I'm not convinced on the need for a striker this summer

Firstly, we lead the league in goals scored, not convinced at all the an out and out no. 9 would result in more goals (sorry red).

Secondly, if you assume that Rice's best position is further forward in midfield, then there is no room in midfield for Havertz so that means he has to start in the false 9 position where he has been excellent.

I can see us improving next year by having (hopefully) a full year of Timber at LB, by buying a wide attacking player that is an improvement on Trossard/Martinelli (also providing more depth there) and by a very young team being a year older.

That should be enough imo.

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Originally Posted by WES

Firstly, we lead the league in goals scored, not convinced at all the an out and out no. 9 would result in more goals (sorry red).

Secondly, if you assume that Rice's best position is further forward in midfield, then there is no room in midfield for Havertz so that means he has to start in the false 9 position where he has been excellent.

I can see us improving next year by having (hopefully) a full year of Timber at LB, by buying a wide attacking player that is an improvement on Trossard/Martinelli (also providing more depth there) and by a very young team being a year older.

That should be enough imo.

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A proper striker would be nice, although as I've said many times, I'd like to see Martinelli given a go. Loads of pace, good finisher, could do the job everyone wants us to pay a fortune for Isak for.

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Originally Posted by WES

Firstly, we lead the league in goals scored, not convinced at all the an out and out no. 9 would result in more goals (sorry red).

Secondly, if you assume that Rice's best position is further forward in midfield, then there is no room in midfield for Havertz so that means he has to start in the false 9 position where he has been excellent.

I can see us improving next year by having (hopefully) a full year of Timber at LB, by buying a wide attacking player that is an improvement on Trossard/Martinelli (also providing more depth there) and by a very young team being a year older.

That should be enough imo.

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I hate to say it but I agree with you :-)

I think we need a realistic option to cover Saka (one Arteta is actually willing to use) and another midfielder. And you would expect Ramsdale to leave, meaning we will need a number 2 keeper.

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Originally Posted by PSRB

A proper striker would be nice, although as I've said many times, I'd like to see Martinelli given a go. Loads of pace, good finisher, could do the job everyone wants us to pay a fortune for Isak for.

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The issue with Martinelli is whether his game with his back to goal is good enough.

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Originally Posted by WES

Firstly, we lead the league in goals scored, not convinced at all the an out and out no. 9 would result in more goals (sorry red).

Secondly, if you assume that Rice's best position is further forward in midfield, then there is no room in midfield for Havertz so that means he has to start in the false 9 position where he has been excellent.

I can see us improving next year by having (hopefully) a full year of Timber at LB, by buying a wide attacking player that is an improvement on Trossard/Martinelli (also providing more depth there) and by a very young team being a year older.

That should be enough imo.

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Maybe not first-choice but a decent option off the bench would be nice

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Originally Posted by Peter

I hate to say it but I agree with you :-)

I think we need a realistic option to cover Saka (one Arteta is actually willing to use) and another midfielder. And you would expect Ramsdale to leave, meaning we will need a number 2 keeper.

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Yes, a new keeper to replace Ramsdale, a new DM option to replace Partey if he leaves and because both Jorginho and Partey are the wrong side of 30, and another attacking option would be fine.

We have depth all over the pitch but they have to improve enough that Arteta will start using them. Odegaard is a good example. He plays too much because Arteta still doesn't seem to trust ESR or Vieira enough. But if you tried to buy someone to provide depth, it might be hard to find someone better than those two who would be willing to be 2nd choice.

Goes back to my point about the team improving just by being a year older, it has to happen.

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Originally Posted by Luis Anaconda

Maybe not first-choice but a decent option off the bench would be nice

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I think the future of Jesus and Zinchenko may well be up for discussion this summer.

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Originally Posted by Luis Anaconda

Maybe not first-choice but a decent option off the bench would be nice

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Jesus is currently a good option off the bench. Eddie less so. If you mean an option off the bench who is a natural finisher/poacher then I would agree. Not sure how easily you find someone like that who can play at our level but is content to not be in the first 11.

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Originally Posted by WES

Yes, a new keeper to replace Ramsdale, a new DM option to replace Partey if he leaves and because both Jorginho and Partey are the wrong side of 30, and another attacking option would be fine.

We have depth all over the pitch but they have to improve enough that Arteta will start using them. Odegaard is a good example. He plays too much because Arteta still doesn't seem to trust ESR or Vieira enough. But if you tried to buy someone to provide depth, it might be hard to find someone better than those two who would be willing to be 2nd choice.

Goes back to my point about the team improving just by being a year older, it has to happen.

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Trouble with Odegaard is he is always going to play when fit. He isn't just the fulcrum of our possession and captain, he is also the lead point in the high press, the organising pivot. You are talking about being able to rest him about 4 or 5 times a year, at key points.

Same with Saka to an extent. But as you say, if he isn't going to use Smith Rowe and Nelson, there isn't much point in keeping them.

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Originally Posted by WES

Firstly, we lead the league in goals scored, not convinced at all the an out and out no. 9 would result in more goals (sorry red).

Secondly, if you assume that Rice's best position is further forward in midfield, then there is no room in midfield for Havertz so that means he has to start in the false 9 position where he has been excellent.

I can see us improving next year by having (hopefully) a full year of Timber at LB, by buying a wide attacking player that is an improvement on Trossard/Martinelli (also providing more depth there) and by a very young team being a year older.

That should be enough imo.

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Agree with every word.

Without throwing hundreds of millions of pounds at the position and perhaps most notably, NOT accruing dozens of FFP Rules violations charges, the boss has arrived at a brilliant solution.

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Originally Posted by Peter

Trouble with Odegaard is he is always going to play when fit. He isn't just the fulcrum of our possession and captain, he is also the lead point in the high press, the organising pivot. You are talking about being able to rest him about 4 or 5 times a year, at key points.

Same with Saka to an extent. But as you say, if he isn't going to use Smith Rowe and Nelson, there isn't much point in keeping them.

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That's true but change (as in certain players playing more or less, new players coming in and others leaving) is inevitable.

We will not be the same next season; an evolving team means we don't need to think in terms of like-for-like.

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Originally Posted by redgunamo

That's true but change (as in certain players playing more or less, new players coming in and others leaving) is inevitable.

We will not be the same next season; an evolving team means we don't need to think in terms of like-for-like.

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Good, as long as we are not exchanging like for don't like.

Arteta is never satisfied, thank god 😁

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Originally Posted by Peter

The issue with Martinelli is whether his game with his back to goal is good enough.

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I am not sure Arteta is as fond as Martinelli. for a long while he didn't paly him and seemed to want to replace him with Mudryk.

Also I remember Arsenal posting clips and people saying Arteta was converting him to a striker.

I love Martinelli he's clearly so talented. but I don't think he's been that great this year.

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Originally Posted by Peter

Good, as long as we are not exchanging like for don't like.

Arteta is never satisfied, thank god 😁

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Quite right too. You never know with him. He might even buy us a two-hundred million pound striker, surprising us all.

It actually does make sense, the way it made sense for Manchester City last season. Arguably they didn't need one, but it did provide that little bit extra they wanted, perhaps not in terms of goals specifically, but in terms of FOCUS on scoring goals throughout the whole squad.

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Originally Posted by Pat Vegas

I am not sure Arteta is as fond as Martinelli. for a long while he didn't paly him and seemed to want to replace him with Mudryk.

Also I remember Arsenal posting clips and people saying Arteta was converting him to a striker.

I love Martinelli he's clearly so talented. but I don't think he's been that great this year.

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He's still young and he will grow. At the moment he doesn't seem patient enough for the role, he always wants the ball at his feet.

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Originally Posted by redgunamo

Quite right too. You never know with him. He might even buy us a two-hundred million pound striker, surprising us all.

It actually does make sense, the way it made sense for Manchester City last season. Arguably they didn't need one, but it did provide that little bit extra they wanted, perhaps not in terms of goals specifically, but in terms of FOCUS on scoring goals throughout the whole squad.

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He won't do what we are all expecting him to do. That much we have all discovered over the years.

It is important that we don't allow the constant desire to improve to get in the way of actually trying to win stuff.

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Originally Posted by Peter

He won't do what we are all expecting him to do. That much we have all discovered over the years.

It is important that we don't allow the constant desire to improve to get in the way of actually trying to win stuff.

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We can do no other, I'm afraid. At least until everybody at Manchester City ends up in prison.

Half our team has already been tapped up by Europe's finest, I'm certain. Probably the good, putative trophy-winning half too :-\

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Originally Posted by redgunamo

We can do no other, I'm afraid. At least until everybody at Manchester City ends up in prison.

Half our team has already been tapped up by Europe's finest, I'm certain. Probably the good, putative trophy-winning half too :-\

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Nah, none of our boys are going anywhere. Not the good ones, anyway. Well, not yet.

We will have to do what Liverpool did- as the title is almost impossible to win, we'll have to focus on the Champions League :-)

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Originally Posted by Peter

Nah, none of our boys are going anywhere. Not the good ones, anyway. Well, not yet.

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Jorginho staying for another year.