Who is on the bus?: Page 4 - The Arsenal discussion forum and community: One More in the Tolly

Who is on the bus?

Claudius

It’s a good problem to have. And gives us great flexibility. I still like Saka at left back. But I’d want to push him up into left forward, it still leaves us with two good left backs. He’s definitely starter material even at this young age. That nutmeg preceding the Pépé assist: tonight Newcastle buffoons will have cold sweats

Anzac

Qwiss! wrote:
Torreira is still some way off being an automatic starter for me. He's still young so he could get there but right now I'd be happy rotating him as needs be. I don't really think any of our midfielders are all that great. Xhaka has been pretty solid under Arteta so if he stays he's the obvious automatic starter in midfield.

I'd be looking at fixing the midfield in the summer first and foremost. That would mean getting 2 starters. One being a deep midfielder with some physicality and the other being a modern attacking mid to replace Ozil. Not a like for like but someone who plays a bit deeper than Ozil but who still contributes to the attack.

I'd only retain the 4231 for as long as we retain Ozil, and would switch to an inverted midfield with 2 #8s in front of a #6 as soon as he departs. I'd be looking as a DLP as #6 and then split the #8s between a B2B type off the ball, another who can drive forward on the ball, and another passing playmaker like Ceballos, so as to be able to mix and match based upon the opposition.

Anzac

Claudius wrote:
It’s a good problem to have. And gives us great flexibility. I still like Saka at left back. But I’d want to push him up into left forward, it still leaves us with two good left backs. He’s definitely starter material even at this young age. That nutmeg preceding the Pépé assist: tonight Newcastle buffoons will have cold sweats tonight

I thought I'd read somewhere that he's played LB as a junior or something & he's been converted to a winger?

Claudius

I still feel good about my original list of who is on the bus. I think I was more bullish than most with 16 players on the bus. Of that list only worries might be Chambers and Tierney who will need to prove themselves post injury and Torreira / Guendouzi who need to show why they deserve to run midfield

Ricky1985

Anzac wrote:
Claudius wrote:
It’s a good problem to have. And gives us great flexibility. I still like Saka at left back. But I’d want to push him up into left forward, it still leaves us with two good left backs. He’s definitely starter material even at this young age. That nutmeg preceding the Pépé assist: tonight Newcastle buffoons will have cold sweats tonight

I thought I'd read somewhere that he's played LB as a junior or something & he's been converted to a winger?

He has played there off and on for both our U18s and U23s, although much more at left wing, and has tended to play most of his games for the England U17, U18 and U19s at left back.

KingslandBarge

Ricky does that make him a makeshift LW or LB to you?

Clrnc

I really want Saka to succeed a LB. Ever since he broke through I am adamant that he will be a very good wing back with his qualities but I think Arteta can convert him to become a world class LB like Cole. If he is a winger, I'm afraid he will become a good but not great one.

I do like what Kolasinac offers us, especially his energy and strength in big games and of course I rate Tierney so that will be a tough one after next season.

Still very surprised AMN is dropped so much out of the squad and we still signed an average injured RB to be in front of him. For me he has performed better on average than Bellerin under Arteta.

Ricky1985

KingslandBarge wrote:
Ricky does that make him a makeshift LW or LB to you?

Oh he wouldn't have done much in the way of specialised training. England won't have time for that kind of training before matches, and Arsenal have only experimented here and there with him in the position. Maybe a little work here and there would have been done with him to prepare for a game, but playing him left back was as much about getting the talented 15/16 year old into the team when we had so many good attacking prospects in the age group a little older than him, as it was about trying him out there.

What he's done at left back in proper football is testament to his intelligence and confidence.

QuincyAbeyie

I'm not sure if I agree with whoever said that playing him at LB is limiting his attacking potential. Dribling from deep is something different entirely from doing it as a winger, so we'll just have to wait and see where his best position is. It'd also depend on whether he can improve defensively though.

goon

I think he's fine defensively. Some of the best fulls backs around, the likes of TAA or even Marcelo are below average. As long as he can get back and be disciplined with his positioning he'll be fine.

Claudius

goon wrote:
I think he's fine defensively. Some of the best fulls backs around, the likes of TAA or even Marcelo are below average. As long as he can get back and be disciplined with his positioning he'll be fine.

This. And we balance with Xhaka dropping plus three more defensively inclined back line players.

Also a word for Mustafi’s passing yesterday. He moved the ball well.

QuincyAbeyie

He's fine defensively for where he is in his development and considering how little he's played there. He's not fine if this is the best he'll get defensively though, he's much worse than TAA (who's putting in numbers previously unheard of offensively) or Marcelo (in his prime that is, he's garbage now).

Don Pacifico

Quincy Abeyie wrote:
He's fine defensively for where he is in his development and considering how little he's played there. He's not fine if this is the best he'll get defensively though, he's much worse than TAA (who's putting in numbers previously unheard of offensively) or Marcelo (in his prime that is, he's garbage now).

Added to that, he's going to lose a high percentage of physical battles and doesn't currently have the defensive awareness to compensate.

Don't get me wrong, be is doing fantastically well given the circumstances, I'm just not sold yet that he's a long-term option.

goon

Marcelo was garbage defensively, guy didn’t even try half the time.

TAA does exactly what I said above, he gets back in position and fills the space. The rest of his defensive game is just about passable at best.

Arsenal fans have become a little too obsessed by the defence in my opinion. You don’t see anywhere near as much concern for us going forward. Just play whoever gets us playing well, and recent evidence suggests that attacking players get you more in the way of results.

Don Pacifico

When you're Real or Liverpool, v you can probably get away with that though. Don't think we're good enough in possession to take that risk personally.

goon

I disagree personally. I know it seems counter intuitive but for me we definitely look more vulnerable when we take a more conservative approach. Besides, isn't that the level we're aspiring to get back to? If it is then you need to commit to it, even if you take a few knocks as a result on the way.

Anzac

One factor I'd like to introduce into the conversation re our set up and play, is ball retention. IIRC in our recent games (not Burnley) we've scored a couple of goals with high passing numbers involving all of the team or outfield players. IMO this ability to do so gives you so many more options that you do not need a bona fide FB/WB who is stronger in defence than either on the ball or in transition/attack.

Clrnc

No bloody way should we still have Laca, Ozil, Sokratis and Mustafi this 4 clowns in our club next season. As long as Arteta continue to believe in any of these clowns he will lose his job very soon. Any one of them starting is huge handicaps for any manager.

Oh and we badly badly need a proper LW. Our attacking balance is horrendous

Qwiss

Clrnc wrote:
No bloody way should we still have Laca, Ozil, Sokratis and Mustafi this 4 clowns in our club next season. As long as Arteta continue to believe in any of these clowns he will lose his job very soon. Any one of them starting is huge handicaps for any manager.

Oh and we badly badly need a proper LW. Our attacking balance is horrendous

100% this. We are carrying so much dead weight and its really disappointing to see Arteta try to not just cut them out.

goon

Who are the options behind those guys right now? How would you like him to cut them out? Nketiah is already starting to take over from Laca, Mustafi and Sokratis don't really have anyone behind them. I'm not convinced Willock is an upgrade on Ozil right now either, lad has terrible decision making at the moment.

The squad is what it is until the summer.

I have to say though may main concern is the midfield. We desperately need better quality in there. Ceballos and Xhaka were beyond pointless yesterday. Slow, safe and shit at the same time. You simply can't play better with them in there. Douzi isn't any better right now and Torriera is at best a potentially good partner rather than a key man.

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