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Squad Analysis 2020/21

Aussie_gunner123

Established Member

Country: Australia
The only players left out are Martinelli and Özil. Martinelli due to injury and Özil because he isn't wanted here. All our other youngsters like Saka and such will also be registered.

We registered 5 keepers because we can. Same with the defenders.
We won't play 5 keepers in the group stage, probably only a max of 6-7 defenders aswell. I know why Martinelli has been left out & I'd presume he'd make it in the next one if we make it into the finals. I'd still certainly play an extra midfielder/attacker before an extra defender. I'd at least leave out either Hillson or Iliev, neither will get a run, probably not even the group stage.
 

HairSprayGooners

My brother posted it ⏩
We won't play 5 keepers in the group stage, probably only a max of 6-7 defenders aswell. I know why Martinelli has been left out & I'd presume he'd make it in the next one if we make it into the finals. I'd still certainly play an extra midfielder/attacker before an extra defender. I'd at least leave out either Hillson or Iliev, neither will get a run, probably not even the group stage.

We probably just needed to fill squad space, no biggy. Not like we're missing any big names from the squad who are in the long term plan.
 

Aussie_gunner123

Established Member

Country: Australia
We probably just needed to fill squad space, no biggy. Not like we're missing any big names from the squad who are in the long term plan.
I realise that fact that we are pretty much missing anyone else but I'm still standing by what I said & would have picked Özil before Hillson/Iliev/Mustafi/Kolasinac. Either of those 4. Say we pick up any major injury of the midfieders or attackers before anyone else.
 

HairSprayGooners

My brother posted it ⏩
I realise that fact that we are pretty much missing anyone else but I'm still standing by what I said & would have picked Özil before Hillson/Iliev/Mustafi/Kolasinac. Either of those 4. Say we pick up any major injury of the midfieders or attackers before anyone else.

Özil doesn't fit any of the systems we want to run, his time here is done. Otherwise you start having to build the team and use tactics around a player that won't be here in 9 months time, it doesn't make sense.
 

truth_hurts

but Holding’s hair transplant was painless
Scares me a bit on crosses but I think Leno has to be up there. Was brilliant for us last year before his injury.

It depends on how quickly he settles but I'd say Partey after that. Got a feeling that he's going to be one of those players who just hits the ground running. He's made for the his league.

Partey is 2nd now, but if we are not including him, think I go Pepe 2nd and Tierney third. Maybe Leno 4th.
 

DanDare

Emoji Merchant and Believer-In-Chief
Trusted ⭐

Player:Saliba
So I know this is for this season but I think forward planning is interesting.

What is the future plan for CB? Gabriel you assume if his form conti yes will be mailed on by the end of the season for LCB. Who else do you keep/sell. We've got so many CBs but do we actually need to buy a mature CB to be ahead of Saliba until he's ready?

2021/2022
LCB: Gabriel, Mari?
RCB: Holding/New CB, Saliba

Holding/Chambersay be kept as squad players due to being homegrown? A lot to think about
 

Impact

Established Member
So I know this is for this season but I think forward planning is interesting.

What is the future plan for CB? Gabriel you assume if his form conti yes will be mailed on by the end of the season for LCB. Who else do you keep/sell. We've got so many CBs but do we actually need to buy a mature CB to be ahead of Saliba until he's ready?

2021/2022
LCB: Gabriel, Mari?
RCB: Holding/New CB, Saliba

Holding/Chambersay be kept as squad players due to being homegrown? A lot to think about

I think Luiz will get another extension but will play a lesser role so there will be no new CB but I otherwise agree with your 2021/2022 options.
 

DanDare

Emoji Merchant and Believer-In-Chief
Trusted ⭐

Player:Saliba
I think Luiz will get another extension but will play a lesser role so there will be no new CB but I otherwise agree with your 2021/2022 options.

Although the budget probably doesn't allow for a new CB alongside an AM and a Striker I don't think those CB options are CL quality.

Other than Gabriel
 

Red London

Anti-Simp Culture
Trusted ⭐
Who do you guys think will be the priority next summer? For me its between a creative midfielder and a striker.

We tried to sign Aouar and maybe Özil leaving will free up wages for us to sign one. But on the other hand I really think Lacazette's days are numbered and we should look to cash in.

Ideally Gabriel settles well and Bellerin pushes on so we dont have to worry about the defence too much. Then we go ahead and sign a creative midfielder and a good striker. I think if we do that right we would become a good team again (first time in quite a while).
 

Makavelii

Active Member
Who do you guys think will be the priority next summer? For me its between a creative midfielder and a striker.

We tried to sign Aouar and maybe Özil leaving will free up wages for us to sign one. But on the other hand I really think Lacazette's days are numbered and we should look to cash in.

Ideally Gabriel settles well and Bellerin pushes on so we dont have to worry about the defence too much. Then we go ahead and sign a creative midfielder and a good striker. I think if we do that right we would become a good team again (first time in quite a while).

Hopefully Patson Daka as striker.
Aouar or Szoboszlai as a creative mid.
 

HairSprayGooners

My brother posted it ⏩
Although the budget probably doesn't allow for a new CB alongside an AM and a Striker I don't think those CB options are CL quality.

Other than Gabriel

Upamecano was the main target before Gabriel. But he's also only 2 years old than Saliba. I think you utilise Saliba before signing anyone else.
 

MikelHadADream

Established Member
Trusted ⭐
Who do you guys think will be the priority next summer? For me its between a creative midfielder and a striker.

We tried to sign Aouar and maybe Özil leaving will free up wages for us to sign one. But on the other hand I really think Lacazette's days are numbered and we should look to cash in.

Ideally Gabriel settles well and Bellerin pushes on so we dont have to worry about the defence too much. Then we go ahead and sign a creative midfielder and a good striker. I think if we do that right we would become a good team again (first time in quite a while).

Definitely a new number 9 and creativite midfielder. We may have to look at RCB as well if Saliba isn't ready.
 

arsmile

Established Member
Our squad is such a lopsided mess at the moment- the result of at least three consecutive separate regimes which were serving their own purpose and not part of any coherent strategy.

I think the mess we're in now is in large part down to the dodgy Mari/Cedric signings. As two loans to see us to the end of last season- fine.

But then signing them both on long term huge contracts- if we take each one individually...Signing cedric (a good player) when both AMN and Kolasinac stayed is maddness. Kola is at a similar level to cedric, the manager clearly trusts Kola- the only disadvantage with him is that he was signed on a free and so is on a disproportionate contract...so solving that with cedric (on a free...so on a disproportionate contract) is mad. AMN not only stays as well, but also changes his attitude to the position and gets in the England squad in that position. It's the wrong decision over and over.

Then signing Mari ( a good player) , when Sokratis and mustafi and holding and chambers went on to stay- and saliba was going to be added to that for huge money- is just full on stupid. Everyone knew we needed a new starter coming into that defence but we categorically did not need depth. We knew people were difficult to shift- we were trying to shift mustafi for years- so why did we bring Mari in?

Two players who are not U21 and are not home grown who are going to take places in squads- and we have shown loyalty to them above other players who were here before or arrived after- with Özil/papa/saliba all losing out in favour of them?

All round it just seems odd- we also then bring in a second choice GK who is a complete gamble and taking up a squad space- when there were HG options out there and wouldn’t take up a spot (like Martinez was HG) which is further going to restrict us going forward.

We end up fielding 2 GKs on the bench tonight too despite having a huge squad of individuals to choose from including youth players.

We can make this about Özil and say how he has been mistreated by the club personally because of politics OR that he is a disgraceful lazy bum who deserves his treatment, but the club has treated sokratis in exactly the same way- and by all accounts there were not even any claims about his approach to training or nonfootball issues- just numbers. Arguably Saliba has been treated worse of all.

It just feels like a complete lack of forward planning- which it is because of the regime change, but I don't think we have done enough to make any kind of transition work between them.

If anyone thinks that sokratis isn’t good enough to be 7th choice CB, and saliba wasn’t good enough to be 8th- so we needed to bring in a new 7th choice- that’s mad. If anyone thinks that Özil isn’t in our top 25 players- that’s mad. If anyone thinks we didn’t spend all that money on Saliba with the expectation that he should be involved in the first team- that is mad.

I know it’s all transitional, but you do have to have a more professional approach to managing people I think. If Özil/Sokratis are not in your plans this year- that’s fine- we knew for a fact that at least one of them were not leaving. They become backup and are phased out of the team and then they leave at the end of their contract when a space opens up for someone else in the squad without any toxicity. The only reason you should have to push them out of the set up is if their replacements were vital. We are talking about new non-HG places in the squad going to a 3rd choice RB, and a 7th choice CB, and completely untested 2nd choice GK.

At different point since the start of the year it also looked like we were considering selling or loaning or not re-signing Bellerin, AMN, mustafi, holding, chambers, Luiz, sokratis, saliba, kolasinac, elneny, Ceballos, Özil, PEA, lacca, nelson, smithrowe. A lot of these players we changed our minds on after ‘chats’ with arteta- but regardless of changes of attitudes- how can keeping all those players at the club be a possible solution. The others, who we were trying to shift, how did it not come off for any of them? We couldn’t sell anyone apart from Martinez- and by all accounts we got really poor loan deals for LT and MG which we were clambering for because otherwise we’d be in an even more dramatic mess squad size.

I know the market was all round dead and it's left a lot of clubs in nonideal positions. But when Chelsea have got room in their squad to show boat and register their technical director...puts it into perspective...
 

Impact

Established Member
Although the budget probably doesn't allow for a new CB alongside an AM and a Striker I don't think those CB options are CL quality.

Other than Gabriel

I don't think it is particularly good either but it is probably good enough to get out of the group stages when factored alongside the other areas we have strengthened. A lot is in flux and depends on the level Luiz can maintain, Holding can return to and Saliba can reach in the next season.
 

GunnerShy

Well-Known Member
Feel like the back five is relatively settled for personal now.
Between Bellerin, Cedric, AMN, Chambers, Tierney, Saka we have LB and RB relatively covered.

Gabriel, Holding, Saliba, Chambers, Mari will probably form the base of the Centre backs. Gabriel looks the goods. It's a little thin otherwise but with our resources it needs to work. Nobody else is stacked at CB following VVDs injury.

Leno is our GK.

Midfield is where it gets interested.

Partey. And everything else is up in the air.

I think Saka is the next lock in at LCM. RCM is a bit of an unknown. If Ceballos clicks with Partey in a two or plays well at RCM he becomes an obvious choice. With his contract running down he may prove good value.

Xhaka needs to be extended or sold. I'd keep him.
El Neny moved if possible (it should be, he's a decent footballer).

There's a wave of promising kids. We need to see more of them.

Guendouzi and Torreira need to be sold or extended. Probably in everyone's interest that sales are made.

If so, it's probably Ceballos and another good creative midfielder to complement the group.
Xhaka kept and El Neny, Guen, Torreira sold.

Up front, Lacazette needs to be sold and replaced with a target man. Martinelli to play across the front three.

2 mids and a striker wouldn't be a cheap summer. Without selling well (which we won't). Possible with champions league, unlikely without.
 

truth_hurts

but Holding’s hair transplant was painless
Who do you guys think will be the priority next summer? For me its between a creative midfielder and a striker.

We tried to sign Aouar and maybe Özil leaving will free up wages for us to sign one. But on the other hand I really think Lacazette's days are numbered and we should look to cash in.

Ideally Gabriel settles well and Bellerin pushes on so we dont have to worry about the defence too much. Then we go ahead and sign a creative midfielder and a good striker. I think if we do that right we would become a good team again (first time in quite a while).

Creative midfielder for me. We may just take a plunge on Ceballos and hope on of our youngsters (Saka, ESR) grows over the next 10 months, but I'd hope that we give the position the respect that it deserves.

Auba, Nketiah, Laca and Martinelli can all score goals, but their supply has to improve.
 

Manberg

Predator
Who do you guys think will be the priority next summer? For me its between a creative midfielder and a striker.

We tried to sign Aouar and maybe Özil leaving will free up wages for us to sign one. But on the other hand I really think Lacazette's days are numbered and we should look to cash in.

Ideally Gabriel settles well and Bellerin pushes on so we dont have to worry about the defence too much. Then we go ahead and sign a creative midfielder and a good striker. I think if we do that right we would become a good team again (first time in quite a while).


If the plan is to persist with a similar setup then we need a proper false nine and we need to sell Lacazette. If we keep Ceballos a further year then I don’t see us getting a midfielder. We may enter the market for a wingback.
 
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