In their last 5 games...
Nottm Forest have picked up 9 pts - 1.8 per game
West Ham have picked up 7 (excl today) - 1.4 per game
Spurs have picked up 2 - 0.4 per game
If West Ham win today, Spurs will have to get 2.6 pts per game for remaining 5 games (13 pts) to match pace AND make up 5 pts.
I tend to agree with you, especially at this point. If we go another 2-3 years without winning any silverware, I'll be feeling a lot different.
I haven't followed the "manager market" well enough to know who's available but if Pep leaves City this summer, it could get pretty interesting.
I'm hoping the change is him adopting new approach, tactics, and mindset to managing the team. We have enough quality to win trophies but I feel like he's refusing to adapt to reality.
Either trophy is definitely enough to keep him around and I think he'll stay even if we finish empty handed.
Rightfully so. One look at all the managerial merry-go-round at other clubs and staying on Arteta Island is looking real nice!
I'm not saying Arteta has to go by any means, and who's available is a huge factor in that decision. I hope I'm wrong and he levels up but we will have to wait and see.
I don't think anyone could have done the last 6.5 seasons better. It's been incredible work and it's due to Arteta.
However, like in business, people excel at different stages & phases of growth. Arteta is amazing at one level but is he good enough at the level required to regularly win trophies?
He's not good at finding attackers. Our best striker was bought to be a midfielder. Our 2nd striker is fully "square peg, round hole" with neither changing. Our 3rd striker can't stay fit. Our 4th striker is a utility midfielder.
Some more grit would be nice but don't think that's as critical.
A sustainable approach to squad building and tactics that regularly wins trophies or produces beautiful football on the pitch. Preferably both and I lean towards the latter tbh.
I have followed this club for nearly 30 years & I love it. I'm not being critical just because of yesterday's result.
Arteta has done incredible work at Arsenal which I'll be forever grateful for but his ignoring massive blind spots for years is now costing us. Something has to change.
Should be obvious that I'm feeling pretty cynical and critical since the loss yesterday. It's been building for months (years on some issues) & I'm fed up.
I want Arsenal to succeed. I just can't see it happening under Arteta unless he learns to adapt to the obvious truths staring us in the face.
Absolutely. Very grateful we got him instead of Mudryk but it shows Arteta would have signed a far worse player for more money.
I was feeling generous
I think we were tracking Havertz for a while but Madueke felt very much like an opportunistic signing. Does that mean we weren't tracking any other players? They weren't available at our price? They were lower quality than Madueke?
Whichever it was, it lays bare our lack of planning for the attack.
Meanwhile Saka is run into the ground and Martinelli has been isolated on the left wing for years.
What's the plan exactly?
I don't get it. Yes, we're 2nd behind City for goals scored this season but no one can watch Arsenal and say we have a functioning, cohesive attack.
It's 100% hope that Saka or Trossard make magic happen in a 3v1, punt to Martinelli and watch him run, rely on set pieces, and own goals.
Of course there are busts but where are the hits? Havertz was bought to play midfield. Trossard was a trolley dash purchase after missing Mudryk. Gyokeres doesn't fit our style and we haven't adapted to him either.
Arteta isn't changing how we attack but he's not buying the players for it either.
Bingo. Our best striker was bought to be a midfielder & he's broken our best winger from overplaying him because we haven't had/used a reliable backup.
Right side worked w/ the Ode/White/Saka. Left side hasn't worked since Xhaka.
We get goals but our attack is janky at best w/ no Plan B.
The complete list of attackers bought and loaned by Arteta in his 6.5 years at Arsenal.
10 attackers in 13 transfer windows. 4 bought to be midfielders. 3 have been perennially injured. 2 were total flops.
The 2 wingers with the most minutes since Dec 2019 were already here when Arteta arrived.
Could be better
Keane you not right now
Kangaroo courts are hard to pin down
Today, we tried.
It's like that scene from Star Wars where Luke shoots the laser things into the one weak spot of the Death Star except the Empire's attorneys file litigation and delay proceedings for a decade then go on to destroy everything while the matter is being settled in courts
Except they are
How many years has it been since City were hit with 115 charges? How many titles would we have won since then?
Fuck this league. Can't win it so long as serial cheaters are allowed to get away with it for years.
The Premier League a fucking joke.
Is insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results because I'm losing faith.
#arsecastextra @arseblog.com @gunnerblog.bsky.social
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Wolves, Bournemouth, Brentford, Sunderland, Nottingham Forest, Chelsea, Liverpool, United...
I appreciate the message and sentiment. There's games to play and fate has yet to reveal its hand, but if trends are worth anything, then it feels very over.
Reminding myself of this frequently
