Season Review First Draft

First off, I’m going to surprise people by starting off with the positives. We had four players get into double figures with goals which I’m quite happy with, the last time I remember this happening was I think 01/02 when Henry, Ljungberg, Wiltord and Bergkamp got double figures in the league.

Despite the criticism, some of it deserved, some of it outrageous I’m genuinely happy with the attacking quartet of Saka, Martinelli, Jesus and Odegaard. I can almost (Almost) forgive Arteta for not rotating more.


I do think we need an upgrade on Xhaka and so I’m not sorry he’s going, but i think this has been without question his best season in an Arsenal shirt. I think freeing him to play in a more advanced role (his more natural role) has brought out the best in him (although I would argue hamstrung the team as a whole). I think he gave one of his best ever performances against Newcastle and yeah on balance I think deserved the reception he got today.


Saliba is an exceptional defender, just plays with an assuredness and wisdom well beyond his years, tieing him down to a new deal is an absolute must.


If I were to pick a player of the season for us, although I still think I want to see more from him in big games away from home it would have to be our captain Martin Odegaard. His goal scoring, his tenacity and forward drives on the pitch have been the focal point of what has been an unquestionably improvement in our attacking (and yes that’s despite me calling him a poof last week)


Now what I’ve not liked (not going to be an Arteta rant, even I’m sick of talking about the cunt)


Ben White at right back. I actually think on the whole he’s had a good season and is a good defender but he doesn’t have the pace or positional play of a fullback. He’s good on the ball and he’s got good awareness of danger for the most part but he should be a centre back that’s what he is.

Zinchenko - What an unbelievably shit signing. It’s a luxury run before you can walk signing, and even his biggest fans admit there’s no need for an inverted full back if we had someone next to Partey who didn’t vacate the amount of space Xhaka does. His passing is over elaborate, he can’t defend and he has about as much knowledge of what a left back does as a primary school child has an understanding of what a credit default swap is.


Holding - to paraphrase Alec Baldwin in Glengarry Glenross “You’re nothing. A loser is always a loser. Nice guy? I don’t give a shit…Well liked in the dressing room? Fuck you…go home and play on the x box with your mates” - Same applies to Elneny, fortunately injury deprived us of too much of his company


Tierney - It’s got to be more than the inverted full back obsession, the last two games were a direct insult to him. Is Arteta being a homophobe because Tierney most likely is in a gay relationship with one of the club cooks. But to treat a top full back like that is insane


Vieira - What an absolute waste of thirty million. Guy has the upper body strength of one of those poor bastards you see during the filming of the liberation of places like Belsen at the end of the war. You’d think someone who comes from Portugal wouldn’t be deficient in Omega three oil but you’d be wrong.

Lack of Rotation

I don’t necessarily think Smith Rowe, Nelson, Kiwior, Trossard, Jorginho are first team starters but they absolutely should have been more than an afterthought during the run in…slotted in only due to injuries or when we’d given up the title chase.


I’m not going to dissect individual performances and results too much. It’s been done to death already and even with the benefit of hindsight I don’t think my view has changed that much from the time.


Haven’t gone out of my way to mention Ramsdale, Gabriel and Partey but they are all very good players in my view (even though all three have had poor games at times this season). Much rather have them than not have them

Forget all that shit above.

Just 3 words needed.

They.

Bottled.

It.

We all know that is true if we are honest.

Big improvement on last season though and they will spend some big money this summer for certain.

Philosophical about it all. In terms of consistency, the most enjoyable season in a generation. Some great football, wins against rivals and moments that will be fondly remembered. Starting a season with 16 wins out of 19 is something that we probably won’t repeat, that’s how high we raised the bar for ourselves. We only ever wanted a team good enough to challenge and we got that this year so I’m not going to be too downbeat about being runners up to a team like City. People will look at the 8 point lead we had but the reality is City had a game in hand and us to visit the Etihad. This was a very close race that was ultimately decided by the fact we couldn’t get a result against them.

Hard to ignore the crushing disappointment of wasting the opportunity we had though. We let ourselves down when it mattered the most, just like we did the previous season when chasing 4th. A lot of mistakes and history repeating itself albeit with different targets. Arteta must learn from these experiences and build himself a squad of players he trusts. He can’t just rely on the same 12 or 13 players and run them into the ground.

Big summer ahead. Now is the time to cash in on certain players and upgrade them with quality signings. The CL will require us to manage the squad more effectively because we will almost certainly get found out in our current guise.

Overall, now the dust has settled I’ll remember this season as one of real progress and I’m looking forward to seeing what we do in the summer and if we can challenge again. No more excuses now, Arteta isn’t a rookie anymore and while this is a young squad, it also should be a little more battle hardened now you’d think.

@MO, all spot on, my only worry is Arteta's approach to the defence, particularly the LB position. His bolting us into that one system and forcing Tierney out is going to make us less flexible next season.

I want to be optimistic but the thought of Zin once again being first on the teamsheet every game really doesn't help, it doesn't suit every game. I just hope Arteta moves to a more flexible approach but I'm not sure he will

I didn’t really want to make this thread about Arteta, because just talking about him makes me angry…and I don’t think it’s even him (although he is thoroughly unlikeable as a person, devoid of any charm or anything else I’d ascribe to being positive traits) but the myriad of our silly fans who think he’s something special when I suspect in five years he will be gone from the club, forgotten about and become nothing more than a pub quiz question

It’s not just Zinchenko, it’s everything…it’s continuing to play Xhaka when it was clear he’s not up to snuff. Playing Saka to death, keeping players like Holding and Elneny at the club, not playing Tierney (another player he’s fallen out with). Playing Partey and Kiwior as full backs, not taking responsibility for his myriad failures, spending over thirty million on a wastrel like Vieira.

I just can’t trust him, I feel like having him as coach is like allowing Sidney Cook to babysit your child…you know in the back of your mind something terrible will happen. Why on earth didn’t we sack him when we went ten games scoring four goals and losing seven.

I really am dreading the future of this club, think we could be even worse off than Chelsea or Spurs are now…because we have someone who is utterly off his head as coach.

I left out the other stuff he's got wrong as i'm hoping it will start to get through to him, the apparent re-signing of Nelson maybe shows an understanding he needs to use tbe wider squad more.

I highlighted the LB/Zin thing because he just seems so wedded to it and that spells danger, one way or another if Tierney goes - and why on earth wouldn't he - we need more LB options

Btw for those not at the game yesterday, Tierney did get a fair bit of fan appreciation during the walk around the pitch after, at lrast he knows the fans are on his side

I think hoping for change from Arteta, is like hoping for a psychopath to feel empathy

Continuing to play Kiwior and Partey at full back yesterday struck a real chord with me, the guy is a head case and will happily burn it all down to make some kind of sick point. We were lucky that a) yesterday didn’t matter anyway and b) that wolves didn’t bother to turn up.

I was sure earlier on in the season he tanked the game against United because he’s not right in the head and rather than admit he got it wrong, just blew it all up with his substitutions. The only thing we can hope for is that the club recognise what kind of man this is before he’s allowed to do too much damage.

You can expect that if any of those players show a flicker of individuality or assertiveness he will have to humiliate them like he did with Auba, that’s how his mind works.

He did it with Tierney yesterday and last week against Forest. Telling him I’d rather put a 6ft centre back out there than play you. Trying to destroy the guy mentally. Nasty piece of work.

Typical Narcissist behaviour, it was abundantly clear when he set that apalling line up against Brighton last season and then tried to humiliate the players when it didn’t work.

Also does it remind you of anyone? Jose Felix Mourinho…another narcissist who invariably burnt things down at most clubs he was ever at because of that destructive tendency where the need to make everything about you and punish perceived trangressions against your who come to the fore.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mac76

I left out the other stuff he's got wrong as i'm hoping it will start to get through to him, the apparent re-signing of Nelson maybe shows an understanding he needs to use tbe wider squad more.

I highlighted the LB/Zin thing because he just seems so wedded to it and that spells danger, one way or another if Tierney goes - and why on earth wouldn't he - we need more LB options

Btw for those not at the game yesterday, Tierney did get a fair bit of fan appreciation during the walk around the pitch after, at lrast he knows the fans are on his side

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If Nelson gets a new contract it will be for homegrown quota purposes and to protect his value. I don’t think he’s ever going to be more than he is now with us. Wouldn’t even be surprised if he went out on loan again.

Would personally sell him and maybe ESR. Just don’t see the point in keeping these types of players when the manager clearly has no time for them. He needs a squad full of players he can trust if we are to actually win something.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Marc Overmars

If Nelson gets a new contract it will be for homegrown quota purposes and to protect his value. I don’t think he’s ever going to be more than he is now with us. Wouldn’t even be surprised if he went out on loan again.

Would personally sell him and maybe ESR. Just don’t see the point in keeping these types of players when the manager clearly has no time for them. He needs a squad full of players he can trust if we are to actually win something.

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But isn’t then that Arteta is the problem. If Tierney is rated so highly that City and Newcastle both want him but Arteta doesn’t trust him?.

Smith Rowe different story because he’s always been bang average. Can’t run, and seems to have one leg longer than the other.

This whole “trust” thing is based on a rigid individual, who clearly can’t be flexible with systems or personnel

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn

But isn’t then that Arteta is the problem. If Tierney is rated so highly that City and Newcastle both want him but Arteta doesn’t trust him?.

Smith Rowe different story because he’s always been bang average. Can’t run, and seems to have one leg longer than the other.

This whole “trust” thing is based on a rigid individual, who clearly can’t be flexible with systems or personnel

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Sure but ultimately it’s better to have players he can actually work with effectively. Fan favourites and how highly others rate them isn’t going to mean much really. If Tierney isn’t the man for Arteta then fine, get rid of him and bring in someone who is. All managers have their preferred players so it’s not anything new in that sense.

It’s not even about fan’s favourites it’s about objective reality. Anyone who has ever played football will tell you not only that Tierney is a better defender than Zinchenko but that Zinchenko can’t defend very well.

Why should the club bend over backwards to accommodate a man with obvious personality problems, he was brought in as a head coach and did an unwarranted power grab. If he cannot pick the best players available to him which is largely his job, and if he cannot get the best out of his entire squad….what’s he doing in management?.

The club doesn’t have the finances to spend the kind of money he evidently thinks he requires to buy the players we as a club need for him to rotate sufficiently.

I wouldn’t mind but he doesn’t even appear to fully trust the players he did buy.

Maybe we need to be the club that says the head coach is only a functionary, the days of Alex Ferguson types ruling the roost are long over. We need someone who will get the best out of what is now a very expensive squad, not hold it back

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn

It’s not even about fan’s favourites it’s about objective reality. Anyone who has ever played football will tell you not only that Tierney is a better defender than Zinchenko but that Zinchenko can’t defend very well.

Why should the club bend over backwards to accommodate a man with obvious personality problems, he was brought in as a head coach and did an unwarranted power grab. If he cannot pick the best players available to him which is largely his job, and if he cannot get the best out of his entire squad….what’s he doing in management?.

The club doesn’t have the finances to spend the kind of money he evidently thinks he requires to buy the players we as a club need for him to rotate sufficiently.

I wouldn’t mind but he doesn’t even appear to fully trust the players he did buy.

Maybe we need to be the club that says the head coach is only a functionary, the days of Alex Ferguson types ruling the roost are long over. We need someone who will get the best out of what is now a very expensive squad, not hold it back

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I mostly agree with you but the manager is the most important person at a club. If he’s a cunt so be it, as long as I feel he’s got us moving in the right direction then I say pander to him. I always believe in giving someone enough rope to hang themselves with. The buck starts and stops with Arteta.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Marc Overmars

I mostly agree with you but the manager is the most important person at a club. If he’s a cunt so be it, as long as I feel he’s got us moving in the right direction then I say pander to him. I always believe in giving someone enough rope to hang themselves with. The buck starts and stops with Arteta.

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I don’t think he is moving us in the right direction

I think it’s more accurate to look on the first half of the season as an outlier, and the second half more in keeping with the failures we’ve come to expect from Arteta.

I’m not saying I’m definitely right, but I’m convinced enough to be very worried about next season. Actually more worried than I was at the same time last year. I think the possibility exists for him to fuck us up enormously in the transfer market and the season.

I’m not saying the club should push him, because of course there are no grounds to do so and even less grounds to suggest we can definitely bring in someone better but the last few games especially have seen the Arteta I recognise.

You’re right ostensibly that he’s a cunt is not relevant, If I felt he was getting the best out of the entire squad I wouldn’t care if he was knocking his wife about and using his kids as drug mules.

But in reality you can’t be a cunt and it not have a deleterious impact on your work

It's the 'right direction' question that's at the heart of this, I don't question that he's revitalised the club spirit and got his chosen players doing very well - at least until he runs them into the ground

But as per my comment above, locking us into a system that means we play Zin at LB is not for me the right direction, certainly as a blanket policy from which he never willingly waivers

It's greater flexibility in his thinking that I'll be looking for, as HCZ says if he simply thinks he can spend his way out of his failings it's not enough

But still we have exceeded expectations this season so maybe it can happen again, just not sure how much I'd bet on it

I wouldn’t mind if he thought he could spend his way out of trouble, if we were all honest with ourselves we’d admit that the reason we finished second is because we’ve spent 400 million almost since Arteta took over…it’s actually a pretty poor return on the investment but a) if spending our way to success is the only way then fine by me (assuming we buy the right players) and b) maybe some people will begin to accept that money is the reason we are doing better and not the coach who is a definite drag factor.

But of course the flip side of that is who we spend it on, rumours linking us with Mason Mount I hope are no more than that as signing him should be a sackable offence. I think enriching West Ham for average dross like Declan Rice would be a grave mistake as well.


The answers are really quite simple


Sell Zinchenko - keep Tierney as first choice and the Dog snogger on loan as second choice left back

Sell Holding - Have White, Gabriel, Saliba and The Polack as our four centre backs and sign that Fresneda individual as right back with Tomoyasu as back up…that’s it leave defence alone…spent enough time and money on it


Get rid of Elneny and Lokonga. Bring in Caicedo…and Tielemans…and have Jorginho and Partey make up the four in midfield. And if needs be we can slot Trossard in at the no 8 role

Sell that anaemic fuck Vieira or pay for a blood transfusion


Sell Nketiah, bring in a striker who is a bit of a route one merchant and a set piece bully


We don’t even need to blow millions in cash


We essentially need to bring in four players and get rid of 9-10 (if you include the ones on loan)


Ramsdale
That American Imbecile

Tierney
Tavares
Gabriel
Saliba
White
Kiwior
Tomoyasu
Fresneda
Partey
Caicedo
Jorginho
Tielemans
Smith Rowe
Odegaard
Trossard
Nelson
Saka
Martinelli
Jesus
Balogun
X Striker

23 man squad capable of challenging


It won’t happen of course

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Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn

I don’t think he is moving us in the right direction

I think it’s more accurate to look on the first half of the season as an outlier, and the second half more in keeping with the failures we’ve come to expect from Arteta.

I’m not saying I’m definitely right, but I’m convinced enough to be very worried about next season. Actually more worried than I was at the same time last year. I think the possibility exists for him to fuck us up enormously in the transfer market and the season.

I’m not saying the club should push him, because of course there are no grounds to do so and even less grounds to suggest we can definitely bring in someone better but the last few games especially have seen the Arteta I recognise.

You’re right ostensibly that he’s a cunt is not relevant, If I felt he was getting the best out of the entire squad I wouldn’t care if he was knocking his wife about and using his kids as drug mules.

But in reality you can’t be a cunt and it not have a deleterious impact on your work

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You mentioned objective reality but I would say that also applies to the team achieving something it hasn’t done in 6 years. Anyone would say that is moving in the right direction after several laughable years post-Wenger.

I prefer to just reserve judgement until I see otherwise.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Marc Overmars

You mentioned objective reality but I would say that also applies to the team achieving something it hasn’t done in 6 years. Anyone would say that is moving in the right direction after several laughable years post-Wenger.

I prefer to just reserve judgement until I see otherwise.

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Objective reality was specifically in relation to the Zinchenko/Tierney situation


However the reality is in the last 19 games of the season we got 10 wins, 4 draws and 5 defeats. If that had been mirrored in the first half of the season we’d have finished outside the top 4. I think the second half of the season was far more in keeping with what we’ve come to expect from Arsenal under Arteta. And i think it will be far more likely that this is what we see going forward. I hope I’m wrong, but I’m 95% sure I won’t be.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn

Objective reality was specifically in relation to the Zinchenko/Tierney situation


However the reality is in the last 19 games of the season we got 10 wins, 4 draws and 5 defeats. If that had been mirrored in the first half of the season we’d have finished outside the top 4. I think the second half of the season was far more in keeping with what we’ve come to expect from Arsenal under Arteta. And i think it will be far more likely that this is what we see going forward. I hope I’m wrong, but I’m 95% sure I won’t be.

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The only thing I’d say with certainty is that if you finish above City you win the league. Otherwise we’re all in the same boat, I think the top 6 is all interchangeable now, we could fall off cliff next year like Spurs and Chelsea this season or we could be in the mix again. I don’t know, I’d like to think the team has a high enough ceiling and has demonstrated enough quality to suggest it can come again but it’s all really down to Arteta now and how he strengthens. I’m a pessimist usually but I’m feeling relaxed about next season. Probably because while Pep is at City everyone is sort of just hanging on to their coat tails.

Back to reviewing the season, while it's tricky i've had a go at player ratings - bear in mind these take into account the fact some of them were played to death and others barely got a look in - and when they did they were sometimes played out of position - so i'm not punishing the player for the manager's mistakes. Also I am genuinely marking out of 10, i.e. it's possible for a player to get 10 rather than it being an unachieveable fantasy

Ram - 8.5 - yes one or two high-profile errors but generally excellent

White - 8 - great season, better defender than some would assert and linked up with Saka extremely well

Tomi - 7 - a varied season (when he was playing) but let's not forget the job he did on Salah and some other good performances - losing him and Saliba at the same time was a big blow

Kiwior - 7 - seemed decent when played in the right position

Saliba - 9 - what a class player, we really missed him and am a bit concerned it's taking time for his contract to be sorted

Gabriel - 8.5 - an absolute rock most of the time, especially considering he had to cover two positions a lot of the time due to the whole LB 'situation'

Zin - 3 - I've said it all before but he's a disaster given the big mistakes he makes match-on-match, the effect on our set up and causing Tierney to go

Tierney - 7.5 - a crime to see him played out of position or left out in favour of a non-natural RB replacement - if he does go to Newcastle or elsewhere in the PL, I hope he stuffs us when he plays against us

Partey - 6.5 - very good at times (including yesterday) but increasingly woeful at others, wouldn't be surprised to see him sold tbh

Jorg - 8 - fucking love this guy, great attitude, great experience

Odegaard - 8 - at times sublime and it's increaasingly clear that the moment he is taken out of the game we are much weaker for it - needs to just be a bit more consistent and impose himself a bit more on games

Xhaka - 7 - taken out of harm's way and given a role going forward, he's managed to be a banter player in a totally different way, causing other teams problems but obviously not good enough at the level we aspire to - tbf he's read the writing on the wall and decided to go

Saka - 8.5 - often brilliant but massively overworked by Arteta

Trossard - 7.5 - a good signing, giving us different options and always well focussed

Jesus - 8 - a combination of a 9 pre-World Cup and 7 afterwards - I think if there's one player who caused us to have such a good start to the season it was him, with his energy and belief, he's not the same since his injury

Martinelli - 9.5 - my Player of the Season, every time he gets the ball it's an opportunity, plus his early celebration to annoy everyone was quality :)

Eddie - 7 - I bumped his score up because he did well for a while, covering for Jesus, but typically useless either side of it

The rest:

Turner - 7 - didn't see much of him but tbh not as bad as some people say, would probably hold down the No1 job at a third of PL clubs

Holding - 5.5 - sad to see him be so below par but still, a good Servant to the CLub (TM)

Vieira - 5 - talented player but not sure he should stay

ESR - 4 - yesterday was another example of his failing to get involved, i don't think he got a single touch after he came on - sell

Nelson - 8 - gave us the Moment of the Season and I think he still does have potential to get better - if he signs then Arteta needs to help him develop it - I don't think he started a single game this season, that needs to change

That 15-year-old kid - 7.5 - seemed decent but it seemed a bit of a stunt by Arteta to play him that once then never use him again

Player ratings eh?


Ramsdale 6.9 - Some good saves especially in games like Anfield but also some awful howlers along the way. 6 being average, I mark him just below a 7


White 5.8 - Another player who epitomises the difference between the first and second half of the season, it’s not his fault given he’s not a right back but yeah…I can’t award him any higher when he was beasted so badly by Rashford, Grealish and Mitoma


Saliba 7.6 - Excellent debut season, plays like someone of many more advanced years


Gabriel 6.6 - Solid season, and good recovery after actually being the weak link in the defence in the autumn period. Needs to not let opposition players get to him so much


Zinchenko 3.1 - I think this is being generous, there simply is no point having a player in the defence who not only can’t defend but looks at the role of a left back the same way cromagnon man would look at a smart phone.



Xhaka 6.2 - High water mark for him, given the marked deficiencies in his game


Partey 6.7 - Would have got to the 7s, but when we needed him played like he had Dengue fever


Odegaard 7.9 - My player of the season, would have liked to have seen more of him at Anfield, The Etihad etc but is often so relentless on the ball, as well as producing some outstanding goals


Martinelli 7.8 - Was in many ways a toss up between Odegaard and Martinelli as to who was my player of the season. Has added goals to his game this season and is quite some player


Jesus 6.5 - Was so integral to our attack with his movement both on and off the ball, but often just became a passenger in games towards the end of the season. Still would rather have him than not


Saka 6.8 - The April/May funk soured what was an otherwise excellent season where he has progressed in the way he takes on the fullback.


Squad


Tierney 4.5 - Hasn’t got anywhere near enough game time to rate him any higher, for one of the best left backs in the country to be overlooked this way is evidence that Arteta is a narcissistic sociopath


Kiwior 5.7 - Reasonably decent, doesn’t look quite cut out for the premier league yet and will never be more than a squad player


Tomoyasu 4.2 - Just about acceptable to keep him as a squad player but injury proneness casts a shadow over this


Holding 2.6 - League one player, it’s not his fault…he was bought from the lower leagues when that is his level

Jorginho 6.6 - Excellent games indispersed with him being a total passenger, on balance a useful squad addition


Vieira 3.8 - I don’t know if he’s just our Helder Postiga or whether he actually has undiagnosed leukaemia


Lokonga 2.3 - Ship him off to Turkey, forget he ever existed


Elneny 3.5 - Fortunately injury meant we didn’t see much of him


Trossard 6.4 - Gave us something different in link up play, and assist making but ultimately like with a lot of players just looked stale near the end. Would like to see a far bigger goal return next season


Nelson 6.7 - Really would have liked to have seen more from him this season, not the most technically gifted player in my view but lots of raw pace and was really willing to put in a shift


Smith Rowe 4.7 - You can’t really blame Arteta for not using him more often, what do we actually see from him when he does come on? Very little

Nketiah 5.3 - He has these small purple patch runs, but other than that he provides next to nothing


Not going to even mention the players that featured in the cup competition. They were a complete irrelevance

HCZ, your hatred of Arteta is pathological at this point, I think you've gone overboard in your attempt to outdo mandela in his irrational hatred of Saka.

We've added 30 league goals scored as a team compared with the previous season and jumped from 5th to clear 2nd. That is a huge improvement and indication of a team moving in the right direction, however you try and spin it.

That's before you even consider all the less easily quantifiable and intangible progress made off the pitch in things like fan connection and atmosphere around the club.

Time is always the ultimate judge of these things, but I think Arteta has done a very good job, balancing positives and negatives, thus far.

Also, you'll be pleased to know that Zinchenko is in Opta's statistical PL team of the season :lol:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65740006

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cricketsi

HCZ, your hatred of Arteta is pathological at this point, I think you've gone overboard in your attempt to outdo mandela in his irrational hatred of Saka.

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I like Saka. Seems a nice wee boy, man. No issue with him whatsoever, other than from a purely footballing perspective him being over rated beyond all recognition and being deified/immune from criticism. I don't think it does him or arsenal any favors. I certainly don't hate him.

Ridiculous post.

Great season overall.

Real progress, which all I was hoping for. Of course we're disappointed in overachieving but that's the beauty of sport sometimes.

Ramsdale is now established as Arsenal goalie and will be for the next decade. I have zero issue with that.

Saliba and Gabriel...I think they're getting over hyped a little, man. Both of them still look a little nervy and error prone to me. Gabriel is particular always looks like he has a mistake in him, be it a poor pass or rash tackle. Love them both though and hopefully they continue to improve, but far from the finished articles yet, which is fine too.

Ben White just isn't good enough. Not strong enough to play centrally and I honestly think he's been put out wide because he cost £50m. He's just a poor player and mentally I think he's weak. His performances against the Manchester teams were the worst of the season by anyone. He needs to be improved upon.

Zinchenko I think is a good player going forward but a complete liability defensively. He's clearly a system player so it's hard to judge him, really. Keeping a fan favorite out the team, rightly or wrongly, never helps either. I'd like to see him in CM. I watched him absolutely destroy Scotland from there. Would rather have him than not.

Partey was an absolute colossus and our best player for most of the season. We all worried about losing him to injury but all it took was a couple of sub par games from him and the entire team fell apart. If that doesn't describe his importance to the team I don't know what does. Partey was our title challenge. It began and ended with him. Now the best right back in the league anaw.

Xhaka, all I can say is thank fuck he's gone. He's the epitome of Arsenal's mediocrity over the last 5 years. Simply not good enough at fitba. His son called redemption arc has been an embarrassment and only serves to highlight how little insight most have to go with their short memories.

Odegaard is pure class. Went missing one too many times for my liking but still developing and is a genuine world class talent. Just needs that consistency, which I bet comes soon. Great season overall.

Martinelli is great. I love him. These players are always patchy but his poor patches got shorter and his good patches got longer this season. Really progressed.

Saka <sigh> his general contribution ranges from non existent to average but he can do no wrong to most so I'll leave it there.

Jesus is a great player who is shit at his position. I'm naw actually sure if he deserves the same "system" defense Zinchenko gets from me. I just don't understand why he's almost always anywhere other than where I'd expect our CF to be. I think he's too big for his boots. Thinks he's bigger than arsenal and can do whatever the fuck he wants. But then I doubt Arteta would tolerate that so I dunno, man. We need a CF though. I certainly wouldn't object to Jesus moving to RW to accommodate a new CF. Means Saka can go back to being a back up LB, which is where he's played his best stuff for us, assuming Tierney is sold.

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Originally Posted by cricketsi

HCZ, your hatred of Arteta is pathological at this point, I think you've gone overboard in your attempt to outdo mandela in his irrational hatred of Saka.

We've added 30 league goals scored as a team compared with the previous season and jumped from 5th to clear 2nd. That is a huge improvement and indication of a team moving in the right direction, however you try and spin it.

That's before you even consider all the less easily quantifiable and intangible progress made off the pitch in things like fan connection and atmosphere around the club.

Time is always the ultimate judge of these things, but I think Arteta has done a very good job, balancing positives and negatives, thus far.

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As Dickhead himself says, he has no personal issue with Saka just for some reason none of us are prepared to open our eyes and see the truth….which is odd because most of us have been nothing but critical of him…in the first few games of the season and the last month or so I think he hid away but for two thirds of the season I think he tormented defences. I don’t know whether Macfuck doesn’t like the fact that he cuts inside more than crosses but that aside…I just think he’s a bell end so probably not worry really trying to work out what he thinks.

My dislike of Arteta is absolutely pathological, deep down there’s something about the man I just cannot stand. There’s something not right about him, sometimes he appears neurodiverse and other times he comes across like a total narcissist. Either way I do think he’s a genuinely nasty piece of work, who I think takes pleasure in humiliating others, is unable to accept fault in himself and has destructive tendencies.
It’s that reptile like callous cruelty

One thing I find interesting is the breakdown of the goals conceded…16 in the first half, compared to 27 in the second half


I don’t think there’s any big mystery involved especially at home. Where we conceded twice as many goals (17) in the second half of games as the first half (8)

The issue is a system of playing a high line ironically to prevent quick breaks using the long ball, but when we get more stretched either chasing a game (Brighton) or trying to add to our lead (Leeds, Leicester, Chelsea, Palace etc) they tend to exploit tired legs and mistake making.

The games became more stretched in the second half because of the 53 goals we scored at home 32 were scored in the second half.

In over half of our home games (10/19) we were either level or behind at half time

Where in 11 of our away games we were ahead at half time, and therefore became less inclined to attack second half (accounting for the fact that we scored 15 goals in the second half of games away from home)

This says a lot about how we play (away from home we look to strike early and hold on to what we have…and given we got 10 clean sheets away from home this was reasonably successful)

At home there’s a mixture of not immediately being able to break teams down and being less inclined to hold on to what we have and more about entertaining the crowd.