Agree with this
I was watching the Spurs documentary and every so often they show the league table at the stage of the season and it always surprised me how much the entire league bar Pool were shitting the bed as well as us. A few stupid David Luiz errors erased and we are top4. Shouldn’t have lost or drawn with Chelsea, dropped points vs Burnley Aston Villa Sheffield United Crystal Palace and some other cunts.
Madness it was only 10 points in the end.
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The design of that league table was ridiculously smooth. Really wish BT and Sky knew how to hire decent designers for their graphics.
Its madness to blame Arteta in any way for not getting top four.
The team Arteta inherited had 23 points from 18 games, or 1.28 points per match. It was on pace for 48 points.
In the end, to get top four we needed at least 10 more points plus goal differential. We got 33 points in 20 matches under Arteta so we would have needed at least 43 in 20, or 2.15 points per match. That is a pace of 82 points over the course of the season.
Slating Arteta for taking a team on pace for 48 points and failing to immediately turn it into one with nearly title-contending form for the rest of the season is ridiculous.
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Good point this. Expecially since people take every opportunity they can to shit on this squad, but still expected Arteta to perform like that. That is a 3rd place finish in ‘regular’ seasons.
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I wasn’t blaming anyone just realised it was actually quite close.
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The Bournemouth game which was Arteta’s first game in charge, we had an absolute tonne of chances to win but had a draw.
And a couple other games where we drew instead of won and I have my own ideas as to why we didn’t but it’s best I don’t speak.
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The clamour and thinking Freddie was the answer didn’t help did it.
The club bought into this and had it’s hand forced in the end.
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At one point I would’ve preferred a Poch or a Rodgers in charge but having seen the changes he’s made I’m now very happy we got Arteta instead.
Defensively we haven’t looked this good for over 10 years. There is some real George Graham type organisation and fight in our defensive work.
We’re slowly getting better in attack now too. Against Fulham we created a lot and moved the ball really well like Wenger teams of old and now we’re beating top teams in the recent past as well.
He’s improved players like Xhaka massively and he’s making the squad look like they are all fighting to keep a place in the lineup except maybe for sulking Guendouzi and bizarre Ozil which says more about them than him imho.
I’m full of hope right now. I’m even fantasising we now have an outside chance to compete for the title and for European Silver ware. Hope no one bursts my balloon anytime soon.
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Gooners jumping on the Teta train.
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No one thought Freddie was the answer. Ever.
People thought he was good enough to get us for the rest of the season though.
His mini spell in charge cost a fair few points too.
Not blaming him but the outlook thinking it was feasible was short sighted and costly.
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Yeah his mini spell was a very favourable fixture list also tbh, was a costly period.
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Nothing was favourable around those times when we had no system of play from back to front. You can’t do anything in the PL or Europe without a foundation. Better squad alone doesn’t cut it when your opposition have a clue and your team don’t.
Freddie had no staff with him it was all literally a caretaker scrambled setup.
Arteta has had to figure out and build a gradual style to sort out our defensive side and build up from the back.
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The reason was that you don’t have any options midseason, or at least your options are vastly diminished… it seems we may have found a gem in Arteta, but that was one of very few options at the time b/c you can’t just get other people’s managers mid-season.
The point I’m making was we chose Freddie rather than pursue Arteta as a cheap option. Plus Ancelotti was out there and hired in the same time frame. Poch and Allegri available as well.
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Was it a cheap option or was it just who we wanted?
I’m sure Arteta was the chosen candidate, and Freddie was only going to be a caretaker until the moment Arteta was able to join.
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I’m talking Freddie appointment.
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There were 3 weeks between the moment Emery was fired and the announcement of Arteta. Surely those were used by the club and Arteta to negotiate etc. Ljungberg was always the interim given how he didn’t get any assistants to work with. I don’t think you can blame Arteta for negotiating his role with some patience and to get a clear idea/insurances after they fucked him over the first time.