Arsenal’s Title Credentials in Question After Crushing Wolves Draw

27:23It is the case that we have tried Eza in midfield and Odegaard in midfield and Kai and Marino and Jokeres and Saka on the right and Saka now in midfield with Nani on the right and the three sprinters and the three on-ball players. And I'll confess, for this game, when I'm watching Wolves sit deep and say, pick the lock, I'm looking at Martinelli, Nani, and Jokin I'm saying, Jokin's saying Who's going to be the combination play? Where are the triangles on the edge of the box? Who's going to 1-2 and play, you know Upset and through or whatever you want to say Like, I don't know With 11 games to go now If you said to me, what's the 11?

27:58What's the attack? How does it click together? I don't know and I'm not sure Mikel knows either And I think that was evident in what he picked for this game

28:05Elliot:Yeah, things change on a game-by-game basis Right? So when I was walking into the ground against Wigan, I didn't think Bakayazaki was going to play number 10. I was looking forward to Miles Lewis getting him in the field. Yeah, that's my point. If you watch that game for the first 45 minutes, I would have done exactly what Mikel did. I'd be playing him number 10 the next game. Can I stop and say one thing? I'm not saying Mikel did what he did was wrong, just so we're clear. I'm saying I think it is indicative of a manager who is still trying stuff instead of knowing stuff. And with only 11 games to go, that is a bit of a worry to me.

28:43That's all.

28:43Elliot:Yeah, and absolutely right, Elliot. But I suppose, I mean, we have to be, we have to be, what's the word I'm looking for? I don't want to be defending a situation against Wolves where we're all disappointed, but we have to be honest and say, we've loaned out Ethan Waniere, we've lost Mikel Moreno, we injured Martin Odegaard and injured Kai Havert. yeah so that's four lefties that play in that position yes fair yeah so whether he's searching or whether he's trying to find a solution choose your language right so it's your language i'm glad he's trying to find something better because system wise we lack centrality in how we attack and bakaya saka whatever you think he's brilliant in the center of the pitch because he can look tackles in there, he fights back, he presses in there, and I'm looking at the options that we have currently available, and Eze could equally do it in a different way, work with Saka, etc.

29:44Elliot:I would have liked to see Eze up left in this game, Elliot, if I'm honest with you. Yeah, absolutely, 100 ,000%, yes. He hit some form against Wigan, mate, he was so good. That's the time you tap into the hot hand. You don't sit him and freeze his nuts up on the bench for 80 minutes, then bring him on and say, do something. Do you know what I mean? I didn't think that was good man management reminds you again i don't know the information i don't know why trossard didn't start and why he didn't start but you just gotta pick one of those two in this in this game for me and treat it accordingly so and so that's what i am i think systemically wise we can do better in our attacking play and shape but i come back to it mate i come back to it i i don't think we're looking bright at the moment you know and and that's the first thing to fix and why are we not looking bright?

30:32Elliot:Why are we looking so heavy-legged? Why are we looking burdened? Why are we looking so patchy and can't sustain it? Is it the four competitions that are finally weighing down on our legs? Well, Man City, by the way, are going for quadruple. No one even mentions it. No one's talked about it. They are walking along in our shadow, light-footed, adding players, buying players and recovering players from injury, going through their worst patch and we didn't push the button in that period. Well, we are carrying the burden of favoritism because we are a few points ahead, you know, and we achieve more in the championship.

31:09Elliot:Well, we're at the same stage of the competition. We've achieved the same in the League Cup, and we're both in the next round of the FA Cup. And so they are sitting there with exactly the same chances of doing exactly what we all talk about, exactly what we are all burdened about, fearful about, worried about, because we've been positioned psychologically, positioned PR-wise, to be the team with everything to lose. And we are playing like it. That's the truth. Well, and here's the... Look, we were never going to be the best attack in the world. I just don't think that's a realistic expectation based on what we've seen for four years.

31:50What we were always going to be, I hoped, was a very strong attack with the world's best defense. Now, the issue with that is defending is part what you physically do out there as a footballer, and part of it is mental. And the scary thing for me is this team that struggles to get a goal in especially a second but has gotten its nose in front has shown that mentally it struggles to then stay in the game and stay in the crucial moments. I reference the Mbumo goal against United. The goal against Wolves is the same kind of thing. The goal against Villa is the same kind of thing. Sinking back into your six-yard box poor clearances, hacked clearances, dropped balls, bad passes.

32:32You can't rely on your defensive solidity if you are gifting the opposition opportunities. And we will get into this, but the inability to just keep the ball to make games feel less pressurized, that's hard to explain. But I want to, so look, Saka gets the goal. We go 1-0 up. He does the contract signing celebration, which I enjoyed. It's a lovely cross from Rice. And then there was this period of 20 minutes where we had a ton of high turnovers. and just kept doing the wrong thing. Rice took a shot when I think there were some better options. It was a good shot, but I think there's some better options.

33:03Martinelli misses the easy tap-in after Nani shot. There were a number of moments before the game came to a screeching halt. I think what started to happen is Wolves started to create some stoppages. Going down, holding their head, fainting injury, little foul here, little foul there. And the game kind of ground to a halt. And the pitch was heavy and the weather was poor. And I think we allowed the game to become a very stop-start dull affair after about 30 minutes. And from 30 minutes on, by the way, they outshot us. We had three shots for the last hour of the game. But for the 20 minutes preceding that, after they scored, do you think that there's something to that?

33:39Just the precision with which we make decisions in the final third with moments to get a goal? Because there were a number of really good high turnovers. Wolves just kept pissing around and giving us the ball away, but we were not able to take advantage of it. How do you diagnose that?

33:55Elliot:Yeah, well, we didn't do it earlier because we weren't sharp enough on the day. We weren't accurate enough, and that's a wee thing. We didn't quite get the right thing. So this is why I know I hang on to this chance a lot, and I shouldn't do this. I hang on to things sometimes, so I apologize. But the reason why the Martinelli chance bothered me, you could see the situation was deteriorating. You could see that the conditions are only going to get worse. You could see that this was a trap game, as you say it. so you just got to deal with it as quickly as possible you know and um before the game can not say run away from you but just become a contest that we don't need and that's when you pick up injuries and do dumb stuff and get sending off or something happens so you just want the game to be dead and um and we didn't deal with it so i i i struggle with this one i struggle this one because it's so unnecessary.

34:52Elliot:And you know what I really feel for? I mean, I really feel for, I feel for the fans on this one. I really do. Because everybody is so invested, you know? It's not about who's got the right opinion. Emotionally invested, thinking, crikey, we've done so many good things. We are right here. Yet we can't do this? if we can't do this where's my confidence for Chelsea and Spurs why do I think we're going to go to the Etihad and win what have you done to demonstrate to me that when the pressure hits that you can deliver that you can make that pass you can take that shot not piss about in a shot in a six yard box and flick it up volley it in if you kick the goalkeeper in his head that's what you do you run to the side where the fans are who've just driven I don't know a couple hundred miles, you run to them and you say, cheers.

35:48Elliot:Do you know what I mean? When I look at it, you know what frustrates me? There's a lot of people there that have helped us get to this position. They've accepted their new contracts. They're right here. You know, big money players. You know, big money players. The two centre-fours that played in this game. Big money. Big wages. you know they've come to a time where you have to be accountable for you what you're doing you know and i i don't i'm not one for losing my rag or anything like that i like to think i'm quite constructive there are many many people losing their rags they not being constructive and i don't blame them i don't blame them mikhail didn't either he said we have to take it yeah i don't blame them i don't blame them you know um because that hurts that hurts because it shows a level of, the words I used last night was unprofessional.

36:41Elliot:You can lose for a matches, right? Matches, I can deal with that. Honestly, I can. We caught them in a good moment. They've changed their manager. Everything to prove, playing once a week, walked into our manor and we froze and they'd done us with some great goals and a mistake. I can take that. I can take Liverpool taking out their forwards and playing all midfielders to try to limit the damage. I can take that. I'm not having Forrest away, mate. I'm not having Wolves away. Not having that. That's a completely different budget. That's a completely different scale. When we lost to Aston Villa, they were the most formed team in the league and they beat us in the last second.

37:19Elliot:I can deal with that. You know, just about deal with it. It's unfortunate. I can deal with it. That's football. You can't expect to win every game. But that against Wolves, it's unacceptable. It's unprofessional. And there comes a time when you need to learn. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I hate to break it to you based on what you just said with United. You know, they had all week to prepare for us and they got a new manager. Well, guess what? Spurs have had two weeks to prepare for us and a new manager. So fingers crossed for that Dallas get-together being a good one. I'll say something a little bit emotional and then we'll shift.

37:52I want to talk about the midfield, Rice and Zubamendi. I want to talk about Timber forgetting how to play football for 20 minutes, Leo's injury, and how we wind up getting a goal that should have won it and not winning it. So there's a lot still to get to there. but we have to stay together. Like, look, no one's in the mood for a rallying cry, but let me just say this. I don't know if we're going to do it. I don't know if we're going to win the league. Right now, it does not feel like this team has it. Maybe we can be the reason they do. Like, I get it. Everybody's furious. Some people want the manager out.

38:22Some people want all the players sacked. Some people want the Emirates burned down. And I get being there right now. But this team has been close for four seasons now. It has to get it done, and it's going to need us. and like they clearly are wavering. They clearly are rocked. So the only choice we have is to be the group that picks them up. And I realize, you know, sitting here on a podcast doesn't help, but like at the Emirates, maybe even just in social media, maybe in public spaces to find some resolve to get a stiff back and a stiff jaw and a smile on your face and feel the love you have for the club and express it because like they're going to need us.

38:58Clearly they don't have it mentally right now. They don't. and they're scared and they're wavering and they're wobbling and i don't think us delivering the knockout blow the coup de the coup de grace is the way to go so look that doesn't mean don't analyze it by the way that doesn't mean we don't sit here and say you know martin ellie was shit or the forwards didn't work or the attack looks more abundant like you can say all that but like i think publicly we've got to get a stiff upper lip stand up straight pull on the colors and and try to get behind them because they need us like i don't think they'll do it without us clive they don't look like they have it and they're going to need us so i think we just have to be there for

39:32Elliot:them i i hear you saying and well i will say that but i will say after the last michael rallying cry the next game i think it may have been sunderland and the chelsea game it felt different in the ground so people were really trying to say you know what yeah you were right we were we were a bit tense against banter united and maybe we didn't help but in those other games we've been absolutely fine and the last home games have been they've been really nice to be at but it comes down to what you need to deliver you need to live against walls and i'm sorry we didn't do it but i'll tell you what i'm not gonna do i'm not throwing away everything i'm not throwing everybody in the bin you know because i don't think that's the right thing to do i'm not about to do it i'm not about to leave the club and say well you've hurt me so i'm just gonna slaughter to you.

40:23Elliot:There are things I didn't like. I said them in the most constructive and polite and calm way as I possibly can. But I'm an arsehole man through and through and I'm not bailing. I am not bailing. Because that's exactly what everyone else wants to do. They want us to do. They want us to bail, divide and break ourselves apart so they can laugh and say not only has the team not got the bottle for it, but the fans haven't got the bottle for it. And this is why the next game we playing mate he's gotta go well yeah he's gotta go well and those got those lads in the corner there lads and ladies um they they'll bring their a game i promise you that and and maybe just connect to the fact that there's four things we're trying to win and it hurts like mad when you don't win them but it matters and for a couple of years there it didn't matter at all we weren't competing for anything we were miles away so maybe connect to that connect to as frustrated as we are as much as we look like bottlers today and they can't do it this manager these players like we're close and maybe we can help push them over the line but i'll tell you what if we're bottlers then we're bottlers because yeah it's clear because that's it there's there's just you'll have to wear it but you know what we'll be back here going to games and watching games and talking about games next season so we're not going anywhere the players might leave the manager might leave the ownership might leave you know who's never leaving all of us but if we can get them over the line this season if we can be a part of that all all more power to us and maybe i'm maybe i'm being completely ridiculous maybe there's nothing we can do you know that we shouldn't be talking ourselves out of anything here by the way yeah we are we are not five points behind we are five points ahead we are disappointed of what could be but we have to keep this in balance right um we are we still have this in our hands you know but so does city now by the way so we We still have it in our hands and there's lots of games to play and no one else is showing a consistency level.

42:19Elliot:You know, this year is down to us to become consistent. Yeah, maybe this is what I was trying to say because rallying, nobody needs a rallying cry right now. But I guess what I'm trying to say is as frustrated as I am and as concerned as I am, and those things are at a level 10. I also don't want to quit. I don't want to concede. Well, it's done. You're seeing a lot of that. Well, that's it. It's done. And I get it. It feels like it's done. It really feels like they don't have it. but it is not done and I don't want to quit. And like, there's still every chance we do it. I just, I need to stay connected to that for my own sanity.

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44:18Elliot:Indeed. Okay. I have to confess that as much as I think Zubimendi and Rice have been two of our best players this season, I'm not sure we need both of them all the time. Is that silly? you felt that for about whoever's in the double pivot you felt that for about three years right because you'd like to see loads of little attackers right so are we going to keep doing this all the time because those two players have got us to where we are i will say to you despite them being the brain of the team it's quite easy to spot the people on the outside are not doing very well but we didn't control the middle neither did we in this game we didn't control it, and by control it I mean pass direction, knowing when to go forward, knowing when to go backwards, knowing when to go sideways.

45:07Elliot:I don't think we control it at all with any consistency, with any pass and move. We try to do it in a inefficient way. Just move it on a bit, don't support the play, not connect it, just get it away from here, but we're giving the ball away consistently. You know, so I am someone that likes to see the team with a primarily double pivot, but they don't stay there. They really are quite mobile. I mean, look at Zubmendi over this season. There's been a massive success. I think he's flattened out the last couple of games. But he's not standing there, is he? He's going forward. He's scored goals on the edge of the area.

45:44Elliot:He's put left foot crosses in. So we have to be honest about what we are seeing here. Declan Rice is more of an all-rounder. And the two of them together have been really, really good. However, they didn't control the game. They didn't play the game. there was an offer in this game. And I thought, although Rice always comes out with good numbers and a high sofa score, and you can say to yourself, yeah, he paid well because he always pays well. He's quite demonstrative and he's quite visible so you can always see him shouting and pushing and pointing. But he didn't control the game. You know, he didn't control the game.

46:16Elliot:And part of what we do when we go one up, a lot of it comes from those two guys. Where do they stand? Because where they stand, where they feel is where the team drops. So the centre-backs will drop away to create space. The forwards will come back. So they are the heart and the brain of the team. Two of our best players. I'll tell you now, they're two of our best players. But during these periods, when we go 1-0 up, they need to be studied. Are they doing the right things? Or are they deciding, you know what, let's hold this with our position and let's play where we think we should play. Hence my thought process about not having a strategy when we go 1-0 up.

46:55Elliot:I don't think we're aggressive enough. I think we're too passive. I think we're too... We go to wide areas and we default to our individualists out wide. And when they don't have a good game, we slaughter them. Because we can see them. Because they've got the ball to their feet. One-on-one, they're exposed to the camera. We can see them. But the people on the inside jogging, we don't always spot them so easily. When the ball drops, they don't get there first. We say, oh, he looks a bit tired. Oh, the space is a bit big. He's being out physical. but how about controlling the game, controlling the space, controlling our distances as a team thing?

47:28Elliot:And we didn't do that in this game. Yeah. I mean, in the second half, Martin Zubmendi played 23 passes. You know, like, we passed it under 80%. It's just no control. The ability to keep the ball and play it from arsenal player to arsenal player and start stringing passes together and get a team to feel like there's nothing to fight for doesn't seem to exist. I mean, look, you play with your food at 1-0, you're taking a risk. At 2-0, that's the time to make the game dull, and that's the time we seem incapable of making the game dull, Clive. And like, what are they there for if not for that? Exactly, exactly that.

48:11Elliot:But on your point, you know, I'm not dismissing your point, Elliot. So we played, I can't remember, we did against Wigan now, sorry, I'm going to go back and have a look. but against Wigan we were quite an attacking team right well we had Norgaard out there by the way which I think a lot of people wonder why he can't get on a pitch yeah in games that matter on a wet Wednesday at Wolves why not right so so we had Norgaard and we had we had Eze and sort of Saka ahead didn't we and if we'd have picked not say those three in particular but maybe maybe why not and just put Rice there instead of Norgaard and say for the first half hour mate you're getting it you know and then if we then double pivot up and then do what we got to do then that's fine I'm trying to look at solutions but when we sorry we already got to 2-0 so we were at 2-0 so everything I'm talking about we did it I would like to do a half hour sooner but we did it you know and if you go back to the City game and they played for them I think the game was over by half time they just dealt with them it's a home game nice day they dealt with them we've got to deal with these things you don't encourage them into deep waters, right?

49:20Elliot:That's what Chelsea tried to do against us, and that's what they did. They said, if we can stay close, the pressure will get to them, and that's exactly what happened. But yeah, Elliot, I don't dismiss your point. Because if you were picking a team, that's what you would do, but he against lower teams, and you would pick that team. I cannot say that's wrong, especially today. Well, let's be fair to Zubimendi. He's in a new league playing every game 90 minutes because he's so important to us. But this is an opportunity to say, I'm going to play Rice back there, and Saka in midfield. Because you know what?

49:50Even if I'm a little more vulnerable and the game opens up, who's going to get slaughtered if the game opens up between Wolves and Arsenal? It's not Arsenal. It's Wolves. If we play that way and there's a little more on-ball quality and a little more devilment in the attacking areas of the pitch and the game winds up stretching out because sometimes Saka loses the ball or Saka loses the ball. First of all, you've got Rice, the best in the world at going and recovering it. But if Wolves are going to come play a little bit against us, that's when they're going to get killed i you know that's when you change the usage of timber

50:21Elliot:elliott for example and say to him well actually you be the right the right-sided midfielder they're not going to come at us which they didn't and we've got three back here can deal with them but we protect some middle but we're now saying to you rules we are playing up your end of the pitch with our talent see if you can stop them you know so and so but we i so i don't i don't dismiss that at all i really don't and sometimes you've got to send a message to a team who are bottom of the league with nine points but we got our two nil and we should have had our two nil sooner so it's what we didn't do at that point is really really the concern in this game that's entirely fair i mean the thing that makes the analysis hard so there's two sides to the coin right the one side of the coin is i feel the attack lacks urgency and creativity and chance creation and that makes teams feel more comfortable against us than they should i think that has been the case over this run of 10 points in 21.

51:13The reality, to your point, Clive, is we got this to 2-0. So whether you want to say the attack was disappointing for an hour, you know, at 70 or what was it? 57 minutes, we're 2-0 up, game over. Now, really quickly, that is a beautiful goal. Gosh, can I tell you how awful I am? I loved that goal. Gabby, beautiful three-ball doing Cappier, lovely little toe-poke finish when he's under a lot of pressure and being grabbed at. But this is where I stink, where I'm the worst. There's a part of me that's like, we're getting through balls from center backs and runs in behind from fullbacks. And we've got all this attacking talent and we can't kind of generate any of those dynamics from our attacking players.

51:59But without wanting to crap on a beautiful goal really quickly, Clive, it is a lovely goal, a lovely bit of play from Gabby and a lovely bit of play from Incappier who Incappier might be the one guy that comes out of this game with real credit in the bank.

52:11Elliot:yeah I thought Hincapie and Sakarachi were the two that really stood out to me I always liked the centre backs but they their fingers were on the crime at the end of it potentially so so yeah but you know what it did it made me annoyed when that goal was scored because because I think Hincapie's been really really good and he's forced his way into a team he's definitely unsettled Califuri he's lost his GPS big time and um but he made a run and he just made a run off the side a simple you know out to end run staying on side forcing the passer to pass him it didn't matter who the passer is it's it happened to be our center back that tells you movement drives the pass and he gets into the area he's a mess about his first touch keeps on his strong side and he clips it high into the net i mean crikey can you have a word it's all about wide men can you that's what saying yeah one's coming to my mind real quick i just just clip it into the top of the net and i really like that goal i thought that's it it's done but you know what i'm gonna really be picky now right i didn't like the attitude while we were waiting for that goal to be to be given people laughing and joking i'm thinking what you mate i'm sitting here my stomach's in knots it's an existential goal for our season and we're there like it's just pre-season or something laughing and joking i'm thinking i'm dying here you're literally dying and i'm sure i'm not the only one that was dying hoping that goal will be given what the hell has the lines been doing putting his flag up by the way yeah and then you then you basically then you have that moment of relief hey mate i'm allowed to have that moment of relief the players aren't that's when you get on it that's when you start talking at that moment you know that's when you start talking that's when you get tight that's when you start playing in the areas you want to play that's when you say to each other right 15 passes before they even before just 15 parts just shout 15 that's it let's do 15 everyone gets on the boat and everyone starts to move and receive to keep it and really focuses we don't have a plan we don't have a plan we just want to play it out and see how it goes it's not it's not good enough because we have a plan to get there we have a plan whether you like it or not we have a way of playing to get to that moment that's when you have to respect the game respect your opponent and we didn't do that yeah and i mean this is where the midfield ties into too so as a and jesus come on obviously not a good showing for jesus and there was that really unfortunate moment where he's in a way right before they get their goal actually and to your point about lack of professionalism the degree the casualness with which he attacked that situation addressed that situation late was incredibly frustrating um but the other thing stolen mate people just come up to him took his lunch money out of his pocket and just said i'm having your lunch money well what don't start pushing people after the whistle cut across your man properly you're not a kid again you're top payer one of our captains chop inside you got options you got across you can chop inside cat at the defender or get a shot of don't let someone come up to you and just take your money out your pocket easy to turn around you're chopping like you did against united that one time to make the game safe and when doubt was it just went sliding past it there's got to be a shot out of that there's got to be something come out of that yeah you know and um but nothing come out of it in fact we actually gave them momentum you know ridiculous yeah um and like the other thing look i'm not going to sit here and pretend i say it was good even though I'm a huge fan of him, but this is the problem with the midfield losing their dominance and control of the game is, if you're going to bring a player like Ezzan, what you need is you need the players in the central part of the pitch to get some control past it to each other and find a ball between the lines, but we just lost control of the game completely.

56:09Look, their goal to make it 2-1 comes quick and that didn't help, but this is one where I will have a little bit of sympathy. They have a corner. The corner is cleared. Everybody flows to that part of the pitch, and we lose the ball in the duel. We kind of lost a lot of second balls in this game, to be fair. And the ball goes quickly back out to the side where the corner had been taken. And so we don't have the cover there that we need. And then it's just a really good shot. Now, I have seen some people suggest that's not in the corner, and maybe Raya should do better with it. There is a sense.

56:49I mean, look, if you're going to look at how many low XG shots we can see, then you have to look at the keeper as to why we're doing that. Do I think Donnarumma finds a way to claw that out? I do. I don't think Raya did anything wrong on that other than just being a keeper who sometimes will be beaten because he's not 6 '7".

57:06Elliot:Yeah, we looked disorganized. And to have the left back coming on the right-hand side, coming on his left foot, I think that fooled in Cappy, shall we say. Yeah. And he didn't quite close down the distances. But he scored his first goal ever and stuck in our top corner. Thanks for coming, mate. Brilliant. And the moment he left his foot, he was going in, wasn't it? David Rea is actually much better at saving shots from three yards away than he is from 33 yards away. That's been clear. We've seen him ourselves earlier, live in the stadiums. It's been clear. That's his weaker point. But for me, he's top two, top three in the league.

57:47Elliot:and a big part of how we play, he has that weakness, mate. And there's evidence there to say it. So some of the shots have been him from far out. I'm not sure anyone would get him. I think he's a bit unlucky. But that one felt, could you? Is that just me and my heart saying, can you bail us out here? In the moment, yeah. I could be wrong. Was he a bit high? Was he a bit high? And he went over him really, didn't he? He didn't really go around. over and around. Was he a bit high? Maybe. I'm not going to say I'm a goalkeeper expert, right? So, but I was hoping he would pull us out, something out of the bag there, which he has done consistently.

58:27Elliot:So, I'm true. But I will say, forget that, back to who, is he in a good moment? I felt he looked rattled at, sorry, Brentford. I thought he looked rattled. I looked into his face, he looked rattled. He looked rattled in this game. You know, and you could see it in his face when the goal went in, he looked rattled. I don't know why he's doing this. I don't know why he's running, you know, a couple of things the other day and he ran out of his box and just rolled it to somebody and they turned around and got a shot in. He makes a save. I think that was against Blackburn. Sorry, Brentford. I keep saying Blackburn.

59:02Elliot:Brentford, when he rolled it out and Thiago got the head and he makes a fantastic save from inside the box with no other keeper can save, you know, because he's really good at that. But that was a problem of his own making. So he's not in the best moment at the moment. And this is where we need these people, these people who have been really, really good to get themselves back in order and stop looking at the bigger prize and start looking at the next pass, the next shot. Look at the small details because we're looking a bit off at the moment, Elliot. Yeah. In terms of how the attacking dynamic works, by the way, Billy Carpenter posted out a pretty interesting stat.

59:40Interesting might be one word for it. Shit might be another. that was the sixth game that Martinelli and Jokras have started together in the Premier League. In those six games, they've combined for zero goals, zero assists. Jokras has yet to have a shot on target, and Martinelli is 4 of 15 on crosses. So whatever you want to say about how you configure an attack, that ain't it.

1:00:03Elliot:They might be better in Europe than the cup competitions, those two together, because they seem to combine. However, back to where we started, I felt we were a creator short. either do your Eze Saka thing or get Eze wide left in this game. It just felt obvious. I think Trussard has a relationship with Jokeres. It seemed clear to me that he does his little shake and break, chops inside and he passes into that channel. Jokeres gets onto it and then we build from there. Martinelli, he's not someone that's associative. He's more someone that gets near people for bits and pieces or he's a runner-shooter until he runs out.

1:00:37Elliot:And so that combination doesn't seem to work. And I think there's enough evidence there for us to say now that's not working. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Mikel Arteta is not unique in this. Every manager has favorites. Like I hear people say, Mikel plays favorites. Find me a manager who doesn't play favorites. Like managers have their group, their guys they trust. Like they have to. Yeah, they have to. And trust is hard to give and easy to lose. I do think Ebrecha Eza is not in the circle of trust fully with Mikel. I'm not saying he hates him. I just don't think he's a player you fully trust. But it feels to me like Ben White is not in the circle of trust because for the last 25 minutes of this game, Urien Timber feels like he just stopped knowing how to play football.

1:01:21Now, there was a point where it looked like he got hurt, something with his ankle. He was holding it. Quite early, actually.

1:01:25Elliot:He got stamped on his foot or something. He played it off. But the last 20 minutes, I mean, he was kicking, like, comfortable passes into touch. He was booting the ball into the stand. Like this was a moment for Ben White to come on for Urien Timber in my mind, and he didn't do it. And I'm curious if you're surprised he didn't do it, if you think that that's a blind spot for Mikael. I mean, we also don't know because Ben White, there were rumors of an injury following the Wigan game, but Ben White himself posted out on socials, I'm not injured essentially. So we're surprised he wasn't used. Hang on.

1:01:52Elliot:This is Ben White we're talking about. He basically played with a grade two hamstring against Newcastle a few years ago and played with injuries and would never tell anybody he was injured. and you know but there are things you can do right there are things you can do so whether it's Ben or not I know people the players that don't play they suddenly get better I mean Kai's basically Diego Maradona at the moment right so so but I do think you can do things you know if you're struggling right back and you're thinking you know what Ben's had a bit of a hamstring alert I don't want to put him on put mascara on you know just put him there great point just play mascara there that kid is brilliant right just play mascara there Neutralize the other mascara.

1:02:33You could cancel him out.

1:02:35Elliot:And just do that. And just say to yourself, I need to look after this guy. You know, because Timber will keep going and keep going. And the problem is, with him is, he wants to help the team so much. I think he empties his position too quickly, too early. If you're passing to insecure people on the ball, like who particularly late in games, Nonny and Martinelli, they're not the most secure in possession when they're tired right they're not bakayo just i'm buying a foul i'm tired i'm gonna get a foul but you you can play the ball into me and i'll look after it they're not the same so you have to adjust your movements accordingly i should tell my son do not run past your winger unless the position possession is secure do not do it wait till you have secure possession because if you lose it you're out position everyone's out position the center half's got to roll over the other center half rolls over left back's got to roll over and there's always a man over that's because you've got excited i think sometimes i think tim does that do it with saka but be careful with the others make sure you're there for a set and they can build play sometimes when you're managing a game just calm down a little bit you know that's all he is calm down have a bit of assurance about you stop dashing around he was running into spaces players didn't move into a crowd scene try a little flick the only person looks stupid is you you know this way you need to be a little bit more controlled or talk to your people around you your little interior team within a team your unit and say when i start moving forward mate spinning behind you know because i need that space that separation and this is a lack of cohesion that we played we're basically a team that some players were doing what they wanted and some players were trying to rest their way through the game and have it as a low event game where we got caught out It's our fault.

1:04:24Yeah, I mean, are we unlucky that we conceded a very good goal from next to nothing to make it 2-1? We are. Are we unlucky with how we played the rest of the game from there? Not remotely. We're a culprit. And that's where I think Mikel is part of it because I think at that point the instinct is see it out. And I think you've got to get your foot on the ball and you've got to control that game and let your quality be the deciding factor. not the risk. Because the funny thing is, the reason we didn't win that game was the reason you have to dominate football games. Because weird, dumb, unpredictable shit or mistakes at the back happen that give teams a goal who otherwise would not have found one.

1:05:05And you have to dominate your game to prevent that from happening.

1:05:08Elliot:The Chelsea second leg game was the sort of game that we needed to play in some ways. Once you got your goals, you just need to hide the ball from them. Yes. We did that really, really well. You know, we hid the ball from them until they end up with nothing, until they got frustrated and then we broke out and scored. We need to have that sort of strategy in this game, and we didn't. And so it's not that if we can't do it, we haven't done it. We're quite good at nullifying games. We just seem to have lost our way a little bit recently. There's some frustration at Leo I don't understand at all. Leo Troussard took a snide sort of chest to the jaw, and his bell was clearly wrong in my mind.

1:05:49Elliot:I thought he staggered backwards. I thought he did as well. After he got up. He got up and then staggered. He was clearly not well. That could be a problem. I don't think he'll play on Sunday. I don't think he'll be clear to play on Sunday. Well, yeah, so let's see what happens there. That was a moment. There was some slack. That wasn't his fault. But that was just leading to the sense of doom that I had. I just wanted that six minute to disappear, and he would lay down for three minutes. it just was just, it was just needed the moments of calm at that point. What are we going to do? What are we going to do at that point?

1:06:27Elliot:Do we still keep pushing or do we say, no, we're sitting, we're mid-blocking. Do whatever we do, we have a strategy for it. You know, when Califuri came, well, I couldn't tell you where he was playing. You know, I just, I just couldn't, you know, so he was just out there trying to make an impression in the limited time that he has because he realized his pace is under threat. You know, So that wasn't helping for any calmness or structure to our team. Supermendy was finished. Rice was trying to, his default is to try to do everything for everybody and just try to see a spot where the ball might go.

1:07:01Elliot:But that doesn't mean he's going to engage consistently. That means he's going to drop away to try to protect our line. And so I don't think we were clear-minded at that point. You know, Martin Elliott, on their goal, on the second goal, if you want to go to that now, Elliott, but on their goal, on the second goal, obviously, Jay-Jews does his thing where he's running in quicksand, right? And then he then disappears. They come out the other end. And it goes to their sort of left-wing or straight left-back. And Timber's got him one-on-one. He's got it, right? So, Martin Neely comes in the picture, leaves the…

1:07:34Elliot:there's a player for the Wolves player to set to, and there's a player that Timber was doing one-on-one. So, Martin Neely runs past the set option, gets involved in Timbers one-on-one and then doesn't really engage. And so when he sets it back to the player that Martinelli should have stayed on or blocked off, he's now got an unpressured cross into our box. Now, if you're a defender and you see a cross coming to your box without any pressure on the ball, you know what you do a little bit? You drop away, knowing they're going to be making runs in behind you. And so Big Gabby drops away and he's just about to head that ball until his goalkeeper flies into the pitch like Superman and heads it off his head or punches it down, affects his clearance, drops to their guy, and then we drop behind the keeper.

1:08:21Elliot:And then basically we don't really rush the kid on the ball like Keller had did against Martinelli, for example. He didn't sprint out. He stands and thinks, I'll be able to save this. Not able to, and he bumbles over the line. It's all on us, mate. It's all on us. We didn't control the details. It's all on us. It's not unlucky. It's on us. You earn your luck. I'm just hoping we learn the lessons. But if someone's going to say in the comments to me, if we're not learning lessons, you won't get a reply from me disagreeing because it's there right in front of us. When Wolves brought on an Academy kid for his first ever Premier League minutes, you knew that guy was scoring.

1:09:01You just hoped it wasn't going to be the equalizer. It's the Danny Rose effect, right? You know what's coming. I will say this though however you want to analyze it that cross is a nothing cross with no danger there is no Wolves player I think David Raya may have some flaws but one of the things I think he is best at in the world is claiming crosses there is no analysis of this that I can apply to this moment other than terror and panic and stress and pressure breaking these players Gabby is too intelligent, too experienced to be getting involved there. Raya is too talented and too experienced to fumble that ball, to not scream, keeper.

1:09:47Where's the communication? Why are they contesting the same ball? I have seen David Raya take the ball in a cross, claim a ball over men just as big as Gabby under more pressure than that and handle it cleanly. Why doesn't he handle it cleanly? Why doesn't he give a shout? Why is our center back dropping into the six-yard box when there's no Wolves player there? However you want to analyze it, there's only one analysis I can come away with. That is a moment where pressure got to the players, and the players, and in particular, Raya, failed. Now, I've seen some people be frustrated with Cal Fiore.

1:10:22I just want to dismiss that. Like, Cal Fiore's standing on the line, and the ball's hit firmly, and all right, he doesn't get it right. He's unlucky. I'm not going to put any of the blame on Cal Fiore. This is the keeper and maybe the center back blowing a very simple situation where he should catch it, fall to the ground, lay on his stomach for 30 seconds, boot it up to pitch, and the game is over. And it is a moment that invites any claims of bottling it or choking or falling under pressure that you want to say. And that's why I respect Mikel for admitting that, for admitting whatever the bullet, we have to take it.

1:11:01It is frustrating because I also think, had we won this 2-1, I still think there'd be a lot of critical analysis to do with this performance. A lot of reasons to be critical of this performance. But we'd have the three points. And with 11 games to go, the three points matter more. I think what we got is yet another wake-up call for a zombie run-in that is not responding to wake-up calls. And Clive, I guess what we have to say now is simply it's five points with the game in hand. So let's just say City were to win the game in hand. It's two points. it's two points which means if they win at the etihad against us the title is in their hands for

1:11:39Elliot:the run-in it's in their hands now they win all their games they win the league well it's in our hands and their hands right if yeah if we get even a draw at the etihad it's in our hands if they get a win at the etihad it's in their hands so you know it does it does come down that way but i will say this i've never seen a pep guardiola team not win the title in a run-in when the title is there to be won. The only times I've seen them not win the title is when they're miles back for the run-in. So I am concerned, of course. What do you think? Where is this have you feeling it leaves us in terms of our ability to right the ship?

1:12:19And I want to be clear. I think people will say, Clive, well, City aren't that good. I agree. But City are the team that have six titles under Pep Guardiola and have done this, and we've seen them do this, and we're the team that hasn't won it in 22 years so everything they say about us is true until it isn't that's just it you know yeah we got

1:12:38Elliot:we got a job to do yeah and um we need to focus and do that and not be ourselves too much um we all have the fear you know i've barely eaten today probably some people are thinking you could do missing a meal client but i barely eat in today and um i just think it's um how we're all feeling it's just a sick feeling that all the things people have said we are could come true and the fans are thinking well it's not my fault you know and people are lashing out and um with city they've improved right so they had a young kid called elaine kuzinov playing center backs in early january losing games they lost stones they lost diaz they had they had problems in those areas.

1:13:24Elliot:Rodri wasn't on the pitch. And now they've got Gay, got Stones, got Diaz. Aitinori's come back from African Nations. They're playing the young kid in midfield. They bought Semenyo. So they have an extra forward. Marmusha's come back from African Nations. Rodri's playing. Rodri's playing and about to be suspended. But he's playing. And Harlan had his dry patch. is coming out of it, you know, and suddenly, oh, they've got their players back. Oh, guess what, Elliot? They're in a good moment, aren't they? They're in a good moment. They're in a good moment psychologically. No one's talking about them.

1:14:03They're in four competitions, you know, and they're in a good moment where we are in the

1:14:09Elliot:same competitions, in the same place. We're actually better off and you think the world is ending. And that is a psychological pressure. That's the battle that we are losing. We are losing it, you know, and that's what we've got to overcome. you know and um so yeah let's see what happens so they've improved but it only takes what i've learned from doing these podcasts for a long time now and every time i come out with conclusive opinions i realize that they we are subject to change and when you're playing every three days things can change very very quickly and you will feel like a fool so go with what you see go with what you feel in your stomach, the conclusions about people, just hold them a little bit longer.

1:14:53Elliot:Because some of those people we desperately need, and we need them to come back to form, and I don't think it will help if we smash them. Yeah, and this is why you can't hand-wave any drop points. This is why the draw against Forrest was so bad. The loss at home to United was so bad. Because if we're nine points clear going into this Wolves game, we win the Wolves game 4-0. That, to me, is very clear. You know, I think had we done our job against Forest, against United, you know, we're 1-0 up against United. Forest aren't very good. Forget the Liverpool game. Fine. You do that. If we have five more points, which we very, very easily could have and should have had, then we go into this game with a chance to make it 12 points in the gap.

1:15:37But we go into this game nine points clear. and nine points clear. I don't think we drop points to Wolves. I think at that point, we're very confident we're going to do it. Well, now, here's how I think about it. There's 11 games left. Forget City. Forget the gap. Win 11 games. Win your games. There is no game coming up other than the game at the Etihad. No game that I don't think we can win. We can win all of the games if we're at our level. Now, this is the shitty part about what we've done with the gap, though, is it means we can't rotate when there's Champions League we can't rotate when there's a big like we're going to have to play the best guys we've got in all the games and hope they're good enough as I sit here right now I don't believe we're going to do it but I don't believe for a second we're out of it so we can't quit and we have to get behind the team and that starts on Sunday and so Clive there is no better game to have in a way than the Derby because winning the Derby matters outside the context of a title season you know what I mean beating spurs always matters it is an opportunity to have a game that is outside of the title race in a way it is a game that matters in and of itself they are terrible and they are missing tons of players this is a gut check this is a real gut check because we beat the absolute snot out of them at our place they're not very good this new manager isn't going to suddenly make a bad team good so how are you approaching this because it is it is a game that matters outside of the title race, but it really, really matters inside of it as well.

1:17:09Elliot:I'm sure we sat on this podcast and sort of said, this weekend is a must win. It's a must win. We are now. But let me tell you something. This weekend is a must win. I don't want to think about walking out of that ground on the back of a defeat. I don't want to think about it. Or a draw, candidly. I don't want to think about it, mate. I don't want to think about it. It would just be that the internet would break. It would break. and this is what you've got to take care of your details, right? Because this is what you bring on yourself. But it's also an opportunity as well. That's the way you've got to look at it.

1:17:43It's an opportunity to re-find our levels.

1:17:47Elliot:I keep waiting for this team to find its turning point and to be shocked into action. But we're flat. We're flat. So two weeks ago, you know, this game was a gimme, right? Two weeks later after Brentford and Wolves, come on, we're a little bit edgy, aren't we? We're a little bit edgy. And we don't know what this manager's going to do. I've been reading things. He's going to potentially go to a back three. We tend to do well against back threes. We don't know how they're going to react to him. We don't know if they're on board with him. We don't know if they even like him. He might be someone who gets his team to run and work hard.

1:18:20Elliot:Or they've got loads of time for fitness training. And they're going to come into a team that's played three extra games in the gap when they've been sitting there, selling themselves. And so we have to go there and do it. I don't know where their fans are. But there is a lot, to be honest. we've got a bit of fear around our club. They have a fear around their club. West Ham and Forest are reading them in. And they have a fear of relegation. And we have a fear of not winning the quadruple. But the fear of relegation, we might be playing the one team that has more fear than us. And so I do think it's important to, obviously, like every game, to impose ourselves, remind ourselves who we are, and play to our top level.

1:19:02Elliot:and I always say this is my thing. This is my thing. If ever I could do a team talk to the players, this is what I'd say. Do not end up at that last home game of the season doing your lap of appreciation and no one sitting in the seats. So decide how you want to play. Decide your urgency. Because it's all here. We have it all. We have the bench. We have everything. You can say, well, you've got to pick the right team. That's your want. You can do that. there's enough in this group, there's enough in that team last night to win any game in this league. And we've proven it. But we didn't do it. And a lot of that's on us.

1:19:43I mean, the one nice thing about having a game in hand, even though it doesn't feel nice, especially not having won it, is that because we are five points clear, City playing on Saturday, they can't go top, right? And I know it sounds dumb, but psychologically, Logically, I think that feels better because if we hadn't played in midweek, they could go top, right, ahead of us before we played the Derby. At least whatever happens when they pound Newcastle into the ground, they go to 56, we're on 58. Now, again, game in hand, I get it. But on the same games played, they'd still be two points behind us.

1:20:19Any quick thoughts just on who Mikkel should pick? I mean, he's got to be looking around that dressing room a little bit and going, who's got the who's got the bottle for this? Who's got the backbone for this moment? I mean I'm sure there's a little bit of a feeling that he's searching for answers and not sure of who the answers are I don't know that Leo will be available, we don't know what the injury situation will look like but do you have a feel for lineup?

1:20:44Elliot:Yeah I know well I think I know what we're going to do because I don't think Kyle's going to be ready and I hope we don't rush him back because I think he's critical so we need him for the running and for the big games coming up in the Champions League we need him don't bring him back now and lose him for a month because then we're talking basically the last sort of 14 months he'll have played like five games you know that's that's your best forward right that's not that's not going to win you much right so so I think maybe just based on fatigue of last night I think maybe it's a time for Ben White to come in at right back.

1:21:25Elliot:I don't see any problem with that. Timber's one of my favourite players, but you can't look at that rigor mortis leg he had on last night and say to yourself, you're in the best time of your arse all time, so you just need to sit down. There's a week off after this game before he gets to Chelsea. The Chelsea-wide players are the type of players I want Timber there for. So I'd give him a sit down in this game. There's no drama. We've got a squad of me. So do that. I think Capri played really well in this game. so I'll probably stay with that situation at the moment. I do think there's a, there is a, I don't know how to describe it.

1:22:02Elliot:There's a looseness positioning within Cappy sometimes. Sometimes I look up and I can't find him on the screen. I need to look at it closer before I can really articulate it in a better way. But I look up at my screen, I think, where are you? You're inside. Why are you inside there? I sometimes want it to hold your spaces a little bit better. always didn't punish it but I thought he had a good game obviously he scored the goal so I have to admit I would still go with Zubmendi and Rice in the middle of the pitch I would play Eze off the left I would I played Sacklin behind I'm staggered that we haven't seen it yet I have to be honest well I've seen it well against Rice in some of the earlier games and he was X 'ing at it and I think with him and Incappy I think it just fits in better you know a bit like a bit like the old days of Tierney and Smith-Rowe where Smith-Rowe would just step inside one and the fullback would be around him, but a running target so he could always pass to him, but also drive inside on his right foot.

1:22:59Elliot:That seems like a clear pair to me, why not do it? And I just think it gives a lot of goal threat. I thought when SA came on, he looked really sharp for about three minutes and then got swept up by the game. He looked really quick. I think we missed a moment to play him. He had a late moment to win it for us too, but it's a hard ball. It's rolling across his body. He's trying to slash at it on his right foot. Yeah, but that's your, that's, yeah, I must admit, I need to look at that again, but I'm thinking, mate, come on. Take a touch. Just do whatever you got to do. Yeah. Yeah, do whatever you got to do.

1:23:30Elliot:Because I think you can take a touch. I don't think he has to try the first time that. It's very. Well, yeah, this is, it's a cool dude finish when he's side foot into the side net and you've just got to make sure you get something on it. I don't care if you throw your leg at it fully, you know, slide tackle it in. Like, you know, like the Yoko Reds finish the other day, slide tackle it in if you've got to. Make sure it goes to the line hard. and you know Jocres had a poor game he's been our I'm going to say this quietly he's been our form centre forward this calendar year with the numbers and goal involvement but last night he went back to ground zero again back to how he was after Berlin what's happening why are you falling over again but as soon as he goes off we tend to concede late goals it's like and he never went off against sporting I do think there's an argument made that one of his superpowers is that He can run for the full 90.

1:24:19We don't keep him on full 90s. And I think he's a player who probably has more to offer in the last quarter of a game or last 15 minutes of a game than bringing Jesus on in some instances.

1:24:30Elliot:Yeah, in hindsight, you know. Not that he's been good. I thought he had a poor game last night, but we seem to lose something when he's not there. I can't describe it because he didn't do anything last night, really, of any note. But we seem to have direction when he's on there. Look, if you ask me where goals are coming from right now, I genuinely have no idea. but the one place that you'd expect or hope that goals would come from is Saka. And I have to say, Clive, like he gave us a goal last night. Saka becoming a 75-minute player is a worry for me, but also like there was a moment where he was in the clear sprinting away and he was caught up quite easily.

1:25:01And I just have to say, I don't think Saka looks all the way back to me. So we need a top, top Bukayo Saka for the run-in. And I still think physically he's coming back. I don't think he's all the way back.

1:25:14Elliot:yeah i i well i thought in this game i've just been looking online and he's just officially signed his contract right so well he did the sell the contract celebration last night yeah and we knew this was coming but it's great news so it's going to be all over the socials as we're recording right now so he's officially signed his contract he's there and you know it's about it's about legacy now that's what he's that's what the notes are saying about his legacy edit you get a nice quote but i think when you get a chance edit to re-watch this game again properly have a look at his performance it was excellent you know and he his numbers were excellent he was excellent i think this has got real potential you know this position for him i think he's ready for it i think he's got the responsibility i think he wants to travel across the pitch he's like he's just turning into a senior manager on the pitch you know he's he's got he's there for the interviews afterwards he's our franchise player our highest paid player and he's ready for the responsibility.

1:26:09Elliot:I wish I could say that about more of the players on his pitch. You know, prepared to stand up. Wasn't there for long enough for me. And I do have concerns about his longer term fitness, but he knows he's got a game on Sunday as well. Hence why those early chances really mattered when we were sharp. But I think it's a big moment for him, for the club. But it's how you want to be remembered, lads. Simple as that. How you want to be remembered. There is no excuse with the group we have to not be doing better than we're currently doing, and it has to start Sunday. I'll just read this out. Out for Tottenham on Sunday.

1:26:47Odebeir, Madison, Bettencourt, Kudus, Davies, Bergvall, Udogi, Kuliszewski, Danso, Romero, and Major Doubts, Richarlison, and Puro. I mean, the mission is clear. Go beat a really bad and beat up Tottenham team and restore a little bit of good feelings so that we can prime ourselves for what's going to be a really hectic and terrifying run-in. As I said, if you feel today like it's over, I get it. If you feel today like they're all jerks, they're all see you next Tuesdays, I can't do it anymore, I get it. We just can't quit. We can't quit because they're wobbling and they'll need us and we need them, so we have to stay together.

1:27:24And it's a big moment to stay together on Sunday. We'll see some people in Dallas. I'm excited for that. Clive, I have to say, I don't enjoy these moments, but I enjoy the conversations when, I appreciate having you and having this place to kind of explore what we're feeling in these moments. And like, all I can say to everybody, no matter what stage of grief you're in or how you handle it, let's try to be good to one another. We only have each other. So be there for one another to the extent you can be. So thanks, Clive.

1:27:48Elliot:Thank you very much. And likewise, it's a tough day, right? Yeah. We will recover. We always do. We're going to be with this club till the last breath. So let's hope that we'll be talking about the title. We won this season for a long time. Friday night, Clive tomorrow, instant reaction on Sunday, following the live event in Dallas and then a main pod on Monday. We love you. Thanks everybody for being here. And we will talk to you. Dear God. After Arsenal 10s.

1:28:34Has the news been getting you down? I'm Megan McArdle, and I'm here to help. I'm the host of a new show from Washington Post Opinion called Reasonably Optimistic, and it's an antidote to the pessimism that's riddling America right now. Every Wednesday, I'm going to talk to people who see a path forward. It does seem to me that there is some awakening of a desire to act together, to solve problems where they are. You know, I am a believer in America, and it's worth fighting for. Join me Wednesdays on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.