25 Apr 2026 19:43:07
I want to die after watching that.
Pulling teeth.
Paint dry.
You name it, it was.
{Ed025's Note - a win is a win i suppose Mal...but it is bloody awful to watch mate..
25 Apr 2026 20:19:44
My nerves are totally shot.
25 Apr 2026 20:34:27
Love it Mal 😉 COYG.
25 Apr 2026 21:06:37
Something is not clicking this season, but the first requirement is to win the remaining matches, so even a 1-0, we take it.
There seems to be a curse on us, we just can't get a full strength squad available for the whole season, it's almost one in, one out every time.
We got Saka and Calafiori back and then we lose Havertz and Eze. Hopefully their injuries are not major. 🤞🏻
25 Apr 2026 23:44:37
We sit much too deep. We need, as a team, to move 10 yards up the pitch.
23 Apr 2026 10:32:51
By the next time City play we could and should be 6 points clear, so that should put the pressure on them a bit. If they drop points against Everton and Bournemouth we are in with a shout.
Even if we win the title I might forgive the boss and that might be a big if. World class winger, world class forward, good cm and a fullback, and anyone leaves we replace, we go again. COYG.
23 Apr 2026 17:10:13
Definitely Dublin. We are absolutely in with a shout for the title, and should win it. City missed a chance yesterday to add to the goal difference, and their remaining fixtures are difficult. That said, we should be absolutely ruthless and get the 5 wins out of 5.
We shouldn’t get into a position where we hope for City to drop points; we must do our part of the bargain.
Another team build is required, especially in the attack, and it will only get easier for us to attract top players if we win one or both trophies this season.
COYG!
23 Apr 2026 21:58:04
Who are you guys kidding? We have dug ourselves into a big hole. Getting the Premier League title this year is no longer a given, unfortunately, and a big ask from us now. Newcastle on the weekend is another team we really do well against. Let's hope for an entertaining season ending, and regroup in August. Yes, we could do with a couple of key signings, but we have a brilliant core and a good bench, and don't need too much.
For me, we need to invest in physicians and the medical team, the nutritionist; we need a physically fit squad that can take a good beating and walk away with a good win. We have the players, but, unfortunately, are not able to take them to the next level.
21 Apr 2026 17:31:26
I wanted to wait a few days before posting. Despite the loss that was how we should be wanting to play, aggressive and on the front foot. I would rather lose playing football like that than lose with 10 players behind the ball.
The loss did reaffirm a few things though, mainly how much better we look as a team with a central forward we can play off as opposed to one who offers very little in the build up, and secondly, how we are still needing a LW after multiple transfer windows.
This ultimately got me thinking, did we get it right in the summer window? How many of the players we purchased have actually improved our first 11. There is no doubt our squad is better overall, but has our starting team actually measurably improved?
Let's explore a little:
Kepa. A good backup keeper, but is no way near Raya.
Mosquera. A great young CB but does not displace Saliba or Gabriel.
Hincapie. Could be argued he does improve our starting team, but how much of an upgrade is he on Miles or Calafiori? He is a great player but is he a FB or a CB.
Norgaard. Definitely not, but he was purchased for his experience.
Zubimendi. Yes, but in my opinion is a marginal upgrade over Partey.
Eze. A sidegrade on Odegaard. Odegaard leads the press, controls the tempo and we create far more chances with him in the team. Eze carries the ball well, can open up a low-block and possesses more of a goal threat than Ode. Argument to be made he improves our LW, but he tends to drift centrally into congested areas.
Madueke. Just no. Carries the ball well but has minimal end product. Saka plays a certain way, allowing the RB to join the attack and stretch teams. Madueke often occupies the space the RB wants to move in to, limiting attacking options, which leads to Madueke running into dead ends and having to recycle the ball backwards or lose it with inefficient dribbling. Is at the stage now where there is a real conversation that Madueke is our third choice RW after Saka and Max; this has not been a good spend of £52m.
Gyokeres. It pains me to say it but he is a resounding no. We are significantly better when Kai or Gabi plays centrally. We build better, press better and stretch teams more with Kai or Gabi.
With Ben White likely to depart, alongside Trossard and Gabi Jesus. Questions over the futures of Martinelli, Calafiori and suggestions we could sell Miles and Ethan, it does look like we are arguably entering this summer in the same state as last; needing two FBs, a LW and a CF who can stay fit!
If anyone wants me to write a piece on LW options please let me know :)
21 Apr 2026 19:52:46
Nice post - you are spot on. Our wage policy & talent acquisition are quite poor. Not only are we not addressing issues, but there is poor quality and high costs.
Spot on about Noni - useless on the left, and really lacks a brain in decision-making. I’d add more to the list.
What are your thoughts on LW, CF, Arteta & playing 4 CBs?
22 Apr 2026 09:55:04
SY,
I'll start with the most contentious one; Arteta.
For me he deserves massive praise. Since Wenger departed we were in a downward spiral and Arteta has not only turned that around, he has turned us into a consistent force that would be celebrated elsewhere on the continent. Yes, this season our football has been anything but expansive, but I think this is down to fan pressure to win the league and he has taken the pragmatic approach where being more defensive is seen as the most likely path to victory. Although my honest thoughts are that if Wenger was still in charge and had been given the resources Emery and Arteta have both had we would not only play eye catching football but would have won things; just look at how close we ran world class teams in the Champions League with far inferior players (Bayern 12/13 and Barce 10/11) .
The second part is the circumstances around recruitment. Arteta is not responsible for recruitment, that is the sporting director, but obviously he has a strong say. I have nothing bad to say about Edu, but his time at Forest does highlight that he may be a difficult character to work with.
Arteta clearly wanted a CF, with Sesko being his preferred option. We instead got Gyokeres. I do feel Sesko would have better suited the way Arteta plays; strong, technical, good in the air and capable of playing with his back to goal. A new CF will be needed in the summer; the rumours of Julien Alvarez are exciting to say the least!
Playing 4 CBs does annoy me, but I think it needs a strong caveat. The LB has always been more supportive in nature, not requiring to add the width as the LW has often stayed wider. This is evidenced by Miles and Calafiori both inverting and more likely to underlap than overlap. The RB is different. Ben White had such a great partnership with Saka, causing so many issues for opposing teams that I can absolutely see the rational in wanting to give him the opportunity to rediscover his best form. Timber is a world class defender, but has availability issues. I think a new RB is now needed with White being moved on, but I can see the thought process that has contributed to the current situation of having to play Mosquera as a RB.
The LW has been a problem area ever since Alexis threw his dummy out and went out to pasture in Manchester. We had Martinelli playing brilliantly for his age and clearly saw him as a future world beater (even Klopp agreed) , but he has not developed the way we all hoped. Trossard was bought to be a capable alternative, but not a replacement. This is an area we need to get right this summer; both our current aforementioned options could be sold. Timing has worked out fortuitously for us as it does appear there are a plethora of quality LW options available this summer that would improve our first 11:
Not saying we could get any of the below, or even saying that they would thrive in the league, but just as an example:
Antonio Nusa
Yan Diomande
Leao
Rodrygo
Anthony Gordon
Morgan Rogers
Bradley Barcola
Kvaratskhelia
Kenan Yildiz
Savinho (his best season was as a LW, not a RW)
22 Apr 2026 11:13:25
I've heard from a good source, Ben Jacobs, that Arsenal are looking at Levante striker Karl Etta Eyong. Also, he said the PSG winger Kava (spelling) will not be sold. Rodrygo is gone as an interest, as they have a new manager and he's likely to stay.
Barcola is an interest, as is Antony Gordon, but Bayern are also looking at him too. Livermento is looked at for the RB position, also by Man City, and Tonali is also of interest to Arsenal.
22 Apr 2026 11:14:00
Karim Adeyemi?
22 Apr 2026 13:25:22
Real Madrid have a temporary manager in Arbeloa. Their manager is also a coach, not a sporting director, that role is filled by Florentino Perez. Whilst Rodrygo might stay, I think there is a much stronger chance he moves on. Madrid currently have Vini who plays LW, which is Rodrygo's strongest position, and on the RW they have Arda Guler, as well as Mastantuono who can play there. Endrick is also returning from his loan. On top of that Madrid are chasing Olise, demonstrating they see upgrades on what they have in the market. Combine all these factors and it would suggest Rodrygo is more likely to leave than stay - maybe Ed can add some details?
Livramento would be a great option at FB as he can cover both sides and is an actual FB, only concern is how does he recover from the recent injuries. The last thing we need is another quality FB with availability issues.
I am not convinced we should be spending the money required for Tonali without addressing other areas first. Whilst a fantastic player, where does Tonali fit in our system? Who does he replace?
Dublin, what are your thoughts on Etta Eyong? I do not watch much La Liga outside of the top 2s matches.
22 Apr 2026 16:47:47
Rodrygo suffered an ACL injury recently, so I doubt he will move. I still like Havertz as CF, but we need to pair him with a goal-scoring wide forward. Off the top of my head, could Eli Kroupi Junior as LW work?
22 Apr 2026 18:55:44
Thanks, DrBanner
Iceman, quick question. I'm not a Kai fan - not quick, poor touch, poor finishing, poor heading & doesn't attack the goal for me. He adds something to the team, but a bit of a miss as a striker, as shown in most games. Why do you rate him?
22 Apr 2026 20:15:02
Banner, I'm not sure, never seen him play. There was another young forward being looked at, 2 in fact, the Inter Milan forward. I thought he looked good against us, and there is a lad that plays in Germany, not sure if he's German. I'll try and find the name.
23 Apr 2026 04:51:37
SY, he's not a finisher. He does, however, give us great link-up and hold-up play, in addition to being excellent at pressing. Could be our Firmino if we find a compatible LW. I think Saka is better when Havertz plays as ST rather than Gyokeres as well.
23 Apr 2026 09:10:57
Difficult to argue with that, Iceman. I just don't want to see either of them, or Noni, or our current LWs being in the starting 11 next season, as they are not good enough for City & therefore not good enough to compete against City.
23 Apr 2026 10:01:18
The way I think about our attack is that we definitely need a top LW, but we may not need a top striker if our new LW complements Havertz. But if we sign both a top LW and a ST I won't be complaining either.
