Arsenal fans are fuming and nobody is entertained by what could be the worst Premier League champions ever.
We also have thoughts on Man Utd and West Ham, but mostly Arsenal. Send your views to theeditor@football365.com
Does Mikel Arteta know how to coach attacking football?
Not a revolutionary take here, but Arteta seems to have prioritised control over a game over all facets. The concept of ball possession as a means of control isn’t new – especially seeing as Guardiola pioneered and then arguably perfected it – but I would argue that Arteta has pushed it farther than ever this season.
We’re all familiar with ‘haram ball’, which refers to Arsenal’s stodgy and incredibly practical (and effective) approach to football – playing for corners and set pieces, prioritizing ball circulation, and restricting the opponent’s ability to create chances above all else.
Even as an Arsenal supporter, it’s been hard to watch. The biggest effect this has on players is that it rewards passive and sterile play over risk-taking actions, like letting fly from outside the box or going long. You can also see this from the lack of creative spark and output that previously effective players like Saka, Odegaard, Eze or Martinelli have displayed (at least in the Prem).
I won’t argue that many teams set up to play into this almost half-court set from kickoff, especially at the Emirates. But United were different. You could argue that there was an element of luck to their goals (two great shots from outside the box and a giveaway), but it’s the aggression and desire to play forward that impressed me. If Zubimendi wasn’t trying to keep the ball at all costs, would he have tried an ill advised backwards pass when he could’ve tried open up his body and hit a forward in behind?
Arteta has somehow ingrained in this team that losing the ball is always a bad thing, even if you’re trying to be creative and attacking. The entire offense at this point consists if feeding it to a wide player, who then vaguely tries to get to the byline and win a corner, or more often cut back and circle again.
It’s hard to be happy with this sort of play, even if the results have been largely positive. At this point, it makes me question whether Arteta teaches any sort of attacking philosophy, interchange, or pattern, which is a real disappointment given how exciting the 22/23 team was. Arteta has managed to mold this team to be exactly what he wants, good or bad, and while I don’t think he needs to win the Prem to keep his job, his shortcomings are becoming clearer and clearer.
Kenny
…It’s clear now that Arteta’s emphasis on controlling games may have blunted our attack. Our central players (Ødegaard, Rice and Eze) aren’t making enough runs into the box. I want to see them driving into the box for square balls and one-twos, it’d be interesting to see how we’d play with Eze and Ødegaard on at the same time with Rice backing them up. Otherwise far too much reliance on wingplay, link-ups with fullbacks and crosses has made us quite predictable in open play.
The trouble is the risk from counter-attacks when our central players advance into the box. Can Rice cover this risk along with the back line? This is the trade-off that we have to consider but with the quality of Rice, Saliba and Gabriel with the added depth in the squad we could withstand this issue.
Also hindsight is 20/20 but imagine if we’d signed Mbeumo or Cunha instead…
Vish (AFC), Melbourne
…We’re 23 games into the season, Arsenal are still top of the table, and yet I’m struggling to remember a single attacking move or goal that genuinely excited me.
That probably sounds ungrateful given the league position, but watching us week after week, I don’t see how this attacking setup wins a title. Most of our goals come from corners, second balls, or scrappy finishes off wide crosses. There’s almost no creativity through the middle, no willingness to shoot from distance, no moments where you feel a defence is about to be unlocked by something clever or unexpected.
What’s worrying is that I’ve felt more entertained – and more hopeful – watching Wenger-era Arsenal sides that finished fourth than I do watching this team supposedly challenging for the title. Back then, even when we fell short, there was identity, invention, and a sense that something special might happen at any moment.
This version of Arsenal feels efficient, controlled and sterile. That might be enough to stay near the top, but unless something changes creatively, I can’t see it being enough to go all the way.
Mubashir Iqbal, Gooner from Pakistan
…So much wrong for Arsenal against United but to anyone that watches us weekly knew a result like that was coming.
Liverpool would have beaten us, if they just tried a little harder. We’ve been playing this atrocious brand of football most of the season and especially since the Spurs game. No creativity, no spark, players coached to within an inch of their lives as the manager is so afraid of losing, he’s created a monster that is reliant upon results and he’s had them, quite a few to be fair but nothing that really states, we are going to be champions.
So when a defeat comes, it’s going to look pretty ropey as the attention falls on the tactics. And they are not even what George Graham instilled in the club, at least they had an aura whilst playing hoofball.
Time and again chances have presented themselves to show that we have character and the mettle. We’ve failed every single one. And a fourth year of it should absolutely spell the end of it if it happens again, barring a miraculous Champions League trophy.
We are still 4 points clear. We should absolutely change the approach to football, playing with pace, intent and actually utilise the players we have properly. Odegaard, Saka, Martinelli have regressed and that’s down to their roles being very flat and one dimensional. Play them in the way we know they can win you matches. It’s not like our defence is that great either right now, so you need to play and not suddenly let Saliba be the creative force. Let the forwards be creative and take some risks.
Thing is you know, I know, the Emirates knows, everyone everywhere knows, he’ll look to protect that 4 point lead rather than stretch it. And that will be the downfall. A trophyless season, and even the most ardent of Arteta fans will fall and there is no coming back from that.
Sink or swim, Mr Arteta. Stop being scared.
Ali, Ealing
Shots for everyone!
Tickner mentioned in 16 Conclusions that United relied on two wonderstrikes to win, something he noted was “not a particularly repeatable tactic”. Later though, he described Cunha’s goal as “calmly curled in from 25 yards like it was a tap in”. Should we give more credit to strikes from distance as a repetitively effective tool to win football matches?
First, save me the boring bollocks statisticians who will point to xG and all that nonsense. Maybe it’s nostalgia talking, but I hate feeling like the shot from distance is dying in favor of the Pep inspired robo-goal (slide it down the inside channel for a cut back and tap in from 7 yards) or the corners bundled over the line looking like playground scuffles.
As a fan, when I think of memorable premier league goals, Gabriel scoring a header from a Declan Rice corner isn’t up there. It’s Morten Gamst Pedersen. It’s Erik Edman. It’s that one MOTD goal of the month selection in Dec 2006 that was worldie after worldie (think Scholes volley vs Villa won it but any of them would win goal of the season in more recent years) Even as an Arsenal fan I think of Henry vs Utd, or Bergkamp curling one in the top corner from 25 yards out.
I smiled when Dorgu had a pop yesterday. Fair play. Also, might be worth continuing. For instance, United have scored 9 of their 41 PL goals from outside the box this year. Arsenal have scored 6 from their 42. United have significantly fewer touches in the opposition box than Arsenal manage, but yet shoot more in general (258 to 226), and hit the target more frequently from distance than Arsenal in the PL this season (70 to 48). In fact, of the 70-odd goals Arsenal have scored in all comps this season, 10 have come from outside the area and that’s including Martinelli’s actual tap-in after rounding Neuer at the half way line in the Champions League.
United can score from a variety of different areas, and don’t shy away from an effort from distance. Maybe Arsenal need to take some stock in that tactic. To think the two of them have scored an almost identical amount of PL goals despite having such drastically different seasons so far is madness.
Anyway, this is all just a roundabout way of supporting shots from outside the box!
Rocastle7 (and what about chips?! Why is nobody dinking keepers no more…?)
Will Arsenal be worst ever champions?
An own goal, a scrambled in corner with 9 players crowding and elbowing the keeper, and they still cannot win a game. This Arteta side has to be the worst team to ever be at the summit of the league, and if they go on to win, the worst champions I’ve seen in my 33 years of life.
It’s a cruel, morbid and ugly level of football where neither the defense is exciting, nor the attack. It’s purely set pieces and pray. Read somewhere they rank 17th in chances created from open play. That is just abysmal. There are no tactics, no plan of attack, no class.
Please Emery & Villa, win the league! I am sure all 19 league clubs including City will be open to loaning you some top players for the season if you can stop this nonsense team from winning the league this year. Please do it for football’s sake. This is like if Hitler won the World War or Voldemort beat Harry Potter. Just bleak and grey.
PS: I told y’all in my earlier mails Amorim was pure trash, not even close to a real coach. And happy to be redeemed. Rubbish rubbish waste of time and resources. Carrick doing the bare basics right has got the team functioning like an actual team again & not a reflection of an egotistical scam artist.
Aman (Ballon D’orgu time)
…The thing about Arsenal is they always try to walk it in The thing about Arsenal is they always play for corners and just pack the 6 yard box with players so the keeper can’t come out to claim the ball. That’s why a lot of people don’t like this iteration of Arsenal.
They’ve spent close to a billion pounds on players just to pack the 6 yard box with 6 foot + monsters and try to glitch their way to a league title. Like that one fella who found a character in Street Fighter, with a move that can’t be stopped, and spams the same thing over and over. Sure he might have won but no one particularly liked them.
We saw a prime example of it at the weekend with the Merino goal. Arsenal fans will grasp at straws and say the deliveries are excellent from Rice and Saka. No they’re not. Any professional footballer should be able to cross a ball like that when they know the keeper is essentially pinned to his line. It’s a legit tactic, and Arsenal may very well spam enough corners before the end of the season to get them over the line, but don’t be surprised when even Liverpool fans are cheering on Man Utd against you. We’ll all be there if it goes wrong.
Wenger’s words at the weekend said it all. Even he’s not enjoying watching it.
David, Ireland
Man Utd revival not about DNA
United have had two brilliant results since Carrick was installed as interim coach. However if i hear another ex United player talk about DNA or he knows the club I’ll scream.
There are a few simple reasons which have contributed to United looking like an actual good side. Most are just things which Amorim was just too stubborn to change.
1. Formation to 4-2-3-1.
2. Fernandes playing as a No. 10
3. Midfield looking better defensively.
4. Two experienced centre-backs
5. More effort and more running.
There are obviously some tactical tweaks Carrick has made as well but please stop the DNA BS.
Ken, Cork, Ireland
READ: Man Utd and Carrick show succeeding Amorim to be simplest job in football
Even when West Ham win, let’s talk Spurs…
Very mixed feelings this weekend. Great performance and result against a poor Sunderland. Fernandes is now arguably our most important player (Jared must be relieved to have someone even close to how brilliant he has been for so long), and at 21 is bound to be a massive star sooner rather than later.
Gut wrenching to read your (correct) article about the vultures already circling. The Paqueta situation is confusing and depressing. Though, for what it’s worth, it’s 3 wins out of 3 without him. Brentford not showing up at all against Forest today was excruciatingly infuriating.
However, I’d rather we were where we are now, on a good run of form, with a couple of new players providing competition for places, than wondering where the next win is coming from (cough, Palace, cough). As grim as the table looks, this feels a bit like the 2003 season when 18th place went down with 42 points (yes, us, with Joey Cole, Carrick, Kanoute, Sinclair, Defoe and Di Canio. Sorry, just throwing up again for the thousandth time). I feel like there will be a team or two that unexpectedly get dragged into a relegation battle. Maybe that’s just wishful thinking, but you have to have hope eh…
On that note, I’ve just looked at Spud’s February fixtures. Hmm…. And with that in mind, I was amused by Mr Tickner’s emotional defense of his Spud’s “Big Six” position in that made up group. Perhaps he doth protest too much??
Wasn’t sure whether he was saying that the Deloitte money table proves that Spurs are massive (the fact that we are in the top 20 globally surely makes that a farcical irrelevance), or whether the fact that they are playing in an, admittedly, hugely watered down CL system, is some kind of evidence.
I’m glad that Spuds fans are so comfortable with their 17th place last year and 15th place right now, and can look to their “Big Six” status to gain such confidence and comfort. Whilst still unlikely that they will actually go down of course, I’d love to read Dave’s article next season explaining at his usual massive length how huge and important his team is, whilst in the Champo. We live in hope eh!
Mike, COYI
