Mikel Arteta | Lego Pep watch

[Ole's screen]

That's the difference isn't it?

Ole came in, first thing he talked about is fitness level. We shouldn't be running less than the opposition.

Arteta came in, he wants his philosophy implemented first.

Quite the contrast.

Ole did exactly what was required. Klopp did the same thing BTW. I also remember people here calling Klopp a "pashun merchant" when they were having teething problems and weren't as successful as today.

"Right from his first day on the job, Klopp promised that his Liverpool players would “run more and fight more”"
source: https://www.skysports.com/football/...er-jurgen-klopp-into-premier-league-champions

You could say it is highly dumb to implement a philosophy on the players if the players aren't fit enough to execute it.

 

[kafta]

I don't see any progress with this Arsenal side, and i don't see any clear patterns. This is the worst i've seen Arsenal in ages, and the argument that he has such a bad squad is valid to a certain extent, but with clubs like palace and newcastle above them, i'm not convinced. I hope they keep him till the end of the season, i'd like to see if he can turn it around, but at this point i'm not sure how he has managed to keep his job. The stats are damning.

 

[Siorac]

It’s getting boring now that he’s losing every week

I strongly disagree with this.

 

[90 + 5min]

Arsenal fans were screaming to remove Wenger and now it is the squads' fault. Arsenal and United's fate has been pretty similar since Sir Alex and Arsene left. Not to forget Gill and the guy who was Arsene's sidekick. The name escapes my memory.

Agree. When gigantic and legendary managers move they will create a big hole. If you also get changes higher up in hierarchy then you are going to be in trouble, like it or not. It takes years to fix that.

Problem with Arsenal is sacking managers after having no plan post Wenger and leaving squad unbalanced. Their squad is shockingly unbalanced and I don't even think that we had it that bad when Moyes arrived. Aging yes, but not unbalanced. Now the question is, give him time or not. I've always said that managers need time and I would give him more time. They will struggle, maybe relegation fight, but unless they believe in something they will accomplish nothing.

 

[Wedge]

Yeah, that transparent hypocrisy is what annoys me.
Just look at this, apparently, the best quality to look for to be a good manager is his body language and how he talks well.

Simon Jordan wouldnt know succes6in football if it slapped him in the face. Was very disrespectful about Ole but blows smoke up Artetas ass.

 

[nyanza]

I wish a manager would just come out and say he’s absolute wank. It’s getting boring now that he’s losing every week but he’s then defended by the opposing manager or pundit.

To be fair, opposition managers would probably prefer him to stick around.

 

[justsomebloke]

What's the plan, please enlighten me.

Well, do they look like a chaotic team to you? To me, they look rigid and structured into lifelessness. Almost every attack follows the same pattern. That's a plan. Just maybe not a good one, or one they are as yet capable of implementing. Also, Arteta is one of those managers who make things easy for fans by going on at length about how he wants the team to play and why, so it's pretty much there out in the open, if you're interested enough to look for it.

 

[Cloud7]

I wish a manager would just come out and say he’s absolute wank. It’s getting boring now that he’s losing every week but he’s then defended by the opposing manager or pundit.

Hearing banter between managers would be pretty funny. The closest we ever came were the jabs that Jose and Wenger threw at each other.

 

[Jetrooooo]

Arteta has been in charge for probably about thirty-five, maybe forty games and yet, we already know what his tactical set up is, what his identity is and how he wants to play and what he's missing to make it work all the time.

We're now two years on from United appointing Solskjær and I still have no fecking clue what his plans or tactics are. Seriously, what even are United? There's no identity there, no tactical nouse, no gameplan and no real worries in that team.

No team in the league would take Solskjær because he simply isn't good enough to be managing a top side. You'd maybe see him do well at a Bournemouth or a Watford or hell, maybe even a Newcastle, but he shouldn't be managing Manchester United, he's very out of his depth.

Wanted to share this gem of an insight some gunner shared with me after Manchester - Arsenal. Wonder how he is feeling now? Hahahaha

 

[Havak]

Can Arsenal possibly lose to Chelsea on Boxing Day and Arteta still be manager by the end of Monday 28th?

 

[Pow]

Can Arsenal possibly lose to Chelsea on Boxing Day and Arteta still be manager by the end of Monday 28th?

Hes finishing the season

 

[Kaos]

Can Arsenal possibly lose to Chelsea on Boxing Day and Arteta still be manager by the end of Monday 28th?

Kroenke is worse than the Glazers, he'll have the job until the end of the season unless Arsenal are literally stuck in the relegation spots.

 

[Havak]

Hes finishing the season

I'm not so sure at the moment, I always felt he would as well though (although I laughably had them down to finish 4th this season).

It's a genuine question by the way, as they would have 9 defeats in 15 if that result were to go Chelsea's way. They're in a relegation battle as much as Chelsea, United, Leicester etc are in a title race IMO.

The saving grace is that after Chelsea, they have 'favourable' fixtures to come for a little while, which might give him the chance of turning it around. Got to do it fast though, I'm not sure if they can stick with him if he's losing those games as well!

 

[Mb194dc]

Can Arsenal possibly lose to Chelsea on Boxing Day and Arteta still be manager by the end of Monday 28th?

Arsenal will be a wounded animal in this game and Chelsea aren't playing well either despite beating West Ham.

That being said Arteta's situation looks terminal, once you get a run of results like he has done, heads go down and it's nearly impossible to turn it around. I don't seem him lasting past the end of January as will be near the drop by then.

 

[Havak]

Arsenal will be a wounded animal in this game and Chelsea aren't playing well either despite beating West Ham.

That being said Arteta's situation looks terminal, once you get a run of results like he has done, heads go down and it's nearly impossible to turn it around. I don't seem him lasting past the end of January as will be near the drop by then.

Arsenal's only strategy seems to be to bore the opposition to death as quick as possible and hope they fall asleep before they can score a few goals. Then hope they can be gifted a goal themselves as they are almost incapable of creating a chance most of the time.

Admittedly, this game could be a huge turning point if they get over the line finally. However, I can't see anything other than a Chelsea win right now, it'll be a cagey game maybe, 1-2 to Chelsea or something, but I don't think Arsenal are showing anything to suggest they will win.

They have Brighton and West Brom next, quite funny that they are huge games for Arsenal. Absolutely unfathomable that they could lose both and start the new year in 16th or 17th. Big Sam is probably licking his lips at bullying this deflated Arsenal side if they haven't sorted themselves out by then.

 

[FrankDrebin]

Yup
backtracking now

This guy is a grade A c*nt.

 

[Xaviesta]

Arsenal fans were screaming to remove Wenger and now it is the squads' fault. Arsenal and United's fate has been pretty similar since Sir Alex and Arsene left. Not to forget Gill and the guy who was Arsene's sidekick. The name escapes my memory.

David Dein is who you're thinking of.

 

[anant]

Can Arsenal possibly lose to Chelsea on Boxing Day and Arteta still be manager by the end of Monday 28th?

Need all countries to ban flights to and from UK. That way, Arsenal would have to stick with him, instead of going for someone like Rafa or whoever they think they can get

 

[DWelbz19]

There are no rumours of him being close to a sacking. The likes of David Ornstein (who is typically quite close to Arsenal) suggests that Arteta is in a very comfortable position re: his role for the foreseeable.

 

[Guy Incognito]

Arsenal's only strategy seems to be to bore the opposition to death as quick as possible and hope they fall asleep before they can score a few goals. Then hope they can be gifted a goal themselves as they are almost incapable of creating a chance most of the time.

Admittedly, this game could be a huge turning point if they get over the line finally. However, I can't see anything other than a Chelsea win right now, it'll be a cagey game maybe, 1-2 to Chelsea or something, but I don't think Arsenal are showing anything to suggest they will win.

They have Brighton and West Brom next, quite funny that they are huge games for Arsenal. Absolutely unfathomable that they could lose both and start the new year in 16th or 17th. Big Sam is probably licking his lips at bullying this deflated Arsenal side if they haven't sorted themselves out by then.

They would need a miracle to get something against Chelsea. Even if they are due a good performance.

Sacking Arteta would probably spell bad news for Brighton and West Brom because they'd fancy their chances the way things are.

The only solace is they can get rid of players in January and in the summer. So either the board backs the manager or they get rid of him now and get someone in to motivate the squad.

 

[Tony247]

Nothing personal against Arteta but the way he was hyped and used him to bash Ole (and united) has gotten under my skin. Loving every moment till it lasts.

 

[AshRK]

They would need a miracle to get something against Chelsea. Even if they are due a good performance.

Sacking Arteta would probably spell bad news for Brighton and West Brom because they'd fancy their chances the way things are.

The only solace is they can get rid of players in January and in the summer. So either the board backs the manager or they get rid of him now and get someone in to motivate the squad.

I don't see him getting the sack even if he loses against chelsea as no new manager can do much when in 2 days. I feel he will be sacked after the WBA game as it will give new manager time for January window and also the festive fixture being over.

 

[horsechoker]

I think Arteta will do alright in the championship

 

[Shane88]

There are no rumours of him being close to a sacking. The likes of David Ornstein (who is typically quite close to Arsenal) suggests that Arteta is in a very comfortable position re: his role for the foreseeable.

I find it very hard to believe. We're heading towards the halfway point of the season and they're 15th, 4 points off relegation, with Chelsea up next.

There must be plans in place.

 

[Tony247]

Can Arsenal possibly lose to Chelsea on Boxing Day and Arteta still be manager by the end of Monday 28th?

If chelsea has 50% or more possession then chance of arsenal winning drops by 2.32% and then 0.764% for every 9% of additional possession, but if chelsea plays christensen then the total % will change in favour of arsenal by 15.7783%.

Anyhoo, football is not like swimming.

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

I think it will be the manner of performance. If they get smashed off of the park (not necessarily in terms of goals), then surely he needs to go?

get a new man in, couple of signings in Jan to steady the ship and move up the table a bit.

for him to be in charge at the end of the transfer window would be a shock, so just get rid of him now.

 

[Knux]

Arsenal fans were screaming to remove Wenger and now it is the squads' fault. Arsenal and United's fate has been pretty similar since Sir Alex and Arsene left. Not to forget Gill and the guy who was Arsene's sidekick. The name escapes my memory.

I agree, the similarity is striking. SAF and Wenger left a special vacuum at the club after managing for so long. It will take some time to regroup and build on a new identity.

United has come further on that way now and we can finally see some real improvement over a longer period of time.

Arsenal will have to find that new identity and do a lot better recruiting in the future. Because bad recruitment can be costly - just have to look at United since LVG era.

First of all I think they need to find players that wants to play for the club and not just for the paycheck. And secondly they need to find a manager with a clear philosophy who can motivate those players.

Oh, Arsene’s right-hand man was Boro Primorac btw

 

[Buster15]

Simon Jordan is an absolute clown and one of the last people I’d go to for advice when hiring managers.

Quite agree. He is yet another example of someone who just loves the sound of his own voice and thinks he is orders of magnitude smarter than he actually is. Both BBC and Talksport are awash with them.

 

[Devil81]

Can't think of many managers at a top club with a run as bad as this that have lasted as long.

They've been shocking.

 

[Buster15]

I agree, the similarity is striking. SAF and Wenger left a special vacuum at the club after managing for so long. It will take some time to regroup and build on a new identity.

United has come further on that way now and we can finally see some real improvement over a longer period of time.

Arsenal will have to find that new identity and do a lot better recruiting in the future. Because bad recruitment can be costly - just have to look at United since LVG era.

First of all I think they need to find players that wants to play for the club and not just for the paycheck. And secondly they need to find a manager with a clear philosophy who can motivate those players.

Oh, Arsene’s right-hand man was Boro Primorac btw

Good points.
Before a club can improve, they first have to arrest the decline. I do believe that United has done that and are now moving forward.
Arsenal are still on the decline and don't yet appear to have hit the bottom. It is a massive job there any Arteta is going to have to perform a hell of a lot better than he currently is. Of course it is not all his fault. But the buck stops with him.

 

[Poborsky's hair]

Can't think of many managers at a top club with a run as bad as this that have lasted as long.

They've been shocking.

well well

 

[WeePat]

Yeah, that transparent hypocrisy is what annoys me.
Just look at this, apparently, the best quality to look for to be a good manager is his body language and how he talks well.

Ole seems more confident and cheerful both on the touchline and during interviews, even when United were going through a tough period, so on that basis alone I would say Ole's body language is 10x better than Arteta's, but I'm no more of a body language expert than Simon Jordan is so there's a good chance we're both absolutely waffling..

 

[Wedge]

I don't see any progress with this Arsenal side, and i don't see any clear patterns. This is the worst i've seen Arsenal in ages, and the argument that he has such a bad squad is valid to a certain extent, but with clubs like palace and newcastle above them, i'm not convinced. I hope they keep him till the end of the season, i'd like to see if he can turn it around, but at this point i'm not sure how he has managed to keep his job. The stats are damning.

I still think Lille are laughing they managed to convince Arsenal to pay that much for pepe.

 

[Wedge]

Quite agree. He is yet another example of someone who just loves the sound of his own voice and thinks he is orders of magnitude smarter than he actually is. Both BBC and Talksport are awash with them.

Totally agree and I hate it when Jordan talks about a manager and how they're doing like he has a clue. Only time Jordan was useful was when he hammered Riola.

 

[cyberman]

Quite agree. He is yet another example of someone who just loves the sound of his own voice and thinks he is orders of magnitude smarter than he actually is. Both BBC and Talksport are awash with them.

Hes a bluffer. Hell make ridiculous points and predictions, fall flat on his face then he will tell you hes being quoted out of context.

 

[Buster15]

Totally agree and I hate it when Jordan talks about a manager and how they're doing like he has a clue. Only time Jordan was useful was when he hammered Riola.

True. He may well have a reasonable understanding of the commercial side of a football club. But the rest is pure bullsh1t.

 

[Paxi]

This guy is a journalist and he can't even fecking write a coherent sentence.

" There's no sign of any change on Arsenal's Arteta position but inherent to that is a dilemma. With that squad, they either dispense or fully double-down and back him. The problem, when there's no previous experience, there are no guarantees they'd be backing the right man."
I have never heard a native English speaker write like this... "inherent to" what? Does he even know what inherent means?
Never mind his complete lack of insight - "they either get rid of him or back him". Well I guess the third option would be to do neither, although what that would entail is unclear. He caps it all with "there are not guarantees they'd be backing the right man" which is the most banal and contrived dilemma I've ever heard.

"But it looks like he's really struggling in current situation, which is the entire problem with appointing a total novice"
Sorry, what exactly is he suggesting is the entire problem with appointing a novice? The fact that he is struggling right now. Doesn't even make logical sense. "Arteta is having a really tough time right now, that's the whole problem with hiring a novice"... what?!

Basically, we have someone with very little insight about football, very little writing ability, and is so insecure needs to wrap his "I made a prediction which is being shown to be very wrong" under layers of pseudo-analysis.

I had an argument with him about United one time and I used word 'piece' and he smugly replied to me that; that word shouldn't be used in that particular context. I promptly pointed out to him that he only just used it in a direct reply to me first and I was merely calling the article what he was calling it: a piece. He didn't reply.

Needless to say, Miguel is a total fecking idiot. Always has been. I have no idea how he swindled his way into a top job.

He's also very arrogant despite being a total feckwit. 'Actual football people' what an embarrassing thing to say. Spoken like some fecking newbie ranting away.

 

[sglowrider]

If chelsea has 50% or more possession then chance of arsenal winning drops by 2.32% and then 0.764% for every 9% of additional possession, but if chelsea plays christensen then the total % will change in favour of arsenal by 15.7783%.

Anyhoo, football is not like swimming.

 

[sglowrider]

I still think Lille are laughing they managed to convince Arsenal to pay that much for pepe.

Well, I don't think Lille got a big chunk of the £72million.

 

[thatsme]

Like every other manager today, Arteta has little or no say on the players brought into the club. Yet, at clubs which are struggling and been on a down curve for years, its always the managers who take the flack for years of sub standard player recruitment, but we never hear of the people responsible for crap signing after crap signing ever getting the sacked.
They're like the officers at the Charge of The Light Brigade pointing the finger at the next in line below them.