Southampton - Instant Reaction

Strangely negative pod for a 3 nil win. The other team can attack, they can intercept etc, but we rode out the first stage of the game and slowly increased our play and attacking intent. Could have ended in a 5 - 0 or a 3 - 2 but overall we were the better team and deserved to win.

I'm rewatching the game and Elliott's take on Laca is harsh in my opinion. I thought he was excellent. There was a couple of occasions where he should have shot, I accept that, but the rest of his play was exemplary. He showed for the ball in difficult spaces between the lines and improved our ability to keep the ball in the attacking 3rd. He got turned, he drove at defenders and he lead the line as well as anyone has done all season. We should also not overlook how much he talks, organises and encourages everyone around him. Auba doesn't do that. This was a good captains display. The crowds applause when he was subbed is very telling. I urge you to rewatch. Great pod as ever

Great pod as always! Just re watched the game and it confirmed my thoughts we played out well but our final entry pass or pass to get at the Saints backline didn't work out. If we get this right we will start to scare teams so less concerned as Paul. Fascinating debate on Laca and Auba can see both sides but for his faults if Laca can get a run of games his confidence can increase and he can be more effective.

Because he had an extra touch instead of shooting a touch before, or because he tried to square it instead of shooting.? I can tell you it happens every game everywhere else in the pl, we just create few and dwell on them, but you forget you say the same thing about Salah but he has to make 10 of those choices per game not 2, death by a thousand cuts,.? You keep stating our problems but when judging individual players it's like you forget that and think we Liverpool and Laca missed 10 sitters, or that he was deep because we can't get out of our own box and is trying to help us, Your criticism of odegaard's first 15mins was his passing stats were low, but also knowing he was trying to split the defense with through ball, which you stated are hard balls to play, even kdb doesn't have 100% through balls in any game but he constantly tries them because he won't open any defense with elneny's sideways passing and 99% pass completion at an average of 5m distance Over the past 18 months, who's been our best striker statistically? But who's our best striker in terms of quality?

Maybe so. I think I might’ve been harsh since he’s been useful during the good run. I do think he was pretty bad yesterday though.

Some Elliot bias there and some hash takes on Laca, if Auba scores that goal he says it's world class striker awareness and knowing where to be and find space but because its Laca, who had a poor game before its he was just there... I get he's not what you want, you want Auba doing it but c'mon. The run you enjoyed for the past few games before Liverpool he was there keeping ode firmly on the bench on merit, winning penalties and creating situations that only happens because he's there. The run last season that saves arteta's neck happened with Laca there not Auba, the kids running and bouncing balls off him. All the time he gets back in the team is and has been through his own work. Auba is playing now simply because he got the contract and is captain but is stinking out the place, not being involved, missing sitters, missing penalties. I'm not here saying Laca is better than Auba but for this team and how arteta plays, he's miles better, that's why you all say we need a hybrid of both players.

If we start like that against West Ham we will be 3-0 down in the blink of an eye…. Then we will have to battle our way back to 3-3, I feel like we’ve been here before?!

Enjoyed the pod though guys 🙏🏼 thanks for getting it out so quick

Not sure if Ben White is as bad as Elliot was making out. I feel like today he was better than the last couple of games. I think Paul right in this case.

This is behind a paywall content, which is heard only by 5k Arsenal nerds - it's totally okay to have more emotional, provocative takes imo. Even though I personally don't agree that Laca and Ben White suck.

Chill on the Laca negativity, we are supporters, saying he sucks is in poor taste imho

Also if he was going to be late reporting iam sure he has got a mobile, couldn't he or should he not have informed and agreed with the club. Isn't there any communication at all between h and the club. Couldnt he had withdrawn himself from the match. The only think I can fault Arteta is his public denounciation of Auba. May be that his style.

Hey Elliot I completely disagree with your assessment of management of Auba. I have worked in a global corporate world for 22 yrs and unless your management style is democratic, treating everyone the same and making sure baseline behavioral etiquette is adhered to u cannot get success. We have seen multiple examples in sports where a prima donna has completely destroyed a team. We in india know it all the time beacuse in our cricket team we always end up with one prima donna who gets a preferential treatment and it ruins a lot of talented players. I have played team sport for the best part of two decades in my life and if in my team there is a prima donna then the affect it has in others is debilitating the team. In this case Auba is a repeat offender, club captain and highest paid. His position and latitude in the team is his position and the wages he gets. He cannot ask for latitude in the way he is treated in fact he is the first among equals. What is the example its setting for a saka or ESR. They will be thinking ah let me get to the position of high wages , iam alredy a star then I can take liberties. I am not saying they will do it but that's the message that goes. Let Auba go and play individual sport and be on his prima donna behaviour who cares. Sack him and get him out of the club. Good riddance to bad rubbish. Oh don't tell this is continuation of Wenger's so called Coloney Creche culture. He has been gone for 4 years now and we cannot blame him because he will not speak anything bad about the club.

I think that the bespoke style of management that Eliot talks about definitely already exists because there wouldn't be a need to call a few requirements as non negotiables if there weren't any negotiables to begin with. The non negotiables are what everyone has to follow. The negotiables are negotiated b/w the player and the manager and vary from player to player.

It can be true that the player isn’t acting like we would hope but also true the situation could be handled better on both sides. But I’m not committed to that really. I’m sort of lukewarm on the whole thing

Paul, you don’t suck and win any premier game 3 0.

Liam

Elliot, auba had disciplinary reasons at dortmund, it’s pretty clear he fucked up again and it’s ok to be angry at Auba, he should know better and is club captain, he is letting us down.

Liam

I thought partey had a great game and deserves a mention despite doing today what we usually expect of him. I think this game showed similar levels of possession and positional dominance to the villa game. The first 20 minutes were rough but once we scored Southampton didn’t have a chance and there was that period from minute 50-65 where we could’ve scored 3-4 which reminded me of the ozil-Sanchez arsene Wenger team. This season simply boils down to us being good at home and not so good away from home. Gotta fix the away form but may take another transfer window or two to start getting 35 points away from home in a season.

U dnt treat a lebron James like everyone…and I’m not saying he is that guy but for US he is, at least his pay bracket suggest that we think he is/was. So I think your asking for trouble when u alienate our star player…

javaughan clarke

There’s always one 😂 thank you

I agree with Elliott

javaughan clarke

100% agree with Paul. I found myself just as frustrated in this game as I did with the Everton game

Fair enough. I’ve been disappointed with him generally but I could be way off

Totally disagree with the Ben white take. He’s taking responsibility being our playmaker. Really harsh

Wasteful in finishing opportunities... but I strongly believe we shouldn't be applying pressure to get Top 4. Our goal at start of season was get back to Europa League... IF we somehow finished as 4th at season end... farken brilliant! Leave the Top 4 stuff for next year

I don’t think you can take anything from this game in terms of where we are in the if picture. It’s a team missing some key players, that is a mid table team at best, and we were playing at home so it should have always been 3 points, and to Arteta’s credit a game that he has mostly won this season, we beat teams we are supposed to but don’t beat any of the teams we are underdogs to, and I am not sure if we played the first 15 minutes like we did today against West Ham that they wouldn’t put 1-2 goals behind us and we would have folded mentally

We had strong connectivity with the set of players on the pitch before Arteta pulled Sambi and Tavares. Three poor matches since. Where’s the mystery?

You can do anything if you’re winning.

Good discussion as always. A bit more negative than I was expecting, and I didn't see it quite the same way (or at least, not to the same degree), but food for thought.

This is true 😂

I adore Martinelli but I feel like with Elliot there is just no objectivity with him haha. He can’t do a thing wrong.

Didn't,t see any of the game . I,m a blank canvas . So paint me 🎨

Agree with Paul. We did suck. Southampton just sucked waaaayy more

I got an hour and a half drive with my wee girl. Perfect timing