Morning all.
Last night wasn’t season over, not really, because in all honesty, Arsenal’s season never really got going in the first place. Performances and results have been hit and miss, one or two results haven’t been helped by shoddy officiating but mostly, we’ve either had a defensive nightmare moment or when it comes to the final ball or shot, Arsenal have been pretty poor.
Unless by some miracle we push hard and finish in a Europa spot, which is very unlikely I hasten to add, for the first time in twenty five years, Arsenal will not be playing European football next season. It’s a sign of how far this club we all love has regressed. The match last night was pretty boring, cagey as neither side wanted to make the first mistake which led to a goal. The Villarreal players used all the tricks in the book to con the ref who duly obliged and right at the end both he and VAR bottled a big decision. Pepe should have been awarded a penalty. That aside though and despite how poorly Arsenal played at times, enough chances were created to win the match. Holding headed over twice, Aubameyang hit the post twice and Pepe hit one wide of the woodwork. Martinelli and Lacazette, both no doubt desperate to score, got in each other’s way when either one might have prodded the ball towards goal.
I see little point in dissecting the game because it was a rinse and repeat of so many other performances at The Emirates this season. What happens now is probably the question many of us asking. I suppose there’s only one of two answers.
1. Sack Mikel Arteta?
2. Carry on with the plan Mikel Arteta was tasked with executing?
Thankfully, that’s not a decision you or I have to make because it’s a tough one.
Thomas Tuchel has shown how different a group of players can play with change. Under Frank Lampard, Chelsea were struggling but here they are now in the Champions League Final and possibly considered favourites to beat Man City.
On the other hand though, Ole Gunnar Solskjær has shown that with time, things can turn around. They too are in a European Final and must be favourites to beat Villarreal.
If Arsenal were to sack Mikel Arteta, who could they turn to? A serious question and not a deflection or reason not to make a change if change is what you think Arsenal need.
Perhaps being knocked out by Villarreal is simply a reality check. A reality check reminiscent of two years ago when Chelsea thrashed us 4-0 in Baku. Arsenal, under their current coach/manager simply aren’t doing as well as you/I think they should be with the squad the club has assembled. The football on show isn’t very good.
Of course we’ll all question why player X, Y and Z didn’t start the match but it doesn’t seem to matter who plays, our football seldom looks natural, complete or free flowing. It’s easy to beat the likes of Sheffield Utd, West Brom or similar but all too often, Mikel Arteta has struggled to out think his opposite number. Whether or not summer signings would make a difference I don’t know, but I’m far from convinced they will. Saka, ESR, Partey, Pepe, Aubameyang, Odegaard, Martinelli – There’s a lot of talent there but seemingly, not enough to break down a defensive setup. Simple things like Leno releasing the ball quickly so an Arsenal attack can go full throttle against an out of position defence isn’t happening. If the basics are missing, although Ryan doesn’t seem to suffer from the same, what chance do Arsenal have? When one of the most exciting attacking footballers at Arsenal is deemed fit enough to face Sheffield Utd at the weekend but not right to start against a pretty average Villarreal defence, something is wrong. When Willian is considered to be a better option from the bench than say Balogun or Nelson, something is wrong.
Inevitably, Mikel Arteta was asked whether he’s the right man to take Arsenal forward:
I wouldn’t be sitting here if I couldn’t. You will see it. It’s not about talking, it’s about showing it on the pitch.
I don’t want to jump on the ‘Arteta out’ bandwagon but it’s the ‘showing it on the pitch’ which isn’t working. His players aren’t performing very well.
Personally, I think the board will back Mikel Arteta. Give him another summer and the start of a new season with fans back in the stadium and go from there.
See you in the comments.
Posted this as the new post went up in reply to Kev who said lose that and he could be in shit street…
I think he already is Kev , If not with the upper management / ownership but definitely with the fans . They have had to suffer in silence throughout this whole debacle but soon they will be back in the stadium .
I have no doubt that the tickets for the Brighton match will be allocated by some kind of ballot but we all know where the noise is generated within the stadium and the red and silver members will not be at the front of the queue .
Personally I subscribe to the theory that Arteta will have a period of grace to start next season but if by a given date things have not dramatically improved he will be ousted . Quite who we get to replace him I have no idea , however the club is a basket case going round in circles with one foot nailed to the floor. and I can’t see a top manager wanting to take it over
We might see an Eddie Howe type figure who brings a few more years experience of failure than Arteta or maybe a Rafa Benitez looking for a last pay day but there are no guarantees that changing the name on the door will achieve much on the pitch.
There is something rotten in the state of Arsenal and until that is identified and eradicated we will continue to be a lower to mid table club and i fear players that have grown up with us and love the shirt will , like Willock , AMN and eventually ESR and Saka will be tempted away .
I see a bleak future
Hard to disagree Potter.
The level of hope that Ek takes over has probably risen dramatically.
Perhaps my optimism is misplaced but had the stadium been full last night, I think we’d have played better.
I could be wrong, but I think Arteta will be given the summer and then 10-15 games. Then the decision will be made…..
Which is interesting in many ways. I don’t think we can hide from the situation we find ourselves in. In a short period of time we have lost the income from the champions league, now the Europa league as well, the stadium is empty. Financially we are going to be stuffed. Add in the fact that we will be playing fewer games.
We need to trim our already overloaded squad. It will need to be done with both football and finance in mind. Out of that fire sale we also need to buy a few players.
That will be the environment that Arteta has to do his rebuild.
It’s just become a much harder task. I’ll be interested to see who the ins and outs are.
I believe in the capacity of all (moat) humans to get better and better at the their chosen craft. Practice really does make perfect.
That, however, is not the question.
The question is whether we hand over to a rookie manager the keys to what was once an elite level club and allow him to use it as his practice ground to become steadily better over a few years or so.
If you give him the time, for sure, eventually he has to get better. It’s what humans do.
However, we are operating in the most Darwinian of systems. Everyone is evolving and everyone is getting (trying) to get better.
The amount of money and the threat of the Super League will sharpen ambitions even more then it did before.
So sure, we can allow Arteta to continue to get better at his craft, but the club faces a very real existential threat that we will be overtaken and never be able to reclaim our place at the top. It has happened before and it can happen again.
Vinai, Arteta and most of the board urgently need to be replaced and a genuine world class team put in place.
I wanted Nagelsmann last year when Emery was sacked, but he is gone. Now I would take Benitez as a stop gap for the next couple of years to stop the rot. Or even Husenhutl at Southampton. Or Ten Haag before the Spuds get him.
So there are proven, decent coaches (genuine, and not cone men) out there…
That’s my thought too Hobart.
My hope for the new season is no more Willian, Odegarrd, Ceballos, Bellerin, Aubameyang, Leno and we see more of Balogun, AMN, Willock, Nelson, Ryan, Saliba and a few more younger players in the Cups.
Have a settled team and go all out for top four without the distraction or false hope of winning the Europa Cup.
Present company exluded Rico
But the reaction some Arsenal fans is unbelievable. If anyone thought that this squad is good enough to get too and win a European final is sadly relying on blind hopelack of intelligence or clarity to the problems at the club. One of which is not the manager or any manager that has been or may come.
We have had over 10 years of bad management at the club and that’s not from any of the player management teams. From Wenger to Emery or now Arteta, It stems from boardroom level.
Poor contract handling, poor recruitment and poor handling of sales and purchases has been our issue for the last 10 years. No succesion planning to those stars we sold for low fees. Our club has been a mess for too long like Liverpool were and its not going to change in 1 season.
Our issue in the current squad is the lack of a midfield dominance, Cebellos and Odegaard don’t cut it and looks like they won’t at the top level. To allude to points everyone is undoubtedly making we don’t close down enough we don’t do this we don’t do that. To have the “dominance” in a game you need to compete for possession constantly. You have to earn the right to play and dominate the ball, players like Gilberto, Viera, Petit, Ramsey all did, only 4 players in our our squad have the mentality to do that and they can’t do it alone 3 of them are under 21 years of age.
Current playing staff are not upto the required level as well as the afore mentioned Cebellos and Odegaard you have to throw Elneny, Bellerin, Willian, Luiz and now Auba. Bellerin gave the ball away every time he had possession in the first 45. When the wingers were in possession Odegaard did nothing to help Auba didnt even run. Partey was isolated every time he picked up the ball he had 3 yellow shirts around him and again no help or options to pass out.
This summer is the biggest in Arsenal’s modern history and we need to Trump it. All this bull we won’t attract players give me a break we are Arsenal it for me we’ve been looking in the wrong places anyway for too long.
The current setup (edu arteta) did well to clear out alot of the crap nestling into our setup and still need to continue the felling. They have brought in good players I.e Martinelli, Gabriel, Partey and yes Willian (who wouldn’t have signed him for free after the season he had last year we did well to get a player who was in demand across Europe) he just needs to stop sulking that Chelsea didn’t rate him as high as he thought and get on with it.
You talk about Tuchel, look at Chelseas squad compared to ours. If you gave Tuchel this squad he would probably do slightly better due to his experience but not a lot
We all knew Arteta was a rookie. We all knew that our squad needed at least 10 players shipped out, and 5-8 brought in. We all knew or should have known Arteta would make mistakes especially with the dross he has at his disposal. We all know we needed to bring in a new breed of player alla the Kante, Bissouma, Ramsey type players of the world to get us that dominance we need, to provide the platform for our attack. This is a process hopefully we’ll have new owners in the coming year. If we’re stuck in that department we have to hope we get the funds put in, if not well be seeing this for alot longer.
And yes, before anyone quips… I know we’ve already been overtaken by Leicester. Incredible tram they have built on limited funds. Young and hungry talents like Ndidi, Soyuncu, Fofana mixed in with some tough experience. And on a budget.
And with a coach who gets stick for no obvious reason other then he is ‘Not fashionable’ or not a generational coach. But he is a coach and has the record.
Unfortunately, I have to acknowledge coldly that Villareal was better in both games. In Spain, it was a disgrace. Filled with fear and unwilling to be able to take advantage of the tie yesterday, we could have won but we were never safe in the game. You can start changing the name of the Cup to “Unai Emery Cup”.
@Raka I wanted Neiglesman too but his Bayern Munich card was stamped 3 seasons ago lol. Byern have 20 feeder clubs don’t forget
If Arteta is replaced it will be with Rogers
Or Nuno Santo
Morning all.
I’m probably lucky I was unable to watch the game, but the result doesn’t change my opinion.
Until Xmas, I don’t it hard to judge a manager who’s rebuilding a club from nearly the ground up.
Too many players have been too comfortable for too long but as it stands, we don’t have a lot of alternatives.
Auba can go today if he likes-I genuinely could not care less.
William simply has not worked out.
People want us to be more hard nosed about how we handle players and I agree, but until we remove the deadwood, how can we be overly harsh on an inexperienced manager?
No top class manager would’ve taken the job imo
Any new manager facing such a task was destined to have some horror periods.
Utd stuck with Ole when they were playing woefully, with a much more expensive squad than we have and things have turned.
Why do we believe things should be different for us??
Get rid of the big name show ponies and bring the kids through-that’s what I want, and I’m sure plenty would agree.
Just had a quick look at our squad, contracts and wages. My goodness we are screwed.
As I see it we need to be ruthless financially. We can’t afford to let players run down their deals, we need to maximise our squad values. We also can’t afford to carry certain peoples wages. As a mid range question, is Leno really worth £65,000 a week more in wages than Ryan?
So anyone with a contract expiring in the next 2 years needs to be sold. Anyone earning over £100,000 per week needs to be justifying it. We can’t afford to have expensive options as back up or even back ups to back ups. We can’t afford to subsidise players on loan.
When you look at our squad through those eyes, we are in for a complete massacre this summer.
So potentially the ‘for sale’ (or release/return) sign needs to up on….
Luiz
Odegaard
Ceballos
Ryan
Lacazette
Elneny
Iliev
Chambers
Nketiah
Willian
Aubameyang
Leno
Xhaka
Bellerin
Nelson
Torriera
Guendouzi
AMN
Mavropanos
Willock
Pepe
Now I’d like to keep a handful of these, but I’m also aware that some of them will be very difficult to shift.
All in all it points to the fact that we aren’t run very well.
I think Arteta will definitely be backed by the club for the next few months. If we aren’t in or close to the top 6 by say January he could be in trouble. Of course we all know the club can come out with lots of words about the process and being right behind Arteta. Those words are meaningless, they will be right behind him, and then knife him in the back without hesitation.
Hi Rico and all, Arteta will be given the first half of next season unless Kroenke sells with in the next month or two then who know’s.
As much as I hate saying it I am glad we lost in a way, now all the pressure is of every one and next season we have a clean clean / start were Arteta can concentrate on winning the FA Cup and getting us up to 5 or 6 place how ever if we are still mid table half way through the season then the question must be asked if Arteta is good enough.
Forgot Cedric
Hi Geoff.
I think the one thing we all agree on is that this season can’t end quick enough and a few more players need to leave this summer.
Agreed I’ve said it for the last 2 years we need no Europe hopefully that will encourage a few players to jump ship and rebuild. One plus there will be no contract bonuses to pay for qualification of winning the comp
Some basic stats for this season……Others will follow in due course in a post.
When Auba began games alone (Laca was sub or not in squad) we P10, W3, D3, L4, GS 11 GC 12, Pts 12/30. We did not score in 4 games and kept 2 clean sheets.
When Auba and Laca both were included in starting line up we P12, W5, D2, L5, GS17, GC14, Pts 17/36. We did not score in 5 games and kept 5 clean sheets.
When neither Auba or Laca were in the line-up we lost both games 1-2 and 0-1.
Now comes the interesting part…………………….When Laca began the game (auba as sub or not included) we P10, W6, D2, L2, GS17, GC8. PTS 20/30. We did not score in only 2 and kept 3 clean sheets.
I just rest my case.
No need to tell everyone why I prefer Lacazette to Auba,
Auba should be shown the door ASAP if not sooner.
It’s quite clear that we were better off under Emery than we are with Arteta. That said, we were pretty well rubbish under them both and I am still not sorry to see the back of Emery, he was never the right choice for Arsenal.
The Kroenkes won’t sack Arteta, they don’t care enough about the club to cough up either the compensation due to him or pay out enough to get an experienced coach in.
Throughout the season we have seen Arteta experimenting with his ex Manchester City playing style, his illogical team selections and substitutions and his “innovative” positional changes. False nine, midfielder at fullback two, very similar, creative midfielders in tandem and a single defensive midfielder left to get swamped with no help whatsoever.
With just four games to go, and nothing to be fought, for Arteta should go with the players who will more than likely still be at the club next season and are worth keeping. Put aside Aubameyang, Willian, Ceballos, Odegaard, Bellerin and Luiz while bringing forward the youngsters who will, by necessity, be our future.
Hobart, Ozil looked like being tough to shift. Lol
Seriously though, every player is moveable if all parties agree but yes, Edu etc will have a busy and tough summer trying to negotiate deals for players the club want to move on.
As a Potter said the other day though, with the fixtures as they are, clubs above us will drop points. A top six finish is still possible although not probable.
I’d certainly like to see more of Balogun, Nelson and Azeez in the remaining fixtures but I doubt we will.
Morning. We have problems in all areas, but midfield, I’d like to see Partey and Torreira together for a handful of games, see if that could work with faster younger players around to show for the ball. Maybe not possible as Torreira wants home, but if he was made to feel wanted and not played out of position, he may be the player who initial looked pretty good at Arsenal.
Every week, rico, you hope or expect to see Balogun and every week he is omitted😃
I, like you, also can’t understand why Nelson has had no chance at all. We heard initially he was omitted from squads as injured but since then he only gets in if 11 subs allowed, and rarely any chance to show what he can do. He was so promising 4 years ago, remember a pre season tournament where he was the best of our youngsters.
Another is Guendouzi Andrew or has his Arsenal ship sailed too.
In the absence of Xhaka in midfield last night, I thought Arteta would have gone with Elneny.
Ha ha Andrew but you’re right.
I’ll admit, I was pleased we signed Willian at the time but after a few matches, it was clear his head wasn’t at Arsenal so yes, why not Nelson? I don’t understand the rationale behind a number of selections Arteta makes but there has to be a reason he opts for some over others.
AMN, who I know isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but how can he be dropped so quickly after the way he ended last season.
I always wanted to see into Wengers thoughts to try and explain what seemed like stubborn decisions. I now would really like to know what Arteta really feels on some players. What Managers say is actually irrelevant!
We weren’t that bad actually with Torreira and Guendouzi together in the middle. With Partey as well it would beat some recent performances!
You’re not the only one Andrew.
Had it not been for his moment of stupidity, Guendouzi might have stayed.
As for Torreira, if Kante can play in the PL, why can’t our guy.
Unpopular opinion but I think we missed Xhaka last night,I’d much rather him in midfield though.I also think Partey (poor last night) is better alongside the Swiss.
At least we won’t face humiliation by Man Utd in the final,remember how we felt after Baku.
Move on any of the big earners we possibly can – it won’t be easy,most clubs have no money,and give younger homegrown players a chance.
I think I know how Kroenke can contribute to the playing staff. One which he would spend less money and also help the team.
He should pay off the contract Auba, Willian and whatever else we had to give Ozil from the moment he left us. That would be better for him…..and for us. And if he wants he can take them both to his nice and sunny american chataux and while he pays them have them juggling his balls all day long. That way they wont break sweat and he will deliver us from the millstone that is their wages.
Agree re missing Xhaka although he’d have been at left back had he not got injured in the warm up.
Wonder what Cedric has suddenly done wrong.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-9553289/Mikel-Artetas-odds-leave-Arsenal-SLASHED-Europa-League-knockout-Villarreal.html
Yes,the Cedric one is strange,he seemed to be first choice Right back,he had a couple of dodgy games at Left back;all of a sudden he’s frozen out at right back too.
I always struggle slightly with the ‘we missed Xhaka’ narrative.
We missed a ball playing midfielder to pivot with Partey.
Unfortunately Xhaka is all we have. A better one wouldn’t slow our play down as much and wouldn’t let us down as often.
So in summery, we missed a partner to compliment Partey, we don’t necessarily miss Xhaka.
Thanks for the post Rico, it must have been an absolute joy to write.
I’ve not read anyone else’s comments this is straight off of my head, so here goes.
New manager?
Now that’s a question, I always wanted Nagelsman and did so before Emery got the job, but that ship has sailed into Munich harbour, so who else?
I don’t really know and that’s the problem because I doubt that anybody currently in the Arsenal management has a clue either?
David Dein had a good eye for a talented manager, he brought us George Graham and Arsene Wenger so maybe Josh Kroenke should give him a call and ask for his opinion?
When Roberto Di Matteo was caretaker of Chelsea he had an average time in charge but by some miracle he managed Chelsea to the final of the Champions League and won it.
Abramovitch gave him the job following that success and sacked him a few months later when it became clear that the CL win had been a fluke.
Was Arteta’s FACup win a fluke???
I hope not because I wanted Mikel to be a rip roaring success so I take no pleasure in having these thoughts. I want the best for Arsenal, I’m not interested in being proved right, it’s about the club, not me or any other fan…
And so, I guess we’ll find out in the next few weeks if the FA Cup was Arteta’s Di Matteo moment and certainly by the summer because the next four games have the painful feeling of a dead man walking.
Arteta may be a dead man walking , but his job is safe, nobody at Arsenal Football Club or KSE, has a clue who to approach with a view to becoming the next Head Coach at the Emirates. Edu may know a Brazilian coach or two but we don’t want to jump from the frying pan into the fire.
Was Cedric any worse than Xhaka at left back? I don’t think so. Ideally of course, neither would be playing there.
Indeed Kev, an absolute joy.
The squad which won the FA Cup was quite different to the one we have now..
Ladies and Gents…..all those crappy blogs you see on NN about Arteta getting the sack are simply wasting their time.
Arteta’s job, as Cicero pointed out, is FEKKING SAFE. He will not be going anywhere. Because the Kroenkes are prepared for the initial failure because they want a process. Arteta tells us to trust the process and while the board trusts that process than he will stay there.
We dont know what was agreed and stipulated when he got the job.
I want Arteta to succeed. I liked him as a player and still feel that with better players of his choice we will not be were we are right now.
We have to remember some things……
1) he had to get an enourmous wage bill down.
2) he had some brainfarted players to contend with…Ozil, Kolasinac, Mustafi,
3) he took an ailing club with a rotten core and needed to stabilize the club
4) he still has to clear out more players who simply play for their contracts and not the club
5) He had to change a playing style and integrate players into it…and some are not simply up to it
6) He had to deal with a pandemic….meaning less money everywhere in the world.
Yes, as Rico asked me a few days ago, with the squad as it is we should be having more points…imo at least we lost 12 points due to our carelessness this season. That would put us right up level with Chelsea. Were the points lost due to Arteta’s failure or due to the players missing chances, failing to score, taking the wrong choice, fluffling it up etc?
I guess the club are taking these things into consideration
Because KROENKE KNOWS that if he employs someone like Allegri…..he will have to pay Arteta his full contract, pay Allegri AND more importantly spend money on new players.
Kroenke knows that the above scenario will be repeated if he employs Sarri (heaven forbid…even my stomach is churning at the thought)
Kroenke knows that if he employs someone like Eddi Howe we will remain where we are with the same results but he will still have to pay Arteta his money.
Kroenke knows that if he wants someone like Brendon Rogers he will not get him because he is not going to step down from a Champions league club to a midtable club with all the issues there are.
Kroenke knows that even though he says that he listens to what the supporters have to say, deep down he has a plan and he will stick to it.
FFS….even Herbert Chapman too 4 years to turn Arsenal into a winning team. And lost his first final. Even SAF took 4 years to get United where he wanted them.
Arteta is here to stay. And honestly I would love him to succeed.
Any supporter who wishes for Allegri or any manager of that ilk is living in cuckoo land. When I was a teenager I used to dream of Olivia Newton John’s face and figure. Deep down I still do but that is another story. If I kept dreaming about her I would still be dreaming now. She wouldnt have left hollywood for me and I was not up to that level anyway. I had to be more realistic.
Aresenal Supporters must be realistic too.
Imo Arteta could have got more points had he stayed with 3 at the back and played with two wingbacks.
The team began going downhill when he stuck to the 4-1-2-3 formation…..tactics which our players are not capable of playing. He should have stayed with the 3-4-2-1 formation for this season with the wingbacks until he changed enough players to play the 4-1-2-3 formation next season when more playing staff would have been moved on and new ones who could play it come in.
The squad right now is a shambles. and if we mere mortals can see who is up to it or not I can assure you that Arteta can. He knows who is there to stay and he knows who is going to move on. And the players are professional enough to know it too. They already know who is going to stay and who is going to go.
If he does not play them….their value would plummet down and we would get nothing. If he plays them and we still lose other clubs will say exactly like my friends where I work……Aubameyang should leave because Arsenal are crap and he does not deserve to be there. That still leaves his value intact because if he plays he will not be blamed. If I put someone like Mrtinelli in his place and the latter performs another club would tell us….you dont need him he is surplus…so this is the amount I am going to give you.
As Kev and Scott point out…let’s see how the summer transfers pan out….than we will see what happens next year.
A lot of assumptions there Devil, certainly in relation to Kroenke. He’s got some bridges to build after the Super League fiasco.
Kroenke is in America. Arsenal supporters are far away. He will not be able to hear them. No one will turn on his doorstep to protest.
Does anyone really believe the Kroenke family is unaware of the fan unrest?
I don’t. They read and see the news just as we do.
If Arsenal aren’t doing well, his money is at risk, or rather the value of his little toys shares will drop.
It’s in their interest for the club to do better than it is and they’d be absolute fools to let this fiasco which is Arsenal to continue for too much longer.
The biggest decision the board have to make imo is do they believe Arteta is the right guy to make transfer decisions? If the treatment of Saliba, Martinez, AMN, Martinelli etc is anything to go by then I’d say the answer has to be no.
Ultimately Arsenal can change Arteta, as many times as they want. but until the club gets rid of the root of the problem nothing will change.
I understand that right now many want Arteta changed, but what I am saying is that you have to get rid of the people above him as well otherwise nothing will change.
The root of the problem??? The Kroenke family. They are just as incompetent as anyone
Let’s say Ek takes over. Will he inject money in the club after spending 1.78 billion to buy it out? Yes he can change arteta but will he give the new coach new players to play with?? Top players??
The Kroenke’s aren’t perfect but they’re not responsible for the football we play and we pretty much all agree that this group of players should be able to do better than it’s been doing.
I know Chelsea have a much stronger squad than us but the principle is the same in relation to a change of manager improved their performance.
yes we would love an owner like Abramovich wouldn’t we. Someone who changes managers at will every 6 months. At least that would guarantee us that we would win something every year.
The difference is that whilst many think that Abramovitch is shady and sinister the fact is that Kroenke’s running of the club is rotten to the core. Roman puts his money where his mouth is. Kroenke hides them in his underwear.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/may/07/in-trouble-from-top-to-bottom-chaotic-arsenal-are-failing-in-all-areas
Actually, no, I wouldn’t want a bloke like Roman owning the club.
Arteta seems to blow hot and cold on players . One day they seem indispensible and the next they disappear into anonimity.
Maitland Niles , Nelson and Martinelli , and now Soares I just don’t think that he knows his best team and he is always looking for a magic solution .
Well from my experience I will tell him that there isn’t one . He needs to make his mind up and stick with it and create some stability.
I am impressed with the comment that we need to stop subsidising loan player’s wages. It’s rumoured that we are still paying towards Ozil and if thats the case it would not surprise me if we .
are we coughing up for Kolasinac too .
Lots to do and I don’t know whats best, if we go for the points , we might qualify for the new third tier European competition . Do we really want that , starting games at the end of july . I think we might be better off out altogether.
Totally agree on stability, chopping and changing does nobody any good and certainly not the team. If he can’t work out his best team from who he has by now then he shouldn’t be in the job imo.
Agree re the loans too, plus let’s use our own first before taking others on board.
Evening Rico and the House.
A goal 2mins into injury time has given our u23’s a 2-2 draw at westHam
Scored by Taylor Hart after Moller had scored the first.
It was the final game of the season for them and made us safe from the drop
Emile Smith Rowe was a sensation when he broke into the team, almost as influential as Bakayo Saka I’d say.
Then we loaned Martin Odegaard from Real Madrid…
So my question is, has the arrival of Odegaard stifled the development of Smith Rowe?
Or have Odegaard and Smith Rowe dovetailed well together?
Has Smith Rowe therefore improved since Odegaard arrived or gone backwards and whose fault is it, Odegaard, Arteta, Smith Rowe himself, opponents sussing him out?
And would you be happy to see Arsenal sign Odegaard permanently?
And if yes, what would be your cut off price to sign him?
Odegaard is a very pretty player and a step up on Ceballos but he is harming Smith Rowe’s development. They are too similar although Smith Rowe is more direct, just as capable of finding the pass but the difference is that having played it he goes forward for the return where Odegaard tends to stay .
Under our circumstances as we have ESR Odegaard is a luxury that we can’t afford we need to spend elsewhere.
Evening Rick, some good news then..
No Odegaard for me, nor Ceballos.
I see Joe Willock scored again,I hope he’s given a chance next season.
Ceballos hasn’t done nearly enough.
Odegaard, superb player and at the right price i’d grab him.
Totally different style to ESR imo
Make them work together.
Nothing really changes until Stan is gone.
Limey, for all the criticism of letting William (and others) go on loan, I doubt we can be upset at the results.
He’s getting plenty of game time and showing us all what he can do so it’s all positive for me.
If Stan Kroenke sells up Scott, it’s likely Arteta will follow him out the door.
We can’t blame Kroenke for our football.
Last night showed that Odegaard and ESR should not play together. In the positions they played last night one has to be much more defensively minded while the other can afford to push forward. Last night the combination hung Partey out to dry and he copped a lot of flack as a result.
Wether or not we could afford Odegaard I don’t believe we need him, he’s good but not exceptional. ESR has definitely been held back by his presence and I think, if he gets more opportunities, he will be a real success next season.
Incidentally, many are begging for another Partey type player but I think we already have one. Elneny!
Good night all.
Interesting comments, what would you say is the right price Scott, £20m, £30m, £40m, £50m?
I like Odegaard but I think that Smith Rowe has been less effective since he joined and although their styles differ they both play the same position and that means Smith Rowe is pushed out wide.
When Smith Rowe was the No.10 he and Saka linked brilliantly, but I don’t see that same connection between Odegaard and Saka.
I think that Real Madrid are going to ask an unrealistic price for Odegaard and if so then I reckon that that’s it. It’s a shame but we’ll need to invest that dough elsewhere in our team more in need of an upgrade and also not least the fact that we have two or three more young midfielders coming through and I don’t want to see them blocked off by a guy who’ll cost a big fee and whose on big wages.
Ceballos has basically told everyone who’ll listen that he wants to join Real Betis and so be it.
With no european football to supplement our income I reckon that the player outgoings could be even more severe that any of us imagined next summer.
Yes Limey I think that it might make financial sense to give Willock another chance, unless of course a big offer comes in for him? After all following his injury we might have to find room for Guendouzi next season – that’ll be fun…
No europe probably means no new contract for Luiz and Saliba takes his spot, which I would be broadly in favour of.
I think we must be sharp at picking up the relegated players, happy to be in the prem.
West Brom’s keeper looks good to me and English.
Fulham’s Aina also and would be a home grown player and looks strong as a wing back.
Pity Newcastle looks set to stay up, I like the look of Maximin and Almeron.
Like everyone has said, no money but need big investment and lack of ability to attract good players.
Need to move many players on but I fear it will be our good youngsters that we will sell instead. Hopefully Torreira gets to go home and Guenduzi finds a club as I think he’s pretty good and has an engine to work the midfield better than Xhaka and Elneny but sadly not Arteta’s cup of tea.
Good Morning
Kev..the answer to your question whether we should sign Odegaard permanently is NO.
We have ESR and Willock to share it. Let them share it between them.
If Arteta does not see it that way then he deserves to be sacked
Guendouzi has broken a metatarsal and is out for Hertha’s season. Can’t sell him this window then.
Brad, I like the Fulham keeper too but isn’t he on loan from PSG?
I agree re the ESR v Odegaard view, ESR hasn’t been the same player imo, not since he’s been moved around to cater for Odegaard’s inclusion. I recall one game where it worked with ESR in the left, but that’s it.
Morning all.
Good morning all
That’s pretty much how I see it DG, I like Odegaard and in a good side he’d be great but we aren’t a good side and the funds we do have must be spent on positions that need serious upgrades, we also won’t need as big a squad next season with only three competitions to go for, it’s happened to Chelsea and Liverpool in recent times – not being in europe – and they’ve done ok since, as long as it’s only brief we should do ok.
Rico, yes we can.
When an owner doesn’t care about onfield success and places no demands on those beneath him other than ti provide him with a financial bounty, how can a club possibly succeed?
Look at the past 20 League winners.
How many (at the time they won the league) were competitive in the market?????
I’ll have a guess and say 19.
Kev, we won’t be spending anything this season.
We owe Stan for Partey so unless we sell plenty, it’ll be a dry old summer, I fear.
Odegaard won’t be staying.
You can Scott but the reality is, only the manager is responsible for the football we play.
Yes, Kroenke could invest more but that’s not how Arsenal operate and haven’t done for many years.
Blaming Kroenke is convenient when the football is garbage.
Kev, I’m quite looking forward to a season without European football, as weird as that might sound. I think it could be beneficial to Arsenal as it was to Leicester because once they got into Europe, it showed their squad couldn’t cope.
Rico, I’ll say what I’ve said for years.
We’ve gone downhill since he bought in.
I’m happy to be proven wrong, but the facts don’t lie.
It does not matter who own’s a club or how much money they put into the club.
If a coach keeps changing the side around or keeps picking players to play out of position it show’s that the coach either does not trust any player or the coach does not know what he is doing. in the end the players just give up.
I still believe Arteta constant changing of the team from comes from his lack of experience as a coach. and I don’t blame the assistant coach after all the head coach selected them.
As I said before I glad in a way we don’t have European football this way we can start a new season with the crowds and Arteta can just concentrate on winning the FA Cup and getting us back in the top 6.
Geoff,
Explain why the big spending clubs win titles.
I mean, by this logic, send Pep to Luton Town and they’ll suddenly be challenging for a CL title.
Sorry, but it’s ridiculous to say money isn’t THE single biggest factor in football success!!!
With Daniel Ek and his Invincibles on the case and supporter unrest bubbling along I think that it’s almost a certainty that KSE will spend this summer Scott, whether we sell or not.
I’m not looking forward to us not being in europe Rico, not least because it affords more minutes in the early rounds for Arteta to play our younger players, but it might prove beneficial as long as it’s just one season.
Is it Kroenke’s fault or is that a diversion ?
Ultimately , yes it is because he has the final say on everything that happens , he appoints people to do things and if they go wrong then he appointed the wrong people.
He knows little or nothing about football unless they play with an egg shaped ball and dress like iron man. His motivation for being at Arsenal is not for the sport but for the wellbeing of his investment.
He is a money man that exists to make more and spend it on accumulation of more wealth. He owns 850,000 acres of prairie land , euphamistically to use as ranch land but strangely is now getting involved of placing wind farms on it ( Wyoming ) and solar panels ( Texas )
It’s all about the money and the only way that Ek or any other suitor is going to prize his London real estate away , is to make an offer that surpasses any gain that he might make from it .
One major problem could be that since he took all the financial reporting under his wing is that he might have ( might ) used the Emirates as security on the loan that he took for his new Los Angeles stadium and therefor selling out would mean having to renegotiate or repayment..
Getting him out although on paper might sound ideal in reality might be a lot more difficult.
I hope you’re right, Kev.
According to the press this morning, Arteta has lost patience with his squad and has said he will be ruthless when deciding who goes and who stays. We can all supply a “who goes” list, the trouble is however ruthless Arteta is, certain members of his squad are unsaleable and will be impossible to move on unless he can buy them out of their contracts.
In other news, Uefa have imposed fines of £7 million each on the nine clubs who signed up to the ESL. Kroenke has said he will pay the fine out of his own funds. However, The Premier League are expected to levy much higher fines on the Dirty Six although a points deduction is not on the cards. Will Kroenke be willing to pay the new fines? We must wait and see.
Whatever happens we are going to be short of money this summer so Arteta Edu and Ventkatesham need to get on with the job of clearing out the Augean stables otherwise known as Arsenal’s first team squad.
Tbh, I’d rather Arsenal talked more about sales than signings Scott, better we plead poverty when doing business on new players.
Fair call, Kev.
Stan can beg and plead 🙂
The downside with coming out with comments like the club being ruthless is the drop in value that that might bring to the players we want to sell?
I mean if you are looking at available Arsenal players are you not going to bid low if you suspect the club wants to have a clear out?
Probably not the smartest thing to say if you want to get a good price for your surplus staff…
Afternoon Rico and the House
Its a very wet and windy day at Hale End and I am watching our U18’s beating Villa 2.0 at Half time
Last night 7of the u18’s played for the U23’s and today scoolboys are playing in their place
The conveyor belt from Hale End is workin non stop and there are some very talented youngsters on it .
Both goals are pens the villa C/h cannot handle richards and ther are more goals in the 2nd half
Scott I hate Kroenke as much as any one else and yes money will buy you better players but it also gives you players with bigger ego’s and there for if you don’t know how to treat players or have the man management skills or coaching skill’s you still will not win.
We need to sell players for top dollar now if Arteta has said he will be ruthless this transfer season he has just killed any chance of top dollar when other clubs know he want’s that player out.
a good coach can get the best out of any player a bad coach can not.
I think he’s trying to show that he’s in charge and up to the job.
I don’t think that there are many fans who truly believe that appointing a rookie coach and then, on the strength of a Cup Final win, promoting him to manager was an entirely sensible thing to do.
I can’t see Kroenke sacking Arteta, he would just make himself look dumb for making the original decision to appoint him head coach. However, should Daniel Ek succeed in buying the club, the jobs of Venkatesham, Edu and Arteta will be on the line.
Geoff, some players don’t want to be told anything, though.
They’re filled with ideas from mates, family and agents and think they know it all
But I agree with all that Scott, what I’m saying is, Kroenke isn’t responsible for the football we’re playing.
We’ve the best squad we’ve had for years yet possibly playing the worst football we have for years.
Also, I don’t recall anyone moaning about Kroenke when we won the FA Cup.
Kroenke does leave Martinelli on the bench or play Xhaka at left back or play the most important match of the season with just Partey protecting the defence. This is my complaint, the Kroenke issue is a totally different one.
Geoff, exactly the point I’m trying to make.
Potter, I think if every single Arsenal fan was asked if they wanted Kroenke to sell up, every single one would have the same answer, yes. He’s a dreadful owner as far as being involved or ambitious goes but on a positive note, he leaves the board to run the club, similar to Liverpool, City and Utd I’d imagine.
I hope Ek buys him out and I hope he shows his ambition but as I’ve said before, those who think Arteta is the future will probably be left disappointed because I’m sure he’d be gone, as would most if not all of the board.
Kev, good point, I forgot about that side of the Europa Cup, although didn’t help many of the players involved this year as far as progressing at Arsenal goes. Other than ESR but I wonder now if he’d have got his chance had it not been for injuries.
Afternoon Rick, wet and windy here too.
Thanks for the academy updates.
KEv….that is similar to not playing them this season. If Arteta was to play Martinelli instead of Auba and he goes on a scoring run Auba will not get a look in. And clubs will soon see that Auba is surplus. So he is played instead.
Preseason will tell us many things. And also the games till Christmas.
Just how I feel Devil. I’m convinced AMN could have worked alongside Partey or even cemented his place at right back. Willock is definitely a more exciting player than Ceballos or Willian. Nelson still remains a mystery as he doesn’t play yet Pepe has hardly set the PL alight.
Leeds keeper Illan Meslier is doing well today..
Finished 5-2
our scorers Oyedji, Ideho 2, Cozier-Duberry and Richards
Avery good game of football
Couple of our boys are a bit Raw but I think we will be
seeing a lot of them next season
full time Leeds 3 Tottenham 1 I wonder who Tottenham Will blame for this lose I guessing the boot boys fault he used too much polish and the ball kept slipping of the boot
No Geoff, it’ll be the owners fault. 😂
Good result Rick…
Well the Leeds-Spurs result has cheered me right up.
Did you watch it Limey? Leeds were really good. Entertaining that’s for sure.
I posted several times that the Laca-Auba duo didn’t work. I think I was right.
In the same vein, I don’t understand how Odegard and ESR can play at the same time. And I believe, to be correct again.
I do not understand how to have full backs on the bench, a fundamental player adapts and the core of the midfield the left defense, weakening both positions (and I wrote lateral defenses on purpose).
Now: Ceballos, William and Odegard all have the same defect: they flee from the heart of the area. They are not, when it is necessary to appear in the area to score a goal and not to “walk” the ball again. Ramsey appeared and scored goals. That is why the Laca-Martinelli duo works best. Because Laca goes to the area to try the goal. Like Willock. So he has already scored 4 goals for Newcastle. If we don’t always make it necessary for a player to appear more in the area, we are always deficient in the area. The 3 players flee to the sides, prefer to lateralize the ball, not to take the risk.
I don’t know the future but for a new coach, has anyone thought about the Olympiakos coach?
Entertaining? Not a word ever associated with Leeds United since the days of Don Revie. 😉
Can he speak English? and German, Spanish, Scottish, Arabic, French, Albanian, not to mention, of course, Portuguese? 😉
Quim, I think we are, mostly, in complete agreement that Arteta is trying to play a system that is plainly not suited to the players he has available. A more experienced manager would recognise the fact and change the system to suit the players. Sadly Arteta knows only the system he learnt under Guardiola.
Good points Jm.
Must admit, I’ve not given any thought to the Olympiakos guy.
Ultimately the buck stops with Stan.
He has done well for himself but inherited millions, and then ended up marrying the billionaire daughter of Bud Walton. He made the bulk of his money in property by buying up worthless out of town land and then renting out space on it when it suddenly became a popular retail outlet. Of course the popularity of the retail outlet had nothing to do with a freaking great Walmart being built on it. And Walmart choosing to use his land had nothing to do with his wife……. He may have grown his empire but with that sort of backing it’d be easy to pay people to run things and let them get on with it (sound familiar).
Josh has even less business brains, having only really got work from his father.
So these are the people running the club.
These days the board has 4 members.
Lord Harris of Peckham
Stan Kroenke
Josh Kroenke
Tim Lewis (employed by Stan Kroenke)
Stan has 100% of the voting rights.
Now look at who works at the top of the club and how they got there. I have worked in a corporate environment for both Multinationals, Family run (multimillionaire) businesses and small businesses. They all recruit in a similar and structured way. They know what they want they look at whats available and they then go through rigorous assessments before they hire them.
We have
Vinai Venkatesham – Basically the last man standing after Gazidis left. He got to share the power vacuum with Sanllehi. Originally he was the chief commercial officer in a department that wasn’t exactly outperforming the market.
Edu – After dumping Mislintat we tried for Monchi and failed. We then got Edu ( a great player and I’m sure a lovely man). However he has no experience in this size of role, and no experience on this continent. However he did bring us a very close relationship with Joorabchian (the man who brought us Cedric and Luiz)!
Arteta – Says all the right things and has managed us through a very rough process at the worst time (I think he needs more time), however if he got the boot I wouldn’t be surprised.
Now they could all work out, but they may not. If they don’t the fault lays with the people who hired them.
I keep forgetting about Willian…..I think it is for my mental health. Of course he is a Joorabchian client.
And that’s going to be his downfall Cicero. Unless Kroenke breaches FFP and gives him a few hundred million to spend.
I wouldn’t be too happy to rely on the the man who signed Willian to spend a few quid, let alone hundreds of millions. 😉
Cicero and Rico, on the pitch that is my big worry. Arteta seemingly wants to play a style that several of our players don’t really fit.
I worry because it also doesn’t really suit 2 of our 3 biggest young talents. I would be building the future around them and I’m unsure Arteta can.
Chelsea get an injury time winner against Manchester City after perhaps the worst penalty miss by Aguero.
As would I Hobart, ESR, Saka and Martinelli are really exciting young players. Balogun too I think.
50 years ago today we won the double…beating the dippers 2-1 in the final.
In a Maurice Chevalier accent….Ah yes I remember it well.
Bonne nuit mes amis.
I don’t know who this geezer is but I sure as hell hope that he’s right;
@EddieLongbridge
#AFC | Willian has reportedly told family and friends he is unhappy with how things have gone at Arsenal this season and is hopeful of a move to the MLS this Summer.
So do I….
Me too.
Szczesny on the move. Maybe to Everton.
JM Can I ask a question not related to football,
As a traveller that has crossed on the ferry from Spain to the Algarve in the past and driven from Galicia in the north to Portugal . What is the situation on the borders. Is there still free movement and in theory is it possible to go into Portugal ( green list ) travel into Spain ( red list ) and back again before flying back.
Furthermore if you enter a bar in say Vale de lobo , what are the chances of meeting people from Spain .
This is to settle an argument at home . Thanks.
Morning all.
New post up now
https://highbury-house.com/2021/05/09/mikel-arteta-owners-will-support-summer-of-changes/