As we're unlikely to see terraces again at football, this is the virtual equivalent where you can chat to your hearts content about all football matters and, obviously, Arsenal in particular. This forum encourages all Gooners to visit and contribute so please keep it respectful, clean and topical.
Other Teams managers have worked him (and his so-called system & tactics) out and whilst we have brought in the long needed striker along with Zubimendi - who is a very good player and even if we do sign Eze, I fear that we may struggle this coming season; at least in the Prem because the other Prem managers already know how we are going play, this was evidenced last week when we played the Scum. Their manger has the ability to make 'In-Game' changes, something that arteta just doesn't have in his locker.
As thought - Dowman can play from the start of the season. So if you've got him, Madueke, Saka, Nwaneri, Martinelli and Odegaard, why the fuck sign Eze? Even if Martinelli leaves, that's too many. Whilst up front we have Gyokeres and Havertz. Go sign Watkins or someone else to give competition up front. He won't of course. As we always do we'll have one or two positions where we have too many options, and one or two where we have to play the same fucker week in, week out regardless of form and fitness
Why sign Eze ? Cos he is a MASSIVE upgrade on the disappearing captain Steve O that is why I am not against your thinking regarding a back up striker cos I too think havertz is shit, but my philosophy has always been to get a strong first 11 and then and only then, focus on your back up's - sadly as a club we continue to address squad depth before team quality, and this has gone on back to latter wenger years and shows no sign of changing. Reality for me is that even if we had a once in a lifetime miracle no injuries to first team players this season, this starting team is simply not good enough to win the league - imo there are a few question marks for sure, but it starts with our disappearing captain cos he simply will not create the amount of chances a top number 10 would and should create
Captain Invisble is here to stay - no matter what the pair of us think. Do you honestly think the manager is going to strip him of the captaincy (I would, you would) and drop him? That being the case I don't want Eze shoved out left wing. And also if you rate Nwaneri and Dowman as much as I do, when do you see either of them playing if we add Eze to Odegaard, Madueke, Saka, possibly still Martinelli etc. They'll be forced out on loan or worse
The rumours (IF true) say that AFC view Eze as a number 10 (so do I ) - personally I have my doubts, but I am hopeful.
I have said a zillion times on here that I would not have bought the chav reject (a) because I dont believe he is good enough and (b) I think his signing is the final nail in Nwanieri's AFC coffin - to me Nwanieri's talent level should have had him as back up to saka last season but somehow didnt, and now he has a chav reject who cost £52m and the brightest prospect to come out of the academy in years (Dowman) to compete with and imo that doesnt bode well for nwanieri. When we were linked with 2 strikers at the start of this summer, one of the arguments I made against sesko was that he would be a development project and we are in "win now" mode, and that is also my thinking in advocating buying Eze - I honestly think that if Eze stepped into ohdeargod's position we would have an outfield 10 (when everyone is fit) as good as any team in the league (I have my concerns about keeper) and I am saying that even if the victims sign isak, and imo our best chance of keeping the likes of saka and saliba is if they see us doing all we can to win now.
As you said earlier, we have a tendancy to overstock certain positions and neglect others - not likely to happen I know, but selling captain coward and trossard would put us in a much better state imo
The reality as I said is that Odegaard is going nowhere. Put personal feelings aside and say to me with any conviction that you can see him dropping his 'nice guy' captain and picking Eze ahead of him? Maybe you've got hope that might happen, but I'm afraid I can't see it. Odegaard could be utter gash for another six months and he'll still be there on the teamsheet week in, week out. So, signing Eze I'm afraid to say will have exactly the impact you don't want, because it for sure will spend the end for Nwaneri and Dowman in terms of meaningful game time this season.
Dont disagree with any of that Steve O except that I will add that unless the team are playing well and win trophies this season, denying Nwanieri and Dowman game time could be the rock that the cone boy persihes on - I honestly cannot see the fans accepting another season of ohdeargod gash if the two academy lads are getting railroaded as a result. As a long term critic of the disappearing captain, I am encouraged by how many are now seeing him for the gutless dick he really is, and fans of every club want to see homegrown players coming through, so that loyalty to his favourites could see his downfall and I will accept that
I wonder how much longer we have to wait until Rice takes over the captaincy.
Yup! Either Decca's or Gabrielle... But I just don't see it happening. When Odegaard has not been playing; sorry let me re-phrase that, I mean when he is Actually Not In The Team, the Captaincy has gone to Saka. Now for all Saka's excellence (though I believe under a different manager, with changeable tactics and systems & patterns of play he could be even better) he is No Captain; at least not yet.
As many have already said though; Odegaard is going nowhere, he played Shit for 90% of last season, but instead of dropping him and playing Nwaneri or someone else in that role Arteta still kept picking him; yes we were short staffed, but FFS! He went missing more often than Lord Lucan.
I am not against your thinking regarding a back up striker cos I too think havertz is shit, but my philosophy has always been to get a strong first 11 and then and only then, focus on your back up's - sadly as a club we continue to address squad depth before team quality, and this has gone on back to latter wenger years and shows no sign of changing. Reality for me is that even if we had a once in a lifetime miracle no injuries to first team players this season, this starting team is simply not good enough to win the league - imo there are a few question marks for sure, but it starts with our disappearing captain cos he simply will not create the amount of chances a top number 10 would and should create
