Quote Originally Posted by Arsenal Alcoholic Review View Post
It seems mentall to me that we've left our squad so short. What we have is good enough for a full on assult on the league but I can't get my head around starting regular first teamers against Clock Makers FC. The UEFA cup group stage should only by young prospects and fringe players that need the game time. With Martineli's injury record and considering he played every game it seemed insane to start him. This was a perfect game for Balogun. Yes he is blowing the French league apart but it makes no sense to me to have not kept him until the next transfer window and the group stage games are sorted out. That's 6 games. Plus we're only one injury or suspension to Jesus/Eddie away from where Balagon would be at least a key bench player.

Likewise with AMN. I believe we actually took up an option to extend his deal by a year before loaning him out. What was the point? When the Partey/Elneny situation came up along with failing to bring in the Villa fella no way should his loan have been allowed to go through.

Makes no sense to me either that these sort of deals can be seen as cost cutting measures. Not having first teamers playing in the UEFA cup and their bonuses that come with it is surely far better cost cutting? And of course you're not risking your assets against league 2 standard teams.

With the squad as it is now one first teamer i would consider starting in the UEFA cup would be Ben White. But only as a trial in CM to see what he can do there. I don't think he's elite at CB or RB. He's pretty good at both though without being better than Saliba or the Jap lad. If he could even pass as pretty good as a CM that could be a big plus for us. We only really need him to sit in there and keep the ball ticking over.
I have no problem with Balogun being loaned out for a year. Look what that did for Saliba, and I think Nuno will benefit from a full season defending.

But we really should have kept AMN. The one game he started last year alongside Sambi in MF, AMN was man of the match. I also think he could play the inverted RB role MA wants - certainly better than Cedric. I'd have kept AMN and got rid of him.

I do think Ben White's good at both CH and RB. He's looked fine at RB this season and after the years of Luiz, Mustafi and Sokratis, having White, Gabby and Saliba feels like O'Leary, Adams, Bould, Keown, Sol, Kolo.

We really should have kept AMN over Cedric, though.