Arsenal Tone wrote:People have been defending wenger's gung-ho approach for so long they are really struggling watching us grind out results. Having one shot on target and winning 1-0 is better than having twenty and losing or drawing and that is the difference between Wenger's later years and Arteta's current season.
Arteta needed results to keep his job and wasn't getting them. He was astute enough to know that to get results you need to be solid at the back and sorted it. Results are now coming.
I want to see what he does next in terms of both tactics and transfers.
That's an oversimplification. From what I've read here, most people tend not to care about the style of play. They're result-focused. I'm an exception. I'd rather watch a thrilling 3-3 over a boring 0-0.
Without further delving into that, results is what Arteta hasn't delivered so far. If 20/21 hadn't existed, and this season was a follow-up to the FA Cup win, you'd have 99% of Arsenal fans writing folk songs in appreciation of Arteta.
If results continue to come, few fans would object to Arteta's methods or stay as an Arsenal manager. That's the truth.
Your claim about Wenger's, "gung-ho," approach didn't see us fail apart from his final two seasons. That proverbial, "gung-ho," approach yielded as the Invincibles, 2x Doubles, five more FA Cups, a UCL final, a UEFA Cup final, top-4 for two decades, and most importantly, Arsenal—a bigger and financially more stable club when Wenger left than when he joined.
Last season, for me, the objective was top-6. I remember Santi and I were in agreement of that. We hit rock-bottom in December. It was chaotic. Since then, we've improved. The EL debacle against Emery's Villarreal aside, Arteta has done enough to arrest Arsenal's downfall.
What does that mean ultimately?
Results. As you stated.
If we can get back to European football, primarily the Europa League, I'd consider this season a success despite it being a low barometer for Arsenal F.C.—the third biggest club of England.
The underlying metric doesn't paint us in glory. We have been grinding out results. That's great. But is it sustainable? Can we improve? Can we get back into the Champions League under Arteta without having to rely on UEFA's rigged game for top clubs?
Those are largely unanswered questions.
My objective for Arteta and Arsenal have been far lower than what I had of Arsenal under Wenger. I don't expect title challenges, forget about titles. I don't expect consistent success in the FA Cup. What I do expect is Arsenal returning to those top-4 years—an accolade Wenger was chastised for.
I'm not free of guilt there. I was among those stupid people who relentlessly criticized Wenger for his achievements. I was wrong. I was wrong to slam him without realizing the magnitude of his work.
What you're saying isn't invalid. But it's not valid either. It will be—if we finish in EL places this season and go back to where we were when Wenger left, a European place. For now, the Conference League isn't what I'd consider a success.
Objectivity shouldn't be lost behind the mask of displeasure or biasedness. As an Arsenal
aficionado, I'm not interested in who the manager is; only, what the manager brings to the table.
With Wenger, it was different for fans. He is such a legendary figure, not just for the club but for English football as such, emotions were bound to flare up.
After him, every manager is an employee designated for a purpose. The purpose may be different. For fans, it's about performances. For the owners, it might be profitability.
Ultimately, it's the end of the season that matters. Where do we finish? What do we win? How close are we to Europe's premier competition?
This run of form since the close of the transfer window has warranted Arteta the whole season as Arsenal manager unless we capitulate like last season during Nov/Dec.
The objectives this season is clear cut: get back to EL football. The Conference League won't cut it for me. It might for some fans. If we achieve UCL football, that'd be epic. I'm not expecting it. But that's not a stick I'm willing to use to spank Arteta.
It's important to be critical and unbiased. Definitely the antonym of fandom. But if we can manage that, being a fan would be simpler. Discussions would be more logic-focused. Emotions wouldn't go wasted.
