Mikel Arteta, First-Team Manager

[DiamondGooner]

For the first time I'm seriously questioning the manager.

Played 4-3-3 with no CAM's to open up defenses and the result was the most dog sh*t half I've seen in ages.

Literally tries it on the day he pushed Ozil out of the door as well, the exact sort of player you need to play 4-3-3 possession football.

If we do that in the prem we're going to get trashed, we looked like an Emery team today.

We're stacked with deep CM's, Wide players and strikers ............. yet he's playing a narrow attacking mid dominant formation??

Get your head out of your arse, realise you didn't actually buy Aouar and you cast Ozil out, the two players you needed to make this style of play work ffs.

Get back to what you were doing that gave us a 90% win ratio and 2 trophies you idiot ........... at least until you buy the CAM's you need to play differently.

[Nuggets]

I think he is just winging it now.

[Godlop]

He's been very poor this season compared to last season. His squad management is Emery bad.

Besides the obvious cases of Guendouzi, Özil and Saliba you still have a lot of other stuff so far.

Just from the top of my head we have:

- AMN again just a fringe player
- Nelson ignored despite Auba, Willian and Pepe being very poor so far
- Dropped Laca after scoring 3 in 3 games
- Leno over Martinez
- Runa not playing in Cup games
- still no Azeez... don't even try to argue this one... you know Wenger and Emery would've played him by now.

[VCC]

im going to hold off judgment until we get some attacking players in. i think he knows he cant play dynamic, attacking football with what he has at his disposal so is altering his tactics and style to suit the squad. for example we dont have players like ramsey, cazorla and cesc anymore but the fact we were close to signing aouar tells me they are aware of this and are looking to address it, which gives me hope.

otherwise it just doesn't make sense... the guy graduated from the school of wenger and pep and is constantly talking about implementing an attacking philosophy so logically, it's the only conclusion i can draw.

having said that, i do think he can be doing more with what he has at his disposal but im willing to trust the man. he's won 2 trophies in his first 12 months and there's been positive signs. exactly a year ago we were conceding 25 shots against wolves so there's no denying that there's been improvements in terms of structure and defence (discounting individual blunders like leno's today).

i know its frustrating for fans that we're watching more of an atletico type team but we're going to have to be patient as we cant address all of our issues in one window. we need to back him in the transfer market to help shape and mould the team to what arteta wants. it took klopp 3-4 years to turn liverpool into a powerful, dangerous team and im pretty confident in 18-24 months our squad will look completely different.

Good post
If Ozil had gone we may have seen that change

[Highbury Hillbilly]

Amateur hour all around, thanks to his decisions today.

The back 4 will go into the LCFC game feeling shaky thanks to Leno's disasterclass. Why was he started? This time last year we had Emi in goal in Europe. Wenger had Ospina handle the early stage games too.

Laca and Nketiah together doesn't work.

Bringing on Auba and Bellerin felt like desperation. Even if they did get the job done, they should have been rested for Sunday.

[Ach]

Another win. Another horror show?

Waiting on the hate from LMAO

[LMAO]

No hate, only love.

Rey Mikel <3

Just needs a creative player that fits into the present game to bring it all together.

[Callum]

I do find it strange that we've won 7 out of 9 games since winning the FA Cup and some on here seem to be turning against Arteta. Do you really think he was going to turn us into a solid, robust defensive unit and a free-flowing, creative side in 35 odd games, after inheriting the worst Arsenal side we've had since the mid-90s?

He's clearly prioritized shoring up the defence and making us a difficult side to beat, which is totally understandable given the total mess we were in after Emery was sacked. I understand why people are frustrated that we're not creating enough chances and scoring enough goals, but if it were the other way around we'd have fans on here bemoaning the fact that our defence is too porous and that we need Arteta to focus on making us better at the back. If you think he should have this side firing on all cylinders by now after the state we were in then I think that's just totally unrealistic.

If we're still playing like this by the end of the season then yes, I think there's far more cause for concern. However, I think there needs to be a degree of patience and understanding that it's going to take time for this side to gel properly and whilst we certainly need to start attacking better soon, we clearly have made some big strides under Arteta's management and there seems to be a complete buy-in from 95% of the squad. Arteta himself has also acknowledged that we need to improve and I think as the months go by we'll start to see that improvement, and he deserves time to keep working on this team over the coming months.

Trust the process.

[swipe right]

I do find it strange that we've won 7 out of 9 games since winning the FA Cup and some on here seem to be turning against Arteta. Do you really think he was going to turn us into a solid, robust defensive unit and a free-flowing, creative side in 35 odd games, after inheriting the worst Arsenal side we've had since the mid-90s?

He's clearly prioritized shoring up the defence and making us a difficult side to beat, which is totally understandable given the total mess we were in after Emery was sacked. I understand why people are frustrated that we're not creating enough chances and scoring enough goals, but if it were the other way around we'd have fans on here bemoaning the fact that our defence is too porous and that we need Arteta to focus on making us better at the back. If you think he should have this side firing on all cylinders by now after the state we were in then I think that's just totally unrealistic.

If we're still playing like this by the end of the season then yes, I think there's far more cause for concern. However, I think there needs to be a degree of patience and understanding that it's going to take time for this side to gel properly and whilst we certainly need to start attacking better soon, we clearly have made some big strides under Arteta's management and there seems to be a complete buy-in from 95% of the squad. Arteta himself has also acknowledged that we need to improve and I think as the months go by we'll start to see that improvement, and he deserves time to keep working on this team over the coming months.

Trust the process.

We went 23 games unbeaten under Emery. Remember how that worked out? What people are pointing out is a serious flaw in our squad that will hamper us once the momentum of the season picks up.

[DiamondGooner]

I do find it strange that we've won 7 out of 9 games since winning the FA Cup and some on here seem to be turning against Arteta. Do you really think he was going to turn us into a solid, robust defensive unit and a free-flowing, creative side in 35 odd games, after inheriting the worst Arsenal side we've had since the mid-90s?

He's clearly prioritized shoring up the defence and making us a difficult side to beat, which is totally understandable given the total mess we were in after Emery was sacked.

Today was the first time I got p*ssed and it was because he found something that works 9/10 which was the 3-4-3 defend then hard counter but now mid season he's fkin around like Emery did.

I know what Arteta's ideal is (4-3-3 PSG type football) but he's not in Peps position to buy those players and I thought he understood that when after some torrid games he changed to 3-4-3 to accomodate the squad he has.
He's been sneaking in 4-3-3 by playing a hybrid and today he went full blown and stunk up the first half rotten.
Back to possession, sideways and back passing with no penetration, no attempts on goals, nothing.

I don't want to see Mikel make that same mistake as Emery, until we actually buy the Aouar's of the world, when you play possession football you need CAM's to get passed players and make killer passes .......... well he just fired Ozil so what's he doing, relying on Willock??

We're stacked with deep CM's, Wingers and strikers, we should be adopting an overload from wide areas game plan and forward passes from the CM's which is why we got Partey.

We should be playing 4-4-2 or 3-4-3 and making the most of the personnel we have.

No hate, only love.

Rey Mikel <3

Just needs a creative player that fits into the present game to bring it all together.

Right .......... but we didn't buy one, then he fired the only WC one we had, so wtf is he doing?

Elneny, Xhaka and even Partey are not the sort of CM's that will slide through defences and play top level intricate passes, that's what CAM's do and we don't have any.

[Callum]

I do find it strange that we've won 7 out of 9 games since winning the FA Cup and some on here seem to be turning against Arteta. Do you really think he was going to turn us into a solid, robust defensive unit and a free-flowing, creative side in 35 odd games, after inheriting the worst Arsenal side we've had since the mid-90s?

He's clearly prioritized shoring up the defence and making us a difficult side to beat, which is totally understandable given the total mess we were in after Emery was sacked. I understand why people are frustrated that we're not creating enough chances and scoring enough goals, but if it were the other way around we'd have fans on here bemoaning the fact that our defence is too porous and that we need Arteta to focus on making us better at the back. If you think he should have this side firing on all cylinders by now after the state we were in then I think that's just totally unrealistic.

If we're still playing like this by the end of the season then yes, I think there's far more cause for concern. However, I think there needs to be a degree of patience and understanding that it's going to take time for this side to gel properly and whilst we certainly need to start attacking better soon, we clearly have made some big strides under Arteta's management and there seems to be a complete buy-in from 95% of the squad. Arteta himself has also acknowledged that we need to improve and I think as the months go by we'll start to see that improvement, and he deserves time to keep working on this team over the coming months.

Trust the process.

We went 23 games unbeaten under Emery. Remember how that worked out? What people are pointing out is a serious flaw in our squad that will hamper us once the momentum of the season picks up.

We did, and I'm not saying that the way we're currently playing is going to be good enough for us to maintain these results, but there's differences here. Arteta clearly has more of a plan about what to do with this team, has communicated to both the players and the fans what he wants and expects, and is consistently vocal about what we need to do to improve. Emery so often said we played well when we clearly didn't, whereas Arteta is able to praise the players and their effort whilst still acknowledging that we need to improve in certain areas.

I still just find it surprising to see some fans turning on Arteta and don't seem willing to give him the time he needs to get us back up there again. I'm seeing steady progress, but recognize that for us to become a creative and dangerous attacking team whilst also remaining solid at the back is going to take a fair bit of time and patience. Remember as well that Arteta took over when we were in disarray and in the bottom half of the table, whereas Emery took over when we had finished 6th and had an entire summer to prepare his side.

[VCC]

To expect anyone to come in and have instant success after the long winding slope Arsenal slid down is expecting alot.
But hey Arteta pulled off a cup win, Imo i wouldnt get your expectations too high for this season. It's always hard to come in and have what you want player wise, and let's face it many of the inherited players are grossly over rated. Little funds and selling off our best in form assets (Emi) tell you that even getting our most prioritized targets is getting hard. We can not off load the players that no longer or ever met expectations, and we find ourselves still playing some players knowing they are not quite good enough.
The tactics I presume will change when the personnel are capable of carrying out what's required and that's going to have to wait at least another two windows IMO

[Highbury Hillbilly]

I do find it strange that we've won 7 out of 9 games since winning the FA Cup and some on here seem to be turning against Arteta. Do you really think he was going to turn us into a solid, robust defensive unit and a free-flowing, creative side in 35 odd games, after inheriting the worst Arsenal side we've had since the mid-90s?

He's clearly prioritized shoring up the defence and making us a difficult side to beat, which is totally understandable given the total mess we were in after Emery was sacked. I understand why people are frustrated that we're not creating enough chances and scoring enough goals, but if it were the other way around we'd have fans on here bemoaning the fact that our defence is too porous and that we need Arteta to focus on making us better at the back. If you think he should have this side firing on all cylinders by now after the state we were in then I think that's just totally unrealistic.

If we're still playing like this by the end of the season then yes, I think there's far more cause for concern. However, I think there needs to be a degree of patience and understanding that it's going to take time for this side to gel properly and whilst we certainly need to start attacking better soon, we clearly have made some big strides under Arteta's management and there seems to be a complete buy-in from 95% of the squad. Arteta himself has also acknowledged that we need to improve and I think as the months go by we'll start to see that improvement, and he deserves time to keep working on this team over the coming months.

Trust the process.

We went 23 games unbeaten under Emery. Remember how that worked out? What people are pointing out is a serious flaw in our squad that will hamper us once the momentum of the season picks up.

We did, and I'm not saying that the way we're currently playing is going to be good enough for us to maintain these results, but there's differences here. Arteta clearly has more of a plan about what to do with this team, has communicated to both the players and the fans what he wants and expects, and is consistently vocal about what we need to do to improve. Emery so often said we played well when we clearly didn't, whereas Arteta is able to praise the players and their effort whilst still acknowledging that we need to improve in certain areas.

I still just find it surprising to see some fans turning on Arteta and don't seem willing to give him the time he needs to get us back up there again. I'm seeing steady progress, but recognize that for us to become a creative and dangerous attacking team whilst also remaining solid at the back is going to take a fair bit of time and patience. Remember as well that Arteta took over when we were in disarray and in the bottom half of the table, whereas Emery took over when we had finished 6th and had an entire summer to prepare his side.

For me, my reaction is the same as when we beat Guimares 3-2 thanks to 2 Pepe worldies. Yeah, we won, but the cracks were clear for all to see.

Mikel has been given far more authority and support in the transfer market than what Emery received. He got his preferred CB and CM targets, plus Willian and Ceballos back. Emery OTOH saw 4 first XI players leave with no replacements and had to throw Martinelli, Saka and Willock into the deep end.

Additionally, Mikel received the club's backing to dump Ozil, Sokratis and Guendouzi. He has to show that those decisions were justified. He's earned some deserved capital thanks to the FA Cup win, but that comes with an implicit time limit. That's just the reality of football.

When it comes to getting results, he shouldn't get leniency because this is his first managerial job. Lampard won't, and we should hold Arteta to the same standard.

[Callum]

For me, my reaction is the same as when we beat Guimares 3-2 thanks to 2 Pepe worldies. Yeah, we won, but the cracks were clear for all to see.

Mikel has been given far more authority and support in the transfer market than what Emery received. He got his preferred CB and CM targets, plus Willian and Ceballos back. Emery OTOH saw 4 first XI players leave with no replacements and had to throw Martinelli, Saka and Willock into the deep end.

Additionally, Mikel received the club's backing to dump Ozil, Sokratis and Guendouzi. He has to show that those decisions were justified. He's earned some deserved capital thanks to the FA Cup win, but that comes with an implicit time limit. That's just the reality of football.

When it comes to getting results, he shouldn't get leniency because this is his first managerial job. Lampard won't, and we should hold Arteta to the same standard.

1. Arteta has been backed and that's a fair consideration, so lets see what he does this season rather than growing impatient when our marquee signing has played 1.5 games for us.
2. Emery was free to drop Ozil, and he did, but bottled it and brought him back in, either due to the pressure from fans or because the side were struggling on the pitch.
3. I don't think many people are saying Arteta deserves time because it's his first gig, but rather he deserves time because he's already improved us a lot, won a major trophy, and gotten the players on board with what he's trying to do.

[swipe right]

I do find it strange that we've won 7 out of 9 games since winning the FA Cup and some on here seem to be turning against Arteta. Do you really think he was going to turn us into a solid, robust defensive unit and a free-flowing, creative side in 35 odd games, after inheriting the worst Arsenal side we've had since the mid-90s?

He's clearly prioritized shoring up the defence and making us a difficult side to beat, which is totally understandable given the total mess we were in after Emery was sacked. I understand why people are frustrated that we're not creating enough chances and scoring enough goals, but if it were the other way around we'd have fans on here bemoaning the fact that our defence is too porous and that we need Arteta to focus on making us better at the back. If you think he should have this side firing on all cylinders by now after the state we were in then I think that's just totally unrealistic.

If we're still playing like this by the end of the season then yes, I think there's far more cause for concern. However, I think there needs to be a degree of patience and understanding that it's going to take time for this side to gel properly and whilst we certainly need to start attacking better soon, we clearly have made some big strides under Arteta's management and there seems to be a complete buy-in from 95% of the squad. Arteta himself has also acknowledged that we need to improve and I think as the months go by we'll start to see that improvement, and he deserves time to keep working on this team over the coming months.

Trust the process.

We went 23 games unbeaten under Emery. Remember how that worked out? What people are pointing out is a serious flaw in our squad that will hamper us once the momentum of the season picks up.

We did, and I'm not saying that the way we're currently playing is going to be good enough for us to maintain these results, but there's differences here. Arteta clearly has more of a plan about what to do with this team, has communicated to both the players and the fans what he wants and expects, and is consistently vocal about what we need to do to improve. Emery so often said we played well when we clearly didn't, whereas Arteta is able to praise the players and their effort whilst still acknowledging that we need to improve in certain areas.

I still just find it surprising to see some fans turning on Arteta and don't seem willing to give him the time he needs to get us back up there again. I'm seeing steady progress, but recognize that for us to become a creative and dangerous attacking team whilst also remaining solid at the back is going to take a fair bit of time and patience. Remember as well that Arteta took over when we were in disarray and in the bottom half of the table, whereas Emery took over when we had finished 6th and had an entire summer to prepare his side.

You’re quite right. But he is displaying signs of petulance which is a bit worrying.