Jump to content

Football: Brendan has the last laugh


Iskaral Pust

Recommended Posts

I've decided this Arsenal season is a complete loss and that it might even be better not to be in the Europa League next season. We're not going to make the top four, so it's probably better to miss out on the Europa League places as well. Give the new coach a relatively clear fixture list so that they can build the team up again properly. We'll probably lose Aubameyang, although he would have only had a couple of good seasons left in him, which we wouldn't have been able to make use of as it's going to take longer than that to get a winning team together.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Jeor said:

I've decided this Arsenal season is a complete loss and that it might even be better not to be in the Europa League next season. We're not going to make the top four, so it's probably better to miss out on the Europa League places as well. Give the new coach a relatively clear fixture list so that they can build the team up again properly. We'll probably lose Aubameyang, although he would have only had a couple of good seasons left in him, which we wouldn't have been able to make use of as it's going to take longer than that to get a winning team together.

If Arsenal can get a top price (whether players or money or a mix), then I'd say they should go with it.  Lacazette is much younger and can be the focus, and frankly Arsenal have enough areas to fix that the money would be useful.  Try and do a bit what Liverpool did with Courtinho's money (Alison and Van Dyke), and shore up a couple of positions.  Especially given Aubameyang's age.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lacazette is only two years younger than Auba so not that much younger but, yeah, if Arsenal can get good money for Auba then they should take it. Martinelli has been impressive so that would lessen the loss of Auba and Saka has looked good enough to make the LW position his own as well. Saliba is joining next season and Upamecano is a confirmed target - that would be a young but highly talented CB pairing. As is the case with United, Arsenal's midfield is in dire need and both clubs need to get rid of a lot of dead wood as well. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Let's go with pointless predictions.

Paris over Dortmund

City over Real.

Valencia over Atalanta (somehow the most uninspiring pairing imo)

Liverpool over Atletico (assuming Liverpool returns from Qatar without any major injuries)

Bayern over Chelski (could go either way)

Juve over Lyon

Leipzig over Spurs (could also go either way)

Barca over Napoli.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, ants said:

If Arsenal can get a top price (whether players or money or a mix), then I'd say they should go with it.  Lacazette is much younger and can be the focus, and frankly Arsenal have enough areas to fix that the money would be useful.  Try and do a bit what Liverpool did with Courtinho's money (Alison and Van Dyke), and shore up a couple of positions.  Especially given Aubameyang's age.  

48 minutes ago, Consigliere said:

Lacazette is only two years younger than Auba so not that much younger but, yeah, if Arsenal can get good money for Auba then they should take it.

I agree about selling Aubameyang if we can get a good price. The team needs to be rebuilt, which is going to need money, and Aubameyang is going to be too old by the time that team arrives. Painful as it is to sell our one world-class player, it might have to be short-term pain for long-term gain.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

58 minutes ago, The Winged Shadow said:

Kinda worried about Atletico match up. Would've preferred a more attacking team.

Nah, Liverpool should win. The problem for Liverpool in the past was the propensity of your defence to shoot themselves in the foot which made playing a strong defensive side like Atleti very difficult to contend with. Now your defence is among the best around and don't make anywhere near as many mistakes as before. Also, Atleti have been struggling really badly in front of goal this season - only 26 goals scored in 23 games in league+CL (18 goals in 17 games in La Liga and 8 goals in 6 games in the CL). 

 

 

We've drawn Club Brugge. They gave a good account in the CL this year but I'm happy with this draw. A decent footballing side who won't resort to hacking, a pitch in top condition rather than the artificial turf or potato fields you can get with certain EL teams and a short trip. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just returning breifly to the question of managers:

Ferguson won't be our next manager. I think everyone knows that by now (and should he, by some godforsaken miracle, be appointed, I will refuse to acknowledge it). However, he's had a positive impact, and that is significant: it leads the hierarchy (essentially Bill and Moshiri) to relax a bit, and gives us more time at identifying our next manager.

Having read entirely too much about the situation in recent weeks, my understanding is that the first names to clog up the media came from Bill (Moyes) and Moshiri (Pereira). Neither are a Brands candidate. Brands, I believe, wanted to keep Silva, and hadn't really planned for a change. Now, however, since Ferguson is doing all right, he has time to work on a new manager. And also, since Ferguson isn't killing the team, he seems to be getting through to the other two.

Contrast with Arsenal - seemingly (I know far less about that situation): suddenly there are clandestine meetings (sounds better than "meetings at home") with Arteta and a sort-of panic for the season, because Ljungberg hasn't gotten the immediate reaction from his team. 

I don't think that Big Dunc is a better manager long term than is Ljungberg - probably not, I'd say - but he works short term, and that gives the board time to think long term. 

They may still f*ck up royally, of course, but that's for another day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Consigliere said:

Nah, Liverpool should win. The problem for Liverpool in the past was the propensity of your defence to shoot themselves in the foot which made playing a strong defensive side like Atleti very difficult to contend with. Now your defence is among the best around and don't make anywhere near as many mistakes as before. Also, Atleti have been struggling really badly in front of goal this season - only 26 goals scored in 23 games in league+CL (18 goals in 17 games in La Liga and 8 goals in 6 games in the CL).

Yes, but they have conceded the least amount of league goals (10 in 17 games).That's better than all teams in the Bundesliga, Serie A, PL and La Liga! Very tough to breakdown and score against.If we do beat them ,i feel it will be with a very slim margin.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, AncalagonTheBlack said:

Yes, but they have conceded the least amount of league goals (10 in 17 games).That's better than all teams in the Bundesliga, Serie A, PL and La Liga! Very tough to breakdown and score against.If we do beat them ,i feel it will be with a very slim margin.

The point though is that Liverpool used to have trouble against these well organised defences in the past because your defence used to concede stupid goals from a handful or less of attacks that they faced. That's not really an issue anymore. In fact, Liverpool have become one of the best sides in Europe at breaking down a low block. If anything, at least in Europe, it's been the teams who played more attacking against you that have seen some success rather than those who parked the bus. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Seems quite nailed on that we're getting Arteta. I don't mind him at all, and I will certainly take him before Ancelotti. I think Poch & Nagelsmaan would be the only ones I'd take before Arteta ( And neither of them are particularly realistic)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Raja said:

 

That doesn't seem like a good idea. Ancelotti is good at creating an environment for an already talented squad to succeed but I'm not sure building a team is his thing anymore, if it ever was a strength.

 

4 hours ago, Consigliere said:

The point though is that Liverpool used to have trouble against these well organised defences in the past because your defence used to concede stupid goals from a handful or less of attacks that they faced. That's not really an issue anymore.

It's true that a couple of years ago, prior to us getting Van Dijk, I'd have thought it was an absolute disaster to draw Atletico. We are better at playing teams who sit back now but, ideally, I think we'd still rather play a more attacking side the front three can counter on. It's not the end of the world but they're probably the worst side we could have drawn.

Still, it's hard to get too worked up about it on the back of winning last year. It's a relatively tough draw, either we win or we don't. :dunno:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Consigliere said:

Better hope that Arteta doesn't try to implement Pep-ball with that Arsenal squad. 

:dunno: honestly have no idea what's going to happen, whether it's good or bad. Just gonna go with the flow and see what happens.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...