Arsenal life is like a rollercoaster

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It was always going to be an up and down season.

With so many young and new players in the squad we were always going to have some fantastic highs only to take two steps back the next week.

After the performance in the defeat against Manchester City, my response is “it will be all for nothing if we don’t back it up with wins”. And next game out we lost.

Under Mikel Arteta it has constantly get like 2 steps forward, 2 steps back. And after the positive run towards the end of 2021 we have started 2022 with back to back defeats.

The one against Man City we could all stomach after our great performance and Stuart Attwell’s poor. But what we saw against Nottingham Forest was unacceptable.

It perhaps highlighted how much work we still need to do on the squad.

We had players out injured (Tomiyasu, Smith Rowe), with Covid (Xhaka), suspended (Gabriel) and at the African Cup of Nations (Partey, Elneny, Pepe, Aubameyang); whilst Tierney, Ramsdale and Lacazette were all left on the bench.

That XI would beat the XI that we put out Sunday.

Eddie Nketiah showed that he doesn’t have it. The hype around Charlie Patino needs to stop – let him have 18 months in the U23s / out on loan. Cedric needs replacing and Lokonga can not be expected to be the senior midfielder for the next 4 weeks. Finally Tavares has played well enough earlier in the season to show there is a player there, but he had a bad night.

After 3 games we were 20th. After 20 we are 4th.

We are on the League Cup semi-final but out of the FA Cup.

Despite a rollercoaster of a season, we still have a chance of a trophy and a return to Champions League football.

I guess the important thing is let’s not go over the top when we have a high, and let’s not get too despondent when we have a low.

We back this team to the end of the season. There are still plenty of memorable moments to be made.

Keenos

No more excuses: Arteta needs to play strongest XI through to end of the season

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It’s simply now really.

Mikel Arteta needs to play his strongest team between now and the end of the season. Starting Thursday with Liverpool in the League Cup.

Out of the FA Cup in the 3rd round and not in Europe, at max leaves Arsenal with 21 games to play between now and the end of the season.

That is 21 games in 19 weeks.

There really is no need to rest and rotate. The only time someone shouldn’t be playing is if they are injured, suspended or die to lack of form.

That means no more Charlie Patino. No more Eddie Nketiah. No more Nuno Tavares. No more Bernd Leno.

Liverpool, Tottenham, Liverpool and Burnley in the next 2 weeks.

If that was Champions League then Premier League we would be putting out our best XI. With just the League Cup as a realistic trophy we should be doing the same.

After the Burnley fixture we now have a weekend off. Nearly 2 weeks without football.

That will give us the chance to rehabilitate and rest those who will be playing over the next 2 weeks.

A potential League Cup final aside, we then only have Premier League fixtures. None of which are mid week.

Arteta now needs to pick the players back up and ensure we finish top 4. Do that and Sunday will quickly be forgotten about.

Strongest XI every game now.

Keenos

Shot shy with no midfield, we got what we deserved

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We got what we deserved.

A few years back I was back in Hooters by half time as Arsenal went out of the FA Cup at the 3rd round stage for the first time under Arsene Wenger.

We lost 4-2 that day and whilst Sunday was just a single goal defeat, the performance was just as bad.

Despite having a fairly strong team out, we did not look at the races from the opening minutes. The intensity was levels below that which we saw against Manchester City last weekend.

Nuno Tavares was the first full guy, hauled off by Mikel Arteta after just 34 minutes.

The Portuguese full back could have few complaints about being taken off. Others will deem themselves lucky that they remained on.

Arsenal were being over run in midfield.

Albert Sambi Lokonga and Charlie Patino looked like deers in headlights.

With just 14 passes in the first half, the game passes young Patino by. He probably should have been taken off at half time.

Arsenal going out of the cup was kit his fault, but playing out of position in a midfield 2 he looked out of his depth.

Eddie Nketiah is another who could count himself lucky to come out for the 2nd half. I am shocked he completed 90 minutes.

Following the performance against Forest, I doubt too many Premier League sides will be looking to sign him in January in the hope he scores the goals to them up the league.

Martin Odergaard was the only one that seemed to be giving his all. Always looking for the all. Trying to drive the team forward.

But too often he struggled to find Bukayo Saka or Gabriel. Neither were doing enough create space for themselves

Rob Holding and Ben White did little wrong in defence. But too often when on the ball they looked up and had no one in front of them showing for the ball. That led them to trying to hit Nketiah or the wingers too early, too long.

Having let Ainsley Maitland-Niles leave, we need to invest quickly in the midfield.

In summary, we got what we deserved.Out of the FA Cup at the 3rd round stage again to Nottingham Forest.

Just realised I didn’t even mention that we failed to have a single shot on target.

Keenos