Our slow and lethargic football

[shootxhakashoot]

Caz-Coq while not a great midfield, was easily better than Xhaka-Lucas.

Played much, MUCH better football with Santi and Francis...while not perfect, we looked better as a team then.

Both good players both tiny. We should look at premier league ready players like Dacoure at watford,, declan rice if theres even a sniff he would move and so on. Instead we are gambling on guys like mari lately when what we should be doing is spending a bit more and getting someone who already plays in the league. Its not always a guarantee of quality but it is easier to assess the right physicality and mentality to play in englan, which is incidentlaly what the majoriity of our players lack. If you dont agree with me do it player by player. That is often why you pay a bit more though to buy someone already here. In essence our scouts should be all over the lower table and relegation teams like a bad case of syphilis. They aren't i dont think and they won't though and for all this smart talk, they are actually missing out massively.

 

[shootxhakashoot]

You know what would be a fantastic midfield three for us?

-----Xhaka
Partey Grealish

This combination has all the ingredients to make us play again while being better defensively aswell.

Except xhaka is there, change that and this would look better.

 

[shootxhakashoot]

Not a single one of our central midfielders/central players is in the top ten for assists, tackles or interceptions., not one. Neither is anyone in the top ten for passes or even dispossessions (which might indicate that these guys atcleast are showing and getting on the ball) . All this means to me that our central players and yes I include Özil in this are hiding and are beyond disfunctional.
Xhaka is in the top 10 for fouls though and is apparently the best we have so thats great. Between our defence and forwards there is a big hole where a competant midfield should be and that doesnt even touch on how we get our record signing into play or how this might effect him and others further forward. Shocking at a club like Arsenal.

 

[Ash10]

Not a single one of our central midfielders/central players is in the top ten for assists, tackles or interceptions., not one. Neither is anyone in the top ten for passes or even dispossessions (which might indicate that these guys atcleast are showing and getting on the ball) . All this means to me that our central players and yes I include Özil in this are hiding and are beyond disfunctional.
Xhaka is in the top 10 for fouls though and is apparently the best we have so thats great. Between our defence and forwards there is a big hole where a competant midfield should be and that doesnt even touch on how we get our record signing into play or how this might effect him and others further forward. Shocking at a club like Arsenal.

The midfield needs a complete overhaul. Forget defence, at least one or two are somewhat decent there (Tierney, Pre injury Bellerin, heck even Kola isn’t the worst). But that midfield is beyond bad

 

[Riou]

Both good players both tiny. We should look at premier league ready players like Dacoure at watford,, declan rice if theres even a sniff he would move and so on. Instead we are gambling on guys like mari lately when what we should be doing is spending a bit more and getting someone who already plays in the league. Its not always a guarantee of quality but it is easier to assess the right physicality and mentality to play in englan, which is incidentlaly what the majoriity of our players lack. If you dont agree with me do it player by player. That is often why you pay a bit more though to buy someone already here. In essence our scouts should be all over the lower table and relegation teams like a bad case of syphilis. They aren't i dont think and they won't though and for all this smart talk, they are actually missing out massively.

We should look more in England for players, will help us with players who can help us physically with the league, as you say.

Isn't Coquelin 5'11...that's not that small.

 

[shootxhakashoot]

We should look more in England for players, will help us with players who can help us physically with the league, as you say.

Isn't Coquelin 5'11...that's not that small.

Hmm, yeah im smaller so not that small haha. he was a goodish player for us and would be like gold dust for us right now amongst the pile of ****e we currently possess. That said I think he was more an interceptor and breaker up of play rather than a commanding physical presence. Its like a broken record but we havent had a player like viera at any point since, or even petit for that matter. Coquelin was more a gilberto type player, just not as good.

 

[squallman]

I think you're unfair on Cazorla. He was a brilliant player who didn't need to run round raking his studs like Bissouma to do a job in midfield. He wasn't a defensive midfielder, just a very good central midfielder more comparable with Xavi or Iniesta. The shortfall of that pair was Coq.

I love Cazorla but come on. He's comparable to Xavi or Iniesta the same way RVP is comparable to Thierry Henry or Brazilian Ronaldo.

 

[shootxhakashoot]

We should look more in England for players, will help us with players who can help us physically with the league, as you say.

Isn't Coquelin 5'11...that's not that small.

Weird, its different depending where you look. Some sites say he is 6 foot, some say he is 5.8. I thought he looked on the small side, Im 5.8 and feel like a midget playing football at times, especially in the Uk with our style of football here.

 

[gunner4lyfe]

Except xhaka is there, change that and this would look better.

Why anyone would still want Xhaka in their team is a mystery.

 

[gunner4lyfe]

To for Özil in at 10. To play a front 4. That's the reason. We had a guy who was the best 10 in the world. Meanwhile v the rest of the football World was moving away from it.

But even when Özil doesnt play we still try to play that way. Cant understand why we dont play a flat 3.

 

[GunnerShy]

I love Cazorla but come on. He's comparable to Xavi or Iniesta the same way RVP is comparable to Thierry Henry or Brazilian Ronaldo.

Agree. Didn't say he was as good. Just comparable. Great players RVP & Cazorla but the others are modern Masters

 

[Riou]

Our football was never slow and lethargic, when this man was the heartbeat of our team, happy birthday captain...


...Scholes there, Lampard this, Gerrard that...Arsenal fans know who really is the best midfielder in Premiership history, and it ain’t a white Englishman let me tell you dat!

(The transition in the video of the battles Patrick and Roy had, to them in the tunnel smiling together, that was beautifully done...like something out of a film about two great rivals...miss those days...)

 

[Riou]

Only player comparable to Paddy imo...


...Keane v Vieira, THE rivalry.

 

[Oxeki]

I reckon we flog off a few of the dross. Then start building from here. 100m should get us Upa and Partey. That amount can be supplemented by sales of Xhaka, mustafi, Laca etc
W

 

[Trilly]

Does anyone remember when Torreira was left completely unmarked with the ball about ten yards back from the edge of the box?

The defence were daring him to pass the ball. He did a full 360 looking for a safe pass, did one again and then eventually panicked and passed it forwards to nobody and we all had to track back.

I remember looking at my brother and my brother looked at me and we both thought “we are a finished team”

 

[kash2]

Are you referring to Wenger or Emery?

Regardless, there's no correlation between the manager and a players natural ability to suit a role. You either have the natural ability or you don't. Willock, AMN, Guendouzi dont have the natural ability to play the roles they're currently being played at. At least not at the Premiereship level as regular starters. Definitely not for a club that has top 4 ambitions.

I meant Wenger. The downfall started from the time he was undermined, because the suits wanted more power and the wheeler-dealers and fixers found him to be a thorn in their side.

I agree that Guendouzi is the worst midfielder I have seen at Arsenal ever, but still it seems that a strong manager would have gotten more out of AMN and Willocck who seem fedup of the way Doozi got chance after chance and now have little enthusiasm when they play.

 

[Heavy Duty Rom]

The midfield is a problem, it has been for a long time, its never balanced. Truth is, our defence wouldn't look half as bad if we had a competent midfield, one which worked as a unit. Same for our attacking play, too often are we relying on Luiz to ping a ball to our winger or striker. The midfield is invisible and should be the priority in the summer. My choice:

Xhaka - I'm a fan, at 27 he's growing with each match under Arteta. His switches of play aren't appreciated enough by our fans. He gets our full backs into such good positions, it's just a shame they don't have the end product of a Trent or Aurier. He's at an age now where he will only get better.

Partey - He'll be key to getting the best out of Xhaka. Xhakas main flaw is he doesn't have the legs, Partey does, he'll get up and down the pitch. What i like about Partey is he's complete, defensively solid, he can transition up the pitch, play a pass, score a goal, he has presence, he's the ideal box to box CM for us.

Grealish - Again, like Partey he has the legs to get up and down the pitch, he's a ball carrier who rarely loses the ball, he'll get goals and assists from the centre of midfield, one thing we are lacking. The good thing about Grealish is he can interchange with Saka on the left as he's equally good as a LW.

Sign these two to play with Xhaka and our defensive and attacking play will be so much better. With all the deadwood we have at the club, there is no reason why this shouldn't be affordable.

 

[Aevi]

Whatever the reason, it all started when we lost this beautiful man.

His injury cost us the league in 2016 and it was all downhill from there.

 

[RunTheTrap]

People are complaining about our football being slow and lethargic but will put Xhaka in fictional startups because...? What's not clicking for some of you, he's not and never will be the answer to playing 'good', quick, one touch football. Like ever. Whether he's 27 or 37, he's still bad.

And what club plays attractive football with 2 defensive midfielders? Is this an Emery fan page now? We are moving to a 4-3-3 for a reason, that means a lone 6 and two 8's who can operate as 10's. How many times have you seen Pep start with Fernandinho and Rodri in midfield togther? He rarely does because he wants both of his interiors to be able to push up and create. You seen how bad Xhaka is whenever he goes past the halfway point of the pitch. Can't dribble, can't pass under pressure, can't press, etc. So why would you play Xhaka further up or as the lone 6? It won't work. If you want attractive football at Arsenal, then it will most likely be Saka, Willock, ESR and whatever other midfielders we sign to be a creative spark. I highly highly doubt Arteta would use Xhaka and Partey at the same time.

 

[squallman]

Whatever the reason, it all started when we lost this beautiful man.

His injury cost us the league in 2016 and it was all downhill from there.