Arsenal lost to a very solid Aston Villa team on a frustrating afternoon that was defined by 3 players that cost about £650k a week. Cedric Soares had his worst afternoon in an Arsenal shirt, gifting Villa an opening inside 2 minutes. I can live with the mistake as he’s been good lately, but that’s a £100k a week player there.
The real eyesore came in the second half. We played some sensational stuff at times, the young players were taking the game by the scruff of the neck, Villa fans were texting me sensing a goal, we looked ever so close to breaking the back of the game. The sub of Soares for Odegaard, with Saka dropping into left-back was a crafty move and it opened the game up… Auba slotted into the forward line for Lacazette, then horror struck as Arteta replaced Partey with Willian.
This sort of political move needs to stop. Willian is the worst signing of the decade. He can’t move, he has no concentration because he doesn’t care, he can’t even beat the front post with a corner. His play is all about slowing things down, he can’t beat a man, he makes ponderous decisions, he looks like he’s trying to sabotage the team.
Why does Arteta keep doing it to himself? Look at what is working for Arsenal at the moment. Young players. Motivated talent that is additive to the side. Players that can move. Willian does not fit into the vision.
Say it quietly, but we’re also moving into the same territory with Auba. I know he might not be mentally there at the moment. But even before his absence, did his game look like it suited this new short passing game we’re developing? He’s a bystander. He came on, tried to look like he was involved in the game, but he had zero impact. Was anyone excited about his introduction? Lacazette is better in our starting 11, he makes things tick, he brings out the best in the young players. Auba doesn’t have the game… but he’s here, on Mesut Ozil money.
The move in the summer was probably Suarez, someone elite in tight situations, great a passing around corners, an aggressive monster, a battler. If we’d planned our squad better, someone might have stepped in and asked deeper questions about the two contracts we had on the table. I can stomach Auba, he’s been excellent for us, but it was still based on emotion over suitability. Willian? There’s no world in which I can have that he was the right move. How often has he changed a game over the past 5 years? How was he suited to our system? What made us unlock £220k a week?
Everyone makes mistakes, the issue here is that we can’t admit it. Mikel Arteta needs to get real. He has something very exciting brewing at Arsenal. We’re close to having a break out moment with this squad. A bit of confidence, the right players, and some luck… it’s there. But it’s up to the manager… is he going to keep making decisions based on salary band, or is he going to assess the reality… the players keeping this going are the £40k a week crowd.
£500k a week on the books that isn’t suited to our style of play is a terrible look for Arsenal leadership… but we cannot will these players to be what they aren’t capable of.
Let’s look at the positives. This week has been deeply frustrating because individual errors have crept back into our game. Villa scored because of a massive fuck up. Wolves weren’t in the game until David Luiz stepped into the fold. We’ll get a grip on those things.
Then what do you have? There’s some really exciting football brewing. When Saka dropped into the left back role, we were sublime. The whole game opened up. Odegaard looks incredibly sharp, we need him on the pitch, he’s decisive, he’s the level we need. Saka and Pepe were causing all sorts of issues between them. Smith Rowe didn’t have his best game, but he was much better in the second half.
If Arteta brings on Gabriel M on for Partey, the outcome might have been different, and the mood amongst the fans certainly would be.
We are now a midtable side this season. There’s no chasing anything. This week cost it all.
Arteta needs to use the rest of the season to get to grips with the players he has in the squad. He needs to spend time trying to cultivate young talent, versus rehabbing old players that don’t care.
Who else do we have in the youth ranks that could make a difference? If Thomas Partey is out again, let’s not go another 5 games with Mo Elneny in the side, let’s try something new. Let’s continue to evolve our game, because I’m telling you, there’s something brewing and we’re not far away
The frustration I have is the details. The politics. The small things that could make a big difference.
Arteta needs to flush out these PR disasters his levelling on himself. If he ignores Martinelli for Willian in the stadium, the anger won’t be directed at the Brazilian, it’ll go towards him. If he continues to give young players the chance to flourish, if he nutures the exciting green shoots we’re seeing, then the fans will be on his side and we’ll move forward together.
See you in the comments.
P.S. Well played Mat Ryan, a truly excellent debut.
Absolutely disgusting… Mike Dean should be fired after this. Never in a million years it’s a red card.
While it might be tempting to concentrate on marginal decisions going against them again here, they should be concentrating on things that are under their control — primarily, the worrying trends creeping back into their football.
What a tragedy, Arsenal’s goalkeeper Mat Ryan conceded on his Premier League debut before he touched the ball. Says it all.
Moysie will be spitting, no Soucek for 3 games now.
Could cost them a Euro push if it isn’t overturned on appeal they no doubt make.
Refereeing Decisions today has being a complete shambles.
Mike Dean with a ridiculous decision to send Soucek off for accidental elbow on Mitrovic.
Fucking Lee Mason on VAR said Dean needed to look at it because of the “clenched fist”.
They should both be banned from football for life.
WE,
Oh god if that assist went in and Ferene stayed top of the league after today defeat, we would have “the know nothing” a night to remember lol.
Lee Mason on VAR claiming it’s a clenched fist 😂
The referees and VAR have lost the plot
Emery blowing yet another lead to drop points over in Spain.
Villarreal have drawn 12 league games, only won 8.
It hurts when you see Brighton playing brave and attractive football better than Arsenal with quarter of our budget.
VAR was a great idea but it’s been executed terribly in the Premier League in particular and is ruining the game.
Rich
Yeah but they’re getting out and about – the rest of us are going mad because of lock down they’re just cunts.
Just watched back the foulthey gave against Lacazette on Martinez
It’s 100% an Arsenal penalty
Where is VAR?
Largely because of the shocking standard of the refs. Who no doubt loathe VAR.
I think Westham should appeal the red card.
WE
I’ve said it before. You need to bring in VAR because the ref’s are a bunch of useless cunts, you then put the useless cunts in charge of the VAR and wonder why it’s fucked up.
It’s a bit of a self fulfilling prophecy.
Time Up
I think Moyes should come and say it – “Mike Dean is a useless cunt” in his post match interview. The FA could give him a £2 million fine and he’d get 3 times as much in donations from fans of all clubs to help pay it..
Marc
Agreed, it’s still down to human error because the refs still ultimately wield the power.
They need to be held accountable and subject to the same fines and bans that players are, there is no excuse for a clear and obvious error anymore with the technology there.
If a manager can’t cut it against the Villa’s of this world then he can’t cut it, period.
Henry
What about managers that can’t cut it against the Elche’s of this world?
About time people start calling out the refs for what they are, CHEATS, just like a player diving to win a penalty is called a cheat , so should these referees,. If these were isolated incidents then we would give them the benefit of the doubt, but it’s not, and this rubbish that things evens itself out over the season, is just rubbish, clubs should start threatening to sue these refs personally for costing them matches and possible European places, that might get them to do their job honestly.
WengerEagle
Did Villarreal lose, no, so shut it.
Mg
If it came out that a group of ref’s were betting on the outcome of matches you really wouldn’t be in the slightest bit surprised.
Lollollol
The only thing VAR has improved are things that can be measured and leave no room for interpretation.
Everything else is still decided by the same inept group of wenkers ,and if you’re a wenker it doesn’t matter how many times you look at something chances are you’ll still fuck it up.
Why VAR did not punish Emi Martinez for shirt pull on Alexandre Lacazette
‘You could argue the goalkeeper was fouled, you could argue the goalkeeper was fouled by Lacazette. The point is VAR is not there to get the correct decision, it is there to identify clear and obvious errors from the referee, or if the referee has missed something. Because there’s such a subjective nature to that particular offence, VAR would’ve looked at it but it didn’t reach the threshold where it’s a clear and obvious offence.’
Marc just like the Jimmy savilke days at the BBC with child sex abuse going on, the press knew what was happening but chose not to report then , only years later for ot to come out, that’s probably what’s happening with these referees, the press know cos the decisions are there for all to see, with VAR it’s so obvious that they are deliberately making the wrong calls, and not one single person in the press has the guys to say it as it is. How can nearly all the refs of the premiership come from one region of… Read more »
Guess that factory Pedro worked in is owned by Guinness.
Something is brewing alright
Is Henry19 a Vreal supporter?.
How remember the days of mentioning number of points to last 4/5/6 games. It will disappear for a while now as we have 1 point out of 9.
It’s just like our bureaucrats We’ve got too much bureaucracy, they stick their nose into areas of our lives, they have no business being They make a mess of things And to solve the problems they themselves have made, that wouldn’t have existed, if they hadn’t stuck their nose in our business to begin with They go and employ even more idiotic bureaucrats, to clean up the mess they themselves are entirely responsible for It’s absolute basket case. They do it at the start of every season, they have a bunch of meetings This season they decided to clamp down… Read more »
If we were to go on a run against Leeds, ManCity, Leicester, Burnley, Spurs, WestHam, Liverpool, we could reach top 6 easily.
You just need to believe in the process.
Earlier in the season, we lost against Aston Villa by 3 goals, today it is only by 1 goal, clearly we are improving.
Enough with the cult of Arteta. It is obvious to anybody who is not part of it, that the man can talk the talk but can’t walk the walk. He is seriously out of his depth.
Napoli might just sack Gattuso
We are now a midtable side this season.
–
To go along with our mid table manger…?
Pedro you bringing the level of expectation down every time Arteta fucks up
All in the name of a process and vision that have no foundation
The only clear vision is that Arteta is not going to take us forward
It’s not about today’s game, it’s his overall record so flar
Gloating about the FA cup is just papering over the cracks
“If we were to go on a run against Leeds, ManCity, Leicester, Burnley, Spurs, WestHam, Liverpool, we could reach top 6 easily.
You just need to believe in the process.
Earlier in the season, we lost against Aston Villa by 3 goals, today it is only by 1 goal, clearly we are improving.”
Has Pedro really said that?
Never seen a section of the fan base make so many excuses for a manager off the back of one FA cup win. Its literally everyone else’s fault but his own. They believe that once he has a squad of 25 he literally hand picks we will win the league. Newsflash he brought in William and gave an ageing poacher a three year deal. Every team wins games from time to time, it’s football, but with Arteta Arsenal fans see it as an upward trajectory.
Receding
How you doing mate – how’s the little one?
If Cavani was on Arsenal’s books Arteta would play him as a winger!
Tell Auba that’s how you head a ball into the goal.
Marc she’s doing great, she’s the big one now, the boss lol
I look forward to egg on my face when Pedro is proved right, guess that would be next time we win a game, with Arteta every win is a pageant
I think the form Nov/Dec was not exception. The winning streak was the exception eith Arteta. The people in charge of signing Willian shiuld be sacked alongside with paying off the contract of Willian. Pribably good enough for jail was that decisio.
Who do people like more, Arteta or Mike Dean?
Receding
“I look forward to egg on my face when Pedro is proved right, guess that would be next time we win a game, with Arteta every win is a pageant”
The way things are going your little one will be drawing a pension by the time Arteta get’s it right.
Crabregas
They both make decisions that affect a positive outcome when Arsenal play. More losses than wins
Receding
So now you’re back since we started losing again😊😊
Hope all is well?
Marc the general chatter amongst all the fan accounts is we are on an upward trajectory… I find that both amusing and concerning.
“So now you’re back since we started losing again😊😊
Hope all is well?”
Been busy, nothing to do with winning or losing, had a lot going on over Christmas and into the new year, we won a few games just like every other football team do now and again, the fact some act like it’s generational stuff notwithstanding.
Henry19 is hard lol
I call bullshit Pedro. Arteta is way in over his head and the sooner you realise it the better for your sanity. Yes, there are glimmers of hope in the team’s overall play but that’s it, glimmers. He can’t guarantee you consistent performances over a stretch of 38 games, man is a rookie. The season is over for Arteta, a sheer disappointment.
Mark Ryan >David De Gea
That was quick
Cavani earns about the same as Auba and he’s done year deal that will probably get extended in the summer.
I’ve had enough of Auba
I know he’s struggling with personal issues but he still needs to earn a paycheck like we all do when we go through stuff.
He’s just strolling through games.
I hope Partey is not going to be the next Diaby. Same with Martinelli and Tierney. All very good players but useless to the cause if always injured.
Bellerin adds nothing and needs to go. Arteta love for love for him, David Luis and Willian is always going to hold us back.
Impressed with Pepe lately though. Boy needs to play like this every week.
Personal issues have nothing to do with PEA. truth is he has been shit since he signed the contract. Typical greedy merc. More fool us for giving it to him.
We should always give a 30 year old. One year with an option for a. Second if they don’t sign it bye
We let Pires go because he hit 30 and he wanted a 3 year deal none of these fools could lace his boots or carry his bag
That goal looked fixed.
We are the club that Agents of players over 30 use a bargaining chip when trying to get their clients new deals.
Henry 19 is a troll who can’t get over how the useless Emery got sacked before Arsenal were relegated. It was heading that way. He also thought Ospina was a goalkeeper . Nuff said
I am really fearful of where we are going as a club is it up or obscurity ?
Mr Serge
With disinterested owners, a novice manager, a board that keep allowing the same mistakes to happen over and over and a very average squad except for a handful of players, I know which one I see more likely.
Matt
I get you it could go either way don’t get why the kronkes don’t invest, we a worth a lot more to them if we are a top 4 club
They should sell up and ship out I hate that fiszman sold to them on his deathbed he should have left it in the steady hands of Dein with usmanovs money
United drop points with the last kick of the game lol
Fuck the scummy Mancs, brings a smile to my face that goal on an otherwise shit day.
Agreed, but it’s done now and they don’t seem to be going anywhere.
I would love to hear anyone make a credible argument as to why they think this team, under this management and this ownership think we will be challenging for anything anytime soon.
What a game that was. United vs Everton that is. Wish I could say the same about ours.
Receding
Welcome back!
Really pleased to see you posting again.
Everyone take a deep breath and come back in August, new season new personnel, hopefully Overmars as a DofF he will sort out the manager and player problems. He has Arsenal DNA 😀 In the meantime may I suggest Seria A, or pick a team in the UCL and UEL just not Arsenal because they will do you in and hurt you. Plus Six Nations until March 20th, followed by the Rainbow Cup 16 Irish, Welch, Italian, Scottish and South African Rugby teams competing. Than the 2021 Super Rugby Trans-Tasman competition between New Zealand and Australian Rugby teams from May… Read more »
If the manager’s name was anything but Arteta, Pedro would be calling for him to go.
He actually did so in December, then when the form picked up, he desperately back pedalled; no doubt he’ll be calling for him to go again.
He can’t make his mind up.
Pedro, to be fair, has consistently picked the wrong horse.
He was hoodwinked by Gazidas, Sanhllei and now Arteta…
At the very very minimum Europe has to be achieved or its Arteta adios for me.No if ands or buts.
mD gunner not that simple Arsenal are in my blood born 5 mins from Highbury brought up in Islington left for South London as a teen when my parents moved
It’s a 50 year love affair can’t leave my first love
MD-Gunner
“it is there to identify clear and obvious errors from the referee, or if the referee has missed something. Because there’s such a subjective nature to that particular offence, VAR would’ve looked at it but it didn’t reach the threshold where it’s a clear and obvious offence.’
What IS clear and obvious is that you haven’t a clue what you are talking about .
Either that or you’ve been listening too much to former ref Walton on BT sport.
Pierre Walton on bt sport what a twat he is
What will the excuse now be for the Arteta apologists?
I thought he was a generational coach?!? I speaks 4 languages perfectly and he knows exactly to say the right things. Shame his ideas don’t translate into anything understandable on the actual pitch.
I cannot believe today’s performance was the response the Wolves match.
Who actually cares about the shirt at the club?
Accountability anyone?
Who is g
Leeds the fans ultimately care and until they turn on the board nothing will change
*was the response to the Wolves match
Arsenal Truth Moaning Arsenal fans turning the club into a laughing stock DateFriday, February 5, 2021 at 5:47PM It’s been annoying having to read the hordes of tripe written on social media over the past few days about poor old hard done by Arsenal. It’s risible stuff, but not a surprise because we saw all the same excuses for failure under Wenger. Arsenal fans often like to think they’re somewhat superior, but they’re no different to any other supporter base that constantly creates dishonest narratives whenever their team loses. However, they should at least educate themselves on the rules of… Read more »
@ Pierre
Take it up with Peter Walton my comment was a direct quote from the following article.
https://metro.co.uk/2021/02/06/why-var-did-not-penalise-emi-martinez-for-shirt-pull-on-alexandre-lacazette-14034149/
So looks to me like it is clear and obvious you don’t know what you are talking about. But than on the other hand you may know better than the people that make a living of this L 😀 L
ARSRNAL TRUTH Moaning Arsenal fans turning the club into a laughing stock It’s been annoying having to read the hordes of tripe written on social media over the past few days about poor old hard done by Arsenal. It’s risible stuff, but not a surprise because we saw all the same excuses for failure under Wenger. Arsenal fans often like to think they’re somewhat superior, but they’re no different to any other supporter base that constantly creates dishonest narratives whenever their team loses. However, they should at least educate themselves on the rules of the game before coming to knee-jerk… Read more »
MD-Gunner Or you make the internal re-basing of rational expectations re Arsenal, consider us just another perennial mid-table team (7th-13th) without the resources to do better or worse, and the torture of believing we have top table aspirations disappear, and it becomes an exciting adventure when you finish 7th and qualify for the new third tier European Conference League starting next season (if you think the group stages of Europa League are bad, imagine a tier down). Or you do what John Bamford has done and distance yourself from your Arsenal fandom of the past and rebrand your involvement as… Read more »
Fergie time… fantastic.
@Serge
I feel for you but in any slow recovery to normality, sanity and mental well-being you need diversion and focusing on something else, to than slowly return as you are tanked up and ready to endure another battering. Thus my suggestion diversify your sports interests and just glance periodically to the Arsenal realm and return fully once you recovered enough from the present battering.
Sal
Salvaged the day for me.
So long as the Mancs and the Bin Dippers don’t win the league I’m happy.
Could live with City, hoping that lightning can strike twice for Leicester but City if they avoid defeat tomorrow look too far ahead.
Arteta fucked Ozil over when he could have had 10 times the impact that Willy Wonka has had. His loyalty to Willian is a sackable offense in itself and the same goes for Edu.
Saladin
ozil fucked himself over. Let’s not start all that again.
Agree on Willian though, the guy brings nothing to the table and Arteta sticking with him is one of the clearest signs he is not cut out for the job.
@Elmo
“distance yourself from your Arsenal fandom of the past and rebrand your involvement as being an ‘Arsenal observer.’”
Thanks for putting into words what I have done. Relished the days of the Invincibles during my time in London but now have distanced myself to avoid hurt.
Eagle
Regardless of any implications for Arsenal i’ll always revel in watching United get pulled back particulary in that fashion.
What a shambolic week for us, had we taken the maximum 6 points we’d be level w/ Everton all be it they have covid games in hand. Being let down by this club is becoming far too casual for my liking.
United dropping points is some solace
What is it with Partey?
He wasn’t at the races at all today. Then he crumples in a heap when he starts to feel jaded. Very worrying. His attitude when walking off against Spuds was questionable and, imo, weak.
Concerning to say the least.
Just seen Joe Willock’s post match interview, does the poor lad have social anxiety or something?
Played very well today, fair play to him. Keep it going lad and I’ll be one of those happy to eat that humble pie.
If anyone an hour before kick off of our first match of the season had said that after 23 matches we’d be 8 points behind West Ham Pedro would’ve got all high and mighty on how “you don’t know football” or “I’ve got contacts”.
Now he couldn’t be found by an army of tracker dogs.
Graham
So what you’re saying is, he’s a perfect fit for arsenal.
Graham
“His attitude when walking off against Spuds was questionable and, imo, weak.”
What are you talking about?
Graham
Are you joking? He was crocked against Spurs, he didn’t play again for over a month.
You expect him to stay on and aggravate it to an even more serious degree?
There has to be some transparency on the Willian debacle.
Come on AFC, explain what the fudge is going on.
Fans in the stadium would be ripping out the seats.
But according to some on here the fans in the stadium wouldn’t have called for Arteta’s head!
He walked off leaving his teammates short.
What was he taught in Spain?
If you’re injured you don’t wave the white flag and leave the field of play.
Graham
When he walked off we were in possession of the ball – it was the right thing to do. If he stays on you’ve just got a player deep in our own half with most of the team up the field playing the opposition on side who can’t run.
Martinelli substituted against MU.
Didn’t play against Wolves.
Didn’t play against AV.
Arteta certainly knows how to make the kid feel wanted and yet Willian can do no wrong.
Don’t get it.
Don’t get it one bit.
Graham
But Arteta loves the kids!