Premier League 2016/17 season

[Rocky]

We simply dont have a player like Santi in the middle, and our performances are lacking because of it. He can create and score goals, he can make something happen on his own. Ox, Xhaka & Elneny are very good at what they do but we need a CAM. Ramsey cant be trusted to do it, partly due to injuries and partly because he lacks control. Jack may be able to do it but he's not an option right now. Ox has played there before and Wenger always said he would play in the middle but for me he doesn't have the touch or control. Like Ramsey he loses it too much.

Basically without Santi we have to carry on as we are and hope that Iwobi, Ox and Ramsey, improve their finishing. They all get chances but struggle to hit the target let along score.

Could Özil do it? Shift Ramsey up ahead of him?

 

[redanddread]

Too early to talk about the title...we need to keep within reach of the hunting pack till February or so and then go on a run. Drawing to Tottenham isn't a game that I'll use to write off our chances. Maybe a loss/draw to Utd will make me more pessimistic, but I feel that this years Utd are there for the taking.

The result itself wasn't the main issue with people imo but most were disappointed with the performance and our inability to really create against a dogged side not at full strength. If it had been a draw where we mullered them maybe we might have looked at this game in a more positive light.

 

[samshere]

Indeed. I mean, what are the chances of that?

Ffs.

1 in two, 1/2, 50%.....you're welcome

 

[samshere]

The result itself wasn't the main issue with people imo but most were disappointed with the performance and our inability to really create against a dogged side not at full strength. If it had been a draw where we mullered them maybe we might have looked at this game in a more positive light.

I was expecting the worst after the 90 minute effort against Ludogrets tbh. But I agree, beating Sp**s would've laid down a marker for the rest of the season. We can still achieve that though, if we smash the mancs

 

[tap-in]

Could Özil do it? Shift Ramsey up ahead of him?

Özil probably could do it but why move a player who's doing so well where he is and is scoring goals. I think Iwobi has the ball control and touch to do it but he's very young and best learning his trade on the wing. It would be interesting to see though, he can certainly dribble.

As for Ramsey, not sure what to do with him. I guess give him sub roles and hope he improves.

 

[redanddread]

I was expecting the worst after the 90 minute effort against Ludogrets tbh. But I agree, beating Sp**s would've laid down a marker for the rest of the season. We can still achieve that though, if we smash the mancs

Bwoy, smash the Manc and I'll make the sequel to that sex tape I was going to make if we had beaten Sp*rs 5-0...

 

[Trilly]

A hopeful interpretation is that we are trying to walk the ball in (in true Arsenal fashion) which would result in fewer 'chances created' since we take fewer shots from ouside but also a higher conversion rate because the shots we do take are from good positions.

Yeah I considered that but we've always played like that while maintaining a high chance creation stats.

There's only so much stats can do anyway, let's hope things work out.

@Makingtrax Liverpool's defence score is hilarious. The problem is good offence always beats good defence. Only time tell...

 

[Makingtrax]

We simply dont have a player like Santi in the middle, and our performances are lacking because of it. He can create and score goals, he can make something happen on his own. Ox, Xhaka & Elneny are very good at what they do but we need a CAM. Ramsey cant be trusted to do it, partly due to injuries and partly because he lacks control. Jack may be able to do it but he's not an option right now. Ox has played there before and Wenger always said he would play in the middle but for me he doesn't have the touch or control. Like Ramsey he loses it too much.

Basically without Santi we have to carry on as we are and hope that Iwobi, Ox and Ramsey, improve their finishing. They all get chances but struggle to hit the target let along score.

Totally agree with this, Santi makes a huge difference to the way the team ticks over. When he's fit. Not like when he came back after that long lay-off last season and struggled to keep up with play.

His touches in the Chelsea game were under-rated. If he'd been fit for Sp**s the game could have been very different.

Arsenal injuries are a blight on our chances every year.

 

[tap-in]

Totally agree with this, Santi makes a huge difference to the way the team ticks over. When he's fit. Not like when he came back after that long lay-off last season and struggled to keep up with play.

His touches in the Chelsea game were under-rated. If he'd been fit for Sp**s the game could have been very different.

Arsenal injuries are a blight on our chances every year.

I dont blame injuries at present, Santi is simply the wrong side of 30. We had a good window so I woudn't have expected a Santi replacement in the summer. The problem is with Ramsey no where near his best we just dont have the player we need next to Coq. For some games we can get away with Coq/Xhaka or Coq/Elneny but for games where we struggle to break down the defence, we struggle.

 

[North5]

Disappointed you gave up so quickly.

Forgive me, I have serious PTSD due to arsenal.

 

[Polar Bear]

It will be close all season I think, but I fear Chelsea without the european games, fear them more than Liverpool, I just feel they will get some 1 nils later on in the season, where Liverpool won't. We will be up there as we usually are but I don't want to get any hopes up because it always ends in disappointment.

I promised myself that if we get to 33 and 34 games and we are first or second (but second would be within only a few points) then I will get excited and really believe that we can win the prem. But until about 33 games I'm just taking it all in stride, its the best way or you just get stress.

 

[haha_arsenal]

I just checked some voters in the poll,

bootsy is still here ?

and he voted that we finished out of top 4

 

[Taylor Gang Gunners]

I just checked some voters in the poll,

bootsy is still here ?

and he voted that we finished out of top 4

Vintage hit and move .

 

[Taylor Gang Gunners]

Tbf, I'm sure many voted out of anger after we lost against Liverpool on the opening day.

I was saying some reckless stuff last year after we lost to West Ham. A few thought Cech was systematically destroying us from the inside .

 

[El Granit-Coq]

We are looking pretty ****ed with the injuries mounting.

Sanchez injured would have been somewhat tolerable if Lucas wasn't injured as well. Even though Giroud has his uses, the thought of him starting for an extended period warrants a title change.

Until Sanchez and Lucas are back as options for our attack, we are gonna be pretty stale.

Bellerin injured is another massive hurdle. We rely on his overlapping a lot and no one in our team ATM can do that as well as he does. His pace will notably be missed in our defence. Mustafi playing as a RB could be interesting as it gives us a more solid defensive foundation, and he could compensate for the lack of consistent overlaps with his range of passing.

Cech
Mustafi - Gabriel - Koscielny - Monreal
Coquelin - Xhaka
Walcott - Özil - Iwobi
Giroud​

Doubt that will be troubling for Man U. November living up to its name for us.

 

[Aevi]

The key tactical trends in the Premier League season so far
https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2016/nov/12/premier-league-key-trends-of-season-so-far

 

[Batman]

Well guys I have to admit I've been in for a shock today as I've only just found out about Bellerin's injury. I've been a bit preoccupied with all of America becoming Gotham last Tuesday night. I'm a bit overworked. This is going to show us how much Arsène's got left in the tank because he's got to be tactically perfect to continue getting results while our key players recover. Should be interesting at the very least.

 

[Mike Vinna]

Cech
Mustafi - Gabriel - Koscielny - Monreal
Coquelin - Xhaka
Walcott - Özil - Iwobi
Giroud​

Doubt that will be troubling for Man U. November living up to its name for us.

I'd be tempted to start Theo up front. Yes I know it hasn't worked out the last times we played him there. But he has actually had a good spell up front before and I believe it definitely improved his overall play and hunger for goals. We'd have pace up front to terrorise defenses. We could then play Ox on the right, although it'd likely be Ramsey. I can just imagine our line-up for ManU being this:

Cech

Jenkinson Mustafi Koscielny Monreal

Coquelin Xhaka

Ramsey Özil Iwobi

Giroud
​

And that would be hideous to watch. I can already see Mesut's frustrated looks in my head as he watches Ramsey/Giroud flutter about. I pray Wenger doesn't start those 2 together again in that kind of setup.

Another option could be to play Özil as a false 9 with Ramsey on the overlap from midfield but that'd be even more of an experiment.. And Wenger loves Giroud :bounce:

 

[albakos]

The key tactical trends in the Premier League season so far
https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2016/nov/12/premier-league-key-trends-of-season-so-far

Very good article from the Zonal Marking guy. He's also writing for arse.com for opposition scout report, and his style of writing is easy and really insightful.

 

[Rocky]

The key tactical trends in the Premier League season so far
https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2016/nov/12/premier-league-key-trends-of-season-so-far

I think that Özil's increasingly rare free role highlights a problem because his lack of versatility compared to players like Alexis, Coutinho, De Bruyne, Hazard, Firmino makes him hard to fit into a team without building the team around him.