Keener window-cleaner

Agree they are a better team at the moment, they have a settled formation, well drilled, well balanced and players in form in the right positions, and they have a great run of form. But don't you agree that we were better the last 20 mins and matched them over that period?

Problem is, they are played in more or less the same position and runs into the same spaces. I would like to see a 4-2-3-1 with Coutinho in the middle and Buendia to the lest (or the other way around) I think that would work. But not squeeze them into the same no 10 role.

If we would get 30M I'd sell. I like him and am thankful for what he has done, great season last season, works really hard for the team and despite what ppl say I do think his attitude is really good. He wouldn't get picked in front of INgs if he wasn't working hard in training. But, It's clear to me now that he has reached his level, and would take the next step. His ball control, technique and awareness is simply not good enough for a striker in a top PL team.

I'm not sure how much we can compare this season before and after Gerrard. Our whole pre season was chaotic, we had players returing late for the start of the season/injured or out of form. We had quite many new players to bed in and we had lost Jack who was pretty much the center of all our attacking play. Gerrard has only had a couple of injured players and have also got Coutinho and Digne on board. Don't agree that the squad isn't good enough, we need another midfielder, but the squad is actually quite good in my opinion.

Really? I thought he looked full of running and looked dangerous, put in some good crosses and created more in 20 mins than we had done the whole game up until then.

I'm actually quite baffled about the decison to play 4-3-2-1 and not changing it until it was too late. Everyone knows that Arsenals main threat is their wide forwards/wingers in Saka and ESR with their fullbacks overlapping. To set up with just our full backs covering the wings was clearly not going to work. To cover the wings we needed McGinn and Ramsey to sit back and help out wide, that meant they couldn't contribute in attack as we would get too exposed on the counter. The other unimpressive decision was to play two no 10's and with one out of form. Both Coutinho and Buendia dropped back and wanted to play short passes in the middle of the pitch, that left Watkins completely isolated up front. No wonder we didn't have a shot on goal during the whole first half. Wasn't the management team meant to be smart? Beale the super coach? McAllister I have alot of respect for, but this is not impressive at all. Moreover, at half time, they must have realized, but didn't do anything until the 70th minute or something like that, far too late. Gerrard implying that the players are not good enough (the talk about the gap) is simply not true. Player for player we match them. But the system and tactics let us down. This would have been the perfect game to play 4-2-3-1, like we ended the game. Martinez on par or better than Leno Cash on par or better than Soares Konsa/Mings not a huge difference to White/Gabriel Tierny much better than Young McGinn/Luiz not that much worse than the idiot Xhaka and Partey Coutinho better than Odegaard Buendia/Bailey as much of a threat as Saka/ESR Watkins or Ings better than Lacazette Being at home and fired up we should at least be able to compete with them. But we didn't, the 4-3-2-1 hampered us, made us static, exposed and gave us no attacking threat.

It looked so much better with the 4-2-3-1 towards the end. Please don't play the 4-3-2-1 system against teams that play with two players on each flank.

He has been great for us overall and got a lot of goals and assists, but after the last game you could see he clearly needs a rest. He wasn't fit when he joined and needs time, just playing him regardless of his performances is not the way to do it. Lat game or this would have been perfect to give him a rest and play Buendia instead.

This formation doesn't work against Arsenal, it leaves us too exposed on the wings and gives us 0 attacking threat. Outr two no 10:s drops down and wants to play tikka-takka in the middle and McGinn and Ramsey cant run forward as it leaves us two vulnerable on the break. So it leaves us with Watkins totally isolated up front. Switch to a 4-2-3-1 and we can start playing. Player for player we can match them bar Young,but this formation hampers us.

I don't get it, Bruce made the same mistake, Dean Smith did it, Gerrard did it just some month ago, how hard can it be? You should not play the same team (bar Digne-Young) three times in a week. Even if the physical stats seems good, it's very difficult to mentally be on top of your game three times in a week. The "if you perform you keep your place" is as outdated as Bruce. Of course players understand that there need to be rotation in a squad when the games are packed, even if you perform well. We have such a good squad now that we easily can rest a couple of players. As I've said when this mistake was done before, it's also a question of having your whole squad sharp. If a player sits on the bench for a month, how can we expect him to come in fresh and perfom on top? At least one midfielder and one of the front three should have been rested. We played ok and the players ran around, but there was a slight lacklustre, most probably because of mental tiredness, until Buendia and Bailey came on. Please learn from the mistakes.

I think he was a luxury player in the second half, the way he just jogged back when we lost the ball before their second goal was not good to see.

When it comes to creating chances yes very good, but during the vast majority of the half they had the possession and the ball, we sat back and countered.

Dont really like seeing Buendia, Traore, Bailey and Sanson only on the bench, so much attacking potential there and we need to use the full squad.

I think the management team has been slightly naive in thinking that the formation they used with Rangers in the Scottish league could be applied to us in the Premier League. When we attack we become too vulnerable in defence with only one isolated central midfielder, it perhaps worked in Scottland, but is too risky in the PL. I'm also not convinced by playing with two no 10, instead of having two players on each flank. We become too dependant on Digne and Cash, we are used to playing with proper wingers or wide forwards and have players best suited for that. I trust in particular Gary McAllister a lot, I think the way we played in the latter part of Houllier and when McAllister was caretaker manager was perhaps the best football we have played for the last 20 years. I'm sure they will learn and adjust, we have seen that already with tweaks during the end of the games and now trying to play with two center forwards and one no 10. I think the way forward for us is tweeking more towards a 4-2-3-1 and bringing along some of the good patterns in our build up play that we have seen so far.

I don't think Bissouma was that much better than Luiz in the last game. And Luiz had an ok game.

Because he can pass the ball.

This is the first time I have been disappointed with Gerrard, and what I'm disappointed with is his reaction towards the end of the game. We were 1-0 down and were chasing a goal, a manager should at that point stand by the side line and enourage the players, barking orders. What did he do? He sat/half layed down in the chair with a grumpy face like a 5 year old who didn't get candy before dinner. I also don't agree with him throwing the players under the bus after the game, first of all I think the performance wasn't that bad, it was ok/below par but we deserved a point at least. And if the players were that bad, well then it's partly on him to prepare and motivate them. And if the first half was so dire, why didn't you make any changes at half time then? Why not a tactical tweak or something? Still of course behind him and I hope he will learn, think he has done almost everything right so far, but this wasn't good in my book.

Probably the agents leaking/making up/exaggerating to beef up interest and price and most of all, their fees.

Regardless of everything else, I'd hesitate to buy someone from another league who is called the thin one. Though thinking about it, I wouldn't be too fond of signing someone called the fat one either...

Agree, I was a bit surprised when I thought of it and George Boateng came to mind, but the list here confirms that we haven't had any real world class player in that position, or as you say at least not that we can call a DCM. About time we now get a top class DCM, a leader who can propell us up the table to the places in Europe.

This signing could be a transfer master stroke.

Ah great now we can hear what the Lyon fans think of Bentancur! @villalad21 what's their take on him?

While waiting for us to announce the blockbuster signing of a new DCM before the transfer window slams shut, I was thinking about who has been our best DCM in the Premier League era. I perhaps forget someone obvious, but thought about George Boateng, great ball winner, good technique, could pass a bit and worked lika a horse. Perhaps not tall enough for some th(TRO)ough

I love when we announce signings out of the blue! I think this is a very shrewd move. We needed cover at RCB. I think it’s good to have Mings and Konsa as our clear starters and let them glue together even more, Konsa I think is really top class. Had we brought in someone more expensive who would expect to start then we would risk to change the dynamic and disrupt, a little bit like the Watkins, Ings situation. I’m very happy to have a cover for Konsa that can push him, but not over take him. I’ve always been quite fond of CC, although I thought he was more of a RB than CB. If I remember correctly he has been a bit shakey at CB but really good at RB, and of course great in Fulham as DCM. He is for sure a talented player and technically gifted, a proper footballer. You are not a product of the Saints academy, all those U21 caps and England call up without being talented, so enough of the being crap talk, even if you have seen the odd game where he has had a howler. Are we btw sure that he is brought in as a RCD? Perhaps a squad player who can cover a couple of positions?