Mikel Arteta: Aston La Vista To The Title?

[gamechannel]

With Man city ban now off, that means now that we are 5 points of europa league spot, with 3 matches to go, with one of them being liverpool... so we can assume a loss there...
that means that wolves must win only one of their remaining games to even give us a chance at 6th.

Ill sum up the chances here...

the race for 6th (ho dear me...) is now between us, Wolves, Sheffield United, and these lot.

Remaining fixtures:

The Arsenal: at 50 points atm
Liverpool (H)
Aston Villa (A)
Watford (H)
We must win all 3, but lets be realistic and take a loss against liverpool, so im going to assume we get 6 points

Wolves: at 55 points atm
Burnley (A)
Crystal Palace (H)
Chelsea (A)
They gotta lose all the games... or draw 1 game, and we need to win with good GD ( +4 from us atm) highly unlikely...

Sheffield United: at 54 points atm
Leicester (A)
Everton (H)
Southampton (A)
They can only get a draw and must lose the other 2, not good chances but plausible

These lot: at 52 points atm
Newcastle (A)
Leicester (H)
Crystal Palace (A)
With 2 points above us and +2 GD(relative to us), they are allowed to win one and draw 1 if we win our 2 matches with fine margins..


So... to sum it up, if we lose or draw to liVARpool, its pretty much over, since the event of wolves losing all their remaining games is close to impossible.

bahhh.... while writing this i finally succumbed to the fact our only chance to get into europe is in fact the FA... where we need to win 2 games against 2 of the top teams in the country...

This season could be proven as the catalyst of the downfall of our great club... i truly think that if we failed to get to the europa, it'll take us at least 4-5 years to get back into it... as its an avalanche of consequences


I really do hope Arteta is showing the players how important those 3 remaining games are.... when we had 5 more... i was fantasizing like a regular Arsenal fan we might get fifth... and have CL

But now the situation is dire... maybe now the players will realize how bad things are? maybe they were like "ahhh damn we missed CL but europa can stretch to 7th, and we'll have 7th easily"

Well everything changed now...

Well if our players were content with Europa as a consolation prize, then we have the wrong players at the club. The minimum these clowns should have aimed for was a CL spot. Bunch of soft fookers

 

[Trilly]

I think everyone wants to see more.

I think we need to realize that just like with young player Arteta is taking his first steps as a manager, so there is also a learning curve for him. And he got the gig at the probably worst possible time he could ever get it, so it has been an uphill battle for him ever since he joined us.

The questions we need to answer right now is that doe we see anything in him to keep being our manager. In my honest opinion, it's yes. There is a lot to work within Arteta and I think he will only get better with more transfer windows and pre-seasons!

It will also help him when we have defenders who don't guarantee a goal conceded every other game.

Games like yesterday are highly likely to be decided by one goal so I'm not sure if we can ever be expected to do something with such a handicap.

 

[Trilly]

Arteta needs to stop picking guys who can talk a good game on the training pitch

I called Arteta a "he impressed me in training" merchant a few weeks back as a bit of a joke but....

 

[Gursha]

7th place gets a Europa spot.

well this is from the premier league website
"
In normal circumstances, three UEL places are given to English clubs who fulfil the following criteria:

• The fifth-placed team in the Premier League qualify for the group stage proper.
• The winners of the FA Cup qualify for the group stage proper.
• The EFL Cup winners qualify for the second qualifying round.

"

Normally the FA and EFL winners are in the CL and UEL places so it stretches till the 7th place?

gotta admit we were never so low in the table i didnt even know that

 

[Jasard]

I worry Arteta will be too weak to bin **** players just because they work hard in training. Seems to be more important than quality to him, which isnt necessarily a bad thing but it is if the player is actually ****.

In short, stop picking Kola.

 

[squallman]

This is what he’s working with in midfield. Awful.

What exactly is a big chance?

How can this be true when Ceballos, AMN and Özil all have 2 assists in the league alone? I can't be bothered looking up the Europa league stats.

How can you have more assists than "big chances" created? How it usually works in football is that for every goal scored, the team would have had at least 3 shots since no team has a 100% scoring record. Therefore every chance created isn't converted. So again I ask, how can these guys have more assists than chances created?

I'm not defending our lack of creativity, I just think people are grasping at straws and making up stats in order to stick the knife in. There's plenty of legitimate things to criticize us for.

 

[scytheavatar]

The definition of insanity is making the same mistakes over and over again. So what is it when you watch someone make a mistake and then go in and repeat the same mistake over and over again.

There is a lot to like about Arteta. I like his communication his intention to discipline, but for me he has two major flaws. He invests in the wrong characters for the wrong reasons and his justification of playing time is a contradiction.

When you look at our squad you look at its strengths. Our strengths do not lie in being defensive. We do not have any consistent, talented defenders. We have defenders who can be okay for 4 games and then will either get sent off or gift a goal away. Arteta has improved the defence, by focusing the entire team on it and sacrificing all of our potential attack on it.

Why?

Because like it or not our attack is not as good as what fans pretend it is. Auba and Pepe were absolute useless donkeys last night and not some super reliable world class players. If we have some amazing attack that can score goals with ease then Arteta could play us more offensively. But we don't. So if we were to play more Yolo tactics we'll just concede more goals without necessarily scoring more of them.

 

[field442]

What exactly is a big chance?

How can this be true when Ceballos, AMN and Özil all have 2 assists in the league alone? I can't be bothered looking up the Europa league stats.

How can you have more assists than "big chances" created? How it usually works in football is that for every goal scored, the team would have had at least 3 shots since no team has a 100% scoring record. Therefore every chance created isn't converted. So again I ask, how can these guys have more assists than chances created?

I'm not defending our lack of creativity, I just think people are grasping at straws and making up stats in order to stick the knife in. There's plenty of legitimate things to criticize us for.

You can get credited an assist for passing to someone 30 yards away from goal and they then smack it into the top corner. That’s not creating a big chance.

“A 'big chance created' is defined as providing an opportunity where the receiving player would reasonably be expected to score and manages to get a shot away. These usually occur in one-on-one scenarios or from very close range.”

For comparison De Bruyne has created 30 big chances so far this season, six times more than all our midfielders combined.

 

[El Duderino]

Someone clone a young Cesc, I'm even prepared to accept the mullet at this stage

 

[hydrofluoric acid]

I think people are reading way into this "impressed me in training thing" and using it to stick Arteta. By now we should all know Arteta goes out of his way in trying to increase the confidence of the players. The training thingy is one of those things clearly.

 

[Hunta]

Just broke down in tears in the local shop, the club has finished me, had to remove my mask and everything.

Shopkeeper gave me a slap and told me to **** off.

 

[scytheavatar]

If you can't be bothered to work hard in training, you are not going to work hard in actual matches. It is unclear to me which player Arteta has left out unfairly that would have been a blatant upgrade from the players that played last night.

 

[El Duderino]

Just broke down in tears in the local shop, the club has finished me, had to remove my mask and everything.

Shopkeeper gave me a slap and told me to **** off.

 

[Riou]

Just broke down in tears in the local shop, the club has finished me, had to remove my mask and everything.

Shopkeeper gave me a slap and told me to **** off.

You were also starting to remove more than just your mask tbf...I am sorry I had to do this to you, but this is a family place, I couldn't let you continue.

 

[Tom349]

Because like it or not our attack is not as good as what fans pretend it is. Auba and Pepe were absolute useless donkeys last night and not some super reliable world class players. If we have some amazing attack that can score goals with ease then Arteta could play us more offensively. But we don't. So if we were to play more Yolo tactics we'll just concede more goals without necessarily scoring more of them.

Fans are expecting a quick fix and although its clear we would be in a better position financially by making either European competition, the need to make them isn't greater than the need to develop a culture and instil organisation into the players even if quite a few will not be here in 12-24 months time.

Right now isn't the time to be rewarding players for not setting the right training standards or doing the hard yards away from the club. Arteta has one shot at improving the culture of the club and modernising the team. If he allows the standards to drop now than those players will keep trying to do the same **** and the players who come to the club will also think they can get away with it. Likewise if we were to focus more on attack and move away from being a disciplined and organised team than again those same players will think they don't have to press or can pick and choose when to do so but if the standard is set and non negotiable then at least it sets an expectation of what is required at Arsenal FC. Arteta is trying to create a culture where players are second to the club, whereby its a privilege to play for the club rather a privilege for the club that we have a certain player running around in our shirt.

The perfect example of this is Guendouzi versus any of the hale end boys. The hale end boys are listening, working hard and are putting in a shift every time they step out on the pitch or at training and are being rewarded with game time whereas Guendouzi wants to joke around and not listen and be petulant and finds himself on the outer. Similar happened with AMN rocking up late to training. Likewise Ceballos was on the outer and has worked hard to improve his game and has slowly won fans over. Guendouzi is probably the biggest talent of them all but he is more interested in taking the high road than putting in the hard yards.

 

[lomekian]

Xhaka for one more year is understandable but the great problem here is that we will have to continue to readjust with the other players for one single player who is extremely limited. But I agree that we definitely need a senior midfield player who's been here long enough orchestrating the game and as a leader.

What I reckon is the solution here though is getting in Partey but also selling one of Torreira or Xhaka along with Elneny and sending out Willock on loan. With Douzi leaving Willock has a great chance to develop his game and mould him into the Xhaka replacement elsewhere while with the funds from the sales to get a pair of midfielders too. One young with Partey like profile( Ibrahim Sangare) and the other an experienced midfielder with playmaking abilities.

We really missed out on the chance to snap up Leverkusen's Aranguiz for a free. He would've been the perfect highly experienced and balancing player we could've done with. I wonder if with Douzi or Torreira we can snap up a more creative but well rounded midfielder.

Mustafi should still have suitors as despite his brain farts he suits the German way of offensive defending and its very likely Sokratis will bring in some money. If both of them get sold, there's a possibility of us getting in a CB. Its likely that Holding will have suitors as well as Kola can be gotten rid of one way or another. Chambers is unlikely to get a move but I think keeping him around wouldn't be too bad. He is versatile and still has the ability to play cover as well as develop into a good player.

What I'd like to see in defense is loaning a left back from Barcelona or Real Madrid to compete and cover for Tierney and a CB in the mould of Gabriel or Pau Torres. Spending a bit heavy on Ben White might be a great long term investment given he is English as well as good on the ball and can see Saliba and him forming a great long term partnership but its very unlikely. Can see Arteta inclined to snapping up Sarr for free with Mari out and he can cover left back too.

Saliba, Luiz, Mari, Sarr, Chambers and one of Ben White, Gabriel or Pau Torres would be a decent set of options for the way Arteta wants to play I think.

Good post.

I think the key with retaining Xhaka is to make sure whoever we bring in is not just complementary to him, but also can work alongside other options. Its one reason why Partey makes so much sense as a target as he would be a great partner for Xhaka, but also a good alternative (albeit a different sytle).

I don't think we should loan Willock, but thats in part because I don't see that deeper role being the right use of his skillset. I think his goalscoring potential, and ability to carry the ball long distances mean he's much better for us slightly further forward, possibly as one of 2 8's alongside a 6. Obviously there is a lot of room for experimentation there, but as the only central player bar our strikers with any goal potential, I'd like to keep him in a role where that can be utilised.

Re Aranguiz, I don't know if he would have got a UK work permit when he went to Leverkusen, but agree at that time he would have been a nice addition, particularly had we known what was going to happen to Santi.

I deffo see 2 defenders at least leaving this summer, with Sokratis being nailed on as one, which should bring in 15-25m depending on who the second one is.

I like the targets you've outlined, but not sure who you are thinking of as LB loans? I think the loan market is going to be heavy this summer, so there will be opportunities in some roles, but the specifics remain very hard to predict.

I think we are on similar page in terms of desired direction, I just think it will take a wee bit longer to achieve the desired turnover

 

[KrissKringle]

I guess I better prepare myself to enjoy ball posession more than winning...

Weren't you enjoying it when Wenger was here?

 

[lomekian]

I don't understand how you coach these defenders they look solid against Wolves Southampton and even at Leicester then comes Sp**s game and from first6few minutes they already make mistakes under no pressure from the opponent

Mental weakness and lack of composure. Luiz tends to want to be the hero in big games which often works against him. Mustafi is just prone to panic against certain opponents (hes so scared of Kane it's painful), and Kola is technically weak and simply incapable of concentrating for any length of time.

 

[lomekian]

I understand that Arteta tries to emphasize the positives but it’s super annoying when mangers defend the team performance by ball possession. When did that stat become the holy one? So what if we did have more possession when the xG is 1.82 to Sp**s against our bysmal 0.69. Sp**s also win shots on goal by 9 to 4. I guess I better prepare myself to enjoy ball posession more than winning...

I saw those xG stats - suspect because the don't include Auba's air shot from 10 yards out but do include Sp**s unthreatening shots.

 

[lomekian]

The definition of insanity is making the same mistakes over and over again. So what is it when you watch someone make a mistake and then go in and repeat the same mistake over and over again.

There is a lot to like about Arteta. I like his communication his intention to discipline, but for me he has two major flaws. He invests in the wrong characters for the wrong reasons and his justification of playing time is a contradiction.

When you look at our squad you look at its strengths. Our strengths do not lie in being defensive. We do not have any consistent, talented defenders. We have defenders who can be okay for 4 games and then will either get sent off or gift a goal away. Arteta has improved the defence, by focusing the entire team on it and sacrificing all of our potential attack on it.

Why?

Why lean into defenders who simply are not good enough to defend? Why gar your team to the purpose of winning games by conceeding less instead of scoring more? Why make so our strikers have to be super efficient in their scoring, when the defenders are allowed to get away with error after error, even when there is a focus on defending?

It makes no sense to me. Mustafi is good in the air, but that is it. He can play well for 89 minutes of a match and completely lose you a game in 1 minute. Or he can lose his head for even more. Under pressure he does not do well. In stadium with no crowd he has been fine. As soon as there is a game that has meaning to it, he loses his head for 20 minutes , start sliding all over the place and is out of position. What in your right mind makes you depend on someone that cannot be depended upon?

David Luiz may be a 'leader', he may have 'experience', but he is literally picking up a pay check. Every pass was played with laziness, no urgency. no pace. Inviting pressure and mistakes. It's actually under instruction. Apparently the players need to wait till we are under pressure to draw out the press before we make a pass. Well if a team isn't pressing you, you move the ball quickly.

Kolasinac - cannot tackle, has poor positioning, but above all else, he simply cannot pass the ball. Kept in the side for continuity? Give me a break. If he isn't performing, you don't play him, even if we are winning ffs. Holding is also flawed, but he can actually defend and we need to see what he is made of after injury. Winning is not an excuse to pick players who are not doing their job, especially when you are winning by fine margins. How can you not change the side, simply based upon the result and not what actually contributes to it.

This is where I don't understand Arteta. Players get dropped for being late to training. They get dropped for not being on the boat. Well what if the players who are on the boat, have a gun and are shooting holes into it, making it sink. Why is it that attackers are given 60 minutes to make something happen before they are hauled off, but midfielders and defenders are given weeks to contribute nothing meaningful. We were 2-1 down, did he haul off a defender at the expense of an attacker, or put our most creative player at left back?

You simply cannot depend on these defenders. Why would you gear a team to protect them, by playing a cautious style of play and not playing between the lines or forward unless it really presents itself, because we are scared to lose the ball? None of that matters when they can get sent off or literally just give up.

Why do we not look at the squad and see that:

Pepe - can dribble, score and assist.
Auba - Can score
Laca - can shoot if in the right position
Nelson - can retain possession, beat a man and cross
AMN - can run, tackle, beat a man, cross
Tierney - Can defend, run, cross
Saka - Can cross, dribble, assist and score.
Willock - can drive, can score can beat a man

Those are the players who can influence the game offensively. Why is Arteta not looking at these players and thinking, Tierney can't beat a man but he can cross a ball. He needs to be on an overlap, not receiving it with a man to beat. Pepe needs a full back who can overlap and underlap. He needs players he can combine with, how do we get him closer to goal? Lacazette needs to share the box with another forward. He was most successful in a two with Fekir alongside him. Auba needs a distraction, he doesn't want the ball, he wants to make runs off it. How do we get these guys firing? Because the best way to win games is to score so many goals that you mitigate the constant errors the defenders will make.

It all comes back to the fact that we have a squad that doesn't fit together. Its no coincidence that much of the glue in recent months has come via the input of inexperienced kids,because our senior players are a mess of schizophrenic squad building.

Arteta has been trying to juggle how to deal with defenders that can't defend, a midfield that can't run, and the squad's only number 10 being an emo with a broken back. Same problem for years....only having half a spine for the team, so he's trying to find ways to circumnavigate that spine. But with a largely past it Özil being the only overtly creative player in the squad there is a massive hole in the team (role wise rather than positionally).

Its why most of us hope that after these two games coming up where we need the protection of the back 3 he reverts to 433 or 4213, in order to address exactly what you are talking about.