The Official Arsenal - 14 x Cup Winners Thread (Vol 5)
Discussion
Chuck328 said:
1st time I’ve seen him actually look like a £70 million player after that second goal. ‘Bout time!
Pepe at the end of last season looked to be starting to find himself and was great in the FA Cup Final. Unfortunately the club then decided Willian was a better option to play on the right side and immediately Pepe was a bit part player.....seemed to destroy his confidence. In the last three months he seems to have started to grow in confidence...he’s scored some high quality goals.Next season I would honestly take a Saka, ESR, Martinelli, Pepe, Oodegaard (please sign him) as a good enough group of player in those three attacking midfield positions to cause most PL: sides a problem. They’re a group of players who are at an age where they will get significantly better year on year.
LudaMusser said:
I'd playing the worst possible team to make sure we don't qualify for that s
t show....I would have liked to finish above Spurs, but didn't much want to be in the Conference Legue, even worse than the Europa. Although Spurs may well win it if they get a vaguely competent manager...
So it goes. Reckon Arteta stays in the job? First time out of European football for like 25 years or something isn't it? Although I doubt the Kronkes care much about that.
It's been a st season. Christ I hope it doesn't get worse next year 
So it goes. Reckon Arteta stays in the job? First time out of European football for like 25 years or something isn't it? Although I doubt the Kronkes care much about that.
It's been a s
t season. Christ I hope it doesn't get worse next year 
decent display today but doing it last day against a team with nothing to play for is less convincing,I see that Steve Bould has been sacked after thirty years service. Took the under 23s to a very low finish in the second tier I think
Does anybody know what his role was on the bench next to Wenger for all those years? I always found it strange that such a good defensive player was on the staff but our defence was always shocking during his time. Can’t have been in a defensive coaching role surely?
Does anybody know what his role was on the bench next to Wenger for all those years? I always found it strange that such a good defensive player was on the staff but our defence was always shocking during his time. Can’t have been in a defensive coaching role surely?
LudaMusser said:
I see that Steve Bould has been sacked after thirty years service. Took the under 23s to a very low finish in the second tier I think
Does anybody know what his role was on the bench next to Wenger for all those years? I always found it strange that such a good defensive player was on the staff but our defence was always shocking during his time. Can’t have been in a defensive coaching role surely?
That thought crossed my mind more than once over the last few years, perhaps why Emery swapped him with Freddie.Does anybody know what his role was on the bench next to Wenger for all those years? I always found it strange that such a good defensive player was on the staff but our defence was always shocking during his time. Can’t have been in a defensive coaching role surely?
Good win, too bad we didn't finish above the Spuds but at least we avoided the conference.
Team played well and don't think anyone was less than a 6.
Pepe frustrating at times but scored the goals.
Bissouma was class and made some great challenges and hopefully is someone we can bring in.
Bould, thought we he was Wenger's number 2 he was going to sort the backline out, which he didn't and not sure what he brought to the team.
Nearly relegates the youth team so not fussed with the departure as there's only so far sentiment will take you.
Hopefully the promise of signings from the Kronkes materlises and we get some good quality for next season although not sure how not being in Europe will effect our pulling power.
Team played well and don't think anyone was less than a 6.
Pepe frustrating at times but scored the goals.
Bissouma was class and made some great challenges and hopefully is someone we can bring in.
Bould, thought we he was Wenger's number 2 he was going to sort the backline out, which he didn't and not sure what he brought to the team.
Nearly relegates the youth team so not fussed with the departure as there's only so far sentiment will take you.
Hopefully the promise of signings from the Kronkes materlises and we get some good quality for next season although not sure how not being in Europe will effect our pulling power.
Over to you KSE. After a woeful first half to the season things got better, noticeably the defence which was one of the best in the league which seems amazing how many daft goals we conceded,
As someone I follow on Twitter said.,,”Imagine if Arteta hadn’t played Willian instead of Pepe for the first three months of the season”....that was a terrible judgment call, no doubt thinking he’d come good. Probably tells you Arteta backed signing him heavily,
We’ve got the best group of youngster we’ve had in years and potentially the best in the league IF there is a a decent summer in terms of outing the dead wood and brining in some quality things may improve markedly. Not having all those European games should be worth a few points on it’s own....a week of preparation and rested players.
Personally I’d bring Saliba, AMN and Willock into the squad and try and add some genuine quality in Central Midfeld, someone to play when Tierney needs a rest and a decent back up keeper. Christ knows what you do with Auba and Laca.
Bellerin(sadly), Guendouzzii, Torreira, Nketiah, Willian and Kolasinac all need to go I think,
As someone I follow on Twitter said.,,”Imagine if Arteta hadn’t played Willian instead of Pepe for the first three months of the season”....that was a terrible judgment call, no doubt thinking he’d come good. Probably tells you Arteta backed signing him heavily,
We’ve got the best group of youngster we’ve had in years and potentially the best in the league IF there is a a decent summer in terms of outing the dead wood and brining in some quality things may improve markedly. Not having all those European games should be worth a few points on it’s own....a week of preparation and rested players.
Personally I’d bring Saliba, AMN and Willock into the squad and try and add some genuine quality in Central Midfeld, someone to play when Tierney needs a rest and a decent back up keeper. Christ knows what you do with Auba and Laca.
Bellerin(sadly), Guendouzzii, Torreira, Nketiah, Willian and Kolasinac all need to go I think,
LudaMusser said:
I see that Steve Bould has been sacked after thirty years service. Took the under 23s to a very low finish in the second tier I think
Does anybody know what his role was on the bench next to Wenger for all those years? I always found it strange that such a good defensive player was on the staff but our defence was always shocking during his time. Can’t have been in a defensive coaching role surely?
I don't think he was ever up to it, not every good player can be a good coach.Does anybody know what his role was on the bench next to Wenger for all those years? I always found it strange that such a good defensive player was on the staff but our defence was always shocking during his time. Can’t have been in a defensive coaching role surely?
He was also stepping in very big shoes, replacing Pat Rice, and I don't think its a coincidence that the form of the team started to dip off after Pat retired. I think Wenger (and the club) relied on Pat for the time he was assistant coach more than many people realise.
Cheib said:
Over to you KSE. After a woeful first half to the season things got better, noticeably the defence which was one of the best in the league which seems amazing how many daft goals we conceded,
As someone I follow on Twitter said.,,”Imagine if Arteta hadn’t played Willian instead of Pepe for the first three months of the season”....that was a terrible judgment call, no doubt thinking he’d come good. Probably tells you Arteta backed signing him heavily,
We’ve got the best group of youngster we’ve had in years and potentially the best in the league IF there is a a decent summer in terms of outing the dead wood and brining in some quality things may improve markedly. Not having all those European games should be worth a few points on it’s own....a week of preparation and rested players.
Personally I’d bring Saliba, AMN and Willock into the squad and try and add some genuine quality in Central Midfeld, someone to play when Tierney needs a rest and a decent back up keeper. Christ knows what you do with Auba and Laca.
Bellerin(sadly), Guendouzzii, Torreira, Nketiah, Willian and Kolasinac all need to go I think,
Agree with all of that.As someone I follow on Twitter said.,,”Imagine if Arteta hadn’t played Willian instead of Pepe for the first three months of the season”....that was a terrible judgment call, no doubt thinking he’d come good. Probably tells you Arteta backed signing him heavily,
We’ve got the best group of youngster we’ve had in years and potentially the best in the league IF there is a a decent summer in terms of outing the dead wood and brining in some quality things may improve markedly. Not having all those European games should be worth a few points on it’s own....a week of preparation and rested players.
Personally I’d bring Saliba, AMN and Willock into the squad and try and add some genuine quality in Central Midfeld, someone to play when Tierney needs a rest and a decent back up keeper. Christ knows what you do with Auba and Laca.
Bellerin(sadly), Guendouzzii, Torreira, Nketiah, Willian and Kolasinac all need to go I think,
Got to feel for Pepe a bit- finished last season on high after finally finding his feet (and some real quality & consistency), only to find himself benched at the start of the season behind a 32 yr old bought in on massive wages who (1st day of the season aside) contributed the square root of sod-all week-in-week-out in the Prem whilst Pepe was restricted to Thursday nights. It's taken him most of another season to get his confidence back and once again he's found some form right at the end of the season. You have to hope he's earned a regular starting place for next term- for me he's the only player in the squad capable of pulling a goal out of absolutely nothing, and when the team is creating as little as it has this season, that is a precious commodity.
AMN & Willock definitely need to be part of things next season. Assuming Odegard won't be coming back, Willock is the obvious choice to rotate with ESR for the no. 10 role (hopefully now with added goals!), with AMN offering another midfield option so that we never have to see that 4-1-5 formation ever again.
Beyond cover at left-back and replacing any significant departures I can't see where the big money (if any) will be spent. That is what is so infuriating- if Arteta can get Partey up to speed, integrate Willock Mk.2 into the first team, end the Willian experiment to let Pepe flourish, and somehow relocate Aubameyang's shooting boots, I genuinely don't see a need for any significant overhaul. Maybe it's because I'm short on sleep but I can actually see the basis of a decent squad there
Whilst it was a woeful season overall, there was an undeniable improvement in our defensive record- in spite of some calamitous individual errors, and from Boxing Day onwards Arsenal were the second-best team in the league after City (incredible as that seems). Which at least makes a change from previous seasons where a strong start tailed off into meek capitulation leading to a summer of back-to-square-one resignation.
The Europa League is the obvious exception to the above late-season optimism, but I'm putting that squarely down to the Arteta mind games / random formation experiment which backfired spectacularly and will hopefully never be seen again.
Thank. Gawd. This. Season. Is. Over.
Hopefully a goodbye to Project Willian and Luiz and whilst Willian has been an unmitigated disaster i cannot believe the credit and thanks Luiz is getting given how inconsistent he has been. To echo Cheib's comments above i agree that it is time to move Bellerin, Guendouzi, Torreira and Kolasinac on. Of the youngsters i am not convinced Nketiah is up to the job but would like to see AMN and Willock kept and Balogin brought into replace Eddie.
As for the PEA and Laca conundrum i think i would cash in on PEA given half a chance as he has been a disaster of a captain and has spent most of the season arriving at the back post behind the defender so must be the easiest person in the planet to defend against as you just have to clear the ball (unchallenged) before it reaches him. I appreciate a different position but his workrate isn't anywhere like Ozil's was and look at the abuse he got. I know our supply to the forwards hasn't been great but PEA has not tried to change how he plays to make things happen.
No European football of any description next year so lots of time to work with the squad each week, no excuses with long journey's back after Thursday games................so if Arteta doesn't cut it next year then we know he isn't up for the job.
Hopefully a goodbye to Project Willian and Luiz and whilst Willian has been an unmitigated disaster i cannot believe the credit and thanks Luiz is getting given how inconsistent he has been. To echo Cheib's comments above i agree that it is time to move Bellerin, Guendouzi, Torreira and Kolasinac on. Of the youngsters i am not convinced Nketiah is up to the job but would like to see AMN and Willock kept and Balogin brought into replace Eddie.
As for the PEA and Laca conundrum i think i would cash in on PEA given half a chance as he has been a disaster of a captain and has spent most of the season arriving at the back post behind the defender so must be the easiest person in the planet to defend against as you just have to clear the ball (unchallenged) before it reaches him. I appreciate a different position but his workrate isn't anywhere like Ozil's was and look at the abuse he got. I know our supply to the forwards hasn't been great but PEA has not tried to change how he plays to make things happen.
No European football of any description next year so lots of time to work with the squad each week, no excuses with long journey's back after Thursday games................so if Arteta doesn't cut it next year then we know he isn't up for the job.
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