Great Arsenal summer additions. Five aspects of our game to improve on this season.

60 thoughts on “Great Arsenal summer additions. Five aspects of our game to improve on this season.”

• Just my thoughts, and please add yours. 🙂

• Nice to see you back, Total. I hope you had (and still have) a pleasant summer.

  My thought are easily deductible from my past BK activity, though. 🙂
  I think some additions were excellent and absolutely necessary, but I have to admit I’m less enthusiatic about some others.

  To be less cryptic I find Zubimendi a vitally important reinforcement. He is a grat player, and since Arteta has been a long-time admirer of him, it was important that he/we could sign him finally.
  Similarly Kepa was a low-cost & high-quality addition. I sincerely hope that he will play more than Neto did last season. But Kudos to Berta, if this solution was his idea.

  I am also happy with Gyökeres. Probably my least important factor is that I belong to the narrow minority who can pronounce his name (and have the default characters on my keyboard to type it). But he was also my preferred choice among the Gyökeres-Sesko-Isak-Ekitiké-Watkins quintette, I hope he will have an instant impact. I’m less optimistic about the scenario where Arteta finds a line-up/tactic where Havertz can play alongside Viktor (preferably in a Bergkampesque ‘secondary striker’ role), but you never know. I mean I think it would be great if they could play together and to have a different formation than the default 4-3-3 / 4-2-3-1, but I’m not sure if Arteta agrees.

  Unfortunately that sums up my happness about the recent signings. Not that I would think that either Norgaard, Madueke or Mosquera are poor players. On the contrary. And probably are decent people, too. But I’m still in favor of the small squad + decent minutes to everyone + maximizing development model, and from that point of view none of those transfers were necessary.

  In my highly unpopular opinion 7 defenders are comfortably enough – especially as White, Timber and Calafiori can play both on the flanks and in the center, and Kiwior is not too bad at LB either. So I find Mosquera to be a solution to a phantom problem. He is young, talented and suprisingly experienced for his age, but if Saliba can stay fit for the season, then it is a question whether he will receive enough opportunities to continue his development and elevate his ceiling. However it is not that complicated of a question, but I might be the only one to say/imply the inevitable answer.
  Furthermore if you are interested (maybe even committed) in the development of the absolute elite of the Hale End academy, our 2 generational talents there – which you have every right and reason not to be – then you will see that with Mosquera in the squad there are no minute left for Salmon.

  As far as Norgaard is concerned I think he will slot into the team easily. He is a nice guy and a decend midfielder – and unlike Mosquera, Madueke, Nwaneri and the academy boys he doesn’t need minutes for further development – but I think we didn’t need a second #6 to begin with. Even with Rice transitioning into a left-sided box-to-box midfielder (#8) he could have helped out if and when Zubimendi is injured, suspended or resting, and despite Lewis-Skelly’s dream start at LB, I did not give up yet on the vision that he could be coached to become a Kante-esque beast of a defensive midfielder. I’m happy to admit that Norgaard was an affordable and decent quality (at 31) addition to the squad, and hope that you have the decency to admit, that before the first rumor about Arsenal being interested in the Dane NOBODY have suggested that his future lies at Arsenal. Not in this fine community, nor anywhere else in the globe.

  Madueke is a really good player (maybe not exceptionally, but opinions vary), and it is absolutely not his fault that we bought him at 150% of his market value or that we didn’t need such a marquee signing at his position. And since he is a gooner now, my best wishes for him. But he also eliminates any chance that Dowman has to establish himself to the first team, and also limits Nwaneri to be solely Odegaard’s understudy, which means 1000-1500 minute tops, even without Eze.

  Does it mean I would have signed neither of Mosquera, Norgaard, Madueke nor anybody else? Not quite. I fully agree with TA that we need to elevate out left side. So I would have gone for one (!) attacker who could compete with Martinelli at LW, competent at the middle, and maybe could also help out Saka if needed. There aren’t many players with this profile, and Cunha, Kudus and J. Pedro have been sold already, but Simons or Eze would still fit the profile.

  So I think we should focus on the outgoing transfers (Zinchenko, Trossard and unfortunately all the lads who were on loan last season), and sign Eze, Barcola or Simons if we must. But I still maintain that unpopular and irritating view that a Simons/Martinelli + Rice/Merino + Zubimendi/MLS + Odegaard/Nwaneri + Saka/Dowman/Nwaneri group could cover the 3 midfield + 2 winger positions. Even if MLS plays LB (where he is not as good as Calafiori) and Dowman plays the majority of the season with the U21 team there is depths and quality to the players. Because in my view we didn’t struggle last season because we had a small squad, but because Jorginho, Sterling, (sometimes even) Trossard wasn’t at the required level, Nwaneri was a year younger and Merino was tied up as our sole attacker.

  Anyway, I’m not a glass half empty guy, but rather “a glass half full also means it’s half empty” guy, so I’m generally happy that Arteta got the players he wanted, so he could really show this season what he can do with a deep and competent enough team. Let’s hope nobody gets injured for an extensive period of time, and I accept that despite their pre-season heroics Salmon and Dowman will not play much part this season. Maybe at 15-16 they really shouldn’t, but the blocking factors of Mosquera (20) and MAdueke (23) will still pose a difficult obstacle to overcome in 2-3 years time.

  My apologies for the painfully long comment, always.

• Hi P,

  Good to hear from you. I can see your points re some of the extra signings. Norgaard is the new Jorginho, I reckon. Back-up, ready to go, and allows Arteta to do tactical tweaks for key games.

  Madueke is ready back up for Saka and probably for Martinelli. expensive indeed, The youngsters are still a bit too young to bank on them, but they will get game time. Ethan for example struggled against Newcastle, and we need to give him time.

  Mosquero looks like a shrewd investment, and there is a risk that we will lose a top CB in the next 1-12 months. We have seen now that Arteta will play the youngsters regularly when they are ready, but for now he is getting the balance to be right.

  I also expect the club to let a few more players go before the TW shuts.

• Welcome back, TA. Instructive thoughts. I hope to make my additions later today.

• Nice to have you back on the horse, Total. I trust those saddle sores have healed up, and the ride this season will be easier on you body and soul.
  Kev and I have enjoyed a little input to the last post you made before your summer recess.

  Let me have a go at it, PB: Yuhkehresh. The lack of a hacek above the “s” might mean I got the final syllable wrong, but I feel in my bones that it needs one.
  I also feel in my bones that this lad is going to bang for us. I was in the Sesko camp but have come around in my thinking. The way Kai has muscled up over the summer means we have two fella’s with the build of prize fighters to play up top, two great targets for crosses and set pieces, and, with Jesus coming into the frame (if he stays) we have some seriously serious options in attack.
  If we get Eze over the line and tie down Big Will to a new contract this could be considered our best transfer window and perhaps even our best squad in the last twenty years.
  Spuds for breakfast on Friday morning.

• Look fed to it, Erismus.

• Thanks Stu and Kev for your over the summer comments at the end of the then penultimate post.

• I see you are as optimistic as ever, TA. And don’t get me wrong, I honestly hope that time will prove you right. You all know me, I always prefer the smart transfer (like Saliba, Gabriel, Timber, Odegaard) when we recognize a player’s true value and potential over the mega-money signings like Rice, Havertz or Zubimendi, when we (over)pay the market value for a top-shelf player. Not because I don’t appreciate them – I love them all – but because “everybody can” break the bank for Grealish, Caicedo, Marmoush or Anthony, but the real art lies in identifying the opportunity (the hidden gem) everybody else missed.

  So believe me, I would be as proud as you are (or even prouder) if Mosquera would turn up to be the next Saliba. I just know that he won’t. And not because Cristhian lacks talent. I have no problem accepting/assuming that the 20y Mosquera is just as talented as 20y Saliba was. But the unprecedented – maybe even unforeseen – rise of William was not a product of his talent and will only, but the fact that (after his first sabotaged months of his Arsenal career) he played 7400 competitive top league first team minutes in a season and a half. He was already an elite level defender and an established French international with 7 senior caps before he played his first game in an Arsenal jersey.

  Can Mosquera become an undisputed Spanish international and compete with Cubarsi, Huijsen and Le Normad for the starting places (just like Saliba did with Konaté, Upamecano, Varane and Pavard)? Of course he can. Will he become one? I don’t think so – not without the 7400 minutes. Forget about Salmon; let’s file him under the weird passion of LG and me (or Kev in his better days), and focus only on Mosquera. He can be the next Saliba, true. He can be the next Kiwior too, a decent defender who rarely disappoints, but is generally dissatisfied for the lack of opportunities (which come in cup ties and in the rare cases of a starting CB being unavailable). And he can be the next Tavares, a talented player we were similarly enthusiastic when arrived, but after a few opportunities and imperfect loans eventually became a wasted talent until Lazio rediscovered him and bought for abouth one-fourth of his value.

  I really hope for the Saliba-path, just not too convinced. Especially because in the unfortunate and sad scenario that William leaves for Real Madrid in the next transfer window, we both know that Mosquera will not take his place. Maybe under Wenger… But Arteta will be under huge pressure, so the funds from RM (~80M) would be reinvested to buy a top20 CB – Murillo, Guéhi, Brantwaithe, Diomande – so Cristhian will find himself on the bench (and Salmon sidelined).

• Gyokeres looks to me to be a combo of Van Persie and Podolski. A player with thrust and fight and a hammer of a shot who will take defenders on and will create space for others. It will be oh so Swede.

• Hi Stu, I like – and share – your hope for Gyökeres. Maybe he will introduce himself against Tottenham with a goal. 🙂

  I acknowledge and appreciate Sesko’s talent, but he usually played behind or along Openda (which explains his inferior attacking yield compared to not only Gyökeres, but every other top-shelf striker), so Ben wouldn’t only have to adapt to the speed and physicality of the PL, but also to become the single attacker. And he rejected Arsenal a few times (although that doesn’t make him any worse player), so it was easy to go with Gyökeres, who was honored by our club’s interest.

  Anyway, it seems Sesko will join Newcastle, where he will be supported by Gordon and Elanga – which is almost as good as Saka and Madueke – so we’ll see which striker adapts better to the PL, the new club and the respective football philosophy. And we’ll also see whether the decreased number of goals expected from Gyökeres due to the better opposing defenders would still be higher than the increased number of of goals expected from Sesko due to playing the sole CF in a better team and becoming a year more mature.

  But I’m not worried. And similarly welcome the competition from Havertz, although would prefer to see Kai in a different position from time to time.

• It took me one look at Mosquero to know he will be feared by all attackers in no time. Trust the process, PB.

• “Home, home again
  I like to be here when I can
  When I come home cold and tired
  It’s good to warm my bones beside the fire”
  … the dawning of a new era of Bergkampesque it is !!
  I posted this on “Highbury House” yesterday (very welcoming host, and very nice, thought-provoking Arsenal fans there too). Don’t find it irrelevant to post it here again this morning:

  “Provided MA sticks to his 4-2-3-1, if the League was to get going tomorrow, we’d probably have:
  (Team A):
  Raya
  Timber-Saliba-Gabriel-LewisSkelly
  Zubimendi-Rice
  Saka-Ødegaard-Martinelli
  Gyökeres
  (Team B):
  Kepa
  White-Mosquera-Kiwior-Calafiori
  Nørgaard-Merino
  Madueke-Nwaneri-Trossard
  Havertz
  So the”right-footed left-sided player” looks like the (relatively) weak spot indeed … first because Trossard will be 31 soon, and has given us everything he could give, while Martinelli has reached his ceiling for quite some time imo (just as the next fan, I have nothing but praise in store about the lad’s 100% commitment, but his defensive output becoming regularly more celebrated than his goals-assists is the sure sign of a problem isn’t it?). Actually, the one I’d have loved us to keep home would have been Reiss …
  I agree with Eze being an upgrade too, if only in terms of inspiration-creativity; actually I’d have nothing against two recruits in that position. My favourite would have been Marmoush, but his ship has sailed to other, more oily, shores last winter; then there is Barcola, but there’s no way we could match PSG’s wages, or so I think, and lastly the one I like a lot is Lookman, another London boy who is a real game-changer.
  As for Dowman-Salmon, Kev could testify that I love nothing more than the promotion of a Hale End lad to first team, but … I’d rather they were protected again this season. They will train with the big boys, and along with a whole U21 season this will be enough for them to keep improving, building their confidence, while being closely looked after by the coaching staff, and kept out of harm’s way (the PL big boy’s challenges) for at least one more season.
  Ideally, the club will take the Youth League seriously this time – maybe the EFL trophy too – and if our two kids can go through all of this unharmed (and victorious – a Youth League trophy would be a tremendous achievement), they’ll be ready for the next, decisive step … next season.”

  Once the left-flank is fixed, (I’d love us to bring Lucas Hernandez over too btw, we could do with an actual LB imo – that’s what Kev wrote on “HH” lately, and I agree with him), this is going to be one of the best squads we’ve had in … what? … decades? The pressure on MA will be huge, and if we don’t bring home either the PL or the CL, his boat might rock hard …
  P., I think Mosquera is indeed the club’s plan in case Bill should give us the slip (which Will will, there’s no way he and our Yankee sugar daddys will turn down Real’s “offer-you-can’t-refuse” when they make it, really meaning business).
  And … I think it might prove to be a very clever move, tbh. If Mosquera is the player he’s rumoured to be, he’ll do very well in the PL, thus allowing Salmon to benefit from the two seasons he still needs to be PL-ready (one with the U21s … see above, one with as many cameos as possible in cups, as well as full games against PL cannon fodder) – so that we could then sell Mosquera, cash in a nice profit out of this, and give Marli the keys to our back-four, so as to kickstart his Adams-O’Leary-type career in the red-and-white).
  How’s that for an optimistic return, lads?
  PS (not so optimistic): is your partition of Paradise Islands in the tsunami danger zone, Stu?

• We are a long way from Kamchatka, mon ami, but we should find out around midnight.

• Merci beaucoup, Duc de Normandy.

  Those are two awesome lineups. That second team would finish in the PL top 8 imo.

  I can see Madueke start in the first 11. He is left footed and thus can feed Gyo, who likes to drift to the left, quicker and more accurate with his left foot than Martinelli with his right foot. I expect Trossard to leave us given the rumours.

• Welcome back, LG!

  I also like the lineups, and see that there are indeed no place for Zinchenko and the Vieira-Nelson-Lokonga-Hein quartette, but I understand the pressure on winning games. So even if we sign Eze, Simons or Barcola Trossard should indeed go (assuming we’ll be fine with 2 sets of strong XI, which I always advocate). Barcola maked €127k in Paris (I’m not sure if it’s gross or net), which we won’t find difficult to double, even without disrupting the dressing room balance. But PSG’s asking price could be really difficult – however he could become a title decider signing. Besides demoting Martinelli to team B the only drawback would be that the “we didn’t spend €60M on Madueke only to have a backup for Saka” would quickly turn out to be a lie, but most of the fans won’t mind it a bit, myself included.

  I’m still not convinced that Mosquera could (and should) become our first choice RCB in a year, but I’ve been wrong a few times already. We’ll see how much time he gets and how much his market value will rise throughout the season. I like that you are optimistic about Marlon’s chances, but if Saliba stays (which is not a bad scenario) or if leaves and gets replaced by a new signing Salmon will struggle finding opportunities alongside Mosquera, regardless of the official communication about ‘that Arteta will play the youngsters regularly when they are ready’. I hope it will not come to that but it could be catch-22 all over again.

  Back to Gyökeres, I watched a compilation of his league goals from last year, and to be honest none were as glorious or elegant as the one he scored in today’s training in Hong Kong. In Sporting Viktor bagged chances that if Havertz, Martinelli or Saka had missed, I wouldn’t have blamed them at all. “The angle wasn’t good enough. I wouldn’t even call it a half-chance.” So he’s not as spectacular as Giroud or Sanchez, but he is prolific and surgically converts the small xGs into goals. Which we need – in my opinion – like a rooster needs the break of dawn.

• “Like a rooster needs the break of dawn”. Nice one, PB.

• Great to have Granit back kin the PL. Smart move by Sunderland.

• Eze rumours getting stronger. What a return that would be.

• Raya
  White-Saliba-Kiwior-LewisSkelly
  Nørgaard-Rice
  Saka-Ødegaard-Martinelli
  Havertz

  Setford, Rojas – Nichols – Zinchenko – Mosquera, Salmon – Merino – Kabia, Dowman – Lokonga, Copley, Zubimendi – Gyökeres, HarrimanAnnous – Nwaneri – Trossard, Nelson

  Kepa? Calafiori? Gabriel? Timber? Any news about them?

  You-know-who:

  Vicario
  Porro-Romero-VandeVen-Spence
  Sarr-Bentancur
  Kudus-Bergvall-Odobert
  Richarlison

  (Bissouma, Son, Tel, Maddsion, … benched)

  Looks like the 2 managers mean business – just hope no injury will be picked up in this “friendly”
  COYG

• LG when you have such an emerging talent as we have with Dowman it’s difficult to hold them back, even if you want to protect them from being chewed up and spat by our ravenous media, he is after all still a 15 year old who is due back at school to finish his education and do his exams.

  The clamour to get him into the match day squad and onto the pitch will be loud and raucous especially by those who look for any excuse to criticise the club, Arteta, Mertesaker the man selling programmes, you know the drill. It’s all very tedious.

  Arteta has a seriously strong squad now, even if four of five leave over the next month and he has to given opportunities to the more senior players to keep them mentally engaged and ticking over in case we need them due to suspensions and injuries, you simply cannot overload a 15 year old regardless of talent. But I’m confident that Mikel will give him plenty of tasters as and when the opportunity arises.

  Welcome back Frank

• Looking fwd to this, Legall. Nice to be able to watch Norgaard again.

• I was about to write “we wouldn’t have anything to complain about if we were one goal down, would we?” when Sarr … Looks to me Myles was fouled, but the replays were no help at all. Post-water break the game had turned out into something very messy, and then the ball Raya passed to surrounded-by-3-Myles, right in the center of the pitch, wasn’t exactly a friendly gift.
  But most of all I wish our keeper we more dominant in his 6-yard-box. There was this French GK from the 50s, Remetter; my father liked him a lot, and used to tell me that on the way to the pitch he’d always tell the opponents’ CF “see those 2 fists, one is for the ball, the other for your face” (he’d say “pour ta gueule” in fact) – David should get (a lil’) inspiration from this …
  There’s still some way to go for our right flank to be as deadly effective as they used to be; Ben in particular has had a hard time keeping Odobert on a leash (he’s a very good, creative player, Wilson). I think Nørgaard was good again, I like the way he stays very high on the pitch when we’re dispossessed, and doesn’t run back to our box in a panic; there are many aspects of his game which remind me of MA – the player – actually.
  COYG
  PS: I like this home kit a lot, I couldn’t never get used to last season’s blue stripes

• A good practice for all involved, except Trossard who hopefully isn’t too badly injured.

  Spuds played with low block and on the counter, and we didn’t crack them to be fair. Plenty of half chances but still missing the real desire to push through a goal. This will come, especially with Gyokeres in the team now.

  Points 3,4 and 5 in the post above still a work in progress.

• TA, fine post and subsequent comments, all-round. The points you made are quite relevant in the circumstances and for sure, a few areas shall remain a work-in-progress until we gel again.
  Let’s not forget we are missing Gabriel, Timber and the missing pieces that were Partey and Jorginho (for his dressing room motivation). In addition, the speculations over the future of some players like Zinch, Trossard, Martinelli, Nelson and Kiwior cannot help matters, seeing as they have all come on the trip. The hard work starts from next week when the lads return to base and resume tactical sessions. With time, the team will have to adapt to the newbies and find new ways of achieving needed cohesion.

  It’s going to be a long and eventful season ahead, with each EPL side ready to make a fist of it.

• To the Game yesterday, vs the Tots, I thought Thomas Frank has already succeeded in stiffening them up at the back; they also gave us some of that Brentford aggression and physicality and it looked like we weren’t willing to match them. For them, it was a cup final in which they were willing to get hurt or hurt others. The Ref allowed too much as well and with a long season ahead, I feel we should put this game behind us but learn from it.

  Thomas Frank knew a thing or two about Raya and seemed to have his players target him at set pieces, causing him to grasp air a couple of times. We have to assume other sides will do the same and have a plan to protect the keeper. Raya has to appreciate his positioning when making intricate passes into channels; if MLS is in line with the last man, that was too risky a pass to him, as it left Raya at sea.

  We have to get our new midfielders bedded fast so as to have better cohesion as that helps the unity of play we crave this season. Our right side is returning to its best with Ben White and Saka keeping things ticking over; we have to create the same on the left and vary things when against teams who set up to nullify our wingers.
  I am not too worried about this result (though, it is never good to lose to that lot), so long as we learn from it.

• By the way, I thought Richarlison tripped Saka for their goal and with VAR, that goal would be chalked off.

  I also loved the new corner kick routine Nicholas Jover seems to be coming up with. I have always advocated variations to the routine since teams have caught on and copying the last one.

• Sharp observations, Eris. Definitely work to be done in defending corners and supporting Raya. I also liked our corner routines, and I think a fit again Big Gab will make a huge difference. Kiwior is a fine back up but the Brazilian monster is the real deal.

  I am worried about the fitness issues so many of our full and centre backs seem to have. Hopefully this will change.

• Yes Eris, Thomas Frank has more players to choose from now with a higher level of quality, he worked wonders at Brentford and I think they’ll struggle this season.

  Future NLD’s are going to see a return to the unpredictability of the past because of Frank’s coaching. It will be interesting to see how the Totts do in general but against us it’s going to be a return to the classic 50/50 contest.

• Not too many conclusions to be drawn from a pre-season defeat, obviously … all the less so since I had problem logging in for the 2nd half (just saw the last 20 minutes)!
  However (to be stressed, Bill-Burr-style) I think point 4 will considerably grow in importance, should a few disappointing results come our way between August 17th (day 1) and September 28th (day 6).
  I wish we had used these pre-season games to try out an Ødegaard-less plan “B”, otherwise we’ll get caught with our pants down and will have to improvise, should our (high) expectations not be met as soon as the season gets underway.
  (For what it’s worth, of course, and what do I know? indeed), there’d be a solution to bring in Gyökeres while keepin’ on keepin’ on with the three above-mentioned players (Kai and Merino scored 24 in what? half a season?): when I take a look at our squad, I can’t help but think of the following 4-3-1-2 XI:
  Raya (Kepa)
  Timber (White ) – Saliba – Gabriel – LewisSkelly (Calafiori)
  Merino – Zubimendi (Nørgaard) – Rice
  Saka
  Gyökeres – Havertz (Jesus, Nwaneri)
  I don’t think we’d have so few shots on target with the four of Merino-Kai-Bukayo-BigSwede being on together; and yes, I have a dream of seeing Bukayo released from his endless 1v2 in the RW short spaces , and been given full responsibility of playmaking, scoring, assisting …
  He’s about to turn 24, it’s high time we acknowledged his Messi-at-Barcelona level of importance for us and gave him the possibility to express himself throughout the whole depth and width of the pitch, or so I think anyway (and I like Martin, I really do! – but professional team sports are about hard choices, aren’t they?)

• Hey guys i am back!

  To TA, i will be in Edinburgh on 10th to 14th August.

  As of yesterday’s match, i am not happy about how the lads played while they were under pressure.. the gremlins are still around!

  Hopefully the new recruits will gel in time for the coming season.

  Cheers
  JK

• Didn’t Nwaneri start instead of Odegaard in the Milan and Newcastle games?

• Take him out for a haggis, Total.

  Love to see Bukuyu have a crack at that, LG. Give Noni a chance to strut his stuff or perhaps make room for young Max to make some cameos out on the right.

  My women’s team won their first silver ware of the season, the Northland Challenge Cup, beating current Champions Onerahi 2-0, their first home defeat in three seasons. And for PB who loves his stats, we have kept eight clean sheets in our first nine games.

• That is a fine looking lineup, Legallis. Bukayo as a free man is mouthwatering. Kai and Gyo on top together,like a Shearer and Sutton, is also appealing.

  Kev is right, we did start with Ethan against the muddy magpies. Hr did look lost to me in that first half, though.

  I am hoping that Gyokeres will help Martin to be much more effective, and the same goes for Martinelli/Madueke. Time will tell.

  My most critical question is about one of my favourite players: Rice. Are ww getting the best out of him in the current (midfield) system of play?

• Good to hear from you, 84. If you would like to meet up for a hot drink or a wee whisky just email me at @gmail.com and we sort something out.

• Didn’t know you had that many women, Stu. 😄

  Congrats.

• I think a bit of patience with the new midfield dept is the way to go, losing Partey and Jorginho and replacing them with Zubimendi and Nordgaard isn’t going to click straight away, I also wonder if the coaches have tweaked Declan’s role from last season given the changes we’ve been attempting in preseason in order to circumvent the ubiquitous low block?

  I’m quite sure that we will see a far more rounded version of the team we’re going to be seeing this season vs Villarreal and Athletic. You don’t want to give up all of your tactical secrets against Premier League opposition in friendly games straight away.

  Rob Holding has finally moved to the United States and joined MLS team Colorado Rapids, no doubt delighting his rather attractive Latin American girlfriend. Rob was once a key member of many of Arsene Wenger’s latter day defences and was so until his cruciate injury at Old Toilet, he also played a key role alongside Per Mertesaker in lifting the last trophy Wenger won as a manager. A lot of revisionist Arsenal fans enjoy disrespecting Rob, which is their way and a character trait, but I’m personally pleased for him that he has got this ‘break’ after two frustrating years at Selhurst Park.

• Apparently Max Dowman is eligible to play Premier League and League Cup this season but can’t play Champions League until December.

• Agreed Kev, early days and next two games will be interesting.

  Nice one for Rob, always liked his attitude.

• There is something I keep hearing/reading from multiple sources. It’s not my theory, so if you strongly disagree you don’t have to consider my feelings. 🙂

  In the majority of our last 3 seasons we have been playing in 4-2-3-1. The 2 defensive midfielders (or #6 if you like) were Partey and Xhaka, and later Partey and Rice. The double pivot protected the defensive line, which gave the team stability, but limited their involvement in attacks. It’s a common motive in modern football, especially in the 4 defender + 3 attacker setup, that the midfield trio consist of 2 DMs (#6) and an attacking midfielder/playmaker (#10). Like how Kimmich and Thiago supported Müller/Musiala, Rodri and Fernandinho with KdB, Ndidi and Tielemans with Maddison, Fernandez & Caicedo with Palmer, Onana & Kamara with Rogers, Tchouaméni and Valverde supporting Bellingham.

  So it is not an obsolete approach by any means, but there is an alternative setup of the midfield trio that is becoming more popular. That is a single DM supported by 2 box-to-box midfleiders (#8) on both sides. That is what made PSG nearly unbeatable (Neves + Vitinha & Ruiz), that’s what Newcastle is doing (Guimaraes + Tonali & Joelinton), and it’s pretty common in Italy (Lobotka + Anguissa & McTominay, Fofana + Musah/RLC & Reijnders).

  That’s what Pep Guardiola is up to (although his 4-3-3 is closer to 4-1-4-1 with tht firepower he has at City), and that is where we are heading. In fact we have been playing 4-3-3 in the second part of last season, too. Arteta has a good track record transforming DMs into #8 as Xhaka was a remarkable success story, but he might be fcing an uphill battle. Rice was probably the planet’s best DM before transitioning to B2B, but regardless how good he is there are similarly great players in that role (Gavi, Barella, Vitinha, Mac Allistair), and there are a couple who are even better (Valverde, Pedri). Anyway, not being the world’s undisputed #1 is hardly a concern with Declan, however with Odegaard the picture is slightly different. He was an elite level AM, no question about that, but – reaching TA’s 5th point with a needlessly long introduction – he might not be playing attacking midfield any more. In fact, if those people I got this theory are right, we are not playing with a #10 any more, nor have we been much last season.
  https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/arsenal-fc/spielplan/verein/11/plus/0?saison_id=2024
  (see column ‘System of play’)

  I’m not saying this is trivially true, and I’m willing to accept that 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 are not disjunct categories especially as there are different variations in attacking and without the ball. Nevertheless I’m getting to accept this interpretation as it helps to explain that Martin didn’t forget how to play football, but he is being moved/transformed/forced into this more regulated and more disciplined position which hampered his creative performance. It also explains while we scored less goal and conceded more compared to the 23/24 season, even though we have better players and a more mature squad. But Arsenal might be changing to a modern formation, that needs more time or different players. We’ll see soon.

  It will be interesting how Zubimendi will take over Partey’s role and if his presence and control could allow Rice and Martin to roam more freely and creatively. I certainly hope so, because the pre-season games were not convincing. And Gyökeres could clearly help us converting chances into goals, but chance creation is not on him, but whoever playes among Saka, Martinelli, Havertz, Rice, Odegaard, Madueke, Nwaneri, etc.

• That’s a superb comment, PB. I think you nailed the current midfield challenge and development, and I cannot wait to see how Mikel will go about this, this season.

  I think you are on to something re Martin, and I hope he gets to play in a more advanced role this season. We need him to feed the attackers, and be a direct goal threat himself.

  With Zubi and Dec we have so much defensive cover that Ode should not have to go so deep, this season. The biggest issue fot me is how can we get the best out of Declan. Granit adjusted very well, and Martinelli benefitted tremendously from the Swiss’ last season. Declan is better defensively but he now needs to step up his attacking contributions. And how will Zubi support all of this? What a season is ahead of us!

• Not quite a harem, Total, now that Sarah is home, that is…

  Nice, Kev, Big Rob’s mastering of Costa in that ’15 cup final is a very fond memory. God bless him in this next stage of his career.

  Fine thoughts, PB. I’ve always maintained it’s formations for players not players for formations. Once Mikel knows what Zubi is all about, we’ll either see him as a six with two eights or in a double pivot, or a combo of the two determined by the opposition and the unfolding of a match.

  I’ve just booked my ticket for the Villa Real match, 5am kick off here in on the Celtic fringe.

• 5.am Stu, that mi amigo is dedication, I’ll be at work myself, but I’ll try to catch the Athletic game.

  Vieira to Stuttgart is looking a possibility, German clubs don’t seem to faff about like some. Selling to the Portuguese or Ottomans is a painful exercise in wasted energy.

  Getting a fee out of Fulham for Nelson is going to be a long drawn out affair I suspect, Arsenal’s reputation for selling cheap is going to be difficult to shake off, but it needs addressing.

• Good to hear you are reunited with Sarah, Stu.

  I watched a play staged by two female Kiwis at the Fringe in Edinburgh, yesterday. It’s called Alone and was brilliant. All Kiwi women I met in person have just been brilliant at what they do. Such high levels of professionalism and passion.

• Kev, it’s a shame Viera hasn’t worked out. There is talent but the physical presence is somehow missing.

• Total, just because Vieira is slight in stature is not really an excuse for being, let’s be honest, quite feeble on the pitch.

  You don’t expect him to crunch into challenges like his namesake Patrick, nobody expected that, but if you lack heart, if you lack courage even, you cannot hide that trait on a football field at the top level.

  Whoever scouted him needs to look at themselves, in fact his superiors need a look as well and if he was signed mainly on stats then maybe that shows that a stats based transfer policy isn’t all it’s cracked up to be?

  If also shows, given this summer’s business, that we now have a Director of Football who seems to have a far clearer and accurate view on player value than maybe his predecessor?

  €40m was a lot to blow on a guy that never ever looked more than a player worth half that valuation, even if we all wished otherwise!

• Yes Kev, hopefully we are entering a new era regarding signings.

• The shambles of scrambling around for a No.2 goalkeeper and someone to replace the departing Nketiah, even temporarily, was unedifying and maybe a symptom of Edu’s mind being in Nottingham rather than North London Total…

  It saddled us with Neto and Sterling and no option to sign a loaner in January.

  I know it’s so easy to be wise after the event, we read retrospective experts online all the time but surely someone at the club could have seen the dangers sooner?

  Edu’s No.2 for example…

• Yeh, Total. Great soundtrack on Alone. Bowie’s stuff has always had a huge following down here. I wore the Aladdin Sane bolt to parties in the 70’s.

  No sacrifice, Kev. Arsenal in the early hours has been habitual since I was a boy. I’m over in October, working my butt off to find a ticket for the home match v Palace. If I am successful, Ill meet you before the game for a beer.

• Sigh. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways…

• If you can, go and see it, Stu. Alone is a great, slightly sad, summary of all that young adults have to put up with, these days.

  Nostalgic video.

• Raya
  White – Saliba – Kiwior – LewisSkelly
  Nørgaard – Merino
  Saka – Nwaneri – Martinelli
  Gyökeres

  (Kepa, Setford – Timber – Zinchenko – Gabriel – Mosquera – Rice – Madueke – Dowman – Lokonga, Zubimendi – HarrimanAnnous – Ødegaard)
  out: Calafiori, Havertz (???), Trossard and … “you’ll be missed, by me, at least” Nelson

  Great comments, mates and … brilliant analysis, P.
  About PSG, one observation though; I’m not sure the midfield setup (1 DM + 2) should be regarded as its main characteristic. What strikes me when I watch them play is the stratospheric technical level of its three components, unmatched not only by any of top-level team MF at the moment, but so high it doesn’t even let room for such a gifted player as Zaïre-Emery. As for us, we’ve been looking for power first and foremost; of course our lads are technically gifted but when you take a look at how big units 75% of our squad are you can see that what MA demands is physical pressure on our opponents, which is why our semi-final was so frustrating: PSG could field their very best XI, while, without some our main, bulky players, we were like wounded Maximus having to fight Commodus, and since real life is no Hollywood movie, it couldn’t end well – although, given the circumstances, we could be proud of the 180 minutes played by our available boys.
  As for Martin … in my 4-3-1-2 meditations, I figured him as competition for Merino, not Bukayo – I keep thinking free-from-RW-duty Bukayo would bring us 40 goals-assists a season at least … Now, as far as the playmaker position is concerned, tonight’s first half might be the most important 45 minutes of Ethan’s burgeoning career, don’t you think lads?
  COYG

• Evening Legall,

  Interesting first half. Defensively not looking too good, but I guess not playing Big Gab and Rice is hurting us.

  Good wing play, just need a better final ball, and that will come. Norgaard our star man. Ethan is doing OK. Love Viks workmate.

• Ethan was excellent, inspired. As for Nørgaard, what a bargain!
  The rest, now … Well, I think – starting tonight – I’ll do all I can to stay away from the wind of panic sweeping all over the Arsenal internet in the days ahead.
  Looking forward to Dowman’s – Madueke’s cameos.
  COYG

• Mosquera for White
  Zubimendi for Nørgaard

• 62:00
  Kepa
  Timber-Mosquera-Gabriel-LewisSkelly
  Zubimendi-Rice
  Dowman-Ødergaard-Martinelli
  Merino

• (No irony!!)
  That might prove to have been exactly the kind of pre-season we needed, eventually …
  G’night Northerners; have a good, wintery one, Stu

• A wintery sun is peaking through here in Kerikeri, mon ami. Same could be said of the match, the solar relief being provided by Ethan’s urgency, Christian’s excellence and another shining cameo from young Max.
  Pedro over on Le Grove used a nice phrase, “dominant but not deadly dominance”. I spoiled myself stupid by watching the “beautiful Arsenal” clip before I slept and so, after dreams of Tomas, Alexander, Cesc and co strutting their mesmeric stuff, had heightened expectations . Unfair expectations, I know. Awakening at 4.30am is not too difficult as that is my once a week fishing timetable, however I must admit staying awake for that second half was more taxing.
  But now I breakfast, and my raisin sprinkled porridge goes down more easily having been reminded by Le Duc that that is “exactly the kind of pre-season we needed”. Sagesse gauloise, indeed, ami.

• Can’t say I am not worried about the balance in the team, especially our left side, but I trust Mikel will get it right before we face the Ineos Mancs.

• Hey TA, what was your email address again?

• New Post 🙂