Summer '21 transfer lunacy and overpayment

[Gooner23]

Looks like Xhaka is off to Roma.

Does that leave us needing 2 centre mids or will it be Willock & AMN competing for the spots next season?

[Globalgunner]

Looks like Xhaka is off to Roma.

Does that leave us needing 2 centre mids or will it be Willock & AMN competing for the spots next season?

Dont tease me with good news rumours. Its the hope that kills

[I am invisible]

Looks like Xhaka is off to Roma.

Does that leave us needing 2 centre mids or will it be Willock & AMN competing for the spots next season?

Has to be 2 coming in...

Replacement for Ceballos - we’ve put that one off for two years now...

And a replacement for Xhaka if he goes.

Can see Willock getting a shot too, unless we’re desperate for cash.

Don’t ask what we’re looking for coming in though! Been linked to a lot of players, but almost all completely different. Hard to guess what we might do without knowing how we want to play next year?

[Chippy]

Yeah, but we've still got the longest pier in the UK

Keeps Jamie Oliver at arm's length, so I guess it's good for something other than catching fire.

[Letters]

One pier in Europe, there's only one pier in Europe

[Chippy]

One pier in Europe, there's only one pier in Europe

[IBK]

Yeah, it's a nice thought.

Tbh though, I'm finding it really difficult to judge just how good / bad our attackers have been at the moment - the team has been so disjointed and unbalanced for so much of the season (playing without creatives for the first 14 games, having no first-choice RB, losing Tierney every 3rd game, having no passers in the back line when Luiz is out, problems linking midfield to attack when Partey is out, etc, etc) that it's hard to say how much of our attacking woes are actually down to them and how much is the team being dysfunctional?

I'm not even sure where Saka is going to play next season, yet? He's looked good on the right, but Pepe is also starting to find his feet there, and if we end up going for someone like Buendia then he also plays / covers that side - wouldn't be at all surprised if we see Saka back on the left next year. Wherever he plays, though, they need to keep him there - can't keep bouncing him around like this forever.

That is a very good point. I for one don't buy the idea that Auba is shot or doesn't care, for example. He has shown movement and at times killer finishing (scoring some goals that noone apart from Pepe in our team would pull off). But as you point out our obsession with keeping possession and ponderous vertical ball movement has left us too often facing a low block with no space for him to operate in. Too many times we have resorted to crosses because we are opushed out wide. Auba will never be a Giroud - who was built far more for these situations, and in fact we have no attacking players who can effectively do so. It's no coincidence that all our attacking players have looked far far better with space to operate in, and quick ball...plus 2 proper MF's.

[Mac76]

That is a very good point. I for one don't buy the idea that Auba is shot or doesn't care, for example. He has shown movement and at times killer finishing (scoring some goals that noone apart from Pepe in our team would pull off). But as you point out our obsession with keeping possession and ponderous vertical ball movement has left us too often facing a low block with no space for him to operate in. Too many times we have resorted to crosses because we are opushed out wide. Auba will never be a Giroud - who was built far more for these situations, and in fact we have no attacking players who can effectively do so. It's no coincidence that all our attacking players have looked far far better with space to operate in, and quick ball...plus 2 proper MF's.

i think Laca's the one best suited to it as he can turn in small spaces and hold the ball up etc. He had a good season and while i know a lot of people say get rid and i understand why, if the circumstances were right i'd be tempted to keep him around

[Mac76]

And a replacement for Xhaka if he goes.

I'm sure there are plenty of players available who are slow, pass sideways or backwards, give the ball away plus get regularly booked and sent off

[I am invisible]

That is a very good point. I for one don't buy the idea that Auba is shot or doesn't care, for example. He has shown movement and at times killer finishing (scoring some goals that noone apart from Pepe in our team would pull off). But as you point out our obsession with keeping possession and ponderous vertical ball movement has left us too often facing a low block with no space for him to operate in. Too many times we have resorted to crosses because we are opushed out wide. Auba will never be a Giroud - who was built far more for these situations, and in fact we have no attacking players who can effectively do so. It's no coincidence that all our attacking players have looked far far better with space to operate in, and quick ball...plus 2 proper MF's.

He definitely cares - you could see how frustrated he was getting at times - but his head just hasn’t been in it this year. Too many personal problems. Honestly, I’m not sure we’ll ever see him hitting 30 goals for us again, but no way will we see a season as bad as this one from him again either.

Get cover for Tierney and settle on a LW, build out a right side to match the left (and get them both the stop hammering crosses at him in the air - on the deck, please), get the extra creative, get CMs that can move the ball faster quicker, get CBs who can play higher and allow us to keep the pressure on... it’ll help.

I can see Auba and Willock posing an interesting dual-threat, maybe in a 433, if they ever get the chance to play better: one will push defenders back, almost to their own goal line, and the other forces you to step out because if his well-timed, late runs into the box, so who do you mark? Could be useful for stretching defences vertically and causing a vital bit of indecision.