Mikel Arteta: Aston La Vista To The Title?

[Trilly]

Tomorrow is going to be huge.

Going to get loads of popcorn and just camp in this thread. I really hope we win and @say yes comes back.

 

[Gooner416]

I’m looking at the Chelsea vs Real Madrid highlights and I can’t help but wonder how Lampard had this team all the way down to 9th.... seeing Chelsea with Tuchel compared to seeing Chelsea with Lampard is like night and day. The power of having an experienced manager versus a rookie manager.

If only the Arsenal board weren’t so blind to see Arteta is clearly NOT the man for us. Sack this fool already!!!!

Unreal. We really live in a crazy world.

 

[Kav]

Imagine if we replaced Sir Mikel of the Mid table with a competent manager like Tuchel?

 

[UnbiasedNeutral]

Imagine if we replaced Sir Mikel of the Mid table with a competent manager like Tuchel?

You have a midtable squad so you wouldn't be far from where you are now.

 

[HaffBR]

You have a midtable squad so you wouldn't be far from where you are now.

It is a TOP 6-7 squad, a good manager would make it TOP 4.

 

[UnbiasedNeutral]

It is a TOP 6-7 squad, a good manager would make it TOP 4.

Your squad is trash. Your first XI is top 6 at a stretch, your squad sucks.

 

[HaffBR]

Your squad is trash. Your first XI is top 6 at a stretch, your squad sucks.

No. Arsenal is TOP6-7. Arteta is a relegation level manager almost.

 

[UnbiasedNeutral]

No. Arsenal is TOP6-7. Arteta is a relegation level manager almost.

and I'm sorry but this is the problem with a lot of Arsenal fans. You think your players are a lot better than they are. Everton's starting XI is better than yours in my opinion, so is Leicester's, so are all the other stereotypical "big six" clubs. You have a stronger squad than Everton and Leicester, but again, the other "big six" clubs have a stronger starting XI and squad. You only have a handful of players who are real top quality, the rest are average at best!

 

[HaffBR]

and I'm sorry but this is the problem with a lot of Arsenal fans. You think your players are a lot better than they are. Everton's starting XI is better than yours in my opinion, so is Leicester's, so are all the other stereotypical "big six" clubs. You have a stronger squad than Everton and Leicester, but again, the other "big six" clubs have a stronger starting XI and squad. You only have a handful of players who are real top quality, the rest are average at best!

The math is simple. Arsenal TOP6-7 + Arteta TOP14-15 = Arsenal 10-11º.

A guy like Nagelsmann could easily put Arsenal in the TOP4.

 

[Gooner416]

The math is simple. Arsenal TOP6-7 + Arteta TOP14-15 = Arsenal 10-11º.

A guy like Nagelsmann could easily put Arsenal in the TOP4.

 

[dka1]

You have a midtable squad so you wouldn't be far from where you are now.

I have to admit, some posters roll round and say ridiculous things one after another but you absolutely take the cake.

I'm not sure if you're in Manberg or some other poster but honestly, you posing as a "neutral", is so cringe it's unbelievable.

Anyway our squad isn't great let's be honest. However mid table? Let's examine two arguments regarding why this is objectively a stupid comment:

1. The easiest is just to look at our table since our game against Chelsea:



What's important about this?

Well it's the game in which Arteta finally, finally played ESR in the league and we started moving away from the fairly defensive set up we had been playing with before to a more expansive style of football.

In fact if you used this in defense of Arteta it'd make more sense than saying the squad is mid table.

Anyway, anyway, if this is the same squad that started competing with the top 4 when Arteta finally made some better choices in terms of line up and set up then surely this shows that maybe the squad is not just mid table?

Now the obvious rebuttal is us signing Odergaard on loan but I don't really think he's been THE REASON why we performed better after Christmas. I think he's helped, it'd be a stretch to say he's had Bruno level influence.

I think most would point to the inclusion of ESR and the change in style (that we could all see was needed).

2. This is more anecdotal but it expresses what I feel is the majority opinion about our squad coming into the season.

Here is a poll the BBC did and they got over 200,000 submissions with predictions about this season:



I did try to find the pundits equivalent but it was more work than it was worth.

I do remember that most commentators had us in the top 6/7 at the least, some even had us in the top 4 though they were probably the minority.

Clearly most didn't view our squad as midtable coming into the season. It's only now that we've under-performed that some disingenuous and deceitful individuals (like yourself) are retconning and suddenly the squad "isN'T gOod eNoUgh" and it's "MidTabLe".

Fuq outta here.

 

[lamby22]

Tomorrow is going to be huge.

Going to get loads of popcorn and just camp in this thread. I really hope we win and @say yes comes back.

Me getting ready for tomorrow

 

[El Duderino]

This is the most shameless post I've ever seen on the whole internet not just A-M, I actually respect the outright audacity.

 

[GDeep™]

You have a midtable squad so you wouldn't be far from where you are now.

Who is to blame for that, even if you go along with that? 15/16 of the main squad are Arteta signings/extensions etc.

 

[UnbiasedNeutral]

Midtable was an exaggeration, but your squad is anywhere from the 8th to 5th best in the league depending on personal opinions. I think the general consensus would be it's definitely not top 4 standard.

I think pre Chelsea form can be explained in many ways, the lack of a proper 10 definitely hindered you and ESR certainly helped that, Mikel should've seen this earlier and definitely right to criticise for that.

Early losses against Liverpool, City and Leicester were not good for confidence and any of those games could have gone either way with more clinical finishing from your forwards and a little more luck.

Combine this with three red cards in the space of a month essentially costing you points in three more games.

All this creates a perfect storm where a team is very low in confidence, is getting no luck with VAR decisions and struggles to see where the next win is coming from. Mikel could've done better, sure, but it was a very poor run with a lot of factors contributing to it other than just the manager.

I think there's enough evidence post Christmas to show Mikel is building and the team is getting better. Keep the faith.

 

[Rex Stone]

Why is Manberg back yet again?

 

[Riou]

I like the tagline on Unbiased Neutral, whichever mod did that deserves some kudos!

 

[dka1]

You have a midtable squad so you wouldn't be far from where you are now.

Your squad is trash. Your first XI is top 6 at a stretch, your squad sucks.

and I'm sorry but this is the problem with a lot of Arsenal fans. You think your players are a lot better than they are. Everton's starting XI is better than yours in my opinion, so is Leicester's, so are all the other stereotypical "big six" clubs.

Midtable was an exaggeration, but your squad is anywhere from the 8th to 5th best in the league depending on personal opinions. I think the general consensus would be it's definitely not top 4 standard.

 

[UnbiasedNeutral]

I like the tagline on Unbiased Neutral, whichever mod did that deserves some kudos!

I don't get it lol. I thought it was just a randomly assigned generic one.

 

[UnbiasedNeutral]

8th is midtable, no? I think your starting XI is 8th best in the league, and your squad is probably 6th best.