can change his character. On top of that, his knowledge and experience for coaching and man management is very poor. For the sake of the Arsenal football club, we need a more qualified person to do this job.
Valentin
The basic point here is that Saliba is allowed to play in the PL for Arsenals as he has been included in the under 21 list of players. That’s a fact
As he is eligible to play in the PL he could have played against Man City . That’s another fact
Yes you are pointing to the rules but you fail to grasp the fundamental point
Did Arteta lie. ?
The point isn’t moot because if he doesn’t leave in the next window he would be eligible for the FA cup
Happy Xmas Pedro and everyone 🎅🎅
Arteta out!🤦♂️
“Our season starts at home to Chelsea”
___
No the season started on 12th of September. Nice try though Pedro.
Happy festive season LG.
Dead Rubber season now – we will surely avoid relegation
Mikel will not turn things around, his decision making (team selection, game and man-management) is questionable, to say the least, interviews are nonsensical…..and in reality, even when we were winning – we were playing a very ugly ‘style’ of football.
Come tomorrow – If I was a betting man, I would put money on Xhaka, Willian and Bellerin starting – and the majority of Arsenal fans and analysts in dis-belief that it is happening.
Are we on the lookout for another sacked manager from PSG , I sure hope not.
What’s this about “Gazidis and the watch?“
Is this another Xmas story to tell the grandchildren?
Please start with “ once upon a time………”
If Arteta was buddy buddy with Ivan, that explains a lot.
How can Saliba be ineligible if Martinelli started the EFL game and both of them are not in the 25 players EPL squad? Matteo played in the EFL in both seasons for us and he wasn’t in the EPL squad either but as U21 player. It’s bullshit. The conversation goes like this: on if William Saliba was close to being involved… He cannot be involved because he is not in the squad. on if he is eligible to play in EFL fixtures… We made that decision with him and we’ll see what we’re going to do in January. on if… Read more »
He cannot be involved because he is not in the squad? Wtf does that mean? Which squad?
Is he eligible to play? We made that decision with him??????
Another day, another banter interview.
Merry Christmas!!!
Fox or Hedgehog?
I dunno. Hyena?
Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all!
May we all be healthy.
Sorry for your loss, Ernest. My thoughts are with you.
Merry Christmas from ATL! Come on you Gunners!
Manchester City stars Kyle Walker and Gabriel Jesus test positive for Coronavirus
I am all for cancelling this season and starts new after this pandemic is over.
When Barney’s in the mood…..
Here they come again, the Arsenal, entombed within their own enormo-drome, manager stalking the fringes like a 19th-century vampire-count re-animated as a Selfridges window mannequin.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/dec/25/arsenals-problems-lie-with-kroenkes-ownership-rather-than-arteta
it was clear pretty early on that Arteta did not fancy Saliba. He is now just using any dirty tricks at his disposal to ignore and get rid of him. The spiteful control freak is not going to change his opinion. The only way this is resolved is either by dismissing Arteta or by Edu growing a pair and instructing Arteta to use Saliba. Neither scenario are likely to happen soon. Embarrassing defeats may make it more likely, but unless the Kroenkes wake up to the real threat of relegation, they will back Arteta in the transfer window and plunge… Read more »
Yeah I read about Walker and Jesus. Since played Vs them just couple of days ago are we going to play our game Vs Chelsea?
and this from the same article.
Arsenal Fan TV, on the other hand, is a YouTube channel staffed by performatively enraged middle-aged men with glazed, haunted eyes saying things like, “I can’t. I just can’t. I can’t” while people walk past doing wanker signs.
Does it mean that a sick Gabriel Jesus was still too good for Mustafi and Runarsson?
Hopefully Arteta will have contracted it again and will have to be kept away from the training ground. Our results may improve.😁🤐
Arteta a fox or a hedgehog!?
He is more of a skunk right now!!
Pedro-I really hope that someone got you a calendar for Christmas. The match is TOMORROW not Sunday. You seem to be struggling this year with when we play. Is it the beers, the job, or the fact that you’re falling out of love with Mikel and his designer jackets?
Anyways…Merry Christmas to all LE Grovers, and a big thank you to Pedro for putting out some Arsenal content almost everyday!
raptora
But only our “B_team ” played against them though. We better test them all to make sure.
Valentin
Don’t be mean! It is Christmas.
bacaryisgod
Thanks for the link to that Guardian article. Hilarious read but so fucking true.
It’s good to see that someone is also pointing the finger at Kroenke, who is wholly responsible for enabling the shitfest that is currently unravelling at the club.
“Either way, we’ll be fine. It’s not the end of the world.”
Wish I shared your optimism Dissenter.
If this team is relegated, it could easily implode under debts and the wage bill unless KSE sell up to someone who actually knows what they are doing, and will help the club back to where it was when they arrived . But would they even take such a loss?
We desperately need new owners
Merry Christmas everyone
#Artetaout
Merry Xmas, you miserable bunch (myself included). As for comparing Arteta with either Lincoln or Steve Jobs – big L O L. Those Men were living legends, visionaries whereas Arteta is a BUM. A stubborn, petty, talking out of his arse wanna be coach who is completely out of his depth. The sooner he’s gone, the better. Can’t wait for another hammering Tomorrow (not Sunday).
Merry Christmas Grovers from Biden town
Have to doff my hat to Pedro for his incredible daily effort churning out this blog
Truly a labor of love!!
If only Arsenal could meet u halfway 🤷🏽♂️
Need to stop trying to problem solve for Arteta tho
Any coach worth his salt has to be a 🦊
LeGo’s too stiff(plastic does that) and has only got a few pep tricks in his box
I’m more interested in KSEs next move
They’ve take the lazy approach so far relying on Wenger as an autocrat to keep the biz running
Failed to replace that model
If they’re gonna survive they will have to make drastic changes (which will be great)
If they allow the club to be relegated it will be a disaster for them
Interesting. The reference to Steve Jobs hits the nail on the head of everything that is wrong with modern Arsenal. Steve jobs was a geek. Successful boy in his own field but it began and ended there. Except in a world of geeks it didnt. You can learn a little from everyone of course, even from someone from a field as irrelevant as software programming, but the slavish attempt to transpose completely our of place corporate management thinking to unrelated areas of work has created a world where idiotic David Brent clones, focus groups, process maps, spreadsheets are obfuscating and… Read more »
Merry Christmas to all.
White Christmas is overrated when you have already shoveled the drive and looking at another possible session.
Enjoy your day.
Interesting piece from Barney Ronay in the Guardian.
at Raptora
He cannot be involved because he is not in the squad? Wtf does that mean? Which squad?
Is he eligible to play? We made that decision with him??????
LOL I am still trying to wrap my head around that one. Capt Queeg sent another one to the brig and did not tell us…
HE CANNOT BE INVOLVED BECAUSE HE IS NOT IN THE SQUAD…. An absolute classic.