Squad Analysis 2019/20

[Maybe]

I struggle to understand these panic reactions for CB position. Top 4 should be achievable with the squad we currently have + the addition of LB.
We've already signed Saliba for next season and defense looks solid on paper with Saliba, Holding, Chambers and Sokratis for next season.

If we really struggle defensively this season, there is an option to replace Özil and Xhaka with midfielders who are able to protect back 4 better. Chambers in front of defense with Torreira and Ceballos in front of him is one option, the other one would be more Willock, Ceballos and Torreira who are all capable of winning the ball and keeping possession. In both cases, there wouldn't be any passengers that we get with Xhaka and Özil.

 

[Iceman10]

I struggle to understand these panic reactions for CB position. Top 4 should be achievable with the squad we currently have + the addition of LB.
We've already signed Saliba for next season and defense looks solid on paper with Saliba, Holding, Chambers and Sokratis for next season.

Kos is unlikely to be staying and we are trying to offload Mustafi. Mavropanos is not ready and is likely going out on loan.

That likely leaves Holding, Chambers, and Sokratis going into *this* season? Monreal could fill in I guess, but still seems quite thin quality/depth wise, IMO. Sorry if I've overlooked something here.

 

[Hleb's Sirush]

Holding is there in all the training pics. He's fit to start against Newcastle, right?

I would really doubt that. He hasn't played a minute of pre-season. He is just building up fitness. I think he will be involved in a match day squad early to mid September.

 

[Hleb's Sirush]

I struggle to understand these panic reactions for CB position. Top 4 should be achievable with the squad we currently have + the addition of LB.
We've already signed Saliba for next season and defense looks solid on paper with Saliba, Holding, Chambers and Sokratis for next season.

If we really struggle defensively this season, there is an option to replace Özil and Xhaka with midfielders who are able to protect back 4 better. Chambers in front of defense with Torreira and Ceballos in front of him is one option, the other one would be more Willock, Ceballos and Torreira who are all capable of winning the ball and keeping possession. In both cases, there wouldn't be any passengers that we get with Xhaka and Özil.

While we could use CM's who are better at protecting the back 4, and we could also employ a system that exposes our defence less. These measures would mean our plan A has failed and we have abandoned our tactics to shore up the defence, which obviously would have detrimental effect on our attack. . Ideally we need to strengthen the defence with new personnel first. As it stands, we are actually weaker in there than last season.

Can't see Kos playing for us again. Holding is just coming back from ACL, big question mark how he will return. Mavro unfortunately is very injury prone and not even ready for our level. Chambers has hardly played CB for a year, and there are still questions about how good he is anyway. I'm not even going to mention Mustafi. So that leaves Sokratis as our only decent CB who hasn't any question mark regarding his fitness or quality.

It would be a disappointment if we don't get a CB, especially since we seemed to have/will address all our other weaknesses. We could not bring in a CB, but that would be relying on everything falling into perfect place (Holding coming back in super form, Chambers having breakthrough season at CB, Sokratis not getting injured etc).

 

[Maybe]

These measures would mean our plan A has failed and we have abandoned our tactics to shore up the defence, which obviously would have detrimental effect on our attack.

I'm not sure exactly what are you talking about. Swapping Ceballos and Willock for Xhaka and Özil shouldn't make much difference to our attack considering what Özil and Xhaka contributed to our attack over the last season.

 

[Hleb's Sirush]

I'm not sure exactly what are you talking about. Swapping Ceballos and Willock for Xhaka and Özil shouldn't make much difference to our attack considering what Özil and Xhaka contributed to our attack over the last season.

It was more the tactics that go with it. Ceballos for example operates deeper than Özil. Anyway we need to judge those players when we line up with all our new players. If Pepe is a success, just him alone stretching defences will make a lot of difference how useful Özil or even Xhaka might suddenly become

 

[AL the gooner]

We are by no means the finished article, but we are heading in the right direction, every signing this summer has been needed. We still need more but we cant complain, especially when it was looking our only signing this summer would be Ryan Fraser from Bournemouth.
If Tierney comes in, we will still need 3 top players from being a seriously good team, 2 centre backs and a defensive midfielder. Ideally Özil and Xhaka would not be starting for us this season but with added pace and quality infront of them, it may get the best out of them too.

 

[Tourbillion]

We are by no means the finished article, but we are heading in the right direction, every signing this summer has been needed. We still need more but we cant complain, especially when it was looking our only signing this summer would be Ryan Fraser from Bournemouth.
If Tierney comes in, we will still need 3 top players from being a seriously good team, 2 centre backs and a defensive midfielder. Ideally Özil and Xhaka would not be starting for us this season but with added pace and quality infront of them, it may get the best out of them too.

Not necessarily a defensive midfielder, but a massive man mountain who can dominate midfields.

 

[SA Gunner]

I'm sorry to bash you if you reading this and have this opinion, but honestly if you are trying to freeze Özil out because "he doesnt work hard enough" then you need to re-evaluate your knowledge of football and your ability to properly analyse it.

I'm by no means saying that Özil is delivering at his required level, but there is a reason why he is one of the game's most productive players, when working in a system that allows him to deliver his best. This is a combination of Özil meeting the team's technical and tactical requirements, but also and importantly the coach creating an environment for him to contribute at this level.

Please please put aside this running, tackling, outward show of rough emotion and "leaving it all" out on the field. If this was the criteria that separated good from great, then England would have won more world cups and Stoke City of old would have been runaway champions in England.

The game is now very very technical, and its teams like Ten Haag's Ajax from last season that demonstrates the power of a "bunch of boys" getting to a semi-final of the champions league. An argument of their lack of composure killing them at the end. And even that last moment can be managed with skill, intelligence and tactical acumen instead of brute oafish "leaving it all on the pitch" bullshit.

Anyway, back to Özil. Both the player and Emery need to get their acts together this season and create a setup that meets both their strengths, namely a tactical team in the mould of Unai, but with the ability to severely punish teams by maximising the talent Özil has.

This means, in my mind, that Özil needs to sit ahead of two players who can control the space behind him. Furthermore, Özil must learn to adapt to playing in a 433 formation, which demands he track back and cover the interchanging movement between himself and someone like Ceballos for example. This allows us to change the pyramid from right side up to upside down with one player movement, depending on in game requirements. But most importantly, control the midfield and weather being pressed furiously.

Ceballos, Torreira and Özil are my midfield three for the season, I sincerely hope Ceballos is up to it and is able to give us that box-box option.

Behind them, we need two ball playing CB's who are pacey and are well positioned, to assist with recycling the ball and safely marshalling our high line in attack, keeping our attack up creating overloads.

On either flanks we need proper workhorses, to help stretch the opposition defense.

Overall... the team must be better at positioning and pressing as a unit this season, with the use of creativity and of course the counter attack.

So to conclude... I want something like this....

A 4141/433/4231 hybrid.

winger Aubameyang Pepe
Özil
Torreira Ceballos
Tierney CB(left foot) Holding Bellerin
Leno

 

[Leo_ense_]

Can’t believe there are Chelsea and united fans out here thinking they have better squads than us..unbelievable really

 

[Dennis_Bergkamp_10]

Can’t believe there are Chelsea and united fans out here thinking they have better squads than us..unbelievable really

We just got beaten 4-1 in a Final by Chelsea and United have added 130m to their defence and their already 800m squad.

It will be close again this year I reckon. Every team in the top six has a good enough squad to get top four.

 

[Leo_ense_]

We just got beaten 4-1 in a Final by Chelsea and United have added 130m to their defence and their already 800m squad.

It will be close again this year I reckon. Every team in the top six has a good enough squad to get top four.

I’m sorry but Chelsea have absolutely nothing in attack with Hazard gone. As for united, they have a coach with no discernible quality or pedigree.

 

[Batman]

We just got beaten 4-1 in a Final by Chelsea and United have added 130m to their defence and their already 800m squad.

It will be close again this year I reckon. Every team in the top six has a good enough squad to get top four.

And that 4-1 was down to one man who is now a Madrid player. United still have much to prove. Slabhead is nowhere near the level of player his price tag suggests and AWB still has much to prove.

 

[Divided_Pie]

I'm sorry to bash you if you reading this and have this opinion, but honestly if you are trying to freeze Özil out because "he doesnt work hard enough" then you need to re-evaluate your knowledge of football and your ability to properly analyse it.

I'm by no means saying that Özil is delivering at his required level, but there is a reason why he is one of the game's most productive players, when working in a system that allows him to deliver his best. This is a combination of Özil meeting the team's technical and tactical requirements, but also and importantly the coach creating an environment for him to contribute at this level.

Please please put aside this running, tackling, outward show of rough emotion and "leaving it all" out on the field. If this was the criteria that separated good from great, then England would have won more world cups and Stoke City of old would have been runaway champions in England.

The game is now very very technical, and its teams like Ten Haag's Ajax from last season that demonstrates the power of a "bunch of boys" getting to a semi-final of the champions league. An argument of their lack of composure killing them at the end. And even that last moment can be managed with skill, intelligence and tactical acumen instead of brute oafish "leaving it all on the pitch" bullshit.

Anyway, back to Özil. Both the player and Emery need to get their acts together this season and create a setup that meets both their strengths, namely a tactical team in the mould of Unai, but with the ability to severely punish teams by maximising the talent Özil has.

This means, in my mind, that Özil needs to sit ahead of two players who can control the space behind him. Furthermore, Özil must learn to adapt to playing in a 433 formation, which demands he track back and cover the interchanging movement between himself and someone like Ceballos for example. This allows us to change the pyramid from right side up to upside down with one player movement, depending on in game requirements. But most importantly, control the midfield and weather being pressed furiously.

Ceballos, Torreira and Özil are my midfield three for the season, I sincerely hope Ceballos is up to it and is able to give us that box-box option.

Behind them, we need two ball playing CB's who are pacey and are well positioned, to assist with recycling the ball and safely marshalling our high line in attack, keeping our attack up creating overloads.

On either flanks we need proper workhorses, to help stretch the opposition defense.

Overall... the team must be better at positioning and pressing as a unit this season, with the use of creativity and of course the counter attack.

So to conclude... I want something like this....

A 4141/433/4231 hybrid.

winger Aubameyang Pepe
Özil
Torreira Ceballos
Tierney CB(left foot) Holding Bellerin
Leno

Great post. Agree with pretty much everything you said. I like 4-2-3-1, which would work even better with a proper LW (Coutinho??). Biggest issue I see (aside from the health of the back four) is there is no place for Laca, but he could come in for any of the other players in the front four and we'd still have a balanced attack. I really hope Emery sees things this way as well.

 

[Dennis_Bergkamp_10]

And that 4-1 was down to one man who is now a Madrid player. United still have much to prove. Slabhead is nowhere near the level of player his price tag suggests and AWB still has much to prove.

I'm an Arsenal fan but we have as much to prove as United. I suspect Chelsea will fall down but who knows really.

 

[Notorious Big]

Can’t believe there are Chelsea and united fans out here thinking they have better squads than us..unbelievable really

Chelsea don't have atm.Think that United is about same like us.

 

[Mo Britain]

I think our additions in midfield and up front give us a chance which we need to take as spending not just the little money we had available, but also funds from future windows is a gamble which is great if it works. But if it doesn't...

But we are very light at the back, especially at CB. Sokratis is the most widely respected player we have there but picks up lots of cards. Holding was having a good season till he was injured but we have to see it wasn't a fluke. Mustafi is universally mistrusted. Not certain Chambers best position is CB. Kos won't play for us again. Where's Mavro? That's not a situation which inspires much confidence and certainly makes it difficult to play 3 at the back with regularity.

I had hoped we'd nick Alderweild from Sp uds but that doesn't look likely.

 

[L3T5 PL4Y]

The way the squad is at the moment I can envision us shifting between 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1 and 3-4-3 before settling into a situation where we shapeshift between the 3 eventually.

Player wise, I would say we are short of 3 or 4 more while we need to move on Mustafi, Xhaka, Monreal, Koscielny, Özil, Mkhi, Jenkinson and Elneny. Specifically, a new RB, LB, CB and GK. We may need another holding midfield player to replace Xhaka and if Ceballos doesn't become permanent then obviously a creative player needs to replace him.

 

[Balboa]

I'm wondering how many people are cautiously positive about the direction the club is heading in?

I've heard a lot of talk of Arsenal being in the depths of despair at the moment. A complete mess. I'm in two minds about this myself and I'm not sure it's all that bad.

On the one hand, I can see that there are major question marks about how much investment the team will get from Kroenke. How long the rebuild will take with a lot of limited and overpaid players at the club for the time being. The loss of Mislintat. The money that Sp**s are spending, the quality at Man City, Liverpool and Sp**s.

On the other hand. I'm not sure if I really think the current approach is all that bad. Man Utd have hired now 4 managers who I believe have not fitted their club. Say what you like about Emery, he's a better choice than any of those 4 in my view (he is way overqualified compared to Moyes or Salksjaer, way less past his prime compared to Van Gaal or Mourinho). Man Utd spent a lot of big money unwisely on Galacticos and it wasn't sustainable (Arsenal did it with Özil and Sanchez and it didn't work). Compared to that, i can see the need for Arsenal to show some pragmatism, whether Emery ends up as a transition manager, or as a manager who can succeed in getting them back into the Champions League.

Some good things I see in Arsenal's approach

• Patience in the transfer market signings and keeping their budget tight and not advertised
• Signings for the long-term - Guendouzi, Torreira, Leno, Saliba, probably Tierney
• Not much talk about elite signings except for Aubameyang, who was a great signing.
  
• Pragmatism - Ceballos signing
  
• Didn't give Emery a huge contract
• Have appointed a lot of staff during the transition - Sanlehi, Mislintat, Edu, Ljunberg, Fahmy (Man Utd are supposed to be appointing a Director of Football or technical director or something, but still have not done so, Arsenal now have both)

A lot of things that need to be seen more of in future as the club develops

• Selling players for more money. They need to get top dollar for Laca either this summer or next.
  
• Getting more from the academy players via loans, League Cup, FA Cup, Europa League and ultimately selling them or finding the right ones to fill gaps in the squad.
• Getting more value from signing players from the lower ends of the Premier League, the Championship and less prominent leagues. They can't keep missing out on players like Sadio Mane, Virgil Van Dijk, Harry Maguire, James Maddison, Andrew Robertson, Joe Gomez, Dele Alli. They need to find these players and sign them and have a manager who can bring them on.
  
• The next managerial appointment is going to be key. They need to find the next Poch or Klopp. I think they should keep an eye on Eddie Howe.

Written before the Pepe deal dropped. I'm pleased I could see past the torrent of negativity in the media, including on Arsenal podcasts.

 

[ThlRama]

So, now with Pepe, Martinelli, Mkhitaryan, Iwobi, Saka, Nelson, and the option of Auba always being there, doesn't it seem like we have... too many options for the wing? Would anyone be open to selling Iwobi, for example?