That was a declining Liverpool team with ageing players that had just given everything to attempt a quadruple, ours is a team that should be ascending.
If this season ends in bitter disappointment then I don’t think it’s really comparable tbh
The thing is we were less cautious and took risks going forward. Especially 22/23. With the years passing Arteta has become more and more cautious in his approach. Can he convert back?
That’s the thing some would assume it’s so easy to turn back the clock and do a 180
But when you’re entrenched and perhaps really believe that’s the way?
What if he thinks that this way is best but just add a few better players? That won’t be a cure or quick fix IMO
For me, Arteta is conservative but the personell are not performing. Creativity wise Martinelli & Trossard are both not looking great. Merino hasnt gelled in the side, Jesus has lost it, Kai has dropped off…
So when we face a team who comes to play, we look better and struggle against a team coming solely to defend.
Sterling was a desperate move, I suspect cos players we wanted were not available for whatever reason.
Previously when people were calling for Artetas head, our attack was similar and featured heaps of seemingly aimless crosses into the box, Arteta worked to change that and no doubt will be trying the same now.
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I agree with all of that. I still think Arteta is a quality manager and can and will improve.
My problem is with upper management of the club. Everything we needed to do to win the league was obvious in the summer.
Once again we’ve done half measures with the three players we brought in.
Allot of fans argued that the Kroenkes will now do what is necessary to win because they now have full ownership. It’s clear that profitability and top 4 has and always will be their goal. Anything else is extra.
It’s astounding that a mess like Chelsea will probably contend for the title and a new manager like Slot will likely win it.
Things won’t change with the Kroenkes.
But don’t you think Arteta has been backed heavily these past 5 years?
That’s also true. I think bringing in novices like Arteta and Edu—who I blame for many of these lukewarm transfers—was another half measure by the Kroenkes.
It just so happens that it happened to work out.
Remember they first tried to replace Wenger with Emery. Another half measure that didn’t work out.
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We’d still only be an injury to Saka/Ode for that side to suffer. I think we need at least 2 if not 3 attacking signings.
Coach overthinks, players over coached, fans overreacted…
They aren’t performing in large part because the system he has in place does not encourage, generate or stimulate creativity on the ground. Quite difficult to win when you’re generating so few big chances.
What is he doing differently to help the players ? What solutions is he coming up with?
Putting aet pieces aside what is the plan apart from pass Saka the ball and for him to dribble past multiple players? Where’s the patterns of play?
Easy to talk about personnel when the coach is bereft of other ways to win and be effective when not using set pieces as a crutch .
If the system was producing all these chances and the football was great and we were not converting or executing then it’d be a simple case of underperformance, however, this is something deeply rooted in the identity that has been forged by Arteta
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Not having that, our system doesnt stop players making runs or taking on opponents in 1 on 1s, and it is not vastly different from the 2nd half of last season where we were scoring goals for fun.
Team is not in form and its not quite clicking at the moment and Arteta is definitely part of that but equally players are not performing to their ability…
Feels like fans are just way too quick to write off and turn against Arteta
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You’re not having it eh?
Outside of set pieces what varied and repeatable patterns of play are you observing from this team?
I genuinely want to know because there is sweet FA that is why we struggle to break those teams down
Yesterday there was a moment Saka had the ball and waited for others to get in position before trying to pass and then it was gone, that is by design
We are far too conservative and lacking in ideas that is from the coach don’t be trying to blame the players for confirming to his crappy non set piece structure
So basically we need peak Messi, Neymar or Suarez to have a functioning fluid attack?
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Youre right, sack Arteta, hes shit and doesnt have a clue
Who’s saying that? Stop being infantile.
Players on the whole not performing to their ability in the narrow space and pigeon hole they’ve been placed in by their coach, away from set pieces he’s shackling them.
He brought on 2 DM’s at 0-0 at home in another must win game in addition to saying he doesn’t want the players playing with high tempo
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Who else did he have to bring on, Sterling? From the little I have seen of him, Kiwior would likely have a bigger impact.
This awful closed system where everyone is boxed in should have beaten City and Liverpool. It also performs against majority of teams that dont simply sit back and wait for a chance to catch us on a counter.
I am not disagreeing that it isnt currently working but I also think Odegaard is not fully fit, nor Rice and if we indeed have players on the cusp of injury high tempo could push players over the edge. We dont know what is going on behind the scenes BUT we have seen Arteta produce a squad and system with attacking flair.
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A top LW is essential but that still leaves Havertz, Jesus or Trossard upfront, who are mid table level.
Selling a couple of them, then getting a proven goal scorer as well must be the priority for Arteta, who needs to stop obsessing over buying any more GK’s or defenders.
Should have perhaps but it didn’t and it’s failing right now in the so called easier games and even more so when set pieces can’t be converted it struggles terribly
We should not be so reliant on set pieces and our, it worked last season to such an extent but now the reliance is worse and coupled with this style and way of approaching games it’s not something that is sustainable to be able to serially challenge IMO
I don’t believe producing such measly open play threat will win the PL
The squad with the requisite attacking flair was more so in 22/23 and we’ve deviated too much from that
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Spot on. Martinelli is a good example of this.
The kid couldn’t even give a 39 year old Ashley Young any trouble. He’s struggling with 1v1, inconsistent final ball and ordinary in the attacking phase
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Criticism of Martinelli is fair but it’s not his fault that an upgrade wasn’t signed and they’re reliying on him to this extent when he should just be a squad player and even then he’s been one of the better finishers
They ran it back with this dude going to get the lions share of minutes.
Martinelli doesn’t explain how poor the team is in terms of creation though that is systemic
If Arteta doesn’t learn this from our bad performances recently, hope he can lean this from our season and be more flexible and adventurous next season.
I still have (high) hope on Arteta but he definitely needs to modify his approach.
Not that we played Stoke or defensive football in every game. In fact, half of our games we started aggressive and in offensive mind.
I don’t remember if we really had any bad game when we started game like that this season.
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