Topic: Arsenal

[Red-Soldier]

Arsenal will be really interesting next season.

You can see where they’re trying to go with the team, but there are so many issues to solve.  Midfield and defence are huge issues... and yet they won’t have that much to spend.

Next season we will also see the value of Arteta as a coach.  3 to 4 months is usually enough time for the coaching to show.  Look at Lampard, the wheels have fallen off.  Look at Solskjaer, the wheels have fallen off.  They are both utterly crap, but it took some time to show itself.

Arteta?  He might be different, but we will see in the autumn.  I don’t doubt he can coach, but are his shoulders broad enough to carry this behemoth from the floor and get them to soar again?

Not sure if this is correct 

How many people said he would be a top manager on here?? He's done, and continues to do ok. 

[Petadroli]

To me it looks like 4 of the "traditional top six" are currently rebuilding. And of these four (ManUtd, Spurs, Chelsea, Arsenal), Arsenal have the best manager in place for future success. Followed by Chelsea.

[Schmidt]

Arsenal will be really interesting next season.

You can see where they’re trying to go with the team, but there are so many issues to solve.  Midfield and defence are huge issues... and yet they won’t have that much to spend.

Next season we will also see the value of Arteta as a coach.  3 to 4 months is usually enough time for the coaching to show.  Look at Lampard, the wheels have fallen off.  Look at Solskjaer, the wheels have fallen off.  They are both utterly crap, but it took some time to show itself.

Arteta?  He might be different, but we will see in the autumn.  I don’t doubt he can coach, but are his shoulders broad enough to carry this behemoth from the floor and get them to soar again?

Arteta does feel a little different for me. He hasn't had that new manager bump where the players suddenly develop some pride and start racing around the pitch, and he hasn't had a player suddenly hit a purple patch under him. The players are still the same and the issues are still there, but he seems to have given the team some structure and a way of playing that can cover their issues, which is all you can really ask for from a new manager. I don't see how they suddenly start signing the right players though, that's been a problem for them for a while.

[The North Bank]

For some reason, not totally sure why, Arteta was being touted as a potentially top manager for years, even when he was playing. In the same way Ole was famous for having a baby face, and Lamps for speaking 2 languages, and leaving his Spanish wife for the girl from morning tv.

[mallin9]

For some reason, not totally sure why, Arteta was being touted as a potentially top manager for years, even when he was playing. In the same way Ole was famous for having a baby face, and Lamps for speaking 2 languages, and leaving his Spanish wife for the girl from morning tv.

Hair. He has really nice hair.

People have faith in someone with a sizable Brillo pad on their head

[Skeeve]

Arsenal will be really interesting next season.

You can see where they’re trying to go with the team, but there are so many issues to solve.  Midfield and defence are huge issues... and yet they won’t have that much to spend.

While they eventually need to completely overhaul both the mf and def, getting one player for each who has the talent or presence to raise those around them, you could easily see them take significant steps forward, although obviously finding those right two players won't be easy as VVD's don't grow on trees after all.

[LovelyCushionedHeader]

Some of their celebrations after scoring meaningless goals, or goals to get them out of situations they shouldn't be in, are outright weird. Going back to when the played us in the League Cup, Lacazette's goal to put them 4-0 up against Newcastle, and Aubameyang's goal tonight. Acting like they've just achieved everything there is to achieve. Shows mentality issues I think.

Strange club; strange set of players.

[please, I have my reasons for it but...]

They celebrated that goal more than we celebrated Origi's second against Barcelona.

[Caligula?]

It's all about mentality. They've been shit for years now. Expectations are at an all time low. Beating Newcastle 4-0 and scoring what they thought was the goal that would put them through in the Europa League is about as good as it's going to get for Arsenal these days. And then suddenly it got worse.

[Dim Glas]

https://twitter.com/IanWright0/status/1233156480074944513?s=20

Didn't age well this.... 

[Samie]

That Robbie lad off Arsenal Fan TV drives around in a fuckin' Bentley, no fuckin' wonder. He's making boat load of money off nights like this. 

[S]

Didn't Aubameyang score with less than ten minutes to go? I know they kind of went crazy, but there was probably a great deal of relief at that point. Think a few of you may have forgotten what it's like to be in a rut like Arsenal's. In our more depressing campaigns (2010/11, 2014/15) every goal felt like a big moment because we struggled so much. In fact this game reminded me of our ill-fated Europa campaigns back then. Hopes raised and then dashed.

I don't disagree that they're weak mentally though. As a club they have been for a while. Since the unbeaten side started to split up really.

[The 1989 Brit Awards]

That was a suckerpunch alright. The fact that Aubameyang's goal was that good made it worse. Reminds me of when Salah scored a worldie against Tottenham in the last minutes only for Kane to equalise with a penalty.

[The 1989 Brit Awards]

In fact this game reminded me of our ill-fated Europa campaigns back then. Hopes raised and then dashed.

Indeed. The anfield game vs. Zenit where Suarez scored 2 free kicks comes to mind.

[Lush is the best medicine...]

That Robbie lad off Arsenal Fan TV drives around in a fuckin' Bentley, no fuckin' wonder. He's making boat load of money off nights like this. 

thats a joke, he drives a range I think going off some of those videos

[Lush is the best medicine...]

Indeed. The anfield game vs. Zenit where Suarez scored 2 free kicks comes to mind.

and the atletico semi 10 years ago

[Samie]

thats a joke, he drives a range I think going off some of those videos

A man like him can have a Bentley and a Range mate. 

[Lush is the best medicine...]

A man like him can have a Bentley and a Range mate. 

right now he’d be slummin it with just a Bentley and a range!

[Flaccido Dongingo]

They're absolutely dreadful, so lobsided

[skipper757]

and the atletico semi 10 years ago

Braga at home was another one. Same with Beşiktaş away.

It was always so frustrating to be eliminated.  You feel like you should be beating these sides but the team just couldn’t quite pull off the results.

[Lush is the best medicine...]

Braga at home was another one. Same with Beşiktaş away.

It was always so frustrating to be eliminated.  You feel like you should be beating these sides but the team just couldn’t quite pull off the results.

oh god that braga game I’d erased from my memory, possibly the worst anfield home performance in my lifetime, maybe brondby around 95 I think was worse (and that defeat was probably on a par with that arsenal one tonight) but at least braga got to the final and beat a good benfica side in the semis that year and we had just gotten rid of the cancers so somewhat excusable

[Roopy]

Braga at home was another one. Same with Beşiktaş away.

It was always so frustrating to be eliminated.  You feel like you should be beating these sides but the team just couldn’t quite pull off the results.

Beşiktaş away was one of the most incredible away fixtures I have watched Liverpool play (and that was on the TV!).

The Beşiktaş fans were absolutely mental for 90 minutes.

Just last year I was in Austria and my taxi driver was Turkish and a Beşiktaş fan and we started talking football - the way he spoke about that win over Liverpool was like they had won the Champions League.

Even though we lost - it was still fascinating to see what the victory meant & still means to Beşiktaş fans to this day.

[Riquende]

They're absolutely dreadful, so lobsided

Was Nayim playing last night?

[jillcwhomever]

They celebrated that goal more than we celebrated Origi's second against Barcelona.

So? Have you forgotten what it’s like being in the position they are in. I’m pretty sure we had those moments as well. Don’t really get why people highlight stuff like this.

[IanZG]

That was a suckerpunch alright. The fact that Aubameyang's goal was that good made it worse. Reminds me of when Salah scored a worldie against Tottenham in the last minutes only for Kane to equalise with a penalty.

Salah's goal would've been considered an all time great had it not been for that silly penalty. Another wondergoal spoiled by the result is Coates' against QPR, I think. Sucks for Aubameyang. he'll remember the miss a lot more than the goal.

[Morgana]

Still cant get my head around how Arsenal managed to bottle this. Just goes to show that 1-0 leads (even with an away goal) are paper thin, esp. when you can't defend properly.  They got kind of complacent. My brother, who's supported Arsenal since we were kids, is devastated.

[Persephone]

Still cant get my head around how Arsenal managed to bottle this. Just goes to show that 1-0 leads (even with an away goal) are paper thin, esp. when you can't defend properly.  They got kind of complacent. My brother, who's supported Arsenal since we were kids, is devastated.

Simple... They're Arsenal. It's the most Arsenal thing to do these days. Arteta has so much work ahead of him to rectify that mess of a club. He needs at least a new backline before even addressing the other problems he inherited.

[ScottishGoon]

Shite performance yields shite result. Don't know if it's mentality, attitude, complacency, tiredness, lack of quality, or as I suspect a combination of them all.

Probably the last big hurrah for a few members of the team (at least it should be anyway).

[Ziltoid]

and the atletico semi 10 years ago

Last time i had a semi was about 10 years ago

[Ghost Town]

Last time i had a semi was about 10 years ago

We don't need to hear any more about your owl fetish 

[Kopenhagen]

To Neville and Carra: If Aubameyang is a PL "great" he scores that chance at the end.

[LovelyCushionedHeader]

To Neville and Carra: If Aubameyang is a PL "great" he scores that chance at the end.

I don't think you can define greatness via the miss of one chance. He's a great player and has been for some time now.

[Another Red]

I recall us celebrating similarly when Benayoun scored in extra time against Atletico Madrid in the semis of the Europa League. Atletico scored minutes later and the rest is history. Just don't over celebrate goals in extra time as a rule of thumb. Players are tired at that stage of the game making mistakes more likely.

I don't generally feel a lot of sympathy for the Gunners but that was difficult to watch.

[S]

I don't generally feel a lot of sympathy for the Gunners but that was difficult to watch.

I can sympathise a little with Arsenal, partly because they're the most likeable of the big Premier League clubs and partly because we've been in their situation ourselves.

A lucky cup run was their last chance at a Champions League return. They'd be better off not qualifying for the Europa next season and putting all their effort into the top four. Otherwise I can see them ending up in the European wilderness.

[PaulF]

Was Nayim playing last night?

No he was stuck on the half way line.

[Lone Star Red]

They celebrated that goal more than we celebrated Origi's second against Barcelona.

[Dim Glas]

I don't give a shite about Arsenal over-celebrating goals, it's nothing to get too het up over!

But that photo from West Brom, suprising to see a Liverpool fan use it as some sort of argument for teams over celebrating, I would have thought people here understood what the purpose and significance of it was by now.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

Hopefully you're just taking the piss.

[Garrus]

Lacazette has been woeful in the last few games I've watched him. They should try and get rid in the summer.

[Something Worse]

Thanking the fans for their support isn't the same as overcelebrating goals.