At least it was over early.
And there still will be Champions League Soccer?
Maybe?
And there still will be Champions League Soccer?
Maybe?
Being a State fan prepared me well for the Man City - Arsenal massacre...
- Thread starter Maroon Eagle
- Start date
The frustrating thing is Arsenal could’ve withstood a loss today if they don’t blow two goal leads against Liverpool and West Ham or draw the worst team in the league a few days ago. It was there for the taking and then they went and had a disastrous month of April.
That's not a good comparison: We'd be looking at and musing around the bottom of the table.
(I'm a Tottenham fan, and last weekend's debacle at Newcastle was VINTAGE football . . . Mississippi State Style!)
I think the last four games show how valuable Saliba has been this year. And how dumb it was to play him against Sporting in a game that was essentially meaningless.
I was hoping Arsenal could stop City from buying ANOTHER title. It would be nice if the FFP rules were actually enforced.
Great season by Arsenal but man they should’ve gotten more depth pieces in the winter transfer window. Still this City team is probably the best in the world
Arteta has done a U-Turn on coaching this season, having gotten worse as the season progressed.
I saw the Gunners play v PSV Eindhoven in October and the team was efficient offensively and very good defensively.
Not so much anymore.
I saw the Gunners play v PSV Eindhoven in October and the team was efficient offensively and very good defensively.
Not so much anymore.
We knew it was coming.
I didn’t watch it but when the FPL app told me it was 1-0 early and then 2-0, I knew it was over early.
FQDawg mentioned Saliba’s injury.
And that’s definitely affected the club.
The Gunners need a healthy Saliba and someone capable to cover for him
Fellow Tottenham supporter and that game was absolutely rock bottom. 5-0 after 21 minutes! It was so bad that the team announced it is refunding the tickets to the Tottenham fans who traveled to Newcastle. Next up, Man United tomorrow. Yikes.
We definitely need more defensive depth both at center back and right back, especially.
I’d also love to see someone who can fill Partey’s role. Because if the rumors about him are true, he has no business at Arsenal.
If it makes you feel any better, Newcastle are going to be the next City. Their owner is richer than City's. It doesn't make me feel any better. Liverpool is run as a business. Our owners are very good at it but they can't compete in the transfer market as long as teams like City can totally ignore the FFP rules. Liverpool, United, Arsenal, and Tottenham have pretty much stuck with the rules over the years. Chelsea were the first to go off those rails, but they are pretty much back on track these days. Newcastle are probably about to out City City.
This is the really frustrating thing about what the league is turning into. You used to be able to build teams by developing youth players, smartly buying a few solid internationals and mixing in one or two truly world class players (think Arsenal and Man U's late 90s and early 2000s teams).
But Chelsea and then Man City (and now Newcastle) started just blowing through cash buying up players, which has distorted the market to such a degree that making smart buys isn't enough anymore. I'd love to see a salary cap or spending cap or something that could actually reign in these nation-state owned teams but I doubt it'll ever happen.
One thing that I do wish would happen is solidly enforced squad size limits. You get X number of players that are your first team players for the year. If you want to add a player (either through the transfer market or promoting a player from within), one of your current first team players has to either be sold, sent down to the second team (which also has a squad size limit) or put on the injured list. And there needs to be a limit to how many players you can send off on loan. But that probably won't happen either.
Being a Mississippi State fan REALLY prepared me for being a Tottenham fan.
Good lord yes. That's why I love them so . . . (like a dog with a violent master).
Watching that yesterday, I kept thinking, "Man City is the Alabama of the EPL..." Like Bama, I find them boring to watch, no matter how sublime they perform. I certainly hope Man City gets busted for the PL wage/financial issues - but I have absolutely no faith that will happen.
Arsenal looks like a very tired team at this point. I think they probably over-achieved for 70% of the season and are regressing to the mean now. Arteta played most of the same lineup every match, when healthy - I get it because of lack of depth, but I think he may have over-extended a few players like Saka, Xakha, Martinelli...
My summer wish list...
- I'm hoping they can sign Declan Rice and another midfielder (Caciedo, come on down!) because Xakha and Partey can't play this many minutes over a season at a top-level (getting older and injuries). Watching Fabio Vieria the last few games, he looks like a 12-year-old trying to play against grown men - not a fan of his. Play him in cups or send on loan. In hindsight, I think Arteta messed up playing Vieria ahead of Jorginho vs Southampton.
- Saka and Martinelli are probably more beat up than we realize and, besides Troussard, need another quality backup that can rest them for early Cup ties and a few matches (or 30 mins) in the league. (Pulisic?? ha!)
- And of course, a center back is a glaring need now that we've seen what happens without Saliba. Holding should be no more than a 3rd choice, not 2nd choice. And Gabriel has looked lost at times without Saliba there.
- While I'm spending other people's money, I'm not opposed to finding a seasoned center forward to help Jesus and Nketiah. (Wish there was a late career Giroud Arsenal could find for that role...)
While it annoys me how these sovereign wealth funds are bankrolling teams with blood money, I'm really encouraged with Arsenal's approach the last couple of transfer windows. Edu and team seem to know how to find the right kinds of players at the right price (Zinchenko, Jesus, Ramsdale, Troussard, etc.). They'll still get out-bid for a few but at least they can now promise Champions League, decent money and really exciting young team to prospects.
Arsenal looks like a very tired team at this point. I think they probably over-achieved for 70% of the season and are regressing to the mean now. Arteta played most of the same lineup every match, when healthy - I get it because of lack of depth, but I think he may have over-extended a few players like Saka, Xakha, Martinelli...
My summer wish list...
- I'm hoping they can sign Declan Rice and another midfielder (Caciedo, come on down!) because Xakha and Partey can't play this many minutes over a season at a top-level (getting older and injuries). Watching Fabio Vieria the last few games, he looks like a 12-year-old trying to play against grown men - not a fan of his. Play him in cups or send on loan. In hindsight, I think Arteta messed up playing Vieria ahead of Jorginho vs Southampton.
- Saka and Martinelli are probably more beat up than we realize and, besides Troussard, need another quality backup that can rest them for early Cup ties and a few matches (or 30 mins) in the league. (Pulisic?? ha!)
- And of course, a center back is a glaring need now that we've seen what happens without Saliba. Holding should be no more than a 3rd choice, not 2nd choice. And Gabriel has looked lost at times without Saliba there.
- While I'm spending other people's money, I'm not opposed to finding a seasoned center forward to help Jesus and Nketiah. (Wish there was a late career Giroud Arsenal could find for that role...)
While it annoys me how these sovereign wealth funds are bankrolling teams with blood money, I'm really encouraged with Arsenal's approach the last couple of transfer windows. Edu and team seem to know how to find the right kinds of players at the right price (Zinchenko, Jesus, Ramsdale, Troussard, etc.). They'll still get out-bid for a few but at least they can now promise Champions League, decent money and really exciting young team to prospects.
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