Morning all.
Sadly, the kind of performance we saw against PSV Eindhoven was nowhere near Old Trafford yesterday afternoon. The first half was more like a training session with a timid attacking unit up against a defence happy to let those up against them just pass the ball amongst themselves.
Mikel Merino had a shot but dragged it wide of the post. Martin Odegaard tried his luck too but Onana dealt with it with ease. Leandro Trossard saw his shot miss the target and then as halftime approached, the same player was adjudged to brought down Garnacho just outside our own box. Fernandes did what Fernandes does and Utd went 1-0 up.
Could Mikel Arteta work some magic at halftime?
Sadly not as more of the same followed with a bit of extra threat from Utd to deal with. Odegaard’s shot was tipped over the bar by Onana and from the resulting corner which Odegaard took, Rice volleyed over. He did everything right bar keeping his strike lower.
Up the other end, David Raya was in outstanding form. Mazraoui must have thought he’d doubled Utd’s lead.but Raya stuck out his leg and knocked the ball out for a corner. The Spaniard was soon called into action again, stopping a Zirkzee’s fancy flick of the ball towards goal.
With around fifteen minutes of the game left, we equalised. Jurrien Timber provided the assist, Declan Rice smashed his shot past Onana. A lovely strike. I thought that goal might spark Arsenal into life but sadly, it didn’t, not really.
Martinelli, making a much welcome return from injury, blasted a shot on target which Onana pushed around the post. Just minutes later, Hojlund looked certain to give Utd the points but Rice had other ideas as he committed to a perfectly time challenge to avert the danger.
Trossard saw another effort limp wide, Onana got fingertips to an Odegaard shot before Raya once again spared our blushes. I don’t know how he managed to keep Fernandes’ shot out of the net but he did, brilliantly…
There was a time when a draw at Old Trafford would be deemed a good result but not these days, not this season and certainly not yesterday. Even with the injuries we have, we should have beaten what I think is one of the worst Utd teams I’ve seen. But yesterday’s kind of performance, certainly domestically, summed up our season. Summed up our football too really. Slow, tippy tappy and in the final third, unimaginative. Ethan Nwaneri couldn’t get into the game but at 17 years old, he can be forgiven. Odegaard, Trossard and Merino saw a lot of the ball but didn’t really do anything purposeful with it.
I know it’s easy to be critical of Mikel Arteta but I think the criticism he’s getting nowadays is justified because one doesn’t have to be a footballing expert to see how poorly we’ve been playing in the league. Personally, I think Arteta was a bit too slow with his substitutes too and when they did come, they were odd. I know he probably hoped we’d score the winner when he brought Tierney on but taking Partey off probably contributed to Utd having more chances to win the game. Trossard was, in my opinion, the player who should have come off.
As expected, Mikel Arteta and his style of football is being heavily criticised by a number of ex players turned footballing expert. One has gone as far to suggest that this group of players will never win anything and neither will Mikel Arteta. I’m sure there is a number of Arsenal fans who feel the same and I’m kind of one of them. I wrote about Arsenal being “too nice” the other day and yesterday’s type of performance was what i was alluding to. Instead of going to Old Trafford and tearing a dreadful team to pieces, we were passive in our approach. We made it easy for them to believe they had a chance.
This isn’t me suggesting Mikel Arteta should be replaced but I do think he needs to change the way Arsenal play the game. I know we have injuries, but so does every other club barring Liverpool but even so, no one will convince me that this group of players are capable of playing to a much higher tempo.
Right now, domestically we’re drifting and if we’re not careful, that drift will take us out of the top four and then all the hard work Mikel Arteta has done, will be undone.
Next up for Arsenal is PSV Eindhoven at The Emirates on Wednesday night. The tie is all but won so I hope we see a few changes. It’s an ideal situation for Mikel Arteta to actually give the likes of Kabia, Edwards and/or Butler-Oyedeji a chance.
Catch up in the comments.
Good morning Rico, nothing to argue with in your fine post.
Very disappointing, I think we went there with the wrong mindset, turn up and three points were ours.
A few stats from the match, possession 68%, shots 17, on target 6, corners 9. One goal scored, one goal conceded, one point!
Our record of goals scored from corners has stalled. Time for our set piece coach to find something new.
10 games left , 6 at home and 4 away. 4 of our home matches are London derbies , Chelsea ,Fulham , Brentford and Palace with Bournemouth and Newcastle. Away we have two trips to Merseyside Liverpool and Everton and Ipswich and bottom of the table Southampton.
Sods law says we get to the last day having to beat Southampton to get Champions League and Ramsdale has the game of his life.
After yesterday I have little faith in our ability to score enough to win these games as we know that every man and his dog is aware that if you give us possession eventually we will over commit and leave us open to the fast break and I forsee a number of draws on the horizon.
Yes its time for Arsenal to change their “horseshoe” tactics. Clearly it’s not working anymore and like us Supporters, other teams know their obvious constant style of play so know how to lock them down. Once again, one of Arsenal’s problems yesterday was their mindset of “It’s only Man U”. It backfired! When will teams learn that a most dangerous team is one that is “wounded”. Man U at the moment are wounded and fighting to stay in the Prem. Excellent play by Raya. If it wasn’t for his two outstanding saves we would have lost! Its never too late to change, so Arsenal should now throw a cat among the pigeons and surprise everyone with a change of game play and make it a winning one! Next season when we have a good striker and other new players, lets play long balls and shoot long range. Lets stop trying to walk the ball in every game.
Now it’s onwards and upwards re Champs League. Yes we are through to the next round either to face Real Madrid or A Madrid. Let them show everyone they can change tactics and by doing so, slam the door on who we will face and progress onto the Semis.
Morning Cicero, Potter.
I think so too. I worry about the way this season has played out so far..
An observation on the corner drought . Once the media got hold of it and made much of it the effectiveness has dried up .
Yesterday we did the same old thing and lined up behind the back post and the corner taker raised one arm and they all ran into the six yard box .
However they all arrived there before the ball was kicked , so they might have well stood there in the first place . Gabriel is a marked man , and like all of his mates Taylor ignored the man that is set to block him by any means grabbing , pushing and generally fouling him as he makes his late run for the ball .
In my humble opinion we have to time the runs better and use Gabriel as a decoy and let others attack the ball .
But what do I know.
Does Arteta have a change of game plan in him?
Surely we’d have seen it by now if he had.
Potter, I think we’ll be relying on others to help us achieve top four as I don’t think we have it in us to get the points needed ourselves.
Didn’t help yesterday when the usually reliable Rice kicked his corners into the hands on Onana.
Honestly, watching Arsenal these days is boring, dreadfully boring.
Good Morning Rico and all
Whether its a morning to be good at or wishing everyone a Good morning or if you feel good this morning whether anyone wishes it or not remains to be seen
Much as we hate him (and I dooooooo) Gary Neville says the following: “Arsenal can’t counter-attack, and when they have the ball in possession in the final third, they can’t really innovate and play through.”
“So, the three ways you score goals in games – set-pieces they’ve been pretty good at, weren’t that great today but set-pieces they’ve been doing well on – the other two areas that you mainly score goals from are when you are in possession dominating the game as a top team, or when you’re counter-attacking and can really go quickly.”
“Predicable. Safe. They’re doing a good job at times but they need players who can interact with each-other and quicken up play in the final third. That’s what top players do.”
“Liverpool are better in the final third than them and the attacking metrics show that.”
“Arsenal are very good defensively, even though I thought United had three or four big chances in the second half, but they still only conceded one goal through their goalkeeper and back four.”
As Rico rightly pointed out….we made Utd look decent.
Potter, Shankly once said that a week is a long time in football let alone a 10 game period. So its better we take a game at a time. Who would have thought that we would defeat a PSV side witht the tune of 7 goals away when they hadn’t lost for two and a half years, and a PSV side which had collected points against Liverpool and PSG. so expect us to be a Jekyll and Hyde team for the remainder of this season. brilliant one moment, demolishing one team, crap the next dropping points against a below par team
Arsenal only come out and win like that against small teams they said. Well I didn’t know that City are a small team. We popped 5 goals against them.
Potter, in fairness I don’t think we can blame the media for the fact that every manager, coach and his dog have seen enough of our corner routine to work out how to negate the threat. We do our fair (?) share of grappling at corners both in attack and defence. We need to unclog the goal mouth to make room for shots from outside the box.
I hope our lack of EPL wins in the last 20 years is like the proverbial buses…..waiting for so long then 2 or 3 come at once.
Next year all those chances might fly in. who knows.
Morning Devil, you’re right, I detest him but sadly, much of what he says is true. Not that when he was a manager he was much good. He’s no different to us watching, we all have our own ideas about what’s wrong.
My concern is that Arteta can’t see it…
Imo, it was inevitable other managers would work out our corner routine. The foolish thing is to keep on trying to do the same when it’s no longer effective.
I think it’s obvious what’s wrong with our football, we have zero pace in the attacking unit other than Martinelli.
Morning Rico, hard to disagree with any of your post including the frightening fact that we are looking down now at a chasing pack striving to push us out of the top four.
The one ray of hope is that there is only the Chelsea game in March. That means that we should have Saka back, possibly for the last 8 or 9 games, more realistically for 6 or
7. With our talisman back and if we don’t get further injuries to other attacking players, we should have enough to get over the line.
Btw, the fact that Sterling never came off the bunch yesterday shows that Arteta realises that his vanity project has gone up in smoke.
Afternoon Rico and all.
Let’s just hope we can stay in the top 4 and bring in some new players and regroup for next season, after all if we don’t win any silverware next season it could spell the end of Arteta.
Morning Anthony, I doubt Saka will be back for the Chelsea game this coming weekend. We’re more likely to see him after the international break imo.
Shame we didn’t send Sterling back to Chelsea in January and get another PL player on loan. Rashford would have been an option.
Hi Geoff, that’s my hope too. Make or break summer for Arteta possibly.
Reading all of the posts above we see and share the same problems ever week and as also mentioned Arteta must see it so why does he persist and especially the now dreadful corners?
I also noticed at the end of the game a lot of players from both sides standing, talking and laughing together, a massive contrast from the Wenger Fergy fungus days. Martin Keown was not sharing anecdotes with RvN, or Vieira with Mr. Arrogant Keane.
Against a low block you have to, imo, get crosses into the box and shoot on sight, don’t take more than one touch as you’ll be closed down, try to take the shot first time if you can, as Rice did from that corner, focus on power as much if more so than accuracy because you might get lucky with a deflection.
I don’t watch Luckypool too often but when I do there is a dynamism about their play, their passing snaps, everything is up tempo and they shoot on sight, hard and low, we are better technically but we’re painfully slow in build up and show a worrying lack of street wisdom, bordering on the naive. Maybe the unfair red cards have neutered our dark arts mentality?
There has to be another way to approach teams that play the low block, filling the team with players who cut inside onto their stronger foot doesn’t really work, Martinelli looked good going on the outside and did Tierney. New summer signings will help, of course they will but another trophy less season is going to see supporter unrest grow…
I thought that Ayden Heaven looked pretty decent, I can see him being a starter for them next season.
I thought that he looked good but then had we had a proper player up front he might have had a few nerves but he knew we had nobody useful and was able to relax and play.
I n particular I find Odegaard useless against a low block , by the time he has received the ball done a piruette and a triple salco any momentum has gone and nine times out of ten he gives a 3 yard pass that he could have given when he got the ball. Against teams where he has space his passing is sublime but horses for courses and low block teams are not his forte unless there are runners for him which there weren’t any yesterday.
Agreed Kev/Potter.
Odegaard’s twists and turns before going nowhere or backwards drives me nuts. When he plays like he does, I can see why he didn’t fit at Real.
From Raya to the most forward player takes ages so no wonder we’re easy to defend against.
For me MO08 gets criticised unfairly, yes it is infuriating when he twists and turns and gets nowhere but he also twists and turns, loses his marker and…..has no one to pass to. Our tactic is static, it’s like each player is given a zone or maybe a grid reference when the backs have got the ball and they know where to pass. Odegaard needs movement then he will perform his magic.
It’s just an observation rather than criticism Berg 😜
As I have said in the past it’s very much horses for courses . Against open teams he connects with players that have space . However when things are tight his usefulness disappears.
Rico I agree. I’m only stating my own opinion😜, I’m blaming the coaches and as much as I’m a big Arteta fan our play has gone boring and obviously we’ve lost Saka’s input and Ben’s overlaps.
Losing both Saka and White was a big blow Berg, they’re good together and they bring Odegaard into the game more..
Potter it’s true, he does thrive on open teams having a bit more space but at this point in time he’s surely the best we have in that position and it’s up to the coaching staff to explore new ways of improving our chances of creating space.
I don’t think it’s just Odegaard who benefits from an open game, they’re all do. PSV showed that.
Yeah they certainly do Rico, it’s baffling why it’s not replicated by our stand ins. Don’t get me wrong Nwaneri for all his talent is still a newbie, an exciting prospect no less. I’m thinking Martinelli and Trossard with Timber.
Timber is brilliant imo, has everything but a 17 year old shouldn’t be playing every game imo. He looks knackered.
Yes his performance was down from previous games.
Both Nwaneri and Lewis Skelly are in a learning curve and relying on them too much is not desirable. Not that we have a lot of options at the moment . However on Saka’s return Nwaneri’s attitude will have to be handled carefully as he has virtually been first pick since the injuries came to pass.
Understandable though.
The need to keep playing MLS could have been avoided as soon as Tierney was available. The right “wing” was always going to be a problem once Saka and Martinelli were injured.
Saka’s return needs to be managed too…
I wonder if Arteta will use the opportunity afforded him by our result in Eindhoven and really lean into his inner adventurousness this Wednesday?
There was a story a couple of days back were Odegaard admitted that he has not been at his best this season, let’s hope he can get back to what he was last season..
Neither M L S or Calafiori have been all that good at left back. By that I mean defensively. They are both allowed to roam about at will and, as a result, leave us open and vulnerable to the counter attack. Case in point the red card for M L S for his pullback on the halfway line.
Now that Ben White is back to fitness he can start at right back and Timber can move over to the left making us a much more solid backline.
Don’t get me wrong, I think M L S has great potential but as a midfielder not fullback. Calafiori as yet to convince me that he can be an effective defender long term. Like M L S His future seems to be in midfield.
Morning Cicero, all.
I think Calafiori is struggling to adapt a bit, hopefully next season will be better for him. Defensively, I think Tierney is our most solid LB. Love watching MLS though but he just needs to learn to be more disciplined. He will I’m sure.
New post up now…