Not a knee jersey reaction but a summary of multiple games. Steadying our defence was the easiest task at hand as Emery had the team all at sea and Torreira at AM. We did not defend as a team and our personnel was suspect. Gabriel and Tierney are great..the other two who played today are not. Holding got skinned numerous times and Bellerin is not playing at RB at all the number of times he is no where close to that area of the pitch. We still are lacking creativity in MF and the decision to ostracize Ozil (in my opinion which I know many wont agree with) looks stupider by the day. Did we work Martinez at all today? You cannot tell me Ozil would not add ANYTHING going forward. Forget Ozil...Willock looks good at the number 10 role this year and looks to get beyond the back line too..why was he not even on the bench?
Now for Arteta...other than the personnel, his tactics are very very negative. I cannot recall ONE game this season or even since project restart where I can say we looked great for a game. We have spells but mostly we are uninspired...especially in games where we are expected to take the initiative. Losing at home to Leicester and Villa the WAY we did is unacceptable. It was not a case of playing well and being unlucky..it's playing awful, never looking like scoring and getting beat comfortably. The 343 DOES NOT WORK...unless it is against teams who have the ball more than us and we are playing on the counter. For him to NOT look at the players he has and figure out a way to play OTHER than a 343 when we should have the initiative, is negligence. For Auba to play everywhere EXCEPT at CF is criminal. For Willian to still be starting over Pepe or Reiss Nelson even is stupid. I could go on.
Not saying Arteta out as he deserves a full season, but I am no longer sold on him. I think many of us were very happy to look more solid and not get battered away to City and Pool as well as best them in cup competitions, but I think we are a team in serious trouble. Keep this up and we can forget top 4.
Villa looked everything we did not...hungry, decisive and clinical. Every time they attacked down our right side, we were in trouble. They were the better team by a mile.
Arteta is limited
posted on 8/11/20
For the SECOND time in 2 games at home, Aubameyang is very quick down the tunnel. He does NOT look a happy player. Feeding on scraps, seeing little of the ball in dangerous areas...I bet he has regrets signing that contract.
Also...most of these players were rested midweek. So pathetic
posted on 8/11/20
Auba has done a Lolzil and slipped into a 350K a week comfort zone
posted on 8/11/20
He seemed to get stuck at just improving the defence which he did somewhat, but he can’t move us on from there. Seems he sets up most games with his first instinct for us to not get hammered.
My only hope is that this is a major wake up call for him, he learns and improves. This will be defining period for him now, all managers have their low point but it’s how you learn and respond. It’s clear we’re not a quality team, but we should be better than this. The lack of chemistry, spark and ideas in attack is very worrying. No matter how organised we are at the back, we won’t go far if we can’t score.