The best thing for a manager is when you win, but still tactically have things to fix. It means you get to learn from your flaws while not having to drop points at the same time.
The great coaches are the ones who always find room for improvement.
It would have been easy for Mikel Arteta to have got caught up in the manner of our victory at Villa Park. While he would have returned from Birmingham proud of the resilience shown and aware that mentally his squad had taken huge strides, he thankfully knows that Arsenal can’t clinch the title defending how they have been and more importantly with their striker wasting chances.
Before the Aston Villa game, the Gunners had scored once in open play in their previous 4 fixtures and we can’t rely on long range strikes from Zinchenko and Jorginho every week.
If there can be one criticism aimed at our boss recently, it’s that he wasn’t changing things, you could guess every week what our starting line-up would be.
The Spaniard’s response to his team not showing up at Goodison was to play the same attack against Brentford. Despite again looking tired, the same front three faced Man City.
That was in contrast to Pep Guardiola who experimented with Bernardo Silva at left back at the Emirates and was constantly tweaking his system on the touchline .
Most concerning, our manager was super positive after dropping points in our last two home matches. If he was saying these words to keep moral high then great, but my worry was he actually believed what he was saying, like he was watching something different to the rest of us.
That’s why I was relieved to see him try Trossard in the middle at the King Power.
I have long given my opinion on Eddie Nketiah, who is simply not good enough for the level we aspire to get to. When Paul Merson commented before Xmas that Eddie wouldn’t get into Wolves first team, it made me think; how many Prem first teams would he get into?
At 23 years old, he’s played over 120 times for the first team, more than enough to judge if he can consistently score at this level.
Gooners have argued that too many of his opportunities have been off the bench, but that sums up our current society who have a sense of entitlement.
This is elite sport, you make every chance count because you don’t know when the next will come.
Since the World Cup he’s had his run in the team and has failed to score in his last five, not helped in the knowledge that there’s not another natural striker to replace him.
Eddie’s a decent finisher in the penalty area, but doesn’t offer the other skills required to up front on your own.
Trossard on the other hand has footballing intelligence, he knows when to come deep, can hold the ball up, is comfortable In tight positions.
Suddenly our play was unpredictable, Leicester not knowing when the Belgian would switch to the left so Martinelli could run through the middle.
Martinelli has also been guilty of going through the motions but since being dropped has responded with two goals.
Hopefully this will light a fire in Eddie to prove a point?
With Jesus hopefully fit enough to have a run out in the Europa League, suddenly we have options again.
Like I wrote in January, Trossard is a signing that can get over the line and make us champions.
Every title winning squad needs a Trossard, a talent you can trust to fill in and be reliable every time.
Dan
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I guess Arteta just gave Nketiah a break after he started in many games. Trossard played well, but I doubt he can consistently withstand the physical challenges in the CF position
I believe the CF assignment will be decided based on the productivity of the attackers. Trossard produced an assist and a disallowed goal, so he’d likely start against Everton
But I think Martinelli is better as CF than Nketiah…
He has better speed… Better finishing ability…
And much better mobility compared to Nketiah..
Emery did use him as CF in cup games and he was scoring for fun in cup games..
Also Trossard and Martinelli both are so mobile, they can interchange their positions quite easily…
Nketiah is not capable of doing..
Nketiah would play better in old fashioned 4-4-2 formation..
And anyway Jesus is not long away from comeback..
I wish Arteta starts with Martinelli and Trossard again against Everton…
Because Nketiah will be ineffective against big lads of Everton but Trossard and Martinelli can play one touch football..
I remember Martinelli scored in some group-phase matches of Europa League, but the difficulties of those matches weren’t on a par with EPL games
Remember when Martinelli played CF against Chelsea at the Emirates, on August 22nd, 2021? He couldn’t play with his back to goal well, because of Chelsea’s CBs
Maybe his hold-up play has improved now, but I bet he’s been trained for the LW role. On the other hand, Nketiah has been trained for the CF role
Nketiah showed that his finishing skills were very good. He just needs to improve his heading ability
How people can say Martinelli is a better striker than Nketiah is rediculous. He doesn’t play striker. He doesn’t think like a striker, he cant hold the ball up like a striker and he hasn’t got the intelligence of a striker. How can people say he is a better striker when he hasnt played striker. Apparently he has been training and playing as a striker and Trossard starts. Doesn’t that tell you something.
I don’t understand how can Martinelli cannot play CF under tactics of Arteta??
Arteta never play with striker whose hold up play is like Haaland or Kane..
Jesus has good hold up play but that’s an added quality..
Jesus main style of play under Arteta is never an out and out striker..
If Arteta would have played like that then he wouldn’t have singed Jesus but he would have singed someone like Toney…
Also Nketiah is having terrible hold up play…
He is decent player but not Arsenal’s level at all
Im not on about Nketiah, that isnt the issue, the issue is the statement some people are plucking out of the air, that Martinelli is a better striker. Nketiah is playing in the place of jesus, who before injury had a really bad baron spell. Nketiah came in as striker and initially did well. He is now on a baron spell. Making statements like Martinelli is a better striker has no basis. Martinelli is a winger and there are reasons for that, he isn’t and hasn’t been a striker for Arsenal. Nketiah (and the snipers are out) has been a striker at all levels and has broken records as a striker at all levels. He isnt a winger, he is a striker and might i add, chosen by Arteta. The statement that Martinelli is a better striker is just wrong. I am not advocating Nketiah as our main striker, i am saying, he IS a striker, Martinelli isnt. Now wether in your opinion he could be, that is different but that is all it is opinion, because we dont know.
A bad “baron” spell!!
Reminds me of Robin Hood films and Guy of Gisborne!
Only you, JF
Thats a song title Sue. I have even sung it many times, but without the JF!
I absolutely agree. Martinelli is no striker and Eddie is doing ok but only gets the odd chance here and there.
Reggie, forget STRIKER and think GOAL SCORERS. We don’t have to have a man in that number 9 spot when our forwards can rotate and goals are being scored throughout the team.
You still play a striker, a central goalscorer. False number 9 or whatever we call it is a temporary sticking plaster, no team uses for long. My point is, until Martinelli plays a number of successful games at no9 or false 9, he is a wide player.
Reggie
Martinelli didn’t ay as a striker, he played out wide
Trossard played center and looked comfortable in the role
While GJ hasn’t been prolific he overs so much more and that’s the point you are missing
Eddie has filled in well but he won’t get us over the line
He is still developing his game but this is not the time to be practicing thos
We are now approaching the business end
Good sub to bring on bit give a rest for now.
No you aren’t getting it AB. Im saying, people saying Martinelli is a better striker than Nketiah are guessing. We dont know he is a better striker, he hasnt played there. And probably for a reason. He has only played wide.
Man City played the false number 9 last season and won the PL.
They maybe did for most part but they aren’t now.
They did it for a season, which is contrary to what you posted.
People have forgotten that Martineli was initially used as a centreforward by Emery before he reverted to his original position under Arteta,I would rather Martineli played as a striker than Nketiah…. against Everton,he did beat a defender with a nice turning move from a pass from Saka and blasted the ball wide(you can go watch the highlight), against Mancity, he couldn’t direct two freeheaders into literally a half empty net..Any decent forward would have scored from those headers… Martineli scored a more difficult running-header against Nottingham,,,Trossard and Saka are both quick and Martineli upfront will complement and culminate a fast attacking approach
The only players playing striker under emery were Auba and Lacca. I never saw Martinelli as striker.
Really ,you never watched Europa games in group stages when Martinelli was scoring crosses for fan.
But Nketiah is too static and predictable…
Cannot interchange positions with other attackers…
That’s not a problem but he is not even big strong and powerful like Toney and Kane or Lukaku or Haaland
No he isnt static, that is rediculous and we dont have anyone at all like the two players mentioned.
I’m with you, Reggie. We don’t know if Martinelli has any long term future playing up front, all we know is that right now is no striker. And Kedar going on about Kane, Haaland etc., is comparing apples to oranges. When I watch Eddie play he reminds me more of Ian Wright. His running and instincts are very similar. If he can get a similar goal return then we will all be happy.
Yep Kedar, when he came in after the injury to Jesus he did a lot of closing down, like Jesus did. He hasn’t done it for quite a few games now.
Fatigue is catching up.He is someone not used to playing many games back to back.Also,the amount of pressing he is doing upfront can drain a striker.
Closing down didn’t drain Jesus.
Trossard is more a hundred time’s than Nketia and if Rated could have noticed this earlier, we could have been very far from our opponent’s man city.but he took a lot of time to rectify that mistake that’s why our opponent’s came close to us by just two points ahead of them.To beet Everton, He should bring martinel to play as C.F and take Trossard to his left wing then Bukayo on the right wing.That will be a very powerful striking force which Everton can’t with stand.Nketia has no experience in this competition and he has coasted the team since Jesus got an injury. But I thank God that the Coach has realised wheir the mistakes are and he has rectified. Both Trossard and Martineli should start the game but not Nketia.We were very disapouinted us Funs of Arsenal hear in Kenya.but for the last weakened at least now we have hope.
We looked sharper and more fluid in the attack with Trossard in and Nketiah out. I think Nketiah is a good super sub, nothing wrong with that.
That tweak was excellent by Arteta, and the understanding between Trossard and Martinelli helped deliver 3 points.
Hopefully we stick with those 3 in attack for the next 2 games. Odegaard has gone off the boil, but not confident that Vieira can step in like Trossard has.
Perhaps ESR off the bench to sub for Odegaard for 20 minutes or so against Everton would be nice.
ESR played on Monday for the under 21s.I doubt if Arteta will bring him on,on wed.
ESR, along with the new Polish lad, played the first 45 minutes. That shouldn’t stop him coming off the bench if needed on Wednesday.
One among many injustices about social media and JA IS typical of that , is that opinions are rarely balanced, with perspective and context Instead they become polarised.
For example, Nketiah is either “hopeless and not up to the job” or “a star in the making” , which , while he had that scoring run, many were stating.
The truth , which is that he is a decent goal poacher when given good suppport , but at 23 not destined to be a true superstar, is hardly ever mentioned.
I consider him a more than useful squad player who has done,overall, a decent deputy job while Jesus has been out. I hope and believe Eddie will stay here and I see him gradually getting more effective.
But in truth almost any player aged 23 who has not already made a great name for himself, is unlikely, statistically, ever to become a true great.
Though many in his situation DO become good, not great but good, players and make a regular contribution to the team.
I suggest to all who are attracted to hasty and polarised opinions, that what I write here is full of context and far nearer the REAL TRUTH.
@jon fox
RealTalk…👍🏾
100% Agree
Jon
Bottom line, Eddie is not good enough for us in certain games.
Yesterday’s game we found another way of playing
We pressed from the fron which eddie fails to do a lot of the time.
We held the balla d brought in others to the game and whilst we failed to score more then one ithought we looked more fluid going forward
Eddie will have his day again and I do hope he grasps his opportunity when it comes around again
Alan I see no big difference in essence between what you say and my post!
At most it is a minor and nuanced difference.
I said that Eddie is unlikely to ever become a superstar and right NOW HE IS CERTAINLY NOT ONE.
I too thought Trossard made our attack more flexible yesterday!
Great opinion, Jon. Let’s hope he is the next Ian Wright.
I agree.
Trossard is a bargain buy.
I love his abilities.
Nketia can’t be the striker Arsenal needs
I was wondering if Trossard could play that role rather than moving Martinelli
In fairness to Nketiah who began with scintillating form with his goals per game productivity, he is not the only one who dropped form lately and we know he needs others on top of their game so he can do his thing, we all knew this. Step forward Trossard, it was a good showing and I found out after the game that he already played that position this season so it’s a wonder fans weren’t calling for it earlier. I hope he continues til Jesus is back
Whenever will it dawn on fans that no manager will ever be perfect?
Bke being offered a reported £100,000 a week was a mistake… but it does give MA an opportunity for a “Plan B”.
Eddie most certainly grabbed his opportunity, as his goal tally indicates, but I agree with Jon Fox refardubg his take… my only observation being, of course, the late development of a certain Ian Wright!!
Meanwhile, our two late acquisitions have proved to be magnificent signings for the squad and at such “bargain prices” we are seeing our bench starting to rival clubs like city etc.
Good article Dan and I’m hoping Newcastle and Rangers will lift their respective cups later today.
KEN , I of course am glad you agree with my MAIN point.
But on careful analysis of your post, I again notice , as I so often do when you reply to me, that you ignored my “almost” any player, my”statistically” and my”unlikely,” all of which indicate a less than 100% occurence of the point I made.
I also point out that Wrighty when at 23, had already made his name at PALACE, in their fans eyes, though only George Graham had the nous to see what few outside PALACE had seen.
This whole age of 23 subject is something of a subjective call of course, but I HONESTLY struggle to think of more than Bob Wilson and Martinez at Arsenal who have become true stars later in their career but who were not obviously showing it at 23.
There may well of course be others at our club and perhaps you can think of some but I cannot, TBH.
It occurs to me KEN that as you are so thorough in your research,it may well be food for an article for you?
Jon, I was agreeing with you on all your points, but just pointed out that there are exceptions and Ian Wright is a classic example – he hadn’t reached the heights at Palace and I would suggest he was in the same area that Nketiah finds himself in today.
As for the article suggestion, it’s really subjective to the writer in question as Wrighty proves!!
Then no disagreement of any type KEN!
Reckon we two old codgers are slipping then in our old age!!
What about you researching that suggested article though?
I reckon Gooners,esp younger ones, could find that of interest!
You are easily the best man to do nostagia and stories of the old days, as you do your homework so diligently.
Kane just scored from a corner. I wonder why the Dier leaning jump on Mount did get the VAR scrutiny with a lupe, no microscope we got yesterday. Not that I care about Chelsea. I’m actually enjoying their misery. Just saying the humans using VAR are just doing whatever they feel like without any accountability.
The “humans” you say and correctly too!
But that is my beef with VAR; IT HAS TO HAVE HUMANS INTERPRET IT and humans, by our very design, have faults.
Unless and until artificial intelligence(AI) can take over and completely ignore human interference, it will go on being a farce.
That is one, among many reasons, why I detest its existence. I WOULD HAVE NEVER HAVE HAD IT COME IN AT ALL, had I that power!
The writer is right I have observed Tossard plays intelligent, he releases the ball before he’s bogged down and seems very unpredictable am a bit surprised of how effective he is in tight spaces he looks superior to Mudryk who may well help cost Graham Potter his job.
One of the biggest observation is that Martinelli seems to enjoy playing with him, this is very interesting, it seems they both react to each other in position, I haven’t seen this since Jesus absence.
A do think other than rotation the gaffer may have stumbled upon somthing here.
Not that I care about Chelsea. I’m actually enjoying their misery. hahahahah. One more of it, Graham is out of job. I dont wish him bad though but he might get what he did not bargained for.
TOSSARD AND JOR are two excellent buys. Money can not buy you goals, if you doubt me, go and ask CHELSEA. As Arsene Wenger would say..IF I BUY A PLAYER FOR 100MILLION POUND, EACH TIME THE BALL GETS TO HIM WILL THE REFEREE AWARD US A GOAL..HAHAHAHA
Arsenal, let us be focus and complete the job.
The author is providing a narrative to support a highly biased perspective; one that is a regular refrain on this site.
Arsenal do not have the kind of personnel or recent success to allow regular rotation of the type that is often suggested. As a result it was inevitable that when a successful plan was formed the core players who formed the foundation of the game plan were maintained in the team for as long as possible. During the course of any given game or over the course of a season players will have dips in performance. That is not always a sufficient reason to put them on the bench.
This season we have begun to see more of the potential of what is for the most part a young squad. Until we have a large enough squad of truly high quality players the main players will have to be played together whenever feasible.
There is a still a long way to the end of the season and opportunities will come for those not yet getting regular game time. We also still have the EL.
Comparing Arteta with Guardiola in this instance is particularly cynical. Guardiola is managing a larger group of high quality players some of whom have already won many titles and also developed a great understanding of his approach to games over many seasons. He can afford to put the likes of De Bruyne and Foden on the bench for several games and still regularly put out a team that is stronger than most other teams in the PL.
What a wise, mature and obviously sensible post, full of context. And extremely welcome for its comparative rarity on JA!
You are right.
2 weeks ago he was saying Arsenal’s lack of results in a few games was because of a mental frailty.
Now, that can’t be used, so the narrative changes to the manager’s lack of understanding the need for rotation.
Basic manipulation.
And using Bernardo Silva as a rotation example to follow is also tweaking the truth. The fact is, City were out of rela LB’s when facing us, so he was basically foced to put another player in that position. Nothing to do with rottaion.
No he been playing Ake at LB but chose that day to put him in middle
Guardiola has admitted it was to tatically try something
But Ake isn’t a real LB, as Anders said. At Chelsea youth he was a CB/CDM. At Bournemouth he was a CB.
But he did put Eddie on bench lol
Arteta/Arsenal is building a new young and talented team.
It takes time before we have the players needed to fulfill the project, and it takes time, before all the young talents come into full flow.
That is why, we are still a bit short in numbers of players, who can play at the level required to dominate.
Arteta’s of course knows the best thing would be to rotate at the right time, but his options are limited, because some of the players aren’t good enough (yet?).
Interestingly though Anders, our “experienced senior players” Xhaka, Zinchenko, Jorginho and (when fit) Jesus are allowing MA to change his squad.
I’ve always thought that it is silly to change a winning team and that was the case up and until the Everton game.
I didn’t think we could equal or even improve on the summer transfer window, but Trossard and Jorginho have proved me wrong and, I think, that’s where Dan’s observations are coming from… I may be wrong of course!!
Ken, I agree, Jorginho and Trossard have strengthened our squad depth tremendously.
However, I think that underlines my point. Jorginho and Trossard could never have been expected to walk straight into the team and perform at the same extraordinary level, which the nucleus of 12-13 players had in the first half of the season.
They are only just getting used to their new teammates, manager and playing system.
So the option to rotate some players is there now, but wasn’t before.
To claim “a penny about rotation has finally dropped” for Arteta, is just without substance.
We always have unrealistic expectations for our back up striker (Nketiah). How many games did GJ have barren run before his injury and no one suggested he wasn’t good enough.
Let’s see if he doesn’t get goals in the next few games after his rest before all this backlash please
To compare Jesus to Nketiah is like comparing chalk to cheese.
For me, Eddie is a goalscorer, nothing more and nothing less and that’s not derogatory in any way – he’s a hard working No. 9.
Jesus brings more to the game, because of his vision both on and off the ball. He could play in the middle or on the wing and even as a false No. 9.
Every professional player has his / her strengths and weaknesses and, whereas I believe Jesus would attract most of the top clubs because of what he brings, Eddie will always be a good old style CF and there is nothing wrong with that!!
I don’t want to burst your bubble but Trossard is not prime Eden Hazard. He’s good. That’s it. Eddie is a good player and probably too good for the Championship but not quite good enough for a top Premier League team. Neither is Xhaka for that matter. In fact the only players we have that I would class as truly excellent players are Saka and Odegaard and Saliba. And even they can be a bit predictable.
Sharp sense of perspective Benjamin. Real talk as NY gunner would say. Not what the “faithful ” want to hear, but aint it the truth. Regarding the fallacies of VAR though Id have to agree with Fox and his old codger possee that it is a travesty. However I do like the idea mentioned above that the humans making the final call should release a summary of each decision made, stating the reasons in plain English. ( at least in the EPL).
Agreed. Even in the most menial of jobs one is usually required to justify their decisions, but apparently not when officiating in the highest profile, most financially lucrative industry in the world.
Arteta was hesitant to rotate before the City game as he wanted to keep a winning side together but has moved quickly since.
Nketiah is probably never going to be a long term starter but he is still a superb option from the bench, we always need a goal poacher as a sub so why not him?
They hadn’t won in three ?
Leo Trossard playing as a false 9 gives us another option. Look at that brilliant ‘disallowed’ goal against Leicester. I think in away games that are coming like Liverpool, Man City and Newcastle away, I don’t think Eddie would be a good choice and I think Leo’s skills in tight situations will make us more effective. We are lucky that we can have a little rotation to freshen things up and not end up becoming stale. Jorjinho and Trossard are two brilliant signings with real experience.
One massive advantage your team develops when you do not rotate, is the team is allowed to develop a chemistry where individuals can almost close their eyes and fine team mates.
Average teams can take a mighty assemble team apart when drills to play for long extended periods of time.
The legendary Frenchman never likes to mixing his team, he allows them to grow together, it is for that reason he could use the B team to go some distance in Europea league and certain league competitions.
Trossard is 28 and Nketiah is 23. Nobody knew Trossard at 23. But that 5 years gap of playing constant football changes a player completely. Nketiah decided to stay and fight while Sambi complained and gone to Palace. I think we should give time and space to Nketiah to decide his own destiny. Don’t simply shrugged him off yet. He has proven a lot of people wrong before this.
Go look how many first team games Eddie has played for Arsenal, I think you’ll be very surprised.
If he still needs time what do you consider “giving a player time”? 150 games?
Honestly I think this is top level sport so you take every opportunity
That’s like saying to a 16 year old a scout is here today and that 16 year old saying can he not watch me 50 times
Eddie’s had enough chances to show hes not at the level we need
@Mike Ram
Well said, he is actually doing quite well, IMO, and as you say, he is very young, so he will likely improve even more.
Arteta decided to ‘rest’ (not the pejorative word ‘bench’) Nketiah against Leicester….away. Players need some rest at times, body rest and mind rest. We are so lucky to have signed two excellent experienced players in Jorginho and Leo Trossard, so that we can do just that. Also Arteta is fully aware that in some games certain players may not suit particular games. He got that right against Leicester.
The good thing is that Gabby Jesus will be back soon, and not having had him available has not impeded our progress.
I bet he’s ‘ rested ‘ midweek as well ?
Eddie’s ‘ rested ‘ again lol