Morning all.
Only once since Mikel Arteta took the manager’s job have we had something to look forward to at the end of a season and that was an FA Cup Final against Chelsea in august 2020. When one looks back at the team which started that game, many of whom have since gone, it’s hard to believe we defeated a Chelsea team full of big names and big players. Equally, if not harder to believe, was beating Man City in the semi-final. But we did.
This is how we looked at Wembley.
Six from that starting eleven have gone, two of which are currently on loan. (Bellerin and AMN) Six of the subs on the day have since gone too, again though, two are out on loan. (Torreira and Nelson) Aubameyang went from being a hero in the FA Cup to being a player Mikel Arteta wanted gone. Bukayo Saka and ESR didn’t get further than the bench.
I might not be Mikel Arteta’s biggest fan but I don’t doubt for one minute that his plan is to bring success back to Arsenal. He’s not stupid, he’s spent time at Man City so he knows the squad he’s had this year was never going to cause a problem for the top three clubs in England. It’s not strong or deep enough. Could/should Mikel Arteta have done better than he’s done? The answer is subjective in my opinion but remember this, the sports writers, pundits etc etc who are knocking Arsenal and Arteta now, are the same ones who laughed at Arsenal’s transfer business and wrote the club off before the season even kicked off.
Before the season began, if you truly believed top four was achievable then I guess you’ll be somewhat disappointed with how the season has turned out. If you were like me and thought 6/7/8th was more likely, then 5th is ok. After all, expecting every single player brought into the club last summer to hit the ground running was perhaps expecting a little too much.
If at 6pm tomorrow tomorrow afternoon Totts have lost to Norwich and Arsenal have beaten Everton, unlikely as that might be, will you consider this season to have been more of a success?Personally, I don’t think it makes a difference because regardless of what happens tomorrow, the season has played out the way it has. Covid, injuries, departures and a right old mixed bag of performances. Moments of brilliance, moments of despair.
Had Thomas Partey, Kieran Tierney and Takehiro Tomiyasu not been injured, would Arsenal have won more matches in the second half of the season? Very likely in my opinion and as it stands today, had we won just one more fixture, we’d be finishing 4th. Look at all the goal scoring opportunities we’ve missed, not including the more difficult chances. The sitters which Aubameyang, Lacazette, Odegaard, Martinelli, Saka, ESR and Nketiah fired wide, high or both. I know, all teams miss scoring opportunities but it’s Arsenal I care about. If a team is scoring goals, it sure makes it a lot easier to not concede them.
If Arsenal address the desperate need for a goal scorer or two and a midfielder power house alone, I’m sure we’ll have a better and more consistent season. Mikel Arteta is going nowhere anytime soon so the best the club can do is give him better and more tools to work with? After all, if next season does go horribly wrong, any new manager will need a strong and balanced squad to work with.
From MIkel Arteta’s press conference held yesterday:
It’s been a long journey and a very challenging one this season but I think we have come a long way as a club. As a team I think we have transformed the energy of the club and we’ve done it together. Now I can sense I have the support to take the next step. We are back in Europe, hopefully it will be the Champions League, and we want to take the club to the next level. We have a clear plan. We need resources and we need to improve the quality and the depth of the squad.
He’s right in my opinion. Lack of strength in depth is ultimately what’s cost us points this season, especially in the second half of the season. Partey is a huge loss when injured because there is no one else like him at the club. Tierney and Tomiyasu were huge losses too and we can’t afford to go into next season hoping that everyone will stay fit for ten months. So yes, we do need resources and a lot of them.
We are going to have certain resources, not unlimited resources, some resources. And with our resources we have to play and do what we have to do in the best possible way. We don’t know what the rest are going to have in terms of resources, which I’m assuming is going to be challenging because now it’s not a top three or top four league. Now it is a top eight or 10 teams that are involved. That’s why we have to find a way to do again what we did last summer.
By that, I think Mikel Arteta means there is 8/10 clubs going for similar players but even so, it didn’t stop Arsenal last summer. By the sounds of it, Arsenal want to repeat that this summer too. Quality and quantity I hope.
See you in the comments.
An in depth well worked out post there Rico .
Strength in depth has been his problem this season and no doubt has had an affect on the finishing position. Hopefully they will take steps to rectify things in the summer but I feel that we need experience as much as raw talent
Newcastle stand to be a major obstacle to us because of the finance they can bring to the table, although Arsenal won’t be competing with Liverpool, Man City and possibly Chelsea for the players they’ll be targeting we will be in the same market as West Ham, Tottenham, Man Utd and now probably Newcastle.
KSE need to step up to the plate, because this summer might be the last chance we’ll have to outbid Newcastle before they get into the groove and start blowing us away in the market…
Thanks Potter, I think we need only experience really, unless an exceptional talent is out there. It’s no coincidence imo that once we lost three experienced players, something didn’t quite click.
On the bright side though, Newcastle aren’t in Europe so players going there might just be following the money. I like Eddie Howe but he’s not Pep, Klopp or Tuchel.
Thomas Partey is back training..
Afternoon Rico and all
This transfer market will be the make or break for Arteta as he had enough time.
I am now looking forward to next season but I still think we should take no chances and sell Tierney he to injury prone for me.
Hi Geoff
Watched the 2nd half of Genoa vs Bologna but no Hickey until the last 15 minutes and he came on and played right wing-back, very comfortable with his right foot, quite rapid across the grass, likes to get forward, pretty much played 3 or 4 positions in his cameo, he’ll probably end up at Newcastle…
They’re more likely to go for experienced players aren’t they Kev? I suspect it’ll be a case of just throwing money about.
Experienced players Rico, yes I hope so, let them have Depay, maybe they’ll take Leno, Niles and/or Pepe, Pepe and Saint Maxima, why not? Sounds exciting doesn’t it Geordies.
Just posted this but it didn’t appear but with Magregor retiring at Rangers and Gordon at hearts maybe there’s a contract for leno up there.
Exactly Kev, and for crazy money.
I reckon Leno will go back overseas.
New post up.