Let’s try this new feature out. For the duration of halftime of the Arsenal-Chelsea game — i.e. 10 minutes from now — I’ll be in the comments, responding to your questions. (This is what it’ll look like.) I’ll swing by again after the match for another 15-20 minutes to chat some more. Ask away!
They at least got to a final this year and had a shot at a Champions League spot, but are Arsenal the Lakers of the EPL? Storied franchise but wack af management/front office leading to humiliating lows?
Do you think there is too much time between the end of the PL season and the 2 European finals? I know it's because other leagues finish later, and most years don't have 4 England teams in the 2 final games, but as an LFC fan it's weird to have this 3 week break between the craziest finish for a season and this massive final.
Sturridge, Moreno confirmed leaving today. Likely Mignolet and Lallana and other fringe squad players. Will LFC look to sign like for like replacements - backup GK, Fullback, CAM, Striker? Who do you think they target? Do you think they look to improve any areas or just backfill the edges of the squad?
Riffing off Goodman's Ringer article which discusses both the advantages and perils of having all your best players the same age, would you accept an unsolicited $100 million+ offer for Mane/Salah this summer and start the reloading process now? Or give it a few more years?
How much more important are attacking players than defensive players? In the NBA it has definitely become a league where offensive players have larger impact than defensive players. Is this the case in football? Arsenal and United have huge holes across their back lines, yet they are both constantly looking and being linked with high priced forwards and attacking midfielders. I tend to think it's just poor team building (shout out Malcom Gladwell, this is very much a weak link sport), but maybe the way the game is played now means great attackers have a more positive impact than great defenders? What is you thought on this
Regardless of today’s result shouldn’t Sarri be sacked simply because of his mis-use of Kanté? IMO a candidate for most impactful player of the last 4-5 years
I love Kante, but he's also a defensive midfielder? I understand reworking your system to fit a unique attacking player, but I do think the misuse of Kante is a bit overblown. Chelsea gave up 39 goals in 38 games. The defense ... seemed fine to me.
I'm not sure he "doesn't care". He's had the same body language his entire career and now maybe he doesn't move around as much ... because he's older. He does all of the things Juventus need, plus the league's a little less physically strenuous.
Yeah, I think it's probably still CFC, Spurs, plus the top two. CFC were the clear third-best team (on an xG basis) this season, but there's obviously plenty of uncertainty there. And Spurs should be better next year, assuming Poch stays and the entire team doesn't get hurt again. Just can't trust Arsenal or United enough to pencil either one in, but they both could do it.
I think the better way to look at it is to see who can fill the roles he used at Napoli. Hazard's always been a weird fit with Sarri b/c he's not that disciplined positionally and he almost makes a lot of what Sarri values in his midfielders (progressive passing) redundant. At Napoli, he had a shot-monster in Insigne, a tiny CF who played like a traditional CF, and a back-post scorer. Pulisic probably fits the ... third role best, but he could develop into a shot generator as he gets older. Hudson-Odoi is hurt, and the other guys are all on the decline. I mentioned this below, but I think Dybala, who can probably play either of the first two roles I described, would solve a lot of problems.
Same here. Hopped on after watching Henry vs RM in ‘06. My hopes and expectations at this stage are just that lacazette will introduce aubameyang to his fantastic barber
I actually think it's ManU -- massive financial advantage, can't let go of this idea that there's something special about the team, can't quit people who were involved with the club at one point, etc.
How is Arsenal's situation getting any better? Kroenke has given every indication he's not willing to spend, their best players are all aging past their prime, and Emery has been nothing more than just fine. I just don't see this club being able to compete with the rest of the top 6 in the future.
They need to rebuild the defense, and they need to keep bringing in low-cost, high-potential players like Guendouzi. None of the murmurings in the media, though, suggest that they're considering any of that. Luckily, though, United and Chelsea are their own kinds of messes, so who knows.
Arsenal are playing like a team of betas. No heart, no passion, no drive to win. They clearly lack champion mentality, especially because their hopes for CL were solely based off a win in this game.
Non-match related question: do you think there is any remote possibility that LFC goes all in for Griezmann, given Barca's hesitation? I keep trying to convince myself that 1) they have the money to spend, 2) Bobby has played AM in the past, 3) the true fab four to rival Citeh??
Absolutely not. His numbers are on the decline; he wouldn't start on Liverpool, and he's already at the end of his peak. They shouldn't sign him, and they won't.
So in terms of attacking depth, who is your top realistic target? I like Ziyech alot, low release clause, crafty, not too old, wouldn't expect to start every game. Ticks alot of boxes in terms of spelling Sadio and Mo.
Who is the striker best suited for Sarri-ball? Higuain did well for him at Napoli, but it's apparent those days are long gone. Giroud obviously doesn't have it, and neither did Morata. Is there someone you can think of that would thrive?
I kinda like the idea of turning Dybala into a Mertens-type, but that's proabbly a pipe dream. More than anything, though, I think Sarri really wants someone who's gonna be heavily involved with linkup play. And that kinda seems like a rare quality among the top strikers today. He would've LOVED coaching Benzema.
How much more important are attacking players than defensive players? In the NBA it has definitely become a league where offensive players have larger impact than defensive players. Is this the case in football? Arsenal and United have huge holes across their back lines, yet they are both constantly looking and being linked with high priced forwards and attacking midfielders. I tend to think it's just poor team building (shout out Malcom Gladwell, this is very much a weak link sport), but maybe the way the game is played now means great attackers have a more positive impact than great defenders? What is you thought on this
A question I think about all the time! Here's how I'd rank them on a baseball-like positional spectrum -- the gaps indicating the difference between them:
1- Attackers
2- Defenders
3- Keepers
4- Midfielders
That being said, it's all about marginal value when you're building your team. United already have a number of very good attackers, and a number of not very good defenders. The amount they can upgrade a defender, and is much bigger than the amount they can upgrade their attackers. Think of it like WAR: Their attackers are all, say, 5-win players, and their defenders are all 1-win players. You gain more by upgrading from a 1-win defender to a 3-win defender than you do from upgrading a 5-win attacker to a 6-win attacker.
The gaps didn't show up in the formatting, so: attackers then a big gap then defenders then a smaller gap then keepers then an even smaller gap and midfielders.
Is it possible to recruit the type of players needed to improve a squad if there's no promise of Champion's League? My hunch is that the younger players want European experience early and often and the peak plus players don't want to waste years they don't have investing in getting a club back to the Champion's League.
This is a definite no. If you look at understat, in 2017-18 Arsenal's xG, xGA, and XPts were 72.3, 48.8, and 65.9, respectively. Those numbers were all worse this year at 64.8, 57.3, and 59.0.
At what point do we assume that FIFA and UEFA are trolling us with their choice of venues for the World Cup/UCL/Europa League? Russia is obviously not the choicest country deserving of a reward, but Qatar and Azerbaijan? If Mikhi can't travel to Azerbaijan, I am sure we will miss a few stars in 2020. This strikes me as some sort of long con
Thoughts on the idea (put forward by Michael Cox) that Arsenal and Chelsea should swap managers as this would make their fan-bases happier (in brief, Arsenal fans love possession and attacking as Sarri does, Chelsea fans would be happy to have Emery grind out some 1-0 results)?
Maybe it's silly to be worried about this while Arsenal are *in a European Cup Final* but I worry about what this team will look like over the next few years. This squad is sneaky-old - does their future seem bright to you?
I'm sure Emery will tinker; that's what he does. But I'm not really sure what his options are here: Gunedouzi for Ozil or one of the midfielders? Iwobi for Ozil? Sarri's options seem pretty limited here with the recent injuries, too. Of course, Kovacic-for-Barkley will happen at some point because it always does, forever and ever, amen.
OK! Thread is closed. Thanks for all the questions. We'll do it again real soon. Go hug your nearest Arsenal fan.
Seeing some new comments pop up in this thread -- please move them over to today's thread if you want me to answer!
The link in "So, let’s do another chat instead" comes here instead of the the Let's Chat, Today! thread, just fyi.
All right -- I gotta run in five. Can fit in a couple more quick Qs if you guys have any.
This was a cool idea, perhaps another thread for Saturday?
Opening this back up after the final whistle! SARRIBALL!
They at least got to a final this year and had a shot at a Champions League spot, but are Arsenal the Lakers of the EPL? Storied franchise but wack af management/front office leading to humiliating lows?
All right -- sorry I couldn't get to everything. Let's watch the second half, and I'll come back after the game to chat some more.
Also, what's worse in this game? The play or the commentary?
Am I wrong in saying that on a scale of 1-10, the first half of this match has been a solid 3?
Yeah. I'd completely agree with that.
We have to scale the rating to the camera angle, so a 3 is actually a 0.0000000000003 today.
Ronaldo ruuuuuuulllllleeeeeeesssssssss
no
How good do you think Arsenal would be if McVay coached them
answer the question coward
Pathetic loss to an aging team in a cup final? Are we sure he's not the coach right now?
Baku is a bore. I was promised fire.
Who’s your pick for the 30-something year old player Arsenal inevitably wastes $30 million on?
My money is currently on perisic, but my beloved gunners might deem him too young and wait until next summer!
I saw a Gotze rumor today, but he's too young. I honestly would've probably said Perisic if you hadn't, so let's go with him.
can superman outrun the flash? and can the winner outrun Aubameyang?
does superman ... run? I DONT WATCH COMIC BOOK MOVIES MAN
Do you think there is too much time between the end of the PL season and the 2 European finals? I know it's because other leagues finish later, and most years don't have 4 England teams in the 2 final games, but as an LFC fan it's weird to have this 3 week break between the craziest finish for a season and this massive final.
The real issue here is that England doesn't have a winter break. That'll change next year, thankfully!
This game has been really bad right
Nine shots -- half of them taken by defenders. Not great!
Would you change the Champions League (format, no. of teams, etc)? If so, how?
I'd guarantee more spots from teams from lower leagues. Gotta fight the inequality!
Is there a more fun striker pairing than Lacazette and Aubameyang in any league this year?
Could rephrase this as "Is there a striker pairing other than Lacazette and Aubameyang in any league this year?
Hahaha fair point...
So you're telling me there isn't? It's either top 3 or lone strikers all the way?
Don't know why Arsenal don't play them like the second coming of SAS, can't leave that talent on the bench consistently.
Sturridge, Moreno confirmed leaving today. Likely Mignolet and Lallana and other fringe squad players. Will LFC look to sign like for like replacements - backup GK, Fullback, CAM, Striker? Who do you think they target? Do you think they look to improve any areas or just backfill the edges of the squad?
Who are some younger players on Big 6 squads in the EPL that you want to see get more tick next year?
Riffing off Goodman's Ringer article which discusses both the advantages and perils of having all your best players the same age, would you accept an unsolicited $100 million+ offer for Mane/Salah this summer and start the reloading process now? Or give it a few more years?
How much more important are attacking players than defensive players? In the NBA it has definitely become a league where offensive players have larger impact than defensive players. Is this the case in football? Arsenal and United have huge holes across their back lines, yet they are both constantly looking and being linked with high priced forwards and attacking midfielders. I tend to think it's just poor team building (shout out Malcom Gladwell, this is very much a weak link sport), but maybe the way the game is played now means great attackers have a more positive impact than great defenders? What is you thought on this
Regardless of today’s result shouldn’t Sarri be sacked simply because of his mis-use of Kanté? IMO a candidate for most impactful player of the last 4-5 years
I love Kante, but he's also a defensive midfielder? I understand reworking your system to fit a unique attacking player, but I do think the misuse of Kante is a bit overblown. Chelsea gave up 39 goals in 38 games. The defense ... seemed fine to me.
Also, Kante has looked pretty darn good as a more attacking midfielder.
Can Arsenal sell Ozil to anyone or are they stuck with his giant wage bill?
Probably has to be a loan where they also subsidize a portion of his wages.
Where does he fit best? Or maybe, what manager can get him to care for more than a few games in every 10.
I'm not sure he "doesn't care". He's had the same body language his entire career and now maybe he doesn't move around as much ... because he's older. He does all of the things Juventus need, plus the league's a little less physically strenuous.
Saying he doesn't care is probably uncharitable on my part, but he does disappear in games. I think you are right that a slower league is a better fit
Is there a clear top 4 next season? Arsenal and United (sans potential massive spending) seem quite far below this year's top 4
Yeah, I think it's probably still CFC, Spurs, plus the top two. CFC were the clear third-best team (on an xG basis) this season, but there's obviously plenty of uncertainty there. And Spurs should be better next year, assuming Poch stays and the entire team doesn't get hurt again. Just can't trust Arsenal or United enough to pencil either one in, but they both could do it.
Thoughts on Saturday? I’m a nervous wreck already
Liverpool are better than Tottenham. They'll probably win, but they could also easily lose. /shrug
IF Chelsea could sign players this summer, what sorts of players would be able to replace what Hazard offers them? Are there any?
I think the better way to look at it is to see who can fill the roles he used at Napoli. Hazard's always been a weird fit with Sarri b/c he's not that disciplined positionally and he almost makes a lot of what Sarri values in his midfielders (progressive passing) redundant. At Napoli, he had a shot-monster in Insigne, a tiny CF who played like a traditional CF, and a back-post scorer. Pulisic probably fits the ... third role best, but he could develop into a shot generator as he gets older. Hudson-Odoi is hurt, and the other guys are all on the decline. I mentioned this below, but I think Dybala, who can probably play either of the first two roles I described, would solve a lot of problems.
Do you know of a good therapist for us Arsenal sufferers?
Henry highlight reels
Read Dennis Bergkamp's biography?
Too young to have seen Bergkamp play. Saw Henry's second coming. I was initiated on the lows man
Same here. Hopped on after watching Henry vs RM in ‘06. My hopes and expectations at this stage are just that lacazette will introduce aubameyang to his fantastic barber
Are Arsenal the Lakers of the EPL?
I actually think it's ManU -- massive financial advantage, can't let go of this idea that there's something special about the team, can't quit people who were involved with the club at one point, etc.
How is Arsenal's situation getting any better? Kroenke has given every indication he's not willing to spend, their best players are all aging past their prime, and Emery has been nothing more than just fine. I just don't see this club being able to compete with the rest of the top 6 in the future.
They need to rebuild the defense, and they need to keep bringing in low-cost, high-potential players like Guendouzi. None of the murmurings in the media, though, suggest that they're considering any of that. Luckily, though, United and Chelsea are their own kinds of messes, so who knows.
Already took a step in that direction with Denis Suarez lol. You're right though that United and Chelsea have similarly big problems.
That's the thing, though. You don't nail every Gunedouzi-type signing, but the more you make, the more chances you have of having another one hit.
How many of those guys can they even afford though? It just doesn't seem like enough to plug up all the holes.
CFC Masterclass
*AFC Disasterclass
Arsenal are playing like a team of betas. No heart, no passion, no drive to win. They clearly lack champion mentality, especially because their hopes for CL were solely based off a win in this game.
Will Liverpool buy anyone in this transfer window?
OX IS LIKE A NEW SIGNING
Non-match related question: do you think there is any remote possibility that LFC goes all in for Griezmann, given Barca's hesitation? I keep trying to convince myself that 1) they have the money to spend, 2) Bobby has played AM in the past, 3) the true fab four to rival Citeh??
Absolutely not. His numbers are on the decline; he wouldn't start on Liverpool, and he's already at the end of his peak. They shouldn't sign him, and they won't.
So in terms of attacking depth, who is your top realistic target? I like Ziyech alot, low release clause, crafty, not too old, wouldn't expect to start every game. Ticks alot of boxes in terms of spelling Sadio and Mo.
[whispers] Coutinho
Lmao, straight swap for moreno, let's go Barca
How should Chelsea handle Jorginho and Kante in the midfield? Seeing him play this advanced-wide role is painful.
What are your halftime adjustments for each team? Who should be the first subs off the bench?
Mustafi, great CB or the greatest CB?
Who is the striker best suited for Sarri-ball? Higuain did well for him at Napoli, but it's apparent those days are long gone. Giroud obviously doesn't have it, and neither did Morata. Is there someone you can think of that would thrive?
Sorry Arsenal fans. Giroud had to score after this. I jinxed it. Blame me.
I kinda like the idea of turning Dybala into a Mertens-type, but that's proabbly a pipe dream. More than anything, though, I think Sarri really wants someone who's gonna be heavily involved with linkup play. And that kinda seems like a rare quality among the top strikers today. He would've LOVED coaching Benzema.
What can Arsenal do this summer to become remotely champions league caliber?
Actually sign some defenders who aren't already 30! Stop messing around with adding to the attack or the midfield.
How much more important are attacking players than defensive players? In the NBA it has definitely become a league where offensive players have larger impact than defensive players. Is this the case in football? Arsenal and United have huge holes across their back lines, yet they are both constantly looking and being linked with high priced forwards and attacking midfielders. I tend to think it's just poor team building (shout out Malcom Gladwell, this is very much a weak link sport), but maybe the way the game is played now means great attackers have a more positive impact than great defenders? What is you thought on this
A question I think about all the time! Here's how I'd rank them on a baseball-like positional spectrum -- the gaps indicating the difference between them:
1- Attackers
2- Defenders
3- Keepers
4- Midfielders
That being said, it's all about marginal value when you're building your team. United already have a number of very good attackers, and a number of not very good defenders. The amount they can upgrade a defender, and is much bigger than the amount they can upgrade their attackers. Think of it like WAR: Their attackers are all, say, 5-win players, and their defenders are all 1-win players. You gain more by upgrading from a 1-win defender to a 3-win defender than you do from upgrading a 5-win attacker to a 6-win attacker.
The gaps didn't show up in the formatting, so: attackers then a big gap then defenders then a smaller gap then keepers then an even smaller gap and midfielders.
Is it possible to recruit the type of players needed to improve a squad if there's no promise of Champion's League? My hunch is that the younger players want European experience early and often and the peak plus players don't want to waste years they don't have investing in getting a club back to the Champion's League.
All finals always seem so cagey - can you think of a rule change that would lead to more expansive football?
How rare is it for all 4 teams in European finals to be from the same domestic league? And is that at all significant?
Do you think Arsenal will miss Mkhitaryan?
What do you think is the most likely outcome for the CL final?
Has emery been an improvement from the last few years of Wenger? And what position do Arsenal need to improve most this summer?
This is a definite no. If you look at understat, in 2017-18 Arsenal's xG, xGA, and XPts were 72.3, 48.8, and 65.9, respectively. Those numbers were all worse this year at 64.8, 57.3, and 59.0.
With that being said, if Arsenal lose. Is it time to look for a replacement and who is available?
What Matt said. However, I think you gotta give him another year. Remember what Spurs and Liverpool looked like in Klopp and Poch's first seasons!
At what point do we assume that FIFA and UEFA are trolling us with their choice of venues for the World Cup/UCL/Europa League? Russia is obviously not the choicest country deserving of a reward, but Qatar and Azerbaijan? If Mikhi can't travel to Azerbaijan, I am sure we will miss a few stars in 2020. This strikes me as some sort of long con
Of Tottenham, Arsenal, and Chelsea fans...who should be most worried the next few years about falling back out of the Champions' League places?
Arsenal. They weren't ... good this season. Their expected-goal differential was ... EIGHTH in the PL this past season.
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Thoughts on the idea (put forward by Michael Cox) that Arsenal and Chelsea should swap managers as this would make their fan-bases happier (in brief, Arsenal fans love possession and attacking as Sarri does, Chelsea fans would be happy to have Emery grind out some 1-0 results)?
Love it. Would contribute at least one American dollar in order to make it happen.
Maybe it's silly to be worried about this while Arsenal are *in a European Cup Final* but I worry about what this team will look like over the next few years. This squad is sneaky-old - does their future seem bright to you?
The future does not look great. Beyond Iwobi, Torreira, and Guendouzi (and maybe Holding?), there's not much to build on. See here: https://twitter.com/Worville/status/1117054501482061825
A little tactical analysis of the half and what to expect changed in the second?
I'm sure Emery will tinker; that's what he does. But I'm not really sure what his options are here: Gunedouzi for Ozil or one of the midfielders? Iwobi for Ozil? Sarri's options seem pretty limited here with the recent injuries, too. Of course, Kovacic-for-Barkley will happen at some point because it always does, forever and ever, amen.
Good call
Gonna be honest I don't like Barkley. He scares me