Raul's Transfer Targets: Summer 2019

[Makingtrax]

Pundits just go with the lazy narrative... its the same when you look on Redcafe, Rawk etc talk about us. Sure our defence needs to be improved as does the midfield but for me pace & width the most lacking from 18/19.

A true wide pace threat will hopefully not allow opposition not to over-commit or bully the midfield away from home to the same degree. If the midfield is able to have more influence on games the defence in turn exposed less.

So you saw all those defensive howlers and think those who want to address that are lazy, pace and width up front is what’s needed.

OK.

 

[FluffyDoozi]

Nobody’s questioning that.

But if you told 100 pundits at the end of our season that Arsenal could spend £70m. In which positions would they advocate that Arsenal scouts start their intense search?

If we get Tierney and stop the three at the back nonsense, we'll be okay. Hopefully the impact of a better ball player in central midfield like Ceballos and the directness of Pepe will outweigh the issues at the back.

We'll be fine at the Emirates just as we've been the last 3 years. It's away where the problems have been because we're incapable of breaking down teams with our pedestrian attack. Pepe and Ceballos help us with that. In the past three years we've missed out on top four by 1 to 2 points, if the attack gels then top four will be sorted.

 

[Garrincha]

So you saw all those defensive howlers and think those who want to address that are lazy, pace and width up front is what’s needed.

OK.

All defenders make mistakes... just look at Liverpool last season on the few occasions when teams actually went for them. Our defenders for years have been horribly exposed. I want us to cut down on the chances for the defenders to make mistakes.

For me the midfield is & has been the main issue. Hopefully with pace wide as a deterrent, three men central & a player of the caliber of Ceballos conducting we will have more control on games.

If we have more control on games > defence less exposed > fewer opportunities for defensive mistakes.

 

[A_G]

Auba and Laca trying to bully Elneny out of the club by roasting his hairline

 

[Hleb's Sirush]

I do want to improve the defence aswell. But that is because I would like to improve all weak areas if possible. However improving our attack will have a knock on effect in all areas, including making our defence better. There is a reason why it is said often that attack is the best form of defence.

Look the time Liverpool were challenging for the title with Suarez, next sesson he was sold. As far as I can remember no one else left, yet they looked a completely different team. With Suarez in the side they were killing teams while still having garbage at the back like Flanagan and Cisse.

 

[RacingPhoton]

Nobody’s questioning that.

But if you told 100 pundits at the end of our season that Arsenal could spend £70m. In which positions would they advocate that Arsenal scouts start their intense search?

I understand your point. But the club is looking for long term solutions. I am sure that defense was top priority. But our attack was solely dependent on Laca/Auba magic. Not long before teams find us out.
So, looking at it from a long term perspective, we needed to beef up both attack(especially in the wings) and defense. Defense was higher priority. But from the looks of it, defenders are very expensive in the market. We are seeing Maguire being quoted for 90M. So we decided to go for a player with high ceiling in Saliba. We are definitely not looking to win the title this year. We just want to sneak into top 4. So we are looking for a makeshift cb probably on loan this year. That explains why we chose Pepe over Zaha. Pepe is younger and a better option if we are looking long term.

 

[Makingtrax]

All defenders make mistakes... just look at Liverpool last season on the few occasions when teams actually went for them. Our defenders for years have been horribly exposed. I want us to cut down on the chances for the defenders to make mistakes.

For me the midfield is & has been the main issue. Hopefully with pace wide as a deterrent, three men central & a player of the caliber of Ceballos conducting we will have more control on games.

If we have more control on games > defence less exposed > fewer opportunities for defensive mistakes.

What? Come on, I watched Liverpool a lot last season, defensive mistakes were few and far between, they played like a boss. VVD was crowned professional football association’s player of the year.

Sokratis has already been sent off and the season hasn’t even started yet. Emery:”Arsenal undone by sending off”.

Anyway this’ll all be sorted out by our new winger.

 

[Makingtrax]

OK, I’m clearly outnumbered on here because everybody’s super excited at buying yet another forward for mega money, and being all superior about others not understanding that wing play transforms the defence as well.

Those posts about our defence being a *****ing shambles, that littered this forum last year should be as rare as hen’s teeth this year.

 

[Hunta]

OK, I’m clearly outnumbered on here because everybody’s super excited at buying yet another forward for mega money, and being all superior about others not understanding that wing play transforms the defence as well.

Those posts about our defence being a *****ing shambles, that littered this forum last year should be as rare as hen’s teeth this year.

Can’t blame people for being excited about signing a winger for that money trax. I’m with you in that we should have spent the lot on the defence though.

 

[Hleb's Sirush]

I understand your point. But the club is looking for long term solutions. I am sure that defense was top priority. But our attack was solely dependent on Laca/Auba magic. Not long before teams find us out.
So, looking at it from a long term perspective, we needed to beef up both attack(especially in the wings) and defense. Defense was higher priority. But from the looks of it, defenders are very expensive in the market. We are seeing Maguire being quoted for 90M. So we decided to go for a player with high ceiling in Saliba. We are definitely not looking to win the title this year. We just want to sneak into top 4. So we are looking for a makeshift cb probably on loan this year. That explains why we chose Pepe over Zaha. Pepe is younger and a better option if we are looking long term.

As have been pointed out by the stats posted earlier. Our goals for are misleading. There was clearly an issue with our attack. To have 11th most shots in the league shows you there is a problem there. For the people saying scoring goals wasn't a problem, it might not be, but only if we repeated our frankly freakish high conversion rate. If we reverted back to the norm, even if we bought a couple of great CB's, we wouldn't improve much because we would be dominated again and eventually the pressure would be too much, leading to goals being conceded left right and center.

 

[Garrincha]

What? Come on, I watched Liverpool a lot last season, defensive mistakes were few and far between, they played like a boss. VVD was crowned professional football association’s player of the year.

Sokratis has already been sent off and the season hasn’t even started yet. Emery:”Arsenal undone by sending off”.

Anyway this’ll all be sorted out by our new winger.

The game I had in mind was Palace. Their defence was all over the place when turned by Palace on their breaks. All defenders are you need to minimise these occasions.

Nobody is arguing the defence needs to be improved like the other areas but you spend big money on a CB but leave them exposed in 18/19 system dont feel like we see a game changer.

 

[RacingPhoton]

OK, I’m clearly outnumbered on here because everybody’s super excited at buying yet another forward for mega money, and being all superior about others not understanding that wing play transforms the defence as well.

Those posts about our defence being a *****ing shambles, that littered this forum last year should be as rare as hen’s teeth this year.

I think everyone accepts that our defense is shambles. We are just trying to assemble a team that is good for 3/4 years than just one season. This year's goal is to somehow get into top 4

 

[HairSprayGooners]

OK, I’m clearly outnumbered on here because everybody’s super excited at buying yet another forward for mega money, and being all superior about others not understanding that wing play transforms the defence as well.

Those posts about our defence being a *****ing shambles, that littered this forum last year should be as rare as hen’s teeth this year.

Top attacks win you games, top defences win you titles.

At the moment we aren’t challenging for titles. We are looking to get back into the top 4, something a lot of firepower and a settled system will likely help more with than just buying one CB hoping to improve it all.

 

[Iceman10]

OK, I’m clearly outnumbered on here because everybody’s super excited at buying yet another forward for mega money [..]

Just to clear up, is this about us buying Pepe, or the more recent rumours about Coutinho?

Pretty sure if the club can find a buyer for Mustafi, as they seem to be trying to do, we will be bringing in a CB. Even otherwise there is still a reasonable chance. Maybe it is worth waiting until Thursday to see what happens.

 

[Makingtrax]

I’m with you in that we should have spent the lot on the defence though.

Don’t you know anything about football ffs?

 

[kraphtous]

We needed to improve in attack, midfield and defence. It doesn't bother me that we choose to improve the midfield and attack first.

 

[Rex Stone]

OK, I’m clearly outnumbered on here because everybody’s super excited at buying yet another forward for mega money, and being all superior about others not understanding that wing play transforms the defence as well.

Those posts about our defence being a *****ing shambles, that littered this forum last year should be as rare as hen’s teeth this year.

Because it’s extremely myopic to attribute a poor defensive record solely on defenders.

The play was the worst I’d seen in years towards the back end of last season, without Ramsey there was no one in midfield who could create or advance the ball.

No wingers meant we were narrow and got pressed high up the pitch by everyone from Wolves and Leicester to Brighton.

That had to change.

 

[HairSprayGooners]

If Coutinho, Pepe, Ceballos and Tierney were to get us CL football this season then nobody complains.

When Saliba comes in next summer we suddenly have a team that’s one or two away from challenging for a title.

 

[ChefMan21]

I understand your point. But the club is looking for long term solutions. I am sure that defense was top priority. But our attack was solely dependent on Laca/Auba magic. Not long before teams find us out.
So, looking at it from a long term perspective, we needed to beef up both attack(especially in the wings) and defense. Defense was higher priority. But from the looks of it, defenders are very expensive in the market. We are seeing Maguire being quoted for 90M. So we decided to go for a player with high ceiling in Saliba. We are definitely not looking to win the title this year. We just want to sneak into top 4. So we are looking for a makeshift cb probably on loan this year. That explains why we chose Pepe over Zaha. Pepe is younger and a better option if we are looking long term.

I think I said in this thread (or maybe another one) in relation to the potential outs of Auba and/or Laca that perhaps their sales would be a good thing since we relied so heavily on them in attack. A long-term injury to one or both of them - or poor form for a couple of months - and the whole team would be in deep ****. Let alone teams working us out. My thinking was that their sale could be used to invest widely in the squad, upgrading a couple of key positions with high quality players, thereby spreading the quality of the team more broadly. This was when a player like Pepe was completely out of the realms of possibility due to our supposed transfer budget.

Now that we have Pepe, the sale of Auba and/or Laca would seem completely insane now. His signing has 1) created a more diverse attack and 2) improved our defense slightly. Pepe's signing also makes me think he was the marquee signing this year: I'm still a little surprised we got him, and it seems improbable that we could sign two players at that fee of £72m - one in attack (Pepe) and one in defense (a VVD equivalent), certainly before the window closes. It was, to me, a case of one or the other: Pepe was the easiest one to get over the line in terms of how we're structuring payments this window.

I am a big proponent of focusing on our defense first and I would've loved a de Ligt/Romagnoli/Marquinhos-type signing before Pepe. But I'm not unhappy with Pepe. It seems Tierney is our main defensive signing for this season, which is great, and a loaned CB wouldn't be a huge surprise, especially if Kos goes.

 

[Hleb's Sirush]

I firmly believe you build from the front nowadays. Something Klopp has done very well. 4 of his first 5 major buys were attacking players. Ending with 3 of his last 5 major buys being defensive (VVD, Fabinho and Alisson).

Great defensive players with great attacking players win you titles. If you have to choose one, get the great attacking players in first. The reason being, they will be able to steamroll the small teams. Great defenders on their own won't even win you matches. It is too much to ask them to keep clean sheets if they are under attack for 90 minutes.

Good example is the Dutch national team at the moment. Their 2 CB's are VVD and de Ligt. Monster defenders yet any decent team the Dutch play, they are run rugged. Showing a few good defenders on their own can't do much. If somehow we could back in time and replace some of their attackers with a prime RVP, Bergkamp and Robben, but same time we replaced VVD and Ligt with 2 average plonkers. I would guess that team would win more matches.