THOUGHTS ON DETHRONING AUBA

by .

Well, I must say, it made sense to dethrone Auba after his latest infraction, but I wasn’t expecting it.

  • Midseason
  • Young squad that is still fragile
  • He’s out most expensive player

He broke his deal with the club. They told him to be back on Wednesday, he came back the next morning, and that was not right. The bigger point here is he broke government rules, so it wasn’t Arsenal being petty, he had to do the same things normal people have to do. He should have known better, regardless of the circumstances with his mother.

Matt Kandela, my go-to if ever I have a problem in business, nails it here.

You want to talk about things changing at Arsenal, this is one of the most obvious. All managers make mistakes, when Arteta makes one, he fixes it fast. Willian came in, failed to deliver, he was out the next summer. The Auba decision was the right one at the time, there was no other choice… but now, it’s the wrong one. Wenger would have dragged it out. Arteta, to his credit, is trying to make a fix before the toxicity infects the whole club.

The club were explicit, this was NOT the first issue. He’s had problems with Arsenal since he signed his new deal. He hasn’t been focused. He’s showed up late. He missed a test last year that coincided with a grotty away game in the Europa League.

Last week he was being problematic in training.

He was warned and dropped.

A bigger man would fix-up. But that is not Auba. He’s immature and emotional. We know that because we see it.

Now he’s been binned as captain.

At a very high-level, my take is that the player knows he can’t do the job, he knows he’s failing as a player, and this is him lashing out instead of being phased out slowly in front of the world. He’s made a scene to disguise the reality of his morality. It’s a sharp move if you want another big deal. It’s easier to blame Arteta for his failing than admit he’s decaying.

Last season, Arteta couldn’t do anything about the behaviour. His squad was too weak, his fan capital was low, the captain was too important, and we weren’t playing for anything.

This season is different, Arteta clearly thinks he can win this fight. The new squad is his. However you look at it, most of the players are richer and more famous because he’s at Arsenal. That goes a long way. He has player committed to him.

Last season, you had about 8 players capable of downing tools on him. Plenty did last December.

This move also answers another issue. We have a production line of strikers that need minutes and assurances they are part of our future. The club likes Eddie, he wants minutes, he can’t with Auba here. The club loves Balogun, he’s going on loan, and he won’t do another season on the bench. He needs a sign of hope. Then we have a group of players behind the scenes thinking on whether to sign a new deal.

Arteta also needs to maintain authority over the squad. When your biggest name is prodding you every week with some new bullshit, you have to act, otherwise, it diminishes your authority… and believe me, players are always watching for that. There’s also the issue of focus. When Matteo G is acting up, you can deal with it, because he’s unimportant. When your captain is doing it, it causes gossip, it creates a focus outside winning on the pitch.

Now Arteta needs to step up and make a good decision on the next captain. There are rumours it might be Martin Odegaard. I wouldn’t be against it. Committed, intelligent, the only player in our side that hustles the ref. He’s also captain of a Norway side that has Haaland in it. Part of the reason everyone was so impressed by him during his loan spell was his leadership skills.

I’d like it to be Ramsdale, but hey, that’s just dumb fan talk because I like it when he knee slides after a goal.

One thing is for sure, Arteta has to read the room on this one. Don’t ask the fans to buy into ousting Auba, only to give the armband back to someone who wasn’t up to the task. We won’t have it.

The next captain needs to be the sort where there are no questions of the decision. Fans will back a new captain, I’m not sure they will back going to a player that has already failed at the job.  This needs to be a new idea shaped by a manager who has assured us when he gets all the players he needs… things will be less dramatic and better on the pitch.

The West Ham game just took on a totally new dimension. A focused and battling performance would do the trick. Anything else and the pressure will immediately double up on Arteta and how he operates.

Big managers get these decisions right. Mourinho has always loved a big scalp to set the tone. Alex Ferguson saw off Jaap Stam, David Beckham and Ruud Van Nistelrooy. This is a shit version of that process, but a necessary one, because the circumstances are similar. A big player challenging the boss. Remember, no one is above the rules. No one is bigger than The Arsenal.

Let’s see where this goes.

P.S. Listen to the podcast where we talk about it.

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Leedsgunner

Sergio Dest is another player we should be looking at getting from Barcelona if they are willing to do a deal. He would be a good back up and competition for Tomi.

What we have on the left back position I want to create on the right side.

Then offload Chambers and Cedric. Fulham took Chambers on loan a few years ago and love him. They are flying high in the Championship so they probably would take players with EPL experience to help their promotion push.

As for Cedric? Pay him off. He shouldn’t have been given a permanent contract.

China1

Hard pass on dembele with his injury record

De jong would be an interesting trade tho

China1

Look I don’t think auba is some terrible pro who has dragged the club into disrepute – but he has simply broken a few rules and should not retain the armband

It’s good that he’s losing it tho I also think we needn’t make this look such a spectacle.

Leedsgunner

All this should have been done in private… no need to humiliate PEA.

Yes PEA made a mistake… and he should rightly pay for it but the guy was over there looking after his sick mum… Arteta didn’t need to make an example out of him… in the same way you would do if PEA had gone on a wild bender.

Seems petty and small minded to me. Wenger would have been strong but understanding. No one ever called him a weak leader.

Dissenter

Just saw the league table
Spurs have two games in hand [relative to arsenal] and are one point us.
….and that’s before Conte starts to weave his magic

Cape Maker

Pedro

If we dont go fourth tonite do you still believe in the process

You guys all jumping on the Arteta wagon on the Auba
thing trying to deflect the incompetence of the Football Arteta is playing. If that Saka and ESR wasnt in that team we would be 16th

No one is Bigger than Arsenal not even King Arteta

Sid

Vaccine apartheid is tyranny

DivineSherlock

I hear Jack Wilshere is available 😉

gnarleygeorge9

‘Imagine Erling Haaland @ The Arsenal,
Its easy if you try,
19 clubs below us,
Above us only sky 🙂 ‘

Guns of SF

China
I agree, too much is being made of this…
Its Auba, so yea ppl like to talk…
If it was Holding?
someone else, i doubt we even hear about it

Sid

build a fireproof immune system:
– Sun
– Sweat(workout)
– Steak & simsim
– Sleep
– Skip (Fasting)
– Sage, curcumin, baobab
– Zero sugar
-sex

Guns of SF

Leeds good points
Wenger kept things in house not airing the dirty laundry all over the place to exude authority… in the press etc.
Petty and weak… keep it inside and deal with it…

DivineSherlock

Guns of SF I think it was literally impossible to keep it in house , firstly we have that Amazon crew and secondly it creates unnecessary speculation. What Arteta should have done is wait for Auba to go to AFCON and then announce a new captain and regarding disciplinary breaches its BS . If my employee is taking sick leaves consistently , I will find out the reason why and then take further actions , and if its something genuine like with Auba not going to punish him further man , I think it will create bad vibes . He… Read more »

Graham62

This is Arteta’s way.

I just don’t like it.

Kegunner

Arteta has completely changed the club in his image. Scouting department fired and new one hired. He is on his way to getting a brand new starting 11. He should now focus on getting the club up the table.

Auba is now history. Arteta should have to build around Saka and ESR.

Bob N16

Some people are missing the point here, PEA was, and not for the first time, setting a bad example as Captain – he’d probably been on a final warning. He knew that and possibly some or all of his teammates. Arsenal didn’t have to give him permission to collect his Mum, a job that could have been done by a friend or a relative.He’s not travelling on Ryanair, he’s got is own personal flying ‘taxi’. It was surely spelt out to him why it was necessary to return on the Wednesday night, to fulfil Covid protocols before training on Thursday.… Read more »

Markymark

Bob and Kegunner – completely agree across your range of points
Some managers do well out of this sort of problem . I’m thinking of Graham and Ferguson always appeared to come out on top. So did Mourinho till he burned his formula.
Whatever happens to Arteta and I sincerely hope he succeeds though I hold reservations. He’s left a plug in and play model for the next coach.
Most players are now onboard knowing what’s needed . Most of the dross has gone

Markymark

Ps the Bayern Munich scout is a great addition. Hopefully shows the right direction

kjelli

What will the effect of all this mess have on the West Ham game ? It could go either way..
I expect Martinelli to make an impact !! Hammers will tire in the second half, so even Pepe
could make a difference if he is up to it ?? If Auba leaves we are better off, vanity is never
a hallmark of a great character or leader

Domagoj+B

Great how he’s handling auba situation while with granit he is blind and non-negotiables are non-existent in his case. Talking about double standards…

Countryboy

If all that reported is true, then I feel this should have been kept in-house. You can make discipline him, strip him of the captaincy in-house. You can even say you dropped him for lack of form. All till he fcuks off to Afcon. Except something bigger happened (which I doubt, cause what’s the difference between throwing someone under bus for coming late and throwing someone under the bus for say slapping the manager), Arteta has shown his go-to tactic is punishment, revenge and destruction; rather than correction and rehabilitation. I know these guys professionals and millionaires but they are… Read more »

Countryboy

*You can make an example of him and discipline him

Countryboy

*successfully replaced Wenger

Raulishuss

Dissenter i see you’re getting ready for your annual spud wank fest. Wait till conte waves his magic lol

Jamie

Apparently there’s talk of cancelling AFCON due to exponential rise in covid cases.

Batistuta

Last thing the club needed was having a public sideshow that the club had once again taken the arm band from yet another captain. That’s just common sense

Bob N16

Countryboy, there is no way Edu wasn’t involved in the decision to strip PEA of the captaincy, as well as possibly others.

As manager he has to do press conferences and therefore is a spokesperson for the club. Your ironically showing more vindictiveness than Arteta, who you attempt to desribe as a malevolent influence.

Bob N16

Bati, how could the captaincy been taken from him without the story coming out?

Pierre

Graham “This is Arteta’s way.I just don’t like it.” Unsurprisingly, you and the majority of le groaners were 100% behind Arteta’s disrespectful treatment of Ozil , who by the way , did nothing wrong except question the wage cut, and was playing in an Arsenal team that were the only unbeaten team domestically in Europe until he was wrongly frozen out…. and we are still lacking in creativity since then, one of the reasons for Aubameyang’s regression is the loss of Ozil to the side I have said all along that the club’s decision to back Ozil was a mistake,… Read more »

Rich

Looking forward to tonight’s game, the only change I think we’ll see is Smith Rowe in for Martinelli

We’ll be slight favourites at home, but it’s a game that could easily swing either way, this one definitely falls into the bracket of 6 pointer

Jamie

“how could the captaincy been taken from him without the story coming out?” By lying about it. Bench him or remove him from the matchday squad, say publicly he’s carrying a niggling injury and isn’t fully fit. Or is having personal problems that will remain private. Let Laca captain the side for a month. Usually a more sensible approach than telling the world Auba has significant and repeated discipline issues while you’re essentially trying to get rid of him and his massive wages. If we win tonight, Arteta’s scorched-Earth methods will be validated. Anything less and he’ll rightly have to… Read more »

Leftside

Your captain has to play no? If Auba isn’t playing then he cannot be captain on the pitch. So if Auba is benched for some games then goes to the AFCON we could probably have announced it after then in February – playing devils advocate here. Time would have passed after the disciplinary breach and it could have been repackaged a little differently/less harshly considering the circumstances around it which have come to light. Everything reeks of power play with spite included when it comes to Arteta, and it’s inconsistent because some players can clearly do what they like, and… Read more »

Dream10

Pierre

100% agree with you with how Arteta’s and how he has treated players including Ozil

When he gets sacked, I expect to see many articles from Arsenal covering including Ornstein and Amy Lawrence about how many at the club found him unlikeable. I don’t think he is a good enough manager for us. That can happen. Poor character traits though.

Leftside

Not to mention, the world and his dog (or her dog, or they or whatever for those that perpetually seek reasons to be offended) know that we are out for a striker. When we go on our search for one in the summer we will be quoted an arm and a leg here.

Pierre

“Apparently there’s talk of cancelling AFCON due to exponential rise in covid cases.”

If so, Aubamayang will be gutted

Bob N16

Leftside, if the striker we’re interested is considered good then , depending on his contract situation, we will have to pay a lot of money for him – ‘an arm and a leg’ if you prefer. Isn’t that simply market forces? Dream 10 – Do you think that some of the players have a healthy relationship with Arteta? You can highlight the players who have left or will leave when their loans have been completed but making an assumption that lots of his current squad hold grievances against him is presumptuous. You may consider it propaganda but there have been… Read more »

reality check

Like many have already said. Auba was EMERYS captain. Arteta couldn’t strip him of it while A) He was scoring/Performing and B) The fan base loved him.

A window of opportunity opened and Artets jumped all the way through. He’s happy he gets to pick his own captain now and it’ll probably be Xhaka.

Good times smh.

Gbat

Ozil still being brought up. He was dropped because his performances and attitude weren’t up to scratch. Don’t see how he’s been disrespected.
And dropping or not picking a player doesn’t mean they’ve “fallen out”.

Dream10

Bob N16

There are players who do have a positive relationship with Arteta. Ramsdale, White, Saka, ESR, Tomiyasu and Lokonga I would say with certainty. They are young with upside, more likely to be compliant.

There may be a bias on my side, however, for me his actions have not painted him in the positive

Leftside

Bob

Yes but that’s not what I was saying as that to part and parcel. My point was clubs will know we are desperate and play that to their advantage.

englandsbest

Bad news for anti-arteta brigade. His honest and upfront and deserved treatment of awful Aubameyang has added immensely to his popularity. And rightly so. Those on here who moan that he should have stayed mum are totally out of tune with the vast majority of Arsenal supporters.

Bob N16

Leftside, isn’t that always the way with a big club like Arsenal. Unless we’re going for a relative unknown, any hot, young striker will be known to everybody. Isak and Vlahovic will go for loads of money whether it’s to Arsenal or whoever. There present clubs know their value so can expect loads, not a lot we can do about that.

I would be delighted if we bought one of those two for example for say £75m, they could be game changers.

Rich

Ozil was a waste of space, a joy to watch on his day, but clearly in steady decline from 2017 Some of his social media activity that was designed to cause internal division was a disgrace Emery worked him out within weeks, Arteta rightly dropped him from the squad He was a supremely talented player, but a luxury we could rarely afford to accommodate, the games moved on, players who don’t do both sides of the game, are going out like the dinosaurs…. Was still part of 3 FA Cup winning teams though, and his all round performance in the… Read more »

Batistuta

Bob

You can always just bench him or cite any number of numerous reasons. His form has been horrible already so perfect excuse. See it out until AFCON when he’s off . No need having pressers and having statements on the .com like we just signed a new player. It basically makes the whole thing the centre of attention now when there’s a poor result God forbid that happens tonight.

Leftside

Bob

Yes fair points, although I’m not sure we can compete for the hottest strikers on the continent, unless we can offer European football – preferably CL but minimum EL. I guess another train of thought is that we will probably need 2 strikers and another threat off the wings. Much to be resolved in the attacking department this summer.

Bob N16

Bati, could have done as you said but the rest of the squad would know what had happened. I suspect most of his teammates would accept PEA deserved to lose the captaincy. It would have come out, when is debatable. Personally I can accept Arsenal’s stance but I would accept there could have seen it as a timely opportunity to make PEA and his agent push harder to find a new club.

Bob N16

Agree Leftside. Pretty sure Pepe will be replaced either in Jan or the summer.

Pierre

Gbat
“Ozil still being brought up. He was dropped because his performances and attitude weren’t up to scratch. Don’t see how he’s been disrespected.”

We all know why he was dropped ,was nothing to do with performance, on the pitch, he was an ever present up until the pay cuts and the team were unbeaten domestically in 2020, i didn’t hear anyone complaining about his performances and attitude then or the team lacking creativity .

Countryboy

Reality check You get it. He looks for any opportunity to diminish any sort of Emery legacy in the Squad. If he can help it, he will only players he bought and the Hale Enders, the latter grudgingly when his back is against the wall. Saliba – Bought under Emery. Can’t be good enough. Doesn’t need to show anything in match situations. He’s shite Guendouzi: Twat. Headless chicken. Lost cause. Get out. Don’t come back. Gabriel: To think Small Man dropped him for the atrocious Mari at a time. Le grove was even justifying this claiming that he’d lost form.… Read more »

Countryboy

Small Man was credited with developing Sterling’s game.

Whose game has he developed at Arsenal?

Rather he’s a specialist in asset devaluation

Pepe
Martinelli
Saliba
Guendouzi
Auba

Countryboy

Remember when Small Man gave Martinelli a game and he didn’t really perform (was it Brentford?).

The excuse Le grove gave was that he didn’t take his chances.

Guess what? Tavares was diabolical against Liverpool he was rightly given an opportunity to redeem himself against Newcastle and Manchester United.

For Martinelli, it was the bench.

Folarin Balogun . Not to be seen again.

Le grove goes on and on about how the Squad was depleted on the opening day but have you tried playing Balogun with the strongest team?

Raulishuss

Countryboy? More like village headmaster

Raulishuss

Dream10 was on legrove some years ago saying how he didnt rate cazorla(this guy is obsessed with speed) but he wants to talk about disrespect. Lol.

Nigel Tufnel

Tierney is perfect Captain material. Problem is, I’m not sure I don’t prefer Tavares in that LB spot. We should have a rolling captain situation until that’s settled, or pick someone else.. Don’t want to make Tierney Captain then find out he’s not starting most of the time, or that it’s going to force him to be over played.. thus Tavares time to be limited. The guy brings a lot when he’s on the pitch and we’re just beginning to see that. Didn’t Wenger make Vermaelen Captain just as he was no longer a starter? Was it Koscielny who replaced… Read more »

Nigel Tufnel

Another reason to put off the decision is to see how Ødegaard develops over the second half of the season. Seeing his past 3 games, we might be on to something. Some players just need a couple goals for confidence. You know that’s true. For example, ESR is just getting that scoring confidence, and we’re just waiting for Saka to click that way. If Øde is in the middle of staking a claim, let’s give it some time. What’s the hurry? Don’t tell me it’s going to affect match outcomes to have a rolling Captain for a little while. Very… Read more »

G

Tierney such a solid player.. defo captain for me