Men's Soccer (Football) Thread [ARCHIVED] Soccer • Page 219

I see Grealish is still actually shite.

If Eriksen leaves Spurs will struggle massively. Winks just isn't the same, jury is out of Lo Celso obviously. But Eriksen completely changed how Spurs were playing today and dug them out of the hole they got themselves in.

 

Eriksen has been amazing today. He struggled at the end of last season and it left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. Today he was class. Pay the man.

 

Eriksen, Winks, Lo Celso, NDombele would be such a complete midfield. Please pay him haha

 

Eriksen wasn't really involved in either of the first two goals but he's the reason you won the game. It's why I hate people focusing solely on stats to judge players.

 

Poch finally realized the diamond isn’t going to work. We switched back to the 4231 when Eriksen came on. Instantly began dominating.

 

It's fecking shite that there's two games starting at the same time today

 

Pepe, Lacazette, Ceballos all on the bench. annoying. Mesut absent cause of the personal situation he's going through. Worry we'll struggle to break Newcastle down with that midfield

 

Arsenal first XI looks baaaaaad.

 

Does Emery not rate Lacazette or something? I think he's great. Lacking in pace a bit compared to Aubameyang though.

 

Laca got a bad knock like a week/10 days ago in the second to last pre-season game and just returned to training 2 days ago, so I think its pre-cautionary. Ideally, I think its going to eventually be a front 6 of Auba/Laca/Pepe/Ozil/Ceballos/Torreria (or Xhaka)

 

Fair enough. Seemed to happen a lot last year when he'd get a bit of form he'd be dropped.

What's the story with Torreira? I know there was noises during the summer that he wanted to leave. Why ain't he starting?

 

he only played 10 minutes of pre-season, came back late for a reason I can't remember. there were those AC Milan rumors but im not sure of the substance to be honest but I do know there were legit stories that he was homesick. unfortunately a lot of the first choice players aren't 100% match fit this week, and then the situation is compounded by missing Özil because of what he's going through. That XI will look so so different in a months time (Leno: Bellerin, Luiz, Chambers, Tierney, Torreria, Ceballos, Özil, Pepe, Auba, Laca)

 

Arsenal's away kit is sexy af

 

An attacking five of Auba, Laca, Pepe, Ozil, and Ceba on paper is near the best in England until you remember City exists.

 

will be fun to watch, assuming Emery every plays it. he's so pragmatic and conservative I dont trust him to actually do it

 

disgusting football from arsenal but not unexpected considering the XI. also, is there no Chinese club that we can flog Mkhitaryan to

 

Cool thanks. It's odd that you have so many players unavailable for the first game of the season. I thought Emery was just going full banter.

 

Another question. Maitland Niles absolutely does not strike me as a full back. Is he that much better than Bellerin.

 

Newcastle midfield fill me with dread whenever we lose the ball. Arsenal just walk straight through to the back four. Shelvey really needs to get a foot in and challenge.

Think we've probably missed our patch of the game to take the lead. So far so Newcastle.

 

Did Longstaff have much of a pre season? Think he was injured when we were supposedly interested.

 

Maitland-Niles is a midfielder that is playing there cause we have no fit RB's, Bellerin is coming off ACL surgery and won't be fit for another 6 or so weeks

 

yeah its pretty awful, results in halves like that which are virtually unwatchable

 

Yeah he's a bit sloppy in his passing and his defensive positioning seems off, like he wants a full back behind him. Struck me as a midfielder trying to play full back.

 

how has Emery not made any halftime subs? how has Mkhitaryan stayed on the pitch after that display

 

I'm not sure. I don't remember hearing we had any major injuries messing with our pre-season. I didn't pay a lot of attention though. Situation at the club is too painful to watch.

Also, I really hate the secondary commentator sky use. He so clearly dislikes Newcastle. I notice it every time we're broadcast on a Sunday.