Means nothing, he always did and he's been in charge for 2 full seasons by now and until last December you were utterly mediocrei think Arteta has a clear idea how he wants his team to play
Now this is a big dealand also changed the culture of the dressing room
If you can sustain this form to the end of the season you'll make top 4. Arteta will earned the right to continue thenHe is a young manager and his man/player management skill can be improved. To me he did a great job. I don't expect Arsenal can challenge the league any time soon given our wage budget.
All top4 contenders still have to play those fixtures so whilst Arsenal will probably drop points in those fixtures, the same is expected of the other top4 rivals. Personally I would comfortably put my money on Arsenal finishing top 4.They will start dropping points regularly from here on I’m willing to put my neck on the line for it. Whether we take advantage or not it’s another matter. I’m repeating myself from the other thread but I’m convinced they will drop 8-10 points in the next 6 games and then they have to deal with Chelsea, spurs, Man Utd, West Ham. Their inconsistent run starts now. Mark my words.
Also if we get to the UCL latter stages our clash will likely come at a very inconvenient time from our perspective. If we're comfortably in top four there's every chance the timing will force Tuchel to play a weakened side (he did it in the same fixture last season and that was when top 4 was still on the line).As much as we will drop points, i'm hoping our home form sees us through.
If we win our 5 home games against teams below us: Leicester, United, Leeds, Everton, Brighton.
Then I think we'd only need 5 points from these 8 games: Liverpool, Spurs, Chelsea, Southampton, Villa, Palace, West Ham, Newcastle, to secure top 4. (68 points total)
Those 5 home games will be the key.
Also if we get to the UCL latter stages our clash will likely come at a very inconvenient time from our perspective. If we're comfortably in top four there's every chance the timing will force Tuchel to play a weakened side (he did it in the same fixture last season and that was when top 4 was still on the line).
There's no real excuse now not to make it with the problems at United and especially Spurs, who Conte or no Conte you should be beating.
I think hes been helped by having no european football, and the early exits from the cups. Its been a blessing, along with the two teams that would rival for top four have had manager changes (and wasted games before making the move to replace the manager)
It will be interesting to see what happens when new players comes in, and they have the added european competition and need to take that next step.
Need to make the right signings for sure. Given the money 'available', im guessing there cant be many 'misses'.Oh, that's definitely helped, don't think anyone has tried to say otherwise. A bi product of having less fixtures, is that it's allowed him to streamline his squad, and get rid of a lot of the bloat, which seems to have resulted in the squad being more than tight knit and playing for each other a bit more. That was a risky strategy as its left the squad thin in places, it might still come back to haunt him, but what it has done is cleared a lot of the decks now to make room for players coming in in the summer.
To be fair to Ole he did get top 4 two seasons in a row with one 2nd place finish among that. I never thought it he was good enough as the underlying football wasn't really progressing.A year with a manager with a decades experience whose biggest experience was with relegation fodder whom he managed to somehow worsen before arriving at a former club as part of some weird former legendary manager-led propaganda and then proceeding to bore the living shit out of all their supporters while chancing his way through some big games to keep his job, while everyone barring the club's supporters could see the woods for the trees and were begging for him not to be sacked?
Yeah, sounds like it could be.
This is called improvement.What I saw of Arsenal prior to this season under Arteta was extremely poor and listless.
They’re riding their luck somewhat. They managed to get 6 points from the games vs Watford and Wolves when 0-2 points would have been more realistic given the actual game itself.
They have a tough run coming up so let’s see how they get on. Still favourites for 4th and if they miss out it’ll be a massive bottle job.
I don't quite see it either. I mean I wouldn't be surprised if they do finish 4th, but more due to the other teams' incompetence than anything else. The feeling I got from them the previous couple of seasons was that they were trying to set up defensively and were super boring going forward. I feel the narrative that some are trying to build now is that they're better going forward so it's progress - but they're actually pretty unbalanced as a unit, and Sunday's game isn't as reassuring or as positive as they're making out. Conceding 2 goals to this Watford team, and a few other guilt edged chances, is not really anything to be proud of and they look quite open defensively. Their goals were very nice though, and their attacking unit looks to be clicking (though let's see how well they fare against better organised defences).I'm glad to see them doing well, and I'd gladly swallow having been wrong about Arteta for that. But.. I don't actually see them as strong as favourites for 4th as everyone yet. It's a snapshot that will change starkly when they've played their away games at Anfield, Spurs, and Stamford Bridge (which are, if I'm not mistaken, their mythical games in hand..). Being able to rake in consistent wins against lower table fodder is massive and very important, mind, but I just don't see him able to get enough out of top games.
But I'm happy to upgrade Arteta from average to closer to Moyes level, his managerial godfather, for the time being.
Watford had big chances and out performed you on xG. The reason you won is because you had some good finishes from some low probability chances (and credit to your team for taking them).What games are you watching? We deserved to beat both Wolves and Watford. We've ridden our luck in a few games this season, but mostly much earlier in the season. Recently our performances have warranted the results.
I don't rate Arteta but if Arsenal get top 4 with points tally above 70 points then he certainly deserves the credit and Arsenal would have gotten Champions League football purely on their Merit rather than others failings .I don't quite see it either. I mean I wouldn't be surprised if they do finish 4th, but more due to the other teams' incompetence than anything else. The feeling I got from them the previous couple of seasons was that they were trying to set up defensively and were super boring going forward. I feel the narrative that some are trying to build now is that they're better going forward so it's progress - but they're actually pretty unbalanced as a unit, and Sunday's game isn't as reassuring or as positive as they're making out. Conceding 2 goals to this Watford team, and a few other guilt edged chances, is not really anything to be proud of and they look quite open defensively. Their goals were very nice though, and their attacking unit looks to be clicking (though let's see how well they fare against better organised defences).
Getting 4th would be good, and above the expectations that might have existed at the beginning of the season, but considering the respective shitshows at Utd and Spurs, it would kinda temper that achievement somewhat (and they're not there yet). Definitely positive, but I feel that not having Europe and much more time to train in a pretty hectic season has favoured them, and it's not often mentioned. Proof will be in the pudding over the next couple of seasons, but I feel that Arteta has a ceiling and I don't really see him as the guy to push them forward.
I don't quite see it either. I mean I wouldn't be surprised if they do finish 4th, but more due to the other teams' incompetence than anything else. The feeling I got from them the previous couple of seasons was that they were trying to set up defensively and were super boring going forward. I feel the narrative that some are trying to build now is that they're better going forward so it's progress - but they're actually pretty unbalanced as a unit, and Sunday's game isn't as reassuring or as positive as they're making out. Conceding 2 goals to this Watford team, and a few other guilt edged chances, is not really anything to be proud of and they look quite open defensively. Their goals were very nice though, and their attacking unit looks to be clicking (though let's see how well they fare against better organised defences).
Getting 4th would be good, and above the expectations that might have existed at the beginning of the season, but considering the respective shitshows at Utd and Spurs, it would kinda temper that achievement somewhat (and they're not there yet). Definitely positive, but I feel that not having Europe and much more time to train in a pretty hectic season has favoured them, and it's not often mentioned. Proof will be in the pudding over the next couple of seasons, but I feel that Arteta has a ceiling and I don't really see him as the guy to push them forward.
Watford had big chances and out performed you on xG. The reason you won is because you had some good finishes from some low probability chances (and credit to your team for taking them).
Against Wolves, again they spaffed some big chances and there was also a shambolic refereeing performance in the same game. Surprised more wasn’t made of it.
That’s not how xG works. It’s a cumulative stat with a higher score given to the ‘better’ chances. If Watford took their chances they’d have won or at the least drawn the game (but like I said, fair play to Arsenal - they took their chances).This is where xG is poor. We have under a 1xG that game. Which is rubbish. We created 3 good chances and took them. In what world does Odegaards chance itself not warrent 1xG on its own?
At 3-1, we were in complete control of the game. A slip at the end was disappointing, but even after that we got back control.
The ref in the Wolves game was bad for both sides. Look at the Wolves forum, every post after that game was saying how they deserved to lose.
That’s not how xG works. It’s a cumulative stat with a higher score given to the ‘better’ chances. If Watford took their chances they’d have won or at the least drawn the game (but like I said, fair play to Arsenal - they took their chances).
The ref screwed Wolves over big time when they played you. Ref blew for a foul when Coady was through on goal because Ben White decided to fall over. That would have been 2-0 and game done.
I disagree - I watched the game and Arsenal made the most of their chances. Watford had more/better chances and didn’t take them. That’s why they’re at the bottom and you guys are challenging for fourth.I know how xG works, i'm just saying this is a good case of where looking at xG alone is poor.
Odegaards chance was a clear chance alone. After that we scored two goals and hit the post, yet we have an xG of under 1. I understand why it's like that because of how xG works, but i'm saying it's why looking at xG alone is pretty poor.
The ref was very poor overall. That was the worst action though yes agreed. And no it wouldn't have been 2-0, watch it back, Coady still had a good bit to do, and.. he's a CB, very much no guarantee he'd score..
I disagree - I watched the game and Arsenal made the most of their chances. Watford had more/better chances and didn’t take them. That’s why they’re at the bottom and you guys are challenging for fourth.
And Coady was through on goal with Hwang basically free on a square ball for a tap in. Yes, for all we know he could have messed up, but it’s a reasonable assumption that they would have scored. That was one of a few really poor decisions made by the ref that day.
Got it.
Meh, to me he isn't clean through. The pass is a bit overhit, and Coady isn't exactly rapid. It's not a guaranteed goal for me anyway or a tap in. Hard to tell in a way as everyone stopped.
It wasn't overhit at all. It was right in his path, pretty perfect ball. Coady could've messed it up, but that was an excellent chance.
I didn't say it was a guaranteed goal, I said it was an excellent chance, which you're trying to downplay. Anyway, it's rather useless as it's done and dusted, but I'm pretty sure there must have been a massive sigh of relief from Arsenal players and fans on that one.Very hard to tell how it would have played out, but to me Gabriel stands Coady up before he can do anything. Obviously, it could have been a chance, but it's not like there's no defenders there. And again, this is Coady. If it was Podence or someone, i'd understand more as he'd be able to get a shot or pass away a lot easier. It's all theoretical, but I don't see it as a guarenteed goal if the ref doesn't blow.
I didn't say it was a guaranteed goal, I said it was an excellent chance, which you're trying to downplay. Anyway, it's rather useless as it's done and dusted, but I'm pretty sure there must have been a massive sigh of relief from Arsenal players and fans on that one.
I'm glad to see them doing well, and I'd gladly swallow having been wrong about Arteta for that. But.. I don't actually see them as strong as favourites for 4th as everyone yet. It's a snapshot that will change starkly when they've played their away games at Anfield, Spurs, and Stamford Bridge (which are, if I'm not mistaken, their mythical games in hand..). Being able to rake in consistent wins against lower table fodder is massive and very important, mind, but I just don't see him able to get enough out of top games.
But I'm happy to upgrade Arteta from average to closer to Moyes level, his managerial godfather, for the time being.
Getting 4th would be good, and above the expectations that might have existed at the beginning of the season, but considering the respective shitshows at Utd and Spurs, it would kinda temper that achievement somewhat (and they're not there yet)
Definitely positive, but I feel that not having Europe and much more time to train in a pretty hectic season has favoured them, and it's not often mentioned. Proof will be in the pudding ver the next couple of seasons, but I feel that Arteta has a ceiling and I don't really see him as the guy to push them forward
Nothing changed. We will probably lose the "big' games against the top 6 as usual. we probably will get 0 - 3 points from these games. That's not unexpected.It's a snapshot that will change starkly when they've played their away games at Anfield, Spurs, and Stamford Bridge (which are, if I'm not mistaken, their mythical games in hand..)
I never understand where this comes from. Last 2 seasons 4th place didn't even get to 70 points.I don't quite see it either. I mean I wouldn't be surprised if they do finish 4th, but more due to the other teams' incompetence than anything else.
It only means the league is getting more competitive and it is harder to get more "win" through out the season. Nothing more.There's no tempering the achievement, unless we end up getting 4th with 60-65 points, then yes i'll agree it's mostly because of the other sides being poor. But at the current rate, we've just had a good season, regardless of any other sides.
I think you do, of course it makes sense. Things don't happen in a vacuum, Arsenal's point tally also depend on how they perform against those teams around them. If you take Utd, Spurs and West Ham this season for example, that's 18 points at stake, so evidently the "incompetence of teams around them" makes a big difference in that regard.I never understand where this comes from. Last 2 seasons 4th place didn't even get to 70 points.
I think you do, of course it makes sense. Things don't happen in a vacuum, Arsenal's point tally also depend on how they perform against those teams around them. If you take Utd, Spurs and West Ham this season for example, that's 18 points at stake, so evidently the "incompetence of teams around them" makes a big difference in that regard.
Of course you could, I've never said otherwise.True, but then you could use the same argument for anywhere you come in the league really.
What games are you watching? We deserved to beat both Wolves and Watford. We've ridden our luck in a few games this season, but mostly much earlier in the season. Recently our performances have warranted the results.
Welcome to caf analysis of liverpool games.You really starts to wonder sometimes if people watched the same game. How anyone can think we were lucky to beat Wolves is beyond me. Guess it is natural for rival fans to see the same game in completely different way. They all saw the White dive for example but somehow didn't see a similar situation happened where their defender made a mistake and lost the ball in a dangerous area but decided to go down and got a questionable free kick. Or that we didn't get a penalty when Samedo took out Martinelli when he was poised to tuck away...took out the man without touching the ball but I guess that isn't a questionable decision either.
