English Premier League and Cup competitions 17/18

[Halie Satanus]

So it begins.....

The topsy turvy world of the premier league is back for what promises to be the most open season ever. Looking at the teams likely to be in the running at the sharp end of the season no one looks like they can run away with it. Utd have put together a team of physically imposing specimens while City have strengthened that shaky defence (£50m for Walker!). Chelsea didn't get the striker they wanted and sold their midfield general, looks like everyone's favourite pantomime villain has kicked his last ball for them too. Arsenal finally bought a striker and signed (for free) an actual beast. Liverpool seem to be struggling to sign any one and look like loosing their little Brazilian talisman. And then Tottenham. Will Wembley inspire them, or as I suspect, prove they are little fish in a big bowl.

At the other end.... The Toon are back and Rafa is back, Paella and Newkie Brown any one!... Brighton are in the top flight for the first time in 34 years and the first time ever in the premier era. But even that pales compared to Huddersfields' 45 year absence from top flight football. Good luck to the new boys.

[Halie Satanus]

Arsenal 4 Leicester 3.

Roller coaster first game, new boy Lacazette scores in 2 minutes and then we do everything we can defensively to throw away another opening day match (we've lost our last 5!)... From 2-3 down we fight back and Oli comes on to score the winner. No need to panic just yet but could do with a few less nerves in the next game... Trip to the shire next week to face stoke...

[Basileos Leandros I]

I love the PL, first the Arsenal game, then the Burnley one and then Manchester. Great football.

[Petrucci]

Yeah def the top league out there!

about the poll, can't say I agree with the question. Most of us are hardcore supporters of our clubs and can in no way be objective about it. Like 2 people voting for Arsenal lifting a trophy , dream on lads.
It would be much better if you have made it what club do you support like last 2,3 years.

[Dude with the Food]

I think Arsenal are more likely than Chelsea this time, even before Burnley. You're gonna struggle with the squad when Europe/injuries hit and someone should be sacked for letting us have Matic.

[Halie Satanus]

Still a few days in the transfer window and yeh as things stand I fancy Arsenal will be closer than Chelsea.

[Petrucci]

Arsenal defense and DM position still need massive boosting. That are 3 new players.
Agree on Matic, especially after what happened in Lukaku's case. But Bakayoko might prove to be worth replacement.
Thing when we started this season we were playing without: Hazard, Costa, Moses, Pedro, Matic, Terry, Zouma, Loftus Cheek, Chalobah, Ake, Begovic (just naming guys who actually played last season) And from guys we bought Bakayoko was unavailable and Morata and Rudiger not yet fit.
Even if I don't count players after Terry, and those guys give much more to our squad deepness, we were still playing without 5 starters from the last seasons!
Five guys, five!
Couple that with replacements not on the level of guys who weren't playing or not yet fit and fookin terribly calls by referee that culminated with two red cards and 3 goals behind, we played amazingly well after it and I am very proud of my team performance especially in the second half.
Even in this shape our squad definitely have quality required to compete for the title (given we actually finish some games with all eleven players). Only thing is, it is not as deep as some (including myself) would like.
Next game will be tough for sure, playing against Tottenham, with Eriksen in a great form and most their squad intact from the last year. In our cased, we will have Cahill , Fabregas on top of players mentioned unable to play. Luckily Moses is coming back and he is in great form and Pedro and Bakayoko are under question mark. For sure I can't wait for the next game!

[Dude with the Food]

Arsenal also missed Mustafi and Koscielny in their game, I'm not judging teams by the first game of the season (even though I'd like to ). Bakayoko I see as being brilliant in the future but I can see him being a long way from the safety Matic provides this season.

I disagree too with you having a squad capable of challenging. A first team certainly and that was all you needed last year and all Leicester needed too but 11-15 players can't carry the team a full season with 2 games a week.

[Anna_Gein]

Stoke City 1 - 0 Arsenal

Wenger needs to go. The team played poorly and most is his fault. What a stupid idea to place Monreal center back in a 3 player defense. I did not realize Ozil is that passive. Great debut of Lacazette. I am so happy for him. He is a good player. Wenger decision to pull him off is incomprehensible unless Lacazette was exhausted. Giroud still good. Giroud should not be a substitute but play with Lacazette from the start.

Well done Stoke City. Their recruitment is smart despite their lack of money. Kurt Zouma made a solid match. Jesé scored his first goal with the team after less than 50 minutes in the team.

[Dude with the Food]

Arsenal weren't that bad. Considering how high Stoke let them press after Shaqiri came off, every counter attack was potentially dangerous and they defended solidly whenever it mattered. You're right Giroud should have started, he gives Arsenal the direct option they need when there's no space for movement. Or maybe they just missed Sanchez...

[Halie Satanus]

How things change in a couple of weeks. Loosing to Stoke looked a bad result but getting pummelled by an average looking Liverpool is just shameful.

Word is Sanchez has split the dressing room and most of the players would be happy to see him leave. Ox wanted out because he feels Sanchez wasn't sticking to the game plan and he took a lot of the blame and Mustafi wants out because he hasn't settled in the squad. Ozil also wants out but no one seems to want him.

Wenger, who knows, he seems to have gone into complete melt down dropping Lacazette, Kolasinac and Girould, arguably our three best players, against Liverpool and playing everyone else out of position.

As things stand we look like making a huge profit this transfer window with no incoming deals even rumoured and a ton of players looking for the nearest exit.

[Halie Satanus]

Lost the NLD today. To be fair it could have been a lot worse. Considering we had Auba/Laca/Ozil/Welbeck on for the last 20 mins we made very few chances... Everything changed since my last post here, but nothing really changed at all...

[Anna_Gein]

How do you feel about Mkhitaryan, Aubameyang and Ozil's new contract ?

[Halie Satanus]

We have a strike force to rival any in the PL, but can Wenger get them all playing at the same time or even a formation that uses their strengths. Ideally 4-2-3-1 (as against Everton). But can Miki and Ozil play off the left and right (with Laca in the middle and Auba up top) and if they do, do we become too narrow. If I was being critical I'd wonder if Wenger really thought about formations and tactics when he sanctioned buying so many attackers and still, still refuses to buy a CDM, and even sold the only half decent one we had (Coq)....

[Adar]

We have a strike force to rival any in the PL, but can Wenger get them all playing at the same time or even a formation that uses their strengths. Ideally 4-2-3-1 (as against Everton). But can Miki and Ozil play off the left and right (with Laca in the middle and Auba up top) and if they do, do we become too narrow. If I was being critical I'd wonder if Wenger really thought about formations and tactics when he sanctioned buying so many attackers and still, still refuses to buy a CDM, and even sold the only half decent one we had (Coq)....

I got a hard time seeing Laca and Auba in the same starting eleven. Both Özil and Mikitharyan are willing to drift far out the edges and could be really hard to track for the defenders but when it comes to the defensive I think Arsenal is likely to become horribly exposed unless Wenger can come up with something really innovative. There is no way Özil and Mikitharyan are going to be able to utilize their full offensive potential without defensive cover from the midfield and with two of the midfielders covering for Özil/Miki the third one has to be someone who is capable of playing as a defensive midfielder and an Italian regista to keep the ball moving while covering the defense.

I guess something along the lines of
---------Aubameyang-----
Özil---------------------Miki
-----Iwobi?------Ramsey-
-----------Regista---------

Could work in theory but I got a hard time seeing Wilshere having the defensive resolve, Xhaka the discipline or Elneny the quality to take the regista role here.

[Halie Satanus]

Pretty much agree with all your comments. Though I've seen Wilshere playing deep for England and he's actually really good in that role. I wouldn't let Iwobi sweep the dressing rooms never mind play in the first team. Xhaka can't run so can't track back and Elneny's positional brain is dead. Could all be so different if we brought in a quality CDM.

---------Aubameyang-----
Özil---------------------Miki
----Carvalho------Ramsey-
-----------Wilshere---------

[Halie Satanus]

Cheers Arsene and thanks for the memories...

22 years.

3 Premier titles.

Undefeated in 2004.

7 FA cups

[Petrucci]

This year thread was absolute . 34 gameweeks passed and we still don't have even 2 pages...
Why are you dead TWC?

[Halie Satanus]

Yep..

Haven't had much to comment on, we've been poor all season. Big changes for next, Wenger gone, Auba and Laca up front. Just hope we get a manger capable of getting this team defending, since goals shouldn't be a problem.

[Knight of Heaven]

I hear rumors here in Portugal of Paulo Fonseca ( shaktar manager) And Leonardo Jardim ( Monaco) are on the list for Managing Arsenal team.

Both are great talented managers.