Morning all.
When the invincible squad broke up, Arsenal were clearly going to need a transition period. Partly because it seemed that 2003/04 broke up quickly but also because Arsene Wenger moved away from the strong athletic players to the smaller, perhaps more technical players like Fabregas, Nasri, Hleb, Flamini etc. Certainly in midfield. Patience was needed back then as the stadium move left the club short financially too but in football, patience wears thin after a while. Not because the club didn’t make big signings but because the football wasn’t really that good. Not consistently anyway. Scoring goals wasn’t the issue back then but stopping others from scoring against us, was. We moaned. Week after week, ‘we’ moaned. Understandably.
Finally the day came when Arsene Wenger emptied his drawers and office, and left. A sigh of relief washed over many Arsenal fans I’m sure. Until Unai Emery was given the job. I’m sure the word ‘transition’ popped up back then as players left and others joined. I think we lost our first two games before a 20 odd match unbeaten run followed although we still looked all at sea when defending and we still conceded goals. The winning run came to an end and with a 4th place finish looking a real possibility, we flopped. Just as we did against Chelsea in the Europa League Final. The moaning was back, understandably.
Emery’s second season started badly and got worse. The Ozil situation rumbled on until the Spaniard was shown the door. We cheered. Freddie had a few weeks in charge before Mikel Arteta walked back into to the club as head coach. He wanted the fans back onside, the players to be proud to represent our club, great football to return and in time, to be challenging for trophies.
Whilst League performances didn’t go that well, we started to look a tad more organised in defence. Goals though were hard to come by. We were knocked out of the Europa League which was a huge disappointment as it was only hope of playing Champions League football this season and as the season kicked off for a second time, Europa League football looked unlikely too. I’m sure someone somewhere would have been moaning.
But then we beat Sheffield Utd, Man City and then Chelsea in the FA Cup and European football was ours. As was another big trophy. No moaning that day perhaps.
A number of summer signings followed in Gabriel, Partey, Cedric, Mari, Willian and the big one, Thomas Partey. Ceballos returned on loan too. Younger guys came in too but they headed off to the academy.
A lack of a creative midfield caused a few moans and groans but let’s be honest, it was pretty clear what Mikel Arteta’s first big challenge was and that was to sure us up in defence and he has. In a big way I think. But now we can’t score goals in the league, our attacking play is generally drab and yes, you’ve guessed it, the moans are back.
Yet we’re a club which now, really is in transition in my opinion. The Europa League is giving us a glimpse of what the future might look like and a lot of the League starting eleven won’t be anywhere near it. Ceballos, Ozil, Luiz, Mustafi, Kolasinac, Aubameyang, Willian, Lacazette, Xhaka and maybe one or two others too, will be gone.
In will be new energy, new attitude and new players to mix in with the younger players who are deemed to be right by Mikel Arteta. Assuming it’ll be him of course. I hope it is because I think he at least deserves the chance to bring in someone/something different in attack. A disinterested looking Aubameyang and Lacazette aren’t going to score the goals we need if they don’t show a change in attitude. Ozil isn’t getting back into the team in my opinion and even if he did, his lack of willingness to help the team defend will just give us another reason to moan.
After Christmas, Martinelli could be back and if so, he’ll give us something different. Nelson or Willock can’t be far from pushing Willian and even Pepe out of the starting eleven and Balogun looks like he’d be a far better option up front than our number nine. I suppose changes can’t be far away. Mikel Arteta must see what we see so the underperforming players won’t be given much longer to turn their Arsenal careers around I’m sure.
Arsenal haven’t been great since 2003/04, that is if you believe great means winning the Premier League. We’ve not had a team/squad which can consistently defend and attack in equal measures during that time either.
The general feeling on HH is that we’ve always been at least one type of player short at the beginning of each new season and I’m sure many of thought the same this summer when a much needed creative midfielder didn’t arrive. So why the surprise that we’re struggling to create goal scoring opportunities? I don’t mean half a dozen in a game but double figures or double double figures as even the most prolific of strikers usually average less than a 50% strike rate over a season.
The defence is pretty settled and apart from the Villa game, conceding goals isn’t our problem and we still have Mari and Chambers to come back. Our problems are in attack and funny enough, Willian aside, Arteta and Edu haven’t been able to add any real quality to that side of the team. Until they can and do, I’m not sure a lot will improve. Trying ESR, Willock, or Nelson is an option of course but we’ll only moan if they have a bad game.
We’ll probably have games when we win well but otherwise I think the remainder of this season will be up and down as far as the league goes. Still, if I’m right, at least it’ll give us something to moan about. 😆
Sorry, I went on a bit but I feel better for it…
Morning Rico and all.
Transition period is exactly what we are in.
Look at the chopping and changing of starting line ups and formations-Arteta is going through the squad to see what works and what doesn’t, as well as who works and who doesn’t.
Time.
Patience.
If we don’t show patience, we will torture ourselves 🙂
Morning Rico, a cathartic post methinks.
When you have a team that is competing and winning titles you feel as if it will last forever, but it takes a lot of hard work, time, patience, money and good luck to build a title winning squad. By luck I mean finding players who are maybe undervalued by their clubs and you’re able to sign them cheaply. I mean Patrick Vieira was young and recovering from an injury and Wenger got him from AC Milan for £3.5m (probably around £12m in today’s market) and a couple of years later he sourced Thierry Henry from Juventus for £10.5m after selling Anelka for £23m to Real Madrid, there is always luck involved.
And so you look at our squad, Martinelli for £6m, Gabriel for £22m, Tierney for £25m, it’s not that dissimilar we just need to find a Bobby Pires.
Just when you think you have it sorted the team starts to break up, you sell a Vieira, you allow a Pires to leave and gradually the squad dissolves and you’re left with Denilson, Silvestre, Gallas and Chamakh. Injuries rob you of the keys to the castle and you wonder what might have been if Diaby, Eduardo and Rosicky had stayed fit? It a litany of bad luck, poor transfer choices and an owner who refused to invest properly.
This season it will be 17 years since Arsenal were last crowned champions, that is a heck of a long long time for us Gooners.
Between 1953 and 1971, often referred to as the long sleep Arsenal stumbled from one poor decision to another and again that rudderlessness came from the top!
18 years between titles for a club of our standing is unacceptable and I blame the Directors for allowing the club to drift.
Again, 1971 to 1989, another 18 years and despite the single FACup is another example of inadequate leadership from the Arsenal Boardroom, it took David Dein to shake things up.
And so, are going to have to suffer another 18 years, maybe longer, of a League title drought because of poor leadership from above? Possibly, although I harbour high hopes that Tim Lewis can generate some energy in the Boardroom.
Morning Scott, Kev and all.
You’ve put Arsenal things into perspective Kev.
I know Arsenal are a big club etc etc etc, but are our expectations set too high after the football Arsene Wenger delivered for a few years?
Good morning Rico and all.
There’s an interesting interview with Freddie in this morning’s Telegraph, it provides a few insights into the Ozil situation, the dressing room attitudes and transitions. No sour grapes, but a hint of sadness at his departure from the club he loved and to which he showed his loyalty for twenty years.
Morning Cicero, is he suggesting he didn’t want to leave then? I thought he wanted a new challenge.
Morning rico, House. Good blog rico, nicely added to by Kev. Agree with Scott, transition is where we are at, I can be patient because we have made a big effort. Signings like Partey and Gabriel are our future and they look the part. Partey was made at a time we feared our finances. Tierney has appetite and ability, and really cares. I remember those Scots on holiday a few years ago telling me, given time what a player he will be for Arsenal. He will be our new Dixon. The future with Saka and others is bright, the future is red!
Morning Andrew, thanks.
I’m in agreement, I think we have the base of a really strong team, certainly in defence and with Partey adding something stronger in midfield. Just need Stanley to stump up some money again in January or the summer for a bit of creativity. Saying that, if we can sell a few, he might be able to keep his hands in his pocket.
Rico, it was made clear to him at the time he was made first team coach that the club were actively searching for a permanent appointee. Freddie accepted the situation and honestly did his best in the interim. I don’t think he wanted to leave the club, but the situation probably demanded he go.
There is no hint of criticism of the club in the interview.
I love Freddie, he was a brilliant player for us who bought into being an Arsenal man.
When he retired the club integrated him into our academy and set him on the road to his coaching career where he always seemed to have an affinity with young players.
He left to move to Wolfsburg to try and progress his career with no hard feelings from the club and a few years later when things hadn’t worked out the club welcomed him back with open arms and he went straight back into the bosom of the academy again where he seemed to do his best work.
Emery left and he stepped in alongside Mertesaker to see us through a dangerous time and I’m sure if he’d set the world alight that there’s every chance that he might have got the job, but he managed only one win although he dropped Ozil and brought on his kids and that bought him a lot of positive vibes for his courage.
Maybe there was an element of pride involved in why Freddie recently left, maybe disappointment at missing out on the main job and I can understand that?
But I’m sure that he could have stayed.
Did Arteta force him out? I don’t know, but if Arteta had marginalised Freddie then I suspect that it might have come out by now and I’m sure that the media would love that?
It’s interesting to see that everyone and their Mum has an opinion on Ozil but at the same time that three successive managers have dropped him, that’s a bit careless isn’t it?
I asked Cicero because I read the Mirror’s version which after a grand headline, said very little. Arteta said he wanted to progress his career so I don’t think he’s exit had any drama to it.
My thoughts too Kev, three managers can’t all be wrong can they?
Afternoon Rico and All
Yer agree with all that Rico/Kev
In some ways being older gives you a little more tolerance
as far as Mickys concerned watching reserve games in a
big stadium freezing cold couple of hundred diehards mug
of gravy shouting out at the players them looking round
snarling back at you,seems a long time ago.
Moving on I thought Willock upped his game the other
night,he looked stronger head up looking around all the time
loved that,if he could build that up to a good 90min we could
have a geezer on board.
After Fred. Thought Nelson did too. Really like the fact he’s not afraid to run at defenders.
18 years seems to be the going rate for longest periods in our history from winning last title.If you apply it from our v.first title.Not as bad as yahnited & scousers .27 & 30 year waits respectively.Our prob has always been retaining it & going for a period of domination.well chins up 18s not far off!who knows?
Yer Rico…Nelson What I look for is a good 90mins
it can take some players well into the 23/26 years of
age,for me Ainsley struggles to stay involved yet he
has bags of talent.
Nothing I like better than homegrown,I always
go through agony willing them on,I go back
to Charlie if he was not picked to start it ruined
the game for me.
I mentioned earlier the reserve games I also
followed the youth sides,I had a lot of mates
playing in them days.
Never forget The 3 Irish Boys,The 3 Degrees.
Reading’s recovery has begun!
Without Pepe tomorrow, who will finish on goal?
Must admit Fred, I’m enjoying watching the youngsters more than the first team. It’s great to see ESR finally get some minutes and of course the big fella up top.
Who are the three degrees, other than the singers of course. Lol
Rocky,Michael and Paul Davis.Rico.
We done all the singing in them days.
Watched a few games ESR for Huddlesfield
he became more effective when the game
slowed,he has a lot of vision.
I should have known that one Fred. Doh!
We stole that from West Brom :- Batson,Cunningham and Regis about 10 years earlier .
Tomorrow I can see Elneny coming in but little to solve the lack of goals. Nil nil on the cards
After today’s games we go into tomorrow in 14th place .Luckily everyone else playing is above us. However with our next 6 games including Spurs, Southampton, Everton , Man City and Chelsea with Burnley unless things turn around quickly the pressure on Arteta is going to grow. If the players are really on Arteta’s side it’s time to stand up and be counted.
Morning Rico and All
Potter.
Mr Bojangles the so called racist,labeled them.
Morning Campers, morning Rico, yeah Fred Big Ron was a pathfinder in the days when I can remember all sorts going on, things being thrown on the pitch and the kind of chants that would have anyone blushing today. But he’s a racist now I guess, it’s actually becoming increasingly easy to become a racist, everybody is doing it, I’ve even heard black people told they aren’t black enough, these are strange times.
University students now want to drop the word black as a prefix in say black sheep ,blackmail , black magic etc perhaps they could do the same for black lives matter.
You are right as a white old age pensioner becoming a racist is almost a rite of passage and quite where the white privilege bit comes in I am not sure.
My wife and have worked for everything we have, I am on a state pension , my wife receives a reduced one because she made the mistake of taking a reduced stamp when pregnant and following our son’s birth . I worked all my life ,never earning more than £ 20.000 a year and consequently my private pension and life insurance is virtually worthless. But that’s the way it is.
However the way it’s going , you almost feel guilty for having an opinion.
It’s one year to the day since Unai Emery was sacked.
Emery’s teams couldn’t defend for toffees. They could score goals though.
Arteta has turned things round,
Arteta’s team cant score goals for toffees. They can defend though.
Be careful fellas, the loonies are monitoring everything you say and you run the risk of being sent to the online gulag, nobody is allowed to have free speech anymore, not unless you follow the guidelines, just don’t ask me who sets these guidelines?
Morning Fred, Kev and all.
If Arsenal drop into the relegation zone, it’ll be the end of Mikel Arteta surely.
Three points today though and we jump a lot of places.
The players who don’t give a toss should be ashamed of themselves.
Many years ago I was asked to play for a well known carribian club the manager was our grounds man anyway just before the game he readout the team and then added that I would be captain me being the only white geezer surprised them all,
What that manager got called even to this day I never understood.
Funnily enough Fred I never had any trouble with black teams when I was a referee and I can’t recall any racism or racist comments during games, well not within my earshot. Although I think it’s more than likely that the odd kick and punch was administered behind my back.
The worst team I referee’d were all white, Barking Bus Garage, containing some of the most disagreeable people you’d ever hope not to meet. They were a nightmare.
There was a really good team called 739 (I think), and they were made up of members of the West Ham Inter-City Firm, top footballers but for some reason their opponents always came across as totally intimidated….
Horrible crash in the Grand Prix. Car went through the Armco barrier, was cut in half and burst into flames. Roman Grossjean escaped with minor injuries. Very very lucky to be alive.
Had a few tasty matches in the East End which often had a touch of violence , one of our wingers got into it with a spectator who tripped him whilst standing on the touchline on Wanstead flats and got chased off the pitch by another one weilding a groundsman’s spade.
And our left back had his leg broken one sunday and the guy that did it got stabbed with an umbrella held by the left back’s fiancee , she ran on the pitch screaming obscenities and hit him with her brolly Basil Fawlty style he caught one on his leg which burst out with blood .
They were due to be married the following Saturday , so he got plastered before , during and after the wedding .
Memories are made of these.
No the team was called 279, or is that a bus route? Anyway they were good.
I had a mass brawl in a game in Walthamstow, it was a really good match with nothing untoward when two guys went in for a challenge and it all went mental, I recall some guy throwing himself horizontal in an attempted kung fu kick at somebody then landing on the floor where he got kicked to pieces, punches and kicks thrown, but when I shouted ‘Thats it, match abandoned’ they all stopped immediately and got upset with me, anyway it looked like a battlefield rather than a football field.
Cavani certainly changed that game, not just his goals, his all round play was a class apart.
New post up now guys, it’s just the squad news that’s all.
Tonights Team
Leno
Bellerin
Luiz
Grable
Teirny
Ceballos
Xhaka
Willock
Willian
Auba
Saka