Mikel Arteta, First-Team Manager

[DiamondGooner]

In a nutshell their both decent players just neither are world class, simple as that.

I prefer Flamini because he's a classic down and dirty, works hard, CDM but the difference in level as an actual player between Arteta or Flamini is so minimal its not even worth trying to make a point out of it.

.......... unless your Massa of course who seems to think there's some sort of gulf between the two when there clearly isn't.

[Massa]

There clearly is. There's a reason why Wenger prefers Arteta

[Arsenal~Fanatic]

Clearly looks off pace, unfit and out of form. Would be happy if we replaced him with somebody like a Pogba/Khedira coming summer.

[Snowkarl]

Honestly, he's played like this all season and it's completely unacceptable. He's literally jogging next to players who are free with the ball in front of our goal and he doesn't even attempt to block or tackle.

He did a little better offensively in the 2nd half but still provided essentially nothing.

He has got to go, sorry.

[Arsenal~Fanatic]

Honestly, he's played like this all season and it's completely unacceptable. He's literally jogging next to players who are free with the ball in front of our goal and he doesn't even attempt to block or tackle.

He did a little better offensively in the 2nd half but still provided essentially nothing.

He has got to go, sorry.

Spot on. He has played well in patches but has clearly lost the initial zip. Players get past him like he is not there and as they say everything has a sell by date.

[gooney]

Arteta is a decent player who can do a job. He is what big clubs call squad player. We have Ramsey out injured again and Wilshere is injury prone. Arteta and Flamini are two decent players who are limited. If there ever was a need to buy a central midfielder now is the time. I swear I would just big for southampton Schneiderlin

[Massa]

Just come from injury remember

[Snowkarl]

Just come from injury remember

if we he wasn't fit he shouldn't have played, we had chamberlain. even zelalem would have been better tonight.

[Arsenal~Fanatic]

Just come from injury remember

i have backed him over Flamini earlier Massa but my point is we cannot sit there hoping he would turn it around when age is not on his side. He has gone downhill pretty much from the start of the season. The slide is there for everyone to see. A nice bloke, a great team man but football is ruthless especially when your legs start going.

[Santi]

Massa it's been most of the season mate, he's not played anywhere near his usual level.

[gooney]

Just come from injury remember

i have backed him over Flamini earlier Massa but my point is we cannot sit there hoping he would turn it around when age is not on his side. He has gone downhill pretty much from the start of the season. The slide is there for everyone to see. A nice bloke, a great team man but football is ruthless especially when your legs start going.

I agree. Chelsea despite being very well in the title hunt went for a central midfielder because that was a weakness for them. We have the same weakness. I swear I feel Im the only one who has noticed how much weaker our central midfield has become. It gets dominated alot of games this season against inferior teams. I mean the game against Everton at home was perfect example where you can clearly see its a midfield with no legs. Arteta and Flamini are good squad players. But one has no legs and the other one is way too limited. If we could mould them to one player it would be great. But I looked at someone like Schneiderlin tonight and there is no way a player like him cant improve our midfield. He has the size and ability on the ball Flamini lacks and the legs Arteta lacks

[CrimsonGunner11]

I saw the highlights and Arteta must be dropped as a starting player if not this window then certainly the next. The second goal Soton scored revealed everything that's wrong with Arteta imo. Arteta gave the ball away in the middle of the pitch and was slow/showed little enthusiasm to track back. And this is not the first time he's done this too. He's like the midfield version of Mertesacker. He's intelligent and keeps things organized but if a player gets past him he's never going to recover without someone else bailing him out. He also thinks he's the only player on the field and dwells on the ball far too long which often gets annoying

[Snowkarl]

I saw the highlights and Arteta must be dropped as a starting player if not this window then certainly the next. The second goal Soton scored revealed everything that's wrong with Arteta imo. Arteta gave the ball away in the middle of the pitch and was slow/showed little enthusiasm to track back. And this is not the first time he's done this too. He's like the midfield version of Mertesacker. He's intelligent and keeps things organized but if a player gets past him he's never going to recover without someone else bailing him out. He also thinks he's the only player on the field and dwells on the ball far too long which often gets annoying

It was much worse than the highlights suggested. We got absolutely destroyed in the midfield because Arteta simply didn't make himself available for a pass, when we got the ball (which was very rare) we had no options and simply had to hoof it go Giroud/Özil/Gnabry in the hopes that they would (when isolated), dribble past 6 Southampton defenders/midfielders and score.

Arteta should be thoroughly ashamed himself after his abysmal performance tonight. I really like the guy and he's been a good player for us but unless there's a radical change in his work rate and attitude he should be sold in the summer.

We can't have any more of this lack of determination and consistency if we want to win things, Arteta has no excuse for not trying to save the Lallana goal from going in. No excuse.

[Arsenal~Fanatic]

So selling him in the summer is still knee Jerk?

Midfield is the engine of the team and playing players with no legs can affect the entire dynamics of the team especially in a high tempo league like EPL.

We need a dynamic holding midfielder who can not only defend but is not impotent offensively.

Flamini can be the back-up option as he still has the legs and lung capacity to go on for 90 minutes without skipping a beat.

[EvAMY-CRAIGLEEAFC]

He will be the first out of our midfielders to lose their legs (due to age). Then Flamini. But both have top drawer football brains. They talk others around the pitch. Far from finished.