There’s some Arsenal pessimism as the Gunners try to win the Premier League without really good forwards.
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Arsenal will not win the title with these forwards
OK, so I’m writing this after the boring draw with Forest and I’m fully aware that right now, Arsenal are 7 points clear. Not exactly a terrible place to be. However, I just don’t think it’s going to be enough. Not with most of the rubbish we have up front.
It’s clear that our defence is very, very good. Each position has is well covered – except for when MLS plays. He’s simply not good enough (yet) and seems to have no idea what to do when we have a throw – and with the brilliant Timber being able to play both right and left back (unfortunately not at the same time), we have a lot of flexibility to compensate for all the injuries.
The midfield is also very good, though not as solid as the defence. Rice and Zubimendi are superb. Odegaard’s form however seems to have dropped off a cliff. He slows play down, always seems to look for that extra pass into an already tight area in the box and rarely elects to shoot. I’d drop him.
Unfortunately, if I did that then the next in line is Eze. Who apart from the performance against Spurs, hasn’t really shown what he’s capable of yet. Or maybe he has? I had high hope for Eze bringing a little unpredictability, but maybe that doesn’t fit with the way Arteta wants him to play?
Merino is decent, but no more than a good player to have in the squad. He’s not a guaranteed starter is he? That said, maybe he should be playing centre forward again…? He did well there.
Because Gyokeres just isn’t going to do it. He clearly doesn’t fit into this Arsenal side. With Saka and Martinelli playing on the opposite wings to their ‘natural’ foot, they too often choose to come inside or play a ball back to the edge of the box. Gyokeres needs earlier passes into the box that he can attack. There are many instances per game where Gyokeres’ frustration at not getting an early pass can be seen. He’s not blameless of course and has missed a couple of chances he should probably have put away, but I just don’t think he fits this team. Failed experiment?
Madueke? I think I saw someone compare him to a fly repeatedly banging itself against a window. Good analogy. Lots of energy, not enough end product.
Saka? Clearly he’s excellent, but his form has dropped off and the Odegaard, Timber (or White) and Saka ‘triangle love-in’ is not exactly new to the opposition. Play gets slowed down too much and the opposition get to crowd the box (hence the Gyokeres issue). Arsenal always struggle against a low-block. We need to move the ball quicker. Like we used to.
Martinelli? He’s OK and has a good game every now and again, but he’s not a great finisher and I don’t think he’s a great crosser of the ball either given he’s on the left wing but right footed. If he wasn’t quick, he’d not get much game time.
Trossard? Good as a ‘super sub’ (whatever that means? Thanks David Fairclough!). Better than Martinelli in front of goal though.
Jesus? No, just no! He’s never been good enough and clearly has no desire to shoot when there’s the possibility of an impossible pass. He’s also dispossessed too many times. I honestly think he’s hopeless and a waste of a position.
Havertz? Please be 100% match fit soon. We need you!!! He reads the game well and can actually finish. Also a better target man than Gyokeres. He can hold the ball.
Anyway, I’m sure some people will disagree with me and that’s fine. Although Arsenal are clear at the top, this is partly down to the rest of the PL being a bit shit this season. City aren’t quite on it, Villa blow hot and cold, Liverpool started well and then stopped, Man Utd & Chelsea are up and down. Spurs? Well at least that’s one thing we can all agree on…
I really want us to win the league, it’s been such a long time. We might still do it of course and I’ll look back on this email and wonder what I was thinking. But, right now, unless Arsenal can somehow find a reliable goalscorer in the January window, I can see us falling short again.
Not enough goals will result in too many draws and City won’t be average for long.
Stu – oddly pessimistic – Gooner in France
The floppiest strikers ahoy
Will Ford posited in his article “It’s genuinely hard to remember any striker having such little impact, particularly if we’re subscribing to the silver-lining cliche used to excuse flopping strikers since the dawn of time”.
I give him Fernando Torres. On second thought, I’ll do him one better and share my list of the floppiest strikers to ever record a shot on/ off target in the EPL.
1. Fernando Torres (Chelsea)
2. Andriy Shevchenko (Chelsea)
3. Andy Carroll (Liverpool)
4. Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea – second spell)
5. Radamel Falcao (Man United / Chelsea)
6. Álvaro Morata (Chelsea)
7. Alexis Sánchez (Man United)
8. Gonzalo Higuaín (Chelsea)
9. Timo Werner (Chelsea)
10. Ali Dia (Southampton)
11. Bafétimbi Gomis (Swansea City)
12. Wilfried Bony (Man City)
13. Afonso Alves (Middlesbrough)
Dishonourable mention – Victor Gyokeres (Arsenal)
Important Caveat: Most of these players were world-class elsewhere, victims of poor tactical fit, injuries, or pressure and proof that Premier League adaptation is brutal.
Gaptoothfreak, Man. Utd., New York (I have nothing against Chelski, promise but my gosh, they do produce a f*** ton of wack strikers)
Arsenal are a point better off though…
I just finished watching Villa v Everton and I must say, another good result for Arsenal. I do want to hear 2 points dropped, bottom line we are a point better now.
Those that are complaining and saying we dropped points, are delusional. No team is guaranteed a win. Yesterday was just not our day, just like Villa was not theirs today.
I am worried about next week’s game against United, I can see them playing even better than they did against City and I think we will be caught out with their counter attack football.
Gyokeres, need to be benched and I still say, he won’t even get to 15 goals.
Lwazi, South Africa
Some Man Utd thoughts
Few thoughts following what has been a pretty wild few weeks, even for the circus at United:
– How can a team have 70% of the ball and manage 1 shot on goal? More crucially: how has Pep achieved so much in football with such a low tolerance for risk?
– Despite our age of analytics and tactics boards, football is pretty simple in the immediate term. Vibes and effort go a very, very long way. Since getting rid of Amorim, United have created absolutely bucket loads of high scoring chances, without time for any real coaching. Worth remembering when chat about inverting fullbacks and patterns of play dominate. Trying harder than your opponents is often all it takes.
– Do fans of any club think Anthony Taylor doesn’t hate them? United statistically get historically low results when he is in charge, and he just seems to relish it. Absolute world class ref-trolling when he doesn’t give an obvious, edge-of-the-box foul for Dorgu and then gleefully whips out a yellow at the inevitable next United challenge.
– Does anyone know what the final goal was ruled out for? What happened to the ‘Wirtz tolerance’?
– The lack of respect for Bruno Fernandes is genuinely odd at this point. No player in Europe has created more chances in the past 5 seasons, for a terrible team. He’s constantly at the top of the G/A chats, even deployed as a central midfielder. The esteemed Guardian has him at 55th in their top, some 20 spots behind, checks notes – Gyokeres – and broadly in line with Eze and Estevao. Wild.
– City have signed 10 first team players in the last 12 months or so, for about half a billion. Wasn’t there something about a court case for cheating or am I imagining the whole thing?
Ryan, Bermuda (Dorgu and Doku being in the same position in the same game is wonderful)
Let’s not get carried away on Man Utd
Too many people getting carried away after one fantastic performance. Will fans ever learn? No.
It was great, let’s enjoy it but let’s not pretend Champions league is a shoe in already.
Carrick did what most managers would do, he put round pegs in round holes and played to the teams strengths. On top of that he played the way fans want to see the team. play. We haven’t seen this since Ole took the helm with the big difference here that the first XI is significantly better than under Ole and we also have more depth which we’ll need towards the end of the season.
I do think Champions league football is a realistic aim bit we’re going to have to play consistently well and also learn how to beat the teams that park the bus.
I do think Amorim deserves some credit as some of the good tight passing play was what he’s been drilling into them. He also got sacked after a bad run of games that coincided with half our best attacking players being at afcon, no surprise we were better when they returned.
We have a tough run of games to come so let’s see how we’re playing and how we’re looking after the next 4 or 5 games…
Jon, Cape Town
Is the Premier League strong or weak?
I saw Minty’s email on the Prem being shite. I had wondered the same thing. It’s hard to know.
Is it terrible because the top teams can be outplayed by clubs considered in crisis or lower down the league or with smaller budgets?
Or is it in fact the opposite? It’s great precisely because that can happen?
One way to measure is perhaps to compare to European competitions. A glance at the current Champions League table shows 6 English clubs in the top 13 positions – almost half. 2 German, 1 French, 2 Italian, 2 Spanish ahead of the Prem’s lowest positioned team. So what does that say about the other leagues, if the Prem dominates the top Champions League positions? (I know, still a couple of games to go and many teams are on similar points – but still.)
Over the last few years I would say the clubs outside the ‘big six’ have been smarter in their buying, strengthening squads and hiring smart managers/coaches. They have a structure and a plan and on any given day can take the game to the top clubs. City is trying to address this by doing a ‘Bayern’ and swooping the best talent from those clubs – weakening them in the process.
If there is one constant it is that no matter how talented a team, you cannot reduce the intensity and focus for a minute.
Last year Liverpool won in the first 2/3s of the season by exerting game control. Managing the opposition intensity, winning second balls, pressing well, staying focused and not giving much away. This started to fall apart as teams found a way to get at Liverpool with balls over the top. And when Liverpool’s intensity dropped from relying on a small cadre of the squad and exhausting them. City still continue to be up and down. Not sure why. But the recent squad evolution has brought in some extremely talented players and Guardiola is struggling to evolve his extreme control style to accommodate players who can run hot and cold. Semenyo , the consistent, all action player, seemingly the antidote. But clearly not after that whipping from United.
Will we ever see the 100 point season again?
Paul McDevitt
What PSR has done to Villa
Midway through second half and Sky musing over Villa’s bench having a lack of firepower due to sales.
Is this not what they wanted in the league? Managers like Emery, Glasner are making wine from water due to PSR and other clubs like City, Chelsea, United and Liverpool can just buy a vineyard when injuries hit them.
Paul
PS. Emi Martinez most overrated keeper in the world.
Do Liverpool need to act now?
After watching Liverpool v Burnley on Saturday, I’m both worried and annoyed. Let me explain.
When Klopp took over in October 2015, none of that first XI started the 2019 CL final, and only five of that first squad were in the matchday squad at all. Over those first 3½ years, Klopp and Edwards built a team where the following were arguably among the top five in Europe in their positions: Alisson, Trent, Robbo, VVD, Fabinho, Salah, Mané, Firmino.
That foundation led to the Premier League win and the historic 38-game run where they earned 110 points from 114. I’ve never seen better football in my 48 years. The drop in 20/21 was due to losing all senior CBs, but they still finished third. I still love Alisson’s header and his beautiful interview.
The 21/22 team was just two goals away from winning all four trophies, a fact often forgotten. Euro top-five players that season: Alisson, Trent, Robbo, Konaté, VVD, Fabinho, Salah, Mané, Díaz, with Firmino and Thiago when fit.
The following season, leavers and an ageing midfield caused the fifth-place finish. Still, that summer, Klopp kept the core and had the pull to sign Mac Allister, Gravenberch, and Szoboszlai. The 23/24 team showed promise in all competitions until April, when injuries and exhaustion hit. The title-winning side’s Euro top-five players: Alisson, Trent, Konaté, VVD, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Salah, Díaz.
However, this summer, Handsome Hughes seems to have completely revolutionised the squad rather than evolved it. We lost three forwards (RIP Diogo) and bought two who play very differently. Proven first-team and crucial fringe players were sold or loaned, replaced by undoubted talent, but talent that needs time to settle. To paraphrase George Washington in Hamilton: “Buying is easy; creating a team is harder.”
Selling Díaz made financial sense, but not replacing him with a similar outlet was poor planning. Hughes’s strategy has brought in half a team of starters; Kerkez, Frimpong, Ekitike, Isak, and Wirtz, all of whom need to learn about each other and, along with the rest of the squad, find a new style that can win. Add dips in form from Konaté, Mac Allister, and Salah, plus questionable reliance on Gomez and Bradley staying fit, and we have the “perfect storm” of shiteness we’re watching. Do we even have a Euro top-five player this season? Thanks, Richard!
Urgency and style are lacking, though slightly improved over the last two games. But do the players fully believe in Slot? By virtue of winning the league last year, he was the right choice to succeed Klopp, but does he have the drive to carry the team and fans through this difficult period? Jurgen inspired players and fans to “run through walls.” The 2005 CL semi-final aside, my favourite crowd moment was the Reds fans singing Allez, Allez, Allez in the League Cup final in 2024. This was a fan base that had grown to believe, through Klopp, that they should and must help the team in any way they can. It was a spine-tingling rendition. That buy-in started when Klopp criticised the crowd for leaving, and a few weeks later asked the team to thank them for staying against West Brom, a move he was ridiculed for at the time.
Does Slot have, or could he ever gain, that respect and fan buy-in? Or, do Handsome Hughes and Silent Edwards want him to?
The executives face a tricky few weeks. If Slot isn’t the long-term answer, why wait until the season’s end to act? Other clubs have acted decisively; hesitation may cost Liverpool Champions League football and a top manager next season.
Ian H
READ: Slot, Carrick, Guardiola among 10 PL managers likely to leave their clubs before next season
It’s the hope that breaks you at West Ham
While winning at Spurs is always a highlight of any season, I’m more happy with the performance.
It was initially difficult to see Pablo and Taty as anything other than panic buys, and that may still turn out to be the case. But for now they have succeeded in doing two things. Having 2 fresh, young and keen new players who are not (yet) tarnished with the current WH stench have freshened things up and added a new energy. And finally having 2 forwards up the pitch means we look far more balanced.
We pressed well (for us) and didn’t constantly drop too deep, a disease caught from Moyes then reinforced by Potter, which meant that we were first to many loose balls and seemed to always have passing options available. Fernandez was fantastic and Somerville looked dangerous. Even Todibo looked quick and strong and, dare I say it, Mavrapanos had a good game, certainly an upgrade on Kilman anyway. Baby steps….. but it was certainly enough for me to tell my sons about time we signed Hartson and Kitson in very similar circumstances. If the second half of this season is even half as fun as 1997 I’ll be happy.
Couldn’t sign off without a word on poor old Spuds. Particularly in the first half I was desperate to blurt out how incredible awful they were, but I didn’t want to jinx us. But holy moly they are a mess! We have plenty of experience of wasted cash of course, but Spuds are operating on a completely different level. All that money for “that”?? Second to everything, short passes misplaced all over the field, almost zero threat in the final third. I was shocked at how easily we dominated. And that’s even without the ‘head-down, blind-alley chasing’ Mr Kudus.
It’s laughable that some still apparently consider themselves to be part of a Big Six. In the 80s Everton were very much part of the “Big Four”, but then they became terrible, and therefore they stopped being part of a Big anything. My other question is to ask whether or not, juuuust maybe, last season Spuds might not actually have been purposefully throwing games so as to focus on the Europa. Maybe (clue, they were) they were just a bit sh!t.
Mike, WHU (surprised it’s 8pm Sunday and still no Tickner article. Come on Dave, cheer up lad, I want to feel your pain sir!)
AFCON a joke
This final’s set African football back 50-100 years. Shambolic & disgusted.
This cannot be a real tournament that can be respected with this level of refereeing, refs having no control over the game, managers inciting the players. The game has been brought into absolute disrepute. Just trash all around. It’s so sad to see. Was really hoping for a tournament that would see African football shine. But it’s worse that what you’d see on the worst of the streets in the world.
No matter who won, football has lost. An absolute shame.
Aman
…Infantino at the AFCON final, “Don’t worry your highness, it’s all paid for as agreed”
Lady Karma, and she IS a lady, “F**k you Giani, you grotesque, slimy, money grubbing, soulless little abomination”
RHT/TS x
(Love when Billy Big Bollox Real Madrid players get exactly what they deserve too)
…And that is why African Football will not be taken seriously. Embarrassing scenes for the final, people need to be held accountable for this disgrace.
Duncan (South Africa)
