Mikel Arteta: Aston La Vista To The Title?

[Yousif Arsenal]

Arteta played Willian mostly in wide areas. So his idea was to create from the wings (his comments about crossing and all that), just like Emery. Which I think is a very restrictive approach and teams figured out quite quickly to stop that.

Emery was using Mkhi Iwobi mostly too but we had Ramsey who was extra attacker going forward at the moment our midfield is just average we have no runner who could score or assist I'm very happy he decided to change that and put saka in advance position and ESR introduced to team they suddenly made us more better going forward. With Partey back fit and signing creative playmaker our team in 2nd half of season will be fun to watch.

 

[Finesse]

How he and Edu didn't realise that someone in the 10 space was a must over the summer is absolutely baffling. We've put Smith-Rowe in there, and without pulling up any trees, our play has massively improved.

Know I've said this before and I sound like a broken record but just madness and negligence that we went into the season without solving that. It's cost us dearly in a season where we really should be challenging for top 4.

It was pure arrogance and stubbornness. Saying we needed a number 10 on this forum over the past few months was a direct invitation for Özil haters to take a shot. Quoting Özil’s dire record of assists / finished etc. Yet in 3 games ESR has made one assist in 8 goals scored but his overall play has shaped the team into a free flowing unit capable of creating anytime. This team had got 6 hours without a goal in open play.

I don’t give any credit to Arteta. He stumbled on this due to injuries and absolutely dire performances from his chosen players and formations. He was so eager to freeze Özil and prove a point to the extend of playing with no number 10. I hope ESR humbled him.

What I will judge from Edu and Arteta is if they have learned from this when the window opens. ESR needs to be looked after due to his injury history. Since we must play with a 10 we need to make sure we have another one to rotate and keep both fresh. Either play Özil and let him earn his final pay till the end of the season or go out and get another 10 or CAM to keep us ticking again. In the summer we can look at the other positions. Let decisions be made for the interest of the club , it’s finances and deliverables required and not ego / stubbornness etc.

 

[AbouCuéllar]

No shade on Partey, but things could’ve been much different if we got Aouar in the summer, his main target.

No doubt, as I said in the summer, Thomas is a fine signing but 10 was absolutely, without a shade of a doubt the top priority and there was much more to be gained there than in signing Thomas.

It was pure arrogance and stubbornness. Saying we needed a number 10 on this forum over the past few months was a direct invitation for Özil haters to take a shot. Quoting Özil’s dire record of assists / finished etc. Yet in 3 games ESR has made one assist in 8 goals scored but his overall play has shaped the team into a free flowing unit capable of creating anytime. This team had got 6 hours without a goal in open play.

I don’t give any credit to Arteta. He stumbled on this due to injuries and absolutely dire performances from his chosen players and formations. He was so eager to freeze Özil and prove a point to the extend of playing with no number 10. I hope ESR humbled him.

What I will judge from Edu and Arteta is if they have learned from this when the window opens. ESR needs to be looked after due to his injury history. Since we must play with a 10 we need to make sure we have another one to rotate and keep both fresh. Either play Özil and let him earn his final pay till the end of the season or go out and get another 10 or CAM to keep us ticking again. In the summer we can look at the other positions. Let decisions be made for the interest of the club , it’s finances and deliverables required and not ego / stubbornness etc.

I don't rate Özil (anymore), I would agree that he's not worth using. I agree on the rest though, we had to sign a 10, and yeah, I don't give Mikel too much credit for (belatedly) stumbling on ESR.

We still need to sign a 10. As you note ESR must be handled with care, and he's still got some growing to do and will no doubt have some growing pains. Buendía/Aouar, ESR, Saka, Martinelli, and Willian would be good depth for the 3 forward positions behind the striker, as the first two can play in all 3 spots.

Don't see us getting Buendía for a reasonable price now though, no idea why we weren't in for him in the summer, criminal planning of the window. Aouar maybe..

 

[Monstar-Gunn4r]

My link said he had another injury setback in the middle of October after initially returning from a lengthy shoulder injury, something you all didn’t seem to know.

@field442 told me he’s been fit since the start of October, which is false.

Are you ever wrong? It must be some job to keep moving those goalposts every time you say something.

 

[Makingtrax]

Question for everyone: If we finish the season anywhere between 7-14 would you consider this a success, failure, or just about right? Why so?

We refinanced our £200m debt to buy Partey. A year without European money on top of COVID and this club would be looking at a lot more hardship than our rivals. Or should I say former rivals.

Managers like Arsène who can get continual top 4 on a shoe string are as rare as hens teeth.

 

[Monstar-Gunn4r]

Good for Arteta to point out that Partey was our main signing and has only played 2 and 1/2 games. This is important. It's difficult signing a player, a top-level player and you don't have him available until the new year.

We are probably looking at a title challenge with Partey fit for our home games.

#FineMargins

I think with a fit team we'd be looking at close to top 4, a title challenge is a bit away yet and our squad isnt settled at all yet. I'd expect ESR and Martinelli to go through a couple of rough patches as well as they get more attention and coaches get time to look at how they play and we setup with them in the team.

Partey constantly looking to play through the middle gives us a completely different dynamic and a lot more control. Cant wait to see how it all works together, really hope we get someone else to play with him in midfield.

 

[field442]

We refinanced our £200m debt to buy Partey. A year without European money on top of COVID and this club would be looking at a lot more hardship than our rivals. Or should I say former rivals.

Managers like Arsène who can get continual top 4 on a shoe string are as rare as hens teeth.

 

[Atlas]

Top 6 is the minimum. Wenger couldn’t compete for top 4 so it’s unfair to ask a new manager to do so. Top 6 should be our target for the short term and then next season I would expect top 4.

 

[field442]

 

[El Duderino]

Are you ever wrong? It must be some job to keep moving those goalposts every time you say something.

Funny, there was a poster that kept getting banned that behaved the same way.... He, too, was a mover of the goalposts.

I don’t go to the Xhaka thread, but I reckon if I took a stroll down those partes, I’d see some other similarities. Maybe we’re just seeing the tip of the iceberg with him.

 

[Makingtrax]

Top 6 is the minimum. Wenger couldn’t compete for top 4 so it’s unfair to ask a new manager to do so. Top 6 should be our target for the short term and then next season I would expect top 4.

Well he managed 20 years before the fans made it him impossible for him to operate.

Thanks for raising that bro, I love to take every opportunity to mention why our football and results are now mid table.

 

[El Duderino]

So, basically what the eye test told us all? But I thought the squad wasn’t good enough to sit beyond 14th...

 

[Atlas]

Well he managed 20 years before the fans made it him impossible for him to operate.

Thanks for raising that bro, I love to take every opportunity to mention why our football and results are now mid table.

He managed it when our rivals for 4th were Everton and Villa. That was before Klopp and Poch came along and retired Wenger he couldn’t compete with 5 other teams. 5th and 6th in his last 2 seasons.

Arteta is lucky Wenger left the standards low by leaving us marooned in 6th place miles off 4th and after being whipped out of Europe.

 

[Aussie_gunner123]

Anyone know who the culprit was of letting the story out of the fight between Caballos & Luiz btw?

 

[Hleb's Sirush]

So, basically what the eye test told us all? But I thought the squad wasn’t good enough to sit beyond 14th...

@Legend14

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

We looking a respectable team again the difference is just putting number 10 and drop off form players really not difficult not sure why Arteta took while to change

 

[tap-in]

I think with a fit team we'd be looking at close to top 4, a title challenge is a bit away yet and our squad isnt settled at all yet. I'd expect ESR and Martinelli to go through a couple of rough patches as well as they get more attention and coaches get time to look at how they play and we setup with them in the team.

Partey constantly looking to play through the middle gives us a completely different dynamic and a lot more control. Cant wait to see how it all works together, really hope we get someone else to play with him in midfield.

I agree re a partner for Partey. Both Xhaka & Elneny need to be moved on, and Ceballos hasnt shown he's worth buying. I like Willock but I think he's a squad player at best.

 

[Finesse]

No doubt, as I said in the summer, Thomas is a fine signing but 10 was absolutely, without a shade of a doubt the top priority and there was much more to be gained there than in signing Thomas.



I don't rate Özil (anymore), I would agree that he's not worth using. I agree on the rest though, we had to sign a 10, and yeah, I don't give Mikel too much credit for (belatedly) stumbling on ESR.

We still need to sign a 10. As you note ESR must be handled with care, and he's still got some growing to do and will no doubt have some growing pains. Buendía/Aouar, ESR, Saka, Martinelli, and Willian would be good depth for the 3 forward positions behind the striker, as the first two can play in all 3 spots.

Don't see us getting Buendía for a reasonable price now though, no idea why we weren't in for him in the summer, criminal planning of the window. Aouar maybe..

Ego and stubbornness of a rookie manager. Systematic denial and tunnel vision with the ultimate desire to be correct. At the expense of the team and nearly losing his job in the process. Hope he is learning and prioritising a number 10 this window to add to ESR. If they are done with Mesut then so be it. We can do with ESR and a new addition. Buendia the most apt. Price wise and ease of integration. A fit Thomas back in the team and we can move up the table.

 

[Trilly]

Correct me if mistaken, but weren’t you Arteta out before, not taking that into account (Partey)? Not having a go at you, but what bugs me the most is fans who can flip based on how the last 2-3 matches have gone at any moment.

Don’t try to understand him. He was one of those being super smug about Arteta initially before quietly and subtly recanting during that horror run of form.

 

[Sanchez11]

I agree re a partner for Partey. Both Xhaka & Elneny need to be moved on, and Ceballos hasnt shown he's worth buying. I like Willock but I think he's a squad player at best.

How about AMN next to Partey