Morning all.
So who was wishing for VAR last night then? An offside goal, a probable red card for Fernandinho and decision to be made about City’s second choice keeper after his rash challenge on Gabriel Martinelli. Arsenal v the nine men of City and yes, I’d have backed us to win.
Our goal was excellent, Martinelli was excellent. His pressing, energy and all round play is exactly what Arsenal have been missing all season. When he got the ball, he wanted to make things happen and he did. Another four or five like him and Arsenal might climb the table.
City totally outplayed us for large parts of the game but had it not been for two moments of madness, one within minutes of the game kicking off, the second from our number two keeper, we might not have caved. However, we got spanked in the end.
Runasson was little short of appalling and whoever thought he was the right man to replace Emi Martinez is bonkers. Question marks also hang over the decision not to substitute Martinelli after he was clattered, then to see him reappear after the break was simply ridiculous. Stupidity of the highest order and just as bad as rushing Thomas Partey back a few weeks ago.
A hefty loss against a pretty strong Man City side is unlikely to be the final nail in Mike Arteta’s Arsenal managerial career but sadly, if a few more come his way, I really don’t see how he can survive. After the Chelsea game on Boxing Day, our fixtures are against clubs we really should be beating but if they go badly, I think the club will have little choice but to make a change. If Arsenal drop into the relegation places, this group of players are unlikely to fight hard enough for survival. Not all I know and it’s them I feel sorry for.
Watching Martinelli play with such enthusiasm and determination was a joy, but watching his replacement just go through the motions was painful. ESR showed moments of what he can offer Mikel Arteta’s team, if only the Spaniard was brave enough to pick him more often. Same goes for Balogun, Nelson and one or two others. As we all know by now, it’s the decisions a manager makes which makes him either succeed or fail and at the moment Mikel Arteta isn’t succeeding.
I’ve never been fussed about the League Cup so I’d be a hypocrite to suggest I’m overly fussed about last night’s defeat but there’s a bigger picture and that’s the one which isn’t looking pretty. Of course I hope he can turn things around. I hope his players want to turn things around for him.
I hope we can beat Chelsea on Boxing Day and with it, kick start a good run of results against the clubs who sit around and below us in the League but with each bad result, more pressure builds on the manager. The more pressure grows on the board to make a change.
Jamie Redknapp:
I can tell you what will happen next time whoever (a new manager) comes in, David Luiz will play well for 10 or 11 games and you’ll go “he’s a good player,” then he’ll start making mistakes because he’ll get bored. You’ll have (Granit) Xhaka and be thinking “wow he’s a good player as well,” he’ll then get sent off. The manager will probably bring Mesut Ozil in and be like “we shouldn’t have left him out in the first place. He’ll do it for a couple of games and then bored as well. That will be the problem with this team. Too many of them no matter what you do will let Arsenal down.
It’s a team full of kidders right now and I feel sorry for the young players. So the manager they either need to stick with him and give him time to get out a lot of the players that are not good enough. I keep hearing about dressing room unrest, I keep hearing about there’s someone in the dressing room giving out information. If you’ve got that, you’ve got major problems, you’ve got no chance. You’ve got to get rid of those players as quickly as possible and it’s not easy to do.
If you get rid of the manager who comes in? Who is out there?
Honestly, I hope the board don’t buckle because I’m still far from convinced Mikel Arteta is the biggest issue Arsenal have. Alison. as Redknapp asks, who is there out there ready to jump at the chance of managing Arsenal?
Anyone half decent would want many players sold I’m sure and I’d imagine that right now, Mikel Arteta wants them out the door too.
See you in the comments.
Patrick Vieira is currently “resting”.
Arsenal defeats itself.
It looks like a sleepwalker on the field.
The problem is not whether it’s 4x4x2 or 4x3x3 or 3x5x2, etc. It is not visible in the field. It’s internal.
The new goalkeeper offers no confidence. Hopefully, Leno won’t be injured.
The 3rd goal was off-side.
Again this season, whenever we start to lose, it is a debacle.
Can’t disagree – don’t feel the need to disagree. MA has to accept some level of responsibility for questionable tactics and player selection but time and again he is being let down by senior players. Hopefully the structure is there to provide the support to help him overcome this although the question has to be asked as to whether the structure is also part of the problem. However so many changes in a relatively short space of time doesn’t come without upheaval and we are paying that price now.
I would be quite happy to start next season without the services of Ozil, Xhaka, Bellerin, Laca, Luiz, Sokratis, Kolasinac, Mustafi, Ceballos, and Willian. I’m ambivalent about Pepe and would probably keep Elneny and even welcome back Guendouzi – but the future has to be the enthusiasm of youth. Give them their chance together with the older, supposedly wiser heads of Holding, Chambers, Auba & Partey, and some proven winners to somehow be persuaded to join the project.
Not much more to add.
VAR would have been a help but they were miles better than us – or rather made to look that way. We must be the easiest team in the league to play right now. Didn’t West Brom draw against City recently.
Only the youngsters and Lacazette looked like they care. And Lacazette is one of the few who might get a fee so if we can sell him we will have to.
Former Arsenal youngster Josh Dasilva scored a screamer for Brentford.
As would I Phillip, I’d probably Chuck Auba into the list as well.
As is Eddie Howe Cicero.
Agree Limey although Ceballos was giving it a go too I think.
I do wonder if things might have be3n different with a fit and firing Martinelli from the beginning of the season and why, having seen what a difference he makes, is Nelson not getting his chance.
I sit and watch Arsenal now totally devoid of emotion , I used to yell at my wife if she blocked the screen by just walking by , now I spend the match texting my son and a few Arsenal friends and even posting here whilst play is going on .
It’s almost like floating above a bad dream , you see things and wonder . I saw when he came on Smith -Rowe passing to Kolasinc and running for a return pass only for the Bosnian to stop and play it inside to Ceballos who completed his traditional circle and then complained that there were no runners to pass it to.
After their first goal City played like the Barcelona of old , for 20 minutes we hardly touched the ball , they passed at will and even when we got a touch we gave it back to them . Then the Martinelli moment and for once Lacazette got a pass close to him .
Of course this was followed by the Rookie keeper moment , I watched that free kick a few times Tony Adams would have headed it clear .I havent see an Arsenal keeper do that since fumbling fingers Furnell , the 3 F’s from the early 60’s . I know that we all make mistakes but one like that you make on Hackney Marshes playing for Reykjavík under 12’s.
From then on it didn’t matter , any wind in our sails was gone and I opened another beer and put a couple of logs on the fire.
Will Arteta go ? probably . but not after Chelsea but if Brighton and Albion go pear shaped almost certainly . I do believe that he made the decision to try and form a group that he could mould into his own ideas however I think he has resistance from some that don’t want to change and that has caused a rift. If we change the manager and bring back Ozil then the players have won and the tail wags the dog .
‘If we change the manager and bring back Ozil then the players have won and the tail wags the dog.’
Spot on and as Redknapp said, until the next time… Imo it’s wrong that players be allowed to dictate the goings on at any club. They are paid to do a job. Toughen up Mikel, drop those who are causing the rift and focus on the ones who want to play for him and the club.
Arteta learnt his business under a very successful manager and with a team of top quality players. They were selected over a period of time to fit the way Guardiola wanted them to play. Arteta has tried to superimpose that style on a bunch of mediocre players who are incapable of carrying out his instructions.
There are two options open to him.
1) Stick with what he is trying to do and see the club relegated and then get the sack.
2) Find a system that suits the players he has right now and hope that he can keep Arsenal in the Premiership for long enough to clear the deadwood and reinvigorate the squad using the younger players.
If we don’t get six points from the next three games I think he will be sacked and a new Head Coach appointed quickly enough to make use of the January transfer window. There is little point in delaying the decision until the summer, when it may well be a case of looking for a coach to get us back into the Premiership.
Afternoon Rico and All
To be honest I’m not sure Micky picked a team to win that one the match itself reeked of game time for a few,our home growns don’t look strong enough to me.
The keeper at times in the game looked like player who just changed shirts and put a pair of gloves on,his face seemed to say who’s turn next.
I’m still confident Micky will get going with a lot of these and pull a rabbit out the hat before the seasons over.
Afternoon campers, guess whose been rumoured to be in for Mustafi..?
Barcelona….
It must be a wind up…
Brighton and West Brom are the proverbial 6 pointers if we win those the gap will be wider and pressure on the manager will slightly decrease . First he has the Chelsea hurdle but he needs to use that to find a sysyem to beat the next two . If he can get 6 from 9 there will be a reprieve and if Edu can work a miracle in the January window things may begin to take a turn for the better.
Runarsson is just the latest in a long line of mediocre ‘keepers Arsenal have employed. I can go back to George Swindin, admittedly at the end of his time at Arsenal in 1954. Apart from the late great Jack Kelsey, Bob Wilson and Pat Jennings I can’t think of a really top class ‘keeper.
I remember Jim Furnell, Slim Funnell as my Dad called him, Alex Manninger, Almounia, Fabianski, Cech. then there were two good ones that got away, Szczeny and Martinez. The current crop do not fil me with confidence, Macey I’ve seen little of, Leno is okayish and Runarsson is a disaster.
You’ve got my respect man. While the rest of cyberspace is panicking, you’re holding your nerve. It makes two of us. Peace.
Think both John Lukic and David Seaman are in the first category agree about Szczesney and Martinez as well.
Barcelona are broke and they are desperate for defenders. Mustafi is a cheap shirt filler , Bellerin who they also want will cost a lot more but has the home town tag. I am not convinced by Cedric any more than I am with our once speedy Catalan but his recent recall to the Spanish team might help our balance of payments although I believe that it will be paid in installments.
There are just so many permutations of players to get out of the club and I suppose it will have to take into account their attitude as much as their ability.
We are now in a battle , players that wont put in a shift are not worth keeping . There is no comfort zone for luxury players now.
David Seaman Cicero?
Afternoon Fred, you and me both. Don’t know why, but I just think he’ll bring the club out the other side. Or at least avoid relegation. Lol
Haven’t we got a couple of young keepers coming through who are supposed to be pretty good? Too soon now perhaps but can Macey be as bad as Runasson was last night?
You know I completely forgot “Safe Hands” well worth his spot but Lukic? Nah, not really.
Mad Jens was pretty good for a season or two..
Just seen that Sam Allardyce has said West Brom are in a relagation fight with Arsenal(sadly true) and they will be targeting the upcoming game. Winning that one would be sweet, Big Sam has a good record in home games against us.
I used to like Jimmy Rimmer as a goalkeeper, not the greatest but a trier. I think I saw he was an unused substitute in two European Cup Finals.
Worrying if we can’t beat a Big Sam team though..
Porto-Benfica on BBC Red Button right now.
Porto won 2-0 Joaquin will be happy
Oh yeah, Mad Jens, the guy who could pick a fight with himself. 😉
Hi Rico and all Merry Christmas and a happy and safe new year to you all and your family
That’s him Cicero
Morning Geoff, all.
New post up now.
yes Potter 🙂