ARTETA BINS EX-CHELSEA DUO FOR SECOND GAME IN A ROW. GOOD NEWS!

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Let’s start with a quote from Mikel.

‘It wasn’t like we had to play them {young players}, because we had enough senior players. We played them because they fully deserved it.’

The most beautiful words I’ve heard all season.

The most beautiful Arsenal.com words of 2020?

INJECT IT RIGHT INTO MY EYES I WON’T EVEN BLINK!

My major concern after the Chelsea game was that Mikel had been pushed into dropping the toxic exChelsea duo by an unlucky covid exposure. That we’d see them return as soon as they were available. Well, it appears they were dropped because they are toxic. There might be something in the stories about the two of them bitching to Edu. It might be the shitty behaviour behind the scenes. It might be Willian’s shit performances in nearly every game. It might be David Luiz trying to shame Mo Elneny on the pitch. Whatever it was, I’m fucking glad it happened.

Phase two of the season starts today. Mikel is placing value in people that want to do the work. His embargoed press conference didn’t just land on ‘the kids done good’, it went to ‘they showed you a glimpse of what I’m trying to do here.’ He spoke of energy, movement, forward momentum, risk. All the things we haven’t been seeing from the senior players.

Now, it’ll mean very little if we play Brighton and lose like we did last time. My hope is that the temptation of complacency is overpowered by a desire to impress. We won’t destroy Potter’s team, they’re too well-coached, but I fully expect all 11 players to be present and to put on a show. This needs to be the 95 minutes that shows the Premier League the Chelsea game wasn’t a fluke.

We have some things going for us. They haven’t won in 5 games. Their last 3 games have been draws, though they have deserved more if I’m honest. We’ve also been lucky enough to have an extra day’s rest, huge at this level.

I don’t know how Arteta is going to think about squad rotation. Right now, it’s probably best to stick with what worked. Saka, Martinelli, ESR were absolutely key to our attacking game. Brighton like possession, just like Chelsea. I know Martinelli has played a lot of games, but damn, it’d be a big call to rest him. Lacazette was very good against Chelsea, he links play well when he has the space to do so, but you wonder if bringing Auba into the mixer would be a good move. Surrounded by 3 energy merchants is exactly what his game has lacked. What I don’t want to see is Nic Pepe on the field again. He’s not it. He offers very little. Our game dips with him in the 11. He’s had enough chances.

Midfield might see some fresh legs. Granit Xhaka will probably land minutes, deserved based on what he did on the last game, and also worth remembering he’s fresher because of his suspension. Mo Elneny had a pretty horrible game against Chelsea (lots of minutes), I’m hoping his place goes to AMN, who offers far more to the attack that Ceballos ever seems to.

The defence has to stay the same. Gabriel is out with covid. Mustafi shouldn’t be anywhere near the first team. Cal Chambers hasn’t had enough games. I worry a little bit about Kieran Tierney. He’s so imperative to our game, and Kola just isn’t a footballer, so he’ll likely play… but at some point, we’re going to have to get real about an RPL for him so we can keep Kieran going.

Tactically, we need to keep things straight-forward again. It was interesting to read Arteta say this after the Chelsea game.

‘We need to make life as clear, as simple, as efficient as possible for the players’

He’s owning the reality about the players he has. His vision of the game is too complex for the now. There’s too much to think about. The controlling nature of his ideas paralysed the players and the output was consistently robotic and uninspired. Giving energy to the frontline gave the midfielders permission to release the ball fast and early. Loosening the positional rules on the forwards gave them permission to improvise and create little pockets of art. Let’s do that again. If we can replicate that against Brighton, we’ll score more open play goals. Arteta’s big learning is that too many rules for creatives kills the joy. Freedom to express was Wenger’s strength and his downfall. Arteta needed to find a middle ground. Structure should be a platform to create in safety, not a bunker to launch occasional sneak attacks from. Planning creativity in a game of chaos is like scripting sex. You don’t do it, unless you’re in the industry, or a freak (which I know many of you are).

What I found very interesting about his prezzer is how chastened he sounded after a pretty exciting win. I suspect he put a lot of energy into crafting that win. He sounded broken, like he’d lost the game 3-0. Clearly, he’s been to some dark places over the past month. Questioned his worth. Doubted his abilities. Probably read a few mean tweets and wondered if he’d ever escape the moment. Well, that’s a good thing. Everyone goes to hell in their job, especially in the early years, the best don’t cave to the bad moments, or blame those around them. They learn their lessons, they make the changes, and they power forward.

Mikel loves this job, he gushes over how much he enjoys being the manager. He loves the club. But he’s made some very, very bad decisions in a structure that lacks proper checks and balances. Today is a chance to move forward, to show that the 2.0 version of our season is going to be better, to prove to the fans he’s the right man to take us forward.

Let’s see what the boys have for us. Hopefully, it’s something special so we can put 2020 behind us. Over to you, Mikel.

P.S. LISTEN TO THE PODCAST RIGHT NOW. Another one coming after the game.

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Bertfish

Isco has done jack for 3 years in the league he knows so this will be another Suarez fuckup signing. Don’t do it!

Bertfish

Azed

I would get rid of Willian & Nelson & Pepe & bring in a proper wide man who contributes something

azed

Bertfish

I would do the same but I don’t think it’s possible to get rid of all three.

Freddie Ljungberg

Not really keen on Isco but if we’re getting in a long term partner for Partey or if we don’t have any money at all it’s better than nothing. ESR can’t play every game and he’s injury prone so has to be managed carefully anyway. So many back and sideways passes last night again, especially in the first half, our CM is atrocious. Elneny is only useful next to someone like Partey and when we are on the defensive most of the game. The less said about Pointy Mckeyface the better, Holder of the spare keys, king of the backpass… Read more »

Gonsterous

Great result, but long term, what are we achieving? The team looks disjointed. The players are still struggling against an average opponent and we are relying on lucky moments or individual performances.

First thing we need to do is get together a scouting department, then find players that don’t cost 50m but can still improve the team, because let’s be serious, if anyone costs 50m, we do love giving them 250k+ a week.

No medium or long term vision at all in the club. Artefa wants to win the CL in three years, what’s he doing to achieve that?

Guns of SF

A big no to ISCO

If he cannot make it with the star studded cast around him at Madrid, forget about doing anything worthwhile here.

Madrid are good at judging players, and where they are headed.
Ruthless too but you cannot say they wrong very much.

No thank you to Isco

Buy Buendia if we can….

Guns of SF

Bissouma is about 14M on transfermarket

We would be stupid to not make an offer…

He can hold the DM and allow TP to be our B2B
add another creative CM and we are going to be set.

Today he was really impressive and plays with a lot of aggression

Dissenter

Guns
See why it’s important to not splurge all the moolah in January
Wait for Brighton to be relegated – get Bissouma for 20 million
or wait for Fulham to go down and try to get anguish fir 25 million

Dissenter

*or wait for Fulham to go down and try to get Anguissa for 25 million

Bojangles

Good 3 points last night, on a roll. Saka’s run and assist was magic finished off brilliantly by Laca. Martinelli had an ordinary game, put that down to tiredness. Maybe rest him Saturday. Onwards to Fat Sam

Goobergooner

Brighton were seriously garbage. How we only scored 1 is down to our poor form of late and needing that confidence to be built with a somewhat new first 11.

It’s definitely a positive the young guns are looking up for the task though.

But 2 in a row should do us a world of good confidence wise.
We have stopped the freefall for now at least.

Nelson

Saka can center accurately with both feet. He crossed to Auba who fired the ball at the GK’s foot. He passed the ball to Laca’s right foot, who stopped the ball and shot with the same foot.

Compared to Pepe who can play only with his left. Pepe has one more bad habit. He likes to stop the ball first. He should watch how Saka ran with the pass and then centered the ball while running at full speed.

Dissenter

I recall when some were saying that Willain will give Saka room to keep maturing.
Hopefully we start to give Nelson his own opportunities to swim or sink.

Guns of SF

That is why Pepe will never make it.
Simple things he cannot do, or think about trying.
He is quite rigid in his play and dependent on his left.

Some think its him not being coached right, I see it differently.

Most of his goals his last year in Liile were PK,

Is it a mystery now, that he is not the goal scoring talisman we thought he would be?

I cannot stand his game to be honest, its an eye sore and he loses the ball about 80% of the time

Guns of SF

Sell Pepe, Nelson, Nketiah, Xhaka, Mo El neny and all the other garbage….

these players do nothing for us.

Guns of SF

Diss

Who in the team will get through to Edu and Mike?
The fans know who to get….

Edu and Co, look at youtube of Ericksen and Isco and want to blow all the $ on these a holes

Apparently we do still have scouts, not as many but we do..
The Athletic article states this.

Edu needs to do some real work in a few days. I want to see someone brought into our midfield and a back up GK>

Runnarson is the end of us…. he needs to be sent on loan and someone else brought in sharpish!

Shroomi93

Pedro you’re a flip flop man. We hired a young coach based on his potential. A year in and he’s coming through his first real rough patch where his highest earners are letting him down. I agree it’s taken him too long to react properly, and he had all the fans goodwill to blow the squad up and start again back in the summer, but you’re really mister hindsight right now. We’ve had injuries to big players at different points throughout his job here and he’s gonna make mistakes before he gets things right. And he’s already shown us he… Read more »

Bojangles

It is worrying to keep seeing older players that nobody wants continue to be linked to us. Much of it may well be click bait but that is not comforting either, just seems to point to how we are perceived as a club by these so called reporters.

Goobergooner

Bojangles.

It’s not comforting at all how we are perceived these days.

We used to scare teams into playing rugby instead of football, now other teams fans feel sorry for us.

It’s a bizarre time to be an arsenal fan alright.

Saladin

If we sign another Chelsea has been in Diego Costa, I am going to kill somebody.

Goobergooner

Sal I am with you mate, especially after hearing about his surgery and what not.

We can’t be that daft surely.
Even if we have been previously, surely the results of this season should give Edu and tets some perspective and a basis to learn what not to do 😂😂.

Goobergooner

If we sign a spuds reject we have hit the lowest of lows though.

Yeah Eriksen has a quality about him. But he’s just not what we need either.

A younger more robust version of him definitely. But not someone struggling in a slower league looking to get one last mega payday.

China1

We’d probably get more change out of replacing xhaka with a great DM/B2B to partner partey than we will getting an AM and still watching Granit trot out every week

Having a proper DM would let Partey play more b2b and support the attack sometimes, or having a good b2b alongside him can alternate with him as petit and vieira used to

But as long as xhaka is strolling out onto the pitch every Saturday because he’s a world class fine collector, we will continue to play like we are compensating for something

China1

I never liked eriksen at spurs. He’s always been an ozil sort.
He and Isco are the answers to none of our problems

Goobergooner

Agreed china. I’d be willing to get in a proper cm beside Partey if we are going to be giving esr time to grow in his role. Saka can also rotate in that position if we needed. In a perfect world we would get a WC mentor for esr as well as a world class cm to partner TP. But if we get a creative 8 in a Santi esq deeper role, or a proper DM to let Partey off the leash a bit, we will be looking better as we would be able to play a mixed up game… Read more »

Goobergooner

And I’m not talking about pornstar shaved and cleaned ass, I’m talking a dirty hairy fat blokes ass.

Moray

Isco’s liga stats over the last few seasons are Ozilesque. 18-19: 2020-21 Played 10, goals 0, assists 1 2019-20 Played 23, goals 1, assists 2 2018-19 Played 27, goals 3, assists 2 Speaking as someone, who loves Isco the player, I really don’t see what he’s going to add to our team, particularly with the mid season adjustment to a new league. It would be another poor decision. It may not cost us much but it would be taking a valuable squad place for a player that is not our future, it would mean less game time for younger players,… Read more »

Moray

More important anyway is the clear out job. This season is dead in the water. I would of course like to qualify for Europe but we desperately need to thin out our squad and migrate our players into a more normal salary level commensurate with their ability, experience and potential. Also, I hope we are considering any benefits or threats that Brexit is going to bring in terms of the young players we can bring over, visas etc. if there is a loosening of visa restrictions, say, for South American youngsters then we should be all over that continent before… Read more »

SP

I feel we are going to do much better once Partey is back. Offer 30-35m and sign Buendia. That will sort out the season.

Guns of SF

I think the press is linking us with Costa due to the Brazilian connections
nothing more…
He would give Mike a heart attack.
no chance Mike says ok….

Buendia seems to make the most sense with our budget for Jan.

We desperately need dribbling and offense from our center mids… we have nothing but backward passing. Its the most negative midfield I have ever seen.

Mo is quickly catching up to Xhaka for the shittiest mids in the EPL

Bisoumma and TP and Buendia could do some real damage

Guns of SF

Partey scores at a good clip for Ghana.
I think its 1 in 3 games or something… he plays more B2b for Ghana…

Simeone kept him more as a DM but as we all know, he is positive and is a good passer…

takes shots when he can…

Cannot wait until he is back…. hope he stays fit

Venga, Dani

DOnt know why isco keeps getting brought up on here. The guy hasnt been a goof player since the second half of 2017 when Madrid won the league and champions league. Literally hasnt done shit since then….

Venga, Dani

Like we may as well just recall Ozil if were going to get isco

Venga, Dani

good player****

JP

Don’t get the point of Isco unless it’s for just 6 months with no mandatory purchase. Has been a great player but 28, never played outside Spain and on big money.

Bissouma would be great addition but 2.5 years left on his deal and interest from other top clubs you would be looking £30m+. Pipe dream for now

bacaryisgod

Can we not focus on the primary issue here?!!! We’re an injury to Leno away from killing any momentum we might have had. Who can we get immediately in order to drop Runarsson down to number 3. What keepers can we get out of cold storage this winter? Vorm out of retirement? Anyone else? The highest value free agent keeper right now is Orjan Nyland who just left Villa not long ago. Snap him up! He won’t be worse than Runarsson. He actually played 7 times in the Prem for Villa a couple of seasons ago. Good shot stopper but… Read more »

Daniel Altos

Goodmorning folks….glad we got the win.First half was dull but we stepped up in the second and deserved the win.Pablo Mari isnt lookung that bad eeh?At least arsenal won me some money…not a bad way to end the year.Hopefully we go on a run now and continue racking up the wins

Gonsterous

Players like isco and ozil should only be bought as the final piece in the zig saw. Not a player we should be building a team around because you know they won’t deliver the goods.

We need to sort out our midfield, but at the moment we seem to not have any plan B or C when we can’t land plan A in the TW. Don’t see a lot of movement in Jan but if we bring back ozil, it will be a weak decision.

Emiratesstroller

There is now the framework for a settled starting X1 once Gabriel and Partey resume match fitness. I see the following players being our first choice 12 from which we pick the team for EPL games. LENO BELLERIN HOLDING GABRIEL TIERNEY XHAKA PARTEY SMITH-ROWE [could be benched if we recruit CMF player] SAKA LACAZETTE AUBAMEYANG MARTINELLI Part of the problem at Arsenal is that we have at the moment far too many players in our squad and having to satisfy their demands impacts on current form with far too much rotation. Arteta and Edu need to be ruthless and shift… Read more »

Graham62

I wonder why Big Sam is asking for a circuit breaker.

Would it be to give him more time to work with his players on a plan?

Emiratesstroller

Graham 62

Unlikely to happen unless there are a glut of positive tests.

TV Stations, Sponsors and the major Clubs are unlikely to approve of any further disruption.

Graham62

ES

I realise that.

It’s the sceptic in me.

Pierre

I would expect Brighton to approach the game the way Brighton did last night.. Organised with very little ambition and powder lpuff up front. Watching the game yesterday, the big difference between the first and 2nd half was how in the 2nd half Martinelli, ESR and Saka received the ball on the half turn and were prepared to commit defenders. This allowed our fullbacks to get higher up the pitch in support as gaps appeared through the wide arrears.. Hopefully the manager and players and will have learnt from last night and how important it is to commit defenders instead… Read more »

Graham62

Two wins in a row.

No Luiz and Willian.

Just a coincidence?

PS: Pablo is growing on me.

The Bard

A decent win given the circumstances but we do look slow and ponderous.. interesting to see what Arteta does with Luiz , Willian and a few of the other deadbeats. He really needs to show some steel and get rid of them. It will do wonders for team spirit.

Graham62

The.Bard

I agree.

Emiratesstroller

Graham 62 There is always too much negativity on Le Grove about certain players in squad. Mari had an excellent reputation in South America and he had been previously in squad at Man City so presumably Arteta had first hand experience before he arrived at Arsenal. He was recruited as a low cost left centre back in squad as back up for Gabriel. Obviously it had been hoped that Saliba and Holding would operate in similar fashion in right centre back position. Sofar Saliba has been a disappointment. It remains to be seen whether he will make the grade or… Read more »

Graham62

Final post for me today centres around Lacazette. I’ve always liked the guy and felt from day one he would have a positive influence on the team as well as team morale. Even when he’s been off his game I’ve always felt he’s had the good of the team at heart. He is a street fighter and we need players like that. I rate him highly, as he can do things that Aubameyang cannot. He is popular amongst his teammates and if there was one person that Saka could have found last night, when he laid that ball back, it… Read more »

Rich

Emirates Stroller Mari looks a bit slow, but it’s too early to draw any definitive judgements on his overall quality, The issue isn’t the quality or lack of quality of Mari, that’s still to be decided, It’s that we have 8 senior centre half’s, with another out on loan. Sokratis hasn’t been registered, so we signed Mari, to essentially pay two players, but one of them is being paid £90k p/w, to prop up the under 23s We also renewed Luiz, We have Saliba who cost €30million, who’s not registered in the Europa, and can’t even make the bench in… Read more »

Bojangles

Graham

Lacazette may not be a prolific scorer but he always gives you 110 percent, he never hides.

Pierre

Oops ..that would be WBA

Time Up

Laca back on form, that’s a good news. Now, just waiting for Auba to start scoring and that would be the end of seeing that headless chicken Eddie.

Bob N16

Rich,

Agreed with your criticisms of our squad. A leaner, younger squad with a dependence on youth for cup games and a PL ‘16’ that has no overpaid, past it players has to be the vision!

DaveCee

Yes Rich you have my agreement too. Priority #1 in the transfer window has to be getting players out of the club. Let them go on frees if necessary because they are only a hindrance at this stage. Too many players on big wages with nothing to motivate them. I’d like to 5 or 6 leave the club this January. Re Isco, total baller on his day, lovely player. If he is desperate to go to the Euros with Spain this summer he might just be worth a loan. We have seen what having ESR in that 10 role can… Read more »

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