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re: Arsenal 2015/2016 Season Long Thread

Posted on 9/1/15 at 11:17 am to
Posted by tigerfan88
Member since Jan 2008
8184 posts
Posted on 9/1/15 at 11:17 am to
No one brought in an elite striker. Look at Man U for fricks sake, they're spending what could amount to 50m pounds on a 19 year old who had a good season for Monaco. Costa and Aguero are solid, but behind Costa's always flimsy hamstrings is no one. Man City doesn't have an elite back up to Aguero. Man City brought in Sterling and De Bruyne for 100m pounds, and they're great players, but would it really have been a good move to spend that kind of money when we already have Ox, Walcott, and Sanchez?

Do we really need a backup for Coquelin? Arteta has shown he's still very serviceable in spurts. Ramsey can play there, Cazorla can play there, the future of the team may actually be a Ramsey/Wilshere double pivot if they can figure it out.

The only real upgrade this team needs is a true elite number 9, and by all accounts went for one, it just didn't work out like it did the last few years. Take away Man City, who really can just offer fees and wages out of our league, what other EPL team got any players that would truly, undoubtedly, improve our team?
Posted by Stewie Griffin
Baton Rouge
Member since Feb 2005
16148 posts
Posted on 9/1/15 at 11:26 am to
quote:

Did Arsene confirm it? Or the club? Or Benzema and/or his agent?



None of those parties would ever confirm a failed transfer attempt before the transfer window was closed, or really, ever.

There was enough smoke for there to be some sort of fire.
Posted by Stewie Griffin
Baton Rouge
Member since Feb 2005
16148 posts
Posted on 9/1/15 at 11:27 am to
quote:

No one brought in an elite striker. Look at Man U for fricks sake, they're spending what could amount to 50m pounds on a 19 year old who had a good season for Monaco


Exactly. They spent more on Martial than we did on Alexis.

I think we have enough goals in our side. Alexis has been out of goal scoring form. He'll find it. Giroud will start putting these chances away.

I don't think we have the No. 9 it takes to win the league, and I think we still lack balance -- not enough drive or game-winners, too many creators -- but there just don't seem to be any legitimate upgrades out there.
Posted by glassman
Next to the beer taps at Finn's
Member since Oct 2008
116136 posts
Posted on 9/1/15 at 12:15 pm to
quote:

but there just don't seem to be any legitimate upgrades out there.


Lewandowski and Benzema are really the only ones and neither team was selling either player. Nothing fell in our lap at the end of the window. I'm okay with the make up and cohesion of the team.
Posted by crazy4lsu
Member since May 2005
36311 posts
Posted on 9/1/15 at 1:15 pm to
The truth is that we have to make a superstar striker, just liked we did with Henry and Van Persie. Welbeck is the most likely person but he's a little ways away, as there is something off about his movement, his touch and technique. He's an incredibly hard working player though and has great size and athleticism. But he's very close and at times you can see it come together.
Posted by RTR America
Memphis, TN
Member since Aug 2012
39600 posts
Posted on 9/1/15 at 3:44 pm to
quote:

The truth is that we have to make a superstar striker, just liked we did with Henry and Van Persie.


frick Liverpool for not selling us Suarez.

quote:

Welbeck is the most likely person but he's a little ways away, as there is something off about his movement, his touch and technique. He's an incredibly hard working player though and has great size and athleticism. But he's very close and at times you can see it come together.


LINK I watch this and just ponder what could be if he puts it all together. I think his rep was slightly hurt by the fact that a lot of his time at CF was when we were basically missing everyone not named Alexis.

I really do think him, Akpom, Fortune (kid we bought along with the Jeff that was considered the better prospect at the time), and Theo to a certain extent (learning the position) are why we didn't go the young inexperienced striker this window.

I think I saw where Hull loaned out their main striker, so Akpom is about to get a lot of first team action.
Posted by Downtown Devin Brown
New Orleans, LA
Member since Sep 2013
1523 posts
Posted on 9/1/15 at 5:46 pm to
Posted by glassman
Next to the beer taps at Finn's
Member since Oct 2008
116136 posts
Posted on 9/1/15 at 5:55 pm to
Great video. Welbeck created a ton of chances for others. His athleticism is off the charts and he understands the game.
Posted by crazy4lsu
Member since May 2005
36311 posts
Posted on 9/1/15 at 6:04 pm to
quote:

I watch this and just ponder what could be if he puts it all together.


He has it in his toolbag, it's his off the ball movement that has to improve. He can make space for himself with the ball, but he needs to release it quicker, and then he needs to make more runs to utilize that space. He's like Alexis, Ox, and Ramsey in that they hold onto the ball too long, although all three have improved tremendously in that regard. Welbeck does an insanely good job of drawing defenders in, but he also needs to learn how to post up when defenders pack in the goal mouth. Nearly every chance he created for others was blocked because there were defenders directly in front of goal. He can change this by posting up on defenders and then trying to get the ball on the half turn, which is a skill that Giroud is absolutely brilliant at. On the half turn defenders move horizontally instead of vertically, as the ball should be on their far side, so they are drawn away from the middle. Just that little bit of space is enough to get shots away.

If any team ever decides to play a high line, and Wenger decides to play Walcott, Welbeck and Ox together, that would be an amazing trio.
Posted by glassman
Next to the beer taps at Finn's
Member since Oct 2008
116136 posts
Posted on 9/1/15 at 6:11 pm to
quote:

If any team ever decides to play a high line, and Wenger decides to play Walcott, Welbeck and Ox together, that would be an amazing trio.


Alexis isn't slow either. Add him into the mix.
Posted by crazy4lsu
Member since May 2005
36311 posts
Posted on 9/1/15 at 6:17 pm to
I don't see how Neville says we don't have pace. We have plenty of pace upfront, but we have some painfully slow players as well. I'd argue we have more pace upfront than any team in the league.
Posted by RTR America
Memphis, TN
Member since Aug 2012
39600 posts
Posted on 9/1/15 at 6:24 pm to
I've wanted to see an Alexis, Theo, Welbz front 3 for a while now, because Welbeck can kind of make up for some of the things we lose when Giroud goes out like an outlet for Cech and an arial presence on crosses.
Posted by glassman
Next to the beer taps at Finn's
Member since Oct 2008
116136 posts
Posted on 9/1/15 at 6:50 pm to
quote:

50m pounds on a 19 year old who had a good season for Monaco.


Is Martial a talent, yes? His season wasn't that great. He scored like 7 goals. The amount of money that EPL teams have and ManU's desperation made this ridiculous transfer happen. He might be great, odds are he won't.
Posted by glassman
Next to the beer taps at Finn's
Member since Oct 2008
116136 posts
Posted on 9/1/15 at 7:04 pm to
quote:

don't see how Neville says we don't have pace


Arsenal has more pace than any team on the planet.

Welbeck, Walcott, Ox, Alexis, Bellerin, Gibbs, Kos and Gabriel have serious pace. Even Wilshere and Ramsey have much better than average pace at their positions.

The video RTR posted showed how fast Welbeck is. He smoked Danny Rose, who is no slouch of an athlete. It doesn't mean shite, just means some teams are scared as frick. The UCL match at the San Siro should have been called off because of blatant field manipulation.
Posted by Stewie Griffin
Baton Rouge
Member since Feb 2005
16148 posts
Posted on 9/1/15 at 11:12 pm to


Accidentally put goals scored twice. So comparison. But note that Welbeck played out wide often, drew a few penalties, and also had several substitutions in defensive situations where he wasn't necessarily looking for goals.

I'm hoping for a big year out of him.
Posted by RTR America
Memphis, TN
Member since Aug 2012
39600 posts
Posted on 9/2/15 at 12:10 am to
One thing that stood out to me when rewatching that youtube video is that he seems to have the same issue Ozil has on his shots.... they have a knack for shooting directly at the keeper.
Posted by ATLienTiger
NOLA
Member since Oct 2006
26861 posts
Posted on 9/2/15 at 4:48 am to
He and Santi seemed to have great chemistry, that and Santi was near the box much more often than this season.
Posted by thenry712
Zasullia, Ukraine
Member since Nov 2008
15795 posts
Posted on 9/2/15 at 2:13 pm to
The JEFF is included in the Champions League squad.

Let us all salivate over his fifteen minutes of action against Dinamo Zagreb in the last group stage fixture when we trot out a bunch of youngsters and Tomas Rosicky with a chance to win the group on the line.
This post was edited on 9/2/15 at 2:17 pm
Posted by hendersonshands
Univ. of Louisiana Ragin Cajuns
Member since Oct 2007
160104 posts
Posted on 9/2/15 at 2:20 pm to
quote:

thenry712


hey
Posted by thenry712
Zasullia, Ukraine
Member since Nov 2008
15795 posts
Posted on 9/2/15 at 2:36 pm to
quote:

hendersonshands


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