So far our team is looking like: --------------------Sczezney-------------------- Sagna------Kos/Mert-------Vermaelen-----Gibbs --------------------M'Villa----------------------- --------Song/Arteta-------Wilshere/Rosicky------ Walcott--------------VanPersie-----------Podolski or maybe even --------------------Sczezney-------------------- Sagna------Kos/Mert-------Vermaelen-----Gibbs ---------------------M'Villa----------------------- ---Chamberlian-----Wilshere-------Roiscky------- -----------VanPersie---------Podolski-------------
I work for an international news channel and mistakenly put into a news feed "Signing M'Vila would be f*cking awesome". That'll learn me for tabbing quickly between pages! A chap I worked with spotted it 4 minutes before it went to air... My god. That was close. It'd better happen now!
Ha ha, I'm still slightly on edge. Hasn't stopped me on here though... probably should have! Too close.
Respect to Wenger. Whether he's learning from past mistakes or whether he's starting to listen to fans is irrelevant. I'm just so happy we're starting to make early signings. After that 8-2 thrashing, it seems like we learned but it was too little too late. I can only assume we didn't buy anyone in Jan because our season looked already over and we were planning for the next one. I am now feeling optimistic about next season. CL football or not, we seem to be on the right track in terms for next season. Now just sign another solid CB, another midfielder and I'll be confident we'll end our trophy drought. Hilarious.
If we are going to play with attacking wings like Podolski/Walcott/Gervinho then we need two CMs that are defensive-minded. Arteta is not a long term answer for that. Don't rule out Song and M'Villa playing together, with only one attacking midfielder.
Great signing. Everyone is saying it's done now. We have been crying out for a player like this and we have nearly got him. M'Vila first impressed me when France played against England at Wembley, and you could see then that this is the player that we needed in order to protect our defence. The game against Norwich just highlighted the issue even more. A midfield of M'Vila and Wilshere (hopefully he is back by then) is great. Both of those have amazing talent. But, imo we still need that creative player that will play ahead of M'Vila and Jack. Also, got a feeling that Song will move on.
With CL football, the ambition declared by signing Podolski and possibly M'Vila/Vertonghen/Eriksen, and RVP's statements of loyalty to the club, I would say the chances of him leaving are < 5%. If we fail to get CL, then we probably won't buy many more class players, and the chances of RVP leaving would rise to ~ 40% IMO. I agree with the team in the first post. M'Vila, Arteta and Wilshere would be a deadly midfield behind a deadly attack of Walcott, Podolski and RVP.
Apparently he is good going forward too, this to me would be ideal - a CM partnership of him and Jack - when one goes the other stays - more difficult to mark and both being able to defend vitally important - how a CM partnership should operate. I'm not a fan of the DM role.
i personally think it will be M'Vila and Arteta in the deeper roles, with Jack as the advanced playmaker, like he used to play in youth and reserve sides. That is his natural position.
So if Song is taking on Holt, Who are the CBs supposed to defend? Are they supposed to pick up the midfielders? We have one set of posters saying Song should be screening the back-4 and lambasting him for not doing that, and another suggesting he should be marking a tradional centre-forward. Seriously, the guy can't win, there is no way he is ever going to do both!
i seem to remember it was koscielny who was man marking Holt? he was muscled off all the time. Verm was marking Jackson, and was absolutely terrible at his job.
I think you are getting a bit too creative, to be honest. If you make that change you are essentially playing with 5 at the back and accepting that our full backs are essentially wing-backs. Not a bad system but it does make it more difficult to win the midfield battle. My own opinion is that Arteta was the problem this year. Love him as a player, but in our system he is just not strong enough defensively to play the second deep role. Ramsey isn't fast or strong enough and the younger players don't have the experience. We need two players playing like Song is today, to play this system and make up for having 2 offensive wingers. We did OK when we had Walcott because he gets back really well, but once we lost him then things went to hell in a handbasket. We can't play with Benny and Gervinho as our wide players and only Song in midfield capable of making a decent tackle. It is suicide. Blaming Song for our defensive woes, is like blaming the Spartan 300 for not holding the pass.
are you serious about that bit (in bold)? you do realise that we have not won a game when Arteta hasn't played. he is the reason we have been so good this season. he plays that role perfectly (keeping posession and holding when song goes forwards).
I phrased that wrong, saying he was the problem. Let's say that it is the Arteta "position" that is the issue.
