The Premier league restart is just around the corner. Before action came to a halt, we saw Arsenal win 3 back to back league games. While our league position may not be representative of the same, we showed real signs of structural improvement – we were well drilled and cohesive as a unit, which in turn trickled down to our defensive setup. As always, a lot of credit should be given to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for scoring crucial match winning goals. Additionally, our young players like Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli took their chances and received plaudits from the fans and the media alike. Mikel Arteta has gone with a 4-2-3-1 system so far, with Mesut Özil as the #10, Aubameyang playing as a left winger and Alexandre Lacazette/Eddie Nketiah as our lone striker.
Do you think this system suits us? How important is Aubameyang for Arsenal? What is Saka’s best position for us? What do you think is Lacazette’s future is at Arsenal ?
I have with me 5 Arsenal accounts who will discuss the above questions and a lot more. People’s Twitter handles are linked to their names where they’ve given their justifications, so feel free to shout them out directly.
Q1) If Aubameyang signs a new contract and decides to stays, would you persist with him on the left or play him as our striker?
Tempo:- Personally, I would play him as a left-winger. If we look at the stats Aubameyang is more efficient from the left. Aubameyang has, in fact, played 41.7% of his minutes as a lone striker compared to his 28.4% as a left-winger, but most of his goals have come from the left, in which he has a higher Goals p90.
Dan:- Honestly, it depends on who else we have in the squad next season. Right now we have better centre-forward options than on the left, where most of the alternatives to Aubameyang are in the under-21s. So, considering Aubameyang is still scoring for fun on the left, it’s probably better to play him there for now. But if we sell Lacazette and signed a left-winger to play Aubameyang centrally, I’d be happier with that.
Max:- I would stick with the current situation, where Aubameyang is played out wide and Lacazette, or an alternative number 9, is played down the middle. I think it’s a common misconception amongst our fans that Aubameyang is worse as a winger, despite the stats showing he delivers more goal involvements when played on the left. Arteta has also said previously that he likes a striker to be confident in their link-up play as well as their eye for goal; it’s a commonly known idea that Aubameyang isn’t as good holding up the ball with his back to goal. For me, the ideal situation is a striker who is able to link-up and drop deeper, allowing Aubameyang to make runs between the centre and full backs.
AB:- Aubameyang has to play upfront. There can be no compromise on this whatsoever. He is the best striker at the club right now. No disrespect to Lacazette but I don’t think he offers more than Aubameyang in that role up front.
Ali:- I think it depends on what Arteta wants. I always respect coaches in how they want to set out their team. In the first few games of Arteta we’ve already seen how willing Auba has been to sacrifice his attacking for the defensive side of things. This league thrives on forwards that can cut in to score goals so I don’t think even Auba is worried about where he plays. He’s just the kind of guy who’s movement leads him to opportunities so I think Arteta should play him where he sees best. That of course would change if Arsenal brought in someone adept for the left wing. But in the current set up with or without a new contract I’d play him on the left. I also think it depends a lot on Saka and where Arteta plays him. I could easily see Saka on the left with Auba in the middle but Arteta needs link up play qualities with his Strikers from What I’ve seen. So let’s see.
Q2) Saka – a future left back or winger?
Tempo:- I see Saka’s future as a full-back. It’s becoming more common for players that have previously played in positions such as; CM, LW & RW making the transition into full-backs. The modern-day full-back now has more emphasis in the attacking third and build-up phases, with defensive responsibilities in some situations being viewed as a secondary skill.
Dan:- Probably a winger, especially if he stays with Arsenal. I have high hopes for Tierney nailing down the left-back spot, and if Aubameyang doesn’t extend there’s very little competition at left-wing. Saka will probably get more games further forward from now on, and I think that’s what he wants. He was excellent as a left-back but even then his main contributions were getting up the pitch and creating goals.
Max:- I think almost every Arsenal fan would agree when I say that Bukayo Saka should be a left winger in the future. Don’t get it wrong, he’s done a fantastic job covering in at the fullback position- but it’s commonly accepted that he has a lot more to offer going forward. It has been reported in recent weeks that both the player and coaching team see him as a left winger in future. We’ve seen his attacking threat this season with his overlapping runs and impressive expected goal contributions- he ranks top of that list amongst all left-backs in Europe’s top five leagues, as of his last appearance. I am confident he’ll continue to flourish further forward.
AB:- I have watched him a lot when he played under Freddie for the second team and he has sparks of Alexis Sanchez. It is important to understand that he is being helped massively by Xhaka and Aubameyang on the left flank right now. It is a temporary arrangement and the support won’t stay forever. Besides that, Saka offers a lot more to the team as an attacking asset than playing at left back. I think one of Martinelli or Saka will eventually become a first team regular in that left winger role under Arteta.
Ali:- Winger for sure. His attacking play and especially some of the finishing we’ve seen in cup games and Europa league prove that he is a winger. He is a very talented young man and the fact that he played at left back and looked natural speaks volumes of his work ethic and talent. But a player like that would in my personal opinion, be wasted at left back. We have plenty of options at left back with Tierney and Seo. So a left wing combination of Saka and Tierney would be very good.
Q3) If there’s one player that would cost less than €20m you want – who is that?
Tempo:- It would have to be Dominik Szoboszlai. We’ve been linked to him for quite some time now, he’s an excellent progressive passer, presser & has a clean injury history. He’s young but has already cemented a starting position at Salzburg.
Dan:- Adil Aouchiche, the PSG free agent available this summer for a reported €4m signing-on fee. He made such a positive impression in recent youth international tournaments and I’m a sucker for cheap exciting youth talents. The upside is so great if you get it right. Look at Martinelli and Guendouzi, who would sell for so much more than we bought them even just a year or two on if we have to.
Max:- The player I am about to mention is someone I expect to be joining us this summer. Pablo Mari came to Arsenal on a loan deal this winter and, despite the lack of minutes he has had due to his fitness levels and the 3-month break, I think he’d be a excellent coup at the rumoured fee of £6,000,000. Why? Mari represents everything we need in a second centre-back. He’s left-footed, tall, and understood to be fairly confident with his feet. If we decide to make this loan permanent, I think Pablo Mari is the exact kind of acquisition that represents money well spent given our financial situation.
AB:- Dominik Szoboslai, and it is a no brainer. He is a very exciting player and scouted extensively by the club in November 2019. One of the reasons why I am excited by Szoboslai is because he can play either as a winger, an attacking midfielder or purely in the number 10 role. He has never been tried as an attacking number 8 but with what I have seen, he can excel in that role too if required. The versatility, skills and talent he offers in that price range is unmatched and second to none. He has drawn comparisons with Paul Pogba too.
Ali:- An area I’d like us to improve it would be the attacking midfield position. If we find another Guendouzi or a Martinelli in that position or someone who is able to play that box to box role, it will be a big plus for us. I fell someone like Szboszlai would be a good fit for around the €20m mark.
Q4) Which Arsenal player do you think never reached their full potential?
Tempo:- There’s been a lot of players that have not reached their potential whether it be down to injuries, poor mentality etc but one player whose career was ruined because of injury and makes me sad is Jack Wilshere. It set him back from reaching his true potential of being one of the greatest midfielders for both England as well Arsenal.
Dan:- Obviously there are players like Diaby and Wilshere who could have been so much more without the injuries, but I’m going to go with Carlos Vela. I think he’s shown his talent in bursts throughout his career, but never consistently to the level he could have reached. With a better attitude in the half-decade after he joined Arsenal, he could’ve made himself a starter easily.
Max:- I will go off-piste and suggest ex-Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. The Liverpool midfielder undeniably has the talent but, constantly appeared to be hindered by injuries. More so than that, however, I would suggest one of Wenger’s few faults was the treatment of ‘The Ox’. It never really felt as if he was given enough chances to flourish as he deserved, and when he did play it was often filling in at fullback. I often consider how good he would have been if he was allowed to play in the centre of midfield. I wholeheartedly believe he’d be one of our key players in our current side if he were permitted the chances.
AB:- That’s a long list. Where do I start? But I think it would be Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. He was unfairly criticized and made fun of while he was here. He wanted to play as a central midfielder but we couldn’t accommodate him. It feels surreal when you realise that he played at left back in the FA Cup final against Chelsea. I was not happy when we sold him because I felt we needed him and maybe he could have got his chance in a post Ramsey Arsenal.
Ali:- There are a lot that come under this bracket. Unfortunately one of the names for me on this list would be Mesut Ozil. Great player on his day but has he really had a truly world class season in full for Arsenal? For me I think there is a lot to be desired in his performances but this is now the twilight of his career so what can we really expect? Another player that comes to mind is Carlos Vela who I thought would be world class for us. Judging by recent interviews and comments from coaches though it looks like he never really had the motivation to become truly world class. Sad as I thought he was a gem of a young striker.
Q5) Which system do you think suits us better : 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3?
Tempo:- With our current personnel, I think a 4-2-3-1 suits us better. I can see Arteta shifting to a 4-3-3 next season but in order to do that, we need to improve on our current defensive options whether that be signing players or promoting youth prospects.
Dan:- I think 4-2-3-1 suits us better for now, mostly because of our lack of natural wingers. Aubameyang and Pepe both prefer to come inside and play as inside-forwards, working with the number 10 or the overlapping full-back. Getting the best out of those two is probably the most important thing for us at the moment. But on the other hand, we might find ourselves less exposed defensively if we had a dedicated defensive midfielder in a 4-3-3. I could go either way.
Max:- For now, I have to say the standard 4-2-3-1 that we have operated in as our main formation for many years, stretching back to Wenger’s era. With our current squad, specifically our midfield, I simply do not feel we have the coverage in the middle of the park to dominate. If we intend on converting to the 4-3-3, which I strongly encourage and expect Arteta to do, we will definitely need new anchor and box-to-box midfielders. Quite frankly, we’re too weak to be able to do that now. I’d love to see the more modern 4-3-3 at Arsenal soon- if we can replicate what Manchester City and Liverpool have been able to fulfil with this formation it will undeniably bring the best out of our talent front three, which is the key to unlocking our squad’s potential.
AB:- It is the 4-3-3 that suits us best. The quickly we realize it, the better it is. We should probably play a midfield trio of Xhaka and Ceballos/Willock flanking Torreira who sits at the base of this midfield from either flanks. This could allow Xhaka to continue playing as a false left back and allow Tierney to make plenty of forward runs. The beauty of this setup is that when we still have two midfielders even when Xhaka covers at left back. As a result, the defensive organisation is not compromised even if we create a vertical overload on the left flank.
Ali:- I would like to that Arteta will move towards a 4-3-3 system for the future. The game has moved on past that number 10 role. Players like Ozil, James Rodriguez, Isco and Coutinho have suffered. But players like KDB have thrived in that midfield role. I would like to think Arteta wants this too and I am sure he will try and find the balance to get us playing 433 next season.
Q6) Honest thoughts on Lacazette – do you think he’s unfairly criticized?
Tempo:- Lacazette’s attacking output is good when he’s on form. He’s scored a lot of big goals for us during his time at the club. What separates him from many strikers in the Premier League is his ability to drop deep, press & winning defensive duels. In some cases, you could say Lacazette is unfairly criticized but he’s very inconsistent & doesn’t get enough goals as well as wastes attacking opportunities which affects the team negatively. His away form for the club is also not good enough for a player we’ve invested a lot in.
Dan:- Definitely, but that doesn’t mean I’m entirely happy with him either. The social media trend of tearing into him every game is way too much, but he’s also not at the level he should be for us. It seemed like Arteta dropping him for Nketiah brought him to life a bit before the break, so hopefully he’ll step it up now. Otherwise, I’d rather cash in, spend the money on other positions and promote our younger strikers – Nketiah, Martinelli, Balogun and John-Jules.
Max:- My opinion on him is unaltered from last season; I am confident that a fully fit and in-form Lacazette is one of, if not the, best Arsenal players in the current squad. By no means am I suggesting that he’s had a good season- I’m aware that he’s been below the high expectations we hold of him, but the hate and disrespect he has received this season is WAY out of proportion. He’s been struggling since pre-season with an ankle injury and subsequently his fitness is lacking- that’s something he has to work on. But those fans on social media who suggest he’s “finished” are closing their minds to what he did for us last season. I have complete confidence when I say that Lacazette will be back at his best when football returns. I just hope he’ll stay next season and prove many people wrong. In answer to your original question; yes. Alexandre Lacazette is (massively!) unfairly criticized.
AB:- Criticism is part and parcel of the game. You are praised when you do well and criticized when you don’t perform. You can’t expect to not be criticized when you aren’t scoring goals. It was Lacazette who told Henry in his first interview that he wanted to score lots of goals and win trophies. He hasn’t justified his statement. He also hasn’t justified his price tag and the label of Arsenal’s most expensive signing when he was signed.
Ali:- I think for the money we spent on him, his numbers are evidence to what a poor signing he was. I hope his form improves but for a team that struggles away from home spending £56m on a striker who also suffers away from home was poor business. I would sell him as soon as possible and give him playing time to a new younger Striker or Eddie Nketiah. Lacazette is at his peak and will not improve much more than this. Cash in and spend the money on other positions.
Q7) A player from the Invincibles team you would love to have in the current team? Who does he replace in the current team ?
Tempo:- I would love to say Thierry Henry but the one Legend I feel will have a massive impact on the squad would have to Patrick Vieira. It’s a position we’ve not been strong in for quite some time now. He’ll be replacing Lucas Torreira in the team.
Dan:- Patrick Vieira, replacing Dani Ceballos. I’d keep Granit Xhaka playing the deeper midfield role but partner him with Vieira to roam box-to-box. His pressing and ball-winning would improve us so much out of possession and he’d get us up the field more effectively than any of our midfielders do now. Plus the obvious benefits of his presence and leadership.
Max:- Obviously there is the greatest Premier League player ever, Thierry Henry, available for selection, however I would choose Patrick Vieira to come into this current Arsenal side. In all honesty, he could replace any one of our midfielders- it feels like, since he left, we haven’t really had a substantial player to fill the void. Not only is he one of the best midfielders in the league’s history, but his personality and mentality is exactly what we need right now. He has been widely praised by almost every teammate for his incredible captaincy at Arsenal; a rock-hard personality who led the team by example and demanded nothing less than perfection from his teammates. He’d be an excellent addition in the line-up, and an even better one in the dressing-room.
AB:- Tough one, but I will go for Vieira. I think our players have become too soft and they need to be hardened up. They need a leader and a warrior. The current dressing room doesn’t lack talent but it lacks warriors. They need a general when they go to war and I think Vieira will help do exactly that.
Ali:- Has to be one of the central defenders or Patrick Vieira. It’s a tough one but I would go for a prime PV04 in midfield instead of Xhaka. He was a monster of a midfielder and his power was something we have not seen in this Arsenal midfield for quite some time. Obviously Henry was our greatest player ever but I don’t think goals are a problem in this current set up. Defence and midfield balance is far more important so my choice would be Patrick Vieira. If he can’t improve this team then no one can.
Q8) What is it which our premier league rivals are doing, that we aren’t and you would love to see it being implemented at Arsenal?
Tempo:- It would have to Klopp’s ability to put his players into great positions to be successful. He’s devised a winning system that exploits the best qualities from his players which the allows him to hide their deficiencies.
Dan:- This is a controversial one, but I’d like to see us coming down harder on season-ticket holders who leave their seats empty, the way Manchester United do. I know it’s unpopular with their fanbase, and maybe we wouldn’t be quite as harsh as they are, but it’s a joke how often the seats near me are empty. I’d also like Arsenal to make it easier to sell tickets on, taking a smaller cut of the sell-on fee and letting you resell tickets regardless of whether the game is sold out.
They’d lose some money, but the benefits of having a fuller stadium on matchday (good for the team and for the optics when negotiating future commercial deals), as well as allowing more fans to watch their team, would outweigh that. Plus, they’d probably make more money on food, drink and merchandise to partially offset the loss of ticket sales.
Max:- Looking at what we are doing in comparison to what our ‘top six’ rivals are doing, I cannot look past the commendable example of Liverpool. Much like Arsenal, they have owners who invest little, if any, money into the club’s transfer budget. However, the seem to have mastered the ‘self-sustaining’ club model. They have managed to sell lots of players, both deadwood and star players, for excellent prices, giving them the funds to reinvest cleverly in their squad, as shown by the reasonably cheap Mohammed Salah. Liverpool have found the best solution to drive up squad quality without huge owner investments by spending and selling wisely. We need to take a look at what they are doing up in Merseyside and attempt to manage our finances in a similar way.
AB:- I think we should learn from Leicester City. They built a title winning team, lost some of their biggest stars, went close to relegation, changed the manager and have rebuilt again. They haven’t outspent any of the big six clubs but have a better squad than half of them. In an era of Neymars and Mbappes, they are writing their own fairytale once again by giving opportunity to talented players. It is no secret that Arsenal don’t have the same financial muscle power as Chelsea and United so we will have to be smart and find a way back just like Leicester.
Ali:- Having the correct mentality to win games. Arsenal are a very soft side full of soft players who need everything around them to go well before they perform. This current side has never been held accountable for the countless failures they’ve been a part of. Wenger was a big problem, Emery had no hold on this squad so I hope it’s different with Arteta. He needs to hold them accountable for their poor performances. Too many times these players get away with it and that is not the case at our rivals. If you have watched the City documentary “All or Nothing” you would see how much of a hold Pep has on that squad. Firstly there is respect and admiration for the coach, secondly there is a belief that they will improve under him and thirdly and most importantly there is a will to win. Arsenal have a become a victim of their own failures. The jokes online, the constant abuse from our own fans has led to these players not believing in themselves. Arteta needs to give them that belief again. The only way we can progress is if firstly we as fans believe in where he wants to take us, and the players then transmit Arteta’s energy onto the pitch. This is a new beginning and we need to grasp this chance by both hands.
Q9) Honest opinions on Arteta.
Tempo:- Mikel Arteta has been a breath of fresh air. He possibly has one of the hardest tasks in not only the Premier League but European football & that’s getting Arsenal back to being a title challenger/UCL team. Arteta has already got experience working with two great managers in Pep Guardiola and Arsene Wenger. This will help should help him formulate his own style of managing. As of now in 2020, only Liverpool (27) have earned more points than Arsenal (16) he deserves a lot of credit for being able to reinstill confidence & building trust amongst the players. One player that’s has benefited massively from the appointment of Arteta is Granit Xhaka he looks rejuvenated & he’s made the drastic turnaround.
Dan:- Arteta has made a solid start so far. The players clearly believe in his ideas, he’s dealt with off-field issues well, he got us winning games again and definitely made us a bit harder to beat. I think he’s still learning how best to make impactful in-game changes, and that’s probably his biggest area for improvement. But he’s an intelligent guy with the respect of players and fans and that’ll help him overcome his inexperience.
Max:- The way he has improved our defence came as a very welcome surprise; never did I imagine he could better us in such a short time. Despite the slight decline in goals scored since his reign began, it has been worth it to allow our team to refocus on the defensive side. The goals will follow again shortly. He’s stated many times his faith in the attractive football we used to play- ‘The Arsenal Way’ and intends on leading the club back to the days of attacking flair and defensive solidarity. There have been several key signs of good things to come at Arsenal- with backing from the players, the board, and the fans, I’m sure he’ll be a triumph at our club. What I have found most impressive has to be the respect he has already gained amongst the squad. We have already heard many players saying they have felt a refreshing improvement under Arteta, and that is only set to rise. The pinnacle of this is the key role he took in persuading most of the squad into taking the pay cut for the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s a beautiful sight to see a squad wholeheartedly behind the manager.
AB:- It is too early to give a judgement on Arteta but I think he needs to not get too attached to some of his players. We saw Wenger stick with a few players and it did cost us big time. If a player doesn’t fit the team anymore or doesn’t contribute to the side then Arteta should let him go rather than making him a center piece of the rebuild. It doesn’t make sense to push your club’s best player out wide to accommodate another player. Emery was bold enough to let go Wilshere, Freddie as interim manager was bold enough to drop Lacazette and trust Martinelli. Arteta needs to take tough decisions too.
Ali:- My honest opinion is that he needs time. Nobody has any evidence yet that he is cut out for the job. We can only rely on what we see on the pitch and from what players like Luiz have been saying about him. I think it will take time but he has a huge task on his hands to make this a proper top 4 team. We are close but there is still a long way to go to bridge the gap. Arteta understands the values of Arsenal and the suffering the fans have felt so those comments at the start of his tenure about engaging with the fans was very important. He needs to now ensure there is consistency in performances and that players are hungry to play for us and win for us. For too long we’ve had to carry players who have no interest in winning. Arteta strikes me as someone very methodical and astute so I am looking forward to them game by game tactics and analysis. It will take time with the current crop but the players I am most excited for under Arteta are the young guns like Saka, Nelson, Willock, Nketiah and the incoming Saliba. Mikel has a good way with youngsters so he now has a chance to mould these kids not just as players but as human beings. For too long we’ve not had proper Arsenal boys and now we have a whole generation of them coming through, who themselves have been through and seen the pain this club has suffered with.
I would like to thank all the panelists for giving me their time and answering the questions. Thank you all for spending your valuable time on reading this. You can find me on Twitter. Take care, stay safe.
Semperfiarsenal
Die hard Gooner. Always opinionated, not always right. Author of The Fans' View and The Rival Fans' View series.
