The Unpopular Opinion Thread

[BigPoppaPump]

I think we’ve made some good additions to the squad and most have been an upgrade or an equally good player since the start of the 17/18 season. Excluding players that have replaced Koscielny and Ramsey.
With a better manager (or probably Wenger) we would’ve reached top 4 by at least the end of this season imo.

Well our additions have been terrible I'm not sure where you see these good additions, I was listening to Arseblog today and they went through our last 15 signings and only Leno and Aubameyang were good signings that improved us. Our recruitment has been terrible.

The reason we haven't been able to make it back into the top 4 is because these players are poo.

Not sure I understand why you meant by this, good enough reason for what?

When I asked you to elaborate you said 'everyone thought we'd make it back in the top 4' which I don't care about cos the masses are sheep.

 

[Fewtch]

Well our additions have been terrible I'm not sure where you see these good additions, I was listening to Arseblog today and they went through our last 15 signings and only Leno and Aubameyang were good signings that improved us. Our recruitment has been terrible.

The reason we haven't been able to make it back into the top 4 is because these players are poo.

We only lost out on top 4 with a point despite Emery’s best efforts to sabotage us last season. We would’ve reached it with a better manager, no doubts about it. And it’s not all about the quality of our players, our top 4 competition has been poor since Wenger left.

When I asked you to elaborate you said 'everyone thought we'd make it back in the top 4' which I don't care about cos the masses are sheep.

Yes because that’s what I said in the original comment you asked me to elaborate on . Only said that it was once a popular opinion. Never said that you should listen to the masses.

 

[freeglennhelder2]

Everyone is waiting for the holy day when Tierney and Bellerin ascend from the bench, the stars align, and the team is magically transformed into title challengers.

But the reality is they both have track records as crocks and we’ll be extremely fortunate if even one of them completes the season.

I’m just gonna leave this here.

 

[UpTheGunnerz]

Think i'd sell Aubameyang before Lacazette. Like em both, tho.

 

[clovis]

Not sure if it is relevant but I absolutely hate every time a player or a manager uses the word “project” after moving to a new club..

 

[Tir Na Nog]

4-2-3-1 with Laca, Auba, Özil and Pepe all playing won't work anywhere near as effectively as people think it will. It'll probably end up being more of a 4-2-4 leaving our 2 man midfield very vulnerable and will get crowded out by teams who pack the midfield. It's even worse if we encourage the full-backs to go forward. But in general Pepe and Auba aren't going to help out defensively, or at least they aren't gonna do it well enough to prevent our full-backs being isolated in 2 v 1 situations.

In general I'm actually not a massive fan of 4-2-3-1 in general especially if it's with an Özil style 10 and two out and out wingers. At least with the 4-2-3-1 we played in 2015 Ramsey would come in to make it a 3 man midfield so Özil didn't have to come back and stay in positions that could hurt the opposition. There are just too many flaws for it to work without us getting punished. There's a reason why Wenger would deploy Cazorla, Ramsey or Rosicky wide in that formation, so they could also help us control the midfield. Even Martinelli-Auba-Pepe ahead of Özil would have some issues imo.

I know there's a craving for us to play our best players or as attacking as possible but it cannot be to the detriment of team balance and it cannot make us vulnerable defensively.

Onto our current predicament, we almost have an issue where Özil and Pepe are both kind of luxury players. The only times they've played together it's usually forced us to play an extra midfielder or an extra defender to compensate. So it's gonna be tough for us fitting them both in unless Özil plays on the left, we play Pepe as a striker with Auba and a diamond midfield or we play 3-4-3 or something like that in order to maintain balance and have numbers in midfield. Only other options I can think of is maybe Willock or Ceballos on the left in a 4-2-3-1, but I can't imagine that being too popular.

Today showed why I said I'm not a fan of 4-2-3-1 especially with Özil as the 10, and two wide players who're basically forwards. Our midfield gets dominated too easily. Even De Bruyne alluded to this post match saying how they had numerical superiority because of this. Martinelli did try and help but it wasn't enough.

Added to that Pepe and Özil are both arguably luxury players, Pepe less so but he's not someone who'll want to be doing or is particularly good at doing the defensive work in terms of tracking back. Özil tho is the definition of a luxury player and playing him as a 10 just leaves our midfield very vulnerable.

4-3-3 is the way to go.

 

[MutableEarth]

Today showed why I said I'm not a fan of 4-2-3-1 especially with Özil as the 10, and two wide players who're basically forwards. Our midfield gets dominated too easily. Even De Bruyne alluded to this post match saying how they had numerical superiority because of this. Martinelli did try and help but it wasn't enough.

Added to that Pepe and Özil are both arguably luxury players, Pepe less so but he's not someone who'll want to be doing or is particularly good at doing the defensive work in terms of tracking back. Özil tho is the definition of a luxury player and playing him as a 10 just leaves our midfield very vulnerable.

4-3-3 is the way to go.

Agree with this.

I'll add on with a somewhat unpopular opinion but I think Freddie has catered to the "stars" a little bit with the formations and selections and I think him bringing on the younger players is him making a slight statement. Freddie is more a 4-3-3 man himself so you'd imagine if he is given free reign to shape the team a bit more, that's probably what he'd go towards.

 

[tcahill]

I genuinely don't understand the link people make between our current problems and the Kroenkes.

I see the source of our problems in the last five years as recruitment and coaching. While we have certainly needed more investment at times (the year when we only bought Cech stands out), the reocurring issue to me is the quality of the players we've been recruiting.

We have a net spend in the past five years of almost 300 mill. More than twice Liverpool, Chelsea and Spuds. Yet our current squad is struggling to keep pace with the top 6. We have very few sellable assets in our team, and the number we have seems to diminish every year.

 

[krackpot]

I genuinely don't understand the link people make between our current problems and the Kroenkes.

I see the source of our problems in the last five years as recruitment and coaching. While we have certainly needed more investment at times (the year when we only bought Cech stands out), the reocurring issue to me is the quality of the players we've been recruiting.

We have a net spend in the past five years of almost 300 mill. More than twice Liverpool, Chelsea and Spuds. Yet our current squad is struggling to keep pace with the top 6. We have very few sellable assets in our team, and the number we have seems to diminish every year.

spot on. We've just fudged up the recruitment.

 

[Joestlaachmkr]

I wanted Luis Enrique to replace Wenger in 2018 (Enrique are not that popular amongst AFC fans).

 

[Lady_Gooner]

I genuinely don't understand the link people make between our current problems and the Kroenkes.

I see the source of our problems in the last five years as recruitment and coaching. While we have certainly needed more investment at times (the year when we only bought Cech stands out), the reocurring issue to me is the quality of the players we've been recruiting.

We have a net spend in the past five years of almost 300 mill. More than twice Liverpool, Chelsea and Spuds. Yet our current squad is struggling to keep pace with the top 6. We have very few sellable assets in our team, and the number we have seems to diminish every year.

Well that’d be a good point if their only job was to provide money but it isn’t. They don’t get involved quickly enough when things aren’t going well. Gazidis should’ve been sacked. Wenger should’ve been sacked sooner (sorry Arsène). Emery should’ve been sacked at the end of last season. And if recruitment has been poor they should hold those recruiting accountable however I have no faith that Raul would be sacked if our recruitment continues to be ****. They need to lead from the top and set the tone for ambition & make us a proactive club rather than reactive all the time. They may not be football men but I’m sure they’re not stupid

 

[OSBK]

Unpopular opinion

Martinelli is quicker than auba

 

[El Granit-Coq]

Well that’d be a good point if their only job was to provide money but it isn’t. They don’t get involved quickly enough when things aren’t going well. Gazidis should’ve been sacked. Wenger should’ve been sacked sooner (sorry Arsène). Emery should’ve been sacked at the end of last season. And if recruitment has been poor they should hold those recruiting accountable however I have no faith that Raul would be sacked if our recruitment continues to be ****. They need to lead from the top and set the tone for ambition & make us a proactive club rather than reactive all the time. They may not be football men but I’m sure they’re not stupid

Sacked Wenger sooner? When exactly could they have sacked him sooner? He chose to stay on because the club was and has shown to still be inept at finding someone to fill in those shoes.

Arsène if the club had its **** in order shouldn't have stayed on for 2 years, but that wasn't the reality and he had to stay on. Without the Arsène taking the flack, look at who the attention is actually focused at now.

 

[HaffBR]

Unpopular opinion

Martinelli is quicker than auba

Quicker than Auba he probably isn't, but he is quick for his age (0:25)

 

[Lady_Gooner]

Sacked Wenger sooner? When exactly could they have sacked him sooner? He chose to stay on because the club was and has shown to still be inept at finding someone to fill in those shoes.

Arsène if the club had its **** in order shouldn't have stayed on for 2 years, but that wasn't the reality and he had to stay on. Without the Arsène taking the flack, look at who the attention is actually focused at now.

I don’t understand lol? Nothing you’ve said highlights the board well which was my point, not attacking Arsène. If we had a competent board Wenger wouldn’t have felt the need to stay and take the flack anyway. They should’ve taken responsibility sooner and we should’ve parted ways with AW in 2017.

 

[YeahBee]

Think i'd sell Aubameyang before Lacazette. Like em both, tho.

Same

He limits the way we play even when he is good

 

[OmegaOs]

Lacazette is worse value for money player than Giroud.
Ljungberg is very intelligent and will be an excellent coach, just not for us.
Bellerin is finished as a top level footballer.
Jack Wilshere had more natural ability than Paul Scholes.
Coquelin was better than Xhaka and Torreira.
Cesc Fabregas will become one of the best managers in world football.
Sven Misintwilit is overrated and it was best for him to move on.
Arteta will have a defensive minded approach than we like to think (just a prediction)
Pep Guardiola is the most influential manager of all time.

 

[OSBK]

Lacazette is worse value for money player than Giroud.
Ljungberg is very intelligent and will be an excellent coach, just not for us.
Bellerin is finished as a top level footballer.
Jack Wilshere had more natural ability than Paul Scholes.
Coquelin was better than Xhaka and Torreira.
Cesc Fabregas will become one of the best managers in world football.
Sven Misintwilit is overrated and it was best for him to move on.
Arteta will have a defensive minded approach than we like to think (just a prediction)
Pep Guardiola is the most influential manager of all time.

Value for money giroud was one of our best ever buys. He only cost 10mill, im a giroud hater and even i admit his value for money was good.

 

[Tumblin'Dice]

Lacazette is worse value for money player than Giroud.

tbf its hard to get more value for 12m than Giroud provided us.

This is just factual to me.

 

[El Granit-Coq]

I don’t understand lol? Nothing you’ve said highlights the board well which was my point, not attacking Arsène. If we had a competent board Wenger wouldn’t have felt the need to stay and take the flack anyway. They should’ve taken responsibility sooner and we should’ve parted ways with AW in 2017.

I thought you were attacking Arsène my bad.