The Arsenal Thread XXII

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Biggest day of the season tomorrow, D-Day.

Utd win and we win, suddenly a double is on.

Rentboys win and we lose and it's over.

Reply 7501

angelfox

Original post by sevchenko

Absolute rubbish that we couldn't afford Cesc. Wenger simply didn't want to rock the boat with so many quality midfielders. Fair play to him it must have not been an easy decision to make, it is hard to justify spending £30M on cesc when we had Ozil, Ramsey, Ox and a fit Wilshere at the time.

I said at the time we should have signed him. The likes of Rosicky, Arteta, Santi, Flamini, Diaby will have either left Arsenal or have retired in the next 2/3 years but looking back over the season he isn't really want we needed he would have been useful when Ramsey, Jack and Arteta were all out injured but I'd rather £30M be spend on some proper CDM. If a player like Coq can do the job effectively we shouldn't even be spending that much

If we'd bought back the snake we wouldn't have got Welbz or Gabriel.

Reply 7502

leinad2012

Original post by angelfox

Biggest day of the season tomorrow, D-Day.

Utd win and we win, suddenly a double is on.

Rentboys win and we lose and it's over.

Just stop, it isn't going to happen, the league was officially won last week

Reply 7503

fallen_acorns

Original post by angelfox

Biggest day of the season tomorrow, D-Day.

Utd win and we win, suddenly a double is on.

Rentboys win and we lose and it's over.

please dont. double is really not on... would still be a potential 7 points behind..

even if we somehow manage to beat them and united.. it still means they have to drop another 5 points

Ok.. so we pray that liverpool also beat them? sure.. not impossible..

But who else?

Lecister? Palace? West brom? Sunderland?

Its not happening.

The last 1% of hope, died last weekend with their late goal agains QPR. Had that not been scored, then sure.. there would still have been a hope, given they would have just had to loose and draw their remaining 'big' games..

But now its over.

Reply 7504

leinad2012

Original post by angelfox

If we'd bought back the snake we wouldn't have got Welbz or Gabriel.

Not sure you're making the point you think you are. Plus if he'd re-signed he wouldn't have been a "snake" either

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 7505

angelfox

Original post by leinad2012

Not sure you're making the point you think you are. Plus if he'd resigned he wouldn't have been a "snake" either

Bloke went on strike to leave, feigned injury, and only wanted to come back because his dream went sour.

Reply 7506

Stefano93

So he isn't a snake?

"If you ever see me in a Chelsea shirt, you have permission to kill me."

Makes sense.

On a more positive note, feeling confident about Reading tbh. Would like to see Wilshere back who really needs to put in a good performance and the combination of Ozil alongside Jack is always brilliant. Reading won't roll over though.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 7507

SA-1

Original post by sevchenko

I share the same feelings about Coq but I think the simplicity of his role will make it easier to maintain a consistent level of performance. Arteta and Flamini shouldn't start any games as long as Coq is fit tbh, they're back up players now.

I'm a big fan of Schneiderlin. The difficulty in bringing him to Arsenal is that he prefers to play as a CM B2B. He enjoys attacking and covering ground in the middle of the pitch very similar to Rasmey. Schneiderlin has the discipline and ability to play as a DM but his attacking talents and energy is wasted if he's limited to a DM role that requires discipline in order to concentrate on the defence and not go forward.

With Coq playing as DM Schneiderlin can move up and play that B2B role he prefers but let's not forget that Ramsey, Wilshere and in the future possibly OX all want to play in that position. Schneiderlin CM versatility in that sense could be very useful. We can only accommodate one B2B CM in the 4-2-3-1 we're playing atm Santi is playing there currently which I dislike, he goes missing in matches far too often and lacks the physicality to defend or impose himself in key areas. He relies too much on his technique to justify a starting place as CM imo. It seems like he's only in the lineup to maintain possession really.

Yup, completely agree with regards to Arteta and Flamini not starting over Coq, and I hope Wenger keeps Coq playing.

I can see Schniederlin basically being our Matic. Very disciplined and will do his job right; if Wenger wants him to hold, he will. In a game like Monaco away, if Wenger needs him to play B2B, he will. I know Wenger, Ox and even Ox's dad have said they all see him playing centrally but I honestly doubt it'll happen. I think he's far better on the wing and his performances have shown that. On paper, the amount of B2B players fighting for one spot would be tragic but realistically, I don't see Ramsey and Wilshere being fit at the same time, and if they are it wouldn't be for long.

Also, I've noticed us move away from the 4-2-3-1, or rather we use a 4-3-3 a lot more frequently, where Ozil or Santi play on the right - and it's worked well so far so there's no real need to change it. In an Arsenal side with Schniederlin, a 4-3-3 could be something like:

Alexis - Giroud - Ozil

Wilshere - Schniederlin - Ramsey

Gibbs - Koscielny - Gabriel - Bell/Jenko/Debuchy

With the three in midfield playing narrow, and Alexis and Ozil going wide. Ozil did quite well from the right in the world cup too.

I see that working quite well. Jack and Ramsey both have that burst from the middle, and Schniederlin can just hold his ground. Having said that, it works perfectly well with Coq too.

Tbh, I really think Schniederlin is the type of player we've been missing. Obv with the emergence of Coq, we should prioritise other positions first though.

Reply 7508

leinad2012

You're missing the point, if he re-signed for us he wouldn't have gone to Chelsea and wouldn't be a snake...

Also, just realised re-signed and resigned are completely different things

Reply 7509

Arkasia

Tbf, he never actually said that, it's just bitter Arsenal fans making up ****. He is a snake, but there's no need to fake quotes.

I don't know why but I have a feeling Villa might pull off a shock. Benteke is looking in top form, and Liverpool are not.

Reply 7510

leinad2012

I get the feeling a summer clear-out is needed again, sooo much deadwood when you look at the squad. Arteta, Flam, Diaby, Poldi, Sanogo, Campbell are all players I'd happily see leave in the summer (bar 1 of Flam and Arteta who could be good 3rd choice CDM/ ball distributor and mentor to the younger CM's). Think of the wages you can get rid of by offloading them, not even considering transfer fees. When you look at our squad as a whole we're only 1 or 2 top players and a few squad players away really. Imagine a starting XI of

Giroud
Sanchez Ozil Ramsey Walcott
(Sneiderlain)
Monreal Kosc Mert Debuchy
(Cech/ Lloris level gk)

and a second XI of:

(new St, Dybala maybe or Lacazette?)
(new winger, Pedro, even Milner?) Cazorla Wilshere Ox
Coq
Gibbs Gabriel (new CB, Smalling?) Jenk
Ospina/ Szs

And that would still leave one of Szs and Ospina, Martinez, Welbeck, Wellington Silva (not that he matters), Gnabry, Chambers and Bellerin.

That is a SOLID squad capable of challenging for the title without any real Galacticos £35mil signings.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 7511

leinad2012

Original post by Arkasia

A shock would be a Liverpool win imo

Reply 7512

difeo

Original post by leinad2012

(new St, Dybala maybe or Lacazette?)
(new winger, Pedro, even Milner?) Cazorla Wilshere Ox
Coq
Gibbs Gabriel (new CB, Smalling?) Jenk
Ospina/ Szs

That is a SOLID squad capable of challenging for the title without any real Galacticos £35mil signings.

pls

Reply 7513

leinad2012

Original post by difeo

pls

He was just an example of a 4th choice CB really, there's plenty of them available in the 5-10 mil range

Reply 7514

Mackay

Out of all the players on the POTY list, I'd suggest Sanchez is the one to make the most difference and improvement to a side in the PL this year.

Kane's goals have impressed at Spurs, but they look likely to be futile with them finishing up where they always do. Costa has been lethal for Chelsea, too, but another top striker could have done the same given the guile and service of Fabregas, Hazard etc.

Sanchez, meanwhile, has seemed to breathe life into the entire club and really changed you from 4th to title challengers. That's distinct progress, and it's thanks to him.

Reply 7515

Arkasia

Yeah, but you're forgetting that Coutinho has added MAGIC to his team's performances /s

Reply 7516

difeo

Original post by Mackay

Nah, Sanchez has taken them from 4th to 3rd/2nd. They're not title challengers.

De Gea has taken us to 3rd/2nd from who knows where? With the way he was saving us before we hit form we'd be out of sight of the top 4 without him. Probably 6th or 7th.

Reply 7517

Pete_91

Original post by difeo

3rd/2nd is title challengers...If title challenging is literally finishing first then no one but the winners challenge for the title every year, that's not exactly the definition of the phrase...

(not that I agree that Sanchez is solely responsible, I'd give a lot of credit to Coquelin too).

Reply 7518

Lúcio

Original post by difeo

That makes literally no sense.
Arsenal are the only team challenging Chelsea for the title, even if them winning it seems unlikely.

As the poster above says, once you classify 2nd/3rd as not title challengers, the phrase simply cannot exist.

I agree that arguably this season there hasn't been much of a "challenge" to Chelsea, but when you consider arsenal are by far the best team in the league right now, I'd say they are certainly title challengers.