Arsenal 2021/22 | PLEASE LOCK (SERIOUSLY)

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kouroux

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It is just another summer like other team trying to improve the squad. I am not sure how much money Edu has for striker as he already spent big last summer. He needs to bring in multiple players for squad depth as well. He will probably gamble on some unknown young players either from foreign league again. Nobody expect arsenal will challenge for title next season. Hopefully Edu will spend well and improve the quality of the squad further.
Finishing 3rd or 4th next season would be a great achievement for Arsenal.
 

MalBot

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Just looking at title and you can feel they'll quietly throw final game of the season if they're safely in 4th. Can see Arteta starting likes of Nketieh and Rob Holding. Hasn't he lost the last three games v Everton since he became manager?

Remember earlier this season Arsenal played really bizarrely 1 up at Goodison, were endlessly time wasting when they could've just kept playing and scoring more goals so Arteta approaches that fixture differently to v other bottom end teams.
:lol:
 

ThierryHenry14

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Finishing 3rd or 4th next season would be a great achievement for Arsenal.
Man Utd, Spurs will also try to improve their squad in the summer as well. There is no guarantee for a 4th spot next season, let alone 3rd. The gap between the front 3 and the rest is pretty big at the moment. Arsenal will be in and out from the "Top 4" spot. It is the reality.
 

kouroux

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Man Utd, Spurs will also try to improve their squad in the summer as well. There is no guarantee for a 4th spot next season, let alone 3rd. The gap between the front 3 and the rest is pretty big at the moment. Arsenal will be in and out from the "Top 4" spot. It is the reality.
Spurs will likely go another implosion with Conte, possibly a new manager. Man Utd's future is very uncertain too tbh
 

Ludens the Red

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Will hold my hands up and admit i thought Ramsdale was an hilariously bad singing

Ben White I did like and wasn’t against us going for him but as soon as Varane looked realistic I was fully on board that train instead

Sometimes football isn’t as obvious as we like to think
I don’t think anybody should have to hold their hands up on this one :lol:
He was absolutely shite last season, even Arsenal fans were baffled by signings.
What’s going on with his form is completely unexplainable and the only logical explanation is that Ramsdale is doped up.
 

Donaldo

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I don’t think anybody should have to hold their hands up on this one :lol:
He was absolutely shite last season, even Arsenal fans were baffled by signings.
What’s going on with his form is completely unexplainable and the only logical explanation is that Ramsdale is doped up.
What horseshit.
 

GoonerBear

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It is just another summer like other team trying to improve the squad. I am not sure how much money Edu has for striker as he already spent big last summer. He needs to bring in multiple players for squad depth as well. He will probably gamble on some unknown young players either from foreign league again. Nobody expect arsenal will challenge for title next season. Hopefully Edu will spend well and improve the quality of the squad further.
I think he'll be given decent funds again, especially if we get top 4. Seems obvious that the club were willing to pay £60M in January for the right top striker, so there's no reason why they won't have those funds in the summer.

Saliba coming back, couple of midfielders & couple of forwards is what I reckon, maybe a right back as well.
 

DWelbz19

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Their attack reminds me a bit of ours under Ole’s season where Rashford, Martial, and the other guy all got like 20+ goals and assists in all comps. Odegaard/Saka/Smith-Rowe and even Martinelli are the same sorts of age.

Next season will be interesting for those players to see if they can sustain that form, ours seemed to have a bit of an issue with that part and it all fell apart for us.
 

Mike Smalling

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They are looking pretty good, and are now comfortably beating the teams they are supposed to. Currently they are benefiting massively from not playing a European competition, because their squad is quite narrow. Will be interesting to see how they deal with that next season.
 

Dave Smith

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After yesterday, they pretty much have a free hit at the Dipper's as their following four games are pretty winnable. Can't see how Utd finish above them as they're in good form and still have a lot of energy left in the tank.
 

Verward

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At the moment, not having other distractions (major plus)plus others around self destructing themselves is helping Arsenal to be in top 4 but next year will be different. Bedding in new players, lacazette no more there plus other cup competition would be too much for them.
I am still not convinced by Arteta, we ourselves have seen such false dawn like coming 2nd only to implode next season.
They will be back to their 8th place.
 

SuperiorXI

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Lets see what happens when the pressure is back on them, that has been the question of Arsenal over the years, their bottle, of which they have severely lacked for a long time now.
 

KeanoMagicHat

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Their attack reminds me a bit of ours under Ole’s season where Rashford, Martial, and the other guy all got like 20+ goals and assists in all comps. Odegaard/Saka/Smith-Rowe and even Martinelli are the same sorts of age.

Next season will be interesting for those players to see if they can sustain that form, ours seemed to have a bit of an issue with that part and it all fell apart for us.
They got rid of a high-profile ageing big ego player and we got one in. Aubameyang is still a good striker but they've been much better without him.
 

RopersReturn

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They’re making a lot of noise about being top four contenders, even leaping into third above Chelsea. But what this all amounts to is 2 or 3 players ( Marinelli, Saka & Smith-Rowe), who are in form atm, the rest of the team are nothing special.
 
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awop

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Their making a lot of noise about being top four contenders, even leaping into third above Chelsea. But what this all amounts to is 2 or 3 players ( Marinelli, Saka & Smith-Rowe), who are in form atm, the rest of the team are nothing special.
"Nothing special" seems to be good enough to get the third most clean sheets in the league so i'll take it.
Realistically, we're losing to Liverpool on Wednesday so Villa + Palace away are two dangerous games where we could easily slip-up.
About this summer transfer window, if we get CL, i think we'll get Jonathan David + somebody else to replace Auba+Nketiah. Hopefully we can offer Laca a 1+1 deal and he takes it.
 

Dave Smith

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They’re making a lot of noise about being top four contenders, even leaping into third above Chelsea. But what this all amounts to is 2 or 3 players ( Marinelli, Saka & Smith-Rowe), who are in form atm, the rest of the team are nothing special.
Yeah, but they're three young boys' to build a team around, along with Odegaard. I would add that Partey is a good player and White is also decent. Think they'll need a good window to solidify as they're light in numbers, if they get that right then they may be able to get back in the top 4 race each year, unlike the past few.
 

FootballHQ

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They’re making a lot of noise about being top four contenders, even leaping into third above Chelsea. But what this all amounts to is 2 or 3 players ( Marinelli, Saka & Smith-Rowe), who are in form atm, the rest of the team are nothing special.
Tierney is CL standard full back imo. Partey not been amazing but starting to look more like the player he was at Atletico Madrid.

White and Gabriel obviously the best CB combination they've got and Ramsdale been miles better infront of goal than I thought he would be.

Don't think Smith Rowe has started that many games since xmas.
 

LInkash

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For all the games they have in hand, how close together are the games? Would be equivalent to having midweek European games?
 

WeePat

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For all the games they have in hand, how close together are the games? Would be equivalent to having midweek European games?
Not many. They play Liverpool this midweek and the Chelsea game is TBC but the rest of their fixtures until the end of the season are Saturday/Sunday fixtures. Keep in mind they're out of the FA cup so I'd imagine they're using the free cup weekends to play games in hand.
 

SadlerMUFC

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I said in preseason that Arsenal would be in the hunt this year for a top 4 spot and got laughed at. I didn't think that because they are good, but rather because that's all they have to play for. They can play their best 11 every week without having to worry about rotating to keep players fresh for midweek games. If they don't finish in the top 4 then there are even bigger problems there than I thought
 

Chairman Steve

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They’re the latest beneficiary to a big club having no Europe to worry about. Their squad has been trimmed down considerably and it‘s suited to their season.

I think it’ll be challenge for them next season if they do get Champions League because then they’ve got to build up the squad again and have to use rotation. There’s been plenty of managers out there who would look much better than they are, if their team played just one game a week and had a small squad of trusted players. That’s why people like Martin O’Neill and Brendan Rodgers haven’t/didn’t really step up into the elite tier of managers, despite early promise.

Arteta looked like he struggled with that the past two seasons, juggling 2 games a week on average. Maybe he’ll have learned from that.
 

BlueHaze

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I think they'll 100% get top 4 but then just like us the recent years they will do feck all in the CL apart from embarrass themselves perhaps not even making it passed the group stage or get knocked out just after. The moment they get drawn against a top side they are out. Unless they invest very good this summer I don't think they'll get top 4 next season.
 

DanClancy

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Their attack reminds me a bit of ours under Ole’s season where Rashford, Martial, and the other guy all got like 20+ goals and assists in all comps. Odegaard/Saka/Smith-Rowe and even Martinelli are the same sorts of age.

Next season will be interesting for those players to see if they can sustain that form, ours seemed to have a bit of an issue with that part and it all fell apart for us.
They've had no European football and got knocked out of the FA cup in the 3rd round, its been a huge help to their small squad.
 

FootballHQ

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For all the games they have in hand, how close together are the games? Would be equivalent to having midweek European games?
They play Liverpool at 8.15pm on Weds and then us at half 12 on Saturday so yes same as playing Thursday in europa and then early Sunday as West Ham did.
 

ThierryHenry14

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I think they'll 100% get top 4 but then just like us the recent years they will do feck all in the CL apart from embarrass themselves perhaps not even making it passed the group stage or get knocked out just after. The moment they get drawn against a top side they are out. Unless they invest very good this summer I don't think they'll get top 4 next season.
may be. who knows? It is a young team in the middle of transition anyway. For the 4th place trophy the chance to get it next season is just the same as this season. Arsenal, unlike Chelsea, Liverpool and Man City, is not a top 4 club. We are in the middle pack with Spurs, West Ham, Man Utd and far behind the top 3.
 

smi11ie

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I don't really like Arteta's personality. The way he jumps to celebrate at the final whistle whilst in complete oblivion of his opponent's loss. Ambition is great but there are other people in the world. It's a shame that young British managers don't gub him more regularly. He has built a tasty side though so fair play. Utd can still get 4th but Ronaldo will have to score a hatrick every game.
 

Verward

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Mate, the average age of our team is 24. Unless some of them leave, I think you might be disappointed.
I think you'll be disappointed. Just like us from 2nd last season to 6/7/8 this season and that too despite buying Ronaldo. Enjoy while it lasts.
 

Powderfinger

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They’re the latest beneficiary to a big club having no Europe to worry about. Their squad has been trimmed down considerably and it‘s suited to their season.

I think it’ll be challenge for them next season if they do get Champions League because then they’ve got to build up the squad again and have to use rotation. There’s been plenty of managers out there who would look much better than they are, if their team played just one game a week and had a small squad of trusted players. That’s why people like Martin O’Neill and Brendan Rodgers haven’t/didn’t really step up into the elite tier of managers, despite early promise.

Arteta looked like he struggled with that the past two seasons, juggling 2 games a week on average. Maybe he’ll have learned from that.
This is a fair take. Being out of Europe will help any team and in this case its been very helpful because Arteta has been turning over the squad so heavily and there just aren't that many players on the roster that can actually play his style of football at a high level.

This upcoming summer will be huge from a squad building standpoint, almost as important as last summer. We'll likely sign two forwards, a starting CM, and integrate Saliba as our third CB. Our prospects next year will hinge pretty heavily on how well we buy and to what degree those players can fit into the system Arteta has put into place.

All in all, next year should pose new challenges but we'll also likely have invested significantly in the summer and we also have a lot of young players that you'd generally expect to improve at this stage of their careers. Improvement isn't automatic or linear but the odds are good that players aged 20-23 will get better, especially if they're in a good system.
 

GoonerBear

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Opposing fans are right to be sceptical. Arsenal fans are still sceptical! It's a work in progress that looks like it's going in the right direction, but there's just no guarantee of continual improvement, & that's true of any side.

A whole amount of variables can happen, new signings not working out, unable to cope with extra workload, injuries, rivals improving, the Newcastle factor etc.

Everyone aims to strengthen, everyone aims to improve, everyone wants more points & to get further up the table, but most actually don't.

Just now, its just good to be enjoying the football again. Things just seen to be aligning a bit, and it's just nice after years of criticism & negativity that while we are far away from a destination, we at least seem to be on the right road instead of what seemed like an endless bypass around it.
 

cesc's_mullet

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They’re making a lot of noise about being top four contenders, even leaping into third above Chelsea. But what this all amounts to is 2 or 3 players ( Marinelli, Saka & Smith-Rowe), who are in form atm, the rest of the team are nothing special.
ESR hasn't played for a few games and you've missed our best player this season. Partey has also been excellent for a few months now.

I think the form of those two, Gabriel, White and Ramsdale has been just as important.
 

ThierryHenry14

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Opposing fans are right to be sceptical. Arsenal fans are still sceptical! It's a work in progress that looks like it's going in the right direction, but there's just no guarantee of continual improvement, & that's true of any side.

A whole amount of variables can happen, new signings not working out, unable to cope with extra workload, injuries, rivals improving, the Newcastle factor etc.

Everyone aims to strengthen, everyone aims to improve, everyone wants more points & to get further up the table, but most actually don't.

Just now, its just good to be enjoying the football again. Things just seen to be aligning a bit, and it's just nice after years of criticism & negativity that while we are far away from a destination, we at least seem to be on the right road instead of what seemed like an endless bypass around it.
The football is actually good to watch. That is a big plus already. Arsenal will drift in and out from 4th to 8th with our wage budget. Even Poch couldn't do miracle and punch about his weight every season in Spurs.
 

BurgerVan

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I think you'll be disappointed. Just like us from 2nd last season to 6/7/8 this season and that too despite buying Ronaldo. Enjoy while it lasts.
Surprising, as 37 year old Ronaldo should definitely have pushed on.
 

Fridge chutney

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It is just another summer like other team trying to improve the squad. I am not sure how much money Edu has for striker as he already spent big last summer. He needs to bring in multiple players for squad depth as well. He will probably gamble on some unknown young players either from foreign league again. Nobody expect arsenal will challenge for title next season. Hopefully Edu will spend well and improve the quality of the squad further.
Agreed, i don't think anyone will expect Arsenal to challenge, but 4th will now be the expectation. I would imagine United will improve, and Newcastle will be a wildcard, so it will be tough, unless Chelsea fall off a cliff.

Squad depth, i agree, is a necessity.
 

MalBot

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Three straight defeats v Everton though....in these times that's some achievement.
So you really think Arteta has been throwing games against Everton when that could well have been the difference between keeping his job or losing it?

Everton have been atrocious only this season. Before that they were just a wildly inconsistent team capable of beating or losing to anyone. Man Utd for example haven't beaten them in their last 2 games. Is that some achievement as well?
 

ThierryHenry14

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Agreed, i don't think anyone will expect Arsenal to challenge, but 4th will now be the expectation. I would imagine United will improve, and Newcastle will be a wildcard, so it will be tough, unless Chelsea fall off a cliff.

Squad depth, i agree, is a necessity.
Imo it is reasonable to think the board expect the team to consistently challenge for the 4th place trophy, rather than 4th place is the expectation. I highly doubt the club will set the budget of the team thinking CL income is a given either.
 
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