Mikel Arteta, First-Team Manager

[theHotHead]

Again, Xakha did a lot of defensive work ( and some dirty ones) to keep the opposition at bay; attack was about 30% of his job ( maybe a little more in his last season w/ us); ESR was/is mainly an attack minded player ( as we see him at Fulham), and never a replacement for Xakha.
In EDR's successful season w/ us( he scored 11 goals?) he exactly played like Arshavin did in his two most successful seasons w/ us; playing almost like a second striker,w/ minimum defensive duties.
Arshavin also faced similar complaints, that he doesn't fall back much to defend. It became more glaring,when he was pushed to the wings, once RVP returned fully fit.

This is a revision of Xhaka's role in his last season!!

Everyone was saying how now he doesn't have defensive responsibility in the team he is so much better so you trying to paint a picture that he did a load of defensive work doesn't match my memory.

In fact according to the stats I posted ESR was more effective defensively than Xhaka and nobody claimed ESR did a lot of defensive work

[swipe right]

Again, Xakha did a lot of defensive work ( and some dirty ones) to keep the opposition at bay; attack was about 30% of his job ( maybe a little more in his last season w/ us); ESR was/is mainly an attack minded player ( as we see him at Fulham), and never a replacement for Xakha.
In EDR's successful season w/ us( he scored 11 goals?) he exactly played like Arshavin did in his two most successful seasons w/ us; playing almost like a second striker,w/ minimum defensive duties.
Arshavin also faced similar complaints, that he doesn't fall back much to defend. It became more glaring,when he was pushed to the wings, once RVP returned fully fit.

This is a revision of Xhaka's role in his last season!!

Everyone was saying how now he doesn't have defensive responsibility in the team he is so much better so you trying to paint a picture that he did a load of defensive work doesn't match my memory.

In fact according to the stats I posted ESR was more effective defensively than Xhaka and nobody claimed ESR did a lot of defensive work

lol, xhaka with the turning radius of a double decker got a red card every time he tried to defend. Its ludicrous but people have to make excuses for Arteta.

[UFGN]

If we lose today, the title is gone.

We would be seven points off the pace. This team would not be able to recover those points.

Arteta should be fighting for his job today.

[swipe right]

If we lose today, the title is gone.

We would be seven points off the pace. This team would not be able to recover those points.

Arteta should be fighting for his job today.

But he just got a shiny new contract. Owners don’t care as long as the dollars roll in.

[UFGN]

If we lose today, the title is gone.

We would be seven points off the pace. This team would not be able to recover those points.

Arteta should be fighting for his job today.

But he just got a shiny new contract. Owners don’t care as long as the dollars roll in.

I can cope with owners not caring. Owners gunna owner.

It’s fans not caring that I can’t and will never accept

[alexis2015finalgoal]

Is the point here ruthlessness or Arteta's bad squad-building?

ESR left, that's that. He wasn't going to get consistent starts. Raya was brought in as the number one, which he became and still is. He made it look like he could have "two starting keepers" but this was BS and a hair-brained scheme. We could all read between the lines and see that Raya was the intended number one.
ESR isn't a number 10 and was a wide forward in his balling days, with Odegaard as the number 10.

His plans for forwards were limited. Saka picks himself. ESR isn't a striker so can't play at number 9. and he already had Martinelli as a left wide forward and a back-up number 9. And he signed Trossard in 2023. ESR had to go.

ESR should've got consistent starts, his 2021/22 season he started in a midfield that consisted of Lokonga and Xhaka, he was our creative CM, there was no Odegaard. ESR has never been a genuine forward apart from the time Arteta tried to copy Pep and play with no recognised forward, in the Europa League against Villarreal - and we lost, he played ESR up top.

He WAS deployed twice as a WIDE forward when Odegaard arrived but otherwise, when Odegaard was there ESR played as an LCM or as an AM if Odegaard was subbed out of the game - which he was 10 times. Arteta played all sorts of formations with all sorts of personnel, if you take a look at the formations across the season you would think Arteta didn't know what he was doing.

You were the one that said ESR getting shipped out wasn't mis-treatment it was just ruthlessness. I said, if its to the detriment of the squad its stupidity. We are now cursing our "bad luck" that Odegaard is injured, considering what it is we are trying to achieve this season, we need quality in depth, there is no reason why ESR couldn't have gotten plenty of game time this season, the decision to sell him was a terrible one. ESR's quality has never been in doubt, 2 goals and an assist in 8 games for Fulham is obvious proof that all he needed was game time.

It wasn't mistreatment. the team moved on beyond him. Martinelli and Trossard played on the left and Xhaka was finally balling in 22/23 when ESR was injured. Then Rice came in as di Jorginho, so the 8 position had gone. and Trossard was balling so that left wide forward.
Was ESR willing to be a bit part player? When he was a mainstay? it's full of assumptions. Maybe he asked to leave.

Mate - I can kill your argument with one word - Havertz !!

If the 8 role had gone why did Arteta buy Havertz who for half a season was played in the Xhaka role and failed miserably?!!

ESR was perfect to slot straight into that Xhaka role because of his natural ability to get forward and get goals.

A number 8 has to be a good tackler and a passer. Those aren't ESR's strengths.

TBH, i don't care that deeply that he's left. Yes, he's a good player. Yes, he's a Hale-Ender. And yes,he could be at Saka's level right now. But such is life. It isn't the first time we've let go a promising and sort-of proven young player. Keown left and rejoined. Andy Cole left. Gnarby left. Shit happens.

Arteta is to blame since he clearly didn't buy enough CMs. We have lots of forwards who can play left, right and in the number 9. He only got in Merino this summer, and we needed more. Most of our fans said we had a good window, no we didn't. it was very average at best. He could have sold ESR to Fulham AND got in another two CMs. Provided ESR doesn't score against us like Walcott, Welbeck, and others have, I'm cool.

[alexis2015finalgoal]

Our window was 4/10 at very best. We sort of plugged holes and addressed urgent areas. But then the same shit Wenger used to do - as in piecemeal and incomplete windows - is apparent in Arteta.

[alexis2015finalgoal]

OK, so Kiwior is fit but he's putting Partey at RB?
Liverpool's midfield isn't as good as their PL/CL winning sides, but then Partey's presence would more than match Endo, Gravenberch, or MacAllister.

Odd selection.

Good that Saka is fit enough to start.

[alexis2015finalgoal]

Did Sterling really come to be a bench player?

[Highbury Hillbilly]

Our window was 4/10 at very best. We sort of plugged holes and addressed urgent areas. But then the same shit Wenger used to do - as in piecemeal and incomplete windows - is apparent in Arteta.

It was the worst window since he took control of transfers. Sesko was the CF target, except he signed a new deal before we could even bid. More effort was expended in selling ESR than was in finding a replacement, or selling Jesus and Zinchenko who aren't at the required level.

Not only are they both still here, but they're now joined by their fellow Pep reject Sterling. The three of them are picking up a combined £500k pw for sitting on the bench in must-win games.

[Highbury Hillbilly]

Did Sterling really come to be a bench player?

Maresca had him training alone, Arteta saw a new project.

[RowdyRoddyPoppins]

5 points off top. Sterling a waste of space.

Mikels final season I hope. We are well and truly going backwards.

[Ach]

Titles done.

Win the CL or go

[Nuggets]

Hasn't got a fecking clue about tactical changes, he is done.

[Highbury Hillbilly]

We're dropping off badly in the second half, our bench is dire and Tets seems afraid to use them.