Match Reaction v Spuds (home)

[IBK]

This feeds into the other thread about Arteta having favourites.
But he was spot on yesterday about Auba IMO. I like him, he's a great striker but he's not captain material and showing up late to a NLD shows you don't really "get" what being an Arsenal player, let alone a captain, is about.

YEP - 100% with you re Auba. Very poor from him.

[Gooner23]

I really think Tierney should be made captain next season

[Letters]

I really think Tierney should be made captain next season

I think literally everyone thinks that
With the possible exception of Arteta...

[Mac76]

YEP - 100% with you re Auba. Very poor from him.

well we don't know why he was late - we know he drove to the ground but maybe his car broke down, or there was an accident that caused a jam etc etc

either way Arteta took a big risk in disrupting the team ahead of that game - if we'd lost I suspect some people's views would be different - i've nothing against some kind of discipline in those circumstances but it didn't have to be instant - he could have left it until after the game and told Auba he'd be benched next time out

[IBK]

well we don't know why he was late - we know he drove to the ground but maybe his car broke down, or there was an accident that caused a jam etc etc

either way Arteta took a big risk in disrupting the team ahead of that game - if we'd lost I suspect some people's views would be different - i've nothing against some kind of discipline in those circumstances but it didn't have to be instant - he could have left it until after the game and told Auba he'd be benched next time out

...and it could have been kept private. In any management role, it's consistency (whether you are a disciplinarian or more touchy-feely) that is paramount. From what we are able to see, Arteta seems a bit inconsistent, and he needs to be aware of this.

[Mac76]

...and it could have been kept private. In any management role, it's consistency (whether you are a disciplinarian or more touchy-feely) that is paramount. From what we are able to see, Arteta seems a bit inconsistent, and he needs to be aware of this.

exactly

[Letters]

...and it could have been kept private.

This is a good point.
Easier said than done perhaps in a game which is so scrutinised.
But it doesn’t seem like there was much attempt to keep this internal.

[IBK]

This is a good point.
Easier said than done perhaps in a game which is so scrutinised.
But it doesn’t seem like there was much attempt to keep this internal.

Yes - I agree that there would have been speculation - but Arteta could have simply said that it was an internal matter - or that his omission was for management reasons or something...

[dazthegooner]

The enquiry is still going on into the penalty Clattenberg is adamant that is wasn't Moron suggesting the ref was tired but hey shit happens

[I am invisible]

You know, given that we are basking in a NLD win this morning, I'm going with you on this - particularly their game plan. Sometimes going down to 10 men isn't as much of an issue as it seems on paper, and in a sense that twat going off with 14 minutes to go was not the issue for Spurs that it might have been if it had happened earlier. It motivated them with a sense of grievance - and produced energy that had been lacking up till then in the knowledge that they could sustain the extra effort. As you say - their game plan was probably to attack late anyway, and - again with the timing - it had a psychological effect on us that it would be easier to preserve the game state - and our performance and concentration levels dropped.

Not ideal from us - but as you say we had a trip to Greece on Thursday and lost a day's training, and Spurs played at home. We are fine tuned to look for mistakes given our recent performances, but I'm not sure that our missteps in this game were anything out of the ordinary for most teams.

Did I mention that I fucking hate Harry Kane?

Trip to Greece, a lost day of training / recovery and, let's face it, there's probably still an element of PTSD to this group of players that's taken root after years of chaotic / non-existent structure and heavy beatings. Any kind of pressure and some of these guys are straight back in the trenches!

We've made strides in this area over the last year - I no longer fear that we'll go from zero to 5-0 down in the space of 15 minutes any more - but there's clearly still some anxiety there that can see us retreat into safety mode until we get our heads straight. Don't really see that changing until the turnover fo players is complete, tbh.