Summer Transfers 2025 Missed Opportunities and Regrets

[HCZ_Reborn]

Though additionally if we want players that are better at trapping long balls, this is why I’ve weighed in heavily in favour of us signing Morgan Rodgers.

Plus In Zubimendi we have signed someone who has immensely good passing range so that will help in terms of transition play

[Niall_Quinn]

Fair enough, I disagree that Gyokeres is a better striker. I think the difference is the respective levels both are playing at

As for the system. I think we are often at danger of over complicating things. If we want quicker more efficient football, we simply don’t play two defensive midfielders in every game. Fruitless sideways passing is a consequence of teams getting back into position rather than a feature of how we intend to play. I think we want to sign more players who have a good first touch and do well against the press. Sesko is one such player

The speed at which we transition the ball from back to front is what's key in breaking down ANY type of defence. As Arsenal fans above all others we should be fully aware of this, having watched Wenger's earlier teams mercilessly destroy all-comers in seconds, often scoring goals from THEIR corners! We know this, we have seen this with our own eyes, experienced it and it was mightily successful. We should have won a CL on the back of it but we fucked it up in a one-off match. That's the target - where we are now it the low water mark, tip, tap, drip, drip, drip. Slooooooooooow - plodding, ponderous, over and over and over again, backs to goal, players gesturing furiously for somebody else to get upfield and then turning around and passing it backwards, taking 20 minutes over a throw or free kick, Raya fucking around at the back. And plenty more besides - the utter frustration of the modern Arsenal game. CONFIRMED as being down to Arteta who plans it all so meticulously "we don't even need to think"!

Why do you think he wants Sesko over Gyokeres? Think about how Havertz is deployed. Now stick Sesko in there and that's the vision for 2025/26 and beyond. Okay so Zubi's a better passer - agreed, but Odegard was a good passer too until he was bored to death by our system. Who is Zubi passing to? Saka - with his back to goal? Havertz/ Sesko - with his back to goal? Martinelli/ Williams with his back to goal? Or 3 yards to Rice, 5 yards backwards to Saliba, 7 yards through the middle to an out of position MLS with his back to goal inside the opposition box? He's not going to be spraying passes in behind the wide defenders for our wingers to chase is he? Or putting the ball over the top for Sesko to fight for. Not in Arteta's world.

If we brought in Gyokeres or Isak Arteta would be FORCED to change the system or else it would be a complete waste of time. Think of the players we have who could benefit from a more direct game. Rice, Partey, Martinelli, Trossard, Saka, Nwaneri, MLS, Ode... well okay not him, even Cala, Merino. They are all WASTED in the current system, fucking about racking up stats instead of goals.

Can't you see the writing on the wall with Arteta's choices?

[Niall_Quinn]

Though additionally if we want players that are better at trapping long balls, this is why I’ve weighed in heavily in favour of us signing Morgan Rodgers.

Plus In Zubimendi we have signed someone who has immensely good passing range so that will help in terms of transition play

Don't know anything about Rodgers, but if he's a bastard that can run and knows where the goal is, sign him up!

[Niall_Quinn]

If Gyokeres comes to another team in the PL i'm betting a handsome sum at the bookies that he outscores Sesko if that's who we go for, a) because he's a better striker and b) because Arteta, as NQ, KSE and others point out, Arteta is wedded to a failed system

Bookies won't take bets on sure things. Gyokeres could rejuvenate an almost clapped out Utd, I'd be breaking the bank for him in their situation. Except they already burned the bank down and pissed on the ashes. I wonder can they afford him even?

[HCZ_Reborn]

The speed at which we transition the ball from back to front is what's key in breaking down ANY type of defence. As Arsenal fans above all others we should be fully aware of this, having watched Wenger's earlier teams mercilessly destroy all-comers in seconds, often scoring goals from THEIR corners! We know this, we have seen this with our own eyes, experienced it and it was mightily successful. We should have won a CL on the back of it but we fucked it up in a one-off match. That's the target - where we are now it the low water mark, tip, tap, drip, drip, drip. Slooooooooooow - plodding, ponderous, over and over and over again, backs to goal, players gesturing furiously for somebody else to get upfield and then turning around and passing it backwards, taking 20 minutes over a throw or free kick, Raya fucking around at the back. And plenty more besides - the utter frustration of the modern Arsenal game. CONFIRMED as being down to Arteta who plans it all so meticulously "we don't even need to think"!

Why do you think he wants Sesko over Gyokeres? Think about how Havertz is deployed. Now stick Sesko in there and that's the vision for 2025/26 and beyond. Okay so Zubi's a better passer - agreed, but Odegard was a good passer too until he was bored to death by our system. Who is Zubi passing to? Saka - with his back to goal? Havertz/ Sesko - with his back to goal? Martinelli/ Williams with his back to goal? Or 3 yards to Rice, 5 yards backwards to Saliba, 7 yards through the middle to an out of position MLS with his back to goal inside the opposition box? He's not going to be spraying passes in behind the wide defenders for our wingers to chase is he? Or putting the ball over the top for Sesko to fight for. Not in Arteta's world.

If we brought in Gyokeres or Isak Arteta would be FORCED to change the system or else it would be a complete waste of time. Think of the players we have who could benefit from a more direct game. Rice, Partey, Martinelli, Trossard, Saka, Nwaneri, MLS, Ode... well okay not him, even Cala, Merino. They are all WASTED in the current system, fucking about racking up stats instead of goals.

Can't you see the writing on the wall with Arteta's choices?

Like a lot of your posts, a lot of writing to say not a lot

The reason we became all sideways passing and slow build up under Wenger was because teams found us out, they made sure they didn’t overcommit to be liable to the break that you talk about.

It wasn’t a result of tactical stubbornness that meant that City spent the whole game playing in front of Palace two weeks ago, it was because Palace were incredibly disciplined, even when they broke they made sure they didn’t overcommit and it was only near the end where they began to tire that the game got stretched.

Where we want to get to is having players who can operate in restricted space so we are not having to overcommit to get goals and where we can exploit the space left by other teams who have to overcommit to get back into the game.

And then we equally have the direct pace merchants like Saka, Martinelli to punish teams on the counter when they do

[HCZ_Reborn]

Bookies won't take bets on sure things. Gyokeres could rejuvenate an almost clapped out Utd, I'd be breaking the bank for him in their situation. Except they already burned the bank down and pissed on the ashes. I wonder can they afford him even?

He could, but I’m betting more likely that he’d be dragged down by the mediocrity around him, they are close to flogging Bruno Fernandes

[Mac76]

Don't know anything about Rodgers, but if he's a bastard that can run and knows where the goal is, sign him up!

I'd take him at Arsenal, Villa missed out on the CL so maybe he could be pried away

He's not an out amd out striker though so it doesn't solve that issue

[Niall_Quinn]

Like a lot of your posts, a lot of writing to say not a lot

The reason we became all sideways passing and slow build up under Wenger was because teams found us out, they made sure they didn’t overcommit to be liable to the break that you talk about.

It wasn’t a result of tactical stubbornness that meant that City spent the whole game playing in front of Palace two weeks ago, it was because Palace were incredibly disciplined, even when they broke they made sure they didn’t overcommit and it was only near the end where they began to tire that the game got stretched.

Where we want to get to is having players who can operate in restricted space so we are not having to overcommit to get goals and where we can exploit the space left by other teams who have to overcommit to get back into the game.

And then we equally have the direct pace merchants like Saka, Martinelli to punish teams on the counter when they do

Well it's quite strange then, seeing as we have the best defence in the league yet we look like utter shit just by Liverpool humping long balls to Salah, or their fullbacks attacking us at pace. It's odd how every defence that has to face a bit of pace and directness suddenly turns to shite. Your insistence that everything has to be played at a snail's pace because defenders defend is about as compelling as you claiming Gyokeres has been playing at a lower level than Sesko. Neither true at all, there are maybe, what, two half decent teams in the German league? Sesko plays for neither. And it's just common sense to say giving defenders less time to do all that defending you think is impenetrable is a better bet than playing snooker in front of a massed ten behind the ball who stroll from defensive shape to defensive shape without a care in the world. Pep conned a lot of people, including you.

[Niall_Quinn]

I'd take him at Arsenal, Villa missed out on the CL so maybe he could be pried away

He's not an out amd out striker though so it doesn't solve that issue

Yeah well, we're getting Havertz and Odegard again so I guess we best get used to it.

[Niall_Quinn]

He could, but I’m betting more likely that he’d be dragged down by the mediocrity around him, they are close to flogging Bruno Fernandes

Possibly, probably, but if they don't stage a comeback by some means or another they are going to be down for a long spell, and maybe even out. They can't afford to NOT sign some players to dig them out. It'll be sickening if the striker we need ends up there.