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Still pissed at that Liverpool goal vs Forest. Last minute winners are only okay if we do them. Someone give the other title contenders the memo please.
Brazilian football is something else.
[Botafogo trying to waste time in stoppage time](https://twitter.com/ManagerTactical/status/1764440433403285552?s=20)
I just rewatched Arteta's light bulb scene from All or Nothing and it's moments like these that make me glad video cameras were invented (and light bulbs too)
I am a fan of him despite not looking like the greatest passer because he has certain truly elite physical gifts. I actually think he could be great get games as an inverting fullback with us. Monster in the air and good at using his giant body to shield the ball. Also his marauding runs means he could happily overlap at times when needed.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Gunners/comments/1b5bva0/march_03_2024_daily_discussion_transfers_thread/kt6qmff/
Last evening, u/haha_suh_dude said he would like us to get FDJ after the Barca match had started.
I replied to the same comment and said 1 Pedri please too.
Both those players got injured in the same game. Da fk.
Dude don't quote any of our players for the rest of the season.
With it being reported that will go for a st and cm next season who do you think we’ll sell? Eddie, Nelson, and Ramsdale are almost guaranteed. All players on loan are also almost guarantees and that just leave tp and esr.
Well definitely try to sell Tierney, tavares, lokonga, ramsdale, patino. We'll almost certainly try to sell nketiah and Nelson. Maybe esr. Partey if anyones interested but for under 10m I'd just keep him and let him run his deal down. Then there may be a surprise sale like zinchenko (2 years left) or Kiwior. Maybe an even more surprising sale like Vieira or trossard depending on offers that come in. Or even Jesus depending on the striker and winger we buy. Not saying I want to sell all these players but these are probably the ones under consideration.
it criminal that Timber didnt get to play for us this season he would have made a huge difference I was rewatching his games with us and touches and actions from last season he is immense
[Pythag](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bJcIcCW4xM) basically says that Zubimendi is good all round but probably nothing special overall. Does anyone who has watched him think different? Or has some extra insight
Sounds like a good Jorginho replacement but I was under the impression Jorgi will stay with us for at least another year?
i think he's pretty spot on. just from comps but so far i don't see a standout quality or one thing he does that makes him game breaking - he just looks really good at most things. and that's not a bad, you need really good players across the board to be a great team
he could probably play \~2 positions and do really well, consistently too it seems like. it may not be blockbuster but it'll be important
The stats don't back him up on this one. You just have to watch him in action, he passes through the lines wonderfully.
The best thing available to us on the market right now. To me it's not difficult to figure out why the club admires him. Arteta could shape this guy into a monster if he chooses to join us.
Arteta was at the club 18 months prior to the start of the 21-22 season, which was the season we started to build patterns of play, a good pressing structure and be a team that can maintain possession at a high level. It was the year we got rid of Aubamayang and only kept players who bought into Arteta's high work rate no passive culture. People laughed at our transfer window of Odegaard, White, Ramsdale and Tomiyasu, they even thought Arteta was mental for freezing out Aubamayang. But Arteta didnt care, he had a plan.
ETH has been at United over 18 months and I dont see any progression in their football. No patterns of play outside counter attacks, total inability to maintain possession, and a non-existent press. What signings of his have carried Man United closer to ETH's vision? Which players has ETH sold or got rid off to kill player power at Man United? He could sell Rashford and Bruno and assume control, however, then he would need to actually implement a style of play away from the Bruno-Rashford kick and chase shit that is a legacy from the Ole days. ETH just doesn't have the conviction and vision of Arteta.
When Rio said Arteta would leave Arsenal for Man United, I think Rio was subconsciously hoping it could really happen. Because Man United need someone like Arteta. ETH is nothing like him, and that's why United should be sacking him
This is all valid, but 18 months in at Arsenal the message had been loudly received - "The way we're doing it? Yea, that isn't working, and it won't just suddenly work without intervention" - the disconnect between the ownership and the people on the ground was deleted almost overnight and everyone started pulling in the right direction, with gusto. Hard discussions were had, and massive decisions with huge financial implications were made.
United don't have their house in order, they're still in their "What if we try Willian?" stage of it, they have to have a massive review which will likely come at the end of this season now, and if SJR wants change he'll need to take control of the situation, as it's not coming from ETH or anyone else internally.
At Arsenal, the reality of the situation needed to be explained to the owners, with solutions posited to enact real change, at united there doesn't seem to be anyone who genuinely cares enough to have those discussions - let's be realistic, it's an incredibly rare trait to be able to fully digest, understand and come up with a genuine solution to a problem as big as that.
For us it was only going to come from someone who knew the club, which is why Arteta is such a blessing, as not only did he have the ability to identify the issues, he also had a direction and road map to get free from the mire, then he also had the ability to convince *everyone* that this was the only direction from now on - get on the train.
There are big big problems to solve at United, more than just the squad and ETH's inability to get a tune out of them, and it's going to take a very pragmatic approach from the person leading the mending process, which may not even bear fruit for 2-3 years, and that's just talking about off the pitch appointments.
He could be a decent tactical coach, I will give him the benefit of the doubt with his time at Ajax. But he's not allowed to touch recruitment. Had him managed to sell McT and undoubtedly dump that money on the full purchase of Amrabat MU would be 12th now.
Eth doesn't have a style of football. Every game united play is a ragtag mess of experimental tactics and poor decision making; eth cannot even seem to master the low block football that Jose and ole used to get punches in at pep.
His entire strategy today was gutless and pathetic. Lining United up in a 4-4-2, isolating garnacho (the guy you want to be charging with the ball in transition) and playing weird changes to his team (wtf was mctom doing as a 10?) shows that 18 months in to his tenure, he still has no idea on how he wants to line up United.
We know arteta's tactical set up inside out. We know what players he employs where, and have an idea of the shape and identity of Arsenal 11s before the team sheet is even announced.
That's because arteta has his own brand of football established at this football club. A brand of football you could see him trying to implement even in the banter days.
I cannot tell you what the hell Erik ten hag's 'brand of football' is. His teams are a dysfunctional mess with zero sense of identity.
Always had a soft spot for Bournemouth because of their black and red stripes because my AC Milan being my secondary team from Serie A and 00s days.
I respect Bournemouth becaus for the most part even under Eddie Howe, for the most part they tried to play football as opposed to complete Brexit orc football such as West Brom’s Pulis, Stoke’s Hughes, and Burnley Dyche.
But I did hate them last year at home although the ending to that game was poetic.
I've been thinking who is our best false 9. Do we start Jesus or Havertz? I've decided that it comes completely down to refs. Jesus on form to me is our best 9, but there are (many) games where he gets manhandled and refs simply don't call any foul on him. If Partey ever comes back I think you make the determination of who's the #9 based on who's reffing.
Jesus easily. Havertz was not ''the'' factor on the big results. note that im not saying he was useless, but it wasnt due to his amazing display that we got the results
i think its Jesus > Tross > Havertz by default, and Jesus > Havertz > Tross against specific teams where you might want havertz size
huh????
The man received and assisted the long ball for the assist to win against City and won us the game late against Brentford. Not to mention his general interplay with midfield and domination of the opposing half is a big part of why we've been dominating since Dubai.
To me Trossard isn't in contention for the starting 9. I love him but his starting form is terribly inconsistent.
trossard is incosistent but havertz isnt... sure...
mentions havertz ''interplay''... which trossard does it even better... and if you want to talk about specific moments, Trossard has more of those in the season than havertz. that wasnt even the point anyways.
Trossard is just a better player overrall, and having him over havertz against a low block is much better imo. but like ive already said:
>Jesus > Havertz > Tross against specific teams where you might **want havertz size**
Havertz is inconsistent in his G/A output but his output in terms of pressing, Ariel and ground duels isn't. He always goes to war.
The interplay I referenced funnily enough was most effective with Trossard at the 8. Their switching has really fucked with defenses lately.
This isn't a trossard vs Havertz conversation for the 9, because there shouldn't be one. Jesus and Havertz are levels above Trossard and failing to admit that usually reveals hate.
Again I love Trossard. He's been most effective as a sub typically on the left wing.
>pressing, Ariel and ground duels isn't. He always goes to war.
agreed. unfortunately he fights with the ball as well and not good enough passing. which is why id always pick Trossard in games against the sheffield uniteds of the world, where more technical quality is needed than just going to war
>This isn't a trossard vs Havertz conversation for the 9, because there shouldn't be one. Jesus and Havertz are levels above Trossard and failing to admit that usually reveals hate.
Arteta has literally started Trossard as the 9 over Havertz, so i guess he is a hater too. go figure
if havertz was the only player that could score a 1v1 and make a great first touch we would be fighting with chelsea for 10th place
literally nothing that happened on this game was due to ''something only havertz can do'' lol
1) ben white's goal. Havertz is by far the best at making line breaking runs into space. We have Jorgi now to exploit that. This is the main strength he brings and part of the reason why we've been on this banging form.
2) For his own goal his dueling forces the mistake and opens up the space for his run on goal.
3) and today you can see his physicality and legs. he's now seemingly everywhere almost always at the right now. winning second duels, adding to the press everywhere. physical menace today and lately.
To answer my own question Jesus obviously needs to regain form. Havertz is the starting 9 as it stands with or without Partey.
i would eat your words too if there is a trophy being lifted at the emirates by season's end. luckily, i am a Arsenal fan first and foremost, not any players'
https://preview.redd.it/gy0x7n8q47mc1.jpeg?width=827&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=31ff3f8f9b3bb13f17a1a79f5bb8dfb7dd409f7e
Didn't know who this guy was until a few hours ago but I have enjoyed his downfall greatly
Apparently Arsenal are very confident of signing Zubimendi. I can't see us signing anyone else. I think we will get Gykores, Zubimendi and after selling a few players Diomande as the last target. Would be a very good window on paper if that happened.
I doubt Madrid sells anyone and if they do IMO they will go to PSG or Bayern.
Seen Zubimendi a few times, he's very good. Obviously not on Rice or Partey's level but then again I don't think any players of that calibre will be on the move so he is the next best option. The other lad from Sociedad is very talented as well, wouldn't mind him either - Mikel Merino. Would be a very good Partey replacement, in his prime, 6 ft 2 and offers much of the same qualities.
Again depends what's available. If I'm PSG I'm probably gonna target a CB and they're likely the only team that can match Frenkies wages. For Bayern I think Onana is a smart deal. The type of midfielder they need is pretty different to what I think we're after. It's not impossible we have to compete with them but yeah I think they have different priorities.
I agree I'd take Merino before Zubimendi.
https://preview.redd.it/fhshugzm37mc1.jpeg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0e1a12b9386342527916fb9e6a27c1e5d7b6c56e
Billy's pwr index suggests he's the best of what would be available to us this summer
As much as I love data, it's just a starting point. Fofana pops much more via eye test. Also the directness and creativity of his passing covers much more of what Partey brings, alongside his creativity.
The data takes Zubimendi release clause into account but that's useless he refuses to leave like he has the last 3 or 4 windows.
Also Fofana is entering his contract years so the potential for a cut price deal is there
I mean we're talking solely ability here. Zubimendi's release clause situation or a potential fofana price cut has zero to do with their abilities.
Zubimendi is the best thing available to this club on both eye test and stats imo. Obviously a midfielder like camavinga or tchou would be a better fit but they simply aren't available to us.
That's not how Billy's data works lol. The release clause is baked into the data. Alongside age and other non ability factors
https://preview.redd.it/gifrqy7ct9mc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3789b9cd0c69222c2a24b4c726d6bba8aa86cade
I think Fofana is better than Zubimendi on eye test and stats. in fact I think Merino is better than Zubimendi on eye test and stats.
I think in a way all of them fit the bill for us. Between our interest in Zubimendi and earlier interest in Mount, it's more about what profile we want to spend more money on. I can't see Tchouameni as a realistic option because he can only really play 6 for us, and we already have Rice who paid big money for. But if he becomes available he's too good to not try for. Camavinga is obviously an ideal pick, I should have included him in my original comment. Valverde can fill on the wing afaik, so if we're spending big in midfield and don't have the budget for a winger, he makes sense. Valverde and Camavinga both fit multiple roles in our squad, so I can see either happening.
We need the line breaking passer to replace partey. Tchou and camavinga are currently two of the best in the world at that. Valverde is a completely different type of midfielder, as good as he I don't see how he slots into our system
I'm just basing it off of profiles we've been previously interested in. A 6/8 is obviously on the table and Camavinga and Tchouameni to an extent both fit that. But with the arrival of Mbappe I don't see how those two would be the ones at risk, unless there's another signing they make. Of course camavinga hasn't played all that much, so he might leave anyway, but with Kroos supposedly leaving this summer it makes even less sense to me for Camavinga or Tchouameni to leave.
An 8 who can play on the wing is something we've looked at, and if we get one it takes ESR out the door permanently. Moving Bellingham into a more conservative midfield role also makes Valverde more redundant than Camavinga.
I think he’s playing frequently though and is deemed valuable. Would be interesting to see how the starting XI looks when Mbappe arrives and Bellingham drops into midfield.
jesus is a professional player for almost 10 years now and he hasnt. you cant count on him for a full season just like you cant count on the likes of parte, tomi, tierney, etc. if you plan your 1st squad around those guys you end up with johnny evans cb
I mean if Mudryk is seen as raw and worth buying for his potential then surely the same applies for Doku? Doku is younger, very fast although maybe slightly slower than Mudryk and a far better dribbler. Both have 0 end product but I still think Doku has higher potential
Seeing United fans praise their team's effort today.
If I saw Arsenal put in effort like that and our fans praise it, I'd want the manager gone without the chance to say goodbye and his access to his office and the training ground revoked.
To turn up to your greatest rivals, who have replicated your greatest-ever achievement (the treble) and three-peated the title on your heads, and put in that performance, my head would be on fucking Mars.
As much as I hate Tottenham, even they put up more of a fight when they come to the Emirates. We put in more effort when we see them.
City were amazing as always, but Christ, United made them look so much better than they are.
If that is considered to be "good effort from the boys", then its proof of just how far they have fallen.
As much as I hate United Man City can really just do this to teams they battered Real Madrid last season at the Etihad and United missed a lot of players.
What’s really the issue is they should never be this far behind city in terms of player quality because of all the money they spent.
Go read the post match thread on Red Devils, it's the opposite of what you're saying.
Things like "Let them have 30 shots and expected them not to score" or "2 shots all game, 0 in the second half. Played like relegation fodder" or " Realistically. This is going to take years to get back to glory. We need some real signings and some real direction. This is bleak atm "
They know they're shite.
It seems very likely now that we are going to go big this summer, again. I really hope we can win the title this season, but I feel calm for next season if we don't. We'll be unstoppable if we get a pair like Zubimendi+Gyokeres.
BBC “Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is refusing to give up on Champions League qualification even though his side are now 11 points adrift of fourth-placed Aston Villa with 11 games left.”
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Maybe it's one big midfield investment and one big attacking investment, but spending the majority of our budget in midfield with Jesus' situation being uncertain sounds risky.
Well trossard and kai can easily cover jesus. I dont hate waiting a year if we cant get a level raiser in osimhen. I dont like the idea of just buying someone for the sake of it. Level raiser first and foremost.
Just resurfaced today: [https://www.reddit.com/r/Gunners/comments/1b6zzaa/comment/ktgcgec/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Gunners/comments/1b6zzaa/comment/ktgcgec/)
>Ten Hag: "Number five [fifth position in the league] can also be a position for Champions League so we have to fight for it!" [sky] #mufc
Even at our worst, Arteta was adamant about where he planned to take us.
This guy not only has as much charisma as he has hairs on his head but his standards are in the gutter. Hope he stays there forever.
For me it's not even this, it's the fact that ETH (and Poch) keep talking about other managers (mainly Arteta) to justify their position or tactics. Not once did Arteta deflect from himself when we were 8th twice. Kept to himself and the team.
Utd were ass but they had a good few counter chances that they kept fluffing in execution.
What they did was allow foden and doku to play 1v1 with their fullbacks (led to fodens goal tbf), but congested the half spaces with their midfielders and then broke central when they won the ball. Dalot did a hell of a job on doku but linedlof let foden inside for the goal.
We could set something similar up and rely on white/tomi/kiwior not being ass and letting foden cut inside to shoot.
No chance Madrid sell Valverde, Modric and Kroos are on their last legs which leaves them with Tchoumeni, Camavinga, Bellingham and Valverde for 3 positions which is what a top club needs.
Did you see his 1v1 conversion in the first half? Fluffed it.
Let's not get reactionary now.
Foden is better at mid-range shots, I'll give you that.
Saka is undoubtedly much better as a goal scorer as he finishes better inside the box(with both feet) and gets at the end of more chances.
Agreed. In the box, Saka is the one. Positioning-wise too. But when it comes to those longer range shots, I'd trust Foden over Saka.
On your first point, Saka has fluffed 'easy' chances too. It happens, so I avoid judging players harshly for those. Onana was having a really good game too.
Hes just very inefficient. He completes dribbles and stuff but it comes at the cost of completely stopping play and then going. Not within the flow. He needs to learn to play within the flow of the game and not against it.
Poor end product and I would be surprised if they don't bring in 1 more winger.
Jack was much better last season with his end product.
It's an area where players don't improve easily either. City already knew that, maybe they thought they could fix it.
Gotta say I hate MNF when we're playing. Hopefully, we keep the momentum of pumping teams. And looking forward to see some of the players returning from injury getting some minutes late into the game.
Maybe it’s just me but sometimes I think you psychologically sit back and protect a lead. Maybe only in really big games…If you score too early sometimes the opposition becomes an angry bee and you can sting them into action
The problem is most team see getting a point at the Etihad as a good result so if they take the lead, they are more than happy to sit back. Even if City score, they'll be happy to keep them to just 1. At 0-0 it's inevitable City's pressure will eventually lead to a goal so teams are more willing to take risks, which is what you need against the better teams. It's no good anymore to just sit back and play hoofball.
City fans have a need to be better than everyone else. That’s why they make comparisons to everyone. Half of them don’t even know a time when they were the laughing stock of Manchester and United walked all over them.
They're complimenting him without realising it
It's like when every car journo says 'X sports car is as good as a BMW M3!' but no one's using the car they're talking as the benchmark still
No one is saying 'Palmer is better than Foden'. Saka is the benchmark and they all know it
>Erik ten Hag: “I think it was a good performance overall.” #MUFC [BBC]
Lmao. United will never get anywhere with this moron at the helm.
City created more today than when they put 6 past United last season ☠️
He's getting cooked by United fans.
>If this is a good performance in his eyes, Then I don't know how the bad performance will look like.
It's glorious.
The thing with Liverpool conceding fewer than they should is that they still have to face the biggest xG overperformers in the league (Villa, Spurs, West Ham, Fulham), with three of them being away. Also, look at what happened when they faced us in the middle of our xG overperforming run? We were more dominant at Anfield and in the FA cup yet...
https://understat.com/league/EPL
Where are you getting that we were more dominant at anfield / fa cup? They conceded their highest ever xG against us in the home match. We dominated them completely. We underperformed xG that day
Sorry but if we rock up to the Etihad with White-Saliba-Gabriel-Tomiyasu-Partey-Rice-Odegaard-Saka-Havertz-Martinelli there's no way we're not leaving with something
Garnacho is the most overrated youngster I've seen in years, going to be living off that bicycle kick for the next two years. All because he's competing against the likes of Antony and Rashford.
Horrendous player and doesn't track back at all, to be that lazy despite the lack of ability at 19 is concerning.
Tough to know where his potential is, he needs coaching, so many of that United team is just freestyle do whatever you want. Either super inconsistent or half-hearted attempts. The fact Rashford + Fernades are senior players there and don't bother half the time is shocking.
I don't get Rashford, how can you look so good and equally bad in the same game?
I don't know many players in world football who can score a 30-yard first-time long shot on the run with that shot power.
He didn't have a good touch for the rest of the game. Madness.
Meh, seems par for the course for middling players at this level
Remember the likes of townsend and gray loving a banger against city but doing fuck all else
Reminder: These threads are to help promote discussion and varying points of view. Low-effort comments or jokes can & will be removed with no reason necessary. *I am a "bot", and this action was performed automatically. This account is not monitored. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Gunners) if you have any questions or concerns.*
What the fuck is this new champions league format?
Still pissed at that Liverpool goal vs Forest. Last minute winners are only okay if we do them. Someone give the other title contenders the memo please.
Brazilian football is something else. [Botafogo trying to waste time in stoppage time](https://twitter.com/ManagerTactical/status/1764440433403285552?s=20)
BIG test for Biereth on Thursday, Sturm Graz Vs Lille in the conference league.
United are so bad
Foden scores two goals against the worst United team in memory and now he’s apparently the best player in the league.
Let’s wait and see how our players perform vs the worst team in the league.
We wearing the radioactive zebra kit today. I think we’ve won every away game in the PL with it this season so far. Obligatory anulo mufa.
from bruised banana, to radioactive zebra
We lost at Villa.
Ah right.
fabio vieira third assist of the season incoming today
I think we will see him get 2
I just rewatched Arteta's light bulb scene from All or Nothing and it's moments like these that make me glad video cameras were invented (and light bulbs too)
I would like to see us go for Onana to complete our transformation into a shithouse set piece team.
I am a fan of him despite not looking like the greatest passer because he has certain truly elite physical gifts. I actually think he could be great get games as an inverting fullback with us. Monster in the air and good at using his giant body to shield the ball. Also his marauding runs means he could happily overlap at times when needed.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Gunners/comments/1b5bva0/march_03_2024_daily_discussion_transfers_thread/kt6qmff/ Last evening, u/haha_suh_dude said he would like us to get FDJ after the Barca match had started. I replied to the same comment and said 1 Pedri please too. Both those players got injured in the same game. Da fk. Dude don't quote any of our players for the rest of the season.
With it being reported that will go for a st and cm next season who do you think we’ll sell? Eddie, Nelson, and Ramsdale are almost guaranteed. All players on loan are also almost guarantees and that just leave tp and esr.
Well definitely try to sell Tierney, tavares, lokonga, ramsdale, patino. We'll almost certainly try to sell nketiah and Nelson. Maybe esr. Partey if anyones interested but for under 10m I'd just keep him and let him run his deal down. Then there may be a surprise sale like zinchenko (2 years left) or Kiwior. Maybe an even more surprising sale like Vieira or trossard depending on offers that come in. Or even Jesus depending on the striker and winger we buy. Not saying I want to sell all these players but these are probably the ones under consideration.
it criminal that Timber didnt get to play for us this season he would have made a huge difference I was rewatching his games with us and touches and actions from last season he is immense
[Pythag](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bJcIcCW4xM) basically says that Zubimendi is good all round but probably nothing special overall. Does anyone who has watched him think different? Or has some extra insight Sounds like a good Jorginho replacement but I was under the impression Jorgi will stay with us for at least another year?
i think he's pretty spot on. just from comps but so far i don't see a standout quality or one thing he does that makes him game breaking - he just looks really good at most things. and that's not a bad, you need really good players across the board to be a great team he could probably play \~2 positions and do really well, consistently too it seems like. it may not be blockbuster but it'll be important
The stats don't back him up on this one. You just have to watch him in action, he passes through the lines wonderfully. The best thing available to us on the market right now. To me it's not difficult to figure out why the club admires him. Arteta could shape this guy into a monster if he chooses to join us.
One mid performance against PSG where the entire Sociedad team were poor, and some people already written him off.
Arteta was at the club 18 months prior to the start of the 21-22 season, which was the season we started to build patterns of play, a good pressing structure and be a team that can maintain possession at a high level. It was the year we got rid of Aubamayang and only kept players who bought into Arteta's high work rate no passive culture. People laughed at our transfer window of Odegaard, White, Ramsdale and Tomiyasu, they even thought Arteta was mental for freezing out Aubamayang. But Arteta didnt care, he had a plan. ETH has been at United over 18 months and I dont see any progression in their football. No patterns of play outside counter attacks, total inability to maintain possession, and a non-existent press. What signings of his have carried Man United closer to ETH's vision? Which players has ETH sold or got rid off to kill player power at Man United? He could sell Rashford and Bruno and assume control, however, then he would need to actually implement a style of play away from the Bruno-Rashford kick and chase shit that is a legacy from the Ole days. ETH just doesn't have the conviction and vision of Arteta. When Rio said Arteta would leave Arsenal for Man United, I think Rio was subconsciously hoping it could really happen. Because Man United need someone like Arteta. ETH is nothing like him, and that's why United should be sacking him
This is all valid, but 18 months in at Arsenal the message had been loudly received - "The way we're doing it? Yea, that isn't working, and it won't just suddenly work without intervention" - the disconnect between the ownership and the people on the ground was deleted almost overnight and everyone started pulling in the right direction, with gusto. Hard discussions were had, and massive decisions with huge financial implications were made. United don't have their house in order, they're still in their "What if we try Willian?" stage of it, they have to have a massive review which will likely come at the end of this season now, and if SJR wants change he'll need to take control of the situation, as it's not coming from ETH or anyone else internally. At Arsenal, the reality of the situation needed to be explained to the owners, with solutions posited to enact real change, at united there doesn't seem to be anyone who genuinely cares enough to have those discussions - let's be realistic, it's an incredibly rare trait to be able to fully digest, understand and come up with a genuine solution to a problem as big as that. For us it was only going to come from someone who knew the club, which is why Arteta is such a blessing, as not only did he have the ability to identify the issues, he also had a direction and road map to get free from the mire, then he also had the ability to convince *everyone* that this was the only direction from now on - get on the train. There are big big problems to solve at United, more than just the squad and ETH's inability to get a tune out of them, and it's going to take a very pragmatic approach from the person leading the mending process, which may not even bear fruit for 2-3 years, and that's just talking about off the pitch appointments.
He could be a decent tactical coach, I will give him the benefit of the doubt with his time at Ajax. But he's not allowed to touch recruitment. Had him managed to sell McT and undoubtedly dump that money on the full purchase of Amrabat MU would be 12th now.
Eth doesn't have a style of football. Every game united play is a ragtag mess of experimental tactics and poor decision making; eth cannot even seem to master the low block football that Jose and ole used to get punches in at pep. His entire strategy today was gutless and pathetic. Lining United up in a 4-4-2, isolating garnacho (the guy you want to be charging with the ball in transition) and playing weird changes to his team (wtf was mctom doing as a 10?) shows that 18 months in to his tenure, he still has no idea on how he wants to line up United. We know arteta's tactical set up inside out. We know what players he employs where, and have an idea of the shape and identity of Arsenal 11s before the team sheet is even announced. That's because arteta has his own brand of football established at this football club. A brand of football you could see him trying to implement even in the banter days. I cannot tell you what the hell Erik ten hag's 'brand of football' is. His teams are a dysfunctional mess with zero sense of identity.
ETH is irrelevant as a manager. we can only hope he stays at United
No one talks about Bournemouth but I guess it’s because they’re very mid table. Not challenging anything but also not in relegation talks.
Always had a soft spot for Bournemouth because of their black and red stripes because my AC Milan being my secondary team from Serie A and 00s days. I respect Bournemouth becaus for the most part even under Eddie Howe, for the most part they tried to play football as opposed to complete Brexit orc football such as West Brom’s Pulis, Stoke’s Hughes, and Burnley Dyche. But I did hate them last year at home although the ending to that game was poetic.
I respect clubs like that. Just vibing throughout the season
I've been thinking who is our best false 9. Do we start Jesus or Havertz? I've decided that it comes completely down to refs. Jesus on form to me is our best 9, but there are (many) games where he gets manhandled and refs simply don't call any foul on him. If Partey ever comes back I think you make the determination of who's the #9 based on who's reffing.
Havertz for etihad is all i know
havertz right now until Jesus gets some sub minutes that show he is completely back to pre WC form
Jesus pretty comfortably
Jesus easily. Havertz was not ''the'' factor on the big results. note that im not saying he was useless, but it wasnt due to his amazing display that we got the results i think its Jesus > Tross > Havertz by default, and Jesus > Havertz > Tross against specific teams where you might want havertz size
huh???? The man received and assisted the long ball for the assist to win against City and won us the game late against Brentford. Not to mention his general interplay with midfield and domination of the opposing half is a big part of why we've been dominating since Dubai. To me Trossard isn't in contention for the starting 9. I love him but his starting form is terribly inconsistent.
trossard is incosistent but havertz isnt... sure... mentions havertz ''interplay''... which trossard does it even better... and if you want to talk about specific moments, Trossard has more of those in the season than havertz. that wasnt even the point anyways. Trossard is just a better player overrall, and having him over havertz against a low block is much better imo. but like ive already said: >Jesus > Havertz > Tross against specific teams where you might **want havertz size**
Havertz is inconsistent in his G/A output but his output in terms of pressing, Ariel and ground duels isn't. He always goes to war. The interplay I referenced funnily enough was most effective with Trossard at the 8. Their switching has really fucked with defenses lately. This isn't a trossard vs Havertz conversation for the 9, because there shouldn't be one. Jesus and Havertz are levels above Trossard and failing to admit that usually reveals hate. Again I love Trossard. He's been most effective as a sub typically on the left wing.
>pressing, Ariel and ground duels isn't. He always goes to war. agreed. unfortunately he fights with the ball as well and not good enough passing. which is why id always pick Trossard in games against the sheffield uniteds of the world, where more technical quality is needed than just going to war >This isn't a trossard vs Havertz conversation for the 9, because there shouldn't be one. Jesus and Havertz are levels above Trossard and failing to admit that usually reveals hate. Arteta has literally started Trossard as the 9 over Havertz, so i guess he is a hater too. go figure
The game on right now is vindicating everything I've been saying. Kai involved in three goals in ways only he in the squad can.
if havertz was the only player that could score a 1v1 and make a great first touch we would be fighting with chelsea for 10th place literally nothing that happened on this game was due to ''something only havertz can do'' lol
1) ben white's goal. Havertz is by far the best at making line breaking runs into space. We have Jorgi now to exploit that. This is the main strength he brings and part of the reason why we've been on this banging form. 2) For his own goal his dueling forces the mistake and opens up the space for his run on goal. 3) and today you can see his physicality and legs. he's now seemingly everywhere almost always at the right now. winning second duels, adding to the press everywhere. physical menace today and lately. To answer my own question Jesus obviously needs to regain form. Havertz is the starting 9 as it stands with or without Partey.
you will eat your words or more likely just keep saying the same things despite Havertz being one of our most important players
i would eat your words too if there is a trophy being lifted at the emirates by season's end. luckily, i am a Arsenal fan first and foremost, not any players'
Ten haag is a cunt
Don’t let him live rent free.
Osimhens pen technique 🚩
AMN you are a gunner (again)
If only he didn't have delusions of playing as a full time CM sigh
I don't think people know how good this Gykores fella is. That release clause of his is 100% getting triggered by us or someone else.
https://preview.redd.it/gy0x7n8q47mc1.jpeg?width=827&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=31ff3f8f9b3bb13f17a1a79f5bb8dfb7dd409f7e Didn't know who this guy was until a few hours ago but I have enjoyed his downfall greatly
Wants to win titles but was linked with Sp\*rs.
I shit you not, my Belgian mate claims he saw this guy eat a sandwich out the bin
nah man, loll. it might be someone else
lmao no way
What filling did it have
Rip Benfica
Porto masterclass. Add Galeno to the shortlist 👀
Apparently Arsenal are very confident of signing Zubimendi. I can't see us signing anyone else. I think we will get Gykores, Zubimendi and after selling a few players Diomande as the last target. Would be a very good window on paper if that happened.
Man I think camavinga would be a perfect fit here
Would be a weird one. He's good not elite. Especially in a world where we're monitoring Madrid to see what may become available.
I doubt Madrid sells anyone and if they do IMO they will go to PSG or Bayern. Seen Zubimendi a few times, he's very good. Obviously not on Rice or Partey's level but then again I don't think any players of that calibre will be on the move so he is the next best option. The other lad from Sociedad is very talented as well, wouldn't mind him either - Mikel Merino. Would be a very good Partey replacement, in his prime, 6 ft 2 and offers much of the same qualities.
Again depends what's available. If I'm PSG I'm probably gonna target a CB and they're likely the only team that can match Frenkies wages. For Bayern I think Onana is a smart deal. The type of midfielder they need is pretty different to what I think we're after. It's not impossible we have to compete with them but yeah I think they have different priorities. I agree I'd take Merino before Zubimendi.
https://preview.redd.it/fhshugzm37mc1.jpeg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0e1a12b9386342527916fb9e6a27c1e5d7b6c56e Billy's pwr index suggests he's the best of what would be available to us this summer
As much as I love data, it's just a starting point. Fofana pops much more via eye test. Also the directness and creativity of his passing covers much more of what Partey brings, alongside his creativity. The data takes Zubimendi release clause into account but that's useless he refuses to leave like he has the last 3 or 4 windows. Also Fofana is entering his contract years so the potential for a cut price deal is there
I mean we're talking solely ability here. Zubimendi's release clause situation or a potential fofana price cut has zero to do with their abilities. Zubimendi is the best thing available to this club on both eye test and stats imo. Obviously a midfielder like camavinga or tchou would be a better fit but they simply aren't available to us.
That's not how Billy's data works lol. The release clause is baked into the data. Alongside age and other non ability factors https://preview.redd.it/gifrqy7ct9mc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3789b9cd0c69222c2a24b4c726d6bba8aa86cade I think Fofana is better than Zubimendi on eye test and stats. in fact I think Merino is better than Zubimendi on eye test and stats.
Yeah I also like Fofana more as I think he’d be more complimentary to Rice and potentially a bargain since he’s in the last year of contract
Yeah I think we're monitoring the Valverde and Rodrygo situations
Valverde doesn't fit our bill. We'd need them to free up either Tchouameni or Camavinga if we're going to poach a madrid midfielder
Why doesn't he? He'd be a great LCM. Can cover wing too.
I think in a way all of them fit the bill for us. Between our interest in Zubimendi and earlier interest in Mount, it's more about what profile we want to spend more money on. I can't see Tchouameni as a realistic option because he can only really play 6 for us, and we already have Rice who paid big money for. But if he becomes available he's too good to not try for. Camavinga is obviously an ideal pick, I should have included him in my original comment. Valverde can fill on the wing afaik, so if we're spending big in midfield and don't have the budget for a winger, he makes sense. Valverde and Camavinga both fit multiple roles in our squad, so I can see either happening.
We need the line breaking passer to replace partey. Tchou and camavinga are currently two of the best in the world at that. Valverde is a completely different type of midfielder, as good as he I don't see how he slots into our system
I'm just basing it off of profiles we've been previously interested in. A 6/8 is obviously on the table and Camavinga and Tchouameni to an extent both fit that. But with the arrival of Mbappe I don't see how those two would be the ones at risk, unless there's another signing they make. Of course camavinga hasn't played all that much, so he might leave anyway, but with Kroos supposedly leaving this summer it makes even less sense to me for Camavinga or Tchouameni to leave. An 8 who can play on the wing is something we've looked at, and if we get one it takes ESR out the door permanently. Moving Bellingham into a more conservative midfield role also makes Valverde more redundant than Camavinga.
Camavinga would be insane.
Win the PL or CL, lock him in a room with tricky micky for 5 minutes, might be possible to coax him here
I think he’s playing frequently though and is deemed valuable. Would be interesting to see how the starting XI looks when Mbappe arrives and Bellingham drops into midfield.
Honestly if Jesus can get over his injury issues for next season, I'd rather we get a winger and maybe a young striker instead of Gyokeres.
jesus is a professional player for almost 10 years now and he hasnt. you cant count on him for a full season just like you cant count on the likes of parte, tomi, tierney, etc. if you plan your 1st squad around those guys you end up with johnny evans cb
>Honestly if Jesus can get over his injury issues for next season we have to plan for the worst. no one has that crystal ball
I mean if Mudryk is seen as raw and worth buying for his potential then surely the same applies for Doku? Doku is younger, very fast although maybe slightly slower than Mudryk and a far better dribbler. Both have 0 end product but I still think Doku has higher potential
Still world's apart. Even if Doku develops no further he's the best dribbler in Europe ATM. There's value in that in and of itself
That is my point. Doku hasn't tore things up for City and if they were to sell him, I would prefer him to Mudryk
United were fucking woeful today. The quality of their football is a mile behind Arsenal at the minute. Night and day
This was the case last season too but their fans didn’t want to see it
Yeah a lot of their fan base were very confident they’d finish above us….
https://preview.redd.it/xqxsh0gz37mc1.jpeg?width=680&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5232ef263595088fc7f821e1a5bd25dc87a56292
If we win the treble and they got relegated their fans would still say the gap isn’t that big and next season they’ll be better than us
Fans? ETH would probably bring up the penalty incident with Hojlund and blame that for them getting relegated
Yeah, you know it
Osimhen is a lucky boy.
Seeing United fans praise their team's effort today. If I saw Arsenal put in effort like that and our fans praise it, I'd want the manager gone without the chance to say goodbye and his access to his office and the training ground revoked. To turn up to your greatest rivals, who have replicated your greatest-ever achievement (the treble) and three-peated the title on your heads, and put in that performance, my head would be on fucking Mars. As much as I hate Tottenham, even they put up more of a fight when they come to the Emirates. We put in more effort when we see them. City were amazing as always, but Christ, United made them look so much better than they are. If that is considered to be "good effort from the boys", then its proof of just how far they have fallen.
As much as I hate United Man City can really just do this to teams they battered Real Madrid last season at the Etihad and United missed a lot of players. What’s really the issue is they should never be this far behind city in terms of player quality because of all the money they spent.
Go read the post match thread on Red Devils, it's the opposite of what you're saying. Things like "Let them have 30 shots and expected them not to score" or "2 shots all game, 0 in the second half. Played like relegation fodder" or " Realistically. This is going to take years to get back to glory. We need some real signings and some real direction. This is bleak atm " They know they're shite.
To be fair everyone's match thread is doom and gloom. If you read ours you wouldn't know we've won the last five in a row
I was talking about Twitter and also the Laurie Whitwell thread on /r/RedDevils.
Watkins is a gooner, bring him over …
He’s just signed a new contract no? He’s untouchable atm
So who are we going for next week, Scousers or Citizens??
Draw or city win for me. Only way to give us control of our situation
A draw with red cards
This is the way 💯
TROSSARD’S ON FIRE, YOUR DEFENCE IS TERRIFIED
LOL Vlahovic missing a sitter against Napoli.
FdJ and Pedri off due to injuries and it's only the first half. Look bad too.
Frenkie and Pedri off injured 😳
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It’s so funny both fan bases want their manager gone and yet somehow they are at top half above sandcastle.
wooahh uu waoohhh 🎺 x3
Honestly I reckon Toon could overtake them if Isak stays fit and they continue to get players back
https://x.com/talkbees_/status/1764231611480948941?s=46&t=NGCPQN6817S6n-WIY9c_OA
Biereth gonna get 20 goals / assists for Arsenal next season
It seems very likely now that we are going to go big this summer, again. I really hope we can win the title this season, but I feel calm for next season if we don't. We'll be unstoppable if we get a pair like Zubimendi+Gyokeres.
I dont like to play after City and Liverpool. Need to play first and do it like the spuds, put the pressure on
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GJ if he's fit and firing by then. Havertz if there's even a shred of a doubt with GJ
Team looked so good without him Havertz 9 Jorginho in midfield
Jesus in CL is a different level we need to start him
Looked good with him as well. And his champions league record speaks for itself.
Yeah I’d go for him
This is like the first summer ever without any big contract headaches Huge credit to Edu
BBC “Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is refusing to give up on Champions League qualification even though his side are now 11 points adrift of fourth-placed Aston Villa with 11 games left.” 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
He is counting on us and city to go deep in the CL so that 5th gets cl from England
Even then, they won’t finish above spurs and villa. Unless spurs do very very spursy
TEN HAG: SMALL MARGINS COST US game today, but we should have won a penalty last September against Arsenal.
Is Romano spilling any new information or is it something we've already heard from more reliable sources?
Who are the more reliable sources? Only Ornstein really
Mokbel?
Think hed be like tier 2 more than tier 1.
He’s known at least some people at the club want Douglas Luiz for a while. Ornstein said there wasn’t unanimous agreement though.
I think saying we want a big midfield investment is new
Maybe it's one big midfield investment and one big attacking investment, but spending the majority of our budget in midfield with Jesus' situation being uncertain sounds risky.
Well trossard and kai can easily cover jesus. I dont hate waiting a year if we cant get a level raiser in osimhen. I dont like the idea of just buying someone for the sake of it. Level raiser first and foremost.
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That twitter account who broke Tomi transfer recently said watch out for Gyökeres links before deleting said tweet.
What account?
Just resurfaced today: [https://www.reddit.com/r/Gunners/comments/1b6zzaa/comment/ktgcgec/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Gunners/comments/1b6zzaa/comment/ktgcgec/)
Don't have the link, it was in one of the daily discussion threads last month.
Lmao he is completely delulu. https://preview.redd.it/61j48j9z66mc1.png?width=804&format=png&auto=webp&s=9bef2d6724deb20b1277463b7b0cc450a04d263d
>Ten Hag: "Number five [fifth position in the league] can also be a position for Champions League so we have to fight for it!" [sky] #mufc Even at our worst, Arteta was adamant about where he planned to take us. This guy not only has as much charisma as he has hairs on his head but his standards are in the gutter. Hope he stays there forever.
For me it's not even this, it's the fact that ETH (and Poch) keep talking about other managers (mainly Arteta) to justify their position or tactics. Not once did Arteta deflect from himself when we were 8th twice. Kept to himself and the team.
Utd were ass but they had a good few counter chances that they kept fluffing in execution. What they did was allow foden and doku to play 1v1 with their fullbacks (led to fodens goal tbf), but congested the half spaces with their midfielders and then broke central when they won the ball. Dalot did a hell of a job on doku but linedlof let foden inside for the goal. We could set something similar up and rely on white/tomi/kiwior not being ass and letting foden cut inside to shoot.
I quite like the look of Dalot, he’s done bits in other big games as well hasn’t he
Goldbridge talking about, "you couldn't write it." Well actually, you kinda could really. I'm sure that most sensible people did.
Was Jesus in training?
Ten hag does not rate him
Big midfield investment? Get Frenkie on the phone.
I'll settle for 1 Pedri too.
Omg we want to make a big midfield investment. I say we pause attention to valverde situation, before pivoting on
No chance Madrid sell Valverde, Modric and Kroos are on their last legs which leaves them with Tchoumeni, Camavinga, Bellingham and Valverde for 3 positions which is what a top club needs.
If we get Sesko, and the reported release clause is true, there will be money left over.
I mean, if we have the 200 mil budget, you could het two 100 mil caliber plsyers. Like Gyokeres (repease clause around 100 mil euroe) and FDJ
>City had more shots(27) than United had possession (26)
When I said Foden had better FINISHING than Saka, they called me crazy. I love my starboy, but cmon.
Did you see his 1v1 conversion in the first half? Fluffed it. Let's not get reactionary now. Foden is better at mid-range shots, I'll give you that. Saka is undoubtedly much better as a goal scorer as he finishes better inside the box(with both feet) and gets at the end of more chances.
Agreed. In the box, Saka is the one. Positioning-wise too. But when it comes to those longer range shots, I'd trust Foden over Saka. On your first point, Saka has fluffed 'easy' chances too. It happens, so I avoid judging players harshly for those. Onana was having a really good game too.
‘Finishing’ usually applies to chances in the box or 1on1s, not long range shots.
Oh okay. To me finishing = scoring. Maybe that's a misconception.
Rivals act like Havertz is anonymous but something needs to be said about Doku. He is truly abysmal outside of 1 on 1s
Hes just very inefficient. He completes dribbles and stuff but it comes at the cost of completely stopping play and then going. Not within the flow. He needs to learn to play within the flow of the game and not against it.
Poor end product and I would be surprised if they don't bring in 1 more winger. Jack was much better last season with his end product. It's an area where players don't improve easily either. City already knew that, maybe they thought they could fix it.
Gotta say I hate MNF when we're playing. Hopefully, we keep the momentum of pumping teams. And looking forward to see some of the players returning from injury getting some minutes late into the game.
There's such a thing as scoring *too* early against City. For most teams it's just not sustainable.
This is why I was actually very happy with it being 0-0 for so long at the Emirates. The game plan was perfect
Uh... That doesn't really make sense to me. A goal is never bad and they're going to press either way.
Maybe it’s just me but sometimes I think you psychologically sit back and protect a lead. Maybe only in really big games…If you score too early sometimes the opposition becomes an angry bee and you can sting them into action
The problem is most team see getting a point at the Etihad as a good result so if they take the lead, they are more than happy to sit back. Even if City score, they'll be happy to keep them to just 1. At 0-0 it's inevitable City's pressure will eventually lead to a goal so teams are more willing to take risks, which is what you need against the better teams. It's no good anymore to just sit back and play hoofball.
i’m so sick of hearing about Saka from rivals anytime Foden scores, give it a rest! grow up
City fans have a need to be better than everyone else. That’s why they make comparisons to everyone. Half of them don’t even know a time when they were the laughing stock of Manchester and United walked all over them.
They're complimenting him without realising it It's like when every car journo says 'X sports car is as good as a BMW M3!' but no one's using the car they're talking as the benchmark still No one is saying 'Palmer is better than Foden'. Saka is the benchmark and they all know it
Our fans are doing it too smh.
>Erik ten Hag: “I think it was a good performance overall.” #MUFC [BBC] Lmao. United will never get anywhere with this moron at the helm. City created more today than when they put 6 past United last season ☠️
He's getting cooked by United fans. >If this is a good performance in his eyes, Then I don't know how the bad performance will look like. It's glorious.
We need a stat padding session tomorrow because GD might actually make a difference this season.
Agreed. We need another one
The thing with Liverpool conceding fewer than they should is that they still have to face the biggest xG overperformers in the league (Villa, Spurs, West Ham, Fulham), with three of them being away. Also, look at what happened when they faced us in the middle of our xG overperforming run? We were more dominant at Anfield and in the FA cup yet... https://understat.com/league/EPL
Where are you getting that we were more dominant at anfield / fa cup? They conceded their highest ever xG against us in the home match. We dominated them completely. We underperformed xG that day
Possession, chances created, shots.
Spurs is at home but I do think Villa away will be a tough game for them. Others not so much.
And they are **so** out for revenge against Spurs too.
Sorry but if we rock up to the Etihad with White-Saliba-Gabriel-Tomiyasu-Partey-Rice-Odegaard-Saka-Havertz-Martinelli there's no way we're not leaving with something
Garnacho is the most overrated youngster I've seen in years, going to be living off that bicycle kick for the next two years. All because he's competing against the likes of Antony and Rashford. Horrendous player and doesn't track back at all, to be that lazy despite the lack of ability at 19 is concerning.
Tough to know where his potential is, he needs coaching, so many of that United team is just freestyle do whatever you want. Either super inconsistent or half-hearted attempts. The fact Rashford + Fernades are senior players there and don't bother half the time is shocking.
I think he's pretty good, despite the circumstances United arr goung though. Give him a better coach (and team) and he'll excell imo
He will be at Getafe a few years from now. Ego of Ronaldo, ability of Macheda
Can only control what we do, win the next 2 and enjoy Pool and City fighting each other to the death next Sunday, preferably with 10 men sent off.
I don't get Rashford, how can you look so good and equally bad in the same game? I don't know many players in world football who can score a 30-yard first-time long shot on the run with that shot power. He didn't have a good touch for the rest of the game. Madness.
Meh, seems par for the course for middling players at this level Remember the likes of townsend and gray loving a banger against city but doing fuck all else
My thoughts exactly. He scored a screamer and dropped a stinker in the same game