MaraDon
Wants you to learn about football
we all do.I still back him tbh.
We are a much better club since he stepped in.
we all do.I still back him tbh.
Two consecutive titles races in a row, I'm backing him until we don't look like we could win the league. Its not like we're up against jokers either, if we were losing the title to Leicester City or whoever the context would be very different.I still back him tbh.
What do we do with the attack @SA Gunner? we are not going to get many more gains out of set peices and won't always outperform xG significantly. You could say our exceedence of xG over the past 2 seasons has kept us in the last 2 title race. I still think we are a little too predictable in attack. But if you play with more freedom and risk, and bring in some flashy less structured wingers, you potentially lose the control and defensive solidity we currently have.
I think i am right in saying our xga is excellent.
Not sure why people are moaning about team changes. Arteta’s kept a very narrow squad this year with limited changes and that’s the very consistency that’s got us into this position. And for those criticising our front forwards for wasted chances, we’ve been better than any other team in front of goal. Arteta’s done just about everything right.
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This is good stuff although I don't entirely agree with your conclusions. For instance, Partey made two appearances at RB last season so that's hardly enough sample size to claim Arteta bottled because of Partey in that position. Xhaka was moved to LB in an emergency two seasons ago when he lost the plot in trying to get 4th but even then that was for a game or two which isn't enough sample size to draw conclusions. Every manager makes mistakes. We're dealing with a financially doped juggernaut so his mistakes will be placed under a microscope due to the requirement of having to be near perfect over the course of 38 games in order to win this league.Games did cost us the league:
1. 2-2 draw v Fulham
2. 2-2 draw v Sp**s
3. 2-0 loss v Villa
4. 2-0 loss v West Ham
5. 2-1 loss v Fulham
I am here to expose Arteta's mistakes so I have my own conclusions, make your own. What I see is patterns. I show what some don't remember about the manager, his stubbornness and how he bottled last season (Partey RB) and now this one because he went so long with an idea didn't work and experiments in the worse moment for that.
1. Partey RB, Arteta still trying what made us lose the league last season. Havertz LCM experiment startedView attachment 23540
2. Zinchenko is back, we still had no CF, and Arteta was trying with Viera.
View attachment 23541
3. Zinchenko LB exposed, GJ back to CF and Havertz LCM. This was peak of his Havertz late runs experiment, also our poor form started with this.
View attachment 23542
4. Everything remains the same but Havertz. Arteta tried with Trossard doing that SS role he was obsessed with Havertz instead of using Jorge to as mid to help Rice control the game.
View attachment 23543
5. Arteta still trying with Havertz in the middle, putting Eddie instead of him in top. Team unbalanced as result.
View attachment 23545
6. The more recent, after a lot of games of solid defensive games with Kiwi left, Jorginho displaying great games, Partey back and Havertz doing good job as CF.... suddenly our manager decided to go back to exactly the same made us lose against Villa. Back to GJ CF, Zinchenko LB exposed and the worst one Havertz LCM and Rice alone giving nothing because he is not enough progressive.
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That renamed the thread title, huh?
This is good stuff although I don't entirely agree with your conclusions. For instance, Partey made two appearances at RB last season so that's hardly enough sample size to claim Arteta bottled because of Partey in that position. Xhaka was moved to LB in an emergency two seasons ago when he lost the plot in trying to get 4th but even then that was for a game or two which isn't enough sample size to draw conclusions. Every manager makes mistakes. We're dealing with a financially doped juggernaut so his mistakes will be placed under a microscope due to the requirement of having to be near perfect over the course of 38 games in order to win this league.
Games did cost us the league:
1. 2-2 draw v Fulham
2. 2-2 draw v Sp**s
3. 2-0 loss v Villa
4. 2-0 loss v West Ham
5. 2-1 loss v Fulham
I am here to expose Arteta's mistakes so I have my own conclusions, make your own. What I see is patterns. I show what some don't remember about the manager, his stubbornness and how he bottled last season (Partey RB) and now this one because he went so long with an idea didn't work and experiments in the worse moment for that.
1. Partey RB, Arteta still trying what made us lose the league last season. Havertz LCM experiment startedView attachment 23540
2. Zinchenko is back, we still had no CF, and Arteta was trying with Viera.
View attachment 23541
3. Zinchenko LB exposed, GJ back to CF and Havertz LCM. This was peak of his Havertz late runs experiment, also our poor form started with this.
View attachment 23542
4. Everything remains the same but Havertz. Arteta tried with Trossard doing that SS role he was obsessed with Havertz instead of using Jorge to as mid to help Rice control the game.
View attachment 23543
5. Arteta still trying with Havertz in the middle, putting Eddie instead of him in top. Team unbalanced as result.
View attachment 23545
6. The more recent, after a lot of games of solid defensive games with Kiwi left, Jorginho displaying great games, Partey back and Havertz doing good job as CF.... suddenly our manager decided to go back to exactly the same made us lose against Villa. Back to GJ CF, Zinchenko LB exposed and the worst one Havertz LCM and Rice alone giving nothing because he is not enough progressive.
View attachment 23544
I took Arteta tax from you I’m sure? Think I described the effect but you coined thatLook, I think it’s worth analysing things like this so don’t take this the wrong way.
But it’s not a “bad” thing at all for our manager (or any manager) to continue to try different line ups and tactics and formations in the first half of the season in my opinion.
It keeps things fresh and it keeps opponents guessing and makes it harder for them to find “the one” game plan that best nullifies our game. This is exactly how we managed to string together our best run in the second half of the season when results matter the most.
Pep does exactly the same thing - and it’s a big part of why Man City are notorious for being incredible finishers imo.
The caveat here is that I don’t think you should keep fking around and finding out with 6 games left of the season. But we’re also in an awkward position because that **** conceicao gave the world a playbook on how to effectively nullify us at the worst possible time.
Every system has a weak spot and an effective counter, it’s simply not possible to have an all conquering style. Ultimately the only thing that you can never counter is individual brilliance. What city has in spades, and we don’t, is this mercurial quality. We have a team of Goose (geese?) without any Maverick. (Ok that’s harsh as I think Saka could be that guy someday but he isn’t yet).
Arteta’s tactics and coaching have done an incredible job at lifting the performances of the team to a level where we really do have to start applying @Trilly ’s “Arteta Tax” on some of our players - they aren’t as good in clutch moments as some of the best of their counterparts, regardless of how well they function in his system. Havertz is the quintessential example of a player who is putting up numbers way above his level because of the system he plays in.
Adding individual brilliance needs to be the final part of this fking process, both for my blood pressure and for our quest for trophies.
If we spend another summer buying “systems players” who can fill in at 15 different positions on the pitch without being truly world class in one well defined role then I worry we may see a repeat next season where we ultimately fall short in the clutch moments when you need more than just tactics and coaching.
The lack of links to a world class CM really worry me. At this stage last year I’m sure the Rice links were already in overdrive.
I took Arteta tax from you I’m sure? Think I described the effect but you coined that
I’ve come a long way from not rating the guy to openly telling people at the barbershop the other day that “Havertz isn’t that good, it’s just Arteta tax”
You definitely coined xHim anyway. Or you said it and @OnlyOne coined it whatever lol
Two consecutive titles races in a row, I'm backing him until we don't look like we could win the league. Its not like we're up against jokers either, if we were losing the title to Leicester City or whoever the context would be very different.
Games did cost us the league:
1. 2-2 draw v Fulham
2. 2-2 draw v Sp**s
3. 2-0 loss v Villa
4. 2-0 loss v West Ham
5. 2-1 loss v Fulham
I am here to expose Arteta's mistakes so I have my own conclusions, make your own. What I see is patterns. I show what some don't remember about the manager, his stubbornness and how he bottled last season (Partey RB) and now this one because he went so long with an idea didn't work and experiments in the worse moment for that.
1. Partey RB, Arteta still trying what made us lose the league last season. Havertz LCM experiment startedView attachment 23540
2. Zinchenko is back, we still had no CF, and Arteta was trying with Viera.
View attachment 23541
3. Zinchenko LB exposed, GJ back to CF and Havertz LCM. This was peak of his Havertz late runs experiment, also our poor form started with this.
View attachment 23542
4. Everything remains the same but Havertz. Arteta tried with Trossard doing that SS role he was obsessed with Havertz instead of using Jorge to as mid to help Rice control the game.
View attachment 23543
5. Arteta still trying with Havertz in the middle, putting Eddie instead of him in top. Team unbalanced as result.
View attachment 23545
6. The more recent, after a lot of games of solid defensive games with Kiwi left, Jorginho displaying great games, Partey back and Havertz doing good job as CF.... suddenly our manager decided to go back to exactly the same made us lose against Villa. Back to GJ CF, Zinchenko LB exposed and the worst one Havertz LCM and Rice alone giving nothing because he is not enough progressive.
View attachment 23544
I do agree with this overall, and actually personally, I'd still probably back him even if we dropped into top 4 on an "off year".
I do have my grievances with Arteta sometimes but I think he's proven this year that he's a superb manager.
However, however, however.......I hope the bolded part wasn't a dig at Wenger