1.) 29 Sep 2020
29 Sep 2020 23:48:32
Pretty brutal on Arteta there ed but I have to agree. The media attention on him is a bit strange but as you mentioned, he played Tierney as left centre back when he has Gabriel there. A player the club wanted badly. Surely you play Tierney wing back. Nonsensical to me. Aubameyang was nowhere to be seen but I wonder if much it was down to the park the bus tactics.
I wonder if Arsenal fans will get fed up of his tinkering?


2.) 30 Sep 2020
30 Sep 2020 07:04:17
Plenty more football to be played 😉.


3.) 30 Sep 2020
30 Sep 2020 07:47:40
Fair assessment Ed, in fact I thought you were being kind at times as the entire left side was useless. Not sure he had too many options other than playing Tierney who has been decent there but I would have gambled on Gabriel.

Liverpool showed how to pressure playing from the back and how to do it themselves. Although we allowed them ample time to play out from the back. There pass from the back allowed the defender to turn quickly and easily then play a quick forward pass to a Pool player. We play a 3 yard ball square on for a defender who has someone on them to do nothing but pass backwards and box ourselves in. Then to play suicide passes around the box. This gave an under performing Pool side on the night confidence that a mistake / goal would come.

Spot on about the midfield. You only have to look at the speed Pool play forward Vs us to see one of the performance gaps. Then there is the difference in quality plus selection screw ups.

He does need to learn - pundits say he’s stubborn and sticking to his principals which is a good thing but does he have the experience to back down and change. Plus wasn’t stubbornness everyone’s issue with Wenger / Jose as they don’t change or evolve.

Still got faith and he’s got a lot to learn. Hopefully he shows he can adapt and shape the team. He doesn’t have the team to play his game (plus selection issues) but continues to try to play his game.

Hopefully the last few days of the window resolves his quality issue but he won’t remove Granit - if the team is only as good as its worst player then Mikel can’t achieve what I expect if he continues with Granit and a weak midfield. He’s backed him 1000% so that’s Mikel’s guy. Elneny and Mikel’s other guy Dani ( your summary was perfect ) just don’t make the situation any better.


4.) 30 Sep 2020
30 Sep 2020 07:58:06
Chill fgs, we were never going to beat them at their place and the last thing we needed was a young centre back being thrown in to a game like that and losing his confidence early on. There are 35 more games to be played.


5.) 30 Sep 2020
30 Sep 2020 09:56:58
I think in all fairness, Arteta fielded a near identical team to the one that started the community shield, and in that game we looked a lot more solid and comfortable on the ball. But yes let us be realistic, we were never going to compete with Liverpool on paper and at Anfield! What is bloody annoying however is that, in my opinion, Mane should've been sent off. I've seen reds (including against arsenal) given for much less. This definitely would've changed the game and I'm sure we could have come away with at least a point.


6.) 30 Sep 2020
30 Sep 2020 11:46:09
Hi Ed001, my perspective is that prior to this game, Arteta successfully identified a tactic to get consistent opportunities to Aubameyang. He utilised this strategy against Chelsea, City, and Liverpool successfully in 3 (almost) subsequent games and Auba was instrumental in all of them. This was by playing AMN as LWB and Tierney at LCB. Ainsley would cut inside to attempt to draw his marker - against Chelsea it was James, against Liverpool it was your young understudy (Williams? ) and make room for Tierney on the overlap. Xhaka would then drop back into Tierney's spot, and all three would seek to play balls into the channel behind the now out of position RB for Auba to run onto and score. He did this regularly in those games with 5 goals in 3 matches. In my opinion, the reason it didn't work against Liverpool this time were a) Liverpool have far better off the ball pressure, even compared to their performance in the Shield, b) Trent is a much better right back than Williams, and c) the Liverpool covering midfield were clearly aware of this tactic as Fabinho martialed the players around him exceptionally well.

It is worth noting that playing out from the back got Arsenal their goal, not just from Robertson's error but also multiple times in those games I've mentioned. It is risky and they did it poorly at Anfield, but in those prior games it was quite well executed. I can see why he picked Elneny after his excellent performance in the CS, but agree that it should have been Ceballos.

I can see that you have a dislike of Guardiola and perhaps Arteta by association, and don't want to get stuck in on that count, but rather than clueless I think it was just a failure to anticipate that Klopp would have already seen this strategy in effect multiple times and come up with a counter. Liverpool are easily the best pressing team on the planet at the moment and there is no shame to losing to them on their patch.

{Ed001's Note - we will have to agree to disagree, you have been repeatedly awful and got away with it. Not my fault Arteta has not noticed how much you have ridden your luck to snatch undeserved victories. Just like Emery. That tactic you referred to has never been responsible for any of that you claim. Not once. Williams wasn't tracking AMN at all, he was just caught out of position, as he is every time he plays. Aubameyang's chances came from playing in the gap behind a full-back, that is nothing to do with where AMN is.}


7.) 30 Sep 2020
30 Sep 2020 14:32:09
Afternoon - just for peace of mind. My attack on Mikel, our midfield, selection and not rating Leno has nothing to do with the Liverpool game. It’s all to do with sorting our club out.

I expected us to lose by 2 and by luck it was only 2.

It’s all about - selection, adaptability, organisation, performance, expectation and having the tools to do the job. Mikel stood by Granit - he’s his player. Mikel wasted PEA on wing. Mikel stood by Luiz (had a decent game) , selling Emi blah blah blah. He’s been here long enough now to be held accountable and the board also.


8.) 30 Sep 2020
30 Sep 2020 15:57:47
Half a season come on mate get real.


9.) 30 Sep 2020
30 Sep 2020 20:42:53
How did Wenger get on in his first season? Or Rodgers or Pep? Jose at Chelsea first time round?

We are talking basics here with Mikel and saying I’m not prepared to wait 3 years. I’ve not asked for his head but simple stuff to resolve in training / C.V. shut down etc should be evident.

Surely you were screaming at the TV - “stop p@ssing” around at the back. “AMN is struggling on the left” “is PEA playing? ” “Is the plan working” - he has the squad and basics need to be addressed. It likes to tinker - well tinker when it’s not working Mikel.

I don’t blame him for Laca miss but I blame him for plenty stuff. I also praise Mikel. We shouldn’t act like we are so lucky to have him. He’s lucky to have such a big break.

Bellerin and Willian were exposed - what did he do

Goal kicks were a joke - what did he do

Midfield over run - what did he do

Entire left side was handicapped - what did he do

Jack💩 that’s what he did. What would happen to any other industry?

His game plan seemed to be don’t concede and counter. But we p@ss around with the ball that Liverpool have 6 behind the ball.

Their defence played cross field balls to the marauding fullback - what do we do?

Elementary pieces of management that he has to show he can adapt rather than rely on preparation alone. Again - we moaned Wenger was stubborn, no plan B etc etc weak midfield blah blah. we’ll take a look at Mikel. Rinse and repeat or demand he learns quick. Wenger can’t man manage - same again.

Yes I’m tough but I credit Mikel loads also but he’s blindsidedness and stubborness needs addressing.

I don’t care about the result or results z- I care about the performance as results will follow. Charity Shiekd - Friendly. Fulham were rubbish but still cut through us while West sham were better than us and Liverpool didn’t even need to get out of a trot to beat us.


10.) 30 Sep 2020
30 Sep 2020 22:52:01
At least wait until the end of the season before you judge the man is all I’m saying.

Klopp wasn’t no miracle worker with Liverpool overnight, neither was pep with city in my opinion, the message came across wrong mate.


11.) 30 Sep 2020
30 Sep 2020 23:07:37
No worries - went on a rant as I’m passionate. I’m sorry 👍.


12.) 30 Sep 2020
30 Sep 2020 23:30:00
the only thing that worries me about mikel is almost absent attacking plan. we can't create chances.