GWT: Premier League Round 1

Nalens Oga

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Jan 5, 2010
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I only saw the first half but I have to say that that Arsenal midfield trio of Xhaka/Ramsey/Gendouizi is definitively the worse midfield that any top 6 team has. And I don't think Torreira alone is enough to improve it to the point of being better than any of the other 5 teams.

Also, where was this Raheem Sterling in the World Cup? He was a mess for England making bad touches and constantly losing the ball outside of a bright spot here and there and some good runs. He looked very zippy tonight though. And I'm 100% sure it's because he was on the left wing today where he should've been used but Gareth idiotically started him in the middle instead of Vardy and had Ashley Young starting on the left.
 

Il Mediano

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Feb 24, 2018
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actually, Arsenal should just fire Xhaka to the sun.
Don't even want him as an option on the sub bench.

I really don't think he can be an functional component of a top 6 side - at least not in the Prem.

He's too slow to play anything but DLP/DM , and he's disastrous defensively, so you need to play an athletic defensive stud next to him. And if that's the case, it's almost forcing you to play 4-2-3-1/3-5-2 to mask his deficiencies , which is the kind of exception you make for elite talents worth building around.

He's not worth building around. Not even close. Former Arsenal star: How Granit Xhaka can be Arsene Wenger's Andrea Pirlo
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/f...sene-Wenger-Andrea-Pirlo-News-Transfer-Latest
The "Swiss Pirlo" he is not.
 
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booyakasha

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Oct 11, 2007
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I only saw the first half but I have to say that that Arsenal midfield trio of Xhaka/Ramsey/Gendouizi is definitively the worse midfield that any top 6 team has. And I don't think Torreira alone is enough to improve it to the point of being better than any of the other 5 teams.

Also, where was this Raheem Sterling in the World Cup? He was a mess for England making bad touches and constantly losing the ball outside of a bright spot here and there and some good runs. He looked very zippy tonight though. And I'm 100% sure it's because he was on the left wing today where he should've been used but Gareth idiotically started him in the middle instead of Vardy and had Ashley Young starting on the left.

Baffling that, as Arsenal need to start a midfield 3 of Ramsey, Ozil Torreira next week vs, Chelsea, with Laca, Auba and Miki up front.
I don't get how Emery thought Xhaka and Guedouzi would fair well against City.
 

Gecklund

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Jul 17, 2012
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I only saw the first half but I have to say that that Arsenal midfield trio of Xhaka/Ramsey/Gendouizi is definitively the worse midfield that any top 6 team has. And I don't think Torreira alone is enough to improve it to the point of being better than any of the other 5 teams.

Also, where was this Raheem Sterling in the World Cup? He was a mess for England making bad touches and constantly losing the ball outside of a bright spot here and there and some good runs. He looked very zippy tonight though. And I'm 100% sure it's because he was on the left wing today where he should've been used but Gareth idiotically started him in the middle instead of Vardy and had Ashley Young starting on the left.
I mean it could be fine when everyone is healthy. Not that midfield trio but the Arsenal midfield
Lacazette-Auba
Ozil
Mkh-Ramsey
Torreira
Kola-Kos-Monreal-Bellerin
 

Savant

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Lovren is out another 1-3 weeks.

Let's see what Gomez can do with a run at that CB spot
 
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Venkman

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Jun 28, 2007
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I only saw the first half but I have to say that that Arsenal midfield trio of Xhaka/Ramsey/Gendouizi is definitively the worse midfield that any top 6 team has. And I don't think Torreira alone is enough to improve it to the point of being better than any of the other 5 teams.

Also, where was this Raheem Sterling in the World Cup? He was a mess for England making bad touches and constantly losing the ball outside of a bright spot here and there and some good runs. He looked very zippy tonight though. And I'm 100% sure it's because he was on the left wing today where he should've been used but Gareth idiotically started him in the middle instead of Vardy and had Ashley Young starting on the left.

Without the ball Young was basically a LB. Sterling isn't a wing-back.
 

Live in the Now

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Dec 17, 2005
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Great start by Liverpool. No weak link, this or some following season will be the best Liverpool team in the modern era. So much quality.

The kid running onto the pitch to hug Salah was mint.
 

JeffreyLFC

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Sep 29, 2017
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Man City yes but Liverpool not a chance.

The stating 11 for City is much better than anything Liverpool can put out and that is with KDb, Silva and Sane on the bench who are better than any player Liverpool has.

I am sure like last year and the year before that we will see these performances from Liverpool against weak opposition and people will overreact as they always but they are not close to City.
You are so right..
Liverpool are getting regelated.
They are lucky to be in the premier league.
All their players are barely championship level. Not to mention all the goals they score are because of pure luck.
 
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Live in the Now

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I know full well not to judge from one game, but it is clear Arsenal didn't improve that much based on the players they brought in. There were also too many situations where City could run freely through their team. At the same time, how could they really improve that much over one summer? Wenger and others didn't exactly do their club any favors over the last few years. They have so many passengers. Mkh looks absolutely useless.

Didn't realize Telemundo had Andres Cantor doing PL games. Will definitely be watching their coverage.

I mean it could be fine when everyone is healthy. Not that midfield trio but the Arsenal midfield
Lacazette-Auba
Ozil
Mkh-Ramsey
Torreira
Kola-Kos-Monreal-Bellerin

Even their best team where you get all their best players on the field, is a team where extremely few players will actually put in a shift off the ball. In terms of the formation they played today, it is extremely difficult to play attacking football with wingers like Ozil and Mkh. Not only are they not very fast, but they have odd energy levels and don't always track back.
 

Live in the Now

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You are so right..
Liverpool are getting regelated.
They are lucky to be in the premier league.
All their players are barely championship level. Not to mention all the goals they score are because of pure luck.

Agreed. Only whipped their ass 3-0 in the CL with no players even close to as good as them. Might as well call the league right now.
 

S E P H

Cloud IX
Mar 5, 2010
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Toruń, PL
That team passing was simply ****ing shambolic today, especially Xhaka and Cech. There was one play by Xhaka where he legitimately had four players open and passed it right to Sterling. Lol. Not only that, but the best passing player on the club has the work rate of an Elephant.

Guendouzi is going to be a beast though, tough game against Man City, but damn the class and work rate is there to be something special. Surprised that Emery gave so many ex-Wenger players a chance, that was quite puzzling for me, but if they keep playing as they did today they should be off the pitch and as subs in absolute no time. I totally see what Emery is trying to build though, but you need good passing players to accomplish the tactics he wants and Wenger left him with the mess you lads saw out there today.

Ozil can cry fake racism all he wants, but 19 times he lost possession which was the highest of any player - complete criticism deserved. Not too worried, Man City is the best club in the EPL by far and we only have to play them one more time. Liverpool looked really good, but there is something about Man City's mental toughness which Pool doesn't have - Reds are too jittery for me.
 

Live in the Now

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I'm pretty amazed that some posters throw a 19 year old first EPL game under the bus after a game against City (he was playing in L2 before that remember) even though he clearly has enormous qualities.

People here are very prone to overreaction after one game.

See Salah = Welbeck after the Watford game last year.
 

Evilo

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Mar 17, 2002
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It's OK, but then those people shouldn't talk about young players and say they can evaluate them.
 

Live in the Now

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I think the problem with Arsenal had literally nothing to do with the kid. It has to do with two thirty year old players (Ozil and Mkh) who very consistently do nothing even though they are very talented. Which is how they got to Arsenal in the first place.

They also have a hack playing #6, all he can do is foul or shoot from 35 yards. No basics of the sport at all. They have way too many horrible performers to point out that a kid played bad. Where was the rest of the team to help the kid? You see that players on teams like Liverpool and City, and all the other elite teams on the continent support their young players when they're on the field, they do their best to cover for them and allow them to play football.
 

S E P H

Cloud IX
Mar 5, 2010
30,725
16,244
Toruń, PL
Well, Pep is probably the best manager in the world, but City shows that money basically still rules football. Sure we're dealing with some injuries, but just look at Arsenal's bench compared to City. This is where I want to see Kroenke spend more money in.

I mean, all the Arsenal fans have been banging the drum that they’re better, but their defense added negligible players.
Lol post is lol. No Gooner here said Arsenal improved defencively except bringing in a class CDM who we needed like 8 seasons ago. Lazio exposed us during the friendly and not one Gooner said we are title contenders either. I still believe that 4th place is a realistic target when the kinks are ironed out. Sokratis was actually quite good all game long and kept that consistency, where it was Niles (not going to blame him), Bellerin, and Mustafi who really struggled (two of which were Wenger players).

Today is an absolute blessing in disguise for Emery to see which players will rise up to the occasion when the schedule gets thick and Stoke City-ish.

Laporte was immense today he'll flourish under Pep.
I was insanely impressed by how mobile he is, even though Auba got double teamed all game long there were a couple 1v1's where he kept up with his pace. It's hilarious, how all these solid players have buy-out clauses of 20 million Euros like four seasons ago in which all teams could've had them and then buy them when they're 40+.
 

S E P H

Cloud IX
Mar 5, 2010
30,725
16,244
Toruń, PL
I think the problem with Arsenal had literally nothing to do with the kid. It has to do with two thirty year old players (Ozil and Mkh) who very consistently do nothing even though they are very talented. Which is how they got to Arsenal in the first place.

They also have a hack playing #6, all he can do is foul or shoot from 35 yards. No basics of the sport at all. They have way too many horrible performers to point out that a kid played bad. Where was the rest of the team to help the kid? You see that players on teams like Liverpool and City, and all the other elite teams on the continent support their young players when they're on the field, they do their best to cover for them and allow them to play football.
I full and wholeheartedly agree with this, but it's hard to support the kid when he's asked to play as the main BXB CM (that's where you put Pogba/Verratti type of players in). I blame Emery for starting him in that position, but Arsenal probably still would've lost even if Torriera was there as well. That isn't a knock to us, but more to how amazing Man City is.
 

Blender

Registered User
Dec 2, 2009
51,305
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I'm pretty amazed that some posters throw a 19 year old first EPL game under the bus after a game against City (he was playing in L2 before that remember) even though he clearly has enormous qualities.
He had an awful game (though his work rate was commendable) and the circumstances are understandable. Did anyone say he would be a bad player or complete bust for Arsenal though?
 

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