We’re going with a short post today, I’ve had time to think on what we’re seeing at Arsenal, and clearly, it’s not good enough.
If I’m going to be consistent, then I have to hold Arteta to the same standards I’ve held the previous two managers. My view is you need to see progress. Whatever the vision, at some point, you need to see it consistently. At 18 months, I want to see an identity, even if it fails. I want some 5-0 wins even if its at the expense of some bad losses.
Football is about performances.
Winning ugly only matters if you’ve shown the world you are capable of winning with beauty.
Arteta hasn’t found the formula. It’s mostly rigid and ugly. Good managers work with the tools they have, our guy is not doing that.
We rarely win with glory.
We often lose with pain.
At some point, bum mistakes need to be levelled at the person in charge.
Villareal, regardless of what the Spanish tell you, are not a good side. We had the players to do something interesting and we fucked it up.
Our squad didn’t show up. Good players, well rested, with only one thing on their agenda. There’s no excuse.
The tactics were poor. The team selection was average. The performance was absolutely awful.
We came away with hope because one of our stars won an extremely dubious penalty.
Arsenal are now at the stage where we might win the game in the second leg inspite of Arteta, not because of him.
The energy was low, the performance was bland, the team selection was bad galaxy brain in the worst of ways.
Arteta chose to play Xhaka at left back, despite giving Cedric a 4 year deal. He chose to play Chambers over Bellerin despite having zero pace in his back 4. He thought the best option was to leave Martinelli on the bench.
Those were awful decisions.
We’re at the point where his approach doesn’t even have a nuanced excuse. It’s just pure terribleness an amateur could fix.
Thomas Partey was awful, he’s been here 10 months, you can’t hide behind ‘adaptation’ away in Spain. He’s been there for 8 years, this was his moment.
Every Arsenal fan KNEW Ceballos was going to be sent off because he’s shite and lacks maturity. Earlier in the season, he was mean to the kids in training, which caused a fight between him and David Luiz, because the exChelsea man wouldn’t tolerate it. Arteta knew he was a dick, but he was given the game.
Chambers played right back again when Hector was fit. The Spaniard might be off, but he’s a pro and he can at least run. Chambers is a centre back. Why did he start, he was awful?
Xhaka has done a good job, but he’s not a left back. Cedric is a good full back, certainly capable of playing against Villareal. Why didn’t he start? We gave him a 4 year deal. We need Xhaka as a centre mid in big games, even his detractors can see that.
There’s no identity.
There’s limited effort.
We are shocking, even with good players starting.
It’s time to questions the process.
We’re now at the point where it’s fair to ask if this project is worth the juice, because rookie mistakes aren’t one offs now, they’re now part of the deal.
Does a Europa win change the mess? It wouldn’t have for Emery. Now I’m worried it won’t for Arteta.
Arsenal are woeful. There’s no peak. The best we can hope for is bumming our way to the final… then what?
Arteta picked the slowest defence in Europe. He chose to bench Martinelli. He tried a front 4 we had now clue about. Emery beat him tactically.
It was miserable.
There’s still 90 minutes to rectify this, my concern now is what happens if he does sort it? What does next season bring? Are we extending the inevitable?
I’m pissed. Arteta didn’t make a minor error, he dropped a major. Where do we go from here?
What do you think? Let us now in the comments.
P.S. It’s just me an Johnny on the podcast. Take a listen. x
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TheLegentaryDB10
If you notice Southampton was playing with 10 man from the start.
Who told you that I support Arteta?
I was just pointing out that the German is far superior to Brendan
And Brenda just rejected the Spurs.
Another Plus 1….
Trust me, if we come calling, I am sure he would consider….
No offense to Leicester who I feel are a superbly run team. Maybe Brenda can give some advice to Edu and co on how its done
Cazorla So much so that MA learnt zilch from these games. I haven’t seen any improvement in the grand scheme of things, as last night’s game has shown. Arteta’s comfort zone will be at a big club where big money can be spent. Making the most of the squad he has in front of him is definitively not his forte. He is a rookie. He needs experienced people around him to help him. He skipped the basics of 101 management and went straight for a big job instead of learning the ropes step by step at a smaller club. If… Read more »
Cazorla
5 home defeats in a row and you’re still defending the manager lol
Hypotethically speaking
what about if Arteta with the help of all gods and the biggest miracle ever manage to win the EL, then stay and put the team at the border of relegation next season, but at the same time makes another miracle of biblical proportions and wins the CL
What should be the correct way to measure that? Win back to back the major european trophues and at the same time have 2.of the worse league seasons of the last 50 years.
The clown owners missed out on pep and Klopp hanging on to wenger way past his best….hired the TK Maxx Emery when Allegri and Naglesman should have been courted…. hired an absolute novice in Arteta when yet again Allegri and Ancelloti were free and Naglesman could have been persuaded…. and now if they fire the arrogant twat there’s not much out there… the kroenkes are unashamedly amateur and ruining Arsenal FC.
First loss at Emirates 1st game 0 1 WHU Zamora I think. However I’m a lil confused we lost 1 -3 v Villa at Emirates also. That could have been our 1st game at our new home or 1st game of new season. What I do remember bout the villa loss was 1st game for Anthony Taylor as ref an yep he’s from the Midlands da bald c u next Tuesday
What most people forget about the false 9 is that it was not devised as a great attacking ploy but as a remedies to Spain lack of talented classic No9 strikers at the time. When you have talented strikers not using them is not a smart move. Thursday night team selection was total hubris by Arteta. Also Tiki-taka only with great central midfielders who can keep possession while under pressure. Players who can dribble their way out and/or make defence splitting passes. None of our midfielders on show yesterday have those characteristics. Ceballos is no Iniesta and Partey is no… Read more »
Cazorla Have to apologize for my son’s inaccuracy claiming you weren’t a complete wanker. You are in fact a 24 carat, 100% wanker and clueless about management, and in particular football management judging by your posts here. Fortunately, you are in a minority here if you’re able to read people’s disdain for Arteta and their suggestions to Arteta’s replacement. Enjoy your trolling here but if you can count you’ll see you are very much the minority with your Arteta love. Maybe you can have a whip round with yourself and buy Arteta a watch. Try supporting the club and not… Read more »
Tony throwing it down!
Cazorla lol at calling me a sheep when you just got wrapped up on the arteta propaganda train and are now too far in to easily backpeddle when it’s demonstrably not that good. Even Pedro who is founder and grand wizard of the cult of arteta has admitted he’s underachieved thus far. I’m really genuinely quite curious what arteta could possibly do to convince you that he’s not the one. Apparently tanking us to mid table, embarrassed in the FA cup, out of the league cup and hanging on by a thread in the EL vs an average team managed… Read more »
China with a right hook!
Some folks on here just play the antagonist, for the sake of it, it seems.
Btw who was it on here about two years ago who was saying arsenals direct rivals should be Aston villa (who were in the championship at that time), west ham and Leeds rather than Chelsea utd and city???
At the time I laughed hard at that but damn that claim has come to fruition! Whoever that was needs to team up with darian0 and Sid for syndicated betting because you all will be rolling in wonga with all those wagers
I wonder if arteta read that claim on here years back and has teamed up for some insider betting by tanking us on purpose
Guns Just sick of the Arteta excuses. Back in the late Wenger days when Pedro had a firm grasp of his senses and reasoning, we did all we could to banish Wenger from our club. There were some AKBs I had a lot of time for, such as Dark Hei, and Wallace – a true gentleman (hope you’re well) and Pierre with his trolling and baiting banter. Even Charlie come over to the dark side in the end after some legendary colossal opposing views arguments with WOBs. It kept us all sane in Wenger’s dogmatic madness. However, with Arteta ,… Read more »
Guns I find it comical, especially if someone insults me I didn’t want arteta before he joined but emery had me willing to accept him last year. As with any new manager I gave him a fair chance. He did well in his first season and it wasn’t until a couple of months of tanking this season that I turned. If you go back to October or so last year I was on here arguing with people that they were jumping way too soon on the arteta out bandwagon because he’d done well last year. But how much time can… Read more »
China and Tony Good points. I think most of us either didnt think he was qualified enough (me) but the cup wins made for a great end of season and a turning point. Even I felt like, ok, maybe I was too quick to judge but by winter I knew it was over. This man has an ego the size of the stadium. At least Wenger, tried to do things the right way… albeit in his latter days, he failed on multi levels. Arteta if he had the experience, even with other teams, before he came to us would have… Read more »
Amen China1. Good posts.
The AKB stragglers will soon see the light and their misguided beliefs dissipate.
The irony here is that Cazorla has been condemning Arteta’s tactics by explaining what different selections and tactics Cazorla would have done.
Another earlyish game for us tomorrow at 8pm my time. Any thoughts predictions?
Thankfully, it’s not a home game, so I’ll go with a score draw. Why that prediction? Apparently Arteta says he’s main focus is Thursday night’s EL semi game.
Enjoy your weekend China.
I can see a draw or loss at Newcastle.
Where is the motivation now in the league? We have tanked that.
I do hope, that we see Azeez and Balogun, let them please have game time! What is there to lose now in the league. time to bleed in the new blood until end of season
Spot on Guns.
I think to be fair, at City he hardly did anything with the attacking side of things. The players they have , can do that naturally. He is said to improved Sterling or Sane or both… however, we have nothing remotely close to that. I wonder how much was already there for Mike to work with. Compared to us, he had the ocean, and were like the desert. However, any good coach worth his salt could pivot and change and quickly realize things. In game management, and team selection is so important. Mike has made that clear by his incompetence.… Read more »
Pedro show some regret and apologise to the Arsenal community for the damage you’ve done enabling Arteta for two years
In my line of work i have interacted with tens of thousands of personalities, i interact with several hundreds daily, i can smell a charlatan a klick away.
what do they smell like?
Guns I don’t think there are any among us who at some time or other tried with run before they could walk. It’s a natural thing for ambitious people to want to try. Arteta went from club captain with zero PL league winning experience and one SPL win to Man City assistant manager with a club with unlimited funds and facilities at his disposal. Pep probably kept blowing smoke up Arteta’s arse as only Pep does with people. Even now Pep is full of glowing Arteta remarks to anyone who will listen in the media. Why? Because it helps keep… Read more »
Sid
You’re a prison officer?
Tony did you stay up for the EL with your boy on Friday morning? I asked yesterday but didn’t log in much to see if you replied
And yep nice early game this time. Fingers crossed for a good performance
No, I got it Sid, you’re a legendary porn star?
China1
No we watched it at 6:30 in the morning as I’m always up early.
https://www.footballorgin.com
https://ourmatch.me
Generally get the matches on the above apps the next morning one I’ve got rid of the pop ups.
My wife has a 4-day holiday now, so I wanted to us be able to enjoy this together.
Like you, we’ll watch the final live if we get that far and hope it’s not too traumatizing for us.
@Tony, You are not far off with your 2nd guess, but thats during my time off work
Sid you are on here like 24s per day when do you sleep man? you working like IT support or something? global?
MVC development when i get a gig, any project in silicone valley
or 46 inches wide
sorry disregard that comment wasn’t meant for here
Sid
I read a while ago that a naturist was walking though a field on the way to a naturist beach when as he walked past a donkey, the donkey burst into tears.
Guessing that was you as the person wasn’t named.
if so, please be kinder to donkeys and horses.
Something similar happened to me @Tony, the difference was it was an elephant, i could tell it was thinking, why is my trunk near my anus.
TonyMay 1, 2021 05:23:38
or 46 inches wide
I prefer the same size, hips and bust.
‘the difference was it was an elephant, I could tell it was thinking, why is my trunk near my anus?.’
To put buns up that dark crevice any elephant knows this. Elephants have the best memories, Sid.
Just in case you haven’t tried this go with the long soft rolls rather than the big round crusty rolls.
One of my wife’s cousins is a mahout at an elephant sanctuary told me when I asked him what brings tears to an elephant’s eyes during a visit.
Sid
Your hips and bust are 46 inches wide?
Wow!
6000 rave bin dippers when to a legal rave last night.
Why then no fans in our stadiums?
I’m pretty sure we lost our 1st home game of the season about 8 years ago to Aston Villa. I remember there being a huge outcry after the game and famously triggered off the Arsenal Fans TV popularity.
The board in response splashed out £40 million on a certain number 10 from Real Madrid.
Emery zone? I think we are way past that and headlong into the Twilight Zone! I half expect to hear Rod Serling utter the immortal words “There is a fifth dimension, beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call The Twilight Zone.” Honestly, anyone that still thinks… Read more »
Tony
“6000 rave bin dippers when to a legal rave last night.
Why then no fans in our stadiums?”
A rhetorical question I believe? I think you already know the answer to that – it would only take one to end our misery!
Aussi Gooner
To be fair they are talking about I think 10,000 fans back in stadiums this month.
See what happens I’m sure Mikel will be looking forward to having fans back in the stadium.
I know I am and I live 6000+km away from The Emirates.
Sid a prison officer??? Hardly – Sid in a prison would be on the other side of the bars! And, being hung like a donkey, would be very popular with the boys in there!
Tony
Like you I am a long way from the Emirates but can’t wait for the fans to be allowed back in! We have a big derby AFL game in Perth tomorrow and 45,000 will be allowed in! Go the Dockers!
Aussie+Gooner, dont pick your soap in the showers
Sid
I have been in prison for 15 years!!!!!!
Arteta’s first and biggest mistake was discarding Mesut Ozil.
The fans first and biggest mistake under Arteta was supporting this decision.
I’m afraid the fans have now got the manager they deserve due to their short sightedness for celebrating a decision that showed a total lack of respect for an Arsenal player.
The poor decisions that followed from Arteta were a consequence of the Mesut Ozil decision and the fans acceptance of this humiliating act by Arteta..
Cringe
yet another hugely talented player that was treated abysmally by an Arsenal manager, an intelligent footballer who scores and assists from midfield , and the fools on Le Grove supported yet another crass decision to let a quality footballer leave for nothing.
https://www.justarsenal.com/it-was-freedom-mkhitaryan-compares-wenger-and-emery/280473
Pierre
For goodness sake give it a break.
Ozil was past his sell by date and it is time that you accept this.
The mistake was that we gave him a new contract, which has cost Arsenal a bucketful of money, which could have been better spent elsewhere.
You think you’ll get any other bites, Pierre?
You landed Stroller well, though.
@Tony
🤣🤣🤣
You’re missing the point stroller.
By the club and fans allowing Arteta to act so arrogantly regarding Ozil , it gave him the power to make many more poor decisions that were detrimental to the club.
And that’s my point.
Pierre was absolutely loving the Arteta appointment at first.
And why did he love it so much?
Simply because Arteta was linked to Arsene Wenger having been an ex-player of his.
But then he started to go off him because he continued to dump which previous managers did as well Mesut Ozil. Mesut Ozil the Wenger player.
All roads lead to Arsene Wenger in most of Pierre’s posts.
Stroller
If the club had showed some balls and stood up to Arteta then I guarantee you that his behaviour would have been more respectful to the players and the team would not be languishing in the bottom half of the table.
Talking about Guendouzi, Sokratis , Torreira, Saliba , AMN and the momentous decision to sell Martinez when he should have guaranteed him the no.1 spot after his exploits the previous season in our cup run .
Ishola
I support Arsenal not wenger/ozil.
If the team i support is the only unbeaten team in Europe domestically in 2020 prior to lockdown with Ozil an integral part of the team , then I as a supporter I should be able to question a decision that is obviously not a footballing decision.
The fact is , in the 12 months since Ozil was discarded , we have regressed alarmingly on the pitch , which no one can deny.
What really worries me about The Generational Con Man is that, he damages the club further if he stays. Losing Guen, Saliba and Martinelli would be a disaster, would set us back few years. Also, AMN, Willock, Eddie and Nelson under different manger could develop to do a good job for the team and help us with the EPL home grown rule. It can’t be a coincidence all our youngsters struggle under this man. I’ve heard for a while that Arteta not in speaking terms with most of our younger players or he disrespect them completely and only talk good… Read more »
Pierre,
You weirdo old grandad, still not giving up on Arsene who’s a has been without a club, and Ozil who’s playing Sunday league football lol.
Ishola,
Pierre was never an Arteta in, he always maintained his dislike for Arteta after freezing Ozil out.
All he was waiting while sitting on the fence, the bad result to drop and he would pour his grief out about the bad treatment Izil and Wenger got from us knowing nothing lol.
Think the only one with egg in his Face is you. In fact you’re face must be smeared in egg as you’re mate Arteta has failed awfully at his audition terribly. Shockingly poor manager. Fucking clueless
Time up
Granddad is a bit harsh and untrue.
I could be wrong but I think Pierre’s 2 sons haven’t produced an heir to Pierre’s Le-Grove famed master-baiter crown as yet.
No trouble hooking them were led to believe like he hooked a response from you.
Pierre’s having a good day.
Cazorla
Pray enlighten us – what bigger picture do you see that validates keeping Arteta on as manager? For I have not seen visions like that since the 70’s after dropping a lot of acid!
Ozil can’t even cut it in the Turkish league, yet binning him off was Artetas biggest mistake? Absolute definition of an obsession you have going on there Pierre.
Cazorla
You can half talk some utter bollox- stupidity of the highest order.
Still keep on with your Arteta caped avenging crusader agenda, it’s really funny at times and complete fantasy for the most part.
I’d say for a person to come to a blog with anti views to most of the readers and posters is someone attention seeking in the extreme.
I’ll let you into a little blog secret, we all desperately want to win the EL cup. Just that most here want management change regardless of the outcome.
Stick around you might learn something or not.
Aussi Gooner
I think that’s a question far too difficult for Cazorla to answer.
Requires thinking something Cazorla isn’t well versed at.
Got any easier questions to help the poor lad out?
He is a gooner after all, just misguided at the moment.
Come on Pierre, Ozil wasn’t the player we needed when he was signed, and he still wasn’t that player when Wenger was sacked. MuddyG is right, Arsenal went into the 2013-14 season having failed to secure the top quality striker we all knew was needed, and lost the opening game at the Emirates to Aston Villa. With fans raging, Wenger was looking to pull a rabbit out of the hat and completely got it wrong. Ozil may have played for Arsenal, but there can’t be many Arsenal fans who will look upon him as an Arsenal player, he was more… Read more »
You’re absolutely right I don’t see the bigger picture cazorla
Kindly elaborate what this is. Go ahead and make a prediction about where we will finish the season and what will happen next year
Very glad to be convinced of this bigger picture you speak of
Herbs Army
“Come on Pierre, Ozil wasn’t the player we needed when he was signed”
It’s no coincidence that we started winning trophies again the year Ozil arrived at the club after something like 8+ barren years.
Herbs I never agreed with the ozil contract, the club acted like a bunch of amateurs by first giving him the contract and then employing a manager (Emery) who’s football philosophy is totally different to Ozil. And the same can be said of Mhkitarayan and Aubamayang who arrived at the club the se time as Ozil signed the new contract. Mhkitarayan, quality player that he is, was never going to fit in under Emery and it was only the fact that Aubamayang s scored at a fantastic rate that left him in the team as he is another who’s football… Read more »
Pierres gone ozil troll fishing and you guys are taking the bait hook line and sinker
Tomorrow
Balogun
Niketah
Nelson must all start… League gone. Place irrelevant
If art bounces saliba… Man’s gone to me
I agree RSPC. Split time between Eddie and Flo. Bench Ceballos for Azeez. That kid deserves a look. Rest Martinelli or give him some minutes to stretch his legs then start him on Thursday. Make sure the team is rested and ready for the second leg. Come on boys
Gabriel plays like a lamb
Auba shouldn’t be starting on Thursday