The contract lengths are the killer, although in Willian's case it was the only way to sign him. Having been burned by Kolasinac I'm far more sceptical about free transfers. We've continually signed mid table players on champions league wages and then can't shift them on even for free because no one is paying those wages.
We just cant clear the decks to allow us to properly start again, we're seemingly just bobbing along until all these players run down their contracts.
Luiz, Özil, Mustafi, Sokratis all going for free this summer from just their wages you could sign a £30m player on £100k per week
The year after that Lacazette, Nketiah, Chambers, Kolasinac and Elneny can all leave on a free. Even if we pushed the fees to the rock bottom prices we might get £40m combined for them all + £25m odd in wages off the books.
Id would go a long way to being able to start again but then you're talking about 9 players out and 'only' £100m to replace them with transfer fees and wages.

Againest us United had a midfield of Fred and Mctominay, very weak and they couldn’t live with partey. It was one of the few examples of us controlling and winning the midfield battle in recent years.

Still worth remembering it was close and we didn’t actually score from open play.

I read that we have had fewer shots in the 2nd half of games this season than amy other team in the PL and EL combined. That's something like 92 clubs and we are the side with fewest shots.

Wenger must be turning in his puffa jacket.

Half of these problems are still Wenger problems though.

Özil, Mustafi, Xhaka, Kolasinac

The percentage of those guys playing determines if we lose or win. Play 1 and we might get away with a decent result, play 2 and it’s unlikely and 3 forget it.

All on huge money, all on contracts that should never have been agreed or extended. Then because of those huge expensive mistakes we are forced to sign “bargain” low transfer fee players to fill the squad like Willian and Luiz. It’s an impossible balancing act until we can let those guys go and Covid hasn’t helped us at all and everyone seems to be forgetting that.

True but they also had Fernandes in midfield who in his 6 months in the league has been the stand out attacking midfielder, Man U played a narrow diamond and we played a 2 man midfield supported by wing backs, Partey and Elneny were superb in closing that down. Man U also had the pacy Rashford and Greenwood upfront. None of those 3 got a sniff out of our midfield and defence that day. There is a benchmark for those sorts of games, opposition who don't press high and don't have target men to hit long balls to.
Against teams who sit and wait to strike - and I don't even think Villa necessarily did that - Arteta must find a new way. It brings much more risk in defence but Luiz and Xhaka probably need to play those games for the ability to retain controlled possession. neither are the most incisive but then who is in the squad? In those games Arteta is wasted out wide, his scoring record is great but it isn't like he'd Henry on the wing beating men, cutting in and shooting, creating havoc - he's still reliant on the final pass for him to finish coming in off the left. If teams keep him outside the width of the 18 yard box he's nullified. Against the low block I'd try
back 4
Partey-Xhaka midfield
Pepe-Willock-Nelson
Aubameyang
We need to have midfield runners getting in to the box and in pockets of space. You could even try Willian at the peak of a midfield 3 but Willock deserves his chance there

So while Saliba's central defensive partner at Leicester Fofana goes from strength to strength at Leicester where he is trusted , Saliba who is just a few months younger disappears without trace...…
Absolute bonkers this situation is.
I'm sure he didn't sign up for this.
Was delighted when he signed up for us ahead of Spurs.
Wonder if he is now regretting it?

I do worry that Arteta has his favourites and seems quite rigid.
Example , Even before Martinelli got injured how often did we see him played last season?

I see Tony Adams is sticking the boot in today. He's saying Arsenal basically had a deal all tied up for Jude Bellingham, the 17 year old B'ham lad who joined Dortmund for £25m and is now in the England squad, but hen Edu came in and because Edu didn't know the player the deal stalled and Dortmund got him. Adams also says Arsenal made a massive mistake selling Martinez.

On Bellingham, it may be possible we were interested and didn't push the deal through, £25m is a huge amount for a 17 year old. He has started well at Dortmund and looks a good investment so far but it is a massive risk and I'm not sure it would have been the best way for Arsenal to spend what little money we have - without the benefit of hindsight. I also struggle to believe that Arsenal would have had a free run at him, his name has been in the press for a long time and pretty much no young english talent goes under the radar nowadays.

On Martinez I'm not sure what Adams wants. If we keep Martinez and make him No.1 we have an unhappy Leno warming the bench and no Partey or no Gabriel. Even if you believe Martinez is a superior GK would you rather have a 7/10 GK and Partey or a 8/10 GK and no central midfield at all? Arsenal had to cut their cloth accordingly this summer. It was a chance deal for a player at the top of his game who no-one not even Adams would have batted an eyelid at if he was sold for £3m at the start of last year.

My thoughts exactly, david.

I remember many fans scratching their heads when Martinelli wasn't being picked.

On current form Willian and Lacazette should not be starting and Willock was not even on the bench despite being the form player from the Europa games and someone with a skillset that no one else in the squad has.

The Martinelli one was a bit strange last year. I find Arteta's reluctance to trust younger players partly understandable but also not because as a new coach bringing in drastically new ideas and some very detailed ideas and instructions on how you want the game played the very players who will likely absorb that information like a sponge and be more flexible in their approach to following it are the younger players who don't have as many years of being ingrained in to how they like to play. Arsenal's front 3 have a collective age of 91 I think, they're all being asked to play in a way they either haven't ever done for a long period or haven't done at all.

If Arteta’s reaction to the Villa game is to bring back Luiz then I will really doubt his thinking. I hear they are talking of sending Saliba on loan in January. Keep him at the club and start him in cups until we slowly integrate him into the EPL team. The season is dead already. A few of the young ones may lift us. It is pointless to continue using ageing players to just keep playing the same way. We need to gamble with the younger players at times. Pépé, Martenelli, Willock, Smith Rowe, Saliba and Ainslie must be given extended runs in the team by seasons end. Anything less signals a failed season and a failed manager.

Read that Pépé has only started 1 of our 8 prem games. I assume Willian started the other 7. Pépé deserves a run of starts now. He said in an interview about wanting to be happy on the pitch. I think that’s so key with Pépé, he needs to be happy and confident and feel he has the trust of his manager and I think we’d see a different player.
When he first arrived he took a while to get going but his confidence seemed high at the beginning, beating players with skill and nutmegs, those two free kicks. He doesn’t seem like he has that confidence now

I donn’t think the season is dead already. Everyone was quite upbeat after the win at Old Trafford. Not everyone was happy about the performance against Molde, but the result was good. One bad display and result against Aston Villa has put the hordes up in arms with anger. I think it’s too early for that sort of reaction.

The Saliba situation isn’t how I expected things to start off with him. But who knows. Has he looked rubbish in training or practice matches? Has his attitude been poor after not being allowed to play the French cup final? I don’t know, but it isn’t impossible. If so, I wouldn’t lay money on us seeing much of him this season. I’ve no problem if Luiz is brought back for the next game. He’s made some horrible errors but overall think he’s turned out to be a good signing.

If you think Smith Rowe not getting a run of games this season signals a failed manager, then you have far bigger hopes of him than I do. I’ve only ever seen one game where Smith Rowe has looked anything other than deeply underwhelming. To be honest I’m still in two minds about Willock, and it was the Molde game that made a big contribution to be being in two minds. I do hope to see AMN get more playing time though. It remains to be seen how soon and how well Martinelli returns from his injury. Pépé I would like to see more of, and with that less of Lacazette.

But as I said, to me it seems too soon to write this season off, and to write Arteta off.

Wasn’t the Martinelli issue that he was carrying an injury for several weeks before it was diagnosed that he had a problem with his cartilage that needed fixing. When the injury was announced there was a feeling that it explained some things.

Also i’m not one to spoil the Arteta bashing as I’m aware people are on a roll now with it but I’d have to say accusing him of not blooding the youngsters isn’t fair. In my opinion he’s given Nketiah too many minutes and Saka has been a mainstay of his selections. Saliba is a bit weird granted but there must be a reason for it.

I agree Bernard, from experience if you need to rescue yourself from a big pile of shite very rarely is the solution found in the young players. I wouldn’t have much faith in willock, Nelson or smith Rowe changing our predicament. Having a Great game against Dundalk is different to going up againest grealish and Barkley

Like yourself the only young players I see who can make a difference are Martinelli and like you pointed out Maitland-Niles, when ainsley is in the side we seem to look better for some reason I think.

Pépé isn't as much of a team player as he needs to be. Arteta's system relies heavly on players with specific roles and duties, doing them. Also, he will try to dance his way through players when its best to 'pass and move'. He's young and he has plenty of time to improve. However, I think he has to start thinking more about what the manager wants and what the team needs from him on the pitch.

Arteta has reached the stage of indecision now.

Sell those with some market value, but not performing at Arsenal? eg Lacazette
Drop established names who are struggling to impose themselves in the game? eg Willian
Let a few younger players start EPL games? eg Nketiah, Nelson, Willock and AMN
What strategy to use now?

I hope he make some key changes soon. The team tactics is getting bland.

I enjoyed the fast pace at which Villa attacked. Would love to see Arsenal do the same.

Aubameyang (or Martinelli) running down the wing and ably supported by Saka. Pépé (or Nelson) running down the wings, and ably supported by Bellerin. And in midfield, one of Willock or AMN waiting to receive any passes, for a quick 1-2 onto a running striker (Nketiah or Aubameyang if he plays in the centre). Partey a little further back to join attack or defend lost balls.

Exactly. We aren't consistently bad. And Villa are just the sort of team to punish you if you have a bad day at the office.

I'm still think we should be looking to next season for a definitive judgement of Arteta, unless the wheels start to visibly come off in a big way with team cohesion.

I think a balance must be struck and we need to be clear as a squad, manager, club and fans what the process is. We cant just throw in all the kids and work with them on the masterplan so that in 4 years they all 'get it' and are world beaters, but equally it doesn't seem right to continually put faith and trust in aging players who have too often let us down and won't be as susceptible to learnign the new ways of playing.

Essentially Arteta has an absolute pig of a job

My prediction is we'll beat leeds 3-2, lose 4-1 to wolves, and just when everyone is ready to slit their wrists, beat spurs 1-0. I suspect it is going to be a season of peculiar results.

All of their goals were very good to watch, including the disallowed one. I really like their keeper too. Having a keeper who can launch attacks is a great asset.

Poor blokes on a hiding to nothing. Shouldn’t have took the job

Needs 2 new creative central midfielders to put in the first team plus one to sit on the bench in case of injuries and a new centre back. Probably an easy 150 million.

Expect a couple of years of our fans moaning about inconsequential things like Leno and Pépé losing the ball and claiming unproven youngsters should be in the first team.

Not just Villa who play at that speed with and without the ball now. Southampton and Leeds are very good at the high tempo 'heavy metal' football.
With the current team it feels that the midfield as a group and the forwards as a group are too similar, there is no one stepping out of the rigid lines you draw on the tactics board. If you watch De Bruyne play and look at the positions he picks up the ball he's nearly always between the lines and in space - now he's the very best in the league at this, but I don't think we have a de bruyne-lite - or we certainly aren't playing in a way to facilitate one. We tend to be far too static in our play. In my view our midfield don't drop in to those attacking pockets or run beyond the striker because there is a fear of leaving ourselves open and a fear that they aren't comfortable operating in those spaces. It is similar for the strikers, Aubameyang and Nketiah don't want to (can't) drop in and be on the half turn to slip Bergkamp-esque perfectly weighted balls through to the striker - they thrive on being that striker.

Premier League minutes for Arsenal this season.

With hindsight of the results you'd say Willian and Lacazette have had too many chances and Pépé, Nketiah, AMN, and Willock have been hard done by
720 Leno
720 Bellerin
717 Aubameyang
630 Gabriel
621 Tierney
517 Willian
511 Saka
490 Lacazette
450 Elneny
450 Holding
438 Ceballos
410 Xhaka
320 David Luiz
232 Partey
228 Pépé
187 Maitland-Niles
145 Nketiah
90 Kolasinac
44 Mustafi
0 Willock

I disagree. I don't think its a pig of a job. A challenge, of course. But I don't think our squad issues are as insurmountable as you present them to be.

Biggest issue is your last point. Fans expecting immediate success and second guessing every decision.

That many?!

If he’d played more I’ve little doubt results would have been better.

George Graham on Özil : "We’ve got to try and get rid of him and pay half his wages if he goes to another club, but even then it’s too expensive. He’s got to be in a team that’s dominating games. Without the ball… just no. He is definitely lacking, not even at the top level."


So true

I don't necessarily think the current squad Arteta has to work with is awful, and it should certainly be enough for him to work out how to finish at 6th - but I'm looking at how does he move the current set of players in to a set of players that he wants to work with. Looks at Klopp's first squad and it was pretty average but he manoeuvred his way in the transfer market and over 4 years had pretty much only retained about 3 players from his original squad of 25. What is the plan in place for Arteta to do that if he wants to? We don't have a golden goose like Coutinho. Arteta needs to shepherd in a changing of players and bringing in new players and massively reducing the wage bill and all when even our usual meagre transfer budgets have had a covid shaped hole blown through them.
I posted before I think Arsenal's squad is ill suited to the league. In this league, with the way it is being played, attributes such as pace, power, athleticism, stamina, mobility, flexibility, workrate, effort, dribbling are absolutely key - alongside the basic technical abilities of being a footballer. I see far too many players in our squad who just simply do not have those attributes and as a lot of them are physical attributes I don't see any of them improving in that respect any time soon

Without going into the Leno v Martinez debate, I like Martinez a lot.

Watching more clips of this Szoboszlai lad from Salzberg - he really does look like exactly what we need. Only two players have created more chances than him in the champions league this season. 6ft 1, looks well built and more robust than most 20 year olds, has pace, dribbling, skill and long range shooting. The concern is Leipzig as part of the Red Bull franchise come in and get him.

Rich, it must be said, you do provide a lot of stuff on here. The stats and analysis is keeping the forum going. I agree most of the time and I may not at times but its just "blokes" as you all say disagreeing amicably like in a pub.

Not that others on here haven't provided a lot good posts on football. There are a couple others I always take note of. They have but you seem really into it all. You keep it Arsenal and football.

Really appreciated.

Well said American.
I enjoy reading Rich's posts. Always insightful detailed and really breaks things down.
For someone who has never really looked too deeply into tactics and just prefer to watch the game unfold in front of me I appreciate the analysis that Rich sometimes provides.
After a bad result it's great to come on here and try and wean the result out of my system surrounded by a great bunch with the common love of our great football club.
Long may it continue.
I hope you and your families are all well in these Covid times.

A few rumours we are in talks with his agent.
Let's make it happen.
Much cheaper than Aouor from Lyon and looks much stronger. Silk allied with steel.
Need more of that.

With the number and quality of players we were connected with going into the summer window as well as it being widely reported here and in the media we had limited funds, I was surprised we got the players we did.

We're still not done. Both with players coming in and players that need to go.

Stating the obvious. Good luck with Stan. January transfer window should be hilarious.

I could live with those results.

6 points from 9 including a guarantee of beating spurs away is tempting - I don't like the look of a 4-1 home defeat to Wolves though! I know it is a point fewer but 2 draws v Leeds and Wolves and beating Spurs would probably do more for the confidence in the long run that such an up and down form from one game to the next

Sadly I'm reading more and more that he'd tread the familiar path from Salzberg to RB Leipzig in germany. 17 players have made that move already since 2012. It seems inevitable. But look at the quality that has come out of Leipzig in recent years. Feels like we need to get in and cut out the stepping stone where his price will double or treble I reckon

Thanks both. I sometimes wonder if some of my stat heavy football chat gets lost in amongst all the other chat.
I can definitely be prone to over-reacting to a result, particularly a bad one - but it is good to get on here and have a good moan sometimes, I know my wife probably prefers I let it out here than tell her all my thoughts on Arteta's tactics, our lack of dynamism and players who cant get between the lines!
Essentially I just really enjoy watching football, any football and like to try to work out why things happened the way they did - it certainly isn't all my own thoughts as I'll read quite a lot of articles and analysis on the internet to try to understand what I've just watched. I also play in a few cash leagues for fantasy football so it helps to keep on top of the stats of players in the league