AWIMB 2024/2025 season review

2nd in the league and a CL semi-final in which we were highly competitive with the best side in Europe and probably went out only because their keeper played 2 blinders.

Given the injury situation this has to be seen as an achievement and overall a positive season.

Biggest upside - destroying Madrid and playing PSG close over two legs with our injuries makes it clear we are capable of playing with the best teams in Europe.

Biggest downside - too many impotent displays going forward, even with our injuries we had good enough players that this happened far too often.

Summer activity - Zubimendi and a striker and another wide option and Arteta getting the attacking play/controlling the game balance right

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Originally Posted by WES

2nd in the league and a CL semi-final in which we were highly competitive with the best side in Europe and probably went out only because their keeper played 2 blinders.

Given the injury situation this has to be seen as an achievement and overall a positive season.

Biggest upside - destroying Madrid and playing PSG close over two legs with our injuries makes it clear we are capable of playing with the best teams in Europe.

Biggest downside - too many impotent displays going forward, even with our injuries we had good enough players that this happened far too often.

Summer activity - Zubimendi and a striker and another wide option and Arteta getting the attacking play/controlling the game balance right

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Agree with that but the lack of striker has cost us and that was glaringly obvious from Day 1.

We've achieved a third consecutive second place which is a historical precursor to a league and cup double the following season.

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Originally Posted by WES

Biggest downside - too many impotent displays going forward, even with our injuries we had good enough players that this happened far too often.

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I understand that abject football manager, Gary Neville, said our attacking was predictable.

I'm loathed to admit it...he's correct.

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Originally Posted by WES

probably went out only because their keeper played 2 blinders.

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PSG made us look like a farkin' pub side you big moose noncing lummox.

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Originally Posted by WES

2nd in the league and a CL semi-final in which we were highly competitive with the best side in Europe and probably went out only because their keeper played 2 blinders.

Given the injury situation this has to be seen as an achievement and overall a positive season.

Biggest upside - destroying Madrid and playing PSG close over two legs with our injuries makes it clear we are capable of playing with the best teams in Europe.

Biggest downside - too many impotent displays going forward, even with our injuries we had good enough players that this happened far too often.

Summer activity - Zubimendi and a striker and another wide option and Arteta getting the attacking play/controlling the game balance right

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Other won't agree but I think the significance of the injuries has been hugely overplayed. No question, losing both your strikers at the same time for such a period is extremely unlucky. But we were more than 20 games into the season when that happened and hadn't looked even remotely as effective as we did last season. The problems were there all season, even when we were at full strength.

We are going to finish at least 15 points behind last season's total. That is a huge step backwards. No doubt some of that is from the injuries, but not the majority.

We don't score enough goals. We don't do nearly enough to pursue and control games when we go in front. We make too many silly mistakes defensively.

Some key signings are a must this summer but Arteta's biggest job is on the training pitch. If this use of game management mode is his idea, he needs to change his mind. If it is a psychological response to a lack of form and missing players then he needs to batter it out of them in training. We need to learn how to control the game with the ball. Controlling it without the ball should be the last resort.

We will never, ever win the League playing like that. It is impossible.

The other big change is rotation. He doesn't rotate enough and puts far too much pressure on a small group of key individuals- Saka, Odegaard, the two centre backs, Rice. I appreciate he doesn't really trust his squad below players 1-15 or so but that has to change. If we want to be competitive in the Champions League we need to trust the squad more. We can't expect our best players to play two games a week all season and keep producing their best.

Saliba and Gabriel do not need to play every game. Surely we can trust Kiwior and others for a few games here and there. And to revert back to injuries, look at the number of muscular injuries. Arteta has to look at that as a problem he can address. If your players keep pulling up with hamstring injuries, you have to look at yourselves.

My overall assessment is that the season has been a disappointment. Despite all the problems, we are capable of much better than this. And that means this isn't good enough.

Excellent points, all.

Would just add that I find myself genuinely happy for Crystal Palace :-\

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Originally Posted by IUFG

I understand that abject football manager, Gary Neville, said our attacking was predictable.

I'm loathed to admit it...he's correct.

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He annoyed me when he was banging on about us passing it around too much and then we nearly scored. In fact, he just annoys me in general.

Sky were desperate for us to lose that match and not finish 2nd.

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Originally Posted by redgunamo

Excellent points, all.

Would just add that I find myself genuinely happy for Crystal Palace :-\

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Grealish has to be off in the summer. Also happy for Palace as it's wound my Brighton supporting mate right up.

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Originally Posted by Herbert Augustus Chapman

PSG made us look like a farkin' pub side you big moose noncing lummox.

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Exactly so. We lack the special players required to go from runners-up to winners.

Where is our Bergkamp, our Vieira, our Henry, Pires of Fabregas? We don't have a single player of that calibre - lots of very good players, yes, but no one special.

And our tactics are miserable. :-(

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Originally Posted by redgunamo

Excellent points, all.

Would just add that I find myself genuinely happy for Crystal Palace :-\

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Very much so. Thoroughly merited.

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Originally Posted by Herbert Augustus Chapman

PSG made us look like a farkin' pub side you big moose noncing lummox.

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Nonsense you washed up, noncing old Java developer, Herb.

Their keeper was MOTM in both legs. At their place we completely dominated them for the first 20-25min and could have easily been ahead in the tie but for their keeper.

They deserved to go through, but were not significantly better than us.

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Originally Posted by WES

Nonsense you washed up, noncing old Java developer, Herb.

Their keeper was MOTM in both legs. At their place we completely dominated them for the first 20-25min and could have easily been ahead in the tie but for their keeper.

They deserved to go through, but were not significantly better than us.

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They were better than us. Not significantly. We had several chances to equalise at home, and several chances to score in the opening spell away. Our failure to score from any of those chances killed the game. I think equalising at home could have swayed the tie in our favour. Pity the offside goal was inches offside......

Keeper made two brilliant saves (from Trossard and Odegaard) and a couple of other decent ones. I thought there were better players on the pitch in both legs.

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Originally Posted by Peter

They were better than us. Not significantly. We had several chances to equalise at home, and several chances to score in the opening spell away. Our failure to score from any of those chances killed the game. I think equalising at home could have swayed the tie in our favour. Pity the offside goal was inches offside......

Keeper made two brilliant saves (from Trossard and Odegaard) and a couple of other decent ones. I thought there were better players on the pitch in both legs.

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They had pace up front and a goalkeeper on fire.

That was the difference.

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Originally Posted by IUFG

They had pace up front and a goalkeeper on fire.

That was the difference.

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That save from Odegaard was the best save I've seen this season. Absolutely, no right to get down to it and then have the strength to push it round the post.

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Originally Posted by PSRB

That save from Odegaard was the best save I've seen this season. Absolutely, no right to get down to it and then have the strength to push it round the post.

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And if that goes in it's 1-1 on aggregate and we were completely dominating them...

Not unreasonable to think that at that point we might have gone on to win it imo.

The margins really were very small.

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Originally Posted by WES

Summer activity - Zubimendi and a striker and another wide option and Arteta getting the attacking play/controlling the game balance right

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Quite like Kudus as competition for Martinelli. Not sure we need a huge name to upset those already here who have potential.
A proper striker, obviously. Zubimendi sounds like it?s done.
Get shot of the loaners, actually getting some money for them may also be a bonus this time around.
Sterling, Zinny & J?rg, gone. Try to keep Partey for another season,
Tomi and Jesus probably need to go but they seem permanently injured, so guessing we?re stuck with them for next January.

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Originally Posted by WES

And if that goes in it's 1-1 on aggregate and we were completely dominating them...

Not unreasonable to think that at that point we might have gone on to win it imo.

The margins really were very small.

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:nod: Especially as PSG are well known for being a bit flakey.

We let ourselves down in the 1st leg but we could still have won it or at least got a draw.

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Originally Posted by WES

2nd in the league and a CL semi-final in which we were highly competitive with the best side in Europe and probably went out only because their keeper played 2 blinders.

Given the injury situation this has to be seen as an achievement and overall a positive season.

Biggest upside - destroying Madrid and playing PSG close over two legs with our injuries makes it clear we are capable of playing with the best teams in Europe.

Biggest downside - too many impotent displays going forward, even with our injuries we had good enough players that this happened far too often.

Summer activity - Zubimendi and a striker and another wide option and Arteta getting the attacking play/controlling the game balance right

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I think it summed it up yesterday when my Geordie supporting mate asked me who our player of the season was?

Could only think of Rice perhaps - but even he started slowly - and then Raya

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Originally Posted by Luis Anaconda

I think it summed it up yesterday when my Geordie supporting mate asked me who our player of the season was?

Could only think of Rice perhaps - but even he started slowly - and then Raya

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Was thinking exactly the same thing. It is Raya. Rice has had an outstanding second half of the season but he was nowhere to be seen before Christmas.

Timber has had a fantastic season as well, and the special mention goes to MLS.

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Originally Posted by PSRB

That save from Odegaard was the best save I've seen this season. Absolutely, no right to get down to it and then have the strength to push it round the post.

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Raya's double penalty save at Atalanta takes some beating.

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Originally Posted by Peter

Was thinking exactly the same thing. It is Raya. Rice has had an outstanding second half of the season but he was nowhere to be seen before Christmas.

Timber has had a fantastic season as well, and the special mention goes to MLS.

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Timber having ankle surgery, he's been carrying a niggle all season.

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Originally Posted by Peter

Raya's double penalty save at Atalanta takes some beating.

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Raya?s pulled off some incredible stops but it shouldn?t be forgotten that many of them were initially caused by his monumentally stupid distribution choices.

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Originally Posted by Luis Anaconda

Could only think of Rice perhaps - but even he started slowly - and then Raya

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Gabriel Magalhaes, along with Rice, would be my shout..

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Originally Posted by 7sisters

Raya?s pulled off some incredible stops but it shouldn?t be forgotten that many of them were initially caused by his monumentally stupid distribution choices.

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Said exactly this yesterday when my mate was saying Raya's kept us in it.

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Originally Posted by PSRB

Said exactly this yesterday when my mate was saying Raya's kept us in it.

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Only one of those yesterday was a result of his poor pass. To be fair, he doesn't make that many mistakes with his feet.

He has proved an excellent signing and was a definite upgrade on Ramsdale.

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Originally Posted by PSRB

Timber having ankle surgery, he's been carrying a niggle all season.

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Well, he has carried it rather well. Very impressed with him.

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Originally Posted by WES

2nd in the league and a CL semi-final in which we were highly competitive with the best side in Europe and probably went out only because their keeper played 2 blinders.

Given the injury situation this has to be seen as an achievement and overall a positive season.

Biggest upside - destroying Madrid and playing PSG close over two legs with our injuries makes it clear we are capable of playing with the best teams in Europe.

Biggest downside - too many impotent displays going forward, even with our injuries we had good enough players that this happened far too often.

Summer activity - Zubimendi and a striker and another wide option and Arteta getting the attacking play/controlling the game balance right

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Clearly we lack a leetle bit the attacking flair of other top sides. Even Saka is more of an output type player rather than someone who is going to put their opponent on their backside.

You'd like to think that will be addressed in summer as Trossard and Martinelli are not of the required standard - which I appreciate sounds harsh.

Indeed, i think that we are so hamstrung by personnel that we have that it has forced Arteta's hand in the way we setup.

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Originally Posted by Rich

Clearly we lack a leetle bit the attacking flair of other top sides. Even Saka is more of an output type player rather than someone who is going to put their opponent on their backside.

You'd like to think that will be addressed in summer as Trossard and Martinelli are not of the required standard - which I appreciate sounds harsh.

Indeed, i think that we are so hamstrung by personnel that we have that it has forced Arteta's hand in the way we setup.

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This is the slightly irritating thing about it. We are NOT short of attacking flair or creativity, and if you want Saka to put people on their backside, he'll do it. He is more than capable. So is Martinelli. And Odegaard can find gaps anywhere.

We've proved we can rip teams to pieces, we have proved we can outscore the rest of the league, with these players. For three quarters of the last two seasons we have failed to do it consistently. Arteta needs to work out why that is happening.

Why is Odegaard performing a mile below his creative best. Why does Martinelli constantly get stranded out on the touchline with two to beat and no support? Why do we retreat into ****housery mode within ten minutes of taking the lead?

These are our problems. New faces won't change that. It is down to coaching and mindset.

That said, better players will also make us better. Assuming we buy the right ones. I was a little perturbed by Arteta's remarks about them upstairs doing their job. He has always expressed himself as being part of that decision making. I do hope he still is. I think our recruitment has generally been very good. It needs to be continue to be, otherwise you become United pretty quickly. Or, even worse, Spurs :-(

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Originally Posted by Peter

This is the slightly irritating thing about it. We are NOT short of attacking flair or creativity, and if you want Saka to put people on their backside, he'll do it. He is more than capable. So is Martinelli. And Odegaard can find gaps anywhere.

We've proved we can rip teams to pieces, we have proved we can outscore the rest of the league, with these players. For three quarters of the last two seasons we have failed to do it consistently. Arteta needs to work out why that is happening.

Why is Odegaard performing a mile below his creative best. Why does Martinelli constantly get stranded out on the touchline with two to beat and no support? Why do we retreat into ****housery mode within ten minutes of taking the lead?

These are our problems. New faces won't change that. It is down to coaching and mindset.

That said, better players will also make us better. Assuming we buy the right ones. I was a little perturbed by Arteta's remarks about them upstairs doing their job. He has always expressed himself as being part of that decision making. I do hope he still is. I think our recruitment has generally been very good. It needs to be continue to be, otherwise you become United pretty quickly. Or, even worse, Spurs :-(

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From Josh's programme notes. To me that says that they're going to provide liquidity in order to get what Arteta needs.

We plan to invest to get behind winning and doing better next season. We’re delighted we have our sporting director, Andrea, who will play an important role in this. He is part of a unified and strong team, supported by the board, who are crystal clear on exactly what we need to do and the way in which we want to do it. The right way. The Arsenal way.

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Originally Posted by Rich

From Josh's programme notes. To me that says that they're going to provide liquidity in order to get what Arteta needs.

We plan to invest to get behind winning and doing better next season. We’re delighted we have our sporting director, Andrea, who will play an important role in this. He is part of a unified and strong team, supported by the board, who are crystal clear on exactly what we need to do and the way in which we want to do it. The right way. The Arsenal way.

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Right. But who decides what Arteta needs? Is Arteta involved in that? He should be......

They have proved they are not shy to spend money. But we have to make the most of that money. It isn't easy. Most clubs get it horribly wrong, most of the time.

To my mind we need 3 players. And for everyone that we need to stay on, specifically Partey. Get that right and we have a much stronger squad. It is then down to Arteta to make sure that he uses it properly.....

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Originally Posted by Peter

Right. But who decides what Arteta needs? Is Arteta involved in that? He should be......

They have proved they are not shy to spend money. But we have to make the most of that money. It isn't easy. Most clubs get it horribly wrong, most of the time.

To my mind we need 3 players. And for everyone that we need to stay on, specifically Partey. Get that right and we have a much stronger squad. It is then down to Arteta to make sure that he uses it properly.....

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I think Arteta will be part of the 'uinified and strong team'. Not sure where I've read it but essentailly said that Arteta, Edu (Pre-departure) and Tim Lewis had equal input on transfer dealings; all overseen by Josh Kroenke. Which would make sense.

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Originally Posted by Rich

I think Arteta will be part of the 'uinified and strong team'. Not sure where I've read it but essentailly said that Arteta, Edu (Pre-departure) and Tim Lewis had equal input on transfer dealings; all overseen by Josh Kroenke. Which would make sense.

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Makes perfect sense. I hope he works just as well with the new guy....

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Originally Posted by Peter

Right. But who decides what Arteta needs? Is Arteta involved in that? He should be......

They have proved they are not shy to spend money. But we have to make the most of that money. It isn't easy. Most clubs get it horribly wrong, most of the time.

To my mind we need 3 players. And for everyone that we need to stay on, specifically Partey. Get that right and we have a much stronger squad. It is then down to Arteta to make sure that he uses it properly.....

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The bigger challenge, which is where we fall down horribly, is to get a return from players like Lakonga, Vieira, Tavares, Marquinhos, Tomi, Nelson,Jesus & Zinchenko.
They?ve been hanging around like a bad smell since 20-21, although, it must be said, the last two did help to put us back on track but their worth must have plummeted over the last two seasons.
We also failed to get anything from Tierney.

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Originally Posted by Peter

Only one of those yesterday was a result of his poor pass. To be fair, he doesn't make that many mistakes with his feet.

He has proved an excellent signing and was a definite upgrade on Ramsdale.

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No, they also got a corner that they nearly scored from.

I'll be honest, I still don't think there's much in it between the 2. Raya possibly just edges it. United/Chelsea could do a lot worse than sign him.

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Originally Posted by PSRB

No, they also got a corner that they nearly scored from.

I'll be honest, I still don't think there's much in it between the 2. Raya possibly just edges it. United/Chelsea could do a lot worse than sign him.

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The difference on coming for balls into the box is staggering, as is his handling in general. And he is better with his feet.

I do think Ramsdale is a decent keeper. But Raya is certainly better. I don't think it is particularly close.

Well I say WES there's no need to be so ghastly :( We were running around like headless chickens which does not equate to dominating them. I noted, about 10 minutes into the second half, we had a throw in which saw the throw taker, forget who, unable to find anyone to dispatch the ball to for an embarrassingly long time - it's because none of our players wanted that ball and were making no eye contact with the thrower. We were in our own half and being pressed by players that our players simply knew were better.

UrdgyGard's shot was a belter but serious contenders in the CL will produce several such shots in a match. We really ain't there and we won't be next season either.

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Originally Posted by PSRB

No, they also got a corner that they nearly scored from.

I'll be honest, I still don't think there's much in it between the 2. Raya possibly just edges it. United/Chelsea could do a lot worse than sign him.

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Yep, his distribution needs more work. Perhaps it?s down to what he?s been told to do, but there were plenty of times throughout the season where he ran out of available options, attackers were pressing high, only for him to scuff a wayward pass, when the easy option was to go long.
Pretty passing out the back only works when the space allows. We can all see it, there?s no shame in going long. If in doubt, and all that, as they used to scream across the flats at me many moons ago.
:-)