Ok rant warning.
That was absolute garbage yesterday. This was an opportunity to stick it to an absolute scumbag team that has historically cheated its way to get PL titles ahead of us. Whether it's kicking the hell out of our players or the Big Nosed w*nker pressuring the refs to add on time or gain penalties, yesterday was a chance to humiliate United and put them in a negative mindset so they go out against Sociedad and their season is done. All we've done instead is give them hope and belief and if those twats end up winning the EL and getting a CL spot I'll be fuming.
1st half we were well in control possession wise but once again football games aren't won based on the number of sideways passes you make. Low blocks can get bypassed if you go down the sides but once again tactically we messed that up.
Odegaard has been poor this season and he's a bit of a wet lettuce personality wise so I'd remove him as captain and give the armband to Rice or Maghalaes instead - both of whom have more drive. I'd contemplate selling Odegaard (maybe even to City as a ready-made KDB replacement) if we can get £80m+ for him as we have the situation coming soon where Saka will be back and will get into the team and that will force Nwaneri out. Nwaneri is young but should be a starter and maybe he can take over from Odegaard as that's his best position anyway.
It's been mentioned many times before and I'll do it again - our summer transfer window was negligent. Signing Merino (who doesn't get into our 1st XI in midfield) and not signing a striker, only to now play Merino - AS A STRIKER is just mindbogglingly stupid. That's on Arteta and the board. Talk of signing Isak is nonsense - why the hell would he go to Arsenal when he could walk into other teams where he'd be guaranteed trophies. Isn't going to happen so we'll get a Sesko or someone like that who is unproven in the PL and could well end up being a Hoijlund. We had the chance to get Toney for £45m in the summer - what on earth compelled the board to sign another DCM instead?
There are some on-field tactical fuck ups as well. We are very passive in progression and rarely cut loose - additionally Arteta likes to play Lewis-Skelly ahead of Calafiori. I like to see youth come through the academy (are you listening Rag scum - pinching them from other clubs' academies isn't the same) and we have a decent crop coming through. Nwaneri is a supreme talent, he could turn out to be a generational one. Lewis-Skelly is a decent player but absolutely nowhere near the same potential as Nwaneri and Calafiori is a better left back. So play the Italian National Team defender you spent a fortune on instead of the 18 year old (who is actually a midfielder) who spends half his games getting red cards.
Regardless, with the squad we have, I ask myself, 'would we have done better with another manager? Would Pep have finished higher? Simeone? Ancelotti? Inzaghi?' I think the answer is yes so that's something the board need to ponder on given the fact Arteta has been given a ton of money. A truly elite manager is needed to take the club to the next step. We've just signed an elite Sporting Director (from Atletico). I wonder what he'll make of it and if he sees Arteta as the way forward given the fact he's worked with Simeone for the past years. Arteta is probably Poundland Simeone by comparison - maybe we should try and get the real deal!