All new UCL 24/25: Page 73 - The Arsenal discussion forum and community: One More in the Tolly

All new UCL 24/25

Dom

This point is often forgotten when we're told Arsenal "don't need a 9".

Dembele has 33 goals in 48 games this season and scored at pretty much one a game in the CL. PSG might not have a traditional CF, but they have a prolific forward banging in goals in both the big games and less important games.

In the last two seasons, Martinelli and Hazertz barely got to a third of that and Saka only half. We can't use this PSG team, Klopp's pool, pre-Haaland City or pre-Mbappe Madrid to justify the makeup of this squad. Martinelli and Hazertz have mediocre goal output, while Saka's is "very good" but not exactly prolific.

In 23/24, Havertz and Martinelli scored a total of three goals in Europe and the club did less than nothing to improve the forward line.

JazzG

Speaks really good English! A shame we missed out, a lot of top clubs pushed hard to get him last summer and PSG pulled it off. I mean has to be special to put Barcola on the bench in a CL final and then put in a performance like that.

Burnwinter

Well now. Partey's pointless yellow cost us the Champions League, didn't it. Good stuff.

Big Willie

flobaba Big Willie, are you there yet? 😎

Nah, not even.

TambourineMan

Not to be a negative nelly but our attack is a million miles away from where it needs to be.

Not sure we have the financial fuel to fix it this summer. We need Isak, Rodrygo, Alvarez levels of talent to significantly move up a level in the final third.

Anyway, hopefully Nwaneri explodes or we get lucky in the market at LW, maybe Sesko has this breakthrough season with us like Salah and Palmer did at their first seasons with Liverpool and Chelsea. To many ifs.

Ahhhhhhh, watching this PSG team today was depressing. A reminder of how poor our attack is compared to Europe's elite.

Gurgen

We dominated this supposedly super team though. With half a squad. Difference was made by their goalkeeper.

Gazza M

Gurgen the post-kvara version of PSG was better than us over 2 legs. not by a huge margin, but they were. that opening 15-20 minutes at the emirates - I don't think I've seen any team do that to us since 2022. credit to our boys for putting in a fight with no striker and our best defender missing.

Speedster

Aye we played them 3 times with agg over the 3 legs of 3:3

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert

You both have a point but I'm largely with TambourineMan. I think we have a highly mediocre attacking roster. I'd ditch them all bar Saka and start again if I could. Odegaard included.

Ok, I'd keep Havertz as a good rotation/tactical option.

Speedster

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert

I've never been a huge martinelli fan. I think he's very good without being top level. He just doesn't have the footballing IQ to play to take us up a level at this point. Before teams sat back he looked basic but really good at going behind. Now teams sit back he doesn't really have the footballing IQ to break a low block. He's definitely not bad like Pepe but he has a ceiling.

Ode on the other hand, has been for stretches as good as the best attacking player in the league. He had an injury and dropped off. But it'd be a lot easier to get him back to form than find a player with his level that wants to come here.

Pepe LeFrits

Our attack is mid but the bit that tends to get overlooked or under appreciated is that we have the best defence in football and possibly the best midfield too.

lorddulaarsenal

Klaus he would have but then he’d balance it off by signing Acerbi for the defence

lorddulaarsenal

But we did that to them at the beginning of the second leg. We really ought to have been 2-0 up after the opening 15 minutes

lorddulaarsenal

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert

lorddulaarsenal trash.

daredevil

Dom

Villa had them on the ropes and should have levelled it.

I also agree with you on Saka and Rice as it's something I've been mulling over myself. Both have lost way too many crunch moments now in their careers, especially our boy. Rice at least delivered a trophy for West Ham.

daredevil

Kel Varnsen

I think our project has peaked. There's too many players in the team whose best days, I think are behind them and that includes Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli, White, Partey and we aren't doing enough to buy players to directly compete with them at the same or higher level. This season was the beginning of the fall off and we aren't signing the world class players to retain the momentum.

Gazza M

daredevil people have a hard time coming to terms with this. I think there's at least a 50% chance this is the case.

Mirth

daredevil I think are behind them and that includes Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli, White, Partey

It looks like Martinelli, White, and Partey will likely be squad players next season. Saka's been getting better season on season so not a concern as long as he stays fit. Odegaard's probably the biggest question mark but the rest of the 11 has plenty of potential to improve as long as we sign a striker and winger.

Qwiss

daredevil Saka and Martinelli are 23. I'd be very surprised if their best days are behind them.

Burnwinter

daredevil I think our project has peaked. There's too many players in the team whose best days, I think are behind them and that includes Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli, White, Partey and we aren't doing enough to buy players to directly compete with them at the same or higher level

Or, taking off the shit-tinted glasses ... there's little to suggest Saka is declining and in fact elite forward signings will enable him, it's likely Øde rebounds in form if he has an injury free preseason and we sign Zubimendi, Martinelli is probably not a regular starter next season, Timber has already displaced White and Zubimendi is lined up to replace Partey.

I don't think we face a personnel decline if we see expected signings. Brittle confidence, stale football and tactical inflexibility, and being the worst enemy of the press and referees are worse problems.

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert

Gazza M entirely possible especially with Arteta's pretty rigid system. That's why this team badly needs a new face. Not the same old crap, being utterly dependent on Partey, Odegaard and Saka.

A traditional attacking full back would be useful as well.

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