Now, I suppose that I have been (since the City debacle, it's more like 'I had been') something of an apologist for Mikel Arteta for a while now. His newly-inherited team beat Liverpool, Manchester City in the space of weeks early in his time in charge, and won the FA Cup in the process.
So I gave him the benefit of the doubt last November/December (coming up to Christmas I was wavering), when results were terrible and were only turned around when circumstances forced him into drafting Emile Smith Rowe into the team against Chelsea at Christmas - a real 'sliding doors' moment for both clubs, as that was the beginning of the end for Fat Frank as Tuchel turned their season around completely.
Despite the improvement in the second half of last season, the major disappointment in that time was the horrendous Europa League defeat to Unai Emery's Villareal - brought about as much by Artet'a decision to continue to play Xhaka at left back in the continued absence of Tierney, and a half-fit Thomas Partey as the sole central midfielder. Over the two legs, Arsenal were dreadful. But I continued to support him, because I was invested in him - I really wanted it to work!
This season, I've been unimpressed with everything that Arteta has tried to do. Against Brentford, the team looked half-cocked and unprepared for the opposition. Against Chelsea, the failure to mirror their formation, consequently giving Reece James the freedom of The Emirates, led directly to both goals conceded. And against Manchester City... well, everything was wrong: the personnel choices at centre-half, choosing to drop Mari and Lokonga from the XI, playing a single central midfielder against the biggest possession side in the country - and then playing for ten full minutes with no central midfielder whatsoever following Xhaka's abrupt departure... and I could go on.
I have literally no idea what he was thinking! Apart from maybe: 'I know - I'll pick Kolasinac - Pep would never expect me to do that!' Or 'We don't need any defensive midfielders against that lot!' Let's face it; we all thought that Arsenal would lose the game, but the team selection guaranteed it before the match even kicked off! And as for the manner of the defeat... meek and pathetic surrender!
Of course, there were illnesses and injuries. But they were no excuse for selecting Kolasinac - and certainly not at centre half! For all that Lukaku had taken Mari to pieces the previous week, he's still comfortably a better alternative to the lumbering Serb. And to compound that, Arteta selected him alongside Chambers and Holding - three centre backs, but not a leader amongst them, and no consideration fot the job Tierney had done there last season! Plus the lightweight Cedric at right back?
For me, instead of a 5 of Cedric, Chambers, Holding, Kolasinac, Tierney, I'd have gone AMN (after his heroics during that FA Cup run, what the hell has happened with him?), Holding, Mari, Tierney, Tavares. And Lokonga alongside Xhaka. I cannot work out what Arteta was thinking, so for him to say afterwards 'We were in control of the game' was utterly ludicrous - City took the measure of Arsenal in no time, scored with their first attack after 7 minutes, and were two up after 12!
Yes, Arteta has been unfortunate so far this season, with injuries or illness meaning the loss of White, Gabriel, Partey, Aubameyang and Lacazette at various or all stages. But we can surely all agree that he's simply not made the best of the resources left available to him.
And yes, he was unfortunate during the course of the match too. There was the clear foul (a punch, it looked like to me) on Chambers prior to the second goal...
and the inexcusable 'tackle' by Xhaka that led to his sending off...
but there can be no accounting for the slight figure of Gundogan having a free header six yards out for the first goal...
nor the total capitulation in the second half, as Arsenal went down without a whimper, let alone a fight, and City kindly 'declared' at 5.
There have been times over the past few years when I have been sorely tempted to switch the television off rather than watch; 6-1 and 8-2 at OT, 5-1 at Anfield, 6-0 to Mourinho's Chelsea in Wenger's 1000th game to name but four. But that was as bad as any of the above, and I stayed in my seat purely out of a sense of duty. My over-riding emotion was that of anger!
All of which left Arsenal rooted to the bottom of the table, with no points and not even a goal; a laughing stock, in fact. And this is compounded by the fact that Tottenham have 9 points out of 9, with not a single goal conceded - as some of the more annoying Spuds of my acquaintance continue to remind me. Of course, that won't continue, and they'll be laughing on the other side of their faces quite soon - after all, they're Tottenham... - but it's not pleasant, is it?
And with the return of some of the missing faces, and a slightly easier fixture list, things will obviously pick up for Arsenal. I expect them to start to climb the table reasonably rapidly - starting against Norwich, who I am 100% certain will be despatched comfortably - but it's been a difficult two weeks. Surely a minimum of 7 points should be the requirement from the next three games; but the key must be an improvement in the way the team plays and conducts itself as much as the results themselves. Otherwise, for me, Arteta is now in the 'last chance saloon'.
And so to the transfer window, late on on the final night in which I tweeted:
Yet he, Cedric, Chambers, Elneny and Nketiah are still at the club (no takers, eh?) - plus how Arteta has persuaded AMN to stay I do not know! But we're at least shot of Willian now.
But as far as purchases are concerned, I'm quite content with what's been done. Now we must wait to see how Arteta's best XI shapes up, and whether he can organise and motivate them properly. And that's something about which, regrettably, I now have serious doubts!
People are picking their Best XI from the current group, and this is mine:
Ramsdale
Tomiyasu-White-Gabriel-Tierney
Partey-Lokonga
Saka-Odegaard-Smith Rowe
Aubameyang
And there's plenty on the bench too, especially going forward. So there is plenty of scope for improvement, and I still see Arsenal ending up in the higher reaches of the table; Top 4 is surely out of reach, but 5th certainly should not be!
And so quickly to Norwich. And I believe it can be summed up by saying that they're not very good; but whilst Arsenal are also not very good at the moment their ceiling is considerably higher than Norwich's. And, as I say, I am expecting a comfortable victory.
Back on Monday, when I hope that we'll all be a little more upbeat. The season starts now! COYG
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