Arsenal vs Tottenham 15.01.2025 KO 20:00

I don’t know where we go from the last few matches. Going out of the fa cup, and all but going out of the league cup doesn’t bother me, not a jot. Getting to the point where we’ve run the first team into the ground so much that the loss of Gabriel Jesus is seen as a major blow…that bothers me tremendously.

I’ve heard people on here say we should change the style of play, well that would have been nice a month ago. But without Saka and Nwaneri it’s rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic rather.

One or two injuries I can simply put down to luck, but Saka, Nwaneri, Jesus and the fact that Odegaard is clearly playing with an injury and is a ticking time bomb waiting to go off again puts it firmly in the box of mismanagement. This dickhead manager of ours says we have a thin squad and yet looks to try and compete in all competitions, why were the reserves not put out either against Newcastle or United (in my view preferably both games).

Now…we have a North London Derby where if Spurs weren’t in such shocking form themselves, they’d have to be the favourites for. Simply because they have goalscorers and we don’t.

They can’t defend for shit, so the only thing i think we can do is pub a goal and defend a 1-0 lead. Which let’s be fair we’d be doing even if everyone was fit.

0-3 Solanke hatter

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Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn

I don’t know where we go from the last few matches. Going out of the fa cup, and all but going out of the league cup doesn’t bother me, not a jot. Getting to the point where we’ve run the first team into the ground so much that the loss of Gabriel Jesus is seen as a major blow…that bothers me tremendously.

I’ve heard people on here say we should change the style of play, well that would have been nice a month ago. But without Saka and Nwaneri it’s rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic rather.

One or two injuries I can simply put down to luck, but Saka, Nwaneri, Jesus and the fact that Odegaard is clearly playing with an injury and is a ticking time bomb waiting to go off again puts it firmly in the box of mismanagement. This dickhead manager of ours says we have a thin squad and yet looks to try and compete in all competitions, why were the reserves not put out either against Newcastle or United (in my view preferably both games).

Now…we have a North London Derby where if Spurs weren’t in such shocking form themselves, they’d have to be the favourites for. Simply because they have goalscorers and we don’t.

They can’t defend for shit, so the only thing i think we can do is pub a goal and defend a 1-0 lead. Which let’s be fair we’d be doing even if everyone was fit.

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The reserves point is debateable. There is an argument to say that putting out teams to try to win each game is important for momentum/team psychology. I don't think you should throw a semi final where there is a chance of winning a cup, and the Manure game was an attempt to re-set after the Newcastle shit show that we should have won. We have undoubtedly been unfortunate with injuries, but player fatigue is not IMO an excuse for failing to convert so many chances. If there is a criticism to be made, its that schedule or not, we are undercooked up front. I am beginning to think that this is more the result of club policy/owners insistng on sales to fund long term acquisitions than the manager not wanting to sign any forwards.

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Originally Posted by IBK

The reserves point is debateable. There is an argument to say that putting out teams to try to win each game is important for momentum/team psychology. I don't think you should throw a semi final where there is a chance of winning a cup, and the Manure game was an attempt to re-set after the Newcastle shit show that we should have won. We have undoubtedly been unfortunate with injuries, but player fatigue is not IMO an excuse for failing to convert so many chances. If there is a criticism to be made, its that schedule or not, we are undercooked up front. I am beginning to think that this is more the result of club policy/owners insistng on sales to fund long term acquisitions than the manager not wanting to sign any forwards.

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I don’t recall saying it was an excuse that fatigue was responsible for missed chances. But it will partly factor in if we are less than fully fit tonight


From my perspective though, these cups are simply not significant enough to imperil an even slim chance of winning the league. If you put reserves out and they lose, it’s not the same as the first team losing and it’s not that mental baggage that the first team are carrying.

Plus no one believes that we a) have a Squad that can compete in four seperate competitions b) Really thinks we can win the champions league. The laser focus from the outset should have been on the league. Unless Man City are punished with relegation (and whilst it’s possibly it’s unlikely). It’s probably going to be our only chance to win the league for the next 5-10 years this season. I’m not furious with Arteta for no reason, but it’s not just him it’s him and the board. They don’t care about finishing higher than 4th…and seem to be willing to gamble on fans being replaced by tourists and customers at the ground.

2-2

Probably the usual batshit NLD.

I hope we win, tbh.

Absolute must win game!

Whoever is left alive to pull on the shirt needs to stand up and be counted for this one.

10/10 performance needed for Havertz here. Only way to make up for that atrocity the other day.

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Originally Posted by IBK

I am beginning to think that this is more the result of club policy/owners insisting on sales to fund long term acquisitions than the manager not wanting to sign any forwards.

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I think it's both tbh, though the owners' reluctance may be growing due to our underwhelming transfers in the summer - a panic-buy goalie who was cup-tied for the League Cup, an injury-prone LB who once again can't defend and a midfield bovverboy who's so short of the mark that we're now looking to spend another £50 on Zubimendi

We need to throw everything we have at getting Sesko in in January or if not in thd summer, he's scoring regularly which none of our players are

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Originally Posted by Mac76

I think it's both tbh, though the owners' reluctance may be growing due to our underwhelming transfers in the summer - a panic-buy goalie who was cup-tied for the League Cup, an injury-prone LB who once again can't defend and a midfield bovverboy who's so short of the mark that we're now looking to spend another £50 on Zubimendi

We need to throw everything we have at getting Sesko in in January or if not in thd summer, he's scoring regularly which none of our players are

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I think Zubimendi is a 6, rather than Merino, who is supposed to be an 8. I also think that Zubimendi is primarily intended as a replacement for Partey - particularly with the former's passing range.

I agree with you however that Merino has been underwhelming, and from the owner's perspective money wise, he was an addition to Partey, Rice; Jorghino and a very large MF wage deficit - not to mention was probably sold to the club by Arteta to be a box crasher/goal provider. Wouldn't surprise me if the owners feel that if Arteta spends the money available further back, then that depletes the fund available for our forward line. I think also that Arteta's strategy has undoubtedly been to build from the back forwards, so a summer striker signing was probably supposed to be the final jigsaw piece (with further signings dependent upon sales). We will wait to see whether the longer term approach will be tweaked now Jesus is gone.