Arteta’s conventional 3-4-3 vs the hybrid 3-4-3 Guardiola, Klopp, Rodgers, Solskjaer, Bielsa and now Tuchel; a list of impressive managers who have come up short against Arteta. Whilst it’s been a horrendous season for the Spaniard, he once again showed his capabilities in setting a team up accordingly to nullify one of the top teams […]
There has been a huge amount of revisionist hindsight amongst the Arsenal fanbase this week after Bukayo Saka’s stunning performance at left back against Newcastle. Suddenly, everybody had always wanted the young England International played there in Kieran Tierney’s injury absence and had Arteta played him there the previous Thursday, Arsenal might still be in […]
It’s fair to say that the 2020-21 season has been one of the worst in Arsenal’s modern history. Not only are the Gunners out of the Europa League, but three of their biggest rivals will line up in European finals at the end of the campaign. Aside from Manchester United, who play Unai Emery’s Villarreal […]
Little Lucky Winks Back POSITIVES, NEEDS AND HOPES Amongst the wash of badness that Arsenal have been this season, Arsenal have also been unlucky. Perhaps all teams are as unlucky as us? I don’t pay close enough attention to all of them to know. I can say however, that I can’t remember a season being […]
Clumsy, at best.When Mikel Arteta faced the press before the Chelsea game, some of his quotes left me appalled: in a very Mourinho-esque way, he did throw some of his players under the bus, questioning their attitude and overall qualities.It doesn’t bode well.It won’t sit well with the players.I never liked managers who publicly blame […]
Undoubtedly, Mikel Arteta has made mistakes this season, but is his most costly not utilising the versatility of Bukayo Saka during Kieran Tierney’s absence? When the Spaniard first arrived at the club, it was a familiar sight seeing Saka maraud up and down the left-hand side of Arsenal’s attack, often overlapping his winger to get […]
The saying goes, “It may get worse before it gets better, but it will get better.” Towards the end of Wenger’s reign, the majority of Arsenal fans weren’t naïve to the fact that things may have to ‘get worse’ before the glory days returned, but there was a general belief that they would return […]
A little glimpse, but not enough POSITIVES,NEEDS and HOPES There was so much about yesterday that could’ve been better. Happier. Perhaps, hopeful. I was trying to feel more excited but couldn’t fake it. All 3 goals were ordinarily seat jumpers but my son and I only managed a token fist pump. Perhaps like you, I […]
This was my column for Sun Football yesterday. The Morning after the woeful night before I knew I would be asked to articulate my views on Arsenal’s situation and that of the manager after last night’s limp exit from Europe’s secondary competition. Not a task to relish. Having already selected a weakened team in defence […]
The Controller and his joystick POSITIVES, NEEDS and HOPES It was the 70th minute yesterday. For the first time this season, I’d lost hope. Actually, that’s not true. There have been others. I felt without hope because I knew everything that Arsenal were going to do next. Nothing came as a surprise. More importantly, Unai […]
