Arteta - one more year and that’s it: Page 47 - The Arsenal discussion forum and community: One More in the Tolly

Arteta - one more year and that’s it

tazmania

Mirth he better learn from it and start with some courage. He probably can't even spell courage

Sicario2

tazmania it’s nearly 6 years. How much more learning does he need?

RowJimmy

Rohit

I don't mind being cautious in big games. Arteta has had success playing in that manner. We don't have to compromise player setup to exercise caution though. We need a link between the rest of the team and the forward line in the XI. That link can't be Merino.

DiabyKungFu

Rohit That link can't be Merino.

That link is Martin Odegaard. I think the whole "Rice and Merino" stuff is just a restatement of "Martin Odegaard is an excellent player who fits our entire team together", whether people want to acknowledge that or not.

GooneriC

That link should have been Eze from the start today.

DiabyKungFu

GooneriC That link should have been Eze from the start today.

Maybe. It's possible. It should be noted that Eze and Nwaneri have a combined 0 good games in central midfield against good teams. On one hand, you can't have such a good game if you're never given an opportunity to play in such a game. On the other hand, I think it would be wise to be a little more circumspect and less outraged about how "obvious" it is to play Eze or Nwaneri in midfield here.

Relatedly, "The problem with Mikel Arteta is that he's not good at coaching against the big teams" is an all-time giga omega galaxy brain take.

Rohit

Yeah, in his absence it can't be Merino.

Qwiss

Mirth I'm hoping it means he's learned from it. We were so much better after those changes. We need a creative mid starting every game from now on.

Mirth

DiabyKungFu It's possible. It should be noted that Eze and Nwaneri have a combined 0 good games in central midfield against good teams

Granted. But also Merino and Rice also don’t have any good games to point at - and they’ve actually been given opportunities.

RowJimmy

DiabyKungFu
Eze had a good half today - his best performance for us (small sample size). He's a midfielder, not a wing. The question of where he plays when Odegaard returns is not a simple one.

DiabyKungFu

DiabyKungFu Maybe. It's possible. It should be noted that Eze and Nwaneri have a combined 0 good games in central midfield against good teams. On one hand, you can't have such a good game if you're never given an opportunity to play in such a game. On the other hand, I think it would be wise to be a little more circumspect and less outraged about how "obvious" it is to play Eze or Nwaneri in midfield here.

The idea that Eze and/or Nwaneri are good replacements for Odegaard just became much less "obvious" than it was already.

DiabyKungFu

Mirth But also Merino and Rice also don’t have any good games to point at - and they’ve actually been given opportunities.

Yeah. Martin Odegaard is an excellent player who fits our entire team together.

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert

Just find a way to play two of Nwaneri, Eze, and Odegaard at all times FFS.

Mirth

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert honestly. play all 3 sometimes too. Wenger would.

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert

And stop with the relentless fucking crosses. It's so lame. Get a creative clue.

Burnwinter

As with Anfield I wouldn't mind seeing Eze in there, but it seems to me Eze isn't regarded as fully match fit.

It seems clear from events, and this has been explicitly backed up by Arteta's comments about "finishers" both midweek and at other times, that he's trying to use our enormous squad depth to deliver two halves of greater average intensity. So subs are coming on and will come on earlier than ever.

That's a league-wide trend for this season. The only clubs not using their subs earlier are those with squads that are too thin. Frank at Spurs is one example. 60 minute subs will be the norm and half-time subs will not be unusual.

RowJimmy

Mirth
Try to write out a full team like that.

RocktheCasbah

On the way back from the game and, whilst I greatly enjoyed the 93rd minute equaliser, I do feel Mikel is getting in his own way a little bit. I do understand there may be reasons not to start Eze as one of the 2 8s. I even understand not starting Nwaneri there. But the answer can't be Merino. I also think leaving yourself without a creative outlet, especially when you're missing one of the elite wingers in the game, is incredibly self defeating.

Our bench had more talent than the starting line up today, the balance was way off. But credit him for changing it at half time, and to the team to keep going against a City side who just tried to run the clock down on us.

Tam

RocktheCasbah I do feel Mikel is getting in his own way a little bit. I do understand there may be reasons not to start Eze as one of the 2 8s. I even understand not starting Nwaneri there. But the answer can't be Merino. I also think leaving yourself without a creative outlet, especially when you're missing one of the elite wingers in the game, is incredibly self defeating.

Our bench had more talent than the starting line up today, the balance was way off.

That’s essentially what many of us were saying post Liverpool. There were some more pointed comments at the time about the style Arteta adopted for the game, and more generally, but I feel the wider issue is broadly similar. I acknowledge there is a difference being away at Anfield compared to home here, but how do you square your feeling post-Liverpool with now?

Genuine question, not digging up to be snide.

Mirth

RowJimmy I mean it’ll be as lopsided as today’s team but in this case it would be more attacking.

est

RowJimmy

-------------Raya
Timber-Saliba-Gabriel-Hincapie
----------Zubimendi
Saka-Odegaard-Nwaneri-Eze
----------Gyökeres

You're welcome.

(Was pretty much how City lined up against us yesterday.)

RocktheCasbah

Tam I said at the time, I didn't like the selection but understood it. I also said that I loved what we did in the first half at Liverpool, we keep them, and therefore the home crowd, very quiet.

Ironically, by selecting the midfield he did yesterday, Arteta achieved exactly the same thing for the home side. I was listening to a little bit of Arsenalvision's instant reaction and Clive made a great point - he said Arteta had picked an off the ball team when we needed to be on the ball.

I'll give Arteta a pass for Anfield with Eze in the door five minutes and Nwaneri still in early stages of development, because I suspect Tet would have been very happy with a point.

But at home, when you're trying to win, it's not complicated - if you don't have Odegaard, pick the closest analogue you have to him. I don't want to see that midfield, ever again - I'm sure we will though.

« Previous Page Next Page »