Mikel Arteta is the new Arsenal Manager

I concur wholeheartedly the Kroenke's are the real issue

 

I also agree with that to a certain extent, but the way our players play... You watch other games where there's pace and intention, we just waft around the pitch passing, then losing it and running about like headless chucks.

 

The club is run like a 5th-8th place club. Arteta is dropping them into the bottom 5.

 

A fish rots from the head.

 

BIEN France is reporting that we are in talks with Tuchel to take over for Arteta if things do not improve soon. They claim Tuchel is excited about the prospects of managing in the EPL.

 

Who knows how these players would do with Tuchel. I feel like it may not be as good as the PSG players.

 

Biggest bonus i see with Tuchel is his prior willingness to play young players regularly. Biggest concern is that his relationship with the board soured within 2 yrs at both Dortmund & PSG. I question how he would react if/when we showed a reluctance to spend.

 

reluctance vs ability to spend are also different issues. If we are not in a position to spend it could be even more challenging.

 

I think Arteta's job is safe today, even if we lose, unless we get hammered 9-0 or something. It's the three matches after that when he has to produce results.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...hip-rather-than-arteta?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

An article in the Guardian some might be interested in.

 

Having just managed 3 wins on the trot, I'm very happy for Mikel. He didn't deserve any of the shit that was flying his way a week or two ago.

That said I really hope this isn't just a statistical blip in form, and that we will more play like we just did tonight, a significantly higher PPG, etc, etc.

 

Great week, but I disagree with that. He definitely deserved a ton of flak for starting Willian.

 

Why didn’t we play a 4231 more often? It was our best formation pre COVID

 

I wasn't saying he's above criticism. I have been critical of some of his "methods". By "shit" I was meaning more the "abuse" that was coming his way.

You may still disagree, which is fine.

I like the guy. Way more than Emery. So I'm happy if we turn things around and he gets more respect.

 

It’s amazing to what extent just playing Saka on the right and adding Smith-Rowe seems to have fixed our shot problem. 30 shots in our last 3 halves.

I get that it’s Brighton and West Brom, but these are precisely the kinds of teams we were getting outshot by for most of the last two and a half years, and that we struggled badly against under Arteta especially.

 

He needed a formation that didn’t rely on Ozil.

 

Yeah that's true, and we all were aware that was a factor. And now that ESR is showing his ability to play the 10-role well, it certainly has enabled the return to 4-2-3-1.

But what was puzzling me in recent months is why he couldn't find someone else to play that role, even if they weren't an ideal 10. Like Willian, Willock, Laca... Or why couldn't he try a 4-4-2 or a 4-3-3 instead? He just seemed wedded to a back 3, or the hybrid 3/4. All the while our results were tanking.

So this is where I agree with @mebeSajid, that he does deserve some criticism (but not abuse) for his tactics and not adapting them. And now, since he's changed to a back-4, primarily with 4-2-3-1, we've seen dramatic improvements. Yes, it's probably not 100% due to just that change in shape (i.e. we're also talking about significant personnel changes) but there does seem to be some degree of causal relationship.

 

He's responsible for where we were. From tactics to man management. He got so much leeway. We're winning because he dropped his pride and experimented with players suggested (play the europa team).

Basically first half of the season was amateur hour but it's worrisome. My opinion of him is still way out.

 

Agreed. He showed his inexperience by not making adjustments early. I really want Arteta to work out but he has to show more willingness to make adjustments when adjustments are needed.

 

I was especially hard on Arteta. The last few games have been a good change, but I'm still concerned. The Saliba situation is bizarre, as is the Ozil situation. His interest in too-old players is concerning. Isco would be as dumb as Willian was.

I worry that the recent form is more by luck than design.

 

We beat Brighton, West Brom and Chelsea. Chelsea was a good win, but that was a game that things sorta went right for us.

Beating Brighton (and not playing well) and West Brom is good, but it’s Brighton and West Brom.