Premier league games today and weekend 12th Jan 2023

[southernboy]

I have to admit I couldn’t see Arteta winning anything at arsenal. Fair play to him… they’ve become a very good team very quickly. It wasn’t very long ago that we were laughing at them!

[eggy81]

I have to admit I couldn’t see Arteta winning anything at arsenal. Fair play to him… they’ve become a very good team very quickly. It wasn’t very long ago that we were laughing at them!

He’s an insufferable wanker though.

[Insidious]

As soon as we didn't win a game. Ah the ageing forward line.
Bobby will be gone soon. Next summer.
A new dawn.
Fingers crossed for x2 or 3x new midfielders

A killer the way this season is going to work out.

Probably felt that we had enough for a Top Four finish.

In theory, Summer would have then come with the opportunity to get a lot of wages off the books - if most (all?) of Milner, Ox, Keita, Firmino and Melo end up departing then you are talking about something like £700,000-per week coming off the books.

You add Matip and Thiago to that departure list the following year and we are talking about the guts of £1,000,000-per week in wages coming off the books over this Summer coming (2023) and next (2024).

Some longer, amortised contracts for lads in the 20-26 bracket (2 mids and a centre-back, say) and it wouldn't take long to be looking at a squad with only one attacker over 30, a decent midfield (needs additions, obviously) and a central defence with a better age mix.

Van Dijk, Matip, Konate, Gomez, Phillips are our centre-backs just now. Get Gvardiol (or whoever) aged 23-26 when we can ahead of Matip's departure and let the already-on-our-books Van den Berg take the place of a sale for Phillips. Van Dijk would be in his 30s, but nobody else would be. Wouldn't cost hundreds of millions to sign one centre-back.

Full-backs our age profile and quality I think is okay - I think it will look a lot better when midfield is functioning. Robertson with Tsimikas as cover and Trent with Ramsay (and occasionally Gomez) as cover is still alright for me - and certainly our lowest area of priority on the pitch.

Henderson, Thiago, Fabinho, Milner, Keita, Ox, Elliott, Jones, Bajcetic, Melo make up our ridiculous TEN midfielders (arguably 11 if Carvalho is included, if we went for using a no. 10) in the current set-up. Allow Milner, Ox, Keita, Melo to leave in Summer and Thiago next Summer. Let Henderson have Milner's minutes (a reduced role) and bring two good midfielders in. Promote Bajcetic and Morton to get more minutes. You'd have two young new mids, Fabinho, Elliott, Bajcetic, Morton, Jones with Henderson in the "Milner" role. That's 8 mids - 9 if you include Thiago's last season. By the time Thiago leaves you maybe bring a 3rd mid in to keep your numbers up, hopefully with robust players. Two good mids would be expensive, but not unattainably so. The area where we need most work.

With the attack, allow Firmino to leave. We'd have only Salah over 30 in attack. Núñez, Salah, Diaz, Gakpo, Carvalho, Doak are all already on the books. Probably a bit much to expect Carvalho and/or Doak to contribute effectively a whole load, but bringing ONE attacker in (even if it's next Summer) would help a lot.

Think I've totted that up as the following incomings -

One centre-back (doesn't have to cost the Earth)
Three midfielders (two relatively expensive, one less so)
One attacker (doesn't have to cost the Earth)

- with this window, the Summer, the next January window and another Summer within which to bring them in as a bunch of lads depart.

I think most of that is perfectly attainable, even within our model. You still keep many of the personnel and DNA of the side, but freshen it up in key areas - particularly midfield. I don't buy the idea that we need 9/10/11 new players as seems to be the thought process on social media. Just a few key integrations over the coming windows to maintain quality whilst bringing age profile down.

[dicko1969]

A killer the way this season is going to work out.

Probably felt that we had enough for a Top Four finish.

In theory, Summer would have then come with the opportunity to get a lot of wages off the books - if most (all?) of Milner, Ox, Keita, Firmino and Melo end up departing then you are talking about something like £700,000-per week coming off the books.

You add Matip and Thiago to that departure list the following year and we are talking about the guts of £1,000,000-per week in wages coming off the books over this Summer coming (2023) and next (2024).

Some longer, amortised contracts for lads in the 20-26 bracket (2 mids and a centre-back, say) and it wouldn't take long to be looking at a squad with only one attacker over 30, a decent midfield (needs additions, obviously) and a central defence with a better age mix.

Van Dijk, Matip, Konate, Gomez, Phillips are our centre-backs just now. Get Gvardiol (or whoever) aged 23-26 when we can ahead of Matip's departure and let the already-on-our-books Van den Berg take the place of a sale for Phillips. Van Dijk would be in his 30s, but nobody else would be. Wouldn't cost hundreds of millions to sign one centre-back.

Full-backs our age profile and quality I think is okay - I think it will look a lot better when midfield is functioning. Robertson with Tsimikas as cover and Trent with Ramsay (and occasionally Gomez) as cover is still alright for me - and certainly our lowest area of priority on the pitch.

Henderson, Thiago, Fabinho, Milner, Keita, Ox, Elliott, Jones, Bajcetic, Melo make up our ridiculous TEN midfielders (arguably 11 if Carvalho is included, if we went for using a no. 10) in the current set-up. Allow Milner, Ox, Keita, Melo to leave in Summer and Thiago next Summer. Let Henderson have Milner's minutes (a reduced role) and bring two good midfielders in. Promote Bajcetic and Morton to get more minutes. You'd have two young new mids, Fabinho, Elliott, Bajcetic, Morton, Jones with Henderson in the "Milner" role. That's 8 mids - 9 if you include Thiago's last season. By the time Thiago leaves you maybe bring a 3rd mid in to keep your numbers up, hopefully with robust players. Two good mids would be expensive, but not unattainably so. The area where we need most work.

With the attack, allow Firmino to leave. We'd have only Salah over 30 in attack. Núñez, Salah, Diaz, Gakpo, Carvalho, Doak are all already on the books. Probably a bit much to expect Carvalho and/or Doak to contribute effectively a whole load, but bringing ONE attacker in (even if it's next Summer) would help a lot.

Think I've totted that up as the following incomings -

One centre-back (doesn't have to cost the Earth)
Three midfielders (two relatively expensive, one less so)
One attacker (doesn't have to cost the Earth)

- with this window, the Summer, the next January window and another Summer within which to bring them in as a bunch of lads depart.

I think most of that is perfectly attainable, even within our model. You still keep many of the personnel and DNA of the side, but freshen it up in key areas - particularly midfield. I don't buy the idea that we need 9/10/11 new players as seems to be the thought process on social media. Just a few key integrations over the coming windows to maintain quality whilst bringing age profile down.

Exactly Sid

[dicko1969]

I have to admit I couldn’t see Arteta winning anything at arsenal. Fair play to him… they’ve become a very good team very quickly. It wasn’t very long ago that we were laughing at them!

They actually spent £80m on partey and odegaard. That's transformed them.

That would do the same for Liverpool too.

X2 midfield signings.

There must be some other mystery reason why they haven't signed a player or two.

[teesred]

They actually spent £80m on partey and odegaard. That's transformed them.

That would do the same for Liverpool too.

X2 midfield signings.

There must be some other mystery reason why they haven't signed a player or two.

The fact that they have stuck with them is a big factor. Partey was poor his first season and Odergaard was inconsistent. They've come good now.
I do find it amazing how they've completey turned it around, I don't see it being long term though. I might be wrong but they have a bit of a Leicester feel about them to me. A one off.

[darrenpotter]

No one would touch partey if thecrumours about him are true

[justincredible]

No one would touch partey if thecrumours about him are true

G'wan....

[justme]

so it was SHITWELL the ref that decided man-united first goal was fine? Bias man-united twonk

[Steveo]

Total farce and the fact that they are even debating it is laughable. There is simply NO WAY that goal can stand. Rashford affects the entire City back line and keeper. He even shields the ball FFS..

It's a 100% Old Trafford decision and we all know it, or we should. The ref in the studio is doing some gymnastics to try and cover for his colleague.