Time is moving very slowly on the transfer front, so let’s have a little chat about what I liked about the game from yesterday PLUS some broader thoughts about where I think things are heading.
Auba is smiling again
There are certain people in this world with the power to lift or sink a room just by their body language. That is our captain. Auba spent a chunk of last season looking very sad for a whole host of reasons. The hope amongst Arsenal fans is that the main man from Gabon was hit differently by the mental strains of the pandemic.
He is a world-class finisher that underperformed last season. My hope is that overhead flick is the start of better from him. Once he realises he has a supporting cast around him that can get the ball to his feet where he likes it, I think we could see a different player this season.
Sambi Lokonga could be a steal
The Belgian made an instant impact at the base of midfield. He’s a versatile player who claims people around him say he’s better as a 6. Well, sitting deeper than Partey yesterday, you could instantly see why he’d been purchased. His one-touch passing, clever movement into space, and his unpredictable repotoire made an instant difference. He will play through the middle, he will run with the ball, he always make sure there’s an angle after he’s made a move.
Obviously, there’s a huge difference between United (lost 4-2 to QPR) and Millwall, but the point here is we bought promise. In his post-game interview, he said he’d been convinced to come to Arsenal because he was told we were building around young players. That is EXACTLY what the club should be doing. A super debut, hopefully he’s firing by January.
… also worth noting that he seems like a top guy. His interview on the .com showed a man who has a great grasp of English and a bit of a spark about him (also, like that Arsenal are using fans to interview players, love the energy Frimpon brings to the interviews).
Folarin Balogun has something different
I’m not pushing for a 19-year-old to be starting Premier League games, but I think his profile is something we lack in our forward line. His athletic offering is electric, his movement over 50m is something else. He forced his goal with a beautiful diagonal run. I really hope we keep him in the mixer next season.
Lacazette isn’t a bad idea
I know it’s deeply unfashionable to say it, but Lacazette is very good, if it weren’t for his deal expiring, I’d be game to keep him around the first team for another season. His link-up play and work-rate is second to none. He was our best striker last season and he opens up the game for players like ESR, Saka and Pepe in ways Auba can’t. If he does go and we land with Tammy, I wouldn’t be despondent. I think the English striker has a very high ceiling and he’s still extremely young, but it just feels unlikely Lacazette is landing £180k a week in a broken Europe.
Missing names
Hector, Kola and Willock were all absent. This is good news because I suspect it means we’re moving them on. If Newcastle have £25m+ for a player who’d be on the periphery, then that is a great return on a Hale-Ender. The other two just aren’t right for what we need moving forward. Hopefully, Granit will find a club, this Roma thing is really dragging on, we shouldn’t be taking pennies for a midfielder that is 28 and landed a place in the team of Euros.
Right backs
Cedric and Chambers look like they are going absolutely nowhere this season. If that’s the case, I can handle it. The English centre-back has found a role in the side, he’s not let us down, and his delivery is very special. I also don’t think Cedric is that bad, his biggest issue is fitness, but I don’t think he’s terrible back-up and he looks focused (rumours that he came back to training camp very fit). Both of them were involved in a goal yesterday. It’s also worth mentioning that Chambers is very well-liked behind the scenes, you can palm that off, but after last season, good eggs are going to be of value.
Improvement
Again, goes without saying, preseason is about fitness and trying new ideas. It means nothing come the start of the season, but there are things I am looking for: Does the mood with the players look good? I would say so. Are the players we’re bringing into the club adding something new. I think so. Are the ideas that are being drilled into the team reaping rewards? Well, hard to tell, but the football looks better, less choreographed, and we’re getting up the pitch faster.
Football is so brutal at cycling through managers, most of us have never really experienced what a process can actually look like. If your ideas don’t work instantly at Chelsea, you are out. Same for a lot of the big clubs. Arsenal invested in a longer-term project and pieces have been moving forward. This idea that the football is shit because that’s what Arteta is all about is wide of the mark, we’re seeing glimpses of that. Perception will catch up with reality at some point and people will start seeing it.
We defend well. We are difficult to beat. If we bring in players that move the ball with more ambition at a faster speed, the whole idea that is being implemented will perform better. Just watching the concept of Lokonga, even against a weak side, shows you what we lacked. Now imagine what happens when you add a center-back that can do those things. Now add a CAM with end product. Things start to get sexy.
The other point that people miss is the football that Arsenal is trying to adopt is complicated. Arsenal was a dumb club. Dated ideas kept the lights on 10 years longer than they should have, then Emery tried to implement a philosophy that was anti-Arsenal. The re-education process has been slower than we’d have hoped, but you will see ideas settle this season. Players clicking with that cognitive style of football. Our football will hopefully go from learner driver mode, where every action requires a specific thought… to human auto-pilot, where the basics are natural, and everything flows naturally.
Well, that’s the vision. Young players pick up those ideas quicker because they are hungrier and all that matters is their career. This summer needs to land some finishing moves, but I’m happy with the bits we’ve already done, even happier that Arteta and Edu learned their lessons this summer.
See you in the comments.
1st!
2nd
3rd
Tr4phy!
SponngeBob!
6th
7th
Arte8
Pipped as I read the article!
On the Improvement front, I think a campaign of loading up developmental talent and full-week training sessions should see a real acceleration and ‘institutionalizing’ of Arteta’s philosophy. This is the transformative season we’ve been waiting for and the club needs to finish the post-Wenger transition.
The exec level and back room staff changes are done across the first team and academy operations. We should be excited. The new Arsenal is emerging.
Sneaky Sid!
1st
Seedy’s safely on line.
Sid unleashed
Me too Leftside. Reality will catch up with Perception? Not sure that’s the right way around if you’re Pedro. Perception by many is that the football has been awful, so do you want the reality to emulate that? Chamber is an okay RB, a bit ‘meh’. The complaint was that we were biased towards the left hand channel so I’m not sure how that changes unless we back again with the old ‘Ben White will improve us significantly on the R/H side at the back’ Also it wouldn’t surprise me if Lokonga is a regular starter sooner rather than later… Read more »
If Bellerin goes to Inter on loan, then it has to be with a cast iron obligation, with them paying his wages this season, and a decent loan fee until the transfer gets made permanent
Getting rid of Kolasinac would be of benefit to both him and us, we need to streamlining our squad, we need the exit door to start revolving at speed, we’ve got far too many players
Positive Pete 😀
Women’s Olympics road race won by an unknown Austrian with PhD in applied mathematics from Cambridge, while the men’s by a professional rider nicknamed the “locomotive”.
Either women’s cycling is so pedestrian that even a scientist moonlighting for an athlete can triumph, or they are the superior sex.
If Xhaka goes to Roma, then we’ll have to enter the market for a replacement
If Willock leaves on loan or permanently, then we’ll have to sign another attacking midfielder, because Smith Rowe is the only midfielder we have who operates in the final third
I think we’ll spend providing we can get the players out, the issue we currently have is a first team squad of 30
If we want to bring players in, then we have to create the space in our squad
Pedro
Sounds like you’re laying the foundations for a serious prediction about where the team will finish this season. To my mind, 4th place or better is both essential and realistic. Are you ready to commit?
Last season, about this time, I suggested that we might sell Auba and Laca, get some real cash, and go with the youngsters and Pepe upfront, possibly augmented by some new blood. I was roundly pilloried in no uncertain terms by several regulars. In retrospect, that idea didn’t look so stupid. I’m not sure ending up 14th last season with some real opportunistic cash to spend would have been all that worse than finishing 8th, and Martinelli and Eddie would have been a lot further along in their development (and maybe Eddie would have signed a new contract and Balogun… Read more »
I’d agree with the above. I think we should be positive about what’s coming this season.
Definitely comes with a heavy caveat though of a couple more faces through the door, and a few more exits…..
Wish Willian was one of those exits too but it looks like we’re stuck with him
Andy, reality is that for the 60% of the season in a straight line from Xmas, we were a top 2 side… yet you are here wanting Arteta fired. If a new coach had come in and done performed to that level, we’d be very excited about the new season. Perception is that we are terrible, reality is we are not. Perception is that new players won’t make things better, reality is very different. You are basically the prime example of the sort of poster I’m talking about. Stuck in a single-minded view, unable to comprehend that things improve if… Read more »
Demetrios, absolutely… we really need to hope Xhaka lands the move, and we have to hope there’s a good idea to replace Odegaard.
Maddison/
Aouar +
Coutinho
There you go. if ESR is a 10, then we need an attacking 8.
All of the above check.
Nice post. I honestly believe that if chambers can stay fit, he’ll shock a lot of people. Only lacks a bit for pace (not by that much) but otherwise I can’t find too many faults to his game and I like his attitude. He relishes attacking and defending. Hopeful in Auba, and agree he looked up for it yesterday, which was great, but I think we need a backup plan – Laca is reliable, we know we’ll get strong performances from him I like Abraham, but there’s a decent chance he wouldn’t work out and that’s a big risk considering… Read more »
As we stand we’d likely finish between 6th and 9th, depending on how lucky we got with injuries No European football is an advantage on last season, but 2-3 injuries to Partey, Leno, Saka, Smith Rowe, Tierney, and we’d seriously struggle Analyse our first team, then compare it with Leicester, Villa, Spurs, Everton, and this is the reality of our current situation, I’d take half the Villa and Leicester teams Leicester have already improved, and sit slightly ahead of that pack, and we’re currently scrapping with the other 3 between 6th – 9th A few astute adjustments in the right… Read more »
It looks to me like we are filling gaps that cost us last year but adding players who can all move the ball forward fast and intelligently from the defence on through. If we add a more creativity in midfield as well I suspect we’ll remain hard to beat but add more goals.
we need to go on a selling spree.
Pedro, you missed my point entirely. I wasn’t making a comment on how good/bad we are, but pointing out that you wrote that ‘reality would catch up with perception’ when what you actually meant to say was that ‘perception will catch up with reality’. Unless you think we really are going to go to shit?
Funny how you automatically assume the worst with certain posters and don’t actually read what’s written.
Pedro,
Any idea what I need to omit from my post this morning, round about 11.30?
Pedro
Please can you make my post reappear
“Any idea what I need to omit from my post this morning, round about 11.30?“
I don’t think anyone knows.
The internet god works in mysterious ways.
Maybe insert some swear words for a distraction
Tom,
There was plenty of them!
Pedro,
“reality is that for the 60% of the season in a straight line from Xmas, we were a top 2 side… yet you are here wanting Arteta fired. If a new coach had come in and done performed to that level, we’d be very excited about the new season.”
Did we play any of the top 6 away?
We know the answer…..
But, I like the optimism of the piece, and enjoyed the “free game”.
Sell the dross, buy the youth and play them….
Some one mentioned it here, that he has high hope for Lokonga this season…. now I want us properly covered by bringing in another CM, but from the review of those who watched d match,we may have a player on our hands that ….this season is a win or bust for Tets. The anomaly of last season makes it difficult to really judge any coach. Pep,Klopp et al were affected. But this season is the season we should see what stuff is Tets really made of.the return of our beautiful game? He will get bodies he needs in this summer… Read more »
How bad is the Rodgers/Madison relationship when the player openly admits he’s open to the Arsenal move?
Whatever happened to the obligatory “ I’m a (insert name of club ) player and very happy to be here”, line?
My apologies Andy, you were correcting my English, not my optimism.
Almuniasaynomore
One of main reasons I stick to snarky one liners most of the time is because they all tend to get through, while a bunch of a well thought out, topic related, long- ish comments have disappeared without a trace.
I know what you are all thinking: “ Well thought out comments by Tom? Good one.”
Bastards.
Last season Auba was overpaid and uncommitted. There is no reason to expect him to be any different this coming season. The guy is moody – and no way do you want moodiness in the team captain. What’s more, he makes no effort to control his body language, so he is a downer for team morale.
I’d be happy to see Auba go and Laca stay.
Andy, reality is that for the 60% of the season in a straight line from Xmas, we were a top 2 side… yet you are here wanting Arteta fired. Pedro With all due respect, you also wanted Arteta fired after your mate Unai dumped us out of the EL. Remember that or am I imagining it? I think at that precise moment we were still in the top 5 or 6 of the hallowed league since December table although our position improved after those last five wins. What was it about those last 5 wins against the likes of Palace,… Read more »
Tom,
I hear you, you’ve perfected them! Normally I’d just accept it but this one took me ages this morning, I’m slow at texting at the best of times!
Pedro, you omitted reason no 8 to be optimistic…………..the signing of Whitenbauer
Tom
Has Maddison directly stated he’d like to move to Arsenal?
EB
Armband needs to go to KT. Won’t happen though – too much patronage and a chronic failure at the club to recognise the importance of on field leadership.
Wenger, UE and MA all guilty of failing to
appreciate the important role of a captain. Points to three massive and fragile egos.
Rich , who the fuck knows?
I’m going by what’s been written on the net……it could all be bs for all we know.
But,since it’s been written and posted, you’d expect the player issue some form of a rebuke, I should think.
Looking like we’re stuck with HackerFfs can’t give him away.However agree with Arsenals stance .Roma are taking the piss.Brighton didn’t budge an inch on price with us.What message would it send if we bent over for Maureen?
Kroenke there’s no way in hell Pedro is putting a number of any prediction for this season!
Prove me wrong Pedro 😎
Saw this on The Athletic and thought it was a good read In the comments’ section Slater lists the League Prediction from Real Analytics for this coming season… 1. Man City, 70.2% chance of winning, 84.5 avg pts, 99.2% top 4, 0% relegation 2. Liverpool, 19.6%, 77.2pts, 92.4%, 0% 3. Chelsea, 7.2%, 72.6pts, 78.7%, 0% 4. United, 1.2%, 65.8pts, 42.6%, 0% 5. Spurs, 0.9%, 64.5pts, 35.3%, 0% 6. Arsenal, 0.7%, 63.5pts, 31.4%, 0% 7. Leicester, 0.2%, 59.7pts, 14.9%, 0.1% 8. Brighton, 0%, 50.7pts, 1.5%, 2% 9. Wolves, 0%, 50.6pts, 1.5%, 2.2% 10. Leeds, 0%, 49.1pts, 0.9%, 3.3% 11. West Ham,… Read more »
Is the millwall game uploaded anywhere? How and where did you guys see it? I wanna see my boy lokonga!
I said it I have a nagging feeling he’s going to be an immense signing. Have I watched him? No. Am I thinking way too much? Yes. But it’s in my gut – he’s a wenger signing
Leicester with almost the same odds of winning as getting relegated, did I read that correctly?
Fofana strikes again.
How can Chelsea have a 7.2% chance of winning?
How can United with the new additions have only a 1.2%?
Those analytics are shambolic,
7 reasons to be optimistic!
1. Arteta sacked at Christmas
2. Arteta sacked at Christmas
3. Arteta sacked at Christmas
4. Arteta sacked at Christmas
5. Arteta sacked at Christmas
6. Arteta sacked at Christmas
7. KSE sell up.
Pedro Arsenal need to stand firm when it comes to offloading players. I am sick and tired of hearing that Serie A clubs want to pick up players who are first team regulars for peanuts. Xhaka is worth every penny of Euros20 million. As I have posted many times before I am perfectly happy to keep him and play him alongside Partey next season. He has 2 years left on contract. We should make it crystal clear to Roma that if they do not agree the transfer within lets 7 days he will not be sold. Arsenal can then focus… Read more »
Ray no way in hell City are 70% likely to win the league imo They are favourites, probably strong favourite a bit 70% is way over egged imo Liverpool and Chelsea could both compete realistically, utd probably not but they came second this season and are signing elite players this summer. Spurs and arsenal no chance along with the rest But as well there are absolutely no guaranties city have a great season. Not only have the lost titles in recent years, but look at liverpool last season. Who thought they would struggle to get top 4 when they started… Read more »
Meanwhile in the Olympics.
Group A Basketball Match-France 83 -USA 76
Team USA(men’s) suffering it’s first loss at the Olympics since 2004.
GB’s-Bradley Sinden secured a silver medal in the Taekwondo,losing to an unknown outsider-19 year old Ulugbek Rashitov from Uzbekistan.
Quite an entertaining contest,with the lead changing so many times right up till the last 30 seconds.
The swimming has been entertaining so far.
Dissenter,
I actually agree with their United predictions.
I think people overestimate the impact of their signings on this season.
Somewhere Bamford’s reaching for his wallet to throw another $20 that says I’m wrong on this.
I wouldn’t be disappointed if we signed Maddison, we need a player in that area of the pitch, he’s the age + experience profile we should be targeting, and I think he’s a good player But he’d come with a giant red warning triangle, he’s had a fair few injuries over the past 2 seasons, and apparently enjoys the party lifestyle I’m close to being done with players at the top of the market on £200k p/w Buendia at half the price, and 40% of the wages, would have been a much better punt I can see why we’d go… Read more »
Man U aren’t winning the league with Ole at the wheel
Not defending the analysis as they say the results are an average of 1 million simulations, but they don’t share what a ‘simulation’ is even with their clients and certainly not me 🙂 but… “They were probably the first forecasting firm to spot Leicester would be champions in 2016 and they backed that up by predicting Chelsea would win in 2017, by seven points, and that Arsenal would finish outside the top four for the first time in 20 years.” and last year they predicted the top and bottom fives with only a place or two off for the rest… Read more »
If we’re going after a Chelsea player we should look at Callum Hudso-Odoi. Our Forward line will be CHO-Auba-Saka. ESR at #10. That’s packed with ball handlers and creatives. People droning about Auba’s lack of link up play while praising Laca forget Lacazette can’t work the channels or work the CB’s, he is slowest turkey of a forward. Have the better goalscorer who pops up everywhere in the Forward line Lead the line then surround him with ball handlers. It worked at BvB it can work at Arsenal. Lacazette is not Benzema or RvP or any of the complete 9.… Read more »
Le Grovers shouldn’t be too concerned about our prospects for the forthcoming season. Remember, since Christmas we were the 3rd best team in the country. With the addition of some astute signings from the inspirational Eduteta, surely a Champions League place is assured and a tilt at the title a real possibility. I would urge you cynics to take a leaf out of Pedro’s book. Ignore last year’s early season form in which all manner of unwelcome records were broken. Forget about the fact that our hero was schooled by Pedro’s whipping boy over two legs in the most important… Read more »
and Liverpool were fourth only because we bent over for them and they got their confidence back and finished the season strongly…there was a reasonable expectation that we could’ve finished above them — well until we actually played them 🙂
PhD
As much as I’m a sports nut the Olympics have blown out to some 41 or 42 disciplines half of which are almost unwatchable for your average sports enthusiast.
Skateboarding?
I know they are trying to attract new younger viewers but c’mon.
Same kids who had been chased by cops for grinding downtown’s stair rails just a year ago are now national heroes lol.
BFB
all of what you say is true…I’m hoping that Arsenal are inconsistent enough to learn from all of the above and improve this season 🙂
and if we have to get a gaard, I would prefer Mikkel Damsgaard — he already looks good playing in red and white 🙂
Mikkel Damsgaard — 30 Million
I’ve reached the point where the dumpster fire that was our last season is starting to fade from memory and I feel cautiously optimistic. I agree with Pedro that both the tactics and several of the players have a high ceiling. My issue with Arteta is about his inconsistent man management and the highly negotiable non-negotiables. Let’s see if he’s smarter this time around. I wouldn’t mind Tammy but someone would need to go to make space. Even assuming Nketiah goes, that would still leave us with 4 players (incl Tammy) at #9. That’s one too many when there’s no… Read more »
Rich
Maddison’s injury record is not that bad.
In 2019/20 season he missed 4 games attributed to injury including one which was a head
injury.
There were a number of games missed last season due to injury, but nothing which should
raise concern. There is no systematic record of injuries and this would be identified if the
player undergoes a medical.
Love the optimism as I am a pretty optimistic person myself. Edu has done some good work this off season like tying down Esr and Tierney. Auba looks happy again and Sambi looked the real deal on the pitch. And in the interview. First interview in English at a mega club and he was just radiating confidence ( good sign). But let’s also add a bit of realism here. Tying down our best players who already have 2-3 years on their contracts is something I’d expect top level execs to get done smoothly. The tough part is dealing with the… Read more »
LS
your assessment resonates, I too am cautiously optimistic
agree that it would help the situation enormously if Arteta addresses the issues
“My issue with Arteta is about his inconsistent man management and the highly negotiable non-negotiables. Let’s see if he’s smarter this time around.”
Disagree and feel there is better value in the market that Tammy at 40 million and 120k a week
The league is probably going to be brutal , points against sides like Villa , Everton, Leeds , West Ham are going to be the key.
TomJuly 25, 2021 17:41:39 As much as I’m a sports nut the Olympics have blown out to some 41 or 42 disciplines half of which are almost unwatchable for your average sports enthusiast. Skateboarding? —— I get where you are coming from.But I suppose the Olympics has to evolve with the changing times and stay relevant in modern day society-right? Not a big fan of ‘Skateboarding’ being included the Olympics,but it seems quite popular with the hipsters and college kids,so from the IOC’s perspective,it’s all about attracting or increasing it’s viewership or audience along with sponsors. The one that throws… Read more »
Emirates stroller
I had a look on Transfermarkt, but they’ve not updated his injuries from the back end of last season
He’s a very good player who improves us, and who ticks a lot of boxes, it’s the party lifestyle and the falling out with Rodgers that concern me
The last thing we need is another disinterested mercenary, to add to our ever growing list of disinterested mercenaries
Ray, 40M is a lot of money for sure. But he’s proven in PL and young. There’s the English tax too. I’m not sure you can find many proven strikers with that profile for 40M even in this market. I’d be willing to take the bet if it’s a loan deal with an obligation to buy so we can defer payment. But (and it’s a big but) there needs to be a plan for him playing. If we get him and he just rots on the bench for a season, we’d just saddle ourselves with an expensive asset that we… Read more »
PhD , no I didn’t.
But I did watch the the US women’s beach volleyball pair obliterate the world record for total hugs executed in a sporting event.
TomJuly 25, 2021 18:03:54
PhD , no I didn’t.
But I did watch the the US women’s beach volleyball pair obliterate the world record for total hugs executed in a sporting event.
——–
Lol..
Bet you enjoyed those encounters from your armchair.
Rich
Maddison played 31 games in each of last 2 seasons in EPL. He started in 24 games and his
playing stats exceeded gametime played by ALL Arsenal outfield players with possible exception of Xhaka.
That is hardly a record of concern.
AaronJuly 25, 2021 16:56:44 Did we play any of the top 6 away?We know the answer…..But, I like the optimism of the piece, and enjoyed the “free game”.Sell the dross, buy the youth and play them…. Top 6 or Big 6? They beat Chelsea home and away during that run. If we’re talking Top 6 they also beat Leicester away and tied West Ham .away. Re the “Big 6 “ Arsenal did not take any points off big six opponents Liverpool or City, which was to be expected, but the only other loss to a “Big 6” team was a… Read more »
Tom
Rich , who the fuck knows?
I’m going by what’s been written on the net……it could all be bs for all we know.But,since it’s been written and posted, you’d expect the player issue some form of a rebuke, I should think
Not really esr never said a word when villa bid for him twice
Thanks Pedro, confusion cleared up.
Ray, actually those predictions did make sense when I looked at them with one standout exception. Brighton are being over rated because for all their good football if they don’t find someone who can reliably put the ball in the back of the net they’ll continue to have the same problem that they did last year – good performances not being turned into points.
I’m also optimistic that the Spuds will poor again and St. Totteringham’s Day WILL happen this coming season.
NWM
Arsenal’s record against top 6 [Man City, Man Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea, Leicester C and West Ham.
Man City Lost 2
Man Utd Won 1 Drawn 1
Liverpool Lost 2
Chelsea Won 2
Leicester Won 1 Lost 1
West Ham Won 1 Lost 1
Played 12 Won 5 Drawn 1 Lost 6. which is probably our best record for many years.
Emirates stroller
He started 35 league games 3 seasons ago
29 in 2019/20
24 last season
That’s a downward trajectory in availability, before he’s hit 25
It’s more the reports around his lifestyle that concern me, rather than his injuries, even though one usually leads to the other
If we’re spending £60-£70 million on a player earning £10 million p/a, then a proven level of robustness, and a demonstrable track record of professionalism, should be a cast iron requirement
He’s a really good player, but there’s certainly warning signals
Tom
Rich , who the fuck knows?
I’m going by what’s been written on the net……it could all be bs for all we know.But,since it’s been written and posted, you’d expect the player issue some form of a rebuke, I should think.
“Not really esr never said a word when villa bid for him twice”
Serge, not the same thing is it now?
ESR was never quoted to have said he’d welcome the Villa move.
Rich
“but 2-3 injuries to Partey, Leno, Saka, Smith Rowe, Tierney, and we’d seriously struggle.”
I may be wrong, but I reckon most (all) clubs would seriously struggle without 5 of their best players especially when it also includes the first choice GK.
Hopefully we’ve stopped giving ridiculous wages to average players going forward. These wages are a huge part of so many of first team players are experiencing problems being sold.
*of why so many of our first team players…
Andy, imagine the fireworks on Legrove if Brighton went from 16th to 8th after banking 50million for Whitenbauer?
popcorn time
Lokonga certainly has interesting attributes, I’m keen to see how he evolves.
Hopefully, we’d be seeing some outgoings this week. We need to clear the deck to welcome Neves/Aouar in place of Xhaka. The midfield remains a worry.
Rich
If we follow just starting stats at Arsenal I would be concerned about most outfield players at
Arsenal.
As I posted Maddison’s playing time at Leicester is significantly better than any of our players with possible exception of Xhaka.
I have always maintained that Arsenal’s problem in recent years has been too much rotation
and not enough stability.
Realistically the club would be better off in focussing on 18-20 quality players with another
3-4 youngsters coming through system who are given gametime in less important cup
competitions.
Aaron
“Did we play any of the top 6 away?
We know the answer…..”
The answer is YES
we beat Chelsea and Leicester away.
Chika We can combat those risks between now and the end of the transfer window, by signed adequate competition for Leno, so Runarsson isn’t our second choice If we lose Smith Rowe for any length of time, then we don’t have another midfielder who operates in the final third, so we have to sign another final third technician, and I think we will By doing that we also have the option of moving Smith Rowe wide, in Saka’s absence If we sign an upgrade on Xhaka, then we’ll have 2 quality senior central midfielders, who can then guide younger players,… Read more »
Tom, yeah that occured to me too. Imagine Charlie trying to explain that one away.
Andy,
Charlie will find a way no doubt, he’s perfected the art of finessing “facts”.
Rich
I expect us to sign at least 2/3 more players after Ben White. I’d really like to see Neves come in for Xhaka. I want to see us have a solid midfield base. Neves would also be able to play alongside Partey/Lokonga/Elneny. Such flexibility amongst our CMs would mitigate the impact of injuries.
He’d offer a bit of goal threat with his long range shots and set pieces. You can also expect him to deliver from the first game.
Who would be your preferred (realistic)replacement for Xhaka?
Chika Based on how we played last season, I’d favour left footer who’s press resistant, and a real technician, rather than an out and out ball winner I’m not suggesting we go for him because I’ve only seen a few highlight reels, but from the little I’ve seen, I have a sneaky feeling we’ll try for Camavinga, but there’s apparently a line around the block Bernardo Silva alongside Partey would give us another dimension, would seriously improve us, his versatility would be a big plus, and he’d be our best midfielder since Cazorla Not sure he’d be interested with European… Read more »
Solid post p
“Andy, imagine the fireworks on Legrove if Brighton went from 16th to 8th after banking 50million for Whitenbauer? popcorn time” Except the firework is being anticipated in your doomy and gloomy brain and mind. It says more about you as a poster here. No firework thought from you if after getting White, we go up to maybe 5th or 4th but it has to be the negative. If it’s what makese you feel on top of the world, then, so he it. I know the feeling. You are lonely because the negativity is reducing here and we now have more… Read more »
Nice post, I like the positivity. At this stage, we do need more outgoings and a couple more new players to come in, but we will see what happens this week and as pointed out above, there are reasons to be optimistic. I’d stilllike to see a new right back though, no slight on Chambers who has shown great attitude but if we can get a true Tierney equivalent down the right side we can be less predictable in our attacking direction. I just think back to the Wengerball teams that could hurt opposition from almost any area on the… Read more »
NWM and P, Emiratesstroller got it accurate.
The record is below average, get the point. More losses than wins is below average.
That and AFC’s inability to score goals got us closer to 10th than 6th.
If Arteta does not get another CAM or whatever ESR is going to play, and he gets injured for a while, here comes 55 goal season again and hello 8th-10th.
I saw this question posed on Twitter for another team from another sport entirely, but thought I would borrow it for a conversation starter here maybe?
If you could pick one former player (and just one!) from any era in our history to help out the current team and take them to the promised land, who would it be?
The guy who sprung to mind for me immediately was Vieira. A dominant midfielder with outstanding leadership qualities, who could lift all the young talent around him even further.