Summer Transfers 2025 Missed Opportunities and Regrets

[HCZ_Reborn]

Look, if you pass the ball from the keeper to a defender and then across to the next defender, and back again, then forwards, then sideways, then backwards, etc - and you do this 40 times in the space of 2-3 minutes all whilst only progressing the ball 2 meters from the 18 yard box then any team in the world can get their whole squad back in defense to sit and wait for the attack to come in.

It's not rocket science.

We are more often than not the architects of our own downfall in that regard.

I will absolutely insist on it as being true, as I sat there watching it every week for the last 16 games of that season.
We were quicker moving the ball and more decisive in our passing and shooting.

This season just gone we have changed our style to the shit we had to endure, and whilst there is no doubt teams have been far more cautious against us, our own slow sideways passing, build up play is 50% to blame.

No it’s not Rocket Science, neither is it a coherent tactic. In that it’s not a tactic at all

It’s players playing it safe because they don’t have the confidence to play it forward

We are ourselves susceptible to the counter attack, especially given we hold a high defensive line so a lot of it comes down to fear of being dispossessed. And you’re right then teams have the time to get back into position by the time we do get the ball forward but in many cases they aren’t overcommitting to begin with

The solution is to have quick dribblers who are comfortable on the ball under pressure to the extent that they are happy to carry the ball forward, it means we aren’t having to overcommit and leave ourselves vulnerable to the counter and it means we can make space against obdurate sides.

Sitting back and hoping sides overcommit in attack so that we can launch a counter attack is like sitting in all day waiting for a package to be delivered, often futile

[Mac76]

Look, if you pass the ball from the keeper to a defender and then across to the next defender, and back again, then forwards, then sideways, then backwards, etc - and you do this 40 times in the space of 2-3 minutes all whilst only progressing the ball 2 meters from the 18 yard box then any team in the world can get their whole squad back in defense to sit and wait for the attack to come in.

It's not rocket science.

We are more often than not the architects of our own downfall in that regard.

I will absolutely insist on it as being true, as I sat there watching it every week for the last 16 games of that season.
We were quicker moving the ball and more decisive in our passing and shooting.

This season just gone we have changed our style to the shit we had to endure, and whilst there is no doubt teams have been far more cautious against us, our own slow sideways passing, build up play is 50% to blame.

Yup, I too was one of the mugs who paid to go along and watch tedious football played by a team whose manager wanted them to be the kings of control, only he'd paid no attention to how we maximise that control and so we end up with the Horseshoe of Death

The best games - Citeh and Real - were against teams who didn't deploy the low block, but everyone knows that's how to defeat us

The irony is that in brief moments we've seen that most if not all of our players can transition quickly, but 99% of the time our system and style prevents it

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

In more transfer news, Partey is quite likely leaving as we are unable to agree personal terms.

It seems the sticking point is he wants us to increase his wages and we obviously don't want to. Obviously the Saudis and the other European clubs sniffing around have all assured him they'll meet his wage demands.

As much as I'm his no 1 fan, a new contract of £200k week for 32 year old who's not a creative player seems fair enough to me.

The thing is, we should have never allowed his contract to run down in the first place as we were never going to be able to match what others would to lure him over. This is another obvious own goal on our part.....what a great transfer window this is turning out to be!

[Marc Overmars]

Huge gamble letting Partey go but then I also believe him staying injury free last season was a bit of good fortune. I could easily see a scenario where we give him a new deal and he follows that up with unreliability again.

A lot of pressure on Zubimendi to be an instant hit.

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

Huge gamble letting Partey go but then I also believe him staying injury free last season was a bit of good fortune. I could easily see a scenario where we give him a new deal and he follows that up with unreliability again.

A lot of pressure on Zubimendi to be an instant hit.

Pressure that isn't needed and will probably be "the excuse" for whatever may happen this season.....oh I'm assuming they do get in their striker BTW.

Honestly it was pretty clear earlier this year that we weren't winning the league, so why we seem so terribly prepared for this summer is turning into something we might need a public inquiry on, or should I say inquest?

[HCZ_Reborn]

In more transfer news, Partey is quite likely leaving as we are unable to agree personal terms.

It seems the sticking point is he wants us to increase his wages and we obviously don't want to. Obviously the Saudis and the other European clubs sniffing around have all assured him they'll meet his wage demands.

As much as I'm his no 1 fan, a new contract of £200k week for 32 year old who's not a creative player seems fair enough to me.

The thing is, we should have never allowed his contract to run down in the first place as we were never going to be able to match what others would to lure him over. This is another obvious own goal on our part.....what a great transfer window this is turning out to be!

A year ago can you honestly say you would have extended his contract given his injury record ?

[HCZ_Reborn]

https://www.skysports.com/football/n...arsenal-target

If Leipzig want 85.5 million for him, we probably should look elsewhere. Ekitike, Watkins (would be bottom
of the barrel), Jonathan David and Martinez.

Especially if Sesko isn’t going to force the issue

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

A year ago can you honestly say you would have extended his contract given his injury record ?

Yes, because the team without him has never impressed me nor looked solid enough.

What they should have done last summer was offer a contract of 2 years (that's one additional year). This would have allowed Rice and Merino an additional year to bond, plus given Zubumendi a year to play with him, since it was always clear he wouldn't move last summer.

Also if we'd added an extra 20-50k it would have meant the deal cost no more than an additional £4m (in total), which would have also given us room to push for a sale within the additional year and turn a profit.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Yes, because the team without him has never impressed me nor looked solid enough.

What they should have done last summer was offer a contract of 2 years (that's one additional year). This would have allowed Rice and Merino an additional year to bond, plus given Zubumendi a year to play with him, since it was always clear he wouldn't move last summer.

Also if we'd added an extra 20-50k it would have meant the deal cost no more than an additional £10m (in total), which would have also given us room to push for a sale within the additional year and recover some if not all of that £10m.

He was only in the team in the back end of the 2023-2024 season and he stunk the place out. So actually it could be argued that we got on better without him. I like him a lot as a player but to suggest he was worthwhile of a contract extension back in the summer of 2024 is to rewrite history.

It’s also why I don’t really take a lot of your criticisms of the club seriously, because it starts as I say from the unshifting position “the club is badly run” and then tries to shoe horn everything that happens into that model

It makes perfect sense for me to have waited to see how often he played (and how he performed) in 2024-2025 before seeking to offer him a new contract. And I’m glad even you seem to agree that the club shouldn’t be held to ransom over his contract. I’d rather have him at the club than Merino but frankly I’d still get rid of Merino as well (because with Zubimendi and Rice the no6 position is covered) and then we can look at buying two creative midfielders

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

He was only in the team in the back end of the 2023-2024 season and he stunk the place out. So actually it could be argued that we got on better without him. I like him a lot as a player but to suggest he was worthwhile of a contract extension back in the summer of 2024 is to rewrite history.

It’s also why I don’t really take a lot of your criticisms of the club seriously, because it starts as I say from the unshifting position “the club is badly run” and then tries to shoe horn everything that happens into that model

It makes perfect sense for me to have waited to see how often he played (and how he performed) in 2024-2025 before seeking to offer him a new contract. And I’m glad even you seem to agree that the club shouldn’t be held to ransom over his contract. I’d rather have him at the club than Merino but frankly I’d still get rid of Merino as well (because with Zubimendi and Rice the no6 position is covered) and then we can look at buying two creative midfielders

Again, in a way I'd say the same for you. I mean your arguments defending the club always come from the extremely naive position "the club is run properly" (despite evidence to the contrary), as it seems you consider running what is now largely an entertainment behmoth akin to running the local kebab shop, where you live to balance the books every year and more importantly pray no one else opens one next to you!

As for Partey, he did have that funny spell after coming back from injury last season, though before he got injured he was churning out his usual imperious displays IIRC.

Also I readily admit I'm probably not one of the best people to have a Partey argument with (just like you are terrible to have a Martinelli discussion with) as I consider him the most important recruit under the Arteta era, and have always believed when he is on form, there has been no player better in the league capable of doing what he does so seemlessly in the last 5 years. Still give him so much props for our first title challenge, which really is the challenge I believe we should have won.

Anyway lets sees how much "perfect sense" your infatuation with caution makes, as I'm pretty certain we are losing him for nothing seeing as African players don't do pay cuts (or freezes).