That was the beginning of the end of Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal career.
I was wrong about him. He let us all down. There’s little chance he recovers from this, and that’s coming from me, his biggest fanboy.
The young ‘manager’ had it all and he blew it. It’s not all his fault, but when you demand full responsibility, go out of your way to bolster your own power, then boy do you have to deliver. He helped create the ingredients of his own failure. Shame on Arsenal for allowing it, but there we are.
The Villareal loss was sickening for many reasons, but mostly because they aren’t very good and nor is their manager. We were totally schooled by Unai fucking Emery. That is humiliating.
Core issues from the game last night will be kept punchy and short.
Galaxy Brain
Arteta doesn’t have a back to basics function. When he’s struggling, his default seems to be to show the world how clever he is. A week after embarrassing himself by opting for a kid as a false #9, he went for Thomas Partey pivoting the entire midfield. He made us play out of the back with Hector and Holding in his defence. He gave the gloves to Leno, who wants out. He fucked the entire structure with his forwards to the point where all our best creators could barely muster a shot on target over TWO legs.
Fear
Our players aren’t the best, but that squad could easily finish top 4. We’ve seen them go to war in big games and hold their own against the best. Against Villareal, they were petrified. It was pathetic how meek we were. That comes from one person… Arteta. Whatever he’s up to behind the scenes, it’s demotivating the players and putting doubt in their minds. There was no belief they had what it took. You knew no goal was coming yesterday, you could feel what the game was going to be like after minute 5, that is shameful.
Boring
Arsenal is a boring proposition. There’s literally nothing to our football. No style, no identity, no plan for where the game is going. We were utterly bland. We have been for weeks. This project is 18 months in and all the good bits we were seeing have gone. We can’t defend, we can’t attack, we’re a total mess… but the main thing for me, we’re really boring. Villareal in a semi-final should be exciting, it wasn’t, it was a really painful 90 minutes. Arsene Wenger, with that side, would have absolutely crushed them. Sad to say it, but so would Unai Emery.
The project is now over. Arsenal can give him a summer, they can bury their heads in the sand, but the reality is… this manager nicked his jugular last night and he’s bleeding out.
There’s money available for sure. Edu and Arteta are planning a big summer. Josh and Vinai should put a stop to it and remove both of them before they do any more damage to the club.
Edu will not have a good plan. It’ll be a bang average unimaginative offering that’ll waste another year. The two of them have appalling taste in players. Neither knows how to implement ideas. They have not earned the right to have another crack at it. Vinai is embarrassingly weak though, he’ll happily blow through another £100m of average because it’s the easy decision, he’ll let Arteta run the team into the ground again, then hire Roberto Martinez to fix the mess.
… and that does sound negative, I agree. But Arteta brought this on himself. That shit performance last night will stick hard with the players. They’ll know he’s on thin ice now, so if things go against Arsenal next season, the boys will absolutely down him just like they did under Emery.
Arsenal needs to move on Arteta now because he’s not going to save this. Too much is broken. The training ground is not a happy place. Arteta was given Wenger power without the receipts, and he blew it. He was allowed to hire average yes men around him and now he’s paying the price with a lack of know how. His goalkeeper coach is despised, that’s why Leno’s form has tanked and he wants out. Arteta’s contribution? He sacked Sal Bibbo and sanctioned Runarsson. Has he addressed the issue at all? No. He put his hire over one of our best players in the same way he favoured Willian over the kids. Why? His ego. Steve Round was the guy who worked with Moyes when he crashed United, hardly the future of football you want to cushion a rookie coach. What has his input been to tame Arteta’s weaknesses? Are our setpieces better with a specialist coach? Have our subs got better? Do we rotate well to protect players? Do we pick players based on merit? Do our stars look fit or motivated? Is anyone dying out there for the cause like they were last season?
The answer to those questions is no.
Time and investment is a reward for progress. We do not have anything to show on that front. The club now needs to act ruthlessly to protect the limited resources on offer.
Edu is a terrible technical director, just look at his record. He’s not a leader, he has no new ideas, he doesn’t know how to extract value from the market, and he will do bad things this summer with the guilt money he’s been given by our owners. He’s just a footballer who looks nice in a suit, yet a £2b valued organisation is going to trust him to strategise us out of this hole after he gave Willian a 3 year deal on £250k a week? Are you KIDDING ME. No, I’m not. Vinai is so weak, he’d rather promote Arteta to shield a massive error, than grow a pair and address the elephant in the room. There is ZERO leadership at Arsenal. I cannot say it loud enough.
Arteta cannot be trusted as a manager. He signed off Cedric and Willian. He crashed Thomas Partey. He made Auba a 10 goal a season striker in his prime. He benched Martinelli over and over again… and played Willian. He leaves Balogun at home and goes for two sub keepers. He binned William Saliba. Chose Leno over Martinez. All of these decisions made a difference to our shocking season.
When you have trophies and top 4 you can get away with these moves. When you fail like this, it shines a dark light on your limitations.
This failure could have been avoided. The job of a CEO is to build teams capable of competing. Vinai found a talented young coach then let him rot in a Petree dish of power. He should have hired him a complimentary technical director that could support his weaknesses. He should have controlled who the team around him was and put limitations on what he could do. He should have resisted the weird urge to promote him after 6 months.
… but he didn’t.
Therein lies the problem. We have a CEO who takes the easy option, every single time. He didn’t move fast enough to recognise the things Arteta needed to succeed. That should have been the job of the Technical Director, but Vinai already knew he was bad, hence the demotion last season. There is no one man fix in 2021 for the problems we have as a club. If Arsenal move on Arteta, they have to get serious and realise that the problems went way beyond just him.
… but we can talk about that another day.
I’ll be back with better thoughts later, but while you’re here… listen to The Arsenal Opinion podcast with Johnny and Matt.
Crikey, that line up.
It looks like we are back with a back 4 with Saka at LB?
The MF… lolz. This really does show the work required this summer.
On a positive note, Martinelli is up top. I really hope that he scores today.
Arteta not learning ffs playing Russian Roulette with that line up
Does this line up not show Arteta is fully incompetent.
Even if we give him 400M in the summer….We’re going to be fucked next season.
Br0wnie
Nice one.
Meanwhile the fans as are asking their own ‘Personal Jesus’ for a ‘New Life’ without Arteta.
Kroenke et fils on the other hand hoping ‘Everything Counts in Large Amounts’.
Depeche Mode. Basildon’s finest.
Soares looked good whenever he got a chance. Don’t know why he’s fallen out of favor. Willian’s selection is inexplicable.
That team is a disgrace
Why rest players now,?
He should start to construct next years team if he is going to stay , and save the club!!!
SOARES must be still ill, which is why he didn’t play on Thursday.
I would liked to have seen Martinelli Lw with Balogun at CF.
Kroenkephobe If it was me I’d try as many young players as I could over the last few games,nothing to lose and all that. Need a few experienced heads to guide them so something along your line of thinking. Martinelli and Balogun are the 2 I’d love to see together,I’d also like to see Azeez at some stage. Not sure I’d bother risking Tierney, do whatever it takes with him to ensure he starts next season fully fit. I’d be done with elneny, ceballos,leno,William. Why not give one of the young keepers a game? Leno,Ryan and Runnarsson are not the… Read more »
“This is football, you lose more than you win” said Arteta when asked before this game how he was coping in a difficult moment.
I am honestly starting to think he picks the team via tombola.
Back 4 get their own, then the rest of the field get thrown in together.
Is Arteta basically just a cheque-book manager? Generally does not play the kids, and moans the squad needs a massive overhaul so that they can play in his style, rather than improving what he has? But then he’s learnt all he knows from Pep.
Foxy
If Soares was ill, he would be in the team news section. But he isn’t.
So he can’t be ill or injured.
Another that has fallen foul of MA’s non-negotiables.
William seems Teflon proof to anything. Play shit or travel abroad with no permission, he still gets game time.
Touche Kroekephobe
Is Arteta basically just a cheque-book manager?
Henley,
I stated this a while back that Arteta looks like a manager that can only work with 11 world class players. The schemes and tactics he comes up with need players of high intelligence.
I would have taught Arteta would use the last few games to the season to blood in Balogun and Azeez.
With us basically out of Europe next season, internal solutions might be vital to us.
Of course arteta is a cheque book manager . He needs 11 elite players to ignore him and figure it out themselves
Tets out yet?
Today’s team selection goes a long way to prove Arteta’s complete incompetence.
I can’t believe this guy is still the manager. If this continues we might eventually get relegated. Accepting every new low if mediocrity has become the norm at Arsenal it seems. The owners are shit. They aren’t decisive enough. And they need to go. And on a more urgent note ARTETA OUT.
And it’s Arsenal,
Arsenal FC,
We’re by far the greatest team,
The world has ever seen…
Villareal losing 1-4 at home vs Celta Vigo btw.
Arteta underperformed with our team so horribly.
Kroenkephobe/Brownie, it’s the non-negotiables, if you don’t play Master and Servant you’re toast with Arteta, unless you’re Willian of course where we just can’t Shake the Disease with Mikel’s Strangelove for the Brazilian.
Come on The Arsenal!!!!
Here we go. TV said Allardyce has never won away at Arsenal………….!
Just read on BBC website re AFC “They haven’t fared worse at home in a top-flight season since losing nine games in 1929-30″ They went on to win the FA cup that season, and the following season won League Division 1 Herbert Chapman was the manager then. He had offered his resignation on 5th April 1929 From ‘Untold Arsenal’ ” 5th April 1929: Herbert Chapman resigned as Arsenal manager after a 1-2 home defeat to Newcastle. In his four seasons thus far Arsenal had been league runners’ up and defeated FA Cup finalists, both previously unachieved, but he felt this… Read more »
Ps
The difference here is, Herbert Chapman was an experienced manager. He had knowledge to fall back on, so he was able to bounce back.
Very unlike Arteta right now, as he has 0 managerial experience to fall back on.
Looks like this is going to be another 0 0 today !
Lego hair wants 200m pounds from the owners so he could finish ahead of the likes of West Ham, Villa, Leeds and Everton. Gief him the money, maybe he relegates us.
Perrieera can hit those balls pretty well.
Getting roasted by WBA…
How low can Arteta sink us.
Yes we need money and etc but must not habd over to Edu and Arteta. We don’t need your sort…. if only PHW as able to maintain his position…
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It just hit me, Fat Sam is a better manager than the Con Artist. In few months you can see the players playing for him. And they’re playing better than us.
Is willian still around?
Being outplayed at home to West Brom who are as good as relegated. Sound.
@TL DB10
Yup.
He’d had success at Leeds City and Huddersfield, and had already improved AFC and their future prospects.
And when pneumonia got him,the interim manager Joe Shaw completed the championship winning season and the internal successor continued the winning ways.
A managerial dynasty similar to Liverpool of the 70s and early 80s.
Give Arteta £200m and he will buy more crappy has beens who will clog the bench watching Xhaka and Willian do their thing
Imagine this team playing against the likes of Bayern/PSG/Madrid..
The crossbar saves the day.
And Pereira fancying his chances.
We are under pressure here.
What a run from Saka!!!
Saka is a one man army
Azeez and Balogun were playing on Friday evening in U23 final game of their season so unreasonable to put them in tonight.
The Kroenkes are really horrible owners.
If you’;re going to spend big money, why don’t you get a proper manager that you can hold accountable
This summer’s spending is just guilt money to try to win back the fans after the ESL disaster.
Arteta is a one tricl pony ! Who the fuck will head in the crosses…why cant we play through the middle ??
It is truly embarrassing watching this Arsenal team.
Wtf is Esr being turned into… another side and. back pass merchant ??
Where are his runs (forward type)?
Are we actually playing counter attacking football vs bloody WB Albion? We have 10 players in our half and 7-8 players in our box. WTF
Saka showing Pepe how to play LW
Arteta’s Arsenal is what nightmares are made of.
If you believe Charlie, all we need a good summer transfer window.
Pepe’s game has no substance.
Our defence is shit, always has been and it’s very well known. But fuck me, our attack is just as bad. They haven’t got a fucking clue what to do apart from Saka making a dart down the left. How anyone has sung Pepe’s praises on here is an absolute mystery to me. The bloke has not got a fucking clue what to do when he gets the ball, he’s as weak as a 10 year old boy and looks like he has a panic attack every time he runs with the ball
I can’t stand watching Cabellos anymore. What a fucking nothing player.
I know Ps.
During that period we dominated football in more than one way. Herbert/ the team invented the WM formation and the offside trap. We brought floodlights to pitches and introduced a clock to count the game time (the Arsenal clock counted 45 mins then).
What an era.
We are soooo far away from this.
This is why I still have respect for AW despite him dragging out the inevitable in his final years (leaving the club). He added to our history of The Arsenal FC being an impact on football itself.
We all convinced ourselves recently that Pepe was much improved but no he is totally clueless about playing football at this level.
Martinelli becoming a shadow of his breakout year, and it’s not the injury. Though, supply from mid field has been an issue…
What a boring game.
When we drop Ceballos back in Spain we should send them a note saying “Brexit means Brexit”.
Yes
Great goal ESR, nice play building up to it. Where was this on Thursday?
What we should be focusing at -> Saka, ESR, Martinelli
Fk Odegaard and Ceballos.
Yeah!!!!!
Kids to the fore again. Good on Saka and ESR
Pepe plays as if he has not specific proposes…just turning and turning until he loses the ball. Big ,big contrast vs Mahrez who finds ways to past players, cross or sboot
Boring boring Arsenal under Arteta
Looks like many of the players are #ArtetaOut . We are inexplicably bad. Elmeny , Saka ,Leno might be Arteta in. Ceballos is incompetent spinning top
Get in!!! Great goal by Croydon De Bruyne!!
Chris: “Where was this on Thursday”
We are playing the last placed team in the league and they should have scored before we did. We have not been the better team. We are playing the very same way but the opposition is even worse.
If only we played Saka at left back for the Villarreal games.
Good goal.
Arsehole Arteta has put the combination kids away from each other. It clicked when they drifted into each other.
#FraudetaOut
Raptora
I meant where was the creativity and movement for that goal on Thursday, I’m not specifically bugging up this performance.
Shocking from Pepe!
This is what Pepe can do, what a thunderbastard!
WoW! Pepe!!!
Why didn’t Pepe do it more often???????????
We told the Con Artist to play Saka LB on the first leg and Second goal Vs VR. The idiot never learns
Nice,
.
Pepe showing his class. After giving Fuehrer Arteta tension players are unleashing potential.
Inspite of #fraudeta
But Willian is better lol
WTF is Arsenal waiting for.
This team is easy top 5.
The worst thing that can happen now is that Arteta finishes the season strong and gives the impression that he’s the man for the job even though everyone knows he’s a shit manager.
Excellent goal by Pepe.
The baggies are getting relegated.
Clueless coward.
‘Why didn’t Pepe do it more often???????????’
No half decent team is going to give him that much time and space to shoot. Expect great goals from him against relegation fodder and Europa/cup teams.
Ceballos is as shit aa MF as it gets from RM first team
To those blaming our more productive players like Pepe Martinelli Saka and ESR, look no further than Lego Head.
He still doesn’t get the concept of on field combinations and will always play his favourites like Ceballos Willian and El Neny.
We might be winning this game but the players are doing it off their own talent, not generational coaching
Why the fuck didn’t we have a go like we are tonight on Thursday? Villarreal are a bang average side that could have been broken down by this.. fucking winds me up, these bipolar players/spineless manager!
The good thing we would be the first team to relegate Fat Sam’s team.
Well spotted AAsoa…. the combination kids keep n saving his punk ass
Pepe like many of our players have a tradition to keep…. their form woukd skyrocket once we are out of all competitions
Good corner. 3 v 2!!!
It’s Arteta that’s sucking the life out of our players,….
Saka at left back is making the difference. Didn’t we all suggest this before Villareal!!?
I want Saka to play LB and overlap with the LW. Now you can see how effective it can be!
Willian really doesn’t help himsel does he? Acre of space and that cross was blocked.
WBA is wide open on its right
Why’s Martinelli closer to center circle than the 6 yard box on a corner?? Thought twice already…
Ska is more or less playing LW not LB today
What a manager. I hope kroenke is watching us dismantle West Brom. At least another 6 year extension for Arteta
How fitting of Pepe to score a worldie against an already relegated WBA side. Absolute fraud player.
I bet Arteta doesn’t even realise that he’s gone from 4-1-4-1 on Thursday back to a proper 4-2-3-1 today. He won’t even understand that if you use proper tactics that it’s better for the team.
anything Arteta achieves he seems to stumble across and then move away from just as quickly in the next game.
Still so few swamping the box when Saka is able to pick his crosses…why???