Mikel Arteta, First-Team Manager

[swipe right]

Ancelotti is available. Get in!

he's been sacked?

About to be. He’s meeting Fiorentino Perez shortly. RM don’t mess about.

[theHotHead]

Those are The Ozil myth that are being dispelled of now.
We were more successful in the period between '13 to '17 due the work rate of Cazorla, Ramsey and Sanchez. Ozil' s performance, barring '14, '15 looks dismal now; both as goals creator and scorer.
Odegaard has already ahead in the scoring department,and his assists numbers are very much on the rise, year by year. A really effective player, Odegaard, all over, right now. No question about it.

As usual its the old nonsensical rhetoric about Ozil.

Ozil not defending wouldn't and shouldn't make a blind bit of difference if the correct system was employed. What Ozil gave offensively negated the necessity for him to defend, this was the case at Bremen, at Real Madrid and for Germany. Put a competent DM next to Ozil and have a good striker up top and Ozil would've produced far more for Arsenal.

The suggestion that all players need to defend us absolute bollox. Real Madrid are the biggest and most prestigious clubs in football, they have won as many CL titles as we have domestic league titles. They do not require everyone to defend or chase back, the prefer glamorous football.

The problem is everyone wants to copy Pep, they think because he has been successful with what he does thats the only way to play. Nonsense.

[theHotHead]

f***ing Pep sneezes everyone follows.

Every f***ing team is on 4-3-3, very few managers play 4-4-2, hardly any wingers in the game, no wonder there is a dearth of talent in the CF position.

Managers should be individual and stop copying Pep ffs, I am sick of it. Football is suffering as a result

[ag6789]

It is all about effectiveness. CFs are less effective for total and mobile football. Even the great Brazilian and Dutch teams from 70s and 80s proved it. Their midfielders, full backs and wingers scored lot more than CFs.
Pep has just picked up on that concept and modernized a little bit.
Again, it is all about efficiency. Find a system that beats Pep, and people will follow suit.
All systems, 3-2-5, 4-2-4, ,4-4-2, 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1 had their heydays and all get replaced or revitalized as per need by thinking managers. It'll continue to do so.

[theHotHead]

Its not the system that is winning its the players he has at his disposal ! Almost all of his preferred 11 are one of the best in the world at their roles and have been for the past 5 years, it was no different when he was at Barca.

He loses Rodri and they crumble. So much for the formation.

[ag6789]

Yes,he has top players at most positions, but still you've to give him credit for continued success season after season for different teams.
His system works and he's a great motivator and also a very good coach ,if not a great one.
Unless he takes up the challenge, we'll never know how far he can take a mediocre team , where he might have to make major changes with a limited budget.

[DiamondGooner]

Its not the system that is winning its the players he has at his disposal ! Almost all of his preferred 11 are one of the best in the world at their roles and have been for the past 5 years, it was no different when he was at Real.

He loses Rodri and they crumble. So much for the formation.

When all else is equal, a system which is mastered better is more likely to carry success.

Better attacking patterns, organised defence etc just a more efficient team.

But yes that's always been my criticism of Pep, he has never taken a job where the team isn't the best and richest in the league.

That's why I think Klopp, Wenger, Fergie are better managers.......Peps talent is managing stars and keeping them competitive.

Believe it or not, many managers fail at big teams because they don't know how to manage and motivate super stars.

[Nuggets]

Its not the system that is winning its the players he has at his disposal ! Almost all of his preferred 11 are one of the best in the world at their roles and have been for the past 5 years, it was no different when he was at Real.

He loses Rodri and they crumble. So much for the formation.

When all else is equal, a system which is mastered better is more likely to carry success.

Better attacking patterns, organised defence etc just a more efficient team.

But yes that's always been my criticism of Pep, he has never taken a job where the team isn't the best and richest in the league.

That's why I think Klopp, Wenger, Fergie are better managers.......Peps talent is managing stars and keeping them competitive.

Believe it or not, many managers fail at big teams because they don't know how to manage and motivate super stars.

True and they gave the manager's job to a novice like Arteta who had never managed a team in his life.

[theHotHead]

Its not the system that is winning its the players he has at his disposal ! Almost all of his preferred 11 are one of the best in the world at their roles and have been for the past 5 years, it was no different when he was at Real.

He loses Rodri and they crumble. So much for the formation.

When all else is equal, a system which is mastered better is more likely to carry success.

Better attacking patterns, organised defence etc just a more efficient team.

But yes that's always been my criticism of Pep, he has never taken a job where the team isn't the best and richest in the league.

That's why I think Klopp, Wenger, Fergie are better managers.......Peps talent is managing stars and keeping them competitive.

Believe it or not, many managers fail at big teams because they don't know how to manage and motivate super stars.

Yes, but all things are not equal and Pep has an advantage because he has the most money and the best players in the world.

Its not normal for a formation to be able to better a team that has more quality, it happens, yes but its not the norm. Its why anomalies like Leicester winning the league don't happen often.

[swipe right]

Pep is a brilliant manager. Maybe the best ever.

[swipe right]

Slot winning the PL in his first season. Wonder what excuses the fanboys will make?

[MathyGooner]

I'm not counting anything yet. Liverpool have been brilliant for the first half of a season before and shit the bed.

[VCC]

I'm not counting anything yet. Liverpool have been brilliant for the first half of a season before and shit the bed.

More likely Arteta to play square pegs in round holes AGAIN

[Highbury Hillbilly]

I'm not counting anything yet. Liverpool have been brilliant for the first half of a season before and shit the bed.

When was that? Even in 21/22, when they fell off after a strong start, they finished with 94 points, losing to City's 99.

[ag6789]

Long way to go. We need to keep our focus. Game to game.