The spirit of George Graham is hard to shift.
Edit - that’s a little harsh objectively arteta has performed way above expectations but it’s looking like he’s not the guy to get them over the line.
Arsenal - 2024/25
- Thread starter oneniltothearsenal
- Start date
Edit - that’s a little harsh objectively arteta has performed way above expectations but it’s looking like he’s not the guy to get them over the line.
For the record I'm not saying Arteta has done a poor job, he's been the man to bring them back from the depths of mediocrity for sure and has done very well. But I think his squad building has been quite poor and it's my understanding that he's had a pretty big influence in the past couple of years on it, so I do put that blame on him.
They haven't bothered signing a single marquee attacker since he's taken over. Not even a highly rated top prospect either. Instead it's been defenders and DM's, and then "Havertz" (who he tried playing as an LCM) as well as a crocked Jesus. Thus they've become this pseudo throwback Mourinho/Chelsea style team of phsyical beasts and defensive solidity but there's so little risk taking or quality in the final third now compared to how great they were to watch just two years ago.
Agreed.
Winning the League Cup this year would have been huge for them. Getting over the line (even in one of the lesser competitions) shows a shift in mentality.
Since 21/22, they've bottled every single challenge they've had.
We're at the stage where we're just making stuff up now.
No it wouldn't.
And that is the greatest credit to Arteta. That a League Cup would not in any serious corner be deemed as huge for this version of Arsenal. Nothing but the League or the CL will do. He's had some shortcomings in squad building (think a few new attackers will rectify) but their linear improvement year to year is clear.
Case in point; was the league cup or FA Cup huge enough for United to keep EtH?
No, but after years of not winning, any kind of silverware is welcome and can be used as a milestone
They won the FA Cup a few years ago. It's not a Newcastle or Spurs situation where have not won something for yonks. A League Cup would be poor comfort for throwing away a chance to win the league on the rare occasion City feck up.
In a fair world yes, but as we have seen with EtH and Klopp, winning the smaller cups isn't credited when the larger prizes are not won.
I think with Arteta and the higher ups, their tenure won't be judged based on other than their ability to win the league. If they were within 3 points of Liverpool this cup exit (there's no second leg right?) would be deemed as a minor bump.
With the way they are playing , they are not winning the league
Yeah and that is the bigger problem. Liverpool are on aim impressive tear of form, but why is Arsenal not snapping at their heels? They have zero excuse with City's collapse; even before the Saka injury they were looking lost without Odegaard.
Impressive defensively but more is needed.
The sad part is this Liverpool side will drop more points but I doubt this arsenal side has it to catch them. Would be funny if City pips Liverpool and Arsenal and win the title.
How did Partey play last night? Might be last game for a while think he picked up an injury...
That's the point. How gutting to have a poor season just when City finally are no longer an obstacle. Winning just a League Cup or FA Cup would not be a successful season in that context. They have been aiming for the league in recent seasons.
Ultimately when you fail to win anything at all, you’ll be judged for that, because the overall message is « im unable to win anything ».
6 years into a « project » and an FA cup won 3 years ago is a meagre accomplishment and the players may start to lose faith in his ability deliver silverware, any at all.
It’s not even that they don’t win, but they have no deep runs in any of the cups, domestic or european.
With Ten Hag the situation and context were completely different but ultimately winning silverware has won him some time yes.
They risk of becoming what they were. Players go there to develop and play good football before signing for a bigger club
Just looked it up and realised he took over in the 5th round so my mistake there.
Still, Ten Hag did better in 2 seasons with us though and my point remains that I can’t see you winning anything (else) with Arteta
Not surprising you forgot. It was a terrible year.
Not to mention the pandemic.
Nope, you’re still just inventing stuff, mate.
Don’t see what I’ve invented. Carabao Cup and FA cup in 2 seasons is better than 1 FA cup in 5 seasons imo. If you want to bring in league positions then fair enough if you put more stock in that than actual trophies but I’d personally rather win 2 domestic cups, one being over our local rival in the final who were widely regarded as the best team on the planet at that point.
First you claimed that Arteta was only Manager for the Semi-Final and Final.
Then you said you “looked it up” (you can’t have done).
Then the story became that Arteta took over one round earlier in the 5th round.
He was hired in December so, funnily enough, he took charge of the team for the entirety of our successful cup run.
It’s not that big a deal, just a really odd thing to double down on.
Not winning is even worse. Not saying if they win league cup or fa cup and not win the league and CL would mean they had an amazing season but at least it ends their mini trophy drought and Arteta can push on from that. Not winning creates more doubt. You don't want your legacy to be like Poch with Spurs.
I'll take real progression and 2/3 title challenges over a Carabao Cup or an Fa Cup in our position. This team can still go up a level or two and i'd rather we focused on that, stay in the CL for the next 10 years than yoyoing around the league, writing off seasons in November to get the odd cup.
If with the right attacking signings we can't deliver in the next 2 seasons then it will be the end of a managerial cycle and whoever comes next will have a very healthy squad with a good age profile.
Exactly this. The top teams need to be winning trophies.
Absolutely and for a lot of the squad, its often their first silverware regardless of what the trophy is - it teaches the players how to win and adds to any clubs rich history.
Whilst the FA Cup and League Cup aren't a patch on winning the league or the CL, winning either is still a wonderful day for any club.
Suppose the league cup final was Arsenal v Liverpool or Spurs....I'm not having it that Arsenal fans wouldn't lose their minds in the stands and party like its 1999 if they were to beat either of them at Wembley for a trophy. You don't care which trophy you're playing for once that whistle goes, either win goes down in folklore.
Every trophy stops a drought from the last one too, big clubs don't need that tallying up.
Well, I did look it up and could only see that the first FA Cup game Arteta managed was the 5th round, which i'm assuming is another mistake since you're saying i got that wrong
. I was never doubling down, i was conceding i made a mistake in originally saying he had an insignificant impact on your cup win that year by saying managing from the 5th round onwards is infact an achievementAh that’s completely fair enough.Well, I did look it up and could only see that the first FA Cup game Arteta managed was the 5th round, which i'm assuming is another mistake since you're saying i got that wrong
I think he’s made a few errors, mainly to do with generally being a bit conservative with team selection, tactics and substitutions. But especially with our transfer policy. He’s devoted so much of our budget towards literally every area of the pitch other than our forward line. And that’s worked brilliantly to get us where we are, but if we’re coming to kick on we desperately need to prioritise our attack.
I think it’s not just an Arteta/Arsenal problem, there aren’t many strikers out there currently that aren’t a complete gamble. Football seems to have evolved to where there’s loads of these “attackers” but barely any proper goalscorers
Easily the most helped team by a fecking mile, and fecking cheaters too.
And not just those small important fouls like we saw today, but how are they allowed to push all around on set pieces and take 5 minutes for every set piece is beyond me. Every week they keep fouling keepers, absolutely ruining the game and nothing is done about that.
Absolutely farcial and unwatchable, PL is a pure shitshow.
And not just those small important fouls like we saw today, but how are they allowed to push all around on set pieces and take 5 minutes for every set piece is beyond me. Every week they keep fouling keepers, absolutely ruining the game and nothing is done about that.
Absolutely farcial and unwatchable, PL is a pure shitshow.
Their manager, their fans & their diving players - detestable the lot of them.
How anyone would want these cnuts to win the league is beyond me.
What happened to this team? They were playing good football a year ago. They’ve become a bunch of whining, diving, cheating cowards.
Why on earth do they waste time so much? It’s annoying when shit teams do it away at the big sides but it makes sense, but they waste time in games they need to win when they aren’t winning, it’s bizarre.
They are an embarrassment.
I cant believe Arteta thought "we've missed out of the league for the second time by a narrow margin. Let's take all the flair out of the team and be worse."
at least we have the common courtesy to think the 900m we spent was spunked up the wall. imagine spending 900m for this and thinking it’s working.
What an embarrassing team.
After all these years, they’re still the biggest cheats we’ve played in a while.
Half the talent of their previous teams as well.
Half the talent of their previous teams as well.
Said no Utd fan ever.
The lesser of two evils?
If this injury crisis of theirs persists and also their general lethargy, they aren’t winning feck all.
No, they need Marcus Rashford to rejuvenate them. 60 million and he’s all yours Arsenal.
Arteta's style is really testing the limits of my football tribalism.