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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2026:02:04:15:07:34 by Flava.

Hincapié is poor.

And from the very beginning was always against signing Madueke.
He's poor and cost us good money.
But hey he's from Chelsea 😉

"𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2026:01:27:21:51:12 by Boston Gooner.

Great article James. Thanks for contributing 👏

PS your Dad's a pr.pick 😀

Nicely summarized what we all think about Arteta.

For background, that pic is young James and myself in Exeter in a pub toilet last year after City had got f*cked up by Wrexham. We had drowned our sorrows with several pints of strong continental lager, hence our dishevelled appearance.

He lied about his age to enter the pub?

Quote:

Merlion96
He lied about his age to enter the pub?

young James had only enjoyed a couple of light dandelion and burdocks as I recall Merlion.

Aug to Dec 2022 League Performance … WWWWW LW WWWDW WWWW
Jan to May 2023 League Performance … DWW LDLWW WWWW WDDDL WWLLW

We had a mini-slump in Feb 2023 but recovered to string together 7 consecutive wins. Arteta bottled it in April when leading 2-0, he played safety-first football in 2nd half resulting in opponents snatching a 2-2 draw in 3 successive games. Arsenal was also beaten by Man City in May.



Aug to Dec 2023 League Performance … WWD WWDW WDW LWW WWLWDLL
Jan to May 2024 League Performance … WW WWWW WWD WWLWWW WWW

This is the most painful title loss by losing to Villa in April 2024. Bottler.


Aug to Dec 2024 League Performance … WWD WDW WLD LDWW WDDWW
Jan to May 2025 League Performance … WDWDW WWLDDW WDDWD LDWW

2024/25 season is an achievement to finish 2nd. Liverpool was outstanding and out-of-sight by 2025.


Aug to Dec 2025 League Performance … WWL WDW WWW WDWD WLWWWW
Jan to May 2026 League Performance … WDDL

2025/26 season has the worst January results out of previous 4 seasons.
We had two bad February in 2023 and 2025 but a winning Feb 2024.

Let’s hope that Feb 2026 means that we will string together a run of at least 5 no. consecutive wins like Jan/Feb 2024.

Arsene Wenger's 3 title wins, his team always string together a 10+ consecutive wins in every one of those 3 seasons.

Arteta only managed 8 no. consecutive wins in 1 out of 6 seasons.

Should Arteta managed to emulate 1997/98 & 2001/02 seasons where we string together 13+ no. consecutive wins all the way till season end, 2025/26 title is ours.

13W 1D 1L = 40 + 50 = 90 points which is sufficed to win the 2025/26 title.

It is vital that we do not lose to Man City on 18 April.


"To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.” Saint Thomas Aquinas



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2026:01:27:22:45:45 by Merlion96.

Good well balanced article

Good article, and highlights a relevant point, its not just the players who lack the experience as a group winning the big pots, but the manager as well. He will only be considered a "success" once he does it, and will remain a nearly man in the eyes of some until such a day arrives.

Ive always harbored reservations as to whether, for all his intensity and fabled belief he instills in players, he himself had the required calmness and strength of character to give us that extra 10% to get over the line.

Its one thing to say Arteta should be booted if we dont win the PL or CL, its a whole other conversation as to who should replace him.

Looking at the likes of United, Chelsea and Spurs to a lesser extent, they have all tried the proven "winner" model, Van Gaal, Jose, Conte, Tuchel, even Big Ange etc or the project manager, Ten Hag, Amorim, Potter, Maresca, Rosenior, Frank.

All pretty much to a man have failed to bring real success that those clubs desire, apart from Tuchel, but his explosive and abbrasive personality saw him fall out with BlueCo.

Even Liverpool with Slot, there was an element of the stars aligning last season, ready made squad, few tactical tweaks and Salah having a wordie season, his shortcomings have been highlighted this season when things havnt been plain sailing.

The pool of so called world class managers has shrunk to maybe two or three, the old guard like Ancelotti and Jose are over the hill, so were down to maybe Luis Enrique and Tuchel and the latter would be a very short term appointment with a single goal, as with England, in and out before he falls out with everyone.

Other than that, its project manger territory again with the likes of Areola or Glasner and the gamble they would be at a big club and the time they would need to get the "project" moving. We could go backwards as likely as getting over the finishing line.

The manner the season ends will infleunce how Arteta is viewed, finish two points off first and a CL final and maybe a domestic cup would probably convince KSE to stick with him, rather than the huge uncertainty of a change.

Anything more stark in terms of loosing the PL, then the pressure will be on all parties to act.

One caveat to Arteta's performance I think is "Don" Berta's performance last summer. It was the window of the low hanging fruit, Gyokeres, easier and cheaper than Sesko, Noni, mates with Chelsea hierarchy greased the deal, Eze as you said smells ever more like a panic buy, the rest were filling gaps. But props does go to getting Mosquera for such a low fee.

We know Arteta wanted Sesko, Mbeumo, Joan Garcia and Zubimendi. If things don't go well on the pitch, I suspect if those Berta acquisatons dont work out Arteta will be telling Josh and Co he didnt get the players HE wanted and will fight to wrestle control back to doing things his way, not the quick and easy contacts book approach of Berta.

There's a logic to buying experience when your trying to get over the line as it allows players like Saka breathing room, and with the injuries to Havertz and Odegaard we needed Eze and Gyokeres from the start.

But all transfers bar sub goalie should be about raising the level, something none of the acquisitions, bar early phase Zubimendi have done.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2026:01:28:12:51:43 by Jonny Bravo.

There's no point in sticking with Arteta if we don't win the title.

Although Stan might think otherwise.

"𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴."

Quote:

Boston Gooner
There's no point in sticking with Arteta if we don't win the title.
Although Stan might think otherwise.

What if we won the Champions League?

No CL no EPL no Arteta

Winning the CL would buy Arteta more time and probably a new contract to boot, but again, not to the same scale as the domestic cups, there's an element of luck and stars aligning to winning the CL.

I wouldn't turn my nose up at in any shape or form, but watching City or whoever win the PL instead of us would take a lot of the sheen of a CL win considering out dominant position in the league for most the season.

Quote:

Flava

Quote:

Boston Gooner
There's no point in sticking with Arteta if we don't win the title.
Although Stan might think otherwise.

What if we won the Champions League?

Think the title is the Holy Grail.
If we somehow lost out on the title this season that's the time for him to go.
Losing out once I can take.
But 3 times plus this season is easier.
Can't take that.

Funnily enough, how we play, and teams play against us in Europe, it'll be easier to win the C/League.
But we'd better hope City, Liverpool, Chelsea get knocked out 😄😄😄😄

"𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴."

Quote:

Flava

Quote:

Boston Gooner
There's no point in sticking with Arteta if we don't win the title.
Although Stan might think otherwise.

What if we won the Champions League?

Arteta is saved.
The commercial revenues are tremendous.
To-date, I think we collected at least 61-mil for winning all 7 games.

As long as Arteta keeps Arsenal in CL Cup and finish Top 2 in League every season, KSE is happy with growing revenues due to successes on the pitch.

After all, Silent Stan said he is not out to win trophies and silverwares for fans.
He is an investment manager to boost Arsenal Holding asset appreciation maybe to 4-billion GBP as his KPI in readiness for sale to Petrodollar Sheikh or some African/Asian/American/European multi-billionaires' group.

Doubt Arteta will ever win CL Cup against those European giants.

They have enough new data analytics and video analytics to ambush Arsenal during knock-out stage.
Plus, individual brilliancy will count more in tight games during semi-final and final.
European teams have plenty of flair players to drive thru' our Odegaard-led midfield and tear apart a nervous Back-4.

The Ball is round.
Perhaps after Easter Weekend, we will see Mikel Arteta rises from his "Dead Football".

Quote:

Merlion96
Doubt Arteta will ever win CL Cup against those European giants.
They have enough new data analytics and video analytics to ambush Arsenal during knock-out stage.
Plus, individual brilliancy will count more in tight games during semi-final and final.
European teams have plenty of flair players to drive thru' our Odegaard-led midfield and tear apart a nervous Back-4.

The Ball is round.
Perhaps after Easter Weekend, we will see Mikel Arteta rises from his "Dead Football".

Like I have said,
Our problem will be when we meet another Premier League Club.

"𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴."

Great article and beautifully written. It is indeed very worrying.
I think Arsenal fans and Arteta and the Arsenal team were unprepared and underestimated Man Utd so badly that the old new manager bounce destroyed them. Extremely foolish and could be costly. Plus some players now under par, Odergaard and Trossard in particular.
It needs a shaking up.
Also what is Rice up to? Trying to buy his ticket?
This is Arteta’s biggest and final test.

"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.

[quote Jonny Bravo]

Its one thing to say Arteta should be booted if we dont win the PL or CL, its a whole other conversation as to who should replace him.

Looking at the likes of United, Chelsea and Spurs to a lesser extent, they have all tried the proven "winner" model, Van Gaal, Jose, Conte, Tuchel, even Big Ange etc or the project manager, Ten Hag, Amorim, Potter, Maresca, Rosenior, Frank.

All pretty much to a man have failed to bring real success that those clubs desire, apart from Tuchel, but his explosive and abbrasive personality saw him fall out with BlueCo.

Even Liverpool with Slot, there was an element of the stars aligning last season, ready made squad, few tactical tweaks and Salah having a wordie season, his shortcomings have been highlighted this season when things havnt been plain sailing.

The pool of so called world class managers has shrunk to maybe two or three, the old guard like Ancelotti and Jose are over the hill, so were down to maybe Luis Enrique and Tuchel and the latter would be a very short term appointment with a single goal, as with England, in and out before he falls out with everyone.

Other than that, its project manger territory again with the likes of Areola or Glasner and the gamble they would be at a big club and the time they would need to get the "project" moving. We could go backwards as likely as getting over the finishing
-
-
-

in terms of replacements i’ve always admired klopp, whether or not he would be even interested in the job and perhaps even a risk due to being out of the game for a while now i think he’s definitely got the CV that would bring something new to arsenal. i wouldn’t trust glasner or a manager of that sort as i think it would be too much of a risk, but it is like you say the managerial market is seriously lacking a world class option that would make you wonder if it’s worth sacking arteta if it comes to it in the first place.

[quote son of dion ][quote Jonny Bravo]

Its one thing to say Arteta should be booted if we dont win the PL or CL, its a whole other conversation as to who should replace him.

Looking at the likes of United, Chelsea and Spurs to a lesser extent, they have all tried the proven "winner" model, Van Gaal, Jose, Conte, Tuchel, even Big Ange etc or the project manager, Ten Hag, Amorim, Potter, Maresca, Rosenior, Frank.

All pretty much to a man have failed to bring real success that those clubs desire, apart from Tuchel, but his explosive and abbrasive personality saw him fall out with BlueCo.

Even Liverpool with Slot, there was an element of the stars aligning last season, ready made squad, few tactical tweaks and Salah having a wordie season, his shortcomings have been highlighted this season when things havnt been plain sailing.

The pool of so called world class managers has shrunk to maybe two or three, the old guard like Ancelotti and Jose are over the hill, so were down to maybe Luis Enrique and Tuchel and the latter would be a very short term appointment with a single goal, as with England, in and out before he falls out with everyone.

Other than that, its project manger territory again with the likes of Areola or Glasner and the gamble they would be at a big club and the time they would need to get the "project" moving. We could go backwards as likely as getting over the finishing
-
-
-

in terms of replacements i’ve always admired klopp, whether or not he would be even interested in the job and perhaps even a risk due to being out of the game for a while now i think he’s definitely got the CV that would bring something new to arsenal. i wouldn’t trust glasner or a manager of that sort as i think it would be too much of a risk, but it is like you say the managerial market is seriously lacking a world class option that would make you wonder if it’s worth sacking arteta if it comes to it in the first place.[/quote]

Good reply James and some people on here will remember that I used to bang on about Klopp when he started at Dortmund, in the days of Lucas Barrios, Dede, Błaszczykowski, Kehl, and so on. He's always been a legend but I think his days of top level football management are probably over. He finds it too stressful.

I think Klopp has indicated if he was to return to management in England it would only ever be with Liverpool.

I agree though, he was burnt out to a crisp by the time he left Liverpool, the intemsity they played at and the energy he had to transmit from the sideline always had a shelf life. His tactical awareness began to fail in in the last season as well, going pure gung ho and leaving the MF vacant.

Still these are egotiscal beasts these mangers so if he can kick his Red Bull habit, I am sure Florentino would have him at Madrid in a heartbeat beat.

Always wanted Klopp to replace Wenger, @#$%& off when he went to Pool.

Be pleased to see him at Arsenal. And he'd get cheap hotel accommodation for the team.

Klopp would be out of his depth now.
He'd probably have a heart attack after a month.

"𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴."

Quote:

Boston Gooner
Klopp would be out of his depth now.
He'd probably have a heart attack after a month.

Plus a lot of our transfer budget would have to go towards his teeth whitening treatment.

To Son of Dion:

Good Effort.

And

Good On You Mate.

Arsenal Times | [www.gov.uk]

The best proven manager for Arsenal right now who would actually take the job if given a very strong offer and would be a resounding success is Emery. Klopp will never agree to it. Tuchel will never work. Zidane? We cannot support his spending.

The way things are now in 2026 you have got to have a manager who gels seamlessly with the folk in business attire, the folk at the training ground and be well on-side with all the ex-players many of whom (almost all of whom) do media work nowadays.

Especially in the Capital of The UK for a very high bandwidth press coverage club (by the british press) like Arsenal.... you can't do things the way continental giants (or Chaos F.C.) do in 2026.

Arsenal Times | [www.gov.uk]

Nope.
Emery is past his selling date and proven a failure in managing marquee clubs like PSG and Arsenal.
He just does not have the knack to manage Big Ego like Klopp or Arteta.

The one I like to replace Arteta is Xabi Alonso with his brand of attacking football.
The worry is that he may be another "Emery" unable to handle Big Ego like he failed at Real Madrid.

One thing in his favor is that Arteta is building a team based on teamwork, counterpressing and players are expected to track players all the time in man-to-man gegenpressing. Alonso is comfortable to instill his team with gegenpressing as proven in Bundesliga.

Alonso will improve Arsenal to another level with gegenpressing and rapid forward triangular passes with wing plays.

Arteta will get minimum one more season even if we don't win anything this year