William Saliba: Here to Stay ✍️

[14Henry]

Sounds like Saliba is going to be out more or less the rest of the season. You can't just come in for Liverpool then miss 3 games then come in.

Holding cannot be trusted these last 10 games. There has to be another alternative.

Right now it's all and only about results. Playing style, ideology, or whatever can go out the window.

A few options as spoken about before is Tierney/Zinchenko RB the other obviously LB. Partey into RB.

There has to be another solution that Holding CB every game. One or two games are OK but we won't win the title if we need Holding to have 10 stellar games.

 

[boonthegoon]

I'd still trust jorginho and go with partey rb.

If not, the other option I'll move zinchenko and not Tierney to rb.

Zinchenko can play inverted better and anyway he generally floats wherever he wants. Tierney can overlap on the other side like white does at times

 

[14Henry]

What about something like this.

White Gabriel Tierney
Saka Partey Xhaka Zinchenko
Ødegaard Jesus Martinelli.

Saka can still get forward with White filling in across, Tierney has played as a LCB before. Ødegaard drifts central when Saka is pushing on.

3 4 3 formation. Which will change throughout the match. Tierney comfortable wider if he has to cover Zin, White comfortable wider if he has to cover Saka. It's just shuffling across one way or another.

We would lose something at times from Saka but with Jesus back and Martinelli playing well we may be alright. And I'd back us to be more defensively stable than if Holding is there in a back 4.

 

[MikelHadADream]

Sounds like Saliba is going to be out more or less the rest of the season. You can't just come in for Liverpool then miss 3 games then come in.

Holding cannot be trusted these last 10 games. There has to be another alternative.

Right now it's all and only about results. Playing style, ideology, or whatever can go out the window.

A few options as spoken about before is Tierney/Zinchenko RB the other obviously LB. Partey into RB.

There has to be another solution that Holding CB every game. One or two games are OK but we won't win the title if we need Holding to have 10 stellar games.

Why does it sound like that? Arteta says he’s very hopeful he will be back playing again this season.

 

[HollandGooner]

If Tomiyasu would have been fit i would have been more confident with White at the centre with Gabriel.
With all respect to Holding we need to adjust our game plan completely and with City and Pool coming up we really need Saliba back as i already mentioned.

 

[Blood on the Tracks]

We've got a specific style that requires specific skill sets in most positions. You can't be shunting multiple players around and asking them to play out of position. That's Football Manager thinking.

Zinchenko is vital at inverted LB for the way we play. You can't move him.

Partey is a fill in RB at best. He's not as good as White there. Thens you've got to replace Partey at DM, there's no-one in the squad who can do what he does to his level. White hasn't played CB properly for a year. It's dumb moving any of them.

Play your best available players in their best positions.

Holding in for Saliba and leave everyone else doing their normal roles.

And yeah, Holding is a downgrade on Saliba obviously but it's better than downgrading 2-3 positions trying to do it the other way.

 

[Sparrahork]

Saka seems to gain more from a conventional full back behind him than martinelli does. I do not see zinny moving side, Tierney however remains my favoured option. He will not be as effective as on the left but as a conventional full back he will know what runs to make. Him there and Benny next to Gabriel would fill me with more confidence than holding, I am sure however Tierney and Walters are featuring heavily on the right in training to see available options.

I am pretty certain holdingo will start v Leeds, against Liverpool there may have been time after the international break to evaluate tierney on that side

 

[OnlyOne]

I think Holding manages. People are forgetting how good the rest of the team are, it's more important we keep them fit now.

 

[14Henry]

Why does it sound like that? Arteta says he’s very hopeful he will be back playing again this season.

Hes had 2 MRIs. They don't seem to know the full extent of the problem or they aren't telling us. There's no time frame like a 2-3, weeks or whatever. It's all a wait and see.

I wouldn't count on him.

 

[DUFFMAN]

Hes had 2 MRIs. They don't seem to know the full extent of the problem or they aren't telling us. There's no time frame like a 2-3, weeks or whatever. It's all a wait and see.

I wouldn't count on him.

Me neither.

Can’t just say a player will be available for the big games but not the rest. He’s either fit or not.

I reckon we forget about seeing him for a while.

 

[Trilly]

So in conclusion…we still don’t know what’s going on?

 

[A_G]

So in conclusion…we still don’t know what’s going on?

@DUFFMAN is still going to be negative regardless.

 

[14Henry]

So in conclusion…we still don’t know what’s going on?

Normally in football when there's uncertainty around injuries, ambiguity and not knowing what the story is it isn't positive.

 

[Trilly]

Normally in football when there's uncertainty around injuries, ambiguity and not knowing what the story is it isn't positive.

Yeah but we don’t actually know what’s going on right?

I wasn’t trying to shut down speculation, just wanted to know if anything definitive has been said.

 

[ArsenalInMyHeart]

so there is nothing positive, right?

 

[14Henry]

Yeah but we don’t actually know what’s going on right?

I wasn’t trying to shut down speculation, just wanted to know if anything definitive has been said.

What we know is he has had 2 MRIs. He is experiencing discomfort in his back. He wasn't fit to play against Palace and the 2 weeks break hasn't helped matters. He's unable to play against Leeds and there is no timescale or idea on his return. He hasn't been training with the team.

That tells me he won't play a major part in the run in. So Arteta needs to plan without him.

 

[Tnegs]

He’s got to bring Tierney back into the side now either on the right or in the middle I don’t think Holding fits in with his lack of pace. Maybe he will rotate between the 2 depending on opposition I’m hopeful on Saliba but lower back injuries can be a nightmare and it doesn’t sound like a minor one either.

 

[GoonerJeeves]

So in conclusion…we still don’t know what’s going on?

Pretty much. I'm none the wiser after the press conference. I actually think the club is not sure either, had they been, they'd offer more information.

 

[MikeVinna]

It’s probably a tough injury to assess, hence multiple scans. Trying to rest him and see if the situation improves is probably the right move. If it doesn’t he can still have surgery in a few weeks.

 

[DUFFMAN]

Surgery on a back is the last last resort.

Very risky.