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?
Wenger was saving all his pennies for when FFP would kick in and level; the playing field.
Same time Chelsea were operating a farm system where they bought good young players for 5 million, loaned them out and sold them in 2-3 years for 10 million.
We cumulated cash for a long time and refused to invest in footballing assets only for the likes of Raul and Mislintat to come in and blow away all the saving on mediocre players.
Mislintat?
Ive come around to the view that artetas weakness is team selection though i do appreciate his stance on not ruining our youngsters careers by trying to save his own skin like wenger
Andy
This might be Fat Sam’s last PL gig.
I came across some stats saying his WB numbers are weaker than Bilic’s.
I guess even a genius couldn’t saved them this time.
Dissenter “Chelsea operating a farm system” When Abramovich bought Chelsea he invested just over £1.2bn of the money he stole from his Country’s people into Chelsea. This financial doping was the start of the transfer of power in the game. Fordstam is still sitting there with a billion-pound loan to Chelsea that will probably never be paid. They ruled the roost until Sheik Mansour, a member of the Dubai Royal Family, rocked up and bought Man City. A billion quid later and no surprise now they are also winning trophies. Interestingly, both these clubs have been ‘fined’ or had transfer… Read more »
AFC This David Dein exit that people talk about is a bit overblown David Dein got bored and wanted to become king maker about who controlled the club. He brought in Kroenke ands was pushed aside, then shifted to Usmanov and then lost out again. I think it’s the slow creeping process of the Kroenke’s taking over that also contributed in the stasis. That drip, drip approach of slowly buying up shares and not having full control until two seasons ago was detrimental to the club. We had two competing billionaires trying to neuter the other out for a long… Read more »
And now everton and westham can match funds. Everton new stadium received approval yesterday…
Imo americanization of everything. How long til promotion/relegation gets scrapped?
Only reason kroenke took over was the ol dirtbag nina selling him her shares after usmanov was deemed unfit no?
Tom, When Bilic was sacked, they were not in the relegation position. Fat Sam arrived, confidently stated that he had never been relegated and then conspired to lose the first five games he is charge to really drop them in the relegation places. He has been unable to turn it around since. Fat Sam was a big proponent of Brexit. The problem is that one consequence of Brexit was the change in working permit for European players. Before he was able to buy in bulk European journeymen on the cheap sprinkled with a few past it former glories. With the… Read more »
Everton’s new stadium plans look fantastic.
Gotta love Wenger apologists crying about financial doping like he and Arsenal weren’t direct benefactors of being in London and charging the highest season ticket prices in world football for the best part of a decade.
But it’s totally Roman’s fault Wenger couldn’t compete. You can tell because Leicester couldn’t compete either, and ignore the fact that their cash intake was dwarfed by Arsenal’s.
Whatever happened to “we’re only six points off top 4 and we only need to win the next 3 or 4 games”….?
Dissenter, Losing David Dein WAS the last straw that broke the camel’s back. Without him, we had nobody in upper management or board who had a clue about football management. Wenger was burden with the do-everything-at-the club role to compensate that vacuum. That lead to lower performance on and off the pitch. After David Dein, we had Gazidis, Raul, Vinay, Edu as upper management. Gazidis, Pedro’s buddy was a snake oil salesman who had no idea what soccer was. Plus he had no interest in Arsenal that he saw as a stepping stone to further his career. Vinay, is a… Read more »
I’m surprised Wenger is still debated so much, what’s his legacy really? What did he change in football? Barely anything of note. When we think of Chapman he was clearly revolutionary, his legacy is still felt today at Arsenal club and in football in general He instituted tactical innovations and a strict training regime and use physios and masseurs. He was taking Northampton on European tours (in 1909!!) and proposed a European wide club competition 20 years before the European Cup was started. He was one the first managers to sign a black professional to the game (Walter Tull in… Read more »
Valentin
David Dein was pushed out because he bot more than he could chew.
He was playing kingmaker and lost out in the middle of competing bids from two rough tackling billionaires. . He picked the wrong side and lost out in the board room.
Edu will become a proper technical director when he fires his first hire as manager.
Jamie
That’s the problem with so many Arsenal supporters.
Excuses, excuses, excuses.
Total denial.
TheBayingMob
The reason Wenger is still debated on here is that he ruled the roost for 22 years.
By any stretch of the imagination, that’s a great deal of time in our clubs history.
I was 34 when he arrived in 1996 and 56 when he left. Kids who grew up in the nineties are now in their thirties.
All of us have been influenced by Wenger.
Young and old.
When I imagine Valentine, I imagine Giancarlo Esposito
I’d expect he carries himself in a similar way
Graham62February 23, 2021 16:41:08
JamieThat’s the problem with so many Arsenal supporters.Excuses, excuses, excuses.Total denial.
Graham
With such lofty standards I can only assumed you’ve reached the pinnacle of excellence in both your professional and personal life. You must be minted
Actually Danny Fiszman was the instigator in having Dein kicked off the board and was the guy who sold out to Kroenke (after originally objecting to Dein approaching the American) and therefore making him majority shareholder. As you all know Fiszman was terminally ill by the time he completed the sale of his shareholding, that said Arsenal’s custodians traditionally passed shares down in the family rather than sell up so it’s a shame . As for Lady Nina she was also kicked off the board a couple of months after Dein and sold her shares in 2011 at the same… Read more »
But it’s totally Roman’s fault Wenger couldn’t compete. You can tell because Leicester couldn’t compete either, and ignore the fact that their cash intake was dwarfed by Arsenal’s.
Jamie
One fatal flaw in your argument
Arsenal did compete after abramovic came in.
1 title
Runners up twice
4 fa cups and 2 European finals
“All of us have been influenced by Wenger.”
Certainly taught me one thing. Style over substance can only lead to failure ultimately.
Winthorpe
Arsenal won their last title in Abramovich’s first season in charge and even then they had to go unbeaten the whole season to beat Chelsea.
Black stock
We’ve finished above chelsea in the league several times since and have beaten them in 2 cup finals and a couple of community shields
Winthorpe
What are you on about?
What has my personal life got to do with me pointing out that so many Arsenal fans promote excuses to justify things?
Please explain.
Chelsea also knocked Arsenal out of the Champions league in Abramovich’s first season.
Winthorpe
How many times has Chelsea stuffed is in the league and Cup Competitions, too many i say.
Graham
Well you hold others to such high standards. I assumed that win at all costs approach you project onto arsenal could only be a by-product of the high standards you hold yourself to.
Arsenal finishing second to Champions Leicester is embarrassing because coming second flattered us.
BlackStockFebruary 23, 2021 17:22:49
Arsenal finishing second to Champions Leicester is embarrassing because coming second flattered us.
That’s not what the history books show son
“One fatal flaw in your argument”
No fatal flaws in my argument. Roman did not prevent Wenger from competing, Wenger did that on his own.
Birmingham, Swansea and Wigan also won cups after Roman’s arrival.
Jamie
Wenger did compete. He may not have won with the same regularity he did before but he still competed and he still won trophies
Wenger didn’t compete for shit
He cared more about being right that being on top.
Who else would go an entire summer window without buying an outfield player
Hey Dissenter
You ever heard the phrase life often isn’t black and white. What kind of self respecting ex-champion doesn’t want to go right back on top ? You think Deontay Wilder is asking for a rematch from Fury because its cute ?
I dont know why Wenger didn’t buy players when he should have, but it certainly wasn’t because he didn’t want to go right back on top.
Wenger didn’t change football in any real way, but he certainly gave us a few years of joy at Arsenal where we stood toe to toe with the financial clout and bullying of Ferguson’s Man Utd and held off a nostalgic Liverpool.
I say that as one of his greatest critics well over a decade before he actually left the club.
Anyone who lived through those years of great football should be thankful for Wenger. Even though ultimately he wasn’t a great “winner”.