The Arteta Thread

[Letters]

We always seem to fare well whenever these arbitrary samples are looked at. “The table since <insert whenever we stopped being completely shit>“. Happened a lot with with Wenger too when we were second half of the season champions a few times.

True, but it's a tempting piece of reasoning - especially with a new manager. You could make the argument that he was finding his feet in the first half of the season and the second half is more representative of what we could do under Arteta. It gives some hope for next season.
I'm not sure I buy it really - the Villareal game was an example of him just not getting things right. A game in which we just had to score and we were feeble.
But I think we have to accept that Arteta will be our manager next season and just hope that the second half of the season is an indication that things will be better next year. It will be an interesting summer, sounds like there could be a lot of changes and without being in Europe it might be hard getting players in of a level who will push us on. That said, we've been in Europe for a bazillion years in a row so I think if players buy in to the ambition that I'm sure Arteta has then it won't be a problem. The question is whether Arteta can realise that ambition, I suspect not.

[Mac76]

True, but it's a tempting piece of reasoning - especially with a new manager. You could make the argument that he was finding his feet in the first half of the season and the second half is more representative of what we could do under Arteta. It gives some hope for next season.
I'm not sure I buy it really - the Villareal game was an example of him just not getting things right. A game in which we just had to score and we were feeble.
But I think we have to accept that Arteta will be our manager next season and just hope that the second half of the season is an indication that things will be better next year. It will be an interesting summer, sounds like there could be a lot of changes and without being in Europe it might be hard getting players in of a level who will push us on. That said, we've been in Europe for a bazillion years in a row so I think if players buy in to the ambition that I'm sure Arteta has then it won't be a problem. The question is whether Arteta can realise that ambition, I suspect not.

I'd adapt what you say there and say that the second half is more representative of what we could do under ... a new manager. Don't forget Arteta stumbled on the younger players when injuries forced his hand, but he then played Saka and ESR into the ground plus success made him bolder about fiddling around with the system to the point we sank back into mediocrity

[I am invisible]

I was just shocked by the fact that we're still 3rd since Boxing Day, that's all - didn't think we'd be anywhere close to that, the way we've been playing, even in a cherry-picked sample? Felt like we saw maybe a 6-week bounce after ESR came into the side, but beyond that we'd fallen away badly again...

[Letters]

I was just shocked by the fact that we're still 3rd since Boxing Day, that's all - didn't think we'd be anywhere close to that, the way we've been playing, even in a cherry-picked sample? Felt like we saw maybe a 6-week bounce after ESR came into the side, but beyond that we'd fallen away badly again...

This has not been a high quality season, no-one has been that consistent so that's a factor.

[Letters]

You know what I mean

[Mac76]

This has not been a high quality season, no-one has been that consistent so that's a factor.

I beg to differ, Willian's been consistently shite

[I am invisible]

I beg to differ, Willian's been consistently shite

Fact!

[I am invisible]

True, but it's a tempting piece of reasoning - especially with a new manager. You could make the argument that he was finding his feet in the first half of the season and the second half is more representative of what we could do under Arteta. It gives some hope for next season.
I'm not sure I buy it really - the Villareal game was an example of him just not getting things right. A game in which we just had to score and we were feeble.
But I think we have to accept that Arteta will be our manager next season and just hope that the second half of the season is an indication that things will be better next year. It will be an interesting summer, sounds like there could be a lot of changes and without being in Europe it might be hard getting players in of a level who will push us on. That said, we've been in Europe for a bazillion years in a row so I think if players buy in to the ambition that I'm sure Arteta has then it won't be a problem. The question is whether Arteta can realise that ambition, I suspect not.

As much as it feels like a load of cold comfort, I do think these 'form since...' tables can be useful when it comes to recruitment? We won't have European football to use as a selling point, but what we can do is point to stuff like this and say "we've actually been the 3rd most in-form team in the EPL since Boxing day - come to us instead of those guys and we'll have a clean run at the league, CL spots and domestic cups next year with no tiring, mid-week trips around Europe."