Burnwinter wrote:
Don Pacifico wrote:
Tl;dr - I think the way we interpret various divisive topics can be fuelled by our perspective on things as a whole.
Don, this was a good, honest post featuring welcome empirical observations.
That Arteta has had a few personality conflicts but that he also clearly commands the respect and loyalty of most of the squad based on how they've collectively responded to those situations is one excellent point.
That our football has not been good but that it has also improved is another.
The strengthening argument against Arteta is not the one based on the results he's achieved here to date, but on where he might not be able to take us. I see him as having done enough to warrant continuing next season. Extending him until 2025 is a big call, but sacking him would be utterly stupid at this point—and I challenge anyone here to think through the effect it would have on this group of players.
After Thursday, we'll know more, but if we're in the Champions League next season, staying in the top four and closing the gap on City and Liverpool while not getting embarrassed in Europe becomes the new yardstick of success.
The question to raise about Arteta is whether he has the speed of thought, creativity and communication skills to adapt his tactics across competitions and rotate his squad, too. I don't know the answer either way.
You bith make valid points, BW and Don. The biggest issue I have with him, is where I think he can take us, even if everything goes to plan. I just don't see us being able to really push on with him in charge,
I'm not even confident he can get us qualifying, or at least being in the equation on a consistent basis. He's very Rafaesque in his conservative approach of rather going for a 0-0 draw ahead of setting us up to really go for things because the risk of being beaten is too big.
I'm actually really surprised we haven't had that many draws this season considering how the games have gone with many swinging by the odd goal in each direction. I could easily see a number of our wins, and losses at that, turn to draws next season which is even worse than what it currently is with the whole 0,1,3 system in place.
I don't feel like we should sack Arteta. At least not now that we're on the brink of qualifying for the CL. However I do believe he should have been sacked in mid 20/21 season. For mind he absolutely lost the dressing room during that period and was only saved by the introduction of ESR and Martinelli, the dropping of Willian (thankfully one of the last times we seen him start) and the re-emergence of Saka.
He managed to get the team all back pulling in the right direction so things look a lot better than what happened with Emery. Although considering the circumstances and as is regularly stated, the poor level of the squad at his disposal, it remains to be seen if Emery could also have turned it around similarly given enough time.
I don't even rate Emery as highly as some, but I do believe he is a better manager than Arteta based on their careers thus far. Arteta has been backed heavily in the transfer market and in his wishes in discarding whoever he wants and the players we've got now, Xhaka aside, are all good, likeable players so he deserves a lot of credit for that.
I just hooe those little bursts of good attacking form we have sometimes had under him aren't the outliers in how he hopes we play, and that we don't need to have perfect conditions with every single player available in order to perform it as currently seems to be the case, because with more comoetitions and more games, it will be kuch harder than ever being able to play the same starting XI every game.
Regardless of where he takes us, whether its fighting for the title or barely mustering a challenge for the CL spots, as long as he can get us to play consistent, attractive, attack first football, I'm happy to back him. If not, there needs to be tangible and sustained improvements to ignore the rest. Not winning things is bad enough, being boring in the process is even worse. I guess that's where I stand.
