When will Arteta be sacked by

[HCZ_Reborn]

The overall squad is not one I have issues with, although I think its bottom heavy with too many defensive minded players and not enough attack minded ones

I still think we miss that Vieira like player who can link defence and attack but I think that player doesn’t really exist anymore, I think again it’s more the way we set up…the inverted full back system to strangle the life out of games is for me unnecessary.

What we need is additions up front to make us more efficient. The main problem especially at home is having to over commit and getting caught on the break (50% of the goals we’ve conceded at home in the league this season have come that way)

This is for me partly because we haven’t got a player who is good enough to put away chances, and we aren’t playing in a way that stretches the defence of the opposition. I think the players we have available are good enough to do the latter if we employ them that way, whilst I did not think signing a left back a priority I think Calafiori is a good player, he is good at interceptions and he’s got decent pace to bomb down the left and dovetail with Martinelli. Whilst not as quick, White has a good understanding with Saka and is a good crosser of the ball.


If we play Partey in a more advanced position rather than Rice we create space through the middle as well. Yes like any team we suffer when our best players are injured, but we need Captain Black to stop putting square pegs in round holes


I think overall the squad we have today is far far better than the one Arteta inherited, but it bloody well should be with the money we’ve spent. What we need now is a clinical finisher and I think this team would be able to both defend a lead and play in a way that we could tear a team to shreds on the counter, if Arteta actually set us up that way

[IBK]

I've been so up and down on where we are at present. Part of the problem is that to compete with Citeh we have to be almost perfect - and we have not been.

Also, after an outstanding second half of last season, we have (I think) fallen short of our points total at this stage last time round (can't be bothered to look, but by 2/3 points?).

But Bournemouth and possibly Brighton aside I am not sure that we have massively underperformed. The problem is that we are viewing our team's performances via the prism of no room for error.

I think that we have to see Sunday as a decent enough result. We can say all we like that Liverpool weren't that great. But to get a draw after ending up with a back four of Partey; White, Kiwor and MLS against the form team in the league - carrying huge momentum into this game - is not a bad result. This was a must not lose and we did not lose.

I have been critical of our threat going forwards, but the first half against Liverpool was very good in this regard. I am frustrated by Arteta's defensive mindset, but can't really criticise him for this when faced with what happened during the game. I think the manager should be judged when his key players are back, and the system can therefore mature...the problem is that it might be too late for the league by then!

Looking back on the season so far, I think I am more frustrated with our self inflicted wounds (red cards) than the manager's tactics.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Hmmm I disagree about a couple of things

Sunday…Liverpool were bang average, the players missing in defence was not the reason we only got a draw it was the negative mindset. We should have put them to the sword

As for the to beat City you have to be perfect mantra, not buying that either. The difference in City between having Rodri fit and not being fit was so clear to see in our game against them. When Rodri went off injured, it wasn’t just scoring two goals we controlled the game. Before that we could barely get a look in.

He literally makes that much difference to City, since they played us…they drew with Newcastle and have scraped wins against sides that they should be beating easily. I think the advantage they have over us is virtually wiped out with him out for the season

[Mac76]

I've been so up and down on where we are at present. Part of the problem is that to compete with Citeh we have to be almost perfect - and we have not been.

Also, after an outstanding second half of last season, we have (I think) fallen short of our points total at this stage last time round (can't be bothered to look, but by 2/3 points?).

But Bournemouth and possibly Brighton aside I am not sure that we have massively underperformed. The problem is that we are viewing our team's performances via the prism of no room for error.

I think that we have to see Sunday as a decent enough result. We can say all we like that Liverpool weren't that great. But to get a draw after ending up with a back four of Partey; White, Kiwor and MLS against the form team in the league - carrying huge momentum into this game - is not a bad result. This was a must not lose and we did not lose.

I have been critical of our threat going forwards, but the first half against Liverpool was very good in this regard. I am frustrated by Arteta's defensive mindset, but can't really criticise him for this when faced with what happened during the game. I think the manager should be judged when his key players are back, and the system can therefore mature...the problem is that it might be too late for the league by then!

Looking back on the season so far, I think I am more frustrated with our self inflicted wounds (red cards) than the manager's tactics.

I'm generally thinking similarly, although I don't know how you can say our reds are self-inflicted when no other team's players are being booked for kicking the ball away - also with the Saliba one players have just been given yellows in similar incidents in just the last two weeks, plus when you look at the rule the original yellow-card decision by the ref could have been allowed to stand legitimately

[IBK]

Hmmm I disagree about a couple of things

Sunday…Liverpool were bang average, the players missing in defence was not the reason we only got a draw it was the negative mindset. We should have put them to the sword

As for the to beat City you have to be perfect mantra, not buying that either. The difference in City between having Rodri fit and not being fit was so clear to see in our game against them. When Rodri went off injured, it wasn’t just scoring two goals we controlled the game. Before that we could barely get a look in.

He literally makes that much difference to City, since they played us…they drew with Newcastle and have scraped wins against sides that they should be beating easily. I think the advantage they have over us is virtually wiped out with him out for the season

Don't get me wrong - I am not necessarily criticising our performances in these games (Bournemouth aside) - but the table doesn't lie, and while Rhodri is a big loss for Citeh we have failed to take advantage of this so far. You say that we don't have to be near perfect to beat Citeh to the title - yet we would have needed to be pretty much perfect so far this season to be sitting above them.

Whether our competitors are 'average' or 'scaping wins' is irrelevant unless we are benefitting from this.

To respond to Mac - I am as frustrated by the refereeing decisions that have gone against us as anyone, but there is nothing to be gained from howling at injustice. The simple fact is that with all of our reds we gave the officials an opportunity to punish us...and in each case this could have easily been avoided. So we circle back round to the first issue - the need to be near perfect. And this includes not giving PGMOL the opportunity to f*ck us.

Like I said, I do think we will be a force to be reckoned with when we get our key players back and this system clicks. Whether Liverpool have what it takes or Citeh stumble going forwards, we have left ourselves with very little margin of error already.

[HCZ_Reborn]

The main reason for the points gap is that we’ve played far harder games by the next international break our first six away games will have been Villa, Spurs, City, Bournemouth, Newcastle and Chelsea.

The irony is it’s entirely possible we go unbeaten against Newcastle and Chelsea and that on paper our easiest game is the one we lost.


Liverpool and City’s toughest game has been against us…both were lucky to avoid defeat. At this point the gap is less meaningful because they both have to play far tougher games and I’m far from convinced either of them are going to get through them unscathed

In terms of results, Bournemouth and Liverpool were disappointing…but the first game was marred by having to play most of the game with ten men and it’s just inevitable that this will result in defeat at some point. The only game where I’m really disappointed with both the result and the performance was Liverpool on Sunday. I think by far that’s been the most disheartening result of the season, we had a chance to lay a marker down and send them back to Anfield with a bloody nose and we played it safe