In todays podcast @shotta_gooner and I look at recent results and performances and discuss how vital winning the Europa League is to Arsenal’s, Arteta’s and the players future. Also how par for Arsenal is being 5th and 5th most likely to win any domestic competition, every single season.
Pedantic George.
Positively Arsenal 
I always rated Xhaka but he looks even better when he doesn’t play.
We would have won with him, so I will recognise Arteta was unlucky there, but should have still had enough against a poor team and sacked ex manager.
Such a bad look for Arteta.
He might come good one day, but needs to learn his craft somewhere else.
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Having said all that, honest question, do other clubs hit the woodwork as much as this bunch?
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mills if Xhaka had not got injured in the warm up he was starting at left back, not midfield
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it was a meek surrender, jeez they used to slag Wenger off for not being able to get the team up for it, but that was different level white flag stuff.
We didn’t even try throwing a CB up top and lump it in, no it was stick to Arteta’s master plan, paint by numbers football. This team is built in the image of its manager, and its an awful sight to behold. But I already see the trust the process guys out in force, and of course its all Wenger and Kroenke’s fault, despite it being 3 years to the day that Wenger last took charge of an Arsenal home game
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Oh dear. Thought it was madness to play Xhaka at Newc given he’s surely our most important player- heart of the team, probably the brain, too.
Looked tired and red zoning at times in that game, as you’d expect him to be. That one meant little, this everything.
Repeat of what happened with Tierney earlier in year when just couldn’t bring himself to rest him despite importance to team, and logic saying it was necessary to give him a breather somewhere or injury near inevitable.
Maybe we gutted the sports science department…
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one shot on target in a game we had to score in, that is Artetaball summed up.
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yeah rich, and saka has looked off the pace for a number of games now.
as for partey, what is it that he i supposed to be world class at, other than having fans tell us he had another outstanding game tonight.
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Always said ideal/best team for me is one with strong control of the dial, so to speak, of defence and attack, so that they can turn it up or down in keeping with match situation.
Remember a Bayern game against Utd number of years back. Utd fluked lead with cracking Evra strike, bam, Bayern instantly went to max and tore them apart for ten minutes scoring two or three.
We are a million miles from that sort of thing. First half pathetic or thereabouts, 2nd began bright, much better, carrying threat, quicker, pushing players forward, but it was quickly apparent that to do so meant extreme vulnerability to a counter, of type you’re only likely to see with great team when they are in bad spot with 5 or 10 to go.
No dial. No control really. Can be more threatening if everyone was to push, but only while being very vulnerable in defence. Or, while trying to be cautious and careful in defence, very little in attack. Not good.
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Arteta talking bullshit again in his presser, once again claiming we created enough to have won the tie. Some shite about 90% of the team playing in their first ever semi final,
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Ed, yeah, right about Saka. Although he’s strong contender for player of year actually think that’s marginally more forgivable in the circumstances, as we have reasonable options to replace.
Tierney and Xhaka, though. I thought it was foolish and short-sighted not recognising need to rest Tierney earlier in year, but Xhaka one is astonishing to me.
All I can think is I’m missing something league wise, as a result of writing it off at least a few weeks ago, ie was there still some outside chance of sneaking a Europa spot? Even so seems a rubbish calculation. He preferred Xhaka there to Cedric, but by how much…a 5% improvement on chance of a result? 10? It can’t have been huge. So put that and the importance of that game next to this one?????
Signs are he can’t or won’t make those calculations.
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arteta says the max lacazette could play was 15 minutes, so why the fuck was he in the squad ahead of Balogun, what was the point in him.
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Surely it was the ref’s fault, definitely the ref’s fault.
Oh, yes, and wenger because he left us with so many bad players like Auba and lacazette.
Another season of this rubbish beckons fueled by the pressure from the process trusters, the Partey is a world class midfielder misfits and above all those who still maintain that Arteta is one of the best young coaches in the world.
If one thought it was not possible to get someone worse than Emery then think again. Arteta is your man.
If allowed I dare say he could spend the next 20 years bringing in his preferred players and the result would be the same.
Mediocrity here we are. We can only look forward to worse.
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rich we could have used Nelson in some of the game to give Saka a rest.
Also on Cedric, a few weeks ago he was first choice RB over Bellerin, then he was played left back when Tierney got injured, cocked up in one game and was dumped totally, with Chambers used at RB, and now somehow Bellerin is back as first choice right back. Then we have Gabriel, the key signing of the summer, well along with other key signings Partey and Willian, and our CB from Brazil can’t get in the team, Willian gets on as a sub and Partey was poor again, but its still give Arteta another two or three transfer windows to get in more of his own players. Fucking why would anyone do that, what did Odegaard do again, Ceballos the last time out, lets not mention Runarrson that would be a step too far would it not
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never thought I’d ever say this about any Arsenal manager but Sean Dyche would probably do a better job with this squad than Arteta is doing
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ha ha ha, Arteta just said Cedric could not play at left back when Xhaka dropped out cos he was in Hospital 24 hours ago, but the fucking clown had him in the subs. The WOB’s used to talk about ineptitude, well they are finally seeing what that is really like
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Osman
🎗
@OsmanZtheGooner
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30m
We have failed to score in 10 matches at home this season. TEN
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I think Arteta is playing the unlucky card…players in hospital, malaria, injured in warm ups etc …to the club to keep his job, which I am convinced he will , the club will be scared of another fuck up
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Not saying there was t an injury in warm up btw!
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like others here, I don’t think Arteta will be sacked, well not till at least mid next season, but wouldn’t it be funny if he was sacked and the job goes to one of Henry or Vieira with no takeover
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Think the worst thing about this fixture, they are a really poor side! We couldn’t even score tonite! And a keeper with completely obvious faults, not exploited.
Arteta will remain, but don’t know how he recovers from this, bar an amazing start to next season, which, lets face it, won’t happen, once we get our customary start away at Anfield with the PGMOL allowing a Salah dive fest.
People have recovered from worse, but does Arteta have it in him, does he have the support of the fans or players?
The Kroenkes might not have neglected the club in terms of spending, I think they have clearly overspent on some players, and super agents, but they have Let us down in terms of those who they let run things after 2018 . Neglect has consequences
All that aside, Sometimes self inflicted, bit still think Arteta is an unlucky general, maybe he needs a new environment to change that
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mandy I think we are unlucky to have arteta as our general.
Its 3 years since wenger was pushed out but I’m sure you all know what he would have tried in that last ten to 15 minutes if it wa 0-0 and we needed just the one goal to get to the final. He would have thrown everyone up front, he would have risked losing 1-0 in an attempt to win. But look at us under Arteta, tonight was just a repeat of what we have seen over and over. Ten minutes to go, goal needed, he takes of Aubameyang, brings on lacca who he said was not fit to play more than 15 minutes, so clearly not fit, waited till deep into injury time to bring on nketiah, but even if you discounts the actual subs on or off, we did not change anything tactically, it was slow, circular passing, just more of the same, jeez we did not even throw our CB’s up front and launch it. No that would be too much for the ego of Arteta to cope with, his paint by numbers football must be followed at all costs, even a place in a European final.
i’ve said it before, I don’t think Arteta will ever be a good attacking coach/manager cos he does not want free thinking football, he wants robotic football. He has stated several times this and last season that the only thing needed for our attack to spark is for the players to get more used to the patterns of play he has them playing. So that they do it a little quicker.
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our remaining fixtures this season
Sunday 9th – WBA at Home
Wednesday 12th – Chelsea away
Wednesday 19th – Crystal Palace away
Sunday 23rd – Brighton at home
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If Arteta cared as much about the club as he claims to, he would resign.
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So Shotta and George proved right that Arteta project will fail.
Frankly speaking I was a bit optimistic that luck may favour Arteta and he win the Europa league and becomes a hero from nowhere like he did after winning the FA cup.
The idiot WOBS now have no place to hide after this humiliating season.The big bloggers who hounded our greatest ever manager should show some courage and accept that they were totally wrong that we will b better once Wenger leaves the club.
YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW .
Now face the music.
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Sorry Ed I wasnt being clear, what I meant was (even if he hadnt got injured )would it have been better if Arteta had selected him to play mid rather than defence?To me hes strong in mid that at defence.Seemed to be a massive mistake even before they started to warm up( the irony being Tierney play most of the game).
Anyway is all over now.
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It is over and done but can anyone tell me how we get out of this? It is ironic that I am reading Wenger’s words of wisdom in ‘My life in red and white’. Last night I reached the part where he decides to take on the challenge that is/was Arsenal.
Sweet dreams.
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BB-
probably impossible from here to say how to go to there? Which is here anyway?
The soil isnt right to grow well at Arsenal at the moment and the head gardener is clipping and sawing off buds and branches and digging up roots and sometimes has orders from paying visitors to the garden or from the gaffer that owns the big house.But these should really be ignored as they soon go off home and the gardener is left still to work on things.Theres too much watering at times, and maybe not enough sun?
But also the plants arent getting enough protection from the heat. Some flowers cant stand to much heat and need more shade to thrive some like to stay out of the biting harsh winds.
Sometimes they make the mistakes at the garden centre by buying flashy flowers that grow in clement climates and find inclement ones tough to survive, and the autumn and winter winds blow hard.Perhpas it takes the instincet of understadn and not just readign the labels on plants to know what might grow and how?
Sometimes angry (frightened) people who have a window box on their balconies in a big city whic is polluted come to the garden and start pulling up plants that they say are weeds, but arent, there are no weeds for a start, but both wild and culivated flowers.
But if everyone is telling the gardener what to do and spreading weed killer around what can he do? He knows that vandals come in a cut things down without his permission and spray slogans and tag things, but these things dont make the garden a sustained and healthy place, but one thats tired and atraved of love and nourishment.
What if the gardener as just left agricultural college and has not spent my time in the garden itself? It takes a life time to know and maintain a garden, to know the weather, to know the soil, to know which flowers love soggy soil and which loves dry soil, which likes acidic soil and whch needs a more alkaline based one.
To grow a garden one needs patience and tolerance and a love thats deep.It needs constant attention and protection.
Its tough when ready made gardens are constructed,and paying visitors flock by the bus load to see and comment and point things out, but their roots are not deep, the plants soon wither but the crafty fly by night gardeners buy new ones which are potted early in the morning before everyone has breakfast. Those gardens always look shiny and new. But what if a really bad sustained frost comes?
Gardeners need understudies and helpers for there job is to delight everyone, mostly at the sacrifce of their own joy, which is intermittent. They know that the people at the big house only want to see things in all its glory, just like the summer visitors, but true gardeners should be left to their job, and their benefactors should trust them, especially if you have a earthy, wise gardener.
Some people want ready made and kit forms, so they can just sit around and enjoy things. But a long term patiently planned and nutured garden will reap benefits beyond and suburban quick fix? And if sustained and tendered properly will last generatin to generation.
The choice is everyones, and we have to take responsiblity for that? Gardens are a big organisation, it takes team work, trust and nurturing, and we must know flowers wont bloom all at the same time, to each has a season, yet sometimes it can seem like it has, we know autumn and winter come and they can be dpressing and cold, but without them we wouldnt know midsummers day?
Maybe some at Arsenal in all its vastness are not gardners, some like just pottering around, and some are just visitors, what if we all knew what we can give and when not? Or how to help make things thrive in the face of adversity? Does this take some self assement on all our parts-thats not easy?
Its easy to say this though when you live on cloud 9 like I do. COYG!
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Extra frustration is that with season a write off, last four games should all be about giving youth players a chance, especially if club aren’t looking to get in this beazer homes conference competition.
It should be a silver lining among all the dark clouds, as you won’t get many opportunities like this to play youngsters, but going on form, fact Arteta must be desperate for results, and to avoid aggravating fan situation even further, very little chance of it happening.
I’d like to see Reiss and Eddie get a chance, after a tough season for both, and as a common sense move if prospect of exits is high; Balogun and Azeez meanwhile purely about future.
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Another podcast is up.
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The obsession with Wenger doesn’t help. He’s gone, get over it. His time was up. The problem with Arsenal is the complete ineptitude of the owners. That and the fact that they don’t want to spend a fortune on the club like the owners of City and Chelsea. I know we’ve spent a fair sum but you need people who spend wisely. 70 million on Pepe? Seriously, what madness was that? Chelsea and City can accommodate that sort of lunacy, we can’t. To make us great again we need a top class manager, top class recruitment and 200 million to spend. Klopp or Guardiola should have been approached about 5 years ago. Tuchel should have been approached at some point. Dumb owners with limited ambition will hinder any progress we try to make. Get in a manager with some pedigree before the club is a bigger basket case than it already is.
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