Match Reaction v Spuds (away).

[Özim]

Oh here he is.
Didn't see you posting over the last 5 games. First defeat and here you come running.

What was there to post about, some average performances that lead to some largely meaningless wins? We've been pretty poor, the football has been awful win, lose or draw and the there's been many bad decisions regarding lineups/subs etc I'm also disliking the re-integration and praising of sub standard players who should be moved on not (as we seem to be doing and Arteta seems to be encouraging us to do) re-signed up.

We lost the NLD as it stands probably our most meaningful game left in the league, against a Spurs side who aren't even that good, again we see the errors, but wait these are errors from players who get picked regardless of their errors. Nothing changes at this club, we know all about the owner and guys upstairs, either not interested or not capable enough, sadly they also pick the managers and as with most things get it wrong, too many mistakes too often I'm afraid.

You might be willing to give a new manager years but I'm not, if it means chopping and changing so be it, until we actually get someone who at least appears on the face of it competent and makes logical decisions and doesn't praise players who regularly cost us games, it's Wenger all over again, but that's no great surprise as Wenger pretty much hand picked this guy before he left and Arteta has spoken about getting the spirit back from when he was here in 2016 (is he for real, noone wants that back, that's when we we bottling it left, right and centre!)

I was unimpressed by the appointment of a rookie, unimpressed with what he's had to say and unimpressed with what he's delivered this far, our league position is no better than when he arrived (it might even be worse), we got humbled in the EL at the earliest stage we can remember and are probably going to get hammered in the FA Cup to boot, all whilst playing poor football, with a leaky defence and now a toothless attack and on top of that we have to put up with players like Xhaka (who should have not be re-integrated after his behaviour and in fact should be sold), Mustafi who has been consistently sub standard since he arrived (but who is now being praised by Arteta who seemingly wants him resigned up) and Luiz who makes key errors in almost all big games (that's not even mentioning Kolasinac who frankly can't defend, another one of those players that apparently excelled in the Bundesligue but has been hopeless here, like Xhaka).

So yes I will post when I feel like it, not necessarily after some uninspiring narrow win which is mostly an anomaly rather than a sign of progress, but just when I feel like it tbh.

There's a couple bright spots this season in Saka and Martinelli (but of course Arteta wouldn't play him despite his performances this season and then low and behold he got injured so now can't play at all - the whole thing is ridiculous to be honest, he should have been playing from the restart and any decent manager would have played him), but other than that not much to get excited about, Arteta has done much, we're midtable and he's made zero progress since he arrived, he had a lot to prove being a rookie, but he's proved nothing at all (today he was happy to support the decision Man City overturned saying they deserve to be in the CL, I guess he was returning the favour that Guardiola did him by praising him as a potentially top manager) .

[Letters]

What was there to post about.

The same as any game. How people played, whether 'x' should have started instead of 'y'.
Talking points. The ref was shit. We should've had a penalty.
Do you really lack that much imagination that you can't think of a single thing to talk about unless it's to moan about how shit things are after a bad result?

[Mac76]

The same as any game. How people played, whether 'x' should have started instead of 'y'.
Talking points. The ref was shit. We should've had a penalty.
Do you really lack that much imagination that you can't think of a single thing to talk about unless it's to moan about how shit things are after a bad result?

well it's just a bit odd to complain about someone posting on a message board - that's what they're for and there's no rule saying you have to post a certain number of times a week (NQ take note )

[Özim]

The same as any game. How people played, whether 'x' should have started instead of 'y'.
Talking points. The ref was shit. We should've had a penalty.
Do you really lack that much imagination that you can't think of a single thing to talk about unless it's to moan about how shit things are after a bad result?

We won, there's not much to say, it's not like this is some great performance or amazing football, it's a win, in a disaster of a season where we currently sit 9th, we've been midtable most of the season in fact and Arteta hasn't changed that, say what you like but if he's done anything you'd think we'd be higher up the table by now, he's had enough games.

Nothing about this club exites me at the moment, I'm not really sure how it's gone this wrong, I think few people get any pleasure out of seeing Arsenal these days, there's something fundamentally wrong with this club that seems to lead to it making error after error and never learning from it, it's actually really odd.

I also can't get my head round managers that seem intent on sticking with players who cost their team points regularly, do they just pick their teams by how friendly they are with them, as they certainy don't seem to pick the team on merit or using logic.

There's just no logic is not playing Martinelli after the restart when he'd been great for us before it, nor picking Luiz and praising him and getting the board to resign him, nor praising Mustafi and suggesting he wants to keep him and it's with the board now, nor playing Xhaka week in week out, or always playing Aubameyang out wide. Stuff like this is really turning me against Arteta, as is his rigid style of play and poor subs. For all the talk about the defence being better, we're still making errors that cost goals left, right and centre and now our attack is blunt to boot.

Arteta seems unable to get the best out of what he has, he's insistent on that one style of play when he doesn't have the players to do it, I mean on isn't it possible to be a bit flexible and adapt to what you have?

[Niall_Quinn]

well it's just a bit odd to complain about someone posting on a message board - that's what they're for and there's no rule saying you have to post a certain number of times a week (NQ take note )

???

the fuck?

[Letters]

We won, there's not much to say

Or, we lost, there's not much to say
There's always things to talk about after a game.

it's a win, in a disaster of a season where we currently sit 9th, we've been midtable most of the season in fact

Yes. Same number of points as the 92/93 season where the football was even worse.
But that was thoroughly enjoyable...

Nothing about this club exites me at the moment, I'm not really sure how it's gone this wrong, I think few people get any pleasure out of seeing Arsenal these days, there's something fundamentally wrong with this club that seems to lead to it making error after error and never learning from it, it's actually really odd.

I actually agree with this. We used to be a really well run club, not it's a complete shitshow from top to bottom.
That's why I never thought removing Wenger, while necessary, was a silver bullet.

For me, Arteta deserve a full season to try and improve things. He hasn't worked miracles but I'm not sure anyone could have.
I'm not super-excited about next season but don't want to write Arteta off just yet.

[Özim]

Yes. Same number of points as the 92/93 season where the football was even worse.
But that was thoroughly enjoyable...

How many times do I have to repeat this, in 92/93 we basically ditched the league and focussed on the cups (and won both with some exciting games on the way), that's why we ended there, we didn't have to squad to compete for all 3 so Graham focussed on the cups given the league was probably out of our reach.

I actually agree with this. We used to be a really well run club, not it's a complete shitshow from top to bottom.
That's why I never thought removing Wenger, while necessary, was a silver bullet.

For me, Arteta deserve a full season to try and improve things. He hasn't worked miracles but I'm not sure anyone could have.
I'm not super-excited about next season but don't want to write Arteta off just yet.

The problem is we got rid of Wenger and didn't bring in the right guys, you can't just pick anyone and expect success you need someone who knows what they're doing and is proven, Emery was a punt, I'm not really sure what went on but other the EL he wasn't a success, I preferrred him over Arteta who we were looking at at the time as well though, then we sack him, pretend to spend months looking for someone and bring in Arteta (a guy we already almost brought in 18 months before - doesn't sound like it was much of a search does it?) someone who has never manager a football club before, IMO it was a bad decision and so far it's proving to be just that, I haven't seen anything this guy is bringing that's different/refreshing or innovative, it's just the same rubbish we've seen for years, with rewarding players who don't perform, dropping players who do and weird lineups.

I don't agree he needs a full season, based on the decisions he's making the players he rates (and wants the board to re-sign), that's enough evidence he's not up to the job for me, I don't need 2 years to see that. Like I said before it's the odd lineups/ decisions etc, there's no excuse for those, a decent manager wouldn't rely on players like Xhaka, Luiz and Mustafi and continuously praise them.

Arteta is basically Wenger II Lite, same kind of thing but this time with an impotent attack as well.

[Mac76]

???

the fuck?

[Letters]

How many times do I have to repeat this, in 92/93 we basically ditched the league and focussed on the cups

Something which at the time you'd have been moaning your tits off about, no doubt, given the way you post on here after the first bad result.
Were there exciting games in the Cup runs? The Leeds away game I remember being good (the home game was dull as).
The semi-final was exciting because it was revenge for the '91 semi-final but it was an awful game as were the finals.
We won 2 trophies so if you just look at that final result then I guess it was successful, but as someone who had a season ticket it was mostly awful. We scored something like 40 goals in 42 games. At one point I remember thinking we might actually get relegated! Never actually going to happen, looking back, but we flirted with it. My dad nearly gave up the season tickets that season it was so awful, he only kept them on because of the cup wins which mitigated it somewhat. You're looking back at a handful of games over the whole season, remembering those fondly and declaring the whole season "thoroughly enjoyable" when for most of that season, if you were following it, you'd have been bored witless.

The problem is we got rid of Wenger and didn't bring in the right guys, you can't just pick anyone and expect success

People spent years on here saying that Wenger was so bad that anyone would do better!
I don't agree Emery was a punt. Arteta is a punt, Emery had a pretty decent track record. OK, he's no Klopp but he'd had a reasonable amount of success.
And his first season was pretty decent. Bit of an improvement on Wenger's last season, got us to a Cup Final. A solid base to build on. How he buggered things up so spectacularly this season is anyone's guess.

If there was someone at the level of Klopp who we could get this summer I guess then fine, I'd be OK with that. But is there? Realistically?
If not then give Arteta some time. He's certainly no worse than Emery and I don't want us to be one of those clubs with a revolving door for managers.
Plenty of examples of managers who have taken over and been successful but it's taken a while. Klopp took over Liverpool in 2015/6 don't forget, got them to a CL Final which they lost but in terms of the league they actually finished 8th, lower and with fewer points than the previous season.
I'm not saying Arteta is at his level, but writing off a manager after half a season is crazy.

[Özim]

Something which at the time you'd have been moaning your tits off about, no doubt, given the way you post on here after the first bad result.
Were there exciting games in the Cup runs? The Leeds away game I remember being good (the home game was dull as).
The semi-final was exciting because it was revenge for the '91 semi-final but it was an awful game as were the finals.
We won 2 trophies so if you just look at that final result then I guess it was successful, but as someone who had a season ticket it was mostly awful. We scored something like 40 goals in 42 games. At one point I remember thinking we might actually get relegated! Never actually going to happen, looking back, but we flirted with it. My dad nearly gave up the season tickets that season it was so awful, he only kept them on because of the cup wins which mitigated it somewhat. You're looking back at a handful of games over the whole season, remembering those fondly and declaring the whole season "thoroughly enjoyable" when for most of that season, if you were following it, you'd have been bored witless.

Very different time, I believed in that team, they had some steel, could upset the odds and they did, the league wasn't but the cup runs were really good and very exciting IMO, as I said we ditched the league, went on a bad run then won 7-1 against Wednesday in one game

People spent years on here saying that Wenger was so bad that anyone would do better!
I don't agree Emery was a punt. Arteta is a punt, Emery had a pretty decent track record. OK, he's no Klopp but he'd had a reasonable amount of success.
And his first season was pretty decent. Bit of an improvement on Wenger's last season, got us to a Cup Final. A solid base to build on. How he buggered things up so spectacularly this season is anyone's guess.

If there was someone at the level of Klopp who we could get this summer I guess then fine, I'd be OK with that. But is there? Realistically?
If not then give Arteta some time. He's certainly no worse than Emery and I don't want us to be one of those clubs with a revolving door for managers.
Plenty of examples of managers who have taken over and been successful but it's taken a while. Klopp took over Liverpool in 2015/6 don't forget, got them to a CL Final which they lost but in terms of the league they actually finished 8th, lower and with fewer points than the previous season.
I'm not saying Arteta is at his level, but writing off a manager after half a season is crazy.

I think when people said anyone, they didn't literally mean anyone, that was just a mannerof speakig, they meant anyone half decent who was able to make logical decisions and assess a players ability properly.

I don't see Arteta doing anything, you can see he prides himself in being a mini Wenger and he makes the same basic errors, there's nothing new, nthing exciting, nothing innovative, it's more of the boring rubbish, I can't stand it anymore.

If he'd come in with fresh ideas and showing a clear method, tactical nous and a willingness to ditch players who cost us games it might be different, but they guy does none of that, keeping him for another year is just a waste of time, you can tell what he's doing now he's not the right man, anyone who trusts and praises players like Luiz, Mustafi and Xhaka clearly is a poor judge of player ability.