We’ve gone 12 games without a clean sheet so it’s not as if he’s had a tremendous impact anyway lol.
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No but the way he helps us play out from the back has a huge impact on the way we move forward and control our tempo. He’s a CB with a CMs passing.
Gabriel is a bit of a headless chicken.
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Read we have played 4 games without him this season and lost all of them.
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Haha c’mon bruh.
Except if that CM is…
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But ultimately we’re still leaking goals so it’s not like the Mustafi signing means that much until we get a manager who actually values the importance of having an organised defensive outfit to compliment a fluid attacking one.
In other words - defend as a team and attack as one too.
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We’re still leaking goals, but at an increased rate since we’ve lost SHKODRAN.
Without him we’ve been done for 4 by Liverpool, 2 at Everton, 2 at Manchester City. Before it was generally 1 per game (albeit lucky to only be 1 a game in many of those).
So I think SHKODRAN is a big miss, and even if not in terms of direct goals conceded, maybe he’s doing something else on the pitch that’s sorely being missed, like being very influential in firing up the team etc.
Can’t see Holding being too influential yet at his young age, Koscielny might do a bit but doesn’t look like too much and Gabriel reportedly can only communicate with Sanchez/Bellerin/Monreal
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That 1 goal we conceded per game was often a penalty too, e.g. Spurs, Sunderland and Bournemouth. I’m sure there are others too. He’s definitely a big miss, will have to wrap him in cotton wool when he’s back.
Don’t forget, a few of those one goals were generally penalties or a bit jammy in some cases as well.
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True enough, I suppose that weakens the point I was trying to make really. But in general clean sheets are more of a nice surprise rather than an expectation with Arsenal nowadays. I think last season we had an unexpectedly high number of them and Cech’s individual brilliance probably contributed to that.
Betting on BTTS in Arsenal games at the moment is like free money tbh.
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His passing is pretty good which helps building up attacks from the back.
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Yeah, like not being a massive fucking pussy.
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He’s back for Palace.
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We never lost a game with him in the team, great signing.
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Great that he’s back but Sad Our title challenge couldn’t cop with him getting a 3 week injury.
That’s great news… big drop-off from him and Koss atm. Really need those 2 to stay fit.
So what do people think of the signing so far? I think he’s been decent but by no means has he been the revelation some predicted he would be. And that is quite obviously because we don’t play with a system that protects our central defenders.
This is exactly why Mertesacker was never a problem. It was be high like we played or the way we never protect our centre backs.
I’d argue we’re in the worst run of defensive form in terms of lack of clean sheets in quite some time and that has been with and without Mustafi in the starting lineup.
Mustafi is further evidence if anybody needed any that personnel won’t solve our issue. It’s the desperate need for a new manager that will.
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Agreed. Seems fairly evident signings arent the barrier to success.
Why is this word “protection” thrown around. Do all our players need protection? First Ganit in midfield now mustafi in defense who next? Cech in goal? Because granit should be screening the back four and the back four should protecting the keeper. If he is getting no protection blame it on our midfield and the way teams seem just walk through it
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That basically is the modern football today, like it or not. A individual mistake is one thing, but as a collective the need to help each other out regardless of position is vital. In the lower leagues you can afford having a winger walking about and not participating in the defence. When Walcott has a nap a few times every game it’s evident.
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