Well, it’s good be back. I was out of station with no laptop, and the WordPress API decided to not work at all. A lot has happened during this time – we threw away the lead against our arch rivals twice and shared points, beat Brentford in Carabao to move to next stage where we will meet West Ham, thrashed Bournemouth 4-0 in an away PL game and lost to RC Lens 1-2 away in our Champions League group stage.
Mix feeling about our September run, letting Spuds have points on us at Emirates is a bad thing. A loss to RC Lens displayed the limitation of Mikel which he will have to overcome in order to win at the grandest stage, and the Saka limping off in every game is as frustrating as it gets. Lets go one by one before we switch back to the coming City game.
First, Mikel is stubborn! In everything! Be it sticking to Kai Havertz with no real output from the ex-chelsea player, or playing Saka week-in, week-out when everyone and their WIN can see he is being overplayed, Mikel do not budge. Now, he can call it what he wants, but it’s harming us more than helping. And most important of it all his style of play. When you stick to play from the back and prioritise wing-based game, you keep the possession, you rattle the opponents, frustrate them, grind them and take up the chances when it comes. This works in Premier League because every other time tries to play the same way. Who comes on top is decided by the players quality and which team manages to keep the intensity. In Europe, it don’t work usually. Why? Because they don’t give 2 fingers about playing from the back and some of them are smaller clubs for whom winning 1 game against Arsenal or City is going to be the highlight of their season. RC Lens kept kicking ball far and away, scored from 2 individual brilliant goal and gave everything on the pitch. We, on the other hand, tried to press them but hey you can’t really press a team systematically when they don’t have a system?! We have seen this even against low blocks in Premier League. We have seen them against teams that let us keep the ball and we pass sideways for eternity. Pep identified this problem and got Haaland for those over the top balls but what will Mikel do? He does need to do something about it.
Second, use your common sense. Doctor says Saka is fit. But everyone else can see he is being overplayed. You have already pushed an injured Partey back on pitch costing us 2 months of his service, you have pushed Martinelli, you didn’t rotate Saliba last season till he picked up an injury, White towards the end of the season looked fatigued. Stop this non-sense of not having 2 quality players of each position. You always have options. Saka might even start against City – I want him for that game – but that just means couple of challenges and if his previous injuries aggravate, we are doomed.
Back to the City game now. It’s going to be most important game of this season. At Emirates, with no Rodri and Stones, that’s the best you can get to win against City. City had all 6 points against us last season and that was the difference between the winner and 2nd. If you believe you can go toe to toe against them, go for it. If you believe sitting back and playing them on counter is the best, go for it. Doesn’t matter for me for this game as long as we come out winner.
To be the best, you have to beat the best.
Saka is available as per the medics. Partey is back in contention. Martinelli remains the only injury but Trossard can cover well for him. If you ask me, I would still prefer to rest Saka because we have a lot of games coming and I would play Jesus at RW. What’s the point of all the crap versatility when players can’t perform when asked to. Put him there, demand a performance. Put Eddie up top and tell him a CF who can’t be missing chances. Ruthlessness should not only about the process (training well, running well blah blah), it should be about the end result too. I would switch back to a Partey midfield and use Rice or Vieira. Back 4 picks itself up and there isn’t much quality difference between Ramsdale and Raya so do a coin toss.
We will go into another International Break after this season, the least AFC can do it is set us up with a win for next 2 weeks.
Right, that’s all for today. I am sorting out the API thing with my hosting so at least can use my smartphone. Hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Welcome back Ambarish. You any good with Morse code? Just a thought.
.
Back with a bang blog master. A solid post with sadly more worrying news than anything really positive for the game; problem is Arteta is too hungry for glory and will see our beating them in the Charity shield – on penalties I know, but Arteta will see the win very differently in his narcissistic myopic vision. He’ll be thinking I’ve done it once, I can do it tomorrow. It won’t matter it was only the warm up cup; not a jot, he will see it as winning the Super World Cup all in Roy of the Rovers splendor.
.
Arteta’ll be thinking it won’t matter who gets hurt tomorrow because we have 2 weeks to patch them up and the silver lining is they don’t have to go on international duty.
.
Another big throw of the dice for Arteta.
.
He’s got to win some time, right? Clock being right twice a day and all.
.
Here’s what I want.
.
I want us to dent City and Pep’s momentum even with a bore draw 0:0. I will gladly take that if offered now, this very moment!
.
Here’s what I don’t want.
.
Partey, Saka and Rice may well all see their knocks become more serious requiring weeks for recovery. Think about those 3 missing for say 4 to 6 games. More importantly think about these guys we love and support whole heartedly who will be long term casualties having broken their bodies for the badge and a complete mental case as our manager. Rubbing hands anyone thinking collective of a win when stroking Win who just loves game day.
.
In Mikel’s world unicorns really do exist. You know maybe Arteta is going to become the next Tony Robbins when his Arsenal project fails abysmally. Sorry to be the harbinger of Arteta doom and gloom, but that’s his immediate future with us because he’s a coach and not a manager, and a mid level one at best with way too many flakey ideas always being remembered as Galaxy Brain the 1st. Will there be a 2nd?
.
If I vary from my sardonic demeanor and be serious for a minute, Saka, Martinelli, Partey should be rested and their countries be informed of their injuries preventing their inclusions to the international 2 weeks break to be able to have intensive rest and recuperation, which may well need longer at this stage of injury.
.
I’m not saying sacrifice the game, far from it, I’m saying we have a £billion squad that needs to be drawn from, where all the squad being Arteta’s choice should be managed well enough to be able to stand in for our walking wounded and perform adequately well enough to get a draw if not the win.
.
Isn’t that how squads work?
.
I fear we are going to ridicule the word ‘underdog’ tomorrow and take it to a new low. Seriously hope not, but unless VAR completely fucks up and City lose 3 players to Red and yellow card combinations, we are basically fucked with a capital F.
By the way the reason we are in this situation for tomorrow’s game is because Arteta failed to get last summer’s TW right.
.
As soon as I read Arteta’s words “we have to get this TW right” I thought lip service police alert!
Thank you, Tony. Hope you are well.
0-0 bore fest is fine for me as well. We lost 6 points to them last season, and they are coming for another win. A draw would dent their confidence as much as it did to us with Spuds. Depends Arteta try to keep it simple or go for an all out attack, which I won’t mind if we have a good result but otherwise.
It’s more about the winning mentality tomorrow. Last season, we left each City game with ‘well fought boys’ and ‘that was a good game, just the result didn’t favor us’. However they were still a loss. You may as well win the league by winning rest of the 36 matches and dropping points against World Champions but you got to take out the best to replace them at the top. Win is very important, a draw should do otherwise. Lose, and it will have dents in confidence.
What does, “waiting for a late fitness test suggest to you?”
.
What I get from that is that the player has an injury that has been substantial enough to rule him out to just before the game. Forget the Mikel v Pep gamesmanship for the moment.
.
Saka, the player in question, has limped out of his last 3 games. Let that sink in and then ask yourselves what Arteta’s statement means to you a full blooded Gooner?
.
If there are any doctors out there reading this, what would your medically minded comment be on Saka?
All good here thanks Ambarish.
.
I’d go with Saliba, Tomi and Big Gabs in a 3 back line.
.
In MF I’d have if available and properly fit Partey with Rice, Ode and Trossard leaving up top with Nelson RW, Jesus CF and If completely fit Marts LW or ESR.
.
Leave Zinchenko and Havertz on the bench.
.
White would be the ideal main defensive sub.
.
Zinchenko for midfield
.
Steady Eddie for the main forwards’ sub.
.
I feel we could get somethings with that line up if we play quick 1 and 2 touch football or we will be unloaded by there City press getting our pockets picked like always.
Basically Ambarish this below for me. Your thoughts?
.
Tomi – Saliba – Gabs
Ode – Partey – Rice – Trossard
Nelson – Jesus – ESR (Marts if injury free and fit)
.
Main subs: White, Zinchencko for MF and Eddie for up top. It will keep the right level and balance to create big chances; something we’ve been lacking this season overall.
Raya in goal, sorry. 🙂
Ambarish
I agree with pretty much everything you say except “Stop this non-sense of not having 2 quality players of each position.”
Arteta’s got a billion £ squad he’s got 2 quality players in every spot because he either bought them or gave them new contracts. They are his players and he’s got to start taking responsibility for them if they’re not good enough why did you buy them?
Personally I think Arteta’s a spin merchant that makes Alistair Campbell look straight – keep replacing players with each one being the final piece of the jigsaw until the next player and fans and Josh Kroenke nod and go along with it.
I’m quickly coming to the view that we could easily finish behind the Spud’s this season missing out on top 4 in the process. If that doesn’t see Arteta go next summer he won’t last long into the season after – Thank fuck!
Chelsea and ManU both losing – strange season.
Marc
Both being screwed by the clubs’ owners and long may it continue.
Good to see you back with us Ambarish…MA’s piss-poor mid-week decisions have compounded issues greatly…if he had any tactial understanding he would have deployed a vastly different lineup and plan against Lens, but instead he can’t resist leaning into the same scheme time after time…it’s almost like he didn’t watch a single frame of video involving our opponent, much like with Sporting last year…if he had, Saka wouldn’t have been on the pitch, thereby giving him a much-deserved and required rest before the weekend, then we could have put our best foot forward against a team missing a key cog or two…instead we’re left hoping for a scrappy affair with a squeaked out tie, which has never really favoured us against a quality side
if it were up to me, I would employ a 5-3-2, if Saka were unavailable, with White, Tomi, Saliba, Gabs and Zinchenko at the back, with the wingbacks out wide, Partey, Ode and Rice, in the middle, and Tross and Jesus up top…with Rodri unavailable, I would have Ode play more centrally, and the MO would be to attack on the counter primarily from wider positions, which would be plausible due to our front two…to bolster our attack I would then have Rice and Partey take turns, West Ham style, charging up into the box for added numbers when crosses are whipped in…hardly my favoured tactics, if we were fully healthy, but it would best uitilize our potential with both Marts and Saka out
Marc-boy did you change Chelsea and United’s fortunes LOL
Both coming back to win. Manure getting their customary 8+ minutes added time and Brentford collapsed after a really good effort. Chavs getting a rare win to keep Poch in work for another week. 🙂
Also makes sound sense TRVL. Wonder what Galaxy Brain is going to do?
Tony-he will undoubtedly resort to shoehorning players in wide positions, like mid-week, then tuck Zinchenko inside and hope that Havertz finally comes good…another same old, same old masterclass
England finding it hard going against Samoa. Good game for the neutrals; the English not so much.
TRVL
Yeah I’m going to shut the fuck up now!
Marc-maybe you should use your bizarro world predictive powers for good by suggesting that we’re going to be on the losing end of a City whopping tomorrow…Cheers
it appears as if Saka has been cleared to play, so there’s little doubt that he will be in the starting 11…after witnessing what his tactics look like with the likes of Tross and Vieira in wider spaces, I very much doubt MA has the mental fortitude required to take the long view when it comes to our best young asset…of course, he will be further emboldened by the pending international break, as Saka likely won’t be playing again until the 17th against Italy, but for anyone with half a brain that’s not nearly enough time for this nagging injury to properly heal…if he continues to take such a cavalier approach to the health and well-being of our star players, it’s only a matter of time before another Saliba-like situation rears it’s ugly head…the fact that this continues to be a running narrative suggests two things, (1) he doesn’t believe in the depth he’s publicly praised on multiple occasions, which surprises no one because it’s not based in reality, and (2) deep down he realizes that he’s a fraud, when it comes to his supposed tactical know-how, so he simply can’t envision another positive course of action if Saka isn’t available…hopefully Saka doesn’t cause any further damage and the boys can find a way to get a result in spite of our MIT
Excellent post TRVL. I’d only add to that in today’s Mail sport Pep is adamant that Arteta shares ZERO traits of himself whatsoever. I mean why would Pep want to be compared to Galaxy brain with his last 4 year’s results? Nice piss-take by Pep that will rattle Arteta.
.
Arteta has been dogged by loss of form and lack vision in their play since winalot arrived. Maybe if they had win sire puppies, each player could have one I mean the Hammers like kickin-it with pussies, right? I’ll get my coat.
.
“Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is sure his protege Mikel Arteta will be his biggest rival for title … but he claims he is still the best dresser!
Mikel Arteta’s was in danger of being sacked after a 5-0 loss to Man City in 2021
Pep Guardiola took the unusual route of jumping to his defence after the match
Listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s podcast ‘It’s All Kicking Off!’ ”
.
Hasn’t anyone at KSE and the board realised this BS man-love-in thing is Pep completely playing The Arsenal. Pep knows he has nothing to worry about with Arteta managing us, so the longer Arteta stays with us, Pep has one club less to worry about for the title or CL cup.
.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-12605993/Manchester-City-boss-Pep-Guardiola-sure-protege-Mikel-Arteta-biggest-rival-title-claims-best-dresser.html
Excellent piece from the Guardian. Seems Marts may well be back today.
.
.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2023/oct/07/how-to-beat-guardiola-city-without-rodri-offer-arsenal-chance-to-press-without-fear
New post.