We're not going anywhere with Mikel, the sooner the fans accept it the better.
Mikel Arteta | Lego Pep watch
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) was joined by comedian Ali Woods to look back at the best and worst moments of a rollercoaster season with the annual United Hour Awards.
Has Ten Hag been sacked yet? We're not sure and we hope not, but it's looking more likely as the days pass.
Who should replace him and why is it taking so long to make a decision?
Games in hand vs Chelsea and Spurs, plus they have to face us. Small chance they could lose all three games. Highly likely they’ll lose 2 of the 3.
We're going to the EL with an outside chance of CL. Which is what everyone expected and kind of accepted from the start. I don't think we can go back to blaming him because Gabriel decided to have another stinker, Tierney and Scotland thought it would be a good idea to play 180min of meaningless friendlies in fecking March/April and Lacazette being his usual self.
We all know the reasons why our squad looks like that at the moment. We were always going to suffer a setback, i'm surprised we lasted that long. We rode our luck and the kind of fixtures we have next are the sort of games you are supposed to win with any squad if you pretend to be a top 4 club. United downing tools should not hide the fact that we still have a lot of work to do in recruitment and coaching.
At the moment i'm fine with him being the one leading it, mostly because i don't know who else you'd get. Wether he stays on or not at Spurs, Conte is a tough one. ETH is going to fill his pockets at United. Who should we target ? Potter ? Rodgers ? Flavour of the month Ligue 1 manager ? We need quality cover after clearing out a ton of deadwood. CL money would boost that but we'll have to be patient.
Dropping points happens and Palace is a very tough team to play away.
But the Tierney and Partey injuries could be killers if they are serious. Arteta's biggest weakness in general has been a tendency to design tactical systems that fall apart if too many backup players need to be called upon. He needs to figure out how to get results for a couple weeks while hopefully some players return. Partey is the real key IMO. If he is out for a good chunk of the rest of the season, we are pretty fecked. We can scheme around Tierney, especially if Tomiyasu ever returns as that would open up the possibility of flipping Cedric to the other side.
But the Tierney and Partey injuries could be killers if they are serious. Arteta's biggest weakness in general has been a tendency to design tactical systems that fall apart if too many backup players need to be called upon. He needs to figure out how to get results for a couple weeks while hopefully some players return. Partey is the real key IMO. If he is out for a good chunk of the rest of the season, we are pretty fecked. We can scheme around Tierney, especially if Tomiyasu ever returns as that would open up the possibility of flipping Cedric to the other side.
Putting aside the young lads like Saka, ESR or Martinelli, who probably would've developed regardless of the manager, do you see other players becoming better?
Because I see them making the same silly mistakes in defence, being often out of place in the midfield and not creating many chances in the attack.
We've progressed because we bought better players to replace inferior ones, not because Arteta made them better or his tactics made the team play better football. Half the matches we win we play really boring football and are often lucky.
If you see this development I don't, then fair enough.
I just think we're wasting our time with the old "trust the process" nonsense and eventually fans will get fed up. Unless we've actually become a club with no title ambitions, in that case, I guess a guy like Arteta is ok.
If those 3 players would have improved with whoever was managing, Arteta is supposed to get everyone else better or buy better. He went hard with the latter because anyone could see that no coach would get anything out of the rotting squad we had previously. I can't say he dramatically improved any player but we are way stronger defensively (not the best night to brag about it) I get that you think this is not enough, "we're Arsenal!" etc.. but that's the path we're on.
I don't know how you can even think about title ambitions with City and Liverpool destroying the league like it's the Bundesliga. It's a race for top 4 until Klopp or Pep leaves.
But again, say the board went that way, who are we getting ? And once we get this manager, is he expected to get top 4 or win the EL straight away with the squad Arteta assembled ?
I think if we get EL or CL, he should get a chance to finish assembling his team. If we're still not good enough offensively then i'm sure we'll be looking to replace him.
If they don’t get their grail of Top 4 then I can’t wait to see how it’s covered. Been saying it all along, Spurs & United only have themes to blame for not getting their shit together. The amount of draws at home under RR has been sickening when you see that Arsenal team.
I am happy with the team's progress this season regardless of 4th or 5th place finish.
Its Arsenal
it's Rebekah Vardy
They have Brighton next who are in terrible form. The perfect bounce-back opportunity.
The lack of quality up front for us is shocking. Lacazette is an awful striker and he’s about our only option. We’ve been getting away with it because individual players like Ode and Saka have been doing the business but if your striker can’t score goals you’re going to struggle. The only positive was seeing Arteta get slapped around by a real Arsenal legend playing Arsenal style football.
I don't want to piss on your parade but what if this is going to be as good as it gets? Let's say you finish 5th do you think you can finish top 4 next season?
Of course its going to be difficult. But let's face it, while Pep & Klopp are here, 2 of the top 4 positions are gone.
Chelsea we aren't sure which way will go, so your talking about them, Utd, Spurs & ourselves fighting it out for 2 positions most likely. Then in a year or 2 your likely going to have to add Newcastle in the mix.
So there will be 2 / 3 teams miss out on Champions League each season. Thats the reality of the situation now I'm afraid for supporters of these clubs unless something changes drastically.
I disagree, he's had the team playing consistently the last few months / weeks. The good thing about Arteta is that his development with Arsenal has been progressive. This season has seen far better performances than the previous two. A fall off over the next few games would be catastrophic however and it will mount up pressure given how wishy washy United, Spurs and West Ham have been.
So be it. Arsenal doesn't have the resource like Man Utd and City, and Arteta currently is not as good as Klopp who can punch above Liverpool's weight.
I can't give you alternatives or what if's, I'm not a sporting director. I'm just a fan and I don't see players progressing under Arteta, that's it. You mentioned he went all in in the market because the players he had were poor, but do you think players like White, Gabriel, Partey, Xhaka or Odegaard have improved under him this season? I don't see it, they are upgrades for sure and the table shows it, but as you said we don't have city resources, so eventually we won't be able to upgrade anymore and it's up to the manager to do what klopp has done. I haven't seen anything that convinces me arteta is that manager.
I really really hope I'm wrong and he becomes a success, but I fear in a couple of years we look back and think we've wasted a few years.
My view is that the improvements are because we bought better players, not because arteta made players better or is a better tactician.
So.. by that logic United and Spurs who have the better squads should be way clear of us by now?
It doesn't work like that. How about, the results have improved because Arteta bought the players to suit his tactics, and now we're seeing results.
Last night was not good, but it won't cloud the rest of the season, unless you are some extremely reactionary fan
I don't have to bring other clubs into it when I'm judging what I see when I watch arsenal play. Most fans seem to be happy, so I guess I'll have to wait and see.
I don't think I'm reactionary at all, I've been unconvinced with arteta since day one, the same way I stuck with wenger when most wanted him out.
The issue here is you and the Arsenal board may have different interpretation on "success". I am sure there is a process internally to judge and review Arteta's performance as a head coach. If he doesn't meet the expectation, he will be sack just like any job out there. Arteta just like Conte in Spurs has to work with the constraints of the club. I don't understand the point about "wasted a few years". If it refers to league title we have wasted every year since 2004.
Btw, Arteta is just a rookie manager. He is not in the same league of Pep, Klopp and Conte. Not even close.
These things are hard to explain because I'll be the first to admit, the way we judge a performance is entirely subjective. For example with Emery I always had the feeling he was on to something but lacked the players. Can't explain it exactly though, just the midfield movement of the players to create space... With Arteta I don't get that feeling, he's getting his players but then I don't see them improving performance wise.
I hope you can all call me an idiot in a couple of years.
I sort of get what you are saying, you certainly aren't the only fan that thinks this, even on here he was criticised well into the season about not seeing a real style of play, not creating enough etc.
However, I think most agree in general they've seen a marked improvement in the 2nd part of the season so far, obviously with outliers like the other night. This video has a good graph just after the 2min mark of expected xG over Arteta's reign if you are into that sort of thing, and you can see the marked improvement in both directions after the early difficult games of the season when he started to get his signings settled.
Now, we don't know if that was a phase yet but hopefully that's the trend going forward, & it reflects what most have been saying on here the last few months that even a lot of the doubters have seen a marked improvement.
There's still a long way to go though, I still don't think the attack functions that well and we certainly aren't clinical enough, and that's a major area that will get looked at in the summer so let's see what they do about that. If they can get a very good forward or two, that an make all the difference, you only have to see how Son & Kane carry Spurs at times.
Im not sure about wasting years though. Our target should be obviously to improve each season but realistically with Klopp & Pep in the league, your fighting to be the best of the rest, unless the Kronke's seriously dip their hands in their pocket to drive the project on.
Well...
Galaxy brain move to play Xhaka at LB. He definitely thinks he's pep
Arsenal are going to Spurs their way out of the Champions League
If only our players hadn't given up
It just obvious that Conte is going to overdo Arteta this season even if its not this match day.
Bottlers. 0 balls.
Had something fragile that he seemed to stumble onto that was working, but loses two players and it all falls apart.
Arsenal are going nowhere long term with Arteta in charge, it’s a pity our own squad has such a terrible attitude. We should easily be 5th.
Arsenal are going nowhere long term with Arteta in charge, it’s a pity our own squad has such a terrible attitude. We should easily be 5th.
Arsenal eventually found a way to Arsenal it up. They’ve fecked it now. Spurs fixtures will clinch it for them. Calls for Arteta to be sacked are back.
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That late penalty appeal was hilarious. So desperate.
But the process... Arteta is on to something... we can see the improvement... yeah...
They will not get a better chance of finishing top 4. United having their worst season, spurs inconsistent, westham and Leicester navigating between the league and europe. Arsenal with no European football with a comfortable position before the last two games should be getting the 4th spot. They may not and that should be a disappointment.
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Everyone knew Arsenal would mess it up, just a shame it was Spurs who took the opportunity, it was only about 6 weeks ago that Conte said Spurs had a 1 % chance of finishing top 4, and we've had a two week international break in that time. now it has to be a 99 % chance they get it.
Everyone other than the top 3 is just crap, Spurs though have the best manager, so will be the least crap.
Everyone other than the top 3 is just crap, Spurs though have the best manager, so will be the least crap.
Spurs have got a clinical top class attack, that when you are under the cosh like they were at times today can take you up the park & get quality goals on the counter.
Arsenal have Lacazette, Spurs have Kane & Son. Son scored more open play goals today than Lacazette has managed all season.
Well you had Aubameyang who is proving he can still score goals at the top level. Don't you think it is the job of the manager to get the best out of their players. Just having Lacazette and Nkiteah as your choice was always going to backfire.
It is, but it wasn't working, & it had a risk of turning more poisonous. Only a week ago Arteta wasn't getting praised on here for being strong & turfing out players that weren't playing ball with his vision.
It was always going to be a gamble, everyone said that at the time. But top 4 was never be all & end all for us, just like it won't be for you.