₦airaland Forum

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.

Only Arteta knows why he keeps insisting on Trossard starting even when it clear Ethan deserves that chance. Trossard don don favourite boy now.
Martinelli makes me shake my head and hiss whenever I remember how effective Daiz have been for Liverpool this season, that was the kind of player is he, or rather was. Almost same pattern of play, electrifying, fast and clinical. Be like he was told not to ever do any other thing than trying to cut in with his left foot, crosses and light pass all the time, baba try cut with right, play r2, see better road pass the ball but nooo. To dribble player na war, once he see you coming he turns and seek who to pass to, no outside box shoots. Na only tracking back and defending he sabi now, make dem kuku turn am to defender.
Haverzt mmhmmm...
Saka....
And there have been a lot of defensive misshape lately, these errors been covered up because they try to respond to it fast, but it's there and can be capitalised on by a dangerous team.
Anyways, a midfield of Odegaard and Rice with the absence of Merino and Trossard should get the job done at Stanford Bridge on Sunday, I wanna be optimistic because that's the least I can do as a fan, 6 points gap na just 2 matches, if they team can get their head straight this will be a very good ride, cus after Chelsea na cruise matches full list.

Person wey vote APC for last election dey complain about USA voting Trump. the kind blow wey dem give l am last night, he no fit forget am. Laugh wan kill me.

daveP:
Fact is if na only us dey this league table, we can survive with the players available. But our rivals are uping the ante, doing all it takes to step up.


Lets assume we are on a 11.2 high and spurs be like 5.4 before. Spurs kon upgrade to say 8.3 and are planning by January to be above 12, while we are upgrading by 0.4 instead of 3.0, in no time, no matter how we love the players, all their best efforts will be seen as average if we continue to be bested by others that we continue to think are no better. We need recruitment for the front.


Now our manager dey do like he no sabi use counterattack again despite having just the perfect players for such a setup. He should be flexible. That's all we ask. Flexible and increase front deputies or players that will walk straight in. Im glad you said we need to win no matter what. Others are showing that why can't we?


I am scared though... Cos of these departures

That our women coach don suppose leave since!!!!!, Edu fvcked up during the summer transfer, whether na Arteta influence am or not na him suppose shoulder the blame cus that's his office, and I heard Arteta will be in the forefront decision makers for his replacement.

White and Timber are back and Partey have found his form again so definitely his place in midfield can't be questioned. Seems like we will see Odegaard, Partey and Merino tomorrow cus Rice isn't available.

Winning games no matter which opponent and time in the season is essential but being proactive during the second part matters a lot, that's how City have always been doing it. I just hope we continue winning, move on, win as much as we can(cus surely there are still games we won't win), and put pressure on that title challenge. To be honest I expected a striker and saka deputy during last summer, but since we didn't get any we should focus on our players available and stop this cry for striker each time we drop points. It's not as if the striker will be scoring in every game even if we have one. Odegaard absence limits Kai output and our left attack haven't been prolific as before, plus our defence being touchy these days. Title challenge still dey very open so I'm still optimistic not because of any individual but because I really want that epl more than any other trophy.
Ps: ethan as a 10 made more since than whatever Trossard can offer there.

IZUKWU:
edu wasn't backed in the last window especially over Gyokeres , was one of the major reasons he is going

If we really wanted Gyokeres we would have gotten him bro. When the deal collapsed I read about talks from Edu about buying players that choose the club and stuff like that. So I guess he really didn't want to sign him.

E no get wetin person wan tell me, na sack dem sack Edu. Last Summer business was trash.

daveP:
Every team that can be used to banter us are all within reach of the table. Any funny slip up next game and we are down to 9th. I believe Arteta sees that and does the most needful. Villa, Spurs, Chelsea, Forest...

And our next 2 games are Chelsea and Nottingham, we need to get maximum points from both games. I have a feeling odegaard might be available for that Chelsea match.

Fkforyou:
I really hope we pick up fast, because, each point drop takes us away from the title. Arteta needs to ease up with his obsession with control, he is slowly destroying the team he built.

Our backline isn't cordinated as it used to be, even on days when our attackers head go touch, the defence used to be solid rock, now every aspect of our team isn't as stable as it used to be. I think there's no one who won't admit that the injuries really affected our play, but that isn't an excuse enough to be dropping useless points and that is where I blame Arteta, he should have figured out how to deal with this situation already, know who to use against which opponent, and adjust the formation to the best of the players available. But what do I know.....

Fkforyou:
Then those fan should be embarrassed to even troll Tottenham. We are not Tottenham.

I repeat, e go pain me if Arne slot carry the league before Arteta this season. I don’t give a shiit about excuses.

E go pain me pass

One thing is certain here, everybody agrees we have to win a major trophy(epl precisely for me) this season, any other outcome is a complete failure. Milk wey don spill don spill, I look forward to positive outcomes henceforth beginning from mid-week. We all wants to see this club prosper, even though opinions might contradict.
Ps: I don't see how allowing the players to co-shoulder the burden of each lost point is labelled defending mediocre.

mostob:
Invisible ke? You wan carry us from frying pan to fire?

sorry bro, na the trauma of today's match dey affect me. How can Arteta bottle the league at Newcastle every season, we still have 28 matches to go and our rivals are not dropping points at all but we keep loosing, the players haven't made any mistakes at all, they are always on point and arteta keeps loosing. Just look at the clinicality and decisiveness of Trossard today and tell me it isn't Arteta''s fault, or that of zinny if only isak wasn't tired already and Gab intervened, Arteta is the major problem here, not the players.

If only Arsenal have a striker like Haaland who can convert every chances I'm sure we would have won against Bournemouth and also today. But that Bournemouth loss na today e start to dey pain me, something that having a striker like Haaland can prevent. I'm sure Man city with a a striker as magnificent as Haaland can't loose against Bournemouth and can't drop points against Newcastle.
Oops I just checked even Man City and Haaland dropped points against both teams, but,,,, but,,,, they have Haaland nau. Arteta should just get out, we need a coach who can transform us to something the invisible wenger team would worship

mostob:
Calm down.
Na Chelsea we dey play next week. Remember na them we dey normally use pick form.
We go use the form win the remaining game this year and enter Dubai in December. Then we will go on another unbeaten run and win the league.

I don relax mind. But Arteta out first, we need a coach that can take us to the promise land and not trusting the process.