Mikel Arteta’s ‘cheating’ is tipped to push Arsenal down to fourth as the Gunners are defended over Thomas Partey and Liverpool fears are allayed.
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Allaying Liverpool fears
Some brief Liverpool transfer thoughts midway through the window if I may hopefully allay some of the fears of out nervous Nellie fans on here every other day.
1. Liverpool and Slot seem to have a plan of what they want to do this summer. Wirtz says one of his main reasons for choosing Liverpool above other clubs was the clear vision Slot presented to him about how Liverpool would play next season and where he, Wirtz, would fit in. He approved of this vision and spoke of the “freedom” it would offer him to play.
2. We don’t know what this vision is for sure but there are some clues.
3. We have signed two fullbacks with massive engines and pace to get up and down the touch line replacing a relatively immobile Trent and a slowing down Robbo. Clearly Slot wants his fullbacks to operate the full length of each flank.
4. We can assume his two most valuable attackers will be Salah and Wirtz. Wirtz has always performed best in the inside left position, Salah previously was an out and out winger who cut inside but his progression as a footballer has been towards chance creation also from an inside right position.
5. Put these two things together and what do you have: two fullbacks operating the length of the pitch and two creators/scorers operating in the half space behind a solitary 9.
6. What are Liverpool in the market for currently: a number 9 as a top priority it would seem to the extent of being willing to break transfer records to land Isak or Ekiteke as an alternative.
7. Who are Liverpool willing to sell this summer: Nunez – to be replaced for his continued underperformance as a 9 and curiously Diaz who played very well last year as a winger and a 9.
8. My impression is Liverpool are moving away from out and out wingers in their system to a narrow front 3 of Wirtz/Gakpo, Isak/Ekiteke, Salah/AN other. For my money Elliott is he is willing to stay is the ideal back up and successor to Salah in this system.
8. For me Liverpools transfer business to date makes all kinds of sense if you consider the above setup. When attacking a midfield 3 eg Gravenberch/MacAllister/Szobozlai will supply the forward players. Gravenberch and centre backs progressing the ball through our half, MacAllister and Szoboszlai through the opposition half.
9. On the left MacAllister/Kerkez/Wirtz from a triangle and on the right Szoboszlai/Frimpong or Bradley/Salah. Fullbacks can overlap or underlap to provide variation. Imagine trying to defend against that for 90 minutes with Isak or Ekiteke as a striker also…good luck with that.
10. There is some business to be done: the aforementioned number 9 and Isak is the prime target here but Ekiteke working under Slot with his history of developing players could be brilliant too; and some business at centre back. For me that is just simple replacement and one more back up. If Real want to stump up for Konate this summer then replace him (probably with Guehi) and if not and they want to sign him on a free next summer and Palace are demanding big money for a player in the final year of his contract then why shouldn’t we sign him next year on a free with a nice signing on bonus just like Real will be doing to us. One young centre back with potential to develop and the squad is set for the next 2 years.
So yeah, I really think Liverpool, Slot, Hughes and Edwards have a plan this summer, know what they want and aren’t messing around anymore. Don’t panic fellow fans, they’ve got this.
Dave LFC
Klopp never ‘cheated’ like Arteta
Aman postulates that Ekitike or Wirtz could go the way of Carroll and also names Sanchez as a premier league flop. He clearly doesn’t remember Sanchez at Arsenal somehow.
Every player he names was either signed in a different era or signed by Man Utd; who famously have one of the worst and least developed data departments amongst the big teams.
It is totally possible that one or both transfers won’t work out for Liverpool but looking at the last few years or purchases, the only clear failure who the data team pushed for was Keita. Nunez was a Klopp signing and Chiesa was a cheap punt with little downside. If this is your only hope for Liverpool not doing well then you might be disappointed come the end of the season.
That said there is a genuine risk of two things; defensive injuries derail the season. VVD is getting older, Konate and Gomez love an injury and who knows how Kerkez and Frimpong will handle all the games and the more intense Christmas schedule. Also – Mo goes to AFCON in January. He’s proven over a decade that he’s virtually irreplaceable so that could also prove an issue if they go deep in the tournament. Off the top of my head I’m not sure any other big 6 team has such an influential player going to AFCON but could be wrong?
For Arsenal who knows. They could win the league but equally could come 4th. Neither outcome would feel surprising depending on what your perspective is. I think they’re a good team but I think sometimes the relying on dark arts can have a mentally dulling effect on a team. If you’re telling your players to time waste, tactical foul and cheat your way to tight victories is that the manager saying he doesn’t trust you to play your way to victory or is he trying to gain a marginal advantage? I realise how Arteta would pitch it but I don’t think Klopp would ever advocate such tactics; I think he’d say win with your own identity or train harder and become good enough.
Minty, LFC
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Arsenal’s Partey defence
Cards on the table, I’m an Arsenal fan. I’m almost 60 and I don’t have any access to social media (no Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X) as, being a grumpy old man, I think it’s toxic and does more bad than good. Anyway, when the story broke about a premier league footballer being arrested, I figured that when and if a case was brought against them, I’d find out who it was. I didn’t make any attempt to find out via the internet the identity and it was only when I spoke to a friend to ask why Partey was constantly being booed at away games that I found out. I keep reading about Arsenal’s shameful handling of the situation, but I’m honestly not sure what else they were supposed to do. I hope that if Partey is guilty he gets the punishment that he deserves, but unless there is evidence out there that I’m not aware of surely nobody who writes into this mailbox knows more than me about what did or didn’t happen. A footballer’s career is comparatively short and if he is innocent of the charges is it truly fair to rob him of 3 years of his career while a case is built against him? I’m disappointed that Arsenal tried to sign him to a new contract, with the knowledge that the case was still being reviewed but is it really naïve to suggest that his career was allowed to continue while the investigation took place. Even if he is found innocent, we all know the stain of the accusation will follow him around for life. I apologise in advance if there is more knowledge of what did occur out there than I know.
As far as Madueke is concerned, I do think that Arsenal have overpaid but let’s see what he brings to the team/squad before we start to denigrate him. As for thousands signing petitions (and I do suspect some were opposition fans getting the numbers up…don’t pretend it couldn’t happen), that’s just stupid and I expect it is mostly keyboard warriors who’ve never been to a match in their lives.
I find Stewie Griffin’s tired, repetitive, mostly baseless emails and really poor attempts at humour (the Tony Pulis comparisons, the ashtray reference for the millionth time and the endless emojis) annoying but, as with the petitions, people trying to stop him writing into the mailbox is just stupid. Let him get on with it. I suspect writing that drivel and winding gooners up is the highlight of his life.
Really appreciate all that you do. 365 is my daily football fix and I’d be lost without it.
Thanks.
Dave AFC
Avoiding PSR sanctions
It’s odd how people would rather try to circumvent a rule than follow it as intended.
You see there are two ways to stop your team falling foul of PSR.
The first way, is to sell youth players to pay for first team players. This is by far the most common way, Chelsea were doing it even before psr rules existed. If you ever wondered why they always have money just Google all the youth players they sell, it’s a massive list. This way tends to annoy people because fans don’t want to see their best prospects sold off to bring in another player.
The second way, which as far as I can see only Dutch teams and Barcelona do, is to USE your superb youth players in your first team and thus remove the need to buy a player. I feel like that way is not just the best way it’s actually how the system was supposed to function. The problem is that way takes time. Time to cultivate a good youth team, time to bed them into the first team. And a lot of fans, and this by extension club execs, don’t have the patience for that anymore. Everything has to be now now now.
If you were to become a team who uses their youth team rather than bringing players in it has a number of positive effects.
1. They’re more likely to already be accustomed to how you want them to play as must youth teams now play the same style and tactics as the first team.
2. They’re gonna be hungry and have a connection with the club
3. Their wages will be significantly lower than that new player you’re signing for the same position
4. No transfer fee, though we should also remember it’s not free either since you are paying to train them without return for usually a decade or so as a youth player.
5. The player gains valuable experience on the pitch, increasing their utility and value
The way clubs do it right now is like selling the family silver so you can buy into a meme coin. I’d like to see more clubs use youth players the way Dutch clubs and Barcelona do. Like anyone else I don’t really want to see local lads shipped off to Germany to start their career, it should have started at liverpool. Some can’t cut the mustard that’s true, but the ones who can seem to get sold now to balance psr.
And the wild thing is everyone is complaining about psr forcing them to sell their best young players. Nobody is being forced, it’s a choice. You could play that young player instead of selling him. But “local lad gets number 9 shirt” doesn’t get the fanfare of the marquee signing does it?
Lee
A return to Man City dominance?
If we look at the last seven or eight seasons at the top of english football we can all see a City dominance, albeit interspersed with a dash of red .
Therefore I ponder what the general reaction would be if City were to return newer and fresher and dominate again .
Seems to me they have rebuilt their defence, and midfield somewhat , have added attacking options and are brushing aside all threats to be sanctioned in any meaningful way .
They are a sky blue juggernaut and Abu Dhabi will only be driven on by Qatar’s European Cup success and saudi’s club world cup , next world cup , fledgling magpie footballing interference.
Again, I have to come back to Señor Wenger’s ‘financial doping’ point of view.
PSG, City and to a lesser extent at the moment Newcastle, are finacially doped.
Nothing is being / will be done about it because at the darkest part of the human condition is greed (and power) .
As Mancini & Inzaghi will confirm, offer me untold riches and I am willing to become your whore as I create my Italian landed dynasty look.
Ahead lies a football landscape that is ever further from what we fell in love with as innocent youths. There is no going back now. Nothing or nobody is going to cut the head of this beast that has been created from the humble working man’s Saturday diversion .
I’m going to have to wrestle with myself about watching a saudi World Cup after succesfully not watching a saudi funded super league in cup format .
Did we notice how many footie journalist were onside for that U.S. based ‘feast’ ?
Hypocrisy alert then. Well, even hypocrisy is easily swallowed if chased down by a thick wedge of extra creamy cash eh !
Still, I am saving my centimos to get to the Africa Cup of Nations this Christmas holiday, down in Morocco, coz it at least seems un fiddled with by american or arab excesses.
Peter, ( just struck beer o’clock ) Andalucia
The golden Havertz goal
Is it just me or have Chelsea now won TWO Club World Cups from just the one Champions League win?
And they picked up the ESC in 2021 to make it 3 super cups in total. Surely this is some sort of first or record? Does anyone know?
(Google is being obtuse about it.)
With about €10m for winning the first two plus the hundred for beating PSG; that Havertz goal really paid off.
Hartley MCFC Somerset
