Mikel Arteta: Aston La Vista To The Title?

[Sniper Mik]

If we’re competitive in the City match then I’ll start to be convinced (I think we will be). The underlying numbers are suggesting we deserve to be where we are right now which is good and even the most negative person must realise something has clicked recently with the team.

We’ve played some real garbage though recently I mean Norwich were so bad yesterday it was laughable.

The question is how quickly can Ragnick get Utd going, and are Contes Sp**s for real? They’re our only real challengers imo for 4th and squad wise I really don’t think there’s much in it.

If Arteta really is this top coach in the making he’ll find a way to finish 4th none of this happy with 6th bull.

Our squad is much better than Sp**s

 

[Makingtrax]

Our squad is much better than Sp**s

Our squad is too drawer. £80m more than Sp**s . . . which is the cost of the whole Norwich squad.

 

[Barry]

Our squad is much better than Sp**s

What makes you say that out of interest? We haven't finished above them in the league for how many years now? We've got some great young players clicking right now, but they have one of the best strike partnerships in the league in Kane & Son. I'd say on balance our squads are similar atm

 

[14Henry]

Beat United at home and draw with Sp**s away and I'd be surprised if we didn't get top 4. That isn't easy and it depends on injuries, Covid and Arteta being able to keep the level of consistency up (jurys still out after United/Everton etc).

That said we are in 4th at the minute. The only team who can leapfrog us with games remaining to be played is Sp**s. Its a shame they couldn't have stayed in the joke of a European competition but here's hoping Son and Kane pick up a few injuries and they drop off.

Artetas done well enough to get us in a position to be a realistic 4th team. Let's hope it continues. Come on Soton today!!!

 

[Sniper Mik]

What makes you say that out of interest? We haven't finished above them in the league for how many years now? We've got some great young players clicking right now, but they have one of the best strike partnerships in the league in Kane & Son. I'd say on balance our squads are similar atm

I'm talking about this season. Son and Kane are basically all they've got. Those two have scored more than 50% of their goals. Our squad is much more balanced, numbers are well spread across players. Our defense is also noticeably better than theirs.

 

[razörist]

You guys think Arteta actually just wanted to drop Auba but feared the backlash so used this off the pitch issues to axe him?

I would rate that tbh.

 

[Tir Na Nog]

Yeah Sp**s squad is filled with players who are "ok", their basically relying on a couple of forwards to do everything for them. We've got serious talent all over our team. Maybe a little raw some of them but I think we're definitely better and have more quality.

 

[Barry]

I'm talking about this season. Son and Kane are basically all they've got. Those two have scored more than 50% of their goals. Our squad is much more balanced, numbers are well spread across players. Our defense is also noticeably better than theirs.

Agree with you about this season but that's partly down to form, fitness, coaching, how the new signings adapt etc. Their squad is pretty strong and we'll see a huge improvement under Conte unfortunately, even from players that are getting written off now.

 

[Barry]

You guys think Arteta actually just wanted to drop Auba but feared the backlash so used this off the pitch issues to axe him?

I would rate that tbh.

I think there could be something in this, yes

 

[mpower2540]

Our squad is much better than Sp**s

Son and Kane are world class and they have a coach who can get more out of what they’ve seemingly got on paper which makes them dangerous.

Whether you rate their players or not you have to say the balance looks good under Conte. It’s just right now they still look extremely reliant on Kane to be lead creator for them and the counter attack which usually teams figure out and it becomes stagnant as it did under Mourinho.

I think we’re better but I must admit I’ve been pretty impressed by them recently.

 

[AberGooner]

You guys think Arteta actually just wanted to drop Auba but feared the backlash so used this off the pitch issues to axe him?

I would rate that tbh.

A case of that and having a player on big wages who'll never fit the system he wants to play. Of course they should have known that when they extended him but I guess it would have been bad PR to let him walk after the cup final.

 

[mpower2540]

Agree with you about this season but that's partly down to form, fitness, coaching, how the new signings adapt etc. Their squad is pretty strong and we'll see a huge improvement under Conte unfortunately, even from players that are getting written off now.

Overall I’m not that worried about them long term. Conte doesn’t come in to a club and is satisfied with getting top 4. He wants titles, which means they’ll have to invest a heck of a lot into that team.

Their midfield is ordinary and individually the defence is rubbish but he’s got them set up well right now. I just can’t see a scenario where he doesn’t end up falling out with the hierarchy and pissing off somewhere else because he wasn’t fully backed. Plus as others have mentioned his record of signing players isn’t exactly gleaming.

They’re gonna need to have a lot of luck in my opinion for Conte to have the kind of impact they want him to have. I can’t help but feel that Conte is another short cut to success plan they’ve gone for however it’s probably one of the best shortcuts available!

 

[Blood on the Tracks]

I don't think there's a huge amount of point in worrying about Sp**s or Man Utd or what they'll do.

I think a few have mentioned it before in this thread but what we probably really should be aiming at as fans is a points total for the end of the season.

Should be aiming for 70+ points really. That would show real progress and should be enough to get us top 4 too.

 

[Makingtrax]

We just need to concentrate on the City match. They lost to Sp**s away and only just beat Villa. They can easily have an off day and hit the woodwork instead of the goal.

Arteta needs to be proactive. No more unimaginative 10 men behind the ball, bottom of the league mentality. Lets put those days behind us now the lads have got some attacking confidence.

 

[RunTheTrap]

Son and Kane are world class and they have a coach who can get more out of what they’ve seemingly got on paper which makes them dangerous.

Whether you rate their players or not you have to say the balance looks good under Conte. It’s just right now they still look extremely reliant on Kane to be lead creator for them and the counter attack which usually teams figure out and it becomes stagnant as it did under Mourinho.

I think we’re better but I must admit I’ve been pretty impressed by them recently.

Sp**s are yet to be tested away from home. I think they only played one away game in their last six. They were impressive against Liverpool so I’ll give them that but unless their chances fall to Son or Kane they are not that clinical nor creative of a team to trouble others for a full 90.

 

[El Duderino]

Think bar their forwards, we have an overall better squad, but Sp**s have had managers that overall got the team playing more than the sum of its parts.


It's a shame we were complete cack last a season and didn't captlize on the Mourinho factor.

"Losing" to Rennes by default must have been devasting and not at all in their plans

But such is life. As long as Conte get the best out of Son and Kane they'll rival us.

Gotta hope he gets Kane playing well enough that levy decides to sell (and man city decide to pay), but not well enough that he carries them over the line.

 

[TornadoTed]

Sp**s are yet to be tested away from home. I think they only played one away game in their last six. They were impressive against Liverpool so I’ll give them that but unless their chances fall to Son or Kane they are not that clinical nor creative of a team to trouble others for a full 90.

Yeah I noticed the other day that they still have to go to Anfield, The Etihad, Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford.

 

[yorch44]

Our squad is much better than Sp**s

But Conte is a hell of a manager. After 2 weeks since his arriving, they are a completely different team. So don't assume they are out of the race. They are full of runners/tough players and Conte is excellent with that style of players. They are not the best technically in the midfield. But if they start playing simple and defend like dogs. With Kane and corean boy (I forgot his name) they can counter attack.

 

[yorch44]

I'm talking about this season. Son and Kane are basically all they've got. Those two have scored more than 50% of their goals. Our squad is much more balanced, numbers are well spread across players. Our defense is also noticeably better than theirs.

That's all you need with Conte. Others only need to put an strong foot, run, sacrifice and play the ball simple to those two. Questionable and not winning league formula. But it's going to save their season and prepare them for the next one when Conte gets his own reinforcements.

 

[AbouCuéllar]

Damn!! I hope you get better you “basque dog”.

*Madrid Dog for me, though perhaps Madrid c*nt is better, in case someone has already coined Madrid Dog for Rafa over on the Everton forum.

Thanks for the well wishes, people, bit embarrassed wasn't really wasn't saying it for that reason just having a laugh because yeah, @Barry , self-isolation is a *****, one goes a bit mad at home with just work and football to keep busy! Virus itself after having it already, vaccination, and booster is nothing really.

Our squad is much better than Sp**s

Is it? Perhaps in defence we have better options (though they've certainly spent money there with Reguilón, Emerson, Sánchez, Romero, etc.), but in midfield you'd have to say Hjoberg, Ndombele, Winks, and Skipp is as good or better than our options, and in attack we're perhaps more varied but they have a world-class striker and a world-class-ish support striker / winger in Son.

On paper, separating the fact that how managers deploy players obviously has a huge effect on how good they look (Ndombele, Lo Celso, etc. are players that have significant talent and we would look at quite differently under other circumstances), I don't think you can say objectively there's much in it between the squads...I could see arguments both ways tbf.