Mikel Arteta: Aston La Vista To The Title?

[Maybe]

After a game like this, you can expect Aretate to be criticized for everything. I don't care about the result at all, but not playing Pepe is a massive thing for me. Our team didn't have a single baller yesterday except for Ceballos who came in as a sub. Pepe is probably the best baller in the league, not a perfect player but what he does with the ball is magic. To leave that on the bench so you can make a combination of Douzi and Willock is absolutely *. Saka could've played anywhere, I wouldn't mind him even behind the striker

 

[hydrofluoric acid]

Arteta pissing me off with his choices up front. Players in the wrong position to get Nketiah in who isn’t like some world class talent, at most his ceiling is a decent premier league striker. You play Saka on the right and Auba on the left for that, that’s some manager bullshit. Play players in their strong positions ffs.

Auba is not that good upfront either. He has struggled there in many games.

 

[chessygoal]

Very disappointing performance from Arteta. We looked like a team with no plan in attack, and have been completely outplayed all game long.
For sure players are to blame, but Arteta did nothing special yesterday against a team he was supposed to know perfectly, not an encouraging sign for the games to come.

 

[Hunta]

The only time he started Martinelli that I can remember was away in Greece and he played the lad in his worst position at RW. Another coach who doesn’t seem to rate Pepe. £70m down the ****ter.

 

[MikeVinna]

Best players according to who? You?

Why would that be better?

Now Luiz is the best defender we have according to you guys. He played and single handily cost us the game. How was that better?

Defence is a shambles everyone knows that. Sucks Mari had to come off. Think Arteta chose the right CB duo to start.. Mustafi is probably our best CB at this point.

However, further up the pitch, I don’t believe the likes of Guendouzi, Willock and Nketiah should be starting over Özil, Ceballos, Pepe and Lacazette. Now if those youngsters were some elite level talent I would understand but Guendouzi has stagnated, Willock has done nothing all season and Nketiah is our 3rd maybe even 4th best striker. There’s a time to play those kids but it’s not against City.

Seeing Auba and Saka playing out of position to accommodate Nketiah is ridiculous.

You can’t tell me this:

Guendouzi - Xhaka

Saka —— Willock —— Auba

Nketiah​

Looks more balanced than this:

Ceballos - Xhaka

Pepe —— Özil —— Saka

Auba​

 

[moloso]

Very disappointing performance from Arteta. We looked like a team with no plan in attack, and have been completely outplayed all game long.
For sure players are to blame, but Arteta did nothing special yesterday against a team he was supposed to know perfectly, not an encouraging sign for the games to come.

Do you think if we had had Pep in charge last night it would have been different? They are a much better team - and we were 2 goals behind and a player down due to mistakes from a sine player - we went for it for 10 mins at the end and they could have scored everytime they went forward.

Arteta could be a total charlatan but he's hardly at fault. Not a massive fan of the team he put out but it's a unique situation in terms of the break and the fact we are basically playing a world cup group game schedule for 2 months - who knows how fit or the details of who's been impressing him with their opinions during the lockdown period?

The last few games of the season - especially if we have nothing to play for will be more telling as to who he rates.

 

[hydrofluoric acid]

Defence is a shambles everyone knows that. Sucks Mari had to come off. Think Arteta chose the right CB duo to start.. Mustafi is probably our best CB at this point.

However, further up the pitch, I don’t believe the likes of Guendouzi, Willock and Nketiah should be starting over Özil, Ceballos, Pepe and Lacazette. Now if those youngsters were some elite level talent I would understand but Guendouzi has stagnated, Willock has done nothing all season and Nketiah is our 3rd maybe even 4th best striker. There’s a time to play those kids but it’s not against City.

Seeing Auba and Saka playing out of position to accommodate Nketiah is ridiculous.

You can’t tell me this:

Guendouzi - Xhaka

Saka —— Willock —— Auba

Nketiah​

Looks more balanced than this:

Ceballos - Xhaka

Pepe —— Özil —— Saka

Auba​

Nketiah is easily better than Lacazette. But yeah maybe Nelson could have started on the right-wing and Martinelli maybe instead of Nketiah.

But you also have to take into account, fitness level of the players. Lacazette for example barely can run for 50 minutes and that is when he is fully fit in mid season. We are starting again. Arteta picks team not just on the best players but also fitness levels.

I also like to believe he picks players because of attitude, but it's hard to rationalize that because he picked Guendouzi who has one of the worst attitude I've seen at Arsenal. Guess there isn't much quality he can pick in the midfield.

 

[Big Poppa]

Auba is not that good upfront either. He has struggled there in many games.

A struggle upfront many strikers would love

 

[hydrofluoric acid]

As a striker

He has still struggled in many games.

 

[14Henry]

If Arteta is banging the drum for Luiz to be given a new contract then that's a huge red flag. He talked about accountability and tough decisions being made.

Another thing is apparently we travelled to city by plane just 3 hours before the match? That alone is ridiculous. Earlier in the day fine but not just before the match.

Who is approving all these decisions.

 

[Tourbillion]

Mari isn't good enough either. Slow and unagile as ****.

Our recruitment is school level.

 

[Big Poppa]

He has still struggled in many games.

And..?

He’s also still by far the most accomplished striker in our team.

There’s no justification for moving him to a peripheral role in order to accommodate inferior forwards.

 

[L3T5 PL4Y]

If Arteta is banging the drum for Luiz to be given a new contract then that's a huge red flag. He talked about accountability and tough decisions being made.

Another thing is apparently we travelled to city by plane just 3 hours before the match? That alone is ridiculous. Earlier in the day fine but not just before the match.

Who is approving all these decisions.

Also if he wants to keep Mari, wants that Kocku guy and Kluivert it would a complete disaster.

 

[hydrofluoric acid]

And..?

He’s also still by far the most accomplished striker in our team.

There’s no justification for moving him to a peripheral role in order to accommodate inferior forwards.

We can try to play him there again for sure but I think we will face the same struggles as before. Auba is just lacking too much to play the game Arteta wants. Its why Pep didn't want him at City.

 

[UpTheGunnerz]

has it all to prove!

 

[L3T5 PL4Y]

Playing Auba on the wing was fine in past season since our options out wide were so bad but now with Pepe, Saka, Martinelli and Nelson there's no need to experiment.

And if we're gonna stick to 4-2-3-1, we better put Laca behind Auba instead of experimenting with Willock who clearly is not a 10 while Laca is our only forward who can play with his back to the goal and link to the midfield.

I can't understand why a 4 man attack of Auba, Pepe, Laka and Saka in a 4-2-3-1 won't work.

 

[14Henry]

Also if he wants to keep Mari, wants that Kocku guy and Kluivert it would a complete disaster.

Its obvious to us fans that Luiz cant be relied upon. It's obvious to us fans that Mari looks too slow for the league. Too early to say on that point but he does look slow. He could end up being good enough but not sure.

What is clear is we need CB and CM addressed immediately.

I am also sick of the constant Özil situation. When is a manager going to come out and say it like it is. If the board and Arsenal dont want Özil pay him the rest of his contract and let him go.

If he has done something wrong, missed meetings, showed disrespect or whatever it may be hold him accountable. That was Artetas big thing when he first come.

Not hiding behind "tactics". Because his team just got humped 3 0 with 0 creativity. So if it's purely tactical then he got that decision all wrong not including Özil, not playing Pepe. Playing Saka out right just to get him in the team to try and get the contract over the line.

 

[Oxeki]

Very disappointing performance from Arteta. We looked like a team with no plan in attack, and have been completely outplayed all game long.
For sure players are to blame, but Arteta did nothing special yesterday against a team he was supposed to know perfectly, not an encouraging sign for the games to come.

Tbf, the first 20 minutes it seemed like Arteta had taken a page form the man utd play book on how to counter city.

But Luiz happened. From that moment the team collapsed.

Nothing Arteta could have done really.

You don't make waffles with turd

 

[L3T5 PL4Y]

Its obvious to us fans that Luiz cant be relied upon. It's obvious to us fans that Mari looks too slow for the league. Too early to say on that point but he does look slow. He could end up being good enough but not sure.

What is clear is we need CB and CM addressed immediately.

I am also sick of the constant Özil situation. When is a manager going to come out and say it like it is. If the board and Arsenal dont want Özil pay him the rest of his contract and let him go.

If he has done something wrong, missed meetings, showed disrespect or whatever it may be hold him accountable. That was Artetas big thing when he first come.

Not hiding behind "tactics". Because his team just got humped 3 0 with 0 creativity. So if it's purely tactical then he got that decision all wrong not including Özil, not playing Pepe. Playing Saka out right just to get him in the team to try and get the contract over the line.

I don't think Mari will cut it really. He's hardly played top flight football in Europe even at this age so its another unnecessary gamble we don't need to take.

Agreed. Just get shot of Luiz, Socrates, Mustafi, Chambers, Holding however we can and get in two quality CBs as well as a right back. And Same thing thing in midfield really. Get rid of Özil, Xhaka, Torreira and Elneny then go for players that would improve us.

As for the tactics thing, playing with Özil is playing with a man down so the managers aren't really hiding or lying.

 

[hydrofluoric acid]

We lack chemistry and just general team play on the field. It will take a long time to fix it.