I don't get why it's always the LB that has to play the inverted role, why not ask Ben White to do it and then have Tierney playing more as a CB when we are on the ball? Saka is more adept at playing out wide with little support from the full backs compared to Trossard/Martinelli.

Also, surely it's better to have players in the squad who can give you something different especially when plan A isn't working? There have certainly been instances when I felt the inverted LB thing wasn't working and our whole left side was dead and thought we should have used Tierney as an overlapping full back to at least help us generate chances from that side. This could have created more space for Saka on the other end.

    Qwiss I think someone like Martinez can play that role, too bad we didn't get him. He's a CB with playmaking skills, superb defender and he's played in midfield before.

      Tactics

      Because Basic Ben White (much like Tierney) doesn't have the technical ability, short passing or dribbling of Zinchenko.

      You can't just say hey flobaba go and play like Maradona.

      Also Tierney lacks the composure required to play center back. He panics when isolated or put under pressure and is more of a boot it into touch type. Martinez is a great shout though. Lockdown defender, smart, and very good on the ball. Real shame he chose to go to Man U. But we can clearly see the sort of player we desire/need for the fullback role.

        Tactics
        Tierney isn’t a good enough footballer for our system. That’s the basic issue. He has a lot of gaps in his play. He plays like an old school winger. We need someone with midfield skills in the position. It’s a bad fit, and we need to let him go. The same way we let everyone else go.

          19 days later

          So what happens to Pepe this summer? How much do you recon we’ll fetch?

            lorddulaarsenal bag of chips. I don’t think he even has the halo of the rest of the team. Unlike Tavares, Balogun and others who are young and from the outside look like they would be reincorporated. Pepe just looks like bust. So nobody will pay.

            I think the way we have to look at summer business is the total bill. Some guys will fetch a lot. Others not so much. What matters is selling the right players and raising a lot

              I actually forgot Pepe was still our player. I'm assuming his loan has been a bit of a flop too?

                Daz 17 games in the league, 6 goals and 1 assist. I know he scored a couple from the penalty spot, and to be fair to him he was injured for a few weeks. Played 2-3 games as CF as well. No idea what they think about him.

                  Regardless of what people thought of his time here, quite insane how many bangers he scored in the time he played. Best finisher at the club?

                  (to Pepe haters, this isn't an attempt to start a discussion about his general play and how it doesn't fit our playing style)

                  He was insanely good in Ligue 1, we destroyed the poor chap.

                  Out of all of Arteta's cuts Pépé's treatment always seemed a bit arbitrary. I'd love a real explanation but it's probably just "slow to receive instruction and same position as Saka", or something vague ...

                    Everything I saw of Pepe demonstrated he had some real talent, just wasn't in the right setup to shine and has subsequently lost his confidence. Don't think anyone's to blame really other than maybe Sanellhi.

                    Burnwinter its weird because it definitely looked like he was working hard to try and get it. I guess he just didn't fit for some reason. Think he might have been in the Laca/Auba clique too which can't have helped. Would have been a nice option if it could have worked though, 20 minutes at the end of games to rest Saka would be welcome.

                        Real talent. I still like him but he’s probably not the best fit for us. If I were Newcastle, I’d be all over him

                        Yeah I still like him too and sometimes miss him when thinking about this current group and its journey. He may have the exact same drawbacks that led ASM to be benched by Howe though.

                        Possibly - surprised ASM has been benched. They have giants in the back four and midfield - should act as a defensive platform for an enigmatic player to do their thing

                        Qwiss Arteta said he’d been working hard too and deserved mins. I just don’t think he liked him as a player, maybe he wasn’t able to follow tactical instructions, maybe he was too loose on the ball, or maybe his press wasn’t quite right.

                        Part of me is curious to know how he’d have done this season, in this setup with us performing so wel, if called upon. In reality though with so much on the line he’d have probably gotten less mins than the lines of Tomi and Tierney.

                          20 days later

                          leipzig in for balogun apparently. we're holding out for 40m. I'd take that deal tbh. balo has had a great season, but he falls into the willock/iwobi category. if there's a good deal to he done, we should do it

                            Gazza M Would be great value. Just my two cents, but I reckon Nketiah would get 15–20 a season in Ligue 1. I'm not saying Flo's not a great player, but I don't think he'd truly shift the dial for us whether as starter or backup, and we could be piling that money into Xhaka's successor.

                              Flo is a better footballer than Nketiah. This team demands ball playing skill. Ability to bear a man, and create for others. Nketiah is our only forward who doesn’t do these things, so it stagnated offense. I’d rather see what Flo can do and sell Nketiah