I don't see the team as just being a couple of players away from getting everything to click again as believe that there needs to be a shift in our systems to go alongside any new additions to address our slump in form. While not a big fan of Arteta, he has made the team incredibly resilient and pushed the team to feel like anything less than 2nd is a drop and that not winning is a major disappointment, which is a sign of how far along he has brought the team. This is also his first managerial role so not only has he had to learn to build a team, he is also going to have to learn what many more experienced managers have failed to do, which is rebuild a team when the first one starts to fade. There will be elements of his current philosophy that he will have to learn to compromise if he wants longevity in the role. I think after a hard couple of years both physically and mentally, the players may find it easier to respond with a loosening of the rigidity with which appear to play with. I also think we need more than just one new attacker to refresh our attacking options and invite the challenge of creating new attacking patterns for us and for oppositions to figure out how to stop.
Official: Mikel Arteta is the new Arsenal manager.
awooga83 I think he does, but you need the right people around him. Just like Odegaard, just like Martinelli, just like anyone in world football that isn't named Bukayo Saka. I also don't think the main attack is just the players that start the CL final. It's more than that, and he could provide excellent balance to a set of attackers that had more complimentary attributes.
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Mirth But the question is around the opportunity cost he represents.
Right. Our current question is whether we try to dispense with these opportunity costs by upgrading Havertz or Martinelli, or change our attacking approach more drastically.
Havertz's role is much freer, which means we could basically put any alternative player there and they just have to make a better contribution. Not easy as Havertz does a counterintuitive amount of stuff, but not so hard.
Martinelli's role is much more of a team role (he creates width) which means we'd ideally replace him with a guy who does everything he does but is also much better one on one and a less anxious, more intelligent finisher. Sadly this describes a version of Thierry Henry who also does Arteta levels of defensive and tactical work, like all those selfless left flank or cutback runs to nowhere Martinelli is always doing.
Who? For example, Nico Williams might well not be good enough to fit the description.
So you know, conceptually, I would prefer to upgrade Martinelli but that's probably just because in my mind, we are signing a far better player if we do—because we'd have to.
But in practice, I suspect we upgrade Havertz and make him what he is, the ultimate utility lunk.
As for changing our approach more drastically … an imaginary elite striker who's a great runner, great on the ball, great at finishing and works hard will automatically change it.
I can't see us changing our basic approach. That is extreme territorial domination and pressing, with reliance on volume of key passes and set pieces to get the goals.
We need this approach to be dominant in the Premier League, which is now stacked with clubs that defend deep and compact with great organisation compared to a decade ago. We need 5–6 players joining the attack and we need to score through congestion.
The other option Burnsy is to get a magician in the left sided attacking midfielder position. Someone like Wirtz
Burnwinter but how does Liverpool make their games so stretched (for their benefit)?
I don't watch them in detail often. Do they sit deep and invite the opposition onto them (while keeping Salah high)? Is it as basic as that?
lorddulaarsenal yep the LCM role is as major a problem as the LWF role.
Havertz is a real donkey right now but I'd argue upgrading him is what we should do once the other two have been dealt with.
Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert Yes. They also move the ball more slowly in their own half (as counter-intuitive as that sounds), which is another way of saying what you said, which is inviting the opposition on to them. They also have the "passer from deep" in TAA, who is able to get the ball moving quickly when they spot a hole (a la Partey at his best) and a carrier in Gravenberch (we don't really have an equivalent). They press much less (rank 20th in total distance covered per 90 this season, compared to 9th in 2023/24) and have their attackers much higher than ours. Finally, they utilize the entire pitch and not just the flanks, as we seem to do. But for VVD's great form this season, they would have conceded far more than us as well, but they haven't quite.
Need that Dubai break!
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Salt Bae to save our season again with a $750 gold tomahawk.
Given how the Liverpool game last season and the United game on the weekend were so similar in terms of the sheer number of chances missed, I wonder if these guys threw the game so they could get a break.
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Bernard Woolley But for VVD's great form this season, they would have conceded far more than us as well, but they haven't quite.
I think their approach is inferior by the numbers and that imitating them wouldn't help us one bit.
Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert but how does Liverpool make their games so stretched (for their benefit)?
By playing a less effective style than us that happens to be working for them this season, due to good luck, easier fixtures and star personnel who are in form.
Immense. I still have hope we can do something in the league.
So do I. Liverpool have had incredible momentum and Salah. We need to keep the pressure on. They will give us a chance to make the Anfield match a decider.
so MLS and nwanners are this seasons spark to succour us from the dark side of tetball. I'm down
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By the way, starting from the Newcastle League Cup game that we lost (i.e. including that game and the subsequent FA Cup game), we have scored 16 goals from 15.78 xG. It sucks because it's not going to help us win the FA Cup and it probably isn't going to help us win the League Cup, but there really isn't much more to say about those games other than it was some fluky shit.
Sign someone tomorrow and we can still make something of this season. Tomorrow is season decider for me.
every day is season defining.
flobaba it is when you haven’t made a signing in 33 days with only just over 24 hours to go. It is when margins are so tight.