Writing for this blog, since we formed it in January 2020, has largely been a joy and a privilege as we attempt to follow the principles and good sense of the late, great Dave Faber in writing honestly and proudly about our great club.
Today that task feels very tough after a quite dispiriting 2-1 defeat by Bournemouth. I will follow the usual approach after a bad defeat by not regurgitating all the details of a depressing match but rather, will try to find some sense and reason in what was, in all honesty, a truly shocking display.
The match details were as follows: we started with White and MLS at fullback, Havertz playing in the hole behind Gyökeres and had Madueke and Martinelli out wide.
Bournemouth took the lead, quite deservedly, in the 17th minute through Kroupi after Truffert had broken onto a pass through a square defence and his cross was deflected to Kroupi at the far post. We equalised in the 37th minute from the penalty spot through Gyökeres following a clear handball by Christie and went in level at the break.
Most of those around me were concerned about the leniency and inconsistency of Michael Oliver’s refereeing especially in ignoring the rough treatment of Madueke by Truffert, the Bournemouth left back. Many Arsenal players were having a shocker with Havertz probably the worst performer but several players tried to rival him in acquiring that accolade.
Bournemouth started the second half much the better team as Arsenal could not impose themselves on the game at all. About fifteen minutes in, Arteta made a triple substitution, bringing on Eze, Trossard and Dowman for Havertz, Martinelli and Madueke but signally failed to get the ball forward, often putting Raya under pressure, with back passes, which he dealt with, sometimes in extraordinary fashion, almost committing horrendous faux pas on several occasions. Alex Scott won the game for Bournemouth in the 75th minute pouncing on an Evanilson flick and steering the ball into the left-hand corner.
Cue a whole load of anti-Arteta feeling including an idiot behind me who wanted him fired on the spot. Arsenal huffed and puffed, forcing a few late corners, but their attacking performance wasn’t incisive enough to trouble a well- organised, if cynical, Bournemouth side. We might well look at their right back Jimenez for next season as he was particularly impressive. The game ended in funereal silence as Arsenal supporters endured another Groundhog Day experience.
So a few questions remain:
Firstly, why were we so bad? Arsenal looked both gassed and bereft of confidence. Iraiola produced a very well-organised press from a team who have played around fifteen games less than us this season and who were not involved in a draining Champions League tie in midweek.
Some Arsenal players had shocking games. Havertz was awful, Zubimendi looks worn out and his usually excellent distribution was poor. Ben White looks a shadow of his former self and MLS has understandably lost confidence through having played so little. Even Raya did some extraordinary things (and not in a good way), several times almost gifting possession to Bournemouth.
Some of our very best players and the most reliable – Timber, Hincapié, Calafiori, Saka and Ødegaard were missing and Bournemouth are a very decent side with a great eye for an emerging player .
I think there are two central reasons other than the pressure of a title race which explain our decline. Our high intensity football is very tiring and progressively causes wear and tear injuries. The recent preponderance of Arsenal players withdrawing from the interlull matches was not a crafty ploy to rest tired Gooner legs but an admissionthat we are running on a mixture of fumes and injured limbs.
Secondly, we did not construct quite as good a squad as we hoped in the summer – Kepa and Nørgaard are not of the requisite quality (although, second keeper is a hard position to fill), White appears to be on a steep decline, MLS is struggling and all three of Martinelli, Jesús and Trossard might be upgraded while Havertz has suffered a year of serious injuries and is much less influential than he was, notwithstanding Tuesday. In retrospect, we might have done well to retain Nwaneri who would have had plenty of football since Christmas.
The Premier League is an ultra-marathon as we are finding to our cost. I still believe firmly in Arteta but failure this season will hurt us all enormously. Dare we hope that there are still positive twists in the story, this season, to lift our hearts? At this stage, I’m struggling to see them!
A well considered report on a very disappointing and depressing performance (which I didn’t see, so I’m grateful for your prompt description, TTG).
The key phrase for me relates to the absence of Timber, Hincapié, Calafiori, Saka and Ødegaard from the team. At their best (and we haven’t seen the best of Martin and Bukayo at any stage this season) these five would start for most teams in the League and improve their performance. We struggle without them.
To win the League and Old big Ears we need our best players on the field performing at their highest level.
Invoking the spirit of the Guv’nor is the right response to a hugely disappointing result (and a third disappointment in four games). He would not have sugarcoated the performance (which I did not see, but, from all reports, was dire). Equally, he would not have abandoned hope that our dreams for the season are irrevocably shattered, and he would have called for all true Gooners to get behind the club, manager and team now more than ever.
Thanks TTG for a down to earth report. The team seems totally shot at the moment and Bournemouth were good enough and rested enough to take advantage. It’s still in our own hands so full support to team and hope returning players will bring the right momentum to get us back on track.
Thanks TTG, a short straw.
Today, I am off to a wine tasting event.
3 hours and more than a 130 wines to
taste outdoors amongst the cherry
blossoms in Kyoto. I will endeavour to
give no thought to football at all.
Pity it’s so far or I’d recommend Mikel
to send the team to join me
Cheers TTG. Well done. That’s a fine piece.
I thought on the day that MLS was fine. Especially given his lack of rhythm. Apart from that small point I agree very much with your assessment.
The Madueke, Martinelli, Gyokeres front three has never worked. Havertz as one of the midfielders really does not help the ball stick. So, the line-up looked wrong. But given that Trossard, Eze and Dowman didn’t look like they could play 90 minutes, maybe Arteta’s hand was forced?
I really disliked the triple substitution. It was too much change and we could not get any cohesion. It also meant his only option for a further change was to bring on Jesus (which is fine as a Hail Mary but not something you’d have strong faith in paying off). I’d have kept Dowman back for a while longer so his impact was not diluted.
Arteta is clearly one of the best coaches in the world. Anyone who wants rid of him is pretty much saying they want to win multiple trophies every year and are happy to be in a cycle of constantly calling for the head of any manager who does not achieve it. But Arteta is not perfect and he got a lot wrong yesterday. And the players were woeful too.
We badly need our injured players back. I’m still optimistic, and we are still in a great position. But yesterday was an awful performance (definitely one for the naysayers) and we need to get a good result on Wednesday and then turn up against City next week. Crunch time.
UTA!
Didn’t see it. On the basis of comments I’ve read, I don’t want to see it. Thanks for taking the hit, TTG. I expect that your analysis is accurate.
Typically considered, balanced report, TTG, of a game which, like many this season, was a tough watch. I think you nailed most of the points. One thing on which I will have to disagree with you, though, is Nwaneri. He has started 3 league games for Marseille, and played 57, 66 and 45 minutes respectively in those. He has not started since February 8th. After which point he has played 20, 28, 45, 1, 57 and 18 minutes respectively. This is in a considerably weaker league than the Premiership. His does not strike me as the profile of a player who would be getting more minutes at Arsenal, regardless of who the manager is. I most definitely don’t know what the answer is, but for me it isn’t Nwaneri.
Dino@5- good point re the Arteta out brigade. I generally find that these people tend to have no more insight than me when I ask “ Okay. You’ve sacked Arteta. Who would be better?”. I’m not a proponent of inaction. But very often it is better than action taken without consideration.
Thanks TTG
As noted, a tough one to dissemble.
We were second best all over the park. Let’s hope we are not second best where it really counts later. The task has become harder but still in our hands. Next weekend looms as critical.
Keep the faith. UTA.
So what do I feel this post breakfast Sunday morning after attending that shit show? Whenever Arsenal lose, and especially after a performance like that I find myself questioning my priorities. I am 69 years old next month. I have been happily married to a wonderful woman for 38 years and we have two grown children in their 20s. In retirement I have a comfortable pension. I have two university degrees, which helped me to build a career which achieved a modicum of success.
And yet I spend thousands of pounds and travel thousands of miles each season to follow The Arsenal. I plan our holidays around the football season. I do other things but football generally comes first. We love the theatre and especially the Arts Theatre Cambridge but always book for a Thursday night because there is very little chance of it clashing with an Arsenal game. I love Test cricket and Lords in particular but always have to be careful booking tickets in August because … well you get the drift.
So when a game like yesterday comes I question my priorities. I go into a protective crouch and avoid the internet. I delete all the recordings of the game I had made. But it’s an addiction, an affliction, an illness. What were the last words spoken to my neighbours on the North Bank as we glumly left the stadium? “See you Wednesday. And then see you at City next Sunday”.
COYG
I think that Nørgaard and MLS underline the need for any player to be playing regularly to maintain any kind of form and also to be able to slot into the side when needed without it being disruptive to team cohesion. It doesn’t necessarily mean starts, but it does mean frequent 20-30 min appearances. For all the time the squad spends training together, there ia no substitute for the experience of game-time. I think Pep has proved adept at in-game rotation but it is something of which Arteta has yet to master the finer points. I don’t pretend it is easy as a manager has to juggle the immedate needs of the game with those of the season overall.
C100@10: It’s what makes you a fan, not a customer.
@11 Ned, I think Guardiola has better squad depth than Mikel. 115 reasons for that.
@10 C100, Greetings from the beach. When I retired I devoted one day per week fully to Arsenal and aimed at attending every game home and away. Living my life around our team’s playing schedule was too limiting for me. I greatly admire your (family) dedication to the cause.
I was up and about at 2am yesterday and, as is my habit, flicked on the TV aiming to move quickly to our incomparable Radio 4. However, this game popped up (SKY yesteryears) and at the time Arsenal were trailing Leicester 2-3 at home. Our quality of play to a winning finish was absolutely superb inspired by Ozil, Ramsey, Giroud and, most surprisingly, Kolasinac. Most entertaining bit of Arsenal football I’ve seen this year. But here’s the kicker, Arsenal finished sixth in the League, the Naysayers were in full flow, “Arsene Out!” they cried and flew aeroplanes bearing banners to support their cause. Funny old game. Entertainment and winning don’t always walk along a common pathway.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40822513
C100@10
Yesterday as the Bournemouth winner hit the back of the net , the bloke in front of me got up and walked straight out. Several seasons ago I got two tickets for my PA and her brother to the NLD . When we went 2-0 down the two blokes next to her walked out. It was before the half hour- we went on to win 5-2 !
We are seeing a breed of football fan emerge moulded by the tabloid media and particularly TalkShite and Sky ( Sky cameramen frantically search for early leavers to decorate their narrative ) who would laugh incomprehensibly at someone like Dave Faber or my Dad . Arsenal isn’t tattooed on their heart like it is yours – they wear a transfer that fades within the week
Nicely put, TTG@14.
BtM@13: I’m not sure he has anymore, although there are indeed 115 reasons why he did have it for so long, but I think he has kept more of it fitter for longer.
TTG@14: Your view of the modern fan is well-founded, sadly. The bizarre thing is that, given the cost of tickets these days, you’d think spectators would want to get every minute’s worth for their money.
It’s shit or get off the pot time. Next week is make or break. Players need to turn up. Every single one of them and Arteta needs to have a plan of attack. Looking forward to it.
Thanks, TTG – a tough gig to write that up.
This is the first time I have looked at anything to do with Arsenal or football in general since yesterday’s final whistle. Days like yesterday invoke a kind of helpless pain which you have absolutely no means to do anything about. We may or may not win anything this season. If the latter turns out to be the case, would it be a wise move to change the manager ? A definite “ no” from me. As CER says, you first have to decide who would be a better bet. Arteta is not perfect but look where we are now compared to when he took over. In Arsene Wenger we were lucky to have a tremendous coach who grew to love the club like a fan. In Arteta I believe we have found another one. He couldn’t put any more of himself into the club. His best efforts this season have been blighted by a horrendous sequence of injuries that have ultimately left our midfield exhausted. We all believe he should have rotated that department more but he must have his reasons for not doing so. He sees the whole squad in training every day and has knowledge we don’t. I just hope for his, the team’s and our sakes he can get another ten games out of them which could yet see us win the two biggest trophies in club football.
Time to be positive . C130y have yet to play Bournemouth and Everton away and Brentford st home as well as us . Their last game is away to Villa . All of those games are very tough and games in which you can easily drop points . It is far from a shoo in for the Mancs. As Trev says we must hope Arteta can get these lads to excel over the next six weeks or so . It’s not all over but it’s going to be much tighter than we hoped a few weeks ago
CER’s reposte — if not Arteta, then who? — is, rightly, a testing one. Luis Enrique, Hansi Flick or Pep Guardiola are the only feasible candidates, to my mind. None of them is available, and, if they were, I’m not sure any of them would be an incontrovertible upgrade. Plus, only Pep has PL experience. Diego Simeone and Simone Inzaghi are probably peers, as are some of the international team managers who may be available post-World Cup: Carlos Ancelotti, Thomas Tuchel, Julian Nagelsmann and possibly Poch. Xabi Alonso may join their ranks, but not yet. Arteta is in pretty elite company.
Lots of good posts to catch up on
I’d agree with GSD @5 that MLS did ok really,
CER @7 about Ethan, and several people that
firing MA is not some magic bullet.
I thought to be honest that the problem was more
through the spine of the team – Raya, Gabi, Zubi,
Kai all looked to be out of sorts, VG did score his penalty
well but other than that his radar was off.
Anyway, on we go as there’s still all to play for in CL and PL
Thoughtfully written, well-balanced! Thank you
The way I see it — after this weekend — there is indeed a very clear way to ensure we win our first league title in 22 years: next weekend just win away at our only opponent for the title. Any other result doesn’t mean that the league would be necessarily decided against us, but a win would put us in a very strong position which the team can then fight hard to hold onto.
The coaching team and the squad shouldn’t overthink next weekend in terms of tactics. Keep it simple, play to your strengths but also play with courage and confidence (and not with fear and tentativeness), focus on winning every duel and every inch of possession, make forward passes, and focus on scoring goals. Then whatever happens, happens. There’s no telling what the next season would bring. The time is now. And in moments like this over cautiousness and timidity aren’t the approach that would see us through.
Let’s put aside all the talks, narratives, analysis, corruption (which will remain unaddressed, if history is any indication), injuries, squad depth etc. It’s a golden opportunity, and the goal is entirely achievable irrespective of all of that. Hope the clarity of the ask will help.
Win on Wednesday — playing positive football and not by looking to see out the game — and then head north in the weekend with confidence in our ability to win football matches, against all oppositions in any condition.
What Dr F says @22! Fortune favours the brave. Win it for natural justice, as well as everything else. Arsenal expects every Gunner to do his duty.
DrF@22
Excellent drink . As our recent series on title wins showed it’s always darkest before the dawn
Something very strange happened today. I found myself agreeing with eminent good sense by Tony Cascarino in the Times ! Or rather he repeated what I’ve said several times this season.
We take enormous risk in our own area and give many chances away and no one is exempt but when we get into the final third we take no risk at all and pass sideways and backwards . That is the wrong way round
Trev @18 and the Doc @22, both excellent.
Six years ago we were so far behind Liverpool and City I could not see how we would bridge the gap. I thought it might be a generation before we could challenge at the top again, if not longer. Now we are so good that people want to fire our manager if we don’t win. They seem to have forgotten that he is the major reason we are so good. If we get rid of him we will get worse, not better. It really is as simple as that. Let us hope we win at least one of the big ones this year so this nonsense is cut off at the legs.
Making that happen is gonna be hard but not complicated. We just gotta dust ourselves off and go again.
COYG
Spot on GSD @26 and TTG @25.
The long Predictalull is over, and there is a new leaderboard and five-week form guide to feast upon. You know where to find it…
This morning in his piece, Blogs wrote this “I realise that anything that isn’t sharp criticism at this moment in time might not resonate with people…”
I go the other way. Sharp criticism does not resonate at all with me right now. I want us to win the league and, ideally, the CL too. This is a time that we all need to stick together and fight. Squabbling between ourselves and turning on the players doesn’t help. If loads of our fans decide we’ve blown the league and choose to stick the boot in at the end of May then I won’t join in but I’ll understand it. But how on earth does it help to do it now where there is so much to play for?
TTG reminded us of Dave in his match report. Right now he’d be telling us to point the cannons out. We really need to stick together.
All season everyone has been against us whilst we’ve been doing well. Now things are tough, they are still all against us. Nothing has changed. Except we have been knocked by a crap result and performance and had a couple of days of despair/anger/whatever else. Fine. It happens. But we really have to get ourselves together and come back strong for 7 more weeks. That’s true of the players and of us as fans.
We need a result, and preferably a performance too, against Sporting, so we can go into a huge game next weekend ready to do the business. If we win our next two, the mood will change again pretty fast. Make it happen!
Well said, GSD.
Yep, well said, GSD.
I like what you say GSD, both @26 and 29. Point the cannons outwa ds and fire at will. 😀
We have a crucial week in front of us.
However, I understand that there is a lot of angst out there in the Goonerverse although I have personally seen and heard little of it as I have been travelling in Scotland, haven’t seen any sports media, avoid twitter and the like, and am privileged to be a member of three WAGs that almost exclusively comprise rational, experienced and stoic individuals. In this bubble, there is, of course, great disappointment at recent results but no despair, intolerant abuse of our players, the coach and his assistants or wailing, gnashing of teeth or rending of garments.
Our team simply have two jobs to do in the next 5 days. Big jobs! First, they must beat Sporting Lisbon again to get through to the CL SF for the second consecutive season – a feat never before achieved by Arsenal FC. Then, they must get a result at the Emptihad that consolidates our position at the top of the PL and maximises our chance of finally winning the damn thing. Big jobs. It’s time for our players to write their names in the history books.
There’s no point biting nails or getting panicky. Our players must just get stuck in as if their lives depend upon each result. And whiny fans need to STFU. We have to get behind the team and lift their flagging energies so that they can rise to the challenges.
If we are good enough and play well enough we will achieve those objectives. If we are not good enough but give everything in a valiant attempt to win each game, that’s all we can ask.
COYG
👍🏻👍🏻
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