comment by Maul Person (U12977)
posted 3 minutes ago
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I had more of an issue with Emery. Anyway, we've done this before already. I'm not feeling to hijack this conversation with a rehash of this.
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Fair enough, but do you really see Ozil as part of Arsenal's future? How many months or years do you have to stretch back now since he had a genuinely good game? How can you be happy with a player earning £350,000/week that puts in the work rate you might expect to see from a backup player on £25,000/week?

comment by You Can't Buy Class (U12019)
posted 50 seconds ago
comment by Maul Person (U12977)
posted 3 minutes ago
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I had more of an issue with Emery. Anyway, we've done this before already. I'm not feeling to hijack this conversation with a rehash of this.
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Fair enough, but do you really see Ozil as part of Arsenal's future? How many months or years do you have to stretch back now since he had a genuinely good game? How can you be happy with a player earning £350,000/week that puts in the work rate you might expect to see from a backup player on £25,000/week?
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The comment you stopped reading when you got to Ozil's name is about the next game, not the "future".

Unless or until Arsenal brings in a player to replace Ozil in terms of what he brings to the team or the modern equivalent of a player who plays in his position (because he is our ONLY ACM / AM), then Ozil has a place. Obviously he's in the decline of his career and he has deficiencies but he still has a role to play. However the club manages transitioning to another player is down to them, and I hope they do it, but until that happens, there is a dearth of chances being created for our finishers.

How am I happy using Ozil?
1 - no other player gives what he does when he's on
2 - the return you've suggested, which I don't particularly agree with is still better than a return of zero.

I hope Freddie can get us playing in a way that creates sufficient chances without the need to think about resorting to Ozil, there are other players in the squad who can operate creatively in midfield - I just think Emery's tactics, team selections and positioning of players has left some Arsenal fans thinking we have no creative midfield options besides Ozil.

comment by You Can't Buy Class (U12019)
posted 15 minutes ago
I hope Freddie can get us playing in a way that creates sufficient chances without the need to think about resorting to Ozil, there are other players in the squad who can operate creatively in midfield - I just think Emery's tactics, team selections and positioning of players has left some Arsenal fans thinking we have no creative midfield options besides Ozil.
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You said that without mentioning anyone. Care to offer a suggestion or two (seeing as you went with the plural re: alternatives)?

I would personally prefer (before Ozil):
1) Giving Ceballos another chance to play in the position he's actually supposed to (advanced not deep like Emery was using him).
2) Giving Smith Rowe a real chance to develop by giving him an opportunity..
3) I was of the opinion that Willock could provide us some creativity but he seems to be playing more box-to-box/dynamic and playing well but without enough creative end product although not much less than Ozil.

If Freddie can actually get genuinely good performances out of Ozil again then that level of performance would be better than Ceballos, Smith Rowe or Willock and could be crucial to how we finish this season but I just don't see it happening. Especially considering that Freddie's tactics whilst managing the reserves were very focused on pressing high up the pitch, I just don't see Ozil coinciding with these tactics if that's what Freddie is going to ask of his player - unless there is a big change in attitude from him.

*players

Interesting. Two of those players are considered more central than attacking and ESR is raw (but it's not inconceivable with him). I guess it depends on how Freddie sets his team up. All I'm saying is that Ozil still has a place in this team, he still has something to offer.

As far as I know, Ceballos at his best (before he came to us on loan) was playing in a more advanced position. Didn't he make significant attacking/creative contributions which led to Spain's under-21's winning a major youth tournament? I think it was the U-21's Euros if I recall.

`Daniel Ceballos Fernández is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Premier League club Arsenal, on loan from Real Madrid, and the Spain national team as an attacking midfielder.`

Emery basically had him playing as a deep lying playmaker because we had no midfield when he is better further forward.

Ceballos has looked better playing deeper for us though I think.

Maybe it's cos the way we were playing he didn't have a chance to influence the game from a more advanced position, but he never looked very happy playing there.

Everyone knows how much I hate Ozil but even I'm willing to see if Freddie/whoever can get a performance out of him before they bin him too. What I'd like to see for the moment though (sure plenty will disagree)

Bellerin. Holding. Mustafi. Tierney

Torriera
Chambers

Pepe. Guen. Saka/Martinelli

Auba/Laca depending on opponent.

Chambers though ahead of Torreira there, I'm thinking they're effectively two out and out DM's. We're still shocking at the back chambers with Torriera is alot of cover.

I've put Guen at CAM over Ozil above, simply because he'll carry the ball and I've thrown Chambers in for defensive boulster. Chambers sitting back mostly will mean we need someone to run the ball through the middle as much as pass it. Ozil doesn't do that often enough.

Holding and Mustafi beats Sokratis and Luis any day of the week so I don't feel that needs explaining. As with Bellerin and Tierney, they'll come good with more games and a better pairing working between them. Both too much quality not to.

Idea of above is temporarily at least strengthen defence. Whether you use Guen or Ozil, Chambers or even AMN as second DM, we get a stronger defensive presence in MF and subsequently at the back. Mustafi and Holding played out from the back just fine last season just for starters.

I believe we have enough quality and/or energy left with the front 4 using either of my CAM choices, to create a bag of goals, with some help from either a speed burst from Bellerin or lethal cross from Tierney. Convinced the team I've picked could do better than anything Emery's picked. EVEN choosing Ozil

** Will concede best CB solution is in the Transfer window. Simply convinced Luis costs more in mistakes than Mustafi.

I really hope we are playing with more aggression and more movement without the ball.

comment by TBaggerin (U11806)
posted 16 minutes ago
Ceballos has looked better playing deeper for us though I think.

Maybe it's cos the way we were playing he didn't have a chance to influence the game from a more advanced position, but he never looked very happy playing there.
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This is why I've seen him as a CM more than an AM and I've also heard the same. But I'm happy to be corrected if his preferred position, and the position that can help garner better results for Arsenal is further forward.

It doesn't mean, and this is for You can't buy class, that Ozil is immediately surplus to requirements. Going back to my original comment, I think Freddie needs his big guns to step up to kickstart things. How that's managed going forward may mean ESR or Ceballos take more of a starting role and Ozil comes off the bench or is used in EL games...

"Bellerin. Holding. Mustafi. Tierney

Torriera
Chambers

Pepe. Guen. Saka/Martinelli

Auba/Laca depending on opponent."

This team seems as bad as an Emery team. Only 3 attacking players?

I've seen a couple of Twitter ITKs mention the possibility of Freddie promoting Ryan Garry to the assistant's spot.

For me it's:
-----------------------Leno---------------------

Bellerin------Chambers------Holding------Tierney

--------------Torreira-----Guendouzi------------

----Pepe-----------Ceballos-----------Martinelli

-----------------Aubameyang-------------------

or

-----------------------Leno-------------------------------

Bellerin------Chambers------Holding------Tierney

--------------Willock-----Guendouzi-----------------

--Pepe-------------------------------------Martinelli-
-------------------------Lacazette----------------------
----------Aubameyang-------------------------------

Depending on the match circumstances.

comment by You Can't Buy Class (U12019)
posted 7 minutes ago
For me it's:
-----------------------Leno---------------------

Bellerin------Chambers------Holding------Tierney

--------------Torreira-----Guendouzi------------

----Pepe-----------Ceballos-----------Martinelli

-----------------Aubameyang-------------------

or

-----------------------Leno-------------------------------

Bellerin------Chambers------Holding------Tierney

--------------Willock-----Guendouzi-----------------

--Pepe-------------------------------------Martinelli-
-------------------------Lacazette----------------------
----------Aubameyang-------------------------------

Depending on the match circumstances.
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Spot on with your first line up.

comment by PowerkingHenry27 (U18930)
posted 1 minute ago
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Spot on with your first line up.
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The 2nd is what I would use if we want to relinquish some control of the midfield because we are chasing a game / need goals, since Willock is more box-to-box than Torreira or Ceballos, in a way he can do both of their jobs to an extent, especially becase he's very good at carrying the ball at his feet out of deep midfield into attacking areas.

I'd like to see

--------------------Leno----------------
Bellerin--Chambers--Holding---Tierney
-----------Torreira-----Ceballos------------
Pepe-------------Ozil-------------Auba
-------------------Laca------------------

Torreira winning the ball back, Ceballos dictating the play from deep and an interchangeable front four that wants to be quite direct.

Don't think we'll see it though as Guendo will be in MF and defensive injuries will pick the defence

Guendouzi has been our best midfielder this season, not sure how you could drop him.

No offence but your midfield looks very brittle and light-weight, all small technical players.

comment by You Can't Buy Class (U12019)
posted 12 seconds ago
comment by PowerkingHenry27 (U18930)
posted 1 minute ago
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Spot on with your first line up.
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The 2nd is what I would use if we want to relinquish some control of the midfield because we are chasing a game / need goals, since Willock is more box-to-box than Torreira or Ceballos, in a way he can do both of their jobs to an extent, especially becase he's very good at carrying the ball at his feet out of deep midfield into attacking areas.
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None of your lineups address the fact that the opposition could run the entire length of the pitch before anyone other than a panicking CB laid a glove on them.

Torreira, Guendouzi, Xhaka, Willock.......pretty much every midfielder we have, are all paperweights.

Can only do what we can do with the players we have.

Torreira actually being played in his best position (as a defensive midifelder) with Guendouzi near by is about as good as protection as we can give the back four.

The point will be to focus on playing good attacking football anyway, not inviting pressure on like Emery did so the defence should be under less pressure anyway.

comment by You Can't Buy Class (U12019)
posted 7 minutes ago
Can only do what we can do with the players we have.

Torreira actually being played in his best position (as a defensive midifelder) with Guendouzi near by is about as good as protection as we can give the back four.

The point will be to focus on playing good attacking football anyway, not inviting pressure on like Emery did so the defence should be under less pressure anyway.
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Fair enough.

But I'll still cling to my faint hope of Chambers getting a trial spell at DM. I thought he looked very promising during his long spell in the Fulham midfield.

comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 2 hours, 25 minutes ago
comment by Ljungxington 125.2 (U8879)
posted 16 seconds ago
'Will he go will the four expensive attackers in the same XI? Auba, Laca, Pepe and Ozil hasn't been something we have seen yet, will Freddie be bold enough to get them all in the starting XI?'

Would put a lot of smiles on a lot of faces
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Until the game kicks off and everyone remembers Ozil and Auba are the laziest caaaants going, Pepe is shiiite, and Laca hits the target once every 20 chances.
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Yeah but the teamsheet announcement is the most fun part of every game anyway.