₦airaland Forum

sexiestharam:
Bournemouth 2 - Arsenal 0

Big mouth

Eawwal:
..............Leno............
Nile... Sokratis Luis...... Saka

................ Granit..... Torreira


........................ Ozil

Pepe. Aubameyang. Martinelli

Martinelli is injured. It's like Bellerin is back too

Predict Arteta's first formation.

Mine

..................... Leno..................
AMN....... Soc..... Luiz .....Saka
.................. Torriera..................
............. Ozil ....... Rowe...........
Pepe.... Aubameyang.... Marti

Best sat on 60cm anyone?

iamoyindamola:
Ljunberg is suppose to take the Malmö offer and build himself for the future not sitting with Arteta again.
Just because he ask you to stay doesn't mean you should

I believe he has a future in England. He's probably hoping a manager would need replacement even if it is in the lower leagues.

Roland17:
A better performance from Xhaka today but once again Torreira marshaled that midfield and kept it compact. Chambers and Martinelli definitely stood out. Overall, I loved the energy, positional awareness and discipline the team showed today.

Even though I expected more, I must say thank you to Freddy. It would be interesting to see what Arteta/ Arsenal does with his back room staff.

Yes, Xhaka played it simple today. But his one leg is not fun at all. We need two double footed midfielders at the double pivot position.

The discipline was there but it hindered free flow. They have to combine that disciplined approach with more movement especially in the final third. There was little connection between the wingers and the CF. Also the FBs didn't interchange properly with the wingers to create crossing situations.

A lot of improvements will be needed.

Unto the next game. Arteta should be at home.

iamoyindamola:
I blame leno

Gbam!
He should know when to clear.

I need Lacazette in that box with back to goal.

iamoyindamola:
no ozil please let the sleeping ozil rest today

I wish there is someone else with more experience to replace Smith-Rowe. The guy off today.

Pepe, Laca and Ozil in for Nielson, Aubameyang and Smith-Rowe.

Smith-Rowe and Nielson are off this game. They seem lost in the pitch.

Xhaka is avoiding the ball which is affecting the transition from midfield to attack.

I think Xhaka- Torriera is good. Hope Smith Rowe peaks.

iamoyindamola:
Quick question guys: since wengay left, our managers were referred to as 'head coach'.
Does that mean they only coach and doesn't have a say in transfer market?
I just remembered Emery said he wanted zaha instead of Pepe. Why refer to them as head coach when other EPL clubs uses the tag 'manager'

Exactly. Head coach doesn't have final say on transfer business.

patrickmuf:
That guy has made a very nice point. Auba and Laca shouldn't start together, Lacazette isn't creative enough and Auba won't get involved in the hustle and bustle. You can't compare the Benz - Jovic situation or that of Aguero - Jesus to Auba and Lacazette.

No top player wants to sit on the bench, Pep has had to play Mahrez more to prevent him from leaving and even then, the injury to Sane has helped reduce the possible selection headache.

Madrid had to loan out James at some point and would've sold his in the previous summer if they were able to agree a deal.

Barcelona had to loan out Coutinho and are currently forced to play Griezemann on the wings to avoid any dressing issues.

The players usually on the bench are not the superstars, they might be very good players though. No world class player will settle for a place on the bench.

Point taken.

MrDojo:
You don't seem to get what I'm saying.

-Laca and Auba makes our squad unbalanced.
-Sell one of them and reinvent in the team (to obviously make it more balanced).
-Having both of them on the pitch or dropping one of them on the bench is counterintuitive in the long run. In fact, I believe it's a recipe for disaster.
-Finally, I want us to be among the world's best clubs. But we have to be smarter with the players we buy.

Look at Liverpool for example, they have a balanced squad. The only fault is that there's no serious competition for places like City's team.

Look at our squad. To use a clichéd analogy, it's like putting a Lamborghini's engine in a Prius/Honda/Toyota.

It just doesn't work.

If it is reinvestment, I can understand. But over the years, top teams keep two strikers. One is usually bigger than the other quite alright- you have a point there. But isn't Aubameyang bigger than Lacazette? Unless I'm wrong, and he isn't willing to be benched.

MrDojo:
Unfortunately, we can't compare ourselves with the elites right now. They can afford to bench 50m+ players, but we can't. Because, it will cause trouble within our dressing room.

Imagine a scenario where Auba/Laca sits on the bench for an extended period of time... For us, it's a big waste. That's why I believe selling one of them to reinvent is out best bet.

And if we want to be really critical, the strikers of those teams I lister are in pairs of- old (peak) and young (potential superstar). Unlike us who have both strikers at their peak. Auba is going to 31 and Laca is going to 28 (?).

At this point in their careers, neither of them would want to sit on the bench.

I hope you get why I'm advocating for one of them to be sold?

I am confused about what you really want. Do you want us to get back to being a top club or you want us to remain this way?
For your information, the route to being a top club begins with keeping our top players, they include Lacazette and Aubameyang.

The season is long enough and there are possibilities of injuries.

Fkhalifa:
It's the Pep's style that attracted us, let's be honest..
He isn't Guss Hindick or Sam Allardyce( saving relegation threatened teams) that's good at bringing teams back from poor form..

If he can't bring something similar to the attacking Spanish stuffs he learned at city, then I'm afraid.

A good coach will always find a way, any way.

Fkhalifa:
Durham is baffled that the Gunners are turning to a rookie manager to save their season when an experienced manager like Emery couldn’t inspire the team to get results.

He insisted that Arsenal doesn’t have the players for Arteta to implement Manchester City’s style of play and if he forces this set of Arsenal players to play that way, they could end up being relegated.

“I’m looking at Arteta and he’s a rookie,” said the Drivetime host. “He’s been learning under Pep Guardiola, so does that mean Arsenal are hoping he will come in and play Pep’s kind of football with THOSE players, who seem to have no tactical discipline, no energy and no enthusiasm whatsoever?

“They could be relegated under this guy if they try that!

“Apparently Man City are now going to crumble without Arteta – is that right?

“He wasn’t even an Arsenal legend. Look at Mesut Ozil laughing in Freddie Ljungberg’s face, and he is an Arsenal legend! What are they going to make of Pep’s team boy?”



The above from a pundit is my view on Arterta, but we have to support and hope he gets it right.

He mustn't replicate Pep's style of play. He only needs to get this team back to winning ways, however that is possible.

Roland17:
You go fear "Famzing" lol.

I think everyone knows how I feel about Ozil but at this point, he needs to move on from Arsenal, the issues and distractions are too much.

His wages especially, causing a lot of distractions. Unless Arteta has special plans for him, personally I think he needs to move on.

MrDojo:
Our team is unbalanced. What has having both brought for us? Our attack has been disjointed with both of them playing.

How many top teams (as we are aspiring to be) play with two strikers in attack? Watch our previous matches, anytime Auba starts on the wings, the opposition attacks through that wing. Always.

Ask yourself. Why don't Man City play Kun and Gabby together. How come Madrid does not play Jovic and Benzema together? Why didn't Bayern buy another world class ST to partner Lewy? Why is Liverpool not going for another world class striker to play alongside Bobby? I can go on, but I'll stop there. I believe you get my point.

If not, let's see agree to disagree. It will shock me if Arteta plays the two together without reverting to 4-4-2.

That I'm saying either one of them should be sold does not mean I don't like them, let me point that out.

Good day.

Good day brother.

I am totally in support of your point in not starting both Lacazette and Auba same time, but that was not the idea you gave in your initial post. You actually said one of them should be SOLD. Mind you all the teams you mentioned showed they have two top strikers in their ranks, why not Arsenal?

Ozil it will not work for you. Oya come
dey go Fernebache.

Those saying we should sell either Auba or Lacazette, if we have both na sin? After you will complain about our mediocrity, how many top clubs have one striker? As long as both are willing to stay, wetin concern anybody if we have two top strikers? Arsenal fans self...

Cruxifizio:
Spy spy

Sir...

I have always used Ajax as an example of proper club management. They have no super stars, no overly experienced player, lose their best players every single year, yet they rub shoulders with the best in Europe.

Hoping that Arsenal should replace all the players is a day's man's dream. It won't happen. But one thing we can hope for is to build on the youth we have together with a couple of experience. This is why I was personally excited about Mikel Arteta. He already has the reputation of developing young players, the likes of Sterling, Sane, Bernado, and De Bruyne greatly improved through his coaching.

At a time during the City game, I noticed him arguing with Pep about player positioning. My mentor always says to me-
whenever a student starts arguing with his teacher, then you know he has learnt the subject.

Jodera:
Arteta is a very big gamble to be honest.
The way I'm looking at our team, it is like the team of Liverpool before klopp. And we know klopp needed transfer windows get Liverpool rolling back. To be sincere, I think a new gaffer, whether Arteta or another person coming in will need his own players, most of this players aren't just it. The players of sokratis, luiz kola, ozil mustafi xhaka and one of laca or auba needs to be cleared out. I feel these guys are big enough not to carry out effectively coaching instructions like pressing and keeping shape. We need like a change of most guys in the squad before we see remarkable change in the team. Seeing our game against Brighton really dampened my spirit about this team, cos even if a coach comes with the right tactics, I don't feel like we've the personnel to carry them out, and that will be another confusion for the coach who might start permutations again.
My advice is, leave ljumberg till the end of season, then bring in Arteta or any credible candidate they seem fit, back him to clear out the deadwoods we have and bring in tricky wingers and strong midfielders, let him use preseason to assess his squad and know his first eleven.
Even tho I feel top4 mathematically is still possible, I don't think it's realistic again with mourinho at Tottenham then Chelsea and man still jostling for that sole spot. Most of our players are not fighters, and need to be cleared, the earlier we realize this, the better for us.

All these talks about our players not good enough is itching me. Are we worse than Wolves, or Leicester or even Chelsea? It's bad results due to poor decisions that has brought us here. Poor management and coaching.
Forget, a decent manager can achieve much with this same team.

BlueRayDick:

This is a very big gamble the board is taking. I hope he doesn't turn out to be a certain Coach Thierry Henry. I mean coach Henry was so good sitting beside Martinez doing things until he collect his first job as head coach ó.

I no just buy all dis "he's favorite 3 years ago and still favorite today " yarns o.

Anyways let's see what he will do this January transfer window if he gets the job.

Arteta is regarded as a key figure responsible for City's success and especially the rise of the likes of Sterling, Bernado, and Sane. He is their coach and he has the reputation of being one of the best in the epl.
I know that some guys are excellent when they are assistants but falter when the pressure of responsibility is laid on them, eg Henry. But like as I stated, I will be more disappointed if we miss him and he turns out to be a guru. I'd rather he failed.

@Roland17

He is inexperienced, completely at that. But he was favorite even ahead of Evening last summer and he is favorite now too. Obviously there is something special about him that makes the Arsenal hierarchy to keep going for him despite that inexperienced tag. That special thing was what made City to snap him immediately Pep came on board and at a time he was just completing his badges.

Sorry for hyping him (I always have this biase for my peeps), but I think I will be more disappointed if we miss him and he goes on to do a Pep Guardiola.

I have been waiting for this announcement since morning. So because of the usual dullness of our board in making simple decisions...

I have decided to help them out...




WELCOME BOSS

BlueRayDick:
We Don suffer

Funny enough, defence is the easiest part of a team to work on. Any proper manager should be able to do that. That is why small teams usually have mean defences when they face attacking teams and really want to defend and big teams (Man City) have defending issues.

The problem is combining defence with attacking intent. For a side like Arsenal, defending alone is meaningless, what is important is combining that with a ready attack. Can Sam do that?

cheenway:
Abeg is it possible to close this thread or delete this post sef.
When I was needing people to surround me when I needed help, nobody contacted me o. Everybody na scam. Now, an innocent post, everybody dey contact me, email, sms, WhatsApp.
Again, it is not my story ooooo.

The lady who contacted me on Whatsapp, please send me a message again so I can send you the screenshot of the original post from Facebook. If possible, you can help send the pic here for everyone to know that I innocently copied it just to gist.
Pictures no wan upload here.
I'm fed up, aswearugad

Bear the consequences of plagiarism.

Meanwhile...

With Arteta now on the horizon, how would you rate Freddie Ljungberg?

For me it's a 2/10

He was part of the set up since the season began yet was unable to master the squad.
His inability to stamp his methods is also a minus.
He failed everywhere Emery did.

Any positives?

Taking some strong decisions like benching Luiz and Lacazette, starting Chambers and Martinelli, taking Ozil off at 58mins etc. Showed that he can be bold.

Overall, I won't put much blame on him. Not knowing how long you will spend relieving someone can make work unpredictable and unfulfilling.