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Totally Unofficial 2019/2020 Premier League Thread (NWT)

Gooner said:
We need Wolves to take only 3 points from their last 2 and make up the goal difference. With them playing Chelsea on the last day and Chelsea likely needing a win to guarantee UCL, I'm still hopeful that Chelsea win that game and that Arsenal can gain the GD back with Aston Villa/Watford.

That being said, my years of Arsenal support tell me that we are going to choke a fat one against Villa tomorrow and render it moot.
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Leicester losing yesterday was a big relief to Chelsea. They've got one game left and it just happens to be against ManUtd. If Chelsea gets three at Anfield on Thursday (and I'm hoping that Liverpool rests their regulars) then they're in UCL. Add in if ManUtd wins at Old Trafford on Wednesday (which they should take three from West Ham) as well, Leicester will have to win on the last day of the season to make UCL (and their form has been pitiful of late).

That said, should Chelsea get three on Thursday, I think they rest a lot of the squad against Wolves. Would allow everyone to rest up for just over a week before going back to Wembley, and there's no major difference between being 3rd or 4th, especially now that all four teams go directly to the Group Stage.
 
mersk862 said:
Leicester losing yesterday was a big relief to Chelsea. They've got one game left and it just happens to be against ManUtd. If Chelsea gets three at Anfield on Thursday (and I'm hoping that Liverpool rests their regulars) then they're in UCL. Add in if ManUtd wins at Old Trafford on Wednesday (which they should take three from West Ham) as well, Leicester will have to win on the last day of the season to make UCL (and their form has been pitiful of late).

That said, should Chelsea get three on Thursday, I think they rest a lot of the squad against Wolves. Would allow everyone to rest up for just over a week before going back to Wembley, and there's no major difference between being 3rd or 4th, especially now that all four teams go directly to the Group Stage.
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Right, Leicester shitting the bed was a blow. I'm still hoping that Chelsea is just better than Wolves and gives a strong side a run out, maybe with some changes in key areas to gives some game time to players. Just hoping that it's not some pissy lineup with a bunch of youth that basically invites Wolves to attack over and over.

I don't really have room to hope for anything though, we had our fates in our hands against Leicester and Shit and threw it away.
 
Gooner said:
Right, Leicester shitting the bed was a blow. I'm still hoping that Chelsea is just better than Wolves and gives a strong side a run out, maybe with some changes in key areas to gives some game time to players. Just hoping that it's not some pissy lineup with a bunch of youth that basically invites Wolves to attack over and over.

I don't really have room to hope for anything though, we had our fates in our hands against Leicester and Shit and threw it away.
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For some reason I thought our game at Anfield was Thursday, but it's Wednesday, so at least that gets them an extra day's rest. Still, if they get 3, I think they rest up - the FA Cup is a mug worth winning, especially in Lamps first season running things at the Bridge. Had you told me we'd be looking at getting some silverware going into this season, I would have laughed with our new manager, the transfer ban and the (relative) lack of experience on our side.
 
mersk862 said:
For some reason I thought our game at Anfield was Thursday, but it's Wednesday, so at least that gets them an extra day's rest. Still, if they get 3, I think they rest up - the FA Cup is a mug worth winning, especially in Lamps first season running things at the Bridge. Had you told me we'd be looking at getting some silverware going into this season, I would have laughed with our new manager, the transfer ban and the (relative) lack of experience on our side.
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Depends on if Klopp has convinced his team yet that they still need to try in these games.
 
Gooner said:
Depends on if Klopp has convinced his team yet that they still need to try in these games.
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If I were Klopp, I'd be resting my main guys. Most of the threats to their crown next year all are still playing for something and have to run their main guys out there. Liverpool has the crown, they have nothing left in Europe, and the new season starts in less than two months. I'd be getting those guys rest right now and take advantage of the break while some of their competition won't have the same opportunity to rest up as much.
 
Gooner said:
We need Wolves to take only 3 points from their last 2 and make up the goal difference. With them playing Chelsea on the last day and Chelsea likely needing a win to guarantee UCL, I'm still hopeful that Chelsea win that game and that Arsenal can gain the GD back with Aston Villa/Watford.

That being said, my years of Arsenal support tell me that we are going to choke a fat one against Villa tomorrow and render it moot.
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I’m not too worked up if we miss Europa. Europa hasn’t gotten us shit...except more Europa. I wouldn’t mind seeing what Arteta can do with a thin squad and no European commitments. It’s worked for other clubs. It’s not like Raul eat al have spent the money wisely recently anyway. Of course I’d love to poach the FA Cup this year and still make it that way but I can’t bring myself to give a shit over 7th or 8th.
 
Arsene Wenger said:
I’m not too worked up if we miss Europa. Europa hasn’t gotten us shit...except more Europa. I wouldn’t mind seeing what Arteta can do with a thin squad and no European commitments. It’s worked for other clubs. It’s not like Raul eat al have spent the money wisely recently anyway. Of course I’d love to poach the FA Cup this year and still make it that way but I can’t bring myself to give a shit over 7th or 8th.
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I think Raul and Co. have done a pretty solid job, his new signings from last summer have largely worked out: Tierney looks a steal at $25M, Pepe has looked much more settled since the restart and 20 G/A in his first season is nothing to sneeze at, Ceballos could be another $20-25M steal, Martinelli is the future. The worst signing has easily been David Luiz and though he is still David Luiz, he’s had his moments (see: Saturday). I have faith that Arteta knows better what he needs than Emery did, and I’m hoping the club backs him.
 
Gooner said:
I think Raul and Co. have done a pretty solid job, his new signings from last summer have largely worked out: Tierney looks a steal at $25M, Pepe has looked much more settled since the restart and 20 G/A in his first season is nothing to sneeze at, Ceballos could be another $20-25M steal, Martinelli is the future. The worst signing has easily been David Luiz and though he is still David Luiz, he’s had his moments (see: Saturday). I have faith that Arteta knows better what he needs than Emery did, and I’m hoping the club backs him.
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Arsenal has so many terrible fucking contracts which are bleeding cash. Aside from that I don’t think anyone should underestimate what a bad decision it was by Raul to hire Emery. Arteta is doing a solid job and deserves to be backed. But by damn Özil and David Luiz and all the other old has beens need to roll off the books before things are going to really start to turn around. If we can give Özil away without a golden parachute and sell players like Xhaka and Mustafi and Maitland Niles who have played alright lately but just aren’t good enough to play week in week out in a legit top 4 side, let’s do it and use the money to start a genuine rebuild. I’d be sad if PEA left this summer but it’s hard to blame him if he decides to go. Players like Guendouzi or Torreria can fuck right off if the price is right.
 
mersk862 said:
Luiz has looked absolutely terrible for the most part since signing across town.
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He has looked much better under Arteta outside of the historically terrible City performance at the Etihad, IMO

Arsene Wenger said:
Arsenal has so many terrible fucking contracts which are bleeding cash. Aside from that I don’t think anyone should underestimate what a bad decision it was by Raul to hire Emery. Arteta is doing a solid job and deserves to be backed. But by damn Özil and David Luiz and all the other old has beens need to roll off the books before things are going to really start to turn around. If we can give Özil away without a golden parachute and sell players like Xhaka and Mustafi and Maitland Niles who have played alright lately but just aren’t good enough to play week in week out in a legit top 4 side, let’s do it and use the money to start a genuine rebuild. I’d be sad if PEA left this summer but it’s hard to blame him if he decides to go. Players like Guendouzi or Torreria can fuck right off if the price is right.
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The wages are a problem, no doubt about that, but that isn't a Raul problem really. David Luiz is reported to have signed new terms that reduce his wage, I think getting Kola off the books would be extremely helpful, and I agree that getting some of the squad players out would help with that too (though I still hold out hope that Guendouzi can have a Xhaka-level redemption arc). Ozil is (regrettably) a sunk cost at this point and I think we'd almost be better off buying him out than any of the other options as no one will buy him at those wages.

I will fight anyone on selling AMN though, players like him don't grow on trees and he adds so much needed athleticism to our squad. He just put one of the best wingers in the PL in his pocket playing as a LWB pretty much cold, he can play on either wing, either fullback/wingback position, and he has shown glimpses of being able to play in the midfield position he clearly covets. He's a more athletic, younger James Milner; you don't sell that, especially at his age.
 
Jadon Sancho for 80 mil
or
Kai Havertz for 70 mil
(if reports are to be believed, which they shouldn't be)


Which would be the better buy? I'm torn, but I think Sancho for the fact he checks the "homegrown" player box.
 
Gooner said:
I will fight anyone on selling AMN though, players like him don't grow on trees and he adds so much needed athleticism to our squad. He just put one of the best wingers in the PL in his pocket playing as a LWB pretty much cold, he can play on either wing, either fullback/wingback position, and he has shown glimpses of being able to play in the midfield position he clearly covets. He's a more athletic, younger James Milner; you don't sell that, especially at his age.
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Question is whether he wants to stay. Certainly hasn't played as much as others (Guen and Ozil notwithstanding) and word is he's looking to go elsewhere to play more. I like him too, hope he stays. With with Bellerin and Cedric as options on the right, Tierney and Kola on the left, and Pepe, Saka, Auba, and a host of others as options on the wing, he's struggled to grab hold of any one spot.
 
I'm not sure he's better than any of those names, nor do I think simply because he's young he's worth hanging on to. He filled in capably as an injury backup, but I think he's a squad player at best at Arsenal, and would likely be better served as a starter on a midtable club or elsewhere on the continent. I haven't seen anything especially exciting about him.
 
DCDeacon said:
Question is whether he wants to stay. Certainly hasn't played as much as others (Guen and Ozil notwithstanding) and word is he's looking to go elsewhere to play more. I like him too, hope he stays. With with Bellerin and Cedric as options on the right, Tierney and Kola on the left, and Pepe, Saka, Auba, and a host of others as options on the wing, he's struggled to grab hold of any one spot.
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I think he's clearly better than Kolasinac but I don't see him as a long term LWB type. I think that in an ideal world where we could play 4 at the back and at least 3 in the midfield, AMN could be at worst a 4th midfielder.

TownieDeac said:
I'm not sure he's better than any of those names, nor do I think simply because he's young he's worth hanging on to. He filled in capably as an injury backup, but I think he's a squad player at best at Arsenal, and would likely be better served as a starter on a midtable club or elsewhere on the continent. I haven't seen anything especially exciting about him.
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I'm not saying hold onto him because he's young, I'm saying hold on to him because he has already shown he can be at worst a solid squad player at this age and even if that's his ceiling, those types of players are immensely valuable to clubs at the highest tiers (like the Milner example). Manchester United don't win all those titles in the late 00's without Park Ji-Sung as another example. I'm sure AMN could be a starter at a club like Newcastle or Southampton, or even a top player at a high Championship/low Premier League club. And if that's what he wants at this stage, more power to him, he has been a great servant and I'm always happy to see Hale End kids go on to play elsewhere. But if Arteta can convince him to stay and be the Swiss army knife for this team and possibly progress into a regular first team starter in time, I would be ecstatic.

Also, maybe (definitely) I'm weird, but a 22 year old who has already made 50+ Premier League appearances and nearly 100 in all competitions for Arsenal is exciting in itself. He also has pace for days, he's proven to be pretty damn good as a defender despite not playing such positions at youth level, and he's not afraid of big games. Those are all incredibly exciting traits to me.
 
deacvision7 said:
xG just seems like a made-up stat to try to seem smart when really it isn't saying much at all. Seems to treat all 20 field players on the pitch the same in terms of finishing ability when that is clearly not the case, which is why the StdDev is so grotesquely high.

Not everything in sports can/needs to be boiled down to some mathematical equation. And I love math.


K, I'm done on this one for now. I'm sure we will revisit in September or so. :thumbsup:
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It's like you don't understand xG at all, but want to rail at it It's actually, bizarrely, one of the few decent easy analytical tools for soccer.
 
Raheem Sterling is having quite the afternoon...that first brace was brilliant and then good follow up after getting the penalty blocked.
 
Meanwhile City is just pouring it on here in the second half.

I'd honestly be fine with Villa winning over Arsenal today and dropping Watford into the relegation zone.
 
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