01 Jun 2024 17:23:45
Hi Ed001, how are things with you? Just wanted to get your thoughts on Arteta as a manager as I know a few years ago you really didn't rate him. Has things changed at all, what are your opinions on him now. With jurgen leaving, some consider him to now be the 2nd best manager in the prem.

1.) 01 Jun 2024
01 Jun 2024 17:55:43
It is hard to judge him, he has had a huge budget and very little in the way of adversity to face. Until that happens, there is just no way of being sure. His speeches and stuff are the stuff of a madman, which worry me. They are nonsense jargon, a bit like Rodgers, which probably explains why he has done well with impressionable younger players, rather than veterans. He still hasn't stopped sorted out his obsession with buying players to fill holes in the team, rather than looking at what is coming through. Selling Balogun to keep Nketiah and Jesus as main strikers was seriously odd, though Havertz has done well as a false 9, it has left the club with no real option to him. Jesus has been so bad up front as a goalscorer that he has ended up on the wing and even then mainly as a sub.

On the plus side, the football is good and getting results, which is all you can really ask. And you can't compare against City as you have not been able to financially dope the way they have. For me, it is a bit like looking at Guardiola. Yes, Pep has and is a clearly a great coach, but until he has adversity and a lower level of funding to deal with, there will always be question marks over just how great he is. Arteta at the moment is in that camp. And that is harsh on him, because it is not his fault he was able to keep his first choice central defensive partnership fit almost all the time. But it is worrying that the one time Saliba was missing your season fell apart. It is also not his fault he has been heavily backed in the market, and it is noticeable that the side is improving with the spending.

He is doing well, maybe even he is the second best left after Klopp left. But it is hard to really compare him to others. Most are still new to the Prem roles for starters. I do question how long the club can continue to spend so heavily without a title though. Surely he has to see next season as the one, with Guardiola wanting to take a break from City, his eye will surely be off the ball a bit. There will never be a better chance, especially if Pep decides to take the break now. This could well be a defining season in his career, because he really needs to win it. Last season was almost laid on a plate for him, Liverpool were playing poorly almost all season with idiotic tactics and beset with injuries, City were not anywhere near their best, but it still didn't quite happen.

It is tough on him, he is up against a juggernaut, but he has been handed the tools to win and he has not quite got there yet. However, he is new to the role and learning, so it could just be that he needed another season to find the right balance. I certainly wouldn't be considering looking to replace him, that is for sure. He has earnt the right to have another crack at the title, at the very least. He just has yet to show he has the little bit of magic that Xabi Alonso brought to Leverkusen.}

2.) 03 Jun 2024
03 Jun 2024 20:47:35
Perfect response ed, thanks for that. Always good to hear what those from the outside think rather than arsenal fans. Cheers mate.

{Ed001's Note - always welcome Dags.}