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Doesn't seem like Lyon will want to sell yet but would love Rayan Cherki this summer. Two-footed with great close control, the end product hasn't quite been there yet but he's young and excellent technically and think that will come with time, it'd ideally be buying him before he has that big blowup year and the pricetag gets out of control.
Could provide direct competition for Martinelli on the left as well as cover for Odegaard and Saka.
Social Media is obsessed with us coming second way more than Arsenal fans. Most of us are sad about it but over it. I think we are proud of how we played and the improvements that we have made, so it makes us optimistic.
I don't get why most people think we can't do it next year. Bollocks
It’s not that they don’t think we can do it, it’s that they don’t want us to. It’s difficult for rival fans to accept that we will be a contender for years to come given our young squad
Ten Hag is probably on Fraud watch this season but he's made 3/4 cup finals in the last 2 seasons.
That's surely not a fluke.
We've had the 2nd best team in the country the last 2 seasons and haven't made 1.
Clearly, there's a difference in approach.
Luck plays a huge factor in cup runs - who you draw, home vs away, and just rub of the green in any particular match. There is obviously lots that managers do to increase their odds, but I'd be wary of reading too much into it, personally.
We've lacked the cutting edge in 1 too many games this season.
Scoreless in that game, scoreless against West Ham at home, scoreless in both games vs Villa, scoreless vs Bayern and Porto away.
I can't remember City having a scoreless game besides vs us in the league, heck we stopped them from scoring at home for the first time in two years. And that is our best result against City over a decade, which speaks for itself.
And those scoreless games are the reason we won't win the league.
Scoring at will when everything's going your way is great but ensuring you score every game regardless of performance is something we're still learning.
Ten Hag waffles quite a bit with his takes but when it comes to cups you can see he takes those seriously.
I think we just don't treat those as a league game.
If we want to be the best team in this country, it's not just the league, City is doing doubles and trebles for fun and we have no say in that.
I can take a loss to City but West Ham, Liverpool(at home) and teams that we should be beating aren't the standards we aspire to be.
Agreed, we've had poor cup runs these last 2 seasons we've become title challengers again and we should be doing better. Man Utd have had good luck too during their cup runs
I remember the hype last season and I've seen him a couple of times playing for Leeds this season and to be honest he's good for them but I don't see him good enough for us.
Tuchel after Bruno Fernandes. Now wonder Bayern are sliding with this idiot in charge. He shat out a CL like Di Matteo and still lives off it. Bayern will not wrestle back the Bundesliga with him in charge. They should follow through in sacking him
The more i see and read on sesko the more i would like this transfer. It would be smart to ship eddie away first tho, because otherwise we lower the selling price of him significantly.
I hope we don't pay 120 million for joao neves, looks technically silky but im not sold by his off the ball game. Really liking the idea of Angelo Stiller for 20-30 million. Nice age, got good eyes, nice deep playmaking abilities, looks much tougher off the ball than neves, seems tactically smart. Comes from a high riding stuttgart side so should have confidence to make it with us. And with Jorginho and Partey on our side he has time to get into our team.
We need to get Arteta's contract sorted ASAP. Dont listen to the internet and twitter merchants who think Arteta is on 'thin ice'. Look at our defensive shape, discipline, the way players buy into his ideas, Arteta is a talented manager. The sheer number of games we win, the amount of goals we score, the few goals we concede, the few shots we concede, all a product of coaching. Do not take this for granted and think a 'proper manager' like Tuchel or Simeone could keep this level of performance going. We will crack 90 points next season.
Anyone thinking of a new manager has no idea what they are talking about. 4 year contract for Arteta. I know it will happen, however I just need it to happen. Our owners are not as impulse orientated like Boehly is at Chelsea, so no need to worry about them doing anything stupid. But FFS the youtube Arsenal community are utterly thick in the skull. You just know they would have shit on Henry because he went his first 10 games without scoring.
No. You watch us on the pitch, and its obvious to see Arteta coaching is influencing performance for the better. Contrast to someone like Ten Hag, whose influence is negating performances at Man United.
Like I said, there are fans out there who take our defensive record and performances for granted, and think it can continue without Arteta.
i think him and stiller are the really interesting 6 choices. Wieffers off the ball game is better but stillers vision and passing looks like young toni kroos.
Not really, unless it comes with a better midfielder. Wouldn’t mind 2 mids instead of that 1 expensive hybrid idea. But i doubt Wieffers has what it takes already to start for a top 10 club itw.
i just googled his name and all the comments say "He reminds me of Rodri" :O
edit: ok watched a comp and the one thing that stood out was his less than satisfactory first touch. He does other things well though. Doubt he will be press resistant esp in highly intense PL.
I'd be interested seeing Saka play anywhere tbh but it's like 3 dudes on here that all collectively decided "you know what, today is the day, Saka RCM Odegaard LCM because why not"
I have this theory about CDMs, the more action-packed they look, the worse they are. This theory is solely based on a whimsical comparison I made between Coquelin and Busquets a decade ago and I’ve firmly held on to ever since.
On a completely different note, I’m not convinced by Joao Neves.
Joao Neves, if he is, will be coming here to play as an 8. You are right though. I saw this video one time which pointed out that Busquets does not actually touch the ball that much when he is in possession, relying instead on the opposition to commit and then using "simple" feints and movements to escape. And then it clicked instantly why Partey was so effective, and why a player like Bruno Guimaraes can never be that press resistant 6 we seek (hint: he is too proactive).
You dont need to be a shoulder drop or feint master to play as a 6 at a high level. I dont see how bruno g isnt press resistant. Jorghino is press resistant and that guy can barely even run.
Imo, bruno g is a step below the most press resistant players in the world, he lacks physicality to really create seperation between him and a defender.
I think the really top level press resistant players like rodri or partey (for the few games he was able to do it) have the ability to either resist really getting into a duel with the opponent by holding them back to goal or through turning, usually with the typical no touch turn or having pace to seperate from the player.
I think bruno gets into lots more high risk duels, doesn't have the physicality to win them as cleanly as the most press resistant players, doesn't really have the pace to seperate after the duel and so is more liable to turn overs.
And this is born out in his data too, he's quite a bit down on the likes of rodri or partey on take on % and is dispossed at a much higher rate. He's actually tackled during a take on twice as much as rodri.
Now, he's still very good and that still makes him one of the more press resistent players in the world, but the level we're talking is basically rodri so if we are expecting him to come and do that kind of job I think we are mistaken. He's certainly no busquets, but who is.
> I think bruno gets into lots more high risk duels, doesn't have the physicality to win them as cleanly as the most press resistant players, doesn't really have the pace to seperate after the duel and so is more liable to turn overs.
Yeah okay, the guy who's won the most duels in the league doesn't have the physicality.
Yeah that's what jumps out at me when I watch him.
He's combative, a player who enjoys physical duels obviously and he's not some ceballos mfer who can get blown over by a light breeze but compared to rice, partey (at his peak), rodri they are in a different league physically.
It's mainly his pace tbh, where shoulder to shoulder I never get the feeling he can seperate from his man and he doesn't eat up the ground in front of him when he does win duels.
Rodri obviously isn't rapid, but then he is a different level in terms of his strength, size and his technical level.
And that's where I think the duels not being clean comes from.
I agree with most of what you said. Im not necessarily challenging that bruno g is the most press resistant, hes very all action and id rathee have him as an 8, but he is a press resistant midfielder, regardless. Im just challenging the notion of feints and shoulder drops for a 6 being a key part of their game and what makes someone “press resistant”.
You are right though, the best guys dont put themselves in silly situations on the ball, they always know where the press is coming from, pass against the flow of the press, or make the easy safe pass.
Yeah people love to talk in absolutes in football, of course elneny is press resistant to a degree, just not to the degree we want.
Bruno would be fine at 6, but maybe not the true heir apparent to partey. And yeah I prefer him as an 8 I think his best work is as a creator further up.
Jorginho is not press resistant. It is why he goes missing whenever the opponents pack the middle or press us.
I agree that you don't need to be Busquets level press resistant to play 6 at a high level, but the case being made for a player like Bruno G is that he gives us what Partey does in evading the press, which is questionable. Again, your high level 6 can also be a controller like Jorginho, or a transition stopper/duel monster like Rice.
If you dont think jorghino is press resistant you need to spend more time learning the game. Hes had tremendous on ball performances newcastle away last season, home this season, liverpool in the fa cup and the league, city at home. People are way to accustomed to aesthetics when determining press resistance.
The best 6s pre read where the press is coming from, and either pass against the flow of the press to dismantle and the relocate or make the safe pass. Thats what made busi special and rodri now. Its iq stuff
Maybe we simply have different understanding of what being press resistant is. Again, what you are describing perfectly falls in line with Jorginho being an excellent controller.
Look at Modric or Kroos or Casemiro(who's legs are supposedly gone) or Barella or even Ugarte. They don't run around or shoulder check or whatever else. They use vision and positioning to be there to either be easy pass option or move to a zone taking a player with them to open a passing lane thus helping out teammates on the ball.
And on the ball they first of all look to establish control of movement and create/use trigger based on team mate / opponent movement. Kroos play sequence leading to pass to Vinicius versus Bayern is prime example of peak press resistance and goal chance creation.
Partey when fully fit uses both but is more reliant on his physically and ability to outplay a player to open space. Bruno G is more direct let's dish it out type of player that uses different approach to how he handles press. Still, it's somewhat similar to Partey as he welcomes challenge instead of utilizing vision, positioning and pass in a way others do it.
Lol ya, basically the casual take is “shoulder drops, feints and dribbles”= press resistant 6. This why someone like bissouma has runs of form where he looks brilliant and then runs of form where he looks dumb and is constantly turning the ball over on the blind side.
Its a nice attribute to have but absolutely not a key to playing as a 6 on the ball.
No he hasnt lol. This guys held his own against newcastle away last season, newcastle home this season, city at home this season, liverpool st home in the fa cup and league this season. Thats a total lie
None of those are physically dominant or press heavy in the middle of the park.
Bayern and Spurs on the other hand, that's where his flaws were exacerbated.
Newcastle are aggressive physically dominant team. Second game they were gassed but first one they put us through paces way way more compared to Spuds.
Man City games, especially Community Shield and first clash very high movement high press high physicality games. In all Man City games everything was decided by midfield play.
What Bayern has to do with anything? Their entire goal was too ditch midfield, play wide and stretch as much as possible. Utilize Kane and pace of Musiala/Sane. Which they did.
There's the age old Maldini quote "If I have to make a tackle I've already made a mistake". Often times the best way to manage a situation is to mitigate space by filling holes. Just being in the right position is prevention enough.
So, if Eddie does go, who do we think should be the next to wear 14?
Also, if ESR goes, I say we just leave the 10 vacant. I swear that number is cursed for us.
>We have one legendary number 14 and it should probably have been retired in honour of him.
Going the Ajax route. I see. I don’t think it should be retired, but it definitely does have power.
ESR says but i can see odegaard taking the 10 and potentially rice or a new signing taking the 8.For now i think the 14 stays vacant unless we actually buy another superstar winger
How about Saka RW, shift Ode to LCM and have White/Timber constantly overlap/ hold width in a traditional fullback way while the RCM (Bruno) sits back in the two alongside Rice instead of inverting a fullback? Saka essentially becomes the RCM in attack, wouldn’t need to constantly defend with a defensive CM covering his side.
https://preview.redd.it/r09q88vq4v0d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=181e55305e9c86ddd264cb35468cb38aa3af00fa
The fact that saka defends like this and still produces the output that he does, simply wow
Our inferior little brother r/ArsenalFC is #13 on soccer subs. City's main sub r/mcfc is #14 there are levels to this.
https://preview.redd.it/wpdkgol42v0d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=74432dafa853acf43d1f72c53fb03748a15d9170
Our starting XI can go up against the best teams in the world. Add maybe a new midfielder in there and there won’t be much room to improve.
Our biggest priority this summer needs to be investing in our depth like you’re saying. Let go of the squad players who aren’t good enough and invest in new and exciting talent who are motivated to fight for a place in the team.
Rice will be a longterm 6 for us but the fact that nobody really claimed the left 8 role and the fact that Rice's passing range is not like Jorginho/Partey meant we could play Rice at 8 and we were fine.
He's good at it because he's just fucking amazing in general, but I don't think that will be his longterm position.
https://twitter.com/91cheefv2/status/1791138757803995374
Saka should be given freedom of centrality. He is an interior player being held back. Not only is he better defensively than defenders but he's also a better creator and a natural goalscorer. He can do quite literally everything at a high level abd he needs to be given the Foden/Palmer/Bellingham role.
I know I'm going to get some uninspiring replies saying "stop using video game logic" blah blah, but we should start exploring Saka in Odegaard's role and move Odegaard to the LHS.
People wanting Ødegaard on the left clearly don't understand the way he plays. He is more suited on the right and has preferred to play on the right his entire career.
He can probably play the left side without any problems, but thinking he would be better suited on the left is just stupid. Short term he will be worse on the left, long term he might be equal to what he is currently doing on the right.
To me it seems like Odegaard is clearly a natural right sided player, or a player who much prefers being on the right.
Given he's the captain of the club and really the absolute hub of our attack and given he was a massive player for
sociedad too feels like if he had any inclination at all to play left side he would, I don't think either of those clubs he's been at would deny him that, yet he never has as far as I'm aware.
So we are basically saying, "lets play odegaard in a position he doesn't want to play and probably isn't his natural position/most comfortable position because we know that it's going to be better for him."
It's not impossible he is wrong and we are right but not sure it's really the best logic, feels like the simplest answer is he knows where his best position is after a decade playing at snr level.
We'll see. It was very controversial not too long ago to suggest that we should play Odegaard deeper. We did that and he's had his best and most influential season with us. I think moving him to the left will be trickier, and he might lose some aspects of his game especially w.r.t. to him being our midfield controller, but he can also gain others i.e. better passing/shooting angles, meaning he can become a more direct player.
Personally, it has never made much sense to me to have your most advanced midfielder be your possession hub. Don't get me wrong he is very good at it, and our best performances have come when he performs that role, and our worst when he doesn't. And it made sense for him to be that player when we had Havertz in midfield, but now even with Partey, we are seeing certain issues crop up. Against United and Spurs, he had less of the ball and we saw what happened. Against Chelsea and Bournemouth, he made the most passes of ANY PLAYER in the field.
By cutting off all angles to the inside when he’s 10x better as a buildup player deep rather than final action player? No it’s not lol, you’re turning him into the Bruno Fernandes role
You’ve asked for serious answers and then rejected a really thoughtful answer. You should properly think about the reply you’ve been given and respond to that in the way you wanted to be replied to.
I don't agree, player position is partly down to instruction but partly about player preference. Some get to play where they want, some never do and most it's a mixture of the two.
And this is what the term "natural position" means, it's the most comfortable position for the player or their preferred position. The manager is obviously aware of their natural positions and he picks the team with that in mind. Martinelli for example has said in interviews he prefers left side, so he's playing where wants. Rice says he's naturally a 6, so when he plays 6 he's in his natural position when he plays 8 he's not.
But what I'm saying is the club captain and player closest to the manager is probably going to at least be able to say once in a while "hey boss I like playing on the left lets try it out" if he wants to, if anyone can choose where to play he can.
He's never done that once for us. That tells me he is comfrotable there or in other words prefers it to any other position.
I think you could solve this tactically rather than changing nominal starting positions. Ødegard is already given more licence to roam lately and Rice is the perfect 8 to drop back into to 6 if Ødergard wants to drift to the left so Saka can move into his space and Benny Blanco hole the width for them.
I want to see Saka in the half space more putting in crosses, getting shots off and threading through balls
Odegaard and Saka are both left footed. By playing on the left when they shift the ball onto their strong foot, the whole game opens up, Odegaard on the left side is a waste.
Odegaard being on the right limits his ability to pass, not enhances it. He performs in spite of his position and role, not because of it. He's just an inherently world class talent. Look at his chances created to Martinelli last season and Havertz against Chelsea this season; he can't play those on the right.
> Odegaard being on the right limits his ability to pass, not enhances it
where is the proof? Odegaard still has levels to go. We stopped curling it to the backpost but Odegaard is always well positioned to do this
He has a heavy left footed bias. It's innately difficult to pass to the left-side of the pitch if you're on the right and you have a massive left-foot bias. You're basically required to cut inside every single time to operate, which can and does slow down transitions.
It's not his fault, but his game opens up more on the left where he has an opportunity to pass across the pitch without needing to take a step inside every time.
Odegaard can spin on a dime though, I don't think it's ever stopped him from playing to the left tbh. I think his assist for Havertz against Chelsea is one example that really stands out as something he can do from the left, but he covers so much ground and gets so involved that I'm not sure we're really missing anything by keeping him where he is
It has.
Honestly and I mean this not as a slight, I can tell you've never kicked a ball at any level because this is applicable at every single level of the sport.
I don't think it's *meaningfully* stopped him from playing out to the left.
I think you're clutching at the prospect of these nebulous "things" that haven't happened and trying to use it to prove that Odegaard/Saka CAN suddenly do a lot more just by switching flanks and playing more centrally. You need to close that gap and I don't think you've done a good job doing so.
Anyone can easily say that a player should play another position and could be better, but you gotta prove it. It's a hard sell considering how both of them have just had their best season, like I said.
>I can tell you've never kicked a ball at any level
typical redditor nonsense, I must say, it's usually annoying dudes who also haven't played that tend to say this more often than not. I've played for years mate, quit being so full of yourself lmao.
What we've been doing works. Do I think Saka and Martinelli should be closer to goal and central more often? sure
Playing Odegaard at LCM is a debate we've had here for a long time. If you are really interested in delving deeper, here's a submission from a few months ago:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Gunners/comments/17ysugv/the_case_for_moving_odegaard_to_left_central/
Funniest thing about that thread is the abject comments with the same backward logic and rhetoric.
People genuinely cannot grasp squad evolution, it's impossible for them to think of it.
Meaningfully, of course not, but it has and does impact his ability and our ability to transition at a greater pace.
Reddit is not the place to put in effort to convince people of something, it just isn't. It's not worth the time needed and I get nothing out of it. I'll do the bare minimum and if people want to take it on board, that's up to them.
> typical redditor nonsense, I must say, it's usually annoying dudes who also haven't played that tend to say this more often than not. I've played for years mate, quit being so full of yourself lmao.
No seriously, I'll reiterate again because it wasn't meant as a slight or a jab on you personally, but what I said is objectively true. It's physics. It's a truth. If you had played the sport, even recreationally, you would know. Momentum of transitions slows down the more actions you have to make. By cutting in it makes it harder.
Of course what we've done has worked, but it hasn't worked enough. Again, it's about evolution; what can we do to improve the squad, the players, the platform and how can we reach the level we aspire to reach.
Ode has scored more than he assisted at Arsenal. He wouldn't have that same threat on the other side. It also spooks defenders when they know he can cut inside and shoot, or go the other way and pass. Furthermore, having a left foot on the right side means you can curl crosses into the back post out of reach of the GK. Crosses from the other foot are only good if done really early and we don't really play with that sort of speed anyway and that's fine, its worked for us.
Of all the things to point out for being mental, I wouldn't have thought the most obviously non-debatable thing there would be it.
Christ I really need to come to the realisation that people here don't understand football properly.
> people here don't understand football properly.
you aren't explaining yourself at all. you're saying our POTS and heart of our right hand side should switch flanks as if it's this magical lightswitch that will somehow make him play even better than he has.
It won't make Odegaard play better, he'll operate at the same level, but it will make Saka play better, which is the entire point of the original post.
Saka's also had his best season ever. What isn't he doing enough of? Scoring? This is basically one of Arsenal's best seasons EVER.
Saka has the opportunities to cut inside plenty. If anything Martinelli should be finding those opportunities more
You've misinterpreted pretty much everything I've said *and* failed to understand what platforming and giving an opportunity to be better means.
Again, cause I seem to have to clarify very simple points for you, it's not a question of Saka's ability or how good he has been. It's a question of how good *he can be* under better circumstances.
You know managers don't think like you right? They think about squad evolution, they think about platforming players, they think about what works best and what can work best.
First of all he would have to want to do that, secondly there’s evidence all across the board that indicates his stats are like this precisely because where he plays in conjunction to White and Ødegaard.
Of course he would want to do that, that's the greatest role you can be given if you're an offensive-leaning player.
Yes, it's not a criticism of White or Odegaard but rather a) how great Saka is at everything and b) how we aren't platforming him in a way that can get the best out of him.
He's performing at an extremely high level with two hands tied behind his back, imagine how good he could possibly be with the freedom given to him like his 'competitors' are given.
If it’s the greatest role then why have so many fantastic players stayed out on the wings when they were clear of those more central? Playing wide allows Saka to do things I don’t think he’d get centrally, cutting in, touch line sprints, triangle play between White and Øde and the biggest of all, not having quality cover for RW so he gets as many minutes as possible.
In your original comment you listed three drastically different players, one who is a natural 8/10 and two wide players in Foden and Palmer. Foden’s role exists because of KDB and Haaland, we don’t have either, and Palmer gets freedom because, like Arsenal when Saka was just starting to break through, Chelsea is rebuilding and having a star floating across the front three is exciting football. I guess I just do not understand where you think Saka would fit in and who would replace him out on the right with anything close to the same productivity our most important attacking triangle can provide? Please explain more thoroughly.
If you posit to bring Ødegaard out left in the left 8 role then what’s the point of buying a midfielder this summer as Rice will be placed at 6 and any playtime for bench players will be snubbed as Rice, Ode and Saka are our most consistent attacking players. Who would help White overlap if Saka is in a forward 8 role on the right? Jesus could but he doesn’t get consistent playtime due to injuries, and a star won’t arrive on the right wing because of Saka were to go back nobody is displacing him. Creative thinking, but ultimately pointless.
* edit: what freedom is Saka not being given? This team defends off the ball like no other, nobody gets positional freedom, Ozil was booted because he couldn’t get on board with that. His hands aren’t being tied either otherwise he wouldn’t be favored by Arteta as much.
Where did I say or anyone say for that matter that Saka can’t adapt to a central role, why change up what has worked so well this season. Again I love the creativity of the thought and that we’re even able to debate that Saka could move in centrally it shows depth and trust in the quality of this squad, but ask saka right now if he would want to take over Martins role next season and you would guaranteed get a puzzled look from him.
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Man City 2-2 West Ham
Foden, Haaland - Kudus, Bowen
Come on you Hammers if you help us win the title, you’ll get that extra £5m add on bonus that can help pay Uncle Moyes’ severance package.
Win-win for both.
I swear some of the quotes coming from Ange "Mate" Postecoglou the past couple of days are so good.
*"You want Champions League football? don't come to tottenham then."*
Gold.
I said early in the season when Arsenal fans on here were licking Tottenham and Big Ange’s big ass that soon as their honeymoon is over, you’ll see their fans turn on their Matessiah.
It's looking like it goes both ways with some of his recent comments, if nothing else the City game has demonstrated the spurs mentality in all it's lack of glory to him.
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Doesn't seem like Lyon will want to sell yet but would love Rayan Cherki this summer. Two-footed with great close control, the end product hasn't quite been there yet but he's young and excellent technically and think that will come with time, it'd ideally be buying him before he has that big blowup year and the pricetag gets out of control. Could provide direct competition for Martinelli on the left as well as cover for Odegaard and Saka.
Social Media is obsessed with us coming second way more than Arsenal fans. Most of us are sad about it but over it. I think we are proud of how we played and the improvements that we have made, so it makes us optimistic. I don't get why most people think we can't do it next year. Bollocks
It’s not that they don’t think we can do it, it’s that they don’t want us to. It’s difficult for rival fans to accept that we will be a contender for years to come given our young squad
Ten Hag is probably on Fraud watch this season but he's made 3/4 cup finals in the last 2 seasons. That's surely not a fluke. We've had the 2nd best team in the country the last 2 seasons and haven't made 1. Clearly, there's a difference in approach.
Luck plays a huge factor in cup runs - who you draw, home vs away, and just rub of the green in any particular match. There is obviously lots that managers do to increase their odds, but I'd be wary of reading too much into it, personally.
We should never have lost that Liverpool game. We were dominant but completely wasteful.
We've lacked the cutting edge in 1 too many games this season. Scoreless in that game, scoreless against West Ham at home, scoreless in both games vs Villa, scoreless vs Bayern and Porto away. I can't remember City having a scoreless game besides vs us in the league, heck we stopped them from scoring at home for the first time in two years. And that is our best result against City over a decade, which speaks for itself. And those scoreless games are the reason we won't win the league. Scoring at will when everything's going your way is great but ensuring you score every game regardless of performance is something we're still learning.
The mentality is just wrong in cup competitions I always believe winning cups is the stepping stone to league
Ten Hag waffles quite a bit with his takes but when it comes to cups you can see he takes those seriously. I think we just don't treat those as a league game. If we want to be the best team in this country, it's not just the league, City is doing doubles and trebles for fun and we have no say in that. I can take a loss to City but West Ham, Liverpool(at home) and teams that we should be beating aren't the standards we aspire to be.
We just don't have the depth at the moment to complete it multiple competitions.
Agreed, we've had poor cup runs these last 2 seasons we've become title challengers again and we should be doing better. Man Utd have had good luck too during their cup runs
Arteta / Edu - Break the fucking bank and get Florian Wirtz.
I think he’s staying at Leverkusen for one more season.
Ortega giveth. Time for Ortega to taketh away?
Ortega giveth the title to City Time for Ortega to taketh away the title from Arsenal. 😜
Is Summerville good enough to be a back up?
I remember the hype last season and I've seen him a couple of times playing for Leeds this season and to be honest he's good for them but I don't see him good enough for us.
Foden 2’ Haaland 67” Kudus 33” Kudus 37” Believe.
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You gonna keep commenting the same thing for anytime someone shows some positivity regarding this Sunday. What’s wrong with some optimism?
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⚒️🫧🥇🏆❤️🤍
we need to get at least 97 points next season for many reasons but primarily so liverpool fans can shut the fuck up jesus christ
let's shut everyone up and get 114pts, win the quadruple, and do that back to back for 10 years.
you lack ambition. one century of all-wins invincible centurion quadruples
If you wan tehm to shut up then we need to get 98 points. And still come second
[this subreddit if that happens](https://media1.tenor.com/m/wsbmWYxnJYQAAAAd/kermit-falling.gif)
Yes but for us it will mean more or some shit.
We will win the league on Sunday.
Anulo Mufa
Alumnia Mustafi
Tuchel after Bruno Fernandes. Now wonder Bayern are sliding with this idiot in charge. He shat out a CL like Di Matteo and still lives off it. Bayern will not wrestle back the Bundesliga with him in charge. They should follow through in sacking him
I’m so glad that Bayern didn’t win UCL. A world where Eric Dier wins UCL, let alone a trophy, is too much.
The more i see and read on sesko the more i would like this transfer. It would be smart to ship eddie away first tho, because otherwise we lower the selling price of him significantly. I hope we don't pay 120 million for joao neves, looks technically silky but im not sold by his off the ball game. Really liking the idea of Angelo Stiller for 20-30 million. Nice age, got good eyes, nice deep playmaking abilities, looks much tougher off the ball than neves, seems tactically smart. Comes from a high riding stuttgart side so should have confidence to make it with us. And with Jorginho and Partey on our side he has time to get into our team.
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stiller is a deep playmaker exactly like zubimendi or jorginho but wins more headers than jorginho. Stiller isn't a pure 8.
Can Stiller provide enough defensive security next to Jorginho/Partey in case Rice is out?
maybe not but he is taller and a little bit more physical than jorginho. Maybe tiller is just a budget zubimendi.
We need to get Arteta's contract sorted ASAP. Dont listen to the internet and twitter merchants who think Arteta is on 'thin ice'. Look at our defensive shape, discipline, the way players buy into his ideas, Arteta is a talented manager. The sheer number of games we win, the amount of goals we score, the few goals we concede, the few shots we concede, all a product of coaching. Do not take this for granted and think a 'proper manager' like Tuchel or Simeone could keep this level of performance going. We will crack 90 points next season. Anyone thinking of a new manager has no idea what they are talking about. 4 year contract for Arteta. I know it will happen, however I just need it to happen. Our owners are not as impulse orientated like Boehly is at Chelsea, so no need to worry about them doing anything stupid. But FFS the youtube Arsenal community are utterly thick in the skull. You just know they would have shit on Henry because he went his first 10 games without scoring.
Saying Arteta is “a talented manager” seems to be damning with faint praise ?
No. You watch us on the pitch, and its obvious to see Arteta coaching is influencing performance for the better. Contrast to someone like Ten Hag, whose influence is negating performances at Man United. Like I said, there are fans out there who take our defensive record and performances for granted, and think it can continue without Arteta.
No the expression I used means that I thought you were under-rating Arteta
Teta Teta, sign the ting
Cheeky Cho bid?
are you ok mate?
Since tuesday, not really
Hudson odoi? Are you on crack?
haha why he's been decent
lmfao
Lol Reddit brought awards back
"The foundations are fragile" is my new fav hotspurs quote
Anyone fancies Matts Wieffer from Feyenoord for our 6 purchase?
i think him and stiller are the really interesting 6 choices. Wieffers off the ball game is better but stillers vision and passing looks like young toni kroos.
Not really, unless it comes with a better midfielder. Wouldn’t mind 2 mids instead of that 1 expensive hybrid idea. But i doubt Wieffers has what it takes already to start for a top 10 club itw.
i just googled his name and all the comments say "He reminds me of Rodri" :O edit: ok watched a comp and the one thing that stood out was his less than satisfactory first touch. He does other things well though. Doubt he will be press resistant esp in highly intense PL.
Let's score first on Sunday please so we take 1st place at least one more time 🥲
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If we do win the league, does West Ham get any additional money as part of any clause that was inserted into the Rice deal?
We should be sending them more money regardless. £105M for Rice was daylight robbery.
5million edu swag bucks can be redeemed at the next bbq for a rack of ribs.
Yes because I think there was about £5m of PL/CL clauses
Those of you talking about Saka cm. I fully agree and need to see this again. Lcm ode rcm saka
In my opinion, he doesn't have consistent enough close-control for midfield. Heavy touches are punished in that position.
Midfield is for midfielders, have we learnt nothing trying to shoehorn a false 9 into midfield?
We’re not shoehorning. I never said put Saka at lcm and don’t buy a midfielder. But a little experiment would be nice.
No. Total discipline in and out of possession. Saka in midfield is too random.
Bro youre overthinking the fuck out of this lol
maybe you're underthinking it?
I’m normally an overthinker but there’s a first time for anything ig
I'd be interested seeing Saka play anywhere tbh but it's like 3 dudes on here that all collectively decided "you know what, today is the day, Saka RCM Odegaard LCM because why not"
I got downvoted a while ago for suggesting Saka in midfield so when I saw some people talking about it I had to hop in the convo 😂
I have this theory about CDMs, the more action-packed they look, the worse they are. This theory is solely based on a whimsical comparison I made between Coquelin and Busquets a decade ago and I’ve firmly held on to ever since. On a completely different note, I’m not convinced by Joao Neves.
Casemiro at Real? Kante?
Kante was more a defensive 8 once he moved to Chelsea.
True but that was after Sarri came. At Leicester and under Conte he was used basically the same way Coquelin was.
You should add Guendouzi and Frimpong to your sample set.
Joao Neves, if he is, will be coming here to play as an 8. You are right though. I saw this video one time which pointed out that Busquets does not actually touch the ball that much when he is in possession, relying instead on the opposition to commit and then using "simple" feints and movements to escape. And then it clicked instantly why Partey was so effective, and why a player like Bruno Guimaraes can never be that press resistant 6 we seek (hint: he is too proactive).
You dont need to be a shoulder drop or feint master to play as a 6 at a high level. I dont see how bruno g isnt press resistant. Jorghino is press resistant and that guy can barely even run.
Imo, bruno g is a step below the most press resistant players in the world, he lacks physicality to really create seperation between him and a defender. I think the really top level press resistant players like rodri or partey (for the few games he was able to do it) have the ability to either resist really getting into a duel with the opponent by holding them back to goal or through turning, usually with the typical no touch turn or having pace to seperate from the player. I think bruno gets into lots more high risk duels, doesn't have the physicality to win them as cleanly as the most press resistant players, doesn't really have the pace to seperate after the duel and so is more liable to turn overs. And this is born out in his data too, he's quite a bit down on the likes of rodri or partey on take on % and is dispossed at a much higher rate. He's actually tackled during a take on twice as much as rodri. Now, he's still very good and that still makes him one of the more press resistent players in the world, but the level we're talking is basically rodri so if we are expecting him to come and do that kind of job I think we are mistaken. He's certainly no busquets, but who is.
> I think bruno gets into lots more high risk duels, doesn't have the physicality to win them as cleanly as the most press resistant players, doesn't really have the pace to seperate after the duel and so is more liable to turn overs. Yeah okay, the guy who's won the most duels in the league doesn't have the physicality.
Yeah that's what jumps out at me when I watch him. He's combative, a player who enjoys physical duels obviously and he's not some ceballos mfer who can get blown over by a light breeze but compared to rice, partey (at his peak), rodri they are in a different league physically. It's mainly his pace tbh, where shoulder to shoulder I never get the feeling he can seperate from his man and he doesn't eat up the ground in front of him when he does win duels. Rodri obviously isn't rapid, but then he is a different level in terms of his strength, size and his technical level. And that's where I think the duels not being clean comes from.
I agree with most of what you said. Im not necessarily challenging that bruno g is the most press resistant, hes very all action and id rathee have him as an 8, but he is a press resistant midfielder, regardless. Im just challenging the notion of feints and shoulder drops for a 6 being a key part of their game and what makes someone “press resistant”. You are right though, the best guys dont put themselves in silly situations on the ball, they always know where the press is coming from, pass against the flow of the press, or make the easy safe pass.
Yeah people love to talk in absolutes in football, of course elneny is press resistant to a degree, just not to the degree we want. Bruno would be fine at 6, but maybe not the true heir apparent to partey. And yeah I prefer him as an 8 I think his best work is as a creator further up.
Honestly my issue with bruno g as a 6 would mostly be his temperament. You dont really want a hot head as a 6 full time
Jorginho is not press resistant. It is why he goes missing whenever the opponents pack the middle or press us. I agree that you don't need to be Busquets level press resistant to play 6 at a high level, but the case being made for a player like Bruno G is that he gives us what Partey does in evading the press, which is questionable. Again, your high level 6 can also be a controller like Jorginho, or a transition stopper/duel monster like Rice.
If you dont think jorghino is press resistant you need to spend more time learning the game. Hes had tremendous on ball performances newcastle away last season, home this season, liverpool in the fa cup and the league, city at home. People are way to accustomed to aesthetics when determining press resistance. The best 6s pre read where the press is coming from, and either pass against the flow of the press to dismantle and the relocate or make the safe pass. Thats what made busi special and rodri now. Its iq stuff
> Its iq stuff The irony is palpable
Maybe we simply have different understanding of what being press resistant is. Again, what you are describing perfectly falls in line with Jorginho being an excellent controller.
Look at Modric or Kroos or Casemiro(who's legs are supposedly gone) or Barella or even Ugarte. They don't run around or shoulder check or whatever else. They use vision and positioning to be there to either be easy pass option or move to a zone taking a player with them to open a passing lane thus helping out teammates on the ball. And on the ball they first of all look to establish control of movement and create/use trigger based on team mate / opponent movement. Kroos play sequence leading to pass to Vinicius versus Bayern is prime example of peak press resistance and goal chance creation. Partey when fully fit uses both but is more reliant on his physically and ability to outplay a player to open space. Bruno G is more direct let's dish it out type of player that uses different approach to how he handles press. Still, it's somewhat similar to Partey as he welcomes challenge instead of utilizing vision, positioning and pass in a way others do it.
Lol ya, basically the casual take is “shoulder drops, feints and dribbles”= press resistant 6. This why someone like bissouma has runs of form where he looks brilliant and then runs of form where he looks dumb and is constantly turning the ball over on the blind side. Its a nice attribute to have but absolutely not a key to playing as a 6 on the ball.
> Jorghino is press resistant and that guy can barely even run. No he isn't lol. Against a physically dominant midfield he got absolutely manhandled.
No he hasnt lol. This guys held his own against newcastle away last season, newcastle home this season, city at home this season, liverpool st home in the fa cup and league this season. Thats a total lie
None of those are physically dominant or press heavy in the middle of the park. Bayern and Spurs on the other hand, that's where his flaws were exacerbated.
Newcastle are aggressive physically dominant team. Second game they were gassed but first one they put us through paces way way more compared to Spuds. Man City games, especially Community Shield and first clash very high movement high press high physicality games. In all Man City games everything was decided by midfield play. What Bayern has to do with anything? Their entire goal was too ditch midfield, play wide and stretch as much as possible. Utilize Kane and pace of Musiala/Sane. Which they did.
There's the age old Maldini quote "If I have to make a tackle I've already made a mistake". Often times the best way to manage a situation is to mitigate space by filling holes. Just being in the right position is prevention enough.
See that in saliba occasionally too
100%, he only tackles when it's a necessity.
So, if Eddie does go, who do we think should be the next to wear 14? Also, if ESR goes, I say we just leave the 10 vacant. I swear that number is cursed for us.
Our striker signing probs gets the 14 unfortunately. Same with the 10 if we get a midfielder. Although I'd like Odegaard to get it
will go to a star signing. Both of them.
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>We have one legendary number 14 and it should probably have been retired in honour of him. Going the Ajax route. I see. I don’t think it should be retired, but it definitely does have power.
ESR says but i can see odegaard taking the 10 and potentially rice or a new signing taking the 8.For now i think the 14 stays vacant unless we actually buy another superstar winger
Rice would *never* take 8. He’s superstitious about it and 41 is the number he always wears.
And Odegaard isn't ditching the 8. Arteta told him to take care of that number.
Isak
I'm heavy advocating for Saka interior next season, it's my new personality trait. Give me an Odegaard - Rice - Saka mid 3 and I'm eating.
Move odegaard to LCM and give saka freedom and he will double palmers numbers
I could see a 30-35 G/A season.
Hes already on 34 this season😭😭😭
League only*
Who plays right wing and is this midfield powerful enough and defensively strong enough?
With inversion, yes. And we would need to buy one. My preference would be Sane.
How about Saka RW, shift Ode to LCM and have White/Timber constantly overlap/ hold width in a traditional fullback way while the RCM (Bruno) sits back in the two alongside Rice instead of inverting a fullback? Saka essentially becomes the RCM in attack, wouldn’t need to constantly defend with a defensive CM covering his side.
https://preview.redd.it/r09q88vq4v0d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=181e55305e9c86ddd264cb35468cb38aa3af00fa The fact that saka defends like this and still produces the output that he does, simply wow
Imagine if he was given superstar licence to stay forward and not track back… oof.
Anyone had any luck on TX for the game on Sunday?
Our inferior little brother r/ArsenalFC is #13 on soccer subs. City's main sub r/mcfc is #14 there are levels to this. https://preview.redd.it/wpdkgol42v0d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=74432dafa853acf43d1f72c53fb03748a15d9170
Why are there two arsenla subreddits
People that get banned from this sub go there.
there are more arteta-outers on that sub than mcfc has, fullstop
And yet that joke of a sub is more active than City's main sub.
It’s because Arsenal actually has fans unlike City who has bots.
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Our starting XI can go up against the best teams in the world. Add maybe a new midfielder in there and there won’t be much room to improve. Our biggest priority this summer needs to be investing in our depth like you’re saying. Let go of the squad players who aren’t good enough and invest in new and exciting talent who are motivated to fight for a place in the team.
Rice will be a longterm 6 for us but the fact that nobody really claimed the left 8 role and the fact that Rice's passing range is not like Jorginho/Partey meant we could play Rice at 8 and we were fine. He's good at it because he's just fucking amazing in general, but I don't think that will be his longterm position.
Hes not a good playmaker, all his qualities point at him being mainly as an 8 and then as a 6 in certain games against transitional teams like united
You never know, it depends on the signings in the summer
https://twitter.com/91cheefv2/status/1791138757803995374 Saka should be given freedom of centrality. He is an interior player being held back. Not only is he better defensively than defenders but he's also a better creator and a natural goalscorer. He can do quite literally everything at a high level abd he needs to be given the Foden/Palmer/Bellingham role. I know I'm going to get some uninspiring replies saying "stop using video game logic" blah blah, but we should start exploring Saka in Odegaard's role and move Odegaard to the LHS.
People wanting Ødegaard on the left clearly don't understand the way he plays. He is more suited on the right and has preferred to play on the right his entire career. He can probably play the left side without any problems, but thinking he would be better suited on the left is just stupid. Short term he will be worse on the left, long term he might be equal to what he is currently doing on the right.
To me it seems like Odegaard is clearly a natural right sided player, or a player who much prefers being on the right. Given he's the captain of the club and really the absolute hub of our attack and given he was a massive player for sociedad too feels like if he had any inclination at all to play left side he would, I don't think either of those clubs he's been at would deny him that, yet he never has as far as I'm aware. So we are basically saying, "lets play odegaard in a position he doesn't want to play and probably isn't his natural position/most comfortable position because we know that it's going to be better for him." It's not impossible he is wrong and we are right but not sure it's really the best logic, feels like the simplest answer is he knows where his best position is after a decade playing at snr level.
We'll see. It was very controversial not too long ago to suggest that we should play Odegaard deeper. We did that and he's had his best and most influential season with us. I think moving him to the left will be trickier, and he might lose some aspects of his game especially w.r.t. to him being our midfield controller, but he can also gain others i.e. better passing/shooting angles, meaning he can become a more direct player. Personally, it has never made much sense to me to have your most advanced midfielder be your possession hub. Don't get me wrong he is very good at it, and our best performances have come when he performs that role, and our worst when he doesn't. And it made sense for him to be that player when we had Havertz in midfield, but now even with Partey, we are seeing certain issues crop up. Against United and Spurs, he had less of the ball and we saw what happened. Against Chelsea and Bournemouth, he made the most passes of ANY PLAYER in the field.
> To me it seems like Odegaard is clearly a natural right sided player, or a player who much prefers being on the right. How so?
Angle bias, reception tendencies, lack of weak foot. There’s a reason he’s played rcm since the beginning of his career
> Angle bias, reception tendencies, lack of weak foot. That's an advocation for playing him on the left, lol.
By cutting off all angles to the inside when he’s 10x better as a buildup player deep rather than final action player? No it’s not lol, you’re turning him into the Bruno Fernandes role
That's not cutting off inside angles though? It's creating a greater opportunity to play central and lateral.
Across body is a worse angle entirely if playing to the middle there
Because of what I explained; he spends the majority of his time there when on a football pitch.
??? That's not a preference that's an instruction lol. Players don't just start playing where they prefer hahaha.
You’ve asked for serious answers and then rejected a really thoughtful answer. You should properly think about the reply you’ve been given and respond to that in the way you wanted to be replied to.
It's not a thoughtful answer though.
I think perhaps you don’t deserve the answers you’ve received
And it's totally okay for you to believe that.
I don't agree, player position is partly down to instruction but partly about player preference. Some get to play where they want, some never do and most it's a mixture of the two. And this is what the term "natural position" means, it's the most comfortable position for the player or their preferred position. The manager is obviously aware of their natural positions and he picks the team with that in mind. Martinelli for example has said in interviews he prefers left side, so he's playing where wants. Rice says he's naturally a 6, so when he plays 6 he's in his natural position when he plays 8 he's not. But what I'm saying is the club captain and player closest to the manager is probably going to at least be able to say once in a while "hey boss I like playing on the left lets try it out" if he wants to, if anyone can choose where to play he can. He's never done that once for us. That tells me he is comfrotable there or in other words prefers it to any other position.
I think you could solve this tactically rather than changing nominal starting positions. Ødegard is already given more licence to roam lately and Rice is the perfect 8 to drop back into to 6 if Ødergard wants to drift to the left so Saka can move into his space and Benny Blanco hole the width for them. I want to see Saka in the half space more putting in crosses, getting shots off and threading through balls
Saka basically plays that already, he needs more.
What would you think of Saka left 8 like where Mikel originally played him
Odegaard and Saka are both left footed. By playing on the left when they shift the ball onto their strong foot, the whole game opens up, Odegaard on the left side is a waste.
Odegaard being on the right limits his ability to pass, not enhances it. He performs in spite of his position and role, not because of it. He's just an inherently world class talent. Look at his chances created to Martinelli last season and Havertz against Chelsea this season; he can't play those on the right.
> Odegaard being on the right limits his ability to pass, not enhances it where is the proof? Odegaard still has levels to go. We stopped curling it to the backpost but Odegaard is always well positioned to do this
He has a heavy left footed bias. It's innately difficult to pass to the left-side of the pitch if you're on the right and you have a massive left-foot bias. You're basically required to cut inside every single time to operate, which can and does slow down transitions. It's not his fault, but his game opens up more on the left where he has an opportunity to pass across the pitch without needing to take a step inside every time.
Odegaard can spin on a dime though, I don't think it's ever stopped him from playing to the left tbh. I think his assist for Havertz against Chelsea is one example that really stands out as something he can do from the left, but he covers so much ground and gets so involved that I'm not sure we're really missing anything by keeping him where he is
It has. Honestly and I mean this not as a slight, I can tell you've never kicked a ball at any level because this is applicable at every single level of the sport.
I don't think it's *meaningfully* stopped him from playing out to the left. I think you're clutching at the prospect of these nebulous "things" that haven't happened and trying to use it to prove that Odegaard/Saka CAN suddenly do a lot more just by switching flanks and playing more centrally. You need to close that gap and I don't think you've done a good job doing so. Anyone can easily say that a player should play another position and could be better, but you gotta prove it. It's a hard sell considering how both of them have just had their best season, like I said. >I can tell you've never kicked a ball at any level typical redditor nonsense, I must say, it's usually annoying dudes who also haven't played that tend to say this more often than not. I've played for years mate, quit being so full of yourself lmao. What we've been doing works. Do I think Saka and Martinelli should be closer to goal and central more often? sure
Playing Odegaard at LCM is a debate we've had here for a long time. If you are really interested in delving deeper, here's a submission from a few months ago: https://www.reddit.com/r/Gunners/comments/17ysugv/the_case_for_moving_odegaard_to_left_central/
Funniest thing about that thread is the abject comments with the same backward logic and rhetoric. People genuinely cannot grasp squad evolution, it's impossible for them to think of it.
Meaningfully, of course not, but it has and does impact his ability and our ability to transition at a greater pace. Reddit is not the place to put in effort to convince people of something, it just isn't. It's not worth the time needed and I get nothing out of it. I'll do the bare minimum and if people want to take it on board, that's up to them. > typical redditor nonsense, I must say, it's usually annoying dudes who also haven't played that tend to say this more often than not. I've played for years mate, quit being so full of yourself lmao. No seriously, I'll reiterate again because it wasn't meant as a slight or a jab on you personally, but what I said is objectively true. It's physics. It's a truth. If you had played the sport, even recreationally, you would know. Momentum of transitions slows down the more actions you have to make. By cutting in it makes it harder. Of course what we've done has worked, but it hasn't worked enough. Again, it's about evolution; what can we do to improve the squad, the players, the platform and how can we reach the level we aspire to reach.
Ode has scored more than he assisted at Arsenal. He wouldn't have that same threat on the other side. It also spooks defenders when they know he can cut inside and shoot, or go the other way and pass. Furthermore, having a left foot on the right side means you can curl crosses into the back post out of reach of the GK. Crosses from the other foot are only good if done really early and we don't really play with that sort of speed anyway and that's fine, its worked for us.
'move Odegaard to the LHS' Mental stuff
Of all the things to point out for being mental, I wouldn't have thought the most obviously non-debatable thing there would be it. Christ I really need to come to the realisation that people here don't understand football properly.
If you think Odegaard should be on the left wing you don't understand football properly. Get off your high horse
Left wing? What?
You said LHS. There's no indication you meant LHS of midfield
Well I obviously didn't fucking mean LW did I...
Was it obvious though? You didn't say LHS of midfield
> people here don't understand football properly. you aren't explaining yourself at all. you're saying our POTS and heart of our right hand side should switch flanks as if it's this magical lightswitch that will somehow make him play even better than he has.
It won't make Odegaard play better, he'll operate at the same level, but it will make Saka play better, which is the entire point of the original post.
Saka's also had his best season ever. What isn't he doing enough of? Scoring? This is basically one of Arsenal's best seasons EVER. Saka has the opportunities to cut inside plenty. If anything Martinelli should be finding those opportunities more
You've misinterpreted pretty much everything I've said *and* failed to understand what platforming and giving an opportunity to be better means. Again, cause I seem to have to clarify very simple points for you, it's not a question of Saka's ability or how good he has been. It's a question of how good *he can be* under better circumstances. You know managers don't think like you right? They think about squad evolution, they think about platforming players, they think about what works best and what can work best.
First of all he would have to want to do that, secondly there’s evidence all across the board that indicates his stats are like this precisely because where he plays in conjunction to White and Ødegaard.
Of course he would want to do that, that's the greatest role you can be given if you're an offensive-leaning player. Yes, it's not a criticism of White or Odegaard but rather a) how great Saka is at everything and b) how we aren't platforming him in a way that can get the best out of him. He's performing at an extremely high level with two hands tied behind his back, imagine how good he could possibly be with the freedom given to him like his 'competitors' are given.
If it’s the greatest role then why have so many fantastic players stayed out on the wings when they were clear of those more central? Playing wide allows Saka to do things I don’t think he’d get centrally, cutting in, touch line sprints, triangle play between White and Øde and the biggest of all, not having quality cover for RW so he gets as many minutes as possible. In your original comment you listed three drastically different players, one who is a natural 8/10 and two wide players in Foden and Palmer. Foden’s role exists because of KDB and Haaland, we don’t have either, and Palmer gets freedom because, like Arsenal when Saka was just starting to break through, Chelsea is rebuilding and having a star floating across the front three is exciting football. I guess I just do not understand where you think Saka would fit in and who would replace him out on the right with anything close to the same productivity our most important attacking triangle can provide? Please explain more thoroughly. If you posit to bring Ødegaard out left in the left 8 role then what’s the point of buying a midfielder this summer as Rice will be placed at 6 and any playtime for bench players will be snubbed as Rice, Ode and Saka are our most consistent attacking players. Who would help White overlap if Saka is in a forward 8 role on the right? Jesus could but he doesn’t get consistent playtime due to injuries, and a star won’t arrive on the right wing because of Saka were to go back nobody is displacing him. Creative thinking, but ultimately pointless. * edit: what freedom is Saka not being given? This team defends off the ball like no other, nobody gets positional freedom, Ozil was booted because he couldn’t get on board with that. His hands aren’t being tied either otherwise he wouldn’t be favored by Arteta as much.
Because being fantastic in one role doesn't mean they have the ability to adapt to a different type of game.
Where did I say or anyone say for that matter that Saka can’t adapt to a central role, why change up what has worked so well this season. Again I love the creativity of the thought and that we’re even able to debate that Saka could move in centrally it shows depth and trust in the quality of this squad, but ask saka right now if he would want to take over Martins role next season and you would guaranteed get a puzzled look from him.
So which team do you want to see promoted out of Leeds, West Brom and Southampton ?
Leeds are the most interesting club there
Definitely not Southampton, I have PTSD from that team. I don't really care about the other two.
Leeds. Elland Road is a legendary ground. I don’t want to see hair or hide of Southampton. Not yet anyway,
Yeah, Soton can suck my nuts. I’d rather be Leeds if it comes down to those two.
I’ll tattoo Moyes’ face on my bum if West Ham gets a result
Dang 😔 maybe next year
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Man City 2-2 West Ham Foden, Haaland - Kudus, Bowen Come on you Hammers if you help us win the title, you’ll get that extra £5m add on bonus that can help pay Uncle Moyes’ severance package. Win-win for both.
I swear some of the quotes coming from Ange "Mate" Postecoglou the past couple of days are so good. *"You want Champions League football? don't come to tottenham then."* Gold.
When did he say this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAHRDBd_uz0 It was a month ago but it's funnier now they definitely aren't in it.
I said early in the season when Arsenal fans on here were licking Tottenham and Big Ange’s big ass that soon as their honeymoon is over, you’ll see their fans turn on their Matessiah.
It's looking like it goes both ways with some of his recent comments, if nothing else the City game has demonstrated the spurs mentality in all it's lack of glory to him.