What is football bloody like then?
Mikel Arteta | Lego Pep watch
- Thread starter Samid
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Pretty sure football is not like bunjee jumping.
Definitely not like thumb wrestling either.
Do we need an Olympic size swimming pool?
Fair, he tried to put this on practice yesterday
Thank you!
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Don't ask anyone at the Emirates. They haven't seen any played for several months now.
Elite Coach? Maybe.
Elite Manager? You havin'alauuugh
He seems to enjoy going out to the public and dishing on every single decision made. Recipe for disaster. Imagine how motivated Saliba must feel right now to play for Arsenal. Especially at a time, when that defence NEEDS help. "wE HaVe MAdE a DeCIsiON!" is arrogant and poor man-management.
We had some DARK times at this club, when the midfield was unreliable with inconsistent Fred, run-around Mctominay and an injured Pogba. Matic badmouthing the manager. The attacking impetus was Rashford and Martial. That's it.
Arsenal have a similar problem. No creative assets in midfield, and their best DM, Partey, is injured. Leno has been inconstitent, just like De Gea was.
No squad depth, just like United. In this moment... When you have an Ozil just sitting around on a HUGE salary - just like Sanchez was - it would be criminal to openly put down the player. Bad for squad harmony. Sanchez was injured a lot and Ole never once put him down in the press when at the club. Arteta has chosen war without the clout of having any real long term success. The great managers would get Ozil onside. He's done for.
We dont really know how they do transfers, and i doubt Arteta has full autonomy, but it would be reasonable to expect he has some say in it. Also, their transfers have not been all bad imo. Auba and Partey are good players and Lacazette was as highly (if not higher) rated than Martial when he arrived, hes just not made the same impact.
The squad is pretty mediocre, but its not that bad and when i watch them i always get the feeling that almost none of these players are playing at full capacity. They look like a bunch or mercenaries who are happy to collect their paychecks, except that unlike the plastic clubs, these players are not that good. Arteta is clearly out of his depth, but honestly i think most managers would have been, because it would take something special to sort this mess out
Nooo... we need Arteta to stay. I for one, want to see Arsenal play Millwall next season and possibly Grimsby in a couple of seasons after. The banter on AFTV with rival fans would be golden. Ty against Millwall fans....
Good lord...you know that his life won't matter to them lot.
They can give up, sacrifice DT then.I agree with most of what you said.
At best i think the squad is a 6th place outfit, which simply isn't good enough for a club the size of Arsenal. So, no matter who the manager is, it's going to take quite a while before you challenge for the title again.
However, I think its a bit unfair to call the players a bunch of mercenairies. When a team is in a big slump a lot of fans say the players dont care and aren't playing for the manager etc. I just think its simply a case of confidence falling through the floor. Players become timid on the ball and become afraid of making mistakes and trying things and that leads to their minds and bodies working a fraction slower which makes it look like they're not trying as hard as they should be.
If I was an Arsenal fan, I'd give Arteta until at least the end of this season and probably until this time next year to see if he can get the team moving forward.
Too many clubs and their fans dont give managers enough time these days and clubs end up on a merrygoround of managers hoping something will click.
Thats reasoable, but this Arsenal side looks like it lacks leaders on the pitch and they have a few to many idiots like Xhaka and Luiz
Quality had also dropped. Its not that long ago they could field Ramsey, Carzola, Sanchez and Ozil in the same XI and besides Auba who have been shite this year there are no one near that quality
They need a complete overhaul
Is his team really that bad? It's obviously not as good as the general top 5(Pool Spurs, City, Chelsea and us), but is it that much worse than the likes of Leicester, Southampton and Everton?
The most expensive front 3 in the league who can't score goals.
2nd most expensive in world football behind PSG if im not mistaken
I can't wait for them to gain promotion back to the top flight in 2027 thanks in large to a couple of Chelsea and Spurs academy players they've had on loan.
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Yes, they are that bad.
1. Hector Bellerin - laughable
2. Dani Ceballos - When Andy Gray made that joke about 'wet, windy nights in Stoke' he was playing on the imagined stereotype of the weak, snide, diving, sideways passing, continental fair-weather foreigner. Ceballos somehow managed to embody all those things.
3. Pepe - got some quality but he's basically a left footed Gervinho
4. Willian - still got quality but he's on the wane
5. Xhaka - give him the keys
6. Mohammed El backwards
7. Mustafi - nuff said
8. Kolasinac - see above
9. Cedric Soares - pretty average and on a 4 year deal if I'm not wrong.
10. David Luiz - if he's your best centre half, good luck.
Arsenal fans rave about Tierney but I've seldom seen him make intelligent choices on the pitch. Lacazette has talent but is simply not worth what Arsenal paid for him. He seems to get no criticism in the media comapred to say Martial despite being half the player and cost nearly as much. His goal return has fallen year on year and he's never touched 20 goals a season. They'd kill to have someone as good as Calvert-Lewin ( some caf posters turn their noses up at him) who is going to become a 25 goal a season centre forward.
They spent £27M on this Saliba kid but he hasn't kicked a ball yet so can't be judged. Maitland Niles is alright and Smith-Rowe is supposed to be good too but I've seen little of him. Apart from that Saka and Martinelli have quality but they are kids, they aren't going to put up the numbers like seasoned players. If you pop around to Arsenal forums/subs they cheered Martinelli's return as though it was Fat Ronaldo returning to action which says it all.
Basically the spine of this side - the senior pros are all garbage. Their only top level players are Özil and Auba. One of whom they won't play and the other is not in any way a leader.
Someone brought up West Ham earlier in this thread. You have mentioned Leicester and Southampton. Many of their players are better man for man better and/or better coached.
1. I'd like to ask any Hammers on this forum if they'd swap Soucek, Bowen or Rice for their opposite at Arsenal. They offer goals and composure neither of which can be found in Arsenal's midfield.
2. Watching Southampton play Arsenal recently I was struck by the intelligence and composure shown by Walker-Peters, Ward - Prowse, Vestegaard and Armstrong. These players have clearly improved through coaching. Something Arsenal's haven't done in years and the best example is Walcott who is making sensible decisions and taking up intelligent positions for the first time in 14 years.
3. The Leicester the midfield has Ndidi, Maddison and especially Tielemans who is a glorious player. Justin and Jonny Evans have shown more quality than all the clowns in Arsenal's back four over the last seven years put together. Then there's Schmeichel Jr is, Harvey Barnes and Vardy.
Why is it that Arsenal's board cannot detect shit unless they are knee deep in it? Or maybe they have and don't care.
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Great post. Disagree on one bit though; I don’t think Ozil is top class anymore.
Why, for the hilarity which will ensue from AFTV meltdowns?
Or they are just bad because Arteta? Emery finished 5th with the same players exclude Partey, Gabriel, Willian & player he hasn’t play yet Saliba. I’ll put Leicester squad above them but definitely not Southampton. Their squad should be better or on the same level as Everton.
I don’t know if their squad is better than ours right now. Our strongest first XI is much better than their one too.
Most of their fans and pundits thought they were a shoo-in for top 6 and with a good chance to finish ahead of United and Spurs in the top 4 at the start of the season.
Now their squad is suddenly worse than Everton to protect elite manager Arteta.
Now their squad is suddenly worse than Everton to protect elite manager Arteta.
But before the start of season everyone would say arsenal have better squad and at least about the same XI. It’s different view now because Arteta fails to get the best out of his players.
If any Everton including you & arsenal fans have discussion before the first game week. This is what both fans would come up with the combined XI:
Leno
Coleman Luiz Gabriel/Holgate Tierney/Digne
Partey Allan
Pepe James Aubameyang
DCL
Digne is far better than Tierney. Keane is far more reliable than Luiz. Richarlison is better than Pepe.
There aren’t many Arsenal players I’d actually want right now which shows how far behind they are quality wise.
''Right now''. But I'm talking about before the season started.
Both of you would have say Pepe is better on the right than Richarlison since he's more LW. Luiz would have nail the centre back after his contribution last season against Liverpool & the FA Cup, Keane was far being reliable too last season.
I’d have had each of those three above the Arsenal lot before this season too.
Messi + Griezmann + whoever?
I can understand Digne but other than him, it's biased opinion. You finished 12th last season below Arsenal and your defense were terrible last season and worse than Arsenal. No chance Keane should be above Arsenal defense before this season.
Leno
Bellerin, Gabriel, Holgate, Digne
Partey, Allan, Doucoure
James
Richarlison
Aubameyang
Messi went to barca when he was 13
So basically he cost 0?
I'm guessing were going on costs rather than estimated value btw
absolutely. They have many good players: Aubameyang, Lacazette, Ozil, Willian, Leno, Partey, Ceballos, Saka, Gabriel, Thierney are all good players. Even Pepe as well is not Lingard level... it’s the manager that is out of his depth.
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I think Gabriel, Tierney, Saliba, Saka, Partey, Cabellos, Willian, Aubaemyang, Lacazette, Martinelli is more than enough to be doing far better.
Arteta is doing a horrendous job. I think any manager who fancies himself would be happy enough with their squad and a couple of additions in January.
Maybe we will see Tuchel come in.
Arteta is doing a horrendous job. I think any manager who fancies himself would be happy enough with their squad and a couple of additions in January.
Maybe we will see Tuchel come in.
Currently Messi's salary is around 35Mio per year. I believe in former years it wasn't that less.
Costs are not only signing fee...
I am pretty sure that since Ancelotti and Arteta took over we have taken more points in the league overall. That’s from when I’m considering choosing Keane or Luiz from as that’s where each club was currently at before the season began, with those managers in charge. Luiz is fecking awful nowadays, he was once a cracking CB and CDM but now he’s a mistake waiting to happen. Keane is limited but solid at what he does.
The Pepe and Richarlison choice is a no brainer too. One is a tireless worker who is as important to the defence as he is to attack (the forward with the most tackles in the league last season) as well as putting up impressive forward numbers, and the other is someone who lumbers about the pitch with no urgency at all.
Yes, they have a few young talented players and good enough senior players throughout the side that should be doing better but I don’t see a top 4 side at all. I see a side that will be battling for the EL spots with a strong set of teams around them - Everton, Wolves, Southampton, Leicester etc. who are currently a lot better quality wise and form wise.
Right. But generally on here when people talk about price of a strike force it's only talking about value of signing, not wages, years spent etc
Of course happy to be corrected by @cyberman
Better than Southampton but not Leicester or Everton imo.