I think so, he has everything you want in a defender and unlike VVD, actually tackles opponents instead of backing off
Arsenal - 2024/25
- Thread starter oneniltothearsenal
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I think so, he has everything you want in a defender and unlike VVD, actually tackles opponents instead of backing off
Saliba has a weakness aerially in comparison to the rest of his game.
Absolutely world class though.
Bigger role, controlling a brasilian club + a PL club and surely a lot more money. Sad to see him go but it's a logical decision for him.
Will be interesting to see who replaces him...
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Will be interesting to see who replaces him...
Is this officially Arsenal “bust” period (been a while)?
He isn't world class. Like you say, WC defenders dont need a top partner and 2 DM's shileding him.
VVD is WC and they often left VVD exposed, Robbo / Trent were high flying, with only 1 DM. Arsenal are sitting with a bank of 11 men behind the ball.
I remember Stoke doing this and Shawcross was looking like a world beater.
It depends on your definition of World Class. For me World Class means you would get into more or less every team in the world, over the last two seasons. After Van Dijk and Rudiger, Saliba is the best around so he would fall into that category.
Fair enough, in that description he is World Class I agree. Maybe its more Arteta being cautious than Saliba needing protection.
I just dont get why why you have 2 solid CB's that you would just sit and soak pressure in games.
Feeder club to Nottingham Forrest.
Hardly surprising he’d want to move to a club with European pedigree.
Arsenal handed shock blow as Edu prepares to quit sporting director role
https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...-to-leave-sporting-director-role-mikel-arteta
We did for two seasons. We played an attacking 4-3-3 and last year broke our club record for most goals in a season. The 4-4-2 with 2 DMs is a response to Odegaard’s injury.
I don’t agree with it and it doesn’t seem to be serving us well, but it’s got nothing to do with Saliba needing his hand held.
Edu leaving is a big blow
It is.
One rumour is that he was eyeing the top of CEO and that there is a pathway to that at Forest group of clubs that doesn’t exist at Arsenal.
It’s not good news, despite what a small but loud section of our fanbase may say.
Very interesting game this weekend. I didn't expect them to be below us in the table in November.
My Arsenal mates are saying they were looking at this fixture as a 'should win but a draw is not too bad' game but it has suddenly turned into a bit of a must win game for them.
My Arsenal mates are saying they were looking at this fixture as a 'should win but a draw is not too bad' game but it has suddenly turned into a bit of a must win game for them.
There is a wee bit of context I think for where we are. Like everyone was pointing out a couple of seasons ago that we had an easier start, this 1 we have had quite a difficult start. After the next 2 games we'll have played the entire top 10 teams, with 6 of those away from home.
Don't get me wrong though, I am not happy with how we are playing, not at all. I'm clinging on to a hope that with Odegaard coming back and perhaps a couple more 'favourable' fixtures we can try and regain some form and finally kick on. I'm not even thinking about titles though, we just need to concentrate first in getting out this rut and winning some games again.
In saying that, I do fear for us at the weekend, especially if we play like we did last season there. If Chelsea score first, we are done for, because we have a massive weakness against teams that score first against us, it's disturbing.
Think it's a must win game for them. If they don't then it will be one or two points from twelve which is nigh on impossible to come back from vs the City machine.
If we play like the way we have you'll trash us.
He needs to play Nwaneri otherwise we have no creativity.
But because of this news, I learned his second name. Didn't know he had one.
What a strange move by Edu. We’re Arsenal not paying him well? I thought he was crucial in changing their fortunes and rebuilding this team, turning them into title challengers. Why would you let go of that just before the final hurdle?
I’m not sure. Chelsea were pretty poor against us this weekend (surprised me really given where we are currently).
Chelsea did not look good against us at all. I would be very surprised if they beat arsenal
Interesting. With Klopp moving to Red Bull and more owners following a multi club model I suppose an overarching DoF or Sporting Director will become the norm.
They are still quite up and down I suppose. Thought they did ok against Liverpool at Anfield but were let down by their defence. They were quite poor against you guys from what I seen.
We were very poor against Newcastle though, so performance levels need to rise a fair bit. Chelsea aren't as organised defensively as Newcastle mind you which might help. As I said in a previous post, think whoever scores first will win the game. Our strength at getting a goal and then being defensively sound is our biggest weakness when roles are reversed and we go behind.
Totally different team with Odegaard in the team. Our away fixtures have been brutal, of the 5 away fixtures we have played, 4 of them have been Newcastle, Tottenham, Villa, Man City, now we go to Chelsea this week. If you look at the second half of the season its much more forgiving. For me, its like the 400m sprint, the runner at the front is wining because they start ahead, but at the corner the runners at the back have a much shorter corner to round & they narrow the gap.
Once Odegaard gets back - which could very well be this week, we will be a totally different team. I really do believe this run of results is a blip, hindered by injuries and red cards + plus the suspensions that go with them.
Although I cant blame rivals for getting their punches in while they can.
Once Odegaard gets back - which could very well be this week, we will be a totally different team. I really do believe this run of results is a blip, hindered by injuries and red cards + plus the suspensions that go with them.
Although I cant blame rivals for getting their punches in while they can.
I hope Arteta goes for it as you can get at Chelsea if you do.
Have the injuries been all that bad? Not really sure that can be a huge excuse so long in to the Arteta era now if I’m honest.
The injuries themselves haven't been bad enough to justify this poor form but it feels like a combination of things. The stupid red cards haven't helped, the start has been tougher than usual, and none of our attackers have been in good form. Trossard and Havertz in particular have been trash.
I see Arsenal fans cry about injuries but only Odegard really is injured. Looking at the team V Newcastle, it was the 1st 11 without Odegard.
1/2 injuries is not hindered by injuries!
We were playing Partey at RB.
Is Edu a particular blow? He's not exactly done anything massively inspiring. Arteta is the bigger piece of the puzzle, I think there's plenty of Technical Directors or Football Directors that could have done what he's done.
Yes. I'd go as far as to say he's more important than Arteta (or at least as important) in Arsenal's recent "resurgence" of sorts.
Is he though? I'd put that down to Arteta. Their best players are Saka, Saliba, Gabriel and Odegaard - I'd say he's probably only really responsible for Gabriel and Odegaard (Odegaard is a bit of a rare circumstantial case that he's not been able to recreate since). Most of his signings have been pretty middling and I don't think Rice and Havertz for £160m~ is something no other director could have done. I think they'll find someone on the continent or even some one like Freedman, who'd be just as good.
That's only if you see the role of a DOF as acquiring players - which it isn't.
The trimming of the squad, the overall approach to recruiting (notably in profiles of players) and the streamlining of the wage bill are things that have all contributed to taking Arsenal to where they're at right now. He's been extremely competent at his job, and the fact not all signings work out perfectly is par for the course.
It's subjective of course, but I've been more impressed with his work than Arteta's (who I really don't like so there's personal bias, but I think has objectively a ceiling that will hold Arsenal back).
White was on the bench so that was a tactical choice.
Out of choice... not injure because Zincheko and White were on the bench, lets not act as if he was forced due to an injury crisis.
He also chose to start Partey there start of last season, whilst having players fit
Well acquiring players is shaping the squad the position he was in. He sold Martinez for 15m and subsquently bought two keepers and after all this time, everyone's still saying "where is the CF in this squad?". No doubt he's shaped them into a very physical and competitive side, but is that any better than Villa's/Brighton? Has he streamlined the wage bill? They're the 3rd highest in the league.
I think he's been competent for sure, but I think Arteta has been the real difference maker. He's peacing out of Arsenal at the pivotal, big next step point, bit shitty in my opinion.
Fair enough, I don't like Arteta at all for the record, but I think he's got to be the main reason they're where they are. If you look at what they still need (subjective I know, but in my opinion), I'd look to Edu and for me would be found a bit wanting. That's not to discount what he's done so far, but I don't think he'll take them on either.
The Newcastle game there's no excuses for, it's just that when you've been chopping and changing in games previous it feels we've yet to find out rhythm this season.
Arteta also seems to have adjusted tactics to cover for Odegaard, and while it seemed to give decent results initially at Villa, Spurs and City, the wheels have came off the past few weeks and it's looked flat and uninspiring, and perhaps results have caught up with performances.
White was on the bench because he'd picked up a minor injury in the previous game and wasn't fully fit.
What about Zinchenko? Could easily play Timber RB and Zinchenko LB.