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Iceman's Profile
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Iceman's rumours posts with other poster's replies to Iceman's rumours posts
26 Aug 2025 17:00:09
Crazy window. At the beginning someone suggested something like 6-8 signings. I said that was too many players in one window. While i still think my point was valid (as i think too much change can bring too much instability) , clearly the club agreed with the other guy (if you're reading this i'm sorry i can't remember your name) .
Is Hincapie seen as primarily a center back or full back? I wonder if he can be the overlapping full back to complete our new left hand side. That's the last kind of profile this squad lacks in my opinion, and it will maximise the impact Eze will have.
{Ed077's Note - CB/LB (kind of like Calafiori, Timber, White, Tomi, etc....)
1.) 26 Aug 2025 17:41:34
Don't forget Mosquera Ed :)
{Ed077's Note - The list just never ends for Arsenal eh ??
2.) 28 Aug 2025 15:45:43
It was me lol.
3.) 29 Aug 2025 05:53:33
Wasn't Tomi primarily an RB?
22 Aug 2014 09:25:48
Hi Ed, what's the situation of Stephan El Shaarawy? I think he'd suit our style. He'd bring some spark to our left wing if he can stay injury-free this season.
{Ed002's Note - Very unlikely he will move this summer, although Arsenal have previously shown interest.}
1.) Okay thanks Ed, I'm really struggling to see who we could sign but luckily we'll find out soon.
04 Jan 2014 09:49:27
ed what's the situation with matthias ginter? I expected him to move last summer and we were definitely interested. are we still interested?
{Ed002's Note - Freiburg will look to hold on to Matthias Ginter until the summer when Borussia Dortmund or Bayern Munich will likely push for the defender.}
31 Jul 2013 14:53:02
ed do you know of any interest in mccarthy or ginter? heard some rumours today. {Ed027's Note - {Ed027's Note - i hear we're looking at Mathias Ginter guys, young Cb from Freiburg, been in talks for a while, Mccarthy is not a target as such, maybe an alternative in the future, if targets fail, we've looked at him}
20 Jul 2013 12:58:15
i must say when I first heard about these suarez rumours I thought no way but now cautiously optimistic. honestly he'd be a perfect fit and I used to think we should sign him but in a million years we won't. now it seems more likely though.
pretty confident 40m would do the trick. liverpool seem to demand more but they're not going to get much more. and the other option for them is to keep him. and keeping a player with suarez's mentality against his own will is, well, a frightening thought!
some are concerned about this "baggage" he has. i'm not. the most concerning part is his ban, but if he signs a 4-5 year contract that ban is really meaningless. imo his reputation doesn't work completely against him. now every defender knows he's not just a fantastic dribbler, a goal scorer and a provider, but he bites too! he makes defender's feel uneasy I can see him starting as a striker, but also as a "winger" (winger like walcott, poldi, ramsey or santi meaning he'll play more centrally than wide) alongside giroud.
1.) To be honest I'm feeling this one aswell just hope it don't go right to the wire and we drop out again last minute
2.) Still think Arsenal will end up with Higuain. This Suarez business is just some sort of mind games with Real Madrid. Selling Higuan to Arsenal will fund Real Madrid's move for Suarez but Arsenal won't pay over the odds for Higuain.
3.) Not really a rumour, but I like this post
4.) I think Wenger and the fans would be equally happy with either. No mind games, Higuain at one price, Suarez (or Rooney) at another. Any of these will do the job!
5.) Suarez interest is very real indeed. Wenger will not pay the asking price for higuain when he can get suarez for a couple million more, anmd who is a much better player in my opinion.
6.) Higuain has had second thoughts about moving to Arsenal. Personally, I don't want Suarez at the gunners. He is obnoxious and a cheat. Don't forget the whole transfer might cost us £70 million
7.) Im not concerned about his baggage either. he's a great player and it outweighs the what-ifs.
Honestly, I prefer Higuain. But i'm happy with either. Both awesome players and will be crucial in the seasons to come.
StarsplashTaiwan
TaiwanGunner
8.) 20 Jul 2013 18:27:25
I would be happy with higuain at £23m however I would not like to see us pay much more for him seeing as he is second choice behind benzima at madrid and they play one up top usually so he is a great second choice striker for them. However I would prefer to have arguably the best striker in the premier league at the moment for an extra £17m, if we got him with the service our midfield can provide he will have a field day for us.
9.) Since when will liverpool become a feeder club to the biggest feeder club in the league? suarez will move to madrid or stay at lfc. there's an outside chance of bayern or psg. not arsenel!
Iceman's banter posts with other poster's replies to Iceman's banter posts
02 Sep 2025 14:00:36
A lot has been said about the game. The way i see it is we were better in the first half, but Liverpool improved in the second. In the end the difference was a fantastic free kick.
Margins were small and criticism is aimed at Arteta for not trying to make them bigger. But how much can you really do away at Anfield when you've lost so many key players and the ones who are available have only been at the club for few weeks at best? Maybe the way he chose to play was actually the smart thing to do. I'm sure there are lot's of differing opinions about that.
Arsenal need to improve in several ways from last season. Arteta has all the tools in his disposal to do so. Now it's up to him and the players to deliver.
1.) 02 Sep 2025 16:15:36
I've just had a chance to watch the game and I have a few thoughts-
I'm really happy with Madueke, I think he will be awesome for us.
Raya definitely seemed wobbly. Too many balls booted up the pitch and I hate his passing to the centre, always gets me on edge.
Pretty even first half, lots of errors from both sides. Just glad Salah was a little off the pace.
I love Timber's commitment.
Perhaps subs were a little late.
We certainly picked up the pace after THAT goal. What a strike!
I agree with Iceman. We've had such a great transfer window and it will take time for the team to adjust to all our the changes.
All in all I don't think there was such a huge difference between us and Liverpool in that game.
I think it will be interesting to see how they progress, especially with Isak now on board. Will Etiketi (not sure of the spelling yet) be happy with his arrival?
2.) 02 Sep 2025 20:50:41
Did a Liverpool have a better window?
Seems like Viktor and Zubi are not having tne immediate impact expected or hoped. Both signings now being questioned in. a number of corners. Viktor looks a bit slow and robotic while Zubi not decisive with distribution and fast with the ball. Both will need time but also the boss to change tactics.
Great to see the boss throw Eze under the bus. ?
Still short of a striker and fast attack - every player looks to pass backwards 80% of the time- so boring and negative. This will impact our season given tough start.
Why didn’t we sell Martinelli
Why didn’t we sign a proven epl striker even as back up eg Watkins
Liverpool weren’t at the races in first half and we did little to threaten.
Liverpool slightly improved and caused us issues while at the other end, they didn’t even need a keeper really as we were limp.
It was a pathetic display from Arteta and the team. Injuries aren’t an excuse. We weren’t decisive in the window and look ill prepared for a champion challenging season. Boss doesn’t look like he’s learned and talks crap after games.
Noni turned up when played on right but pretty use, ESR on left but still didn’t put a dangerous early ball into the box and we brought a 15 year old on away at Anfield. Really .
Sorry but it was a pathetic spineless bit of management from Arteta and a spineless display. Hope we use the break to make some decisions, changes and Arteta gets his ass handed to him by the board to drive change. Clearly not going to be brave without a nudge.
3.) 03 Sep 2025 12:01:37
You changed your your tune.
4.) 03 Sep 2025 15:55:19
Forgive me, but I think the difference between the two teams was palpable. Liverpool had more possession and spent considerably more time going forward; we had a marked proclivity to sit back, and our phases of possession were spent mainly passing square or backwards. That was a deliberate tactic, evinced by the defensive selection. On far too many occasions, we had the ball deep in their half and within seconds, it was back to Raya. How does a throw-in from close to the corner flag in the opposition half get back to the goalkeeper in two touches? The switch in gameplay after we conceded was an indication that we went there without ambition, and for one point. Some serious soul-searching needs to be undertaken over the international break, or the title hopes will remain just that. Sorry to be so negative, but frankly, there were no positives.
5.) 03 Sep 2025 17:12:26
Liverpool spent more time going forward? And yet they only won because of a freekick.
I'm not saying i'm particularly proud of the way we played but we did manage to restrict them. Neither team had big chances from open play. When that happens the likelihood of a draw is very high. I wonder if the game would have finished 0-0 what would the general view be?
Let's be clear i don't want to see us play that way in 98 % of the matches, but considering the circumstances i'm fine with it in this particular game.
6.) 03 Sep 2025 18:22:03
The point is, we set out to frustrate, not to win. We are not going to win the league by playing that way against the top four/ five sides? The only circumstance was the absence of Odegaard and Saka; the potential occurrence of which was supposedly why we spent £200+M in the transfer window. Instead, Arteta chose to play Merino for Odegaard and left an ineffectual Martinelli on for 70 minutes. It was 0-0 because we have an incredibly good defence, which ought to provide the basis for attacking and dynamic football, not to play negatively for a draw. Play for a draw against top sides and you commonly get nothing. Why? Because the top four sides have the potential to do something special, which is why they are in the top four. We shall have to agree to differ, because I wasn't fine with it. Best, HB.
7.) 03 Sep 2025 20:33:00
We used to get hammered late during the Wenger era for trying to play that dynamic attacking football away to the biggest sides. I'm not saying the complete opposite of that is the right way but rather the right balance is probably somewhere in the middle (as in several other aspects in life) .
If we play like this in all the games against top 5 teams i won't be happy but this was an away game to the champions without several key players (not just Odegaard and Saka) . Liverpool can kill you on the transition and the coaches ultimately need to think of the best way to get the result. You need to pair idealism with realism. That said i hope this team will grow into one that always goes for the win no matter the opposition. It doesn't happen overnight no matter how much money has been spent though.
The setup wasn't perfect in my opinion. I thought this game would have been perfect for Eze. He was fit and could have just played according to his instincts. Would have made us much more dangerous in transition without overly exposing our defence.
I respect your view.
8.) 03 Sep 2025 21:00:03
Are you talking the key Wenger years when we won be trophies and won at big grounds while playing decent football or when he had 1/ 1000 of Arteta’s budget, was hounded out but still won more than Arteta?
I was saying the same thing last season - he’s a negative scared coach who bottles big decisions. Sky did a segment on how we play yet the Arteta crew attacks anyone who dares attack Arteta because we now try and we compete ( but fail) .
It’s one game and early but Arteta needs help. He didn’t get it last year on the bench and surrounds himself with people who clearly agree with him or don’t challenge him. He needs a David Dein like figure to challenge and push him. I’m not saying he’s a bad manager but I am doubting if he has the balls to win anything major.
9.) 04 Sep 2025 01:26:19
Liverpool fan here but I agree with Hoxton's opinion more. It was a drab game with both sides creating very little but Arsenal clearly set out to get a draw. Playing what is essentially 4 CBs and 3 CDMs is indicative of that. You can point to the injuries to Ode and Saka but if it takes just two injuries for Arteta to revert back to Stoke-esque football despite spending a fortune since he took over, then he clearly isn't the guy for the job. If you see yourself as a big club, then act like one too and take the game to the opponent.
Tbf, I have been annoyed by Slot for his tactics too since it's a far cry from Klopp's early days. But he has shown the tactical acumen to switch things up when needed at the right time. He made changes to the side much earlier than Arteta did and as the game went on, I felt that it was only a matter or time before we scored. It just happened to be from a moment of magic for us.
{Ed014's Note - as soon as I saw that Merino was playing I knew that we’d lose so never even bothered watching the game. That’s no offence to Merino.
To be perfectly honest that was pathetic, I personally don’t rate your side at all and had we played the football of the previous two seasons last year, you wouldn’t have had a sniff.
I’d go so far as to say you’re probably one of the worst league winners, in terms of squad quality and quality of football played last year, for some time, but you had Salah on fire. I watched you numerous times, wife is a pool supporter and you were poor so many times but just got the win.
We needed to make a statement Sunday and wipe the floor with you, Arteta bottled that and for me he can pretty much jog off.
I doubt I’ll bother watching us again as to churn out what was clearly a spineless performance with that current squad was a shocker, I hope he’s ashamed of himself.
Genuinely no offence to you about your team/squad but you don’t even have any real depth or a player I’d want at our club, which never used to be the case.
10.) 04 Sep 2025 07:07:54
Hello Ed mate hope you and the wife are safe and well. I was on live chat on Sunday but I was raging with Arteta, s tactics and selection and probably got a ban if I posted what I wanted to say.
Hope Arteta takes a long hard look at himself during the break and comes back with tactics that suit the players we have got
Take care mate.
{Ed014's Note - all good thanks mate, he really needs to, beating Leeds is fine but abject performances against United and then Liverpool is simply unacceptable, no matter at what point in the season.
All good thanks mate and likewise with you and yours.
11.) 04 Sep 2025 08:31:24
Well said 14
I will give mikel until Christmas and if we are not in a position to be title contenders he has to go
I hope that's not the case
But I'm sick of the same posts being written over and over again
If I have nothing new to post I don't bother
How's the wife buddy?
{Ed014's Note - if he doesn’t buck his ideas up pronto, then maybe sooner.
I’ve given him some slack but Sunday was an absolute joke.
All good thanks mate and hopefully your dad is doing as best he can mate.
12.) 04 Sep 2025 10:01:18
No offence taken Ed and I do agree to a certain extent, although I do have red-tinted lenses when looking at Liverpool. The league, and the game at the weekend, were yours for the taking. Your team should have won the league last season but truly bottled it against a Liverpool side who was still in need of a refresh and an out of sorts City. We won both the league and the last game because we had a much better manager who was able to make the most out of our team. You have quality players but a manager who doesn't know how to make full use of them.
{Ed014's Note - thanks mate and I agree on pretty much all of that although not totally sold on Slot just yet.
He was definitely able to make the most of last seasons team but never really came under any pressure, hence it was described as a walk in the park.
Hopefully we give him that pressure and then we’ll get a better idea.
I think you’ve more replaced than added to your squad again this season, so still short on depth. Interesting to see how Isak does and if Wirtz can bring something to the table.
My bad too, I’d defo take Alison Becker!
13.) 04 Sep 2025 12:03:26
Thanks 14 you're a real gent mate.
{Ed014's Note - likewise mate! ?
14.) 04 Sep 2025 20:01:02
Come on people the Liverpool game was not the be all and end all the performance too was not as dire as everyone is making it out to be. EVeryone is saying that liverpool are in a bad place because they are bringing so many new players in to the team. i'm sure we bought a few too. or was I just dreaming. I think liverpool had Frimpong injured before the game how many did we have injured out 6 and then saliba got injured 5 minutes into the game that's 7 from starting 11. It was at Anfield. we were still the favourites. I think the whole game we adapted well the free kick did us over but that kick would do anyone over just as rices kick last season would have.
I said this last season if we get the players we need and we all were talking about before the season finishing and we looked vunerable come christmas then we should start considering looking for a new manager. We have the players we need and bought well so far I have not seen anything that would suggest we will be vunerable come christmas except the injuries. Unfortunatey we have picked up injuries to key players early on. This is a great opportunity for the new members to prove their worth. Its a new system we are trying with new players looking forward to the new season.
15.) 04 Sep 2025 20:38:30
Hi Ed014, hope you are well. Wow, that was a quick 180 from you. That surprised me. Don’t get the sudden turn by a number of people. Same guy as last season and who bottled the league. Thought he’d have more support. Shame we spent the money on him Vs his replacement if that’s the case as why would the new manager want Kai, Jesus, Viktor etc
Surely we are in for a penny now - get a decent number 2 that thinks differently and stick a rocket up his ass and see what happens. As you said, he has played decent football before but he is a bottler. Not after a fight.
{Ed014's Note - wow mate, you’ve got a downer on Gyokeres, what’s that about?
16.) 04 Sep 2025 21:23:47
14 he's always on a downer moaning old git
No one said mikel was invisible but even a can of Guinness has a sell by date
Not in a title challenge by Christmas it's adios amigo.
{Ed014's Note - ? I know mate and spot on, we can’t fanny about doing nowt for another season, that really would be criminal.
I expected Arteta to have us straight out of the blocks not stumbling about making United look half decent and Liverpool beat us who really should be nowhere near us!
17.) 04 Sep 2025 22:23:53
Mal, you e been sticking up for Arteta like a madman. Jumped off live chat but now agree with the Arteta posts after a couple of games? At least I’m consistent. Oh and you do post the same thing o et and over again. Normally positive stuff and short posts - opposite of mine but when you aren’t happy with something you voice you opinion more - that’s actually a fact.
Anyway - hope you are well and hope you get that rose tint removed soon. Have fun and enjoy your can. ?.
18.) 04 Sep 2025 21:40:31
Not really but as many there are questions about the transition to EPL. He’s looked a bit behind epl pace, runs and battle. He’s looked a bit stiff and unfit. Still early and not convinced he fits Arteta’s tactics.
It’s more if a new manager would want him and we spent a lot on players and it would be ridiculous if we did that and sacked Arteta. Surely he’s had a big say in who he wanted although if you believe what you read - Viktor was second choice and “the Don” preferred another CM over Zubi…. I actually think we are a bit of a mess and not had a longterm view with some player signings. Take Kai - why spend 64m and 285k per week on a player who is not a game changer or top top quality. Only to eventually replace him and have a 285k per week player who isn’t an exciting dub.
we can’t sell players for toffee, take forever to buy, have bought some real duds and sign a player like Kai or Trossard or Viera who simply aren’t good enough but don’t / can’t sell them. Only to replace with more expensive players.
If we replaced Arteta - would the new manager want 500k per week in wages plus transfer kitty of over 125m wrapped up in those 3.
I know you think I’m a xxxx which is fine but why doesn’t he have a better number 2 who will challenge him. Ask why aren’t we making a sub, reacting or passing forward or why is Martinelli still here. We’ve thrown 1Bn at Arteta - what a disgrace. We can’t sack him now…
I think Arteta is a bottler and tactically inept but I still like the guy and would love him to succeed but I just don’t see him doing it.
Viktor needs time and I want him to succeed. However, if Arteta was sacked and I replaced him - I wouldn’t want a good number of the players we have: Calafiori, Merino, Jesus, Kai, Martinelli (Arteta ruined him) , Viera, Zin and I’d rather have the money in the bank than Viktor not because I don’t like him but I’d like to choose my own striker. I’d rather have Watkins personally. I would sign a proper fast attacking LW. I’d drop Ode and replace him with Eze.
I’d actually see the season out and if he still has no spine, still has Ode as captain, still allows team to pass backwards first, still can’t change tactics then I’d sack him and cry at the amount we’ve blown on him.
I can’t believe how many people blew smoke up his arse and couldn’t see the Emperor had no clothes. Then after 1 game turn on him. He bottled it over last 3 seasons.
What did the club expect - he’s a young manager. I’d see if he’s learned this season.
Viktor - I’m fine with him but not sure a new manager would be or with a number of slow players we have with no desire to get forward fast. Pedestrian players who do ok in europe at the slower pace.
What’s made you turn and turn quite passionately
Hope you are good - I am and really really hope Arteta learns / changes fast. Huge gamble as Zubi looks off pace, Viktor not match fit and big jump to epl, Noni useless on lw and what’s happened to Ethan;how does a kid get infront of him…it’s not a comic book, what was the young lad going to to at Anfield. Looked like a 15 year old playing in a man’s game.
{Ed014's Note - making United look like they could play football when they’re truly woeful shite and not smashing Liverpool.
Don’t really agree with much else to be fair and equally don’t think you’re a twat.
Watkins is 100% not the answer, run of the mill striker.
19.) 05 Sep 2025 05:58:35
I want to marry you sy honey
I do like a old spinster.
20.) 05 Sep 2025 09:12:00
I will marry you Mal unless 14 proposed first
Enjoy Friday.
21.) 05 Sep 2025 09:13:54
Hope you are good Mal - that disease is criminal, seeing memory, strength and who you are stripped without even you knowing. Hope all is good with family. Tough on those around too.
22.) 05 Sep 2025 09:17:45
As you know sy mate it's hard we try to carry on
Best wishes to your dad and family mate.
23.) 05 Sep 2025 09:16:17
Ed, Watkins probably isn’t the answer but symbolic that we need someone who can play epl and make an impact. I’d have him on the bench while Viktor gets up to speed and take pressure off. Better use of 50m than a lot of the stuff we’ve done in past 5 yrs
Thanks for reply and hope you / fam are good
Appreciate it and I know I can sound like a xxxx.
{Ed014's Note - I think we all know what you don’t like SY which can get a little repetitive but it’s good to sound off.
All good thanks and likewise with you and yours.
16 Aug 2025 17:10:31
Sorry if there are factual errors in this post. I didn't research it but rather wrote it in one short sitting from memory. You may also find some of my interpretations false, so let's discuss further in the comments.
22/ 23 was the first time we were properly challenging for the title in a long while. Saliba and Gabriel formed the bedrock of our defence, while in front of them the quartet of Zinchenko, Partey, Xhaka and Odegaard were too good to stop from moving the ball in control from back to front, leading to our forwards receiving the ball in space to punish the opposition.
We ran out of steam and lost out to City. Xhaka left in the summer. There was also a vulnerability at left back because while Zinchenko was effective at progressing the play, the opposing wingers found him a bit too easy to beat. The squad started to evolve into a more physically dominant one with Rice, Havertz and Timber joining. It posed a problem though. Without Xhaka and Zinchenko (who spent some time out injured and started to gradually lose Arteta's trust) we had difficulty in moving the ball forward centrally, leading to the attack losing some of its potency. We scored more points but again it wasn't enough.
The trend that began the summer prior continued in 2024. The signings were tall and strong rather than agile and silky. By this time a big portion of the squad were over 6 ft duelers that provided a great defensive unit, yet new issues had already started to appear without showing signs of being addressed. Rice and Partey couldn't (or weren't instructed to) raise the tempo, which meant there was no space when we worked the play up front. There was an over reliance on Odegaard to come deep and help with early build-up, minimizing his effectiveness further forward. Most of the forwards wanted to play in central areas, allowing opponents to easily play narrow, high line or low block according to what suited them the best. The goals dried up, resulting in too many draws to win the league.
This summer has seen more transfer activity than i anticipated, with the emphasis clearly being to rectify the issues from last season. Zubimendi is a metronome, capable of progressing the play far better than Partey. Gyökeres runs the channels, exploiting high lines. Madueke is a dribbler, capable of beating a man and causing havoc for a team defending in a low block. There's depth in every position to sustain long runs in multiple competitions (i hope) .
For me it feels like the squad is ready to win now.
1.) 16 Aug 2025 20:22:53
Iceman - you could say ;
22/ 23 we surprised everyone. Arteta took us further and faster than anyone believed possible and we played some great football. However, we didn’t do what we should have done in the winter window and bottled it. We weren’t brave enough and ultimately blew our best chance of the league.
23/ 24 - never really replaced Granit in the engine room and no decent striker. Put up a decent fight but never looked like winning. Didn’t address key deficiencies in squad again.
24/ 25 - not deep enough squad, overplayed players and had major injuries. Not addressed striker or variation in attack. Play lacked forward momentum and played more to not lose than to win. Despite City falling off we failed to capitalise and failed to compete with Liverpool. No striker and poor left wing. Ode had poor season and we played more sideways for all than forward.
25/ 6 - Far better squad, addressed midfield, addressed striker but not left wing. Purchased second choice striker late 8n window and team still need to adapt to his style. Tough start and we need to get off the mark quick play8ng to aviators strengths. On paper a far better squad but competition improved and still have a band average left wing which could cost us if we are talking about winning epl. This league is tough and it will expose smallest weakness plus tough start. Hopefully we sign LW asap and hopefully we play to aviators strengths. Goalie is good still concerns me at crosses and concentration. Back 4 and midfield are top top drawer - especially with great signing of Zubi. Fantastic bit of business. Really like the balance in midfield and defence - hopefully it allows Ode to be more effective ( can’t be less than last year ) in final 3rd. Huge exciting improvement.
Bit underwhelmed with investment in attack - glad we got striker but still questions about if he can step up and if our style suits him. Also, he was our second choice, so after 3 years looking we still don’t get our guy. However, his numbers are super strong and looks good if we play to his style. Wish we signed Watkins too. Still need that LW and change in style. If we go back to last year style then we are in trouble. If we revert to our seasons before attacking flare then fantastic.
Alot falls on Arteta and if he plays to win, gives us more freedom to attack and actually makes good in game tactical changes. He had the squad to ensure he doesn’t over play players agsin. He should hav3 learned from past 3 seasons to be braver . Should have learned that a win and a loss is better than two draws.
We appear to be far better equipped than ever and spent a fortune on squad so yes - the squad is ready to win BUT can Arteta and Ode get us over the line. That’s the question.
Hope so and super pumped for tomorrow - want to see them play with style, aggression, fast forward play and desire to win. Can’t wai5 to see the line up an£ how we play. Can’t wait to see Viktor and really hope he scored. Hope Zode plays a blinder. Hope Martibelli is hiven the freedom to be the player he was and plays with freedom to go forward. Can’t wait to see Zubi. Really excited and can’t wait. COYG and con3 on Arteta manage like you are at a big big club who wants to win hone / away regardless of away ground.
2.) 17 Aug 2025 00:11:45
Good post Sy, tomorrow not an easy game, even with all there problems, hoping for a big win but will love 14 nil to the Arsenal,
Oops that was supposed to be 1 nil fat fingers.
Sy I don't always agree with you but respect your passion.
3.) 17 Aug 2025 11:29:37
I'd like a superstar lw too but i guess before that Martinelli or Trossard may have to move.
4.) 17 Aug 2025 12:52:14
We struggle to sell players as we put them on crazy money. Who can afford to pay us for - Jesus, Zinchenko, Trossard or Kai. How do Liverpool do so better at selling. based on the business we’ve done we have to sell to buy the game changer we need. Crazy. That’s like not being able to afford the house you need because you buy a 3rd car that’s not really required ?.
11 Aug 2025 18:05:18
In my eyes four teams could win the league this season. We have improved on squad depth and versatility. Zubimendi looks like a massive upgrade on Partey and a better fit alongside Rice. It will come down to Arteta. Can he extract the maximum of this squad or does he overly rely on the usual suspects again, breaking them in the process?
Liverpool as champions have to be counted in. And signing Wirtz, new fullbacks and Ekitike seems to have strengthened them. But is this team good enough defensively? They seem to have vulnerabilities at the back but may end up outscoring opponents anyway, especially if Isak signs for them. Another thing to consider is Van Dijk, Salah and Alisson are a year older. Are they still capable of carrying them?
City have rebuilt a big part of their squad. Are they ready to challenge or do they need another season to prepare? How many minutes can Rodri play and can he reach his pre-injury level?
Chelsea have a team full of talent and can build upon Maresca's first season. Is he capable of constructing a system capable of winning consistently?
These are the main questions in my mind when the season starts. Obviously things can still change with transfer window open until the end of the month, but the general picture will probably be like this. And then of course unexpected things can happen. A dark horse may appear or an injury to key player may hamper someone's season. Can't wait for the season to start!
1.) 12 Aug 2025 19:52:56
Squad is far better
Starting 11 far better
Viktor needs to adapt quick to epl and tactics changed
Would like a star signing - Sanchez like
Down to the Boss now - does he have it in him to cross the line first? Hope so but he needs to adjust / learn. He’s smart so fingers crossed
Exciting….
{Ed001's Note - Sancho is available, that is like Sanchez, just chop off the ez and put an o there instead.}
2.) 13 Aug 2025 06:26:22
Agree that a big signing would be nice but hard to see that happening without first trimming the wage bill. Some like Zinny, Sambi etc really should depart but clubs will likely wait til near the end of the window to bid, giving us too little time to act. I think Eze's future will be decided soon and we may miss out.
18 May 2025 08:39:40
Hi all. It's been a while since my last post. I've been reading the site though. I hope everyone's doing well.
Arsenal finish the season trophyless once again. In hindsight i'd say the summer 2024 transfer window was a very poor one. Getting rid of so many attacking players and only bringing in Sterling doesn't look very good now.
You can use injuries as an excuse but i won't buy it. Majority of them would have been avoidable with better squad rotation. Luck plays a part but we should look into the factors we can influence and improve next season.
I think a champions league club needs a minimum of 22 established players, especially with today's packed fixture lists. Playing twice a week is becoming a norm. Players can sustain that pace for a while but over long periods they will simply break.
Arteta just talked about Havertz doing a lot of work to improve physically during his injury absence. When he was fit he simply didn't have time to do that. That should tell you all you need to know. Players need to play less in order to improve basically.
Arsenal have struggled tactically as well. Left hand side has been problematic for a second season in a row. When there's no width from a fullback it means our winger needs to stay wide. Neither Martinelli nor Trossard are really suited for that. Rice's underlapping runs have helped a bit but this is an area where we can improve.
The bigger problem is the build-up, specifically central build-up. We are able to progress the play but often it requires Odegaard to drop deep or a fullback to invert. So often we end up either progressing through the wide areas or if we go through centrally, we don't have enough players waiting for the pass up front in order to be dangerous. Tempo has also been too slow.
Addressing these issues when coming into the transfer window is what i want to see. When next season starts i hope we have
1) Sufficient depth in all areas of the pitch
2) Either a left winger who thrives on playing near touchline or a more attacking left fullback to provide overlap and
3) A build-up special-ist capable of orchestrating play, progress the ball centrally and control the tempo.
I hope you have a nice Sunday!
1.) 18 May 2025 10:14:06
Fully agree mate. The Arteta cult want to use injuries and the lack of a striker as an excuse without acknowledging both are Arteta’s fault. Now the club are trying to do Havertz PR, its too funny. Dublin and Malaga probably reckon Havertz will score 30 league goals next season though ;)
2.) 18 May 2025 10:48:47
I fully agree with most of your post but I do think the injuries have played a part especially when we lost all our offensive players at the same time.
3.) 18 May 2025 12:08:32
Nice to see you again Iceman, I have been disengaged from football due to how busy work has been for me, but agree with your thoughts as usual.
As was clear at the time, I think the club really let us down with the Sterling signing and the lack of striker support in January. Sterling was at least a loan but on par with Willian in terms of ineffectiveness. If we had cover for Saka instead of Sterling and picked up a striker in January I think we could have had a very different season, perhaps not bowing out to PSG and pushing Liverpool far closer.
I too am worried about our attacking, it's been far more pedestrian than I have come to expect out of Arteta given our last few seasons. I think MØ and Martinelli have to really sort themselves out this summer and figure out how to be more involved in the final third. We aren't too far away from a title winning team, but the silverware will have to start coming soon or out lads will start to look elsewhere for trophies.
4.) 18 May 2025 12:44:37
Dags I do think injuries have played a big part. They have been serious injuries, season long injuries. Of course that would have had an impact with the squad we have.
Let's hope squad strength is addressed in this 2 part transfer window!
Totally agree we look toothless in the box at times but would any other club have done any better without a recognised striker?
{Ed025's Note - no Sally, but the reason you didn,t have a recognised striker was because of pure incompetence from the club..
5.) 18 May 2025 13:47:56
100% ed, Arteta signed about 5 goalkeepers, 8 left backs, 5 CM’s when he knows he needed a striker. That’s incompetence from him and the club for not overruling him.
{Ed025's Note - it could have been so different Dags, opportunity missed imo..
6.) 18 May 2025 15:43:14
I love it when people assume things about me and get it completely wrong pmsl, 1/ I don’t rate havertz i think he was a waste of 65m, 2 i don’t blame injuries for us not winning we should have had squad depth! 3 how do you know without the injuries we still would have been where we are nobody’s knows!4/ I’m not to fussed about us not signing a striker in jan because the ones we want we’re not available in January! So why on earth would we panic buy a striker and put our summer plans in doubt, I’m not arteta out but this season coming is his toughest yet and needs to bring trophies, so dags when you try to assume things about people you don’t know think next time pmsl, it’s obvious you don’t like arteta or ever have, but I’d like to know if we won the CL and PL or fa cup and pl double what would your opinion be?
7.) 18 May 2025 19:25:49
"Finish the season, go to the beach and make sure the ones upstairs do what they have to do. " These are direct words of Arteta today after the game clearly has little control of who comes in. He can identify positions and players but the final decision lays with the board and previously edu and now Berta.
For me if Berta brings in the players the we need than barring injuries or world epedemic event we should be getting a few tropies. and if we didn't walk with anything than yes its deifnetley time for us to look at replacing Arteta.
If we fail to sign the right players and we get we tried but nothing was availble than Arteta gets free reign until changes higher up.
8.) 18 May 2025 19:27:10
Injuries played a big part to how our season folded, but I find it very unreasonable to blame Arteta for not signing a striker l as I doubt it was his call.
9.) 18 May 2025 20:09:12
Thanks for the many replies. Good to see so many opinions as it keeps the conversation interesting.
I have just one more thing to add regarding the striker situation. One is definitely needed, but i'm also a massive Havertz fan. Whoever comes in may not be an automatic starter and that's okay for me. The role can easily be shared and depending on who comes in they may even play a lot of minutes together up front.
10.) 18 May 2025 21:01:59
It seems we tried to sign Watkins in the January window Moe, obviously the decision makers didn't want to go there with the asking price. Personally I think he would have been a great addition to our squad for a few seasons. But of course his minutes would have dwindled if we manage to sign a top striker this window. always assuming he wanted to come to us of course!
I wonder how Havertz and Jesus will perform next season after such lengthy layoffs, Tomi too. Or whether any or all of them will be let go?
I must say Kiwior has stepped up. I haven't seen today's game so I may be a bit premature there if he had a 'mare lol.
16 Feb 2025 08:27:26
Yesterday's lesson? Play your in-form players in their best positions. Nwaneri was excellent on the right. Trossard was struggling as a striker but on the left was instantly way better. Good to see we have at least one workable solution with Merino up front. That sounds crazy but if you think about our formation as 4-1-2-1-2 maybe it's not that unimaginable after all.
We have 6 games until the international break. By that time we should have Martinelli back and after that hopefully Saka, even though he will probably take a while to get up to speed. Just need to navigate these games somehow and hope that the returning players will give us a lift.
1.) 16 Feb 2025 09:02:23
Hi Ice mate, we have to go with what we have and somehow find a way with the players available, just as we did yesterday. We have been unfortunate with injuries but into each life a little rain must sometimes fall, it's all part and parcel of football, but looking on the bright side without those injuries would Nwaneri and Skelly have got the game time to show just how incredibly good and how ready they are, and without Kai getting injured we'd never have known Merino could do a job for us up top.
Sometimes we learn far more when going through a tough patch than we could possibly learn when everyone's available and the team is firing on all cylinders. Longterm the biggest problem I see is when everyone is fit whos Arteta going to drop?
2.) 16 Feb 2025 11:06:06
Hi G62. I definitely agree with all of that. This is a testing period for Arteta and i hope by the end of it he himself will be better as well. It's good to see him and the squad being able to offer solutions to our injury problems, even if that's probably the minimum requirement for the job.
About selection. Given the amount of soft tissue injuries we have had it's clear to me that we need to rotate the team more in the future, especially if we want to fight in every competition. There should be plenty of minutes available for everyone.
3.) 16 Feb 2025 12:04:45
Yes Ice I agree, I'm not a big fan of Rotation rotation rotation as I believe playing a regular setled side is where good understandings are formed but when so many players have proved their ability it's good to be able to rest players where they only have to play twice a week occasionally rather than on a regular basis.
I personally think everything that is happening and has happened this season has brought long term benefits and if we can somehow be champions this season of all seasons then what the future might hold for our team is a very exciting prospect to consider. Personally my happiness and respect for our current team isn't 100% dependent on us finishing top but to do so would most definitely be a wonderful cherry on top of the cake ?.
4.) 16 Feb 2025 13:03:50
Great result but Leicester have lost 16 of their 25 games. We should beat them and we should have the depth in squad to do so. Let’s call it what it is. LS saved our ass with a remarkable block.
Sui g players in form and in position is key
Having depth and quality in squad is key
Martinelli would not have stayed on side as intelligently as Merino did, based on history. Not fact just opinion - lacks a bit of intelligence.
3 points but 3 every top 5 team would have expected.
5.) 16 Feb 2025 15:19:49
SY, i'm definitely not getting carried away. At this stage and with the squad we have i'm first and foremost relieved we came through. Havertz could well have been our most important player at the time he got his injury and this was the first game without him. We need to readjust the system and it will probably take some time for it to start fully working.
We have another full week to prepare and then another must win game awaits.
6.) 20 Feb 2025 21:59:38
A wins a win and hopefully we build on that.
Hopefully Liverpool wobble on their last few results as they have a few tough games coming up.
If they bottle it - we need to be ready and willing to fight for the trophy they had one hand on.
26 Aug 2025 17:41:34
Don't forget Mosquera Ed :)
{Ed077's Note - The list just never ends for Arsenal eh ??
28 Apr 2024 07:49:16
I think the dutch market has a lot of value in it. The level is probably better than most people realize, the big clubs aren't as able (or perhaps willing) to hold onto their best players and i think the dutch football philosophy in general suits our style very well. So my pick for midfield would be Mats Wieffer from Feyenoord. Add in Ollie Watkins and we're all set imo. I see Jesus as a utility forward who can cover both wings and striker.
01 Mar 2024 15:36:08
I think he has great potential but he needs lots of coaching to maximise it. I'd agree he's not needed here because of Martinelli.
04 May 2018 07:46:32
Why would we give the new manager/ head coach any transfer budget at all given the appointment of SM and RS?
As for the candidates who see the lack of champions league football next season as a problem, i think it's better to overlook those coaches anyway. I'd rather like a coach who plans for long term instead of one season success.
As for the salary, i don't know of any details but would imagine it's just natural the new guy wouldn't earn quite as much as Wenger since he wouldn't have as many responsibilities as Wenger had (like transfers for example) . I'm sure we can still offer competitive wages.
I would also like to point out one reason why i think we will be an attractive option for any coach, and that is the way the club has handled Wenger. We are known as a club with patience and the board won't make any rash decisions based on short term results. I personally would like to see the new coach get at least two seasons time to improve our performances (unless the first season is a total disaster) .
Okay thanks Ed, I'm really struggling to see who we could sign but luckily we'll find out soon.
29 Sep 2025 13:06:55
I occasionally go to the Liverpool page too since it's so active. And i too saw the post you're talking about ?
Many of them seem to take issue with our playing style. Some of us take too. That's fine and you can have good discussions about it without anyone getting hurt.
Other comments are about Arteta's hair etc. That's just immature. There are some intelligent users but many of them don't seem to have much respect for others.
The thing is, are we the same? I'm prpbably too biased to tell.
15 Sep 2025 17:23:10
I found it on Liverpool page. Seems like it wasn't posted here at all. I guess they were banned from the Arsenal page because of the hair flick jokes.
15 Sep 2025 10:16:03
Okay thanks for the insight on Hincapié Ed. I've only seen him in clips and in many of them he is playing lb, has good pace and seems to have a good left footed pass/ cross. So i thought he might be our slightly more defensively minded Tierney replacement. But what you can't evaluate from clips is whether he can run up and down repeatedly for 90 mins. Maybe that's where he falls short?
The thing that irks me with Merino is he was clearly signed as a squad player yet cost way too much. Look at Kepa and Norgaard. Those were bargains. I trust Berta to not repeat the mistakes of Edu.
15 Sep 2025 08:01:56
Valid point about our cf situation Ed. I've been thinking about Saka as a cf for a while, but especially now after seeing Madueke play so well on the right. Honestly i can't see why Saka couldn't become one of the best strikers around. He's the most well-rounded forward in the team and our best player. But of course this is just theoretical right now. Can't say whether it would actually work and would he be better as a rw still. Ultimately we want to play our players in their best positions for the majority of the time.
Left back is a mysterious position for us. Calafiori is a very fun player to watch, he ends up in all kinds of crazy positions. Lewis-Skelly seems to be more fixed to the midfield. Then there's Hincapié who i could see playing as a slightly more traditional overlapping full back, which i think suits Eze the best. Right now i'm thinking that over time Hincapié becomes the main lb, Calafiori migrates to cb and Lewis-Skelly migrates to cm (which will Ultimately eat up Merino's minutes) .
{Ed001's Note - Hincapie is not really a full-back. He is a centre-back who can play there, I am not convinced he is going to be a flying wing-back.
Reducing Merino's minutes would be a good thing, he is far too immobile for the Premier League. Shame because he is so good technically, but he is slow enough to fit in West Ham's midfield.}
03 Sep 2025 20:33:00
We used to get hammered late during the Wenger era for trying to play that dynamic attacking football away to the biggest sides. I'm not saying the complete opposite of that is the right way but rather the right balance is probably somewhere in the middle (as in several other aspects in life) .
If we play like this in all the games against top 5 teams i won't be happy but this was an away game to the champions without several key players (not just Odegaard and Saka) . Liverpool can kill you on the transition and the coaches ultimately need to think of the best way to get the result. You need to pair idealism with realism. That said i hope this team will grow into one that always goes for the win no matter the opposition. It doesn't happen overnight no matter how much money has been spent though.
The setup wasn't perfect in my opinion. I thought this game would have been perfect for Eze. He was fit and could have just played according to his instincts. Would have made us much more dangerous in transition without overly exposing our defence.
I respect your view.