I don't follow Italian footy but I heard someone like Horncastle or Rzouki say that Vlahovic has had a pretty bad season so far with Juve. As has his club in general. Not long ago, quite a few folks on this board thought signing Vlahovic was key to our future. Fast forward to now and look how well we've done without him. Just goes to say that there are many variables, many talented individuals out there, and different ways to skin a cat... if you're the brain trust of AFC.
You need your own podcast so you can hear yourself speak. I'm also sure you are strongly misleading about the "quite a few folks on this board thought signing Vlahovic was key to our future," talk, as usual.
i feel like douglas luiz was a target of opportunity where we feel like he'd fit a need - a better second to partey than elneny - at a cut price because of his contract situation. and i think tielemans was the same. but, uh, if we aren't getting douglas luiz, we aren't getting alisha lehmann either, eh? (i don't think she'd break into that forward line anyway, though.)
I think we would be putting a 90+ mil release clause, but also depends who wants him. i.e don't sell to Barca, they don't have the cash, if City want him they can pay 120mil, etc. Would hope if we are active in Jan its to loan out Sambi and bring in Partey depth.
I caught a match of Juves the other week and I couldn't believe how inaccurate Vlahovic was. Got into the right positions and then looked like Warner for Chelsea. Lucky Juve dominated whoever it was they were playing and he scored a couple later on, but if its a tight CL/EL final and your strikers only get one or two looks at it I wouldn't want him taking it.
interesting. apparently, there's some noise that we're one of a number of teams keeping tab on evan ndicka from eintracht frankfurt. i'm assuming it's a target of opportunity thing since he's apparently out of contract at the end of the season and would likely be sold at a cut price. especially since they're likely going to be eliminated from CL by january window. https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/arsenal-fc-transfer-news-evan-ndicka-gabriel-b1033999.html
We've been rumored to be interested in N'Dicka for awhile now. Think the idea is that he would compete with Gabi at LCB and would be a strong option if/when we opted for 3 CBs. Likely would be a replacement for Holding who would presumably move on to a middle of the pack club for more playing time.
Could he play LB, like a left-sided Ben White? He looks pretty good on the ball. I could see Tierney leaving next summer if his role doesn't change and I'm worried about Zinchenko's ability to stay fit. Tomiyasu/White/Saliba on the right, Gabriel/N'Dicka/Zincheko on the left. Cedric, Holding and Tierney may leave. Trusty, Tavares or Norton-Cuffy could return and provide depth.
Possible. Not sure on his crossing but he is athletic enough and could probably play the inverted role. Possible we could shift Zinny up to compete with Xhaka and go with Tierney at LB with N'Dicka as a LB/LCB type like White.
Daka, as in the ST from Leicester? If so, I don't see it. Not sure he has ever played in that role and his passing numbers as a forward aren't anything special. If you mean Saka, I could see that. Though I think that he has stated several times that he prefers the W and I'd hate to lose him out wide.
Also, I think the Xhaka position is interesting. We have several youngsters that could take over for him later but they need more seasoning. Patino is looking really good for that spot but should we loan him to a bottom half EPL squad next season or will he be ready to contribute? I think we need a stop gap option. Is that Zinny or ESR or do we bring in someone else?
Yeah from Leicester. He's one of those guys who it be easy to see as a striker. But, I think he has that Aaron Ramsey in him, big lunges, high top speed, good tech and his control won't mess up passing moves. Xhaka has a vastly superior passing range but I wonder if we wouldn't just be better off getting more goals from that 8.5 role.
i would find it questionable to put a striker who has never played midfield into that role. for all that has been made about xhaka playing up higher - and he has - he still is one of the people who comes back fairly as an outlet as well as provide a manner of defensive presence. we also often rotates down to a 4-2-3-1 shape out of possession. vieira and smith-rowe are already questionable options there - last bodo glimt game, odegaard took the spot rather than vieira - but they've at least played in the vicinity of midfield.
Sooo... I'm poking around fbref trying to find a ST that is similar to Jesus since Eddie has been ok at best (in my mind) and I would like to see a stronger backup next season. Well, clicking on "similar players" going deep down the rabbit hole when I come across Marcus Thuram. Looks like he is recovered from his injury, playing ST exclusively this season, has 7 g 2 a in league and outstanding pressure numbers. On top of that he has an expiring contract. May be unrealistic to sign a 24yo ST that wouldn't be guaranteed to start but his numbers so far look impressive.
we don't need to? if we have a different backup at DM then lokonga is freed to play LCM until patino is ready. i mean, if a target of opportunity comes up, sure. if not, there doesn't seem to be much of a need.
fully acknowledge that it's the daily mail but danilo's rumour is not new. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/f...challenge-50m-transfer-war-chest-January.html assuming we do get him, do you play him at partey's 6 and let lokonga be the 8 where he looked much better in preseason? or have him do take the xhaka role and continue to let lokonga try to adapt to the 6 role? i'm kinda keen on the former but i'd love to see it either way. a midfield partnership of lokonga-danilo should cover an insane amount of ground.
I just can't ever see Lukonga good enough to play Parteys role, and sadly with Artetas tactics we are pigeon holed into needing Partey or someone his equal or we tend to struggle. The end of the Southampton game was an example, he was gassed but he has to stay on because the drop off after him is ridiculous.
I've not seen him play much but what little bit I have seen, this is a serious over valuation... Shakhtar confirm Arsenal as one of the clubs to have expressed an interest in Mykhaylo Mudryk, but add they value him at more than what Man United paid for Antony (€100m).https://t.co/XRiRCNHFd8— Simon Collings (@sr_collings) October 27, 2022