Morning all.
Yesterday marked two years since Mikel Arteta arrived at Arsenal for the second time. Too inexperienced was my opinion back then, certainly to get Arsenal back into the Champions League and definitely as far as winning the League title goes. To go up against Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola was always going to be a challenge too much for someone who’d never managed a football club in his life. Throw in Thomas Tuchel and more recently, Antonio Conte – that’s four extremely experienced managers with a lot of silverware behind them.
Arsenal needed a squad overhaul but after the early wheeling and dealings which went on with players old and new, I didn’t think either he or Edu really knew what they were doing. Didn’t stop Arteta from leading us to Wembley twice though and both times we took away a trophy in the May of 2020. That summer, we signed Thomas Partey and Gabriel Magalhães. We also snapped up Willian for free and made deals for Pablo Mari and Cedric Soares permanent. Not all turned out great I know but that’s football sometimes.
If the job was already tough for a novice, it became even tougher when Covid 19 arrived. He was one of the first in the game to contract the virus and soon after, football, like so many other things, stopped. Even when it resumed, it wasn’t easy because Arsenal’s 12th man was missing. A blessing in disguise in hindsight. The fact that Arsenal missed out on a European spot in May might also turn out to be a blessing in disguise, but only time will tell.
Then the overhaul kicked in. Out went the likes of Ozil, Willian after just one season, Luiz, Bellerin, Guendouzi, Torreira, Willock, Mustafi, Sokratis, Martinez, Saliba and a number of younger players too. Despite four of the exits being loans, I can see only one coming back and that’s Saliba. In though came Takehiro Tomiyasu, Ben White, Aaron Ramsdale, Martin Odegaard, Sambi Lokonga and Nuno Tavares.. All of whom have made a difference to the team. For a few, that difference has been huge.
I still have moments when I think the Arsenal job is too big for Mikel Arteta, especially when the team has limped its way through a defeat but there are times when I feel differently and start to believe we’re going places. Inconsistency does that I guess. There are things he does which I’ll never understand, like leaving certain bad performing players in the team for as long as he does, and the timing/choices of his substitutions. Not being more pragmatic against teams we know are better than us is another.
Yet here we are, sat in 4th place on the table and if last season is anything to go by, the best of Arsenal will arrive after Christmas. It needs to if we’re to keep hold of a European qualifying spot. Plus, there are two domestic cups to try and win so there’s hell of a lot for this group of Arsenal players to fight for.
Tonight the fight for one of the domestic cups continues with a quarter-final fixture against League One club Sunderland. Division three in old money. Both Pablo Mari and midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga are ruled out after testing positive for Covid. Sunderland too have an unnamed player for the same reason.
I know zilch about Sunderland other than they used to be a Premier League club many years ago, their manager is a chap called Lee Johnson and they’re 3rd in their League, hoping to earn a return to the Championship. Johnson’s footballing philosophy is “a high press – an attack with intent and with pace, power and passion running through the team”. I read that on a Sunderland forum – SBNation. Interestingly, as I read on, it became apparent that Sunderland are similar to Arsenal in a way. Give them time on the ball and their game is good but press them, get at them and don’t give them time on the ball, then their game suffers.
I’d like to think that whatever team Mikel Arteta puts out tonight will have too much quality for Sunderland to deal with but if anyone walks onto the pitch thinking they’re in for an easy night, they are going to be in trouble.
See you in the comments.
What a well balanced post, morning rico! I reckon you sum up the majority of thoughts on this site. It’s good to remember the task that Arteta has faced, he has acted with grace, like Arsene would have done, and I would have bitten an arm off at start of season to be fourth at Christmas. It’s going to be hard holding off Man Utd, but we are in the mix and that is to be applauded.
Thanks Andrew and good morning to you and all.
I think Toots are a big threat too although it pains me to say it. A Europa spot is certainly possible though.
If the club can get a couple of signings through the door in January, it’ll certainly help us. Not convinced they will though.
Not just United , there are many clubs still in the mix but we have points on the board which are slightly better than games in hand .All we can do is try to maximise points and hope that others slip up.
I’ve just had a quick look at the fixtures for the next 5 weeks , if we are still there or thereabouts after them we will be in with a chance.
I can’t recall the last time the top half of the table was so close. Arsenal certainly can’t afford to revert to the way the team played against Utd, Everton etc.
Morning Rico and all, Very well put Rico,
it’s certainly a weird season so far to think we are 4th on the ladder yet our goal difference is only plus 4. I’m still not 100% convinced by Arteta but the last half of this season should show one way or the other.
I recon not having any major competition except for the FA Cup has helped Arteta this season concentrate on the home and away season and blooding in the new players.
Ramsdale has been a good find and has helped stem the flow of losses but the biggest surprise this season is how quick Thomi has settled in to the club and most importantly the premier league.
Morning Geoff, thanks.
Honestly, I think all the new signings have been really really good and if they’re a sign of what’s to come in future transfer windows then great.
The morning has gone so good afternoon to you all.
Sunderland have a trio of young players who are attracting envious eyes from many clubs, so much so that a total of 22 scouts applied for admission to watch Sunderlands’s match against Crewe recently. The three are Callum Doyle, Dennis Cirkin and the pick of the trio Dan Neil who has been compared to a young Jordan Henderson.
Sunderland have a youngish manager, forty year old Lee Johnson, who already has eight years coaching experience gained at Oldham Athletic, Barnsley and Bristol City. Sunderland lost just once until October but then suffered a dip which was to be expected from a young team. Sunderland’s main target is to get back into The Championship, but they will be no push overs tonight.
Two years of Arteta and, for me, the jury is still out although I hope he can overcome his lack of experience and become a successful Arsenal manager. We’ll no more in the summer.
If you look at their line up against Ipswich last weekend they have a youngish team 7 at 25 yrs or under and 4 above . They have 1 teenager Doyle 18 , Neil and Dakaju 20 , Cirkin on loan from Tottenham did not play but he is 19 . Scattered in though , they have 1 30 year old ,1 at 29 and 2 at 28 the two oldest in a back 3 and the other two in midfield. Average age 24 years 4 months.
From this it suggests that their experince is through the spine and we can expect a lot of pressing and closing down from the forwards.
Johnson has the experience of beating a Man Utd side containing a fairly strong team with Martial , Rashford , Blind , Ibrahimovic ,Pogba &Shaw , both of their goals coming from midfielders .
This suggests that he may well be quite tactical and can prepare for a big match.
I make you right Cicero , we can’t take this easily our line up could be quite interesting especially that should the game be even at 90 minutes it goes straight to penalties.
Evening guys.
I think Sunderland will be a tough nut to crack.
Starting XI:
Leno, Cedric, White, Holding, Tavares, Elneny, Odegaard, Smith Rowe, Pepe, Nketiah, Balogun
Subs:
Ramsdale, Tierney, Gabriel, Partey, Xhaka, Patino, Saka, Martinelli, Lacazette
Holding captain and maybe a sight of Patino
Arteta picking a strong starting XI and an even stronger bench so taking Sunderland seriously and that makes sense with a Wembley final in sight.
Hopefully Charlie gets a run out from the bench.
Chambers and Kolasinac where they are?
Kolasinac is injured long term. Chambers could be out through Covid perhaps.
kola is injury but about Chambers?
No only Mari and Lokonka
Eddie does it again…
Sunderland are outfighting us at the moment.
Can’t see Patino getting a run out at this rate
Me neither we had a good 10 minutes then switched off and once you do that it’s hard to step it up again
Smith Rowe lost it and then Odegaard powder puff tackle then a great move at speed through our non existent midfield and they get a good goal
Me neither,we’re more likely to see Lacazette and Saka
Balogun certainly needs a loan.
A nd Maitland Niles?
Surely we won’t let Eddie go….
Chuffed to bits for Charlie..
Night all.
Arteta seriously needs to keep Nketiah, give him a new contract and a promise of more regular first team football in place of Aubameyang. Surely with Lacazette going in January or the summer we need to keep a talent like Nketiah.
He is a poacher that’s for sure.
That hat-trick makes it more likely than ever that Arsenal will get bids in for Nketiah this January and despite the admiringly positive things Arteta says about Eddie, every player has his price as we discovered with Joe Willock and if Newcastle come in with a big enough bid, or anyteam, that Arsenal would sell him.
I think the same applies to Nicholas Pepe, who reminded everyone what he can do, albeit against a pretty rubbish left back, so again if Newcastle are keen then I’d think we’d cash out on our record signing.
Of course it’s all speculation on my part and also my mates on NewsNow (pass the sick bag) and it’s just as likely that both will stay for now, but selling well and selling at the optimal time is something we’ve improved on but still need to get better at.
Night all.
Just watched 5 minute highlights from last night, looking at the younger players we have and coming through it makes you wonder why per and Arteta got rid of the academy coach staff.
Pepe 2 assist that good to see, congratulations Charlie on your first goal.
Was Nketiah very good or sunderland very bad, unfortunately the highlights I found only showed the goals, I was hoping to see at least the lead up to the goals.
Morning all.
New post up now..