EPL Thread

[Dan]

Looking forward to Spurs v Everton today - two teams who will be pushing for 5th I think.

[Canadian Saint]

Spurs looked shocking. Goodness. PEH was clueless.

[Oregon Ducks]

56 minutes ago, Canadian Saint said:

Spurs looked shocking. Goodness. PEH was clueless.

Yeah, no creativity at all, and it’s not like Everton looked great but they were clearly the better side.

[Dr LBC]

On 9/5/2020 at 2:19 AM, Hunter2_1 said:

Where are the defenders?

Van De Beek is a good player, but MU were decent in attacking play. Most of their players are attack-minded. Their CBs are booty. 

Same with Chelsea, on paper they have a lot of attacking players (not saying they didn't need extra because they did) but the D was so leaky! Silva, imo, doesn't fully address that. Got to cut losses with Kepa and bring in another GK, need another CB. 

WHU need defenders more than their next breath of oxygen. 

Spurs defense wasn't good enough, certainly not for Jose, who keeps mentioning 'no clean sheets' in the documentary. They need their new equivalent of Alderweireld and Vertonghen of circa 2015/16 where they were freaks at the back.

 

Arsenal, tbf, have brought two promising CBs in. They've addressed their glaring issue. 

We still need to address some midfield issues, which, honestly, I don't think we're going to be able to do completely until we can shed some of the gag-worthy contracts that Gadzidis left us stuck with (Ozil, Kolasinac, Mustafi - that extension was a Raul one, etc.), which don't look like they'll come off the books until next year when the contract just out-and-out expire.  While I don't think Arteta is wed to one specific formation (as is evident by how noticeable that we don't even stay within a pure 3-4-3 when we move the ball out of our own half, with Bellerin, Maitland-Niles, and even Tierney shifting into more advanced positions), we aren't going to be comfortably capable of going 4 at the back with the current midfield spine we've got.

By all accounts of guys with actual sources I can gather, Arteta's made the decision to hold onto Maitland-Niles and Holding's loan to Newcastle is off as well.  I won't be shocked to see Reiss Nelson shipped out on loan with an option to buy somewhere because there's just don't appear to be the minutes for him (though I know Arteta's expressed being a fan of his), unless Lacazette is sold (which it's looking more and more like is not going to happen).  Torreira's likely on his way to Italy before the window closes.

There are very few players on our squad who couldn't be had for the right price right now; likely Auba, Pepe, Leno (now that Martinez has been sold), Tierney, and Saka.  I don't get why we haven't (and we may have and just were, rightly, rebuffed quickly) offered the likes of Sokratis, Kolasinac, and Mustafi (he's injured presently, so I get that) to West Ham, given that both have been himming and hawing about wanting to "stay in London" and West Ham needing defenders, like you said, more than oxygen right now.

We're still a year away from challenging on a return to CL qualification in my estimation.  I won't be shocked if we make a run at it, but - while I've got confidence in Arteta to make adjustments when we hit the snags that we're definitely going to hit - based off the core principles I see him wanting from his side regardless of formation or match-up, I still think we're a little too mediocre in certain areas to be confident we're going to make a huge leap forward in a season devoid of an actual offseason.

[Hunter2_1]

21 hours ago, The LBC said:

We still need to address some midfield issues, which, honestly, I don't think we're going to be able to do completely until we can shed some of the gag-worthy contracts that Gadzidis left us stuck with (Ozil, Kolasinac, Mustafi - that extension was a Raul one, etc.), which don't look like they'll come off the books until next year when the contract just out-and-out expire.  While I don't think Arteta is wed to one specific formation (as is evident by how noticeable that we don't even stay within a pure 3-4-3 when we move the ball out of our own half, with Bellerin, Maitland-Niles, and even Tierney shifting into more advanced positions), we aren't going to be comfortably capable of going 4 at the back with the current midfield spine we've got.

By all accounts of guys with actual sources I can gather, Arteta's made the decision to hold onto Maitland-Niles and Holding's loan to Newcastle is off as well.  I won't be shocked to see Reiss Nelson shipped out on loan with an option to buy somewhere because there's just don't appear to be the minutes for him (though I know Arteta's expressed being a fan of his), unless Lacazette is sold (which it's looking more and more like is not going to happen).  Torreira's likely on his way to Italy before the window closes.

There are very few players on our squad who couldn't be had for the right price right now; likely Auba, Pepe, Leno (now that Martinez has been sold), Tierney, and Saka.  I don't get why we haven't (and we may have and just were, rightly, rebuffed quickly) offered the likes of Sokratis, Kolasinac, and Mustafi (he's injured presently, so I get that) to West Ham, given that both have been himming and hawing about wanting to "stay in London" and West Ham needing defenders, like you said, more than oxygen right now.

We're still a year away from challenging on a return to CL qualification in my estimation.  I won't be shocked if we make a run at it, but - while I've got confidence in Arteta to make adjustments when we hit the snags that we're definitely going to hit - based off the core principles I see him wanting from his side regardless of formation or match-up, I still think we're a little too mediocre in certain areas to be confident we're going to make a huge leap forward in a season devoid of an actual offseason.

I agree. I've heard a lot about Elneny's return like being a new signing, but I'm not convinced. I'm disappointed by Torreira, he looked the business in the WC. He played a part in shutting down Ronaldo effectively, for example. Never really showed that in the PL for a long enough time.

Is Sokratis not good enough you reckon? Might be over the hill.

Got high hopes for Auba this year, I think he's golden boot

[Dr LBC]

7 hours ago, Hunter2_1 said:

I agree. I've heard a lot about Elneny's return like being a new signing, but I'm not convinced. I'm disappointed by Torreira, he looked the business in the WC. He played a part in shutting down Ronaldo effectively, for example. Never really showed that in the PL for a long enough time.

Is Sokratis not good enough you reckon? Might be over the hill.

Got high hopes for Auba this year, I think he's golden boot

Honest opinion on Sokratis is he's not good enough for Arsenal - or at least for a side with aspirations of CL qualification and playing regular European football.  He could likely hand a role in a back four for a lower 1/3 PL side, but he really does need a plus-athleticism above-average CB next to him.  But he's basically Joleon Lescott in the twilight of his career.

Elneny, I don't think they're looking at him as being a matchday regular, but he's a solid squad player who can do multiple jobs and fill several roles.  Stereotypical solid but never great, but he's the furthest thing from mercurial.  He's going to hit his marks 9/10 times and there's value in that for a side as a utility man.  Torreira, I'm disappointed in too, but I think he got disillusioned because Emery would never give him a fair shake because of his height and Arteta just seems to prefer Ceballos (can't say as I blame him) in the regular role, whereas Torreira wants the minutes - that's certainly the player's prerogative and if the price is right (I still expect us to likely take a loss on him compared to what we paid Sampdoria, but if we can come close to breaking even, I'm fine with using the funds to give Mikel the kind of player he prefers in the role (which I ultimately feel like is someone who can eventually - if not gradually this season - take Xhaka's role.  Xhaka is, ironically, similar to the way Arteta was late in his career with Arsenal: He offers a lot on the pitch, but his sub-par pace is always going to hamstring the side.  I think he actually offers utility in the role some Arsenal fans thought Luiz might play at one point, this sort of hybrid DM/CB/advanced-sweeper, but I don't foresee that as a starting XI role, so he'd have to be content with being a bench player and semi-regular sub moving forward once Arteta gets the pacier, deep-lying playmaker-***-ball-winning MF he's after.

The October stretch we've got is pretty brutal, and as a result I don't really expect us to hit anything that could really be called a legitimate stride until mid-November to Christmastime.  Arteta likes having the competition of Lacazette and Nketiah pushing each other for those minutes, but I'm a shade more realistic about Laca's contract and where it's at relative to his age.  If we are able to get a quality price for him and sink that into that key MF Arteta wants (pretty clear it's Partey), I'd do it.  It gives us a shade more fluidity to be able to move Auba up top and also facilitates being able to run a fluid/horizontal-overlapping trio behind him (each of whom can overlap vertically with Auba when opportunity presents) of Saka/Willian/Pepe.  Saka, in my opinion, is more a wide-8 than a pure #7 - I could be wrong, but it appears like it's the most natural fit to his strengths and weaknesses.

I certainly won't complain if we hold onto Laca, I just think it's more forward-thinking to strongly consider quality offers for him now rather than end up in a similar situation next summer with him where we were with Auba this summer.

The one I'm ready to see the backside of, but the damn offers won't come, is Guendouzi.  I've been lower on him than a lot of our fans were from the start - and I feel he got the same artificial favoritism from our supporter that Jack WIlshere got (Wilshere had more natural talent, but that didn't stop them from overrating that natural talent which suffered for consistency) - they'll go in full-bore for players willing to get into scraps and dust-ups with opposition players, particularly rival opposition players.  That happens at a lot of clubs, I think.  Guendouzi's ego got huge from Emery making him a starting XI regular and when Arteta wanted everyone to start fresh and prove themselves through work-rate (and, I'd wager, Guendouzi's liking for simulation in chasing-game situations also didn't help his case, as this was something neither Arsene or Pep were ever fans of).

[Hunter2_1]

On 9/17/2020 at 2:29 AM, The LBC said:

 

The one I'm ready to see the backside of, but the damn offers won't come, is Guendouzi.  I've been lower on him than a lot of our fans were from the start - and I feel he got the same artificial favoritism from our supporter that Jack WIlshere got (Wilshere had more natural talent, but that didn't stop them from overrating that natural talent which suffered for consistency) - they'll go in full-bore for players willing to get into scraps and dust-ups with opposition players, particularly rival opposition players.  That happens at a lot of clubs, I think.  Guendouzi's ego got huge from Emery making him a starting XI regular and when Arteta wanted everyone to start fresh and prove themselves through work-rate (and, I'd wager, Guendouzi's liking for simulation in chasing-game situations also didn't help his case, as this was something neither Arsene or Pep were ever fans of).

Definitely agree. I could never see what the fuss with him was. He was decent at recycling possession I guess...didn't spot any creative flair or driving from deep or anything like that. 

[Oregon Ducks]

He’s still only 21, though, and could become really solid if he matures and takes in the coaching. I heard he had immaturity issues at his old club as well, though.

[Dr LBC]

3 hours ago, Oregon Ducks said:

He’s still only 21, though, and could become really solid if he matures and takes in the coaching. I heard he had immaturity issues at his old club as well, though.

He could, but that's the sort of player you loan out, not pin as a pivoting cog in your side.  He's the sort of player that if he goes somewhere else and comes good, good on him; he's not shown enough (both in terms of indicators of ceiling or what he provides more immediately) to make him all that worth hanging onto if he's a dressing room sore who stands to have a negative presence on the training ground and in the dressing room.

[Oregon Ducks]

54 minutes ago, The LBC said:

He could, but that's the sort of player you loan out, not pin as a pivoting cog in your side.  He's the sort of player that if he goes somewhere else and comes good, good on him; he's not shown enough (both in terms of indicators of ceiling or what he provides more immediately) to make him all that worth hanging onto if he's a dressing room sore who stands to have a negative presence on the training ground and in the dressing room.

Probably true but I think you all would be displeased if he turns out to be like Bennacer or Gnabry.

[Oregon Ducks]

Tom Howard is terrible in the studio.

[Canadian Saint]

Leeds have been pretty clinical in front of goal so far. 

[Oregon Ducks]

Lol Man U. It was a good PK call, too.

[Dr LBC]

On 9/18/2020 at 10:24 AM, Oregon Ducks said:

Probably true but I think you all would be displeased if he turns out to be like Bennacer or Gnabry.

People, including Arsenal fans, need to quit the Gnabry argument; when full context is taken into account it's a bogus position that's pockmarked with revisionist history.  Serge Gnabry showed flashes at Arsenal, but had a hard time staying healthy and he was nowhere remotely close to the player he is now - the flashes that he did show were playing more centrally than out wide or as a goal-threat.  Due to a combination of events at the time, not the least of which was Van Persie's very public exit, Theo Walcott was fresh off getting the caliber of extension that he really hadn't earned, and (particularly given Wenger penchant for playing forwards out at the wing going all the way back to shoehorning the likes of Arshavin and Podolski out there despite declining pace), there were simply too many bodies ahead of Gnabry - who, at the same time, wasn't making the case that he ought to be getting the minutes he thought he deserved ahead of those players in training or in the matches he did see.  How much that deal to move him on to Bayern barely a year into his deal with Werder Bremen is debatable, but even in his spell at Werder Bremen he wasn't the player he's become at Bayern, as evidenced by his paltry release clause at WB which was only 3 million Euros more than they paid Arsenal for him.

[Dr LBC]

12 hours ago, Oregon Ducks said:

Tom Howard is terrible in the studio.

It's Tim and considering that he has Tourette's, he actually did pretty well, I thought.  That he's apparently taken to going to the same dentist as Bobby Firminho is another story entirely, though.