The Players : Are they good enough?

[EliteKiller]

There is hardly a player from the Wenger / Gazidos era worth a hill of beans, we don't have to guess we know because not even MLS and Chinese clubs have been in for them for two years ...

Our much vaunted front three are the only real quality and all three are coming to the end of their careers on massive salaries ... they have nothing to prove and it shows - just take Ozil his average touches per 90 minutes back in 2015 was 75 (and that wasn't a great season) last night for the second game in a row it was less than 40. Harsh to pick on him but 350k a week does that, the fact is none of our players are showing up, it's a week squad, with a weak mindset, all looking to hide from the blame ... a team can only do so much, a Williams may be a decent car but it ain't ever winning a grand prix, it doesn't matter who's driving.

We are in the same position, we were left a shattered club by Wenger and Gazidis, we've continued to try and make worn out parts and second hand fixes do the job, that's never going to work. Until we rip out the old and bring in the new nothing will change.

[Jedi]

Keeper and strikers are good. Everything else is horrible.

RB - Chambers is midtable level and Bellerin looks finished as a player.
CB - Championship level... actually probably lower.
LB - Good enough compared to the trash around them.

CMs - Ozil, Xhaka and Torreira are all deadwood, Guendouzi and Willock are kids and Ceballos hasn't done anything of note.

Wingers - Hypejob Pepe and a bunch of academy kids that aren't good enough for this level.



This team needs to be completely rebuilt to be competitive again. Time to wake up and smell the coffee. Unless we make a miracle appointment and uncover the next Klopp we should brace for a period of 5 to 10 years where Arsenal is going to be sitting in upper mid table limbo like United.

[Nuggets]

In a word NO this club and team are living on past glory, we are a mid table team at best.

[Rockape]

In a word NO this club and team are living on past glory, we are a mid table team at best.

Yup....I’m afraid I agree wholeheartedly with this. I’m also starting to get concerned about even staying mid table this season. There are no easy games for us anymore.

[Roycck]

Defence is a huge huge concern. From the defenders to the midfield defensive shape.

[Phil71]

The whole team is completely disorganised on the pitch.

It's no wonder we concede so many goals.

[StLGooner]

These players are drastically underperforming. They aren't this bad. They are making the most basic of errors and you don't get to this level of football being that bad. I don't care if they are good enough to battle for 4th or not, either way, they are underperforming. The errors they are making are basic schoolboy stuff and nobody can convince me that these players have been that bad for that long or are that bad.

[gooney]

They been outplayed by Brighton, Norwich, Southampton and Watford. Are those teams better or just better managed? No matter what weakness any of our starters have, they are not as bad as the people managing this club.

[ag6789]

I agree w/StL. Players aren't bad, it is the string of events that have left them demoralized and shorn of confidence. Unai's poor handling, man management, long term injuries to important players like Holding and Bellerin, and poor form of Luiz, have contributed to the current downturn.
Think a little tinkering in defense, like playing Holding/ Chambers as CB w/Sokratis and pushing Luiz to DM, covering the defense might stop the immidiate crisis.

[jayramfootball]

These players are drastically underperforming. They aren't this bad. They are making the most basic of errors and you don't get to this level of football being that bad. I don't care if they are good enough to battle for 4th or not, either way, they are underperforming. The errors they are making are basic schoolboy stuff and nobody can convince me that these players have been that bad for that long or are that bad.

They are not making basic errors because they underperforming. That is their level. This is most obvious with players that have come through our youth system or been with us since they were young. They have not learned the basics. Take Bellerin as an example. He simply doesn't understand how to defend. Being out of position is a given for him - he doesn't know where to be or what to look out for. He's not the only one.

We over rate our players but the truth is that very few of them would get in the City, Spurs, Liverpool, Chelsea teams.

We have a 6th to 12th in the league level squad. It's been like it for a while. We've been shielded somewhat by reputation. At out place, teams would come to defend which meant we picked up a lot of points. Now other teams have realised just how bad we are and a trip to the Emirates is a chance for 3 points for every single team in the league.

[Nuggets]

If we finish mid table we will be lucky, the players won't give a fook they get their wedge no matter where we finish.

[jayramfootball]

If we finish mid table we will be lucky, the players won't give a fook they get their wedge no matter where we finish.

I am hoping that we can get out of this slump and string a few results together.
I think we can stay in the top half this year, but we need to change significantly to do that.
More of the same means a relegation fight.
Freddie should make drastic changes now.

[Holdini]

I agree w/StL. Players aren't bad, it is the string of events that have left them demoralized and shorn of confidence. Unai's poor handling, man management, long term injuries to important players like Holding and Bellerin, and poor form of Luiz, have contributed to the current downturn.
Think a little tinkering in defense, like playing Holding/ Chambers as CB w/Sokratis and pushing Luiz to DM, covering the defense might stop the immidiate crisis.

wenger's management slowly killed these players. he eroded their confidence, initiative, tactical awareness and technical ability.

[Nuggets]

If we finish mid table we will be lucky, the players won't give a fook they get their wedge no matter where we finish.

I am hoping that we can get out of this slump and string a few results together.
I think we can stay in the top half this year, but we need to change significantly to do that.
More of the same means a relegation fight.
Freddie should make drastic changes now.

He should have made them in his first or second game.

[jayramfootball]

If we finish mid table we will be lucky, the players won't give a fook they get their wedge no matter where we finish.

I am hoping that we can get out of this slump and string a few results together.
I think we can stay in the top half this year, but we need to change significantly to do that.
More of the same means a relegation fight.
Freddie should make drastic changes now.

He should have made them in his first or second game.

True, but I suspect he was hoping for more effort. He must have been shocked to see the players basically not giving a sh*t.
If he doesn't change up the team against West Ham it will be clear he has no backbone or control of the team.
The biggest mistake he's made is picking Xhaka - really don't know what that is all about. There will be literally 1000's of fans in the stand better than Xhaka.