re: Arsenal 2014/15 Season Long Thread

Chambers looked awful at DM. He's a CB for me. He's not that great at RB either.

Our whole problem is that we are asking Mertesacker to do something that is physically impossible for him. His presence dictates the shape of the whole team. When we dropped TV5 and played amazing for the rest of the year, it was due to playing a very deep line, and with Mert as the stopper with Kos as the covering defender. We haven't been able to do that this year, and we seemed to have dropped that entirely with Kos and Mert being even playing a very high line. The high line forces us to press, forces our attacking players to exp me a lot of energy coming back, and keeps us open to the counter. Another issue is that Giroud hasn't played, as he allows us to play a patient possession game based around him holding the ball up as well as playing fantastic little flicks. Basically our team is built to play a slow possession based game, but we are trying to force a more aggressive game. A possession game doesn't suit Ozil and Sanchez though.

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Basically our team is built to play a slow possession based game, but we are trying to force a more aggressive game. A possession game doesn't suit Ozil and Sanchez though.

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Yeah, we have a lot of odd pieces.


I didn't think Chambers looked awful at DM. I think he looked unsure of himself and played very conservatively But he has the necessary skills to play there. Coquelin is certainly better now and should be our backup to Arteta, as well as a nice squad player for us who can cover anywhere in the midfield and at either outside back.

I think the best option is to move Chambers to CB almost full time and have him work in as Per's replacement. He can be elite there, IMO, and he formed a nice tandem with Kosc early in the season.

Former Arsenal player turned scout Daniel Karbassiyoon was on MLS Extratime podcast and Howler's Dummy podcast talking about discovering Zelalem. Good stuff.

Extratime

Howler

Also an article on ONE World Sports.

LINK

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“Awareness and ability to retain possession,” Karbassiyoon said. “Those things go together. He was always able to retain possession in tight areas. His technical ability sticks out, as well. That’s why he was able to slot into Arsenal’s system. If you are aren’t able to keep up technically, you get found out right away.”

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How good can Zelalem become?

“That’s the million-dollar question,” Karbassiyoon said. “When you’re a 17-year-old kid at Arsenal, the world is your oyster, especially when you’re getting opportunities with the first team and getting a chance to dress and be on the bench and come on. These are remarkable opportunities, but they will only get him so far. Then, it’s up to him how far he wants to go in the game. There’s a lot of pressure with the hype and the social media, when they’re saying you’re the future of American soccer. In that regard, it will be difficult to live up to expectations. But he’s in a great place, because of the management at Arsenal, and Arsene Wenger, who will give young players a chance to play, whether it’s in the Premier, FA Cup, Champions League. He can go on to be a great player but it’s up to him to determine how far he wants to go."

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I'd rather spend money on Gimenez, who probably won't leave Atleti, than Miranda, who is 30. We need to settle that position for the long term.

They aren't selling Jimenez.

I don't think we will get a long term player in a January window. Hence, jus my mention of Miranda as a purely stop gap for the rest of this season.

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I'd love to get Gonalons from Lyon

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Me too. I've always liked how he plays.

Daily Star. Nuff said.

Michael Cox, brilliant as always, on our defensive struggles.

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Arteta has no obvious replacement, however. Flamini and Coquelin are more reactive, Chambers isn’t accustomed to playing that position, while Ramsey and Jack Wilshere are more attacking players, and out injured anyway. Arteta’s return – not expected for a couple of weeks – can't come soon enough for Arsenal.

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Read more at LINK

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Wenger, who used to smoke while in the dugout during his days in charge of Monaco, has insisted that he is now firmly opposed to the habit.

'I am against smoking. I grew up in a period where I did military service and got paid in cigarettes. It excited us to smoke.'

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