Totally agree Soc.
In the first half it was noticeable how within 2 or 3 passes Newcastle were attacking us near our box. They had a quickness to their attack while ours was methodical measured and slow and quite frankly boring
Teams like Newcastle and Liverpool just have a zip to their attack which we are seriously lacking.
I wish we could score more like the opener against Brentford. Quick transition and suddenly Partey has drilled it home. I really hope Arteta is having a serious think about the way we play and we get some players that are going to.add creativity and pace to our game.
We can't continue like this .

Ain't that the truth ; perched on a leather swivel chair at 3.45 am ; temperature not exactly tropical at 4 degrees
I'm thinking do I really need this , get a hot water bottle and get back into bed you half wit .

Thought " Boy do we need Victor Gyokeres " then the next thought was ;
"will he make that much difference ...... after all by the time he gets the ball he is going to have to struggle against massed defences in the same way Trossard or Saka do .

I didn't watch all the match I kept fast forwarding looking for the ACTION so my assessment might be slightly off ; but given the early play we might have been lucky Joelinton and Isak weren't on the pitch .

Totally agree with the first bit ...but the second half ...the plea to the board to buy game changing players .

My pessimistic side rears it's ugly head and I just don't see Mikel opting for high tempo counter attack no matter what players we buy .

Sure ; we can turn it on when we have an "off day " but in the main Arteta sees possession as king we don't subscribe to the cavalry charge approach like Palace employed against Citeeee$$$$$

You mention Havertz ; what a disgrace , his injury feigning is off the charts . Dan Burns dropped the ball on him and he's complaining like he got hit with a bazooka

He is getting better and better

Keown made a good point about us taking the next step from 2nd to 1st, he simply said ‘it can’t all be on the manager’. I think too many people, certainly outside the club think it’s all Arteta’s job to make us take that step. Some players need to step up, 2-3 players need to have seasons where everyone is talking about them being the player of the year.

This season has been a big learning opportunity.

Major hamstring injuries to Gabi, Havertz, Saka and Martinelli. Plus minor one to Saliba hopefully.

Too many players playing too many games, mostly down to squad depth, but partly the manager not putting more faith in some non first choice players like Kiwior.

We've just about survived the defensive injuries as we have the depth there. We emphatically don't have the depth in the front 3 forward positions.

There is clearly a need for a couple of forwards. Probably a no9 and young wide forward who will be willing to warm bench at times.

That is key, but also replacing all the departures and turning over those who haven't been delivering.

I said this last week. Maybe it’s the Board who need to make that final step. With a squad that’s a bit light Arteta and in the era of financially doped teams, he has got us to 3 (probably) consecutive 2nd place finishes, and now a CL semi. With a record like that it seems sensible and pretty obvious to give him the players he wants.

Guys.It’s not that bad. We’ve had so so many injuries and since January when we lost all our strikers we’ve had to scrap and scrape for our points. Even now players like Ben white, Saka and Ødegaard are struggling trying to regain their form after being out and we’re still missing Jesus and Big Gab. The manager did what he needed to this year and as Keown says he’s not some Jesus like figure who can work miracles. It’s amazing how much he’s raised the standards that people are upset

Just a nightmare season from hell. Finishing 2nd and a European semi is an achievement

Desperately need a couple of attacking threats to come in. Will boost the whole place

With the lack of summer strengthening last year it felt like a big step back for the squad, at best standing still - which with the level you need to win the prem it effectively going backwards. City are feeling the same after 2-3 bad windows. Liverpool are yet to have a really bad window for a few years.

This summer the guys get a full summer with no football, whilst Chelsea and City play the club world cup thing which is 7-8 games if you make it to the final. I'd happily play one of those two sides on the first day of the season if it was offered right now.

I make the squad with the likely departures as
Raya, White, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior, Tomiyasu, Calafiori, MLS, Partey(?), Ødegaard, Rice, Merino, Saka, Martinelli, Nwaneri, Trossard, Havertz, Jesus

That's 19 players and 2 of those will be injured well in to next year (Tomiyasu and Jesus). I'm basing this on the following players leaving permanently or on loan Neto, Sterling, Tierney, Zinchenko, Jorginho, Nelsen, Tavares, Lokonga. So we're losing 5 players who contributed this season and will likely end the season with a squad of 17 players for next year - could be 16 if no resolution on Partey's contract happens. 6 players need to come in as an absolute minimum

Man City have a squad of 24 players even if we take out De Bruyne and don't count youngsters like McAtee and Simpson-Pusey
Liverpool is 21 players including taking Trent out.

Our squad is far too light in numbers and I think we knew it this season because no club going for the title should be loaning players unless they are seen as an opportunistic bonus

I still can't get over how staggeringly one sides the ref was towards the end of the game. I see it in lots of games that are tight not just Arsenal games, one team is clearly trying to slow the game down, win fouls and the other is urgently trying to get on with it and becoming quite physical in their desperation but instead of actually applying the laws of the game its like the ref takes a personal dislike to teams trying to see the game out - or a feeling of affection towards those trying to win it - much like a genuine neutral would who was watching on - but refs the game this way.

Contact on a player of the team leading which would be a foul at any other point in the game is now waved away in the frantic nature of the finish, and similar fouls the other way are play on.

I think refs get swept up in the emotion of the game far too much

Agreed. I don't think Rice was 100% yesterday and it showed. Saka and White are still rusty. Ødegaard's form is improving but he is still not quite himself. Partey was playing it safe (not too surprising given that Newcastle seemed to be able to play through us so easily).

We actually did very well in the last two games. Very gusty second half performances against top opposition.

I don't think the kind of football that Arteta wants us to play is 'boring'. I don't think we were boring against RM. The problem is that several of the cogs are missing or malfunctioning.

Isak missed the game with a groin niggle - its his 6th groin related 'niggle' in the last 2 seasons. His propensity through his career to pick up a number of niggles plus the price he'd cost are the 2 black marks against him, otherwise he'd be perfect.

But for a possible £120m that you could spend all summer chasing and never get anywhere I'd absolutely just cut that avenue off now, go and get Gyokeres if he's the one we want for £60m and then go and spend the other £60m in change on Xavi Simons!

For those reasons I would not go for Isak

We have so many injury prone players as is (Tomiyasu, Zinny, Jesus, Califiori, Partey)

Spurs are seriously looking at Eze - £68m release clause and it can't be paid in installments over a long period. Other clubs are interested. If I was Eze I'd be waiting for a proper big club to come in for him, and even if they don't I'd be asking whether Spurs is the right move to make. No doubt he would make a lot more money in wages but he's ready for a bigger step up than that - with every disrespect to Spurs intended!

Tommy Setford is in the Eng U19 Euro Championship squad. I think he's been officially promoted to the first team. It's always a tricky thing for young GK, does he stay and become most likely Arsenal's 3rd choice first team Gk or does he go out on loan? If we can find the right loan I'd always favour that. We had a strange cheap bid for Dan Bentley at Wolves, a home grown journeyman Gk can make a good living as 3rd choice at a top club - signed as much for their professionalism and positive affect on the group as for their actual GK ability!

Timber is having surgery on an ankle issue, he's been playing through it for a while. No timescale on how long he'll be out. Two things, 1 we're already starting next season with injured players, we must strengthen properly this summer, quality and quantity and 2) how brilliant has Timber been this season, back off a ACL would normally lead to repeat niggles and you wouldn't want him to play the amount he has, but he has kept his level high and now knowing he's been playing through the pain for a while. Hats off.

Injuries mean more injuries, Timber might have been able to avoid this ankle injury had White and Tomiyasu been fit. Perhaps others too.

There was a point early in the second half where Newcastle played the ball in to the feet of one of their forward players (I forget who) and Kiwior aggressively went with him, touch tight all the way back in to his own half, eventually Kiwior got too tight and fouled him but I have no problem with the foul, the aggressiveness and pressure he put on the Newcastle player was exactly what we needed and was lacking in the first half. Fouls in those areas are run of the mill and won't get booked, worth the risk of the foul for the reward of nicking the ball.

We're always a much better team when our off the ball press is ultra aggressive all over the pitch. It is how we scored our goal as well.

I thought he was our man of the match. He was aggressive and decisive (unlike some of his team mates), and his distribution was top notch. He's been ok but not convincing, but yesterday he stepped up. Raya made great saves but you can't overlook his uncharacteristically poor kicking, which contributed to our being so wobbly in the first half.

I'm not quite sure why Newcastle were so diminished as an attacking force in the second half. I was really worried about their quick players running at Calafiori but it just never happened.

Kiwior has always been decent on the ball. Dealing with chaotic crosses and defending was the issue. I wouldn’t be rushing to sell him personally as it feels to me replacing him would be more expensive.

I think some of the arguments that Arteta doesn’t rotate enough are silly but where it is valid is for the lack of minutes for Kiwior and Zinchenko probably. They are capable replacements for most games. Other areas less so

Issue is that the replacements may well get better with more games, just like Kiwior has.

The Vlahovic rumours may have some truth, he's only got a year on his current deal, 25yo and decent goalscoring record, would offer us something and at a cheap fee would be a useful addition.

Liverpool with 6 changed from their best 11 for their game v Brighton. They played their best 11 against us, they were desperate to beat us and try to lay down a marker for both this and next season. Getting the draw with 10 men and coming back from 2-0 was a big result for us in many ways

https://x.com/kimmofc/status/1924486101 ... -j6VVZXEoA

This post is right. The commentary is ‘there’s no need for the Arsenal players to get involved’ in the pushing and shoving at the end of the Newcastle game.
Yes you could take that view, we’ve won the game so let Newcastle blow their fuse and ignore it. Or there are 2 alternative views
1) great to see Arsenal players willing to fight and stand up for each other, no longer can they be described as a soft touch and easily bullied
2) Newcastle players throwing their toys out of the pram, sore losers, perhaps if they showed more of this fight in the game they might have got something from it

Ask yourself what the comment would have been if the roles and score were reversed at st James’ park and you’ll see why so many Arsenal fans think there is an agenda against our club

Totally.

To me Newcastle were overly physical and again, were somewhat fortunate how the referee failed to blow for some rather blatant fouls.

Quite rightly we stood up to their bullying.

https://x.com/afc_fazeel/status/1924211 ... -j6VVZXEoA

MLS out-jumping Dan Burn for a header. I’d say I hope he reminds him of this when they’re on England duty next but I’d be amazed if Dan Burn makes many more squads.

https://x.com/footballdaily/status/1616433513066110981

Klopp in 2023

https://x.com/afc_fazeel/status/1924206 ... -j6VVZXEoA

It’s amazing what a journalist who has done their research and can present the alternative argument with facts rather than feelings can just stop ill informed people in their tracks.

Obviously I like this because she puts out a defence of Arsenal but I’d absolutely welcome this for every club, every argument and to challenge every pundit

Indeed.

So much shite journalism. This decent bit of journalism exposes context. Arteta really hasn't spent that much in context of totally restructuring a squad and turning a midtable team into challengers, finishing ahead of several clubs with far bigger spends and wage bills.

We’re the only team in the prem and championship to not be awarded a penalty at home in the league this season. In the top 5 European leagues we have the 3rd most touches in the box. We deliver countless set pieces where grappling is rife, we have wingers who like to dribble in to the box. It’s a statistical anomaly

They played their first 11 against us because it was their last home game of the season. It was their sign-off with their fans after winning the league. All of their top players would have wanted to play in that game.

They’ve got a home game v Palace next week where they get the trophy. Don’t think them playing their best 11 v us and resting 5-6 players v Chelsea and Brighton has anything to do with the reason you suggest

Smith-Rowe, mainly fit all season, 6 goals and 3 assists, has never played the full 90 and only made it past 70 minutes 16 times. He’s an Arsenal youth graduate who was brilliant for us when we needed someone to step up and for the fans to put their hopes on but it is sad to say he is at his right level at the moment and the club were right to cash in

When he started matches for us he was always absolutely exhausted by the 60th minute. Good player but as you say probably his level

You mean why YOU think so.

There is a lot of work to do this summer.

Lots of departures needing replacements but also big decisions on whether the likes of Trossard and Martinelli are quite at the level to be starters. The problem with replacing Martinelli is that he bleeds red and his work rate is unprecedented. That said, he is in the side to provide goals and assists.

I actually think a bonafide no.9 would help Martinelli. Lots of his crosses go begging for want of bodies in the box.

Then you have the enigma that is Ødegaard. Incredibly technically gifted and leads the press but he goes missing too often in games and by his standards has had a poor season. Once again, a bonafide no.9 might help him by providing a target for through balls.

I think Havertz is also a bit of an issue. Not really clinical enough to be a top level 9, an OK 10 or 8 but not really a world beater in any position. A kind of swiss army knife if you like. Maybe you need one of those. Again, would be be helped playing behind a proper no.9?

Lots of big decisions to be made.

The reason is written all over his face

I don't think the issue is whether Martinelli is good enough to start - personally I think he is. I just think we need another top drawer wide player with pace, someone we can rotate on left and right to reduce the number of games our wide forwards (Saka and Martinelli) play.

"We’re the only team in the prem and championship to not be awarded a penalty at home in the league this season. In the top 5 European leagues we have the 3rd most touches in the box. We deliver countless set pieces where grappling is rife, we have wingers who like to dribble in to the box. It’s a statistical anomaly"

So true, it's interesting how the bias in the media means that certain biases get further reinforced and perpetuated. For example we have players who go down a bit easily like all other clubs - but ours get way less favourable media coverage for it, whereas some of the worst divers of all (Gordon, Foden, De Bruyne) get very little criticism as they play for certain clubs.

Anyways. Looking on the positive.

There are going to be big problems financially for whoever loses Europa League final

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/ar ... y3wed9de5o

You mean why YOU think Rich thinks so.

And whoever from Chelsea, Newcastle or Villa don’t make champions league. Villa in particular are right up against it with 96% of their entire turnover being spent on wages. Completely unsustainable and will mean they have to sell some of their better players this summer I’m certain of it