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Other games thread 5-7 April 2025

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StevieM said:
What trajectory are you looking at?

We’ll see an increase in last seasons points total while Arsenal will see a drop off.

And I also disagree with some of your player rating comparisons - I’d have Gakpo and Diaz rated higher than Martinelli, wouldn’t have Harvertz higher than Jota and I think you’re under-rating Gravy,

So it boils down to Odegaard being a little bit better than Dom, and us needing a LB.
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I don't know you can say arsenal with drop off though? They're going to invest, just like us. And they'll have their injured players back. If you think they would have had the same points total as they do now if they had saka, havertz and jesus back, then fair enough.
 
ibromurph said:
Mainly the gaps in their squad vs the gaps in ours, and the age profiles. I reckon they'll want to get in a sub GK, DM (Zubi), LW and CF. Everywhere else is covered for the next 3-4 years.

Our world class players are aging and the gaps in our team/squad are soon going to be: LB, RB, CB, DM, LW, RW, CF. Just a lot more uncertainty.

In terms of points total and progress. Yes, our trajectory has been unexpectedly positive, but unless we have the much promised "Big" summer, where Arne is backed, then I don't see us maintaining this. And I see us slipping back into a top 3/4 race again next season.

In terms of my ratings. Gakpo G/A wise is better than Diaz/Martinelli, but performance wise it's much of a muchness for me. I think Jota has good finishing, but his all round game isn't great. Whereas Havertz has an all round game, but poor finishing. I have Havertz higher based on his fitness record prior to this season which was immaculate. I can not simply trust Jota and his fitness record gets points knocked off him (especially as it takes him 4-6 weeks to show any form post injury). I love Gravy, but he's only shown us half a season of great form. Over the last few weeks he's really not stepped up when we needed him. Kind of gone back into his shell. I'm not seeing the early season Gravy who was doing no touch turns and driving through midfields like a young Vieira. I need to see him get back to that level next year again before I can rate him higher otherwise he just had a purple patch. Odegaard has better technique and ability vs Dom, especially as an AM playing between the lines. However his form has been pretty average this year admittedly.
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Keeper we have an embarrassment of riches.

Absolutely we need a LB, but if Virgil is re-signing then we don’t “need” a top quality CB. Konate is entering his prime.

Bradley for RB is fine - it’s a question off his body not his ability for me.

DM were fine - Gravy isn’t even hitting his prime, so we’re well covered - if we want additional cover, I’m up for using Badger.

Mac, Dom, Curtis & Harvey are in or entering their prime - we’re well stocked.

If Salah is signing, then that can gets kicked down the road a few more years.

LW isn’t a priority - Diaz is still in prime years and Gakpo is just hitting his - they’re both better than anything Arsenal have at LW.

I agree Darwin needs to go - Jota we might stick with - again it’s body not ability.

We also know nothing about our plans and there are no leaks so it’s all speculation l- but Slot seems pretty confident he knows what we need and Hughes will go and get it.

I don’t see a drop off unless, as you say, we actually sit on our hands and do nothing.

Arsenal signing b good players is one thing - but Arteta needs to deliver something soon or he’ll find himself booted and Arsenal will likely start from scratch again.
 
I still think we sell Diaz, Nunez, Elliott, tsimi, a wide range of youth (Morton, mcconnell, etc), with Trent going as well. Gomez I'm unsure if he will stay or go.

I think we need a first choice 9 (delap or Ekitike), a first choice left back (kerkez), a backup LW&RW (could be the same player and I've no clue who; Cunha? Cherki?) and a backup/competitive RB (Frimpong or someone else.

I would like another 10 to compete with szob if Elliott goes (as nyoni is too raw), another striker to rely on Jota less and provide competition (David?), and a CB to develop as I'm just not sold on quansah.

If we managed to get the needs in the summer, then wonderful. We should be trying to get the likes over the subsequent 2 windows

Obviously it depends on who leaves, but there's too much noise about Diaz to ignore.

Arsenal thankfully have a much bigger rebuild to do. A striker, 2 wingers, backup for odegaard, replacements for partey, jorginho, zinchenko, tomiyasu etc who are all on frees.

City is the team I worry about next year. If they get this window right there could be issues.
 
You're forgetting all the 'like a new signing' players we will get!

Gomez covers CB and LB.
Badger covers central midfield.
Chiesa's got the wing's covered.
Recommitted Trent and Bradders can compete/rotate at RB.
Harvey won't leave and Slot will accept that he has to find a way to get him into the system.

Blow our load on Kerkez, Alvarez, and a striker.
 
Mamma Mia said:
You're forgetting all the 'like a new signing' players we will get!

Gomez covers CB and LB.
Badger covers central midfield.
Chiesa's got the wing's covered.
Recommitted Trent and Bradders can compete/rotate at RB.
Harvey won't leave and Slot will accept that he has to find a way to get him into the system.

Blow our load on Kerkez, Alvarez, and a striker.
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Isn't Alvarez a striker?
 
StevieM said:
Keeper we have an embarrassment of riches.

Absolutely we need a LB, but if Virgil is re-signing then we don’t “need” a top quality CB. Konate is entering his prime.

Bradley for RB is fine - it’s a question off his body not his ability for me.

DM were fine - Gravy isn’t even hitting his prime, so we’re well covered - if we want additional cover, I’m up for using Badger.

Mac, Dom, Curtis & Harvey are in or entering their prime - we’re well stocked.

If Salah is signing, then that can gets kicked down the road a few more years.

LW isn’t a priority - Diaz is still in prime years and Gakpo is just hitting his - they’re both better than anything Arsenal have at LW.

I agree Darwin needs to go - Jota we might stick with - again it’s body not ability.

We also know nothing about our plans and there are no leaks so it’s all speculation l- but Slot seems pretty confident he knows what we need and Hughes will go and get it.

I don’t see a drop off unless, as you say, we actually sit on our hands and do nothing.

Arsenal signing b good players is one thing - but Arteta needs to deliver something soon or he’ll find himself booted and Arsenal will likely start from scratch again.
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I really do hope he is booted soon, because he looks on the cusp of something. Contrary to popular belief, I actually think he's a very good manager, just very much dislikeable in the way that he speaks/moans.

If they, God forbid, unexpectedly won the UCL, then the confidence it would give them ahead of next season would be worrying. Similar to how we won the CL the year before we annihilated the league.

In terms of us though, I expect us to sell the likes of Diaz, Gomez/Quansah, Elliott, Endo, Jota, Nunez, TAA (free), so:
At RB, I think we need more quality. Bradley's fitness is a huge question mark, so def need someone were to come in; they'd really need to be up to scratch almost immediately, if not the starter themselves.

At DM, I'm assuming Gravy isn't going to play another 50+ games uninjured next season again. So we need a genuine quality rotation option. Slot clearly doesn't rate Endo.

At CB, we still need someone to be 3rd choice and/or rotate with the first 2. I don't think Quansah is good enough yet and Joe Go probably needs to be sold (again, due his injury record).

Out of the 4, CMs, Mac is genuine quality. Harvey is a quality player but lacks athleticism and Slot doesn't trust him. Both Jones and Szobo, the jury is still out on for me, as to their quality.
 
Fabio said:
I still think we sell Diaz, Nunez, Elliott, tsimi, a wide range of youth (Morton, mcconnell, etc), with Trent going as well. Gomez I'm unsure if he will stay or go.

I think we need a first choice 9 (delap or Ekitike), a first choice left back (kerkez), a backup LW&RW (could be the same player and I've no clue who; Cunha? Cherki?) and a backup/competitive RB
Click to expand...
In terms of RW/LW, I am hoping for someone like Gittens from Dortmund.

He plays both sides, is good with his left and right foot, and is also English so ticks the quota box for us (esp if we are losing Gomez, TAA and Elliott).
 
If we’re talking about the next 2-3 years, then Arsenal have less to do than us by a fair margin. Their average age is younger across the board (e.g., Saliba vs. Van Dijk, Saka vs. Salah, etc.), and they can expect some improvement from their players as they reach their peak. They have a lot of talent between the ages of 20 and 26, so while we can mock them for finishing second again, they are well-placed to remain competitive. If they sign a decent striker and keep their players fit, they'll be fighting at the top next year and likely in the following years too. Our squad is a bit more mixed, but with many of our best players passing their peaks, there’s work to be done in the coming windows with a lot of decisions and investment we need to get right.
 
ibromurph said:
I really do hope he is booted soon, because he looks on the cusp of something. Contrary to popular belief, I actually think he's a very good manager, just very much dislikeable in the way that he speaks/moans.

If they, God forbid, unexpectedly won the UCL, then the confidence it would give them ahead of next season would be worrying. Similar to how we won the CL the year before we annihilated the league.

In terms of us though, I expect us to sell the likes of Diaz, Gomez/Quansah, Elliott, Endo, Jota, Nunez, TAA (free), so:
At RB, I think we need more quality. Bradley's fitness is a huge question mark, so def need someone were to come in; they'd really need to be up to scratch almost immediately, if not the starter themselves.

At DM, I'm assuming Gravy isn't going to play another 50+ games uninjured next season again. So we need a genuine quality rotation option. Slot clearly doesn't rate Endo.

At CB, we still need someone to be 3rd choice and/or rotate with the first 2. I don't think Quansah is good enough yet and Joe Go probably needs to be sold (again, due his injury record).

Out of the 4, CMs, Mac is genuine quality. Harvey is a quality player but lacks athleticism and Slot doesn't trust him. Both Jones and Szobo, the jury is still out on for me, as to their quality.
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You're better off posting this in the new thread as it will get buried here.
 
Squiggles said:
If we’re talking about the next 2-3 years, then Arsenal have less to do than us by a fair margin. Their average age is younger across the board (e.g., Saliba vs. Van Dijk, Saka vs. Salah, etc.), and they can expect some improvement from their players as they reach their peak. They have a lot of talent between the ages of 20 and 26, so while we can mock them for finishing second again, they are well-placed to remain competitive. If they sign a decent striker and keep their players fit, they'll be fighting at the top next year and likely in the following years too. Our squad is a bit more mixed, but with many of our best players passing their peaks, there’s work to be done in the coming windows with a lot of decisions and investment we need to get right.
Click to expand...

They have less to do when it comes to starters, but this summer they're going to have to do an entire bench rebuild. And then it becomes a matter of it they don't win anything, are the likes of saka, saliba and Gabriel happy to wait? Saliba and Gabriel in particular scream Madrid.
 
Whaddapie said:
Agreed... I do think that the players are so used to simply defaulting to MO, that it's become 2nd nature to them now, and that is very different from the team being 'built around him'. I honestly think that, for this reason, many - not all, but many - of the goals he scores would be scored by others if he was out long term, similarly to how the midfield often picked up their performances when Stevie G was out, knowing that they had more to do.

I'm not saying we wouldn't miss him... That'd be ridiculous. But I do think we'd make up a lot of the lost goals elsewhere.
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The team is built around every player who plays and their strengths and deficiencies. Salah doesn't do what all our other forwards have to do, the vast majority of the time, off the ball. The trade off is he is meant to get a lot of touches and our attack is focused on the side of the pitch that has a higher average starting position. I don't think we could have another player doing that. We also tend to cheat right in midfield both because when an attack breaks down and we focus play there, that's where the players are, and because since Salah isn't as willing to defend, our midfield has to support. This means we need a more mobile fullback, and a more threatening LW. It's all doable but it's not easy. Diaz is a very good player. Getting comfortably better than him is hard, and getting better value than him close to impossible given his wages.

Improving on lb isn't so hard, unfortunately. I am quite looking forward to that development, especially if Robbo can still play from time to time. I just wish I believed we could get more out of Salah by managing his minutes, I just don't think we will based on wages. Improving on striker wouldn't be hard, if we weren't in one of the worst times for decent strikers.
 
Arsenal’s main problem this year was they couldn’t keep both Odegaard and Saka fit at the same time. If either is out, their attack was pretty average.

Odegaard was out for about a month and Arsenal fans acted like the end of the world.

They need to buy for the attack or it will be the same next year.
 
1000014477.webp
 
Superb finish by Openda, one touch out of feet and arrows it in the bottom corner.

Sesko puts it in for 2-0 but is clearly offside there. Wolfsburg are trash.

2-0 Leipzig, that's quality from Simons.....came a few minutes after Wimmer hit the post for Wolfsburg with a glancing header.
 
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