Match Reaction v Leeds (away)

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Artetaball is an acquired taste.

[Niall_Quinn]

Like rimming.

[Globalgunner]

Artetaball is an acquired taste.

It tastes like Surströmming

[hobson's choice]

Thank You Pepe for earning the team a point

[Niall_Quinn]

Not joking, when it's a miracle if you can get a shot on target, never mind score a goal, it's going to be a long hard slog to those 27 points we need.

[Marc Overmars]

Arteta has systematically destroyed any remnant of attacking football this club was once known for. Even at our worst under Wenger and hell, even Emery we could at least pull out the odd performance worth paying to watch.

Now it’s just utter garbage and as I said earlier in the week, Arteta is so lucky there are no fans in the ground to let him know how excruciatingly bad we are. Pound for pound we’ve got to be the worst team in the league considering what we actually produce, or don’t produce I should say.

If we get slapped in the NLD coming up he’s got to go.

[Xhaka Can’t]

If we get slapped?

[Letters]

If we get slapped?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4akMaeZ0-k

[Mac76]

Arteta has systematically destroyed any remnant of attacking football this club was once known for. Even at our worst under Wenger and hell, even Emery we could at least pull out the odd performance worth paying to watch.

Now it’s just utter garbage and as I said earlier in the week, Arteta is so lucky there are no fans in the ground to let him know how excruciatingly bad we are. Pound for pound we’ve got to be the worst team in the league considering what we actually produce, or don’t produce I should say.

If we get slapped in the NLD coming up he’s got to go.

:gp:

[Bumble]

my youngest wanted to watch tellytubbies and i was happy to turn it over.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Arteta is also unfortunate not to get this kind of assistance at games:

https://i.imgur.com/ExnQSp5.png

[Letters]

You know you’re getting old when you can remember Arsenal scoring a goal from open play.

:oldboy:

[Marc Overmars]

Pepe stupidity has probably cost him any chances for the foreseeable future. Which means more of that donkey Willian.

[Mac76]

Maybe we've all got this wrong and we should be celebrating a point against a good side after we went down to ten men? no, thought not... :getcoat:

[Marc Overmars]

Maybe we've all got this wrong and we should be celebrating a point against a good side after we went down to ten men? no, thought not... :getcoat:

Well if you think we’re capable of doing anything meaningful in the league then it’s not a good point. If you’ve accepted we’re mid-table fodder now then it’s a fantastic point.

[Chippy]

Artetaball is an acquired taste.
We made a mistake taking on a rookie manager
and this is the price we are paying.
How long do we give him? Until we are in a relegation dog fight?

[Letters]

We are looking very mid-table.
I only saw the last 10 minutes today and didn’t think we were terrible, but we just aren’t that good either. We’ll get some good results and some bad ones but it’ll all add up to a pretty mid table season. Am increasingly wondering whether it’s really worth persisting with Arteta.
He talks a good game but is he really taking us anywhere good?

[Xhaka Can’t]

Well if you think we’re capable of doing anything meaningful in the league then it’s not a good point. If you’ve accepted we’re mid-table fodder now then it’s a fantastic point.

We are now, the very definition of mid-table fodder.

If you want something other than the league table as proof, you only have to look at how we approach games against the big teams.

We have not fallen hard, but we have fallen far.

It happened gently over a period of over ten years until we reached a tipping point. Rather than arresting that decline, which we had ample opportunity to do, we have passed the tipping point and the decline is accelerating.

Seriously, has anyone got the slightest clue how we get out of this mess? Does anyone know where to start?

[Marc Overmars]

We are looking very mid-table.
I only saw the last 10 minutes today and didn’t think we were terrible, but we just aren’t that good either. We’ll get some good results and some bad ones but it’ll all add up to a pretty mid table season. Am increasingly wondering whether it’s really worth persisting with Arteta.
He talks a good game but is he really taking us anywhere good?

If the football was good then it would probably be worth persisting with. However at no point in his year in charge has it been good. It’s boring, methodical and regimented football that has completely killed our forward line to the point where we can barely create meaningful chances anymore. Even when the odd chance does come any killer instinct has now been lost because sightings of goal are so scarce now.

Arteta is dining off the cup wins over City and Chelsea. One off games where everything went our way on the day.

Nice guy and I agree he talks a good game but what we’ve seen on the pitch does not compute. He’s a safety-first coach who sets out to not lose, rather than win IMO. Would love to be proven wrong but he’s not my cup of tea. Off you pop.

[Gooner23]

Leeds starting line up cost less than 50 million combined. Even when we had 11 players they were comfortably the better side.

[Letters]

Arteta is dining off the cup wins over City and Chelsea. One off games where everything went our way on the day.

I think that’s a bit harsh. I thought we were really good in those games and deserved to win them.
But we just haven’t pushed on, we’ve actually regressed.
It increasingly feels like there isn’t much to lose from letting Arteta go. He could become a good manager but he doesn’t seem like one yet.

[Marc Overmars]

I mean from a tactical perspective. We won those games deservedly but did it playing pretty much in the same turgid way. Only difference was that Auba was on fire in both games. Now he can’t score the reality of how dire we’re set up to play is laid bare to see.

The league form has been a mixed bag of crap and that’s more telling than a couple of random games where for whatever reason it worked on the day.

Di Matteo won Chelsea the FA Cup and the Champions League but he was obviously a nothing coach.

[Mac76]

Well if you think we’re capable of doing anything meaningful in the league then it’s not a good point. If you’ve accepted we’re mid-table fodder now then it’s a fantastic point.

Yes, i promise i was only joking, it was a miserable failure

[hobson's choice]

We are now, the very definition of mid-table fodder.

If you want something other than the league table as proof, you only have to look at how we approach games against the big teams.

We have not fallen hard, but we have fallen far.

It happened gently over a period of over ten years until we reached a tipping point. Rather than arresting that decline, which we had ample opportunity to do, we have passed the tipping point and the decline is accelerating.

Seriously, has anyone got the slightest clue how we get out of this mess? Does anyone know where to start?


Start in January, sell Xhaka, Mustafi, Chambers. We should be planning for the summer. Lacazette, Nkietah, Nelson, at least 1 or 2 should be sold, Cellabos, go back to Madrid. Cedric, Hector, AMN, Holding, Mari, 2 gotta be sold from that list.

At this point dont care who we bring in. We need to rid off a lot. And January should be the start, won't be tho.

[Chippy]

Start in January, sell Xhaka, Mustafi, Chambers. We should be planning for the summer. Lacazette, Nkietah, Nelson, at least 1 or 2 should be sold, Cellabos, go back to Madrid. Cedric, Hector, AMN, Holding, Mari, 2 gotta be sold from that list.

At this point dont care who we bring in. We need to rid off a lot. And January should be the start, won't be tho.

And the Manager?

We cannot just keep chopping and changing players. Arteta MUST take some of the blame here, our football is terrible!

Why have Auba and Cellabos become rubbish overnight?

[Xhaka Can’t]

And the Manager?

We cannot just keep chopping and changing players. Arteta MUST take some of the blame here, our football is terrible!

Why have Auba and Cellabos become rubbish overnight?

Yep - the Manager has to be included within that line up.

Additionally, how much confidence can we have in those responsible for the selection of the manager? I was inclined initially to give them the benefit of the doubt - that they knew something and saw something we didn't and had the competence to turn things around. Particularly as they went back to Arteta so soon after having an initial sniff around prior to the Emery appointment.

I have completely lost faith in them to get it right if and when they replace Arteta.

[Xhaka Can’t]

Start in January, sell Xhaka, Mustafi, Chambers. We should be planning for the summer. Lacazette, Nkietah, Nelson, at least 1 or 2 should be sold, Cellabos, go back to Madrid. Cedric, Hector, AMN, Holding, Mari, 2 gotta be sold from that list.

At this point dont care who we bring in. We need to rid off a lot. And January should be the start, won't be tho.

I'm not being facetious, but 'sell'? With the contracts they have and their limited ability, they couldn't be given away.

[Ollie the Optimist]

I do think there have been some improvements with Arteta. Clearly defensively we are a much better side.

We clearly have a plan & a shape and you could see both yesterday & at Old Trafford that we quickly adopted our shape when the opposition attacked and dealt with pretty much all the attacks. yes the post helped a couple of times but you need some luck. Given where we were defensively under Emery, it is a massive improvement and clearly taken a lot of effort from Arteta to get the players to buy in and learn the system.

However, the attacking play is non existent and hopefully now he has got a grip of the defence we can move into developing our attacking play quickly. Partey seems to be a good player with that link between defence & attack as was Cellabos yesterday. I understand why we didnt start Saka as we dont want to burn him out but he was our best player and he only played 20 odd minutes! There seems to be a real lack of speed in our passing when in the attacking third, with no movements from players off the ball. It’s all very static and that needs to be sorted quickly.

With Pepe, i’d give him a chance. Last year he took a while to hit his stride which is understandable with a move to a new league & country but he showed glimpses of real talent imo. Then Covid hit and Arteta started not playing him as often. It’s always going to be difficult to be given a few sub appearances of 10 minutes and then told to show world class talent when you finally get a start. I’d much rather we said have five games as a starter, get into some form then play Willian who is just slow and offers nothing.

[Marc Overmars]

The attacking play can’t and won’t develop though because he’s such a conservative coach. Likes to play with deep blocks and 2 sitting midfielders, placing emphasis on the forwards all dropping deeper to help defend as a team has neutered their natural attacking instinct. Again, just a couple of shots on target yesterday, that is a running theme. I’d at least give the benefit of the doubt if we were creating the chances but fluffing our lines.

This is just what we are now because we don’t know how to play or win in any other way. We concede less but don’t create chances and don’t score, the results are no better and we’re still mid-table. There’s been no improvement because you can’t have one without the other.

[hobson's choice]

And the Manager?

We cannot just keep chopping and changing players. Arteta MUST take some of the blame here, our football is terrible!

Why have Auba and Cellabos become rubbish overnight?

We really haven't chopped much, we just keep on buying average players. And we didn't get rid off any barring Mikhi.

[hobson's choice]

The attacking play can’t and won’t develop though because he’s such a conservative coach. Likes to play with deep blocks and 2 sitting midfielders, placing emphasis on the forwards all dropping deeper to help defend as a team has neutered their natural attacking instinct. Again, just a couple of shots on target yesterday, that is a running theme. I’d at least give the benefit of the doubt if we were creating the chances but fluffing our lines.

This is just what we are now because we don’t know how to play or win in any other way. We concede less but don’t create chances and don’t score, the results are no better and we’re still mid-table. There’s been no improvement because you can’t have one without the other.

Dude our players just ain't that good. Barring a few games, we've had the share off possession in most games. We just don't have a squad that mesh well on the pitch at all. And its been this way since the last couple years off Wenger.

[hobson's choice]

I'm not being facetious, but 'sell'? With the contracts they have and their limited ability, they couldn't be given away.

I didn't say we gonna get big money for them.

[Mac76]

Dude our players just ain't that good. Barring a few games, we've had the share off possession in most games. We just don't have a squad that mesh well on the pitch at all. And its been this way since the last couple years off Wenger.

those players (apart form Xhaka and Willian) could do a lot better if they'd been more consistently organised and selected through this season in a way that was sound defensively but also paid attention to the attack.

Arteta's team selection has been inconsistent where it should have been consistent - ie chopping and changing the attacking players and consistent where he should have changed it - ie always having Auba on the left

Auba's clearly forgotten how to play at CF as he was floundering and the supporting players weren't used used to being in that formation so did poorly at getting the ball to him

it's all of Arteta's chickens coming home to roost i'm afraid

[Globalgunner]

Another thing I cant stand with Arteta is him standing by the sidelines, ductating play tell everyone who to pass to. WTF is that. STFU!. he is only doing that because the empty stands mean he can actually be heard. Who else does that?. He certainly didnt get that from Pep. The best signing we can get in January would be a new manager. We should be on the phone to Allegri asap. He is quality and he is available

[Marc Overmars]

Dude our players just ain't that good. Barring a few games, we've had the share off possession in most games. We just don't have a squad that mesh well on the pitch at all. And its been this way since the last couple years off Wenger.
I agree there is a huge disconnect in the squad, no partnerships, no cohesion and no telegraphy with any of the players. They’re all just individuals who for whatever reason don’t gel.

I believe with a better coach they’re capable of challenging for the top 4 though. We do have some very good players who should be good enough to haul us up the table but the system they’re being asked to play in doesn’t work.

[Niall_Quinn]

Yep - the Manager has to be included within that line up.

Additionally, how much confidence can we have in those responsible for the selection of the manager? I was inclined initially to give them the benefit of the doubt - that they knew something and saw something we didn't and had the competence to turn things around. Particularly as they went back to Arteta so soon after having an initial sniff around prior to the Emery appointment.

I have completely lost faith in them to get it right if and when they replace Arteta.

Perhaps the club thought its little scheme with the other moneybags clubs to divide up all the cash for themselves was a starter? Or they already know of some future carve-up that will guarantee the cash? So it doesn't really matter if we are mid-table dross for now. Next year, or the year after, it might all be better with flashy European leagues and wheelbarrows of cash regardless of boring stuff like entertainment and results?

It's not a conspiracy theory is it? It's an actual conspiracy that was rumbled and had the club running a mile to distance itself. It's guilty until proven innocent with this club, given past form. Perhaps football isn't the main priority anymore and there's plenty of evidence on the pitch to suppose this. Almost dead bodies tapping it around, making no attempt to score a goal, empty stadiums, everyone earning enough every week to solve global hunger. It's all going in the one direction and maybe there's no intention or desire to reverse that until a new configuration exists and the fans, rather than Kroenke, can be soaked to put us back on the map. We already did this once, with the sustainability bullshit in preparation for financial fair play. Just gave up, waiting for corrupt officials to ride to the rescue by dragging our opponents back down to our new and cheaper level.

[Mac76]

we need to thank God we won the FAC last seaon or any idea that we're still a 'big club' would be under real threat

[selassie]

we need to thank God we won the FAC last seaon or any idea that we're still a 'big club' would be under real threat

We aren't a big club bro. X amounts of seasons out of CL, we are irrelevant now.

[Letters]

Is that literally your only definition of what a big club is? :blink:

[Niall_Quinn]

We aren't a big club bro. X amounts of seasons out of CL, we are irrelevant now.

More importantly, X amount of seasons not winning it when we could have and should have.

[Letters]

More importantly, X amount of seasons not winning it when we could have and should have.

Actually think Wenger failing to win a CL is one of his big failings.
That side from 2002-2004 was one of the best club sides I've ever seen. The failure to win in Europe or retain a title is a black mark on his record.

[Bumble]

Actually think Wenger failing to win a CL is one of his big failings.
That side from 2002-2004 was one of the best club sides I've ever seen. The failure to win in Europe or retain a title is a black mark on his record.

the year we lost to chelsea when Porto won. that was ridiculous. we should have cleaned up.

[selassie]

the year we lost to chelsea when Porto won. that was ridiculous. we should have cleaned up.

We looked the best team in Europe that season by a country mile.

That Chelsea defeat really hurt TBH, I geniuenly thought we were going to do the PL / CL double that season.

[Niall_Quinn]

We looked the best team in Europe that season by a country mile.

That Chelsea defeat really hurt TBH, I geniuenly thought we were going to do the PL / CL double that season.

We'd just payed 400 matches in 15 minutes. We were knackered. I seem to recall we'd challenged the fixture list and the league said fuck off. And didn't we have Liverpool the match before? Or in that sequence at least. So we went into our 401st game and you could actually see us running out of steam as the minutes progressed. Not an excuse, but a factor. We were dead on our feet by the time they scored that second goal. You need a good team and good luck to win that tournment. Or cheating refs, which is the wat Barca and Real prefer.

[Marc Overmars]

Imagine telling fans then that 16 years later we’d be a team lucky to have one shot on target in a match.

[Niall_Quinn]

Imagine telling fans then that 16 years later we’d be a team lucky to have one shot on target in a match.

It's called sustainability. The great plan that would use FFP to catapult us above our rivals without having to spend a penny. A catastrophic and utterly unrealistic plan concocted by Kroenke and Wenger once Dein had been forced out, because it suited Wenger's ego and Kroekne's pocket. We're still paying the price to this day and will be for decades more. We've seen how long to takes to come back. Even the gypos, with billions, took time to make an impact.

Two stupid men did this.

[Mac76]

It's called sustainability. The great plan that would use FFP to catapult us above our rivals without having to spend a penny. A catastrophic and utterly unrealistic plan concocted by Kroenke and Wenger once Dein had been forced out, because it suited Wenger's ego and Kroekne's pocket. We're still paying the price to this day and will be for decades more. We've seen how long to takes to come back. Even the gypos, with billions, took time to make an impact.

Two stupid men did this.

Conspiracy theories once again

Raul's corruption and the Kronekes' ignorance of football (causing them to place their trust initially in Raul) are to blame

Plus two sh*t managers in Emery and Arteta

I still say there's enough players at the club who are good enough to get us challenging for top 4, but they"re all going to seed one by one, the latest being Auba

It's no coincidence that the better and keener players are some of the newer additions to the first team - Saka, Tierney, Gabriel and Willock haven't become jaded yet, but it's only a matter of time

They need to sack Arteta soon and get in someone who knows what they're doing (and that 100% is not Poncetino btw)

[Mac76]

Broken record update - it's our worst start for 39 years

Arteta :bow: :bow:

[McNamara That Ghost...]

They said we might be going places with Arteta and they were right. :trophy:

[Marc Overmars]

Conspiracy theories once again

Raul's corruption and the Kronekes' ignorance of football (causing them to place their trust initially in Raul) are to blame

Plus two sh*t managers in Emery and Arteta

I still say there's enough players at the club who are good enough to get us challenging for top 4, but they"re all going to seed one by one, the latest being Auba

It's no coincidence that the better and keener players are some of the newer additions to the first team - Saka, Tierney, Gabriel and Willock haven't become jaded yet, but it's only a matter of time

They need to sack Arteta soon and get in someone who knows what they're doing (and that 100% is not Poncetino btw)

Why not Poch, out of curiosity? You do have an intense dislike for him.

He picked up a Spurs team going nowhere and turned them into one hell of a unit before it ran out of steam. I don’t particularly care about the no trophy thing right now because we’re a million miles from where we want to be and we’ve unfortunately proven that winning a cup is no measure of progress anyway.

Highly unlikely to happen but I would personally be ok with him if that’s the road we went down.

All I want to see is a fully functioning and moderately entertaining team. Everything else can come after that.

[Mac76]

There is absolutely no way i'm watching the NLD next weekend... :sulk:

[Marc Overmars]

There is absolutely no way i'm watching the NLD next weekend... :sulk:

Spurs have been better than us for a number of years now but this is the first time I do genuinely worry we might be in for a heavy defeat. Mourinho will smell blood for sure.

[Mac76]

Why not Poch, out of curiosity? You do have an intense dislike for him.

He picked up a Spurs team going nowhere and turned them into one hell of a unit before it ran out of steam. I don’t particularly care about the no trophy thing right now because we’re a million miles from where we want to be and we’ve unfortunately proven that winning a cup is no measure of progress anyway.

Highly unlikely to happen but I would personally be ok with him if that’s the road we went down.

1. He's massively overrated, I think he got lucky with a talented side who went on a good run but once it turned he didn't have a clue, the real skill of being a good manager is to turn things around when they go wrong and he was hopeless and moaned about needing more money. No better than Emery really, don't forget he took ua on that 20+ unbeaten run to start with

2. He's a spuds reject FFS

3. Have you noticed he's not had another job a full year after being sacked? Maybe there's a reason...

4. He's a sulky, fat-faced ****