Mikel Arteta and Arsenal fans entered a new phase in the relationship which usually spells the end.
Apathy.
Arsenal put on such a bad performance, it was hard to feel anything for the day.
You could have sympathy for the situation if you didn’t have the wider context of what’s been going on at Arsenal. The team started brightly, the system looked interesting and it had City a little bit on the back foot in a way we’ve not seen before. The players looked comfortable, we were moving the ball well… then BANG.
An extremely hopeful ball into the box, Bernd Leno doesn’t come and claim it despite it being 6 yards out, Cal Chambers makes a total hash of the situation, City go 1 up from one chance.
It didn’t take too long for the next error to arrive, a poor cross into the box evades our right back and Xhaka and finds its way into the back of the next. Basically two shots on target and two goals.
What next? The most predictable thing ever. Granit Xhaka is rightly upset the game plan has been destroyed by shoddy errors, so what does he do? He Granit’s hard with a lunging tackle. No one can say we didn’t see it coming, he’s dropped this challenge already this season and gotten away with it. It was a nice touch to see Arteta pat him on the shoulder after this reckless move.
That bit of dimness killed the game. We had no chance. I don’t really care what happened after that because we couldn’t recover with peak-Wenger in charge.
Arsenal shouldn’t be making errors like this. Our games shouldn’t be decided this way. But it’s now a pattern.
How can you feel sorry for a coach that is at the very centre of these issues?
We are game three of the season. I have rationalised William Saliba taking a loan. Then Arteta rolls against the Champions with Kolasinac in central defence. A player that is a shite left back, who is known for not being comfortable on the big occasions, who we are trying to terminate as we speak.
Unspeakable negligence.
Dropping Pablo Mari was the right decision, but how are we here? We knew the Spanish centre-back was ropey last season. Arteta spent a whole summer watching him. Decided he was better than Saliba. Now he’s getting dropped for a left-back in a mega away game? It’s unspeakable what that says about his decision-making and talent ID. It might be a bit rash to suggest Saliba was best placed staying here, but honestly, if Kola is getting games above Mari, how can anyone deny loaning a 6ft 4 ball playing center-back was a shrewd move? The coach is either a bad judge of players he’s watching on the daily, or he’s being extremely petty about the Frenchman. Today, I stand with the Saliba Ultras. They are now officially right on this topic.
We don’t know who our best right-back is, but we absolutely know who the worst one is. Another game of clarity for Soares. How is he still landing game time? Why wouldn’t Arteta just make life easy for himself and play a fan favourite in Ainsley? He’s more mobile, he’s a big-game player, and he’s done it against City in the past. It’s unfathomable.
Then we move onto Bernd Leno. His start to the season has been poor, the club knows he doesn’t want to be here, and it showed again. He let himself be pinned vs Brentford because he doesn’t care, then he let that cross sail over him because he’s not focused. Where were the consequences for the keeping coach that crashed his form? Nowhere to be seen. We’ve added Ramsdale to the mixer, what is going to happen there? At least we know he’d have come for that cross.
The Granit thing is a blessing. Why? Well, we’d lost the game already, now we will absolutely spend the next 3 games watching Sambi and Partey save our season. That’s great news. But my word, Arteta dying on the Granit hill is a sight to behold. We know he’s a good player, but we also know he does shit like that. Who said Ruben Neves was the same player? We missed out there. I think Arse & Nose on Twitter said Granit reflects more than a player, he’s the vibe of our own club, the reward of average service just because.
You can’t progress a team if you make errors like we make under Arteta. You can’t move forward if you don’t sell people that always let you down. You can’t progress under a manager that is buried in the doom of his own bad decisions.
This is end of days stuff. If there’s not a massive improvement in the next phase of the season, he’s going to be out on his arse. Many of us could have taken a loss today, but it needed to be glorious failure, not painful schadenfreude. Mesut Ozil mocking the process? My word. What a low.
5-0 to City is appalling. Bottom of the table after 3 games is a stain. Not registering a shot is pathetic. Scoring zero goals is P45 stuff.
But what is the next step?
Are you going to trust the CEO who promoted Arteta after 6 months?
Are you going to trust the Technical Director that was demoted and stripped of powers? The guy hitting the BBQ after loses? Hanging on a boat with shady agents and execs? The guy being leaked against as good for the chop? That’d be madness.
This is extremely worrying on so many levels. There’s no simple fix. You can’t put a manager into a power vacuum, because even the best need a functioning structure. We don’t have it at the moment. Too many big positions need changing and I’m not sure we have the sharpest people to shape them.
We deserve better.
What a horrendous way to head into the break.
More thoughts tomorrow.
Check out our latest podcast and video. It’s miserable.
First?
Tr4phy?
Oops
Arteta ball.
But he will be the best guy to bring us back to premier league right?
Now
4th lol
looks like dream now
Everyone out
Where’s my apology Mr P?
Arteta is crap. Official
Top 8 is the new top four….Our level
Just hope Arteta starting to feel just a tiny bit of pressure now, he certainly should be , but some of his antics suggest he isn’t .
Trying to get Edu sacked is one thing, but don’t take the team down in doing so
Taxi for Arteta please 🙏
This slow but steady and obvious decline evaded the trained eyes of the likes of Pedro, Charlie, Rich, Stroller, englandsbest, zacharse, Bob N16 and excuse me if I’m missing someone. The rest of the posters, including myself, saw where this is heading long time ago, and we had made up our mind that we have no time for Arteta because Arsenal will never progress under him and we will not achieve a top 4 place, at the bare minimum, in all of his stay here. We’ve been proven right, more so, we’ve declined to unseen proportions even when Arteta was… Read more »
So when josh said there was exciting times ahead to come, do you think he was talking about that night was going to be exciting because he was going home and going to get buggered by his butler in a gimp suit.
What a joke Arsenal have become, the football World laughs at us, from owner to management to players and pathetic fans its just banter fc
But my word, Pedro dying on the Arteta hill is a sight to behold.
If Burnley don’t lose heavily tomorrow we will be bottom of the league going into the break with no goal scored.
We will always have West Brom though until we return to hopefully beat up Norwich, going by today’s game with Leicester though that’s not a given
Correct Raptora.
No ifs and buts now Pedro , arteta out . Anyone who backs him now is a sandwich short of a picnic
“The team started brightly, the system looked interesting and it had City a little bit on the back foot in a way we’ve not seen before.”
All this was deduced from 6 minutes of play Pedro? You could tell the system after 6 minutes and this system couldn’t survive an early goal?
Okay
The best move was putting on Elneny for Saka. At least it saved the kid’s legs.
All the people who got binned for calling Arteta useless…
I’d even take Tony Pulis over this.
Raptora
Wonderful speech from your high horse about others being on their high horse. Pretty much epitomised the binary state of arguments here on Le Grove.
Well said, raptora
Did Xhaka get the red card on purpose ?
ESR and Saka don’t turn up !!
Why are we keeping Holding ??
Arteta must improve himself asap even it means swallowing the bitter pill ..
You have to laugh. Relax everyone. It’s not people dying, it’s football.
Bottom of the league.
I can’t believe that after over 50 years of supporting the club that this is happening and yes I realize it’s only after 3 matches.
I’ll say it again:
The Nottingham Forest Scenario is becomg a reality.
The only way forward is a complete change which includes the Kroenkes, Edu, Arteta and any other cunts involed in decision making at the club.
Yes the Kroenkes are giving us money to spend but they don’t understand what the game is all about, they’re experiement is over.
We desperately need an owner who gives a fuck.
He got to be sacked tonight , what are they waiting for
SidAugust 28, 2021 05:04:56
A Xhakalson red card is on my crystal ball
I will leave this here for SpongeBob
A quick look at fixtures list and being kind on some of the games and we may just amass 10 points by half way in season. Need 40 points from 35 games. Championship beckons with this defence.
Well done Raptora you must be very proud of yourself
It was known years ago that Arteta wasn’t much liked by other Arsenal players – too arrogant. Seems that is taking hold in the dressing room again…they don’t like or respect him. No point drawing this out any longer…only going to get worse
Guns of HackneyAugust 28, 2021 17:33:17
You have to laugh. Relax everyone. It’s not people dying, it’s football.
Exactly well said guns
This is the comment that got me binned: “Can’t wait for Arteta to fall flat on his face, and for Pedro to finally apologize that he was wrong about him… Oh wait, the first part already happened”. Pedro edited my comment and binned me for “not supporting Arsenal”. I’ve always supported Arsenal. It’s Arteta that I could never get behind because of his arrogance but mainly stubbornness and most importantly incompetency. A little humility and humbleness goes a long way. Just saying…
Sid did say xhaka was gonna get a red well done side are you related to mystic meg 😃
Spot on
Improvement in the next phase of the season? Pedro still advocating for more time for Arteta. Unbelievable. Pedro has truly lost the plot.
The international break is the right time to do this. Arteta should not manage another match for Arsenal.
Raptora I like you hell u even agree with you at times but my my my what’s high horse you sit on lol
Raptora I was for giving Arteta a decent go and stated many times that he needed time but I was wrong,
Happy to admit it. I hadn’t factored in how shite he is at man management. It ok getting beaten if you give it everything but the collective lack of bottle is painful to watch. If they don’t make a change quickly we’re in a relegation fight.
Man City 5 Arsenal 0 Bottom of the league, and without a goal , x 9 goals conceded but Arsenal still can afford to have a strapping £30 million center defender out on loan and the 6th most expensive goalkeeper (Ramsdale the Relegator) on the bench Arteta has x 21 defeats in 61 matches on his CV and this season alone has watched Arsenal get beaten by: Hibernian Chelsea Spurs Brentford Chelsea Man City and it aint even the end of August I stated hours after Steve Round came with him for for the ride- he was a blagger- and… Read more »
I had high hopes for Arteta when he was appointed. I realised he needed patience – a very rare commodity in football, especially in the Premier League. I’m afraid my confidence in him has totally evaporated. The loss of trust in him changed gear when he didn’t give Saliba any time in preseason, then loaned him out. Two seasons running, he’s pushed him out and not given him time in a team that is harbouring serious deadweight in every position. Then he continues his spending spree from last year by totally ignoring key areas, then to exacerbate the situation he… Read more »
Oh my I do love a CG post.
Basque blagger. Class.
I’m stealing that. Well done CG.
“”””Oh my I do love a CG post.”””””
Thank you Samesong.
They all do really ( and you keep that chin up sunshine)
Hardly makes him mistake Meg for predicting a Xhaka red card. Possibly one of the most predictable outcomes from a game where we were likely be getting embarrassed in football terms so highly likely Xhaka would do what Xhaka does. At least we haven’t just extended his contract and given him more money……. wait, we did what???
This club is THE biggest joke in England. I am going embarrassed to be a fan.
*mystic
If the system can be figured out in six minutes by a spectators then it isn’t much of a system. Little wonder City destroyed us and we only had 18% possession.
A shot on target? What’s that asks Arteta.
I remember we lost 1-0 here last season and Arteta was bursting with pride at the presser, should have been sacked on the spot then. In fact I have lost count on the number of times any other normal football club would have sacked him.
“””””Basque blagger. Class. I’m stealing that. Well done CG.””””’
Thats is intellectual property , you know G of H.
But as its you- you can have it.
Arteta’s decision-making is terrible. Not sure what’s driving that. The number of poor decisions is staggering:
1) Saliba cannot be worse than Kola, Mari, Cedric etc
2) Who was our defensive midfielder againstan City today? Xhaka by himself? Joke
3) Lokonga, Niles, Tavares and even Elneny playing today would massively improve the team. How does anyone think Cedric, Kola against Man City makes sense?
Matt
Mistake Meg is better.
“Granit Xhaka is rightly upset the game plan has been destroyed by shoddy errors”
There was no game plan and he wasn’t upset just dim as usual. Hard man Granit
EVERYONE:
From now on Mikel is either: Mistake Meg or The Basque Blagger.
If this is the talent stirred up after three winless games, I can’t wait to see what will happen after 10 games.
Keep up the good work.
GOH
More accurate for sure.
Welcome back Upstate
Irony not lost on me we’re watching two former Dortmund – LG favourites in Klopp and Tuchel balling at a very high level here.
Both managers attainable if club had acted.
Pedro
Nice to see you digging your way out but stop the “Saliba ultra” nonsense
You invented a thousand and one ways to justify the Saliba decisions
I’m scared to have an opinion on the next manager in fear of persecution
Muppetman,
We all agree to disagree.
It will be open season on here for the next manager and you won’t see the sort of defence form Pedro that he has given Arteta.
“reward of average service, just because”
Perfect summation of what’s been going on for ages at arsenal. Xhaka is the most obvious example because he gets rewards after giant mistakes, but it goes back to the days of Denilson and Walcott. We’re feeling those mistakes more and more each year as we slide.
The biggest disappointment of the Xhaka contract was that it signalled loud and clear that we haven’t changed and are going to continue making the same mistakes.
Thanks, Sid. Not sure I’m back though. Got tired of reading the same boring Arteta excuses, and this is my only second post since our loss/exit out of Europe at the hands of mighty Villarreal and Emery. Arleta should’ve been dismissed right there and then.
I wish someone in the media asked Arteta why he went to give Xhaka a pat on the back after he was sent off?
Non-negotiables was always the BS signature of a narcissistic manager.
Chelsea starting to cut em up here.
No need for ‘open season’ for any future manager.
Give every manager a chance. Arteta was given a chance. I certainly gave him the benefit of the major doubt. Wenger was given a chance. But we do expect the owners to appoint someone based on what they’ve shown they can do, not take a punt on someone who has literally never managed a club at any level previously.
Form your opinions based on performance. Based on Arteta’s performance the demands for him to be replaced are entirely justified.
Talking about how the next two games are guaranteed points in the bag is a joke as well. I don’t think there is a worse team in the league than us right now. I don’t even think you can say we look like a championship team as that is an insult to the championship.
Burn the goal post and make new ashes … The club is dead
Exactly Dissenter, fucking disgraceful seeing as he is one of the senior players who has just signed a new contract to lead the younger players. People saying he did it because he was frustrated with tactics. Bollocks as this isn’t the first time. Should never have been offered a new contract and whoever in the club signed off on it should be sacked. We are now stuck with him until 2025.
Inside right
When I said open season, I mean there will be no defence form Pedro and he certainly won’t be given anywhere near the same benefit of the doubt that this complete clown has been afforded.
Yea, scoring no goals, and conceding 9 goals after three games is what you expect of a newly promoted team with a club value of £40 million.
Club still four years away from being a top ten team ..
10 years away from being top 4
Raptora,
👏👍
What a header, Kai Havertz!
Chelsea lead at Anfield!
Klopp out!
I was wrong about Havertz being overrated.
At 22 he’s already a complete player.
I was wandering why Jota didn’t start.
There was never Saliba ultra, there was just Arteta ultra ready to smear players to justify their adoration of the Basque blagger.
Any decision was applauded, irrespective of how stupid and non sensical it was.
Any critic of many incoherent decisions was deemed a moaner and not a fan.
Matt Fair comment. I understood the thinking behind Arteta and his ‘vision’ for how football should be played. It was a huge risk and it has crashed badly. I can’t imagine the owners getting a replacement manager who doesn’t have some kind of track record to accompany the smooth talking of a good game. I want Arteta out, right now. We need someone who can see the obvious weaknesses and do something to address them, and get the club to safety while making us more competitive by getting the players to produce what they can and do it as a… Read more »
Champagne prefers ‘flip-flop’ to ‘binary’
The damage inflicted by Arteta and Edu is going to take many years to resolve. That’s what trusting the PR has done.
Most the blame is on Arteta, as the Independent reported, he has huge influence on the board and transfers.
Arteta running up to pat Xhaka on the back after being shown a red for a siilly Tackle shows what a weak man Arteta is. Such are the little things that shows the kind of Club Arsenal has become.
lol at Reece James.
“ Talking about how the next two games are guaranteed points in the bag is a joke as well. I don’t think there is a worse team in the league than us right now. I don’t even think you can say we look like a championship team as that is an insult to the championship.”
Sadly this is true , as much as we and arteta are thinking thank goodness it’s Norwich we get our season started and getting 3 points in the board well I bet you anything Norwich will be thinking exactly the same thing about us
That is a diabolical call.
Red card for James. Keeping when he is not the keeper
Penalty yes, red card no
James tried to do a hand of God.. Var shut that down..
Penalty yes, red card no
If he handballed and prevented a goal scoring opportunity then its a straight red.
Chelsea have a red, let’s see if it’s customary to concede five once that happens.
Our manager is beyond a good manager, can’t get that nonsense out of my head. Hate Pep for that
Actually I maybe wrong. My bad.
Zaco: Arteta wants to tell the fans that he is the boss and immune to bad decisions. It vindicates what people say about him being arrogant. A trait of that is not being able to read the room. Any player the fans hate, he likes.
What is the double jeopardy rule?
Thought we’d got rid of the penalty and red card situation, such an over the top punishment for any one action. Reece James is a prick though so hard not to laugh.
James got away with the Saka takedown last week so maybe he thought himself the invincible
I hate Xhaka more and more
Pen for me from accidental hand ball but cant cut arm off.
Red changes entire complexion of game.
Insult to injury Mendy getting yellow, meanwhile Salah throwing toys out not getting call prior and kicks ball out. Nothing done.
Let’s see if tuchel has his side fold like a pack of cards being down to 10 against a top side
Curious to see now if Chelsea will concede 3 more goals after going a man down
You can bet Chelsea won’t get trounced here, only at this club are such excuses made.
My comment 4 days ago….it’s happening. “PierreAugust 25, 2021 11:43:19 I do believe that Arteta’s decision to keep Xhaka and heap praise on him will be the decision that will cost him his job. Arteta will have no choice but to defend Xhaka when the fans eventually turn on him….and they will.. Arteta will have backed himself into a corner of which there will be no way out .In football you have your artists and you have your water carriers , Xhaka is the water carrier but his bucket has too many holes in it for him to be effective… Read more »
That was not a red card though
It his his thigh before he controlled it with his hand
One of the terrible things about football is epitomised in that Reece James situation. He stopped an obvious goal with his hand. What is the subsequent penalty is not scored. Then Pool have been disadvantaged and Chelsea could go on to defend well and win a game they should have drawn at best. Reminds me of the Uruguay WC game when Ghana missed a pen after a blatant handball from Suarez .
I don’t think the ref could have given a penalty and not a red card.
If he interpreted the handball as accidental, there is no penalty. If the handball was intentional, it’s an obvious red.
*It hit his thigh
In that situation an automatic goal should be awarded…and a red card. Pens are not supposed to be for stopping an obvious goal…on the goal line