Arteta has underachieved at Arsenal: Discuss

Five years is a long time without silverware: I take a look at previous Arsenal managers and the years between winning their last trophy and their final exit from the club

Hello,

I’m not even going to say Happy Monday.

Because it really doesn’t feel like one after such a miserable Sunday, to cap an awful week for Gooners everywhere.

Where do you start?

Another stodgy performance that relied far too much on set pieces. A missed penalty. The failure to break down ten players in an hour’s worth of football. David Raya doing his best Peter Shilton Italia 90 style dives in the shootout.

And that’s without discussing poor Kai Havertz’s sadly ever-diminishing returns.

Losing to arguably the worst Manchester United side since 1989 was really frustrating.

They at least remain statistically the worst at the moment - even if Ruben Amorim now appears to be leading them out of the wilderness, certainly compared to the shambles they were during Arsenal’s 2-0 victory over The Red Devils a mere 39 days ago.

Their victory was so frustrating that social media (naturally) went into meltdown, mostly about Mikel Arteta’s leadership.

Already, this new year has seen plenty of moans and groans over Arteta’s steadfast refusal to sign a striker, while being mired in a set piece straitjacket that has stymied creativity.

So much so that on social media at least (which admittedly is not real life, and normally doesn’t reflect the views of match going fans, and the silent majority) a few accounts and fans I really like and respect have started openly questioning Arteta’s leadership.

Let’s get things straight. Arteta Out is not something I countenance. Or calling for. Or want.

I still believe by a long distance he is the best man for the job. And hopefully one day there will be a statue outside the Emirates on homage to his future achievements.

Let’s hope so, as I’ve seen up close week in and week out that Arteta is also a thoroughly decent human being that lives and breathes Arsenal FC.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t question some of his decisions recently. Failures of which have cost Arsenal dearly.

Another bad day at the office…

First things first.

Sunday was just a bad day at the office. Even if there have been far too many bad days at the office, in matches that really count recently.

Arteta deserves full credit for turning around such a listless and moribund club since 2019, while promoting a progressive culture, and thrilling us over the last two seasons where we nearly won the Premier League title twice, for the first time in more than 20 years.

But he has underachieved.

And his reluctance to buy a striker is as frustrating as it is perplexing - stubbornly replicating late Wenger-era vibes when refusing to buy. Not least because for all his efforts Kai Havertz is not a natural striker.

As I sat in Arteta’s post-match press conference at the Emirates after the game last night, you couldn’t help feeling Arteta was simply going through the motions.

I’ve written before about the disconnect between what a manager says and their body language. And it felt like that with Arteta last night. Especially when saying he was more concerned with the squad he has, rather than even hinting about going into the market.

And yes, you could respond to me by saying, of course he’s not going to advertise the fact that he wants a striker, and you’d be right. But it really didn't feel like Arteta had many viable options in his sights for this month.

Let’s not forget Arteta has spent more than £800m during his time at the club. But have they been the right players?

There weren’t many moans when Arteta drafted in Riccardo Calafiori in the summer - but, equally, there were many voices that also called for a striker to be drafted in.

Is it a dereliction of duty in refusing to buy?

Or are there really no strikers out there within Arsenal’s budget?

After analysing Arsenal’s PSR numbers last week, the money is there for a big money purchase - even if Alexander Isak’s price will be stratospheric these days, and on balance Ollie Watkins is a tad too old, Victor Osimhen’s value has dropped during his Turkish sourjourn from Napoli, from the €120m release clause to €75m in the summer, while United now seem to be attracting long-time Gunners target Vlahovic.

Personally, I still don’t understand why Arsenal didn’t swoop for Ivan Toney last year.

All of the above ensured the myriad of heated discussions on Sunday evening did get me thinking.

Are fans fickle? I hope not. Not the hundreds, if not thousands of loyal Gooners I know at any rate.

But, should have Arteta achieved far more during his five seasons at the helm - and as such, is he still lucky to be in the managerial hotseat, giving his underachievement, by dint of being at such a patient club...

Because, as you can see from my piece below, five years is a very long time for an Arsenal manager without wining a trophy…

PICTURE: Terry Neill sits on the Arsenal bench at VFL Bochum v Arsenal in a pre-season friendly, August 5, 1983. A matter of weeks before he was sacked in October, 1983. CREDIT: Mark Leech / Offside

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Years between winning last trophy as Arsenal boss and exit from club

Regarding the increasing groans accompanying Arteta’s leadership these days, I thought it would be interesting to note how many years Arsenal managers have been given between their last trophy, and the day they left the club as boss.

At the end of this season Arteta will have had five years from lifting the FA Cup at Wembley back in 2020.

So, if we look back at previous bosses, Terry Neill had four years between winning the 1979 FA Cup and being sacked, after losing to Walsall at Highbury in the third round of the Milk Cup in 1983.

George Graham had two years from lifting his last domestic trophies, the 1993 League and FA Cups, or essentially half a season if you factor in the 1994 European Cup Winners’ Cup triumph, to being forced out of the Marble Halls in January 1995.

Arsene Wenger had a single season from winning the 2017 FA Cup final to leaving a year later in May 2018.

Bertie Mee won the double in 1971 and resigned in 1976 - meaning five years between his last trophy and his exit.

And then there’s Tom Whittaker. Tom, who took over from George Allison, won the league title twice, in 1947-48, and again in 1952-53, as well as the 1950 FA Cup.

Sadly Whittaker died of a heart attack while still at the helm of our great club in 1956, meaning there was three years from winning his last trophy to his untimely celestial departure from Arsenal.

As for the aforementioned George Allison, the former journalist, broadcaster and Arsenal manager sadly took over after the tragic death of the legendary Herbert Chapman in January 1934 - staying until 1947.

With Allison’s last trophy being the 1938 Division One title, you could argue it was 11 years between his final piece of silverware and his exit.

However, that included six years of war.

So five years in total if you don’t factor in the Second World War.

Which is the biggest gap between winning a trophy and departing the club.

Apart from Bertie Mee and Mikel Arteta. And, don’t forget Mee had won the double.

Food for thought…even if Forest taking something from Liverpool, Arsenal beating Spurs this week, and turning around the semi-final second-leg in Newcastle early next month, will see all the doomsayers disappear once again.

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Simply unacceptable

Arsenal are investigating social media posts sent to Kai Havertz’s wife amid the club’s third-round exit to Manchester United in the FA Cup.

If you’re the type of person who sends abusive messages to the pregnant wife of a footballer then you really need to revaluate your life choices, and try to be become a far, far better person. Because such dreadfully abhorrent, cowardly abuse is simply unacceptable.

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De ja vu all over again

De ja vu all over again

What made this weekend’s defeat all the more galling, was the fact that momentum had shifted towards the Gunners.

Diogo Dalot has deservedly earned a second yellow for his poor studs-up challenge on Mikel Merino on the hour mark.

Shortly afterwards, Kai Havertz earned a penalty after forcing contact against Harry Maguire - forget Maguire taking offence, those type of spot-kicks are as valid as anything given these days.

However, just as quickly as you could say: “April 14, 1999” poor old Martin Odegaard saw his spot-kick saved by United’s increasingly impressive reserve keeper Altay Bayindir. Just as Peter Schmeichel did to thwart Dennis Bergkamp all those years ago.

I was at both those semi-finals at Villa Park 26 years ago, and it was a real sliding doors moment.

It wasn’t so much that, with United down to ten men after Roy Keane was sent off (never I hear you howl…) Arsenal had one foot in the final, no, once DB10 had his spot-kick saved, the momentum immediately shifted towards Alex Ferguson’s Red Devils.

Extra time arrived, and as I watched open-mouthed with my pals in the old Doug Ellis Stand back in April 1999, a certain Ryan Giggs swept through a tiring Gunners defence. I’ve interviewed all of Arsenal’s backline that night over the years, and it’s a goal that still haunts them now, and one, if they could turn back time, that they would have loved to have prevented, more than the vast majority they conceded during their illustrious careers.

The winner saw United receive a boost that would steer then over the line to win the 1999 title - I was also at Elland Road to watch Kara Diawara hit the post during that damaging 1-0 defeat that arguably cost us the title two weeks later.

And even more than that, the lift they received saw them coast to the 1999 FA Cup and gave them the belief that they could indeed triumph in the Champions League final at Barcelona on the holy date of May 26.

As for Arsenal, well Arsene Wenger’s 99 vintage failed to win a trophy for three more years, until the 2002 double. Looking back, three years without a trophy with such a good team was incredible really.

Of course, Amorim’s side are nowhere near that great United team of 99. But Sunday’s victory may well help propel them up the Premier League table as a dividend stemming from the positivity that victory brings.

Let’s hope the opposite fails to apply to Sunday’s losers…

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FA Cup notes

The only vaguely fun thing that I took away from Sunday’s game was the fact VAR didn’t spoil such a flowing, open game.

Nor did it halt goal celebrations, or detract from the play when a referee dared to make a decision.

Quite simply it made for an enjoyable match for fans at the ground and supporters on TV - whatever your allegiance.

How on earth have we got to the stage where we accept that technology - however well-meaning - sucks the life out of sport.

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PS

I’m on the road for the next couple of days, as I’m covering Nottingham Forest vs Liverpool at the City Ground on Tuesday evening for the Morning Star newspaper.

After the game I plan to stay overnight in that fine city, before heading straight down the A1 (via the A52 of course, as Alan Partridge would say) all the way to Cockfosters, a quick hop on the Piccadilly Line to Arsenal tube, to hopefully flog a few copies of the Gooner Fanzine, before ducking into the press box to cover the North London derby on Wednesday evening.

It promises to be a momentous 48 hours. See you in Nottingham and North London.

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My official Morning Star newspaper match report:

Redemption for United's Zirkzee as criticism grows over Arteta's misfiring Gunners

Arsenal 1-1 (aet) Manchester United

Manchester United win 5-3 on penalties

FA Cup third round report by Layth Yousif

Arsenal’s erstwhile striker Kai Havertz missed his spot-kick to leave Manchester United penalty shootout victors on a dramatic afternoon in North London.

This mesmerising FA Cup third round clash had it all, as the thrilling tie of the round lived up to its billing – with glory, failure, heroes and villains, redemption, explosive talent, superb technique, power, passion, goals, penalty saves, and a red card all on show, as this blockbuster thrillingly unfolded in freezing temperatures.

While the glory was for the victors of United, redemption came in the form of their misfiring forward Joshua Zirkzee, who scored the winning penalty on Sunday – after being utterly humiliated when substituted after only 33 minutes as Newcastle eased to victory against Ruben Amorim’s disjointed side at Old Trafford a mere two weeks ago.

Yet United on Sunday showed great reserves of character when playing with ten men for nearly an hour, including a gruelling 30 minutes extra time, after Diogo Dalot was correctly sent off after picking up a second yellow on the hour mark.

It was hard to believe it was only 39 days since the two sides met in the Premier League, in Amorim's fourth game in charge of United, when the Gunners were comfortable 2-0 winners. Yet Amorim has been making progress ever since, with his side matching the Gunners efforts, even with ten men.

Speaking after the match, Amorim said: “The spirit was there even with ten men. I think the connection between the team on the pitch and the fans outside was a really good thing to feel. I think we are improving on that, and I think that is the base of everything. Now the rest will come but that connection, we are fighting.”

As for Mikel Arteta, questions are now being asked over his bizarre reticence in his steadfast refusal to bolster the squad with a centre-forward the side so badly needs.

“From 1,000 games like this you should lose one.

“Unfortunately, it was this one.

“We deserved to win the game by a mile, but the reality is we are out and that is the only thing that's going to be judged,” insisted a dejected Arteta after the match, even if few believed his claims.

On a bitterly cold afternoon, the heavyweights of Arsenal and Manchester United contested a knockout cup match for the ages, and one which fully paid homage to all number of legendary classic storied encounters that this fixture has provided over many decades, as one of the most gripping fixtures in world football.

Before kick-off Arsenal sported their all-white kit as part of the North London club’s No More Red campaign, in a bid to raise awareness in combatting anti-knife crime and against teenage violence.

It was a talented Arsenal teen, 18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly, who started once again at left-back, keeping out such worthy talent as Riccardo Calafiori, Kieran Tierney and Alex Zinchenko. While boss Arteta picked Jesus to start the game.

Arsenal dominated a lively opening, amid a vociferous soundtrack generated by both sets of supporters, amplified by the increased numbers allocated to away travellers in cup ties, which meant The Red Devils had 7,956 fans - in a total attendance of 60,109 – who vociferously backed their team from behind the goal.

On 23 minutes, Kobbie Mainoo tested David Raya with a low effort from outside the box, but the Gunners keeper was equal to the task after an opening that saw Arsenal dominate without piercing the visitors defence, which included reserve keeper Altay Bayindir in goal – who was to emerge as another Red Devils hero.

United boss Amorim, fresh from an excellent point at Premier League leaders Liverpool last time out, opted for Alejandro Garnacho up front, with the United attacker forcing a save from Raya after the half hour mark.

As the interval approached, a stricken Jesus was stretchered off with what looked like a serious injury, after he went down tracking back in the Arsenal box, immediately calling for help, with Raheem Sterling eventually replacing the Arsenal attacker.

United, who had previously only won four of their last 20 away games, went ahead seven minutes after the break, when Bruno Fernandes showed excellent technique to fire past Raya with pace and precision after being freed by Garnacho who beat Lewis-Skelly in the build-up, to make it 1-0, much to the joy of the massed ranks of United fans behind the goal.

Regardless of severity of Jesus’ injury, the fact Arsenal need to bolster their paltry stock of strikers was underlined when the relentlessly underwhelming Havertz fired wide after the interval, when the Gunners No29 really should have at least tested Red Devils keeper Bayindir.

However, the momentum changed in a matter of seconds as the game shifted Arsenal’s way on 62 minutes.

First through awful indiscipline from Dalot, who was shown the red card for a second yellow, by referee Andrew Madley for a dreadful studs-up challenge on Mikel Merino, to leave United with ten players.

As the cheering from the home support had barely died down, two minutes later, Gabriel hooked the ball home via a deflection off Matthijs de Ligt to make it 1-1.

Tails up against ten men, Arsenal swarmed into the box, which saw Havertz go down under pressure from Harry Maguire, leaving referee Madley no option but to award a spot-kick.

In the absence of the club’s regular penalty taker, the injured Bukayo Saka, up stepped captain Martin Odegaard. The strike was true, but United keeper Bayindir showed excellent reactions and strong hands and wrists to dive low to his left and keep the ball out on 69 minutes.

In between the two sets of players clashed, which saw Maguire and Gabriel booked.

With the tempo at fever pitch, even if the temperatures felt sub-zero on what felt like a sub-zero afternoon, the impressive Bayindir pulled off a superb save from substitute Declan Rice’s header, as the sides moved into extra time.

Early on in the first period, Raya foiled substitute Zirkzee at the near post, after ten man United swept forward, but in truth both heavyweights had punched themselves out after such a blockbuster and were waiting for the lottery that was penalties.

Step forward the disappointing Havertz, who had his effort saved by Bayindir, before United hero Zirkzee fired his side into the fourth round, where they will now face Leicester City at Old Trafford - with the prospect of an energising cup run in defence of the trophy they refused to lose grip of this weekend.

As for Arteta, two damaging cup defeats in a miserable week have turned up the spotlight on his leadership, with serious questions now being asked about his frustrating failure to add to his squad.

“You’re going to have difficult moments - it’s how you respond to them,” said a downbeat Arteta after the match.

Next up is the North London derby, at home against bitter rivals Spurs this Wednesday, with defeat simply not an option for the increasingly under-fire Arteta.

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A busy Tuesday at London Colney