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Mikel Arteta | Lego Pep watch
- Thread starter Samid
- Start date
Why would that have been a terrible season for them?
Chelsea had the best season since their title run in 16/17.
Spurs also had a better season than usual if you compare it to the last few years.
In the last 2 years Arsenal would have secured 4th place with that amount of points.
That was a quite ordinary season, if you look at the stats:
| Season | Chelsea | Tottenham | Arsenal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21/22 | 74 | 71 | 69 |
| 20/21 | 67 | 62 | 61 |
| 19/20 | 66 | 59 | 56 |
| 18/19 | 72 | 71 | 70 |
| 17/18 | 70 | 77 | 63 |
Arteta is not an offensive minded coach. He is a pragmatic one. Guardiola's football has been always a front foot football, taking the game to the opposition and so on.. Arteta while being in the known of the whole process and methodology day by day from Pep is tactically quite the opposite from him. He is way more reactive, counts way more on the opposition to make mistakes instead to force them through his own team. It is actually very interesting to see how the "juego de posicion" philosophy can be adapted to be a more defensive strategy since it has been always an attacking one. And at the same time at Arsenal there is a rebuilding process going on..That makes Arteta very unique case tbh
I suppose we'd have to define 'efficient' but I wouldn't call Arsenal efficient. Their defense concedes quite a bit of goals (over a goal per game throughout his tenure, iirc) so between the low scoring and the high conceding, it leads to lots of defeats.
I won't get tired of repeating it, but they had a really unusual number of draws this season, just 3. A lot of their wins were by one goal. It wouldn't be too surprising that next season some of those narrow wins revert to draws just because of statistical variance, and then the progress looks considerably less good.
Or, you could flip that & say by increasing the quality of forwards and strengthening the options in defence, a lot of the losses get turned to draws & narrow victories?
Shame Arsenal didn't secure as many points in last 2 seasons. Maybe they would have won the league too with those many points in last 50-60 years, won't change a thing. Points are useful only for that season.
So what you are saying is, Arsenal should improve their first 11 to convert draws into wins? That's some formula no one thought of maybe
So what you are saying is, Arsenal should improve their first 11 to convert draws into wins? That's some formula no one thought of maybe
You've not read the post right. It was a direct response to Iker who said quite easily a lot of the narrow victories could turn to draws. While I pointed out, by the same token, a lot of the narrow defeats could turn to draws. He's right, 3 draws over a 38 game season is a very small number.
This would have been their best chance at UCL football with us being shite. Next year we will be better (hopefully) and other sides will get better as well so it will be tougher for them.
) and other sides will get better as well so it will be tougher for them.I think there is a decent point there, narrow victories. Haven't checked all the games in detail but going by scores, Arsenal won 22 games and out of that 10 are with 1 goal margin. Maybe you can say they made better mental strength or concentration to hold on to that lead.
Loss by 1 goal margin
ManUtd 3-2 Arsenal
Everton 2-1 Arsenal
Arsenal 1-2 ManCity
Arsenal 1-3 Brighton
Southampton 1-0 Arsenal
Win by 1 goal Margin
Arsenal 1-0 Norwich
Burnley 0-1 Arsenal
Arsenal 1-0 Watford
Wolves 0-1 Arsenal
Arsenal 2-1 Brentford
Arsenal 2-1 Wolves
Watford 2-3 Arsenal
Villa 0-1 Arsenal
West Ham 1-2 Arsenal
Arsenal 2-1 Leeds
We have a song that celebrates 1 goal victories.
Be interesting to see how than compares to the likes of Spurs, Chelsea & Utd.
This would have been their best chance at UCL football with us being shite. Next year we will be better (hopefully
I’ve said it before but they haven’t got an easy road. They’ve scraped a lot of results this season. They wont be able to in depth prepare for each league fixture. It will be very much a case of having to play Artetas ‘brand of football’ or ‘system’ week in week out whatever you want to call it.
Conte is getting £150m. We will be better. The likes of Leicester, West Ham can probably do better. Villa and Newcastle will be ambitious in the market and buy players that will give you a game at minimum. All these things eat into those tight margins.
Yes they can buy some players but arsenal will need to sign 2 strikers to stand still by the looks of it. The pressure will be on Arteta to improve on 5th because this has been labelled a rebuild and long term project. I can’t see him doing it. They still get out run, outfought by the likes of Newcastle which is typical Arsenal. I’m much more worried about Conte and Spurs than them tbh
1 game per week and he shit the bed.
Now they have the worst manger of the top 6.
Now they have the worst manger of the top 6.
Chelsea had 7 wins by a margin of one goal, and 4 losses. Chelsea also had a whopping 11 draws, of which the team threw away the lead in 8 of them and one was a 0-0 where neither team had the lead. The amount of points Chelsea lost from winning positions this season was incredible.
Spurs won 10 games by a one goal margin and lost 5 games.
United won 8 games by a one goal margin and lost 4 games. Games drawn were roughly half comebacks and half leads they gave away.
Do all teams not scrape a lot of results? It looks like we have the 4th highest xG in the league, we are obviously looking for better forwards to finish off chances, and someone like Tielemans to come in and create even more.
I appreciate its going to be difficult, and you are right, we do get out fought sometimes, Everton, Newcastle games spring to mind so we need to combat that. And yeah, you are totally right to be more concerned about Spurs under Conte than us currently. But I wouldn't write us off totally just yet.
Didn't you have one of the best forwards in recent times, and still hit similar numbers?
There were twice as many 1-goal-wins than 1-goal-defeats, is the problem.
But yes, if you improve it won't be a problem. I think we both agree that you need to score more goals and concede less goals.
Arsene Wenger would have locked down top 4 with games to spare this season and would still be criticized for it. This fraud is going to walk away thinking he’s done a great job after failing this season playing awful football throughout.
He's lowered standards, Wenger caused his own demise by raising them
So whats the divide like amongst Arsenal fans? Was it as polarised as how Ole was with us before everything went to shit this season? Or do the majority still back him?
If I were an Arsenal fan I'd feel infuriated see the club persist with him while watching Spurs getting and backing Conte and United looking to rebuild under Ten Hag. It feels like Ole all over again.
If I were an Arsenal fan I'd feel infuriated see the club persist with him while watching Spurs getting and backing Conte and United looking to rebuild under Ten Hag. It feels like Ole all over again.
Pulling numbers out of my arse, i'd say it's a 70/30 in favour of him. This could easily get inverted or worse if next season (provided we have a good transfer window) we don't get top 4 and/or a real go at the EL. I don't think any Arsenal fan is infuriated looking at United. Spurs got top 4 and a good manager but i'm still fairly cautious when you know how volatile he can be.
Next year will be interesting and one big club will again have a very bad season. Could be Chelsea, could be United, could be Spurs, as long as it's not us, there will be a chance.
Wenger is a gem and it's weird but i kind of miss him.
Tend to agree with this.
I think most Arsenal fans are realistic about the challenge and appreciate that the club is moving in the right direction.
People, especially supporters of rival clubs, want to manufacture drama and narrative but the reality is just a lot more mundane. We became a full on dumpster fire of a club between about 2016-2020 with terrible roster management and a poisonous club culture, we needed huge changes at every level from the boardroom to the bootroom that were never going to happen quickly especially during the pandemic, and now we're finally starting to emerge from that dark period as a more functional club. But we're not there yet.
Arteta will get backed this summer, we'll actually have a roster that makes sense for the first time in about five years rather than a Frankenstein's monster roster constructed by five different people full of players that don't fit together and can't play the same kind of football, and so he'll be reasonably expected to keep improving results and to fight hard with Chelsea, Spurs, and United for the 3rd/4th places and to have a serious go in the cups. And if he doesn't, he'll probably lose his job and we'll bring in somebody else to work with this talented young roster. And then that person will be expected to get results, etc.
Honestly, I am not particularly attached to Arteta or worried about his future. The important thing is just to continue to make good decisions in the transfer market and with other club business this summer. If that happens, then we'll be in reasonably good shape whether Arteta does enough next year to keep his job or not. This is also why the comparisons to OIe are completely off base. Ole obviously fostered a terrible internal culture full of entitled players and didn't recruit with any kind of footballing vision in mind, much less a modern tactical vision.The two overriding principles for Arteta/Edu in the last few years have been a focus on internal culture, getting rid of any entitled or disruptive players, and to buy, develop, and promote players who can play the a particular kind of technical, fast-paced, high line football. A group of players with those qualities will work under any other manager who has the same broad vision, like Potter or Seoane or whoever might succeed Arteta if he loses his job.
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It’s gas to hear gooners talk about 2016-20 as this unendurably awful time. Seasons where their average points and goal difference were almost always better than anything achieved under Arteta so far. They averaged more than 20 extra goals scored in each of those seasons than they did in 2021/22 (or any other season under Arteta) Dark days indeed! Who needs goals though? The real joy comes from witnessing the wonders of a cultural reset.
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Its possible to get short-term results while also making decisions that create massive longer term problems in terms of roster construction and club culture.
I would think that United fans would grasp that concept given the last few years.
It's almost as if things change.. including how much money the rest of the league has.
There is joy in liking the group of players you watch every weekend yes. You don't get any points for having likeable players but it counts.
I don't think you realise how dumb your take is at a time where you'd struggle to name 5 likeables players in your whole club. Are you blind to the massive toxic cloud that is surrounding Manchester United ? And it has nothing to do with ABUs or rivalry, just genuine repulsion to what picture your club is projecting to everyone.
Don't you see the renewed enthusiasm that has arrived because you named a guy that is supposedly here to give a massive bollocking to anyone who crosses his path ?
Hehe. This thread is about Manchester United now. Interesting.
Also. Can we ban the word “roster”? Squad. It’s called a squad.
@Kaos asked a question and drew a comparison with Spurs and United. There seems to be a lot that is going over your head.
Both teams had problems, I didn't mean their season in terms of position was bad:
- Chelsea had terrible season in terms of the Abramovic stuff, players not getting paid, etc.
- Spurs changed their manager after few months in charge in the middle of the season.
A new deal for Elnenny 
Is that the entire squad his now by either signing or extension?
Is that the entire squad his now by either signing or extension?
Spurs is the better team and fully deserved the 4th spot. Congrats.
I am happy with 5th place finish. It is what it is and see if Edu and Arteta can improve the team further this summer.
I am happy with 5th place finish. It is what it is and see if Edu and Arteta can improve the team further this summer.
that is good news. Hope he will get more playing time next season.
£100k per week for Nketiah
Seems a tac bit extreme £100k per week
Seems a bit much indeed, Jesus is around that much at City and will probably get a nice raise as the "main man".
Lacazette leaving with his 180k pw salary will cover a good chunk of these 2 deals. When (if) Saka renews he will make quite the jump
Lacazette leaving with his 180k pw salary will cover a good chunk of these 2 deals. When (if) Saka renews he will make quite the jump
His 5 goals in 8 games stats and also end of contract for free transfer helped him alot in negotiation.Seems a bit much indeed, Jesus is around that much at City and will probably get a nice raise as the "main man".
Lacazette leaving with his 180k pw salary will cover a good chunk of these 2 deals. When (if) Saka renews he will make quite the jump
5 years though? Seems a long old deal for both parties. I guess there aren't too many good no.9s around, he'd find a club somewhere if Arsenal wanted rid. Maybe he'd be ok with sitting on the bench raking in his 100k.