Squad management: Page 11 - The Arsenal discussion forum and community: One More in the Tolly

Squad management

Claudius

Statbomb were against the signing but it’s only because they are quite dogmatic about age-based squad building.

Look, they are absolutely correct that our age profile is messed up, something I posted about before the summer. But I think as you build you are allowed to make exceptions as long as the overall squad profile looks good. Additionally, at the individual level, each player has his own idiosyncrasies- so that a specific 27 year old might peak later or earlier than others etc. Finally, we desperately needed elite quality in this position and it was available in Partey. I feel we are better off with Partey and less £45m than the alternative.

goon

On a slightly different note, the one big issue I have with Arteta right now is on this very topic, I.E. squad management. I know part of it is simply not being able to shift players, but I get the feeling part of it is a lack of decisiveness. Squad building is one of the most important aspects of being a success and a club like ours really can’t afford to have a 35 man squad with high value young assets left out in the cold. Hopefully next summers cleanse will provide a little more clarity.

Claudius

Let’s see over the next 2 windows. Spurs went to West Ham and left Lo Celso, Alli, Lamela and Dier at home. Not even in the match day squad. Chelsea also struggled to shift lots of players in the summer and seem to have 4 goalies in their 35 or so man squad now. The rich PL teams are all dealing with bloat to some extent due to being misaligned with salaries in the rest of Europe. They will have to eat those salaries if they want to move players in the short term in an economic crisis. So I sympathize with Edu / Arteta here.

Klaus

Claudius wrote:
The rich PL teams are all dealing with bloat to some extent due to being misaligned with salaries in the rest of Europe. They will have to eat those salaries if they want to move players in the short term in an economic crisis. So I sympathize with Edu / Arteta here.

This is absolutely true and it's the main reason most Premier League clubs can't sell abroad right now, but I feel it has no bearing on any discussion about young players. Sending them out on loan, even if you have to keep paying part or even the bulk of their wages, is still better than paying them the whole wage for staying at the club and not playing at all. When that happens Arsenal are the ones who lose. I think we really messed up this summer from a loan perspective and it's a black mark against those who were supposed to handle these dealings.

goon

The only thing with youth I suspect, and we will find out soon enough, is that we may see heavy rotation in the EL. We play twice a week every week from now till the new year at least. If we beat City in the EFL Cup the likes of Nelson, ESR and Willock will in theory have a game a week to play from now to the end of Jan between the EL, League Cup and FA Cup. Still doesn’t explain Saliba.

Claudius

We have only one round of Carabao before transfer window. It’s City in late December.
Klaus is right about players like Nelson, ESR and Saliba. I’m less worried about Nketiah and Willock. They will get their 7+ matches before transfer window. All the younger guys are all playing regularly in PL2 so they are fine.

goon

There doesn’t need to be more League Cup games, we play a EL games every week until that League Cup game. Like I said, if we see heavy rotation the likes of Nelson and ESR could in theory play once a week too.

Jed

Time to switch it up

Leno

Bellerin Luiz Gabriel Tierney

Pepe Partey Xhaka Saka

Lacazette

Aubameyang

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert

Nooooooo!

Jed

We need to find a way to make Auba work upfront. We’re not maximizing the output of our best player and it’s killing us.

Claudius

goon wrote:
There doesn’t need to be more League Cup games, we play a EL games every week until that League Cup game. Like I said, if we see heavy rotation the likes of Nelson and ESR could in theory play once a week too.

Those 7 games I assumed were the Europa and Carabao. I think Nelson and ESR will struggle with minutes. The squad is massive. There are lots of older players in the squad. If we rotate El Neny and Thomas into the team this Thursday, that could push Willock forward. And that has knock on effects on the other two

Ray

---------------Leno
AMN-Saliba-Gabriel-Tierney
---Ceballos-Partey-Saka
Pepe-------------------Willian
---------------Auba

goon

Claudius wrote:
goon wrote:
There doesn’t need to be more League Cup games, we play a EL games every week until that League Cup game. Like I said, if we see heavy rotation the likes of Nelson and ESR could in theory play once a week too.

Those 7 games I assumed were the Europa and Carabao. I think Nelson and ESR will struggle with minutes. The squad is massive. There are lots of older players in the squad. If we rotate El Neny and Thomas into the team this Thursday, that could push Willock forward. And that has knock on effects on the other two

Assuming Pepe, Auba, Saka and Willian are rested, it leaves two spots open for the wings, which only really leaves Nelson and ESR.

I’m not saying it will happen, but it’s the only reason I can think of for keeping them around.

Claudius

Interesting view of just the total purchase prices of the 25 man squads

Full cost of each 25-man squad in the Premier League

Manchester City - £810,870,000
Manchester United - £628,130,000
Chelsea - £577,100,000
Arsenal - £454,800,000
Liverpool - £454,250,000
Everton - £388,050,000
Tottenham Hotspur - £385,300,000
Leicester City - £317,450,000
Wolverhamton Wanderers - £241,980,000

Anzac

Claudius wrote:
Interesting view of just the total purchase prices of the 25 man squads

Full cost of each 25-man squad in the Premier League

Manchester City - £810,870,000
Manchester United - £628,130,000
Chelsea - £577,100,000
Arsenal - £454,800,000
Liverpool - £454,250,000
Everton - £388,050,000
Tottenham Hotspur - £385,300,000
Leicester City - £317,450,000
Wolverhamton Wanderers - £241,980,000

And that would not include Ozil's fee as our 5th most expensive signing he is not in the squad.

Claudius

Excludes Ozil and Sokratis. Chelsea left out Drinkwater who was signed for £35m. But it’s clear our issue isn’t poverty.

goon

So apparently Mustafi rejected a contract offer in the summer and informed the club he intends to leave at the end of his deal.

If that happened, it would have meant that we'd have signed Luiz, Mustafi, Mari and Gabriel all in one summer, while electing to keep Holding rather than sending him out on loan.

What are we doing?

Clrnc

Trying to extend Mustafi pretty much confirms we are clueless.

I mean that much should have been obvious when we gave Cedric a 4 year contract, the longest contract he has received when he was 29.

HomeSteak

😆 😆 😆 😆

So we offered him a contract and HE said no? 😆

Jed

I really, really, really hope that wasn’t Arteta’s call.

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