Squad Management

Partey has probably been the best player out of all them though?

We certainly haven’t looked more balanced any time partey is removed lol

Merino’s shining moment was the goal against Liverpool and I think it was Chelsea where he also played well. Otherwise been awful.

Maybe individually, but I don’t think we are as balanced in midfield when Partey plays.

I just don’t quite see it with Merino at least not here, he did get injured but the postive with him was supposedly being able to fit the system and be ready made

I think he has distinct limitations on the ball and despite having a phsyical edge he makes the midfield more bland, him and Rice together would be Southgates wet dream

Our best game of the season was probably the 5-1 at sporting.

Guess which midfield started.

I’m aware who started and I’m not saying that Partey hasn’t been good for us in midfield. My point remains that I think we have a better balance when we have Odegaard, Merino and Rice. Rice in my view is far more effective as the No.6. When he plays alongside Partey I think Rice is less effective.

What do you mean by balance? Just in the midfield or across the team?

Because for my book we are just boring and even more toothless when rice and merino start together. Do you think we are better defensively?

Any games where they’ve started together you think we did particularly well? Liverpool I think they did no?

I think the midfield is more solid and better defensively. I think those three players work better with our defence. The issue we have is with the attack - if our attack was on point, we wouldn’t be talking about Merino or the midfield.

Midfield should contribute to attack though

Merino doesn’t do enough in possession, it’s a signing that places more burden on the other guys in that way

Fair enough. I don’t agree personally but all good :slightly_smiling_face:

I think when rice is on top of his game and doing his bursting runs he’s easily good enough at 8. I’m not sure Arsenal have ever done well with him having a longer stint at 6, always been Jorginho or Partey when we’ve been winning.

Merino’s going nowhere so we’ll see if he improves.

They do their jobs through with turnovers and inceptions and playing forward passes. Tbf irrespective of who has started, we have done well in retaining possession and dominating teams this season. Our issue remains converting the chances we create.

We need a fox in the box!

Chance creation from open play and transitional play is also an issue, today we had some chances but have to remember that they were down to ten men

Even stevens I think it would be different regarding shots and chances

11 vs 11

https://x.com/xGPhilosophy/status/1878469874160181631

:eyes:

1 Like

Yeah, cos football twitter mostly sucks.

I think Merino was brought in as a cheapish established guy to be part of the midfield rotation, starting some games, off the bench for others. 12 starts but overall 21 appearances and he missed a bunch of games due to obvious injury. I don’t think anyone thinks he was gonna be better than Ode, Partey or Rice. And those numbers don’t mention the injury which is yet another reason why the post sucks.

So if you consider that he’s been involved in most games he’s been fit for and started 12 of them, then the point the guy is making doesn’t work. Context of actual performances would show he’s been pretty shit for us, hence why I’m saying what I’m saying.

Neto is obviously not expected to play really at all, pointless to even include his games played.

It’s not that it’s untrue necessarily, it’s that games started doesn’t really illustrate the point that the window was poor. You do realise that someone can be correct without knowing or understanding the reason why they are correct, right?

We didn’t have a player like Merino on the bench last season or 22-23

This season is a shambles for attacking displays if we had him in the squad in either of the last two seasons he would looked better imo

The biggest concern I have with Arteta is how he’s struggled to build a capable midfield and forward line after 5 years in charge.

We have too many starters who are in shocking form and can’t be dropped because the guys to replace them are so bad or simply don’t exist.

I still don’t understand how we’ve arrived here.

The plan has well and truly failed.

What’s the likelihood of white and/or Tomi being ready for midweek?

Who?? :face_with_hand_over_mouth:

Can’t imagine we win the title with this kind of depth and options on the bench:

https://x.com/rory_talks_ball/status/1880650822419448136?s=46

1 Like

Don’t think this is an accurate reflection of where we are really at though.

Saka, Jesus, Calafiori, Saliba, White, Nwaneri and Tomiyasu are all injured.

Throw those 7 in the first team / on the bench and suddenly things look very different and we suddenly have a good squad / good bench.