₦airaland Forum

mostob:
Bg man. Let me share a quote with you.

'Rather than rushing off to the Premier League, there was a general awareness among the Sesko camp and the RB Leipzig decision-makers that the striker needed more time to mature. After all, Sesko had played just one full campaign in one of Europe's top competitions at that point.'

Sesko signing a new deal at Leipzig had nothing to do with Havertz. Person wey dey share minutes with Openda at that time.

Bro trusted websites like givemesports.com metro.co.uk and even goal.com reported what I said. I had to visit my history to get the source for you.
"According to Mokbel, Sesko gave serious consideration to an Emirates move in the summer but was unsure whether he would be a regular in Arteta’s starting XI, with the Gunners making it clear he would not be guaranteed to play ahead of Havertz."

mostob:
Your source?

good morning bro, it's been a minute. Can't really remember the source but I remember reading something like that during that Edu departure time, it was from one of the many insider Arsenal blogs I get news from. Remember when we couldn't sign him Edu said we're more interested in signing those who truly want to play for Arsenal. So when I read the story I knew it was something close to the truth. And trust me I know a fake report when I see one.

Odegaard just dey feel himself captain fantastic

Partey!!!

Spy360:
Germaphobe, toluxe0075

Notice how Saka and Trossard take up position as strikers when we are attacking.

Roland17:
Make we continue to dey underestimate teams because after Dec 22 we will be 6 years into the process while others are just starting.

I don’t think Chelsea are capable of winning the league but they are for sure a top 4 contender at this point, especially if they spend in Jan.

6 or 5 years?. Nonetheless the years doesn't matter, and I don't think anyone is underestimating any team at all. The same teams that we dropped points against also got points against some other big teams and I'm not defending nothing with what I'm saying, but rather stating that no team is being underestimated and not all the games we dropped points were we really bad. Football isn't always a win win game, even the strongest of teams drops points too, just not consistently. We're still in the title race as long as I'm concerned, it's still so early, no be Liverpool again?...

Roland17:
And just like that, Chelsea are back competing for the top 4.

they're not yet as strong as any of the top 3 teams in the past two years,but they're gradually coming up, soon man utd will be there too. Make we just try get something tangible hold for hand first.

King Kai on the bench(i know some people are more than happy), no Nelli no Partey. This line up is good enough to win forest, but if at all any other outcome other than wining presents itself at the end of 90minutes I know who will be made the scapegoat.

Spy360:
Every system rises and falls including Guardiola's system as we have seen, but it doesn't make the system redundant after a few games. Usually teams don't change systems mid-season unless they sack their manager.

I don't get how you said the system isn't working.

We have used this system for just two seasons. Especially last season. Both times we finished close to the title. Last season it was just the magnificence of City and a few other factors that helped them cross the line before us.

So far this season we haven't utilised the system as much due to the injury to Odegaard and Arteta's blunt refusal to play Nwaneri in the last couple of those games.

We all love a good striker but will he fit in? It's like asking for a goalkeeper like Pickford because is the best shot stopper. The fact is that Pickford will not fit into our system because he is not good with his feet.

As for having a plan B, which is good but your plan B shouldn't deviate too much from your plan A otherwise the structure and transitions will collapse. Whatever plan B you want to have would not be to change pattern but to adjust it or tweak it

this is the reason we couldn't get sesko last summer, Arteta couldn't guarantee playing him ahead of Kai

Spy360:
Having a traditional striker may sound good but he will not fit into the current playing system.

The reason for the goal drought is simply the lack of an creative midfielder. The injury to Odegaard exposed the lack of support from the bench especially as Arteta refused to give Nwaneri his chance. This led to overdependence on set pieces for goals. That one too has been exposed.

The lack of a central creative presence pushed the creativity to the wings (Saka) which is not proper. Now that Odegaard is back and Saka has rested, watch how this team will score goals with ease.

system??..... let's get over this system talk, if he choose to make it work, he will. Barca had suarez, but Neymah and Messi still packed goal, Haaland dey city but foden still dey get goals, Leicester had verdy with the goals but Mahrez was up there too. All those one touch shots Kai is supposed to take but look for who to pass to or create space can be utilised well. Whether dem buy striker or not isn't actually my issue, my issue is make the ones we have be proactive, the number of chances our forwards miss is all that's bringing this striker talk everyday, last two season when Nelli, Jesus, Saka and Odegaard ranked up goals and was firing each match day nobody talked about striker ish ooo... striker or no striker win a phucking trophy for the boys, na my own be dat. I'm more of wetin dey do our defence than we need a striker right now.

Spy360:
Saka and Martinelli stay wide but they can drift inwards and shoot or they make a run to the second post for a tap in.

Havertz stay central either to act as a ball holder playing with back at goal, or to make runs that will drag the CBs away for the strikers/inverted wingers to find space to score.

FYI, the goal outlets for Liverpool is similar. Salah and Diaz/Gakpo are strikers. The difference between our style and Liverpool is in the build up which happens in midfield. But the attack has a similar structure.

Note: Any team that uses inverted wingers just know that they are strikers. This is modern football.

inverted wingers I agree but calling them outright strikers No. Our wingers haven't been their best this season and multiple sources report that Arteta is not happy with them and is on the look out for a new winger in the winter window. If our wingers start firing again and the goals keep coming no body will talk about needing a striker just as they all shut up about it after our dubai trip last season. Me I no carry striker matter for head but if we get a better one fine, I'm more concerned with the whole front line being active. And the defense isn't even helping matters, chopping goals up and down like basket.

Spy360:
We have strikers.

The reason you guys don't see it is because of the position they play.

Our strikers are the inverted wingers.

This is the formation you see

....................Raya.......................
White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber
........ Partey.......... Rice.............
.........,....... Odegaard..................
Saka.......... Havertz.... Martinelli


This is what Arteta sees,

....................Raya.......................
White.........Saliba........Gabriel
........ Partey....... Timber.........
Odegaard. Havertz........ Rice
..........Saka........ Martinelli......


The fact is that there's a lot of movements within the team when with the ball and without it, when pressing and when defending etc
Some times White can overlap while Timber joins the back three.

If you take your time to check you will confirm what I have said.

bro I don't agree with this. Martinelli and Saka are too wide to be considered as strikers, and that is exactly what Arteta wants from them, to be wide and drift inside from the lines. What you said is same as saying Neymar and Messi were strikers during MSN era or Mane and Salah were strikers too. I choose to humbly disagree with you on this one. King Kai drops into the midfield since the absence of Odegaard because of how trossard plays but now that Odegaard is back he won't drop so deep when playing up front again.

In as much as i like King Kai and what he has to offer(though I think isn't always enough), I also do think we need a striker, at least majority of us here advocated for that signing in the summer but it couldn't happen. We couldn't get one in the last window doesn't mean we need to remind each other here why we need one after each poor output. Having a striker doesn't mean our attacking short comings will be solved automatically, all the forwards needs to proactive and I know Arteta won't sign a striker just because of cross and nod. Liverpools deadly attack of MFS didn't have any outstanding striker but Arnold and Robertson dey rake up assists year by year. The working formula needs to be sort out by Arteta and I believe with Odegaard back, Timber and Calafoiri available, some magic can be cooked. White being out for long leaves us with only Cala and Tomi, glad both will be back after internationals.

Mick Brown (ex-scout): “Arteta isn’t happy with the players in that position [winger]. There have been question marks about Sterling, Martinelli & Jesus — they’re all viewed as squad players.”

“From what I’m told, Arsenal want to improve in that position in the transfer market. The recruitment & scouting team have already been looking at players, a real superstar, game-changing player is what they’re looking for.”

Credit [@footyinsider247]

Roland17:
No it is isn’t. My reason isn’t necessarily based on Liverpool/ City (our biggest competitions for the title) dropping points but our inability to raise our game to get the needed results when it happens. We are approaching December and already 9 behind Liverpool and 6 behind City who look poor. The only positive for me is that Odegaard’s injury happened early in the season. I just pray Partey doesn’t take his sabbatical this season because he has been unbelievable for us.

I share your sentiment and thoughts but I can't just concluded that we're all about the top 4 just now. The season is still young and a lot more can happen before May. Top 4, title, all of it is aside for now, what matters is for them to wins their games and leave the fate of others to them.

After our title run last 2 seasons ago I was optimistic and full of hope for last season, last last we know how it ended. This season I'm just enjoying the ride and lowering my hope than it was last season. But if we no win league this season regardless of whoever eventually wins it, it will be really heartbreaking and shameful. We need to be strong and on our best form during the second half of the season and it has to start from now, hopefully when most of our players are fit there would be rotation(though I think that it's the defense that will see that) and resting of some players. Even if na half a goal make we just the win first, and when the days for goal galore comes we capitalise on it well.

I don't care about our competitions and their form or points, what I care about is just us winning our games and focusing on winning the next one after that. Looking forward to today's winning, if the players want make them no turn up and if Arteta want make he get touchy brain today, last last I go wail and shut up but its their career and stats that will be affected more.