Well, we are into another international break and I have lost count of it now. As a neutral, I find it frustrating but I do understand that some of us loves to see our country play. And to go into a 2 weeks break after sharing points with Chelsea and ranking 4th on the table isn’t a good sight for us. Chelsea under Maresca has improved but not enough to beat us at home. In fact, we should have taken all 3 points and it feels like a loss.
We have had a fit playing XI. Odegaard was back into the team, we had our usual back 4 and a front 3 of Saka, Havertz and Martinelli. Chelsea dominated us for the first 25 min where David Raya had to make a brilliant save for a long distance shot from Cole Palmer. In 24th minutes, Gusto wasn’t able to put the ball in the nets from a close range header which should he should have been. Neto’s cross was brilliant, Ben White wasn’t bold him to move closer to him and in a way let him make space for himself to put a cross. We finally managed to put some pressure when a poor pass from a Chelsea defender was blocked by Saka and Odegaard took the ball, passed it back to Saka who then took a shot which was blocked. Martinelli got the ball from that block but wasn’t able to get pass Sanchez. In fact, it wasn’t the very best of his attempt, was on a perfect height for the GK and he didn’t have to move to his left or right. Not good enough.
Havertz scored within some min but it was offside. In the second half, Martinelli finally scored from a similar angle to the one he missed earlier. Much much better and we only had to get through 30 odd minutes to win. Even though Odegaard gets the assist, it was Thomas Partey’s brilliance. Timber tried a long range shot in 65th minute which was a bit wide. Why was he trying to shoot when both Havertz and Saka were in good places to receive the ball – I don’t know. Neto levelled the score for Chelsea and we couldn’t have done anything about it. It was a great goal, similar to what we have seen from Odegaard in the past. Nothing exciting in those minutes.
Right, that was the Chelsea game.
This draw came on the back of a 1-0 loss against Inter Milan in Champions League, a 1-0 loss against Newcastle, a 2-2 draw at home to Liverpool and a 2-0 loss to Bournemouth at home when Saliba picked a red card. These results are not enough to panic (just yet), but there has been some lacking in consistency and poor managerial decisions that could have made it better for us.
Lets talk about the players first. We had some injuries, Odegaard’s absence affected the game, Martinelli is on a poor form (still one of my favorites in the team), Trossard/Saliba had a brain fart which costed us the Liverpool game, Declan Rice had one earlier against Brighton (1-1, 2 points dropped), Trossard against Man City (2-2, against 2 points dropped). I have been vocal about the refereeing decisions going against us, but we are talking about the players who are probably in 1% of football players around the world, and they couldn’t concentrate enough to not get a silly red card for kicking the ball away? Ok, refs are not blowing whistle for other teams, but you can’t kick the ball away it’s in the rulebook.
Martinelli and Trossard are out of form. Both of them shouldn’t be on the pitch at the same time. Merino gets tired after 60 minutes, Ben White wasn’t brave enough to stop Neto for that cross and there has been other incidents. Only Saka and Partey are putting up the fights so far. The less we talk about Havertz, the better. Talking about ‘this might be the year we win’ doesn’t get you trophy. You need to put your mind and body on the line without thinking about what happens tomorrow. If you are in red and white, and has a cannon on the chest, you need to show that you earned it – every goddamn minute.
Now, lets talk about the manager. I am okay with Mikel’s infatuations towards defenders as long as we don’t neglect other areas of the pitch. But we have done exactly that. Going for two competitions at once with only 1 attacking midfielder will cost you. Odegaard is brilliant when fit, but we didn’t have a back up. Ok, we had, but we sold one of those to Fulham and loaned another one (Vieira) without bringing any like-for-like player.
This was highlighted before the season started and some of the news outlets confirmed that the club and the manager sees Nwaneri as a back up and they are not actively looking for a replacement. Guess what, Nwaneri is playing Carabao cup games and Mikel feels putting 3 DMs (Rice, Partey, Merino) in the midfield is better than giving him a chance in PL / CL. First, you didn’t have a competition / rotation to Odegaard. Second, let go off 2 players which were closest to play in that position. Third, you are hesitant in trying a 17-year old that might do the job.
And if I remember correctly, we paid 65 million for Kai Havertz because he was a versatile player who can play in the midfield and as a CF. We didn’t see him the midfield and he isn’t really doing much up top. We needed a proper CF, not another Gabriel Jesus.
Careful what you wish for. We were asking Wenger to stop neglecting defence and he would still go with 7 attacking players. The football was great but we would often lose. Now, we have a manager who can hold off City to a 2-2 at their home with 10 players and loves hoarding defenders. The football has gotten boring and we don’t get to see any of the Sanchez/ Wilshere like goals. Martinelli fits in that profile, but he hugs the sideline like his life depends on it.
We needed a blend, we got the opposite of what we had. City’s loss to Bournemouth is keeping us in the fight, Liverpool is leading but they will have bad days and I still feel it will come down to Arsenal v City at the end. We are still in the Champions League, not doing great but not as bad as some other teams.
Lets hope Mikel learns, unlike Wenger. I would love to hear your say in the comments.
Cheers.
Madhu—this whole tin foil hat-induced conspiratorial nonsense has been bandied about for almost two decades now…it’s origins date back to when Wenger was looking for a viable scapegoat following our move to the Emirates and subsequent downturn of sorts…it only makes sense that MA, who experienced that orchestrated campaign firsthand, would lean into the very same narrative everytime things went awry, as he knows full-well that there will always be a receptive audience…hopefully this most recent incident involving Klopp’s Pool will prove that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side…maybe this will help to curtail all this wag the dog bullshit so MA can focus all his energy on how we can win on the pitch and not in the “funny” pages
Madhu
Agree with all comments above and was pretty vocal about it on LG. My maxim is it all evens out over time. VAR is getting better as is the general ref standards this season who have had new rules to implement, where probably the biggest complaint is consistency not the rule enforcements to the letter of the law.
In an article regarding potential Edu replacements, which now appears to include Lever’s Simon Rolfes, Monaco’s Thiago Scuro, Merts and the previously mentioned Rosicky, I was rather taken aback when I read the following excerpt:
“The structure of the sporting director role at Arsenal could also see changes. It is expected that the next sporting director will focus primarily on men’s first-team matters, while Per Mertesacker and Claire Wheatley will continue in their respective roles overseeing the academy and women’s team”
if this is to be believed, it would appear as if at least one individual in a position of power hasn’t been a big fan of MA’s recruitment practices…why else would you modify that particular job description…as more information emerges regarding Edu’s exodus you start to get the impression that he wasn’t pleased by his lack of input when it came to the senior side, especially as it pertained to the last couple windows…so instead of doubling-down on an unchecked MA, it looks as if they just might actually bring an adult into the room…here’s hoping that they follow through on that notion and don’t simply go through the motions then opt for a toothless “yes” man
Rolfes is an interesting candidate, as I’ve liked some of his more recent recruitment choices, especially in his sweet spot, pre-peak 23 and under players (most notably Wirtz, Diaby, Tapsoba, Frimprong and Boniface)…of course I’m not pumped by his close connection to a couple underwhelming Arsenal recruits, like Xhaka and Havertz, but at least the latter was at his footballing best on Rolfes’ watch…plus, from a style of play standpoint, I have liked what he and Xavi have done together in a relatively brief period
As Arsenal aren’t playing today lads, everyone has to get prayer mats, Joss sticks, wax voodoo effigies, sacred cows 🐄, Uri Geller fork bending techniques out for a Haverfordwest County Welsh Cup victory today against lower league Ammanford (Rhydaman). But I take no responsibility for any family members getting annoyed if you fuck up all of the cutlery. 🍴🍴🍴
I’m learning Welsh (Cymraeg) at the moment. So try this…Dydd Sadwrn dw i’n mind I Rhydaman gwylio gem pel-droedd.
KP all the best mate for the Welsh cup. The only Welsh I know is Araf which is written across all roads in Wales.
KP
I’ll get Pumpkin on the case…Have a god one..
Sounds like a really nice young lad. Hope he does well for us…
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/arsenal-alexei-rojas-sustainability-campaigning-34112641
Thanks lads. Game finished 1-1. County dominated and played much the better football but didn’t take their chances. Rhydaman equalised with 10 minutes left and it went to pens (no extra time nor replays). County went behind in the penalty shoot out but then Rhydaman missed. 21 attempts later, their GK blazed it over the bar and we won 10-9. Fucking mad day and a shit load of fun. 5 quid entry fee for nearly 3 hours of classic cup action. Great day.
Hoping for another away day in the next round.
Madhu
Now that you know ‘araf’ you should enjoy some accident free driving in Cymru. 😄
Which places have you visited and what did you think of them? You can be honest – I’m not Welsh!
My Saturday was just glorious, two absolutely fantastic Autumn Nations Rugby matches. England v South Africa at Twickenham, but the most thrilling one France v New Zealand in Paris. The stadium was sold out and what an atmosphere the 82,000 created. It made the boring Nations League and the manufactured Arsenal news irrelevant. Tomorrow Wales v Australia not as an exciting match but better then the other shit that is on the telly.
KP
Pens must have been squeaky bum time. Really happy for you all. The rugby was good yesterday I caught this morning but as always bored with the international football.
KP that was a long time back in 2001 during my first visit to England. Did some canoeing and saw some places. Very nice place with fantastic nature bounties. Lately I travel to Newport as one of our customer has office there. Haven’t seen much places though.
Nice one Madhu.
Newport is possibly one of the ugliest, dreariest places in Wales. And Newport County and their miserable stadium is not the best place to watch lower league footie. But it’s conveniently reached from the west midlands, I will say that!
If you haven’t yet been, and you’re able to get tickets, Molineux is a fantastic place and the Hawthorns and Villa Park aren’t too far behind. St Andrews less so in my view.
Maybe that canoeing trip was near Hay-on-Wye. Lovely place, also full of really great bookshops if you’re a big reader. And not too far from Hereford, which is cider country. 🍏🍏🍺🍺
Really not much news barring the search for Edu’s replacement. Giberto Silva working for Panathinaikos is one such name being touted about, as is Luis Campos currently with Barca.
Really like Silva as the brilliant unsung hero player, but no idea if he has the nous for a top PL club. Campos has had a great career, but can he still do the job and why leave Barca? I’m not that up on TD’s and DoFs.
From the Mirror it said that MA, Garlick and Lewes have flown to meet the Kroenkes to plan for Edu’s replacement.
Considering how unbalanced our squad is and the poor additions who not only don’t move the needle but sends it backwards, why would MA need to be there? All the owners need are names MA wants and Arteta should be with the squad preparing to turn things round from out current table positional malaise.
it all sounds like Wenger 2.0 where MA interviews his boss, as Wenger was reported to have done with Gazidis.
When you add that we’re way off challenging this season when we should be sitting in top spot after coming 2nd twice – all the past evidence points towards our TW dealings as being why we have won nothing.
5 years of nothing but process and look at how we have improved? Now we are improving our reversing down the table skills, which we have honed into a fine art from capitulating 3 seasons in a row.
Now we are capitulating before Xmas and MA it seems is still an important cog in the TW.
Why is that possible?KP, Madhu, Marc, TRVL and others? Am I wrong here?
Anyone got thoughts on this?
Tony – Iam with you on this, the whole squad is lopsided with defensive minded players with not enough flair players probably in the same mold as the manager himself. We need someone who can be the check and balance person in the complete setup. It has be someone who has had experience in managing big clubs and overseeing multiple squad builds. Someone with the gravitas that MA will find hard to ignore. But MA should not be picking up that person. Whatever happened with Edu in a way its good that he left. Looks like he had to take the fall for 5 yrs of spending without trophy. MA seems to have survived this round since he is more savvy than Edu, thats how i see it as.
The next guy who takes over from Edu would fully know the dynamics here and MA’s relationship with the owners and would be careful while negotiating his role. The next few years would be crucial for MA and any more trophy less years, his neck would be online. Hopefully we get an experienced Director who can apply the requisite check and balance on MA. I also hope that Per as Academy boss has a bit more power and influence over MA in integrating Academy players into first team. Arsenal is probably the only club who would let a ESR leave and then get Sterling on loan. Very bizarre decision indeed, one that as any DoF worth his salt should have stopped.
I echo your thoughts Madhu. The biggest metric missing in our club is accountability. MA doesn’t appear to be accountable for anything, where his constant bizarre excuses are believed every time, where at other big clubs he would have been seen as a failure as Emery was after one season, and unceremoniously dispatched. Five years on Emery is doing a good job with Villa being in the CL at his first attempt when Villa before were in a bad place.
The new DoF/TD and MA need to be held fully accountable to their briefs and targets.
Pep’s signed a new deal with City and it looks like our injury list isn’t as bad as others…..
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-14100153/Premier-League-club-affected-injuries-Man-City-Arsenal.html?ico=topics_pagination_desktop
Just think if MA concentrated on the actual game’s tactics and winning instead of stupid mind games…
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-14101693/Oleksandr-Zinchenko-reveals-trick-Arsenal-boss-Mikel-Arteta.html?ico=topics_pagination_desktop
I can’t even be bothered to add words on the above other than no wonder we are PL trophy less…..
I don’t have a lot of time today so will just add any important links on our players, such as RM & PSG duking it out over Saliba.
What do we think Saliba will be gone in the summer? Willie hasn’t been at his best this season, which is not surprising with him being center of the transfer window attention.
https://www.footballtransfers.com/en/transfer-news/uk-premier-league/2024/11/arsenal-transfer-news-real-madrid-william-saliba
Finally, this from Justarsenal.com
“While Real Madrid’s reputation for winning trophies could appeal to any player, Arsenal appears committed to convincing Saliba that his ambitions can be fulfilled at the Emirates. With long-term investment in their squad and manager Mikel Arteta’s vision for the future, Arsenal aims to become a consistent competitor for silverware, which could satisfy Saliba’s hunger for success.”
MA’s vision of the future? Players keep turning him down!
WTF is his vision now? – The same boring right sided centric attack supported by risk adverse tactics?
What was his vision when capitulating for the last 3 seasons?
What was MA’s TW vision when spending £800m?
I guess that is a fanboy blog….. MA can do no wrong…… Reality hurts their MA sensibilities too much