Thread by @nonewthing

Yesterday, Tavares passed to Tomiyasu from left to right on his weaker foot, then Tomiyasu did the same right back. Ben White was carrying the ball from defense to the final third. Aaron Ramsdale was slicing Villa open with his passes. We were winning every duel on the halfway

https://twitter.com/SamMen_97/status/1451673324875141131

line. Tomiyasu was outpacing his man for a long pass. Aubameyang was flicking the ball out wide after receiving from the leftback.

These were things that Arteta wanted from Day 1. This is the vision. He didn't have half of these things a few months ago...

His vision is not even complete yet. There is so much else he wants to add. But Arsenal fans were screaming murder when he didn't have the tools but still retained the vision.

For me, Arteta's rebuild only begun when we had Smith-Rowe come back in. In fact, I could go one more

and say that this season is when you can truly asses Arteta's qualities as a coach.

For me and George, Halfspaces, EBL, DD, MiniShubz etc etc, we always knew that this was the future under Arteta. In fact, his management when he had NOTHING was only more impressive. How he kept

the squad together even in tough periods, how he remarkably improved so many individual players, even the shit ones, how he was able to come up with new systems and strategies from scratch (which led to the FA Cup win), how he was politically astute and impressive enough to be

promoted to manager within a few months despite the fact that Arsenal seemed insistent on having a head coach, how his profiles and choices in recruitment were so impressive, how his tactical schemes were so compact (title-winning potential right there) etc etc

We saw this and realized what most people did not realize: Arteta needed to be treated with baby gloves. You couldn't be as harsh on a 36-year-old newbie who has a strong vision to turn Arsenal into Manchester City B. Patience was needed and required.

If we were right, then

Arsenal are going to be CL-contenders in a few seasons. That kind of potential is just worth being patient for. And it was not just for nothing. Arteta deserved it. He had won two trophies against two of the best teams in football history within 5 months of management. That was

something. That was huge credit.

People pointed out to the likes of Nagelsmann and his success in the Bundesliga to say that a real potential star of a coach should immediately hit the ground running (even though Arteta did) but they ignored how there is a deliberate German

coach development and pipeline program that is not available in England. They ignored the fact that the Bundesliga is a far worse league than the Premier League in terms of player quality and coaching quality. To give you an example, Reiss Nelson was tearing it up for Nagelsmann

Hoffeinheim, a player that is simply not as good as Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith-Rowe. People also ignored the fact that Arsenal were worse than expectations, in terms of player quality.

People really expected Arsenal to do well with the likes of Sokratis, Holding, Mustafi,

Kolasinac and a post-injury Bellerin getting regular game time. Granit Xhaka was the only real technical leader in midfield and Lucas Torreira, Matteo Guendouzi and Dani Ceballos were expected to be running Premier League games week in week out.

Meanwhile, City had two Silvas,

Fernandinho, De Bryune, Foden, Rodri and Gundogan.

Look at that crazy gap in quality. That is what Arteta was expected to recreate with a hustling midget with average technique, a toxic headless chicken and a Styrofoam light Spanish touch and go.

Even if you think these players

were not so bad (which I think that they were, because, how did anyone expected a 5ft physically, technically and mentally average guy to be our midfield enforcer?), they were not good enough for Champions League competitiveness.

Arteta had to deal with all that, the crazy

pressure and unwarranted expectations + the toxic culture and atmosphere he found at the club while trying to implement City vision football with Rob Holding.

But fans simply don't get it. They can't accept such realities. They just want Arsenal to live up to the name they have.

People WANTED Mourinho. People said we should hire Marco Bielsa (who's like version 1.0.1 of modern football while Arteta is like version 5.0.5). People refused to accept a process over results. Simplistic mentality.

Fans are like kids when it comes to football. They do not know

if their parents are rich or poor, do not understand why they can't have Christmas everyday and why they have to be prudent. That's the perfect analogy. Football is too complex. They don't care about nuts and bolts even though the nuts and bolts matter.

I was like this, too.

I was your normal Goal dot com loving, sports media reading, Cristiano Ronaldo worshipping, Bleachers Report and SkySports fiend. I lapped it all up. But it wasn't enough. I still couldn't explain or find clear reasons for things. My opinions changed as results changed.

Then, one day, I woke up and said **** it! I'm gonna learn the game.

I started from the basics and now I'm here. The key is to always realize that you can know more and you may even be wrong in how you presently look at the game. I have this mentality and will always have it.

I learnt the game well enough to realize that even if Arteta was not it, the very idea behind his hiring was correct and for that alone, Arsenal had a bright future. I also realized that even if Arteta was not it, his ideas would continue with a better coach at the club so I

loved him just for the influence of his Guardiola-esque outlook at Arsenal. The intention from the board and Arteta was clearly great. Now was the time to see hints of evidence.

Arteta drowned me with evidence that he was the real deal in his very first month.

It was just, from then on, a matter of patience. Waiting for him to get in new players who can play the way he wanted.

The funny thing is that even while I waited, Arteta continued to present evidence (his use of AMN as the inverted RB, Auba and the overload on the left, Saka's

transformation, the use of Granit Xhaka in a 2-man pivot and his top transfer targets in Gabriel, Partey and Aouar).

It was really clear to me.

And this is not the end. Arteta is still showing me more evidence even in this season when I already know what he's all about.

I really hope that the most stubborn skeptic among us will at least give him till the end of the season and keep any conclusions until then. We might have a generational coach on our hands. Give it a chance.

And right now? Let's try and lend our support + a positive atmosphere.

It's the least a decent supporter can do.

Shelve the constant complaining for now. Cut it some slack. Let's try to push this project as far as it can go this season by giving it everything we have. Pay your due to the potential of the team. I beg for your support.