Win Arsenal 4 - 2 Leicester City | Saturday 13th August 2022 | KO: 15:00 BST

Spirit BOMB to these Foxes. Same team as below:





Post match, Teta needs to make A-M happy and bring out the stash of Snickers & Twix for their boy Youri Michelin as a sweetener:

Got a feeling that Gabby Jesus is going to cook in this one.

I’ll say 3-0

 

[Makingtrax]

Arsenal's starting 11 is up there with anybodies. Certain positions severely lack death however and whether Arteta can navigate that smoothly and keep fringe players involved and not shut off is why he's yet to get 4th.

Previously his go to is to play some of his lieutenants wildly out of position.. or played his preferred personnel with one leg essentially. Throwing in ice cold players lacking confidence as a last desperate resort.

He needs to get better at this aspect otherwise they will not reach targets and will be chasing the dragon the in the transfer market every summer. Having 2 quality options for every position is fantasy stuff and unreasonable.

Spot on. Milner would be considered a joke here, but look how Klopp uses this 36 year old to bolster the squad and provide quality back up and rotation if needed. On £140k a week and has been worth every penny.

When the chips are down, that’s when you learn about a manager.

 

[Macho]

Spot on. Milner would be considered a joke here, but look how Klopp uses this 36 year old to bolster the squad and provide quality back up and rotation if needed. On £140k a week and has been worth every penny.

There's atleast a handful of Liverpool players that would get relentlessly mocked around here, but Klopp elevates his players where he can. For Arteta you either deliver or you're a problem.

 

[Makingtrax]

There's atleast a handful of Liverpool players that would get relentlessly mocked around here, but Klopp elevates his players where he can. For Arteta you either deliver or you're a problem.

It amazes me how quiet the lads are in the dressing room on AON. No one speaks out unless invited. This sort of control is a lot easier with young lads.

 

[db10_therza]

There's atleast a handful of Liverpool players that would get relentlessly mocked around here, but Klopp elevates his players where he can. For Arteta you either deliver or you're a problem.

Elneny is Arteta's milner for me. Technically limited but gives his all and "can do a job" in a limited capacity, is "ok" with being a bench player and understands his role. (I'm not saying he's as good as milner mind, he isn't) but pretty sure lots of people here were up in arms when he got an extension. I think It's important to have players like him around.

Re "control" - you're right, I just can't tell if you're saying its a good or a bad thing... taking it to extremes, I'd rather he "had control" than lost it... of course it would be nice if he didn't need to be so militant about it but I think this comes back to the fact that he's a rookie manager. It's incredibly easy for a manager like arteta to lose respect/control because a) he doesn't have the legendary player status that someone like Zidane has and (b) he doesn't have the CV of a post dortmund Klopp. So in order to be successful he *needs* to enforce control. It's in Arsenal's interest that he is successful so I'm ok with it (for now). Hopefully as he builds his cachet he'll realise that he can relax the tightness of his grip because he's earned respect and doesn't need to force it. I think we can all agree he has some way to go there though...

 

[DJ_Markstar]

Certain positions severely lack death

glad to hear it!

 

[Entropics]

We need to kill that "only Thomas Partey can do this" position tbh. Not sure which other positions are lacking death

 

[BaZZe]

Certain positions severely lack death however

Let's hope it stays that way

 

[drippin]

Spot on. Milner would be considered a joke here, but look how Klopp uses this 36 year old to bolster the squad and provide quality back up and rotation if needed. On £140k a week and has been worth every penny.

When the chips are down, that’s when you learn about a manager.

What I hear you saying is that Xhaka will be here for 6 more years.

 

[Macho]

glad to hear it!

We need to kill that "only Thomas Partey can do this" position tbh. Not sure which other positions are lacking death

Let's hope it stays that way

 

[DJ_Markstar]

Spot on. Milner would be considered a joke here, but look how Klopp uses this 36 year old to bolster the squad and provide quality back up and rotation if needed. On £140k a week and has been worth every penny.

When the chips are down, that’s when you learn about a manager.

Tbh I've been ragging on Milner for years for his lack of talent, he's a plumber with top notch attitude and workrate. But fair play to him, he's an excellent example of hard work and understanding your limitations while also providing versatility both tactically and positionally.

 

[Melquiades]

Arsenal's starting 11 is up there with anybodies.

I mean, again, it clearly isn't.

It's up there with most teams and we're now probably on par with Sp**s and ahead of the West Hams of the world and United's mess ... but there's absolutely no way it's even with City or Liverpool who are playing world-class players at virtually every position.

If you actually think that Arteta/Edu have turned what they inherited a couple years ago into a squad on par with Liverpool's, you should be pushing for lifetime contracts for both.

 

[DJ_Markstar]

I mean, again, it clearly isn't.

It's up there with most teams and we're now probably on par with Sp**s and ahead of the West Hams of the world and United's mess ... but there's absolutely no way it's even with City or Liverpool who are playing world-class players at virtually every position.

If you actually think that Arteta/Edu have turned what they inherited a couple years ago into a squad on par with Liverpool's, you should be pushing for lifetime contracts for both.

There seems to be this strange dichotomy amongst some fans that Arteta is ****, Edu is a **** but somehow they bought all these amazing players despite being ****s, Saliba came back and is playing well inspite of the two ****s and the whole affair is coming together like a reverse comedy of errors or something, and because of this outrageous luck to have all these wonderful players, Arteta is also now holding back these amazing players that he can't be credited with bringing to the club in the first place, despite the fact that he manages them and bought them.

Its very odd to witness.

 

[Melquiades]

There seems to be this strange dichotomy amongst some fans that Arteta is ****, Edu is a **** but somehow they bought all these amazing players despite being ****s, Saliba came back and is playing well inspite of the two ****s and the whole affair is coming together like a reverse comedy of errors or something, and because of this outrageous luck to have all these wonderful players, Arteta is also now holding back these amazing players that he can't be credited with bringing to the club in the first place, despite the fact that he manages them and bought them.

Its very odd to witness.

It really is.

There is a substantial percentage of the supporter base who decided that Arteta was absolute **** during the terrible run in the fall of 2020 (and fair enough, at the time!) and who simply will not adjust their opinion no matter what new evidence accumulates, and the mental hoops being jumped through to hold this opinion are sometimes spectacular.

 

[Macho]

There seems to be this strange dichotomy amongst some fans that Arteta is ****, Edu is a **** but somehow they bought all these amazing players despite being ****s, Saliba came back and is playing well inspite of the two ****s and the whole affair is coming together like a reverse comedy of errors or something, and because of this outrageous luck to have all these wonderful players, Arteta is also now holding back these amazing players that he can't be credited with bringing to the club in the first place, despite the fact that he manages them and bought them.

Its very odd to witness.

Did I say this 11 wins the title? No I didn't, I said it's as good as anybodies. How many starting 11s are better than Arsenal's? You're looking at Chelsea and the title contenders and even they have several players you guys wouldn't take.

Did you not see Arsenal vs City last season? Did you not see how many wins they racked up in a row when Arteta has his trusted 11? This was before Jesus, Zincehnko and Saliba too.

You man like to wipe Arteta's batty every chance you get but any time someone says anything that remotely highlights Arteta's diminishing excuses you guys panic and pump the breaks. If I said the starting 11 was trash all you guys would come out the woodworks chatting crap as well.

I've always liked the players at the club, so me bigging them up is not to get at Arteta, I really mean it - the team is good.

 

[DJ_Markstar]

Did I say this 11 wins the title? No I didn't, I said it's as good as anybodies. How many starting 11s are better than Arsenal's? You're looking at Chelsea and the title contenders and even they have several players you guys wouldn't take.

Did you not see Arsenal vs City last season? Did you not see how many wins they racked up in a row when Arteta has his trusted 11? This was before Jesus, Zincehnko and Saliba too.

You man like to wipe Arteta's batty every chance you get but any time someone says anything that remotely highlights Arteta's diminishing excuses you guys panic and pump the breaks. If I said the starting 11 was trash all you guys would come out the woodworks chatting crap as well.

I've always liked the players at the club, so me bigging them up is not to get at Arteta, I really mean it - the team is good.

My post actually had very little to do with your post, it was a response to someone else about the general mentality of some of the fans. If that isn't you then I don't know why you replied to me. If you want to reply to @Melquiades then be my guest

 

[Tom Mix]

Arsenal's starting 11 is up there with anybodies. Certain positions severely lack death however and whether Arteta can navigate that smoothly and keep fringe players involved and not shut off is why he's yet to get 4th.

Previously his go to is to play some of his lieutenants wildly out of position.. or played his preferred personnel with one leg essentially. Throwing in ice cold players lacking confidence as a last desperate resort.

He needs to get better at this aspect otherwise they will not reach targets and will be chasing the dragon the in the transfer market every summer. Having 2 quality options for every position is fantasy stuff and unreasonable.

I keep banging on about rotation and people here scoff and want to start the best XI all the time. First of all, your best XI depends to an extent on who you are playing but if you play them all the time their energy levels go down, they pick up injuries and niggles and you find, hey presto, that they're no longer your best XI.

And shouldn't need repeating but you won't keep the 18/19 core players you need in a season happy if 11 play all the time, 3/4 have regular short cameos and 3/4 barely kick a ball in anger. Not the way to keep a squad match-fit.

He's got a good squad, he's got good players and he seems to be working out good tactics. Now he needs to learn how to manage the team.

 

[dka1]

I mean, again, it clearly isn't.

It's up there with most teams and we're now probably on par with Sp**s and ahead of the West Hams of the world and United's mess ... but there's absolutely no way it's even with City or Liverpool who are playing world-class players at virtually every position.

If you actually think that Arteta/Edu have turned what they inherited a couple years ago into a squad on par with Liverpool's, you should be pushing for lifetime contracts for both.

Hmm I feel like we're better than Sp*rs squad wise, maybe that's bias though? Or maybe I'm leaning heavily into our starting 11 being stronger (yes even with them having Son and Kane).

It could partly be the fact that I've not been paying too much attention to their set up this year (like the talk about them potentially winning the title is ludicrous to me).

But what I can say for certain is that our squad is taking shape impressively, so I do tip my fedora hat to Edu and Arteta for that.

 

[DJ_Markstar]

I keep banging on about rotation and people here scoff and want to start the best XI all the time. First of all, your best XI depends to an extent on who you are playing but if you play them all the time their energy levels go down, they pick up injuries and niggles and you find, hey presto, that they're no longer your best XI.

And shouldn't need repeating but you won't keep the 18/19 core players you need in a season happy if 11 play all the time, 3/4 have regular short cameos and 3/4 barely kick a ball in anger. Not the way to keep a squad match-fit.

He's got a good squad, he's got good players and he seems to be working out good tactics. Now he needs to learn how to manage the team.

With today's tech its pretty easy to keep players out of the injury 'red zone', and this is easy enough to do by planning ahead which games will be more physical vs more tactical, when you'll have busy periods of two games a week vs less busy periods of one game a week etc. You'll still pick up impact injuries, but muscle injuries should be increasingly rare.

On top of this, you now have 5 subs per match so you can literally rest half the outfield players once a game is won.

 

[MartiSaka]

Tbh I've been ragging on Milner for years for his lack of talent, he's a plumber with top notch attitude and workrate. But fair play to him, he's an excellent example of hard work and understanding your limitations while also providing versatility both tactically and positionally.

Excellent for the culture Klopp has instill ed. Despite his age and part time role, he is the fittest player at the club. Didn't know he was on such a large salary however.

 

[CaseUteinberger]

@DJ_Markstar and @Melquiades - Thanks for pointing out the blatant agenda posting and logical somersaults being committed here on A-M. If we continue to progress it will become even more epic. Like a online football forum Cirque de Soleil with @Makingtrax as its chief acrobat...