Mikel Arteta: Aston La Vista To The Title?

[drippin]

You've got to include the 2019 window for Arteta, OK he wasn't here until December, but got he huge benefit from it, Pepe helped him win the FA Cup and Saliba, Martinelli and Tierney are driving his bid for top 4 this year.

Remember those discussions here about Tuchel and how he didn't use money, because those 247 million euros were spent the summer before he came? Now when it is Arteta, of course the summer before should be counted, but when it's Tuchel or anyone else, clearly it shouldn't be counted! That's just the way it is!

Btw. my personal opinion is that obviously the earlier spend helps, but you can't count it as money the manager has used, because he clearly hasn't. It's not players he has wanted for his style of football.

 

[dashsnow17]

No real X factor in this team, are you sure?

I only see that X factor, its still early days this season of course, but what Im seeing is better than anything I've seen an Arsenal team produce for almost 20 years. This team needs a top forward, central midfielder and left footed defender to compete now. The only thing that comes with time is more experience and belief from these players.

This team is not experienced and big enough for the CL and PL this season, but next season... most definitely.

Almost 20 years? Hmm that’s a serious reach imo. The Wenger teams of the late 2000s were of higher quality because they created more chances more consistently. I don’t trust this team to score every game. The defence is good though, that’s a big positive.

I see a good team, I don’t see an X factor.

 

[Farzad Stoned]

@SA Gunner for the good of the club, I hope you don't get to eat humble pie and your prediction materialises, but we really have a long way to go.

Top 10 goals of 2007/08 season

Look at top goals from 2007/08 and that does not include some of the cracking goals by Eduardo, Denilson etc...

Matches like these, great performances and fantastic goals (in NLD no less) are what remains in the memories of fans.

We got a long way to go.

Until this year Artetaball has been as easy on the eyes as an Orgy at fat camp.

 

[DJ_Markstar]

Potential means nothing. Wilshere, Partey, Pepe, Ramsey had potential and they could pick up a knock

please Wilshere, Ramsey, Walcott, Gibbs, all had potential. The first two guys unfortunately could injure themselves for 3 months picking up a slice of pizza. Potential means nothing to me. Results and execution matter in life. And our manager and team have poor results so far into the project and can only manage to actually play football in 30 minute bursts. I have seen Arteta teams play a good 90 minute match on one hand I could count those performances. Even in big matches we win we play great for 30 minutes and defend for dear life the rest.

Ramsey was managed very Caerphilly after his injury.

 

[DJ_Markstar]

Almost 20 years? Hmm that’s a serious reach imo. The Wenger teams of the late 2000s were of higher quality because they created more chances more consistently. I don’t trust this team to score every game. The defence is good though, that’s a big positive.

I see a good team, I don’t see an X factor.

8 in 8 so far, think that's a pretty good indicator.

 

[Jury]

People dont want to dream anymore… Understandable when you’ve suffered the sort of soul crushing defeats that we did in the league and CL from 2007-2014. It takes it out if you and that won’t be put right over night. @SA Gunner is refusing to let those years with all those teams containing big name failures blur his sight. He sees what he thinks he sees and he’s saying it. 20 years is a bit long though

 

[DJ_Markstar]

@SA Gunner for the good of the club, I hope you don't get to eat humble pie and your prediction materialises, but we really have a long way to go.

Top 10 goals of 2007/08 season

Look at top goals from 2007/08 and that does not include some of the cracking goals by Eduardo, Denilson etc...

Matches like these, great performances and fantastic goals (in NLD no less) are what remains in the memories of fans.

We got a long way to go.

That really was a top team that deserved to win something tbh.

 

[2Smokeyy]

You trying to get me banned bro (let's be honest its gotta be )

Would I put one of my believers of my process in the gulag a few days before a NLD?

No way, DJ.

 

[Kav]

No way does the current team have more than any Arsenal team over the last 20 years. Anyone who is saying that doesn’t actually watch football.


how anyone can say this team is producing better football than every other arsenal team over the last 20 years is beyond me.

If they were real fans they would known the 2006-2010 teams played better football Than the present team In every facet of the game.

Even the 2013-2015 teams played some very good attacking football which the current team is yet to get near. Though those teams were defensively suspect.

This team isn’t even better than our 2005/06 invin squad but some Artetasexuals will have you believe it is just as good. I really don’t understand the way some can ignore the glaringly obvious lack of depth in the current squad, the lack of creativity and even have the audacity to suggest it is better than the invincible squad.

 

[SA Gunner]

@SA Gunner for the good of the club, I hope you don't get to eat humble pie and your prediction materialises, but we really have a long way to go.

Top 10 goals of 2007/08 season

Look at top goals from 2007/08 and that does not include some of the cracking goals by Eduardo, Denilson etc...

Matches like these, great performances and fantastic goals (in NLD no less) are what remains in the memories of fans.

We got a long way to go.

The 07/08 team played spectacular football, definitely more exciting that what we are seeing now.

The difference for me is that this 22/23 team looks more balanced, meaning that it can attack and defend at a high level. The 07/08 team didnt have that level of balance for me, and ultimately that is what left us short in the end.

The 07/08 team ended up with 83 points, and were the best team in the country that year, probably in Europe in my view too. Lets see how 22/23 plays out.

 

[SA Gunner]

Almost 20 years? Hmm that’s a serious reach imo. The Wenger teams of the late 2000s were of higher quality because they created more chances more consistently. I don’t trust this team to score every game. The defence is good though, that’s a big positive.

I see a good team, I don’t see an X factor.

Fair enough, lets monitor how we play this season and revisit the X factor discussion.

Glad you saw the almost there.

Yes, almost 20 years. I'd rate the potential of this team above the 06-07 team, Henry's last season with us. So that's 2022-2006 = 16 years, so almost 20 years.

I said in a previous post that in terms of pure attacking excellence, its hard to put any team above a Wenger team. But in terms of balance you can compete with Wenger teams, and this team brings a level of balance to their game that makes them more dangerous IMO.

 

[SA Gunner]

Potential means nothing. Wilshere, Partey, Pepe, Ramsey had potential and they could pick up a knock

please Wilshere, Ramsey, Walcott, Gibbs, all had potential. The first two guys unfortunately could injure themselves for 3 months picking up a slice of pizza. Potential means nothing to me. Results and execution matter in life. And our manager and team have poor results so far into the project and can only manage to actually play football in 30 minute bursts. I have seen Arteta teams play a good 90 minute match on one hand I could count those performances. Even in big matches we win we play great for 30 minutes and defend for dear life the rest.

You are right, potential ultimately ends in nothing if it is not realised. There was so much potential we've seen put on our shirt. Someone like Abou Diaby for example, is a sad reminder of this truth.

That all said, you can still identify potential when you see it. And I think you are stretching things a bit when you say this team has only played well for 30 minutes. I wont even give an example of this season of 90 plus minutes of top class, complete football, Ill give you three, sixty minute spells of football that was of the best in the league last year. Our home games against Liverpool (x2) and City (x1) last season. All examples of 90% football.

I speak about balance when it comes to champion teams, teams who have extreme firepower, but also have an ability to switch playing styles, dependent on the game situation (sitting deep and depending, counter attacking football, all out attack, holding the ball to take the sting out of the opposition, using set plays as a chief mode of attack). This team has shown an ability to do all of these points I mention, and furthermore are showing an ability to switch modes when the time is right.

This balance, if consistently done by the players, if consistently managed by the manager... will lead to big things.

 

[Rex Stone]

The 07/08 team played spectacular football, definitely more exciting that what we are seeing now.

The difference for me is that this 22/23 team looks more balanced, meaning that it can attack and defend at a high level. The 07/08 team didnt have that level of balance for me, and ultimately that is what left us short in the end.

The 07/08 team ended up with 83 points, and were the best team in the country that year, probably in Europe in my view too. Lets see how 22/23 plays out.

The 2008 team was way more solid defensively imo. I’ve not seen many more resilient squads defensively since I watched us.

We conceded 31 in the league which is our second best number of the 21st century behind the Invincibles. That’s less than City conceded when they won the league in 2020/21.

Basically we had an elite team that would have won most years except for one of the GOAT Utd sides and a red hot Chelsea.

 

[SA Gunner]

The 2008 team was way more solid defensively imo. I’ve not seen many more resilient squads defensively since I watched us.

We conceded 31 in the league which is our second best number of the 21st century behind the Invincibles. That’s less than City conceded when they won the league in 2020/21.

Basically we had an elite team that would have won most years except for one of the GOAT Utd sides and a red hot Chelsea.

We threw the league away that season IMO. We were the best team in the country that season, and the Eduardo injury completely broke us mentally.

As for goals conceded, I had a quick check and 07/08 was the best defensive team in the Emirates era so far, on par with 05-06 and better than the Invincibles. Ill definitely go back and check their defensive game again, as I dont remember them being as solid.

 

[Rex Stone]

We threw the league away that season IMO. We were the best team in the country that season, and the Eduardo injury completely broke us mentally.

As for goals conceded, I had a quick check and 07/08 was the best defensive team in the Emirates era so far, on par with 05-06 and better than the Invincibles. Ill definitely go back and check their defensive game again, as I dont remember them being as solid.

I think that’s overly harsh. We were up against the best Utd team of my lifetime and a stacked Chelsea side with the likes of prime Ballack, Carvalho, Cech, Cole, Lampard, Terry and Essien.

Those were two of the great PL teams we were up against on a fraction of the budget. It was like going up against a tank with a pea shooter.

In the big away games against them we only narrowly lost. What f*cked us were the constant injuries. RvP missed games as did Sagna, Hleb, Rosicky and famously Eduardo.

Flamini and Gilberto were key injuries and left us without a DM. Maybe if we kept Lassana Diarra we get over the line.

We dropped a lot of winnable points in draws where we struggled to break down teams and force a winner.

 

[albakos]

In the big away games against them we only narrowly lost. What f*cked us were the constant injuries. RvP missed games as did Sagna, Hleb, Rosicky and famously Eduardo.

Flamini and Gilberto were key injuries and left us without a DM. Maybe if we kept Lassana Diarra we get over the line.

We dropped a lot of winnable points in draws where we struggled to break down teams and force a winner.

The injuries definitely harmed us more than the mental fortitude after Eduardo's injury. In a very short period, we lost Gilberto, Flamini, Hleb and Rosicky. We ended up playing a complete rookie in Alex Song away at OT, and even then we almost got away with a win. It was only when the ref gave a huge favour to United by having their spot kick taken again, after Lehman saved it the 1st time. And then Hargreaves scored his once in a lifetime free kick.

After Brum we also played another 3 straight draws: Wigan, Villa and Boro.

 

[Rex Stone]

The injuries definitely harmed us more than the mental fortitude after Eduardo's injury. In a very short period, we lost Gilberto, Flamini, Hleb and Rosicky. We ended up playing a complete rookie in Alex Song away at OT, and even then we almost got away with a win. It was only when the ref gave a huge favour to United by having their spot kick taken again, after Lehman saved it the 1st time. And then Hargreaves scored his once in a lifetime free kick.

After Brum we also played another 3 straight draws: Wigan, Villa and Boro.

Tbf in that Utd game we got away with a blatant Adebayor handball for our goal

We were in a proper title hunt that season. We did incredibly well and in any other year we’d have won it imo.

Still one of my favourite Arsenal teams. A lot of unheralded guys but we played top football AND were a serious team defensively.

We felt like real contenders in big games.

 

[SA Gunner]

Tbf in that Utd game we got away with a blatant Adebayor handball for our goal

We were in a proper title hunt that season. We did incredibly well and in any other year we’d have won it imo.

Still one of my favourite Arsenal teams. A lot of unheralded guys but we played top football but were a serious team defensively.

We felt like real contenders in big games.

Ill definitely go back and rewatch a few games. I didnt remember us being as solid defensively, but that's just me.

As for title contenders, yes we were. I know you called me harsh for saying we threw the title away, but I genuinely believed we did. We were better than United and Chelsea that season as a football playing team, deserved of the title IMO. Its a shame we couldnt get there in the end, and I believe had the Eduardo incident not had happened, we would have won the league that season.

 

[Rex Stone]

Ill definitely go back and rewatch a few games. I didnt remember us being as solid defensively, but that's just me.

As for title contenders, yes we were. I know you called me harsh for saying we threw the title away, but I genuinely believed we did. We were better than United and Chelsea that season as a football playing team, deserved of the title IMO. Its a shame we couldnt get there in the end, and I believe had the Eduardo incident not had happened, we would have won the league that season.

The team raised it’s level rather than dropped it imo.

Think you’re underselling that Utd side in particular. Apart from the Pep oil money squads this is the clear best.

Better than the Invincibles imo. Just look at that front three ffs. Ridiculous.



Had a really strong, experienced bench as well with guys like Giggs, Fletcher, Park and O’Shea. Also had a young Pique as well.

 

[Farzad Stoned]

You are right, potential ultimately ends in nothing if it is not realised. There was so much potential we've seen put on our shirt. Someone like Abou Diaby for example, is a sad reminder of this truth.

That all said, you can still identify potential when you see it. And I think you are stretching things a bit when you say this team has only played well for 30 minutes. I wont even give an example of this season of 90 plus minutes of top class, complete football, Ill give you three, sixty minute spells of football that was of the best in the league last year. Our home games against Liverpool (x2) and City (x1) last season. All examples of 90% football.

I speak about balance when it comes to champion teams, teams who have extreme firepower, but also have an ability to switch playing styles, dependent on the game situation (sitting deep and depending, counter attacking football, all out attack, holding the ball to take the sting out of the opposition, using set plays as a chief mode of attack). This team has shown an ability to do all of these points I mention, and furthermore are showing an ability to switch modes when the time is right.

This balance, if consistently done by the players, if consistently managed by the manager... will lead to big things.

The matches you mentioned as great performances we lost. That is my point baby steps and moral victories are great up to a point. But this far down in the project the project there is no more or should be no more tolerance of baby steps and moral victories. Moral victories are for losers. The time for moral victories and just playing good football is over considering the good managers we could of signed, the money spent, the time given, the turgid football and humiliating record against our biggest rivals we have endured. Let’s see it, I didn’t see a mature manager or team in our first truly big test at OT