Arsenal escaped Brighton with a point. I’m not sure if I’d call it a lucky point, Brighton managed 2 shots on target all game, but I would call it undeserved because Arsenal really weren’t at the races. The more experienced Arsenal fan was probably expecting a bit of hangover after the Spurs game. The hype was unreal and the setting for the next game was small, windy, and rainy. Doesn’t detract from the reality: It wasn’t the standard we expected.
There were two very clear problems.
We lacked courage
Granit Xhaka was absent and we missed him. That might hurt some people, but it’s true. The Swiss will drive you crazy with some of the dumb things he’ll bring to the table, but one thing you can never accuse him of is hiding. I thought Sambi and Thomas Partey hid today. Brighton gambled on a very high press. It worked, because our midfield couldn’t handle it. Brighton knew Ramsdale’s long balls to Auba were low risk because Auba isn’t big enough to battle lumbering centre-backs. So they went man to man and boxed us in.
Last week, Spurs tried that in the opening 20, but we had answers. There was always someone on call to receive the ball from the back 5. Xhaka started the move for a goal because we confidently played out the back. This week, we didn’t have that. Partey and Sambi were rattled and they hid. If no one shows, the keeper will go long. When your striker is Auba, you have to be accurate and in to feet. Ramsdale admitted after his kicking was poor in that regard.
The heavy press is about psychology. The best example of this was Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final. They pressed us hard, we beat the tactic 3 times early on, so they gave up, and we won the game. We didn’t have the cajones to do that against Brighton. The midfield didn’t want it and our striking options had no chance.
That set the tone for the game. The wind and rain made things even tougher, but really, for me, it was all about the midfield.
Awkward Press & Second balls
Our press wasn’t cohesive. Sometimes, Auba just isn’t ready to do what we need of him physically. He didn’t set the tone, nor did Odegaard. We let Brighton move the ball out of the back with ease, and we didn’t press as a unit.
The team also failed miserably with second balls. We were nowhere. They won it every time. That wasn’t the fault of one person, it was the entired team. Saka was nowhere. Smith Rowe wasn’t good enough. Everyone was a bit off their game.
If you let yourself get abused by the press and you don’t fight for second balls, you are going to struggle against Brighton, who are a very good team.
The Positives
There weren’t many, I have to be honest. That was the worst performance of the season for me by quite a margin. There was very little football to write home about, we didn’t create enough chances, and we were lucky not to get rolled.
… but we escaped with a point and probably had the best chances.
We’d have lost that game last October.
Our defence had some shaky moments, but it delivered. Brighton didn’t have many good chances for all of their good posession. Gabriel and Ben White were excellent again. They are starting to build a good partnership.
Kieran Tierney and Tomiyasu had games to forget. Cuccerella continued his good form and tied Tomi in knots. Kieran, one of our best players, dropped a pass completion rate below 60%. Those two are better than that and we know it’ll be a rarity that they do that again this season.
The bright sparks?
This is the youngest team in the Premier League. Glenn Murray said it right.
Glenn Murray speaking some common sense. Some ‘fans’ are looking to bring their own baggage to this young team. This is a game to move on from. pic.twitter.com/4Mx42g2LdW
— Hale End Fan Account (@ddoublepivot) October 2, 2021
We’ll have games like that.
If you don’t want to see Granit in the starting 11, accept that we’ll have bad days. Young players get better. People moaning about this team don’t understand that in football, it takes time for new players to suss each other out. This new iteration of Artetaball is 4 games old.
The subs also made a difference. Pepe sharpened things a little in midfield. Lacazette did a much better job linking play. We had some very good chances, we just didn’t take them today.
AARON WATCH: The keeper had a couple of shaky moments, but he stepped in, and saved us points again. He’s decisive, he’s always communicating, and he’s exactly what we’ve missed character-wise since Jens Lehmann. Another good 90. I wonder if anyone has gone back to the comments on his IG to shame the muppets that abused him?
Before I move on, the fact that Martinelli was trending shows you how meek some of our fans are. The Brazilian has been bang average when he’s been given chances this season. In a game where we lacked control, he wasn’t the answer. Lacazette is far better and he proved that. There is part of the online fan base that is just desperate to make victims of professional athletes and it’s absolutely painful to read. Martinelli will find form, he’ll get his chance, and he’ll be comforted by all the success stories we have at the club.
‘Can we talk about how mean Arteta is to Martinelli’
It’s so embarrassing to read. Athletes don’t want to be perceived as sporting victims. That’s weakness. Pepe proved that last season. ESR did the same. Saka did after his penalty miss. These are strong young men, they don’t want Karen-at-the-school-gate making excuses for them on the internet. They want competition and they don’t need fan handouts from people that don’t understand what it is to operate in a high-performance culture.
Back to the club.
Look at the bigger picture.
You would have taken 10 points from 12 before the last international break.
You’d never have guessed that you’d love Aaron Ramsdale or that he’d keep 3 clean sheets
If I’d told you at the start of the season we’d be 6 points off top and 4 points off top 4 after 6 games, you’d have taken that.
This project isn’t for now. But, if it’s within spitting distance of top 4 come January, it will compete for top 4 this season. Simple as that. Last season, we smashed it after Christmas. That is what will happen this season.
We’re 2 phases into the season.
Phase 1: 0 points (from 9)
Phase 2: 10 points (from 12)
Phase 3: Palace (h), Villa (h), Leicester (a), Watford (h)
10 points from that lot will have us very close to the top 4. Can we do it? That’s a real litmus test for this season. I want to smash Palace. Villa is a weird internet rivalry, so we need to deal with them. Leicester is used against Arsenal, we need to bury Rodgers. Watford is a derby.
We need Arteta to win Phase 3, because Phase 4 is rough and runs for over a month.
Right, that’s all I have. Check out the latest podcast and wish Johnny a happy birthday. ALSO, last week was our best ever for the podcast. Ya’ll the best. Thank you for spending so much time with us. We truly appreciate the love. You are all so awesome.
Pedro I disagree
Pep has always had top players, and big budgets
He inherited a Barca team that was maturing, and Messi, which was the equivalent of playing with 12 players every week
He inherited a Bayern team that had just won the CL, a club who’s revenue is more than twice that of their nearest competitors, but never went past the quarter finals of the CL
He’s spent north of a billion since 2016 at City
Klopp’s achievements at Liverpool + Dortmund, outrank anything Pep has done
Graham,
Agreed that they’re extremely hard workers. But considering the competition, that in itself shouldn’t be enough to be in a team as good as LFC. Compare to City who have ball players in every single position, incl the bench.
These PGMOL referees are dreadful. How did Milner get away with that tackle just before their goal?
The Salah goal was out of the Messi book, beautiful. Fodens wasn’t bad either.
“Klopp’s achievements at Liverpool + Dortmund, outrank anything Pep has done”
So he doesn’t need to coach Burnley to convince you but Pep does. Seems fair
“.He gets nothing but criticism despite the fact he took on a massive rebuild job”
Yes, amazing rebuild job so far – two back to back 8th position finishes taking over a team that finished 5th while spending over £200M in the process.
Rich, Steve Jobs didn’t need to work a shit places to prove he had the x factor as a business leader. Same with coaches, you don’t need to go somewhere shit to prove you are the best. He’d do a good job anywhere. Same with Klopp and Tuchel.
Commentators can’t tell Pepe from Saka.
Luckily we have VAR now and won’t have Kieran Gibbs/Oxlade mix up again.
Rich,
I also rate Klopp higher, based on some sort of value for money assessment. Sometimes it feels like Pep is his own biggest obstacle. That said, there’s no denying that he’s reinvented a lot of the thinking around football tactics. He basically took the Cruyffian ideology and turned it into science. That’s pretty impressive.
Pep, Klopp, Conte all top drawer managers, they don’t need to prove anything to anyone. Pep especially is a genius.
Rich,
After watching. Brighton outplay us off the park yesterday with a wage bill that’s about 45% of Arsenal, how can you minimize the the impact of good coaching?
Brighton hives system so good that they didn’t replace a £50 million outward transfer in the market. Bissouma was out and you wouldn’t have noticed because their system just keeps ticking on.
No wonder you’’re so accepting of mediocrity
*Brighton have a system that’s so good
TR7 what do you think of Simeone Inzaghi as a coach. Been mightily impressed by him when he was at Lazio, Inter Milan were smart to get him to replace Conte. Very attacking manager, his teams will give anyone a good game.
3 league titles in 4 years
100, 98,81 and 86 points in last 4 seasons
Amazing level of football and unprecedented level of domination in most games in the most competitive league in the world.
“After watching. Brighton outplay us off the park yesterday with a wage bill that’s about 45% of Arsenal, how can you minimize the the impact of good coaching?”
Well dissenter until Pep coaches Burnley you can minimize the impact of good coaching.
Just look at Mane’s movement for his goal..pure class , None of our strikers would do such an intelligent and purposeful move.
Of course Salah pass was bang on the money too
I dont know what we practise at Colney apart from cut backs to an empty box
Receding haven’t seen enough of Inzaghi as a manager to be able to comment on his ability. I like Graham Potter, he is quality.
Commentators can’t tell Pepe from Saka.
I thought it was Saka. That ESR didn’t pass too. Forgive me if I was wrong.
All you. Have to do is look at the football Pep’s teams have played. He’s an incredible manager. So are Klopp and Tuchel.
Right now we have the managerial equivalent of Federer, Djokovic and Nadal. It remains to be seen if Arteta can be the equivalent of Andy Murray. My hopes are low but it would be great if it happens.
TR7
North of a billion spent in 5 years, after inheriting the most expensively assembled squad in history
Only 1 player brought through from one of the best academies in the country
7 defenders who cost north of £50 million currently on their books
Pep’s obviously a very good coach, but even he finished third and pot-less in his first season
Tr7
“””Pep, Klopp, Conte all top drawer managers,”””
Management heavyweights.
Anyone who wins championships at x 2 different clubs knows the game.
Wenger ( Arsenal and Monaco)
Fergie ( Aberdeen and Man Utdl)
Clough ( Derby and Forest)
Dalglish ( Blackburn and Liverpool)
Arsenal’ s biggest strategic error of the modern era in not appointing Klopp to replace Wenger.
Serial winner Conte perfect for Arsenal.
Kenyangooner, some can sometimes actually, the video samesong posted to prove me wrong. look at the bottom of the screen just as the move starts you’ll see Pepe’ 19 shirt number. not to mention Saka’ run is quite distinctive. And his hair.
“North of a billion spent in 5 years, after inheriting the most expensively assembled squad in history”
Look at it this way – if in a hypothetical world all the managers had endless money to spend, how many would have been able to play the kind of football Pep’s teams have played ? Arsene Wenger is the only one I can think of. That for me is the measure of Pep’s greatness. He is generational.
Talking about losing talented young players, Mourinho takes the title for moving out Salah, De Bruyne and Lukaku. Mourinho’s argument is that the team was too good to create opportunities for them at their age.
We definitely don’t have that problem.
If you were a monied owner if a club trying to build a footballing legacy in a hurry
You would get the best manger money can buy and put him in charge
The best managers will manage the biggest clubs
Dissenter “After watching. Brighton outplay us off the park yesterday” Your football naivety is unbelievable. That Brighton team has been together a long time. This is the point you and many others seem unable to understand. Football isn’t just picking eleven names and formation and throwing them all toegther. Why do you think Brentford are doing so well? This probably explains why you are so outraged about us battling for a point yesterday, you don’t understand football basic principles. Second. Brighton so “totally outplayed us” that they had 2 shots on target. Think about it, two shots on target. TWO.… Read more »
AFC
You might be the only person on her (other then engladsbest) that doesn’t think Brighton outplayed us. Their lack of finishing and a good performance from our CB pair was the only reason it remained scoreless. They controlled possession, forced us into poor passing stats and looked comfortable at the back.
It doesn’t mean in general they are a better team than us but they were the better team yesterday.
Brighton xG 1.12
Arsenal xG 0.36
It means that Brighton had 3.5x better chances than Arsenal to win the game. Yet AFC argues how we missed sitters while they had 2 shots on target. Full of agenda that one. Calls people that he doesn’t agree with “racists” just to prove a point.
Not a good look for the in Arteta we trust brigade.
CG
“Arsenal’ s biggest strategic error of the modern era in not appointing Klopp to replace Wenger”
Yep. Arsenal failed to have a continuity plan for when Wenger left. Years of poor recruitment, transfer dealings and contracts caught up with us and the rot set in. This was a massive rebuild job imo, which I still think some people are in denial about.
Curse
I didn’t try to prove you wrong. I asked the question.
Even when I watched the game live I thought it was Saka.
Even the person in the comments on the youtube clips thinks it Saka. Honest mistake.
Bacary
I didn’t say Brighton didn’t outplay us, they clearly did. Because they are a better ‘team’ than us, as I clearly explained. They are a very good side and their players have played together a long time.
However, the fact of the matter is it wasn’t a battering as some people are really claiming. If they had peppered our goal fair enough. They didnt they had 2 shots on target.
AFC Forever
they clearly did. Because they are a better ‘team’ than us, as I clearly explained.
Brighton were better on the night but in general they are not a better team than us. Different story when they come to the emirates.
AFC
KSE had x 1 bloody job to do.
Replace Wenger with someone as good or better than him.
That man was Klopp
If KSE did their job, there would have been no:
Emery
Arteta
Project /Process bullshite.
Liverpool league title after 30 years.
They risk making the same mistake.
Conte is available.
He plays to win.
AFCForever
‘Dissenter“After watching. Brighton outplay us off the park yesterday”
Your football naivety is unbelievable.’
When the stated fact was corroborated, you responded by writing “ I didn’t say Brighton didn’t outplay us, they clearly did”
So I’m not so naive after all and you certainly, arrived at the agenda that’s you’ve started from.
So they did outplay us and they are the better team so what’s your beef exactly?
Pedro, I don’t know if you’re deliberately contrarian to spur conversation or that is just your personality… Though, I believe even you will get tired of defending Arteta and Edu eventually. There are unemployed (Conte, Howe) and employed (Ten Hag) coaches who could get this team playing expansive and attacking football within less than a year. I think 22 months of mediocrity and inconsistency is enough to suggest Arteta is out of his depth managing this football club. It doesn’t take the top coaches 2 years to instill an identity and philosophy into a team. That usually happens in 3-6… Read more »
Samesong
Yes mate, thanks I meant as a team unit.
We have the makings of a very good team but the reality is they’ve not even played 4 games together yet! There is a whole world of difference between a team that has played together for 38 or 76 games to one that has played 4. Hard to believe anyone thinks otherwise if they were honest.
Brighton have a system, that exists regardless of whatever player is on the field.
Every player on that squad knows exactly what to do, where to cover and who to press. They are living proof that managers make a lot of difference,
Anyone who saw them when Chris Hughton was in charge would see the fingerprints of Graham Potter.
So they did outplay us and they are the better team so what’s your beef exactly?
That the Brighton team have been together a “very long time” while our players just met at the parking lot.
A return to the elite is paramount but what should still mark Arsenal is self-sustainability. We don’t want to be the plaything of a sheikh or a Roman, dependent on his largesse, do we? Now I know that Man C and Chelsea have moved ahead of Arsenal in revenue, but that will change once the Club gets back to winning ways. And as Pedro has pointed out repeatedly, the clever way is to buy cheap and sell dear on the transfer market. That is not an overnight job, but it is a key factor in the process we are witnessing… Read more »
Dissenter
My beef is your predictable fake outrage. Mate, I have to give you credit for the way you poke and prod to trigger the like-minded. I think you are brilliant at it. You play the game better than most because you’re more subtle. I know, you know, that there is a world of difference between a team that has played 4 games to one that has played 38 plus. And that’s nothing to do with the Manager. Arsenal will get there and when they do you will have to find another hobby.
Dissenter: “After watching. Brighton outplay us off the park yesterday”
AFC: “Your football naivety is unbelievable…. Brighton so “totally outplayed us” that they had 2 shots on target. Think about it, two shots on target. TWO.”
AFC: “I didn’t say Brighton didn’t outplay us, they clearly did.”
LOL
Blaming Brighton performance on Xhaka’s absence is the lowest form of trolling imaginable, lower even than blaming the last year’s Villarreal performance on his warm up injury and the subsequent withdrawal, where at least then he was part of the game plan.
Brighton were without their last seasons MVP (White)—if Pedro’s uncle were to be believed—and this season’s best player, Bissouma, and they looked like peak Barca in spells against us.
Receding Hairline
“That the Brighton team have been together a “very long time” while our players just met at the parking lot”.
Haha, very good.
It was saka …100%
Blaming Brighton performance on Xhaka’s absence is the lowest form of trolling imaginable, lower even than blaming the last year’s Villarreal performance on his warm up injury and the subsequent withdrawal, where at least then he was part of the game plan.
Brighton were without their last seasons MVP (White)—if Pedro’s uncle were to be believed—and this season’s best player, Bissouma, and they still looked like peak Barca in spells against us.
Receding
Graham Potter took over a relegation challenged team on May 20 2019
Arteta took over an underperforming team that narrowly missed out of 3rd/4th place the year before.
You would think Potter has been manager of Brighton for a decade going by the excuses being served.
Tom
“….and they looked like peak Barca in spells against us”
Haha. Two shots on target and reliant on big lumps coming up for corners is not peak Barcelona mate. Unless you meant peak Barcelona this season?
Only 7 months separates Arteta’s appointment and Graham Potter’s appointment.
Dissenter
“””Only 7 months separates Arteta’s appointment and Graham Potter’s appointment.””‘
Potter went down to the English lower leagues and to Norway to learn the managerial ropes ( as has the current Brentford manager)
Arteta went to a London jewellers and got Peps approval.
It shows.
AFCForever ‘’ My beef is your predictable fake outrage. Mate’ I wrote that simple point to Rich about the concept of a manager being salient to expectations. The ‘predictable. fake outrage’ exist only in your biased filled mind. You came on here to police the blog and predictably, you invented something to argue about. You didn’t stop at arguing with yourself, in front of a mirror, you also threw in petty insults whilst making the same point I had just made. Have a word with yourself my friend. Some of the crap you write is unbecoming, like tarring people who… Read more »
* Do you realize how stupid you look right now, are you so far gone in your pretense?
CG
“Arteta went to a London jewellers and got Peps approval.”
looooooooooooooooool
It’s not what you know it’s who you know.
Dissenter “Arteta took over an underperforming team that narrowly missed out of 3rd/4th place the year before.” To be correct, Arteta took over a team that had started to slide and threw away a virtually guaranteed 4th place. The slide went into a Europa League Final where Chelsea won 4-0 and should have won by 6 or 7 because arsenal was that bad. This form continued under Emery into the next season to the extent where Arsenal broke records for attempts on their own goal and fans were booing the team. In his last home game only 25,000 fans bothered… Read more »
Diss: We were outplayed.
AFC: We weren’t outplayed, you aren’t even a student of the game.
Diss: *quotes AFC stating we were outplayed*
AFC: I didn’t say we weren’t outplayed because we were clearly outplayed.”
Amazing.
Ishola
Enjoy that
I ve been banned for less.
AFC Forever
I’m putting my bias hat on now but given the chances Brighton had we would of put away at least 3 of them chances.
How many players from Brighton would get into our team
The left back?
Trossard maybe?
They had better tactics on the night. We could of won that game with a smash and grab last night also.
AFC, Brighton absolutely looked like peak Barca in their pressing and combination play……… as much as a sub £200million worth of assembled talent can anyway.
@Pedro The only people that visit this blog are Arsenal supporters which includes ME! However I feel like I am wearing a bullseye as a target for you to zero in on as any question regarding Arteta is interpreted as hating Arsenal. You have two groups here those that favor Arteta (AKBs) and those that want him out (MOBs). The MOBs put up with Arteta as long as he produces results and might even see their wrong ways depending on the football. However we all want consistency. Therefore, it was a fare question that others have asked without being restricted,… Read more »
Tom Brighton looked like a team that have played together a long time. They have a very good manager who has built a good side, not a team some fans are making out we should roll over with ease. They are definitely ahead of our curve but don’t have better players than us. We have bought well but we have a group of players that are inexperienced and need time to build their partnerships and rhythm. I can’t help if people can’t understand that. One of the biggest problems we used to have was going away to big teams that… Read more »
MD-Gunner This isn’t a Arteta in or an Arteta out blog It’s only you who’ve framed it as that There’s reasonable people who understand that building a young team, and undoing previous bad decisions during a pandemic is difficult, and takes time And there’s unreasonable people who want chocolate cake, and if they don’t get it right now, they’re going to throw a temper tantrum, and wet the bed Yesterday wasn’t good, but we had a first team with 9 players under 25, 8 who were 23 and under We had a right back and central midfielder both starting just… Read more »
“You have two groups here those that favor Arteta (AKBs) and those that want him out (MOBs). The MOBs put up with Arteta as long as he produces results and might even see their wrong ways depending on the football. However we all want consistency.“
There’s a third group here who in the main still want him to succeed knowing full well he’s not getting fired, and we’re being lumped in with the “haters” for merely calling it like we see it after each game.
Xhaka is having a nice little break away , is on his way to Dubai at this very moment …on crutches
Rich I was reading a piece about why Managers like Pep and Wenger used to like strikers being able to play wide. Henry & RVP great examples of that. I heard G Jesus talking about benefitting from Pep teaching him to play in wide positions as opposed to more centrally. Which makes you wonder about Pepe, who really has become a nemesis for many. The fluid interchange that is a result of PP encourages the switching of positions and I can’t help but think Pepe could come alive in that scenario and has something to offer. Because if we can’t… Read more »
Pierre
“Xhaka is having a nice little break away , is on his way to Dubai at this very moment …on crutches”
He will definitely get sore armpits. Should have booked a flight.
@Rich We are talking about THE ARSENAL not some puny club drifting in and out of the EPL. There was ONE job to be done replace AW with a decent manager. There was the warning of replacing SAF and AFC should have learned from that, but they didn’t. They hired Emery because they were not sure about Arteta, then they had a second chance to get someone in that can keep Arsenal’s reputation and history intact, but the results 2 eight place finished and no European football. You can blame some of that on KSE and Raul but for since… Read more »
Rich: “This isn’t a Arteta in or an Arteta out blog. It’s only you who’ve framed it as that” Pedro is deleting comments of people that put the blame on Arteta. That your opinion seems to line with his means that you are on his good side and a valued member of the community. People of the other opinion are deleted or binned. You seem to lack awareness of why MD wrote what he did after he got his post deleted. “And there’s unreasonable people who want chocolate cake, and if they don’t get it right now, they’re going to… Read more »
All it took was a draw and the doom gloomers are out again. Yawn.
MD, it’s an Arsenal blog, but if all you want to do is slag off Arsenal, why would I care where you post? You couldn’t even muster something positive after Spurs. What is the point?
All it took was 3 drab wins after 3 defeats and the Sunny sides were out with the buntingd
we have high standards Raulishuss
win or bust
AFC Forever I love the story about Henry telling Wenger he couldn’t play as a central striker Wenger told him “Don’t worry about it, just try your best”…. It’s why I hate people writing off young players, so many people have gone so much further than they ever thought they could, just because someone else believed in them. Pepe down the middle would be interesting, we’ll have to make a decision next summer, whether we cut our loses, or extend He’s got decent end product, he can definitely play a part this season If Aubameyang was told not to press… Read more »
Exactly. Seriously it’s beyond childish even. It’s one extreme or the other
Pedro
could you give us a template for what constitutes an Arsenal slag?
Does Arteta slag equate?
Raulishuss
It is not a draw it is 5 goals in 7 games it is -5 in goal difference, it is 11th place and it is 10 points from 21, it is a trend not doom and gloom. But then I am sure you are willing to put up with the present direction until the end of Arteta’s contract, many of us are not.
Raptora, you aren’t the fan base that showed the bed wetting is mostly the internet
Rich
Yes, Wenger knew. He told Henry he was a goalscorer and he didn’t believe him.
Yep Auba was poor yesterday, his touch was terrible. He needed to hold the ball and failed too often. That cross from ESR was a sitter but he hesitated, a top striker buries that. I would have thrown Laca on he holds the ball up and that was needed. Pepe really is a head scratcher for me though, sometimes he looks unplayable.
It looks like the arrival of Odegaard has pushed Pepe out of the starting line up . There is a danger that we may lose a considerable goalscoring threat as i doubt if Odegaard will produce numbers like these. Pepe Last season 26 starts 16 goals 5 assists Have to pray that Arteta can find the right balance in attack, he has enough to choose from. Personally i would try Odegaard deeper alongside Partey and bring in an extra striker ( eddie) to play in the left channel with either Aubameyang or Lacazette up top , Smith rowe cam and… Read more »
@Rich ” I hate people writing off young players, so many people have gone so much further than they ever thought they could” Where did you get the idea we write off young players? I didn’t post it and didn’t read it with perhaps the exception of the 50mil investment. We have an excellent academy and young players are like rough diamonds and it takes a master craftsman to cut and polish a rough diamond. If you are not good at it you potentially ruin a most valuable and precious gem. Even the best managers have hit and miss in… Read more »
Raptora I was on the opposite side of the fence to Pedro with Emery 5th and a Europa league final, wasn’t the disaster some made it out to be, it was about our level We then weakened our squad in the summer of 2019; Monreal – Tierney, Monreal was one of our best players, Tierney was injured, had no pre-season, which left Kolasinac Koscielny – Luiz, one ageing centre back past his best, for another ageing centre back past his best Ramsey – Ceballos, a slight downgrade on quality, and a downgrade in experience Mkhitaryan – Pepe, Pepe was an… Read more »
Potter arrived at Brighton in May 2019, just seven months before Arteta arrived at Arsenal. He has transformed the way Brighton play. They have a style and identity that proves that progressive coaching works.
Potter changed Brighton’s ID almost immediately and all the players have bought into his methods and philosophies.
He is rated highly by all his peers, especially Pep, Klopp.and Tuchel.
Pierre, hopefully Auba was that poor yesterday because we had so little sauce dealing with that press. Not sure Palace will be as disciplined. Think I’d rather get him firing.
Sly,
Filter it through: would I say this in an Arsenal pub.
Graham62
Yep Potter is a very impressive coach. To be fair, he’s had time to develop that team of his who are a proper unit.. He benefits from the fact Brighton don’t have any real pressure on them to achieve anything though. Its’ a whole different ball game when you’re under constant pressure and that is why what Klopp has done is so impressive.
Potter is an awesome coach who’d have been hounded out for ‘progressive football delivering results no better than Chrissy H’
‘It’s about results, he went 15th to 16th, I’d prefer Allardyce, at least he has finished top half before’
Pedro,
I hope you’re right because Auba was very poor last season. We would have had more points had he been sharper. Yesterday he missed an excellent chance set up by Smith Rowe, caught on his heels.. With Partey, he was probably our worst player yesterday.
@Pedro Again, let me reiterate, I don’t slag off Arsenal, I always try to find something positive to say, the NLD result was a very positive point. But you disabled my posting on the day and the day after, therefore my asking regarding what kind of blog is this if only Arteta positive comments are allowed. You do well to implement the proverb “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer” in other words, you already know those who agree with you but examine closer what those who don’t agree with you say, it makes you look smarter and prevents… Read more »
MD, you absolutely don’t. You revel in misery and actively hunt out the worst take on everything. If you looked for positives, I wouldn’t have the exact same chat with you every week
It seems that Arteta is not the sort of person to show love for his players, hence the demise of Pepe, Martinelli, Nketiah, Willock, Nelson.
Actually, I tell a lie, he shows genuine love for one player………Granit Xhaka.
I know!!
M-D gunner Saka is a global star at 20, played in front of Rashford, Grealish, Foden, Sancho at the Euro’s Got given the Arsenal No7 at 18 Played more minutes than any other teenager in Europe’s top 5 league’s last season Smith Rowe 21, Arsenal No10, one of the leagues most exciting young players, still only played 29 PL games… Yet the narrative was Arteta hates young players, and Saka + Smith Rowe are succeeding in spite of Arteta Not that Arteta is doing something Pep has never done, or had to do, which is build a young team from… Read more »
Pedro
When you see Brighton play, what do you see?
Bearing in mind we played them only yesterday and they were missing their most influential player.
Demise of players of underperforming players or those not at the standard. My oh my, what a calamity of management
Joe Willock, 480mins of football, 0 goals, 0 assists.
Pedro, obviously we do draw lines in a different place and spectrum of reality. As sweet as a NLD win is it is still 1 or two of 38 and won’t prevent relegation. The positive spin of the Nazis in the Endsieg and wonder weapons didn’t prevent their destruction, because the reality was so far removed. Likewise the reality of the state of Arsenal football most likely is somewhere between your line in the sand and mine. By respecting each others opinion we will get closer to the real Arsenal is like. No wishing and hoping will change what is… Read more »
So,being out of Europe for the first time in 25 years,coupled with 8th place back-to-back finishes in the EPL under Arteta (given a £200 million transfer spend during his tenure)over a two year period-rather a 21 month period is the vision to aim for? -9 points from 21 points,with seven games played this season(2021/22)… -3 win,3 losses and 1 draw-this season.As in losing to Brentford,Man City,Chelsea.Winning against Norwich,Burnley and Spurs.Drawing against Brighton. -5 goals scored from seven games. -10 goals conceded from seven games -GD minus 5…Yep negative territory…(-5) And this is the project that we should buy into over… Read more »
*10 points from 21 points over 7 games
MD
“a NLD win is it is still 1 or two of 38 and won’t prevent relegation”
You win. I give up tonight this is getting ridiculous.
Cucurella who’s 23 and, a new signing, and cost relative peanuts was Brighton’s best player yesterday, and looked like he’s been playing in Potters system for years.
Probably blind luck.
“Gary Neville has said many times that it takes 100 PL games for young players to really start producing consistency”
Some of the stuff you have come out with tonight..face palm stuff
Tom
No it isn’t.
Potter gets his team to play on the front foot.
If Martinelli, Pepe and Nketiah were playing in that sort of system they would be far more effective. I could add many others. My goodness if Lacazette had been playing up top for Brighton last night we would have got spanked.
How many times do I have to say it but Arteta is not a good coach.
@AFC
Enjoy the rest of the evening and hopefully Monday will not be too stressful for you. But since 9 points are on offer against Villa, Palace and Leicester. Let’s revisit it Oct 30th and see total points and table position as by then we are almost 1/3rd through the season.
Tom Tomiyasu looked liked he’d been playing in our team for years in his first 3 games, then had an off day, after winning player of the month for Sept This is no new phenomenon Players have good and bad games Sometimes teams play well, sometimes they play badly Different teams will all take points off each other over the course of the season, and things usually balance themselves out over the course of the season If Curcerella performs like that over the rest of the season, Brighton will have one of the league’s best left backs If Tomiyasu plays… Read more »