We are in a mess. We hired Emery to get back the Champions League football, he failed. We were out of Europa and we missed top 4 by a win. Next season for him was like a car crash, he lost matches and dressing room, board had to let him go and hired Mikel Arteta.
Under Arteta, we won FA Cup and beat the likes of City and Liverpool. Players who no longer needed were either loaned or sold and Partey was brought in to strengthen midfield. He persuaded Aubameyang to sign a 3 year contract, Saka, Martinelli tied for a long term and Ode, Ceballos loaned in for a season.
Things looked decent, a good summer transfer window. However, when the season started everything went bad. We lost games to Leicester (H), Villa (H), Wolves (H), Tottenham (doesn’t matter), Burnley (H), Everton (A).
These were easy matches, 21 points lost and we slipped to the bottom half of the table. Ever since, we are struggling to keep up and it’s too late to catch up for top 4 now. Thanks to late emergence of ESR, Saka and Auba getting in form lately, we are not any worse.
If you ask me, Arteta tactics sometimes baffles me up. Sticking to Willian after some 20 match bad run, Pepe in and out irrespective of good or bad form, Martinelli not seeing a day anymore, Xhaka playing every match doesn’t make me happy. These are clear things everyone can see except Arteta.
On top of that, we have lost some young prospects. Guen was loaned out who was a starter for a season and could have been a decent partner to Partey. We bought Saliba, loaned him out for a year and then he missed 6 months of football when we didn’t register him or sent him on a loan.
I believe the club shouldn’t allow Mikel to depreciate the value of players, even if he don’t want them. I’m sure clubs sees a Champions League spot as the target for now, and should have a back plan if things don’t go right. Arteta should be given a year more, a summer transfer window to force his coaching philosophy on the players and we judge him come next season.
Anything below a top 4 for a club like Arsenal shouldn’t be acceptable. You blame it on player poverty, VAR and decisions going against us, injuries whatever…
