Mikel Arteta is the new Arsenal Manager

Didn't say we would get relegated. (In fact, said that's not really in my thoughts at all RN)

Yes defensively we seem better. If that's down to Mikel, then he deserves the credit. But it's probably not 100% him... I think Luiz & Sok had already begun to tighten up their games before him. But maybe he deserves credit for Saka taking over so nicely at LB.

As for what our level is, the margins are so fine in the middle/lower table. We're tied on 31pts with Burnley, Newcastle, Soton. Only 1pt above Palace. So in one weekend we could pretty easily drop 2-4 places.

Draws are better than losses of course, but if that's all we average for the rest of the season, I suspect we'll drop in the table.

Virtually nobody is thinking we'll achieve top 5. But I think he needs to produce some wins soon to calm the natives, and demonstrate progress, i.e. further up the top half.

Maybe the 2 weeks of training will help. Maybe the warm weather break. Maybe someone will start banging in goals with confidence! Maybe, maybe, maybe.

 

In February no less! This was obvious very early in the season...

I want Arteta fired if he gets us into Europa again. Keep us the hell away from that black pit.

 

I dunno why were aren't using Ozil as a SS at this point.

 

Personally I hate the spacing on our front 3, their starting positions in possession make the whole team so laborious and easy to defend.

I could forgive Laca his shit form in front of goal if he was doing the pressing and passing he did when he first got here. But, I understand the midfield behind is... lacking in movement.

 

This was good. I can't say it was totally surprising but definitely some data there that deconstructs what we've seen. Meanwhile, I'm reading elsewhere that Emery is boasting to the french media how he stopped the decline of Arsenal.

 

I completely disagree with how he said late wenger was playing balm like Liverpool, that is completely false

but he is right about our awful build up play. Pepe not being a threat to run in behind congests the top of the pitch.

I think the biggest issue is teams can really press us and get in our face and our team struggles to beat a physical press. Lacazette is poor but he’s not getting much opportunity to shoot from good positions due to our poor build up

I’m hoping we bring in the right players this summer. I feel like we need a physical cm, a winger and obviously a striker. I really think a strong and quick player would make a huge difference to our attack and the purchase of a good dribbling creator like buendia

 

As I read this, in the context of the posts just before it, I thought that if you listen to the ArsenalVision podcast you would be liking what Clive says a lot more than what Elliot says.

 

Buendia? You're not being serious. Simply because we are tied points with the midtable teams doesn't mean we need to buy similar players. I would take Todd Cantwell though. He's fire.

 

We should be making a Midfield Maestro our number one priority in summer. Whether he do it physically or technically matters little to me as long as he is effective and preferably two footed (also a goal threat). Look what Santi was able to do and he was not a physical specimen.

I know this would cost a lot and be hard to find much less lure, but if we do not find it we will struggle. If we do find it i suspect many of our more average players would immediately look better and we could work on that press outlet.

 

that is such a contradictory and retarded alternative

buendia offers ten times what cantwell does, he’s a mason mount clone that doesn’t protect the midfield

we need a guy who is mobile and plays passes to create chances as ozil is washed up

buendia is quality and can dribble, pass and score

 

We don’t actually know if Özil is washed.

His physical capacity doesn’t appear to be as diminished as we might have guessed if the games under Arteta are any indication.

The chance creation numbers are way down from his prime, but the decline coincides almost exactly with a territorial dominance decline by the team. We are playing the game much closer to our own goal/further from the opposition goal than under Wenger. Özil’s touches in the opposition half have become so comparatively rare there’s really no way to judge his output.

This is why I question whether a great winger, which is often cited as lacking in this side, would make any difference: this midfield can’t control games, so the attackers don’t have enough chances to make the telling contributions.

(Cue accusations of Özil apologism/fanboyism in 3...2...1...)

 

U fckuing fan boy

 

Like I said, our midfield was never good enough for a luxury player

 

Are you claiming that Buendia protects his midfield? I doubt he does more than create up top. Look Big Man, the thing is we deserve better than those two. I suggested Cantwell as he is a goal getter which we lack. If we really wanted, we can mould Duzi, Ceballos etc into playmakers. But they ain't got the strike at goal mayne. They ain't got it.

I suppose you'd like a side of Gerrard Deulofeu and a slice of John McGinn too to add some excitement to our midfield

 

ozil was too good for us lol

 

For me,buendia offers much more than cantwell

cantwell is like ali and mount, arrive late and score a couple

buen can play across the pitch. Imo, he’s a cheaper Graelish