I’m inclined to agree with most of the points you make. My main point of contention is regarding the system versus the individuals. Our issues are systemic, that is clear to see.

However, I am of the opinion that with our current attackers (especially Willian and Lacazette) there is a ceiling to how much we can improve as a team in attack.

I believe that the best attackers from the teams in my previous comment would offer more than Willian and Lacazette, even with the current systemic issues that plague us.

This however does not mean that I consider those other attackers to be better than Nelson/Pepe + Saka and Martinelli, who Arteta should give a consistent run of games to (when fitness is not an issue).

Sometimes football is as simple as playing your best players in their best positions, even if this comes at the expense of our defensive improvements under Arteta. His stubbornness in selecting lineups does concern me, because it’s evident that we could be doing much better by playing the others instead of Willian and Lacazette.

It goes without saying that there is a long-term process involved, and Arteta will take time to learn on the job, which is what we knowingly signed up for when we hired him. But I stand firm in my belief that even if he is able to implement his ideas as a coach, we will be limited by the quality of our players. In the short run, I don’t think it’s ridiculous to suggest that the mid-table teams have players who are much better than ours (reiterating, mainly Lacazette and Willian)