Match Reaction v Burnley (away).

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Mourinho normally finds a way to mug us off so I am expecting a defeat too.

[Letters]

I don't think his voodoo is as strong as it used to be but Spurs have started to pick up a bit of form while we are flailing again a bit.

[Marc Overmars]

We’re at home so there’s always a chance against Spurs but yeah it’s Mourinho and he gets a kick out of taking points off us in particular.

[IBK]

My opinion in Xhaka is that he has improved but he is still a walking time bomb. He can't beat the press, never has been able to, never will be able to.

I personally don't see how he fits into what I see as Arteta's "Long term vision of the team or this process nonsense we keep on hearing".

What we saw from Xhaka yesterday we will see time and time again because he makes mistakes (lots of them) and he struggles to beat the press.

This is on Arteta now, if he wants to make Xhaka an important part of the team, it seems that way, then he needs to held accountable for Xhaka's suicidal mistakes which happen around half a dozen times a season, Xhaka costs us points.

I agree with you and others that Xhaka is an accident witing to happen. He encapsulates this team in so many ways. He has been playing well, and every time he does so, we fall into the trap of thinking that maybe, just maybe, there is something to build on - but then he reminds us of who he is. He is a decent footballer and does some things well, but being a good player is more than technical ability - its mentality and decision making, and knowing what do do at the appropriate time. He repeatedly fails in this department. He is by all accounts a good and dilligent leader, but undermines this by his example when the chips are down. These descriptions are interchangeable with Arteta's team in general.

I've heard people say 'what can the manager do when we are continually undone by individual errors?'. Well you can say that a bad mistake on the pitch is not the manager's fault, but when these mistakes keep repeating themselves you have to look at Arteta. Its the manager's decision making that persists with passing out from the back when every manager in the league now looks to exploit the inevitable errors that we will make doing this. It's the manager's infexibility that compounds this by making passing out a rigid absolute - whatever the circumstances and whoever we are playing (a rigidity that often also stifles us going forwards). It's the manager's naivity that does not seem to school the players into knowing when to play safe; and its the manager's failure to ensure the players are switched on and mindful that does nothing to make up for the innate stupidity that so many have shown under his tenure.

It's easy to think that people are over-reacting to a game that we drew, and but for being fucked by the excrable VAR would have won, but we are all sick to the teeth of this team beating itself - time after time after time. You can take this once or twice per season, but how many points now have we basically thrown down the toilet for no reason? I am willing to bet that we would be close to top 4 - despite the pre-Christmas meltdown - if players had not made such easily avoidable basic errors. We are sick of keeping the failth and getting behind a team showing signs of progress, only for all momentum being sucked away by lack of concentration and discipline - something that is easily within the gift of every EPL team.

This having been said, why does Arteta keep picking Xhaka? Because there is noone else to play. Errors or no errors, he is clearly better than Elneny and Ceballos has a mistake in him and is totally anonymous 50% of the times he plays. Despite what I say above, I can understand why Arteta plays Xhaka because of what he does well - and strictly football-wise, the manager has compensated for his lack of pace by not making him the pivot in MF. Xhaka was not the only reason why they scored. Why did the GK risk the pass to him when Burnley were pressing? Why did we play with no urgency after the goal until the final 20 mins? And our forwards can be charged with the same lack of composure as Xhaka with their woeful finishing.

I have been a flag-waver for our recent progress. But results and performances like this raise serious questions about whether our 'progress' is a team that flatters to deceive and will continue to do so. The table doesn't lie. We are mid-table mediocre, and there comes a time when this is not an aberration, but a true indication of the quality of this team.

[Chippy]

Yep, i think they will too, sad isn't it?

Very sad

Especially as "PG Tips" Bale is bang on form.

There is always next year

[Letters]

They're not all that. They've had a few decent results - all against poor sides.
They only just squeezed past Fulham and got a bit lucky with a VAR call.
They're not much better than us, if at all.

[Mac76]

They're not all that. They've had a few decent results - all against poor sides.
They only just squeezed past Fulham and got a bit lucky with a VAR call.
They're not much better than us, if at all.

but they will get a dodgy pel and we will get a blatant pel disallowed - the refs will make sure they win

[selassie]

I agree with you and others that Xhaka is an accident witing to happen. He encapsulates this team in so many ways. He has been playing well, and every time he does so, we fall into the trap of thinking that maybe, just maybe, there is something to build on - but then he reminds us of who he is. He is a decent footballer and does some things well, but being a good player is more than technical ability - its mentality and decision making, and knowing what do do at the appropriate time. He repeatedly fails in this department. He is by all accounts a good and dilligent leader, but undermines this by his example when the chips are down. These descriptions are interchangeable with Arteta's team in general.

I've heard people say 'what can the manager do when we are continually undone by individual errors?'. Well you can say that a bad mistake on the pitch is not the manager's fault, but when these mistakes keep repeating themselves you have to look at Arteta. Its the manager's decision making that persists with passing out from the back when every manager in the league now looks to exploit the inevitable errors that we will make doing this. It's the manager's infexibility that compounds this by making passing out a rigid absolute - whatever the circumstances and whoever we are playing (a rigidity that often also stifles us going forwards). It's the manager's naivity that does not seem to school the players into knowing when to play safe; and its the manager's failure to ensure the players are switched on and mindful that does nothing to make up for the innate stupidity that so many have shown under his tenure.

It's easy to think that people are over-reacting to a game that we drew, and but for being fucked by the excrable VAR would have won, but we are all sick to the teeth of this team beating itself - time after time after time. You can take this once or twice per season, but how many points now have we basically thrown down the toilet for no reason? I am willing to bet that we would be close to top 4 - despite the pre-Christmas meltdown - if players had not made such easily avoidable basic errors. We are sick of keeping the failth and getting behind a team showing signs of progress, only for all momentum being sucked away by lack of concentration and discipline - something that is easily within the gift of every EPL team.

This having been said, why does Arteta keep picking Xhaka? Because there is noone else to play. Errors or no errors, he is clearly better than Elneny and Ceballos has a mistake in him and is totally anonymous 50% of the times he plays. Despite what I say above, I can understand why Arteta plays Xhaka because of what he does well - and strictly football-wise, the manager has compensated for his lack of pace by not making him the pivot in MF. Xhaka was not the only reason why they scored. Why did the GK risk the pass to him when Burnley were pressing? Why did we play with no urgency after the goal until the final 20 mins? And our forwards can be charged with the same lack of composure as Xhaka with their woeful finishing.

I have been a flag-waver for our recent progress. But results and performances like this raise serious questions about whether our 'progress' is a team that flatters to deceive and will continue to do so. The table doesn't lie. We are mid-table mediocre, and there comes a time when this is not an aberration, but a true indication of the quality of this team.

Great post as always IBK, I agree with all of your points and it does basically come down to a team and management issue.

I do think there has been some signs of progress in as much as that we seem to be developing an identity of sorts, and look exciting at times. I do think on our day we can be a very good side, but the flipside to that is we can be very poor side too. This Arsenal team is the true definition of "Jekyl and Hyde", I honestly cannot predict the result of any of our fixtures, not one of them.

Quality wise, I believe the team is underperforming, we are clearly not good enough to challenge for the title, but a top 4-7 push considering the teams we see up there this season shouldn't be beyond this team, yet for the second season running we find ourselves absolutely nowhere the top 4 and more likely finishing 10th or thereabouts.

I'm not privy to our finances or what Arteta and Edu plan to do with the squad in the summer, but we need to rebuild further by actually improving the first XI. This will come at either a cost....or more likely will come through really shrewd investments, because we certainly can't have the pulling power we once had if we continue to finish midtable and I question whether we have the finances to geniunely upgrade the team with quality players.

[IBK]

Great post as always IBK, I agree with all of your points and it does basically come down to a team and management issue.

I do think there has been some signs of progress in as much as that we seem to be developing an identity of sorts, and look exciting at times. I do think on our day we can be a very good side, but the flipside to that is we can be very poor side too. This Arsenal team is the true definition of "Jekyl and Hyde", I honestly cannot predict the result of any of our fixtures, not one of them.

Quality wise, I believe the team is underperforming, we are clearly not good enough to challenge for the title, but a top 4-7 push considering the teams we see up there this season shouldn't be beyond this team, yet for the second season running we find ourselves absolutely nowhere the top 4 and more likely finishing 10th or thereabouts.

I'm not privy to our finances or what Arteta and Edu plan to do with the squad in the summer, but we need to rebuild further by actually improving the first XI. This will come at either a cost....or more likely will come through really shrewd investments, because we certainly can't have the pulling power we once had if we continue to finish midtable and I question whether we have the finances to geniunely upgrade the team with quality players.

2 stand out observations from your post, mate (highlighted). And I think that these (in a very Arsenal way) present both concerns and reasons for hope.

It sounds odd when we have been discussing Xhaka's shortcomings; our inefficiency in front of goal and why we gift points to the oppositon, but our players are better than our league position. The standard reaction of many fans is that we need better players, but bar 1 or 2 upgrades, I think that we have the quality to challenge for top 4. The fallacy is that we have not spent enough. We have spent plenty. We are 4th (I think) in net spend over the past few seasons! I'll grant that we have not been astute - and in particular our player sales have been an unmitgated disaster - as have decisions such as the one that saw Emery walk with a £10M pay off. But we simply cannot hide behind funding. One thing that Arteta has achieved (whether by luck or by judgment) is a first 11 plus back ups in most areas of reasonable quality. His coaching seems to have improved several players footballing wise - yes even Xhaka!

What has not improved in tandem is decision-making; efficiency and consistency. This is why we cannot predict results and is our massive Achilles' heel. And I honestly don't know whether this is something that will improve under Arteta or whether it is a management defect that will continue under him. Is it, for example, a consequence of players being over coached - caught between over complex directions and being able to play their natural game? Or is it the result of the pressure that our inconsistency and pre-Christmas disaster generates - that means that every game against any opposition has the feel of a cup final - with nerves to match?

The season currently has the feel of a vicious circle, where results generate belief that we can progress - only for unexpected failure to put us back in the area of uncertainty. I am still prepared to hope that the consistency will come and turn into a more virtuous circle, but this cannot go on indefinitely. Despite good performances at times, the reality is that Arteta continues to underperform - with the resources at his disposal - in terms of results.

[Mac76]

2 stand out observations from your post, mate (highlighted). And I think that these (in a very Arsenal way) present both concerns and reasons for hope.

It sounds odd when we have been discussing Xhaka's shortcomings; our inefficiency in front of goal and why we gift points to the oppositon, but our players are better than our league position. The standard reaction of many fans is that we need better players, but bar 1 or 2 upgrades, I think that we have the quality to challenge for top 4. The fallacy is that we have not spent enough. We have spent plenty. We are 4th (I think) in net spend over the past few seasons! I'll grant that we have not been astute - and in particular our player sales have been an unmitgated disaster - as have decisions such as the one that saw Emery walk with a £10M pay off. But we simply cannot hide behind funding. One thing that Arteta has achieved (whether by luck or by judgment) is a first 11 plus back ups in most areas of reasonable quality. His coaching seems to have improved several players footballing wise - yes even Xhaka!

What has not improved in tandem is decision-making; efficiency and consistency. This is why we cannot predict results and is our massive Achilles' heel. And I honestly don't know whether this is something that will improve under Arteta or whether it is a management defect that will continue under him. Is it, for example, a consequence of players being over coached - caught between over complex directions and being able to play their natural game? Or is it the result of the pressure that our inconsistency and pre-Christmas disaster generates - that means that every game against any opposition has the feel of a cup final - with nerves to match?

The season currently has the feel of a vicious circle, where results generate belief that we can progress - only for unexpected failure to put us back in the area of uncertainty. I am still prepared to hope that the consistency will come and turn into a more virtuous circle, but this cannot go on indefinitely. Despite good performances at times, the reality is that Arteta continues to underperform - with the resources at his disposal - in terms of results.

very good, i agree with all of that

we're undoubtedly suffering from the fact that Arteta is learning on the job, something he should have done in the championship, or at Fulham or somewhere, not at Arsenal

funnily enough i do think he'll learn in time but it's cost us this season and who knows how much better - or not - we'll be next season?