Arsenal don’t but Arteta does POSITIVES, NEEDS and HOPES Mikel Arteta won’t feel like he walked away with a win yesterday. He didn’t. Yet, did he personally get a win? As the coach of the team he may never know or feel this personal victory but I’d imagine when he pauses he will realize, if […]
The Either/Or Conundrum Mistakes happen everywhere and football is no exception. No big drama, we chin up and move on. What makes it particularly difficult to process is its repetition, over time, as the concept of learning through experience doesn’t apply. We can accept the odd mistake, the brain fart that bears unpleasant consequences but […]
A coaches coach POSITIVES, NEEDS and HOPES I wasn’t really ‘Wenger Out.’ I wasn’t ‘Wenger In’, either. I was more ‘Wenger frustrated.’ I spent the post 2010 period largely frustrated. Whether it was the fact that we always seemed 2-3 players short of competing or the more pertinent point, that it became clear that he […]
There are two statements that appeared on my feed recently that sum up a depressingly, growing number of our fan base at the moment. Anonymous (supposed Arsenal fan) on Twitter: ‘When you play well you get zero abuse. They deserve everything they get and more” Granit Xhaka: “I’m the guy on the pitch, not my […]
A line-breaking pass from deep, positional rotations and a smart finish; elements that were on display in Arsenal’s first goal against Leeds (described below). In this piece, I provide a review of the game. Formations in and out of possession Arsenal continued to persist with the 4-2-3-1 that has brought greater levels of consistency in […]
It’s been a catastrophic season so far. But perhaps yesterdays performance may just be a catalyst for change. In this piece, I provide an in-depth match review, discussing the formations/tactics deployed by Mikel Arteta, a general review of the game followed by highlighting individual performances. Initially, it seemed that the hybrid 3-4-3 would be retained […]
Running Scared (and I am Beginning to think we might struggle to make top 4) So, the polarisation of Gooners has begun again. You are either ‘Arteta Out’ or ‘Blind Arsenal Faith’. There is no middle way. Gone are the days of reasoned debates and subjective thought process. These have been replaced by […]
Southampton awaits tonight and the pressure against Mikel Arteta has never been greater in his short stint into football management. Now I know the instant reaction to a defeat results in micro analysing every detail and often an anger fuelled decision in that moment that everyone needs to be sacked. I often like to play […]
As soon as I saw the team selection for our game against Burnley, I felt deflated before a ball had even been kicked. Judging from the lack of noise from our supporters inside the stadium, I wasn’t the only one. Our starting lineups are as predictable and unimaginative as the majority of our league performances […]
The HUGE small detail Houssem Aouar may never sign for Arsenal. If he doesn’t don’t chuck this post in the bin because there’ll be another that this speaks to. When signing a player the very first step is identifying the needs of the team. If I had that job this would be my list […]
