Arsenal - 2024/25

SilentWitness said:
They need a forward desperately. Trossard/Havertz etc. are fine as squad players and as players to compliment the stars but they're not players that you can rely on to be the main men. They need that killer.
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They need that killer because of the way they set up though. Their back 6 are really, really conservative. Havertz and Trossard etc are pretty standard for a huge proportion of teams and they manage to score goals with them. They managed with the same players 18 months ago.
You just dont need a 20+ goal a season striker to avoid being as toothless as this arsenal team.
 
caid said:
They need that killer because of the way they set up though. Their back 6 are really, really conservative. Havertz and Trossard etc are pretty standard for a huge proportion of teams and they manage to score goals with them. They managed with the same players 18 months ago.
You just dont need a 20+ goal a season striker to avoid being as toothless as this arsenal team.
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If you don't have a 20ish goal a season striker then you need a Palmer/Salah etc. Saka is excellent but just shy of that.
 
Semper Fudge said:
Hindsight is wonderful.
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True I guess but tbh it felt obvious even when they were parking the bus at 0-0 and 1-0. Arsenal’s midfield wasn’t really shutting anything down whenever Villa ventured forward.
 
SilentWitness said:
If you don't have a 20ish goal a season striker then you need a Palmer/Salah etc. Saka is excellent but just shy of that.
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Maybe. For a convincing league win probably. They dont look like a team just shy of that level though. They look miles off and i dont think the quality of players is the issue (injuries, form and confidence dont help but not the issue imo).
 
I don't quite understand why they aren't top when they swing their arms to rouse their supporters so much.
 
Irrational. said:
:lol:

Don’t forget the over-exuberant celebrations when they beat the likes of Ipswich 1-0.
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I mean it though. They really do it so well I don't know why it's not translating to 3 points every week. That plus the corners
 
WeePat said:
Don’t know why Villa started the game so tentative and passive. Arsenal looked so vulnerable as soon as Villa decided to have a go at them. I feel Emery made an error in ceding possession and territory for so long until they went 2-0 down.
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It's not that surprising really, that's Emery down to a tee. It's probably why he's better suited to underdog teams rather than top sides
 
There is a point in that match that is so indicative of where we are....we were 2-0 up, Martinelli has the ball on a 2 vs 2....and he pulls back, and that is not what I want to see. I'm sure that is drilled into him...hey it's 2-0 take it easy...but it cannot be the way we play matches. Go for the jugular. I was happy at 1-0 because we pushed for that second...why let them into the game at all, is beyond me. The mindset isn't quite there.

2 .in later,Tielemans scored.
 
They’re a team I really would like to cheer for just so Liverpool don’t win it but they are all so unlikable that I just can’t do it. Go Forest!
 
Worst title “challengers” ever. After all that, it’s impossible to beat 115 charges etc they have this sort of season. Poor mentality
 
Question for any Arsenal fans here - what are your thoughts in terms of Saliba's long-term future and the need for a possible replacement for him? If I'm correct he's under contract until 2027 and I'd imagine Real Madrid will be sniffing around, are you confident he'll extend or would you feel better if the club started sounding out a successor ( and where would this sit on a list of priorities this summer)?
 
DannyCAFC said:
Question for any Arsenal fans here - what are your thoughts in terms of Saliba's long-term future and the need for a possible replacement for him? If I'm correct he's under contract until 2027 and I'd imagine Real Madrid will be sniffing around, are you confident he'll extend or would you feel better if the club started sounding out a successor ( and where would this sit on a list of priorities this summer)?
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Out of our better players (Saka, Odegaard & Saliba) it's Saliba that I've always thought there was a greater chance of leaving.

Odegaard has been to Madrid, went back after the loan, and neither time seemed at all comfortable there.

Saka being a local Hale End boy I think would want to stay, don't really see any room for him anywhere with the few clubs that could afford him.

Saliba though you always sense that opportunity of going to Madrid will be there. I must admit, the more they miss out on defensive targets like Yoro, the more I think they might make the extra effort to lure Saliba. If the club had any sense they'd already be talking to him now about getting him tied down by the summer.

There might be different opinions on what the club should do if he doesn't want to renew. I suppose it will all depend on if Madrid are willing to pay big money for a defender, something they don't tend to do. Or might it suit all parties to think about a 2026 move and give the club time to plan any potential departure, as all priority really should go on improving the attacking areas this summer.
 
DannyCAFC said:
Question for any Arsenal fans here - what are your thoughts in terms of Saliba's long-term future and the need for a possible replacement for him? If I'm correct he's under contract until 2027 and I'd imagine Real Madrid will be sniffing around, are you confident he'll extend or would you feel better if the club started sounding out a successor ( and where would this sit on a list of priorities this summer)?
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He will be 25/26 by then and, he could very well be tempted but i feel we'll get another contract out of him before he thinks about leaving. I can see a 2/3 year extension that could let him go at 28 for a nice fee if we stagnate.
 
DannyCAFC said:
Question for any Arsenal fans here - what are your thoughts in terms of Saliba's long-term future and the need for a possible replacement for him? If I'm correct he's under contract until 2027 and I'd imagine Real Madrid will be sniffing around, are you confident he'll extend or would you feel better if the club started sounding out a successor ( and where would this sit on a list of priorities this summer)?
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He has got Real Madrid written all over him. Could even be this summer.
 
There is no way he's leaving for less than a £100 million especially when you consider Maguire went for 80 and so many other flops in that region. I find it questionable if they have that cash.

But if he did I can't blame him.
 
ArtetasHair said:
There is no way he's leaving for less than a £100 million especially when you consider Maguire went for 80 and so many other flops in that region. I find it questionable if they have that cash.

But if he did I can't blame him.
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150 or no deal.
 
Worst fanbase in football?

Havertz Mrs had to put a statement out about the abuse he was getting from them a week ago, and now the Police getting involved due to the Michael Oliver abuse.
 
Bwuk said:
Worst fanbase in football?

Havertz Mrs had to put a statement out about the abuse he was getting from them a week ago, and now the Police getting involved due to the Michael Oliver abuse.
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Don't know how you rank fanbases. Just seems a massive problem with social media and society in general that people think they can hide behind anonymous profiles and give absolute pelters to someone they don't even know from behind a screen.

I'd love to be well off but I'd actually hate to be famous seeing some of the absolute bellends that think they have the right to abuse people at will.
 
Social media is a real problem...and it doesn't exactly go away with respects to football. You can see so much hate, I don't know what these losers do in regular life, but it's like they can vent out all their frustration on politicians, celebrities/athletes...etc... it has gotten to a ridiculous stage. I don't know why athletes have social media accounts unless they play badminton or something. There are probably some haters there too.

I'd love a world without FB, X, Instagram and wtv else.
 
I don't rate Havertz, but I feel like that's the final nail in the coffin of their title challenge (which was already a big long shot by now).
 
Who the feck even plays upfront for them now?

Truly the 2000s Bolton and Stoke style of big lads getting goals from set pieces will be on show.
 
They should play a centre back up front. It’ll help their primary scoring source….set pieces!

But yeah, trophyless title again for Arsenal. Business as usual. Nothing to see here.
 
When you look at Arsenal's attack, you can say they've got Trossard and Martinelli + Sterling for LW and then Saka, Nwaneri + Sterling (and Martinelli) for RW. So enough depth there even with Martinelli and Saka currently injured. But in ST position it's Jesus and Havertz. Jesus got injured as early as 12th of January and they knew he'd be out for long so they had most of January transfer window to get another striker given Havertz is only available option and he's not exactly striker and isn't clinical. Fans will be pissed off and rightly so. It really decreases their chances to catch Liverpool and also in the Champions League.

Trossard, Sterling and Nwaneri is what they've got available atm. No Martinelli and Saka before early March at earliest. Luckily, they've got decent schedule over next month (Leicester away, West Ham at home, Forest away, United away) so could get through (perhaps why they decided not to buy anyone knowing Saka could be back in March) it successfuly.
 
Mike Smalling said:
I don't rate Havertz, but I feel like that's the final nail in the coffin of their title challenge (which was already a big long shot by now).
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Assuming Liverpool win tonight (and maybe even if they don’t) that was my first thought too.

Can’t imagine the Arsenal fans will have reacted well to this and rightly so. Was blindingly obvious to all after Jesus’ injury that they needed a striker and I think most thought they did even before that.
 
Just a nightmare season. Stay in the CL spots and go again next season. All you can really hope for under these circumstances.
 
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