Mikel Arteta Thread

[Marc Overmars]

I think his input attacking wise has been minimal but he's very disciplined at what he does, and I do think he provides bit of solidarity in midfield. I guess that was drilled into him at Everton.

Maybe it's not worth expecting him to attempt more ambitious passes, given it's actually Ramsey who looks like being the direct replacement for Cesc, although I believe he should make way for Wilshere when he's back.

I prefer the idea of Song and Arteta doing the donkey work, going unoticed in games, whilst Ramsey/Wilshere do their own thing.

During the Cesc days, I always felt the midfield was lopsided towards the attack, and that was both a strength and a weakness to our game. Now we have a basis more suited to the Prem IMO, although possibly not for the CL as the goals haven't exactly been flowing in Europe.

[GP]

Arteta is consistently excellent at what he does. He's technically superb, but more importantly, he's extremely disciplined. He's obviously being asked to play as the deepest midfielder, and with the pace we've got out wide now, we finally look balanced.

Long may it continue.

[Master Splinter]

Benyanoon or Rosicky should start ahead of him if we're playing some fodder.

Can't wait for Wilshere - Song - Ramsey. Twill be awesome tbh.

[Syn]

Can't wait for Wilshere - Song - Ramsey. Twill be awesome tbh.

It will be phenomenal as long as Wilshere doesn't come back broken. It took Ramsey a while to get back to his pre-injury path...a similar story with Wilshere would be a fucking disaster. Apparently he's back in a couple of months though and his lay-off wasn't anywhere near as long as Ramsey or Eduardo's so he should be able to pick up where he left off.

[Master Splinter]

If Sir Jack comes back a broken man/player, I will cry.

And send death threats to that Samosa guy who GHELlled him.

[Marc Overmars]

Sir Jack is a filthy GHEL, not some foreign pansy like Eduardo.

Of course he will slot back in like he's never been away.

[Master Splinter]

Yeah but GHELs don't get these ever-extending injuries either.

[-Xs-]

So it all depends on how much his ghel can battle his Arsenalitis

[Fist of Lehmann]

I think the midfield triumvirate has really started to gel, there seems to be better balance, with any of the 3 capable of interchange, to go forward, or track back.

A midfield three of Fabregas and 2 others had more star quality, more vision but I think we have something here that could work, in a different way, better defensively and maybe more adaptable.

Post injury Arteta's lost some of his pace, but GP is spot on.

Technical, hard-working, disciplined, smart, level-headed with a great attitude (he took a pay cut - unusual enough in a professional footballer ostensibly moving upward) - just what we needed to steady the ship.

Glad we signed this guy now.

[Niall_Quinn]

Glad we signed this guy now.

Yep