avenellroad
John Radford’s son
I've just watched 'highlights' of the Arsenal v City game and Arteta's post match interview is worrying for Arsenal fans in itself. It's accepted that 10th is ok - no-one has their knives out for Arteta this morning, people just seem to shrug their shoulders as if this is the norm now.
Arsenal, as things stand, just don't behave like a BIG club. Forget CL football anytime soon. Arteta has lowered expectations so much that a 1-0 loss is deemed as a good result because "at least it wasn't 4 or 5-0".
I'd be so frustrated if I was a season ticket holder when the fans start going back to the matches. Arsenal Football Club in 10th place and it's simply accepted by the fans and the media. If this was Man Utd in 10th, we'd be SLAUGHTERED by the press, opposition fans, our own fans etc etc etc. But at Arsenal, it's just another weekend, another bad result - midtable is fine because Arteta is building something. Building what though?
And I've said this before but the thing I find most strange is that Arteta isn't even an Arsenal legend. He was an average-good player who is more well known for his time at Everton than Arsenal. If you had Henry, Bergkamp, Adams or Wright as manager I'd get it. I'd understand the club and fans willing to give the young boss time and patience.
But Arteta. I don't get it. It's because he was mate's with Pep for a while at City. That's it - that's his qualification for managing one of the historically biggest clubs in England.
And I say 'historically' because to me, Arsenal aren't a big club anymore. When I was younger, I hated you lot. And that's because you were a threat. The Arsenal team with Pires, Henry, Vieria etc terrified me - they were a joy to watch. Flair, power, energy - they had everything.
Now I actually feel sorry for you. Arteta looks like he'd get blown away by a fart in the wind. He hasn't got the mentality to ever achieve anything with Arsenal as a manager.
That is the problem - the mediocrity is too deep set in the organisation that is Arsenal. We are working towards some sort of utopian future which only Arteta can see. We will waste years again, when this year is such a missed opportunity to get back into the Champions league
I would believe it if he got rid of the wasters like Bellerin and co, but he hasn't. The acceptance from Arteta that it needs to get worse before it gets better doesn't make sense when you are paying someone like Aubameyang £350k a week and spent however much on Partey.