The Emirates Cup: Sunday, 30th July 2017, 16:20 BST

[Makingtrax]

How'd you work that one out?

We've literally played a bunch of teams that probably won't start one Premier League game together. Results mean **** all, I remember several pre-seasons we won pretty much every game and would then have a poor start to the season. In 09-10 season Chelsea were losing to absolute nobodies in pre-season and were absolutely rampant in the first few weeks of the season.

Next week we'll probably start our best available 1 and it'll be a much better indicator.

The coaching team have been working hard with those youngsters but it's still difficult to tell how they'll behave in front of a big crowd mixed in with the senior players. This was a good chance. Nelson looks a real prospect and was unphased by the occasion.

Next week's team will be a whole new ball game.

But we still have an unresolved problem at CM. All the other positions are fine.

 

[Ärsenik]

Cup tournaments don't define ranking.

So If results in international cup competions do not matter, could you please enlighten us about what make you think that the Premier league is the best competion.?

-Quality of football being played (especially beyond top 6)?
-Tactics ?
-Player development ?
-National team result?
-...

 

[thierrytheking14]

I dislike this formation a great deal.

 

[hydrofluoric acid]

Cech - Old
Bellerin - Not ready, missed a chance to play for better club, heartbroken
Koscielny - mature head
Elneny - terrible
Monreal - mature head
Ox - Ready to fulfill his potential
Willock - Young but talented
Ramsey - Brilliant as always
Özil - Relaxed but so handsome
Welbeck - Brilliant as always
Lacazette - Basically same attributes as Walcott has. Offers nothing new.

 

[footydroid]

Nzonzi has always been good. I live in Blackburn and have watched him live against us and against other teams. Technically sound and not easy to push off the ball. I recall the time when he bullied Man United players off the ball while playing for Rovers.

Agree i started paying attention to him when he was at Stoke. Won their Player of the Year twice in a row and was by far their best player. Remember him scoring against Chelsea and United. Big lanky guy yet good technique. Would love him at Arsenal. Quality player.

 

[thierrytheking14]

Lacazette - Basically same attributes as Walcott has. Offers nothing new.

Saunter.

 

[Big Poppa]

He doesn't have the patience, passing nor the composure to play as a CM. His best position is wide.

I didn't argue about Ox's best position. Right now its clear to see he is excelling wherever he is played. RWB/LWB or wherever so I'm not advocating moving him.

I just said he's a better midfielder than Ramsey. It's my opinion, which will probably differ from anyone else on here but cool. His physical and technical tools are superior. He demonstrated that when he played there as a DLP during the spell where Elneny, Xhaka, Coquelin, and Ramsey were all injured/suspended and put in all round performances of a calibre I haven't seen from Ramsey since 2014. He's never had a consistent run of opportunities like Rambo has there.

He is not the solution to our midfield but nor is Ramsey. Ramsey to me is not a central midfielder. We're getting dominated by any semi-decent side in midfield, and especially in away games. Ramsey always wants to be ahead of the ball and his strength is runs from deep. He vacates his area too much and is not assertive enough in 50/50s.

Look, Wales have basically had to create a free role for him. If you de-congest that area behind the strikers, as we did by moving Özil to the right in the cup final, you will get the best out of Ramsey. Ox has had to engineer all of these performances by himself, so if I'm him - I'm going to feel like I have earned the right to expect more game time in my favoured role so I can master it. I can't begrudge him that because he gives 110% even when we suck.

If we don't want to give it to him, and he wants to leave, cool. We'll live and so will he.

 

[A_G]

Bellerin - Not ready, missed a chance to play for better club, heartbroken

 

[Sanchez11]

I dislike this formation a great deal.

Its Sh1t isnt it

 

[Santi's Left Foot]

I dislike this formation a great deal.

Which formation? The one where we won eight matches in a row dismantling Man Utd, Man City and Chelsea along the way?

 

[say yes]

Wasn't particularly impressed with Willock. Looked out of his depth at this level (as he should given his age).

 

[thierrytheking14]

Which formation? The one where we won eight matches in a row dismantling Man Utd, Man City and Chelsea along the way?

Yep, that's the one.

 

[Santi's Left Foot]

Yep, that's the one.

Lol. Ok then....

 

[hydrofluoric acid]

Saunter.

What else has Lacazette done than show exactly the same attributes as Walcott this season? Laca hides from general play and scores tap ins.

I hope he will show more as the season progress.

 

[Dynamic]

Wasn't particularly impressed with Willock. Looked out of his depth at this level (as he should given his age).

Wenger builds his confidence. He is a 17-years-old kid, not expected to be a first team player till 2020.

 

[thierrytheking14]

Lol. Ok then....

Just personal preference mate. I just don't like it.

I feel like the extra protection it's supposed to offer to our defence is minimal when our defenders don't look confident in the system. A lot of confusion at times.

Everyone (me included) wants a proper CM with quality to partner Xhaka in this formation. The same signing could sort a lot of problems that the old 4-2-3-1 brought.

But like I said, it's personal preference only. I'm old. Old people don't like change

 

[Brown Gooner]

Everyone keeps saying Arsenal needs a CM. It's true I would like that to happen. However, I don't see it happening tbf. We already have two midfielders who can be pretty decent when fit.

But that's the problem Santi and Jack have been injured for far too long and far too often.

 

[Big Poppa]

Its Sh1t isnt it

The formation isn't the issue. It's Wenger's use of the players in it.

It's less suited to pressing high up the pitch, more for absorbing pressure and breaking quickly on counters but we're still top heavy on central strikers playing wide and lacking authority in midfield.

Yesterday our left side was our main attacking threat, today it was our right.

We haven't seen this lineup in preseason:

GK: Cech

RWB: Ox
CB: Koscielny
CB: Mertesacker
CB: Mustafi
LWB: Kolasinac

MF: Ramsey
MF: Xhaka

RWF: Özil
CF: Lacazette
LWF: Sanchez

If you add a more agile, robust midfielder for one of the two MF positions, play Özil back in the middle #10 role or get a specialist RWF, and go with a front two, then I think we're set.

Kolasnic is a marked improvement on Gibbs/Monreal. Wenger just needs to do that with midfield.

 

[Big Poppa]

Everyone keeps saying Arsenal needs a CM. It's true I would like that to happen. However, I don't see it happening tbf. We already have two midfielders who can be pretty decent when fit.

But that's the problem Santi and Jack have been injured for far too long and far too often.

That's not the type of midfielder we need

 

[thierrytheking14]

What else has Lacazette done than show exactly the same attributes as Walcott this season? Laca hides from general play and scores tap ins.

I hope he will show more as the season progress.

This season? It's pre-season ffs.

Give him a chance.