Mikel Arteta | Lego Pep watch

The only way I’d be happy if arsenal bottle it is if city don’t win the CL. Cba with a city treble. They didn’t even look at their best either at the beginning of the season.
 
  1. Avoiding every cups like a little biyatch (putting all eggs into one basket)
  2. Signing players mid season after being ahead 8 points. Among them are top players from direct rivals
  3. Has a good injury record this season
  4. Chelski, Spurs, Pool are all having nightmares
  5. United has just started again after getting absolutely destroyed last season
  6. Comparatively easier schedules that most team in PL
Those are the equivalent of a full moon eclipse during your 13th wedding anniversary where you turn into a werewolf. Simply put it will never happen again. If he doesn't win this one, it's hard to see him ever winning it. Unless if they go into bottomless pocket mode which I doubt will ever happen. If anything I can see the owners tightening their pockets after spending so much for this season.
 
Did anyone else find his post match comments utterly bizarre? Going on about how he loves his players and wanting to give them cuddles reeks of a desperate man who has seen his team lose 6 points in three games from a title winning position.
 
He’s too emotional and his team don’t know how to approach a game when Arteta’s instructions don’t work.

He‘s had a good season and deserves praise but they’ll be average again next season I feel.
 
The weird lap of honour they did after the game was strange. Was it to thank the fans for helping them come back? Most of them had pissed off at 1-3
 
tenpoless said:
  1. Avoiding every cups like a little biyatch (putting all eggs into one basket)
  2. Signing players mid season after being ahead 8 points. Among them are top players from direct rivals
  3. Has a good injury record this season
  4. Chelski, Spurs, Pool are all having nightmares
  5. United has just started again after getting absolutely destroyed last season
  6. Comparatively easier schedules that most team in PL
Those are the equivalent of a full moon eclipse during your 13th wedding anniversary where you turn into a werewolf. Simply put it will never happen again. If he doesn't win this one, it's hard to see him ever winning it. Unless if they go into bottomless pocket mode which I doubt will ever happen. If anything I can see the owners tightening their pockets after spending so much for this season.
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I doubt anyone else is winning it while Pep's still there, can't see anyone being as consistent as them over the course of a season. Think Liverpool have peaked and I think the rest will all fall short. For any to have a chance, forget the rest having poor seasons, you need City to really fall back, and not got 90+ points.
 
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Horrific how he's set his team up mentality and tactically. All talk and show when a front-runner, but now they are fecked. Need a massive response to score let alone get a point from this.
 
Can't blame him tonight. City are in a different league altogether. United got whooped here 6-3. Any team coming here with city in this form is not going to get anything. Whatever tactics you have. City will drop points only when city themselves take the game lightly.
 
Samid said:
Such clueless tactics.
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What do you think he could have done? This is the way we've played all season, problem is it doesn't work anywhere near as well with our 4th choice CB. City are just in scary form right now while we're stumbling.
 
pocco said:
I don't think any tactics can deal with this City tonight. Everything they do is such high quality.

Out of interest though, what do you propose he does?
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I remember in that period in January to February when teams were stopping the supply to Haaland and they seemed to be struggling with form (we did it too with Shaw covering Haaland and everyone else pressing the midfield). Have they adapted to that or did teams just stop defending them that way?
 
GoonerGirly said:
What do you think he could have done? This is the way we've played all season, problem is it doesn't work anywhere near as well with our 4th choice CB. City are just in scary form right now while we're stumbling.
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Your 4th choice CB hasn't been the issue. Problems all around the park, none of your "star" players showing up.
 
Rooney in Paris said:
Your 4th choice CB hasn't been the issue. Problems all around the park, none of your "star" players showing up.
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No, Holding individually hasnt done much wrong, but the drop off is huge and we can't get out of their press. Holding doesn't have ball playing ability of Saliba. Our forward players can barely get the ball. But I don't disagree with you, we are second best in all departments, by far. I just hope we make some fight of it at some stage, very limp right now.
 
Xhaka is far too up the pitch and leaving Partey on an island and he's confused. CBs need to be mindful of the space behind them and in front of them, but Partey is so confused with the areas KDB is picking up. There's so much space and City are happy to manipulate the space between the lines that is occupied by KDB and Partey cannot handle the movement.

The buildup is too slow as well. Get the ball to Saka and isolate and see if you can get overload, while City have packed the midfield.
 
edcunited1878 said:
Xhaka is far too up the pitch and leaving Partey on an island and he's confused. CBs need to be mindful of the space behind them and in front of them, but Partey is so confused with the areas KDB is picking up. There's so much space and City are happy to manipulate the space between the lines that is occupied by KDB and Partey cannot handle the movement.

The buildup is too slow as well. Get the ball to Saka and isolate and see if you can get overload, while City have packed the midfield.
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This is how we play, with Zinny slotting in next to Partey and Xhaka pushing up. The problem is without Saliba we can't deal with the transition if we lose the ball. Holding doesn't have the pace or physicality. Odegaard again gave the ball away in midfield and we got caught out in transition (he did the same vs Southampton) for their third.
 
He looked like a lost child at the Etihad tonight.
 
He’ll be remembered for bottling the title with arsenal. Being top for the majority of the season. Shambles
 
“Arteta out” will be ringing around the emirates in a couple of weeks time.
 
Literally let Saka get totally marked out of the game today.... I don't get why he didn't react in the slightest to the 442, I mean maybe he thinks they can't do anything else well enough, but that's pretty worrying going into a CL if they are that one dimensional outside of ultra desperation against very weak teams.
 
I overrated him. He has been overrated by the majority too much, was being put in the same line as the best managers, etc. That was laughable.
But I actually thought he would win it this season. You can lose to City and not win against Liverpool at Anfield, but not winning against West Ham and Southampton directly afterwards when you are in the title race is unacceptable. And all this while being out of every other competition.
 
I’m holding reservation on his managerial ability until I see his Arsenal team juggling a Champions League match and a Premier League match in a week regularly next season. That’s usually a good acid test of someone’s staying power at the top echelon. Plenty of managers look great when they’re playing one game a week most of the season.
 
atkar83 said:
I remember in that period in January to February when teams were stopping the supply to Haaland and they seemed to be struggling with form (we did it too with Shaw covering Haaland and everyone else pressing the midfield). Have they adapted to that or did teams just stop defending them that way?
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They looked off for a while and, from speaking to City fans, they said they thought they were still a good team but had dropped off previous form as they were figuring out a be way of playing. It looks to me like it's started to click a bit since the new year.
 
GoonerGirly said:
This is how we play, with Zinny slotting in next to Partey and Xhaka pushing up. The problem is without Saliba we can't deal with the transition if we lose the ball. Holding doesn't have the pace or physicality. Odegaard again gave the ball away in midfield and we got caught out in transition (he did the same vs Southampton) for their third.
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And how you play in the run in has handicapped Arsenal. Same thing over and over while other teams have gotten into your face and made it uneasy.

If you're missing key players, you either adjust accordingly or alter your ways to give yourself a chance to win. But Arteta is stubborn, ignorant, and too arrogant. His antics on the touch line, his post match comments, they are so off putting.
 
He didn't adapt jack shit during the run in and, especially today against City.

You can't play the same "let's shove Zinchenko in CM at times" and hope that the guy you learnt from doesn't get the trick, it's stupid.
 
GoonerGirly said:
What do you think he could have done? This is the way we've played all season, problem is it doesn't work anywhere near as well with our 4th choice CB. City are just in scary form right now while we're stumbling.
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Don't be so fecking naieve for one if you're Arteta. Trying to play the same way that's gotten you tonked 3 times against City is idiotic. Swallow your pride and accept a more reserved style looking to hit them on the break. It's not rocket science, no one is holding a gun to Arteta's head making him play the exact way they have all year.
 
Chairman Steve said:
I’m holding reservation on his managerial ability until I see his Arsenal team juggling a Champions League match and a Premier League match in a week regularly next season. That’s usually a good acid test of someone’s staying power at the top echelon. Plenty of managers look great when they’re playing one game a week most of the season.
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They'll need a bit of investment. This Arsenal team shouldn't have been competing in the first place, they've punched above their weight all season. If they sign the right players and improve their depth, they'll be ok. Whether they'll ever get to city's level is another question, but they have a relatively young team that should only get better.

The football they play is good, but to win titles takes experience and know how in the pivotal moment, something they lack due to inexperience and players that have been there and done it.
 
edcunited1878 said:
And how you play in the run in has handicapped Arsenal. Same thing over and over while other teams have gotten into your face and made it uneasy.

If you're missing key players, you either adjust accordingly or alter your ways to give yourself a chance to win. But Arteta is stubborn, ignorant, and too arrogant. His antics on the touch line, his post match comments, they are so off putting.
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Valencia Shin Crosses said:
Don't be so fecking naieve for one if you're Arteta. Trying to play the same way that's gotten you tonked 3 times against City is idiotic. Swallow your pride and accept a more reserved style looking to hit them on the break. It's not rocket science, no one is holding a gun to Arteta's head making him play the exact way they have all year.
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Fair points, though I'm not sure it would have changed anything tonight. City are just scary right now while our form has dipped. Arsenal have never been a team that's done well sitting back or absorbing pressure. IMO I don't think it's tactics that cost us here, I think mentally we weren't coming into the game in a good place and it just got worse and worse. We looked resigned to the loss from the start. Pressures of the run in and all.

pocco said:
They'll need a bit of investment. This Arsenal team shouldn't have been competing in the first place, they've punched above their weight all season. If they sign the right players and improve their depth, they'll be ok. Whether they'll ever get to city's level is another question, but they have a relatively young team that should only get better.

The football they play is good, but to win titles takes experience and know how in the pivotal moment, something they lack due to inexperience and players that have been there and done it.
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Yeh Arteta has built a good foundation but it's clear beyond 12-13 players the drop-off is massive. We need to invest well over the summer to have any hope of keeping this up next season.
 
Not changing things at 1-0 after city missed two or three chances the exact same way was baffling. It just needed something even if it was dropping deeper to kill the space, and thus keep it at 1-0 for a longer time. That would have frustrated City.

He didn't do his usual sideline antics in front of Pep, which isn't a surprise.

However this isn't the game, nor the Liverpool game. Dropping four points to west ham and Southampton was the crucial point. If they have the extra four points, they come to this game only really needing a draw, and even with a loss, they would be six ahead with two games more played.

Arteta however looked defeated after the Southampton game and offering people cuddles
 
Rooney in Paris said:
Your 4th choice CB hasn't been the issue. Problems all around the park, none of your "star" players showing up.
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Agree. No plan B. You can't expect your plan A to go well against team that have more quality, and especially after having your confidence shattered with 3 consecutive ridiculous results.

Missing a ball playing CB shouldn't make the whole the gameplan collapse when you have time to prepare in a game the back up CB din't do badly in his role responsibility (defending).
 
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