Next season, eh?

[The_weatherman]

Okay this season's league is a write off. Next year will be our year though. Torres will have a full season under his belt, Gerrard fresh from a good break in the summer, Babel will hopefully be finding his feet along with Lucas and Kewell, Kuyt, Riise and Voronin will be off (fingers crossed).

So we need two fullbacks, two wingers and a very good striker, is that doable?













Trying to look ahead in the sea of pessimism here.

[Barnyard]

Okay this season's league is a write off. Next year will be our year though. Torres will have a full season under his belt, Gerrard fresh from a good break in the summer, Babel will hopefully be finding his feet along with Lucas and Kewell, Kuyt, Riise and Voronin will be off (fingers crossed).

So we need two fullbacks, two wingers and a very good striker, is that doable?

Trying to look ahead in the sea of pessimism here.

Optimism!

Personally I think he might go for two full backs and then a great striker and a great Aimar type to play 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 diamond and just accept that we'll never a great out and out winger.

[cled the red]

Okay this season's league is a write off. Next year will be our year though. Torres will have a full season under his belt, Gerrard fresh from a good break in the summer, Babel will hopefully be finding his feet along with Lucas and Kewell, Kuyt, Riise and Voronin will be off (fingers crossed).

So we need two fullbacks, two wingers and a very good striker, is that doable?

Trying to look ahead in the sea of pessimism here.

We'll also have the Champions League crown to defend!!!

[Exiled_red]

So we need two fullbacks, two wingers and a very good striker, is that doable?

Hope so

[dww]

Okay this season's league is a write off. Next year will be our year though. Torres will have a full season under his belt, Gerrard fresh from a good break in the summer, Babel will hopefully be finding his feet along with Lucas and Kewell, Kuyt, Riise and Voronin will be off (fingers crossed).

So we need two fullbacks, two wingers and a very good striker, is that doable?

I think we could see a massive improvement if we bought just the fullbacks and a creative second striker. I have come to think that Babel, Benayoun & Gerrard could offer a lot in the wide midifield positions if we had the right link player in the middle and overlapping fullbacks to offer width.

[bucks]

attacking fullbacks is what the team is missing,if at all possible lahm at lb and Alves at rb would be the answer, problem is it would cost a fortune for the two of them

[BFG]

We'll also have the Champions League crown to defend!!!

[kris90210]

love the optimism mate but im sick of thinking 'next season...' - Im starting to think theres more fundemental problems at the club than any of us realise.

Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Agger, Skretl (give him a chance), Mascherano, Gerrard, Lucas, Babel and Torres. The entire remainder of the squad could go as far as Im concerned.

[cestrianred]

love the optimism mate but im sick of thinking 'next season...' - Im starting to think theres more fundemental problems at the club than any of us realise.

Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Agger, Skretl (give him a chance), Mascherano, Gerrard, Lucas, Babel and Torres. The entire remainder of the squad could go as far as Im concerned.

I'd keep ,Arbeloa-younger & more future ahead.

[dww]

The thing is it is always easy to say that but for me we are in a similar situation to last seasons Arsenal everywhere but in the fact that they had two forwards who were on the up. We need to find the element that binds our team together and for me that would be a 'hole' player.

For me in a similar way to the pivitol nature of Flamini's blossoming at Arsenal that could have a knock on effect on other players. The difference is where Wenger has had years to collect young players who were candidates for that position (he had Song, Diaby, Diarra & Denilson all in the squad at the start of the season and had already rejected Muamba and Larsson) we have only just started to get that level of possibilities coming through and it may take a few years for Bruna, Nemeth, Pacheco etc. to be ready in the way it took many of the current Arsenal players.

[The_weatherman]

love the optimism mate but im sick of thinking 'next season...' - Im starting to think theres more fundemental problems at the club than any of us realise.

Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Agger, Skretl (give him a chance), Mascherano, Gerrard, Lucas, Babel and Torres. The entire remainder of the squad could go as far as Im concerned.

I would keep Alonso, Arbeloa and Benni as well even Crouch and Aurelio.
But as dww points out, attaking fullbacks (proper ones) could go a long way for us, Alves would fit in perfectly but I am still getting doubts about Rafa's tactics. This 4-2-3-1 **** is just not registering with our players, maybe because Babel, Benny and Voronin are new and Kewell is "coming" from injury and Pennant was injured for a while as well.

I wouldn't mind if Rafa just stuck to 442 and brought in some decent wingers or strikers, I get the feeling Rafa himself is undecided about what he wants to use.

[The_weatherman]

The thing is it is always easy to say that but for me we are in a similar situation to last seasons Arsenal everywhere but in the fact that they had two forwards who were on the up. We need to find the element that binds our team together and for me that would be a 'hole' player.

For me in a similar way to the pivitol nature of Flamini's blossoming at Arsenal that could have a knock on effect on other players. The difference is where Wenger has had years to collect young players who were candidates for that position (he had Song, Diaby, Diarra & Denilson all in the squad at the start of the season and had already rejected Muamba and Larsson) we have only just started to get that level of possibilities coming through and it may take a few years for Bruna, Nemeth, Pacheco etc. to be ready in the way it took many of the current Arsenal players.

We should stick by Rafa, if Gerrard or Carra don't like they can **** off - I am seriously pissed hearing about them shaking their heads about Rafa's subs. all that does in undermining Rafa in public and breeds doubts in the dressing room.

[CAD]

I think we could see a massive improvement if we bought just the fullbacks and a creative second striker. I have come to think that Babel, Benayoun & Gerrard could offer a lot in the wide midifield positions if we had the right link player in the middle and overlapping fullbacks to offer width.

For me it's the wingers. We need two ace wingers more than anything else imho. Fabio, Arbeloe, Riise and Finnan is far from the best solution but our wingers are so far from being good enough that it hurts us on so many levels.

[akjs123]

What I fail to understand is why Insua has been loaned out to another club. He's 4th choice at the club and some regular footy would do him no harm. I am hoping to see more of him next season.

[dww]

For me it's the wingers. We need two ace wingers more than anything else imho. Fabio, Arbeloe, Riise and Finnan is far from the best solution but our wingers are so far from being good enough that it hurts us on so many levels.

I think the lack of width behind them makes them look less good as does the lack of a forward to link them in. I really think that given time Babel and Benayoun can progress to be more like Hleb and Rosicky but to play like them you need someone to play clever balls and threaten in the centre (rather than Kuyt) and width has to be provided from fullbacks.

The thing is class fullbacks are rare but as Fergie proved with Evra and Wenger with Sagna they often cost between £5 and £10m which is much more likely to happen than two top wingers who tend to cost at least £10m+. I know some have been picked up for less like Hleb and Rosicky but the latter was at the end of his contract at a bankruptcy threatened team and the other took two seasons to even start settling.