Mikel Arteta: Aston La Vista To The Title?

[REWB]

I mean it clearly works

No it doesnt, unless you cover the cracks by spending 600 million during that time...

 

[AberGooner]

Exactly. After 70 minutes, if it's still 0-0 it's just hopeful panicky punts into the box.

Yeah at least we're not conceding any silly goals at the minute though, haven't gave away that much chances but the next run of games will tell us a lot.

 

[DanDare]

And so ends our easy run. The next 11 are brutal.

We'll beat Leeds

 

[MikelHadADream]

Pepe doesn't deserve minutes over Auba, Saka or Martinelli. It's a toss up between him and Willian as to who comes on for the last 15 minutes. Willian can play in 3 positions and is usually a lot safer on the ball, which is why he has been coming on ahead of him recently.

 

[Trilly]

I was Pepe's biggest fan and said he should be getting game time. But time and time again, even in cup games he looks shocking. Final nail in the coffin for me was against Newcastle in the cup.

Capable of great things but Bayerns scouting of him was correct. He will never make it in this league.

Ah yes the infamous Newcastle game where we played poorly before and after he came on.

 

[HairSprayGooners]

One thing Mikel has clearly done is make us better defensively. No plaudits for that? Now we are getting into a place where we look good going forward as well. Showing flashes of brilliance going forward at times.

Give me an elite striker, right back, Bissouma in this team and we going places baby.

 

[REWB]

And so ends our easy run. The next 11 are brutal.

If we get a CAM on loan ill be more confident of getting good results against these sides. If we dont, Ill be less confident. We'll get injuries and struggle. Plus young lads like Saka and Rowe are still learning consistency. Its just a difficult situation for any manager. the results depend on who we can get in January to beef up the attacking areas.

 

[Bloodbather]

What Arteta has done in the last few weeks, to me, is neutralizing the negatives. I'm no longer #ArtetaOut, because he appears to have learned some lessons. However, I think it takes more than what he have seen in the last few matches against weak opposition to be convinced that he brings positives to the table and is the man going forward. The next 10 games or so will be telling.

 

[Macho]

I’m still Arteta Out? Not even gonna pretend.

He’s not going anywhere though, probably safest job in the league.

 

[Blood on the Tracks]

Though I'm a fan of Arteta, one thing that does trouble me and I think has been a consistent issue, bar the Chelsea match and a couple of others is the playing with the handbrake on a bit first half.

I'll credit Arteta as he does tend to get the players fired up and at it in the second halfs, but it's a matter of time before we play a match starting off slowly, end up 0-2 down at half time and then there's a mountain to climb second half.

Needs improving.

 

[MikelHadADream]

Important we won tonight as the upcoming run is tough on paper. Also very positive that Partey got a very good 60mins under his belt, and Auba has started scoring. They'll be crucial in the next few weeks.

To look at the upcoming set of fixtures positively, under Arteta we have actually done well in the "tougher" games. We beat Wolves and Southampton away last season, as well as United at home.

I think the reasons for this are the improvement in our defensive organisation, as well as hke well we play out from the back now. Partey should only improve this as well, and with the teams now likely to come onto us more, we should now be able to create more space for our attacking players.

 

[El Duderino]

Though I'm a fan of Arteta, one thing that does trouble me and I think has been a consistent issue, bar the Chelsea match and a couple of others is the playing with the handbrake on a bit first half.

I'll credit Arteta as he does tend to get the players fired up and at it in the second halfs, but it's a matter of time before we play a match starting off slowly, end up 0-2 down and then there's a mountain to climb second half.

Needs improving.

Emery was very much the same, where he got the selection wrong and than threw in a sub in and made it k.

The problem arrives when he can't get them fired up or when we conceed a goal first and that's what worries me.

It's like the water breaks he had, where we would come out of them all set up. It points to a positive that he is able manage a match when something is not happening, but also to the negative that the preparation is not up to snuff.

I rather we fix the latter sooner rather than later.

 

[Oh_Snap]

Weirdly optimistic right now, looks like he gets a grip on the team. 1st half was trash though. Partey is a huge factor for us ofc but our overall defense is also looking better right now. ESR, Saka, Partey, Gabriel, Auba, KT, Leno - we have a VERY good core of players in every area of the pitch and i want to see it work under Mik.

 

[HairSprayGooners]

Tbf I was so used to watching us thinking we had so many mistakes in our backline and that we'd never keep a clean sheet.

But all of a sudden we genuinely look solid and I dont fear us making stupid mistakes in that area of the pitch.

I think big titles are won with solid defences. And that is the first thing Arteta has worked on and got spot on. If the attacking football needs more time to be implemented because we focused on getting the perfect defensive balance im cool with that. Its a marathon not a sprint.

 

[dka1]

One thing Mikel has clearly done is make us better defensively. No plaudits for that? Now we are getting into a place where we look good going forward as well. Showing flashes of brilliance going forward at times.

Give me an elite striker, right back, Bissouma in this team and we going places baby.

I dunno about the last statement but I do agree and have always given Arteta credit for the defense.

I maintain that it's not as easy as just throwing men behind the ball, there's tangibly an improvement in our shape. I've had issues with him for other things and I'm still not on board or trusting the process yet but I'll leave it at that.

I think at this point any speculation here is pointless because he's not going until the very very earliest the end of the season (relegation no longer a sliver of a worry) so for once I think I'll do something sensible and leave this thread alone regardless of results until the end of the season.

 

[CaseUteinberger]

Tbf I was so used to watching us thinking we had so many mistakes in our backline and that we'd never keep a clean sheet.

But all of a sudden we genuinely look solid and I dont fear us making stupid mistakes in that area of the pitch.

I think big titles are won with solid defences. And that is the first thing Arteta has worked on and got spot on. If the attacking football needs more time to be implemented because we focused on getting the perfect defensive balance im cool with that. Its a marathon not a sprint.

4 shots and 1 on target all evening. Newcastle never looked close to scoring today. It was either going to be 0-0 or us winning.

Listening to the post match interviews with Arteta it is a lot about keeping the shape and controlling the game. Attacking without loosing that defensive shape and control. It simply does take time to implement with the team and players we have. It will be a journey and with a young and inexperienced manager it will take time.

 

[ThisFather]

With relegation scare out of the way im at ease now.

I'm happy to see Arteta turn it around these past few games. Hopefully he keeps this up till the end of the season. At the end of the day, he's someone who cares about the club and has a special connection with the fans. Bit like Wenger had. I'd really like for him to succeed.

Sometimes things just click. And it looks like it might be happening now. We look like a different team these few matches with the new faces in the starting 11.

Wins against Southampton and Man Utd would really change the look around. Let's do this!

 

[Rasmi]

4 shots and 1 on target all evening. Newcastle never looked close to scoring today. It was either going to be 0-0 or us winning.

Listening to the post match interviews with Arteta it is a lot about keeping the shape and controlling the game. Attacking without loosing that defensive shape and control. It simply does take time to implement with the team and players we have. It will be a journey and with a young and inexperienced manager it will take time.

He won’t get that time unless he start playing better football. We won today against a team who had no attacking intention and a team with no win in 9 and in the worst form in the league. Artetas football is as dull as I can remember watching us and he is so lucky there are no fans

 

[Macho]

He won’t get that time unless he start playing better football. We won today against a team who had no attacking intention and a team with no win in 9 and in the worst form in the league. Artetas football is as dull as I can remember watching us and he is so lucky there are no fans

Arteta is fine, all he has to do is avoid relegation and he’s like 13 points away.

After this summer when he gets his clear out and brings his players in though - he will be judged next season.

Then it will be another project to clean up the mess he’s made. This Arteta experiment will cost the club millions and millions tbh, but good luck to em.

 

[krackpot]

No Mustafi
Playing against **** teams
Xhaka in good form...

And people are painting Arteta to be some sort of defensive genius.

Arteta is fine, all he has to do is avoid relegation and he’s like 13 points away.

After this summer when he gets his clear out and brings his players in though - he will be judged next season.

Then it will be another project to clean up the mess he’s made. This Arteta experiment will cost the club millions and millions tbh, but good luck to em.

Our recruitment has been much better imo. Tierney, Partey and Gabrie are solid players. Much easier to manage this time.