Morning all.
A trip down memory lane for Mikel Arteta as he and his players face Everton, the club our manager played for before signing for Arsenal. The young apprentice Mikel Arteta goes head to head with the older and more wise Carlo Ancelotti but he’s no Mourinho, not as far as defensive tactics go. Everton are a bit like Southampton in that they play quick football with smart footballers.
Everton have just beaten Leicester City away from home, after beating Chelsea at Goodson Park so today’s game will be really tough for a group of players who look devoid of confidence. But, there is hope, after all, Burnley nicked a point off them and Leeds, Man Utd and Newcastle have all beaten them in recent weeks.
Bellerin returns to the squad after his one match suspension but having done well against Southampton, dropping AMN so swiftly would be daft in my opinion, unless he’s moved into midfield to sure up our defensive unit. He ought to be in the starting eleven that’s for sure. Balogun should be in the squad too I reckon but like Chambers and Mari, he played for the under 23’s last night so there’s no chance. This is what I don’t understand about Mikel Arteta, he’s turning his back on players who would bring more energy to the first team. Balogun is a strong lad who can not only hold keep the ball with strong defenders around him, but his height in the box poses a threat we really don’t have in the team. Nelson offers speed down our right, directness too but until now, he’s been cast aside for plodders.
I know it’s tempting to say he gives youth a chance because Saka plays but it was Unai Emery who put him out there first and only a fool would have not seen what he’s capable of. Joe Willock flits in and out of the team but he needs a run of games.
The players Mikel Arteta has put his faith in have dumped us into 15th place in the league which is poor to say the least. He’s either saying to the board, ‘look, this is it, I need better players so give me some money next month’, or he’s saying he believes in them 100%. If it’s the latter, then I fear for Mikel’s Arsenal future because they aren’t repaying the faith he’s putting in them.
Anyway, with Gabriel suspended today, Mustafi or Luiz will play alongside Holding in either a back four or three. My hunch is the latter as it makes us stronger defensively. I think it’ll be a backs to the wall game if we start slow, allowing Everton possession with us being the team hitting them on the break. If that’s the case, we need pace and precision in our movement and passing. There’s no point in breaking away, looking up to find no through ball before sending the ball back to defence again. Cut the pussyfooting around with the ball out and get our passing game back. Pepe has pace, use it, same goes for Aubameyang. Want the ball, find a space for the ball and I don’t mean where an Everton defender is stood.
Everton are beatable. With the right players and the right attitude, they are beatable.
See you in the comments.
G’day all.
If you want watch the match live sign up to a months free trial of Amazon Prime, but don’t forget to terminate it within the month.
I’m getting concerned by all of these reports of unrest in the squad.
Supposedly
Arteta’s not speaking to Luiz
Luiz and Willian plotting to get Arteta sacked
Leaks to the press
The German speaking clique
And others. I don’t know if any or all of them are true, but the phrase ‘theirs no smoke without fire’ doesnt Want to leave my mind.
Combine this with our form and I think we are getting to a breaking point soon.
We’ve either got to back Arteta and ship out the insurgents, or sack Arteta and hope that someone else can manage the personalities better.
Also I’m watching the Norwich game and Buendia looks good. He has plenty of creativity but also works hard. A little sloppy in possession though.
A friend of mine is a Norwich season ticket holder and said he is great for them but didn’t think he was good enough for us.
I’d be tempted to give him and Aarons a go if we can ship out Bellerin.
Hello Rico/all
Nice preview. Lots of speculation that Martinelli will be on the bench. Too early for him to start you would think.
I’d like to see AMN in midfield, the Bellerin/Pepe combo hasn’t worked, so maybe it’s Cedric time.
Whoever plays it’s a tough game.
COYG.
I would like to see what Smith -Rowe brings to the table before splashing £20 plus odd million on a player that was described as Cazorla lite. Without doubt when on song he is a tricky player that would add to our play but I want to see our own get the chance first. Anyway with a promotion bid taking place Norwich would not let him go cheap .
Arteta has to start blooding these boys or else we will never know how good or not they are or could eventually become .
His problem is how often and how many at one time . One thing is for certain though ,relying on the ones that have put him in this position is a guaranteed way of getting sacked.
Afternoon, Limey, Cicero, Potter, Hobart and all.
Player unrest? Wouldn’t surprise me if it’s true at all because of the performances. The club can’t allow players to win imo, show the bad eggs the door. The Arsenal is bigger and better than a few overpriced and overpaid men with huge egos.
Ditto Potter, let’s see our own come through because they’ll give their all to keep Arteta in a job.
What we’re seeing of our Arsenal now is embarrassing. Looks like none of the so called big names is worthy of an Arsenal shirt. A turn around is needed urgently.
1Leno
16Holding
23David Luiz
3Tierney
15Maitland-Niles
25Elneny
8Ceballos
7Saka
19Pépé
30Nketiah
12Willian
Aubameyang Not in the squad
Martinelli on the bench.
No Auba but we have Willian to compensate
Shame Balogun played last night..
Wonder what’s behind Auba being dropped, unless he picked up a late injury. No Lacazette too. The plot thickens.
Three full backs and Mustafi on the bench?
Bellerín
9Lacazette
13Rúnarsson
17Cédric Soares
20Mustafi
28Willock
31Kolasinac
32Smith Rowe
35Martinelli
Weirder and weirder.
Still, Willian’s back.
Ignore what I said about Amazon Prime that’s for next week I think.
Anyone else see Mustafi cheering the team on?
That’s why I like AMN, he’ll chase a lost cause.
Ceballos lucky not to get sent off then.
Nice save..
And then we do that!
We should have been able to hold out for half-time.
I don’t know what Arteta can do to improve things in the second half. Perhaps Willock for Willian?
I noticed Mustafi too but our build up is so slow both ball and players needs to move quicker
Come on Mikel, get Willian off..
Agree Potter.
A loss certainly, but a big improvement in effort and with a little luck we could have got something from the game. Aubameyang was NOT missed.
Forget the City match next up Chelsea then Brighton and Allardyce’s West Brom we need 6 points from those
Give Balogun the City match . On today’s showing Nketiah is not strong enough
I too thought we were better. Poor, but better poor if that makes sense. Willian was a bit better in the second half but Carragher summed it up I thought. Arsenal have made some poor decisions in the last few years as far as signing players go and any manager would struggle at the club.
Their first goal if you watch it back as the ball is played across for the centre Ceballos gives their player the freedom of the pitch and makes no effort to close him down
And Willian couldn’t be bothered to follow his man either. They’re just not doing enough out there.
Or play both, the little and large combo could work well.
We are playing “over hot coals”.
The Arsenal players are very tired physically and mentally. It is no surprise. Opinion makers, who have time and availability could do some math: Last season was resumed in June, with overload of games and played at high temperatures. Arsenal played 12 games, something that no other Club has done; this season, started in competition in August for Arsenal. Until December 31, he will play 26 games (I am not counting on international games at the level of national teams). b) It was the one that had the least vacation and the lowest pre-season; c) is the one with the most post-covid games in 2019/2020 and 2020/2021. They are facts.
We expected to have 10-15 more points than we have.
The game reveals: a) that we don’t have physical strength in the midfield or in the attack. This implies that split balls, ball disputes, physical confrontations, etc., are almost always lost; b) that the central area of the field is always fragile, decompensated and poorly positioned.
Personally, I think the players have given themselves up to the game. They can’t give more, due to exhaustion and physical and mental fatigue.
There has to be more turnover and not be afraid to play with the unusual. They are more “fresh”, physically and mentally better.
watched highlights not looking good, now worried about relegation, going to be hard to bring in good players this low down, lets hope January brings some changes and the players and coach can work like a team.
Morning all
New post up now