What is Mangan saying? I need to think about my blood pressure so wont visit his blog.
What is Mangan saying? I need to think about my blood pressure so wont visit his blog.
Yes not doing jack **** in the games that matter against NC,Sp**s, Soton,Palace and Brighton is going missing even though he was not alone the entire team went missing it just goes to show that the talent is overhyped by our fans.
and again you are not understanding the point, scoring is of course important but does he contribute when the midfield is under pressure? is he press resistant? defensive awareness? strength on the ball?
He should never have been given the #10 he is still young but he should have been used as a backup to a senior midfielder we should have bought.
Just wait til we get a top RB, LB, CM, and CF. Then you'll see what Arteta can do. Lol25% games under Arteta we have failed to score
30-35% we lose
We rarely score more than 1 goal a game
56 scored in 37 games with 47 conceded
Does any other club in the top 8 retain someone with these stats?
He's been given the #10 meaning he was selected to be a starter when he should have been backup to a more experienced and better player we should have bought.ESR has played left wing most of the season. He has barely played 10 so where are you getting those details from??? Ødegaard has been our main player at #10 this season. Please check your facts first before making wild, empty statements. You mention he is still young, but then in the other breath say he doesn't contribute what our experienced professionals should be doing week in week out... Which one is it??? make your mind up!!!View attachment 6867
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ESR has good goalscoring stats, he's a good finisher. He doesn't have good dribbling stats or good chance creation stats. He's essentially our Dele Alli.
Xhaka's right, Arsenal don't deserve Champions League - they don't have the quality yet
Arsenal's gamble not to reinforce their squad in January has backfired - they stumbled and finally fell before reaching top fourtheathletic.com
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By James McPrickolas
2h ago
In the end, Arsenal just weren’t good enough.
A 2-0 defeat in Newcastle — a fifth loss in their last nine Premier League games — means fourth place and Champions League qualification is now out of their hands. Arsenal are in the position of relying on a favour from Norwich City. Even a Norwich fan would probably admit that is not a good place to be.
Arsenal have brought this on themselves. Afterwards, Mikel Arteta was despondent and scathing in equal measure. “Normally, I can sit here and I can defend (the players), but what we’ve done today, it’s not easy,” he said. “Newcastle were 100 times better than us in every department from the beginning to the end and it’s hard to accept.”
The players knew it too. When it came to his assessment of Arsenal’s performance, Granit Xhaka did not pull any punches. “From the first minute until the 90th minute we didn’t deserve to be on the pitch today,” he said.
Xhaka also appeared to turn fire on his own team-mates. “If someone is not ready for this game, stay at home,” he said. “Simple as that. It doesn’t matter the age. You can be 30, you can be 35, you can be 10, you can be 18. If you’re not ready for that, if you’re nervous, stay on the bench, stay at home, don’t come here.”
It’s worth considering the context before analysing Xhaka’s words too closely. This was heat of the moment stuff — a passionate player in an emotional tirade against what was admittedly a dismal performance. Nevertheless, it’s tempting to wonder who Xhaka was singling out. The truth is it could have been anyone: Arsenal were poor from front to back in this game.
Is it wise for Xhaka to be so publicly derisory of Arsenal’s display? Perhaps not. He was arguably no better himself. Is it a problem? Not really. He only said what many Arsenal fans watching were feeling.
Cleary, Xhaka was hurt. He sounded like a man whose dream died at St. James’ Park. He has spoken publicly of wanting to achieve something substantial at Arsenal before he departs — Champions League football might well have been that goal. Although he referred to Arsenal throughout the interview as “we”, his accusatory tone very much had a sense of “they”. Xhaka flirted with the possibility of joining Roma last summer and in light of these comments, it is easy to wonder if that situation could be revisited this summer.
This was a night when Arsenal failed to cope with the occasion — with the atmosphere, with the pressure, and with Newcastle’s intensity. They offered more threat in the opening 20 minutes of the north London derby than they did in the entire game at Newcastle. Arsenal could not progress the ball out from the back or through the midfield.
Although this performance was undoubtedly a disaster, it would be wrong to suggest it alone cost Arsenal their place in the Champions League should they fail to overhaul Tottenham Hotspur. The three consecutive defeats against Crystal Palace, Brighton and Southampton in April loom large. Arsenal have been stumbling towards the finish line for some time.
Wins against Chelsea, Manchester United and West Ham were a huge boost but Arsenal’s thin squad has been stretched. The loss of Kieran Tierney appears to have hit the defence particularly hard — when Arsenal have been able to name their first-choice back four of Tierney, Gabriel, Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu, they have conceded just 0.8 goals per game. When that back four has been disrupted, that figure rises to 1.4 goals per game. According to Opta, that quartet has started together just 10 times this season.
Ben White turns the ball into his own goal under pressure from Callum Wilson (Photo: Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images)
Thomas Partey has also proven to be difficult to replace. The Ghanaian is an integral part of Arteta’s system but struggles to remain fit. That presents Arteta with something of a conundrum. Can he really depend on a player whose fitness record in English football is so patchy? The same could arguably be said for Tierney.
Arsenal needed a bit of luck on the injuries front, and they haven’t had it. They will also reflect on the fact they have lost consecutive games to Tottenham and Newcastle — two sides who strengthened considerable in the January transfer window. Arsenal let several first-team players, including Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, leave in January without adequately replacing them. It was a calculated gamble — one that has ultimately cost Arsenal dear. Key to Arsenal’s thinking was the idea that abstaining from the window in January would allow them to land major targets in summer. They had better be right: those premium additions feel absolutely essential now if Arsenal are to mount another top-four challenge next year.
“Like this, you don’t deserve Champions League,” said Xhaka — and it’s difficult to disagree with him. A team that could not compete with Newcastle would struggle to compete with Europe’s elite.
Arsenal aren’t there yet. Most supporters would accept a team that has regularly needed to call upon Cedric, Mohamed Elneny and Eddie Nketiah is not yet ready for Europe’s foremost competition.
This defeat will doubtless be framed as Arsenal lacking courage, character or experience, but that would be a mistake — in the end, it was about quality. Arsenal, when it came down to it, just didn’t have enough.
150m to finish in Europa league places and A-M is calling it a successful season.
We're officially a small club.
United last season came 2nd and got to the EL final.Out of curiosity, does anyone know over the last 6 years. Have there been teams that have gone deep in the Europa but also got top 4?
It seems to me that it always ends up like West Ham this season. A gamble between league and Europa league generally ending in failing both.
And i was right. Most of them are average.
He's been given the #10 meaning he was selected to be a starter when he should have been backup to a more experienced and better player we should have bought.
Yes I mentioned he is young which is his only saving grace because there is a hope he can or will improve.
When you are given the #10 shirt of any club you are expected to deliver on the pitch
This is basically it
No, you are wrong. Our experienced pro's are average. When the young players outshine the experienced pro's something is wrong. Look at how Steven Gerrard grabbed games by the scuff of the neck for Liverpool? Look at Cristiano Ronaldo's performances for R.Madrid and Man U this season, and how he has kept himself in great condition at 37 years old. Look at how Luka Modric performs playing at the highest level at 36 years, proven winners. Every team needs them to perform when the chips are down. Whose our guy bar Partey?
The same was said about this season though and we almost had it in the end. Any team bar city and Liverpool aren't certain for top 4 and will go through ups and down next season just like this season.United and Sp**s will strenghten, Newcastle aswell and i expect them to challenge for Europa League. I also expect Leicester to not be as **** as they have been this season. You can throw West Ham and even Villa in the mix aswell. The point is: It will be incredibly difficult to get CL next season, especially with the coneboy in charge.
Mate, he gave away an experienced pro. Gave away!! A golden boot winner who's scoring more than any other player in the top 5 leagues.No, you are wrong. Our experienced pro's are average. When the young players outshine the experienced pro's something is wrong. Look at how Steven Gerrard grabbed games by the scuff of the neck for Liverpool? Look at Cristiano Ronaldo's performances for R.Madrid and Man U this season, and how he has kept himself in great condition at 37 years old. Look at how Luka Modric performs playing at the highest level at 36 years, proven winners. Every team needs them to perform when the chips are down. Whose our guy bar Partey?