Up the Arse! Goons Thread

[Planet14]

The stumble at the finish line really nails it.

 

[glenferry23]

Sad but true. Nails it.

 

[Tomnat Tigers]

Ideally a different profile of striker would be on the agenda this summer. Jesus has the versatility to be used as a wide option much like his City days. We often become too predictable with our strikers being of a similar size.

Nketiah however does have some currency in the market and if we’re going to be as ruthless as we need to, he could raise some funds. ESR too. I do fear for his future at Arsenal. Extraordinary watching what has happened with him. Has played approx 90 odd minutes out of the last available 1200+ I believe.

He might also be someone who unfortunately sees their future elsewhere this summer as we seek to raise the levels. Problem is though, as we’ve seen time and again at Arsenal, that their transfer value tanks whilst being frozen out of the team.

Saka needs support. Clearly the club tried to address this last summer with the approach for Raphinha. These numbers were very glaring:

Need to stop comparing ourselves to City, very few teams have the luxury to bring on a winger and replace him with someone who most would argue is the better player. Not even the likes of Barca and Real have this luxury. They might give players the odd rest if a more important game is coming up but generally speaking they will play every minute possible.

Liverpool is the team we should compare ourselves with more so. Salah and Maine all played similar minutes to Saka during the years they challenged City whilst having contending with deep UCL runs which is something we didn't have to contend with this season. Even our style of play is more similar to theirs than it is to City.

Im not saying we don't need an alternative to Saka either, its just that looking at the minutes the City players are playing and comparing it to any other team let alone our guys is a futile exercise.

Lastly the area we really need to improve next season is killing games off and not playing dumb naive football that keeps the opposition in the game and doesn't allow us to sub our star players off early. Too many times earlier this season we would 2 goals up and waste numerous good chances and then give up a dumb goal right around the time you would be looking to sub players off. Score the third goal and kill the game then hold onto possession for the final 20 minutes.

 

[glenferry23]

Need to stop comparing ourselves to City, very few teams have the luxury to bring on a winger and replace him with someone who most would argue is the better player. Not even the likes of Barca and Real have this luxury. They might give players the odd rest if a more important game is coming up but generally speaking they will play every minute possible.

Liverpool is the team we should compare ourselves with more so. Salah and Maine all played similar minutes to Saka during the years they challenged City whilst having contending with deep UCL runs which is something we didn't have to contend with this season. Even our style of play is more similar to theirs than it is to City.

Im not saying we don't need an alternative to Saka either, its just that looking at the minutes the City players are playing and comparing it to any other team let alone our guys is a futile exercise.

Lastly the area we really need to improve next season is killing games off and not playing dumb naive football that keeps the opposition in the game and doesn't allow us to sub our star players off early. Too many times earlier this season we would 2 goals up and waste numerous good chances and then give up a dumb goal right around the time you would be looking to sub players off. Score the third goal and kill the game then hold onto possession for the final 20 minutes.

Killer instinct, yes. This team doesn’t have it as yet. For as good as his link up play is, Jesus misses too many chances.

My concern with Saka is the volume of minutes he’s playing at such a young age. We’ve seen this before. Wilshere. Bellerin. Saka just hasn’t looked himself lately. Since the penalty miss at West Ham actually. It’s a dilemma though. Easy now to say in hindsight that he’s been overplayed. However during those crucial fixtures you’ve got to have your best players on the pitch. He doesn’t really get any respite either during intern breaks as he plays almost every minute for England.

Am hoping some support for him is on the way this summer. Perhaps the Xhaka transaction to Leverkusen can be used as a pathway to Moussa Diaby.

 

[andana]

Killer instinct, yes. This team doesn’t have it as yet. For as good as his link up play is, Jesus misses too many chances.

My concern with Saka is the volume of minutes he’s playing at such a young age. We’ve seen this before. Wilshere. Bellerin. Saka just hasn’t looked himself lately. Since the penalty miss at West Ham actually. It’s a dilemma though. Easy now to say in hindsight that he’s been overplayed. However during those crucial fixtures you’ve got to have your best players on the pitch. He doesn’t really get any respite either during intern breaks as he plays almost every minute for England.

Am hoping some support for him is on the way this summer. Perhaps the Xhaka transaction to Leverkusen can be used as a pathway to Moussa Diaby.

City's enviable squad depth has also been a major talking point with no outfield player clocking more than 3,000 minutes in an exhausting league season while Arsenal have had three led by Gabriel, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard.

channel news Asia.com

 

[glenferry23]

City's enviable squad depth has also been a major talking point with no outfield player clocking more than 3,000 minutes in an exhausting league season while Arsenal have had three led by Gabriel, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard.

channel news Asia.com

Yes and I read this morning that Kalvin Phillips made his first league start overnight for them, after being purchased for 45m+. Quite the luxury to have with such a signing that you can wait until matchday 37 when the league is already won to start a player acquired for that amount.

Arteta does need to lean into his squad more. 2-3 years ago there were clearly a group of players he didn't trust or want at the club. That excuse doesn't really stack up anymore given how heavily the squad has been curated for him, it is his squad now. Hard to fathom how ESR doesn't get more opportunities for example. The squad has run out of steam around this time of the season in consecutive years. Big learnings for him to take as well this season.

 

[Tredrea1870]

Team selection at Nottingham was nothing short of laughable. That was our worst performance of the seasom IMO.

Do we think that ESR, Tierney, Nelson, Nketiah were mis-managed with their minutes or not good enough and therefore not trusted by Arteta? I even think he should have had the balls to drop start Trossard more when the form of the team and Saka dropped a couple months back.

 

[bok_party]

Dynamics obviously change when you have different players come in and out as in day Tierney won’t move inside and play as midfielder like Zinchenko will and he obviously wants to play a certain way.

 

[Gambit78]

Dynamics obviously change when you have different players come in and out as in day Tierney won’t move inside and play as midfielder like Zinchenko will and he obviously wants to play a certain way.

Yeah, and him opting for Partey to play that role coming off the right meant Kiwior played left of a back three. Partey did okay, Kiwior needs a big preseason to really bed in.

 

[irish]

Soft weak and sulking finish to the season! Did not deserve to win the league

 

[glenferry23]

 

[glenferry23]

Soft weak and sulking finish to the season! Did not deserve to win the league

My main frustration. Have said many times in recent weeks to go the distance, take it right down to the wire. They owed it to themselves to not throw in the towel. However 9 points from the last available 24, and City win the league over the weekend without even kicking a ball in their match.

Two or more things can be true at once. Arsenal have had an excellent season. AND this late season collapse has been unacceptable.

 

[Tomnat Tigers]

Team selection at Nottingham was nothing short of laughable. That was our worst performance of the seasom IMO.

Do we think that ESR, Tierney, Nelson, Nketiah were mis-managed with their minutes or not good enough and therefore not trusted by Arteta? I even think he should have had the balls to drop start Trossard more when the form of the team and Saka dropped a couple months back.

Arteta was clearly experimenting with the next season on his mind.


The only two who could feel hard done by is Nelson and Nketiah (first half of the season). Even then Nelson had Martinelli ahead of him who alongside Odegaard has been our best performed player in the run home. Nelson got injured at the wrong time and missed our most condensed schedule of games but was still trusted to feature heavily in our round of 16 games against sporting. Those two actually had an impact on our season and looked ready for the fight when they did opportunities. Every ESR cameo was a leisurely stroll and he will rightly be sold at the end of the season, while Tierney is the most overrated player in the Arsenal squad and we have moved on from him, not purely because of his ability (or lack there of) on the ball but also defensively. He defends on the back foot while Arsenal as a team was the best at defending high up earlier in the season prior to Saliba going down.

 

[windyhill]

Juve docked points. City ?

 

[HODGEYROAD]

50 points from the first 19

31 points from the last 18.

Only taken 9/24 in our last 8, I thought City would probably get us, but didn't think we'd implode as poorly as we have.

 

[glenferry23]

Juve docked points. City ?

Years to go before there’s an outcome. Lawyers will continue to stall, delay, and every other tactic they have at their disposal.

 

[dirty2]

Any thoughts on Gundogan read a few times we are interested

 

[bok_party]

 

[Gambit78]

Martinelli, Saka and Ramsdale done. Now for Odegaard and Saliba. Get it done Gunners. That's a good core to build around.

Gundogan to replace Xhaka - take that in a pinch. Any of Rice, Caicedo, Lavia or Zubimendi. If Leicester are relegated, Maddison would be handy. I like Mount too.

Read that Lukaku could be an option for us and after an initial reaction of GTFO, I've started to consider the point of difference he'd provide in the striker role, which I think we need.

I don't know if we should stick or sell with ESR.

 

[Cruyff14]

Any thoughts on Gundogan read a few times we are interested

A very good signing.

 

[glenferry23]

Fantastic news on Saka. Embodies the club so well.

Saliba is the one I worry about most from this group. He’s not as entrenched as the others. Gut feeling is one more contract extension for him and then the club could perhaps facilitate a move to PSG or Madrid for him in. A few years time.

 

[Genesis67]

Martinelli, Saka and Ramsdale done. Now for Odegaard and Saliba. Get it done Gunners. That's a good core to build around.

Gundogan to replace Xhaka - take that in a pinch. Any of Rice, Caicedo, Lavia or Zubimendi. If Leicester are relegated, Maddison would be handy. I like Mount too.

Read that Lukaku could be an option for us and after an initial reaction of GTFO, I've started to consider the point of difference he'd provide in the striker role, which I think we need.

I don't know if we should stick or sell with ESR.

We need a big bodied striker in the squad. Not as a main starter, but to come off the bench.

 

[HODGEYROAD]

Fantastic news on Saka. Embodies the club so well.

Saliba is the one I worry about most from this group. He’s not as entrenched as the others. Gut feeling is one more contract extension for him and then the club could perhaps facilitate a move to PSG or Madrid for him in. A few years time.

I'll be ****ing shattered if we lose Saliba in the next 12 months.

 

[Planet14]

Pretty sure Saliba has 12 months left. He either signs or we need to sell him. Can't let him walk for free like so many others.

 

[HODGEYROAD]

Pretty sure Saliba has 12 months left. He either signs or we need to sell him. Can't let him walk for free like so many others.

Selling him would be a body blow, only 22 years old and already our best CB. Won't be easy to replace.