07/08 Arsenal vs 22/23

[GoonerJay24]

Yes but nowadays you rarely see teams play with 2 strikers or just tow Central midfielders. I liked 442 not sure why mangers stop using it

It would actually be advantageous to play 442 nowadays given how compact defences have become, space is normally outwide.

 

[sergio_giorgini]

A @Hunta masterclass here. Unpopular opinion but I wouldn’t take any of our attacking three (Martinelli, Ødegaard & Saka) over Hleb in that year. This era is too focused on stats but Hleb was pretty much the link between everything our side was doing:



Makes a change from one of those scruffy footballers we have to put up with on the left. Fantastic player to watch.

A post driven by pure nostalgia.

Hleb was a deeply flawed player. Never world class. I’d take every one of our attacking three over him and it’s not even close.

 

[2Smokeyy]

A post driven by pure nostalgia.

Hleb was a deeply flawed player. Never world class. I’d take every one of our attacking three over him and it’s not even close.

Deeply flawed? Besides this obsession from our fanbase about his lack of goals, what else was there?

Also are you suggesting that our attacking three are “world class”? Just to clarify there was no suggestion of putting him in that bracket in my post or no nostalgia at all. Hleb was and will remain as one of my favourite ever AW signing.

 

[freeglennhelder2]

Nah Hleb was no messiah. And don’t forget he deliberately got himself sent off in his final appearance so he could have an early holiday.

 

[2Smokeyy]

Nah Hleb was no messiah. And don’t forget he deliberately got himself sent off in his final appearance so he could have an early holiday.

Fabregas disrespected the club and Arsène by skipping an Arsenal game to go the Formula 1, he also looked very happy as that Barcelona shirt was put on him in public by the Barca DNA posse and was so desperate to leave that he was willing to pay/paid to get out. He slyly tries to play both sides with Chelsea and Arsenal as a pundit nowadays too yet some still call him a “legend”.

I hope the same energy is applied to him at least Hleb publicly admitted he made a mistake in leaving the club.

 

[Entropics]

Almunia < Ramsdale
Sagna > White
Toure > Saliba
Gallas < Gabriel
Clichy > Zinchenko
Eboue < Saka
Fabregas > Xhaka
Flamini > Partey
Rosicky < Martinelli
Hleb > Ødegaard
Adebayor > Jesus

 

[Juan Matas Beard]

Hleb > Ødegaard

Is this a popular opinion? Serious question.

 

[Macho]

Is this a popular opinion? Serious question.

Nah not all, Ødegaard is highly regarded whilst Hleb never was really.

 

[Juan Matas Beard]

Nah not all, Ødegaard is highly regarded whilst Hleb never was really.

Thought as much, but never know what the masses think sometimes.

 

[Entropics]

Thought as much, but never know what the masses think sometimes.

The masses love Hleb, a player that vocally regrets leaving Arsenal and makes sure you remember every year.

He's a cult hero for non footballing reasons. Ødegaard, whose greatest feat so far was carrying the team towards a draw against the worst team in the league, has a long way to go to even get in that conversation.

 

[GDeep™]

07/08 would play this team off the park. They would also batter every other team in the current season outside City.

 

[2Smokeyy]

@Trilly is this going to help with your reflection?

Saka > Henry, Ramsdale > Lehmann and Nelli > @GDeep™

 

[GDeep™]

Hleb more than anything was a cog in that Rosicky/Cesc/Hleb/Flamini driving force we had. Speed and movement with the ball, technique of the highest quality.

Best football in Europe that was.

 

[Macho]

The masses love Hleb, a player that vocally regrets leaving Arsenal and makes sure you remember every year.

He's a cult hero for non footballing reasons. Ødegaard, whose greatest feat so far was carrying the team towards a draw against the worst team in the league, has a long way to go to even get in that conversation.

Forgot to add Hleb wasn’t highly regarded outside of Arsenal fans. I was on A-M during Hleb’s stint here, he was always a contentious 50/50 player due to his lack of goals.

Ødegaard gets plenty of plaudits from the pundits and other fans in comparison it’s very different.

I believe Hleb was the better footballer though. Dribbling is not even worth discussing, but faster, stronger, could draw crowds towards him then at the blink of an eye release another player Hleb was really sick man. He was a bit older and had guys on his level technically however.

Let’s see what Ødegaard is saying in his mid/late twenties.

 

[Dokaka]

Think it's a fair debate tbh. Think takes saying X team would play Y off the park are dumb, pretty evenly matched teams all things considered.

The 07/08 team was a lot of fun to watch though, definitely agree with the people saying they were more entertaining, but I think that goes for football in general back then tbh. Much more room for individual expression.

The most depressing part about that 07/08 team was the amount of players hampered by injuries, both that season but also in general for their careers. So many class players we never really got to see have career fitting of their footballing ability. If you removed all the injuries from both teams I think the 07/08 team was probably overall better and had more depth.

 

[balthazar]

the real question is who were the bigger bottlers.

 

[celestis]

Can’t really include the crock RVP on the 08 team as he barely played. No matter though, give me peak Ade with Hleb and Saka as creative wide men, with Cesc and Ode pulling the strings in the middle.

Don't forget Walcott , Peak Walcott would have a ball in this day and age of the high press.

 

[Oxeki]

If that 07 team was injury free and played in this era, they'd be getting 90+ points easily.

 

[Tir Na Nog]

If that 07 team was injury free and played in this era, they'd be getting 90+ points easily.

Except for the top 4, literally every side tried to simply stop us from playing if not literally kick us off the park. In this era where teams open up a we bit more and even midtable teams try to be a bit more expanse that 08 side would be ripping teams to shreds.

 

[Blood on the Tracks]

Hleb was a fantastic player. One of the more pleasing players on the eye too.

Ironically he'd be more highly thought of if he were around today I think.