- What is the secret for making a poor club better?
- Is anything going right with football? Or are the journalists right to criticise everything?
By Tony Attwood
Last season, as you will probably remember, Arsenal won all eight of their opening ties in the Champions League, and so gently sailed into the knock-out rounds of the Champions League, which started in January this year.
Now the format continues as before with the list of matches for the first eight games announced. Once again the idea of playing clubs home and away is abandoned in favour of a system in which clubs play eight different teams, with four matches at home and four away.
Here is the Arsenal selection of games
- Real Madrid (H),
- Bayern Munich (A),
- Borussia Dortmund (H),
- Real Betis (A),
- Lille (H),
- Napoli (A),
- Sabah (H),
- Slavia Prague (A)
The first round of games will be played September 8-10, with the first six rounds taking place through to December. The league phase resumes in January with the eighth and final round on January 27.
The top eight teams in the final standings go directly to the round of 16 in March. The next group of teams, then have an extra round to whittle their numbers down. And then after that we have a final array of knockout rounds.
Meanwhile, the teams that finish between 25th and 36th are eliminated.
I don’t think that is a complete guide to the rules, but then I don’t think a complete guide has been published yet, but this is enough to take us through to January – a set of games in which Arsenal won every single fixture last year.
And although that awareness of such an unbeaten run caused us great fun and a lot of boasting last season I am not sure it can be achieved again. If it can it will certainly make Arsenal kings of Europe, whether they win the Champions League or not.
I’ll be back with more once we have the dates etc.
Thanks Tony for that report.
It can be achieved if we improve.
The problem is one of our European consistent performers is being sold in Martinelli, who was suited by the middle position counter attacking play.
Speaking of needing European form players.
It looks like Alveraz is on with a 50% chance of it actually completing. Like Martinelli, Alveraz’s European form is a lot better than his domestic form, so there is a major plus there.
Regarding European guru Martinelli sadly leaving, we will need a suitable replacement that can get us European goals, to help us improve that step further.
Others, rightly will also have their opinion, but I have compiled the following, regarding Real Madrid being top heavy with players, that we can take advantage of.
For our Left Wing:
Arsenal should go all out in this order:
1st:(GULER)
Although has been playing on the right the consistent skillful workaholic 2 footed “Guler”, who has also flourished on the left middle, but can also play left wing as he is good with both feet. He is consistently getting 8 plus ratings and MoM awards.
Been tested against the very best.
2nd:(RODRYGO)
failing getting Guler then go for “Rodrygo”, who is being played out of position on the right instead of his favourite Left. Will get better STATs when switched to the Left.
Been Tested against the very best.
3rd:(ENDRICK)
One of the worlds best young prospects, mainly positive but with some questions to be asked.
Two footed, and very skillful with pace and dribbling ability, but is he injury prone? and does he have the strength for the Premier League, although highly skillful, he is also untested against quality opposition.
He would be a good loan choice with an “option” to buy, because he has the tools, but he is a risk because he has not been tested.
I was the first to mention 6 weeks ago Arsenals interest in Vinicius, weeks before the media, that turned out to be true and a bid was made by Arsenal, but unfortunately he was not interested in leaving Madrid.
Madrid is Left sided heavey, players that are being kept out of that position is by our previous target Vinicious, but the 3 real madrid players i have mentioned above would be an upgrade and 3 possible “two footed versitle” world class left wingers, Arsenal may wish to persue from Real Madrid.
Tony/daveg
“It looks like Alveraz is on with a 50% chance of it actually completing. Like Martinelli, Alveraz’s European form is a lot better than his domestic form, so there is a major plus there.”
Alvarez is a quadry.
1) He seems desperate to join Barcelona. I say desperate because just now it’s been reported that his doctor has signed him off with depression. Now, aside from the jokes that will be made at our epense, what this meens to me is, that this is just a ruse to get the Barcelona move on the basis that Athletics refusal to sell him to them is contrary to his health, if not his ‘human rights’.
2) I went and had a look at what Arsenal fans are saying on the BBC and Mail websites and 90% of fans don;t want him. They say this on the basis that
a: Why do we want a player that clearly wants to go somewhere else
Well, to me that isn’t a particularly bad thing, and it certainly wouldn’t be the first time that a player didn’tt get his first choice, and it doesn’t neccessarily stop them performing elswhere.
b: His attitude stinks, and given the ‘family’ atmosphere that Arteta has clearly been fostering and puts so much stock in, why risk buying such a player?
c: And is he even that much of an upgrade on what we have, if at all?
Well maybe maybe not. His domestic numbers are not great. 8 Goals I believe. Yes, better in the CL, but reallly for e130 million plus we should be getting 20 plus in the Pl, PLUS whatever he’s capable of in Europe.
Personally I’m not convinced. Having said that, I trust Arteta. As I say, a quandry.
I don’t think we’ll get him anyway, so all pretty irrelivant.
Nitram,
I agree with your concerns and you make good points, but I also agree with Tony that it will be a lot harder this year, and that’s why I feel we need to bring a touch more tools to repeat and even surpass last year’s great achievements.
Like the mentioned 50% probability regarding Alveraz joining us, I am also in two minds, regarding his form and commitment.
But the STATs don’t always tell the full value of a player due to various conditions. For eg. Assists for a player can be a lot higher had the chances he’s creating been capitalised on by a more clinical partner, or had there been better chances created for him by team mates would he have been more clinical. Plus the reason I value European goals is because they are usually against different tactical play and stronger cup minded commited players.
Anyway, Alveraz seems to lift his game against better opponents, and all the so called experts including our Arteta are rating his overall play as world class, who am I to argue.
His technical skill attribute ratings are almost off the charts and they are all around the high eighties to ninety (much higher than Gyokeres on paper) with only Mbappe and Haaland achieving higher, go figure!
So he has the world class tools and attributes, but maybe he would use these tools better in the right team, “maybe” Arteta sees Arsenal being the team to suit his style of play and bring out the best in him, after all Arteta has coached and worked with him before at MC115.
I don’t have concerns regarding his ability, but like you, I do have concerns regarding his commitment, but then again, we had Fabrigas come to Arsenal and then he was crying to go back to Barcelona, but he played well for us, and even Henry was fascinated with going back and playing for Barcelona, but he too did well for us.
So I am not worried if we get him or we don’t get him, although I still rank him highly on his high attributes more than I do with his current form and current STATs, but he is an upgrade on what we have.
We still have two top premier League strikers if we don’t get Alveraz, so I am not worried.
I am concerned and sad to see Martinelli leave, and I feel we are a European player light on the left side with him and Trossard leaving, hence my selection and priority for a left wing player.
This left wing is more a priority than the need of a striker at this point in time. Just my opinion.
But I agree with you and all our brother gooners, that we all trust Arteta to make the right choices. The future looks good and improvements are coming. Keep the faith.
Gooners forever.
daveg
First of all, I agree with Tony and your prediction that this year is going to be tough. Despite the fact our friend Carragher thinks nobody else is going to try this seaason, I think quite the opposite. Clubs are spending crazy amounts, which suggests to me they are indeed going to try extremely hard.
I too am very sad to see martinelli go. He is one of my favourite Arsenal players of all time. I’m not saying he’s one of the best, but I just love him. His commitment, love of Arsenal and explosive style. What’s not to love?
And yes with his and Trossards departure and only one, admittedly very good, left sided replacement, that does leave us short on that side.
I too see that as a bigger issue than a ‘striker’, or No 9. We had our best 2 scoring seasons ever without a traditional No 9, which was why all this bollocks about needing a striker always annoyed me.
With Saka and Odegaard back to full fitness. Havertz looking sharp and Tzolis looking good. Gyokeres with a season under his belt. Allied to the arrival Guimaraes, I’m hoping we can get back to the level of those 2 record breaking seasons by again sharing the goals around.
Is Alavares an upgrade? Upgrade on who? Gyokeres and Jesus, our only real No 9’s?
Well, we cant really compare to Jesus because the poor sod was never fit. If had remained so I doubt he would be.
Gyokeres? Well maybe if you take into account a lot of the technical perameters you mention. But, when talking about a No 9 the thing that matters most is goals, and 14 from 36 starts in your first season, in a system that was getting used to you, isn’t half bad.
I think what works against him is how his ‘style’ of play looks. He isn’t the elegant ‘touch’ player we have become used to at Arsenal. I don’t remember the last time we had a player of his il;at the club.
Personally I think people are craving Alveres so much more on that basis, than anything else. He fits what has become ‘our style’. It can feel a bit uncomfortablt for Arsenal fans watching Gyokeres when we are used to the elegance of Henry, Bergkamp, RVP, Lacazette, Aubameyange and Giroud to name but a few.
As for whether we are his first choice or not Who cares. I believe Rodri was pushing for a move to Barcelona prior to joining Manc, and look how that turned out.
Either way I don’t really care. I trust Arteta.
That being said we are short on the Left.
Lets see what happens.
Sorry, just to add.
What bothers me about him is not, as I say, that we are not first choice. It’s his ‘attitude’. It reminds me of too many of our players during the late Wenger years when we were hamstrung by the stadium build. Cole, RVP, Fabrigas, to name but 3. I felt betrayed. More importantly I felt the betrayed Wenger and the fans in general. I should imagine that’s how Athletico feel.
It happens I know. Players have come our way under uncomfortable circumstances. I can live with it. doesn’t mean I like it.
Also sad if Martinelli leaves.
Remember his brilliant and important individual goals: our 4th goal at Villa two years ago; similar goal against Bayern to name but two.
Also his last minute equaliser, lobbing Donnaruma of MC115, plus his role in Max Dowman goal against Everton: headed clerance set off the move, followed by his supporting sprint which prevented the defender from catching Max.
A great asset to Arsenal
Arteta never worked with Alvarez at 115. He left over 2 years before Alvarez arrived.