Mikel Arteta | Lego Pep watch

GoonerBear

Full Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2020
Messages
3,002
Supports
Arsenal
I would like to see Spurs get top 4 ahead of them just to see if/how the narrative on him shifts. I do not dislike Arteta, though thus far I am yet to see him as any different to Ole/Lampard/Gerrard in managerial terms, but the amount of praise he gets when there are managers like Potter doing much better is crazy.

It really feels like everyone has gotten it into their minds that because he worked with Pep that he has to have inherited some of Pep’s genius despite Pep being a generational manager, and they refuse to see otherwise when it comes to Arteta.
I don't necessarily disagree with you, but how do you judge how good Potter is doing compared to Arteta if he is doing much better?
 

darioterios

Full Member
Joined
Dec 17, 2014
Messages
2,746
There are Twitter accounts like @nonewthing who every single day keep banging on about Mikel being the heir to Pep’s positional play revolution - the ultimate winning dominant playstyle, the end of football evolution, the way the game will be played if one day it is controlled by AI.
 

CraftySoAndSo

Full Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2021
Messages
1,050
I like Arteta but boy does he come out with some odd statements sometimes. Even though he's done well this season if i was an Arsenal fan i'd be wanting to see if they could get Potter over the next year or two, won't happen though since Arteta signed a new deal. But i feel Potter would do excellent there and at some point one of the big 6 will take a chance on him, but he's be an excellent fit at Arsenal.
 

Cloud7

Full Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2016
Messages
12,776
I don't necessarily disagree with you, but how do you judge how good Potter is doing compared to Arteta if he is doing much better?
Quality of football is the most important metric, and Potter is miles ahead in that regard. To be fair he is ahead of most managers in the league in that regard but he plays positive attacking football. Imo Arteta’s brand of football isn’t very positive.

Then there’s performance relative to resources. Brighton are in 9th. Their wage bill is 15th which suggests significant over performance, and that’s usually the case with his Brighton team. By comparison Arsenal have the fifth highest wage bill, and you could argue that their fourth place position should be more secure considering how terrible their other two rivals for that spot have been this season including both teams having sacked their managers.
 

Daydreamer

Full Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2014
Messages
1,276
Supports
Arsenal
Quality of football is the most important metric, and Potter is miles ahead in that regard. To be fair he is ahead of most managers in the league in that regard but he plays positive attacking football. Imo Arteta’s brand of football isn’t very positive.

Then there’s performance relative to resources. Brighton are in 9th. Their wage bill is 15th which suggests significant over performance, and that’s usually the case with his Brighton team. By comparison Arsenal have the fifth highest wage bill, and you could argue that their fourth place position should be more secure considering how terrible their other two rivals for that spot have been this season including both teams having sacked their managers.
That’s a pretty fair take. My main criticism of him is that he sometimes selects purely based on experience. With Willian last season and Lacazette this season, he waited for injury or illness to take them out of the lineup. Those minutes then went to Smith-Rowe, Martinelli and Nketiah who have really grabbed their chance. But we dropped quite a few unnecessary points while they were made to wait for their opportunity.

In some senses he is very bold and decisive (Ozil / Aubameyang). But he can also be tentative at first when dispensing with model pros who are underperforming.
 

GoonerBear

Full Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2020
Messages
3,002
Supports
Arsenal
Quality of football is the most important metric, and Potter is miles ahead in that regard. To be fair he is ahead of most managers in the league in that regard but he plays positive attacking football. Imo Arteta’s brand of football isn’t very positive.

Then there’s performance relative to resources. Brighton are in 9th. Their wage bill is 15th which suggests significant over performance, and that’s usually the case with his Brighton team. By comparison Arsenal have the fifth highest wage bill, and you could argue that their fourth place position should be more secure considering how terrible their other two rivals for that spot have been this season including both teams having sacked their managers.
Yeah, hard to disagree really. I feel we have played some good stuff at times, but we've been inconsistent with it, & a lot of that is dealing with lack of quality squad depth.

I feel in certain areas, our drop off in quality is just too big. Tierney to Tavares, Tomiyasu to Cedric, Partey to Elneny being prime examples. It tends to turn our game chaotic, the game against Utd being a prime example.
I appreciate though, that's part and parcel of being a manager, to get not only a quality team but also a quality squad.

Also, the attack I don't think he's had the chance to rejig, & he'll do that this summer.

After a 2nd summer window, I'd be hoping for more quality, more consistency & more control in our general play next season. After this window, nearly all the players will be his. This will be his team his players, so we really need to see his image stamped on it next season.

And yeah, I'm a big fan of Potter.
 

Iker Quesadillas

Full Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2021
Messages
3,896
Supports
Real Madrid
The concern I see with Arsenal is that their numbers haven't changed that much relative to last season. They scored 55 and conceded 39 last season; they are on 56 for and 45 against this season, will likely end with a similar goal difference. Last season they had 18 wins, 7 draws, and 13 defeats; this season they have 21 wins, 3 draws, and 12 defeats. Basically a few draws have turned into tight, one-goal wins.

It's always possible that some of this improvement is just season-to-season variance, since xG/xGA is similar across both seasons too (according to FBREF).

(of course it's also possible that next season some of these defeats turn into draws)
 

amolbhatia50k

Sneaky bum time - Vaccination status: dozed off
Joined
Nov 8, 2002
Messages
95,336
Location
india
To be honest, what does being an Ole actually mean? Why is he singled out as the manager that people get compared to now, almost like its some sort of insult? Ole done a very decent job for a couple of years, there's been a lot bigger names in terms of managerial appointments done a worse job the past few years, even at Utd post Fergie.

I don't get it.
Not really. He's the only to have not won any trophies at the club. He did alright to finish in the top 4 but in terms of quality football, excellent in the collective/coaching, signings that are geared towards success, he did nothing. He was the ultimate false dawn manager - did enough to keep his job and many convinced we were doing fine but the underlying progress wasn't really there.

Hence people are using Ole as a cautionary tale. Despite two top 4 finishes the last 4 years feel like a waste of time for us. We could have used that to modernize this team into playing some progressive footy. And maybe win a few cups too.
 

jackal&hyde

Full Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2018
Messages
4,220
The concern I see with Arsenal is that their numbers haven't changed that much relative to last season. They scored 55 and conceded 39 last season; they are on 56 for and 45 against this season, will likely end with a similar goal difference. Last season they had 18 wins, 7 draws, and 13 defeats; this season they have 21 wins, 3 draws, and 12 defeats. Basically a few draws have turned into tight, one-goal wins.

It's always possible that some of this improvement is just season-to-season variance, since xG/xGA is similar across both seasons too (according to FBREF).

(of course it's also possible that next season some of these defeats turn into draws)
Yes. I say it all the time, Arsenal make top 4 this season not because of improvement but because clubs like United have imploded. They even have more defeats then us and we are dire to say the least.

If Conte stays at Spurs, Arsenal will finish well below United and Spurs next season. Yet after two disastrously 8th place seasons and a campaign of massive despair for the rivals the guy has some phenomenal media support. It's quite unreal TBH.
 

Tarrou

Full Member
Joined
May 13, 2013
Messages
25,537
Location
Sydney
just saw the interview, what a fecking weapon

the decisions looked fine? the main person he should be mad with his holding

got schooled by Son and lost his cool
 

GoonerBear

Full Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2020
Messages
3,002
Supports
Arsenal
Seen this coming a mile off tonight.

We aren't good enough for top 4, Spurs deserve it. Europa League is our current level with the squad options we have.
 

LARulz

Full Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2009
Messages
18,138
He's such an arrogant tool. The way he acts on the touchline pisses me off more than Klopp, Guardiola, Conte etc. Glad when it's not going his way
 

JB08

Searches for nude pics of Marcos Rojo
Joined
Mar 16, 2013
Messages
8,361
Easiest top 4 run for half a decade and they don’t even get it :lol:
 

Brophs

The One and Only
Joined
Nov 28, 2006
Messages
50,275
Leg one of the Arteta and Super Frankie double implosion is on course. :drool:
 

Guy Incognito

Full Member
Joined
May 21, 2011
Messages
17,714
Location
Somewhere
I was praying they would make it in the top four and hand Xhaka, Eddie and Elneny new contracts.

Now they are saddled with Europa so good luck improving on fifth next season! :lol:
 

Red Star One

Full Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2017
Messages
5,132
Location
Barcelona
Arsenal getting fecked is always sweet but with this unlikeable tool in charge (they only just prolonged his contract right?) it’s even sweeter
 

The holy trinity 68

The disparager
Joined
Apr 10, 2016
Messages
5,790
Location
Manchester
The media will still give him an easy ride if they don't make CL football.

He should be sacked because they are not any better than they were under Emery and it's been nearly 3 years.

The fans like to say it's a process and defend him but they're going no where. Wenger out doesn't look like a good idea now does it Arsenal fans.
 

Flexdegea

New Member
Newbie
Joined
May 28, 2013
Messages
2,342
Hopefully he stays for another year or 2 as they aren't going anywhere with this fraud.


Will prob piss away this promising youngish team as well.
 

FootballHQ

Full Member
Joined
Nov 17, 2017
Messages
18,139
Supports
Aston Villa
Will be under massive pressure next season.

Won't have a better chance of making 4th in his reign than this season imo considering they're back in europa now so will have the Thursday-Sunday dynamic again.

Pretty much same as OGS really. They look promising at times but can't take that extra step.
 

Castia

Full Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2011
Messages
18,284
God knows why they gave him a new deal. He’s been absolutely terrible and hasn’t progressed with Arsenal one bit after spending over 250m in 2 summers.

Crap manager
 

PoTMS

Full Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2016
Messages
16,215
God knows why they gave him a new deal. He’s been absolutely terrible and hasn’t progressed with Arsenal one but after spending over 250m in 2 summers.

Crap manager
Shhhh, let them have their Ole. God knows why anyone rates him. Even half the Arsenal fans don't.
 

Morty_

Full Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2013
Messages
2,813
Supports
Real Madrid
Watch everyone go crazy after a 3 game win streak or something early next season again.

What has he ever done to get so much praise? He has back to back 8th place finishes, and now probably can't even get 4th after all the money and time invested in him.
 

Skills

Snitch
Joined
Jan 17, 2012
Messages
42,010
Will be under massive pressure next season.

Won't have a better chance of making 4th in his reign than this season imo considering they're back in europa now so will have the Thursday-Sunday dynamic again.

Pretty much same as OGS really. They look promising at times but can't take that extra step.
He won't. Arsenal have just accepted that they're destined to be a 5-7th place club long term. They've given up
 

Fridge chutney

Full Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2016
Messages
8,872
Arsenal have 2 more losses than us this season and this has been hailed as our worst season in 30+ years, whereas Arsenal have been widely given plaudits for having had an excellent season.
 

Dan_F

Full Member
Joined
Dec 17, 2012
Messages
10,317
They made us look mildly coherent in attack during in that game at The Emirates, so that was a massive red flag.
 

Guy Incognito

Full Member
Joined
May 21, 2011
Messages
17,714
Location
Somewhere

Wow, I didn't realise they were that far ahead (although the games-in-hand dynamic this season has messed things up).