comment by You Can't Buy Class (U12019)
posted 57 minutes ago
comment by The only way (U9933)
posted 1 hour, 11 minutes ago
7 assists for a defender isn’t low imo, Considering people bang on about Bellerin all the time who’s never got anywhere near that tally and also can’t defend particularly well. He also has more assists this season than most attacking players at the club like Ozil, Mkhitaryan, Iwobi, and is level with Ramsey.

Do you know how how many premier league defenders have 7 assists this season?
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He's not a defender though, he's an attacking wing-back.
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Lol he is a defender though. Majority of his career he has played at full back or even CB. If people think he is good enough to be a starter for Arsenal then their standards have really lowered.

That being said, I think he has played well enough this season to earn himself another season. Although we definitely need to upgrade on him, I can’t see another LB coming in until Nacho’s contract expires next Summer. I can live with that as long as we bring in a top CB, CM and winger/wing forward

Bats, I’m surprised you think that. He has frustrated me a lot this season. I could forgive his wayward, inaccurate crossing if he was good defensively but he isn’t. So if you have a LB/LWB who isn’t good offensively, isn’t good defensively and is very one-dimensional, whilst he’s sitting on £120k per week, is it really worth keeping him at the club?

As for Nacho, TransferMarkt says his contract runs out this Summer. I know there have been rumours about the club giving him a one year contract extension offer, but it’s not been confirmed whether he’s signed it. And to be honest, I hope they aren’t true. He’s been a god servant for us but he’s not part of our future plans. Let him go.

We definitely need a new left back for next season even if we do keep Kolasinac.

comment by Bats (U18355)
posted 48 minutes ago
comment by You Can't Buy Class (U12019)
posted 57 minutes ago
comment by The only way (U9933)
posted 1 hour, 11 minutes ago
7 assists for a defender isn’t low imo, Considering people bang on about Bellerin all the time who’s never got anywhere near that tally and also can’t defend particularly well. He also has more assists this season than most attacking players at the club like Ozil, Mkhitaryan, Iwobi, and is level with Ramsey.

Do you know how how many premier league defenders have 7 assists this season?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
He's not a defender though, he's an attacking wing-back.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Lol he is a defender though. Majority of his career he has played at full back or even CB. If people think he is good enough to be a starter for Arsenal then their standards have really lowered.

That being said, I think he has played well enough this season to earn himself another season. Although we definitely need to upgrade on him, I can’t see another LB coming in until Nacho’s contract expires next Summer. I can live with that as long as we bring in a top CB, CM and winger/wing forward
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I was of course referring to his current role in the team, his primary purpose is to be used as an attacking outlet on the wings because we have no wingers, not as a defender. His role in the team is not a defender, wing-backs assists should not be compared to full-backs assists and he should have more than 7.

Kolasinac is fine.

Far more pressing issue in other areas such as central defence and midfield

Guendouzi and Xhaka need upgrades. If we go into next season with both of these players starting then we have major issues.

Then you have mustafi and even sokratis who is also extremely rash. Can't we buy a faking disciplined and calm central defender for once

comment by Bats (U18355)
posted 1 hour, 7 minutes ago
comment by You Can't Buy Class (U12019)
posted 57 minutes ago
comment by The only way (U9933)
posted 1 hour, 11 minutes ago
7 assists for a defender isn’t low imo, Considering people bang on about Bellerin all the time who’s never got anywhere near that tally and also can’t defend particularly well. He also has more assists this season than most attacking players at the club like Ozil, Mkhitaryan, Iwobi, and is level with Ramsey.

Do you know how how many premier league defenders have 7 assists this season?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
He's not a defender though, he's an attacking wing-back.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Lol he is a defender though. Majority of his career he has played at full back or even CB. If people think he is good enough to be a starter for Arsenal then their standards have really lowered.

That being said, I think he has played well enough this season to earn himself another season. Although we definitely need to upgrade on him, I can’t see another LB coming in until Nacho’s contract expires next Summer. I can live with that as long as we bring in a top CB, CM and winger/wing forward
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Monreal's contract expires this summer.

He’s not the bad offensively though. He made some bad crosses last night but he also put in really dangerous balls to areas that nobody was attacking. I hate to say it but we would have scored a few more goals if Ramsey was in the team last night because his late runs would have ended up with him on the end of a few balls from Kola.

The technique of Kola’s delivery is pretty good, his decision making is just awful though and he’s at an age where he’s not gonna get much better. I think CB, CM and a winger are much more needed than a LB at the moment. Don’t forget we are gonna have to replace Cech and Lichy too. A Kola upgrade can wait.

If Nacho is leaving this Summer then we obviously need to buy a left back. Would love to get Chilwell but he’d probably cost £40M+ now

Gwendouzi and Xhaka shouldnt start together in the first place. Xhaka needs a more mobile kind of guy around him. Was way better when Torreira came on.

There was one situation in the second half where I thought thanks that was Torreira instead of Gwendouzi where a Valencia striker run into our half on the right side and Torreira managed to get onto the ball ahead of that striker and cleared the ball.

Yes GT I remember being relieved at that moment too. I don’t really understand why Emery has been rotating his CM so much lately. Xhaka/Torreira has always been our best partnership.

Kola had a decent game and has had a decent player, but like vast majority of our squad he is a squad player at best. I'm happy to keep him if only for a squad role but tbh his wages doesn't justify his position as a squad player.

Ideally we'd ge rid of him and perhaps keep Monreal for another season to play second fiddle to a new LB.

comment by Bats (U18355)
posted 1 hour, 15 minutes ago
Yes GT I remember being relieved at that moment too. I don’t really understand why Emery has been rotating his CM so much lately. Xhaka/Torreira has always been our best partnership.
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Did you see the Wolves and Leicester games?

How were Torreira/Xhaka ?

Kola also forces us into a back 3. If we finally get some proper wide players in there will be no need for him.

comment by Jenius99 (U4918)
posted 2 minutes ago
comment by Bats (U18355)
posted 1 hour, 15 minutes ago
Yes GT I remember being relieved at that moment too. I don’t really understand why Emery has been rotating his CM so much lately. Xhaka/Torreira has always been our best partnership.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Did you see the Wolves and Leicester games?

How were Torreira/Xhaka ?
----------------------------------------------------------------------

What other option do we have there? This is Guendouzi's first season and he has struggled in the last month or so, so he's still adapting from the second tier of the French division to the Prem physically.

Ramsey would have been useful yesterday, but unfortunately, he's played his last game for us.

We don't have a plethora of choices to pick from. Right now, it is probably the Torreira-Xhaka axis is our best midfield option.

Look I believe all our midfield combinations that involve Xhaka are set up to make up for his lack of pace and coverage.

So when teams are attacking us Torreira is pretty much bullied. I think Torreira is a terrific reader of the game and his game is suited for him to cover holes and closing down runners. To be honest he would have been brilliant playing for Liverpool because his press is amazing. So when we were pressing at the start of the season he was the best centre midfielder in the league imo!

But now as we have tired as a team we are sitting back more. Especially in away games. This is where Gwen did ok yesterday because he covers far more ground than Torreira. But as soon as teams sit back and we need someone to win the ball back early in their half where Torrira is magic.

But all of this is to make up for Xhaka's lack of pace. He is good at ticking things over and Xhaka is very clever around the box. But he can't cover the ground against counters or when anyone presses him. Whatsmore he is very casual with the ball in deep midfield where both Emery and Wenger have chosen to play him.

I think in away games we need to play both Torreira (to press high) and Gwen to win the centre of the field to cover for Xhaka deeper. I think we need to go 4-3-3 if we are to control the game. The problem is of course we don't have the full backs for 4 at the back and so Emery is trouble in away games!

Chilwell is good, but not worth paying a premium for.

The full backs at Norwich look excellent. Max Aarons and Jamal Lewis. Seen them a few times this season.

Let's face it, so many areas can easily be improved upon in the team without buying 'top top' quality. We certainly don't need to spend £40m on a new LB.

Jamal Lewis will be well worth the punt. Don't think Norwich will sell when they are promoted though.

I think Lloyd Kelly is a far more achievable target!

Seems to be linked to Liverpool.

Liverpool already have Robertson. I think he wants to play and not be a bench warmer.

No point getting 7 assist when you're at fault for 4-5 goals through chit defending.