Mikel Arteta: Aston La Vista To The Title?

[Sapient Hawk]

Are you serious? That’s a massive L.

We’ve had to resort to third rate competitions due to our incompetent manager.

At this stage describing him as such is a glowing compliment

 

[Preacher]

Meanwhile at City:



I prefer not to speak

 

[BigPoppaPump]

Meanwhile at City:



I prefer not to speak

Arteta is probably the one recording that video.

 

[Preacher]

Seriously, still can't believe that he will be Arsenal manager in 2021/22. Didn't hit any targets:

Failed in all competitions
Didn't give more minutes to the youth.
Didn't establish at least decent attacking football.

We're boring, slow, basically unwatchable majority of the season. There was nothing good that should be mentioned about this season.

 

[Riou]

Meanwhile at City:



I prefer not to speak

Christ...got Wayne Lineker vibes from Pep at the start of that vid

 

[GoonerJeeves]

No one is pining for Europa qualification?

We're pining for the fjords.

 

[Makingtrax]

The players he tried to bury at the beginning of the season (ESR, Martinelli, Pepe) are now the ones saving his job.

And look at his learning curve with tactics.

First 10 or so games, comes in and plays a high press 4231. Not perfect, but reasonably effective. Post lock down last year, few games he moves to a 433 of sorts, but the results don't match the performances. End of last season beginning of this he moves to 343. More defensive but is pretty effective results wise (FA cup win).

October-Boxing day last year. 4231 again but without a proper 10 or any real creativity. Awful and less said the better. Boxing Day until now apart from a handful of games 4231 with a number 10 in ESR or Ødegaard or sometimes both. Much better, but he's still tinkering with false nines and even switched back to a 343 on one occasion.

Not convinced he knows which personnel to play or which tactics, the guy has clearly floundered for a season and a half.

 

[HairSprayGooners]

If the stats don’t lie so why can’t Arteta beat Emery‘s Villareal in one of the leg? Surely, being second in the league, at least you should be able to beat 7th in La Liga once, right?

Not relevant to what I'm saying. I already had my say on that semi final.

 

[HairSprayGooners]

This is the worse post I've ever read on here. Its not like ****eta didn't crashout of the EL semi final with those three fit, did he?
We've played absolutely terrible football even when those trio was on the pitch.

2nd in the league since they've been here though, you wouldn't be moaning about that.

 

[kash2]

Ok but at the time wasn't ESR the only #10 in the squad (Özil wasn't in the PL squad, even if he was, he wouldn't have been an option it seems), so even if you argue that moving to a 4 at the back with a simple more normal way of playing (and I presume this includes having a 10) is the reason that we got better, it depends on using a number 10.

ESR was our only natural #10 at the time so by default including him made a big impact (if not being the defacto difference).

I suppose you could argue that someone else could've filled in there but Lacazette hardly lit it up at #10 for example.

For the record I do agree that changing formation made a big difference but the inclusion of ESR and his link up with Saka I feel made the biggest impact imo (at least at the time), I could be wrong though......

Well, whenever Mikel fiddled with the team and tried new tactical stunts...even ESR and Saka were rendered ineffective, say for example vs Villareal.

Definitely good young talent makes a difference...but if you see, ESR and Saka couldnt make it count when it mattered if the structure and shape are haywire.

I would argue, at this point and indeed at the start of the season, all that is missing is a good #10. We have Martinelli, Auba, Saka, Pepe, Laca, Willian, ESR, Nelson for forward positions. We have Partey, Xhaka, Elneny, Ceballos, Willock, Torreira, Guendouzi, AMN for the midfield and we have Chambers, Mari, Holding, Luiz, Bellerin, Tierney, Cedric, Gabriel etc for the back positions.

But first the manager refused to accept that a #10 was needed. Then he tried various idiots in that role. Then he finally played ESR and then got Ødegaard on loan. By then it was too late. These both are lightweight and are still developing, so we stabilized but didnt push on.

The other options were Willock, Nelson, Saka. I did feel that the situation was dire, and maybe it was time to throw a hail mary move and try Saka in the #10 position. He is after all our most skilful player...brimming with confidence..and young enough to adapt.

 

[HairSprayGooners]

The players he tried to bury at the beginning of the season (ESR, Martinelli, Pepe) are now the ones saving his job.

I am now certain you know absolutely nothing about football. Both ESR and Martinelli in particular were injured at the start of the season.

 

[Trilly]

@Riou @BigPoppaPump new avi perfectly reflects the man leading us and his reign of terror.

 

[HaffBR]

2nd in the league since they've been here though, you wouldn't be moaning about that.

But since people here likes xPoints (based on those xG and xA) Arsenal is still 6º or 7º in this period if I can remember well.

 

[avenellroad]

The stats don't lie.

Last 23games with those 3 in the side, second in the league. First 15 games, far from that.

Or is that just a coincidence to you?

Second in the league for more than half the season, yet we're going to be finish 8th. Brilliant job by your boy Micky

 

[HairSprayGooners]

Second in the league for more than half the season, yet we're going to be finish 8th. Brilliant job by your boy Micky

i'm looking for improvement, and to me, since Christmas there's been a vast improvement. The semi final defeat was sack worthy, but if we are persisting with Mikel, which we are, then we need to start seeing some positives.

 

[Macho]

@Riou @BigPoppaPump new avi perfectly reflects the man leading us and his reign of terror.

Yo that avi

Will see this in my nightmares now

 

[pikey2000]

And look at his learning curve with tactics.

First 10 or so games, comes in and plays a high press 4231. Not perfect, but reasonably effective. Post lock down last year, few games he moves to a 433 of sorts, but the results don't match the performances. End of last season beginning of this he moves to 343. More defensive but is pretty effective results wise (FA cup win).

October-Boxing day last year. 4231 again but without a proper 10 or any real creativity. Awful and less said the better. Boxing Day until now apart from a handful of games 4231 with a number 10 in ESR or Ødegaard or sometimes both. Much better, but he's still tinkering with false nines and even switched back to a 343 on one occasion.

Not convinced he knows which personnel to play or which tactics, the guy has clearly floundered for a season and a half.

this would be my biggest concern right now, I'm not fully onboard the Arteta out campaign just yet, I can see some improvement for example our record against the other big teams has improved, mainly because of our defensive style but I do agree that he does not know his best formation and starting team, there is a change EVERY game, now that could be due to the condensed COVID season and to be fair our injury record has been pretty good for us this season as a result (one could argue another improvement made) OR he could after over 18 months still not have settled on a formation and also doesn't know his best team.....

that becomes a big problem when you are trusting him with another transfer window, if he doesn't know his preferred formation and lineup then how can he ensure we get the right profile of player and we could end up getting the wrong players in again, ala Willian.

on the flip side he could be tinkering so much in attempt to get the best out of what he has got and another window will allow him to move another step toward a clear plan that he and Edu have in place and that might lead to less tinkering and a more clear progression in terms of tactics and play style

Unfortunately we won't know the answer until at least half way through next season at which point he will have had 3 windows and over 2 years in the job and at that point if he's still screwing about with selection and hasn't go at least 8 out of his starting 11 nailed down we will know the answer.

 

[HaffBR]

i'm looking for improvement, and to me, since Christmas there's been a vast improvement. The semi final defeat was sack worthy, but if we are persisting with Mikel, which we are, then we need to start seeing some positives.

Vastly improvement yes but from relegation performances.

Still 7º in xPTS and far from world class teams like United and Chelsea and even decent teams like United.
Arsenal is averaging 63 points acc. xPTS in the last 23 matches.

 

[Oxeki]

I am now certain you know absolutely nothing about football. Both ESR and Martinelli in particular were injured at the start of the season.

Are you being dense on purpose?

ESR was already playing Europa league games and was fit long after Mikel kept starting Willian. If Willian hadn't been sidelined by injury, ESR would have become another Nelson or would probably have been loaned out by now.

 

[Makingtrax]

this would be my biggest concern right now, I'm not fully onboard the Arteta out campaign just yet, I can see some improvement for example our record against the other big teams has improved, mainly because of our defensive style but I do agree that he does not know his best formation and starting team, there is a change EVERY game, now that could be due to the condensed COVID season and to be fair our injury record has been pretty good for us this season as a result (one could argue another improvement made) OR he could after over 18 months still not have settled on a formation and also doesn't know his best team.....

that becomes a big problem when you are trusting him with another transfer window, if he doesn't know his preferred formation and lineup then how can he ensure we get the right profile of player and we could end up getting the wrong players in again, ala Willian.

on the flip side he could be tinkering so much in attempt to get the best out of what he has got and another window will allow him to move another step toward a clear plan that he and Edu have in place and that might lead to less tinkering and a more clear progression in terms of tactics and play style

Unfortunately we won't know the answer until at least half way through next season at which point he will have had 3 windows and over 2 years in the job and at that point if he's still screwing about with selection and hasn't go at least 8 out of his starting 11 nailed down we will know the answer.

That’s a pretty balanced assessment. Non of us really know what next year will bring. Suspect more of the same, periods of good and periods of bad, leading to a sub par position.

But there is a chance that the rookie’s been learning from all these mistakes and might turn it around.