Mikel Arteta: Aston La Vista To The Title?

[bingobob]

This is your interpretation of Arteta's words. He uses words like concern and yes "players that suit the coach" - only he would know that not Raul or Edu.

I don't think hes saying "please don't spend for the sake of it" at all, I got a very different message.

Also buying players and being told to make it work is not backing. We don't necessarily know why certain players are identified - could be certain relationships or future resale value in mind, this isn't backing.

At the end of the day everything that has to come through our door has to be top, top quality," he said.

"That is the demands of this football club and it cannot be any different. If we have to wait for the right player in order to do that, let’s wait.

If that's not dont spend for the sake of it I dont know what is. and I gave the example of Van Dijk were they pursued him for a couple of transfer windows. No doubt Liverpool could have spent 50m on another CB but Van Dijk was the one they wanted. Same with United and Fernandes.United fans werent happy over the summer but they waited and got their man and look all the better for it.

Emery was provided with 200m worth of investment. He was supported with new players to coach and improve. Arteta doesn't want that. He wants to be involved in the process saying this is what I want this is the area I need filled and not something else. If we cant get it we wait until we can. Dont spend 70m on an area or player type I dont need because 6 months from now we can get that player we actually want.

 

[krengon]

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. You can quite easily now say Luiz was a terrible signing for just £8M. Or that Pepe was a poor signing at £72M. (He wont be in the long run...) but at the time the majority of people were very happy with our business..

Hindsight is the only way to judge the success of a transfer window though.. What people think of the business at the time is irrelevant really.

 

[dashsnow17]

I like our defense improvements even tho we still error prone. Expected goals will never improve if we don't create alot of chances

Yeah swings and roundabouts. Arteta knows himself that the team isn't really any better, and the expected goals stat isn't good, but on the other hand the team has conceded 50 fewer shots, so that's something.

 

[HairSprayGooners]

Interesting words from Arteta. Says we're working on keeping Ceballos at the club next season and also said why would he get rid of a player like Lacazette.

 

[Tom349]

Stats are ruining football in a way, people seem to just form opinions based on them alone...stats should only be used to back up what you see on the pitch.

"Why is Henry the best? (2004 version)" ... "His combination of skill and speed, just takes my breath away, he is just the coolest player on the planet"

"Why is Henry the best? (2020 version)" ..."Don't know actually, his expected goals say he should have 40 goals instead of just 30, maybe he isn't that great afterall..."

We have looked better in the 6 months or so under Arteta, than the previous 18 months under Emery...our current team will always have it's issues, that's what having so many average players will do...but the little thing we do are better now, obviously Arteta can still improve, but something is definitely there...Christ, Palace and Southampton were having 20+ against us AT HOME ffs, of course we have improved since the first half of the season

Stats are great when used in the right context, problem is very rarely are they used in the right context. Case in point Orbinho has been going on and on about expected goals since Arteta arrived and yet never put them into context like playing with 10 men for half a game, or when being forced into making subs through injury which has completely thrown off the balance of the team a few times or playing a young kid like Saka and not having a sub left to replace him when he starts cramping and leads to opportunities on the counter like against Chelsea.

 

[bingobob]

I like our defense improvements even tho we still error prone. Expected goals will never improve if we don't create alot of chances

encouraging. I suspect the stats would be better if we had less red cards but at the same time I'm not taking that as a negative. Nkeitahs red card being an example of the pressing weve been doing and then obviously the Luiz red card which lead to a collapse.

Given that the most important things are improving; results, increase in goals and decrease in goals against. The stats back up what I'm seeing with my eye. We are improving, especially defensively.

 

[Monstar-Gunn4r]

I like our defense improvements even tho we still error prone. Expected goals will never improve if we don't create alot of chances

Like I felt with Emery things were only getting worse, like he'd set fire to the dumpster and was then shown the door. I feel like with Arteta he started with a full on dumpster fire and had to put that out first before hes been able to do anything. Like you can't say this is the best Arteta can do but I'm sure under Emery it would've gotten worse. We seem to be improving just by looking though.

 

[krengon]

We have looked better in the 6 months or so under Arteta, than the previous 18 months under Emery...

This is not true though is it? We’ve had a better run of form and even individual team performances under Emery than what we’ve seen so far.

you are right about the stats thing, looking at it alone is pretty meaningless, need proper context.

 

[HairSprayGooners]

This is not true though is it? We’ve had a better run of form and even individual team performances under Emery than what we’ve seen so far.

you are right about the stats thing, looking at it alone is pretty meaningless, need proper context.

Initially under Emery we looked alright but for most of that time at the start he had a willing Mesut Özil in the team. Lacazette was our player of the season and Auba scored like he has this season.

Compared to what Arteta has had which is no creator of any sort and only up until recently a decent level Laca.

I don't think we need attackers if Auba/Laca stay, but we desperately need a creator and a CB. Arteta doesn't know what he has financially until he knows where we finish. Worst case scenario we probably sign Partey, the lad from Salzburg or a similar level player and maybe Gabriel.

 

[PoleInGoal]

I like our defense improvements even tho we still error prone. Expected goals will never improve if we don't create alot of chances

Under Arteta we remain inconsistent but we have produced peaks much higher than under Emery. for example the performance vs United at home, Wolves away, or the first half vs Leicester are all significantly better than anything we showed in the first half of the season. The hope is that these performances become more common and more consistent.

 

[Monstar-Gunn4r]

We had that 22 game unbeaten run, which while impressive had some very dodgy performances throughout, felt like we should have been 2 or 3 down by every half time...the only time I felt confident in a match with Emery, was weirdly the bigger games, as they suited his style more, but he always seemed to struggle against "smaller" teams.

We still have issues now, but feel we have been much better all round under Arteta myself.

I think the season nearly went up and down depending upon who was available. Like Holding was in great form and then got injured and our whole season dipped. Ramsey used to come on at half time and save games for us, even near the end I feel we would've got champions league with him in the squad. Koscielny returning and being bale to play gave a boost as well.

Unfortunately this year Arteta has had to deal with having Luiz instead of Koscielny, Ceballos isntead of Ramsey, Tierney instead of Monreal. Tierney was injured for most of the season, Luiz is well Luiz, Holding was injured for most of the season and is only coming back in to form, Ceballos was inconsistent but now that Arteta has made expectations clear he seems to be able to apply himself. Pepe instead of Iwobi... I'm not getting in to that discussion but they are very different players and whatever about end product I thought Iwobi added more balance to the team.

 

[Makingtrax]

He's the coach but if you think he doesn't have a say on who he wants to coach then you're very much mistaken.

How do you know that?

 

[Riou]

How do you know that?

Think he would probably have a discussion with Raul and co over what he wants, but Raul has final say...we have been doing this for a while now.

Even before Arsène left, he had most of his transfer power taken away, he was against swapping Sanchez for Mkh...Emery didn't get much imput, he clearly wanted Zaha over Pepe.

Seems to be the way we work now, especially since 2018.

 

[Makingtrax]

I get wenger didnt soon much between 06 and 2013 but after that he did. Under Emery we spent 200m plus on Leno, Sokratis, Torreira, Pepe, Tierney, Saliba plus smaller fees Guendouzi, Martinelli and Luiz. How many other clubs spent over 200m in 3 windows?

Our squad hasn't risen above 5th for the cost of all 25 players in recent years. That doesn't win titles in any European league, regardless of the manager.

 

[HairSprayGooners]

How do you know that?

I mean its just the most logical thing.

Raul says to Arteta how about XYZ. Arteta views profile of player, says no he wouldn't fit what I want.

Its not rocket science to believe Arteta is in on discussions. He even said he's in on it himself so not sure what you're getting at.

 

[bingobob]

Our squad hasn't risen above 5th for the cost of all 25 players in recent years. That doesn't win titles in any European league, regardless of the manager.

that wasnt the question. the question was how many other managers spent more than 200m in 3 windows? and I asked it as the original poster says we havent backed managers. Financially Emery was supported. And he was supported without significant player sales to help balance the books.

 

[Rex Stone]

Not gonna lie those xG numbers are worrying. Every fanbase says that it’s ok and you’ll outrun it but you don’t.

Utd fans before they fell apart post PSG said it was down to De Gea, we looked the other way in that 22 game run and Leicester fans ignored it this year when they were almost title challengers by Christmas.

Eventually it balances itself out. Only silver lining is that we have three, possibly four games left of this season and with new players and a pre-season of Arteta’s methods then it’ll be a clean slate.

 

[Mrs Bergkamp]

Well done him for pointing out the "enormous" gap in the quality of our squad compared to Liverpool's. I like the way he praised the players for upping their effort but agree with Souness when he says that's a roundabout way of saying he's getting the max from this group. The ball is firmly at the feet of the board. Arteta knows what he wants but can they deliver? I doubt it.

 

[bingobob]

We can go on about squad cost until the cows come home. We often do on here. The best and biggest teams spend money. But they build settled squads and tinker around the edges. And if they arent happy they move players on. Lukaku cost Uniter a bomb, moved on. Benteke cost Liverpool a bomb moved on. So of course these clubs seemingly spend more but thats because they are ruthless. If it's not working cheerio.

But of course theyve spent 600m and weve only spent 300m. and we are 5th to their 2nd. And how can we bridge that gap? one. change the culture. Who would have stuck by Lacazette. Or who would have bought Aubameyang whilst having Lacazette? Who would have got fobbed off swapping Alexis for a player we didnt want when weeks before that we could have sold to City for a hefty fee? Which other clubs allow Ramsey, Welbeck and Wilshere all to leave for frees? and has a fight with their captain weeks before the transfer window closes.

We could and should have spent more but we've even managed to **** that up.

 

[Makingtrax]

that wasnt the question. the question was how many other managers spent more than 200m in 3 windows? and I asked it as the original poster says we havent backed managers. Financially Emery was supported. And he was supported without significant player sales to help balance the books.

Squads take years to build mate. 3 years is only part of the squad. And £200m must be gross spend, even Wolves have spent more than that and the top clubs way more.