The project is over : Page 2 - The Arsenal discussion community: One More in the Tolly

The project is over

Burnwinter

Dom social media hipster tactico

To be fair "SocialMediaHipsterTactico" would be a great username ... 🤔

I reckon if the Project™ is over because the Project™ doesn't include an elite striker or two, then we need to un-over the Project™ by adding an elite striker or two.

This would arguably be enough to make us highly competitive, better still if Arteta can learn and improve. Despite our setbacks with injury and seemingly with behind the scenes departures and frustrations this season, our squad still has improvement in it.

@Sicario2 - Tier 1 is not wrong, you don't get lots of chances and those we've already missed have been tragic.

The disappointment last season seems to have fed into a certain nihilism this season: it still feels absurd and even rigged that City didn't drop two points for months, weren't punished by the FA for several seasons, and now they're nowhere to be seen as we fall away. If it feels that way for me I don't have trouble imagining how rubbish it has felt for our players.

TambourineMan

We have a good base but zero up front. Let's just be brutally honest, Saka is the only attacker we have who is of the standard required and even he is behind the absolute elite attackers (like Salah, Haaland etc.).

Martinelli, Trossard, Havertz and Jesus are shit. That's the problem. Replace two of those guys with players of the required standard and we wouldn't be here in January having this conversation.

Our attack is shit and the signs where there last season. Criminal that we didn't address over the summer.

Coombs

TambourineMan I don't think this is right. Our troubles are much less about individual quality than they are about balance and numbers. Yes, we need a great goalscorer, but our players are not shit. They're just not enough.

Burnwinter

The management of the players available is starting to look suspect with these injuries. We're back in "the players lack specificity" territory, Arteta is a bit like the princess who couldn't sleep on a pea in terms of his adaptability ... he actually is quite an anti-Wenger, as someone said, in that Wenger would create completely gratuitous problems of squad adaptation just because he liked the cut of some signing's jib.

Sicario2 - Tier 1

Man I woke up this morning really sad. I don’t know about you guys.

The realisation that we have wasted a golden chance with this crop of Arsenal players.

I really, really worry how we will keep the likes of Saka, Saliba etc in the summer. These players want to win guys.

I’m going to say it but I think Arteta has taken the team as far as he can. Hes done well but 5 years is a hell of a long time and I just think his methods might just be tiring now for the players .

Bring in Inzaghi in the summer. We need a breath of fresh air. I will never forget what Arteta has done to galvanise us the club and bring us back as a force but it’s just a crying shame, Greek tragedy almost, that it looks like it won’t end up in silverware. Most painful Arsenal period I can remember.

RocktheCasbah

Sicario2 - Tier 1 Most painful Arsenal period I can remember.

Always with the drama.

This week has been shit, nobody is saying otherwise - but it's one week. We lost three Premier League games across the calendar year of 2024.

Yes, we need a bit of course correction and, more to the point, some healthy players back. But if you find this period of being an Arsenal fan so painful, please can I refer you back to 2019 and a three quarters full, silent, Emirates, with Mustafi and Luiz patrolling the defence?

Gurgen

While I am not Arteta's biggest fan, you are dreaming if you think a guy who outperformed every other team on every metric in 2024 is getting sacked. The owners are not assessing this emotionally.

Sicario2 - Tier 1

Gurgen
History won’t remember metrics or having the ‘best calendar year’. Can he convert? It’s binary with trophies.

Gurgen

That’s great but in reality this is not how the owners assess things. That should be obvious by now.

Qwiss

RocktheCasbah it's not gone but the season is slipping away. We have to beat Spurs on Wednesday no. There is no other result that's acceptable. If we do and Liverpool drop points at Forrest then it's back on.

QuincyAbeyie

RocktheCasbah We lost three Premier League games across the calendar year of 2024.

I agree with your overall point (although the reason the season is slipping away definitely isn't just due to one week), but this "couting losses" thing looks like it's trying to make the situation sound more positive than it is. Two draws and a win is worse than two wins and a loss. Counting losses doesn't paint an accurate picture.

Sicario2 - Tier 1

RocktheCasbah
This is much worse mate.

This time we have had the title tangled in front of us before been taking away.

When we were shit, we were shit. We knew were shit and expectations were managed.

This time around we expected the world but came out empty handed and a feeling of big regret. What if we beat Villa, what if Trossard had scored, what if Son hadn’t fumbled his shot.

It’s also the daunting feeling have we wasted our chance.

When we were shit the only way was up. So can’t compare at all.

RocktheCasbah

QuincyAbeyie yeah, I guess it's true that this isn't just down to one week. I can't argue that.

I'm just trying to say really, for as bad as things feel today (and they do feel really bad), we are still a very good team and - as Qwiss alludes to - could be back within striking distance of Liverpool in a game's time. So, essentially, the same message as I had after the Newcastle game.

RocktheCasbah

Sicario2 - Tier 1 completely disagree with you, I would much rather be up there and challenging for things, even if we don't get them, then watching an Arsenal team that nobody believed in, or cared about. The dog days of Wenger and that period April-December 2019 were awful.

But your perspective is your perspective, if you think this is worse than then, fair enough.

Don Pacifico

Sicario2 - Tier 1 It’s also the daunting feeling have we wasted our chance.

I hear you but...the great thing about football is it never ends.

I'm only half-joking.

Truthfully though, who would have predicted Liverpool storming ahead this season? Who would have predicted Man City dropping a clanger of a season? I take your point that there's a missed opportunity here but it also shows how there is a degree of randomness to football that means nothing you think is that certain is guaranteed. There's no reason we can't turn round next season and have another shot at the title (and win it).

Thinking we can't is loser talk! 😉

Gurgen

Who is "we"? I can assure you the board did not expect a title or to be challenging for it this early. You are free to assess things according to your expectations but Arteta isn't being sacked based on your expectations.

Sicario2 - Tier 1

Simply put, the bigger the expectation, the harder the loss is to take when nothing materialises but we can agree to disagree.

JazzG

Good to see a nice rational argument being put forward here....

lorddulaarsenal

I don’t see it as our chances will go. If anything you can see how good we are without a lethal striker. The route to raising our level is very clear

Sicario2 - Tier 1

The problem is when you become a nearly man/squad it’s hard to lose this tag and actually get something over the line. Look at Spurs, it’s a reason they haven’t won anything since 2008.

When you don’t win, Arteta’s motivation tactics could also fall on death ears. There’s only so much you can keep coming back from adversity.

Saying next year, next year is great but we have only so much time with these players, it’s finite.

I can also see Arteta walking at the end of the season esp if he’s not backed this Jan. Only so much one can take.

Don Pacifico

Sicario2 - Tier 1 The problem is when you become a nearly man/squad it’s hard to lose this tag and actually get something over the line. Look at Spurs, it’s a reason they haven’t won anything since 2008.

The causation is the wrong way round - Spurs are known as a banter team because they never win. Not the other way round.

People took the piss out of us when we went through our trophy drought under Wenger and then we won three FA Cups in the space of five years. Liverpool hadn't won the league for 30 odd years until Klopp. It's easy to get hung up on reputation but I don't think it affects players as much as you think.

Sicario2 - Tier 1 Saying next year, next year is great but we have only so much time with these players, it’s finite.

I can also see Arteta walking at the end of the season esp if he’s not backed this Jan. Only so much one can take.

I get the anxiety to a point but you're worried about Arteta, Saliba and Saka leaving in the next 12 months, as if they're all certainties to happen rather than in fact hypotheticals. There is zero sign to believe any of that will happen so no point stressing until there's proof to the contrary.

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