English Football Thread 2013/14
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thedon5
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Gundogan is top top quality, you have to take risks with those sorts of players.
Carvalho has the ability to dominate better games than Yaya Toure at times. It depends what the team needs really, I don't like to include Carrick in plans since he's old, but it depends if the team needs a more attacking player or a more defensive player, which depends on what sort of other midfielders they can sign.
Carvalho has the ability to dominate better games than Yaya Toure at times. It depends what the team needs really, I don't like to include Carrick in plans since he's old, but it depends if the team needs a more attacking player or a more defensive player, which depends on what sort of other midfielders they can sign.
StinkyBoHoon
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it's funny how all round central midfielders are so difficult to get right now. guys that can play in front of the defense or defensive battling midfielders are ten a penny but teams that just want someone doing a balanced job as really struggling to find the right guy.
don, what do you think arsenal need to challenge next year?
don, what do you think arsenal need to challenge next year?
thedon5
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We need Ramsey and Walcott fit all season, if not that, replacements for Giroud and Arteta and better cover for guys like Ramsey and Walcott so that we don't collapse when they get injured.
StinkyBoHoon
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well, fortunately I think they're now at the point where as long as they do bring in things they need, back up should be provided by what they have. Arteta is alright as bench players go.
For me what I'd like to see Arsenal utilise more is their full backs, I just don't see the same level of contribution from them as I see in other top teams. maybe that's just me.
probably agree with the positions you need though, not sure what type of striker, for better or for worse the only type of strikers arsene has really been able to properly utilise is very, very good ones. which is great when you have one, but for the 9m they spent on Giroud you probably need an idea of who fits in.
I think the arteta replacement needs to be a bit physical and defensively able, I think flamini has been really good since coming back but in a way that's almost alarming. there was such a need for that type of player that a freely picked up ex player who is just ok is absolutely shining, imagine if they had someone genuinely world class in the middle there.
props to liverpool actually who some how managed to coax that sort of level out of jordan henderson which has been a big part of their success this year.
For me what I'd like to see Arsenal utilise more is their full backs, I just don't see the same level of contribution from them as I see in other top teams. maybe that's just me.
probably agree with the positions you need though, not sure what type of striker, for better or for worse the only type of strikers arsene has really been able to properly utilise is very, very good ones. which is great when you have one, but for the 9m they spent on Giroud you probably need an idea of who fits in.
I think the arteta replacement needs to be a bit physical and defensively able, I think flamini has been really good since coming back but in a way that's almost alarming. there was such a need for that type of player that a freely picked up ex player who is just ok is absolutely shining, imagine if they had someone genuinely world class in the middle there.
props to liverpool actually who some how managed to coax that sort of level out of jordan henderson which has been a big part of their success this year.
thedon5
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Our full backs are defensively sound, Sagna has improved his delivery too but on the whole neither him nor Gibbs do much. They're not bad full-backs but not great either, and Sagna is probably off anyway.
At the very least, we need a mobile striker, not a lump, someone who will get on the end of chances. Remy is the very least I'd expect, but we need someone on Balotelli or Diego Costa level (I highly doubt we'll get anyone like that).
Flamini is great but he is a walking yellow card. He is a good bench option for the next couple of seasons. Arteta is horrible and really needs to go, his lack of pace is destroying him really defensively, and all his attacking output from 11/12 has disappeared, plus he's more sideways than ever with his passing.
Ramsey is a great midfielder, we need someone to partner him and it's clear Wilshere isn't it, we need someone who will offer more of a B2B role who can do defensive work and go forward, like Gundogan, or simply a defensive shield like William Carvalho, which is what I prefer. Our defence has been great this season (other than those three games where we conceded a lot of goals, we've conceded less than 20), someone like William Carvalho would take it up another level and we'd never concede 6 with a guy like him.
But being realistic, we are only six points off the top, Ramsey and Walcott easily would've kept us in the mix. The big mistake we made is not strengthening in January when we knew both would be out for long periods. We'll easily challenge next season like this season without a great deal of improvement, with a midfielder and a striker we'd actually have a great chance of winning it depending on how the other teams do in the summer.
At the very least, we need a mobile striker, not a lump, someone who will get on the end of chances. Remy is the very least I'd expect, but we need someone on Balotelli or Diego Costa level (I highly doubt we'll get anyone like that).
Flamini is great but he is a walking yellow card. He is a good bench option for the next couple of seasons. Arteta is horrible and really needs to go, his lack of pace is destroying him really defensively, and all his attacking output from 11/12 has disappeared, plus he's more sideways than ever with his passing.
Ramsey is a great midfielder, we need someone to partner him and it's clear Wilshere isn't it, we need someone who will offer more of a B2B role who can do defensive work and go forward, like Gundogan, or simply a defensive shield like William Carvalho, which is what I prefer. Our defence has been great this season (other than those three games where we conceded a lot of goals, we've conceded less than 20), someone like William Carvalho would take it up another level and we'd never concede 6 with a guy like him.
But being realistic, we are only six points off the top, Ramsey and Walcott easily would've kept us in the mix. The big mistake we made is not strengthening in January when we knew both would be out for long periods. We'll easily challenge next season like this season without a great deal of improvement, with a midfielder and a striker we'd actually have a great chance of winning it depending on how the other teams do in the summer.
SpitfiresKent
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Lol at gunner vs city result.Nobody could take advantage of Chelsea lose. That's well enough for Chelsea though.
Liverpool might.
thedon5
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Liverpool at the top of the table would be interesting.
StinkyBoHoon
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pretty much agree with all that @thedon5
on the full backs issue for me symmetry is an over-rated aspect of football that most fans struggle to see past, gibbs and sagna are pretty sound defensively, but at the loss of any attacking contribution. Sagna is obviously the better of the two but losing him provides an opportunity to bring in a more attack minded right back. it's something you could definitely afford to do given you have one of the more solid central defensives in the league, add a proper defensive mid (like carvalho as you suggested) and bring in a right back rampager and I'd definitely put arsenal up as league challengers, something I was reticent to do even after they signed Ozil.
on the full backs issue for me symmetry is an over-rated aspect of football that most fans struggle to see past, gibbs and sagna are pretty sound defensively, but at the loss of any attacking contribution. Sagna is obviously the better of the two but losing him provides an opportunity to bring in a more attack minded right back. it's something you could definitely afford to do given you have one of the more solid central defensives in the league, add a proper defensive mid (like carvalho as you suggested) and bring in a right back rampager and I'd definitely put arsenal up as league challengers, something I was reticent to do even after they signed Ozil.
thedon5
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Yep. Gibbs was meant to be the guy who bombed forward, but he has tightened up defensively and lost a lot of his attacking output. I definitely agree that one defensive full-back and one attacking one is all that's needed for any team.
Abhas
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If Man City would have won, they would have sealed the title there and then. Now, assuming they're going to win all their other games (only Everton seems to be a roadblock), they cannot afford to lose the Liverpool game. Chelsea is essentially out of the race now.
If Liverpool manage to win all of theirs, they win the title
If Liverpool manage to win all of theirs, they win the title
If Liverpool manage to win all of theirs, they win the title
One game at a time boss.
What a performance though, as one sided a contest you're ever likely to witness.This race for fourth spot between Everton & Arsenal is getting increasingly interesting as well. Everton have a game in hand against Palace at home, and host Arsenal later as well. Of course, there's also this small favor Liverpool will be needing from their blue cousins on matchday 37 against City
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