Hello boys and girls.
Watched the game today and as great as it is to win, my oh my what a drab performance. I have zero faith in Arteta and his abilities to take us further than 5th or 6th if we are lucky for as long as he is here. Yes we won but here is why I am far from convinced:
1) The lineup. We have no major injuries to any players. However, Bellerin, Odegaard and Aubameyang started. On current form, Lacazette must feel hard done by as he was dropped for no reason and Auba has had two stinkers in a row. ESR has been pushed to the left to accommodate Odegaard even though ESR saved Arteta's arsse by playing g at #10. Odegaard is tidy but at this point, in this team...ESR plays at 10 for me. He looks less lively and is not nearly as effective on the left. What did Pepe do to not get any game time for 3 games straight now after some very good performances on the left playing with ESR, Saka and Lacazette? Bellerin. What can you say about this guy. He is done. Offers nothing going forward and is a liability at defending. Cedric is miles better going forward and is a more natural footballer too. Yet Bellerin starts every game. Arteta seems to have his favourites or seems to want to prove a point by picking players he likes/brought on/persuaded to stay even if they are not performing. Which bring me to..
2) Arteta's substitutions. Whatever the faaakc the question is, Willian is not the answer. Yes he had an assist but I dare any Arsenal fan here would have picked Willian to come on in front of Pepe and Martinelli. He took off ESR (I would have taken off Odegaard and pushed ESR centrally) and brought on the idiot Willian. To me...this confirms that there must be something contractually that mean Willian has to get a certain amount of game time when fit. No other reason to bring on a player who has had one meaningful contribution to the season and that was in the first game of the season.
3) Arteta will ruin players and their confidence. Pepe had been having great run on the left only to be dropped for 3 games now. Martinelli has not played any decent amount of minutes since ages too. Add to the mismanagement of Saliba, AMN and Reiss-Nelson, I would not blame our youth to look elsewhere for playing time. Throw in the stupidity of having Nketiah in front of Balogun and then not playing Nketiah for weeks now (after refusing to sell him)...it stinks of a manager who has terrible man management skills and cannot spot talent. Then you have Saka...he is being mismanaged too. The boy is our best player at the moment and has not had any rest whatsoever. Yes he is winning us games...but I'd rather rest him in the league and lose a couple of games than over play him, see him break down and miss him for weeks. This will bite us in the butt.
Add to the drab displays we typically turn in, I want Arteta out.
Arteta out
posted on 26/2/21
comment by Lexington 125.2 - Give Reiss A Chance (U8879)
posted 3 hours, 29 minutes ago
Lacazette is leaving this summer. He’s been average at best for so long now, few will miss him when he’s gone. Pepe played well for a few games, but he was hardly brilliant enough to now have people complaining about him being benched.
Odegaard hardly played this season, so will need time to get up to speed - which he would’ve needed anyway, coming to a new league mid season. He’s here to add creativity as well as take some responsibility off of ESR - which he’s doing. I’m struggling to understand the negativity towards him tbh.
The problem with Arteta’s subs are he often leaves them too late to affect games, and they’re usually too conservative - yesterday he was a bit more creative with them though.
Willian, I just don’t like the player. Bellerin needs benching, but let’s not pretend Cedric is some wonderful replacement Arteta isn’t giving a chance to.
As for Saliba, Arteta is the least to blame over what happened. The player confirmed the manager made his mind up early on about him, meaning there was a full month left to sort out a loan. Why didn’t his agent make sure it happened? An agent is meant to ensure their client and their career is taken care of. Didn’t exactly earn his money last summer, did he. And what about the player. Was he not concerned no loan seemed in the offing as TDD approached? And Edu. What was he doing?
But yeah. ‘Arteta to blame’. Sheep mentality, mate.
And it’s boring now.
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How do you make up your mind in a couple of performances? Especially if that player has not playedfor 6 months? Form is temporary right? Or...if we go your way, why is Willian being given 30 games to prove himself regardless of how bad he plays? Saliba not playing even league cup or europa league is bad man management regardless how you cut it, mate.
posted on 26/2/21
Nah, he has taken over at a club in crisis. Won a pot and papered over the cracks.
On limited budget he will bring through/develop a great side.
posted on 26/2/21
comment by Flamini'sShirtSleeves (U8186)
posted 2 hours, 21 minutes ago
comment by Dan Arsenal (U21084)
posted 2 minutes ago
Look whilst i agree with much of this article, the whole Arteta out agenda is over the top and frankly ridiculous.
He's a young inexperienced coach trying to steady the disorganised mess the club was after Wenger, Gazidis and co left. He's shored up the defence and generally steadied the mood around the club. Yes he probably stumbled over ESR and saka because the experienced players were failing. But nevertheless he's stuck with them and they have grown into major players.
He will make mistakes due to his age and will over rely on players probably past their prime but we are rebuilding and dropping all of them and starting again only ever works in theory. In reality you cant play 11 kids and expect instant success. It's a slow process and we should be patient.
Arteta might not be the answer, time will tell, but let's give him time and then judge him after another transfer window. He'll then have a chance to get in his own players and we can decide if he's any good or not.
Firing Managers every 9 months only ever works if you are Chelsea and can throw 100s of millions at a new project. We can't do that so let's be patient.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Exactly. This campaign to fire Arteta is completely out of order in my opinion. It comes in part from attention seekers and self-promoters on social media trying to prove how good an Arsenal fan they are and how passionate they are. I'm sorry but demanding instant success does not make you a good fan. It makes you a glory supporter, who picked the wrong team. If you want to support a side that will throw endless amounts of money at new players and new managers until something sticks you know where to go. That is not what Arsenal are about, and it isn't likely to be what we are about in the near future no matter what the loudmouths online think.
I don't want to attack the OP here, but how are articles calling for Arteta to be fired appearing after we won a difficult European tie?! It speaks of an agenda that goes beyond how we are performing on the pitch.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I get your point but here is what I see. Benfica were poooooor. Ask yourself how many saves Leno had to make last night. But we were laboured. I am not being knee-jerk in my reaction...it's a culmination of poor lineup choices, sub choices and bad displays. And we cannot continue to blame Wenger...for the most part, the squad is as he wants it. The players from Wenger's era are players I'd keep and the others are players he brought in and players he convinced to stay (xhaka and Bellerin). This is the same manager who offered MUSTAFI a new contract. So no...not an agenda...just voicing my opinion based on 14 months of decisions.
posted on 26/2/21
comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 2 hours, 30 minutes ago
Why did Auba start? To score 2 goals to get us through.
What did Pepe do to not get any game time for 3 games straight now? Nothing, he started on Sunday.
Gave up after this, clearly you have no idea.
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Makes 2 of us then considering the nonsense you spout on here more often than not aye?
posted on 26/2/21
pEpE hAsNt HaD a LoOk In FoR tHrEe GaMeS duuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
wHy DiD aUbA sTaRt??? To score two goals to put us through DUUUUUUUUUURRRRRR
DUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
posted on 26/2/21
comment by MaineGunner (U10130)
posted 26 minutes ago
comment by Flamini'sShirtSleeves (U8186)
posted 2 hours, 21 minutes ago
comment by Dan Arsenal (U21084)
posted 2 minutes ago
Look whilst i agree with much of this article, the whole Arteta out agenda is over the top and frankly ridiculous.
He's a young inexperienced coach trying to steady the disorganised mess the club was after Wenger, Gazidis and co left. He's shored up the defence and generally steadied the mood around the club. Yes he probably stumbled over ESR and saka because the experienced players were failing. But nevertheless he's stuck with them and they have grown into major players.
He will make mistakes due to his age and will over rely on players probably past their prime but we are rebuilding and dropping all of them and starting again only ever works in theory. In reality you cant play 11 kids and expect instant success. It's a slow process and we should be patient.
Arteta might not be the answer, time will tell, but let's give him time and then judge him after another transfer window. He'll then have a chance to get in his own players and we can decide if he's any good or not.
Firing Managers every 9 months only ever works if you are Chelsea and can throw 100s of millions at a new project. We can't do that so let's be patient.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Exactly. This campaign to fire Arteta is completely out of order in my opinion. It comes in part from attention seekers and self-promoters on social media trying to prove how good an Arsenal fan they are and how passionate they are. I'm sorry but demanding instant success does not make you a good fan. It makes you a glory supporter, who picked the wrong team. If you want to support a side that will throw endless amounts of money at new players and new managers until something sticks you know where to go. That is not what Arsenal are about, and it isn't likely to be what we are about in the near future no matter what the loudmouths online think.
I don't want to attack the OP here, but how are articles calling for Arteta to be fired appearing after we won a difficult European tie?! It speaks of an agenda that goes beyond how we are performing on the pitch.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I get your point but here is what I see. Benfica were poooooor. Ask yourself how many saves Leno had to make last night. But we were laboured. I am not being knee-jerk in my reaction...it's a culmination of poor lineup choices, sub choices and bad displays. And we cannot continue to blame Wenger...for the most part, the squad is as he wants it. The players from Wenger's era are players I'd keep and the others are players he brought in and players he convinced to stay (xhaka and Bellerin). This is the same manager who offered MUSTAFI a new contract. So no...not an agenda...just voicing my opinion based on 14 months of decisions.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh I completely agree that we made a meal out of a tie that based on our overall performance level and the number of chances we created we should have comfortably won. But I don't think that is something that any manager can fully control. Every team has poor performances, and in all of our trophy-winning runs there are elements of luck and squeek-ed out results along the way. Beating Wigan in extra time in FA cup semi-final when their keeper let a Sanchez shot dribble through his hands springs to mind.
Did the way Arteta set out the team lead to the mistakes we made? I don't think so, the freekick they scored was a great goal, and their second was a shocker of a mistake from Ceballos which you can't plan for. The real issue in this tie was the three gilt-edged chances Auba missed in the first leg to put us in command of the tie. We played well enough in the first leg to put it to bed and didn't take our chances. To be fair to Auba he was very clinical in the game last night and was inches away from a hat-trick.
posted on 26/2/21
comment by Flamini'sShirtSleeves (U8186)
posted 1 hour, 6 minutes ago
comment by MaineGunner (U10130)
posted 26 minutes ago
comment by Flamini'sShirtSleeves (U8186)
posted 2 hours, 21 minutes ago
comment by Dan Arsenal (U21084)
posted 2 minutes ago
Look whilst i agree with much of this article, the whole Arteta out agenda is over the top and frankly ridiculous.
He's a young inexperienced coach trying to steady the disorganised mess the club was after Wenger, Gazidis and co left. He's shored up the defence and generally steadied the mood around the club. Yes he probably stumbled over ESR and saka because the experienced players were failing. But nevertheless he's stuck with them and they have grown into major players.
He will make mistakes due to his age and will over rely on players probably past their prime but we are rebuilding and dropping all of them and starting again only ever works in theory. In reality you cant play 11 kids and expect instant success. It's a slow process and we should be patient.
Arteta might not be the answer, time will tell, but let's give him time and then judge him after another transfer window. He'll then have a chance to get in his own players and we can decide if he's any good or not.
Firing Managers every 9 months only ever works if you are Chelsea and can throw 100s of millions at a new project. We can't do that so let's be patient.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Exactly. This campaign to fire Arteta is completely out of order in my opinion. It comes in part from attention seekers and self-promoters on social media trying to prove how good an Arsenal fan they are and how passionate they are. I'm sorry but demanding instant success does not make you a good fan. It makes you a glory supporter, who picked the wrong team. If you want to support a side that will throw endless amounts of money at new players and new managers until something sticks you know where to go. That is not what Arsenal are about, and it isn't likely to be what we are about in the near future no matter what the loudmouths online think.
I don't want to attack the OP here, but how are articles calling for Arteta to be fired appearing after we won a difficult European tie?! It speaks of an agenda that goes beyond how we are performing on the pitch.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I get your point but here is what I see. Benfica were poooooor. Ask yourself how many saves Leno had to make last night. But we were laboured. I am not being knee-jerk in my reaction...it's a culmination of poor lineup choices, sub choices and bad displays. And we cannot continue to blame Wenger...for the most part, the squad is as he wants it. The players from Wenger's era are players I'd keep and the others are players he brought in and players he convinced to stay (xhaka and Bellerin). This is the same manager who offered MUSTAFI a new contract. So no...not an agenda...just voicing my opinion based on 14 months of decisions.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh I completely agree that we made a meal out of a tie that based on our overall performance level and the number of chances we created we should have comfortably won. But I don't think that is something that any manager can fully control. Every team has poor performances, and in all of our trophy-winning runs there are elements of luck and squeek-ed out results along the way. Beating Wigan in extra time in FA cup semi-final when their keeper let a Sanchez shot dribble through his hands springs to mind.
Did the way Arteta set out the team lead to the mistakes we made? I don't think so, the freekick they scored was a great goal, and their second was a shocker of a mistake from Ceballos which you can't plan for. The real issue in this tie was the three gilt-edged chances Auba missed in the first leg to put us in command of the tie. We played well enough in the first leg to put it to bed and didn't take our chances. To be fair to Auba he was very clinical in the game last night and was inches away from a hat-trick.
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I dont think ANYONE can blame Arteta for the individual player mistakes. It's either our players are that dodgey or we have the worst luck when it comes to brain farts. I know Luiz and Xhaka have a mistake in them every few games and Mustafi could as well...but it seems to be spreading haha.
I think what I am trying to say is that I would be fine with losing and mistakes if there was a consistent pattern of play and direction. That is what bothers me most. It seems like after 14 months, Arteta still does not know how he wants the team to play and thus coach them to play that way regardless of the performance. For example...I was "Emery in" until his second season. Not so much due to the results ( horrible run at the end and that cup final) but due to the decisions...playing torreira at #10, the lack of defensive shape and he looked clueless too on the sideline in terms of how to fix it. But with other coaches you can see what they re trying to do..even if it does not come off and that is what I want. That and playing the right 11 and subs.
posted on 26/2/21
I have to agree with every point which the OP has made. Arteta needs to be replaced in the summer. He simply is not good enough in too many areas and I can’t see much improvement if any from last year.
posted on 26/2/21
comment by MaineGunner (U10130)
posted 8 hours, 36 minutes ago
comment by Lexington 125.2 - Give Reiss A Chance (U8879)
posted 3 hours, 29 minutes ago
Lacazette is leaving this summer. He’s been average at best for so long now, few will miss him when he’s gone. Pepe played well for a few games, but he was hardly brilliant enough to now have people complaining about him being benched.
Odegaard hardly played this season, so will need time to get up to speed - which he would’ve needed anyway, coming to a new league mid season. He’s here to add creativity as well as take some responsibility off of ESR - which he’s doing. I’m struggling to understand the negativity towards him tbh.
The problem with Arteta’s subs are he often leaves them too late to affect games, and they’re usually too conservative - yesterday he was a bit more creative with them though.
Willian, I just don’t like the player. Bellerin needs benching, but let’s not pretend Cedric is some wonderful replacement Arteta isn’t giving a chance to.
As for Saliba, Arteta is the least to blame over what happened. The player confirmed the manager made his mind up early on about him, meaning there was a full month left to sort out a loan. Why didn’t his agent make sure it happened? An agent is meant to ensure their client and their career is taken care of. Didn’t exactly earn his money last summer, did he. And what about the player. Was he not concerned no loan seemed in the offing as TDD approached? And Edu. What was he doing?
But yeah. ‘Arteta to blame’. Sheep mentality, mate.
And it’s boring now.
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How do you make up your mind in a couple of performances? Especially if that player has not playedfor 6 months? Form is temporary right? Or...if we go your way, why is Willian being given 30 games to prove himself regardless of how bad he plays? Saliba not playing even league cup or europa league is bad man management regardless how you cut it, mate.
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Zech Medley also didn’t play Europa League or Cup matches. Bad Man management, or a manager protecting a young player he doesn’t think is ready for the first team yet?
It’s one to ponder, for sure.
I wish I could answer your other points. I might even agree with you. Just that, even having read it through a couple of times, I haven’t a clue wtf your actually point is.
Sorry.
posted on 26/2/21
Mikel Arteta may well make a great defensive coach but he is an absolute mess of a manager. We/he got lucky last night. Happy we won but part of me sees it as unlucky for AFC in the long term. Losing would have almost certainly mean a couple of dodgy league results would see him sacked and a proper manager brought in for next season, as ke'd have no choice but to pay for someone established. The specific combination of flaws in Arteta, mean he's not going to make it to the title of "Good/Great manager," in any time scale acceptable to our needs as one of the biggest, most prestigious clubs in English football.
Lacking tactically, useless at identifying individual player strengths/weaknesses, ridiculously stubborn, equally rude to and dismissive of his players and their wishes. Also disrespectful of their contributions to the club (in some cases for longer than his post playing career). And all of that comes rolled up in a big ball of totally inexperienced arrogance. He's clearly got no intention of changing any of these traits about himself. So basically he himself is always doomed to shoot himself in the foot. Either by making the wrong choices for the team or by alienating players that much nobody wants to play for him. He is "set in" his own already very wrong ways. Things won't improve next season, they will get worse.
All that said though calling for him to be sacked whilst we're still in EL is pointless (could be pointless anyway). ke has got himself an "accept the penny pinch" biyatch. If he wanted a real manager then he'd have agreed to Ancelotti's spending requirements to get one. ALL our owner cares about is keeping as much cash in the bank as possible for as much time as possible. Arteta will accept being fecked about for a measley 40 mil to get a player as good as Partey, where no established, decent manager will swallow that sh!t. So as far as ke is concerned it's Arteta in for as long as he can get away with keeping him in the job. We're FECKED and anything we win for the next 2-3 seasons will be won in spite of Arteta, not because of him.