Well, we all knew we weren’t a match to Man City with their 33-goal scorer Haaland and the best midfielder on the planet in Kevin De Bruyne. But no one expected that we won’t show up for a fight. In the title race when a win was a 6 pointer, we lost and we lost badly. A 4-1 score is as bad as it gets, but the way we played it could have been worse.
So, where did it go wrong? As a starter, Arteta failed to adjust to the Pep’s tactics. Their first goal was a result of the free space De Bruyne was enjoying between our midfield and defence. In the first 30min, it happened couple of times when the pair of Haaland and De Bruyne were left with our CBs. I don’t think anyone can beat Haaland for the pace, it was a fight to be lost. We should have adapted, we should have dropped down and closed the space . We could have switched back to back 3 and fight on counters.
Second, we stuck to the playing XI which didn’t work against Liverpool, West Ham, and Southampton. Yes, Xhaka was back in place of Vieira but it doesn’t make any difference. Both are poor! If you say what options we had, I would like to point out that it’s our own doing. We haven’t been polishing the bench. We gave Vieira couple of matches in spite of his poor performance in his first, but we didn’t try an ESR. We haven’t tried a Partey + Jorginho midfield pairing. Saka looked knackered but we didn’t see Nelson allowing him some rest. Kiwior was brought into the fold against Liverpool, in last 20 min; I’m sure it wasn’t the perfect time to begin your premier league career.
Arteta’s stubbornness to play his favourites and not adapting to what’s in front, has cost us games. If you expect a player to deliver in 60 games a year, and if he don’t, you switch things up. Jesus might be great in compact spaces and running into 3 opposition players, but where’s the end result? If your CF do not have a goal in him, bring on Eddie. Revert to Trossard at the front who looks more clinical.
I don’t know, there has been a lot of things which we can see is wrong, but our manager sticks to the same old – same style, same player, same tactics.
Here’s the bitter truth. We didn’t lose the title because of this City game. We lost it against Pool (going 2-0 up), West Ham (going 2-0 up again), and Southampton (going 2-0 down at home in first 15min). I understand we are a young team, but young guns can fire too. It don’t matter if it’s your captain, if he is not having a good day, bring on your other no. #10, who saved your career at some point and was considered the next DeBruyne.
I’m not sure how much Arteta will learn from this but I’m sure of this – he is going to spend another 200m to bring some more enforcements, but with this stubbornness and Champions League + Premier League next season, we will have the same conundrum. Unless he buys another playing XI, which is not likely.
Here’s another one – if you think it’s a progress to finish 2nd this season, remember that Arteta was appointed as the head coach of Arsenal on 20th Dec, 2019. It’s been 3.5 years, with half a billion spent on a completely new playing XI bar our academy products. This season has been anomaly, Liverpool is having a bad one, Chelsea are sh*t, Spurs are spursy, and United is going through a rebuild under Tan Hag. If you think allowing 3 years for a manager, only to see him finish second after having a 9 point lead at some point, is considered a progress, then you have very low expectation.
With money coming in for New Castle, Chelsea appointing Poch probably, united getting stronger, Pool back in their form, what happens next? It would be tougher than this season. There will be 2 games a week and more Saliba-esque injuries. Who will we blame? Fixtures? Injuries? Bad weather? Because that’s what we have been doing apparently from like last 10 years.
We need an upgrade. We need an upgrade on Xhaka, whose average performance looks like a world class by his standards. We need a midfield, because you buy all the 50m defenders as you want, but it’s not gonna work if you don’t have functioning midfield. We need a better goal scorer if you don’t have confidence in Eddie. And we need an upgrade on the manager. Learning on the job is not a bad thing, but the pace is too slow for a club as big and as ambitious as Arsenal.
We need courage. We don’t need a captain who goes missing in big games, we have had enough of Ozil for years. We need the winning mentality, not the one we saw against West Ham of dropping performance after going 2-0 up. We need players who make fun of the opposition, on the pitch; who can bully the opposition, who are not satisfied with 2-0 lead at Anfield and want more.
Frankly, it has been a depressing month. We have thrown away the title and there’s no one else to blame. It was ours to lose, and we lost it. I’m angry, I’m frustrated and I’m sure you are, too. I hope the players feel the same, and motivates themselves to make the best of rest of the season.
It’s over for me, but we fight again tomorrow.
Hi Divyanshu
My prediction of a 3-0 pyrhhic victory almost came true save for some typically sloppy late game defending that you highlighted
It sounds like you’re still keeping the faith which I admire. We’ll beat Newcastle at the weekend if we replicate our first half form. It won’t be a repeat of the draw at our place earlier in the season because the barcodes will want to play out and show something to their miserable Geordie fans! But the big names (TP, Ode, Bukayo and Jesus) need to show up. Problem is, I can’t see the Hammers doing anything other than lose up at City tonight. But keep expressing your optimism – it’s infectious.
Tony
To paraphrase the genius that first termed the phrase up in Scotland. (He must’ve been a huge Mary Poppins fan)
SuperOde goes ballistic
Chelsea are atrocious
Tony
Good write up mate. When we rake over the ashes of the season, a small crumb of comfort will be the doubling of Spurs and Chelsea I suppose. Lampard, much to my pleasure, has become an anti-manager. The club is deeply fucked. It’s hardly an accolade, especially given the derailing of our season, but I think we could lay claim once again to being the ‘pride of London’… At least for a while.
Imagine the lift we’ll all get though when Madrid come-a-knockin’ for Tets in the summer. He’d be a perfect match for them.
KP
It’s a comedy of errors the great Bard could reimagine with the help of our Almunia, of course. Speaking of which, Almunia, I hope you’re able to go to more of the local Guinness get togethers, as your health improves. In Holland where I had my bypass, each night in the hospital we’d get a bottle stout to drink.
We immerse ourselves so deeply into The Arsenal it’s so much harder to take when a complete idiot is in charge. I’m wondering if Josh ever does the maths with Arteta vs top 8 managers? Is he too detached now because 2nd or 3rd is ok because we have CL next season – lovely jubbly!
As you say, KP, RM or even Olympiacos and anywhere in between will be a baptism by fire for the anointed one. If Arteta’s Europa exploits are taken into consideration, we’ll probably be back in Europa by Xmas or even zero Europe.
Forgot to ask did your Catalonia trip reap the rewards you were looking for? France seems a lifetime away when inertia sets in, as it has with our corporate interested parties all thrown out of wack with Ukraine and general world events.
The corporate suits conveyor belt of all moving parts sideways, upwards, downwards and exit bound also has caused, as always deemed as unexpected delays.
Like I said, Man plans Good laughs 🙂 Luckily we have mucho karma owed.
Hi Tony
Our plans rely entirely on the limpets and barnacles (our 3 kids!) detaching themselves from the hull of HMS Kroenkephobe and letting us sail in a streamlined fashion towards the Spanish main. Catalonia was great fun, thanks. I was in the air during the Southampton fiasco so it could’ve been worse. Edibles (if you know what I mean), cold beers and live music. I even saw two decent teams of African lads play against each other in a local league while we ate tacos at a stall owned by some people from Honduras. Each time I return to the Girona area I’m more and more convinced that we should be based there.
Prior to that, there’s also the small matter of selling 4 of our 5 houses/businesses including my old flat in Highbury. If you’re ever interested in a London pied-a-terre Tony…
god laughs*
Sam Allardyce…. Yes, really! I’d rather hoped we’d seen the very last of that fat, corrupt gum-chewing motherfucker. Leeds must be out of their minds. Just like Everton with Dyche.
Kroenke
I was neutral about Leeds but now I want them to go down – seeing both Allardyce and Dyche go down in the same season should consign the dinosaurs to extinction forever.
Chelsea are lucky they didn’t appoint Fat Frank a few weeks earlier or they’d be joining them in the Championship.
Marc-talk about a descent into footballing oblivion in just over a years time, when you go from a savant like Biesla then12+ months later Slippery Sam is patrolling your sidelines…just for that little maneuver they should get sent down two divisions…there’s no logical reason why in this day and age that these clown car managers should still get appointments from clubs in the top division in European football regardless of the pending situation…makes me think that the disaster known as Leeds United had a lengthy list of potential candidates, all of whom wouldn’t return their calls, and when Big Sam got wind of this he actually reached out to them…what’s next Tony Pulis at Stamford Bridge
Great minds lads as soon as I saw the Fat Sam’s Lazerous MK VI, and I thought we only need Pulis for the Holy Trinity of the THUG managers’ era. Just goes to show how bad reactive management is in the PL including ourselves.
On more serious news our daughter has just got back from her pre work holiday where she picked up her PADI license for 30 meters. Why is this serious? She’s moving down to BKK with Pumpkin is search of her first job on the 14th. Pumpkin has veery much become part of the family and what’s left of the furniture – the shredded look is in this season I tell myself & Mrs T with a gentle reminder of our daughter’s depression.
Pumpkin’s karma will materialize by the way of a reduction in living spaces from 850sq meters to about 60. He’s a Doll Face Persian who looks like he was dropped on his face from a great height when born, which is better than the other Persian that looks like Mike Tyson punched their faces at birth.
All I can say is if Pumpkin gets up to fun speed, as he does here then he’s in big trouble with his breaking distances where the wall might accrue a few or probably many dents. Pumpkin’s not the brightest, but is the dearest. Conclusion? The walls need padding up to 1 meter and covered in plastic chain mail link. Cats love plastic apparently.
Back to football and no surprise City beat West Ham at home if there were to be any doubt.
Arteta’s allegedly top list of transfers is Rice, Geughi, Zaha and Moussa Diaby. Add Cacaideo, Mitoma and Encisco to that list and I’ll feel the only other change we need to make is Arteta.
With a manager who has the tactical nous with the ability to command respect from youth and experienced players and we might just be challenging with a squad that has enough legs to finish a season strongly.
The latter would be a novelty.
KP
I hear you the selling of hard earnt assets from many decades of toil is not an easy thing to do. Far different to buying a company and then selling it for simple profit. Your properties and businesses are your life’s work I would imagine, as our company is for Mrs T and in many respects myself.
Looking forward is the only way my friend. As much as you have forged memories all interlocked with the family there will also be a feeling of release, because in reality, you get the choice to hang onto the happy and crazy memories and the baggage disappears as if it never happened.
New start, new life adventure. To people like us that’s what it is. You and Mrs KP will find as you integrate, so opportunities will avail themselves to you.
You’re lucky if you’re 50 or under. The 50s are really our last hurrahs in terms of what our bodies can keep achieving. I kept my 6-pack until 65 and stopped training bar ropes at 66. Our kind stop when we drop. So I’ll be about 72 when we finally get to France, but the recording studio won’t be taxing, not at least for me.
Even if we close a deal by the end fo the year, Mrs T will have to do a 3-year handover.
I can see why you both feel enchanted by Girona looking at the Internet. At least you have a pin in the map now. For us I’ve drawn a line from the France Pyrenees across central France so anywhere south of the line is our hunting ground. Once we have the time frame set, I’ll start looking at properties in earnest starting with bank foreclosures and engaging a recommended lawyer to look into anything interesting within certain financial boundaries, although mostly well located properties to suit our lifestyle and business needs for the kids if they decide to work with a family business.
Mrs T and my ADHD never lets us rest so upmarket Gites and a Thai/French fusion boutique restaurant for the kids to run would be an easy thing to enjoy for Mrs T. The studio will be my and Junior’s jam.
Great minds lads as soon as I saw the Fat Sam’s Lazerous MK VI, and I thought we only need Pulis for the Holy Trinity of the THUG managers’ era. Just goes to show how bad reactive management is in the PL including ourselves.
On more serious news our daughter has just got back from her pre work holiday where she picked up her PADI license for 30 meters. Why is this serious? She’s moving down to BKK with Pumpkin is search of her first job on the 14th. Pumpkin has veery much become part of the family and what’s left of the furniture – the shredded look is in this season I tell myself & Mrs T with a gentle reminder of our daughter’s depression.
Pumpkin’s karma will materialize by the way of a reduction in living spaces from 850sq meters to about 60. He’s a Doll Face Persian who looks like he was dropped on his face from a great height when born, which is better than the other Persian that looks like Mike Tyson punched their faces at birth.
All I can say is if Pumpkin gets up to fun speed, as he does here then he’s in big trouble with his breaking distances where the wall might accrue a few or probably many dents. Pumpkin’s not the brightest, but is the dearest. Conclusion? The walls need padding up to 1 meter and covered in plastic chain mail link. Cats love plastic apparently.
Back to football and no surprise City beat West Ham at home if there were to be any doubt.
Arteta’s allegedly top list of transfers is Rice, Geughi, Zaha and Moussa Diaby. Add Cacaideo, Mitoma and Encisco to that list and I’ll feel the only other change we need to make is Arteta.
With a manager who has the tactical nous with the ability to command respect from youth and experienced players and we might just be challenging with a squad that has enough legs to finish a season strongly.
The latter would be a novelty.
KP
Junior asked where you were ;looking to settle so I showed him this and he loved it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_1d_o51K08
Thanks for sending that Tony. I hadn’t seen it. Girona is 100km north of Barcelona which is a massive tourist trap these days, almost all year round. The first time I went to Girona, it felt like a less busy version of Florence, another beautiful European city. I think we’ll go for somewhere slightly more rural but be within a short drive of Girona (which has numerous direct flights to Bristol).
I watched City and the Hammers last night with junior. Within seconds after him saying ‘I think WH could get a draw here’ their first goal went in at which point I lost interest. I can’t even be arsed to check who else they’re playing.
Junior and I and three of his mates are cramming into my little Peugeot on Monday for Cardiff’s final game of the season up at Turf Moor. Hoping to piss on Kompany and Ashley Barnes’s title winning chips. You never know now all the pressure is finally off for both teams.
ArseholeSaurus Allardyce, diplodocus Dyche, Pterodactyl Pulis (no, that doesn’t work) and Megalodon McCarthy saving the PL from all those nasty garlic eating fancy’ forrin’ managers. Just what Ingerland needs on coronation weekend. 🏴
Despite being subbed ignominiously at half time the other night, it was heartening to see Aubameyang put in a far stronger performance for Chelsea than anything he achieved in his last year at Arsenal….
I’ll get me coat…
No way Arteta would ever sign Zaha. He’d have to face the wrath of paranoidPedro and all those other twats on LG celebrating the (second) youngest squad in the PL trophy.
KP
One of the reasons I suggested you explore Morocco;
https://edition.cnn.com/videos/world/2013/05/13/ab-bourdain-parts-unknown-hashish-morocco.cnn
That and Moroccan chocolate made from the best tricomes.
Great stuff KP what a night out Monday will be. Probably need it after the Newcastle Sunday game.
The late great Anthony Bourdain. No one did ennui and cynicism quite like him. Yeah, one of the attractions of Spain is it’s accessibility to N Africa. Another destination on my list despite being less than impressed with a whistle stop tour around Tangier many years ago. My mate swears by the authenticity of Rabat rather than marrakech and casablanca. I don’t know if you were a fan of 60s enfant terrible playwright Joe Orton but his diaries retelling his time in Morocco with his boyfriend (and ultimately his murderer) Ken Halliwell and dear old Kenneth Williams made for entertaining if at times disturbing reading… Carry on spiffing and molesting!
Tony
I’m chancing it a bit, but I think we’ll beat the barcodes. They’ll attack and leave gaps. Their fans won’t tolerate home shit-housing although as a small mentality club they’ll do it away if needs be. Pumpkin needs to do us all proud before he ups sticks and moves home with your daughter.
KP
Been playing this in my room and it never gets old.
Bridges to Bremen https://g.co/kgs/K1nHaU
Just talking to Junior where junior was unsure of Zaha working out for us because of his personality being too big for Arteta to handle. My input was if Zaha hits the ground running and being the impetus for getting us points Arteta will be promoting Zaha’s larger than life persona telling others’ to be more like him.
However, it will always be a thin line between Arteta & Zaha where things could go south very quickly as Zaha if nothing else if outspoken.
From online it’s looking like Arteta’s got a 6-player wish list.
Finally, whether Patino is ready to make the step up at this stage of his development is unclear with mixed reports from his Blackpool loan. Apparently, Ferdinand has Patino signed to his agency with this to say:
“Ferdinand has a vested interest in Patino’s progress, given he signed up to his New Era agency last year. And the England icon believes his move to the Championship has paid dividends.”
Junior said we’ll probably see Patino at Manure in a couple of seasons.
Tony-I’ve got to agree with Junior on the Zaha front and not just because of the obvious personality clash, but likewise from a positional sense, as he plays primarily out wide left and he certainly wouldn’t be signing up simply to be a periphery player behind Marts, especially at this point in his career…just imagine how much of a locker room headache he would be if he wasn’t getting significant minutes…personally I don’t rate him enough to even put out any feelers…I think the only reason he would appeal to our management team is the fact that he’s on an expiring contract and we both know MA loves him some free transfers…problem is they aren’t free, as we tend to pay through the nose from both a wage and term perspective, and we can’t afford to have another aging luxury piece on the wage bill for the next 2 or 3+ years
talk today seemed to be focused on supposed Rice alternatives, which seems like a classic Arsenal maneuver, talk about a 80-100M player then pay over the number for a 20-30M underwhelming project…right now Zubimendi appears to be front and center…I’ve seen him play a handful or so matches for Sociedad and I do like what I’ve seen, but not convinced that he can handle the rigors of the PL…I find it difficult to judge players from LIga in the last couple of seasons as I think the level of play has drastically dipped, which doesn’t mean he’s a fraudulent option, it just means I would tread very carefully…not to mention he appears to be more of a Partey replacement option than a Xhaka one
the others being discussed are Valencia’s Musah, who’s release clause is ridiculous and that team has been an unmitigated shit show this season…his release clause is 86M and his market value is 22M, which speaks volumes…I get that he’s a former academy player and only 20, but that means jackshit to me, as he’s not ready to be the kind of seminal player we desperately need…there’s also talk about Southampton’s Lavia, Mount and Caicedo, the latter of whom is the only real logical consideration, as he’s readymade and positionally versatile…furthermore, he would functionally guarantee the end of the Xhaka era
I’m starting to get the sense that we might be attempting to rebuild our midfield engine room, which is a very appealing proposition, albeit a scary one too…if we were to try and recoup something for Partey, then sold off the seemingly unselectable ESR and our purchases weren’t spot on, we could be left relying too heavily on players the likes of Vieira, Elneny and Lokonga, which could be an unmitigated disaster…of course, I’m assuming that Xhaka is on his way elsewhere, but with this management lot I wouldn’t be surprised if that two-time wantaway git was starting week one…fact remains this has to be a summer of seminal-level moves, if not I’m top 4 won’t be a forgone conclusion this time next season
on a bit of a side note, there was some talk again about the possibility of Raphina being on our radar, with the thought that maybe Saka would give way out wide right and instead play along side Ode, which seems a bit far-fetched…I’m sure Saka can play just about anywhere and perform at an exceedingly high level, but why would you move someone who’s been far more productive in order to accommodate a less effective player…Cheers
if not top 4…
TRVL
“but why would you move someone who’s been far more productive in order to accommodate a less effective player”
Exactly, the point about Arteta and his galaxy football brain.
Junior is making sense with his football talk and playing football manager, he’s my stat man during games. He’s got his ipad on the go during games giving stats; it’s a fun way to watch and learn about football.
Junior thinks Newcastle and Howe will take the points Sunday where I sadly feel he could well be right with a new CB pairing.
Way to go Arteta.
TRVL & KP
Well, both interested parties blinked first over the last few days, so MrsT and I will be meeting both companies in Europe and America, in June for negotiations and pre meeting holidays.
It’s a big step in the right direction for our French adventure, so naturally we’re all very happy.
See the bin Dippers have just brought out their new kit at £75 a shirt. I mean that’s a lot of hub caps.
Congratulations Tony to you and the boss (Mrs T)! The virtues of patience, holding your collective nerves and having confidence in what you’re selling. I’m pleased for you both.
I’d be interested to hear more about junior’s statistical analysis of the barcodes game and why we might lose. I tend to think that with the pressure off, Arsenal is capable of beating anyone (except the cheating oily bastards) in a one-off game. Junior obviously favours empirical science over the superstitious hoodoo of the creed of Pumpkinism and his vacant pelotas. The lad will go far!
Tony-great to hear that things are trending in the right direction…fingers-crossed you can get things over the line in a somewhat timely manner…have a good one
Thanks KP. Now the fun begins.
Junior says that Newcastle have a height advantage for corners and set pieces, especially is Gabriel is out leaving Kiwior and Holding as an untested pairing. He adds that it depends who plays midfield for us, but is thinking it will be the dynamic pivot of Xhaka and Jorginho and Ode who won’t get the time he likes on the ball.
Our young sage says Willock and Guimares will be too quick and our weakness will be on our left side. Zinchenko is a poor defender and will also succumb to Newcastle’s press. Joelinton’s move to midfield and coming from deeper positions has been his making. Junior spotted this last time we watched the Geordies. Junior feels Joeliton’s presence outside and inside the box will be too much for Holding.
When you add Amiron, Murphy, the mesmerizing runs of Isak on the left and with Gordon covering every blade picking Xhaka’s pockets, we will tire and eventually get overrun.
On top of that the road runner Saint – Maximin who confuses everyone including himself at top speed will be looking to be an impact sub.
Zirconia Eye Junior – Diamond Eye’s future successor says that’s how he sees it, and if you put money on it, he can’t be held responsible being a minor.