Mikel Arteta took his Arsenal side up to Everton to face a team without a win in their last 8 League games, but another simply awful performance saw the Gunners walk away without a point.
A win would have seen us move back up to 5th place in the table, but instead we are all in a state of despair and questioning whether Arteta really is the right man for the job after all…
Incredibly we were leading 1-0 at half-time through Odegaard, as Richarlison had a very close VAR decision against his goal. But we were not in the game in the second half with Everton scoring twice and had another very marginal offside goal disallowed as well.
So you can imagine that Arteta was not very happy when he was questioned after the game. “I’m very disappointed,” Arteta told Arsenal.com. “I think in the first half we were inconsistent with the ball and we had some moments of control, we didn’t concede anything apart from the goal that was disallowed by the set-piece, but we didn’t have enough penetration or threat on the opponents’ goal.
“One of the few times we did it we scored a goal from Martin and then in the second half we had to grab the game and we tried to do that, but again, in moments we were sloppy.
“We created four big, big chances, with Eddie, two with Martin and then one with Auba at the end, and when you don’t put them in the net away from home it’s very complicated to win the game, especially if you concede in the way that we did for example with the first goal.
“We gave too many balls away too easily and encouraged them against the movement that they had in the press. The few times that we did break the press we were open on goal, but we have to do it much more consistently.”
The fact is that were were playing the team that was bottom of the form table, so to “be disappointed” must be the understatement of the year. You only need to read the comments after the game from the Just Arsenal readers.
Not a happy bunch last night I must say!
Yes, we all know what happened again MA!.. Any chance of fixing the same usual glaring issues any time soon?
Heard it all before and dear say I’ll hear it again
Disappointed?, of course, very disappointed still but devastated last night
Today and for the rest of the season though Arteta and the players need our support and that’s what they’re getting from me
It was by far the worst performance since Arteta took over, against a really poor Everton team (great winning goal apart), it wasn’t typical of this season though and doesn’t undo the good stuff that I have seen this term
Too many changes to the team in one go and too many players under performing in one game doesn’t mean we are now a bad side
We certainly missed ESR and perhaps Sambi is more important in his role than we thought
Easy to find the negatives, there were plenty of them on show last night and I can’t blame anyone on JA having a good old moan up this morning, from what I have read it’s not actually as bad as I thought it might be
The Vultures on the telly not circling around Arteta today either which is a bit surprising but I want to see what he and the boys do next and for the remainder of the season
I didn’t like Emery being pushed this time two years ago and I don’t want Arteta to be now, I want him to stand up and show some fans wrong
If we are not top 4 at the end of the season then I want him and Edu to have a grown up conversation with Kroenke and the outcome will be what it will be but for now let’s get back on the horse against Southampton, go again against West Ham and move forward
A balanced response.
There is an anti-Arteta mob out and about however. The usual moaners and gripers have been able to add to their numbers with yesterday’s result.
It was inevitable that there would be some fluctuations in results and performances given the changes to the squad and the age and experience of the squad.
Unfortunately, the senior players have not been up to par which has made the manager’s job even harder than it should be..
Nice to read some even handed comments. There are a couple of positions that need a clear upgrade – striker and dynamic box-to-box midfielder – but my biggest concern is the mental side once we go ahead. It’s become almost inevitable that the players go into a shell with a one goal lead. I don’t think Arteta has coached that but he’s got to figure out how to uncoach it or I fear its lights out for him.
Arguably our worst performance of the season and there have been so many where we have failed to be convincing.
An awful game of football and highlighted our problem in spades ARTETA!!!!!!!! Some terrible decisions again and failing to change things to gain control.
Another excuse ridded Arteta rambling….. ‘everybody else but me’, load of old goldilocks. After two years he can still look like it’s his first game in charge. Insanity is doing the same thing year upon year time and time again and expecting different results. On that platform I declare Mikel Arteta to have Football Insanity, and the lunatic is managing the Arsenal Asylum.