Arsenal — Mid Table Realism: Page 4 - The Arsenal discussion community: One More in the Tolly

Arsenal — Mid Table Realism

speedy

Burnwinter wrote:
speedy wrote:
It looked like he did, but then we sold iwobi and it was pretty much a £40m net spend which was the budget.

We've got the third highest nett spend in the league over the past five seasons or so, I'm fairly sure.

5th according to this
https://www.transferleague.co.uk/premier-league-last-five-seasons/transfer-league-tables/premier-league-table-last-five-seasons

lorddulaarsenal

Can’t recall a match we can look back and be proud of this season

Claudius

We won 11 games in a row under Emery, including against Leicester. We put 5 past Fulham in that run. It was full of those cup games where the kids shone. There was no real football ethos. But we won with hard work. Our protagonists. And then we drew with Liverpool just after ending that run of wins.

We had our hot streak but that run isprobably not unusual for a midtable team blowing hot and cold. Our shots for and against scream mid-table, as does every other aspect of our game.

Burnwinter

speedy wrote:
Burnwinter wrote:
We've got the third highest nett spend in the league over the past five seasons or so, I'm fairly sure.

5th according to this
https://www.transferleague.co.uk/premier-league-last-five-seasons/transfer-league-tables/premier-league-table-last-five-seasons

https://www.transfermarkt.com/premier-league/fuenfjahresvergleich/wettbewerb/GB1

Yep. But that table's not quite ordered by nett spending. Anyway we're spending large amounts, absolutely in the second tier after City and United. We're obviously doing poorly on sales, and anecdotally, we're also making average signings.

Burnwinter

United are doing worse than any club on the front though, lulz.

Gazza M

Meatwad wrote:
the more we decline the more likely it is we are taken over by some really rich person willing to spend. there is light at the end of this pitch black tunnel.

True, but im too much of a purist to enjoy success with that method. All these years of pent up animosity at the stolen valour of chelsea and city has made the idea of arsenal going the same way a non-starter for me. Seems inevitbale that's the only way we'll break back into the winners circle though

Burnwinter

Mid table realism is basically hoping to recover some honour from a position of integrity, for me. Sick of the recruitment approach being to glue on a couple of pseudo-marquee players to the first team squad each summer, we're fielding a multiply resurrected Frankenstein at the moment and we seem to be fresh out of lighting bolts.

banduan

@lorddulaarsenal wrote:
Can’t recall a match we can look back and be proud of this season

2-0 vs United.

Claudius

I have accepted Mid-Table Realism (TM) and will swallow my gruel for the rest of the season. I would like us to lean into youth and directness

Martinelli - Aubameyang - Pépé

Saka - Willock

Guendouzi

Tierney - Holding - Mustafi - Bellerin

Martinez

I want a left-side cluster of Martinelli, Saka, Tierney. Saka and Martinelli can overlap to create width and cross the ball in. Alternatively, either man can drive in.

I want to see Pépé and Aubameyang push as far forward as possible to to get as many chances as possible. I was encouraged by the chances they got against BHA.

If this works, worth keeping Aubameyang and adding a quality central midfielder and quality central defender over the summer. And then dump the other veterans. If we are going to lean into the youth, they will need to learn from veterans who are high quality and have good attitude. Aubameyang and Leno are the only ones who check both boxes. So even though I've said worth selling to raise funds, it's also worth considering keeping him from a culture standpoint

FEBravo

But if we keep Auba, isn't the message he is sending to the younguns that he is not that ambitious and doesn't care about winning? And it's OK to just look for stability and comfort? Genuine question

Claudius

FEBravo wrote:
But if we keep Auba, isn't the message he is sending to the younguns that he is not that ambitious and doesn't care about winning? And it's OK to just look for stability and comfort? Genuine question

It is up to the club to have clear messaging. The narrative has to be that the new Arsenal comprises only of the very best players (so don't go get fucking Fraser) and young players who need to bust their guts to retain a place. Or get sold. And we should sacrifice some kids this summer as well to reinforce that message.

If we sacrifice 6 or more of these cows and bring in Partey and a quality central defender, the message will be clear. Our problem is we lack consistency. Yay to Martinelli and Pépé! Nay to the massive outlay on Luiz.

jones

Kel Varnsen wrote:
Burnwinter wrote:
Regarding players who "don't care" — well what would you call Özil then?

But for the most part it's not that they, ex nihilo, don't care about the team's success. What I see is anxiety and malaise because the squad as a whole is clearly not up to the expectations set by the club.

"Dont' care" in the sense that a lack of effort isn't the reason this team is shit. The reason is a lack of quality. This is also why I don't believe the manager is the problem. Poor Arteta does the best he can with an absolute horror show of a squad.

We have too many shite players but we're also making a complete mess out of what we have. Pepe was the best player in France behind Mbappe and Neymar last season, Saka and Martinelli have shown massive promise, Auba is a top class striker, Leno was great in goal etc. Even guys who seem beyond hope like Xhaka or Mustafi have shown in the past they can perform at the level let alone Özil.

Problem is the dressing room is in tatters and we can't get anything going because we don't focus on emphasising our strengths on top of ridiculous clangers poor morale and the fucking injuries.

I hope Arteta does well and he seems to have the right mindset but you need special coaching ability in managing and coaching to fix this mess.

Claudius

You’re right, Jones. But I don’t think Arteta can do it alone. He needs signaling from the top.

That 2008/09 season is really the genesis of this. We’d had a great season before. Rosicky is unfortunately injured, but this is where we manage to dump Gilberto, Flamini and Hleb, all really critical players. We bring in Nasir (part of that infamous ‘87 generation), and when it’s all collapsing we panic and get Arshavin.

And soon thereafter the City transfers begin in earnest. It’s during this period that we are signaling our disinterest in being a great club. Until that point we had been committed to winning. And I think it coincides with City’s arrival. A sort of defeatism sets in perhaps based on the Chelsea experience. We haven’t been serious since. And it’s that pre 09 soul that we need to restore. It will take much more than some motivational talks from Arteta. He has to be supported by a proper squad plan that emphasizes talent and determination. We have to stop sleepwalking

speedy

awooga83 wrote:
I mean ultimately it's my opinion on Xhaka from having watched him play. I think he isn't a good player and doesn't have the required traits to lead a great team. If our squad think today fine but their performance suggests they themselves aren't that great so I'm less likely to listen to their views.

I don't think he's a good player, if he was a squad player dune but he's being built up to be one of the key figures of this current team. I think that's building your house on sand and only ends in disaster.

Nobody is suggest hes great, I'm just saying hes the best of what we had. We looked x2 as good with xhaka than ramsey. This guy has his limitations but so does everyone. The urgency to get rid of the only player that's decent in midfield is emotionally driven.
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lorddulaarsenal

Did somebody say midtable?

Claudius

Fuck it. I’m going to look for a new team. Jorge Mendes’s Wolves are looking good about now.

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert

Soares four years?? Isn't he like already 29? This club FFS.

Claudius

I also have a feeling City are going to win the Champions League this season. They really look up for it. Madrid are solid but don’t have the same scoring power. 🙁 our misery will be compounded like last season

Burnwinter

Kel Varnsen wrote:
"Dont' care" in the sense that a lack of effort isn't the reason this team is shit. The reason is a lack of quality. This is also why I don't believe the manager is the problem. Poor Arteta does the best he can with an absolute horror show of a squad.

The thing is we don't lack quality … for a mid table club. And that's the crux of getting real about redefining success.

lorddulaarsenal

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