Xavi Hernández

[serghei]

Of course the team needs to compete better than last season in Europe. That's obvious. But this is not just about Xavi. Also about the players themselves, to improve their quality because last season they obviously weren't good enough vs the better sides in Europe.

 

[fergus90]

If we get a group of Arsenal, Newcastle and Milan we're going straight to Europa for the third straight season. If we are bad we're finishing last.
This is Xavis last season.

Arsenal and Newcastle can’t be drawn together so you can sleep easier knowing that won’t happen.

 

[fergus90]

Gundogan and Cancelo should on paper improve the squad. Are we a top three CL contender? I don't think so, HOWEVER, we should be able to be a team that can compete with anyone in Europe.

Not saying win, but compete and get to the QFs for sure.

So far under Xavi in Europe we have not been able to compete at all apart from a half in Munich and some bursts here and there. Some you can blame bad luck for injuries, but this setups also never work and some of his decisions like starting Marcos Alonso almost every European game is inexcusable.

Top 8 contender on paper for sure when you look at the quality of players and balance of the team.

Man City, Bayern, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool and PSG should all aim for QF at a minimum.

Sides like Porto, Napoli, Atletico, Inter and Benfica are also decent and those two Portuguese sides usually are good value to get through a group to make up the r16 numbers.

Any of the aforementioned sides failings to make it through to a QF is considered a very underwhelming performance though.

 

[jamrock]

Gundogan and Cancelo should on paper improve the squad. Are we a top three CL contender? I don't think so, HOWEVER, we should be able to be a team that can compete with anyone in Europe.

Not saying win, but compete and get to the QFs for sure.

So far under Xavi in Europe we have not been able to compete at all apart from a half in Munich and some bursts here and there. Some you can blame bad luck for injuries, but this setups also never work and some of his decisions like starting Marcos Alonso almost every European game is inexcusable.

QF is reasonable.

 

[serghei]

@fergus90 Arsenal? You don't rate them as top 8?

They have spent the most money out of anyone bar Chelsea in the last 2-3 summers.

 

[Porque]

Team just lacks chance creation. Which is a big thing admittedly.

But then you look through the rest of the teams, and with the way modern football is, many of the others do too.

They just have managers and coaches who train them in multiple offensive patterns.

 

[ajnotkeith]

@fergus90 Arsenal? You don't rate them as top 8?

They have spent the most money out of anyone bar Chelsea in the last 2-3 summers.

They're not a top team because they spent a lot of money.

 

[serghei]

They're not a top team because they spent a lot of money.

How about them being 2nd in the best league in the world? They spent money AND they have a good manager, AND they pushed City last season in the league until the last 5-6 games or so.

If they drop this season, sure, but if they confirm the level of last season, they are easily top 5.

 

[ajnotkeith]

Team just lacks chance creation. Which is a big thing admittedly.

But then you look through the rest of the teams, and with the way modern football is, many of the others do too.

They just have managers and coaches who train them in multiple offensive patterns.

We had this thing going on last year which worked well for a few months where we'd work it wide to the wingers to sweaty it into the box and that's the way we scored 80-90% of our goals.

It became repetitive and teams twigged on but we're still trying that pattern even to this day, work it wide, flat cross into the box to Lewandowski. It rarely works anymore as teams push us inside on the wing knowing we want to cross.

 

[ajnotkeith]

How about them being 2nd in the best league in the world? They spent money AND they have a good manager, AND they pushed City last season in the league until the last 5-6 games or so.

If they drop this season, sure, but if they confirm the level of last season, they are easily top 5.

They haven't even been in the CL for like 5 years, let alone establish any history in it.
They are top8 but I'm doubtful they can put up any serious challenge.

Last season they went out of everything early doors and only had league to focus on, 1 game a week, whilst they were competing with City who went for a treble and still managed to bottle.

 

[serghei]

Also, investments aren't just a footnote as some of you think. Money is probably the most important thing in current football.

 

[ajnotkeith]

Also, investments aren't just a footnote as some of you think. Money is probably the most important thing in current football.

It is very important but what you do with it is also important.
Remember when we spent like 500m on Dembele Coutinho and Griezmann combined? How many times have we had the three of them in our lineup and they've been useless? On paper, they cost 150m each...

You can still make terrible business even having a lot of money. Or if you are a smaller club you pay premiums for players better teams wouldn't be interested in (see Nottingham Forest and how they spent 150m).
Arsenal for example spent 100s of millions on players who we wouldn't go near because they aren't good enough.

 

[serghei]

It is very important but what you do with it is also important.
Remember when we spent like 500m on Dembele Coutinho and Griezmann combined? How many times have we had the three of them in our lineup and they've been useless? On paper, they cost 150m each...

You can still make terrible business even having a lot of money. Or if you are a smaller club you pay premiums for players better teams wouldn't be interested in (see Nottingham Forest and how they spent 150m).

What you do with it is attract top professionals. Top managers, and top players. That's what you usually invest your money in.

Of course, you put up some freak exception with Barto the idiot, but that doesn't change that usually the best teams in Europe are also the richest.

 

[fergus90]

@fergus90 Arsenal? You don't rate them as top 8?

They have spent the most money out of anyone bar Chelsea in the last 2-3 summers.

Not currently. They did well to challenge until April last season but don’t see them as a European threat. Wouldn’t be surprised if they struggled to get top 4 this season.

Timber ACL, spending money on Havertz is ludicrous. Not enough goals in them.

 

[ajnotkeith]

What you do with it is attract top professionals. Top managers, and top players. That's what you usually invest your money in.

Of course, you put up some freak exception with Barto the idiot, but that doesn't change that usually the best teams in Europe are also the richest.

Let me rephrase. In your opinion, who are the 5 best players of Arsenal?

I will give my opinion :

Saka
Rice
Martinelli
Saliba
Odegaard

Other than Rice, what do they have in common?