Originally Posted by
Letters
I dunno. We have 66 points, 8 more than at this stage last season. If we win at the weekend we'll finish on 69 - still 8 points better off than last year and that would have been enough for 4th last year.
There does seem to have been a bit more shape about the team, at times we've moved the ball forward with more purpose. We lack a top striker but that's not news. And we have got better at closing out games. They're a young squad and that costs you points, I certainly see some potential in this lot.
I don't agree that the players aren't buying in to what he's trying to do. Maybe some of them didn't and he got rid of them. As he should have. Auba was trouble and he wasn't performing for us. Didn't he turn up late for the NLD and Arteta dropped him? He was supposed to been our captrain FFS.
But Arteta did take a massive risk by letting him go, and some others, and not adding to the squad in January. It left us threadbare and very vulnerable if we picked up injuries, which we did.
That is a worry but I guess it was inexperience which led to an inability to deal with the pressure. Hopefully on Sunday they'll relax now things aren't in our hands. I don't think Norwich will do us any favours but I hope we at least get our result just in case.
I can only infer from the new contract that Kronke set Europa League qualification as Arteta's target. The announcement came pretty much immediately after that was secured.
Hard to argue with, but to be fair look at the mess he inherited. He's got rid of a lot of dead wood since then and given the team more shape.
We do lose too many games but the number we are winning has increased too. Two seasons ago we only won 14 (holy shit that's awful!). Last year it was 18. This year it's 21, could end up 22. Let's not forget just two years ago we finished on 56 points.
I think he's trying to build something. I do think there's been some improvement over the last couple of years. It might not be fast enough for everyone's liking but I don't want to be another one of those clubs with a revolving door for managers. We don't want to be overly patient either of course, next year it's top 4 or bust for me. But I think Arteta deserves another season to try and achieve that.