Retro Gunner wrote: ↑Mon Apr 29, 2024 5:47 pm
the playing mantis wrote: ↑Sun Apr 28, 2024 8:33 pm
SteveO 35 wrote: ↑Sun Apr 28, 2024 7:21 am
wilson2.0 wrote: ↑Sat Apr 27, 2024 1:59 am
16 clean sheets. Next highest is Everton with 11. Fewest goals conceded in the league.
Arteta isnt a 'proper manager' though, so imagine our defensive record if we got a 'proper manager'.
Ill telling you know, if Arteta goes, he takes our defensive prowess with him.
New contract for Arteta priority number 1 this transfer window.
Anyone who thinks he hasn't done a decent job is kidding themselves. I was up there with his biggest critics and would admit he has done far better than I could have imagined. Yes it has taken a lot of investment but these days it always will.
My remaining question is whether he can instill the final winning mentality piece that Lord Cuntface made sure left the building about 15 years ago along with most of our winning mentality players. Games like today will tell us. Our early Wenger teams would go into their rabied cesspit faced with their fervent mongs hanging effigies of Campbell and pelting the team coach, and turn them over. It didn't get more hostile than that and the stakes were just as high. Players like Lauren, Vieira, Gilberto etc didn't give a fuck about their pricks trying to put us off our game. These boys today face the same. Do they have that steely inner belief? We are a better team without a doubt. As you say yourself - best defence plus we've scored the most goals
So for me a manager doing a very good job faced with the challenges that separate very good with excellent. Apart from maybe 2 positions in the squad he doesn't need much else - the rest is down to mentality
yeah cant argue with much of that, we are better in games we would have melted in and playing good stuff, even if we collapse now, (caused by the inevitably and pointlessness of hoping city slip up which i cant see now), the only issue i have are the use of favorites, imagine zinchenko in todays game! and jesus to an extent (but they didn't play so hopefully hes learning) and the lack of depth are issues for me and in game management, along with the lack of striker and gk situation. sort those out and a new LB and some squad depth and a more reliable CM partner for rice and we are good enough to beat city.
So, you can't argue with much of that Mantis, other than:
Playing favourites like Zinchenko and Jesus.
In-game management.
Need a striker.
Need a GK.
Need a LB.
Need a new CM.
Lack of squad depth generally.
Not much wrong then.
Sorry mate, Rarely pick you up on your posts, but that made me laugh.
No no Retro it's a fair cop
I was posting I the euphoria and relief of beating thus spunkbubbles.
I think those issues can be solved in the summer of we are efficient. Yes they have persisted for a while, some of them, but hope is he's learning...
700m aside..! we are not a laughing stock any more, are a match for the best teams more consistently (Europe I think we need more experince of but we have never apart from gg been a force in europe and punched below our weight theougtout the wenger years which is a travesty), and seem to be contenders again.
The playing style has picked up as a hybrid of last season lack of control but entertaining to the turgid shit of this early season and seems to be a happy medium this calendar year.
Yes the issues are not new but he seems to be addressing some. Fcking off Jesus, zinchenko and viera would be a start for me and surely he must sign lb striker and another cm at the least.
Last season Jesus and at times zinchenko were hailed as improving us. Now it's apparent we have got better than those 2 so they should be mugged off but I don't think necessarily people were saying that in the summer (other than Jesus as THE striker, not as a squad member).
I didn't rate Jesus as a striker (and no one did) but thought he had a role to play and was a good option, now I want him gone. For example. Zinchenko, I along with augie said he was shite when signed, then retracted as he had a decent spell before reverting to utter ahite again this season.