Quote Originally Posted by IBK View Post

More worrying is the fact that by all accounts we looked utterly spent...and that our vulnerability to quick transitions when playing far too high up the pitch has been a distinct feature of this season.

As much as I thought winning the LC would be good for the players (and I stand by that) maybe it's not such a bad thing to be beaten by Liverpool in the final or even worse Spuds. In retrospect we should really have played kids/reserves in that competition from start to finish, where it's good experience and losing would not be something to criticise anyone for

I'm sure Dubai will help, and it's as silly to look at last night's game and conclude that we are a shit team as it is for us to look at Sunday and believe we are world beaters. But our frailties and squad deficiencies are there for all to see, and looking across the current season, this is not a team that is going to win anything, alas.
yes we are spent but I do think Dubai will help.

I also think Arteta is going to have to think ever more laterally - e.g. from what it says about Butler-Oyedeji on the website, he's played a bit in League One, where teams mix it a bit, can he really not be given 15-20 minutes at at the end of a game to give Havertz a breather?

As for not winning anything, the league is gone and yes the CL looks like a very remote possibility, especially with Martinelli now out

I think Arteta will hopefully get funds this summer to either get Isak or Sesko or the like, plus one or two more, but then he's got one more season AFAIC before serious questions have to be asked