"The journey continues" - Mikel signs extension until 2025: Page 72 - The Arsenal discussion community: One More in the Tolly

"The journey continues" - Mikel signs extension until 2025

Burnwinter

Shearer: They need a killer alright, a cold-blooded finisher whose first and only instinct is to pull the trigger.

We probably need a more comprehensive shake-up. I don't think Martinelli left, Saka right is what we should take into next season, not if it's gonna be the only positions we ever use those guys in, anyway.

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert

Burnwinter it's time this is discussed more.

Burnwinter

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert Every article about this, including Shearer's op-ed, points out that our current tactical posture has been "found out".

Martinelli's become relatively ineffective this season, and though Saka still puts up great numbers, he looks sluggish and dispirited a lot of the time, has no competition for his place, and isn't "clutch" any more.

Signing a new central player doesn't exactly solve it. It's unlikely at best that player attracts so much attention they are freed up. We could have other ways to play. I'm glad Arteta moved Havertz central and Rice forward versus Liverpool: we need to change the script as well as tweaking the cast.

Claudius

I mean… it’s pretty obvious that a) we don’t have an elite level forward and b) we need depth at forward. I always say buy at the top of the squad. So if we can get someone elite who goes ahead of any of Martinelli, Jesus (and maybe Saka), then we should absolutely do it. But no scrubs

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert

Burnwinter also time to use Nelson and ESR much more, as we aren't going to buy both a wide forward and a centre forward anytime soon.

Burnwinter

We've seen so little of either that people have started to assume they're shit 🤷‍♂️

Nelson looked okay versus Liverpool. Aside from anything else his game is totally different from Martinelli's. Anyway, until they play more who knows? Feels beyond time for Smith Rowe to at least be tried.

awooga83

Burnwinter I think the first opportunity he got shows his limitations. I don't think that's about not playing it's just be doesn't have that good decision making better players need when the ball bounced he should have tried to shoot or lift it over Alison there rather then taking himself around and into a very difficult angle. But that's just one of those innate things that better players just have knowing what decision to make at those crucial times. I'm up for changing things up I just don't think Nelson is the right quality.

QuincyAbeyie

It's not really relevant to whether he should play when our other players by that account would have shown the same "limitations" in recent weeks.

Big Willie

QuincyAbeyie It's not really relevant to whether he should play when our other players by that account would have shown the same "limitations" in recent weeks.

Plus blaming Nelson for that on his first start in God knows how long, after being garbage minutes and being low on confidence isn't even really that much of a limitation for me. Players who hardly play are prone to snatching and trying too hard when the opportunity arises, things they wouldn't do normally.

Btw, I dunno if Nelson will ever make it. Tbh I wouldn't be surprised, if someone like ESR looks like he probably won't make it under Arteta, I doubt Nelson has much of a chance despite being older.

Qwiss

Clrnc There are three team-mates in a line on the edge of the area who are not playable at all. None of them are causing West Ham’s defenders a problem, nobody is making a run. There’s nothing for Jesus. It’s just basic play. Other than pass it backwards, all Jesus can try to do is put the ball in the top bin, which is going to take a spectacular finish — the kind you might produce once or twice in a season. It’s a really, really difficult chance. He is given no help at all.

This is a huge problem and its not just for Jesus, you see Saka and Martinelli in the same situation all the time. The idea people had about Havertz was that he'd break from midfield to give these options but its not happened. Same issue when Rice plays as the left 8. You just don't see either of them pop up in the spaces Xhaka did last season, is it instruction?

goon

Qwiss is it instruction?

It's definitely not instruction, but I suspect it's been a neglected area in terms of drills and coaching. I've been saying it since last season that Saka and Martinelli will never be great goal scorers until they learn to score the Sterling tap ins, but they've never looked close to addressing it.

I've played with guys who you can scream at every single week to make a run into the box and every single week you'll seem them chilling in a deeper position on the edge. Others do it every time after you tell them once.

Some players will simply never learn, but I think our two are bright enough to do it. Saka's goal against Fulham was a good start and I actually thought we got players into the box well against Liverpool.

Claudius

goon funnily enough, I think it’s instruction. I think Arteta has them holding positions for structure on both offense and defense. When we lose the ball we recover in an instant. That’s the advantage. The problem is we rarely completely disorganise opposition defenses to create gaps.

We need those gaps to allow us to take better shots. I think our shots are typically 10% xG shots. Some opponents are taken 12-13% average. We also have a high number of blocked shots (I think 6xG for the season). It all speaks to rigidity. Someone dust the cobwebs off Alexis Sanchez.

goon

Claudius

Nah. I mean yeah instructions mean you don’t goal hang or move into the box too early in the move, but there’s no instruction that tells you to get into the box but hide behind three defenders in a position where it would still take a great touch and/or finish to score. There’s no ‘positional play’ benefit in that scenario, you’ve already abandoned your post, you’ve just done it in a useless way.

Burnwinter

Sometimes a bit of serendipity is needed to reinforce a lesson—we can hope that the "holistic" team-building stuff that went down in Dubai has been well and truly branded into the lads' adrenal glands by this 5–0 thrashing of Palace.

Claudius

Nice use of the pick here.

Qwiss

TBH Anderson barely looks aware of whats going on. Definitely NBA inspired blocking on our corners though.

Claudius

This was a Xabi post, but it highlighted just how extreme Arsenal / City are on counter pressing. We press the hardest and keep teams deeper than any other team in Europe. A large part of why we had to completely redo our defenders.

Qwiss

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1860697/Mikel-Arteta-Arsenal-contract

Load of bullshit in the papers.

Don Pacifico

Qwiss Sam Smith should stick to singing.

Asterix

It's about the most spurious "reason" I've seen. "Arsenal's battles with Manchester City are said to have taken their toll".

Yeah, right. What a load.

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert

😂

« Previous Page Next Page »