22 Feb 2021 08:24:03
1/ why did he drop lacca and Pepe after starting to come into form
2/ why changed the back 2 cbs
3/ why play Mari against Man City when he’s been out for nearly 2 months
4/ why settle for a 1 nil defeat when I personally think we could have scored if the team actually went for it, if they scored more at least we had a go, seemed like we were holding back.
22 Feb 2021 09:45:17
It was as if Arteta threw in the towel before the game started. How were we ever going to win with that starting eleven?!
He also seemed happy to lose 1-0.
I'm struggling to defend him at the moment, and if we lose to Benfica that's our season over.
22 Feb 2021 11:07:32
I think Mikel has identified the Europa league as our best option for champions league football next season and more achievable than top 4 which is why he went strong v Benfica and weaker v City.
For me both EL and top 4 are very are equally difficult when you consider the opposition in both.
If we beat Benfica but don't win the EL outright and then finishing in 10th place in the league won't save Arteta but finishing 5th or 6th and going out to Benfica might buy him another season.
To me he's going for the improbable glory rather than Concentrating on finishing as high as possible and living to fight another day.
22 Feb 2021 13:20:40
Boy, this is some depressing place.
22 Feb 2021 15:42:19
Davy i'm with you. So up and down in here its bordering on crazy now.
Of course we all want a win, in every game. But we have no god given right to win every game. We lost, a lot of the players were poor and Arteta made some odd choices, but my god, its not the end of the club. A few games ago people were loving the team and Arteta, then lose a few games and everything goes out of the window. Arsenal will survive. We may not be the Invincibles anymore, but give it time. Success needs to be built, not overnight, but over time.
I genuinely think Arteta will sort things out. He has moved on players that seriously needed to move on. There's still work to be done there, but I believe others will go in the summer. He improved the defence, he improved the middle with Partey and a somewhat improved Xhaka, now he's working on improving the creativity. With Saka, ESr and maybe a permanent Odegaard, that project is on the way. Then you improve the attack. Its a massive re-build, that is going to take many transfer windows.
We should not be so surprised and reactive to losing to City. We are a mid-table team, which is hopefully on the up.
22 Feb 2021 18:29:09
Thanks 77, I told the wife to take me off suicide watch,
22 Feb 2021 19:45:12
Well said Lefty.
22 Feb 2021 20:59:52
I’m puzzled as well why people go on a rant every time we lose a game.
Where is the consistency is knocking Auba for being so poor all season. He scored a brace and a hat trick and people say he’s back. The goals he scored against NWU and LEE ant player could score. In each game one his a smash and grab (keeper error) and another tap in. He is not a modern winger, can’t play with his back to goal and is not creative.
Yes he scored a lot of goals before he came to Arsenal and in his first couple of seasons, but I keep saying where as his goals got us? What status do you get in the modern game for winning the FA cup? How many talented players will sign for a FA cup winning team or a team playing UCL?
Previous seasons most of our goals were scored by him and basically nothing from the middle. For example, Saka were passing everything to him and not taking chances himself. Now he has come on leaps and bounds.
MA is taking a gamble or maybe work to club priory list. How much has the club (not us fans with bragging rights) benefited from winning the FA cup last season? I suspected the EL was our priority from the SOU game. In my opinion it’s the right calculated risk because our squad his not dynamic enough to make top four playing 38 truncated plus cup games. It’s a bit of a disrespect to some teams with the money they have spent and the progress make to believe we be turning them all over.
We beat better teams than us to win the FA cup because it’s a knockout competition so why can’t we do it in the EL. Yes it’s not certain but it sure is good chance making the UCL than via the EPL this season.
He should have put this tie to bed last week, especially off the back of a hat trick.