Mikel Arteta | Lego Pep watch

[GoonerBear]

Its not the goals anyone can score 2 goals in a few minutes, its the approach. City were terrified of Liverpool and while they very rarely got the win at the Etihad, they were rent free in City heads so much so they just demolished us at Anfield everytime. You guys don't create that fair factor. Madrid when they beat us in the CL semi went head to head in a 4-3 loss here but again, we were terrified of Vinicius and Rodrygo so much so we threw away a game we should have won to them.

Not to be an asshole as you're quite a calm poster for a gunner, but we've went behind in every home game this season including Ipswich, teams going ahead at the Etihad is nothing new or scoring 2 goals.

Lets try and move this back to a sensible discussion.

There's a few different factors at play here. Those teams and managers are and were more experienced than this current Arsenal team and manager. They had a recent history of winning leagues and Champions Leagues and we currently don't.

By the same token, they didn't go into this with the same PTSD that we do. We're having to try to rebuild our confidence and mentality basically from the ground up. They never had to do that.

Even saying that, i watched Real Madrid & Bayern try and take City on toe to toe in recent years. The results, 4-0 & 3-0. So much so that Madrid & Ancelotti's approach totally changed last season and they played a lot more cautiously last season at The Etihad...big defeats often do that to even experienced managers and teams. And playing that way worked in their favour, even though they needed a bit of luck to get through the tie.

Also, you admit to being scared of Vinicius & Rodrigo. Likewise, Salah & Mane were fearsome in the past. It's obvious Arsenal still lack the X-Factor player up front that scares opposition teams, it's been what we've all been wanting this summer as well.

I also still admit that Arteta is currently a lot more cautious in these situations than a Klopp or an Ange would be. Whether that develops or is still seen as the correct approach only time will tell.

 

[Mogget]

Nope but had they chosen you it woulda been fecking hilarious. Unlike you we have the ability to laugh at ourselves and have a bit of fun. You guys are Aston Villa (great club by the way) with the entitlement of a United or Liverpool.

"You guys played like cowards"
"We didn't park the bus, City played defensively too, with their CB's on the edge of our box and 33 shots".
"you guys are cheats" It ridiculous, a club who used an MPs pull to cheese their way into the league in the first place when it wasn't merited, and were literally known as The Bank of England complaining about another club being more corrupt and having more money. Cry me a river. City are the ultimate symptom of a game thats always been rotten forefronted by clubs like yours.

You personally might but I don't know why you're speaking on behalf of your whole fan base or pretending it's somehow better than ours. There's plenty of embarrassing City fans, it's just easier to hide it when you're winning everything in sight every season.

It'd be pretty easy for me to go online and cherry pick silly quotes from your fans but I don't know what that's supposed to achieve?

I just find it funny how you're sitting up there on the perch you cheated to get to, dispensing advice on how other teams should win or how other fans should behave. It's like a lottery winner smugly giving other people financial advice

 

[padr81]

Lets try and move this back to a sensible discussion.

There's a few different factors at play here. Those teams and managers are and were more experienced than this current Arsenal team and manager. They had a recent history of winning leagues and Champions Leagues and we currently don't.

By the same token, they didn't go into this with the same PTSD that we do. We're having to try to rebuild our confidence and mentality basically from the ground up. They never had to do that.

Even saying that, i watched Real Madrid & Bayern try and take City on toe to toe in recent years. The results, 4-0 & 3-0. So much so that Madrid & Ancelotti's approach totally changed last season and they played a lot more cautiously last season at The Etihad...big defeats often do that to even experienced managers and teams.

Also, you admit to being scared of Vinicius & Rodrigo. Likewise, Salah & Mane were fearsome in the past. It's obvious Arsenal still lack the X-Factor player up front that scares opposition teams, it's been what we've all been wanting this summer as well.

I also still admit that Arteta is currently a lot more cautious in these situations than a Klopp or an Ange would be. Whether that develops or is still seen as the correct approach only time will tell.

Thats my point though buddy. If it was just City I'd say fair, right. But you've had more shots than the opposition in only 1 game of your six this season. To me you look to have taken a step backward because of the tactics. I'll hold my hand up and say its a tough run of fixtures and I'm possibly digging in to wind up some of your fans. But I still feel its not been good enough.

For me Arsenal have the team to create that x-factor they're just too shackled. Yesterday was an example. Martinelli and Saka in the first half should terrify Walker and Gvaridol, but Cities full backs paid them no respect cause Arsenal were afraid. Make them respect you, thats what Pool did and I guarantee Diaz, Salah and whoever plays up top will give us nightmares again. You guys are too good to be afraid. Not even talking about the second half.

You are not the team who used to come to the Etihad and get pumped. You're a good fecking team and Arteta needs to let you show it. I'm not saying you channel Kevin Keegans Newcastle, but have a fecking go. The couple of times you did push up you scored. Your lb who barely got forward scored a banger and I believe you won the 2 corners from your fullbacks venturing forward. But it was the only times.

Despite my wumming for the last 24 hours, I genuinely think he has to let you play or you'll come up short even without City in the mix. You're too good for Spurs to have double the amount of shots against you, or Atalanta (the current version) to outplay you etc.. You'll draw too many games you need to win like this.

 

[djembatheking]

Arteta is a coward, he should have left a bit of pace up front and tried to rattle City but he just shrank and tried to close the door. They nearly pulled it off but it was more through luck than any great play. It was comfortable for City and 9 times out of 10 they would have scored sooner. Arteta looked rattled and the Arsenal fans sound like they are too. They should have shown some balls this early in the season and put a bit of a marker down.

 

[padr81]

You personally might but I don't know why you're speaking on behalf of your whole fan base or pretending it's somehow better than ours. There's plenty of embarrassing City fans, it's just easier to hide it when you're winning everything in sight every season.

It'd be pretty easy for me to go online and cherry pick silly quotes from your fans but I don't know what that's supposed to achieve?

I just find it funny how you're sitting up there on the perch you cheated to get to, dispensing advice on how other teams should win or how other fans should behave. It's like a lottery winner smugly giving other people financial advice

No its not, because the tactics of football have nothing to do with the corruption. Do you think my opinions would be different if I supported Spurs or Liverpool or Everton?

You've started this season poorly in terms of performance despite some good results and you don't have to be Pep or Arteta to see consistently giving up more than you create is going to bite you in the arse. Last season you were domianting games till your nerves got wobbly. Beside Wolves I've seen none of that this term. I'll stop being such a wum cause I'm tired of all the typing now but its a fact.

You look to me, like you've taken a step back this season and I think its very much tactically. You're completely shackled and not controlling games at all like you did. I'm not basing my opinion on just yesterday. You'll either go out and win the league or draw your way to comfortable 2nd or 3rd with how you're playing currently.

 

[Mogget]

No its not, because the tactics of football have nothing to do with the corruption. Do you think my opinions would be different if I supported Spurs or Liverpool or Everton?

You've started this season poorly in terms of performance despite some good results and you don't have to be Pep or Arteta to see consistently giving up more than you create is going to bite you in the arse. Last season you were domianting games till your nerves got wobbly. Beside Wolves I've seen none of that this term. I'll stop being such a wum cause I'm tired of all the typing now but its a fact.

You look to me, like you've taken a step back this season and I think its very much tactically. You're completely shackled and not controlling games at all like you did. I'm not basing my opinion on just yesterday. You'll either go out and win the league or draw your way to comfortable 2nd or 3rd with how you're playing currently.

We started last season slowly too and we've had a much harder set of fixtures to start this season compared to last.

It's a little bit ridiculous we're being criticised for not being dominant at Villa away, Spurs away, and City away despite getting 7 points. Against Brighton we looked comfortable until the red card but even then we should have won that game if we didn't miss two sitters.

 

[GoonerBear]

Thats my point though buddy. If it was just City I'd say fair, right. But you've had more shots than the opposition in only 1 game of your six this season. To me you look to have taken a step backward because of the tactics. I'll hold my hand up and say its a tough run of fixtures and I'm possibly digging in to wind up some of your fans. But I still feel its not been good enough.

For me Arsenal have the team to create that x-factor they're just too shackled. Yesterday was an example. Martinelli and Saka in the first half should terrify Walker and Gvaridol, but Cities full backs paid them no respect cause Arsenal were afraid. Make them respect you, thats what Pool did and I guarantee Diaz, Salah and whoever plays up top will give us nightmares again. You guys are too good to be afraid. Not even talking about the second half.

You are not the team who used to come to the Etihad and get pumped. You're a good fecking team and Arteta needs to let you show it. I'm not saying you channel Kevin Keegans Newcastle, but have a fecking go. The couple of times you did push up you scored. Your lb who barely got forward scored a banger and I believe you won the 2 corners from your fullbacks venturing forward. But it was the only times.

Despite my wumming for the last 24 hours, I genuinely think he has to let you play or you'll come up short even without City in the mix. You're too good for Spurs to have double the amount of shots against you, or Atalanta (the current version) to outplay you etc.. You'll draw too many games you need to win like this.

I understand you digging in mate, I'll certainly keep it civil.

I think it's been a strange start to the season. We've had issues with selection in midfield with injuries and suspensions. We've had 2 games now where we've had to play a full half with 10 men just about which will skew the stats a bit. We've had a tough run of fixtures, in terms of quality of the opponent and in terms of actual scheduling of having to play away on a Thursday in Europe compared to yourselves playing at home on a Wednesday.

And yet, we could be sitting here with at least 13 points if not 15 out of 15 but for a couple of sending offs.

I think we play a run of more favourable fixtures now, 6 home games out of 7 across the different competitions, hopefully have Merino back during that run as well, so will be interested to see how the midfield settles down and if that will help steady out performances there.

 

[padr81]

We started last season slowly too and we've had a much harder set of fixtures to start this season compared to last.

It's a little bit ridiculous we're being criticised for not being dominant at Villa away, Spurs away, and City away despite getting 7 points. Against Brighton we looked comfortable until the red card but even then we should have won that game if we didn't miss two sitters.

Fair for the most part, I think results have been great btw, but that kind of play can't last. Had you say given a good performance against Villa along with the win or Atalanta I'd probably be far less harsh. But it feels a bit like what Rodri said last season, City knew they'd win the league after you came to us in March because you didn't play to win. He was more flattering of you guys than I was but that was essentially his point.

Now you might turn that around. But I guess my point is, if you draw at City, Liverpool and lets say United from this style, thats 3 points. City could quite possibly lose 1 of those 3 fixtures Emirates, Anfield, Old Trafford but they're far more likely to win one two so more likely to get 4-6 points i m o of course. Same with Liverpool. Id rather be a win one lose one team in the big games. That said without the red cards you could potentially be sitting on 18 points after a tough run but I just don't see those kinda performances lasting, theres always a sting in the tail like yesterday.