Alvarez appears to be our number one summer target. We'll have to pay beyond what we

[Rich]

paid for Rice too. Seems like we're serious about making him our dream striker.

Also see reliable journalists saying that we are talking to Kvaratskhelia's people as we know we need to improve our left wing quite dramatically.

Finally some decent attacking options But I guess it will mean the departures of Jesus, White (we'll sign a replacement of course), maybe Havertz if Bayern are serious and at least one of Martielli or Trossard.

[Herbert Augustus Chapman]

paid for Rice too. Seems like we're serious about making him our dream striker.

Also see reliable journalists saying that we are talking to Kvaratskhelia's people as we know we need to improve our left wing quite dramatically.

Finally some decent attacking options But I guess it will mean the departures of Jesus, White (we'll sign a replacement of course), maybe Havertz if Bayern are serious and at least one of Martielli or Trossard.

What on Earth would Bayern want with Kai 'Crouchy' Havertz?

[Peter]

paid for Rice too. Seems like we're serious about making him our dream striker.

Also see reliable journalists saying that we are talking to Kvaratskhelia's people as we know we need to improve our left wing quite dramatically.

Finally some decent attacking options But I guess it will mean the departures of Jesus, White (we'll sign a replacement of course), maybe Havertz if Bayern are serious and at least one of Martielli or Trossard.

The Georgian lad- yes, excellent.

Alvarez- no.

[Rich]

The Georgian lad- yes, excellent.

Alvarez- no.

Alvarez is absolutely sublime. I longed for him when he was at City. My understanding was that he asked to leave because he didn't much like the weather. But sounds as though he has made The Arsenal his priority now too.

[Peter]

Alvarez is absolutely sublime. I longed for him when he was at City. My understanding was that he asked to leave because he didn't much like the weather. But sounds as though he has made The Arsenal his priority now too.

You want to spend a fortune on a guy who moans about the weather?

[Rich]

You want to spend a fortune on a guy who moans about the weather?

Well it's a bit warmer / less wet in London.

[Peter]

Well it's a bit warmer / less wet in London.

Still have to play half your games in the North.

I'm not hugely impressed with him. I dont want him.

[WES]

Still have to play half your games in the North.

I'm not hugely impressed with him. I dont want him.

Wharton and the Georgian would make me very happy - don?t see we need anything else

[7sisters]

What on Earth would Bayern want with Kai 'Crouchy' Havertz?

Use him as a goalpost during training ? Although, it must be said, they actually took that carthorse, Jackson on a loan to buy option, which I found farkin hysterical

[Peter]

Wharton and the Georgian would make me very happy - don?t see we need anything else

100% agree. I'd be delighted with those two.

[Rich]

100% agree. I'd be delighted with those two.

Still leaves us pitifully short in attacking areas.

Just watch Alvarez. He is literally perfect for us. The style of forward we had in Arteta?s first few seasons. Would be an amazing signing but going to cost ?110m ish

[Peter]

Still leaves us pitifully short in attacking areas.

Just watch Alvarez. He is literally perfect for us. The style of forward we had in Arteta?s first few seasons. Would be an amazing signing but going to cost ?110m ish

You know what leaves us pitifully short in attacking areas? Having eleven men behind the ball in their own third.

We have plenty of attacking talent. Saka, Odegaard, Havertz, Martinelli, Gyokeres, Eze. We ruin them by starving them of possession and support and exhausting them with defensive work. Which is why you see their initial output slowly drop.

We'll do it to Alvarez. Even to that Georgian lad.

The problem isnt the players. It's the approach.

Arteta needs a line of coke and a few Stones album. Get a bit of confidence going, a bit of swagger

[WES]

You know what leaves us pitifully short in attacking areas? Having eleven men behind the ball in their own third.

We have plenty of attacking talent. Saka, Odegaard, Havertz, Martinelli, Gyokeres, Eze. We ruin them by starving them of possession and support and exhausting them with defensive work. Which is why you see their initial output slowly drop.

We'll do it to Alvarez. Even to that Georgian lad.

The problem isnt the players. It's the approach.

Arteta needs a line of coke and a few Stones album. Get a bit of confidence going, a bit of swagger

Hmmm, not entirely sure I see what you see, Peter. No argument on the coke and the Stones, of course

I see plenty of players forward, fullbacks routinely overlapping, midfielders making runs into the box. We see this all the time. The problem is we too often see it after excruciatingly slow and safe build up play through midfield. And by that time the opposition have 11 players in and around their box. You need better attacking players than we have at that point.

For me this is the problem, it's like Arteta has drilled safety first into our play through midfield to the point that the players lack the confidence in themelves to move it quickly. I think we saw this Sunday. Start of second half Pep had 4 players across the top of our box pressing. And we lacked the confidence to pass it through them so we started playing it long from the keeper or down the lines from the fullbacks. And given that we then seemed to lose EVERY SINGLE DUEL FOR 20 CONSECUTIVE MINUTES, well I don't need to tell you the rest.

City conversely, passed it through our press often, and they maintained their defensive responsibilities throught the match.

We should expect no less imo. Arteta needs to fix it. Sadly, it may have to wait until next season.

[Peter]

Hmmm, not entirely sure I see what you see, Peter. No argument on the coke and the Stones, of course

I see plenty of players forward, fullbacks routinely overlapping, midfielders making runs into the box. We see this all the time. The problem is we too often see it after excruciatingly slow and safe build up play through midfield. And by that time the opposition have 11 players in and around their box. You need better attacking players than we have at that point.

For me this is the problem, it's like Arteta has drilled safety first into our play through midfield to the point that the players lack the confidence in themelves to move it quickly. I think we saw this Sunday. Start of second half Pep had 4 players across the top of our box pressing. And we lacked the confidence to pass it through them so we started playing it long from the keeper or down the lines from the fullbacks. And given that we then seemed to lose EVERY SINGLE DUEL FOR 20 CONSECUTIVE MINUTES, well I don't need to tell you the rest.

City conversely, passed it through our press often, and they maintained their defensive responsibilities throught the match.

We should expect no less imo. Arteta needs to fix it. Sadly, it may have to wait until next season.

Absolutely, that is the problem. And if you had Partey, and the old Odegaard, it would have been fixed. But we dont. Raya would have helped as well.....

We are utterly predictable and Pep knows it. He cut off the pass to the full backs and we were stuck. Nowhere to go.

And of course we take too long to move the ball. But that isnt because of the quality of the attacking players. It is because of the approach we take. And it is ruining our attacking players.

The even bigger problem is game management once we are ahead. We do all of this without the ball, sitting ridiculously deep and shifting back and forth to block. Players dont see the ball at all.

It is exhausting and horrible to play in. And I'm sorry to say it but it is how bad sides defend a lead and control a game. Good sides do it with the ball.

You come to Arsenal as a defender and your stock will go through the roof. Come here as a forward and your reputation will be in tatters within 3 years.

The only hope is that we somehow scramble over the line this season and Arteta chills out and get a bit more adventurous. Otherwise, I'm just going to be sat here frustrated and waiting for him to leave.

[PSRB]

Hmmm, not entirely sure I see what you see, Peter. No argument on the coke and the Stones, of course

I see plenty of players forward, fullbacks routinely overlapping, midfielders making runs into the box. We see this all the time. The problem is we too often see it after excruciatingly slow and safe build up play through midfield. And by that time the opposition have 11 players in and around their box. You need better attacking players than we have at that point.

For me this is the problem, it's like Arteta has drilled safety first into our play through midfield to the point that the players lack the confidence in themelves to move it quickly. I think we saw this Sunday. Start of second half Pep had 4 players across the top of our box pressing. And we lacked the confidence to pass it through them so we started playing it long from the keeper or down the lines from the fullbacks. And given that we then seemed to lose EVERY SINGLE DUEL FOR 20 CONSECUTIVE MINUTES, well I don't need to tell you the rest.

City conversely, passed it through our press often, and they maintained their defensive responsibilities throught the match.

We should expect no less imo. Arteta needs to fix it. Sadly, it may have to wait until next season.

We looked shattered in the 2nd half. Pep's PEPs helped them