It’s not long now till we get to welcome back Premier league football with the game against Spurs at the weekend being a tantalizing fixture for gooners to sink their teeths into. It will be a game which will require an astute tactical acumen from both managers for their respective teams to come out on top in this huge clash between fiercest rivals.
The gunners will be buoyed by the news that Mikel Arteta is putting pen to paper on a three year deal at the club, the Spaniard has been instrumental to our recent resurgence with the way he’s almost single handedly reinstated the cultures and values we were known for at the peak of Wenger’s time at the club.
After the boss’ extension, winning more silverware will be the gunners top priority under Mikel Arteta. There’s no doubt that he’s had an amazing Arsenal career so far, however there’s been some disgruntled Arsenal fans that think a new contract wasn’t merited.
Chief among their reasons why has been the failed title attempts and the inability to win major silverware in the last two seasons, with some even going as far as saying that was our best chance of winning anything major for the foreseeable future. In hindsight those claims (or worries) are understandable, given how far ahead we were in the 2022/23 season and the minimal margin we lost out on the league last season. Furthermore given how it was a two horse race for the most part in the last two seasons then you can imagine it getting even harder with Liverpool being a very serious threat that we should worry about along with Man city.
The league overall is very difficult with any team potentially being a banana skin at the best of times. Couple this with how hard the champions league will be this season due to the introduction of the new league phase, then the previous past two seasons could very well prove to be the best chance we had of winning anything major. However we are a club on the right trajectory, we’ll only get better and better with each passing season, which should boost our chances of winning something, This could very well be Pep Guardiola’s last season in the PL, and who knows maybe with Klopp and Pep finally gone, Arteta will get the chance to dominate English football.
We do not know what the future holds so saying that our best chance of winning a major silverware has passed is just being pessimistic.
For the gunners who are excited for what the future holds with Mikel Arteta, how many trophies do you all see him lifting over the spell of his contract?
KENNETH BENJAMIN.
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The club did the right and logical thing by extending Arteta’s contract. The owners have been more competent in the way they have handled our club’s matters since Arteta and Edu showed up.
We need to keep / hold on to Arteta and Edu for as long as we can until they are deemed infeasible. They have done a good job so far. In my honest opinion, I still do think that our EPL trophy chances are mainly dependent on Pep / Man City and a bit of lack at the moment. It’s not easy to overtake Pep. We just need keep running Man City as close we have in the last two seasons. We might end up doing a Liverpool, Leicester etc. 😊
We can’t get overly delusional in our thinking.
🤞👍
“More silverware”?? Arteta hasn’t won anything since his last contract has he? Did I blink and miss a trophy?
Arteta has only won one fa cup (with Emery’s team) before he started the huge overhaul.
No senior player remains from that win.
We’ve spent tons of money, have a multi talented squad, even gave away some great players.
They want Arteta tied down incase he disappeared to replace Pep next summer.
Ironically Villa and Liverpool will both be aiming to get the better of us this year
Why bring up the FA cup with Emery’s team? It’s not as if Emery won anything at Arsenal
Because some people are just that way
Funny thing is
Doesn’t say UE as manager
It states MA
In a few more years it will be totally forgotten
Onwards and upwards
@SueP
That’s because he wasn’t given the time, trust and huge amount of money that Arteta was given. Just saying…
But he was given our most expensive ever (at that time) player, even though he didn’t want him🤣🤣🤣.
@Jax
Neither did Arteta…Just sayin…
NYG
I know he hasn’t won anything since but he won he cup in his first season 😊
Just sayin …
@SueP
Emery won the Europa League title with Villa Real in 21” season. Just sayin…
Come on NYG 😊
Not the same league. He hasn’t yet proved his worth in England. Good try tho
Sue P,
Course he didn’t he was sacked wasn’t he.
Maybe if the owners showed him the same patience that they have with Arteta, then maybe we would have seen what it’s like to win a trophy.
But apparently finishing second two seasons on the trot is seen as success. (Progress yes, but you don’t get a trophy for that do you).
Derek
Dougal’s post said that Arteta won the FA cup with Emery’s team which implied to me that Emery perhaps could and should either have won it himself or at least returned us to CL football
I can’t even remember any great players he gave away and if he did there had to have been a good reason
I don’t see the irony in Villa or Liverpool “aiming to get the better of us this season”. It’s not as if they usually sit back and let us win is it?
“Did I blink and miss” two second places finishes to a team currently under investigation by the Premier League?
Arteta is worth his new contract, but quite possibly a bit overpaid.
We can’t let another top EPL club sign Arteta, because he’s the second best manager in England
He hasn’t won a major trophy yet because he couldn’t get Vlahovic/ Sesko and Guardiola manages a state-owned football team in England
He’d likely win EPL or UCL once he signs a powerhouse false-nine
Yes of course this guy haven’t won anything for 4 years so we should have wait
Sorry to say it but some of our fans behave as if they live on Mars! How many managers have won silverware in the last four years? Have they sacked their managers?What has happened to the teams that sacked their managers? How many trophies have they won? The wisest thing Arsenal has done is to extend Arteta’s contract. Only a fool does not see the wisdom of that.
….Very well said
The biggest problem is Arteta is good but not great. As far as the club is concerned, Kronke will be happy while we are getting CL football because it keeps the value of Arsenal high and his investment ticking over. My personal problem with Arteta as our manager and I have said it since day one. I don’t think he knows how to set a team up to actually win something. He has helped (along with the massive investment) to make us a solid team. I think the money builds the team, the manager wins the trophies with it. Leaving out the one he did win, with different players (he didn’t rate) and different tactics, he has not achieved anything as far as success. The top top teams in Europe who do win things, do not reward failure and demand trophies be won. Arteta at any other club (Elite clubs) would not be manager now. So it is upto the individual, to think, is that right, he should at Arsenal.
Reggie
Totally agree with you on MA
Was a very good coach learning to be a manager
He imo is turning out to be a good manager and then to win big cups he will then be classed as a great manager
There are lot of good ma agers out there who haven’t achieved but again imo I believe he can become a great manager but only time will tell
Ps
It’s hard to become a great manager when you have the likes of pep hanging around
It is Alan but Klopp did it and before him Simeone did it. Can I also add. Last season we put Pep to bed and the reason we didn’t win it was not down to Pep but our own demise, as it was to some degree the year before. Pep os the best manager in the world but he doesn’t and cant win everything. Ancelotti has bettered him a few times.
“Last season we put Pep to bed and the reason we didn’t win it was not down to Pep but our own demise”
You sound as if you set up the team that almost put Pep to bed and not Arteta.
We put Pep to bed ?
He finished above us ?
“Put to bed”, kissed goodnight and tucked in🤣. Investigation starts on Monday.
I’m praying they get points deducted
At least!
Dan,
Some hope, with the lawyers they’ve got and the stalling tactics that they have used, also saying that they’ve got unequivocal proof of their innocence.
Well if that’s the case, show it to the power’s that be.
I don’t know about anyone else, bit if I was accused of something and I had absolute proof of my innocence, I wouldn’t be able to show it fast enough.
Two things will either happen, if their found guilty, they will laughably get a fine or they may even get a point’s deduction of some sort. (If I were Everton and Nottingham Forest I’d be watching with interest).
But lets be real about this, one of the possible punishments being banded about is City be relegated, not a chance. Even if found guilty, there’s no way they’ll be relegated.
And here’s one final thought for you all, if they are found guilty, and they receive any one of them punishments, we will then be in for month’s and month’s of appeals, you know it and I know it.
Yes Dan, Pep wasn’t able to stop us, we had it in our own hands. Pep didn’t stop us winning the league, We did.
Agreed
I think, as you do mostly on JA, Reggie, make a very good case.
The only area that I differ with you is the experience that Arteta has in his proverbial locker.
Five years in to his time as a premier league manager at a top club that was in turmoil ( and I do believe that it was) Arteta has turned the club around. I do think it is slightly unfair to compare him with other teams in Europe as they are not the EPL. You don’t name the elite clubs, but recently they amount to City and RM which unfortunately for all the wannabee top managers have two legends of football management and achievement above them. Simeone is the only manager that springs to mind who earns more than an arm and a leg and doesn’t have the win power of the rest but is still in employment
Sue, Arteta is no Rookie now. I don’t think he needs anymore time, nor should we afford him anymore time. If he was/is good enough to get us where the investment deserves, he woukd have and should have done it by now. The previous season, on its own, you could make excuses. Last season we can’t. This season for me is and should be his final chance. Because if he cant, I will stick by what I have always said. He can’t set a team up to win a major trophy. For me he failed last season. Little things, like being content with a draw against City, when they were on the ropes. He didn’t know how to finish them off. They were struggling and he gave them a lifeline that they took. We couldn’t.
He is still a rookie Reggie with only five years on the job. When his hairs turns gray then he will be considered experienced.
Xabi Alonso just left the chat
As I said to you Reggie, I mostly agree with your standpoint on many issues but whilst Arteta is no longer the rookie, he is hardly an old hand and you and I are at opposite ends of the spectrum on what I believe he has accomplished already. If Klopp could only win the league once (and he is an old hand) then I have to salute Pep for his ability and recognise that City as a club have been able to virtually ensure a rolling year on year win rate in at least one of the major trophies.
It’s got nothing to do with me fawning over Arteta, but it surprises me no end that he generally gets a hard time. We were in a a very dicey situation when he took over. The dressing room, the lot ‘upstairs’ doing the buying and loaning – that cannot be reversed by clicking one’s fingers. The last 2 years under AW were bang average and Emery wasn’t any better. It was a start again job and I think he’s doing well.
But how ever bad it was, we won trophies all be it FA cups. Artetas record in cups is poor. Is Xabi Alonso a rookie?
Now you are doing a Dan! 😊
Different league and really should be based on the same league criteria
Zero substance
Basically Arteta can finish anywhere in the league and your say he’s done great lol
Oh no I won’t – what sort of comment was that? If Arteta can’t maintain CL football regularly then it’s probably curtains AW got a second bite at the cherry and I’d expect Arteta to get the same if there is a blip
Our EPL wins came at a completely different time – before Chelsea and City. Even Fergie knew when it was time to bow out. That makes winning the league so much harder having one of the very best managers and a team that has possibly been bankrolled illegally at the top of the pile
Yeah so essentially ( and I respect it’s your opinion ) a top 4 finish makes him a great manager?
I think a great manager wins titles
Just my opinion
Please point me to where I’ve said he’s a great manager Dan
Like many others who comment, he is on his way. Greatness takes time
Soz just thought your targeting only me for saying he’s good not great implied you think he’s great
So if we both thinks he’s done a good job but not great why you picking on me lol
Dan
I don’t think you give him sufficient credit – that’s all
Okay 👌
A typical hatchet job but perhaps not surprising. Your perspectives on Arteta reflect the bias of a certain group of fans and an unreasonable sense of entitlement. The PL remains one of the strongest and toughest leagues to win and we have had some of the best managers in the world here over the last couple of decades. Some have really struggled at times. The challenge of winning the league in contemporary times is captured in Mourinho’s comments after his MU side came second to MC.
The way we won the FA cup clearly showed Arteta can set up a team to win. Suggesting that the FA cup should be left out of discussions is disingenuous as it is part of MA’s body of work.
The evolution of the team over the last few years clearly demonstrates that MA has the ability to build a title challenging team.
As usual, quite silly comparisons are being made with teams who have huge competitive advantages against almost every other team in their league. Some of those teams have won most of their league’s titles for a decade or more and are much richer than almost every other team.
Arsenal had barely been considered an elite club for more than a decade prior to Arteta. By the time he joined we were looking like a mid table team. Given where we were it is really rich to be describing Arteta ‘s time at Arsenal in terms of failure rather than one of progress.
The team has been completely rebuilt and a new culture established. The team of the last couple of years has been stronger and more consistent than any we have had for over 15 years. The fans are excited about every game we play now. This has been a remarkable transformation and really should be given more respect.
@David
With the money that’s been spent, AFC should be competitively battling on more than one front, as we have been for the past few years. And while playing basically one match a week, we should have won the league by now. That’s how Leicester pulled it off. Which was not a fluke, but a well executed game plan.
The money spent was necessary to get us competitive again in the PL which is where we are now. Before the last few years teams like MC and Liverpool had spent wisely ahead of Arsenal and had become the established elite teams in the PL. Despite spending similar huge amounts other teams like Chelsea and MU have yet to re-establish themselves amongst elite despite also employing some well respected managers.
Leicester’s win was flukey. The Arsenal team of the last two seasons would probably have beaten that Leicester team to the title and few would believe that Leicester could ever win a title when up against Pep’s MC. Leicester’s points total was the lowest for a PL winning team in the past decade.
David what a typical appologetic reply. And totally no perspective, as usual.
Flukey ?
Nothing fluky going 38 games through a season and coming out on top , cups maybe but not a whole season .
NY, David will tell you Leicesters win was flukey. Leicester was without any shadow of a doubt, THE BEST TEAM THAT SEASON. No Fluke. You dont fluke the premier league. Any fool knows that.
I am afraid making statements like this simply demonstrates ignorance. These are “flat earth” types of comments rather than any based on a good understanding of football and any kind of sound analysis.
There were certain factors that played into Leicester’s hands that season. There were also unusual statistical anomalies in Leicester’s favour which contributed to their overperformance during part of the season.
If it wasn’t a fluke, NYG, then why couldn’t Leicester repeat it? After all it was a well executed game plan
so Sue, when we won the league and could not repeat it. It was a fluke?
Fair enough Reggie but there was definitely something about that win that had the stars, the moon and the sun conspiring that year. It was wonderful for the people of Leicester but they were not able to maintain their position.
After Arsenal won the league, they didn’t get relegated not long afterwards.
Some talk like Arsenal has been the only club spending big money since Arteta took over. Compare our spending since Arteta took over with the then state of our club to that of our Top Rivals. Go check what the likes of Villa, Spurs, Man. U, and Newcastle have spent since their respective coaches took over. Emery, Ten Hag, Ange and Howe has spent more in their first two seasons than Arteta. The EPL is the most competitive league to win, and presently has the best coach in world football with a multi-billion state sponsored backing. Look how Klop managed to win only One EPL Title throughout his stay in England even with his experience as a Two Time league winner in Germany. Arteta at the moment is not a great manager, but he is showing signs and is well on his way to becoming one.
David, tell me the last time The Arsenal finished mid table?
I’ll give you a clue – go back over two decades before you start checking.
Ken1945
I know that Arteta didn’t spring us back to CL football and finished 8th twice, but I had the feeling that latterly under AW and Emery’s unfortunate tenure that Arteta was taking over – on paper at least – a mid table team by the time Emery was sacked
Hatchet Job 😂
Mid table 😂
Spot on Ken some lengths fans go to ….
.
Hes built a team to challenge but difference from previous managers is he’s spent a lot of money doing so ,nothing special IMO .
👍 The investment should be seeing a return. And should have seen a return.
Couple more phases and half a billion spent Before we see that Reggie .
Dan, I honestly don’t think, its about money now. I think, its about ability. Of the manager!!!!!!
As only one team in 4 years has won the league, pray tell me who would have come to Arsenal and done a better job from scratch?
It’s so easy to dismiss Arteta but all the time I suggested a replacement for him – not one person who replied-(and there were many) has come up with anything remotely plausible
On that note, now that we look like the real deal, I can almost bet the previous hacks who wouldn’t have touched us with a barge like will be queuing up to have a go
Barge pole🙄
Who can do better then 1 Fa Cup in 5 years ?
Quite a few
If you are prepared to reply to my post at least make it relevant to the subject
Who could have done a better job was your question ?
So who can win 1 cup in Five years and manage 2 top 4 finishes
Loads
That’s the point, it’s good but it’s not great or special
Use Europe as an example
Could we find another manager who would have done better
Of course
But I learnt that your a fan who if it’s about Arsenal , you can’t be objective
Watch , ‘ has Arteta been a great manager so far in Europe ?’
Name that manager and then tell me if he would have come to Arsenal after Emery? Wouldn’t be a very long list
Ancelotti
I believe he was interviewed and went to Everton instead. He could well have done a better job. An established and successful titan of the game – but did he want a rebuild? Imo that is what Arsenal had become
Unsurprisingly, your comments have been deliberately misinterpreted in order to create a distraction. This is a regularly used underhand tactic to shift the discussion to a different topic.
Is 8th considered “mid-table” in a league of 20 teams?
@Reggie
The “Realest of the RealTalk”. Prepare for the “ But we came in second twice” onslaught…
Funny you should mention that, but we DID finish “second twice’, which was quite an achievement all things considered.
It was an achievement Jax. But both times, we blew up and we have not won a major honour, for a long while now.
Arsene Wenger would disagree. 2nd – CL qualification, which to him was a “trophy”.
You might not get a piece of silverware to put on display (maybe they should award some small trophy, without a ceremony?) but it’s more important to most clubs than the domestic cups.
I agree with Wenger fwiw.
there’s also the effect CL qual has on how players feel about joining the club – “success breeds success” etc.
On that basis,. MA has won quite a lot – and I bet that’s how the owners see it. Which is what matters when it comes to awarding contracts.
The one question that’s never answered by people who want to get rid of MA if he doesn’t win something silver and sparkly, is… who else would you get instead? Look at the failures of all the so-called top managers (Poch, Mourinho etc) and you see that there’s a risk with almost anyone.
Better the devil you know to my mind, and MA is far from a “devil” in that context imho, he’s clearly rather good and has Arsenal back to being a top club – and still on an upward trajectory. Be careful what you wish for.
Personally the extension was good business and good common sense. Who knows what is in the contract? No one does, but I hope there are stipulations written into the contract.
For example, Arteta needs to win a trophy of some kind; preferably the PL, but a FA Cup at the least I should say.
Massive investment upwards of 800 million since he took charge, ripping up contracts, building his squad of handpicked players as well as deciding we have enough depth.
He has had every reasonable thing, and then some, provided for him; now it is time to deliver. There should not be a renewal after this contract if there is no silverware to show.
This may upset some, but when they say “Who would replace him?” It is not hard to answer, because it’s not hard to find a manager, give them 100+ million to spend every Summer, complete control over roster decisions, and in the end win nothing.
IF one tolerates mediocrity, then in the end mediocrity is what you get. In Wenger’s final years top 4 was the goal, so top 4 was what we achieved. Silverware should be the expectation now, of some kind, or else we need to make changes.
Winning trophies is not just based on how good the manager is but sometimes luck. If you get drawn with City, Liverpool, Man n Arsenal on ur way to final you definitely know luck is against you compared to drawn with lesser team till the later stages or final
@Ols
There is no luck in football. Just saying….
There’s no luck? Wow!!!! No need questioning your previous weak post…
I agree. With all the questionable refereeing decisions every season, no matter how much tech is thrown at them.
And the incidents where the ball is almost over a line, or not quite over a line in some other incident… nobody judges it that finely – there’s luck in many ways over a lot of games. The difference between City and Sheffield United is not luck, but the diff between City and Arsenal might well be.
The difference is one decision or one tiny thing that would have changed a draw into a win. 2 more points, better GD… Arsenal are champions instead of City.
When the margins are small, luck can be a factor. Surely that’s obvious.
Fair point, but we continue to get bounced out in early rounds don’t we?
The last 2 seasons we have been in first place, but squandered the opportunity and couldn’t handle the pressure. City overtook us both times and never looked back.
We still lack that Champions mentality, we do well in the season, but can’t finish off the job.
Theres no luck who you play in the league.
Yes but there is luck in how team set up against you. You’re playing City with Halland n Debruyne injured with a certain Sylvia suspended. Is that not luck? Referee having an off day against your opponent. The Tot game against Liverpool last season where Liv goal was ruled out. There is luck but you work hard to make them pay. Maybe you have another name for what I meant by luck.
Over a season, luck is not the factor that wins you the league. Being the best does. And being able to cope with adversity. not luck!
Before his new contract ended…it will be renewed either he win any trophy or not and there is nothing the complainers can do about it…Arteta is here to stay for a long period of time know this and know peace.
I actually thought the Kroenke’s were waiting on a telephone call from God
The phrase “Show me the money (trophies)” should have been the reason for waiting until the end of the season. Do you think with all the problems that City have regarding the 115 charges that there really is a danger for Arteta to be snapped up by them? No way they will want the best for the club and wait after looking at Arteta’s record.
Yet here we are being presented with another tortuous 3 years by the Generational at Failure.
Arteta is doing wonderful job at arsenal. He has tremendously changed the mentality of our players. Extension of his contract is in the right direction. He will definitely deliver sooner than later.
So with the investigation slated to get under way in less than forty eight hours time, could Arsenal be crown champions for the last two seasons, depending on court proceedings and how things turns out?
One thing for sure, when so much mud is sling on the wall some will stick 😉
It’s. not actually a law court, but an independent commission of three people to hear evidence etc. held in secret, so we’re unlikely to know anything until early 2025.
Sack him then and get who will win you the league. Sometimes, you don’t appreciate what you have till it’s gone.
Sack would be harsh lol
About time it was extended. ofc we don’t know what the hold-up was, it could be either side or it could just be that they all took their time, like they said.
If not MA, then who?