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Without knowing exactly what Arteta’s preferred style is, it’s safe to assume it’s not a million miles from Pep. And forget ability, think how few of our players are stylistically suited to that type of football.
High back line, passing from the back: All our defenders that can pass are slow. Our mobile ones can’t pass.
Postional play: most of our midfielders just roam
Explosive, technical fullbacks: Kolasinac can only move in straight lines, Bellerin isn’t back to his pre-ACL levels
Postional play: most of our midfielders just roam
Explosive, technical fullbacks: Kolasinac can only move in straight lines, Bellerin isn’t back to his pre-ACL levels
Then the Auba issue. Just think why modern coaches want in a central striker. That’s not Auba. Where would Pep & Klopp use him? Both would play him wide. That’s just how it is. And with Saka, Martinelli & Nelson needing to emerge, is that a good allocation of £200k per week?
Then ask: Regardless of what happens with Auba, is Lacazette good enough to be our first choice 9? Depends on what we aspire to, but probably not. So then you say actually we should be moving him on regardless.
So we’re bereft of talent in a lot of areas, but have 4 very high potential wide forwards. Go get a high touch, mobile, back-to-goal striker who can press to bring the most out of them
Then midfield: Ceballos probably won’t stay, but we need to build a new midfield on a budget. We need what Pep calls the ‘controlling midfielder’. They’re not cheap. Ceballos hasn’t worked but loaning a talent from a top club isn’t a bad idea.
Then the defence: We probably have two fullbacks sorted for next season, but Kolasinac we’d ideally replace and question marks over Hector’s recovery. We don’t have a single obvious first choice CB despite having 7 on the books (including Saliba), which is crazy.
And the keeper? Leno’s turned out to be a bargain, but he’s now gone for a while. Can we afford to spend money there? Imagine this will be Martinez’s chance to compete for first choice.
So overall, we have to sell *very* well. We have to get the deadwood out, get saleable assets sold if they’re not absolute essentials, and reinvest. But we have to be smart, and really targeted with what we buy. Style matters as much as ability.
Then how do you bed in what could be half a new team in what will likely be a limited preseason? Imagine having all this in your first managerial job. Got to feel for Arteta. But he knew what he was walking into. Got to hope someone above him is smart. Ah well...
