After losing to Man City first in the Carabao Cup finals, and against Southampton in the FA Cup Quarter Finals, Mikel has come to his senses it seems. We started a Cup final with Kepa in the goalkeeping department who was responsible for the first Man City goal, Martinelli wasn’t introduced before 82′ minute mark, Saka was shite for most part of the game yet Madueke, a 55m player, didn’t get a chance till we were 2-0 down. Against Southampton, we played the worst team we could have picked from the 25 players and we lost. Raya, Saliba, Gyokeres, Zubimendi, Calafiori, Madueke were used as substitute when it was too late.
I don’t give a fuck if you say we have injury problems. I can name 2/3 players in each position and if the manager is stubborn to rotate when it matters less, don’t expect MLS to come and play a superb game in the quarter finals.
After the two cup exits, either Mikel has come to his senses or the board reminded him of the Champions League money, because we are playing the strongest team today against Sporting in the first leg of Champions League Quarter Finals.
Raya is back. Kepa shouldn’t start a game that matters, ever again. Timber is out with injury so White gets to play. We are back to the Rice-Zubi-Ode midfield and Madueke starts ahead of Saka probably because of an injury as Saka is not even on bench. I didn’t read the website, nor watched the press conference because I am still angry with what has happened in last 2 games.
There’s a path of redemption, in fact 2 for Mikel. Win Premier League / Champions League and you get to keep playing your shite, boring, bollocks way of football for few more year. It’s been 22 years since we last won Premier League and as someone pointed out on Reddit the other way, you were there for 7 years of that 22 year period. Anyone saying Mikel still needs more time is dump enough to guess that it’s almost 1/3rd of the time since we last won the league.
Right, 2 minutes to go. I don’t have much hope since Madrid/Bayern, Barcelona/Atletico, PSG/Liverpool are also in the mix and if you can’t beat Southampton, you won’t get pass through any of these 6. I do believe that we can win the league, it would be a different level of fuck up if we don’t.
So, yeah – I am still positive for a title this season. After 22 years, if we do, I can bear this crap pass-till-eternity football for couple of more years. Else, you can guess.
Game time.
Zubi would have never come here under those terms…MA’s love of assurances was likely what gave us the edge over Pool when it came time to sign on the dotted line
Noni must be getting private flopping lessons from Havertz
Marc
The front line does the defending. It’s the midfields who take up corner kicks and the actual defenders who are tasked with scoring goals on those set pieces.
Don’t blame the front line.
Ambarish
I’m not talking about set pieces I’m talking about general play.
Arsene could play attacking football with Kepa in the midfield.
Careful what you wish for… We wanted to be better defensively and we have got strikers putting up defending duties while scoring a goal in 4 matches.
Ambarish
Wenger also had very good defences before the stadium move.
Marc
I was just being sarcastic with the set pieces thing. Front 3 hasn’t been upto the mark but Martinelli is told to stay on the sideline, Gyokeres and Saka are out there defending.
Who does the midfield pass to? Another midfielder, who passes it to Gabriel or Saliba. After 22 passes, it somehow goes in the opposition box, and we put some crosses to earn a corner.
Right, this was told to me by Mikel over a call.
Yes, and we won things. At one point we had Kolasinac, Bellerin, Mustafi in defence, Xhaka, Ramsay in the midfield.
He could have won all 4 with the team we have these days.
Ambarish
Arteta is a micro manager – have you ever known a micro manager get the best out of people in any field?
Nope.
White, couldn’t earn a corner there. Shame.
we don’t have a single defender or midfielder on the pitch, minus Ode, who can unlock a defence…that’s a real problem…now if we had Rice sitting deeper, with a midfield pairing of Ode and Eze, that could present a real problem for most defences…right now MA cares infinitely more about incorporating Zubi and Rice(and whomever is playing in the inverted role) into his offensive strategy than getting the best out of those other two
Looks like we’ve finally run into a team as negative and laboured as we are. Tough fucking watch do far.
Fuck me the pundits on the Irish feed I’m watching talking about Dowman being the obvious option if we make a change.
He’s 16 for fuck sake – if Arteta is relying on a 16 year to salvage our season he should be fired on the spot.
as to my earlier point I wasn’t speaking about today’s game, as Eze’s not available, I’m just speaking in general terms that you need to have more offensively-minded players on the pitch, especially if you’re a possession-based side and not one that relies on the counter
Marc—agreed, which isn’t a slag whatsoever against the kid…look at what transpired in the FA when we relied too heavily on Dowman
TRVL
Dowman is going to be a great player for us but if too much is put on him too early he’ll never fulfil his true potential.
Rice is covering a huge amount of ground – if he’s expected / has to do this at the weekend and in the 2nd leg he’ll be fucked for City.
KP—considering Sporting’s recent road form in the CL, I’m sure MA will be ecstatic with an away scoreless draw, which is a sad commentary for a PL side sitting “comfortably” in first place
we need to make their Keeper pay for not catching that one
TRVL
That can’t be so – the PL is dominating the CL and is far superior to all the other leagues especially a 2nd tier one like Portugal.