GWT: PL Matchweek (mostly) 8

[Blender]

Good comments from Michael Owen about Aston Villa. They spend a fortune last year and it looked like a jumbled mess of players purchased with absolutely no plan or purpose behind it, so it resulted in little improvement. This year they spent much less money but made very targeted and purposeful moves that have greatly improved the team.

Conte won games though lol

...and he's won 4 league titles as a manager.

 

[Chimaera]

5 TO's today, what a joke.

Hopefully TFC can win and redeem something this weekend.

Come now, gonna start Smith next week, spread rumors in the media, and then bench him after playing decently.

gotta get those morale victories

 

[Havre]

Good comments from Michael Owen about Aston Villa. They spend a fortune last year and it looked like a jumbled mess of players purchased with absolutely no plan or purpose behind it, so it resulted in little improvement. This year they spent much less money but made very targeted and purposeful moves that have greatly improved the team.


...and he's won 4 league titles as a manager.

Well. Owen is zzzz and that is another lazy comment in my opinion. They have done well this summer, but much of the foundation was bought last summer.

Last summer they bought Mings (been on loan, but money spent), Luiz, Targett, Konsa and Trezeguet. Apart from the injured Wesley that is the main part of their spend last summer. It is true they brought in a lot more as well, but when half of the starting line-up today was bought last summer - maybe that wasn't so bad after all? And that sometimes it just takes a bit of time for them to gel? Not to mention being injury free. That bench is not brilliant and last year they did play some decent football at times, but they never got going as soon as someone got injured they just couldn't fill those holes. I expect something similar to happen this season - even if they got some more depth now - and finally a proper forward (that was the huge issue last season).

 

[Chimaera]

Liverpool’s match against Leicester after the break should be fun.

 

[YNWA14]

Eh...Aston Villa are playing really well I don't think it's fair to blame the results solely down to Liverpool or Arsenal playing poorly; Villa deserve credit for the way they have played and have unsettled their opponents. I think there is still a gap in quality there between them and the very top teams that will hurt their consistency in execution (see the Leeds game) but they're approaching games and creating really well.

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

I think you also have to credit Villa for sticking with Dean Smith, which I don't think many clubs would've done.

 

[Blender]

Well. Owen is zzzz and that is another lazy comment in my opinion. They have done well this summer, but much of the foundation was bought last summer.

Last summer they bought Mings (been on loan, but money spent), Luiz, Targett, Konsa and Trezeguet. Apart from the injured Wesley that is the main part of their spend last summer. It is true they brought in a lot more as well, but when half of the starting line-up today was bought last summer - maybe that wasn't so bad after all? And that sometimes it just takes a bit of time for them to gel? Not to mention being injury free. That bench is not brilliant and last year they did play some decent football at times, but they never got going as soon as someone got injured they just couldn't fill those holes. I expect something similar to happen this season - even if they got some more depth now - and finally a proper forward (that was the huge issue last season).

He made most of the points you just did, but his main comments was that the players they added this year have allowed the guys they brought in last season to find a role that is suitable to them and it has made them better.

 

[AB13]

Conte won games though lol

So does Arteta to be fair, but he sucks against deep blocks. Arsenal, the team who won hundreds of millions of fans due to playing beautiful attacking football can't be pragmatic against Villa at home.

 

[Jussi]

Klopp supported Ole:

 

[AB13]

After watching the game today, I came to a few conclusions. The football Arsenal are playing is too systematic, based on strict positioning in Artetas offensive 235 with no room for fluidity or positional interchanges. Artetaball is about repeating systematic movements. The overemphasis on positioning and patterns of play is producing robotic football which makes us easy to read for the defending team.

The technical level of the team is much higher than what we're seeing and we should be blowing teams away with our offensive firepower, but we are not, due to Arteta. Just a reminder: Arsenal have the most expensive front three in England. Can't be going with a back 3 and Elneny CM Home to Villa. Play Xhaka and maybe even Ceballos.

 

[Havre]

He made most of the points you just did, but his main comments was that the players they added this year have allowed the guys they brought in last season to find a role that is suitable to them and it has made them better.

Barkley has helped, but Wesley was utterly useless last season. Even a half decent forward would have taken them a long way already then.

But credit to them for finally getting some stability between the posts. And Watkins looks like a proper find. I knew he had some pace and decent finishing in him, but I didn't know he was going to be this strong and tough.

So I'm not saying they didn’t do well this summer - they did, but last summer wasn't bad either.

I expect them to do well, but if they end up with McGinn etc getting injured like last year they will look quite different than they did tonight.

 

[Savant]

Aston Villa is sneaky. The puzzle pieces make a lot more sense this year. No midweek games. Also The Midlands region has been much less effected by Covid compared to the rest of England. Definitely contenders for Europa.

 

[Havre]

Obviously playing away in Turkey on Wednesday to then play early on Saturday is just silly. Not as bad as when Spurs played Chelsea on Saturday after having played EL on Thursday some years ago though. That might have been a Thursday in Portugal or something.

Glad Klopp speaks out. Because of his stature hopefully someone will listen. Even more so as his reputation isn't of someone just moaning like for example Mourinho.

 

[Cucumber]

After watching the game today, I came to a few conclusions. The football Arsenal are playing is too systematic, based on strict positioning in Artetas offensive 235 with no room for fluidity or positional interchanges. Artetaball is about repeating systematic movements. The overemphasis on positioning and patterns of play is producing robotic football which makes us easy to read for the defending team.

The technical level of the team is much higher than what we're seeing and we should be blowing teams away with our offensive firepower, but we are not, due to Arteta. Just a reminder: Arsenal have the most expensive front three in England. Can't be going with a back 3 and Elneny CM Home to Villa. Play Xhaka and maybe even Ceballos.

Idk auba is over 30. Laca was never super efficient and William is over 30 and was never among the best wingers in the league. A good winger no doubt but again he is past his prime.
Arsenal needs a better attack before we judge arteta to much imo. He is playing a way to get points and finish top 6 maybe 4th.

Frustrating to watch for sure

 

[Cucumber]

Obviously playing away in Turkey on Wednesday to then play early on Saturday is just silly. Not as bad as when Spurs played Chelsea on Saturday after having played EL on Thursday some years ago though. That might have been a Thursday in Portugal or something.

Glad Klopp speaks out. Because of his stature hopefully someone will listen. Even more so as his reputation isn't of someone just moaning like for example Mourinho.

Agree but klopp does complain a lot but somehow has a good reputation for not complaining and taking things as they happen.

 

[Cucumber]

Barkley has helped, but Wesley was utterly useless last season. Even a half decent forward would have taken them a long way already then.

But credit to them for finally getting some stability between the posts. And Watkins looks like a proper find. I knew he had some pace and decent finishing in him, but I didn't know he was going to be this strong and tough.

So I'm not saying they didn’t do well this summer - they did, but last summer wasn't bad either.

I expect them to do well, but if they end up with McGinn etc getting injured like last year they will look quite different than they did tonight.

Also Grealish being a year older and some more prem experience really help. They could definitely get 80ish Million for him imo. I know no fans might devalue him since teams are bringing less money but man he is so good. Always said I rather him then Sancho.

 

[AB13]

Idk auba is over 30. Laca was never super efficient and William is over 30 and was never among the best wingers in the league. A good winger no doubt but again he is past his prime.
Arsenal needs a better attack before we judge arteta to much imo. He is playing a way to get points and finish top 6 maybe 4th.

Frustrating to watch for sure

Aubameyang scored 22 PL goals last season and the season before that, 10 in 13 under Wenger. He is a world class talent heavily mismanaged. Lacazette was very good under Wenger and in Emerys first season, he was a complete striker in 18/19 with 13 non penalty goals and 8 assists. He has heavily regressed though, but the system does not help. Pepe had 22 goals and 11 assists in the league the season before arriving to play in a dysfunctional offensive system under two managers who did not play to his strengths, but he has great ability and should score a lot. Arsenal should at the very worst be scoring the fifth or sixth most in the league.

 

[Cucumber]

Aubameyang scored 22 PL goals last season and the season before that, 10 in 13 under Wenger. He is a world class talent heavily mismanaged. Lacazette was very good under Wenger and in Emerys first season, he was a complete striker in 18/19 with 13 non penalty goals and 8 assists. He has heavily regressed though, but the system does not help. Pepe had 22 goals and 11 assists in the league the season before arriving to play in a dysfunctional offensive system under two managers who did not play to his strengths, but he has great ability and should score a lot. Arsenal should at the very worst be scoring the fifth or sixth most in the league.

Curious for comparison

Compare Auba numbers after 29 year olds to a guy like Rooney or another player. Can't being relying on auba to much longer anyway. Maybe one more season after this.

 

[AB13]

Curious for comparison

Compare Auba numbers after 29 year olds to a guy like Rooney or another player. Can't being relying on auba to much longer anyway. Maybe one more season after this.

Aubameyang is in excellent physical shape, he has another three years in him probably. The likes of Aguero and Vardy have shown very little signs of regression and Auba should be the same.

 

[robertmac43]

Compare Auba numbers after 29 year olds to a guy like Rooney or another player. Can't being relying on auba to much longer anyway. Maybe one more season after this.

Auba will be fine.

 

[S E P H]

If Arteta is making tactical decisions based on media narrative, you should be extremely concerned as he'd be a terrible manager.

They're very good at manipulating the fans and fans have pretty much got managers fired.

It still doesn't explain how our forward trio isn't scoring any goals whatsoever. I think in the last three EPL matches we've scored one goal which was a penalty.

 

[robertmac43]

It still doesn't explain how our forward trio isn't scoring any goals whatsoever. I think in the last three EPL matches we've scored one goal which was a penalty.

Other than game 1 of the season Willian is where our attack goes to die, Bellerin has been 5 times better at creating down that side of the pitch which is embarrassing.

 

[S E P H]

Other than game 1 of the season Willian is where our attack goes to die, Bellerin has been 5 times better at creating down that side of the pitch which is embarrassing.

Shambolic mate no doubt, I am actually quite scared because Leeds has the potential to put 4+ against us considering how slow and utterly useless our attack is atm. Arsenal's best players are on the left-side flank so it makes perfect sense why we generate like 90% of our offence down on that side with Tierney, Auba, and Saka. On the right we got f*** all with Bellerin, Willian, Pepe, and any other rubbish where plays go to die. Any club would be severely limited when only one side is contributing the offensive threat majority of the time and then whip it in to the lightpost who constantly misses chances.

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

Other than game 1 of the season Willian is where our attack goes to die, Bellerin has been 5 times better at creating down that side of the pitch which is embarrassing.

Do you know how many times I've written these words over the last seven years lmao

 

[Rob]

I think the media is playing mental games with him. They over exacerbated for like five seasons how bad we are at defence, Arteta comes in and thinks that we have to play five at the back due to our defensive frailties. Again I haven't watch the game, but I already know how Spanish players want football to be played....out from the back and constant diagonal passing playing way too slow.

Which is tactically fine. When you win.