Hey-up bitches I'm back.
Been offline as a result needling to replace a broken laptop (partially related to AFC), and then forgetting my log in as well as being unsure as to the status of my relationship with this club. I'm still unsure as to that outcome and much will depend on what happens from here, but I'm here to get some things off my chest as such.
In terms of this thread as much I believed in 'the process', the inherited issues and the lack of action last summer, I'm now 'Arteta Out' for the following 3 reasons:
1 - In terms of 'the process' I do not think it will succeed without serious investment. Primarily I am not convinced KSE are going to put significant additional funds into a transfer kitty (let alone a war chest), and I do not think Arteta has shown that he warrants that level of support as yet. This is not to say that I think he is poor, but more so that I think the collapse of the ESL means there is no longer any margin for error to regain top4/UCL revenues;
2 - the ECL S/F non-performance over the 2 legs & going out with a whimper and not a bang of any sort. Whilst there have been improvements in some areas the lack of response seen from the players over both games (and the struggles in general of the last month or so), has undone any progress this season. It feels very much like deja-vu re the latter stages under both AW and Emery IMO, and that we were eliminated by a manager and players we consider to have been not good enough is a further indictment;
3 - IMO there is a huge opportunity to regain top4 next season without UEFA comp - https://www.planetfootball.com/quick-reads/arsenal-next-how-each-big-six-club-last-fared-in-a-season-out-of-europe/. As such IMO this must be the objective for next season whilst we have no other football distractions regardless of what may or may not happen re manager, executive or ownership (although IMO ALL should be replaced as well as half the team/squad as I will post elsewhere).
The first caveat to this is that we must have a playing squad that is balanced and 'fit for purpose' for the manager's tactics and style. This will require external investment beyond anything we may get via player sales, and in order for that to happen there needs to be genuine credibility in the manager's 'vision'.
The 2nd caveat being that in every example in the article above the managers involved were not novices and had an established capability and credibility to warrant that expenditure. Whereas with Arteta we have yet to actually see what his end state actually looks like, as at the very least he wants to play 433 which we have not seen as yet.
EDIT - I do feel that the new structure was put together with the view of ESL providing funds and time for everyone to 'learn on the job', but without it it is a project set up to fail due to the inexperience of those involved.
