Alexis held back Ozil. If Alexis knew how to stretch the field, Ozil would have had even more assists. Instead Alexis cut in from the left and tried to shoot, every single time. Shit got old after 1 season. So predictable.
He also would get pissed when the ball wasn't going through him. Stole much of the creating opportunities from Ozil.
Thank god there's a game in a few days and hopefully this thread will get back to being a thread about Arteta. Rather than the relitigation of Sanchez, Ozil, Emery, Ljungberg, Wenger, you name it.
When Ozil left Real, he was the best provider on the planet. Yes, he had the best goalscorer on the planet to feed. Arsenal never really leveraged that all that well and still don't. Speedy wingers who can finish is what was needed. Basically a Salah.
Walcott was not good enough but benefited greatly playing giroud and sanchez was dumb considering g we had ozil
Missed this article when it came out The basic accusation is Arsenal had no strategic focus in terms of playing style for years https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/head-arsenal-youth-development-explains-21506229 Marcel Lucassen, the Dutchman recruited by Arsenal to discover a new generation of stars for the Gunners, has revealed how he found a club in crisis when he arrived at the Emirates. In a damning indictment, Lucassen admitted he could not believe the mess he inherited when he agreed to become the director of coach and player development in the summer of 2018. “Before I started, Arsenal had told me that we had to build everything from zero,” said the 56-year-old. “But when I started the job, I told (Academy boss) Per Mertesacker that this information was not correct. “We were not starting from zero – but from two below zero!”
2 days ago as I was preparing mentally for our 2nd leg of Olympiakos, at home, I found myself fairly confident that we would deliver an aggregate victory after a 1-0 away win. Surely it would be 4 on the trot for Mikel and his boys, and I would finally be fully on his bandwagon. Well, oops, he & they failed that test last night. And that match raises some questions about his strategy, tactics & judgment. And our ineffectiveness against a team that bunkered and countered... which worked out perfectly for them. At the very least it shows that our path has not suddenly become straight-line upward. So 2 days ago, as I was preparing for our near-certain victory and progression, here were some of the thoughts I was having about Mikel. I suppose now they're not as full-throated as they would've been had we delivered last night, but nevertheless they are still largely true: Very pleasantly surprised by him, in contrast to Emery... he's a breath of fresh air Intelligible, direct and honest press interviews Intelligible and consistent* setups (for us AND the players!) Tightened up defense* Forceful, energetic attacking Players seem genuinely behind him Player discipline dished out occasionally but firmly Elite hair Etc, etc *Notes: OK, perhaps a tad too consistent... collectively our XI looked a little tired last night. And perhaps last night's defending was not a real good example.
Mikel Arteta tests positive. pic.twitter.com/We4xCURtWP— John Cross (@johncrossmirror) March 12, 2020 Yikes. Get well soon, Mikel.
I posted the clubs statement on the other teams thread because that was where we were discussing the corona virus. The implications are obvious, the entire first team will have to self isolate for at least two weeks, so whether or not the premier league cancels games Arsenal aren’t playing any time soon. I hope for the best possible outcome for all concerned.
I saw an article talking about how when Liverpool were first founded only a handful of people were there to see their first match. Hilariously, it looks like it will be the same amount of people there to witness their next trophy.
Any update on Arteta status regarding Covid19? I guess no news is good news and that he is recovering and healthy now. But I heard the after effects are vsry widely based on it being a mild, moderate, severe or critical case. Hopefully nothing permanent afflicts him and he is able to recover fully.
https://arseblog.news/2020/03/arteta-speaks-about-his-coronavirus-recovery-for-the-first-time/ Seems to be doing okay.
Glad he got through it unscathed as did his wife and nanny. He is young, fit and an ex-professional footballer with money so that helps but I'm glad he is well. It really is the roll of the dice though if you are older have preexisting health conditions or live in a state or country with shitty healthcare but I digress.
He's such a thoughtful, articulate guy. Continues to be a breath of fresh air compared to the last guy. If and when they restart the 19/20 season, it's going to be fascinating how teams come out of the gates, how hot or cold, old vs new tactics, etc. And that all comes down to the various managers and what they did with these weeks/months off.
Adrian Clarke's Breakdown made a welcome return this week: https://www.arsenal.com/news/analysis-key-changes-mikel-arteta-has-made This one is called "Arteta's Impact" and it really shines a positive light on the new man, at the same time offering a pretty stark indictment of Emery in comparison, e.g. the defensive stats he cites. And watching some of those recent goals, especially the ones through Saka, were a sight for sore eyes during this shutdown.