***The Official Arsenal Gunners" Thread***

[3304Life]

Re: ***The Official Arsenal Gunners" Thread***

Anyone have the feeling that Arteta’s ideal formation is having true wingers on both sides of the pitch to put the fullbacks in position to help the midfield?

Picture taken from Reddit for reference:



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I think so. I know when Sane is healthy Pep mostly used Sterling on the right with Sane on the left with the full backs playing infield. Then when he would have Silva right, Sterling left it was usually then he’d bring Mendy in to play the line along with Walker on the opposite side. Perhaps Arteta even had some influence in that tactical choice.

Do Arsenal have any left footed players comfortable on the left though? Pepe has always played right or up front as far as I know. It’s also becoming rarer to find real quality ‘natural’ left footed wingers.

[jb12780]

Re: ***The Official Arsenal Gunners" Thread***

I think so. I know when Sane is healthy Pep mostly used Sterling on the right with Sane on the left with the full backs playing infield. Then when he would have Silva right, Sterling left it was usually then he’d bring Mendy in to play the line along with Walker on the opposite side. Perhaps Arteta even had some influence in that tactical choice.

Do Arsenal have any left footed players comfortable on the left though? Pepe has always played right or up front as far as I know. It’s also becoming rarer to find real quality ‘natural’ left footed wingers.

Saka, but he’s been covering at fullback lately. On the right side potential options are Smith Rowe and Nelson.

Nelson might be Arteta’s project to become Sterling-esque.


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[jb12780]

Re: ***The Official Arsenal Gunners" Thread***




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[Krebstar]

Re: ***The Official Arsenal Gunners" Thread***

Xhaka not in the squad for today—seems more and more likely he might be on his way out in a few days.

[Krebstar]

Re: ***The Official Arsenal Gunners" Thread***

Chambers being stretchered off is ****ing gutting. He's been playing really well now that he's been given an opportunity in the center.


Not stretchered off—hoping it's not as bad as it first appeared.

[jb12780]

***The Official Arsenal Gunners" Thread***

AMN looking great so far. Great ball to put Nelson in.

Ozil and Torreira looking good as well. Hue Douzi needs to be very careful.

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[JHedges2]

Re: ***The Official Arsenal Gunners" Thread***

Very pleased with how we have improved in such a short time.

I am an still super nervous when Chelsea threaten, but much much better shape.

Also, Nelson bottled another counter attack. Last week and now this week too. Sigh.


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[Krebstar]

Re: ***The Official Arsenal Gunners" Thread***

Also, Nelson bottled another counter attack. Last week and now this week too. Sigh.

Just needs to keep getting chances. Plus, he was in a one-on-one against Kante, the last Chelsea player you'd want to be running at in that situation.

[JHedges2]

Re: ***The Official Arsenal Gunners" Thread***

We are so much better.

We still have so far to go.

Arteta is the man. Simply need better players.


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[JHedges2]

Re: ***The Official Arsenal Gunners" Thread***

This is such a good and informative watch..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmEDrdY4bFk

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[Krebstar]

Re: ***The Official Arsenal Gunners" Thread***

Looks like Eddie will be recalled from his loan before moving somewhere else for the remainder of the season.

[ImTellinTim]

Re: ***The Official Arsenal Gunners" Thread***

Hopefully there will be a cohesive plan from the front office down to help Arteta or else you'll just be in the same spot in 2 years. Hopefully they realize that for your guys' sake. I personally am not so sure I trust it to happen.

[JHedges2]

Re: ***The Official Arsenal Gunners" Thread***

Hopefully there will be a cohesive plan from the front office down to help Arteta or else you'll just be in the same spot in 2 years. Hopefully they realize that for your guys' sake. I personally am not so sure I trust it to happen.

What? You don’t trust the board at Arsenal? Blasphemy.


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[ImTellinTim]

Re: ***The Official Arsenal Gunners" Thread***

What? You don’t trust the board at Arsenal? Blasphemy.


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Haha, hopefully they bring someone in who knows what they're doing to shield the board from all major decisions regarding recruitment, transfers, etc. Of course they hold the money, which is the biggest key. However, you have a lot of decent to good players who have terrible mentality who you will be able to get money for to help get in players to fit whatever Arteta wants to do. Big summer coming up to build the foundation.

[Krebstar]

Re: ***The Official Arsenal Gunners" Thread***

Strap in.

The Arsenal structure has changed massively in the past few years. There really is no longer a board to be shielded. We have a board, but they've been stripped of power and are truly only for show.

There is, instead, a football executive committee most importantly made of Raul (Director of Football), and Edu (Technical Director). There is then a commercial director and a contracts/negotiation director, and Per as the Academy Director but it's really on the shoulders of Raul and Edu.

The thing is, they've already received plenty of criticism for the delayed Emery removal, and also the delay in naming a successor. Not to mention never allowing Freddie a shred of actual staff even though he was doing more than managing a single game.

There is nobody to shield, as Raul and Edu are the ones making the decisions. Arteta will not shield them, as everyone knows he's a head coach and can not make executive decisions. The other piece is of course Josh Kroenke, who has become the figure representing the ownership of KSE. There was a great quote this Summer when Josh had flew in and met with David Ornstein and the BBC. After the meeting, David remarked to someone connected with Josh that while it was great to talk to him, it also would've been nice to meet the man in charge (Stan). That person then replied to David that "You just did."

Josh has already been more vocal, involved, present, and genuine than Stan ever was. Is it good enough? No, not yet, but there has been a slight improvement. Money was spent in the Summer, even though we're losing money, and it seems like we might spend a little in January.

What's my point of all this? Basically, there is nobody to shield, as everyone knows who is at the reigns right now. With Arsene, some blame could be put on him, some on the board, some on the ownership. It was never very clear. But right now? All eyes are on Raul and Edu, as it seems KSE is willing to bend (a very small amount) on spending, so it's up to them to give Arteta what he needs.

What does he need? First of all, time, which I do think he will get. His mission is to remove the rot, and there's lots of it. He will not be backed with experience, but he will be given potential in youth which is then his job to mold and improve. We already have promising players present, and we have Saliba coming in the Summer. They're all too young to do anything now, but it's clear the plan is on the future—which is good.

Really, Arsenal has brought in someone that knows what they're doing—they've actually brought in two—Raul and Edu. That step is complete, but that was a very small step in terms of what needs to be done. I give Raul leeway on Emery not working out, as he was one of three who made that decision (the others being Gazidis and Mislintat, now gone).

What I'd like to see going forward is Raul falling more into the background, and Edu replacing his public presence, paired alongside Arteta taking the club forward. I think this will happen, as I think it's easy to forget how Edu was announced in early July, but did not start immediately.

Lastly, I've said this before and I'll say it again—in a way, Arsenal are starting over in terms of the post-Wenger era. The Emery appointment was an attempt at a quick fix by getting us back into Europe, and stopping the slide. It didn't work, so we're actually starting over entirely. This isn't a new chapter, but is instead a new book. In a way, the eighteen months of Emery in-charge can not be held over the heads of those moving us forward as only one of those heads remain, and that decision was made with an entirely different strategy and mentality in place.