yybecause
Formerly known as ArsenaLover
Arteta already liked Joe but did well to send him on loan in order to play week in week out. Joe took that well and I had no doubts ever he is staying
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✍️ OFFICIAL Joe Willock (Out)
- Thread starter HairSprayGooners
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- #602
HairSprayGooners
My brother posted it ⏩
I guess we'll see a lot from pre season what the plan is formation wise. If its a 433 I'm happy with Joe staying, if it isn't it makes 0 sense.
Maybe
You're wrong, no?
I don't see how he fits in the Artetaball system and feel like Arteta and Edu are more scared that he might be great somewhere else rather than being good in the current system. If they sell him for 20-30M and he continues his form from Newcastle they would look like complete idiots, which they are if we are honest. Whatever they do it feels like it's gonna be bad for them
DasBootist
Well-Known Member
Selling Iwobi was 100% the correct call. For an advanced player, he would almost always look for a pass when in striking distance. We fleeced Everton good and proper. Willock on the other hand, is a lot more effective when through on goal, as evidenced by his Europa games for us and Newcastle loan.
They are not at all similar in that respect.
Barry
Definitely Not An Old Poster
SIIIIUUUU!
HomeSteak
Established Member
So we keep WIllock and buy the Belgian WIllock?
- Thread starter
- #607
HairSprayGooners
My brother posted it ⏩
Who is nothing like Willock
Pyres7
Well-Known Member
If we sign Maddison does Willock even make the bench?
I'm getting Saliba vibes from this. I have a feeling we'll barely use him and end up loaning him in January again. Isn't it better to give him a full season at Newcastle?
I'm getting Saliba vibes from this. I have a feeling we'll barely use him and end up loaning him in January again. Isn't it better to give him a full season at Newcastle?
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- #610
HairSprayGooners
My brother posted it ⏩
No real point loaning Willock again. He's either in the managers plans or he isn't. I'm excited to see if we're now switching to a 433 permanently to accommodate for Willock. I think a 433 suits the likes of ESR/Willock and even Saka a lot more than a 4231.
Maddison would make a nice LCM in a 433 as well, he'd just drift into pockets and act as a 10.
Barry
Definitely Not An Old Poster
I totally agree with you, if it's a 4-3-3 (or something even more maverick like a 3-4-3) then Willock could really shine, and some of our other younger players like ESR and Saka have the versatility to make it work as well. The main CM signing is going to be the interesting one though. If it's Neves then does he rotate with Partey in a midfield 3? Seems a bit unlikely. But then Lokonga is quite a gamble as backup to Partey
- Thread starter
- #612
HairSprayGooners
My brother posted it ⏩
Country: Norway
I doubt we'll go back to 3-4-3, perhaps in some away games, but it seems that formation fell out of favour last year.
AbouCuéllar
Author of A-M essays 📚
This is going to end badly. Thomas-Willock-Maddison for instance is a midfield that's really going to struggle mightily in the construction and chance creation phases, if we decide not to sign a Xhaka replacement. If the plan is to not sign Maddison at all and go with Willock as the 3rd CM in a 4-3-3 we'll have serious issues in chance creation and construction against decent opponents. If the plan is to have Willock as a back-up to be used occasionally behind Xhaka replacement in a pivot against easier performances where construction and playing out from the back is simpler and play him for Maddison when Maddison is unavailable or Saka is not preferable as a 10, there aren't going to be enough minutes for Willock to maintain value and for Lokonga to develop a bit.
Basically if we keep him I can see this ending one of two ways: the performance of the team suffering (via deciding not to fill holes either at 6/8 and third 8 / 10) and Willock's value decreasing, or the team's form not suffering and Willock not playing enough or barely at all and his value still decreasing.
There needs to be a lack of sentimentalism and a certain pragmatism when developing a project like this, if you want to make up ground on your opponents...you don't make up ground just by paying over the odds consistently without much real planning or forward thinking. I am worried with this case and with Maitland-Niles case last summer there is a real weakness here with Edu and Arteta and the directives of the club.
Basically if we keep him I can see this ending one of two ways: the performance of the team suffering (via deciding not to fill holes either at 6/8 and third 8 / 10) and Willock's value decreasing, or the team's form not suffering and Willock not playing enough or barely at all and his value still decreasing.
There needs to be a lack of sentimentalism and a certain pragmatism when developing a project like this, if you want to make up ground on your opponents...you don't make up ground just by paying over the odds consistently without much real planning or forward thinking. I am worried with this case and with Maitland-Niles case last summer there is a real weakness here with Edu and Arteta and the directives of the club.
berric
Established Member
Player:Trossard
Thomas/Lok - New CM/Willock - ESR/Auoar
From immobile cones and sideways passers we suddenly become a team full of progressive ball carriers.
From immobile cones and sideways passers we suddenly become a team full of progressive ball carriers.
Barry
Definitely Not An Old Poster
That would be 6 players for 3 places in the team. Assuming the new signing is an established name it would really limit game time for Willock and you are back to square one really, where a loan would be better with no European football.
Think it makes more sense with Aouar over Maddison but even then it's a bit of a stretch. In that case the midfield would be -
Aouar/ESR --- Partey/Elneny ---- Willock/Lokonga
Don't think this will happen by the way. Think we are signing an experienced passing CM (probably Neves). I can't quite see how it all fits if we keep Willock though. Lokonga, although talented sort of throws it out a bit
This would be nice, although I don't think ESR is an option in a 433 yet. Add a guy like Renato Sanches and let Maddison/Renato/Willock battle it out for the number 8 positions.
The big concern would be the lack of another passer from deep, it would be a big departure of what we've seen from Arteta teams so far. Maybe with White at the back he'd trust him and Partey for the buildup, who knows.
Barry
Definitely Not An Old Poster
I just posted something similar and agree this looks good but the issue will be getting enough minutes for all the people we need to be starting matches
Mitch
Blonde Brigade Grand Wizard
Neves Willock
‐---Maddison/ ESR----
Lokonga, Partey and average mo as squad options.
‐---Maddison/ ESR----
Lokonga, Partey and average mo as squad options.
I'm happy he might be staying but I was happy about AMN staying last year. Let us see what Arteta actually does with him. I think he will do well in a pivot actually. He needs to play.
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