GLORIOUS FAILURE IS AN AFFRONT TO PROGRESSING STANDARDS

by .

Well, what an average week.

One bad decision snowballed into multiple.

The biggest problem this week was how we approached the Europa League. We went big, played a group that had been rinsed physically by the Leeds game, we didn’t win.

Then we headed into Sunday, we were forced to rest players, and our lack of depth couldn’t handle City’s quality.

We lost 1-0. That’s not bad against the best team in Europe, the problem was less about the result, it was more about the acceptance of a lesser defeat.

‘We didn’t get spanked as bad as we usually would have’ is a 2019 way to look at games. Yesterday, after going down in under 2 minutes again, we just seemed to land on the idea that losing by one goal would be acceptable.

That’s not cool.

We played our way back into the game after Sterling of all people headed in birthday boy Mahrez’s cross early on.

We were certainly asking questions of City, especially in the last 15 minutes. We were stretching their defence, we were pinning them back, we had some moments. The hope was that we might have a go in the second half.

We didn’t.

We played with fear. The whole game was predicated on caution. Odegaard rarely took a chance by turning into space. The Norwegian was not at the races, it was a timid showing from him, but again, maybe his fitness was running low after a few games in a row after very little before. Mo Elneny’s fear of vertical passing seemed to infect everyone’s confidence. Auba, clearly knackered, offered next to nothing going forward. His fake jumps for balls in the box were embarrassing. His body language was shocking at times. He offered nothing. Is it time to accept that he can’t handle three games in a week? Is it time to accept that in hardworking games like that, you need a different forward leading the line: Lacazette or Martinelli would have offered more.

Defensively, I kept on thinking, ‘wouldn’t it be nice to have ball players.’ Rob Holding was fairly decent, but he’s not really built to be spraying it around against City. Pablo Mari was supposed to be the artful of the two, he just kept passing it Holding. Hector Bellerin was deeply frustrating all day. His partnership with Pepe was horrendous, not helped by the wingers return to normal form. His first touch was horrible. His decision making wasn’t great. Then you had Tierney, not his best day out, but maybe City was too much to ask after 5 games out.

Let’s talk about Pepe. He’s just not the full ticket, is he? His runs were poor, his touch wasn’t great, his decision making was laughable… he looks like he should be a good player, I’m just not sure we’ll ever see it. I’d prefer to see Martinelli on the left and Saka coming in on the right

We also have to be very honest about this squad. It is very nothingy without Thomas Partey. You can’t expect to beat City with Mo Elneny playing next to Xhaka. It’s not the Egyptian’s fault, he’s a sound guy, no doubt, but he’s painfully limited in games that require accurate passing with an edge of boldness.

The Arteta system needs fast passing from the base and it needs someone leading the line that is fully fit. Auba couldn’t run the line, he hid from crosses, and he looked sad. Elneny is living the dream, he’s the African Carl Jenkinson, we need to move on from him.

We also need to find a strong narrative heading into the end of the season. At the moment, there’s nothing to hold onto as a fan. We’re 1 step forward, 2 back every other month. It’s exhausting. There’s progress, but it’s not wrapped in anything. Arteta keeps telling us what we already know. He needs to give us hope. He needs to show us he can give us a run or another trophy.

Ending Leicester City’s title run next week? Yes please.

Ending Jose Mourinho’s Spurs career? Double yes.

Winning the Europa League by putting Unai ‘Good Ebening’ Emery to the sword? Don’t say sexy things you don’t mean.

This season has been shit. Give us some f*cking joy. Put a run together.

Check out our On The Whistle Podcast. It’s with Matt and Johnny. It’s a good one. They are basically miserable af and I keep the positivity bubbling. I’m that guy now. Imagine?

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Receding Hairline

“Guns, considering where we’ve been as a club… I’m not sure 6-3 would have been good for the project.Let’s be honest here, it’d be carnage here. Glorious failure with big scorelines wasn’t received well with Wenger, it shouldn’t be received well under Arteta.”

Doesn’t explain shot on target for a team in the middle of exciting progress. We accepted the 1 nil defeat the minute the second half started, not exciting or progressive about that and i wonder how that was what the “project” needed

Winthorpe

Thank you and goodnightFebruary 22, 2021 16:25:48
@RecedingArteta is fucking clueless. I had a shit this morning that could do a better job than Arteta, and my shit talks less shit than Arteta

🤦🏻‍♂️
This is the level of content you’re expected to debate. Jesus. It’s base level nonsense. No insight. Just childish rubbish.

Receding Hairline

“The result was bad yesterday, but limiting City to 3 shots on target, in their best ever form, shows how far we’ve come.”

In the middle of this best ever form Man City played Brighton and Sheffield United at the Etihad, they won both games by a single goal, having six and five shots on target respectively. Both teams only had a solitary shot on target each too.

Guess both teams have also come just as far as we have, nice company we are keeping

Guvnor

All this against the backdrop of a global pandemic, very little money, with no preseason. @pedro – the pandemic has effected every team not just arsenal. And ‘little money’ shall we talk about the £100m war chest Arteta has been given by the board, more than any other manager. We are the second highest spending club on transfers in the last two years in the world. Imagine where we’d have been had Wenger or Emery been given the financial backing and players that Arteta has at his disposal now since coming onboard. My reference to waiting 17 years since our… Read more »

Anonymous Commentator

agreed on the 3 wonderboys needing to interchange when played together.
if arteta were just brave enough to unlock the attack and have us score more than we concede, everyone would be happier about things.

Pierre

Receding
“Except we are neither a defensively solid team nor an attacking one”

I disagree , i think generally we are defensively solid as or goals against record this season proves.

It’s a matter of finding the balance now, having partey and tierney available will make a massive difference next season .

Guns of SF

Yes Pedro, he is a safe player in our set up.
We do not have the horses like Madrid or even where he did his loan ( Sociedad?)
Can you tell me he is better than Fabregas, TR7 or even Nasri? Not even close.
Even Hleb would have dribbled through the City players.

We need that type of player again, Not afraid to take on the defense and break through the low block. Saka is really the only one we have.

And no La Liga is not like EPL…. we are on another level.

Nelson

“And yesterday he was shouting the players through every play.”

While I saw Pep was relaxing in the stand with a smile. What a difference between the master and the student.

Jim Lahey

In the last 7 premier league games vs Man City, we have conceded a goal within the first three minutes 4 times…

@Winthorpe

I’ll have you know my shit has a lot of sauce and would back him to best Arteta every single time

Guns of SF

Should have asked Stan for more $$,
a Szoboslazi is what we needed…. that type of power and creativity and fearlessness.

Receding Hairline

“I disagree , i think generally we are defensively solid as or goals against record this season proves.” Defensively solid teams don’t lose 11 league games by February Pierre We have conceded 26 league goals, its not really that meagre a number going by the seasons stats from other teams, Aston Villa have also conceded 26 league games. Disastrous Spurs have let in 27, Chelsea 25 . Brighton who are looking over their shoulder 30. The number isn’t really that impressive considering the style of attacking football we play against any team with a hint of firepower, we have scored… Read more »

Jim Lahey

“a Szoboslazi is what we needed…”

I mean, be honest here. One bad game from Szoboslazi and you would be on here shitting all over him..

@ Pierre
Rubbish we’re defensively solid. If some of the teams we’ve played against had taken one of their many chances created against us , our defence wouldn’t have the stats it has. Leeds alone created 4 or 5 clear goal scoring opportunities. Sorry we still look fucking shakey when being attacked.

andy1886

Hard to believe I know, but there is a middle ground between going all out bat shit crazy and losing 6-3 and turning tortoise and being lucky to get nil as they say in a 1-0 loss. Most dissapointingly we lacked belief which is worrying.

Odegaard has been thrown in the deep end. Ideally he’d be eased in but with less than six months to impress and given our options that can’t happen. One reason I don’t really like short term loans.

Guns of SF

Speak for yourself Jim. Fact is that we do not have a player in the mold.
We have another lightweight from La Liga, who is supposed to kick us up a notch or 2.
I have seen nothing so far of Ode that is noteworthy. Im not expecting an assist a game or goals galore, but we need creativity, which he has brought into give, but layed a big egg..

Thank God its a loan but would not surprise me if we bought him, as Madrid seems to be offering us discounted players lately

Jim Lahey

Regarding Odegaard, you can already see that he is a step above nearly everyone else in the squad. His close control and vision are unmatched at Arsenal. Definitely what we have been missing.

One thing I have noticed is that he gets himself into some very good positions and other players seem not not give him the ball. Happened a few times first half vs City.

AFC Forever

TYAG

“Arteta is fucking clueless. I had a shit this morning that could do a better job than Arteta, and my shit talks less shit than Arteta”

First-class football analysis to support the Arteta Out ‘movement’.

Jim Lahey

“We have another lightweight from La Liga, who is supposed to kick us up a notch or 2.
I have seen nothing so far of Ode that is noteworthy.”

He has what, maybe two hours of football under his belt? Christ almighty….

@ AFC

Thank you 😊

Globalgunner

Whatever the future holds , we need to get rid of Xhaka as a constant in our midfield 80% of the time when a teammate passes to him. He passes the ball right back. Its as if he is simply ben on keeping up his high passing accuracy stats. Without a doubt the worst midfielder in the EPl. except when Eric Dier plays there

Guns of SF

Yes Pedro, Scolobaszi or however the F you spell it. A player in that mold, dont care where they came from. You yourself have alluded to the superior scouting that the Dortmunds, Red Bulls, Leipzigs etc have compared to us. They are developing world class all the time. Whatever, we do not have DS so it does not matter now. Point was that we needed someone better than what we have now. Some will say its too early to judge Ode, and I do hope he steps it up, but one shot on target is not acceptable to me at… Read more »

TheBayingMob

“Why can’t you give it a rest for 5 minutes and wait to see where we are at the end of the season because Arteta is going nowhere this season.” To some degree because you’re exactly the fan who kept passionately asking that Wenger be given more and more and more time. Judge him in May. Ten years of that led us into a hole we are still struggling to get out of. Everyone talks about time, he needs time – what is this time? How much exactly does he need? Are we showing the right progression to grant him… Read more »

AFC Forever

No Odegaard is not a safe passer that is nonsense. Many in Spain argued that Martin Odegaard was possibly the best player in La Liga 2019/20. Data gathered from Wyscout during his loan spell in San Sebastian and analyzed by DatoBHJ revealed that Odegaard, alongside Lionel Messi, was the La Liga leader in “creative passes” for players who had played 900+ minutes in La Liga. His numbers 2019/20 were compared across all Europe’s top five leagues, and placed him in the top 2% with Messi, Neymar, and De Bruyne. It was this that pressured Zidane to bring him back, not… Read more »

BlackStock

The Gunners have now conceded in the opening 15 minutes on each of Manchester City’s last six visits to the Emirates.

Receding Hairline

Odegaard is a loan signing from a club who we also have another player on loan from, a player who has not exactly performed consistently. This is his fourth loan spell away from Madrid, i don’t rate him as highly as some of you do, he is still young and with good coaching can improve.

Good coaching of course is not something many can confidently say happens at Arsenal, and yes the reports “sources” have been great but do you honestly see the results on the pitch come gameday?

Matt

Whilst all this talk about patience and brewing is happening, I bet that the sales of Arsenal kids replica kits is dwindling all the time. You understand the correlation hopefully…

Matt

Pedro

Do you know that for a fact? You think Arsenal kids replica kit sales have increased over the past, lets say 5 years?

@Matt

I have 3 boys and they all play football, trust me when I say out of 70 plus kids I see training, only 2 are Arsenal fans and that’s only because they’re fathers are gooners

Matt

TYAG

I know. My youngest is 4 and he goes to little kickers. Never see any other kids wearing Arsenal kits. I feel bad for making him wear it to be honest,,,

Matt

Pedro

I don’t doubt that Adidas are creaming it in, but I very much doubt it is from kids kits – the important part being kids.

@Matt

Lol, surprised he hasn’t called child line for cruelty in making him wear it, bless him

Matt

TYAG

He’s too young to know any different yet. I’m jut waiting for the day he asks for a Man City kit! : )

Pierre

Blackstock
“The Gunners have now conceded in the opening 15 minutes on each of Manchester City’s last six visits to the Emirates.”

That’s consistency.

Leftside

Thats my problem with the result yesterday. How many times have City scored early and then not been troubled for the rest of the game against us? They are better than we are, no doubt but it is grating to keep giving up goals to them to silly mistakes.

I still haven’t been told why we took off Elneny for Ceballos either? Thats a sub to run down the clock when you have a favourable result. We didn’t.

We have to be careful because expectations and standards at this great football club are becoming dangerously low.

@Matt

Yep, mine have already got their city kits. Only 2 teams I didn’t allow them to support, were Utd and the spuds

@Pedro

Let me change that for you…..”we were a massive team” . Unfortunately now Brighton are our real level

Kroenkephobe

GLORIOUS FAILURE IS AN AFFRONT TO PROGRESSING STANDARDS The title of this piece reads like something from the Chinese Daily News from the early 70s. Possibly about a 3.1% drop in pig iron manufacturing output in Szechuan Province. Expect a 5 minute show trial followed by summary executions in Mao Square. A suitable metaphor for Arsenal and Le Grove. This has been an awful, joyless season and I’m expecting very little in the remaining months bar the odd success. Can we at least beat Sp*urs which during the many barren seasons in the past was one glimmer of hope. I’d… Read more »

Anonymous Commentator

pedro it’s not one game, it’s the season.

Leftside

‘This has been an awful, joyless season and I’m expecting very little in the remaining months bar the odd success.‘

Depressing truth.

NORG

Pedro is right about Adidas. Sales increased over Puma but they are a long way off several other UK teams. A FA CUP final appearance (and win) increased sales at an alarming rate but the Christmas figures were not as good as expected.

AFC Forever

Thebayingmob ” because you’re exactly the fan who kept passionately asking that Wenger be given more and more and more time” Am I? Jesus mate, quality debating right there. Well done. Take a fish as we all applaud that insightful, assumption based comment. It may be useful at this stage to point out that Wenger was at Arsenal for twenty plus years mate. Arteta, on the other hand, was appointed December 2019, after Emery was sacked. I make that one year and 2 months. And an FA Cup. Unai Emery was given a year, how did that turn out? Why… Read more »

AFC Forever

*be about what you want?

Winthorpe

Heard it all now
Odegaard a safe player. 🤦🏻‍♂️
The kid is the epitome of high risk passing. Wait til he finds his feet and adjusts to the league
He will be dynamite
Just you watch

Matt

Pedro You’re missing the point, intentionally I think. As you work in advertising, you know far better than I do that every brand (and lets face it, that’s what we are) are constantly looking to crack new markets and customer demographics. Given that fans are essentially customers, I wonder how many young kids (and future customers) we are losing to the likes of City, United, Chelsea (Leicester?) while we are floundering around in the wilderness of mediocrity. Who is going to replace the current fanbase when we get old(er) and die? As TYAG said, what kid asks for an Arsenal… Read more »

I’d never force my kids to support Arsenal because I do. As I said I didn’t care who they supported as long as it wasn’t the spuds or Utd. Also Pedro, kids don’t know about loyalty at that age, they support who’s the best team. Oh sorry one other team I wouldn’t let them support, Chelsea 🤮

Cheney10

Leftside: I’m not sure I agree that ‘standards are low’, I just think most people can see that our squad is deficient in a number of areas and are happy to give the manager time to address the issues that we clearly have.

Kroenkephobe

“Arteta is fucking clueless. I had a shit this morning that could do a better job than Arteta, and my shit talks less shit than Arteta”

That is some pretty metaphysical, errr, shit.

Matt

Pedro

You think this generation of kids and future generations will show as much band loyalty as previous generations?

I doubt it.

Matt

*brand

AFC Forever

Matt, why do kids buy Spurs kits? They haven’t won a League for 60 years or an FA Cup for 30 years. It even has a chicken on the front. Unless you’re around 68, not suffering from dementia then you might be able to tell the grandkids or great-grandkids about it. You also better hope they like a KFC.

In fairness Pedro most kids I grew up with all remained loyal to the team they chose to support at a young age. Children will support the teams that are successful no matter what. When we were winning the EPL under wenger, it seemed every other kid was an Arsenal fan( Utd being the other choice obviously). Now you drive through my town on match days and you rarely see young Arsenal fans anymore

Matt

Pedro

I didn’t mean in terms of jumping ship, once you pick your team you stick with that team (at least most people do). I’m not saying that would change but kids supporting clubs because their old man supports them is going to change. If they are not supporting them for that reason then they will support the teams who are successful in THEIR lifetime growing up.

Kroenkephobe

My three kids had no choice – when they were young I expressly avoided talking about any other teams. It was a full on propaganda job including the myth that it’s the law that kids have to support the same team as their dad.

It was self preservation. I couldn’t have handled one of them, say, making a wanker gesture in my face yesterday while wearing a load of bullshit MC paraphernalia.

Winthorpe

Kids these days support teams based on the player the model themselves on.
Young black kids in London may go for United due to Rashford or Pogba

Young muslim kid in Manchester may choose Liverpool because of mane or salah.
The old rules don’t apply with this generation
I loved players from rivals as a kid and played more like them but arsenal was my team.

AFC Forever

Pedro “Kids that swapped teams get ripped on as adults.You wear the Arsenal shirt regardless of what happens”. This. The debate sums up the fairweather plastic fan, the ones who buy the shirt for the team that currently wins things, so they can wave their arms in the air. Nobody likes them. Arsenal is a huge club, historically far superior to most others. I have always been a proud Gooner. I don’t want those artificial fans buying shirts, bugger off to Man Utd or Chelsea. Once a Gooner always a Gooner. It’s a privilege to be an Arsenal fan, we… Read more »

@Kreonkephobe

It’s the law to support you’re dads team 🤣🤣

Matt

AFC

I don’t worry about us losing future fans to Spurs. Things aren’t quite that bad ……yet.

S23

Pedro-great post as usual. I understand the give Arteta time approach,and the poor state of the club when he came in. I can see some progression in our play,although I would like to think top end players would be able to work a method that enhances their abilities. The one thing I cannot accept is the hard lines approach,Arteta is adopting -especially to our young players. I fear Saka will be burnt out,Martinelli will want to move on,and we may have already lost Guen and Saliba. Perhaps what is needed is an old head like Mick Phelan at United,so the… Read more »

@Afc

Unfortunately we are a laughing stock in today’s football world.

Matt

AFC

‘It’s a privilege to be an Arsenal fan, we are respected all around the World.’

Hopefully you didn’t mean that Arsenal fans are respected all around the world?

AFC Forever

Kroenkephoebe

“My three kids had no choice”

Same here. One Spud shirt and I would have dragged them down to see a psychiatrist. If that failed, the next stop would have been the adoption centre. My wife would have taken their other hand. Not having it.

Kroenkephobe

TYAG

I lived in Highbury for 25 plus years and would always see kids out (even on a Saturday) wearing manure and liverpool jerseys. Used to make me apoplectic, and I’d question what their parents were thinking. Never saw it the other way around when up north. Leedsgunner – assuming you’re from West Yorkshire, it’d be interesting to hear your take on that.

Matt

Pedro

I was following you until the last little nugget

‘We can handle a bad season.’

That genuinely made me laugh.

Winthorpe

Nah, if you support a team from another city or town then you’re fair game

@Pedro

I won’t argue with you on this I’ll take you’re word for it mate.

Nelson

I know a few families in Canada. Football is only their second love {behind hockey}. They all support MC, the EPL champion. Winning the league is a big draw.

Jamie

Local fans support their local club.

I grew up a 5 minute walk from Highbury, so I had no choice. Thank fuck I didn’t live further up the road.

I guess it’s different for international supporters, who I suspect choose clubs based on a favourite player.

Cantona said it best: You can change your wife, your politics, your religion. But never, never can you change your favourite football team

Dissenter

“I’m hoping taking smith rowe out of the CAM position is not permanent as i think we lose the link up play between saka and smith rowe which is vital for our creativity .” That is why I wasn’t too keen on Odegaard on a 5 month loan It’s a waste of time and money. It is depriving Saka and ESR a chance to forge something unique.. 3 month …and he’s back to Madrid a more refined player at our expense. What would we have gotten for the 2 million loan fee? Odegaard on a 4-5 month loan in a… Read more »

Winthorpe

Dissenter
He have a year on his contract this summer. Madrid need a signing and are broke
Odegaard will join us permanently this summer

Jamie

Cantona, meet Bamriano. Stopped supporting Arsenal after Emery was sacked and now loves Utd.

Scenes.

AFC Forever

TYAG “Unfortunately we are a laughing stock in today’s football world” That’s not true at all. Current FA Cup holders, a trophy we’ve won more times than anyone else in the last 10 years. We have things no other team can boast about. Football is cyclic, always has been. I belong to a large Football Club, where lot’s of different clubs are supported and we have a Whatsapp group. My mates all support other teams, banter is rife but Arsenal are respected. We’re going through one of those difficult periods. Do you know what I get more grief about? The… Read more »

Kroenkephobe

One thing I always enjoyed doing when I was out with the kids and would meet friends and family with their kids in non Arsenal football gear would be to look at their Jersey and ask the kid which team it was. They’d look askance and say it was Liverpool/manure/spurs etc. Then with a completely straight face I’d say who? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of them, do they play in South America or something? They’d inevitably look up at their parents thinking what the fuck am I wearing here? A little cruel but fucking priceless.

Dissenter

Pedro I’m u nimpressed by the rationale for using Arsenal as a shop window and resting pen for Madrid at the expense of our young talent. -A better manager would have given Azeez a couple of minutes here and there. -A better manager would not be subbing in Auba when we were down to 10 men against Wolves, Martinelli outh to have gotten a run out to use his industry to make up for the extra man Wolves had. -A better manager would have given Nelson a run out when the match was won against Leeds Odegaard at Arsenal for… Read more »

Winthorpe

. Do you know what I get more grief about? The self-entitlement of some of our fans and the way they behave to Managers. True. Most clubs don’t ever win anything, like Spurs and West Ham but West game are respected. Spurs are the true laughing stock, the most disliked because of their fans self-entitlement too – the difference is they never win anything. Fans behaviour gets fans disliked and ridiculed. Arsenal are a class club, cream will always rise to the top.

AFC
So true. It really is embarrassing

Winthorpe

Cantona also said the seagulls follow the trawler or some bollocks after Kung fu kicking a fan

Anonymous Commentator

some of you were wenger out and now you’re afraid of being labelled an impatient fan or something because you won’t give arteta time after emery wasn’t given time.
it’s a trap guys,

Dissenter

AFC
What kind of reaction do you expect gooners to have when their team has lost 10 games at week 25, same number we lost in 38 games last season?.

What do you expect gooners to do when you and your ilk are selling this as some kind of “progress”?

You seem shocked that people are rightly outraged when you’re pissing on their necks and telling them it’s raining.

You call it “self entitlement” but some would call your approach as defeatist and acceptance of mediocrity.

One man’s meat they say ….

Anonymous Commentator

auba cannot be captain anymore, can’t face the camera’s when we lose.
armband too heavy for him.

Dissenter

When you say Arteta should be given time Time for what exactly? It is very likely that we won’t be in Europe for the first time in 25 years, only a generational manager can reverse the fortunes of the club in one swoop. No European competition has to affect the value of commercial endorsements and deals. When stadiums reopen, that less money in gate takings No European competition means they summer s[pending has to reflect the hit on the budget. We would have to pay over the odds to sign good players – a mediocre ”s tax like we paid… Read more »

Leftside

Cheney, see Dissenters last post as my response to you.

Leftside

Why should we endure Arteta as he learns on the job. Do that elsewhere, this job is too big for him.

Na me ooo

Smith-Rowe should have started . That game needed players who weren’t awed by the occasion. Replace Odengaard for him , and Elneny for Partey( He is injured, I know) and it would have been a different game.

Also Lacazette is a ballsy kinda guy . He should have started instead of Aubameyang.

Chris

“ That is why I wasn’t too keen on Odegaard on a 5 month loan It’s a waste of time and money” Not this again, really? The same was said about Dani Ceballos, he came back for another season. It was absolutely worth taking the punt on a young elite player like Odegaard for two reasons. One, he could help us win the EL or secure league qualification for Europe. Two, if he enjoyed his time here he would likely want to stay, realising his opportunities at Madrid weren’t likely to change. Not to be nasty but I have never… Read more »

Anonymous Commentator

guendozi and torreira, out on loan, are a better midfield pair than what we had out yesterday.
arteta is sabotaging us.