Mikel Arteta: Aston La Vista To The Title?

[samspade]

A 50M CB potentially sitting on the bench all season (although Europa might solve this), or being chosen ahead of Saliba based on the investment/Artetas feeling of loyalty to a player whom he invested 50M in whilst shipping the other out on loan after not even including him in our squad. Anyway, just glad we finally have a elite CB, who we already had on the books playing for us.

Well, fair enough. I can see how this might be a worry, I don't think theres much evidence of getting rid of players to be 'proven right' though. They are all just players he felt weren't meeting the behavioural standards.

Unpopular opinion here apparently but I'd like to see what White RCB, Saliba LCB looks like. I think it could be the best combo.

 

[A_G]

The top 3 excuses have killed me. I can’t believe Mikel and Potter’s

Might be a new entry:

 

[DJ_Markstar]

Well, fair enough. I can see how this might be a worry, I don't think theres much evidence of getting rid of players to be 'proven right' though. They are all just players he felt weren't meeting the behavioural standards.

Unpopular opinion here apparently but I'd like to see what White RCB, Saliba LCB looks like. I think it could be the best combo.

Looks to me like his loyalty isn't worth **** all since he shunted White to RB to accommodate Saliba

 

[Riou]

Don't think any combo without Gabriel would work, tbh.

Saliba, Tomi and Ben all seem quite quiet... Gabriel's more aggressive and vocal style, compliments Saliba's calmer and composed style perfectly.

Gabriel seems to be getting the Kos treatment now for some reason, were a good section of our fanbase wants to call him crap for some reason.

No CB is perfect, especially in this day and age... everyone makes errors now.

 

[El Duderino]

Don't think any combo without Gabriel would work, tbh.

Saliba, Tomi and Ben all seem quite quiet... Gabriel's more aggressive and vocal style, compliments Saliba's calmer and composed style perfectly.

Gabriel seems to be getting the Kos treatment now for some reason, were a good section of our fanbase wants to call him crap for some reason.

No CB is perfect, especially in this day and age... everyone makes errors now.

I just don't think Mikel will play a right footed CB at LCB.

He chose to play Mari there over Gabriel and even Holding, if memory serves. It seems integral to how he wants to play.

It's also why we were going in for Lisandro and might still get another LCB in the next 12 months.

Either way, I don't think Tomi will be back starting for the next three weeks or so, him and KT need to get to 200% fitness, let alone 100% if they want to feature on the team for longer periods.

 

[samspade]

I just don't think Mikel will play a right footed CB at LCB.

Possibly not but he played Luiz there a lot

 

[Deleted member 102404]

Looks to me like his loyalty isn't worth **** all since he shunted White to RB to accommodate Saliba

There is no room to pick players based on loyalty. It’s absolutely right that loyalty means **** when it comes to picking a team with the best chance of winning any given game. I like that players can be dropped if someone can perform better. Arteta actually needs to do more of that. Last year it took way too long to bench Auba and way too long to bench Laca. Xhaka walks back into the team whenever he is out no matter what he has done.

 

[El Duderino]

Possibly not but he played Luiz there a lot

Was that when everyone was injured? Like project restart stuff?

Think there's plenty of games and transfer activity now to say he much rather not use a right footed defender there unless it's a cup game, etc. where rotation is heavy.

Biggest upgrade to the defense was not having to play Cedric and Nuno. Gabriel-White got killed as soon as Tomi went down and got worse when Nuno was there.

 

[samspade]

Don't think any combo without Gabriel would work, tbh.

Saliba, Tomi and Ben all seem quite quiet... Gabriel's more aggressive and vocal style, compliments Saliba's calmer and composed style perfectly.

Gabriel seems to be getting the Kos treatment now for some reason, were a good section of our fanbase wants to call him crap for some reason.

No CB is perfect, especially in this day and age... everyone makes errors now.

I'm not here to bad mouth Gabriel, I like him a lot and was a big supporter when he turned up. But now we have choices, and he's the other team's target on the ball, I think it's quite possible Saliba could play in that difficult right footer in LCB role and we'd get a pretty hefty boost to the cb pairing's technical level. He can do the same stuff as Gabriel physically, is probably faster, only doubt might be in the air.

edit: and of course it's a different position, but he's clearly a footballing prodigy so I have no doubt hed adapt.

 

[samspade]

Was that when everyone was injured? Like project restart stuff?

Think it was Luiz' main position for us tbh. Can't get the stats as transfermarkt is down.

Think there's plenty of games and transfer activity now to say he much rather not use a right footed defender there unless it's a cup game, etc. where rotation is heavy.

He has a preference that way sure, I remember getting the impression that he thought a right footed LCB had to be more technical to do it. He wouldn't play Holding there but he would play Luiz there. Whatever the case I can't see why Saliba couldn't do it and do it brilliantly.

 

[DJ_Markstar]

There is no room to pick players based on loyalty. It’s absolutely right that loyalty means **** when it comes to picking a team with the best chance of winning any given game. I like that players can be dropped if someone can perform better. Arteta actually needs to do more of that. Last year it took way too long to bench Auba and way too long to bench Laca. Xhaka walks back into the team whenever he is out no matter what he has done.

As it should be.

 

[Macho]

Giving Arteta a clean slate until November.

 

[Gooner416]

Giving Arteta a clean slate until November.

What's your criteria by November for you to back him?

 

[Gooner416]

A 50M CB potentially sitting on the bench all season (although Europa might solve this), or being chosen ahead of Saliba based on the investment/Artetas feeling of loyalty to a player whom he invested 50M in whilst shipping the other out on loan after not even including him in our squad. Anyway, just glad we finally have a elite CB, who we already had on the books playing for us.

Any top PL side has 40-50M CBs on the bench and not nailed on starters week in/week out. This is a positive.

 

[dka1]

I'm not here to bad mouth Gabriel, I like him a lot and was a big supporter when he turned up. But now we have choices, and he's the other team's target on the ball, I think it's quite possible Saliba could play in that difficult right footer in LCB role and we'd get a pretty hefty boost to the cb pairing's technical level. He can do the same stuff as Gabriel physically, is probably faster, only doubt might be in the air.

edit: and of course it's a different position, but he's clearly a footballing prodigy so I have no doubt hed adapt.

I want to make it clear that I completely agree with you, I personally think White RCB and Saliba LCB should be our starting CB pairing; both players calm on the ball and both good defenders.

But (and I could be wrong) I can't see a world where Arteta does that, he's too attached to the left footer LCB and right footer RCB idea.

I mean it's not a terrible thing though. Gabi is still a good player, has room to grow (albeit Friday proved that maybe he's a bit rash in comparison to Saliba).

But Arteta will need to manage this situation well if Gabi is to be our starting LCB. There's enough games for Saliba and White (hopefully) so let's see how it plays out.

As for a wider comment on Arteta and Edu, I've taken a nice little "break" for the majority of the summer to see how things would play out. Tbh the end of last season bitterly disappointed me but the signings we've made and the way the squad is shaping up is undeniably impressive.

So for that I give credit to Arteta (and Edu) where it's due, we've spent a bit, but less than some of our competitors have and our squad does look good on paper.

I'm also impressed with how Arteta has incorporated Saliba and our whole back line has a physicality and solidity about it that inspires confidence. So again, well done to Arteta. What we now need to do is be calm when facing adversity in matches and make sure to keep composure as a team when the going gets tough.

Let's see how the season plays out but I can't lie, I'm optimistic.

 

[Gooner416]

I want to make it clear that I completely agree with you, I personally think White RCB and Saliba LCB should be our starting CB pairing; both players calm on the ball and both good defenders.

But (and I could be wrong) I can't see a world where Arteta does that, he's too attached to the left footer LCB and right footer RCB idea.

I mean it's not a terrible thing though. Gabi is still a good player, has room to grow (albeit Friday proved that maybe he's a bit rash in comparison to Saliba).

But Arteta will need to manage this situation well if Gabi is to be our starting LCB. There's enough games for Saliba and White (hopefully) so let's see how it plays out.

As for a wider comment on Arteta and Edu, I've taken a nice little "break" for the majority of the summer to see how things would play out. Tbh the end of last season bitterly disappointed me but the signings we've made and the way the squad is shaping up is undeniably impressive.

So for that I give credit to Arteta (and Edu) where it's due, we've spent a bit, but less than some of our competitors have and our squad does look good on paper.

I'm also impressed with how Arteta has incorporated Saliba and our whole back line has a physicality and solidity about it that inspires confidence. So again, well done to Arteta. What we now need to do is be calm when facing adversity in matches and make sure to keep composure as a team when the going gets tough.

Let's see how the season plays out but I can't lie, I'm optimistic.

Just think our system is so reliant on our LCB being left footed that I cannot see Gabriel usurped. It will be White & Saliba rotating with White occasionally at RB imo. Injuries may force Arteta's hand though but I wouldn't be surprised to see him force a left footed player like Tierney into LCB to cover Gabriel instead of going two righties.

 

[Macho]

What's your criteria by November for you to back him?

Nothing crazy, he’s here whether I like it or not.

More goals and still on track for targets then cool. I will never fully rate his time here but I don’t plan on arguing about it everyday either.

 

[SA Gunner]

Shutting out Palace for those first 30 minutes, and reducing them to next to nothing in that first half is the level I expect Arteta to consistently bring out of this team. That’s my standard for him.

I was disappointed with our performance on Friday night. As good a side as Palace are, could they not cope with our work done from the front. We must not allow teams to get into matches, even the best ones. We now have the tools to ensure that.

 

[Tir Na Nog]

Might be a new entry:

No idea how this prick wasn't top actually. Maybe because they didn't drop points all that frequently, but there's always ****ing something when they do.

 

[Macho]

No idea how this prick wasn't top actually. Maybe because they didn't drop points all that frequently, but there's always ****ing something when they do.

Yup, it's literally because he doesn't drop points frequently.

As for Mik im glad he blames the refs instead of the players (directly). It's more his fans and the journos that do that.