Arsenal 07/08

[Rewinder]

I know we have had a lot of discussion about this across like 10 different threads, but now to consolidate that into a single discussion at the end of the season, what do you want to see as your Arsenal team for next year?

We also need to renew Wenger's contract and give him whatever is neccessary to get him to stay.

Out:
Flamini - 2m
Reyes - 7m
Baptista - return to madrid
Aliadiere - 2m
Bendtner - 2m
Muamba - 1m I'd rather we just let birmingham keep both of them, as we are pretty stacked when it comes to CM's and Bendtner isn't the sort of player who adds that extra edge to a team.

Total money in: 14m
Hypothetical budget: 15m
Total funds available: 29m

In:
Young attacking mid - 4-5m
Eto'o/Proven striker/Torres(purely because we can use reyes to lower the fee on him) - 20-25m


I would also like to see us take a page out of Benitez's book and introduce a bit of a rotation in order to keep our players fit and injury free. Over the last few season we have pretty much played players until they were burnt out or injured - so adding some attacking depth allows us to rest henry/rvp more often and hopefully keep them fit for most of the season.

We have also sorely lacked goals from the midfield, and while Cesc and Rosicky have started to show signs of improving this aspect - I'm not sure it will be enough. For this reason I would like to see us also rotate formations between 4-4-2 and 4-3-3.

Start tougher league/CL games with a 4-4-2 and if we are still needing goals in the second half, switch to a 4-3-3. Against lower class opposition I'd like to see us just start 4-3-3 from the start and go for a goal glut.

---------------Henry-----RVP
-----------(Adebayor)---(New striker)
Rosicky------------------------Hleb
(New winger)------------------(Walcott)
-------------Cesc----Gilberto
------------(Diaby)--(Denilson)
Clichy-------Gallas----Toure-------Eboue
(Traore)-----(Djorou)--(Phil)-----(Hoyte)


If we had another world class striker i'd continuously rotate all 4, and slowly introduce walcott in there as well.


If we were to play 4-3-3 for some games to help us get goals I would like to see something like this,


-------------Eto'o/New lethal player
Henry-----------------------RVP
-------Rosicky----Cesc/Diaby
------------Gilberto
Clichy---Gallas--Toure---Eboue

This formation can be used sparingly when we are a goal down for example - it makes up for having a RM who is not a great goal scorer, and allows tremendous flexibility based on who is available. In a year or two when Henry's pace begins to drop off this also allows him to become more of a creator for the team.


Goalkeepers: 2
Lehmann
Almunia
Poom(???)

Defenders: 8
Toure
Gallas
Clichy
Eboue
Traore
Hoyte
Djourou
Senderos

Midfielders: 8
Cesc
Gilberto
Rosicky
Hleb
Diaby
Denilson
Ljungberg
NEW

Strikers: 5
Henry
RVP
NEW
Adebayor
Walcott

A 23 man squad, and we still have players in the reserves like Merida who can get called up in a crisis.

[JoeAFC_9]

Agree with most of what you say except the Bendtner sale. At least give him a chance. We've bin patient with Bap and Aliadiere this yr so i feel he is at least worth a go. My team/squad:

Lehmann
(Almunia)

Eboue Toure Gallas Clichy
(Hoyte) (Senderos) (Djourou) (Traore)

Hleb/Walcott Cesc Gilberto Rosicky
(Ljungberg) (Denilson) (Diaby) (New Winger?)

Henry Van Persie
(Adebayor) (Bendtner)

Plus another forward & a versatile defender.

[Highbury]

I agree with your formation completely. A new winger is certainly needed along with a new striker. I think we will keep Bendtner as a 5th striker though.

We are bound to have one or two injuries, hopefully not the plague of injuries this season, and that lineup I believe is plenty capable of winning the league save Henry or RvP getting injured.

[phishy]

kill me.

[Skizz]

I don't think we will have the depth next season to do a Rafa squad rotation. I don't agree with the sale of Bendtner, he does need a chance. Muamba I would also keep. But in essence you do make some valid points.

[JoeAFC_9]

kill me.

Could b worse m8, it could read:

Robinson, Chimbonda, Lee Yung Poyu??, King, Dawson, Jenas, Lennon, Malbranque, Tanio?!?, Berbatov, Keane :D

[Highbury]

Annnnnnnnd coming off the bench......Jermaine Defoe!!!!!!!!!!

Well maybe not since he's apparently unhappy there....you don't say....

[king_allsopp]

I dont think Bendtner will be going anywhere, him and Walcott are going to be our future front pair.

[Teso Dos Bichos]

If you don't think Bendtner or Muamba have the quality to be regular contributers to the team then now is the time to sell them. Birmingham City will have increased finances and a wish to keep their better players in an effort to stay in the Premiership (there might still be interest from foreign clubs as well). You could loan them back for the season and see how they cope in the Premiership but if they fail to impress then their values will drop significantly.

I roughly agree with Rewinder's opening post but I am less sure about what is needed. Getting a big name (and hopefully clinical) striker in would be good but the cost involved (particularly with Wenger involved) and the impact that has on the playing time of your current options raises a few concerns. If you want the likes of Adebayor to continue to develop, you need to give him games. That leaves you with two options. Get a young talent that does not mind riding the pine or get an experienced striker who is prepared to play in rotation. Given the composition of your current squad, I would go with the latter. I do not think you can get or keep everyone happy with a big name striker. Midfield needs goals and someone who can play as a genuine winger. That might be Reyes if he changes his mind, if not then there are no shortage of possible options and they have all been named before. You are well stocked in defense but I am not impressed with the likes of Senderos. It might be wise bringing in another option to work in rotation, possibly with some experience (again). I would bring in another keeper to blood him in over the course of next season or loan him out for Premiership experience.

I have not named any targets but I will do so when I have had more time to think about things. This thread should prove to be interesting. Good idea.

[phishy]

If you don't think Bendtner or Muamba have the quality to be regular contributers to the team then now is the time to sell them. Birmingham City will have increased finances and a wish to keep their better players in an effort to stay in the Premiership (there might still be interest from foreign clubs as well). You could loan them back for the season and see how they cope in the Premiership but if they fail to impress then their values will drop significantly.

I roughly agree with Rewinder's opening post but I am less sure about what is needed. Getting a big name (and hopefully clinical) striker in would be good but the cost involved (particularly with Wenger involved) and the impact that has on the playing time of your current options raises a few concerns. If you want the likes of Adebayor to continue to develop, you need to give him games. That leaves you with two options. Get a young talent that does not mind riding the pine or get an experienced striker who is prepared to play in rotation. Given the composition of your current squad, I would go with the latter. I do not think you can get or keep everyone happy with a big name striker. Midfield needs goals and someone who can play as a genuine winger. That might be Reyes if he changes his mind, if not then there are no shortage of possible options and they have all been named before. You are well stocked in defense but I am not impressed with the likes of Senderos. It might be wise bringing in another option to work in rotation, possibly with some experience (again). I would bring in another keeper to blood him in over the course of next season or loan him out for Premiership experience.

I have not named any targets but I will do so when I have had more time to think about things. This thread should prove to be interesting. Good idea.

dude, i like you.. but nobody gives a ******** what you think should happen to our team.

[flyerhawk]

dude, i like you.. but nobody gives a ******** what you think should happen to our team.

To be fair that might have have been the first cogent and reasonable posts Teso has ever provided regarding Arsenal.

[SLO-Gunner]

dude, i like you.. but nobody gives a ******** what you think should happen to our team.


Well, I don't like him/her and nobody gives a ********* what he/she thinks should happen to our team.

[Teso Dos Bichos]

dude, i like you.. but nobody gives a ******** what you think should happen to our team.

Considering everything I have posted previously turned out to be correct, you had better hope to ******** that someone at Arsenal reads it this time.

[SLO-Gunner]

Miles Palmer in disguise....

[Teso Dos Bichos]

Congrats on trying to ruin a good thread. Well done lads.

*thumbs up*

[SLO-Gunner]

And still no one gives a ****.

[marakana10]

Personally I want to see Bendtner and his capabilities. It would be premature to rule him out right now. Personally every time I have seen him for Denmark he has looked dangerous, so at the current minute I can't do anything but praise the kid. You also forget who is supplying the balls to Bendtner at Birmingham. Even though it's against lesser opposition I think he could do much better with Fabregas, and Henry feeding the chances. I really don't know who to compare him to, he is a very unique player. Out of anyone I would probably say Nikola Zigic. He has the aggressive nature around him as well as the height, and as Zigic he is also good with his feet. If he is nurtured correctly I think he is one of the future starting forwards for our squad. It would be interesting for Arsenal to finally get a good forward from its youth set up. Manchester United almost got it right with Rossi, and we also with Aliadiere and Lupoli.

Hopefully this kid can go one step further. Kid? He is the same age as me for god sakes!

As for Fabrice Muamba, he has been loyal to the club, and to sell him now just when he is hitting his peak would be disgraceful to him and his family who came over from Congo. I personally feel he likes to get stuck in and has that Diaby feel about him, but more defensive. I hope he gets a chance and wins the fans over.

Should we add anyone to the current squad? I would not. I want to see this team made by Wenger and what it can really do. If a couple of our players leave sure, but again I highly doubt that will happen. Hopefully Flamini leaves...

[Rewinder]

Muama, Diaby, Denilson, and Song all competing behind Gilberto and Cesc?

That's a bit much, and not fair to the players. If Muamba can get the start in half of birmingham's games, it's better for him to be there than maybe making the sub bench in our carling cup games.

As for bendtner - I don't want to wait around another season waiting to see what another player is made of. In that case we will have to wait for someone new every season. I would keep him as the 5th striker, but I remember a statement from him last season saying that he would rather move than play sparingly with us.

It's clear we need another goal scorer on the team, and we obviously can't be relying on Bendtner to come into the squad and be a 15 goal a season striker in his first season. Keeping bendtner - and acknowledging his wishes to be played or else he moves impedes our progress, because it means we can't bring in someone new who will guarantee 15+goals a season.

Have any of the players we loaned out ever returned and gone on to find success with us? I feel our striking future lies in RVP, Adebayor, Walcott and another piece that still eludes us.

Ideally what we should do is loan them to birmingham again, but if I remember correctly bendtner has already rejected the prospect of another loan.

Our biggest issue right now is where are goals coming from - and not brining in another established player pretty much leaves henry and rvp to carry the team again next season.

[JoeAFC_9]

Muama, Diaby, Denilson, and Song all competing behind Gilberto and Cesc?

That's a bit much, and not fair to the players.

Agreed, and we're just takin it 4 granted that Flamini will leave. I feel of all these players, Song is prob the weakest. It's harsh because i have a mate who is a big Charlton fan and apparently he has bin a revelation since goin there!! But from what i have sin of Birmingham this yr (which is not loads admittedly) Muamba seems a better passer/tackler than Song.

CM's 07/08: Gilberto, Cesc, Diaby, Denilson, Muamba (Merida for Carling Cup? - I have read he has bin outstanding in reserve/youth teams) CERTAINLY NO SIGNINGS NEEDED FOR THIS POSITION!!!

Out: Song? & Flamini?

Oh, and i forgot, where Rewinder says about 'waiting for someone new every season' could turn out to be very true. Bendtner next yr, Vela after that, Rhys Murphy the next yr?? I'm just guessin here but maybe you are rite, we can't KEEP waiting for these strikers to come gd. But i don't think Wenger will pay up for someone like Eto'o (even tho that would b QUALITY!!)

[thebigman]

bendtner gone for 2 mill, u mad? flamini is still miles better than muamba imo, but if he wants to leave then he wants to leave

muamba isnt arsenal wuality imo, hes good enough for the blues in the prem though, maybe extend the loan and if he doesnt impress le boss sell him

i think when we lose bap we have 4 extremely capable strikers, henry will be fit as will rvp and id start these 2...as good as any other combo in the prem

not to mention we can rotate them with bendy and ade, although both of these guys need to play with a 'finisher' as they link midfield to attack and bendy especially drifts out to the left and puts good balls into the box

i dont think a 4 - 3 - 3 suits us as a definitive formation, of course when henry drifts left we almost assume that formation but id stick with a 4-4-2

id love to get a new rb if eboue continues to be shit defensively, he offers alot going forward but his antics and defensive work are annoying as hell

clichy has been great and we got 2 of the best centre halves around and a solid, somewhat mad keeper

as teso said we need goals from midfield, rosicky will get alot more next year, i think we need to replace hleb with ribery myself, more direct, more likely to score even if hes hardly prolific, hes a better player all round imo, especially the final ball

in the middle we have 2 major young talents, denilson and diaby are the perfect 2 middle paiting imo....they can both defend and both attack, its like petit viera but alot better in terms of skill

i see cesc and silva more as a suitable for a 4 3 3 central mid, silva as a deep, deep screen and cesc in the middle as the pendulum and a more advanced player such as rosicky just ahead?

undoubtably wenger will bring in youngsters and maybe a potential fox in the box thats slightly better than franshit jeffers lol

my team next year

.........................henry

.........................vp


rosicky.................................ribery

.................cesc......silva

clichy..................................eboue

...........gallas..........toure

...................lehman


pretty much the same as this years but with a better right winger

mind u, if we recoup alot of money for reyes (potentially 8-10 mill?) and freddie (5 mill?)

wenger might spend ona big name to help with the squad

dont forget wenger will spend alot of time on walcot so he could potentially be the striker people need as well as a right wing replacement

plenty of defensive cover too, rb is the only worry but djourou can play there i guess

if senderos doesnt improve then we should drop him next season

i dont think theres too many problems just injuries that messed us up really, if the squad stays fit we challenge for everything

if they dont and wenger dont bring anyone in we dont win shit imo