Match Reaction v Man Utd (home)

[mandela8]

if you're talking to me then all i can say is read my comments again - i said clearly he brings good things to the team but just slightly surprised everyone's ignoring his many fuckups - that's all

It wasn't specifically to you but some of what you said fits a bit of a common narrative here, mate.

We have to look a little deeper than "he gave the ball away" type stuff. Now, of course he makes mistakes, as does Partey who has always been prone to a shocking simple pass every game it seems, but we have to measure against what they're doing. The single biggest difference this season is the higher risk/higher reward approach and Zinchenko, Partey and Odegaard drive this entirely. They're charges with playing more difficult passes, taking the ball in tighter spaces and moving the ball at a far higher tempo than the rest of the team. They will make more mistakes than anyone else. That's just a fact. But they will also drive the success more than anyone else. It just bewilders me a little when this isn't acknowledged.

Take Partey's misplaced pass for Rashford's goal yesterday. Saka gives the ball away (not a criticism) right in front of him and it breaks, Partey, under pressure tries to thread a ball around 3 players to Nketiah (I think) who would've been away. I guarantee you Arteta lays no blame at Partey's feet there, yet fans do.

One of the most important lessons we teach, particularly to coaches, but also higher level players, is that you're never wrong in doing the right thing, regardless of outcome. I appreciate this is more of an arm chair audience (not meant to sound as dickish as it does) but this is the measure these players should be held to. They're not Xhaka or Elneny who are tasked/only able as water carriers and to keep it simple.

For example, I've seen multiple rating with Xhaka higher than Zinchenko and Partey. Just incredible, incredible statements of ignorance. It's not even opinion at that point.

[HCZ_Reborn]

I've always liked Arteta, but he always felt like a punt. He had no real experience at this level.
I thought he came across pretty well in All or Nothing, his team talks were bizarre but seemed to be effective for the team, which is the main thing.
There has been progress under him but the rate of it has been frustratingly slow. Then this season happened.
I did get the sense from All or Nothing that there was a strategy and they were trying to build something, I don't think any of us expected us to step up so much this season - my guess is Arteta secretly didn't expect it either.

It’s odd how two people can watch something and reach a different conclusion. I honestly tried to put my personal dislike of the man behind me, for the first episode of so he came across vaguely sympathetic in that he comes across as someone who is socially awkward (almost to the neurodiverse extent) his body language is closed, he finds it hard to maintain eye contact and he just seems naturally introverted.
But as time went on I just found him unlikable, shouting at the players for his own tactical mistakes….the only time I actually remember seeing his post match team talk and thinking actually the tone and the message were spot on was the post match against City at home…didn’t rant and rave, just calmly explained how they’d played really well but they’d let themselves down at times in the opposition goal and defending their own one…but wasn’t trying to kick them whilst they are down but to say don’t feel sorry for yourselves or hard done by there is a lesson you can take from this.

I remember being at the Brighton game and thinking the players just have no faith in how they’ve been sent out to play (putting Xhaka at left back, playing Lokonga and Smith Rowe in central midfield) and he comes out with some completely incoherent nonsense about Edison and then bollocks the players because he sent them out against a tough tackling team that is far more comfortable on the ball.

I just felt at times like this wasn’t a guy capable of getting his message across or developing a relationship with his players, and maybe this time around he has become more confident and more relaxed. Hopefully because it felt like the players had a much better relationship with Edu and Steve Round than they did him. I think they respect him as someone with great tactical knowledge and that’s where I think Arteta really is strong as a coach, I think his understanding of the game is second to none…

[Niall_Quinn]

I watched the whole game. I have to say, that passes as an acceptable football match. I didn't think I'd ever see one again. Not brilliant, mind you, relatively speaking. But acceptable and consisting of actual football. If this is the start of a trend then I'm all for it.

[Niall_Quinn]

Funnily enough with a few exceptions, I thought we were a bit under par today. Some really sloppy passing, especially in the first half. But we didn’t relent with the pressure and deserved the win regardless.

They didn't collapse, they did try to win it, they didn't go for the glorious failure. Not perfect, but a definite key change.

[Niall_Quinn]

Very surprised to see people say Arsenal were below par today. They were brilliant from start to finish.

Their pressing was intense and there was real intent to their play. Most of those 'sloppy' passes were actually attempts to do summin meaningful. That's the price you pay when you're ambitious...I'm sure no one would prefer to go back to the safety first/sideways/backwards approach of previous seasons.

Zinchenko, Partey and Odegaard were imperious. Just on a different level to everyone else. Beautiful footballers. Odegaard in the first half in particular was a real statement performance. Saka had his best ever performance to boot.

Delighted for Nketiah. Thought that sitter was going to cost them but kept going and it was a hugely deserved win. 3-2 really flattered Man Utd. Arsenal were levels above them.

That's exactly it. When you are playing sideways the whole time of course you have a 99% pass completion. But start playing actual football and the numbers change fast.

Don't get the bit about Partey though? Typo?

[IBK]

It’s odd how two people can watch something and reach a different conclusion. I honestly tried to put my personal dislike of the man behind me, for the first episode of so he came across vaguely sympathetic in that he comes across as someone who is socially awkward (almost to the neurodiverse extent) his body language is closed, he finds it hard to maintain eye contact and he just seems naturally introverted.
But as time went on I just found him unlikable, shouting at the players for his own tactical mistakes….the only time I actually remember seeing his post match team talk and thinking actually the tone and the message were spot on was the post match against City at home…didn’t rant and rave, just calmly explained how they’d played really well but they’d let themselves down at times in the opposition goal and defending their own one…but wasn’t trying to kick them whilst they are down but to say don’t feel sorry for yourselves or hard done by there is a lesson you can take from this.

I remember being at the Brighton game and thinking the players just have no faith in how they’ve been sent out to play (putting Xhaka at left back, playing Lokonga and Smith Rowe in central midfield) and he comes out with some completely incoherent nonsense about Edison and then bollocks the players because he sent them out against a tough tackling team that is far more comfortable on the ball.

I just felt at times like this wasn’t a guy capable of getting his message across or developing a relationship with his players, and maybe this time around he has become more confident and more relaxed. Hopefully because it felt like the players had a much better relationship with Edu and Steve Round than they did him. I think they respect him as someone with great tactical knowledge and that’s where I think Arteta really is strong as a coach, I think his understanding of the game is second to none…

Not really odd. Different people warm to different characters. But with Arteta I think that the team we are seeing week in week out is not just showing confidence in his tactical nous - like say Mourinho in his prime. They are clearly playing for their manager. So Arteta is evidently more inspirational than you give him credit for. IMO the man comes accross as intense and obsessive, but I found him quite engaging in AON and I like his press conferences and how they reflect on the club. He feels to me like one of our own.

They say that the best leaders never feel like friends and they are not meant to be. They are meant to elevate others by challenging them to reach the height of their potential. It helps when they are likeable (and the evidence shows that the manager is likeable enough when it comes to his players) but Arteta has no need to be liked. He is passionate and authentic, and that seems good enough for his team and is for me also.