We started our FA cup campaign in the third round and lost to Manchester United on the penalties. We did last a bit longer in Carabao Cup and reached to semi-finals when Newcastle thrashed us over 2 legs with a 4-0 aggregate. We simply didn’t have an answer to the Eddie Howe’s plan and Isak’s pace.
In the Premier League, we are sitting on 67 points with 3 games in hand. Liverpool has already won it and we will most likely finish in the top 4. We have finished 2nd in previous seasons consecutively and this would be the third time when we lacked that extra push to lift the trophy. I will talk about that extra push a little bit later.
Champions League provided some relief. I am contended with our run, PSG were simply brilliant over 2 legs and losing to them doesn’t bring any shame. The players will have more experience going into the big games and we will do better next time.
Positives, first. We are a serious team and we can beat anyone on a given day. We have a bunch of world class players who are still young enough to improve and get us some money if they decide to move on. Good for the business, good for the football. We made it to the semi-finals in two of the competitions, and we kept Liverpool on toes for almost 30 weeks. Anything can happen in a penalty shootout, so I will not give much importance to the FA cup defeat.
The players we have? Saka, Martinelli, Saliba, Gabriel M, Timber, MLS, Calafiori, White, Rice, Havertz, Odegaard (half-heartedly tbf)! All of them are on the positive side of their age and all of them are committed to win trophies at Arsenal.
Negatives? We won fuck-all again! The only ones who remembers when you come second are your wife and your dog (probably why we got win-the dog at Emirates). It’s not the FA cup or the Champions League that has rattled me.
Carabao Cup game against Newcastle was a failure from the manager. Over 2 legs, he couldn’t figure out a way to deal with their pace and counter attack.
We were sitting 2nd, very close to Liverpool in December. Everyone and their landlady knew we needed to sign someone who can score goals. Watkins was thrown at us for 60m, and we ignored it. We brought no one, when we were suffering from injuries and lack of goalscoring. It was the manager, the club and Kroenke’s because if you can’t see what’s in front of your eyes, you are either blind or you don’t want to. We needed a push and Watkins or a Gyokeres could have got us that.
Next, some of the football we are playing is very one-directional and boring. Sideways and back passes in the name of possession percentage is not good. Football is a robust game, let the players shine by not sticking them to the side line (Martinelli comes to my mind) and by not letting them express themselves (we saw what Declan Rice can do with those free kicks).
Next, we need improvements in some positions and we need to stop ignoring a CF signing. Scoring goals win you games. We did score a lot of them, spread among the Marts, Saka, Havertz, Trossard etc but you know what was the difference between us and Liverpool? Salah scored 28 goals, and won a handful of games for Liverpool on his own. We don’t do that here at Arsenal.
—
How to fix this?
Be more direct, develop a fall back plan when your usual strategy do not work, bring in a CF and a midfielder, rotate when playing 2 games a week because the likes of MLS can do better than Calafiori and Zinchenko, and get an Odegaard’s competition. As simple as that.
Right, we have a game today against Liverpool. India-UK have worked on a trade deal and that could bring Guinesse here, so I won’t complain much if we lose.
Hope you are doing well, see you during the game.
nice try little guy, you know full-well what I was driving at…the manner in which you operate is giving off a real MA PR minion vibe…level up or steer clear…maybe it’s time for your appointed guardian to iron your big boy pants
Wicksy
You’re the one celebrating failure by not demanding Arteta is sacked now – how many times does he have to fuck up?
TRVL
“the manner in which you operate is giving off a real MA PR minion vibe”
Maybe you should explain the “vibe” you are giving off with your “little guy, big boy pants” comment
Obviously you are desperate to be portrayed as a poor man’s simon Jordan , and to be honest you are succeeding, who else would utter the words ” big boy pants” and want to be taken seriously.
Capacho
Reason I go only for pedigree GSD. They have class unlike stray mongrels who creep back on and on after a kick up their backside.
big ups Hoopah…it’s like shooting fish in a barrel
Madrid are going for Dean Huijsen, as they think William Saliba is unaffordable at this stage. We will hsee Saliba in red and white for few more seasons. Must be a relief to Arteta to deal with one less problem.
Zubimendi is almost a done deal. Thomas Partey is fine with a 2 year deal (or 1+1), so that midfield is going to be okay. I wanted Partey to stay and see that transition.
Zinchenko, Kiwior will leave and so does Tierney, so it’s all Cala and MLS in that position but we would need a CB back up to Gabriel and Saliba. We were also checking Dein but seems he wants the Madrid move.
If you ask me, I will not let Kiwior go, he did well in CL run and can play at LB if the need be. Tomiyasu will be back before the human civilization ends, so yeah.
LW – we still got Trossard and Martinelli competing. But we seriously need a CF, a propa one this time. Nwaneri and Odegaard will compete, but what happens with Havertz and Merino with Declan Rice playing that advance role when Partey or Zubimendi pivots the midfield? I have no idea.. it’s still not late to recoup some of that Havertz or Merino money.
You know what? Why don’t we keep Nwaneri as a back up / rotation to Saka (we will have enough games) and get a physical, proven competition to Odegaard? I have no idea about the options but we need an upgrade on him.
Xavi Simons is available for 75m Euros. 22 year old, an attacking midfielder and can play on wings, has got 9 goals and 7 assists in 24 Bundesliga games – would be a perfect addition.
Huijsen could be a Saliba replacement. Who would buy Havertz – we couldnt even loan him to another club with AFC paying his wages.
If Zubi’s coming in, Partey needs to go…it’s not as if I have anything against him, but there’s no way any contract he would covet could be justified, especially if he’s simply becoming the functional Jorginho replacement, and the likelihood of him having back-to-back injury-free seasons is slim to none…I get the lure of retaining him though, in that we won’t get anything from him moving on, as he’s on a free, and he’s well-versed in the MA system, but we need to force our lame-ass Manager out of his comfort zone on multiple positional fronts…if we don’t think Zubi can get the job done after stalking him for 2 fucking years, then he shouldn’t be purchsed in the first place
purchased
Having a player on £200k per week (or more) as back up is the mindset of Football Manager – in the real world paying someone £10 million a year to be backup is madness.
So I’d say there’s at least an 80% chance Arteta will do it.
We can only look at keeping Saliba on if he signs a new contract – letting get down to a year would be really stupid.
Of course if Saliba won’t sign they’d be a limited amount of interest from serious options.
If only we had a manager who wasn’t a complete cunt who’d won some titles making players desperate to stay.
Marc—I would be surprised if Real made a concerted push for Saliba unless he demanded a move or refused to re-up, as they have a young, talented RCB in Ascensio, whereas Huijsen is a logical Rudiger replacement…Real doesn’t make a habit of paying top dollar for talent nowadays, as players will do whatever it takes to help facilitate a move there for the lowest possible price…meanwhile, MA has to pay well-above the number to entice players here and even then most reject his advances regardless of the potential financial windfall…let’s face it there wasn’t a single team in the footballing world, including those in the Saudi League, who would have paid what we did for Havertz, especially considering his ludicrous wage demands
I’ve gone from watching Charlton beating Wycombe to book a play off final spot (awful stuff,great result) to Barcelona playing Espanyol(looks like Barca going to win the title). Yamal’s goal was just sublime. There is no-one on the planet near him at the moment. Pedri is also exceptional to watch.
Made me think about what we watch week in week out. We pay hundreds of thousands of pounds a week ( a bloody week!) to players who give us football that would embarass Joe Kinnear. Surely to God someone in the club is telling Arteta that buying an actual footballer at some stage might placate the frustrated fans. Nope. Let’s buy another dm. Zubi might be good but nobody I know is paying to watch him. Where the hell is the entertainment coming from?
I’m not going to list the beautiful footballers I’ve seen over the decades in an Arsenal shirt,we all know who they are. But I will ask what players Arteta has bought that entertain,create,excite?
And if you think that Gyokeres or Sesko are the answer I think you’ll be very disappointed. Functional and efficient are the words I’d use to describe them. Perhaps they can reach higher levels but under Arteta’s coaching? I doubt it.
My gripe is really that a false narrative surrounds Arteta that he has moved us on. He hasn’t . Wenger could improve players and attract top talent. He was just too stubborn and mean to shell out the money meaning that transfer windows were frustrating to say the least. Now we’re back there again. Arteta won’t buy or can’t attract the best players. He doesn’t make players better. He pays a fortune in fees and wages for good but not great players. There is a strong sense that the most exciting players in the world don’t see him as a coach they can flourish under. So we’re back in transfer limbo again. Go get a Cunha or an Eze or an Isak and we can talk again. But Zubi? Sorry I just don’t get it.
I watched the same games last night Almunia and remembered your vicarious connection with the boys from Floyd Road. Great to see Charlton fans have something to celebrate after many years of slow decline. The Valley was properly rocking too. They might swap divisions with Cardiff who were woeful all season. A terribly run club considering their size and history. Another owner who should definitely fuck right off. I couldn’t see him through the smoke but I bet Alan Curbishley had a top night.
Barca v Espanyol. The second time in 3 years Barca have won the title at their intercity rivals’ ground. Highly political derby that one. That red card was really soft but the die was cast by then.
My thoughts are on Sunday now and County’s game with Caernarfon. Really hoping the boys can win so I can see some smiles on the faces of mates and have a few drinks afterwards. I’m getting a bit ahead of myself though because Caernarfon are a team of fighters.
I guess it’s about time the GAA is coming to a crescendo.
Curbs is a regular on CATV these days KP, he looks like he hasn’t aged a day. Revered down at the Valley he is proof that the manager of the club makes all the difference and when you get a bad one you’re screwed (Ian Dowie,I’m looking at you).
What is Yamal worth? How could you measure that? I remember your abhorrence of Barcelona but they don’t half give their fans proper football to watch. They want to win and play thrilling football. (I know they’re willing to break every one of the ten commandments to do it but I still envy what their fans are given to watch,hence last night’s rant!).
I’ve been keeping an eye on County all season,good luck on Sunday,it would be a brilliant way to finish the season. Some of the League of Ireland clubs have been having extended runs in Europe lately(relatively speaking), would be lovely to see a Welsh team do something similar. I’ll always remember Wrexham’s run to the quarters of the cup winner’s cup,fairytale stuff.
GAA is up and running again but Wexford are already out and Mayo are doing Mayo things! I often wonder if I started life over would I change my sporting loyalties? Couldn’t be less successful really. I let my young lad go his own way,he’s become a Man City fan( I know,I know). I just couldn’t fight him on it when he could see how much I hated Arteta over the last few years. We went over to see City v Newcastle at Easter, he is hooked now and there’s nothing I can do! My daughter is a gooner,has her Katie McCabe kits and at least the women’s team are doing well. But when we go out to watch the Arsenal games in the pub she inevitably comes home heartbroken so I’ve no regrets that my young lad didn’t choose that path. I’ve promised to bring her to a game next season but it’s very difficult to get tickets to the Emirates, getting them for the Etihad was a doddle. I’ll sort something out anyway. I’d better put this phone down and get to work,hope everyone is well.
Almunia
Arteta doesn’t want “footballers” in the mould of someone who will express themselves or be creative he wants robots who will follow his instructions to the letter.
The criticism of him last week (I think it was from Schmeichel but there’s a few dissenting voices appearing) about him micro managing and holding the team back were spot on. Martinelli’s development has gone backwards under Arteta, Saka’s improved despite him not because of him and Ode looks a shadow of the player he was a couple of seasons ago.
Almunia
“I’ve promised to bring her to a game next season but it’s very difficult to get tickets to the Emirates,”
A few months ago if you put a ticket up on exchange it went no problem (sometimes in a handful of minutes) lately they aren’t always selling.
Marc,
That’s the conclusion I’ve come to aswell which means that it’s not a question of Arteta learning on the job. Nor is it about luck. Or PGMOL. Or better players. Or any other factor. This is how Arteta manages,how he wants Arsenal to play,the type of football he’s committed to. And it’s awful. Why can’t the fans see that?
You can play the Wimbledon, Stoke,Bolton way if you have no money to buy or pay the best players but you can’t spend and pay millions and still justify producing the sterile shite we are subjected to.
Surely the Arsenal fans who are old enough to have seen us play pre Wenger’s breakdown know that they are being served mutton dressed as lamb? I don’t understand it.
And another thing that people don’t seem to understand. Players like Saliba and Saka are now negotiating new 300k+ contracts to add to existing high earners like Rice and Havertz. These are elite wages paid only to players at the elite level. You cannot have players on those wages and claim paucity. Even if the Kroenkes didn’t give Arteta a penny more to spend the fact that they are paying those astronomical wages and supporting his judgement that these players deserve this money means that they already are backing him to the hilt. How many other managers in the prem are allowed to pay these wages to multiple players? By the way,whatever the answer to that question is,that’s how many clubs Arteta is realistically competing against. Not 20. 5 or 6. And when you’re in a 5/6 horse race every year and you never win it,you’ve got to go. You haven’t made progress. And you’re costing a fortune. And you’re splitting the fan base. And you’re an arrogant man with no justification for said arrogance. OK,I’m done for now……I think.