Morning all.
Arsenal play West Brom this evening and I don’t know about your guys but I’ve got zero interest in the match. Of course I’ll watch it, even it’s just in hope that Mikel Arteta is already thinking about next season.
I hope he’s looked at those who’ve let the club down, those who are unlikely to be at Arsenal next season and thought, what’s the point in playing them anymore. Think about next season and use the players who will definitely be ready and willing for the new campaign. Trouble is, mathematically, Arsenal could still finish in a Europa spot and because of it, we’re likely to see the same old players dishing up the same old football.
I watched Leeds yesterday and they were everything we are not. Speedy breakaways, swift passing and generally very busy. Is their squad better than ours? No, I don’t think so. Bielsa is an unusual character but he’s certainly got his team playing entertaining football. They have a 21 year old keeper who seems fearless. A goalkeeper who’d look good in red and white, or even blue…
Big Sam will be out to cause an upset today. I say upset but I actually wouldn’t be that surprised to see his team win at The Emirates as it’s far from being a tough place to go to. Arsenal are hardly a tough team to play against.
“The squad needs changing.” Mikel Arteta told Sky Sports. Of course it does as too many players don’t seem to be ready or able to put the work in on the pitch.
Will he get the financial backing to make such changes? Oh yes!
There were already a lot of changes in December, something that has not been done in years, but it tells us where we were. Things are going to have to change and the owners are going to back it up.
Well, if the Kroenke family feel they’ve a lot of making up to do with the fans, their short arms will have to dig deep into their long pockets.
Regardless of what you or I think about Mikel Arteta and I must admit, I’m losing faith his abilities to take the club forwards, the sulkers in the squad will sulk under a new manager just as they’ve done so under Arteta, Emery and for one or two, Wenger. So yes, the squad does need changing and some of those changes are likely to come from within as those out on loan return older and wiser. Some might be sold, others might slot into the first team squad with ease. Willock, AMN, Torreira, Guendouzi and Kolasinac have all had a chance, now it’s down to Mikel Arteta to decide whether they deserve another. Other currently loaned players will need to be considered too.
For today though, I hope we get to see one or two different faces lineup against West Brom. Ryan, Balogun and Nelson are the ones on my mind. I know, I say that every week but one day I’ll get my wish. Maybe that day will be today.
See you in the comments.
Good morning Rico,
I read that about Arteta too. It seemed to me he was throwing down the gauntlet in front of the Kroenkes. Mention of an “impossible job” and “support of the owner” look like a last throw of the dice by an under fire manager.
What it boils down to is back me or sack me.
Morning Rico. If this is the case then surely it’s a replica of last year but with a different manager. We effectively threw last season away because the owners and the board decided to roll the dice with Unai and let him prove what most of us suspected anyway. The repercussions of making the wrong decision now, especially as Europe and its incomes seem a distant possibility, could take another two or three seasons to claw back.
Yet another reason why the board needs a couple of sensible football men onboard and Mikel needs a much, much stronger team alongside him. That’s if they want to avoid a rudderless ship of course.
Morning all.
Hello Adam-good to see you back, mate.
Yes, I still stand with Arteta, but I agree that he needs help.
Listening to some league experts today who were discussing an Aussie club in a similar situation as Arsenal, and one comment stood out-the coach has very, very little experience in his coaching staff.
Too many yes men, was the call.
No single man can do this all by himself, and at times needs other to turn to.
Who’s Mikel got?
Morning Cicero, Adam, all.
It’s all very well Mikel Arteta talking the talk but it’s on the pitch which matters and regardless of what’s been going on behind the scenes, I can’t see the style of football Arteta is trying to play. Perhaps different players will make a difference but it could prove to be an expensive gamble.
Adam, I think you know my opinion on the coaching staff at Arsenal. A bloke who at best has been assistant to Giggs, is not imo, what Arteta needed. Talk about all rookies together.
Just realised, you said board members. Lol
Rico. I couldn’t agree more. When the fans get back they will make themselves heard and their voice will be loud and very difficult to ignore. They did for the last two managers by refusing to attend. Making a case for a new manager has got easier by the week and the case for Mikel carrying on has grown weaker with just about every passing game.
A sale of the club must be making itself more and more attractive to the Kroenkes unless they really are going to drive Arsenal forward both ideologically and financially. Personally, I doubt that they have that in them as I can’t see them as owners capable of making the long-term commitment we undoubtedly need. But we all have our deeply held ideas about the way the future might pan out. It’s going to be painful I think.
Rico. I meant his assistants too. Someone who might have pointed out the sheer folly of some of the odd line-ups and forever changing tactics like the ghastly false 9 thing that he came up with. These have cost us so dearly. It’s a recipe for confrontation but perhaps Mikel needs that. It isn’t working now is it?
Sadly Adam, yes. I’ve always wanted him to succeed and still do but some very strange decisions have been made I think and I worry more will follow.
A takeover sounds an ideal solution on paper but as Cicero said the other day, if a group of ex Arsenal players do jump on board, good luck to the manager because he’ll need it. Also, if it’s Ek, there’s no guarantee he’ll prove to be any better than the Kroenke family other than him being an Arsenal fan offers hope. In any case, when the call comes from fans for a huge investment, perhaps FFP is forgotten.
This transfer window will be interesting if nothing else.
I agree there are no guarantees but our position in the league and Europe are true measures of where we are and require no crystal ball. They are the facts. I would look beyond Ek at future potential owners myself.
I don’t understand the constant chopping and changing either Adam but I often wonder if it’s all part of working towards the future, after all this season was kind of a freebie for Arteta. As you said tough, once the fans are back, or not back if they’re not happy.
potter:
At this moment. I am not sure if all the borders between Portugal and Spain are open. Some are sure because this weekend I have met some Spaniards. The best way to get in from the south is through the Aymonte-Vila Real de Santo António / Castro Marim border (the Guadiana river is crossed and the landscape is very beautiful) and by car!
. Galicia is northern Spain. The main borders of the Alto-Minho-Galicia region are currently open: Vila Nova de Cerveira / Galicia and Melgaço / Galicia (here is Rio Minho and the landscape is extremely beautiful). As life in all these border areas is carried out on both sides of the border, there are no Spanish / Portuguese restrictions. As for other nationalities, it is better, for now, to question in advance.
In Vale do Lobo, they may or may not be Spanish, but it is more likely, if there are no restrictions, to find English, Irish, etc.
Hi Rico and all, As I said before why don’t Arteta’s assistance say some thing to Arteta about team selection or player positions, is it because they don’t have the confidents or is it because they know if they say something Arteta will show them the door.
Either way something has to change. If we can’t get our coaching staff to work as one what hope do we have with the players and the coach working with each other.
Brighton are looking good at Wolves, there really is no advantage to being at home anymore with no fans allowed in, I mean people talk about how terrible Arsenal have been at home, well Liverpool have lost 6 EPL games at Anfield, Man Utd have lost 4 at Old Trafford but are unbeaten away from Manchester. A very odd season!
Next season will be different for all club as I believe some of these top players can not cope playing at empty stadiums and need the support of fans to lift there game and some there ego’s too.
Geoff, Arteta’s first team coaching staff are all hand picked by him, no doubt he chose them because he could rely on them to do his bidding. They will not want to put their well paid jobs on the line by rocking the boat. What Arteta needs is a wise old head to work in the background and offer him advice and discourage his wilder “innovative” team selections.
Failing that, perhaps Edu should step in a bit, but quietly so has to avoid public humiliation of the manager.
Hi Geoff.
An empty stadium hasn’t helped anyone Kev. Financially or otherwise. I think that will play it’s part in the board sticking with Mikel.
Home table
1 Manchester City…..18 12 2 4 38 17 +21 38
2 West Ham Utd …….17 9 4 4 29 21 +8 31
3 Tottenham…………..17 9 3 5 32 18 +14 30
4 Manchester Utd…..16 9 3 4 34 21 +13 30
5 Chelsea……………..17 8 6 3 29 16 +13 30
6 Liverpool…………….18 9 3 6 27 20 +7 30
7 Leicester City………18 9 1 8 32 26 +6 28
8 Leeds Utd…………..18 7 5 6 25 20 +5 26
9 Arsenal……………….17 6 4 7 19 20 -1 22
10 Wolverhampton……17 6 4 7 18 22 -4 22
11 Aston Villa……………16 6 3 7 26 23 +3 21
12 Southampton……….16 6 3 7 22 21 +1 21
13 Newcastle Utd………17 5 5 7 22 29 -7 20
14 Crystal Palace………17 5 5 7 16 27 -11 20
15 Everton………………..17 5 4 8 23 27 -4 19
16 Burnley………………..17 4 6 7 14 20 -6 18
17 Brighton………………17 3 8 6 18 19 -1 17
18 West Brom…………..17 3 6 8 13 34 -21 15
19 Sheffield Utd………..18 4 1 13 11 27 -16 13
20 Fulham………………..17 2 4 11 9 24 -15 10
Away table
1 Manchester City……17 13 3 1 34 9 +25 42
2 Manchester Utd…….17 10 7 0 30 14 +16 37
3 Leicester City………..17 10 5 2 31 17 +14 35
4 Chelsea……………….18 10 4 4 26 16 +10 34
5 Everton………………..16 10 3 3 22 15 +7 33
6 Liverpool………………16 7 6 3 30 19 +11 27
7 Arsenal…………………17 8 3 6 27 17 +10 27
8 Aston Villa…………….17 8 3 6 22 15 +7 27
9 West Ham Utd………17 8 3 6 26 23 +3 27
10 Tottenham…………….18 7 5 6 29 23 +6 26
11 Leeds Utd…………….17 8 0 9 28 33 -5 24
12 Crystal Palace………17 6 3 8 20 29 -9 21
13 Brighton……………….17 5 5 7 17 20 -3 20
14 Wolverhampton…….17 5 5 7 15 24 -9 20
15 Newcastle Utd………18 5 4 9 18 29 -11 19
16 Burnley………………..17 5 3 9 17 27 -10 18
17 Fulham………………..17 3 8 6 16 21 -5 17
18 Southampton……….18 4 4 10 19 40 -21 16
19 West Brom…………..17 2 5 10 18 31 -13 11
20 Sheffield Utd………..17 1 1 15 7 35 -28 4
I hope this comes out clearer…
Hi Rico, delete my 12.57 please, it’s a mess. 👍🏼
Hi Kev, done.
Cicero I hope Arteta does listen to the staff around him other wise we are going no wear next season. I Don’t know why but I just get this feeling that Arteta thinks he is better than every one else and will not listen to any one may be as you said Edu needs to step in and speak to Arteta quietly away from the club and give him some advice.
Maupay and Dunk out of our game, that’s handy.
Afternoon all,
Balogun played for the U23s Friday so he’s unlikely to be involved, maybe he will be involved at Chelsea!
I agree the end of the season can’t be here too soon.
I’m sure I will tune in though.
COYG
I checked that on afc.com Limey and didn’t even see they’d had a fixture. I am due an eye test 😂
No Xhaka, Luiz or Mari today.
Cedric available after illness. Maybe that’s reasonable why Xhaka was at fullback.
Cedric was on the bench on Thursday though.
Perhaps not fully fit though.
Neither was Tierney. 😜
Congratulations to Arsenal Women, despite a home 0 – 0 draw with lowly Aston Villa, they sealed third place and qualified for the Womens Champions League. Villa got the one point they needed to avoid relegation.
Fitter than Xhaka. 😉
We might see a similar team to the Newcastle game,Ryan Elneny etc it’s hard to predict Arteta though.
Just popped in to say Hello.
I wonder what the mindset of the players and Arteta will be after what amounted to a humiliation on Thursday.
It isn’t a nothing game as WBA mathematically can still survive and I also expect them to be physical which time and time we aren’t.
I give up second guessing the line up but there is such a thing as pride .
I believe many major decisions will be made from top to bottom when the season ends and if not it will be alarming to us all .
Odd team selection….
Hi, Kelsey good to hear from you I hope you’re keeping well.
Leno, Chambers, Holding, Gabriel, Saka, Eleneny, Ceballos, Pepe Willian Martinelli, ESR
ARSENAL TEAM NEWS
Arsenal team to face West Brom: Leno, Chambers, Holding, Gabriel, Saka, Elneny, Ceballos, Smith Rowe, Pepe, Willian, Martinelli.
Subs: Runarsson, Bellerin, Tierney, Lacazette, Odegaard, Aubameyang, Cedric, Partey, Nketiah.
Just seen tonight’s line up. If I’m any judge, up I’d say that Arteta is using this game with a label attached to more than half of them, For Sale any offer considered! Not all I hasten to add but some ( naming no names we all will have a view.)
You know? I can’t see us winning this one. Thank goodness Call the Midwife is on, they don’t lose many😊
😂 Wavy.
I’m disappointed to see Saka and ESR out there, they must both be knackered.
I’m just delighted that Martinelli has finally been given a chance to start in his correct position. Central striker.
Bizarre selection,3 full backs on the bench. Presumably Ryan is injured/not available with Runarsson on the bench .
See rico, you put the mockers on, no Nelson, Balogan nor Ryan 😀. Really wanted to see Matt again after looking good last week. Must be injured, not even sub. And why not see Nelson is again beyond me. Knew Willian would be in, that was predictable, bloody time he took a game like this and stormed it! Have my doubts though.
I’ll keep quiet next time Andrew… lol
2-0 up. ESR and Pepe with the goals. Pepe’s was a screamer. Bernd Leno has done a brilliant one-handed save to tip over a header
The save Leno made was brilliant. It was offside but he didn’t know that. Is it my imagination or is he really releasing the ball a bit quicker today?
Willian doing ok and Saka is brilliant at left back.
Two super goals.
I doubt West Brom will keep hold of Pereria.
Has Willian forgotten how to drop a shoulder and go past a player..
Probably not but his legs wouldn’t manage it. Either that or he’s got arthritis in his shoulder. Lol
Willian…. 😀😀
T-shirts should be printed…..I was there when Willian scored.
Took off Martinelli and Smith Rowe moved Saka and lost control
It’s only took Willian 30 odd games, but seen a lot of those in his Chelsea days. What a shame not sooner and in a more important game.
Commentators spoke as if Saka had never played left back, but he was left wingback for a long time and also for England, so it’s not a surprise he played well there. Just a quality player.
Very little for Martinelli to feed off. So predictable in slow build up still. But for once two goals of quality.
John Jensen is alive and well and has a big curly mop of hair.
Yep Kev, we waited a long while for Jenson’s goal! I’ve still got an A3 photo I took of him, framed on my wall 🙂
Did you get the t shirt Andrew? 😁
Evening Rico and the House
Found it rather strange watching us win and not enjoying it one bit.
Rico that Pereia is some player
how about selling Willian and buying him.
Evening Rick, he’d look good in red and white. 😂
I didn’t but probably should have done!
Just Seen that Adam and Kelsey have been on today .
Wellcome back guys I thought you had given up on us.
Odegaard drops out and Smith Rowe has a great game, coincidence or what?
Yeah, Pereira looks a really interesting player Rick, I’m not sure how much he would cost but he’s looked very tidy.
Kev have you seen that with just 7 weeks left on his
scholar contract the club are talking to Taylor Hart about
a pro contact. Why has it taken so long?
I was relieved to get three points and at home too. I do believe that Leno was releasing the ball earlier, although not so much in the second half. Perhaps Arteta gave him a b********g at half time.
Saka was outstanding and his combination with ESR looks to be the way to go in the future. Was a ESR looking a bit tired? I can think of no other reason to sub him. Oh, we don’t need to sign Odegaard, a good player but our home grown future number ten is better.
For all his injuries, lack of game time and experience Martinelli was vastly more productive in this one game than Aubameyang in any six games recently.
Why can’t any of our players make a run and score a goal like Pereira?
One swallow does not a summer make but this was an encouraging performance.
Nice win and 3 nice goals liked Pepe goal and seeing Saka and EMS working together well
Good Morning Rico and Everyone
One step at a time. Or more appropriately one game at a time.
Kev….I fully concur with you regarding Odegaard. The future number 10 is already here. And yesterday he did what we have been saying all along. When we got Odegaard I was afraid that ESR would suffer….and he did. But I hope that Arteta sees that that position belongs to ESR. And the player who will rest him and also rotate with him is at NUFC…..scoring goals at will.
If Arteta/Edu sanction the sale of Willock it would be criminal and they deserve the sack. Because Willock, if sold, will go on to play for a top club. He will end up at Liverpool, Man City or Man Utd. Maybe even Chelsea. He is way better than to play for NUFC or midtable. So the club should keep him.
I wonder why it took so long for Arteta to realize that Saka is a better LB than Xhaka. Maybe he mixed the first letter of each name??? And Xhaka is a better DM than he is at left back. So why didnt he play that way when Tierney was missing? Saka is the most similar player to Tierney attacking wise plus faster than Xhaka for sure. Moving Granit, our most important pivot at the club right now to LB is ridiculous.
And as Cicero rightly pointed out MArtinelli did so much more than Auba did in the last 6 games up front. Martinelli is more Auba style than Laca style up front but he does work harder for the team and not the team has to work for him.
Morning Devil, all.
New post up now
https://highbury-house.com/?p=43955&preview=true
Devil, bring your comment with you. 😆
Morning All, hopefully Rick they can sort out a deal for Taylor Hart, then send him out on loan where he can toughen up.
Rumours that Arsenal have had a rethink and are now considering an offer to Lacazette to hang onto him as Arteta it seems wants to keep him. I’m not sure what to think about that but it doesn’t smack of joined up thinking to me.
Maybe because of the recession in football they think that they won’t get a good enough offer for him and that it’ll be cheaper to keep him rather than letting him go for a pittance and replacing him with someone whose no better but more expensive?
DG, if Smith Rowe felt his hamstring yesterday I hope they rest him against Chelsea, that is going to be an enormously difficult game against an in form team looking to finish this season with a flourish. Odegaard can come in and we can play pretty much the same team, even if Martinelli didn’t set the world alight. I reckon that Arteta had one eye on the Chelsea game and it influenced his selection yesterday.
Leno has been put up for sale according to some articles on NN