When will Arteta be sacked by

[selassie]

It is what it is, I can't be bothered to get stressed about it. The injuries are a big problem and I personally think the Spuds are favourites now for 4th but we can only do what we can do. I think if our run in was a bit more favourable I would have a lot more confident even with the injuries but we have to go to Chelsea, West Ham & The Spuds aswell as a home game against United. It's a big ask for us to expect to finish 4th now.

[selassie]

I’m worried tbf. Monday felt like a bit of a watershed moment for the season. Add the injuries on top of that and it doesn’t feel great.

I expect us to sneak past Brighton and I guess Southampton but after that we’ll need a monumental effort to stay in the hunt. Unless Spurs go all Spursy () we’ll probably need at least 7 points from Chelsea A, United H and West Ham A.

Call me negative, but with the current personnel available to us and presumably available by the time we play those teams, I think we will do well to get 5 points out of those games. 7 points would have been a tough ask even with a fully fit squad, with what we have now we are looking very weak in defence and central midfield.

[IBK]

Anyone thinking about Saka at LB Xhaka and Lokonga in MF and Pepe on the right (need Tommy to return at RB)?

[Chippy]

Anyone thinking about Saka at LB Xhaka and Lokonga in MF and Pepe on the right (need Tommy to return at RB)?

Lol. Tommy is finished for the season mate. Another injury prone player in the ranks.

[LDG]

Anyone thinking about Saka at LB Xhaka and Lokonga in MF and Pepe on the right (need Tommy to return at RB)?

If Tommy was back you could sit Xhaka, but you can’t have two cart horses on the flanks with Cedric and Xhaka.

I see the logic in switching Saka as he’s done it before, and I must admit I thought he was the go to when Tavares was more than a woman versus CP, but you can’t take our (currently) best player and move him from his most effective position.

That said, I’d put Saka right back, have Pepe in front. Put Xhaka LB and Cedric fucks off

[LDG]

I thought we’d get beat on Monday because we seem to be shit against Palace, and we have been for a few years. They’re a team that works fucking hard, and if you don’t match that, you’ll get picked off.

We lost it in midfield, because Partey got bossed. They put major pressure on him and he collapsed. Xhaka simply can’t keep up with the energy and strength palace showed. Vieira knows if you win the middle you control the pace…

In games like that, you have to send the fear of the reaper up the arse of a team by having a striker/strikers who require midfield attention. Frankly a back to goal Lacazette was not going to put the wind up them.

The problem is a light squad with no reliable deputy wing backs, one “one” trick pony upfront, and Xhaka who can’t play under pressure

[I am invisible]

Anyone thinking about Saka at LB Xhaka and Lokonga in MF and Pepe on the right (need Tommy to return at RB)?

Briefly. I don’t think we can afford to lose Saka from the press and the attack, though. No one else is scoring atm.

If we go back to 4231 and a double-pivot in midfield (Xhaka and Sambi), I think I’d stick with Nuno and hope he can play himself back into the kind of confidence he was showing earlier in the season. Maybe bring in Holding and move White to RB to balance it (assuming Tomi’s still out)? If the crowd get behind him and give him an early roar of support I think that’ll make a big difference to him.

(And if he doesn’t get the start today I think that’s him done here.)

Saka stays where he is for me, but I do think there’s a conversation to be had about Lacazette now - our expectations of him have dropped so low that he pretty much gets a free pass on goal-scoring (which is absolutely crazy), but I’m not sure he’s even offering that much on hold-up play any more? Certainly nothing that Smith Rowe or Martinelli or Pepe couldn’t do. I just wish we’d tried it weeks ago when we were on a run, for 30 minutes here and there on the 60 min mark, instead of leaving it until it’s critical and not having a fucking clue how it will work! Then again, if Laca isn’t scoring, doesn’t even get in the box and isn’t even doing a great job of holding it up then we quite literally have nothing to lose.

[I am invisible]

(Although, for the record, I don’t expect we’ll touch Lacazette at this point - it would probably be one too many key changes for Arteta on top of both fullbacks and changing CM. At the very least I’d like to see us try something other than Eddie when we sub him off, though - at least try something different at that point.)

[Chippy]

Bye bye Mikel.

Rubbish!

[Marc Overmars]

Paid the price for such a ridiculously thin squad and no rotation. Options are non-existent outside the first 11.