Good morning all.
Today @shotta_gooner and I look back at the limp surrender to City and try to work out why a squad of this quality is wallowing in mid table and scoring goals at a miserable rate. To be honest I surprised myself with my conviction that Arteta is way out of his depth as a manager. I try to understand where people are seeing progress but I fail miserably and conclude that the future is bleak unless surgery is done.
If you think I’m wrong, please use the comments section to educate me, I would love to be shown as wrong.
Pedantic George.
Positively Arsenal 
Ignoring the pgmob handicap as we saw over the last decade that even the handicap could not hide the quality of a Football team over a season even when tilting the results in a league:
Football teams that don’t or can’t score many goals are:
not very good at the old Football.
Some teams score a healthy amount of goals whilst conceding few goals and those teams tend to win leagues (clue: that’s not how the Gunners have been playing if you look at the GA and GF columns).
LikeLike
There’ve been improvements in the attack since it was announced that Ozil was leaving & the squad was less unsettled and more technical players were reintroduced to the starting eleven.
However the damage to the season was done in the first half of the campaign. Even a run without any defeats from Boxing Day onwards would’ve seen the Gunners end the season with more defeats then most in the top seven or six. The improved defence!
Even if the team won every single game for the rest of the season the final stats in the table will still tell us that this has not been a good team this season and when you recall the bile that these see you next Tuesday blaggers were hurtling at the best coach this club has ever seen season after season after season it is safe to say that they are pretty stupid people! Who don’t know that much about the old Footy. Less then the Sweet FA by the looks of it!
LikeLike
I am not sure that there has been progress either but it has been a unique season so I’m not sure if surgery before a summer transfer is wise.
You can look at the impact of change at Chelsea with a manager that was linked to us. Can you compare our situation to anyone else? I’m not sure you can there seems to be an issue from boot boy to the top, that is before looking at the players and the football.
The only question I have regards manager, is it a too tough nut to crack for a rookie. My fear is that it may be a too tough nut to crack full stop. The other depressing thing is that most of us do not have any confidence in the decision makers either.
The only thing that I am sure of is that it is a long bumpy road back.
It has all been said before and I can’t offer a road map out unless there is a change of owners and emphasis.
.
LikeLike
People have been saying for years now that we need to wait until the next transfer window and then the next 2 or 3 and then always the next summer or the next January.
In the meantime, one by one, the Wenger signings or academy players have been eased out, with contracts being bought out, no doubt at great expense, or players loaned out, with little prospect of their being seen again, and replaced with Arteta’s own choices, clapped out, injury-prone, semi injured players, some from Chel$ki or Real, players who can no longer or could never get into their teams, but apparently, good enough for us, also, no doubt at great expense.
With the squad full of Arteta recruits, we can’t score or even muster shots on target.
We have become mediocre and boring and yet, we are promised, it will all be better when we can buy in more Arteta recruits and lose a few more incumbents.
No wonder, long term fans like me, can hardly be bothered to watch and are not too concerned if we lose.
What a terrible mess.
LikeLike
Jigsol, the ambivalence is real. Especially now I’m working from home and don’t have workmates taking the piss the morning after.
Been weaning myself off of it. Just so painful with the arsehole commentators and pundits and then the Northern Dad’s Army Pigmob Mafia stitching us up and backed up by the MSM
Better to just be apathetic. The fact we are becoming painful to watch makes it easier
LikeLike
Yeah i think most here agree.
The Diego Simone school of Football sucks balls.
No shots at home in a knock out champions league tie against a unsettled Chelsea opponent – with to be agora a brilliant heavily expensive squad?
Get in the bin Diego you shameless Fraud!
And all who want to follow in your footsteps can follow you there. Let’s hope sooner rather then later.
If only Giroud had been at the club for that tie against Atletico instead of Lacazette (who never went on to push Giroud out the French squad).
LikeLike
Correction above:
Fair > Agora
LikeLike
I could understand his thinking at the time but with the benefit of hindsight signing Aubameyang and releasing Giroud might have been one of AW’s less successful moments in the transfer market.
LikeLike
The ARSENAL fans sold big Oli, they booed his name when it was read out in the stadium he was given stick when he warned up along the sidelines and like Arsene became difficult to keep.
The board never dealt with the toxic atmosphere and in some cases encouraged it.
Those fans and the Kronkes are the reason for the crap we have today.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Karma can be brutal. But I don’t think the click bait blaggers & youtubers are complaining. Ching ching!
–
Was Auba a AW signing? I recall the execs making sure they were photographed in the car park etc.?
I suspect AW would’ve dreamed of a combo of Auba, Giroud and one other in his late squad to complement previous tridents (Henry, Kanu & Wilford, Eduardo, Adebayor & RV*).
LikeLike
WE sold Giroud because he wanted to get first-team minutes so that he could go to the World Cup.
BY then he not the first choice and he was right because he went to the World Cup and was one of the stars.
The purchase of Auba was, in my view a mistake and caused by fan and media pressure.
What it did was make us over-reliant on him so that he became our main and almost only goal scorer.
Our attacks were built around him and for him only.
It is similar to the purchase of Ian Wright in the early 90s at a time when Alan Smith was still scoring at will.
Wright came and the whole focus of our attack was aimed at him. Smith was marginalised and stopped scoring, whilst Wright became our only goalscorer, with every attack designed for him and him only.
It reached the stage when he was the only scorer in a low scoring team.
Wenger saw that and it was not long before Wright was n his way.
I doubt if Wenger saw Auba as the main attacker ki like that, but that is what happened as Lacazette flopped.
LikeLike
I often think that is why Smith appears so bitter.
LikeLike
Thomas Partey in our squad for the Benfica game tomorrow
LikeLike
It wasn’t just Smith that wright killed one of our best youth strikers ever Kevin Campbell was also wasted. He has said many times players would pass to wright even if he had two players on him and Kevin was free.
LikeLiked by 2 people
We went from a league winning team to a cup team with those tactics.
Journeymen hoofing it over the top for Wrighty.
Campbell was a target of the boo boys too. Screwed his confidence.
LikeLiked by 2 people
COYG
LikeLike
Arsenal: Leno, Bellerin, David Luiz, Gabriel, Tierney, Xhaka, Ceballos, Odegaard, Smith-Rowe, Saka, Aubameyang
subs: Ryan, Chambers, Pablo Mari, Cedric, Elneny, Partey, Willian, Pepe, Martinelli, Lacazette, Nketiah, Hein.
BENFICA: Leite, Verissimo, Otamendi, Vertonghen, Goncalves, Taarabt, Weigl, Silva, Grimaldo, Pizzi, Seferovic.
Subs: Svilar, Vlachodimos, Gilberto, Everton, Gabriel, Nunez, Waldschmidt, Cervi, Chiquinho, Pedrinho, Tavares, Ramos
LikeLike
1-0 to the Arsenal, saka pass splits their defense and Aubameyang lifts it over the keeper for a fine goal
LikeLike
1-1, free kick from just outside the area beats Leno all ends up, right in the top corner, Benfica not really been in the game and its 1-1 on the night, and 2-2 on agg, with a few minutes of the first half left.
LikeLike
HT: Arsenal 1-1 Benfica
Aubameyang gave us the lead, but a late freekick sees not only game level but the tie too, if Benfica score again we will need two goals, we really wobbled after we let in that freekick, need to pick it up big time in the second half or we very well could be going out of the EL and in a real crisis,
LikeLike
Playing to the level of opposition-again.
LikeLike
Would be surprised if we go on to win this. Sense the players are all a bit jittery, and playing as if they are too conscious of the result, rather than just playing football. This is a moment when they do need to trust the process.
LikeLike
an Aubameyang goal ruled out for offside
LikeLike
Benfica make a triple switch just 13 minutes into the second half
LikeLike
we have a corner their keeper catches it, and his long ball is for some unknown reason headed backways by Ceballos and Benfica forward is in on it and rounds leno to make it 2-1 and 3-2 on agg to Benfica, we now need to score two to get through
Willian and Partey on for ESR and Ceballos
its been two Ceballos mistakes that see us behind
LikeLike
Tierneyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy powers a shot into the back of the net from just inside the area on the left, 2-2, and 3-3 on agg, we still need another one or we are out on away goals
LikeLike
odegaard is immune to shooting
LikeLike
we’ve taken off Bellerin and brought on Lacazette, about ten minutes to save our season
LikeLike
we don’t look like scoring, 7 minutes plus stoppage time to go
LikeLike
for fucks sake Arteta put one of the CB’s up front, and at least give us someone who might fight for a high cross in there, no point waiting to go out on away goals
LikeLike
Aubameyangggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg 3-2,, and 4-3 on agg, saka with the assist, VAR checking it
LikeLike
Goal given, there is 3 minutes plus stoppage time to play
LikeLike
Chambers and Elneny on for Odegaard and Saka
LikeLike
we are into stoppage time
LikeLike
4 minutes of stoppage time to be played, we are 90 seconds into it
LikeLike
benfica head onto the post, and then over the top with the follow up, may have been offside too
LikeLike
we are now into added on time
LikeLike
FT: Arsenal 3-2 Benfica — agg 4-3
Aubameyang x2, Tierney with our goals, now that was hard work, Ceballos with two bad mistakes for their goals, Saka with both assists for Aubameyang’s goals. Willian with the assist for Tierney’s
our play was too slow, too timid, would suggest it was timid. But a win is a win is win and we are in the next round and that is all that really matters.
LikeLiked by 1 person
never in doubt…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Interesting business supporting this particular team. At times they look as if they are a proper ‘good’ side, at others they not only look brittle but also toothless. At no time tonight in the last 25 minutes (when we went behind) did they stop trying to play football, and I think that is a good thing. But I also feel that too many of them are lacking the real confidence to go on and be the difference. Perhapas that will come as some of them get older, and althugh it will seeretrogressive, I feel that a 10 day complete break for Xhaka would make a lot of difference to how the last part of the season plays out.
LikeLike
through so far to the last 16 of the EL are
Arsenal
Ajax
Molde
Rangers
Granada
Shakhtar Donesk
Villarreal
Spurs
Man Utd certain to go through too
LikeLike
for me Saka shows the way forward, we need more of the players to play without fear, and to be that bit more direct, we have Odegaard floating around and totally unwilling to have a shot, Caballos wants to look good on the ball more than be effective, these two alone slowed down so many of our attacks tonight it was unreal.
Would also say that we either need to stop with so many high crosses or bring in a target man striker. We put in so many crosses that did not even see anyone try and contest it was so wasteful.
The shiny new toy gleam has worn off Gabriel and he looks so timid now. We need Partey to stay fit now and get in form, so we can see what he is all about. I feel ESR is a little lost in this side once it included both Odegaard and Ceballos, maybe with Partey instead of Ceballos we will see the best of ESR
LikeLike
we could draw spurs in the next round, and it would mean playing them 3 times in 8 days
LikeLike
Then we will
LikeLike
Leicester City currently losing at home to Slavia Prague, will need to win to go through, about 30 minutes left
LikeLike
LCFC now 2-0 down, need 3 goals in last 8 minutes plus stoppage time to progress, not looking likely
LikeLike
through to the last 16 of the EL are
Arsenal
Ajax
Molde
Rangers
Granada
Shakhtar Donesk
Villarreal
Spurs
AC Milan
Young Boys
Dynamo Kyiv
Dinamo Zagreb
Slavia Prague
Man Utd
Olympiacos
Roma
LikeLike
Arsenal’s next six fixtures: 4 away games in those six games
Leicester A
Burnley A
Europa League Ro16 first-leg TBC
Tottenham H
Europa League Ro16 second-leg TBC
West Ham A
LikeLike
Mikel Arteta was a relieved man after seeing Pierre-Emerick Aubamehyang and Bukayo Saka come up trumps as we sealed a late win against Benfica in Athens.
The win secured our place in the last 16 of the Europa League, and afterwards our manager faced the media.
This is what he said:
on whether Saka and Aubameyang have kept our season alive…
Well, it certainly keeps the season going in a much better way because this competition is going to help in the Premier League a lot. It joins everyone together to have something important to play for and today would have been really harsh with what has happened in the two legs to be out of the competition. I’m extremely happy with the result.
on whether he was worried that Auba’s winner would be disallowed…
Well, I was worried because we had one overturned that was really tight as well, so anything can happen and we cannot see the line. My impression was that he was onside, but I didn’t know, so the celebration isn’t the same, but at the end, what counts is that it went in.
on potentially facing Tottenham in the next round…
You never know! In this draw there’s going to be some funny games because there are a lot of teams left in the competition still. Let’s see. We will celebrate today a little bit because it’s been a rollercoaster, as you said, then we’ll have a nice dinner and recover because on Sunday we have a big one again.
on what was going through his head in the 87th minute…
No, I don’t think we would have deserved it (to go out). The reality is that we gave them two goals in the two legs, and when you do that against any opponent, and an opponent with the quality of Benfica, you’re going to be in trouble. That’s why we were in trouble. We gave away a penalty in a situation that we knew was going to happen, and then today we gave away a goal after our own corner. After that, the reaction of the team, the belief and what I was sensing on the pitch and how much they wanted it, gave me hope. We changed it and tried to be more of a threat, more attacking, and I’m especially happy about Dani because he’s a player that lives this profession like the most important thing in his life, and when he made that mistake, if that would have cost the team to be out of the competition, it would have been mentally really tough. That’s when you need players in the team like the ones we have with Auba and Bukayo creating and KT scoring the goal to save him. Out of a difficult situation created a really nice moment.
on Saka’s overall performance and his nerves of steel…
It is (nerves of steel), and as well because he’s really fatigued. He’s played a lot of minutes and he hasn’t had much rest. We asked him to go again and produce this moment, and the boy has done it against a really difficult formation with the way they were so deep and there were very small spaces, but he’s found a way to do it again.
on how football can be like poetry…
Yes. That was the first instance [Aubameyang’s miss against Olympiacos] that came into my mind when he scored. I didn’t know if VAR was going to allow the goal and then with the last action they were offside as well. They had the chance so this is the beautiful thing about football. If you keep going always, you have the chance to put it right.
on if the team showed it could perform under pressure…
Yes, absolutely. We had better moments in the game than others but I think everybody had the courage to play the way that we wanted to. They gave absolutely everything with the amount of games that we’ve played and the intensity that they’re playing at, how much they’re trying and I really thank them for that. I think that is going to be an important moment in the competition, to learn how to overcome difficulty and still achieve what we want.
on how Dani Ceballos was feeling when the goal went in…
I’m especially happy for him because he really loves this game and he does everything in the right way to be as prepared as possible. You can see how he celebrates every single goal. He doesn’t have a 10 year contract at the club, he’s on loan and still feels and defends this club in the best possible way. I think someone like him deserves good things to happen to him in football.
on how hard it is managing the team with the away goal hanging over us…
It is [challenging] because you know that a clean sheet takes you through to the next round of the competition but you can’t play with that in your mind from the first minute because it is going to affect what you’re going to do it. I don’t think we did that today, we scored a really good goal. To be fair, they didn’t create any chances, any shots. The first shot they created they scored a beautiful individual action and after that the tie becomes completely different because there’s no extra-time. Then it’s all open and all for the taking.
on what the manner of the win will do moving forward…
As one of your colleagues mentioned, it happened last year against Olympiacos. It was a really difficult one to swallow. We’re having a very very strange and difficult season with all the challenges that we all know about, so to have some good moments, some beautiful moments to celebrate together as a team is really important. In this competition over two legs, you’re going to have difficulties. It’s going to be players sent off. It’s going to be refereeing decisions. It’s going to be a mistake, you concede an early goal. You have to react to it and you have to know that you’re capable of doing that so when a positive experience is in the back of your mind, instead of a negative one, I think it’s much more powerful and much more convincing from everyone to try to do to.
on the importance of Kieran Tierney’s goal…
Absolutely and you mention the right word because that is the way I would describe him, which is all determination and passion for what he does. The way he has come back from his injury and how willing he is to try to help the team, it gives us a big lift. After I think I have to mention the subs, because all of them, when they came in, made a difference. With Willian especially, I think he changed the game, he gave us much more composure, moments of creativity, he produced a goal for Kieran and we need everybody on board as this competition has the possibility to make five subs, which is a big bonus.
on why he didn’t bring on Pepe or Martinelli…
Because there wasn’t much space to run in behind, it was a really tight two lines, 4-4-1-1, or 5-3-2 at times, they were a really, really low block, not much space to run apart from when they set the line around the 18-yard box. You need people to unlock that, with special qualities in tight spaces to create movement and I think Willi was really helpful tonight.
on Aubameyang showing you can trust him in the key moments…
I completely trust him because we produced the chances and you know with Auba that when he has chances, he is going to score goals. The last few days after the game in Rome against them, he missed three opportunities that are normally three goals for him, and he needed to react and it’s great to see that the way he reacted is by being upset and trying to be better and not just feeling sad for himself in this moment. I am really pleased with how he did tonight.
Copyright 2021 The Arsenal Football Club plc. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to http://www.arsenal.com as the source.
LikeLike
Olympiacos not bad
LikeLike