AFC - New Year's Resolutions

[HCZ_Reborn]

I see no reason why this shouldn’t double up as the January transfer rumours thread, given I think our activity will be non-existent.

Though that said, there’s a lot of persistent talk about Amadou Onana from Everton


Now, I absolutely think this won’t happen without getting significant money for a crocked Partey (and that’s just not going to happen). But I think if it did happen I think it would have the effect of making an already testy fanbase even more cross. Now we’ve been without Partey for almost all the season aside from that lamentable spell where he was at full back. Now we’ve coped without him to the point where prioritising a replacement over a goalscorer would go down about as well with the fan base as a Chas and Dave tribute act performing at the Emirates during half time

From what I’ve seen Onana is not as progressive a player as Partey anyhow

[IBK]

Alas I think that Onana is more likely than a striker (although I agree with you that no signings are even more likely).

I'm no expert, but our manager can be galaxy brained about where our needs lie - and is quite capable of ignoring the obvious. Further, we have seen for 2 seasons now that his idea of effective forward play seems to be doubling down on a front 3 who are showing that their form during the earlier part of last season was a high point rather than a platform for greatness.

I still feel that unless he unlocks our robotic 'control' dominated play, even the proverbial 'world class' striker would not thrive in this team - he'd be more likely to descend into the horse-shoe merchant that all our other forwards are. We are currently a peculiar mix of over-caution when it comes to passes in the final third (where other teams take more risks - and even turn misplaced passes into opportunities to win the ball back and cause chaos). What seemed a solid game plan when we beat Citeh just 2 months ago has been well and truly found out and thus far we are seeing no further evolution to deal with this. I don't see Onana as changing this even if he is signed.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Maybe not the worst thing ever but I think Arteta looks at things long term when he makes signings. So if we do get Onana he’s looking at things going forward rather than plugging gaps this season.

If we weren’t desperately shy on goals I would find this approach commendable. But as we all agree it’s the tactics as well as the lack of a target man. I think the tactics did improve for the Liverpool game in terms of dimensions of attacking play. But ultimately I do think there’s something to what you’ve said about this control aspect to our game, which does leave us vulnerable to the counter (even though individually and collectively I really can’t find much fault with our defending, Saliba and Gabriel are for me even better than they were last season)

I think either way this winter training camp in Dubai could well do with a shooting clinic

[Mac76]

It’s ok for people not to agree with you, you know.

well that works both ways...

[Mac76]

Tbh i think we basically have no strikers worthy of the name at the moment - long term we do need a read top-class player but in the meantime if we coudl do it, I'd be happy to pick up a Solanke or Archer or suchlike who would surely add some much-needed potency for the rest of this season and then play second fiddle to whoever we brought in over the summer

[IBK]

Tbh i think we basically have no strikers worthy of the name at the moment - long term we do need a read top-class player but in the meantime if we coudl do it, I'd be happy to pick up a Solanke or Archer or suchlike who would surely add some much-needed potency for the rest of this season and then play second fiddle to whoever we brought in over the summer

As I said on the other thread I think our issue is mental. Its not principally our talent pool. Why have our existing forwards fallen off when they were scoring for fun last season? It can't be that everyone is off form at the same time. Let's face it we have had form for years with bucking under pressure. We saw it at the back end of last season, and the season before; and now we are seeing it again. I don't think its technical inability. It's inability to deliver under pressure. We might get a mentality monster who is immune from this. But I do wonder whether a Solanki or even a Watkins - and positively doubt that a Vlahovic - would perform like they have been doing in our team. I think it is more likely that either they will start well, but sink to the team's level aftter a while - or be unable to reproduce their form for us full stop. We feel pressure, and while he has many strengths, I think our manager's intensity increases rather than diminishes this. This approach is OK at Citeh - who have better and more experienced players; or Liverpool who have a more seasoned spine - but our relatively young team has won nothing big and is hamstrung by it.

My concern is seeing a striker as a panacea is that it is almost certain that we will not have any idea whether a new player can rise to the pressure (given that we are unlikely to be buying anyone who has done the business at the very top). The odds say that they won't (which is why in my pipe dreams we buy noone in Jan and sign Mbappe in the Summer).

(And just for you) FWIW - I think we are seeing the effect of Xhaka's replacement by Havertz in this regard. I think Xhaka was more important as a leader in the dressing room whose skin is tough enough to deal with pressure/adversity than we appreciate.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Tbh i think we basically have no strikers worthy of the name at the moment - long term we do need a read top-class player but in the meantime if we coudl do it, I'd be happy to pick up a Solanke or Archer or suchlike who would surely add some much-needed potency for the rest of this season and then play second fiddle to whoever we brought in over the summer

If we were going down that road, I’d much rather we brought someone in on loan. Like Spurs have done with Timo Werner

[Mac76]

As I said on the other thread I think our issue is mental. Its not principally our talent pool. Why have our existing forwards fallen off when they were scoring for fun last season? It can't be that everyone is off form at the same time. Let's face it we have had form for years with bucking under pressure. We saw it at the back end of last season, and the season before; and now we are seeing it again. I don't think its technical inability. It's inability to deliver under pressure. We might get a mentality monster who is immune from this. But I do wonder whether a Solanki or even a Watkins - and positively doubt that a Vlahovic - would perform like they have been doing in our team. I think it is more likely that either they will start well, but sink to the team's level aftter a while - or be unable to reproduce their form for us full stop. We feel pressure, and while he has many strengths, I think our manager's intensity increases rather than diminishes this. This approach is OK at Citeh - who have better and more experienced players; or Liverpool who have a more seasoned spine - but our relatively young team has won nothing big and is hamstrung by it.

My concern is seeing a striker as a panacea is that it is almost certain that we will not have any idea whether a new player can rise to the pressure (given that we are unlikely to be buying anyone who has done the business at the very top). The odds say that they won't (which is why in my pipe dreams we buy noone in Jan and sign Mbappe in the Summer).

(And just for you) FWIW - I think we are seeing the effect of Xhaka's replacement by Havertz in this regard. I think Xhaka was more important as a leader in the dressing room whose skin is tough enough to deal with pressure/adversity than we appreciate.

last year was a one-off - it's not normal for three non-strikers to each get around 15 league goals in a season - even Arteta has said that

so we need a new attacker who can score regularly

reluctantly (because i hated the guy) i have to at least partly agree with your Xhaka point - Havertz was a bad buy not just because he deoesn't have an obvious position but also he's just too feeble, so you're right about that - we really ought to be trying ESR in left eight

but we also need a striker - I don't think Villa are selling Watkins but we could get a Solanke or an Archer or someone on loan - but then, yes, Areteta would need to set things up to bring the best out of them

[IBK]

Perahps a one off in numbers - in fact that is a worry for sure - but I think Arteta has based his system on goals being shared - and certainly on a striker who fits into the tecnical passing style of the team. is it possible to get a 'technical' striker who fits this bill while also being a focal point finisher?

I've said before that Eddie had numbers at all levels up to this one, and a rep as a finisher rather than a player involved in build up. He's dropped off a cliff yes - but his fall is further than just bad form would suggest. Is this because Arteta has tried to ove him away from his strenghts and make him part of a team build up? Quite possibly. I am concerned that even buying a new 'out and out' striker will either involve yet more bedding in (a bit like Citeh at the beginning with Haaland) or will result in an eddie style situation under Arteta's system.

Of course I understand why people want a striker - but I fear that the problem goes deeper than this and is a systemic one.

[Mac76]

Perahps a one off in numbers - in fact that is a worry for sure - but I think Arteta has based his system on goals being shared - and certainly on a striker who fits into the tecnical passing style of the team. is it possible to get a 'technical' striker who fits this bill while also being a focal point finisher?

I've said before that Eddie had numbers at all levels up to this one, and a rep as a finisher rather than a player involved in build up. He's dropped off a cliff yes - but his fall is further than just bad form would suggest. Is this because Arteta has tried to ove him away from his strenghts and make him part of a team build up? Quite possibly. I am concerned that even buying a new 'out and out' striker will either involve yet more bedding in (a bit like Citeh at the beginning with Haaland) or will result in an eddie style situation under Arteta's system.

Of course I understand why people want a striker - but I fear that the problem goes deeper than this and is a systemic one.

Well as I've said I don't doubt that Arteta's tactics and instructions are stifling the team, which is why i said we do need to set things up differently, but still we are actually creating chances and not scoring, so we need someone who's more consistent in front of goal - if we don't do something this month you can forget this season - we're not winning anything and quite possibly not making top 4