Yep, there’s still 12 games to play and Liverpool are ‘just’ 8 points ahead with their next 2 games against City and Newcastle. Yep, they can faulter towards the end when VVD, Salah, Trent would have in mind to end the season injury free for their final pay checks. Yep, West Ham can do to them at Anfield what they did to us at Emirates. Nothing is absolute except two thing – We will fuck up again & Mikel will fuck up again. So yeah, get over with it and enjoy the rest of the season without any hopes and Champions League run while it lasts.
Liverpool dropped points against Aston Villa, and in a game at home against West Ham – who were 17th before the game – we were expected to win and close that gap. With City and Newcastle next, Liverpool can drop more points and we could have taken advantage of it. But hey, we don’t do that here. You drop 2 points, we drop 3 and we let you take the title home. We have been very consistent in throwing it away, doing it the third time now in last 3 seasons.
Lets get back to the game. We started the game with a midfielder as a striker. We substituted a midfielder with a left back who can’t get into the team even AS A LEFT BACK. With 1-0 down and 10 minutes left on the clock, we were craving for a goal so we bring in Raheem Sterling – who has scored exactly zero goals and assisted just one in 294 minutes in 11 games, 4 of which he started; Sterling, who plays in the front line but has twice the amount of back passes than passes forward in red and white shirt.
This is only from the West Ham game. Lets not forget that Thomas Partey – one of the best DMs out there – started as a RB in multiple games. When Odegaard was out-injured, we were playing with 3 DMs midfield – Partey, Rice, Merino.
So, we have spent north of 700m Great British Pound, and there were 3 positions where we didn’t have players. Also, I am totally ignoring that Odegaard needed to be subbed at half time and we didn’t have anyone on the bench to replace him with. No wonder we are only the second best from 3 seasons in a row now, and no wonder we have fucked up when it has mattered the most.
Lets get to the dumb part of all of this.
Everyone, including me who doesn’t know shit about football management and only been watching football for about 15 years, were calling out that we need reinforcements in the front line. Havertz hardly won us a game on his own but even if he was the Benzema of Arsenal, we needed his back up. We also needed a Xhaka’s replacement, a box to box midfielder who is more attacking minded, because our left side was disjointed and we were attacking from the right for like 100 games now.
When Declan Rice was brought in, everyone thought he was a like for like replacement of Thomas Partey, but the latter decided to not give up and kept his position. Mikel, in an attempt to prove himself right, gave Declan the left side attacking midfield role. Mikel, to accommodate another of his poor signings, moved Havertz up top and totally forgot to bring a specialist. He let Eddie Nketiah go, he paid Aubameyang to leave but didn’t get anybody. He brought in Mikel Merino and things got even more complicated for him because he had to accommodate his third signing, what did he do? He put Thomas Partey at RB, played Rice as DM, Merino as LCM, and Havertz up top. That’s 4D chess, and all of it to lose games.
What could have been done?
Again, I’m just stating the obvious. Only one of Declan Rice and Thomas Partey should start a game. Ollie Watkins was available for 60m and could have done the job for 2 seasons, we should have paid. Havertz should have been put back in the midfield to compete with Merino. We should have got a competition to Odegaard and let Nwaneri and Trossard back up for Saka and Martinelli. Gabriel Jesus and Zinchenko should have been sold. Tierney should have been sold. If you can’t find a good competition to Odegaard, you should have called Vieira back. MLS is keeping Calafiori, Zinchenko away from the starting line up, there’s was no point in trying Thomas Partey at RB when you could have just trusted him and put Timber on the right side. Nwaneri was the answer when you were playing 3 DMs in the midfield.
What can you do now?
Nothing. We have lost it this season. For the next one, stop trying square peg in a round hole. Here’s a bitter truth if you are reading this Mikel – I will prefer Wenger’s attacking football over your JDP shit if it means doing enough to finish in top 4. You were brought to win us trophy, and it has been 6 years and 700m GBP. I don’t care if we haven’t lost a game against top 6 in last 30 matches if we can’t beat West Ham and Villa at home when it matters.
Champions League – round of 16 – an easy one but I don’t have much hopes after that too. We pick ourselves up again in the summer and we start again, but let me tell you we will win nothing without a striker, without a Odegaard’s improvement, with Thomas Partey at RB, with Declan Rice as an attacking midfielder, with Havertz up top and with your controlling nature. Oh, and you don’t win trophies from corners.
Over to you guys.
Yep pretty much sums it up the only thing you left off was as well as spending north of £700 odd million Arteta inherited Saka, Saliba and Martinelli.
He also inherited some other decent players whose value he has destroyed.
He’s been an incredibly expensive waste of time.
Solution is simple. Culled from 6 years of falling short, abysmally the first 3 years.
LET GO OF elb™ . It will be much cheaper than another 200 million team buildup.
We will be able to develop and profit from our Academy kids.
Like Saka, Nwari, Skelly who we have , that is a massive talent.
Like ESR, Ballogun , Kiddo whom we let go so El B does not need to explain, damn it, that is a massive loss , which can be gauged as we try to purchase replacements.
#ArtetaOut
No goals from corners they have dried up.
Never in a million years will come close to scoring from an indirect free kick. Hell we won’t even get over the wall. Open play is all rigid backwards and sidewards with no one ready to play through the center. Nobody makes runs , dribbles with the ball takes on defenders. Ode just keep playing the same passes very orchestrated with defenders being able to defend eyes closed.
On the other end one decent counter and a cross is enough to open our defence. Rice is utterly useless and doesn’t know what he needs to do. If we are not in shambles I don’t know what is not. MA copied Pep and both of them are in a crises due to their extremely regimented constipated football. It’s the worst football that I have watched Arsenal play in all 25 yes I watched us
Only 5 or so minutes in but City are playing with much more zip than they did mid week.
The fuckers will go and beat City now we lost to West Ham.
Arteta you really are a cunt.
And then City pull a City and concede.
Ambarish—some good points without your oft-times glass half full sugarcoating, which speaks to the anger now being felt by those within the fence-sittting contingency…not to be terse, but it’s about f’ing time…the evidence has been there for all to see for some time now, but it’s never easy to come to terms with those sentiments that seem to be counterintuitive from a fandom perspective…this isn’t to suggest that you haven’t expressed your concerns on a fairly regular basis, but now it appears as if you’re ready to full embrace your Arteta-inspired angst…good on you…I always knew you had it in you…keep it up and all will be revealed, such as our secret handshakes and the Turing-esque encryption code to our dark web account (it is here where you will learn what QAnon experts believe is the basis for why the officiating classes hate our fucking guts)…see you at the next meeting, don’t forget to wear your Guy Fawkes mask
Pool 2 up looking impervious so season over for us in February. MA has no right staying our manager Simple’s!
Marc—I always felt that the banana peel match wasn’t today’s City fixture but their midweek gig coming up against Newcastle, especially without Haaland starting…City has dropped 10 points at home this season and unless KDB can deliver some magic and Doku can find the back of the net, they’re out of their depth, at least until some of their newcomers are full embedded…btw that Newcastle/Forest match was right out of the tale of two halves handbook…what a fun watch, especially after watching our colouless drivel from yesterday
Ambarish–one little sidenote, Merino isn’t a DM by trade, he’s actually an 8…MA wanted Zubi, who’s Sociedad’s DM, but when he snubbed MA he simply went into path of least resistance mode…ironically, that’s how Arteta landed here in the first place, when Wenger couldn’t convince Jagielka to leave Everton…funnily enough, and much like when Wenger made Areta sit deep, which he hadn’t done since his early days at PSG, I think MA wanted Merino to be shoehorned deeper so as to accomodate Rice’s forward thinking desires…sort of a square peg fustercluck full-circle moment
TRVL
I’m sure you saw what I posted pre match yesterday about not being convinced about City chances of getting anything. What we had to do though was put Liverpool under pressure – we play Forest at the same time they play Newcastle its all about keeping Liverpool looking over their shoulder with them knowing we’re ready to pounce.
The truth is Arteta got a serious proven track record in bottling it – he just usually does it a couple of months later.
Marc—I remember, but I think it’s important to note that when KDB starts they’ve only lost 1 of their last 36, which seemed to further embolden some online fans who were desperately trying to convince themselves that City were going to manufacture a result at the home…so maybe my earlier comment was meant more for them than you…my bad
at home, no “the”
Just read this rather “late to the party” article, but noteworthy nonetheless:
Arsenal’s disappointing home defeat against West Ham United yesterday blew a sizeable hole in their Premier League title aspirations. The result sparked plenty of debate about manager Mikel Arteta. Whichever way you flower it up, one FA Cup success during his time in charge is a poor return. Another failure in the title race would raise questions about whether Arteta is the right man to lead the club forward over the next few years.
Arsenal had a glorious opportunity to put pressure on table-topping Liverpool but fluffed their lines against West Ham at the Emirates Stadium. Arteta’s side had 20 shots but didn’t score. Everyone and his dog can see the Gunners need a centre-forward, but the issue has not been addressed. A more damning element of the Arteta era was the decision to spend a combined £170 million on Declan Rice and Kai Havertz.There are undoubtedly better ways to splash out £65m than buying Havertz, while the £105m paid for Rice has to be one of the stupidest moves of all time.
The ex-Republic of Ireland international lasted 56 minutes against his former club before being substituted following another anonymous display. Rice’s penchant for going missing in big games has been well-documented, but he took things to a new level yesterday. He fluffed a great chance to create a goal and was at fault for Jarrod Bowen’s winner. West Ham fans justifiably took great delight in his demise. Had Arsenal kept Granit Xhaka and spent the £105m on a prolific forward, they would probably be chasing their second consecutive league title. Arteta has previously admitted he was desperate for the club to sign Rice, so the deal is on him. History may ultimately show it was the move that cost him his job.”
Now I wouldn’t go so fas as to suggest that Xhaka’s presence here, even if we signed a Striker, would have guaranteed us multiple titles, but I would say that at least one was in the offing…everyone is well-aware of my general disdain for our former bird-loving captain, but he was miles better than his misguided German replacement…furthermore, I wouldn’t be so negative about Rice’s acquisition if it was done for the proper reasons, to sit him in front of our 2 dominant CBs so that the reat of the side could go hunt…instead we’ve spent a fortune on players with bang average reputations in front of goal so that our fragile manager doesn’t have to put his big boy pants on and deal with what comes when one hires world-class recruits…how ironic considering MA’s insanely entitled tendencies…Cheers
TRVL
Some interesting posts as always. We’re on the same page re 352 that has always been my preferred line up bar the odd game needing different tactics, but as a formation it adds stability in midfield where we are weak and getting weaker with Ricehino being clueless in the opposition half as you said. Merino was never the right panic buy.
Teams can’t counter if they don’t have possession in midfield. We have the defensive players who can easily slip into to a 5 man back line or support our attack as a false 9 or create tiki taka triangles with Marts or Saka to give them more freedom to work their magic.
At the end of the day bringing in Sterling has cost us dearly along with Havertz last season . Another win for the Chavs.
El B has no eye for talent where the 8 & 9 A listers keep turning us down. Where are the younger elite potentials for those positions? Also not interested in El B and his boring tactics they see for themselves as well as being advised by their agents who want their clients in winning teams so their values rise. El B destroys players’ values by Artarises them to serious surgery or losing confidence.
This season’s capitulation started late November with our point drop worthy performances punctuated by the odd decent game such as against the Spuds.
What happens next? Saliba to RM? Big Gabs back to Brazil? Saka to Barca?
My anger at us losing was matched by our fans leaving the Emirates only 1:0 down: it was as clear to them as it was me, that we would never score.
I said many times from when we were first in for El B that he would win nothing of note. Got banned by Pedro-Pete the biggest El B apologist the world will ever see sucking up to KSE for a charlatan living trying to keep their managerial idols hopes alive as the WOB did for Wenger, but will find a way to spin using his many Pedro bots forcing people’s views who pay for that trash, such as Emirate Stroller would spew any excuses to support El B. We were plastic fans he’d squeal when handed his ares on his plate.
I imagine all is not well there tonight knowing they will all be at each others throats. Lmfao!
Ambarish
I knew you’d come over to the dark side sooner or later and hope you feel properly cleansed from your good post. Same with Vieira happy to see you embracing reality.
I wonder how Wicksey feels now he’s run out of troll material. Maybe do a ‘Bob’ with his usual I’m not a MA fan u-turn at each capitulation followed by saying how much El B had improved out £1b+ squad.
As for the fan boys? Excuses running out they no doubt will be longing for the fat lady to sing the end of the last PL game.
I’ve always been Arteta out and Marc has always proclaimed El B to be a cunt rightly so from way back in LG days.
All we can hope for is the faithful lose their patience in El B and let KSE know, so they can wake up and smell the coffee and sign an experienced manager who is a proven winner.
Andoni at Bournemouth I’d be happy with considering what he’s done with Bournemouth with a square probably worth less than we paid for Rice and Saka’s and Saliba’s current worth this season.
Until this doom and gloom El B era is over we will continue to suffer and pine for the good days and exciting play to return.
Begs the question as to how Slot is going to win the PL in his first season?
Will KSE be asking the same question? Not if El B gets a CL birth. Profits before cups lads is their remit for us or how else do they explain almost 6 years of poor a £800m TW windows and capitulations for 3 years running.
Let’s hope El B is angry enough to leave us.
Our father in heaven ………..
To keep in with our global gooners please pray to your gods calling in all chips you’ve got for your good faith.
Tony—such an enjoyable read my friend, with plenty of salient points and a healthy dose of levity to boot…I especially enjoyed the part when you were reminiscing about your LG excommunication, as it brought back some very fond memories of my rather brief time in that then burgeoning echo chamber, in that it ultimately led me here, and it likewise had me thinking about the very similar manner in which I was ousted by that spineless tripolar burner phone-loving fuckstick Pedro…no wonder he’s such a slurpy Artetite, as he too tried to remove anyone from the room who refused to kiss the ring and/or stole his shine…all that said, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that there have been those rare occasions when I’ve actually missed ripping dickwads like Nigel a new asshole, but I digress
as for our present managerial woes, it appears as if Gasperini might be looking for greener pastures after Lookman pulled rank and took a tragically poor penalty kick in the 2nd leg of their last CL match then he publicly slammed him in the press…now tbh I think he would have best served our needs following Unai’s time here, as his uncanny ability to both unearth talent on the cheap and get the most out of his players, regardless of their respective ages, would have allowed us to flourish on a budget while we rid ourselves of the rot..that way when it came time to really spend we wouldn’t be held ransom by a whole host of tweeners, dreamers and half-measure types…not to mention, I would be incredibly intrigued to see what Gasperini could produce on the pitch with 10 times the budget…unfortunately I don’t think he has any desire to leave Serie A…some are even suggesting that he’ll leave this summer, a year before his present contract expires, and head straight for Rome…who knows, maybe we could actually entice Klopp back to the PL, as his return might not ruffle too many feather considering how well his former team has performed in his absence…Cheers
Ambarish–one little sidenote, Merino isn’t a DM by trade, he’s actually an 8
TRVL
A poor one then…
Tony
I try to keep myself happy when things look good. It’s not looking any good now, so the dark side will prevail till the start of the next season.
I am very much frustrated seeing Merino as a CF, trust me I had no joy when he scored 2 and we won against Leicester because it was a luck. The fact that Watkins was available, we only suffered 18m losses in previous year and in fact made profits in players sell so nothing was stopping us to splash 60m for a CF to fix a problem – is baffling.
Good morning Gooners. Aftermath of yet another season down the drain is but of a surreal feeling. Iam going to be honest but my emotional connect with Arsenal this season has been very minimal. Realised after the window that’s it’s not worth it. I have been vocal here but the selling of ESR the narrative behind it, sheer arrogance of Arteta and his handling of academy players has frankly made me turn off emotionally. I used to be this Arsenal Junkie reading many blogs, refreshing NewsNow very often and listening to 3 podcasts Arsenal Vision, Arseblog and Hand break off. But this season I haven’t done any and found you guys to share my thoughts. I have watched Arsenal games as a zombie spending not much emotions at all. So iam not scarred this season and IAM fearful that Arteta may have completely killed me as an Arsenal fan. I don’t know I will need to see how the next season is. But I think iam over this Arsenal fan boy phase of my life which lasted for 25 yes. Iam 50 with much at stake in the coming years. My son is on the cusp of entering university and making something of his life. My entire energy and emotions is towards helping him reach his goals. Can I spare some emotions to Arsenal? Iam not sure I care anymore and surely MA and the likes of Pedro has made me realise that headline management is nowadays more lucrative than actual substance. It’s been a season
It’s been a season of much introspection and I think iam in a happy place. I will still watch Arsenal as it tugs my heart in some corner but will I spend much emotional.energy on it I doubt it. But let’s see how life goes.
Hi Madhu
I hear you. There’s still the CL but the chances of winning that are slim. 3 tips for coping…
– Stubborn el Bastardo will leave at some stage, either having been pushed or by jumping. Let’s hope the end is nigh.
– Try watching some local games…football down the ladder is much more real and twice as enjoyable. It’s also cheap (or free in my case) and you meet fewer ball bags than you do at bigger venues. Your local team might need volunteers which makes you feel even more involved. I know you have a busy life but give it a go if you have time. Come and see County if you’re ever in west Wales!
– We’re Arsenal, not Spurs nor Man United.
Small crumbs of comfort I know. How the fuck did we lose at home to the very rusty hammers?
Or depending where Madhu junior ends up, find a team near his new place and go together. Good luck mate – I understand where your frustration is coming from.
KP, Yeah i do have a promise to keep up. I need to take him for a game. So probably will take him to Villa Park.
Fuck all will change at the club.
It’s simply a corporate vehicle to make money for a tiny handful of people .
Like a mini cartel.
Madhu—I feel for you…I’m just a few years older and staring an empty nest squarely in the face, so I kind of hoped that I would be filling some of my newly acquired free time with some championship level football…of course, I’m an avid sports fan, so I generally have several other options of interest, but this is an especially tricky time of the year…with the NFL over and the NBA & NHL playoffs still a ways away, I was so looking forward to spending the bulk of my available time reveling over a serious PL title push and enjoying some meaningful CL fixtures…tbf those dreams aren’t totally dead, as we’re still in the hunt, at least when it comes to the latter, but the way in which we get our business done, both on and off the pitch, has significantly soured the experience…thus the reason why I’m here on the daily venting my frustrations…I don’t know what’s more infuriating, not being close and just going through the motions, like at the very end of Wenger’s tenure, or being oh so close yet having to witness our MIT constantly fuck things up…it’s a Bizarro World Sophie’s Choice conundrum…on a more positive note, I did like KP’s suggestions…in fact, I’m kind of jealous, in that my geographical location doesn’t allow me to immerse myself in a lower tier old timey project…Cheers
Art Fraud—I so badly want to disagree with your sentiments, but what’s transpired this year and last have positioned me firmly within your half-empty camp…even though I’m well-aware of the fact that this has a lot of the same feels as the post-Highbury Wenger years, I so wished that the combination of the emergence of several “academy” blue chippers and Kroenke’s unprecedented backing might have got us over the proverbial hump, regardless of the manager in charge, but he’s done so many fucked up things that he’s accomplished what I once thought was unthinkable…during Wenger’s latter years the argument was always what might have been if we had kept our youing stars and invested around them, yet somehow this little poor man’s version has proven that theory wrong…mind you, he’s no Wenger, at least from a managerial acumen standpoint…fuck me!
TRVL
No manager, from Mee, Howe, Terry O , Graham, Rioch,Wenger, Emery etc has ever bothered me. They all succumb in the end, they will have their highs and lo’s on the way.
But this cunt in charge , who makes out he is inventing a new game has killed it for me.
Who the hell does he think he fucking is? What you ever done apart from listen to a Moyes team talk?
The lickspittle lickspittles with his inverted full backs, false no.9 and left footed , right footed central defenders, conquering positions.
Fuck off, you slag , worry about the basics.
Thanks TRVL my Gooner grief got my juices flowing and it just poured out. You’ve been on fire, too leaving scraps to write a bout, so unloading was the call for the day.
Ambarish
I was just being light hearted with young know Arsenal runs through your veins for all the right reasons.
Madhu
That’s exactly how I felt around 2012 with Wenger where LG was the right vehicle for me to vent with other WOBs v the AKBs when LG was fun.
I just couldn’t walk away from my club, so that was my way of coping. We all cope differently. I was fortunate because junior used to sit next to me in my office when writing posts, so he became a gooner by default.
LIR is cathartic from me and junior who I’m taking to the UK to live and go to Uni. Like you my son is my life even at 69. I started married family life late in life at 49. TRVL and KP are the same wither their broods so it not surprising we all gather together as birds of a feather.
Tell it like it is here as we are blessed to have Ambarish as father gooner of us unruly arsenal marauder’s taking no prisoners and aways trying to talk sense, which is very difficult when you read El B’s tripe pressers and paper talk.
We are a family here and will help you through your feelings and lack of Arsenal love you currently feel because we’ve all been there.
I always say I love my club but not the manager.
AF
In my 60 gooner years El B is by far the worst another negative record for the cunt.
KP
Sent you a distress email. Could take you up on your offer. My relocation company is now doing what it should be doing.
LIR
The latest news if we’ve loaned our old 36 year old Luca Perez for £17m until the end of the season. Another last minute dire transfer for the out of contract striker who has these Burnley stats.
https://www.goal.com/en/player/lucas-pires/d7XXEZTCL_lAut2i6tPjt
23 appearances with zero goals and 2 assists which is why he’s out of contract.
TRVL
Any thoughts as I’m rendered with no words to describe El B’s desperation. First Sterling the Chav reject and now Perez the Burnley reject.
TRVL
Gadperini I’d take in a heartbeat and would love Klopp if he still had the heart for the PL.
Tony—Perez is joining PSV not Arsenal, but some crafty clickbait fucks have played tricks with their headlines, such as “Lucas Perez set for Arsenal reunion…” I don’t believe he’s actually eligible to play in the CL, but I could be wrong…funnily enough, he might be a better option than Sterling, which speaks to the pathetic nature of that 11th hour transfer window reach that all the Apologists were calling another genius move by our manager…isn’t it interesting that in that particular window he didn’t say boo about others being in charge of our transfer business, but when he cocked things up in January it was everbody else’s fault…what a manipulative prick