Arsenal FC Thread

[Savi]

That should get us top 4 next season

Whoever you hire, City, United, Chelsea and Liverpool are still miles better so 4th seems very unrealistic to me

 

[AB13]

Getting actual good managers automatically removes the problems at a club overnight.

Atalanta had finished top half of Serie A once in 10 years before Gasperini.Since he took over they have qualified 4 times for the CL & once for the EL in 5 years!

Rodgers took a lower mid table Leicester team to the top 5 for two straight seasons without spending much.

Chelsea sacked Lampard (bad manager) for Tuchel (competent manager) in late january and went from 10th to 4th in 20 days.
They'll probably qualify for the CL this season, and challenge for big trophies going forward. Why are arsenal fans scared of doing this again?

Everton where 18th last season, sacked Marco Silva, and got Ancelotti. They will now likely finish in the top 6.

Arsenal absolutely do not need a squad overhaul. We need a new manager.

 

[AB13]

Whoever you hire, City, United, Chelsea and Liverpool are still miles better so 4th seems very unrealistic to me

United and Chelsea are not much better on paper. Absolutely not.

 

[Blender]

Alrighty let's play the yearly game; how would you fix Arsenal?

Who's coming in and out? New formations? etc. Let's start the new rebuild!

Obviously not an Arsenal fan, but ideally a new owner.

With their current resources though, I think they need an identity and they need to shift focus towards youth recruitment and development. Personally I'm a big fan of a high-tempo gegenpress where the focus is on playing very direct when you win the ball and hitting teams on the counter before they can get in their defensive shape, so getting more players that can fit that is how I would go. Any identity that the entire club follows should work though, but they have been all over the place since Wenger left. They already have a great start with some youth in Tierney, Saka, Smith-Rowe, Gabriel, Nketiah, Martinelli, etc. That's a solid core of good young players and they should focus on adding to it. Start operating like a Leicester does for example and try and bring in undervalued young players that perfectly fit your identity, forget trying to sign expensive "stars" because they clearly don't want to spend enough money for that to be viable.

Tough to comment on specific players they should bring in, but they need 2 midfielders that are very progressive, they likely need a striker to replace Auba soon, preferably someone who is quick and can break the line, and another strong CB to defend the box would go far.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

CIty
United with generational coach OLE
Chelsea better squad competent manager
LFC

you want to break into that with this squad? You are dreaming. Each one of those teams have way better squads. This isn't just a coaching issue. We have been hearing this for a better part of a decade. Wenger was old and needed new blood. You got Emery not the best coach but can coach as seen in prior teams and today. You got Pep's lap dog which you all told us will be great since he was taught by pep... yet Arsenal are as far off as they ever have been. Wake up and smell the coffee.

 

[phisherman]

Getting actual good managers automatically removes the problems at a club overnight.

Atalanta had finished top half of Serie A once in 10 years before Gasperini.Since he took over they have qualified 4 times for the CL & once for the EL in 5 years!

Rodgers took a lower mid table Leicester team to the top 5 for two straight seasons without spending much.

Chelsea sacked Lampard (bad manager) for Tuchel (competent manager) in late january and went from 10th to 4th in 20 days.
They'll probably qualify for the CL this season, and challenge for big trophies going forward. Why are arsenal fans scared of doing this again?

Everton where 18th last season, sacked Marco Silva, and got Ancelotti. They will now likely finish in the top 6.

Arsenal absolutely do not need a squad overhaul. We need a new manager.

Arsenal needs a squad overhaul. They need to get younger and have a better plan with their spending.

 

[AB13]

Wenger should never have left. Under Emery in 2019 we finished 5th and reached the EL final. Since then we have added Pepe, Smith Rowe, Saka, Martinelli, Ødegaard, Gabriel, Partey, Tierney, Saliba and yet we have got worse. Emery got sacked at Fifth.

 

[bluesfan94]

Sell:
Luiz
Chambers
El Neny
Bellerin
Willock
AMN
Leno
Nketiah
Willian
(Ceballos)

Bring back:
Guendouzi
Saliba
Ødegaard

Buy:
Lamptey
Caqueret
Onana

Starting XI:

Auba
Saka - ESR - Martinelli
Caqueret - Partey
Tierney - Gabriel - Saliba - Lamptey
Onana​

Back up XI:

Balogun
Nelson - Ødegaard - Pepe
Xhaka - Guendouzi
(Saka/Cedric) - Mari - Holding - Cedric
(Okonkwo/Runarsson/doesn't matter cause we're not in europe)​

Playstyle:
Saka, Auba, Martinelli should be interchanging a lot. Push the wingbacks up pretty high, let Partey drop in as almost a third centerback when in possession.

 

[AB13]

Arsenal needs a squad overhaul. They need to get younger and have a better plan with their spending.

We need to not let Arteta spend money in stupid places. That is where our recruitment problems started. A good manager can finish top 4 and start to challenge with this team though. No doubt. A good manager is always more important than recruitment when you are a top team with a large budget.

 

[bluesfan94]

they likely need a striker to replace Auba soon, preferably someone who is quick and can break the line, and another strong CB to defend the box would go far.

They have these players on the club's books. Balogun and TJJ as strikers, Saliba as the CB.

 

[AB13]

Sell:
Luiz
Chambers
El Neny
Bellerin
Willock
AMN
Leno
Nketiah
Willian
(Ceballos)

Bring back:
Guendouzi
Saliba
Ødegaard

Buy:
Lamptey
Caqueret
Onana

Starting XI:

Auba
Saka - ESR - Martinelli
Caqueret - Partey
Tierney - Gabriel - Saliba - Lamptey
Onana​

Back up XI:

Balogun
Nelson - Ødegaard - Pepe
Xhaka - Guendouzi
(Saka/Cedric) - Mari - Holding - Cedric
(Okonkwo/Runarsson/doesn't matter cause we're not in europe)​

Playstyle:
Saka, Auba, Martinelli should be interchanging a lot. Push the wingbacks up pretty high, let Partey drop in as almost a third centerback when in possession.

Bring back Ødegaard? Lets not celebrate mediocrity here.

 

[phisherman]

Sell:
Luiz
Chambers
El Neny
Bellerin
Willock
AMN
Leno
Nketiah
Willian
(Ceballos)

Bring back:
Guendouzi
Saliba
Ødegaard

Buy:
Lamptey
Caqueret
Onana

Starting XI:

Auba
Saka - ESR - Martinelli
Caqueret - Partey
Tierney - Gabriel - Saliba - Lamptey
Onana​

Back up XI:

Balogun
Nelson - Ødegaard - Pepe
Xhaka - Guendouzi
(Saka/Cedric) - Mari - Holding - Cedric
(Okonkwo/Runarsson/doesn't matter cause we're not in europe)​

Playstyle:
Saka, Auba, Martinelli should be interchanging a lot. Push the wingbacks up pretty high, let Partey drop in as almost a third centerback when in possession.

Not a fan of Odegaard. His movement off the ball has been pretty static. Need another midfielder in the ESR mould. They play much better when ESR and Martinelli are playing because they are very active with their movement.

 

[Blender]

They have these players on the club's books. Balogun and TJJ as strikers, Saliba as the CB.

I forgot about Saliba because of the circus around that buy. Unbelievable that he isn't playing for them this year.

If those youth are on track to stepping in, great that fills that hole. I'd focus on improving the midfield, especially in the modern game it's critical that you have a midfield that can control the flow of the game.

 

[phisherman]

We need to not let Arteta spend money in stupid places. That is where our recruitment problems started. A good manager can finish top 4 and start to challenge with this team though. No doubt. A good manager is always more important than recruitment when you are a top team with a large budget.

Arteta's only big spend was on Partey. The rest was trying to get players for cheap.

The problem with Arteta is he relies a lot on senior players and his in game management needs to improve.

Will have to see if they're willing to sign younger players and get rid of the likes of Willian and Xhaka, even though he's been an important part of the midfield.

 

[bluesfan94]

Bring back Ødegaard? Lets not celebrate mediocrity here.

I think we can get him cheaply enough, he's 22, he can have streaks of brilliance, he'd be a back up.

Not a fan of Odegaard. His movement off the ball has been pretty static. Need another midfielder in the ESR mould. They play much better when ESR and Martinelli are playing because they are very active with their movement.

I agree, but I'm not trying to spend much money on a backup for ESR. If we can get someone like a Jack Grealish to make ESR the backup, that's one thing, but Jack Grealish isn't coming. For the most part, the players on my shopping list I think are gettable. Onana would be leaving Ajax but going to a big 5 league. Lyon will be in Europe, but at the moment, it's Europa, and they're always a club willing to sell (for the right price). Lamptey is at a smaller English club.

 

[Peen]

Tempted to unblock ab13 for the first time in eight months to see the meltdown

 

[koyvoo]

Thats an example of why I have never, and never will put anyone on ignore.

Although there may be posters who I choose to ignore simply by not engaging with them, if you actually use the ignore function, you miss out on all the lolz.

 

[bluesfan94]

Oh and while we're at it, go ahead and hire Marc Overmars

 

[phisherman]

I think we can get him cheaply enough, he's 22, he can have streaks of brilliance, he'd be a back up.

I agree, but I'm not trying to spend much money on a backup for ESR. If we can get someone like a Jack Grealish to make ESR the backup, that's one thing, but Jack Grealish isn't coming. For the most part, the players on my shopping list I think are gettable. Onana would be leaving Ajax but going to a big 5 league. Lyon will be in Europe, but at the moment, it's Europa, and they're always a club willing to sell (for the right price). Lamptey is at a smaller English club.

Odegaard won't be cheap. Also need someone better than Xhaka that can stabilize the midfield.

For attacking mid it wouldn't be a backup for ESR. ESR shouldn't be playing every game at this stage and with his injury history. Just need someone like him that can play half the games.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Oh and while we're at it, go ahead and hire Marc Overmars

Why would he come?

 

[bluesfan94]

Why would he come?

In theory, the ceiling at a place like arsenal is higher than Ajax, and he'd have more money to play with. In reality, it'd be a challenge and some people like challenging themselves.

Odegaard won't be cheap. Also need someone better than Xhaka that can stabilize the midfield.

For attacking mid it wouldn't be a backup for ESR. ESR shouldn't be playing every game at this stage and with his injury history. Just need someone like him that can play half the games.

I mean, I don't think he'll be cheap but compared to someone else who's 22 and at that level, I think he'd be affordable. Xhaka wouldn't be tasked with stabilizing the midfield, though. He'd be on the bench most games.

It would still be a backup. Sure, the player might get in a bunch of games, but he'd ultimately not be the name stapled to the starting XI.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

In theory, the ceiling at a place like arsenal is higher than Ajax, and he'd have more money to play with. In reality, it'd be a challenge and some people like challenging themselves.

The thing is not many want to go to a tire fire. They end up risking their careers to an extent. Ideally when things are going good for you and you have eyes watching you, if you want to make a move you go to an environment that facilitates success not hinders your own progression(see Monchi). When Overmars and Ten Ten leave it will be to a CL side that actually want to win.IMO

 

[Rob]

We need to not let Arteta spend money in stupid places.

Willian was the worst signing in years. Too three quarters of the season before Arteta stopped playing him.

 

[Rob]

So four straight wins to close out the season might get us 7th place and a trip back to Europa. If you want to be extremely optimistic.

 

[Blender]

So four straight wins to close out the season might get us 7th place and a trip back to Europa. If you want to be extremely optimistic.

7th is the Europa Conference League right now I think.