Category Archives: Arsenal

Why are Arsenal fans worried about having squad depth?

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Morning and happy Sunday.

I am writing this today from my garden. The sun is out, the birds are singing and I have fences to paint. Let’s get the blog out the way before the chores! And then settle down to watch the cricket.

The latest name to be linked with a move to Arsenal is Raphinha.

Over the summer, we will be linked with around 100 players, so I usually do not get too invested when names pop up. You will only be frustrated when we don’t sign 96 of them.

Raphinha is a top, top player and has the technical ability and work rate to fit in with what Mikel Arteta is doing.

Some have expressed their concern over “what about Saka”. Arsenal seem to be the only team in the world that are not allowed competition for places.

Let’s remember Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City success is built on rotation, which enables him to keep his side fresh.

The majority of Pep’s forward line play around 1900-2300 Premier League minutes in a season. Last season Saka played just shy of 3000.

It is the same at centre back.

People are worried about we can accommodate Gabriel, White and Saliba instead of celebrating the squad depth we now have there.

My only slight concern about the Raphinha links is if we do sign someone for £50m+ to ply on the right, it will create a nagging feeling that Saka is off.

But I can ignore that feeling.

Raphinha, Jesus, Tielemans. These are players that will improve us from day one. That will not need bedding it.

The England friendly last night was wank.

I have expressed my feelings on the Nations League before. It is just a complete and utter waste of time.

Players could have been on the beach 3 weeks ago. Instead they are still training. Still playing. And for what? The international version of the Audi Cup?

Anyway, it’s nearly 9 and these fences won’t punt themselves.

Have a good Sunday. Remember the sun cream.

Keenos

Southgate should send Saka to the beach

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Bukayo Saka’s work load over the last 12 months has been huge

Even without Arsenal being in Europe (and getting knocked out early of the FA Cup), he has played over 4,000 minutes for club and country.

With Covid19 extending the 2019/20 season, a condensed 2020/21 season and England going all the way to the Euro’s final, it has been a non-stop 2-years for the youngster.

In the last 10 games of the season for Arsenal, he went off the boil completely. He looked exhausted and was not playing to the high standard he has set himself.

And Saka is not the only one.

England’s to limp performances in the post-season glorified friendlies are due to fatigue.

Many of those involved, like Saka, have played non-stop football over the last two years.

The Premier League is the fastest, toughest league in the world. There are no “weekends off”.

38 tough games, 2 cups, European football and international duty. No other league across Europe has this work load. So it is no surprise that Premier League – and English players in particular- are looking well off the pace.

You have to wonder why these games are being played. And why Gareth Southgate has made the decision to add to his players work load with a winter World Cup.

Surely it would have made more sense for him to give his big players the summer off. An extra 3 weeks rest.

That would be to the benefit of the national side come November when players head of to Qatar for the Sportswashing World Cup.

Instead, Southgate is flogging the same old players – from Saka to Sterling, Kane and more. What can Southgate really learn about these guys?

He will only be moaning in November when players join up with the national team and are already shattered.

And the concern with Saka is that at 20-years-old, he is being overplayed.

He played too much for Arsenal last season as Mikel Arteta lost faith in Nicolas Pepe and kept faith with his strongest XI as we chased Champions League football.

Arteta and Edu will look to rectify that this summer by buying some cover and competition for Saka, reducing his work load.

But Southgate also needs to take responsibility. There is no reason for him to be playing this summer.

We have seen with other young break through players – Michael Owen, Fernando Torres, Theo Walcott, Wayne Rooney – that over plying them at a young age ended then being on the decline in their mid-late 20s rather than at their peak.

Look at Manchester United with Marcus Rashford.

At just 24 he has already played 350 games for club and country. Is it any surprise he has completely gone off the boil? Lost his sharpness?

If the average Premier League player usually ends up with around 5-600 senior appearances by the time they retire, he is potentially 2/3’s of his way through his career at just 24. And it shows.

Saka has played 100 games for club and country over the last 2 years. That is too much for a young man whose body is still growing.

Arsenal should do more to protect him. To rest and rotate him.

But he should also be on the beach right now. Watching Love Island. Drinking a virgin daiquiri. Not plying glorified friendlies.

Over playing Saka will rob him of a full career, rob Arsenal, and rob England.

Keenos

Changes needed if Gnabry joins Arsenal

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Speculation is increasing that Serge Gnabry is set to return to North London after his temporary stint in Germany.

The lad clearly has quality and will improve us. However to accommodate him will require changes.

Change in Gnabry

Serge Gnabry has played the majority of his career – from youth through to senior – on the right hand side.

But this side is arguably Arsenal’s strongest with Bukayo Saka outside, Martin Odergaard inside and Takehiro Tomiyasu in behind.

If Arteta decides to keep those relationships that he has spent over a year cultivating, it will mean that Gnabry will have to play on the left.

This will mean Gnabry will have to change his game. Cutting inside on his right more rather than going round the outside.

Cutting inside means he will be running into more crowded areas, so his sharpness on the ball and decisiveness will be have to be much more clinical.

No longer will it just be “get round the outside of your full back and put a ball in”.

It is a change that he should be able to do. But one which might take some time implementing.

Change the tactics

The alternative is you put Gnabry in his strongest position – wide right – and move Saka to the left hand side.

This is a move that Saka will not have a problem with. He has played across the 3-behind-the-striker throughout his career. But it will result in a change of tactics.

At the moment, Arteta (like much of the top level teams) play with inverted forwards; a right foot on the left and left foot on the right.

This increases the attacking threat in the middle of the park whilst allowing players to drive into the box on their strongest foot.

They then get their width from the full backs bombing forward. It is their job to provide the crosses.

Saka left and Gnabry will change all of that as both will naturally hug the touchline.

The benefits are this will create width – widening the pitch – but at the sacrifice of creativity and attacking threat inside.

Now this could be accommodated by the signing of Youri Tielemans.

That would then give us Saka and Gnabry playing either side of Tielemans and Odergaard.

It should make the middle of the pitch less crowded with the more centra midfield duo being that threat cutting in.

However the threat of Saka and Gnabry would then be diminished – especially if we do not have a hulking centre forward who can get on the end of their bombardment of crosses

One thing signing Gnabry will do is give Gabriel Martinelli a new role in the team.

Whether you play Gnabry wide right or wide left, Martinelli goes from starter to the bench.

Now this is not a bad thing – competition and squad depth is what every top team has. But it has also likely impacted on Edu’s recruitment decisions.

Before the end of last season, most of us were in agreement that we needed two new strikers.

With Eddie set to sign a new deal, Gabriel Jesus will probably be our only signing.

That will leave some underwhelmed.

But if Gnabry comes in, Martinelli then becomes an extra option down the middle.

If you take the front 3 as a group, we then have: Jesus, Gnabry, Saka, Martinelli, Nketiah, Smith Rowe. 6 players for 3 positions.

Anyway. Just some Thursday thoughts (written on a Monday whilst I navigate the tube strikes).

Keenos