Kai Havertz has picked up an injury in Dubai. We had a front 3 of Martinelli, Saka and Havertz – all of those are injured. We are left with Nwaneri (an 18 year old), Trossard and Sterling (who is on loan). It was clear 2 seasons ago that we needed enforcement in attack and we ignored it completely. I don’t care if it’s the manager or the technical director or the club stopping such a move, I know the money was there and we spent it all on defenders. We have this approach of making sure to cover all ifs and buts in the defense while praying for the god if something happens in attack. And the pryaer didn’t work, so we are going to pay the price!
Kai Havertz is out for the season. Not that he was a prolific striker but we lack even the half decent options in attack and him missing at this season puts our season in jeopardy. Ultimately, Sterling will play on one side, Nwaneri on the other and Trossard in the middle. It doesn’t give me confidence at all.
I’m not sure if anyone had given attention to the attack, at all! Gabriel Jesus is an injury prone player, everyone knew that when he was at City. Havertz was brought as a midfielder who is covering the CF position, but it’s not like he is a TH14 incarnation whom we have moved from the wings to the middle. We needed a striker and we didn’t have one since Aubameyang left. It’s such a pathetic condition that if the twitter ITKs spread the rumours that we are in the market for Eddie Nketiah, I will feel happy!
All this crap of ‘titles are won in the defence’ makes sense when you have Mustafi in your line-up. Not when you have a 17 year keeping the likes of Zinchenko (45m), Calafiori (35m) away from the starting line up. You, at this level, should have identified that talent, stopped yourself from spending 40 odd millions in the defence and used that money to get a CF. We were ready to pay 40m for Ollie Watkins, Villa were asking for 60. 60million GBP for a decent striker at 29 years of age is YES any day when you have Jesus and Havertz to pick from. If you were out of money, you should have sold Zinchenko, or shouldn’t have bought Calafiori and used some of that money to fix the main problem.
I’m frustrated. Havertz is injured for the season and we have no one to fix this problem. We did nothing in the transfer window.
You know what Mikel will do? He will try to fix it by playing Merino or Trossard in that position. Be brave enough, accept your mistake and develop someone in that role from the academy. You got MLS, Saka, Nwaneri who is saving your arse, go and develop someone for a change rather than crying in every press conference. If you can’t do that and the only thing you know is spending 100m to fix a problem, you are just Pep without trophies.
Right, a short rant today. Hope you are doing well.
TRVL
Was coming to the same conclusions and you know that I’ve been an advocate for 3 at the back and using wingbacks, especially when we were weak in midfield at 8. Not all games but when in need of new tactical thinking.
Thanks for the good wishes as always back at you. 🙏
KP
Arrived Madrid and loving it. Same with junior. We’e got a month to chill and get Thailand out of the system.
Looks like LCFC are without Vardy, so we should take 3 points, but like City beating the FA wrap and now suing the FA you never know with MA. As Vieira says MA is likely to play not to lose with a blunt attacking force. Sterling to net the winner for MA to say he knew all along Sterling would come good.
Had an interesting chat with the hotel car driver about Spain and the Brits. He said Barcelona people dislike the Brits there which came as a bit of a surprise. He said we should go to Torledo for pictures and Segovia for the Early Roman influences, should be good for pictures.
Junior loves latinas’ I’m say down boy far too often 😂.
The Madrid plazas and streets are full of Valentine couples all eating & loved up. Lovely to see.
Back to the game fingers crossed for 3 points.
Will City bounce back after their legal win?
“Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta believes the accumulation of long-term injuries experienced by some clubs is an “accident waiting to happen” because of the increased demands on players in a congested soccer calendar”
So let me get this straight, our mental midget of a manager, who’s been absolutely abysmal when it comes to rotating his lineup and acquiring viable depth pieces, has the unmitigated gall to point fingers at the schedule-makers…that’s fucking rich…not to mention, this comments came on the heels of Havertz hurting himself in what he himself described as a “light” practice…clearly he’s trying to wag the fucking dog again in the hopes of deflecting attention away from another daft window…what a well-deserved karmic clusterfuck, considering how many times he’s tempted fate by mistakenly taken the road less travelled
in another piece of rather bewildering news, it appears as if we’re presently trying to re-up Tross in the midst of a season in which he’s underperformed…why not at least wait and see how he fares over the next month or so, with our depleted lineup and with goals likely at a premium, before locking him up for the foreseeable future…maybe it’s just me
unfortunately our LC match is too early for me to watch live, so I hope you all enjoy what should be a rather easy 3 points for the good guys…Cheers
his comments NOT this comments
Yeah Tony – the taxi driver, like Marc, sounds a little right of centre and a devotee of Generalisimo Franco. The capital is full of them – that’s the downside. Barcelona may be a little more balanced politically but it’s true there have been protests against mass tourism but it’s not Brit-centric. BCN worth a visit to compare and contrast. While in Madrid you should consider the Prado and a trip to the Bernabeu. Some trophy room!
Sounds as if Junior is enjoying the change too!
Our front three today is Sterling, Trossard and Nwaneri. We’ve got 5 defenders on the bench including Ben White who at least is making his way back to fitness.
How can you have spent over £700 million, inherited some very good players, pushed out some good players and have such a week squad?
If Leicester can keep it tight they could make it difficult for us today – we could well be praying the the set piece Gods again today.
Line-ups
Arsenal: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly, Partey, Rice, Odegaard, Nwaneri, Sterling, Trossard.
Subs: Neto, Calafiori, Zinchenko, Tierney, Kiwior, White, Jorginho, Merino, Butler-Oyedeji.
—
Marc
So true, having spent shy of a billion pounds and we have Nathan Butler as the only CF and on the bench with no Premier League minutes is criminal.
KP
Thanks junior is looking at going to RM.
In our Madrid apartment and got good sports coverage so very happy.
vardy made the line up. Nwaneri is so good to watch but we are playing to LC’s level in 2nd gear.
Ambarish
Calafiori, Zinchenko, Tierney, and White have a combined cost of something like £140 million and it’s debatable if any of them are first choice. Even if White and Calafiori are you’re dropping out Timber who cost £40 million.
So much money pissed up the wall for a squad who has zero strikers on the books.
Need to up a gear but that will be too quick for Sterling
KP
Junior said the Spanish are such lovely people in Madrid. I’m using TimeKettle for translation and the Spanish love it and just chat away freely and we understand every word and them us. Wickedly good tech.
Arranging a driver driver guide to takes to film in Toledo and Segovia so should be fun.
Normally after a Dubai session we are on fire.
Can Arteta’s half time team talk include a section on the offside rule for Sterling?
Bet MA wishes we didn’t sell our goal scoring machine to Manure. Just think if MA had given the kid minutes as it might have made the difference Nwaneri and Skelly are making.
Now we have the slow thinking and paced Tushy Duck playing the Thais call Sterling.
If only w had kept Chido Obi Martin. It just goes to show how we don’t value our own. Every player that we create in our academy are priceless. All this nonsense not good enough is employ blusters. Surely he would be better than Sterling or show more ambition than him.
That’s asking a bit much Marc.
One shot on target against Leicester is very poor in 38 minutes but par for the course for us
Tony
I have standards – not many but I do have them!
What were we doing sell Nketiah if we weren’t going to bring in another body?
He may not be a great option but he’s better than nothing.
Junior just said we haven’t had scored from a direct free kick since the beginning of last season. That is some negative stat record surely.
Marc
Eddie can’t get a start for palace. Has been poor like he was for us.