Morning all.
When a manager sits in front of the camera at the end of the season and says he could have done better, then it has to be admired I think. Mikel Arteta has done just that. Throughout a season, players are expected to be better, to do more and to not make mistakes but as I know only to well, human beings do make mistakes and that’s ok. Life is about learning regardless of how old or clever one might think he or she is, because no one is perfect and no one knows everything.
Of course we all want to see new players come through the door this summer but at the same time, those who are staying can improve, the team/squad together can improve and as Arteta says about himself, he can improve. He says he could have got more out of his squad and whilst you and I might have are own thoughts on what he’s alluding to, what’s more important is that he knows and that next season he puts right whatever it is he thinks he got wrong.
Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui on Arsenal:
They have done fantastic work – you only have to look at the teams that finished below them, incredible teams. So I praise Mikel (Arteta) for his fantastic work. I remember he had big problems when he arrived two years ago but they showed faith and belief in him and now they are collecting the rewards. He’s improved the team and changed a lot of players and put a lot of quality on the pitch and produced fantastic answers. Now they have an incredible project in front of them. That’s the merit of Mikel – fantastic work. In the same way, it highlights the merit of the club and the sporting director because he wouldn’t be able to do what he’s done without the belief in him. In football to believe in the mid term or long term is very difficult. It’s generally always short term. I think they are reaping the rewards for that belief and I’m happy for them because the teams that show patience and work a lot for the future deserve to have success.
He’s right I think. Arsenal is now a different club than it was when the Spaniard became manager and a lot of that is down to him. The football, the atmosphere inside The Emirates, fans wanting to travel to home and away fixtures again because they/we are excited about the future. This season we’ve seen how good Arsenal can be and not just in one or two games either but over a sustained period of time. Around 7/8 months I think. We’ve been better over ten months than every other club bar one.
We can’t lose sight of how supportive the board and the owners have been either, certainly in terms of signing and selling players and I think we’ll see more evidence of that over the next few months.
We have to nail everything that we do and we have to seek excellence in everything that we touch and participate in, to have a big impact at the club. I think the competition is going to be even harder than this season. In my opinion, it’s been the hardest of the 22 years that I’ve been in this league. In order to do that, we have a really promising plan. We may have to reflect a little bit, take a step back, make sure this is the right one and go again with more determination and hunger in the tummies to do even better.
On whether we’ll start our dealings early in the upcoming transfer window:
That certainly contributed to the team getting the right foundation, building the right chemistry and reaching the right level of comfort and security with the new players to give them a little bit of time to adapt to a new life in a new country and a new team. That happened in a natural way. We had some great players, but also some really good characters who grew into the team so quickly. We generated from the beginning while we want it and results help, which is crucial. Then we started to have good momentum.
Goodness knows who typed up Mikel’s press conference but basically, signings are always better made early because once pre-season training begins, they need to be part of it. The longer players have with their new teammates, the better they’ll be prepared for the new season. It’s a bit like starting a new school really apart from, it takes a while to settle in. Apart from remembering the names of others. Lol
Today is about saying goodbye too as I think a number of first team squad will be on the pitch for the last time in an Arsenal shirt. Who exactly I don’t know but Rob Holding, Granit Xhaka, Thomas Partey and even Kieran Tierney have all been linked with moves away from north London. Mo Elneny could leave too.
Today is also about signing off in style I think. The weather is going to be lovely and fans will no doubt be in party mood. Ok, we couldn’t hang on to our top spot place, a position we’ve been for most of the season but even so, the club has surpassed any expectations which might have been in place before a ball was kicked in August 2022. As Arteta said the other day, those with a microphone in front of them thought we’d finish the season outside of the European football places so hey, what do they know.
What we know is that Mikel Arteta’s players pushed a club facing over 100 charges of financial misdemeanours all the way for top spot but when it came to the final push, Guardiola had a stronger and more experienced squad to select from. Let them take all the plaudits because ultimately, they deserve them but if they’re found guilty of at least one offence, then all they have achieved under this current ownership will be tarnished forever.
Today is about ending the season well, tomorrow is about next season…
Catch up in the comments.
Today the curtain comes down on another campaign , We finish in second place which should not be sniffed at but in the following weeks we will have time to discuss what was sacrificed on the way to achieving it.
Would we have been happier to have finished 4th and won the Europa League after all the teams in the final Sevilla and Roma are entirely beatable and a European trophy would surely have been a rather large feather in Arteta’s cap .
But that’s all water under the proverbial bridge. We now have one dead rubber to play , no doubt North London forever will ring out loudly at the start and I predict a stale end of season kickabout will take place before the end of season parade round the pitch.
Another pay day for the Tolly and the Pins and we all go to sleep until the curtain rises again at Wembley in a few months time.
In the meantime it’s all speculation and an international week to ensure that the players don’t get any rest.
Let the predictions begin , the conversations start and lets keep on until something concrete occurs and finally thanks to Rico for another season of keeping the site going.
Thanks Potter.
I read the comment from Ferdinand about Utd and their season being better than ours and should they win the FA Cup, one would have to agree if we think of silverware alone. But, I think overall, we as a club have done more in relation to the way we’ve played etc.
Cups are a lucky dip really, certainly the domestic ones.
Good morning Rico, and Potter too.
I know it’s been said may times before but I think it’s worth saying again, If we had been offered second in The Premiership at the start of the season we would all have taken it and been deliriously happy.
Today should be about celebrating a very successful season. Written off as no-hopers in September we can be proud of the teams achievements under Arteta’s management.
We will have ample time over the coming weeks to delve into the innards of the season but just for today let’s enjoy the moment,
Morning Cicero, couldn’t agree more..
Morning Rico and all,
A win to end the season would be nice way to say goodbye from the players leaving and the fans to say thank you.
In a way I wished we finished 4th so next season we can hope and pray to finish second, now finishing 2nd is great and well above the 5th place where I hoped we would finish. but it raises your expectations of finishing top of the ladder next season and finishing out of the top 4 could be hard to take.
looking at the list of players we have and Manchester United have, even if they win the FA cup, I still say we had a better season.
`Hi Rico
I agree , it’s been the best and most enjoyable season for years. even if we did fall away at the end. With a few more signings and Mikael learning a few new tricks there’s no reason we we can’t do better next season, even if it is second with one or two cups.
The board and owners have done an excellent job, not only in signing players but getting rid of the dross when Mikael took over. It costs to let players out on loan when no-one wants to buy them, but we will finally be free of Bellerin & co at the end of the month. S***s are in that situation today, but I can’t see Levy taking the same sort of loss, and selling Kane will only pay off a bit more of the stadium.
Brian
Here’s the line-up
Ramsdale, Partey, White, Gabriel, Kiwior, Odegaard, Jorginho, Xhaka, Saka, Jesus, Trossard.
Hi Brian, Geoff.
Arsenal XI: Ramsdale, White, Kiwior, Partey, Gabriel, Xhaka, Odegaard, Jorginho, Saka, Jesus, Trossard.
Subs: Turner, Tierney, Smith Rowe, Nketiah, Holding, Vieira, Nelson, Bandeira, Walters.
Oops, I should have refreshed the page.
Quick double strike from Xhaka.. 2-0
Really hope Xhaka can get a hat trick
Same old Arsenal , taking the “” juice “” Pressures off and run riot .
Yep..
A lovely win to top off a great season.
Far better season than I expected. High hopes for next season..
The best final home game of the season since we whalloped Everton when Tony Adams scored after being put through by Steve Bould.
New post up