₦airaland Forum

mostob:
During the last moment of the game, Arteta was shouting at him to play the ball up field for Pepe, baba just balloon the ball to throw in
ESR was great today, kinda like how he won fouls even with a slight touch..

. Baba kent kee himself

Yeah. I love his movement and passes. Even was really immense for me.

Spy360:
You heard this after the match.

Nope.. During the lineup.
Jim proudfoot said so during his commentary as he was calling the players' names (before kick off).

mostob:
Leno was poor with his distribution today...

he was very very poor in his distribution. I counted up to 3-4 times he kicked a goal kicks straight to throw in and it was advantage Villa. His other goal kicks was straight to Villa defence.

I'm just glad for the 3 points.

I was really impressed with ESR today.

BlueRayDick:
The way Partey dey break play, switch play and boss the middle all by himself dey give joy abeg!

Partey na complete package abeg.. Na real baller him be.

Wetin dey give me joy mostly na how press resistant him be

50d33q:
I am not so sure

We did get the 3 points las las

Spy360:
It looks like Arteta is penalising him for the Liverpool first goal

Lol.. You think any coach will penalize a keeper for that ?

What message does he want to send to the squad if he does that?

I heard he has hip problem and martinelli illness.

Spy360:
I saw Lacazette at junior level for France.

I was also old enough to watch Anelka take up striker responsibility for Arsenal at age 17.

I know a good striker when I see one by experience

Lol.. I hail you Sir

Spy360:
Those two limits the overall team performance even though they win. It was clearer against Liverpool because the are a superior side.
FYI, Nketiah has the best goal record for an England U21 striker, better than DCL.

Lol.. I'm not naive to know that shining in u21 and shining at professional level are two different thing entirely.

So many players have been touted as the best in the junior level but never made it at the senior level while some have made great heights at senior level even when they didn't make much noise at junior level

Spy360:
I believe our opinions on this issue have been well expressed and exhausted. Before this season runs out, Nketiah will drop Lacazette to the bench. It's no prophesy.

Then you will call me your guru.

Yeah.. Time will tell.

Lol.. If this doesn't happen nko?

No martinelli and Ramsdale in the squad today.

Hope we get all 3 points

Spy360:
My answer is the same, what have we to lose?

Those two are pulling the weight of the team down. It will only be a matter of time and they will run out of ideas.

It's not like Arteta should make it a drastic change, but that should be aim. For Nketiah and ESR to replace Laca and Xhaka respectively. It could be gradual, but it could be done as long as we are playing this pattern.

Mind you, it's the tactics that is working not necessarily the players. Arteta has only just found a way to get the best from his best players. This off course does not include Laca and Xhaka, they are just making up the numbers. We all know, if the last window had favoured us, we could have had Vlahovic and Arthur Melo.

How did I miss this bolded sef??

It's the tactics that's working not necessarily the players.

We can as well start pepe ahead of Saka, Elneny ahead of Partey and Leno ahead of ramsdale

I'm sure we'll be a force to reckon with Oh great Spy

mostob:
If there's any player currently that can play that Xhaka role , it is either Patino or Miguel..

ESR is too attacking minded to play the role.
Playing ESR and Ode at the same time will overwork Partey

Lol.. Spy seems to forget that this team is still work in progress and that for now, we should be looking at team balance instead of disrupting the present team balance and momentum for an uncertain fantasy.

We've tried this midfield trio of Partey, odegaard, smith Rowe twice or more this season and we've been overran.

Now that we've got the balance of midfield and attack which include laca and xhaka, he wants us to try something new as if we dey preseason or as if we aren't fighting for something serious.

Fkhalifa:
I thought I was the only one who saw that, Allison made that angle very tight and it's difficult to score from there, the best he could have done is lay it back to Odegard.
I could remember Emery,'s first season when Iwobi laid a through ball to Laca and he (Laca) successfully rounded
Allison on the floor and scored in the 1-1 draw.
For me, one of the things I'll attribute this teams improvement is the ability of the attacking players all moving, workng, creating chances and spaces to score as against the former style of relying on the assist lord and that goal machine nigga.
Arsenal were just unlucky, if the Odegard and Martinelli's had gone in, it would have been a deserved draw game.

Oil dey your head. The way they're talking about that chance, one will think Laca didn't make any effort to score and immediately it didn't work out he looked out for the next best option.

What I'm really happy is that bolded and it's the reason why I'm eager to watch arsenal match with optimism unlike before that I'm just hoping.

Guys that should be happy we even played Liverpool and see the progress the team have made unlike before where they'll play us and still disgrace us is now mad at Laca for not scoring as if laca will even be here next season. Some people are refusing to even look at the bigger picture.

If that Odegaard own have entered sef, the diogo Jota chance would certainly wouldn't have come either and the way arsenal would approach the remainder of that game would have been different.

Me I'm happy with the way we played, if we continue like this I'm certain we can take that top 4 slot and that's my main Joy.

Spy360:
My answer is the same, what have we to lose?

Those two are pulling the weight of the team down. It will only be a matter of time and they will run out of ideas.

It's not like Arteta should make it a drastic change, but that should be aim. For Nketiah and ESR to replace Laca and Xhaka respectively. It could be gradual, but it could be done as long as we are playing this pattern.

Mind you, it's the tactics that is working not necessarily the players. Arteta has only just found a way to get the best from his best players. This off course does not include Laca and Xhaka, they are just making up the numbers. We all know, if the last window had favoured us, we could have had Vlahovic and Arthur Melo.

We're winning games since february and match and you're saying those two are weighing us down? Not even for an experienced striker mostly but rookie Nketiah


As for the bolded, it would be better cos at least those two are experienced and we know the CV.
Nketiah no dey score, no dey assist, no dey have impacts in games but you want make we gamble our top 4 contest on him.

Stop am biko!!

Spy360:
What have we to lose as Lacazette is not scoring either?

I said it before and I hope he would because I would give Nketiah his break if I were the manager.

Lol, so nketiah will be the one scoring?

Even ESR coming from bench have scored more goals this season than nketiah coming from bench. If nketiah can't be scoring or assisting when coming on against tired defenders, how can we be sure he'll score when he starts a match.
He has been coming off from the bench in the past month since dec yet he hasn't gotten a goal or wowed any fan here.
Abeg stop with this your fantasy oo

Nothing that you'll say will give Nketiah advantage.

Na so you wan risk our top 4 hope??
We resemble nketiah charity here??

Spy360:
Since you have admitted that we need an upgrade on Laca. Let me make some admissions too.

Laca's leadership and mentoring of these young boys must be commended. He has also added some urgency to our play and then his usual ginger. He has done a good job as captain.

But like Xhaka, he is not equipped enough to continue with this current transition. The boys have grown and he is now bringing diminishing returns.

We don't have to wait till season is over to replace them in the starting line up. That's why I will like us to try ESR for Xhaka's role, and Nketiah for Laca's. I am confident they will tu n up like the others have done. They are good already.

Why??
That bolded is very wrong for you to say. No be for middle of season when things don hot we go dey try things and not when we're even getting maximum points (bar Liverpool game).

You mean we should leave the personnels/tactics that's getting us 3 points to try wetin no sure just because you don't like those two?
You mean we should gamble our top 4 ambition on the altar of starting nketiah(cos I don't see any tangible reason why he should start)

Wetin nketiah don do sef for him to deserve such?? Please I need your honest answer cos me I don't understand this your benching laca for nketiah

Spy360:
Lol

You did not realise that a lot changed between December and now. Even the formation have changed twice. Then we were playing a 442 hibrid, then a 451 double pivot, and now a 451 single pivot. A lot have changed.

Martinelli now gets from Xhaka what Laca was doing, because we now play a double 8, so that the striker can focus on scoring. All our attackers have picked form including and especially Odegaard. Laca's role in that set up (false 9) have become redundant.

Lol.. For your info we weren't playing 442 hybrid in December. We only 442 the period where Laca was partnering Auba

While I get your point, but it'll no be with nketiah abeg. You mean we should test nketiah as a 9 when we're really seriously looking for top 4?

The time for nketiah to stake his claim was beginning of season when we were in turmoil(just as how ESR grabbed his last season). If he didn't get it then ., he should forget it till next season (or if Laca gets injured). No be now we go use our top 4 ambition dey test run Nketiah.

Ò diro wise at all..

Spy360:
Nketiah is a poacher kind of striker. We need such kind of striker who can turn up unexpectedly and get to the end of play. Our team has more than enough creators both left right and centre, those lads need someone who can place the ball inside the net and not a recycler. Imagine if Aubameyang was playing alongside Saka, Odegaard and Martinelli in their current form. I mean, it's easy and I know with time Arteta will get pussed off and do the needful.

Aside Martinelli for ESR(who was even in better form than Martinelli sef), who was the people auba was playing with? Aren't these the same people. In fact, it got so bad that odegaard was seeing the bench In place of Laca.

Those guys started seeing their current form when Laca was slotted into the 9 role and even you admitted it both in the italicized form and the bolded

Spy360:
The fact is that, Laca's presence at the centre is what gives Martinelli the impetus to shine. He won't do same if a similar mode of forward is alongside him. Martinelli will be of less threat in a CF position that is already packed with bullying defenders.

Spy360:
I am not obsessed with a striker scoring, I am rather incensed about a striker not scoring because it's absolutely wrong and waste of space. How can we win when we can't score. Players do have goal drought I know, but Lacazette case is not goal drought but normal. That's the point.

If not for a good defense, this team would have been drawing or losing games.

Nketiah is a poacher kind of striker, but even that he has pace, makes good runs, and exhibits some dribbling skills. It's sad for me that you can't see that in the few touches he makes while on for his usual cameos but my football brain tells me he will do better if afforded more opportunities.

You blame Odegaard for shooting but exonerate Laca for not. Go and check Laca's missed clear cut chances and see why he needs to start shooting. Why would a striker not shoot? Any good striker must have a bit of selfishness or else he is done for. Honestly, no one will sign him even as a free agent he he doesn't start scoring. The reason he is still starting is because those you g lads are scoring for him. If for any reason the goals dries up from the flanks, then we will understand why having a scoreless striker is a sin. Like I have said before, an out of form Aubameyang was better.

You said defence have been helping us. When last have we kept a clean sheet before Leicester game?
What you fail to understand is that the team have improved and laca is part of it.

You guys are just tensed up because of a loss against Liverpool and what is even surprising is that no be say Liverpool dey our level sef. Me I'm not worried about us scoring because I know goals can come from anywhere as we're creating chances and we're dominating. The day I'll become worried is when we're not playing together as a team again and we're getting outplayed. Losing only against Liverpool and Man city (home and away) won't stop us from getting top 4, na the Aston Villas and Brighton's of this world that we need to beat. So make una just chill

Laca for now won't take us to the next level(I admit) but for now he's important in us getting top4.

Lastly, shey na out of form Auba bin dey beginning of this season? Na us dey shout how we were always outplayed by the Brighton, Crystal Palace, Norwich but needed scrappy goals to get points from there.

No matter how you wanna twist it but laca was important to us this season and our dominance in game started from when laca was introduced in the Crystal Palace game. You can deny it if you like but that is the truth

BlueRayDick:
The problem u have is u think Lacazette doesn't score load of goals because he's all about the welfare of the team, wants to help others better at their indivual roles all to the betterment of the team but I must tell u that's a false narrative.

Lacazette doesn't score because he doesn't make those dangerous runs, doesn't position himself well enough to get into spaces where he can easily slot tge ball into the net and that's the fact.

We've watched Auba over time rack in goals beacuse he knows how to time his runs, knows when to be a fox in the box and knows when to take an accurate shot. I delibrately didn't drag Ur second to the last post when u talked about arsenal not challenging for top 4 despite Auba's goals. I bet u didn't see Auba win us FA cup against Chelsea when he did what was expected of a striker ; work Ur way around Ur marker and put the Ball at the back of the net. There's even no way u can try to make an argument for Lacazette when juxtaposed with Auba's time at arsenal. Auba comes out heads and heels above him all day all year round.

Na here we dey, when arsenal buys a scoring striker I will watch how u will try and explain Lacazette was a number 10 wearing a number 9 jersey with minus 1 hidden somewhere we can't see

But statistically that's true na . Since his introduction and especially when he started as a cf this season (which is the bone of contention here), we scored more goals , created more chances per match, have more possession per match, have more touches in the opposition box per match, have more shots and shot on target per match and most importantly our points per game have increased.

Now why I'm not advocating for his extension, my issues here is that he's not useless to the team cos of the flaws you highlighted in the 2nd paragraph.

There's a reason why every match days, my post-match thoughts, I always emphasis on us getting an upgrade on laca and xhaka but like I'll always reiterate, those two aren't useless to these system.


And for your last paragraph, I'm expecting a better striker than lacazette next season. As long as he will be an all rounder striker and a better upgrade.

BlueRayDick:
Leemao

Shebi it's Auba's job to stop Xhaka and Mustafi's brain fart, it's Auba's job to stop Papasthapopulous from being shiiit, it's Auba's job to stop Iwobi from being a prenial potential till his mid 20's....It's even Auba's job field wrong set of players and make wrong subs as game progresses.

Yes it's Auba's job we didn't compete for top 4 even when he was doing his primary duty on the filed of play while others were lacking at theirs.

Humor me more please.

Lol.. Now you're getting me.

So you're in agreement that the team structure and cohesiveness is better than just a striker putting ball into the net.
That a striker work can go in vain if the structure is wrong...

And that's my point
As long as the team is playing well and goal is coming from all corners, I'm very okayy. At least for now.
Next season we can go for the Aubas of this world

BlueRayDick:
I'm not making anything seem anyhow. U don't mind if a striker doesn't score, I do.

I will remind u the importance of a scoring striker anytime we drop points because our striker can't do what is primary duty is ; kicking a round leather into the net.

Shey Auba wey bin dey drag highest goal scorer during his time here, how was our position in the league table??

We get striker in auba wey dey port goals anyhow yet teams like Liverpool still dey flog us 5-1 on a steady and we dey drag top 8 anyhow.

Clinical striker Auba, yet it's been ages we've truly believed we'll compete in top 4 unlike this season

BlueRayDick:
Well, keep arguing for them while the team keeps dropping points because of their ineptitude . People like me will be here to say " I told you so"

Lol.. Because we dropped points against Liverpool you're now making it seem we're dropping points frequently or we're playing badly.

Were we expecting to win Liverpool ystdy? I mean, would you have brought out your full chest that we would have won Liverpool?

So I don't know the "I told you so" you are waiting to tell me

Spy360:
I'd rather say that Arteta does not trust Nketiah enough. We have seen how Martinelli improved to what he is today because of, not that Arteta trusted him but divine providence. Same can be said of Cedric Soares.

Probably that's what Nketiah needs, that Laca gets injured so that he can prove himself.

We should get a decent striker for next season but a Martinelli, Nketiah, Saka front three sounds promising to me, or we can create it. Why not, afterall Laca is not scoring, so there's nothing to lose.

The thing is that Nketiah haven't proven to show that talent yet. Even when ESR is coming from bench, we dey see him impacts.

There's always a reason ESR is always first to come on and nketiah and Pepe are always last.
The last thing Arteta will pray for is any of our front three to go on injury.

Nothing wey I fit hang onto for Nketiah except prospects.

BlueRayDick:
U call it diss but Its a fact. One thing about facts is u don't need to argue in its favor, it will always come back to show itself to be true.

A striker not renowned for scoring will always haunt his team when they need him to be the hit man and that was what happened yesterday.

This issue on ground is just like Xhaka case presently. Because Xhaka now is playing as a left sided 8 and his attacking play is needed but we see that is lacking in his game. But even tho that is lacking in his game, he does well in recycling ball, not bullied off the ball easily and see to it we are dominating teams too while helping defensively.
I will argue in his favor to start in the starting 11 for us as long as the possible options to replace him are lokonga and elneny. I also know he's not useless in that role presently.

Same thing with lacazette, as long as the possible options to replace him are Nketiah and balogun I'll always argue in his favor. That doesn't mean that I won't advocate for both upgrades next season

And lastly, Liverpool is one of the best teams in the world. So it's expected that the flaws of lacazette will show

Spy360:
You tactfully exonerated Lacazette for that missed goal and blamed Odegaard like he is the striker not Lacazette.

Lacazette as a STRIKER has no business passing the ball to Odegaard to score. Dem swear for am?

To be honest, if I were Arteta I will be starting Nketiah because Laca is not going to improve but Nketiah may.

Like I said last week, you're obsessed with a striker scoring while me I'm obsessed with my team winning. The chance of odegaard scoring that goal is 98% but he messed up. Moreover, lacazette wanted to dribble Allison but Allison didn't go down, the worst part is that he even narrowed the angle making the chance difficult for lacazette to score. I don't know why any striker who's thinking about the team success over his personal ego would be thinking of scoring from that tight angle instead of passing to person that's free that has a higher and bigger chance of scoring.
One thing I will blame lacazette for is lack of movement upfront but I'll never ever ever blame him for passing that ball to odegaard. NEVER!!

And as for the bolded, thank God you're not Arteta. When martinelli was struggling to break into arsenal premier league squad, he was giving in impressive performances in Europa scoring back to back to back. Aside his goals, his other play was great. Most people(fans) was itching to see martinelli play in the premier league cos we know he's talent. But na nketiah you want make we dash first team shirt because he hit bar against Watford while missing for the remaining duration. Person wey we no dey ever see him impact for pitch anytime he's introduced as a sub naim you want make Arteta put him top 4 hope on??
Kole werk!!

BlueRayDick:
It took Loserpool to make everybody see Lacazette is shiiit when he’s not passing to everybody .

As regards Saka’s below par performance , he was marked out by Robertson and Van Djik . I think it’s a tactical play from Klopp which enabled Martinelli to operate freely on the other flank . Xhaka didn’t make any visible error yesterday ,but his constant refusal to take initiative and open up some spaces limited our attacking play on Martinelli’s side of the pitch.

All in all Loserpool was a superior opponent and they took their chances when we didn’t do justice to ours. I hope we will bounce back against Villa tho

This your diss sha.

Like I said, in big games like this, something more effective from what Laca normally brings is needed, that doesn't mean he's been shiiit previous games.


This I will say was one of martinelli best game in an arsenal shirt. He's unlucky not to have a goal or an assist ystdy cos he really deserved it


I really hope we win against Aston Villa seriously

50d33q:
Saka is tired we should bench him, odegaard and lacazette against villa

Am I the only one impress with xhaka, I have been singing his praise since February

Hmmm..
I agree saka is really tired but who we wan bench am for? I'm not too impressed with pepe.
Bench odegaard?? Abeg no think am. I don't think odegaard is tired, na just Liverpool too good.
Lacazette? Maybe nketiah, but then he's not giving that outstanding performances we would wanna see in games..
Remember na Aston Villa we dey play and we'll need our best players cos Aston Villa no be anyhow team.
It's just so sad that our squad is thin and we can't even trust our 2nd eleven in attack except smith Rowe


I'm impressed with xhaka esp this his new role. Me I think I just they wait for end of season to give him full praise cos to me I dey see Xhaka as a ticking time bomb. He might give you 5 good performances but that one performance his brain will touch will even be greater than that his good performances. So it's just a way I'm guarding my expectations tbh

But he's been great recently

I was impressed with the lads ystdy night. The showing was more different and exciting than the previous encounters we had with Liverpool. While I was expecting to lose(sadly), I was just waiting to see our performance ystdy knowing how we always badly played against Liverpool before now.

The greatest thing I know that made us lose this game was lacazette lack of movement upfront. Aside the chance which he passed up to odegaard — not that it was wrong tho because we for no dey talk about the chance if odegaard scored. But aside that, it is crazy for a striker not to capitalize on any of those martinelli chances he created when he was tormenting Arnold. The big difference between Laca and firmino ystdy was that while firmino made a move to ensure he scored that goal, laca was waiting at a unfavorable spot expecting the ball to meet him(esp that chance that martinelli nutmegged Henderson). Laca tried especially in his physical duels to ensure we maintained possession but games like these needs that little extra and that's where he's failing — and it's also one of the big reasons we'll rarely beat the top 2. But then it's a good thing we're closing the gap.

Ystdy I keenly wanted to watch partey to know if he'll turn up against a big team with the way his performances have been this year and I'm glad he did. I was excited to see how he beat Liverpool's press with many one touch pass and made so many good decisions. Odegaard tried ystdy(tho not to his standard) but he really should have scored that goal. When a team Misses such goals against a big team, they're duly punished and it's no surprising we conceded few minutes after missing that goal. With the way the midfield is setup, we just need an excellent midfielder to take over Xhaka spot and we'll compete even more favorably with the big guns

Saka(to me) had a below par game by his standard surprisingly. Not too bad but not too good the way I expected from him. I know it might be a bit difficult for him seeing his two markers where mostly Robertson and Vvd but maybe I expected more in terms of drive.

I'm not to fussed about this game, after all I expected to lose , but I just hope we'll be able to get something out from our remaining two outstandings(even tho they're away games). The boys shouldn't allow this to weigh them down and they should be proud of their performance ystdy.

Lastly the future of this club depends on the success of the forthcoming summer transfer window. We need a taller clinical striker that can work effectively with the wingers and midfielders(someone like a van Persie) and a very good midfielder to replace Xhaka.

We hope to win against Aston Villa and get the three points!!

Coyg!!

Spy360:
Meanwhile, Balogun is smashing it at Boro. My boy will be ready in 6months.

Prepare your bow o.

Lol.. We dey wait

50d33q:
Rumor has it Gabriel might not feature today as they are expecting baby

Haba na!!

Why now of all days??

Salah will surely be in the squad tonight (and probably start)


Hopefully, we'll get something out of this match. I hope our cohesion and form sees us through.