Pre-Season 2024/25

[Alan]

Cheers, Quirk.

 

[The Bear]

Cheers Quirkster.

 

[Lycan]

Kiawa?

 

[Loki]

 

[Stan Hullis]

Kiawa?

Must be Quirk speak for Bellegarde

 

[YoungWolf]

Those who watched sound quite positive about the performance and individual performances too which is good as pretty far from what the team will be at Arsenal. I imagine Leipzig game will be nearer to it!

 

[Jinky]

Cheers for the updates, Quirk. Had I been working from home today I might have been tempted to stay up and watch it.

It does sound like the performance was better than the result. Our starting 11 looked a bit powderpuff but really encouraged by Lima & Rodrigo’s pre-season performances. That first disallowed goal looked onside to me.

Can’t wait for Sa to return. Bentley & King have zero business being near a PL squad.

 

[Del Woppio]

Not sure what's more embarrassing, the defending or the attendance

 

[Quirkafleeg]

Kiawa?

Sorry fuck knows how to spell it.

 

[Johnny75]

Must be Quirk speak for Bellegarde

Chirewa maybe?

 

[Quirkafleeg]

I fell to sleep near the end and missed two further goals.

My assessment in certain areas, obviously the elephant in the room was the centre halves both slow and cumbersome, defiantly need another centre back as it stands Bueno will get ripped apart and I think Dawson will in a two as well. Toti annd Mosquera sure fire starters as it stands. Doyle had no help from Cundle whatsoever and I'm not going to bad mouth Chiewa as he's still a kid and needs more games.

Oh the positive Lima looked outstanding again in the first half, looks a real strong lad and has some real pace and energy. I'm immediately warming to Rodrigo Gomes as well, gets into some lovely positions and moves the ball forward really well. Tempted to say another started for Arsenal over two performances. Guedes had a very good first half as well, ran the channels and line well, and throwed in some lovely crosses. Second half wasn't as great but the stand out was Chiquinho, powerful lad full of energy, moved his marker well got past him a few times and put some great balls in. Very promising.

More positives then negatives, especially with two new signings, think we'll be ok this season if we can get another decent centre half in.

 

[Tony Towner]

Wtf is Toti doing on their 3rd? You'd bollock a 12 year old for getting sucked out like that.

 

[Quirkafleeg]

Chirewa maybe?

Fucking hell I still spelt him wrong. Forgive me young man.

 

[Jinky]

The one position that is up for grabs for me at the moment is the right wing/forward role. We have a lot of players who look better/more natural off the left compared to the right (Neto, Rodrigo, Hwang, Cunha). Not hugely convinced by Sarabia as a starter but it's looking like either him or Channy from the right, Cunha in behind Strand Larsen with Neto on the left. Or is there some hope for Guedes...?!

I guess they'll be fluid/interchangeable?

Yerson/Toti look like they'll be our first choice CB pairing but I can see why Gaz wants another player in there. Be nice to make that happen before the season starts.

 

[The Bear]

It'd be Rodrigo left, Cunha behind, Neto right for me.

 

[YoungWolf]

I’d be a bit worried if Yerson-Toti is the first choice pairing. Too much of an unknown quantity for my liking. If Dawson isn’t at the physical level to do it anymore we definitely have to get a starter in.

 

[Jinky]

It'd be Rodrigo left, Cunha behind, Neto right for me.

Neto always looks better on the left IMO/IMV/IMHO

 

[Lycan]

I’d be a bit worried if Yerson-Toti is the first choice pairing. Too much of an unknown quantity for my liking. If Dawson isn’t at the physical level to do it anymore we definitely have to get a starter in.

Haven't watched the game yet (a friend has paid for all 3 games so I'm going to watch it on his log in after work) but they were very impressive against WHU.

It's definitely the biggest risk around this change of shape though. We've got a very tough start to the season, if it goes wrong through a weakness in personnel in that position the obvious temptation for O'Neil will be to move back to the 'tried and tested' shape that we used for most of last season.

 

[Lycan]

Neto always looks better on the left IMO/IMV/IMHO

I think one of the most impressive things about Neto is his ability to go inside and outside on either wing. It's that and his pace/acceleration that lets us value him at £60M+ even after his injuries, he's an absolute dream for modern coaches. Look at the fees that the top teams have paid recently for guys like Mudryk, Doku, Díaz, Gordon etc who are all (supposedly, looking at you Mykhailo) a similar profile.

 

[Wilf Wolf]

Hopefully Bentley’s performance will see us accept whatever Arsenal offer, assuming they accept as number three he’s very unlikely to play any role there. He is light years away from being a viable option as reserve keeper and it needs sorting.