Mikel Arteta | Lego Pep watch

TrustInJanuzaj said:
You’ll quickly realise Jesus is pretty average.
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Man plays about 30 league games a season for City and is a starter in over half their league games yet we are going to find him pretty average? Mate he would be a starter for you lot every day of the week.
 
Mastadon said:
Man plays about 30 league games a season for City and is a starter in over half their league games yet we are going to find him pretty average? Mate he would be a starter for you lot every day of the week.
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He’s average and he wouldn’t.
 
Fair play to the Arsenal fans, I would have thought bottling top 4 last season would have been the final straw but evidently the process is still trusted and the deluded optimism is as high as ever
 
Arteta is a clown, but this summer and last they are doing some great business in the transfer windows. A lot of jealousy from United fans (including me) here - imagine United coming out and getting multiple signings done early in the window.
 
Don’t think Jesus will fit in with Artetas defensive first game plan. Like Sterling at Chelsea you need to be camped around the oppositions box to get the best out of him and that’s not how both sides play.
 
Walrus said:
Arteta is a clown, but this summer and last they are doing some great business in the transfer windows. A lot of jealousy from United fans (including me) here - imagine United coming out and getting multiple signings done early in the window.
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White and Ramsdale was great business?
 
Walrus said:
Arteta is a clown, but this summer and last they are doing some great business in the transfer windows. A lot of jealousy from United fans (including me) here - imagine United coming out and getting multiple signings done early in the window.
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United fans aren't jealous of Arsenal. Why should they be? They're just frustrated at lack of signings at the moment but I think everything will come together very soon. Perhaps not in time for pre-season which is what would have been ideal.
 
RedPed said:
United fans aren't jealous of Arsenal. Why should they be? They're just frustrated at lack of signings at the moment but I think everything will come together very soon. Perhaps not in time for pre-season which is what would have been ideal.
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Because Arsenal have clearly identified areas of weakness in their squad and have signed players to improve those positions before their pre-season has even started?

Surely that much is obvious?
 
charlenefan said:
White and Ramsdale was great business?
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I don’t rate either of them particularly, and Arsenal certainly overpaid on White. That said, they practically renewed their entire back line in a single summer, plus adding Odegaard and generally some depth.

This year they have signed Vieira and renewed Nketieh. They are looking likely to get Raphinha and Jesus.

That’s virtually a whole new team they have bought/are buying over the course of two summers. Basically exactly what most United fans think we should be doing.
 
charlenefan said:
Fair play to the Arsenal fans, I would have thought bottling top 4 last season would have been the final straw but evidently the process is still trusted and the deluded optimism is as high as ever
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They will change the goalpost again when there is a blip once more to their campaign. It seems Arteta has weaved some black magic on their fans and they just love him for no absolute reason
 
Mastadon said:
Literally struggling to think of which Utd player I would take ahead of Jesus. Fernandez and Varane maybe.
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We will see. Ronaldo, Rashford, Sancho are all better more talented players that have shown higher levels. You’re underestimating how much that city settup benefits those players. If ETH does his job, many of those utd players will play to their true levels.
 
Mastadon said:
Man plays about 30 league games a season for City and is a starter in over half their league games yet we are going to find him pretty average? Mate he would be a starter for you lot every day of the week.
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He scored 8 in 28 league games and 13 goals in 41 games overall for a very strong City side last season.

Bang average some might say.
 
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Considering Arteta has essentially signed a whole team himself at this point, there really can be no excuses this season. I'm sure they'll find some though.
 
charlenefan said:
Fair play to the Arsenal fans, I would have thought bottling top 4 last season would have been the final straw but evidently the process is still trusted and the deluded optimism is as high as ever
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Not finishing top 4 was a blow. But the punditry class said it meant we would lose out on all our transfer targets and there would be a mass exodus of players 'seeking champions league football'. Even though in the history of football no club has ever had a mass exodus of players on the hunt for CL football. Its a false cliche, I cringe whenever I hear it . So despite the disappointment we haven't dwelled on it and are moving on. Pursuing the same caliber of player we would have had we pipped Spurs to 4th.

I think last season Arsenal, Spurs and Man United put so much emphasis on finishing 4th that the future was totally dependent on it. Spurs have finished 4th and with their CL status its not like they have attracted Nkunku or Bellingham. They could target Richarlison with no CL football, They didnt need CL football to sign Yves Bissouma.

There was a race for 4th last season. Spurs won it. It happened and the worlds keeps spinning.
 
JB08 said:
Because Arsenal have clearly identified areas of weakness in their squad and have signed players to improve those positions before their pre-season has even started?

Surely that much is obvious?
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We won't know whether they've improved until the season starts so go ahead, knock yourself out. I'm not bothered about them at all. You don't get any points in pre-season. I'll only assess the situation when we kick our first ball against Brighton.
 
TwoSheds said:
Well it's possibly better than our front 3 but yes. They're all just good players, not top class. Also Raphinha and Saka play the same position so...
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No they don't, both keep switching flanks when needed.
charlenefan said:
Fair play to the Arsenal fans, I would have thought bottling top 4 last season would have been the final straw but evidently the process is still trusted and the deluded optimism is as high as ever
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I mean I would've been disappointed if we were not able to get any of our targets in. But as it seems like we 'll be getting Jesus, Raphinha and Martinez anyway, even without CL football, what has the loss of CL qualification cost us really. We were never going to be winning it.
 
ThatsGreat said:
No they don't, both keep switching flanks when needed.

I mean I would've been disappointed if we were not able to get any of our targets in. But as it seems like we 'll be getting Jesus, Raphinha and Martinez anyway, even without CL football, what has the loss of CL qualification cost us really. We were never going to be winning it.
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It cost us revenue and maybe it will cost us players as well. Who wants to spend their career at a club that isn't even in the Champions League?

Saka will have the likes of Foden & Grealish in his ears at the World Cup telling him how great it is at City and what playing in the top tier of Europe is like.

I think Arteta could get us back into the top 4 but I don't think he's good enough to win the title with us. He's our Brendan Rodgers, albeit with far less exciting football than Rodgers had Liverpool playing. If he makes top 4 he has a job for the next decade at least because every subsequent failure (whether that's failing to win the title or dropping out of the top 4) the excuses will be "He got us back into the CL after seven years, give him time"

The only salvation I see is if Arteta somehow manages to con City's owners to let him be Pep's replacement because only way we're going to be rid of these charlatan is if he goes of his own accord. The goal posts will always be shifted and excuses made. I imagine next season it will be how we have too many new players and Arteta needs time to get them to gel together. Although when he inherited the squad the excuse was that he needs to build his own team, which he has twice over now.
 
JSArsenal said:
It cost us revenue and maybe it will cost us players as well. Who wants to spend their career at a club that isn't even in the Champions League?

Saka will have the likes of Foden & Grealish in his ears at the World Cup telling him how great it is at City and what playing in the top tier of Europe is like.

I think Arteta could get us back into the top 4 but I don't think he's good enough to win the title with us. He's our Brendan Rodgers, albeit with far less exciting football than Rodgers had Liverpool playing. If he makes top 4 he has a job for the next decade at least because every subsequent failure (whether that's failing to win the title or dropping out of the top 4) the excuses will be "He got us back into the CL after seven years, give him time"

The only salvation I see is if Arteta somehow manages to con City's owners to let him be Pep's replacement because only way we're going to be rid of these charlatan is if he goes of his own accord. The goal posts will always be shifted and excuses made. I imagine next season it will be how we have too many new players and Arteta needs time to get them to gel together. Although when he inherited the squad the excuse was that he needs to build his own team, which he has twice over now.
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Agree that Arteta isn't good enough to win the title with us. But until someone of the caliber of Klopp becomes available, I struggle to see anyone winning the title when City is there. Top four unfortunately will be the height of our ambitions.
 
ThatsGreat said:
Agree that Arteta isn't good enough to win the title with us. But until someone of the caliber of Klopp becomes available, I struggle to see anyone winning the title when City is there. Top four unfortunately will be the height of our ambitions.
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I think winning the title is possible but I take the point that City, Liverpool & Chelsea will be hurdles to overcome. I'm sure Arsenal fans felt the same way about United in 1995 and football fans in general about United in 2008.

Beyond our rivals I think Arteta is taking us "backwards" if that makes sense in that he isn't getting enough out of these players. Imagine if Mancini was still in charge of this City side, he isn't a bad coach by any means but this team wouldn't be nearly as good under him than they are right now under Guardiola.

I want a manager who gets more out of his squad, not less. Similar to how some United fans felt about Ole.
 
JSArsenal said:
It cost us revenue and maybe it will cost us players as well. Who wants to spend their career at a club that isn't even in the Champions League?

Saka will have the likes of Foden & Grealish in his ears at the World Cup telling him how great it is at City and what playing in the top tier of Europe is like.

I think Arteta could get us back into the top 4 but I don't think he's good enough to win the title with us. He's our Brendan Rodgers, albeit with far less exciting football than Rodgers had Liverpool playing. If he makes top 4 he has a job for the next decade at least because every subsequent failure (whether that's failing to win the title or dropping out of the top 4) the excuses will be "He got us back into the CL after seven years, give him time"

The only salvation I see is if Arteta somehow manages to con City's owners to let him be Pep's replacement because only way we're going to be rid of these charlatan is if he goes of his own accord. The goal posts will always be shifted and excuses made. I imagine next season it will be how we have too many new players and Arteta needs time to get them to gel together. Although when he inherited the squad the excuse was that he needs to build his own team, which he has twice over now.
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Why would City want Saka though? Zinchenko replacement?
 
TwoSheds said:
Why would City want Saka though? Zinchenko replacement?
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Long term replacement for Sterling, unless they already have his replacement. I don't follow City closely; but a young English player will always be in demand
 
JSArsenal said:
Long term replacement for Sterling, unless they already have his replacement. I don't follow City closely; but a young English player will always be in demand
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Sterling scores goals though. He also latterly mostly played on the left or down the middle.
 
Don’t get the hype around Jesus. Has never scored more than 14 goals in a season.
 
AshRK said:
They will change the goalpost again when there is a blip once more to their campaign.
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To be fair it was mostly opposition fans who moved the goalposts and said that not getting top 4 was a failure, few if any Arsenal fans expected to get champions league football last August.


Terry Chango said:
He scored 8 in 28 league games and 13 goals in 41 games overall for a very strong City side last season.

Bang average some might say.
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Some might say that but it's kind of a disingenuous way of framing his City career.

It would be fairer to go by goals per minutes played and in his City career he's scored a goal every 150 minutes or so, it's not like he doesn't know where the goal is if given the opportunity.

Plus even disregarding his goal record (which I would say is better than average) his all round play is great too.

Works hard, scores and assists.

Massive upgrade on Lacazette.
 
RacingClub said:
To be fair it was mostly opposition fans who moved the goalposts and said that not getting top 4 was a failure, few if any Arsenal fans expected to get champions league football last August.
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Exactly, missing top four by 2 points after jettisoning Lacazette and Aubameyang midseason, isn't really a failure. This season CL is the target and if he fails he should get the sack.
 
RacingClub said:
To be fair it was mostly opposition fans who moved the goalposts and said that not getting top 4 was a failure, few if any Arsenal fans expected to get champions league football last August.
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Which goes to show just how much Arteta has dropped the standards. Under Wenger "just 4th" led to mass protests to get him out, as soon as Emery had his first season and got a big kitty expectations went through the roof to the point it merely took a bad few weeks for general opinion to do a 180.

When is Arteta actually going to be held to the expectations fitting to a) the size of the club he's managing and b) the backing he's had?
 
Dancfc said:
Which goes to show just how much Arteta has dropped the standards.
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I don't think it was much a case of Arteta dropping the standards as much as realizing that there were at least 4 teams who were in a better position to finish above them.

United being such a catastrophe meant that the 4th place opened up and they didn't seize the opportunity but just because Spurs backed Conte in January and he managed to overtake Arteta doesn't mean that he "failed" , they progressed on the previous season and finished where they probably should have all things considered.



Dancfc said:
When is Arteta actually going to be held to the expectations fitting to a) the size of the club he's managing and b) the backing he's had?
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A) Just because you are a big club doesn't mean you have the god given right to achieve anything, no matter how entitled the fanbase feels (something that Arsenal fans learned to he hard way after hounding Wenger out). You can either Buy it or Build it. They don't have unlimited funds so building something takes time.

B) I still think by the end of the summer that there will be 4 better Teams/ Squads in the league so probably a decent challenge for 4th is the best they can hope for.

Maybe a cup.
 
Dancfc said:
Which goes to show just how much Arteta has dropped the standards. Under Wenger "just 4th" led to mass protests to get him out, as soon as Emery had his first season and got a big kitty expectations went through the roof to the point it merely took a bad few weeks for general opinion to do a 180.

When is Arteta actually going to be held to the expectations fitting to a) the size of the club he's managing and b) the backing he's had?
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If use the same logic then what the excuse is for not winning the league after spent 100m on Lukaku, big money on Werner and havertz? If arsenal board is happy with Arteta then so be it.
 
Dancfc said:
Which goes to show just how much Arteta has dropped the standards. Under Wenger "just 4th" led to mass protests to get him out, as soon as Emery had his first season and got a big kitty expectations went through the roof to the point it merely took a bad few weeks for general opinion to do a 180.

When is Arteta actually going to be held to the expectations fitting to a) the size of the club he's managing and b) the backing he's had?
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Under Wenger we were a stable top four team, not being able to take the next step - winning the title though we got close to it in 2014 and 2016. Emery was brought in with the expectation that he would do better than Wenger. When he got the sack it was the expectation that a longer rebuild will be needed, since then Arteta has got us 8th, 5th and should logically progress to a top four place this season.
So you could say this is the season that he's going to be held to the expectations of CL and get the sack if he fails. If he succeeds and continues with us in the CL the next season then he would've got us to where Wenger had us. The season after that he'd be expected to challenge for the title, and if he failed then he'll likely be sacked. Those are probably the goalposts the club have given him.
 
Just signed Jesus, at the beginning of the summer I was really hoping we were going to be able to get rid of Rashford to them. Does anyone want Rashford?
 
Ayush_reddevil said:
What’s more likely- Arteta gets top 4 this season or Arteta gets sacked midseason
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Arteta not getting top 4 and not getting sacked

But I'd say him being sacked is more likely, he's at the stage where Ole was at the beginning of last season. Another rough period might not be looked upon so favourably.
 
They really love overspending on players don't they?

£45m on Jesus.. he's not a bad player but he's not a very good striker either. Like 13 goals in each of his last two seasons playing for an attacking City team?

That's what £130m on White, Ramsdale and Jesus?
 
He immediately improves them. He has good movement and I think this move shows he is ready to play as a 9.

The problem Arsenal have is they absolutely need cover at LB, RB and energy in midfield because their current back ups are nowhere near good enough.

Tielemens is an upgrade on Xhaka, but it’s when Partey misses that performances suffer. They need a quality ball carrier and engine in there. Tielemens is not that.

Tierney cannot be relied upon to stay fit all season and Tavares is terrible. It’s a pressing need.

I don’t really think Holding is a good enough backup for where they want to be either.

Still a lot of questions for me, but an undeniably exciting front line.

Raphinha/Tielemens are not the right buys though for me.
 
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