Morning all.
Football managers do give us all a few giggles don’t they? Players too, I type, as Eric Cantona’s ‘seagulls, trawlers and sardines’ comment springs to mind. Arsene Wenger’s little battles with Mourinho, Fergie and anyone who cheesed the Frenchman off, were often the best, or worst depending on whichever way you look at it.
The only moment of possible happiness is the present. The past gives regrets. And future uncertainties. Man quickly realised this and created religion. It forgives him what he has done wrong in the past and tells him not to worry about the future, as you will go to paradise.” Arsene Wenger, speaking to L’Equipe in 2015.
I wonder if he truly realised just how much happiness his early days as Arsenal manager gave Arsenal fans, regret too in some ways because having witnessed the game his players played, what followed became pretty hard to watch. Perhaps that’s why he preferred not to look back.
Perhaps we fans shouldn’t look back either but it’s hard not too when football past is far better than football present as far as Arsenal goes. A long way back in the past. Honestly, I can’t remember the last time Arsenal strung a run of game’s together when the performances were good, regardless of the result.
Mikel Arteta has had nearly two years at the club now. He made a lot of changes as we’ve talked about before but it’s only now he really has a squad of his choice. Give or take a player or three. So is it time for us to stop looking back his Arsenal past and think about what might come?
Life brings you things and you cannot decide it. There are certain things that you cannot control. What is coming to you is coming for a reason. Sometimes we don’t want to see it, but it’s coming for a reason – and it’s probably for the right reason. Then it’s about how you take it and how you respond to that. The way that everyone around me responded is the way that I responded. That’s why it’s been fine. Mikel Arteta – AFC.Com
I’m not sure what he’s referring but if I had to guess, he’s talking about the challenges he’s faced as Arsenal manager. Injuries, Covid, players being punished when opposition players get away with worse, bad apples within the squad which he’s had to move on. He’s certainly had his fair share.
But as football fans, it’s easy to forget all of that for the ninety five minutes of a game. The promise of ‘jam tomorrow’ has been said too many times and yet here we are, sat with a dry old piece of toast with nothing to put on it because the jam has never arrived. Understandably, patience has worn thin after a few years of either disorganisation on the pitch, halfhearted performances, or sometimes both.
It’s been a long time since we’ve seen an Arsenal manager address the squad’s needs in a way Mikel Arteta and Edu did this summer. Specific players were signed to fill weakened areas rather than just signing someone because he’s available or because he’s been offered to the club by his agent. For a hefty fee of course!
If Mikel Arteta really is aiming for a particular style of football with a specific type of footballer, which is soon to produce much better performances on the pitch, then the 21 months of drab, boring football will have been worth it wouldn’t it? (FA Cup fixtures aside)
Quick fixes seldom give stability. It’s easy for a manager to throw money at a player for the here and now, a bit like Conte did at Chelsea only to be sacked soon after winning the PL. Fergie, even though retirement was close, he signed an ageing RvP because he wanted one more PL trophy. before he left. He got it but when he walked away, he left behind an ageing and unbalanced squad. When Arsene Wenger left, he too left behind an unbalanced squad which became even more unbalanced after Raul dabbled in the transfer market.
I know I’ve muttered, shouted even, ‘play to their strengths’ but that will only get a team so far. If there’s a new way, a new style, a new plan, something with longevity in mind instead of just tomorrow, it has to be implemented from day one. Otherwise, how does a manager find out who will or can fit into his long term plan? I think that’s what Mikel Arteta has done and our football has suffered because of it. I think that’s what the likes of Pep, Klopp, Conte etc have done but they’ve been able to go through the process quicker because they’ve either had the money or players to sell in order to raise the money they’ve needed to sign the right kind of players or their game plan. Which to a degree, Mikel Arteta has done over the 21 months and certainly this summer which is probably why he’s so optimistic about the future:
I can really see the light. I’m telling you I’m very positive most of the time. I’ve seen the light and I can see bright lights. There can be bumps in the road within that light, but I can see a lot of light.
I’m not sure I share his optimism, certainly not yet but if he truly believes he finally has a squad of players who can play his way, whatever that way is, then the proof will be in the pudding so to speak. As said before, it’s pretty much his squad now so in some ways, last weekend was perhaps his day one of true judgment as all his new signings were available. I just hope for his sake, there are more bright lights than bumps over the weeks and months to come.
See you in the comments.
Good morning Rico. I agree with much of what you say about Arteta having his own squad, but the one thing missing is a twenty-goals-a-season-striker.
Morning Cicero, funny enough I wrote that in the post but deleted it but I’m in total agreement. But, I do understand that signing one when we have Aubameyang and Lacazette on the books must be difficult.
Morning rico, all. Nice report, pretty much sums up how I feel, and why I’m trying to keep giving full support to Arteta. He has Wengers obstancy but maybe you have to, to see a long term project through. Next month or two will be vital, he’s finally in a position now to show how he can produce a team.
# obstinacy (thank you spell corrector!)
Morning Andrew, thanks.
There’s a part of me which still believes Arteta isn’t the one but having given lots of thought to what the club has gone through since Arsene left, the clear up needed was huge. I said to Adam a while back that I thought AW staying as long as he did, set us back ten years and at nearly 4 years and counting, I might not be too far off in the end. Regardless of what happens over with Mikel, the squad certainly looks more balanced than it has for a long time. Still needs a few tweaks imo, but we’re getting there.
They don’t grow on trees though Cicero although one would be handy . Around the times of Smith and then Wrighty we had Campbell who was good for 15 goals a season . We have that player in Lacazette and by rights we should have the main scorer in Aubameyang but now the way we play football they rarely get on the pitch together.
All through history there have been striking partnerships where one ran to create space for the other .
Toshack / Keegan or Radford / Kennedy or Sutton / Shearer
.Playing with one up front restricts our attacking efforts in the area with Pepe and Auba cutting in from wide too often there is nothing in the middle to capitalise or force penalties or for that matter get on the end of the stream of centres provided by Tierney .
If we forget the last twenty months we risk making the same mistakes. 😕
Are there actually any strikers out there who would fit into what Arteta is trying to build, or at least what it appears he’s trying to build? I can’t see Arsenal spending £100m on a striker, in fact I think it’s more likely that we’ll see more of Martinelli up front as the season goes on, Balogun too. Or Eddie if he signs a new contract.
Rico, surely one of those three will become good, law of averages!😃
Martinelli looked so promising before injury, let’s hope he becomes that eager skilful player he was becoming.
You’d like to think so Andrew, however, this is Arsenal. Lol
I meant the fans Cicero, not the players and Arteta.
Alexander Lacazette will be leaving either this January or in the summer, Juventus are hovering it seems, looking for another free gift from Arsenal.
Eddie Nketiah could have joined Crystal Palace this August past, but personal terms got in the way, he also could leave in January but I suspect that he’s a after a free next summer.
With that in mind and accepting that any minutes available outside of the EPL will be few and far between for any striker whose name is not Pierre, then for me those minutes should go to striker who has committed himself and his immediate future to Arsenal and that has to be Flo Balogun, he needs to play and he needs to develop and grow and he’s not gonna do that if Laca gets the start vs Wimbledon.
Why not start them as a pair, that is Flo and Gabby?
Play three at the back with wing backs who’ll probably spend most of the time in the attack.
Btw Cicero, I’m fairly certain that Sleepy Joe isn’t running the show in the States, his wife is probably pulling the strings.
Interesting development with Hein signing a new deal Rico, since Okonkwo became part of the senior squad he’s looked a bag of nerves and Hein has looked the better prospect.
A lot of changes at that end of the pitch I reckon by next summer…
If Lacazette goes in January and with Aubameyang at the ACON, surely the club will have a striker lined up to replace Lacazette? Personally, I thin’ both he and Eddie will leave for nothing and Arsenal address the replacements in the summer.
For Balogun and Martinelli, if results had been better, they might already be playing.
I reckon so too Kev, especially if Ramsdale continues in the team. Should get a good fee for Leno though which is a positive I guess.
Hein needs a season or two or loan I reckon, Okonkwo too.
Or if Balogun and Martinelli had been playing, results may have been better. 😉
Yep, you have a point Cicero.
The attitude may have been different but I doubt that In the Chelsea or City games the outcome would have been different.
Both of our regular strikers, Pepe and Aubameyang, are too similar to work together. Both aim to get the ball to the corner of the penalty box, Pepe on the right and Aubameyang on the left. Both then try to manoeuvre the ball to allow them a shot on goal. Most defences twigged this long ago, stick two defenders in each corner in front of them and they are forced to recycle the ball and try again.
Pepe at least uses his pace to get on the end of passes down the right wing, while Aubameyang relies on Saka to do the running and lay the ball off to him near the corner of the box. Neither of them seem prepared to pass to the other, our only Premiership goal, so far this season, was a case in point. Pepe had two goes at goal hitting the woodwork twice, before the ball ricocheted, fortuitously, across the goal for Aubameyang to tap in.
Most of Tierney’s crosses into the box are wasted as we do not have a striker willing, or able, to compete for the ball in the air. Pepe has the pace to get into position but seems reluctant to do so, Aubameyang has neither the pace or he drive to do so.
Kev, at the official announcement of the AUKAS defence pact the dozy old sod couldn’t remember the name of the Aussie Prime Minister, he referred to him as “the feller from down under”. 😒
I wonder why Arteta is reluctant to play Lacazette because unless Eddie or Balogun play, we don’t have that striker in the box.
Rico if Arteta plays Lacazette he has to bench either the club captain or the club’s most expensive player.
Which should be dropped? Answers, with reasons, please.
Arteta used to play Aubameyang and Lacazette in the same team Cicero. But tomorrow, we need players prepared to battle hard so either one of Auba and Pepe could be left out.
It’s his set up
, Auspisciously Auba is meant to be the centre forward but he isn’t . He drifts out wide left and with Pepe playing wide right , Odegaard and Saka have to pass to the flanks and we have no-one there in the middle.
Our starting eleven is over run with midfielders and we can’t fit them all in but to play Lacazette or Balogun means dropping Auba , although that might balance the team better with ESR currently playing second fiddle to our Dutch signing for him to start either Odegaarde or Saka has to drop out or be removed after an hour.
Our fullbacks get forward and put in crosses to no-one and even if we have a player in there he is outnumbered usually by a pair of centre backs and a keeper and although we have upped the number of shots being taken in the main they are speculative and certainly not clear cut.
I do believe that the defence is sorted and playing together will make them more confident and assured and we have reasonable back up in the event of injuries or suspensions.
The middle defensively we have Partey and Lokonga who look to be able to form a pair but it’s the attacking part that is overloaded and as much as I like him Odegaard was a signing under the heading ” More of the same “
Come off the fence Rico, which one? 😉
Okay, I’ll put a toe in the water.
I’d play Lacazette but strictly as a classic number nine. With instructions to run himself into the ground, harass the ‘keeper and get among the centre backs, perhaps for sixty minutes. I’d drop Aubameyang, he does not press the ‘keeper or the defenders nor does he contribute much to our own defence. when he does drop back, to help out, he no longer has the pace to keep up with a counter-attack. Pepe has that necessary pace and although he’s not very active in the pressing game, he does help out at the back.
Aubameyang Cicero.
I’m scratching my head Potter, the Dutchman?
Lacazette over Aubameyang for the Burnley game imo.
My mistake Norwegian . But yes Lacazette will be more effective in keeping hold of the ball against a very attritional defence.
Drop Auba and Play Laca the players seem to prefer him over Auba and 1 lucky goal shouldn’t give Auba preference after all, he fails as a captain.
Maybe Arteta doesn’t want to pick Laca to force Laca to look for another club in January
Good day to you all.
Two hours to kick-off and no post? I hope all is well with you Rico.
My thoughts on the line-up.
Ramsey, Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tierney, Lokonga, Maitland-Niles. ESR, Pepe, Lacazette, Martinelli.
I don’t for a moment expect Arteta to agree with me, but c’est la vie.
No not our long gone Welshman in goal, Aaron Ramsdale.
Morning Cicero, all.
There’s a new post up now.
All’s fine thanks Cicero. Ish anyway…
Ha ha re Ramsey, auto correct eh.
Potter, I realised after but forgot to delete my pedantic sounding comment. Oops.