Our 2 big problems this season...

[jts1882]

I think the idea of having a squad where players can be interchanged seamlessly has two problems. One, it isn't really designed for a plan B (just a fresher version of plan A) and, two, it requires too many players for everyone to get enough games. It also tends to drift to an A team and B team.

I think what you really want is several variants on the main theme, where some players come in to slightly change the way we are playing (more defensive, better crossers, more pace, etc). This way you rotate according to the opposition you face and then have natural substitutes to fit a plan B during a game. This way you end up with 14-15 players where it is not entirely certain who are the first XI.

We are closest to doing this in the three-quarter line. While Lamela, Alli and Eriksen are the first choice, Eriksen seamlessly replace Alli in the centre and Son and Chadli can change the balance of the trio. Dembele can also move forward and provide a different balance.

We have good balance in the defense too, although the way it seems to be Rose and Walker or Trippier and Davies reinforces the pecking order. It might suit the squad game better if Trippier was preferred in some games and Davies in others, making the choice on the opponent.

P.S. Wasn't Alli playing alongside Dier in the deeper role early in the season. Perhaps that could have been an alternative for Dembele late in the season too (although obviously not Sunday).

 

[Raziel]

I agree with your overall conclusion that the malaise at Arsenal goes further back than this season. But
Imho Arsenal had a good enough squad to win the league this season, (other seasons maybe not but this season definitely), so I don't blame the board. At the start of January they were top and had major players returning so I don't blame injuries. I believe the core of their problem is not dissimilar to ours- they lack a driving force who can propel them to those extra points required to win the title. They have not had that since Vieira left. That this has not been addressed is down to one person, Arsene Wenger and his intransigence in the transfer market. I don't believe Arsenal will win the league until he is replaced by a manager who is both more decisive and more pragmatic than the old fool.

That may be true .. but I think they look at it from a risk perspective

- Will they ever win the league again under Wenger = probably not, this season best proof of that theory
- Will they still get 4th place under Wenger = he hasn't failed yet to deliver that
- Will a new manager guarantee anything = no

Again, a like of decisive action has cost them, they have failed to decisively improve squad (whoever's fault it is) and in the last 12 months, almost everyone of the world's top 5-7 managers was available, and they didn't act.

As much as the next guy could make the Scum compete, he could just as easily oversee a significant drop ...

 

[billyiddo]

their owners haven't had to search for and hire a new manager either having taken control after Wenger was already there - i wouldn't have confidence in them getting it right first time of asking if i was an Arsenal fan.

apparently the guy who also owns the NFL team is known over there for not really being interested in pushing them towards being the best and is just happy treading water making money - seems to be what he's happy doing at Arsenal too, trouble is the league is becoming much more competitive with the new TV money, Liverpool have Klopp, Guardiola is joining City, rumours of Mourinho at United, we're doing well under Pochettinio and Chelsea will come good again - that's 5 genuine challengers for the top 4 next season before you even include this years title winners, wouldn't be confident that Wenger can keep them in for much longer

 

[90291Spur]

their owners haven't had to search for and hire a new manager either having taken control after Wenger was already there - i wouldn't have confidence in them getting it right first time of asking if i was an Arsenal fan.

apparently the guy who also owns the NFL team is known over there for not really being interested in pushing them towards being the best and is just happy treading water making money - seems to be what he's happy doing at Arsenal too, trouble is the league is becoming much more competitive with the new TV money, Liverpool have Klopp, Guardiola is joining City, rumours of Mourinho at United, we're doing well under Pochettinio and Chelsea will come good again - that's 5 genuine challengers for the top 4 next season before you even include his years title winners, wouldn't be confident that Wenger can keep them in for much longer

From your mouth to Ghod's ear via a delicious flick from Micky Hazard.

 

[Libero]

I think the original poster makes a good point about us not winning enough home games. Even if we had lost a couple more games over the course of the season but had won 3-4 more at home then we would have been a minimum 6-8 points better off. In the end, we have just drawn too many games at home. We should have beaten Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal at home which would have been 6 points there and also would help with regards winning in the big games which we didn't do enough of against those around us.

Key for next season is managing to win our home games against the other 4-5 teams at the top, or at least the majority of them and to win 13/14 home fixtures in total. If you do that then in order to have a title challenge you need maybe 8-9 wins away from home before taking into account draws and if nothing else you should have a points total that more or less gets you CL confirmed.

Having said all that, its a learning curve and we have got ourselves well ahead of schedule and can be proud of our season. We just have to build on those fine lines and make sure next season that we finish most of the teams off at home when we have a chance.

 

[mudshark]

I disagree, maybe if it was this year only.

I was only talking about this year.

 

[Raziel]

I was only talking about this year.

I understand, but the issues, injuries, lack of strategic investment, lack of consistency for them, are same for last 8+ years.

The only argument they have is in past seasons, they might have still been eaten to title by a better/more expensive team, this year with it there for the taking, they failed to deliver again.

 

[mudshark]

^^ I get what you're saying too, although I would say if you look at the past 8 years, they've only finished on fewer than 71 points twice (I'm assuming they'll beat Villa Sunday, which is hardly a stretch). I agree with Robspur12 that they did have the squad to win it this year if they'd kept them all fit, but instead, they seem to have regressed, and I think that level of underperformance is largely down to the number of injuries they had to key players. If they'd been luckier with that, I reckon they'd have streaked ahead early doors and been in a much more commanding position at the turn of the year. Leicester might yet still have won it, of course, but I think they'd have run them closer than we did without the absentee problems they had. Thank fuсk they didn't, though

 

[alekaras]

It's not luck (there is no such thing) or dodgy officiating, but their stats (as highlighted and discussed in the General/Leicester thread), and those of their opposition, are out of the normal range.

That, no significant injuries/suspensions, and let's not forget a significantly less demanding fixture list (which allows more time on the training pitch and to prepare for upcoming games). Take any of these out of the equation and Leicester finishes on 60 points max.

 

[Bullet]

Players should put more on accuracy by stroking the ball in, rather than an over reliance on power. Make the goalkeeper work, he may spill it and we get a rebound. A goal bound shot and a defender has to make a block, this can result in own goals or deflections in our favour. Just keep the shot inbetween the sticks and we have a chance.

Amen. 99 percent of wide/over shots don't go in.

Plenty of soft shots on target squirm in or deflect to someone else to tap in.

Make the keeper work.

When I was a keeper I prayed they would think it high or wide.

 

[DubaiSpur]

Amen. 99 percent of wide/over shots don't go in.

Plenty of soft shots on target squirm in or deflect to someone else to tap in.

Make the keeper work.

When I was a keeper I prayed they would think it high or wide.

I was just the opposite; I prayed they'd try to place it, because I had fairly long legs and quick reflexes, which meant I could get down to the corners fairly quickly. It was the murderously powerful shots that did me in, because try as I might I never could get over the habit of theatrically diving for them early, which tends to screw you when your majestic, flying save lands idly in the six-yard box for an opposition tap-in, with you sprawled regally next to one of the posts.

 

[Mr_B]

1) holding midfielder

2) another striker.

done.

 

[nayenezgani]

I think our two biggest problems are:

1. We've qualified for the champions league.
2. We're going to finish with our highest ever points tally.

It's a fudging disgrace I tell ye.

 

[K.D.D.D.D.Soc]

Moaning fans and queueing time to get a beer.

 

[Jordinho]

Moaning fans and queueing time to get a beer.

And when you get back down at HT the fridges are still empty and you get warm beer.

 

[pakispur]

We need an attacking midfielder that can take on and go past people beaching their lines, Bale and Mahrez kind of players Bolasie and Zaha at palace or even Demarai Gray at Leicester.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

We need an attacking midfielder that can take on and go past people beaching their lines, Bale and Mahrez kind of players Bolasie and Zaha at palace or even Demarai Gray at Leicester.

Those palace lads aren't team players though

 

[pakispur]

Those palace lads aren't team players though

Neither is Townsend,but look what he did to us today, we don't have a maverick so teams are finding a way to play against us [Alli and Dembele not playing makes it even easier]

 

[Bedfordspurs]

Neither is Townsend,but look what he did to us today, we don't have a maverick so teams are finding a way to play against us [Alli and Dembele not playing makes it even easier]

Yeah he is a typical old school Spurs player from when we had no team players and relied on average players IMO

 

[DubaiSpur]

Sigh. Once again, this game indicates our real problems - firstly, Spurs.i.ness, which will never end, but more importantly, rotation. I challenge @braineclipse or anyone else to convince me that we don't need an extremely strong bench and squad next season to avoid s*it like this, if they're up for the challenge. I'm more than happy to hear arguments for keeping the likes of Onomah, Winks Carroll and Mason around instead of trying to avoid disasters like this come the final stretch.

We need a strong bench, options across the 25-man squad, and *if* there's space, we can add a few of the less developed youngsters (like Onomah or Oduwa) after that has been achieved. If there are more talented youngsters around (like Alli) that can contribute to the first team right away, by all means stick 'em in. If they can act as strong rotation right away (like perhaps Pritchard next season, a good pre-season permitting), stick 'em in. If not, *send them out on loan*, or only give them cup/insignificant minutes. Then evaluate their place next season, and move them up accordingly to either the first team or the bench/rotation places (if they've impressed in training and on loan), or move 'em on again, either on loan or permanently.

But for GHod's sake, let's keep a strong 18-22 man squad ready before next season gets underway, and let's make it a priority. Two suspensions, and we've devolved into a pathetic morass of failure and grim uselessness. Two suspensions. We're not mentally strong enough to go the whole way with our youngsters *and* succeed at the same time - there *has* to be give and take involved.