https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/60078091
For once an excellent article on BBC Sport which pretty much sums up Arteta's Arsenal and how myself (and I suspect 50,000 odd others last night) feel about things. The extracts that are relevant to me:
"What better chance would they have to make a statement about their current status under Arteta than by beating a superpower such as Liverpool?
They made a statement all right - but not the sort Arteta would have wanted as even a stripped-down, although still strong Liverpool simply had too much nous, street wisdom, quality and ruthlessness for Arsenal."
Damn right - still absolutely lacking any sort of leadership and nous when it matters most - 11 kids or 'never will be's' will never close out opportunities like these. Take a look at them - despite Jota taking the plaudits (a striker we could have signed once upon a time), they closed out the game with the likes of Van Dijk, Henderson, Milner etc complementing the younger talents. We have none of that 'know how'
No European football after last season meant they could firmly concentrate on domestic cup competitions and the fight for a top four place in the Premier League.
Instead, the last fortnight has seen a miserable FA Cup third round shock at Championship side Nottingham Forest, and here was an opportunity squandered for a Wembley final to inject fresh momentum into their season.
I said at the time that this BS talk of being out of Europe was a good thing was exactly that. We will never (hopefully) play fewer games again in a season but if you have a lack of leadership, a novice manager and an imbalanced squad it will count for shit. Play 50 games finish 8th, play 60 games finish 8th. Winners want to be in Europe, not out of it. Small club mindset
Arsenal, as is their habit, flew out of the traps but once the superb Diogo Jota's scuffed finish put Liverpool in front after 19 minutes, there was a lack of conviction and self-belief about their work that was palpable.
Absolutely and still back to lack of nous and leadership. The pumped crowd shrivelled up the minute that goal went in, matching the body language of every one of the players. Zero conviction they can salvage anything from losing positions in these games - despite teams like Brighton and West Ham managing to achieve that on a fraction of the budget. Key difference = management and leadership
And yet again Arsenal showed that damaging streak of indiscipline, something Arteta either cannot or will not get to grips with. He needs to and fast.
How many times before it stops being an accident? He has done nothing with the Xhaka's of this world to suggest any consequence of on field ill discipline. Quite the opposite - he supports them even more.....and its costing us time and time again.
The article says "transition periods can't live forever". Wenger's Arsenal 2008-2018 were in transition for a decade - lack of leadership, failure to address a losing mindset, and having an imbalanced squad were all factors. I'm afraid 2 years into Arteta's journey I see all of the same traits and faults and an unwillingness to address any of it. Keep promoting youth, ignore leadership and poor discipline, get consistently dicked by the bigger clubs, cross fingers and hope for change