Mikel Arteta: Fighting Until The End

[SA Gunner]

Surely the sexuals have to at least acknowledge that no matter how hard they try, Arteta simply still has a lot of convincing to do. We had a good run from mid December onward for a few months very much, but Emery also had a 22 game unbeaten run and took us to an EL final. What has been seen since that run has been very worrying. The collapse in not only results but general performance has been almost incredible. We lost the ability to string a few passes together.

There's no denying that, there is still some work to do.

What the anti-Arteta brigade has to admit in turn, is that if they remove Arteta from the work being done at the club, and replace him with a more acceptable manager. Then what is happening at the club is not so bad after all.

 

[El Duderino]

I think this argument ignores the diminishing squad and XI vastly

Wenger finished 6th with Özil playing in his prime, Auba in his prime, Alexis in his prime for 6 months, Ramsey playing well and Mkhitaryan/Iwobi playing well. Kosceilny also was still there and performing.

Emery had much the same, minus the Alexis loss in his first season and except Özil was past his best. It should be noted that our games when Ramsey didn't start this season were mid table level of consistency. I think we won 2.5 points a game with Ramsey and something like 1.5 points a game without him.

So we lose Kosceilny, Monreal, Ramsey with Özil and Auba in the retirement home. Then Emery takes us to mid-table and we're conceeding 30 shots a game against Watford. We were in dire straights.

What Arteta has had to cope with a mid table squad quality and since then Özil and Auba permenantly checking out or simply being past their prime and Lacazette's legs completely giving way on him. He took over a vastly diminished squad way past without a striker capable of performing.

TLDR Arteta took over a mid table team full of pensioners and bums and where we finished in prior seasons is not reflective of what that squad was capable of. Taking us to 5th is an achievement and fixing the defense and midfield is an achievement.

Auba literally won Arteta the FA cup, what do you mean pensioner?

I'll give you some of the defense part, but mostly because his talent ID for defenders is alright and because Kolasinac is barely a footballer, but let's not forget Arteta actively tried to give Mustafi and Luiz extensions.

the Arteta tax on attackers is a real thing.

It's the one big constant regardless of personnel and is his biggest challenge going forward.

 

[ArsenesCoatMaker]

Oh goodness I think that's an exaggeration, an unnecessary one at that.

But I suppose making over the top statements is the currency of this forum.

I'd say our team was in a bad place when he took over, sure. But Auba and Laca at the time (especially Auba) were still near the peak of their powers.

We had an emergent Saka, Martinelli and Smith Rowe (the latter of which Arteta opted not to use until the mid-way point of the following season).

We had acquired Tierney by that time, and whilst David Luiz is not a personal favourite of mine, people keep reiterating how important he actually was to us.

Definitely not perfect, definitely needed additions. Midtable? Naa I'd say 6/7th.

Plus if people are really honest it's not even the 19/20 season that was so much of an issue because Arteta took over at a turbulent time.

However, we made enough additions that we shouldn't have faltered so badly during the 20/21 season and that's where I start to have serious issues with Tets.

Plus it's other aspects of his management that are worrying, like his poor man management.

If his man management alone was better and if he didn't have a habit of unnecessarily alienating a lot of players I think people would be more forgiving of him, but now that's spilling into a different topic.

When he took over the style of play was a mess, we were conceeding 30 shots game on game, against the likes of Watford. It's fair to say that's mid table level of performance, especially given we were mid-table.

Not only that but the back 4 was a mess, I liked Luiz but overall he had poor partners in Sokratis or Mustafi or Holding. Bellerin went to **** after his injuries, yes Tierney is good but rarely fit. I'd say that's a pretty mid table back 4. Brighton probably had 3 better CBs than we did given their fans reckoned Ben White was their 3rd best CB (not convinced on that tbh)

The midfield was a mess. Xhaka/Elneny/Guen is midtable. Wolves midfield during the period was better, Leicesters was better, West Ham's was better. Adding Partey helped but he's only 1 player and his fitness record and consistency are problematic.

Auba checked out after he got his new contract, same as Özil, same as Willian. That was a huge problem. Some can blame the manager, I personally am not and see as the state of the declining squad.

Saka, ESR and Martinelli were raw prospects when he took over which are still developing. I think people really don't realise how our level of players have dropped off a cliff. People are hyping ESR and Saka as if their stars already. ESR has been clinical but his overall play isn't up to the level of a top 6 club and he didn't show up against Newcastle. If Iwobi came through today people would be lauding him like he's the second coming. We used to be a club who had RVP, Cesc, Nasri, Rosicky, Alexis, Özil and Cazorla. Those are the types of players that got us top 4. We don't have anything on that level anymore.

20/21 I initially wanted him out, but our points from Christmas to the end of the season was something like 3rd or 4th so he turned a corner. 21/22 has shown progression in our style of football at times.

At the end of the day despite the additions and the decent youth players we all know this squad needs at least 6 quality additions in the summer.

 

[El Duderino]

There's no denying that, there is still some work to do.

What the anti-Arteta brigade has to admit in turn, is that if they remove Arteta from the work being done at the club, and replace him with a more acceptable manager. Then what is happening at the club is not so bad after all.

But would other managers have had such a public fallout with Auba?

Would other managers not have pushed for a midfielder during January? Bruno G was begging to join us, for example.

A lot of what's happening right now is a direct consequence of those two decisions and I'm not even getting to the point of his PR shield that I belive no other manager would have.

 

[SA Gunner]

But would other managers have had such a public fallout with Auba?

Would other managers not have pushed for a midfielder during January? Bruno G was begging to join us, for example.

A lot of what's happening right now is a direct consequence of those two decisions and I'm not even getting to the point of his PR shield that I belive no other manager would have.

Remember Conte and Diego Costa? How about Pep and Zlatan? Pogba and Mourinho perhaps?

Bruno G may have been begging to join us, but was he what the club needed? We may think so... but the manager has his reasons for not signing him and I think that's fine actually. Wenger did this with Zlatan, Modric, Kante, Yaya Toure if I recall.

I think the club protecting the manager through PR and propaganda is standard procedure right? We look around and see the same things happening everywhere else. Remember the Suarez t-shirts after his racism incident?

 

[dka1]

When he took over the style of play was a mess, we were conceeding 30 shots game on game, against the likes of Watford. It's fair to say that's mid table level of performance, especially given we were mid-table.

Not only that but the back 4 was a mess, I liked Luiz but overall he had poor partners in Sokratis or Mustafi or Holding. Bellerin went to **** after his injuries, yes Tierney is good but rarely fit. I'd say that's a pretty mid table back 4. Brighton probably had 3 better CBs than we did given their fans reckoned Ben White was their 3rd best CB (not convinced on that tbh)

The midfield was a mess. Xhaka/Elneny/Guen is midtable. Wolves midfield during the period was better, Leicesters was better, West Ham's was better. Adding Partey helped but he's only 1 player and his fitness record and consistency are problematic.

Auba checked out after he got his new contract, same as Özil, same as Willian. That was a huge problem. Some can blame the manager, I personally am not and see as the state of the declining squad.

Saka, ESR and Martinelli were raw prospects when he took over which are still developing. I think people really don't realise how our level of players have dropped off a cliff. People are hyping ESR and Saka as if their stars already. ESR has been clinical but his overall play isn't up to the level of a top 6 club and he didn't show up against Newcastle. If Iwobi came through today people would be lauding him like he's the second coming. We used to be a club who had RVP, Cesc, Nasri, Rosicky, Alexis, Özil and Cazorla. Those are the types of players that got us top 4. We don't have anything on that level anymore.

20/21 I initially wanted him out, but our points from Christmas to the end of the season was something like 3rd or 4th so he turned a corner. 21/22 has shown progression in our style of football at times.

At the end of the day despite the additions and the decent youth players we all know this squad needs at least 6 quality additions in the summer.

Firstly style of play is irrelevant, we're talking about the quality of the squad and it doesn't matter how much of a mess the style of play was as that's the aspect that a manager should be able to come in and readily change.

But no this wasn't a mid-table squad even at the time Arteta took over. I think you're exaggerating how bad the squad was to try and make Arteta appear better.

I'll reduce the argument down because you've talked a lot in your post to say very little.

Even if the entire squad was mediocre (it wasn't but let's say it was). Arteta still inherited an attack which had a duo (Auba and Lacazette) that had 60+ goal contributions just the season before, infact just a few months before. And to me a Saka that was just coming in but was already tangibly producing (12 assists in all competitions in 19/20).

Conte has proven that you can do alot with a fairly average team but two lethal attackers. I think our offense of Auba, Laca and Saka at the time was greatly above average but wasn't utilised properly.

 

[MikelHadADream]

When he took over the style of play was a mess, we were conceeding 30 shots game on game, against the likes of Watford. It's fair to say that's mid table level of performance, especially given we were mid-table.

Not only that but the back 4 was a mess, I liked Luiz but overall he had poor partners in Sokratis or Mustafi or Holding. Bellerin went to **** after his injuries, yes Tierney is good but rarely fit. I'd say that's a pretty mid table back 4. Brighton probably had 3 better CBs than we did given their fans reckoned Ben White was their 3rd best CB (not convinced on that tbh)

The midfield was a mess. Xhaka/Elneny/Guen is midtable. Wolves midfield during the period was better, Leicesters was better, West Ham's was better. Adding Partey helped but he's only 1 player and his fitness record and consistency are problematic.

Auba checked out after he got his new contract, same as Özil, same as Willian. That was a huge problem. Some can blame the manager, I personally am not and see as the state of the declining squad.

Saka, ESR and Martinelli were raw prospects when he took over which are still developing. I think people really don't realise how our level of players have dropped off a cliff. People are hyping ESR and Saka as if their stars already. ESR has been clinical but his overall play isn't up to the level of a top 6 club and he didn't show up against Newcastle. If Iwobi came through today people would be lauding him like he's the second coming. We used to be a club who had RVP, Cesc, Nasri, Rosicky, Alexis, Özil and Cazorla. Those are the types of players that got us top 4. We don't have anything on that level anymore.

20/21 I initially wanted him out, but our points from Christmas to the end of the season was something like 3rd or 4th so he turned a corner. 21/22 has shown progression in our style of football at times.

At the end of the day despite the additions and the decent youth players we all know this squad needs at least 6 quality additions in the summer.

Agree with some of what you say here but have a few issues. Xhaka/Elneny is basically still our midfield, and Arteta decided to spend approx 20m replacing Guendouzi (a French international now), with an inferior player in Lokonga, who now can't get a game when Partey is (inevitably) injured.

The reason we are also reliant on Saka/ESR/Martinelli is because Arteta decided to spend the vast majority of the 200m net he has spent on defensive players.

 

[GDeep™]

Oh really? What about below?


You thought that kind of football was exciting…


Arteta has never been great nor too anything.


Wow you really were knee deep in the tetasexual life.


Turn out we did have money and the process was to reduce Arsenal’s standing not improve it.


Hahahaha you genuinely believed he was better than Ole?

I respect that you’re not afraid to have an opinion outside the box but you have been wrong on so many occasions. Should I quote you some more?

Most of those aren’t even my posts. The Wenger post was me going along with trolls who were hating on him at the time.

I said we’ll finish 5th, our signings were poor, we should’ve used Guendouzi and Saliba, didn’t need White, shouldn’t have got rid off Auba etc.

 

[Rasmi]

There's no denying that, there is still some work to do.

What the anti-Arteta brigade has to admit in turn, is that if they remove Arteta from the work being done at the club, and replace him with a more acceptable manager. Then what is happening at the club is not so bad after all.

We want edu and vinai the salesman out as well. They all trash. But if we can remove one it’s to remove Arteta. What’s happening to the club is not so bad? 5 years with no CL football? 6 season finish below Tottenham and Tottenham handed us our biggest defeat in NL derby in premier league history. Yeah it’s not so bad if you hate Arsenal

 

[GDeep™]

Tell us what will our summer transfer look like and what will Arteta achieve next season

Think we’ll sign more young players, and play the “process” card. Next season we’ll finish 6th. Utd and Sp**s under Ten Haag and Conte will surpass us, we’ll lose 10-12 league games again next season.

 

[UpTheGunnerz]

is there anyone who would like to grab a beer with him? I wouldn’t. I would with Emery and Wenger

 

[UpTheGunnerz]

is there anyone who would like to grab a beer with him? I wouldn’t. I would with Emery and Wenger

Well depends. If it got too philosophical I might shoot off

 

[Maybe]

Think we’ll sign more young players, and play the “process” card. Next season we’ll finish 6th. Utd and Sp**s under Ten Haag and Conte will surpass us, we’ll lose 10-12 league games again next season.

If we sign young players like Fabregas, Reyes, RvP, Adebayor, Nasri, and Diaby, we are getting the top 4, but if we continue with Lokonga and Tavares type of transfers then I'm afraid this "young squad" will just be an excuse like you are saying

 

[Rattata]

If we sign young players like Fabregas, Reyes, RvP, Adebayor, Nasri, and Diaby, we are getting the top 4, but if we continue with Lokonga and Tavares type of transfers then I'm afraid this "young squad" will just be an excuse like you are saying

It's obvious that Lokonga and Tavares were 100% stats based signings. Both don't have the right mentality on the pitch. Tavares crumbles after the first mistake and Lokonga looks like he's afraid of the ball.

 

[Rasmi]

Think we’ll sign more young players, and play the “process” card. Next season we’ll finish 6th. Utd and Sp**s under Ten Haag and Conte will surpass us, we’ll lose 10-12 league games again next season.

Daaamn that sounds depressing. But @Trilly will say it’s good season and he sees sign of progression

 

[Makingtrax]

At the end of the day despite the additions and the decent youth players we all know this squad needs at least 6 quality additions in the summer.

Lol. Arteta’s spent £220m, but give him 6 more quality additions and then we’ll see what his process is.

 

[Kav]

Most of those aren’t even my posts. The Wenger post was me going along with trolls who were hating on him at the time.

I said we’ll finish 5th, our signings were poor, we should’ve used Guendouzi and Saliba, didn’t need White, shouldn’t have got rid off Auba etc.

Just messing with you man. No offense meant.

I guess I have been reading too many of @A__G post. Sorry.

Edit: Really @A__G That was a compliment. You’re the best at bringing back up Old stuff!

Was going to say that you’re the best troll here but I don’t want you to be pissed at me.

 

[Haphazard]

Remember Conte and Diego Costa? How about Pep and Zlatan? Pogba and Mourinho perhaps?

Bruno G may have been begging to join us, but was he what the club needed? We may think so... but the manager has his reasons for not signing him and I think that's fine actually. Wenger did this with Zlatan, Modric, Kante, Yaya Toure if I recall.

I think the club protecting the manager through PR and propaganda is standard procedure right? We look around and see the same things happening everywhere else. Remember the Suarez t-shirts after his racism incident?

You are using isolated incidents, all those managers have managed other players with big egos all the time and have actually won major trophies. Meanwhile Arteta:

Guendouzi
Auba
Saliba
AMN



Bruno G is definetly what the club needed, the only question is whether it was financially viable or possible.

No manager has had the PR that Arteta , Emery was slaughtered for a poor run of form meanwhile when Arteta had 1 win 10 with 8 losses yet we were told this is part of the process. When we lost 4-0 to liverpool the Athletic came out with an article saying why THIS 4-0 felt different. We are being told that we are overachieving even though when he joined in Dec 2019 Ornstein said that the objective was top 4 in his second season. He told Willian we would be winning the CL in his 3rd season FFS.

 

[Makingtrax]

I called last summers strategy cowardly for a reason, I looked unreasonable when Ramsdale, Sambi and Tavares were over performing but yeah end of the season and I am seeing the excuses I originally expected.

Yes I am in my "Like I said" bag word to Drip. We will see what changes when the starting 11 is completed anyways.

One of the biggest problem clubs face is social media. There are always lots of people who will blindly defend a narrative they’ve read about and it gathers pace. It’s very tribal. It happened with Wenger and it’s happening now with Arteta.

 

[Macho]

One of the biggest problem clubs face is social media. There are always lots of people who will blindly defend a narrative they’ve read about and it gathers pace. It’s very tribal. It happened with Wenger and it’s happening now with Arteta.

Deleted that cause I didn't want to be like "I told you so" like Drippin, there's no real point.

Still think it's a decent season, or like the absolute minimum that should have been achieved so there's nothing to really gloat over.

Pukki might channel his inner Henry we never know.