The Wish List

[ASAP Berg]

Ilkay Gundogan - He could be the complete midfielder under Arsène, and could play next to either Arteta or Ramsey in my opinion. Wilshere to rotate with Rosicky at AM and the midfield is set.

Would be well worth 15-20m in my opinion and the midfield would be sorted for then next 5 years.

 

[Anzac]

Di Maria available for 15m?????
Get the frakk INNNNN!!!!

Higuain
Jovetic - Cazorla - Di Maria
Gonalons - Arteta
Monreal - Kos - BFG/CB - Sagna
Adler/Szczesny

PL/CL next season.

Would you not say Arteta and Gonalons are too similar to create a solid partnership? We've seen how well Ramsey's energy and mobility have complemented Arteta's attributes so I see no reason to change that. If we want another player to play alongside Arteta we should look at someone in the same mould as Ramsey.

That attack looks top class though. Would work really well in that asymmetric set up like we were saying a while back.

Possibly, although IMO our CM balance will remain 'the impossible dream' whilst we have our creative DLP as the deepest CM. We have no one who can provide direct cover for Arteta in the deepest role and provide BOTH distribution AND act as 1st line of midfield defence. IMO the Arteta-Rambo CM combo is too slow across the pitch despite looking like our most balanced option currently. Neither has genuine pace or burst of acceleration to enable them to recover.

Ideally I want a genuine defensive CM alongside the DLP to anchor the midfield. IMO the PL is too physically demanding for Arteta or any other primarily creative player to be a long term success in that role, and we've basically been porous and narrow through the centre since we went to this 3 role staggered system.

IMO that front 4 is as good as any and better than most,
and I'd change our patterns in midfield to enable them to do what they do best as a unit - attack.
If that meant playing 2 holding CMs or a ball winner & B2B,
and rotating the likes of Arteta/Rambo/Wilshere as cover from the bench then so be it.

Another HG alternative is Schneiderlin,
who could also play the Arteta role AND add more defensive capability,
yet is also a converted passing AM.

 

[Anzac]

Di Maria and Sanchez both available - I'd love either here but am afraid United will swoop for Di Maria and an Italian team for Sanchez.

Higuain, Jovetic, Villa - all of these players would significantly improve our goal scoring options and all are available.

For different reasons any one of these players would be a huge signal of intent and would shatter our transfer record but I'd expect to see somebody like Aubameyang come in instead.

We could always make an offer for Navas.
I want a top class flair player on the ball to run at defenders from wide akin to Pires/Ronaldo etc.
Gervinho is far too inconsistent and has little end product.

 

[Floating]

Di Maria and Sanchez both available - I'd love either here but am afraid United will swoop for Di Maria and an Italian team for Sanchez.

Higuain, Jovetic, Villa - all of these players would significantly improve our goal scoring options and all are available.

For different reasons any one of these players would be a huge signal of intent and would shatter our transfer record but I'd expect to see somebody like Aubameyang come in instead.

We could always make an offer for Navas.
I want a top class flair player on the ball to run at defenders from wide akin to Pires/Ronaldo etc.
Gervinho is far too inconsistent and has little end product.

I would not call Pires a "flair player" - he was an elegant technician and an underrated finisher, but you didn't see him doing any stepovers or rabonas.

 

[Anzac]

We could always make an offer for Navas.
I want a top class flair player on the ball to run at defenders from wide akin to Pires/Ronaldo etc.
Gervinho is far too inconsistent and has little end product.

I would not call Pires a "flair player" - he was an elegant technician and an underrated finisher, but you didn't see him doing any stepovers or rabonas.

Then perhaps we have a different interpretation as to what flair means?

I don't think that step overs etc are required in order for a player or style to be considered as having flair.
IMO it's more about an expansive/attractive/entertaining attacking style with the handbrake OFF.

IMO The Invincibles looked to play an expansive attractive attacking game that I'd describe as playing with flair,
and I consider Pires & TH to have been major components in that style and flair of that team.
Yet neither were given to being 'flashy' with a lot of individual showboating - unlike Eboue who loved his step overs but had little end product to go with it.

 

[squallkid]

---------Begovic---

Sagna--Kos-Marquinhos--Gibbs

-------Ramsey---Gonalons--

-Di Maria---Wilshere----Jovetic

--------Higuain---

Subs: Chesney, Jenks, BFG, Cazorla, Walcott, Giroud, Monreal

 

[Floating]

---------Begovic---

Sagna--Kos-Marquinhos--Gibbs

-------Ramsey---Gonalons--

-Di Maria---Wilshere----Jovetic

--------Higuain---

Subs: Chesney, Jenks, BFG, Cazorla, Walcott, Giroud, Monreal

Cazorla on the bench over Wilshere? Per benched for an 19-year-old? No Arteta anywhere?

 

[squallkid]

Shoot knew I forgot something ops:

No Arteta is a big miss from me.

My line up doesn't matter too much in the grand scheme of things since players get injured and rotation throughout the season.


As for the Cazorla thing for me its either him or Jack. They both play the same position so when they are both on the pitch on the same time they usually get in the other's way.

When Jack plays in midfield and Santi on the wings he is never actually on the wing, constantly drifting inside leaving our lb the job of defending the entire flank mainly on his own.

Having Santi on the bench doesn't mean I think he's an inferior player to Wilshere, its just about who I personally prefer on the pitch.

If the two of them can learn to play together without stepping on each other's toes at times then I would gladly have both of them on the field at the same time.

To make a comparison, Cazorla and Wilshere for us is RVP and Rooney to Man Utd. Of course both of them can be on the pitch at the same time but having them both on the field usually means that one of them is inhibited(Rooney, Wilshere) due to the world class form of the other (RVP, Cazorla) or played out of position (Rooney, Cazorla) to accomodate a team mate (RVP, Wilshere)

Also in a crunch game a decision has to be made on which one you want to start for you (Rooney on the bench against Madrid). It doesn't make Rooney a bad player, it just means that RVP is a better player and was more suited to that particular game

 

[fabo]

Undo, undo, undo.

 

[SA Gunner]

****ing Di Maria for 15 million. Someone is having a laugh

----------------Cesar
Jenkinson---Sagna---Koscielny----Monreal
---------Wilshere---Stootman
--------------Cazorla
Di Maria------------------------Jovetic
--------------Villa

Fabianski, Mertesacker, Arteta, Rosicky, Walcott, Chamberlain, Podolski

 

[Floating]

Julio Cesar as your first choice goalkeeper in a wishlist?

 

[fabo]

I don't like SA's midfield or backline really. Weak midfield in a defensive sense, lacks athleticism and power too. Iffy selections in defence aswell with Jenkinson and then Sagna at CB. Cesar is toast at the top level & I don't believe any of our links with goalkeepers.

 

[Floating]

I don't like SA's midfield or backline really. Weak midfield in a defensive sense, lacks athleticism and power too. Iffy selections in defence aswell with Jenkinson and then Sagna at CB. Cesar is toast at the top level & I don't believe any of our links with goalkeepers.

Oh dear, I didn't even see Sagna as a CB!

 

[Giroud]

Possibly, although IMO our CM balance will remain 'the impossible dream' whilst we have our creative DLP as the deepest CM. We have no one who can provide direct cover for Arteta in the deepest role and provide BOTH distribution AND act as 1st line of midfield defence. IMO the Arteta-Rambo CM combo is too slow across the pitch despite looking like our most balanced option currently. Neither has genuine pace or burst of acceleration to enable them to recover.

Ideally I want a genuine defensive CM alongside the DLP to anchor the midfield. IMO the PL is too physically demanding for Arteta or any other primarily creative player to be a long term success in that role, and we've basically been porous and narrow through the centre since we went to this 3 role staggered system.

IMO that front 4 is as good as any and better than most,
and I'd change our patterns in midfield to enable them to do what they do best as a unit - attack.
If that meant playing 2 holding CMs or a ball winner & B2B,
and rotating the likes of Arteta/Rambo/Wilshere as cover from the bench then so be it.

Another HG alternative is Schneiderlin,
who could also play the Arteta role AND add more defensive capability,
yet is also a converted passing AM.

I think Ramsey has a decent burst and a good bit of pace on him but what I really like about him is what he adds in terms of movement. The way he looks to run in behind from deep really adds another dimension to our attack and he often gets in good positions only for poor finishing or decision making to let him down. He can become a big asset as long as he improves his productivity. I'm a big fan of Arteta as well, he's been brilliant without much help from the other midfielders defensively and provided the others around him help out on the defensive side we can create a good balance in there.

I can see your thinking but Wenger's system can work providing we get the right players in the market. The whole system doesn't need an overhaul.

 

[Anzac]

I think Ramsey has a decent burst and a good bit of pace on him but what I really like about him is what he adds in terms of movement. The way he looks to run in behind from deep really adds another dimension to our attack and he often gets in good positions only for poor finishing or decision making to let him down. He can become a big asset as long as he improves his productivity. I'm a big fan of Arteta as well, he's been brilliant without much help from the other midfielders defensively and provided the others around him help out on the defensive side we can create a good balance in there.

I can see your thinking but Wenger's system can work providing we get the right players in the market. The whole system doesn't need an overhaul.

First and foremost AW needs to decide what his intentions are - what does he really want to achieve?
Then he needs to balance the system against those expectations,
and then the team needs to be balanced against the system.

Arteta as DLP & deepest CM/DM is an anomaly in top flight football.
Yes he can do a job there against most teams, but NOT IMO against out intended peers in the top flight where the silverware is decided each season.
Likewise the CM balance of a DLP playmaker and a creative B2B in Rambo/Wilshere behind an AMC playmaker in Cazorla/Rosicky is also unbalanced/an anomaly (in that is essentially an attacking CM between 2 AM playmakers), and has no capability to win the ball/hold up play/or provide any first line defence against our peers.
The midfield is supposedly the engine room that provides the core/platform for the team - ours does not as it is designed to provide creativity ad little else. None of our current CMs are able to recover from behind the play.

This team (players and patterns) is well good enough to achieve top4,
but if we intend to make any effort to challenge then BOTH patterns, roles AND players MUST change.
A DLP needs a ball winner/Anchorman to gain possession and supply them with the ball quickly for them to use their creativity to exploit any momentary advantage.
A DM type's first instinct is to hold the ball to protect possession whilst the team re-organises,
and they are better partnered with a genuine B2B who has the ability to drive play by their impetus on & off the ball.
To be really effective in both attack and defence a B2B needs acceleration/pace in order to burst into space/onto the ball,
and/or to be able to recover to get back to provide defensive cover.

It matters little what we can get away with against most teams,
it is what we are genuinely able to produce against the elite that we should be measuring ourselves against.

 

[truth_hurts]

As much progress as Ramsey has made, he should not be a nailed on starter here yet. Still needs another 18 months as a rotation player before he is ready to make the role his own, same for Wilshere. We definitely need another Central midfielder as Arteta is our only consistent one but even he has a limited game in the role that he plays here.

We need a player who can give Arteta licence to attack a little more, Be able to step in for Ramsey/Wilshere without a drop in quality, be reliable to give Wilshere/Ramsey the room for error that they will need and most of all we need a midfielder who can impact the game.

 

[Taylor Gang Gunners]

----------------Adler
Sagna---Mert---Koscielny--Gibbs
------Wilshere---Gustavo
--------------Cazorla
Walcott---------------Chamberlain
--------------Jovetic

Subs: Szczesny, Monreal, Vermaelen, Arteta, Ramsey, Podolski, Giroud.

This is affordable and realistic and would give us the bones of a title challenging squad.

 

[Penn_]

Did Navas ever get over his home sickness issues, would love him here.

 

[Hunta]

Yeah, he wants a move this summer, but he's been shocking this season, Theo is now a better player.

 

[Pea-Tear-Griffin]

Yeah, he wants a move this summer, but he's been shocking this season, Theo is now a better player.

Exactly, would be very harsh to drop him after such improvements.