The Arsenal Thread (Part 2)

Pitchside - Football Forum
141

It really depends on whether refs clamp down on their set piece bullshit.

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142

Even then we’ve seen it happen.

Teams will play a certain way, rock up the season after and it will somehow be less effective.

143

I think that has to happen. Not just about Arsenal, but the general set piece wrestling shit show the Premier League has become. It has to change.

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144

Interesting that I did both Lee Dixon (formerly of Arsenal) and Richards comment about that it was good to see a stronger approach to it at the world cup. Though that was probably just because England benefited on Haaland.

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145

Saka’s complete lack of world cup should scare the shit out of Arsenal’s fans for their prospects for next season. It’s difficult to not look at what happened to him and Saliba as anything other than the effect of being run into the ground over a multi-season run. Even Rice to a degree, even before the shits, was not that effective.

It’s interesting that the players of their who came out of the tournament the best are probably Ødegaard, Trossard, and Martinelli, 3 players who have had far more reasonable workloads.

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146

Saka will have an injury as well at some point.

147

Honestly it happened aleady. Arsenal really limped over the line with a bunch of 1-0 wins against bottom-half teams.

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148

I think we’re already there. It isn’t just Saka’s relative lack of minutes due to an achilies issue that looks ominous Its is that he returned for a full 90 against Mexico and appears to have had a set back as a result of that.

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149

No surgery required but he is out for an extended period.

150

The lad has been absolutely ground down. It’s not just being overplayed - he’s been rushed back from his last few juries far too soon.

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151

Bloody full-backs and former full-backs up to their usual tricks, smh…

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152

https://x.com/FabrizioRomano/status/2090030479827202548?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^tweet

153

How much squad depth do they want? They’re starting to look like Chelsea.

154

Amazingly, for all the defenders they have acquired they do need something. The 5 defenders they played on the weekend are the only 5 they have fit and available with Saliba out for a while and Timber’s fitness bordering on Gomezeque (does it matter when he returns if he will break down again soon after?) And of those 5 White played but there are serious concerns about what he’s got left at this level and Califiore has physically struggled as well.

I think the lesson to learn from these guys last season is the reward you can earn when you dont leave yourself having to rely on a player whose fitness is unreliable.

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155

At least they have plenty depth even though they play the most miserable football… :sweat_smile:

156

There isn’t a lot of depth elsewhere mind.

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157

Boring and cheating Arsenal; I hate them even more than City now.

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158

I actually felt Arsenal would struggle with the changes and also teams would tend to more knowledgable and set up how to play against them.

However I’m not seeing anyone else whose stand out.

159

It makes a lot of sense for Arsenal to load up on defenders. Who else is going to score all the goals?

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160

They are building on success or trying at least. Something we miserably failed with.

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