How you fixing us?

Burnwinter

Nobody steps up at the moment. I think if they know they're gonna come on, their attitudes will change. For players on the fringe, it's a lot to do with knowing you'll be trusted and supported.

Pisses me off how many minutes we've given Nketiah while marooning Hale End lads with bags more talent just because they're not such teacher's pets.

lorddulaarsenal

If we can shift Cedric, Elneny and one from ESR, Nketiah and Nelson, then go out and get Onana and Vlahovic

———————-Raya
-White—-Saliba——Gabriel—Zinchenko
———————-Onana/Rice
————Ode/Hav——Rice/Hav
Saka—————Vlahovic———-Jesus

Not the end game with the squad but much improved.

mdgoonah41

try and buy a striker in january. and not a left back that can invert and play a nominal striker role. an out and out goalscoring number 9

stop dicking around with fancy formations. play 4-3-3 with a deep midfielder, create width with fullbacks, and try to take it to teams.

our cowardly tactics are extremely uninspiring. if we arent going to win the title (feels like we have like a 20% chance), then id rather at least see us play attacking football and try to force other teams into mistakes instead of us walking on egg shells fearful that one mistake will completely sink us

Gazza M

the only way the system works if we're persisting with rice as our 6, is we need a press resistant technical string puller of a left 8. basically xavi mark 2

in my opinion the spillover effect of fixing up the midfield will have the greatest widespread impact on the team

Clrnc

Gazza M Yeah agree. I think we missed a trick not getting Xavi Simons for the 8 position instead. He's been phenomenal this season again for Leipzig

Temo

Gazza M Zincenko

Coombs

Clrnc Simons seemed such an obvious choice. Still, I think striker is way more important than midfield.

Gazza M

Clrnc he would've been perfect. that's the kind of dynamism required for the 8 position

Meatwad

Clrnc
how did we a miss a trick? he's owned by PSG and they only loaned him to Leipzig. are you saying we missed out on getting him on loan?

KingslandBarge

MistaT Sorry to be hipster-ish (as need for some reinforcement is blatant), but the key fix will come from within. Put on the spot, the first port of call is doubling down support for the fab four of Saka, Martinelli, Jesus and Ødegaard, all of four of whom are currently facing criticism and pelters. Support may come in several forms: Don't drop any of them before mid-season break (but if so, substitute in Nketiah). Shorten the proximities between LW, CF, and LCM and especially when initiating long distribution and playing for 2nd balls. Play whichever fullback is fit enough to provide overlapping support and the wide-forward with safe-out. Promote within-game interchanging in the front line. Drop Havertz in the short-erm for someone that can effectively move laterally and take a bit of defensive responsibly off the WFs. This could be an academy player, Tomi until Partey is back (not that I think no. 5,41, and 8 should be the standard blueprint). If continuing with Havertz, make sure there is a functioning pivot between him and Jesus/Nketiah. To me they bear no deliberate association, particularly when Jesus retreats or Havertz advances. Also agree that Saka may need to walk back that hairstyle.

MistaT

KingslandBarge -- I'd love to see more overlapping from our fullbacks, as it would help Saka/Martinelli play narrower (which you call out as a solution). But I don't think that's on the cards with Arteta's system. We barely get any from Ben White and Zinchenko is even less likely to provide it due to his even "stricter" positioning.

If we are to persist with inverted fullbacks who don't overlap, then we need to add some fluidity from elsewhere, and to me that is ESR as an 8. Trossard/Havertz are both too rigid and it leads to defenses getting well set up. I'd love to see ESR, Jesus, and Martinelli combining on the left flank...there's a lot there, and I think we could see some interesting challenges for defenses if faced by that and Saka/Odegaard across from them.

Clrnc

Meatwad he was owned by PSV. PSG bought him back and then loaned him out. Dutch reports said he would have preferred to move permanently elsewhere but nobody seriously bidded for him

I do wonder if we can convince PSG to sell him

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert

MistaT I'm desperate for an ESR resurrection!

KingslandBarge

MistaT Nice shout, if its ever to tread ground with Emile. Xhaka also used to mix it up nicely occasionally overlapping Martinelli, offering width and allowing Gabi to tuck-in more central. I think ESR could vary it nicely in similar respect, whilst also potentially showing himself as a a better ball-carrier than Grant or Kai. This was my first preference at the start of the season, with Havertz not starting league matches and being allowed to assimilate over a longer period. Would be nice to get even a tiny sample!

lorddulaarsenal

pedri would be ace in that role

daredevil

I don't think we can continue carrying Havertz in midfield, especially with Zinchenko being off form. I'd look to start using Havertz exclusively as a forward, and maybe even experiment with him on the flanks. Jorginho has to play whilst Partey is out, and I'd even consider Elneny. We need to up the midfield's passing game.

Also, our other defenders seem to have fallen significantly. It looks like Rice is doing too much, and the others aren't contributing enough.