With Premier League’s start just a few days away from restarting as per the latest reports, I have with me 5 Arsenal accounts who will discuss about which formation suits us better, youth development, Pepe, David Luiz – keep or sell, Martinelli – Future striker or winger and a lot more!!
People’s Twitter handles are linked to their names where they’ve given their justifications, so feel free to shout at them directly.
Q1) Do you think Emery was sacked at the right time ? How do you rate his tenure ?
William:- I think the board had too much faith in him towards the end, if it was up to me he would’ve been sacked a month or two earlier. The fact he left us in a worse than position when he took over, despite breaking our transfer record, shows his tenure was definitely unsuccessful.
Evan:- No. I think the right time to sack him would’ve been after the Leicester defeat. Emery had lost the dressing room during the end of his tenure and the fans too. I would only not say earlier as I thought he deserved at least a chance to turn it around with a big result. Overall, I do feel for him as there was some factors outside of his control but his tactics and methodology simply didn’t suit a club of Arsenal’s size.
Eduardo:- I think Unai Emery’s reign at Arsenal should’ve ended way earlier than against Frankfurt. Ideally, against Leicester City. The board dilated the inevitable for way too long. We will see how much those games affect us in the end. I would say a 5/10. Yes, in the end it ended up as a catastrophe but there were good moments as well. We can’t deny that.
GunnerOzil:- I personally think that he should’ve been sacked way earlier then he was. How would I rate Unai’s tenure ? To be honest Emery has all my respect for taking the job at Arsenal. Man loves football, breathes football, is a workaholic and is passionate, but that’s not enough. We’ve had some pretty fun times early in his reign. The 22 games unbeaten run, beating Spurs 4-2 and couple of “WengerBall” goals. I liked how he made changes during the half time it showed he wasn’t afraid to hook a player off if they’re not performing well. But as Wenger said in one of his interviews “For a real manager, the real job is in the crisis. When you have a flow it goes well and it’s all good. As soon as you have a crisis, then comes the talent of the manager,”. In the second season the attacking mentality was completely lost and Emery tried to force in a defensive mindset,which the players didn’t take in well. Emery lost it when the identity had disappeared. Players were confused as to what he was asking of them and it really showed on pitch.
Worldwide:- I think we got rid of him a bit too late. The Europa League finals defeat to Chelsea was when the board should’ve given him the sack. I loved Emery’s passion and desire to succeed at Arsenal, you could see that he was trying but ultimately he wasn’t the right man to help Arsenal progress.
Q2) Which system do you think suits us better : 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3?
William:- With the current team 4-2-3-1 helps to fit in our best players, it lets Özil play in his favoured number 10 role and has worked relatively well since Arteta took over. However, in the future I could see us opting for a 4-3-3 as it suits the modern Premier League era better.
Evan:- Currently, 4-2-3-1, but in the long run, 4-3-3. I think currently we don’t have that attacking 8 who can take us into a 4-3-3 and Ozil fits into that traditional 10 spot in a 4-2-3-1 better than anyone else we have at the moment.
Eduardo:- That will depend on the personnel available once we start next season. Right now, 4-2-3-1 is the best we can hope for, but I’m sure 4-3-3 will be better long term once we sign a new CM and AM.
GunnerOzil:- I think that 4-3-3 is the way to go. the 4-3-3 can overwhelm, confuse, and force the opposition back towards their goal. With the pace and movement of the attackers, the supporting fullbacks, and offensive midfielders we really have a great chance of dominating every game with this formation considering we have the pacy forwards and fullbacks.
We would thrive in this formation and Arteta has gained his experience under Pep who primarily uses this formation. Still many things depend on the players who we bring in and sell however.
Worldwide:- Although we’ve looked much better playing 4-2-3-1 under Arteta, if we signed a player like Thomas Partey who we’ve been heavily linked with and a creative #8, I think 4-3-3 is the way to go but based on current personnel I’d keep the 4-2-3-1 formation.
Q3) Martinelli – a future winger or striker?
William:- For me, Martinelli has always been a #9. His instinctive movement in and around the box suits a central role, whilst I feel like he struggles to beat a defender in a one on one situation.
Evan:- Whatever position he wants to play. Martinelli has such immense dribbling potential, finishing potential and his movement is already very good. I honestly believe he could play LW or Striker and succeed in either.
Eduardo:- Without the shadow of a doubt that he should be our future CF. His style is perfect. His movement around the box is immense for such a young age. Hopefully he transitions like Ronaldo Nazario did at PSV. From LW to CF.
GunnerOzil:- In my opinion Martinelli is best played at wing. Playing as an inside forward, on the wing, seems to be more suited to his skillset. He can score all types of goals. He has the pace and work rate to become one of the best in the league, if we develop him right.
Worldwide:- Striker according to me. One more season of Aubameyang (this depending on if he’s going to re-signed or not), then allow Martinelli to settle into that role. We’ve seen how great of goal scorer Martinelli is at the age of 18, he definitely has what it takes to become a world class player for us.
Q4) Describe Pepé’s season so far. What rating would you give him out of 10 ?
William:- With 6 goals and 8 assists in all competitions this season, I would give Pépé a 7/10. A lot of people forget that we’ve had 3 separate managers this season and have comfortably been the worst Arsenal side of the Emirates era, this wouldn’t help him settle in and the price tag adds a lot of pressure onto his shoulders. All in all he has been one of our better players and there’s still so much more to come.
Evan:- I’d give Pepe a 6/10 for his first season. Whilst on goal-terms he hasn’t had a season anything like his last year for Lille, the other aspects of his game have been very good. 14 goal contributions in a season heavily offset by managerial changes, country and league adaptation and staggered game time is not bad.
Eduardo:- Coming from a different league to a new country with a different culture and completely different system to play in is a very hard task. He has been good this season in my opinion, but we all know he can do much better. From next season on, he will have no excuses. I fully believe he will become what we all want. I’d say 7/10 this season, everything considered.
GunnerOzil:- A lot of fans don’t rate him currently because he didn’t justify his fees straight away. He has scored 6 goals and assisted 8 times for us in all competitions, despite having played under three managers in what is one of the toughest phases for the club. Pepe reminds me a lot of Alexis. In games where nobody is creating or nothing seems to be woring for us, he tries to dribble past players, he tries to make something happen. He’s good on the set pieces as well. Just to put things in perspective, Son and Sane in their first season in the Premier League scored 4 goals, so just have patience, he will come good. I would rate his season 7/10. The best is yet to come.
Worldwide:- You have to remember, this is Nicolas Pépé’s first season in England, he’s played under three different managers and he’s adapting to a whole new league.He has 14 G/A in 32 apps in all comps and has contributed a goal or assist every 135 mins this season in all competitions. He is one of the best dribblers in the league but he needs to improve his end product. For £72m, are these the greatest numbers? Of course not. Do I think he’ll be a success for Arsenal? Definitely. I think we’ve just got to be a little patience. His time will come. I’ll give a 7/10 for this season.
Q5) Which player did you come to like even if you didn’t earlier ?
William:- Tanguy Ndombele of Tottenham. It’s easy to look at his recent form and think he has been a flop, however he is a joy to watch on the pitch. I think his best trait is his press resistance, assuming he doesn’t leave Spurs I can see him developing into one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.
Evan:- Granit Xhaka. I think many Arsenal fans will relate when I say he wasn’t in my goodbooks after the Crystal Palace game. However, since Emery’s departure I’ve begun to appreciate his quality more and I can proudly say he’s won me over.
Eduardo:- I will have to say Raúl Jiménez. I followed his whole career and he was never this good. Late bloomer, but now he is one of best CFs in the league. My props to him.
GunnerOzil:- Romelu Lukaku. I felt me was overrated because he under-performed at United and Chelsea as well. But at Inter he’s smashing it and him being very vocal about the issues black players face, like racism in Italian football, made me like and respect him a lot more.
Worldwide:- Cesc Fabregas. He was probably my favourite Arsenal player at one point during the late 2010s. When I saw him wearing a Barcelona shirt during the World Cup 2010 celebrations, I knew his time at Arsenal was coming up and then when he left Arsenal, the way he did, I slowly began to dislike him. After a short stint at Barcelona, he then joined Chelsea which is when I officially cut ties with him. But talking to the Arseblog podcast recently, he has said some good things about Arsenal which made me change the way I feel about him. For example, one thing that stuck out for me is when he said “Every game I played for Arsenal was very special. The club meant everything to me. I remember the day I joined like it was yesterday. I didn’t have a chance to say ‘bye’ but thank you for everything you did for me.I have you all [the fans in my heart].”
Q6) If there’s one player that would cost less than €20m you want – who is that?
William:- Jeremie Boga would be number one on my list. He would offer us a balance in attack, since he operates as an inverted left winger and gives us a big goal threat meaning we can rely less on just Aubameyang to put the ball in the back of the net. In the current climate he wouldn’t cost more than €20m and according to various reports Chelsea have declined to exercise their buy back clause.
Evan:- Todd Cantwell. €20m may be hopeful but I believe Norwich will be badly in need of money this summer and a relegation on top of that could drop Cantwell’s price significantly. Young, skillful, intelligent, a perfect player to grow into that attacking 8 for us.
Eduardo:- Not much can be done with €20m but there’s a player that would be a fantastic buy in that range and his name is Dominik Szoboszlai. The Hungarian is extremely talented. He would be great in a 4-3-3 as LCM for Arteta. Another Salzburg gem.
GunnerOzil:- I think we should go for Club Brugge forward Emmanuel Dennis. He’s a very versatile player and can play in different roles and systems. Rumoured price is under £20m, massive potential and wouldn’t be on high wages.
Worldwide:- Adil Aouchiche. He’s a free agent this summer. He’s one of the best youngsters in the world and has the potential to be a top, top player. This is deal I feel Arsenal can’t miss out because just like Saliba, he’s another Frenchman with a bag of potential. Arsenal have been linked with Aouchiche heavily in recent weeks so I hope something comes out of it.
Q7) What can we do as fans to create right atmosphere for youth development?
William:- First and foremost we have to be positive no matter what. Confidence is so fragile for young Premier League players and anything negative said on social media can therefore impact their confidence. Arteta is the man who will ultimately help them to develop as footballers but as long as we stay supportive they can only go in one direction.
Evan:- We need patience. To be demanding but also understanding. The young players have to know they’re in a place where they can play with confidence and not have to fear making a mistake. That is the way they will grow to be better players and will be appreciative of having that environment.
Eduardo:- First and foremost, not over-criticize our youngsters when they have a bad game. Which is something we all do. In the end, they’re youngsters and they will commit mistakes either way. Also, loans to Bundesliga teams like Mavropanos would be a good way to getting them playing time and experience.
GunnerOzil:- We all know that youth development needs time and we need to be patient with the youngster we’ve got in our squad. We need to be supportive throughout and not go after players whenever they have bad games. Remember they are as old as some of us or even younger. Our support and positive tone towards them will help them a lot
Worldwide:- First and foremost, we’ve got to support our youth in the good times and the bad times. Praise them when they do good, and never ever bash them when they play bad. I’ve seen a lot of Arsenal “fans” bash our youth when they don’t play well and it damages their confidence, some players can’t come back from that. We as fans have to keep supporting, and make sure to never abuse our players.
Q8) David Luiz apparently has signed only a one year contract and is a free agent after 30th June. Should we keep him or sell? Why do you think so?
William:- Luiz has been our best defender this season. Losing him on a free would be detrimental to our hopes of a top 4 finish next season. Not only would we lose his ability but his leadership on the pitch can be seen by all who watch. Furthermore he could almost mentor Saliba, helping him to release his potential.
Evan:- I think if Luiz is willing to take a paycut to stay then it would be smart to keep him on the books. This season he’s been our best CB and is an invaluable personality to have at the club with bucket-loads of winning experience to share with the young players.
Eduardo:- David Luiz has been the best CB at Arsenal this season in my opinion. However, £120k a week is not a minor wage. I would try to re-negotiate and agree a lower and if that can’t happen then let him leave and invest in a younger CB.
GunnerOzil:- I think Pablo Mari and Saliba will start to play as a pair from next season onwards and Luiz can integrate both of them slowly into our system. Luiz has been great under Arteta, he’s also the most senior guy in the squad and is a good role model. He can help our youngsters and is a positive figure at the club. David Luiz was always a temporary solution for us. I’d keep him for another season.
Worldwide:- I’d keep Luiz and extend his contract. He’s been our best centre back since Arteta has come in. His leadership on and off the pitch this season is irreplaceable. I feel he will be a role model for Saliba next season. For me, he’s one of the best bargain signings Arsenal have had in recent times. One of the few we have in the team that displays the gritty determination we have been lacking for a long time.
Q9) Honest opinions on Arteta.
William:- Appointing Mikel Arteta as manager of Arsenal is the single best decision the board has made this season. He has already brought a breath of fresh air to the club and results would back this up. In the league we are unbeaten in 2020 due to an improved defence. His experience working closely with Guardiola and Wenger is significant and should help to shape him into a top manager. As long as he is backed this summer he will be a huge success at Emirates Stadium.
Evan:- I’m a very big fan of Arteta. I wanted him for a while before he came and in my opinion he’s perfect for us. Fantastic man management and player improvement which is going to be amazing for the young players, tactically superb and arguably the most important – he knows Arsenal like the back of his hand. He knows how we play, what our values are, a lot of the things we lost under Unai Emery. It will take time, but I think Arteta will be a big success at this club.
Eduardo:- Love Arteta. I’m fully behind him. He has everything to lead us back to glory and restructure the mess we have been these last couple of years. The only concern I have is his use of substitutions. He sometimes waits too long. But he will learn with experience. Let’s hope he can become what we all want him to be!
GunnerOzil:- Love him! Under Arteta I can see the spark and the excitement of again playing attacking and free flowing football. Arteta has his priorities right, sort the defence and ball retention out first, then focus on creative freedom. Pep’s Barca and City, Klopp’s Liverpool and Mourinho’s past dominant teams were all based on this philosophy. It’s how trophy-winning teams grind results out without playing at their best. It’s not a surprise that Liverpool got Van Dijk and went straight from contenders to actually winning the thing. Arteta’s impact is clear, we’ve kept 7 clean sheets under him in last 15 games and conceded only 12 goals. If the board backs him up in the transfer window and he gets the players he wants then I can see a very bright future for our club.
Worldwide:- Mikel Arteta has had a fantastic start to Arsenal. Arteta’s appointment was a brilliant choice. The spirit within the team has changed, whether it’s running or tracking and the players look hungry to win games. Arteta has got the best out of all of our players, even guys like Mustafi and Xhaka who some of our fans were adamant they weren’t good enough. They aren’t the greatest players in the world but Arteta has certainly improved them. I hope the board backs him and gives him the players he needs. I’m so excited to see what the future holds for him at Arsenal.
I would like to thank all the fans above for giving me their time and answering the questions. Thanks you all for spending your valuable time on reading this. You can find me on Twitter. Take care, stay safe.
