Jesus, Everton are in a shocking mess

[Arsenal Alcoholic Review]

I think there could be something in this Onana to Arsenal link. Supposedly he's turned down Chelsea today. The only reason I can see why he'd do that is because he wants to win the league with us. And tbf we must still have a chunk of money to throw about. The Polish lad although he could well be good looks like a luxury signing to me. We certainly weren't stuck for center halfs. Tomiyasu and Holding both need games and could clearly do a job in there at a high level. Likewise Tierney if we were really stuck and obviously White can play there too.

So I figure If we can spunk £20m on a squad filler CB we must be planning something big for cm where an injury to Partey could end our season. Especially now with Eleney possibly injured and Sambi failing to take his chance.

[Luis Anaconda]

I think there could be something in this Onana to Arsenal link. Supposedly he's turned down Chelsea today. The only reason I can see why he'd do that is because he wants to win the league with us. And tbf we must still have a chunk of money to throw about. The Polish lad although he could well be good looks like a luxury signing to me. We certainly weren't stuck for center halfs. Tomiyasu and Holding both need games and could clearly do a job in there at a high level. Likewise Tierney if we were really stuck and obviously White can play there too.

So I figure If we can spunk £20m on a squad filler CB we must be planning something big for cm where an injury to Partey could end our season. Especially now with Eleney possibly injured and Sambi failing to take his chance.

Arteta has made it clear he wants to play with a left-footed centre back (as Pep does - all about the angles innit) so I don't think it is a luxury signing with three* competitions to play for and only Gabriel fitting the bill. Kiwior can also play midfield. And we can also push Benjamin in there whatever Red might say. Still expect us to sign a midfielder though and can't argue with that




*all right probably two after tonight

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

Arteta has made it clear he wants to play with a left-footed centre back (as Pep does - all about the angles innit) so I don't think it is a luxury signing with three* competitions to play for and only Gabriel fitting the bill. Kiwior can also play midfield. And we can also push Benjamin in there whatever Red might say. Still expect us to sign a midfielder though and can't argue with that




*all right probably two after tonight

KT has played on the left of a back 3, so have no idea why he couldn't cover Gabby. We basically play a back 3 anyway, with Zinny next to Partey in a W-M.

Given the Pole can also play LB and DM, I think he could be the long term cover for Zinny. MA's keeps talking about his versatility. Having a young intl who only takes one squad place to cover LCH and LB makes sense. Given the versatility of Tommy and White, that's 6 players covering all the back 4, if KT were to leave to be a regular starter at a top club.

MA doesn't want a winger like KT at LB. He wants a ticked in MF.

[Luis Anaconda]

KT has played on the left of a back 3, so have no idea why he couldn't cover Gabby. We basically play a back 3 anyway, with Zinny next to Partey in a W-M.

Given the Pole can also play LB and DM, I think he could be the long term cover for Zinny. MA's keeps talking about his versatility. Having a young intl who only takes one squad place to cover LCH and LB makes sense. Given the versatility of Tommy and White, that's 6 players covering all the back 4, if KT were to leave to be a regular starter at a top club.

MA doesn't want a winger like KT at LB. He wants a ticked in MF.

No - that's a massively simplistic/innacurate take on our system. Tierney could play one of three at the back as Nacho did in the latter Wenger days but would be out of place in this system. We actually play with a fairly orthodox centre back partnership and you need the physicality of someone like Gabriel (also imagine the effect of swapping a 6ft 3in defender for 5ft 10in one would do to our set pieces at both end, which are an underrated strength this year)

Also stop with the whole WM nonsense - its *******s

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

No - that's a massively simplistic/innacurate take on our system. Tierney could play one of three at the back as Nacho did in the latter Wenger days but would be out of place in this system. We actually play with a fairly orthodox centre back partnership and you need the physicality of someone like Gabriel (also imagine the effect of swapping a 6ft 3in defender for 5ft 10in one would do to our set pieces at both end, which are an underrated strength this year)

Also stop with the whole WM nonsense - its *******s

Look - I agree about the height. I hadn't thought of that. {And when we had Gilby and Paddy in MF, that have us 2 CHs and 2 MFswho were all big which was great for corners at both ends.}

But we are playing a W-M when in possession. The three at the back {ignoring Zinny} shuffle across into a back 3. {That's why before Benjamin moved to RB, we had Tommy, another RB who could play CH. It's why he didn't want Hector.}

Zinny moves next to Partey as they both play as DMs {though both can get forward - that's why TP has banged in a couple from the right of the D, while Zinny will work with GX on the left.} Look at their average positions on the maps the stats geeks show.

And we have a classic front three with both wingers starting wide. When we had KT, in attack he'd basically be LW, with Gabby M moving inside to the inside left role and GX dropping back to cover LB if needed. That's the main reason he prefers Zinny - so Gabby can stay wide like Saka and GX doesn't cover LB.

Both GX and Ødin are old skool inside forwards, behind the front 3 but between the CF and the wingers. To me it looks like a WM. And were ESR to play where GX does, we'd have 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 exactly where Herbie would have wanted them.

Last week, when they counter-attacked down our left, Gabby 1 {defender} was on the left corner of or box dealing with it as Zinny ran back to join him but inside him. Whereas a normal LB would have been outside.

There was a thing by that Stilberto chap on Arseblog this week about Zinny. And while it didn't mention WM, it showed where Zinny played and where the players average positions were. And it looked pretty WM to me.

Which of the ten outfield positions do you think aren't WM when we're in possession? We don't play 4-3-3 with a classic no.10 like Cesc, Ozil or ESR before we got Ødin.

We play what they might call a 4-1-2-3. But given Zinny "inverts" next to Partey-started, then in possession, it's a 3-2-2-3. Which is basically a WM.

Jakub Kiwior is 6'2" and MA keeps banging on about his versatility. He's played LB and DM as well. Do you reckon he could be cover for Zinny? A tall left-footer who's comfortable as a DM and has a good passing range.