Christ we're bad. This isn't a kneejerk article, I'm fully aware we could still somewhow win the Europa, but it is an honest article.
Support, faith and hope aside how many of our players would you say you wanted to keep past this season if you were given the option?
Theres literally 5 out of the 27 man squad.
KT
Saka
ESR
The 2 Gabriels
We are a dinghy floating aimlessly in the Atlantic, no plan just mindless PR talk about a "process"
Arteta is not the one, but this doesn't get any better as long as Stan is in the picture, we can only hope that the pandemic + years of CL exile with no end in sight convince him to sell to Dangote and we become another sugar daddy club.
There is no Valor nor honour in the self sustainable crap we do ATM. I mean Arsene has gone to FIFA and they're sacking off FFP you couldn't make it up. 😂
Players you would keep.
posted on 7/4/21
The players I expect us to buy:
Oddy Eddie from Celtic.
Some right back from a mid-table Spanish side.
A young left back to cover Tierney
A midfielder from Ligue 1.
posted on 7/4/21
Ryan had dropped to first choice at Brighton. Surprised so many Arsenal fans rate him as good enough for our back up when he wasnt even good enough for theirs.
posted on 7/4/21
Refused to sign a contract extension, Brighton decided to back someone else instead.
posted on 7/4/21
Sanchez had already taken the no. 1 spot from Ryan and he had been told he was free to leave. Steele then went ahead of him as well.
posted on 7/4/21
No, he refused the contract and was dropped as a result.
posted on 8/4/21
I said at the start of the season, you can't have a team of pacey, attack and goal-minded players then send them out onto the pitch to play slow-paced, backward passing overly defence-minded football. Of course you're going to fail and he has, miserably. Ceballos, Torriera, Guen, Gabriel and now Martinelli and Partey too. 6 players whom all impressed us at debut among other things because they received the ball and immediately went/looked to go forward with it. Now that fool of a little dictator in charge has them all looking backwards, then sideways first .
In a season where a manager has been so bad and actively sabotaging his own squad, then with 2 or 3 of exceptions (e.g Luiz), the manager is the only person to be getting rid of. That said though OP, you said if up to me so what I'd do at this point is keep most of the players but come down like a tonne of bricks on Arteta. Giving him a direct order to stop being such a rude asswad, recall all the players for next season and start again. This time aiming to play fast-paced attacking football. Also to make huge efforts teaching his own MF playing abilities/experience to our young MFs instead of benching and ignoring them.
Arteta's ego put in check and him forced to use a strategic approach the squad is actually geared to in both physical and mental terms, is just as good as a new manager, possibly better than. It really is as simple as just forcing Arteta to get out of his own way. Then if that looked like failing miserably too, he gets the boot by Jan and the new manager can decide who he wants to keep/sell.
posted on 8/4/21
Players I would keep
Tierney
Odegaard
Saka
Smith Rowe
Martinelli
The rest can be replaced
posted on 8/4/21
Not sure why everyone is dissing Partey all of a sudden. Manager injured him being stupid and has instantly stomped on his forward-minded game, forcing him to play crappy football. That player can't or shouldn't be criticized for his season at all. In fact the vast majority of our players can be back seat on the responsibility for this season's performance.
I'm not saying every player we have deserved to be kept, just that this vast overreaction of an idea some seem to have that only 5 or 6 players are worth keeping. We have many more players than that "Worth keeping," it's just the whole team is being made to look way less talented and able than it is. Because the manager is getting his job so wrong.For once the poor record is NOT due to the actual team of players lacking the ability or staff (DM/CBs long sought) and it is solely about the shockingly poor performance of the man in charge. The one currently on course to be guilty of AFC's worst PL season ever and one of the worst of all time in not the worst.
posted on 8/4/21
New manager needed as well
posted on 8/4/21
I really don't believe these players are as bad as we think they are. The problem lies elsewhere. Ffs, Leno was in our top 3 players last season and he suddenly looks shaky. Could part of it be that he is playing with a new back line every flipping game?
I'd keep:
Leno, Ryan
Cedric, Gabriel, Luiz ( contrary to popular opinion, he has been very good this season and is one of the few leaders on the pitch), Mari, Tierney, Saliba
Xhaka, Partey
Saka, Pepe, Martinelli, ESR
Auba*, Lacazette*
If I could ship Laca and Auba md get in a top striker, I'd do it and have Martinelli as the deputy up top. We are screaming for a CM to properly partner Partey
.
Either way, the players I picked, I did so knowing we can't replace the whole squad and this squad has enough to compete for top 4. Why? Look at Everton, Leicester, West Ham and even Man utd...do any of those teams have squads significantly better than ours?