Edu's Transfer Targets: Summer Holidays 2021

[The_Playmaker]

As much as we love Pepe and want to see him have a big season, no Arsenal fan can sit here and say he doesn't lose the ball carelessly. It happens all the time.

You are overcomplicating it with your team. It has no balance and no creativity. Its set up to counter attack, which we don't do.

He used to lose it carelessly. He doesn't anymore. There is a difference between ball retention and losing the ball on a dribble. If Pepe doesn't try and dribble he doesn't lose it. He also retains it under pressure.

It's weird how perceptions are different amongst the same fan base. I actually think Saka loses the ball more than Pepe.

 

[Monstar-Gunn4r]

He used to lose it carelessly. He doesn't anymore. There is a difference between ball retention and losing the ball on a dribble. If Pepe doesn't try and dribble he doesn't lose it. He also retains it under pressure.

It's weird how perceptions are different amongst the same fan base. I actually think Saka loses the ball more than Pepe.

I think hes slightly changed his style which might pay a lot more dividends for him going forward in that hes looking a lot more to give and go and use it to setup his left while coming central.

Setting up like you are suggesting would mean Pepe crossing a lot more which he is decent at, not amazing and robbing him of any chance to be arriving with the ball coming on to his left foot which is his strength. Pepe arriving at the edge of the box also forces defenders to make difficult decisions which wouldnt happen. Added to all that youd probably be playing long balls over the top and he for some reason nearly always refuses to cross the ball on his right foot or make the cutback without getting it on to his left.

As much as I bash him he does have his strengths, if we're playing him we should be making use of him or hes better not on the pitch.

 

[Sebastes]

Partey, White and Sanches actually. Sanches is a progressive passer. How many passers do you want?

---------------------White-----Mari
---------------Adams-Partey-Sanches
----------Pepe--ESR--------------------------Tierney
----------------------Abraham-Auba

That is our shape with the ball. It goes to a 2-3 with Pepe and ESR leaning to the right, Tierney on the left, Auba moving infield and Abraham cf.

That is literally how Arteta has plays. Adams, Partey, Sanches will prevent transitions and win second balls allowing us to keep pressure. Whites ability on the ball allows us to play higher up the pitch, ESR's ability to run off the ball will allow him to move outside Pepe, making Pepe drive in field closer to goal and Abraham is the target for Tierneys crosses.

Yet all you think about is having a specific player to pass the ball.

Auba is a player who cant hold the ball as a centre forward as he doesn't like contact. He needs to ghost into the back post and he does that best from lw. The problem is that when he has played there, he has been doing doggies up and down the touchline because the left sided central midfielder is Xhaka.

Now you are talking about getting to the final third and keeping the ball there. Our problem has been progressing the ball to the final third and the inability to create chances.

I don't see chance creation as something that one or two players should he delivering. I see it as a systemic issue.

What we haven't been able to do is win the ball back in a proactive manner, sustain attacks and also move up the pitch. It literally doesn't matter if you have players who lose the ball in the final third if you can 1) consistently get there 2) win it back when you lose it.

Adams- Partey and Renato Sanches can all win the ball, dribble and carry. They can also pass. However it is the movement that will be the problem for the defence.

Currently, if Laca plays cf, he drops deep. So you either follow him and kick him or you let him drop deep. Either way. He isn't getting back to the box and he isn't a threat with his movement or aerially. Auba isn't a threat if you can see him coming and if the ball is in the air. Pepe isn't a threat on the touchline.

What makes us offensively difficult to handle is if your cf can run in behind, play back to ball, but also attack the ball in the air. It means that player occupies 2 CBS. Auba ghosting off the left exploits the space between the CB and full back. The full back would be busy with Tierney.

On the right you have ESR overlapping Pepe who then moves infield. All this happening at the same time with repeated decoy runs and behind that you have Partey, Adams and Sanches recovering the ball. That's how you pose a problem for a team. Not with Ødegaard blocking the entire right half space with his one footedness and inability to win 50/50s when we lose the ball.

Agree with most of the above. I still think as @Heavy Duty Rom points our that we’d benefit from a player with a little more vision and passing ability than Sanches, who I also think is still a bit raw and not consistent enough. If we’re looking at a 4231 like your example I’d go for Sabitzer as Partey’s partner in the pivot. We give up some athleticism and some carrying/dribbling but gain better progressive passing and a right footed set piece specialist.

I know you were initially speaking about this line up for the first game, but curious to learn how you envision it looking with Saka back. Something like

White - Mari/Gabriel
Adams - Partey - CM
Pépé - ESR - Saka - Tierney
Abraham/Auba

??

 

[TinFish]

We are doomed :confused:

 

[HairSprayGooners]

Tierney overlaps, Auba moves infield. Pepe stays wide, Bellerin underlaps.

We have been inverting our right back consistently. Kind of strange that you think we push both full backs outside our wingers, considering it is a common consensus on this forum that Pepe is also on the touch line.

Its 5 up in attack and 5 back.

Pushing both full backs would leave 4 back.

We don't leave 4 back.

Pepe literally cuts inside constantly he can hardly use his right foot...

 

[sykesy69]

Pepe literally cuts inside constantly he can hardly use his right foot...

To me requires an overlapping right back to give him extra time and space which Bellerin isn't able to do anymore, seems to lack recovery pace and stamina now.

 

[ScotsGooner89]

Was pretty glaringly obvious our RBs last season for the most part didn’t overlap. It was so obvious to most teams that the one game chambers overlapped regularly he got like 3 assists because the other team (I forget who) totally didn’t have a plan for it.

Pepe does only want to cut in, that much is obvious. However, a defender can only do so much about it if he has to watch a run on the outside too.

 

[Token Yank]

Pepe literally cuts inside constantly he can hardly use his right foot...

He scores bangers on his right

 

[HairSprayGooners]

He scores bangers on his right

Never looks to use his right when he playing on the right though. I think the playmaker is watching his football manager sim.

 

[Riou]

Pepe's right foot is probably a bit tired, from kicking that **** Willian to the bench...for this alone, so we should allow him to heavily favour his left.

 

[yorch44]

If I had to chose over Auba or Pepe as CF, I would go with Pepe. I know Wenger would turn him into new Henry. I like him more as LW, because he is so used to cut inside he has to use hi right foot so he suddenly has a wider repertoire on his game because he has a very good right foot but he has a mental issue using it.

When he plays RW he only cut inside and he is not Roben. If that's the only thing he is going to do then put an offensive RW, a Dani Alves... Someone good in 1vs1 and good crossing balls. If he is not the best defending it won't care.

That's why RB is so important to us, more than CAM, I would say sorting CM and RB we are good. CAM is secondary to that. CF well be sorted once we play better because Auba, Laca or Martinelli can score if the have opportunities.

 

[Malky]

24rth of July and has Edu even sold a player yet? Anyone?
As for potential incomings Ben White, Ramsdale and Abraham is a ****ing terrible window, even worse when you consider it’ll cost us £120M!

 

[Gn1212]

24rth of July and has Edu even sold a player yet? Anyone?
As for potential incomings Ben White, Ramsdale and Abraham is a ****ing terrible window, even worse when you consider it’ll cost us £120M!

There's only so much we can do to sell a player. Ultimately, someone needs to buy them, pay them and the player will have to accept to move to his new club.

 

[Rasmi]

many years ago we were linked with an Iranian youngster called Sardar azmoun. He has turned into quality player now and been best striker in Russian league. I love his playing style. This guy would be beast in the PL

 

[ragnarock]

many years ago we were linked with an Iranian youngster called Sardar azmoun. He has turned into quality player now and been best striker in Russian league. I love his playing style. This guy would be beast in the PL

Leverkusen and Roma interested apparently. €18m reported

 

[Rasmi]

Leverkusen and Roma interested apparently. €18m reported

Class player. At 26 doesn’t suit our recruitment style. He is about to enter his prime and may not have great resale value if he plays for us 4 years

 

[HaffBR]

The team needs a good level midfielder to replace Xhaka like a man needs water in the desert.

 

[The_Playmaker]

Pepe literally cuts inside constantly he can hardly use his right foot...

What has that got to do with an inverted full back? There are so many occasions where he is on the touchline playing an angled ball for Bellerin to run inside.

Even during build up Bellerin is inside Pepe.

 

[ragnarock]

Class player. At 26 doesn’t suit our recruitment style. He is about to enter his prime and may not have great resale value if he plays for us 4 years

Wasn’t he like 17 when he was linked with us? Surely time can’t fly that fast..

 

[Rasmi]

Wasn’t he like 17 when he was linked with us? Surely time can’t fly that fast..

I think he was 19. He was extremely highly rated and then had few not so great years. But last 2 seasons he has been amazing and really fulfilled his promise. I just think his style would translate to the pl so well. Mourinho want to sign him it seems