Mikel Arteta: Aston La Vista To The Title?

[HairSprayGooners]

Our football is awful. Yes, we look more solid defensively, but if you're a slave to 5 at the back like Arteta, letting in less goals then we were with a back 4 should be the bare minimum.

We have the Swiss Captain, a Spanish international, a 45m signing from an elite European club and one of the leagues best players over the past decade as options in our central 3. Man City away is as tough as it gets, but I'm not allowing him excuses to be so negative in our other games.

He had a howler yesterday. Let's not even mention his substitutions.

A howler? He played our best possible side minus Partey...

 

[GDeep™]

A howler? He played our best possible side minus Partey...

Willian in that role is our best possible side?

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

With everything settled i think mikel will use Saka as LCM Ceballos as RCM and Thomas just behind them.

Thomas
Ceballos Saka
Willian/Pepe Laca Auba

Exciting on paper even tho you'll need pepe Willian Laca to preform

 

[DUFFMAN]

What happened to the lovely football we seen in the first few games he took over against Chelsea and united?.

 

[truth_hurts]

A howler? He played our best possible side minus Partey...

Yep. Just in the wrong positions. Must have thought it was a practice game against his buddy Pep. Also, wanted to start Holding.

 

[Lady_Gooner]

He’s definitely more conservative than I ever thought he would be. Our fans will do mental gymnastics to try and avoid admitting it but you can’t hide from reality. I definitely want us to be stable defensively, that should go without saying but it’s time to start seeing some improvements in the attacking third now. Because I see zero improvements there if I’m being honest. Yes we lack the type of player but my sympathy runs low because they decided they wanted Willian for that.

 

[Ashybashy86]

He’s definitely more conservative than I ever thought he would be. Our fans will do mental gymnastics to try and avoid admitting it but you can’t hide from reality. I definitely want us to be stable defensively, that should go without saying but it’s time to start seeing some improvements in the attacking third now. Because I see zero improvements there if I’m being honest. Yes we lack the type of player but my sympathy runs low because they decided they wanted Willian for that.

We are better defensively, but having to play with so many defensive-minded players to enable that. Better playing out from the back, which is just as well, because we like to pass it back a lot. Yeah, that's all I've got so far.

 

[Finesse]

He’s definitely more conservative than I ever thought he would be. Our fans will do mental gymnastics to try and avoid admitting it but you can’t hide from reality. I definitely want us to be stable defensively, that should go without saying but it’s time to start seeing some improvements in the attacking third now. Because I see zero improvements there if I’m being honest. Yes we lack the type of player but my sympathy runs low because they decided they wanted Willian for that.

Of course we are stable defensively. It is an improvement. I will not take that at the expense of no desire , no threat and absolutely stiffness in attack. All these excuses about normally we would have lost this 4/5 nil is exactly the problem the players are facing. Happy about keeping the score down. Meanwhile teams which are not as strong as we are on paper this season have played City and Liverpool, forgot about getting thumped and put in a performance. I am sure losing this 5-3 etc with us having a proper go would have left me with belief we gave it all.

Take it or leave it Arteta has a very decent team as things stands with 1-2 to add.

I am with you , I do not sympathise with Arteta about a lack of a better CAM , since he planned to use Willian as CAM into the season. A role he last played before joining the PL.

 

[#254]

It's quite simple. The reason we lost was mostly due to Arteta playing the wrong CM who despite not playing exactly poorly, weren't great also, as they kept our attack starved for chances. He dropped his most in-form CM in El-Neny and left out his new beast CM who even trained more for the City match than the player that took his place (Xhaka). I am pretty sure the below team doesn't play as meekly:

Saka....Auba.......Pepe

Ceballos...El-Neny...Partey

Tierney...Gabriel...Holding...Bellerin

Btw, did anyone else notice before Holding got injured our line up was lined in a 4-3-3? Could Luiz have been the reason we changed back to 3-4-3?

 

[Tir Na Nog]

 

[Penn_]

Do we not have to remember that this Arteta’s first full season not only as Arsenal manager, but also just as a manger?

Every manager type has their weaknesses. Wenger could be hopelessly naive in letting his team try to just play. Pep, who Arteta looks to be in the same mould as, is too prone to overthinking.

 

[Trilly]

Rival fans starting to notice the lack of attacking output as well.

Think this ‘exotic Pulis’ is one of those murmurs that will grow and grow unless he addresses it in a noticeable way.

 

[Manberg]

Rival fans starting to notice the lack of attacking output as well.

Think this ‘exotic Pulis’ is one of those murmurs that will grow and grow unless he addresses it in a noticeable way.

I'm not fussed. Let them. Chants of boring boring Arsenal brings music to my ears.

 

[Riou]

Hate how organizing a good defence immediately has fans calling you a Pulis or an Allardyce, really hate that part of modern football.

He walked into an absolute mess of a team, turned it around and in his first season as manager won the ****ing FA Cup.

The attacking players in our squad need an overhaul, as we have too may poor footballers there that stops us playing quality football...but you either play super attacking or park the bus, no inbetween, smh.

 

[Tir Na Nog]

Rival fans starting to notice the lack of attacking output as well.

Think this ‘exotic Pulis’ is one of those murmurs that will grow and grow unless he addresses it in a noticeable way.

Oh no.

 

[Dutch D]

Tired of his 3atb against bigger teams though, got to transition to our own game plan in a 4-3-3. Completely gave away the midfield against City.

Hope we transition to a 3man midfield soon now we have Partey on board.

 

[Sniper Mik]

Hipster rookie with 2nd best defensive record sitting above title winning experienced manager who just threw away a 3 goal lead in 10 minutes.

 

[Gegen Pressing]

I've thought about that. At the snail's pace we play out from the back Man City had all the time in the world to get organized in defence .
Love Mikel but he's gotta read Sun Tzu art of war "in a conflict surprise will lead to victory ". We are so slow and predictable it's pure ambush.

He’s definitely more conservative than I ever thought he would be. Our fans will do mental gymnastics to try and avoid admitting it but you can’t hide from reality. I definitely want us to be stable defensively, that should go without saying but it’s time to start seeing some improvements in the attacking third now. Because I see zero improvements there if I’m being honest. Yes we lack the type of player but my sympathy runs low because they decided they wanted Willian for that.

 

[amigo]

We've been crying out for a solid defence for years. We get one and now everyone is bleating about how our attack is so poor. Allow Arteta to work out the balance. We need that defensive solidity. We've played two of our hardest games and still conceded the second fewest goals. I see no cause for alarm yet. Let's see what Arteta can do in the next few matches.

 

[Rasmi]

We've been crying out for a solid defence for years. We get one and now everyone is bleating about how our attack is so poor. Allow Arteta to work out the balance. We need that defensive solidity. We've played two of our hardest games and still conceded the second fewest goals. I see no cause for alarm yet. Let's see what Arteta can do in the next few matches.

solid 4 man defence, not 5 man defence which no serious team in the world plays with 5 man defence