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How can Arsenal improve our forward line this summer?

We have what I would call four out and out strikers at Arsenal, they were Alexandre Lacazette, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Danny Welbeck and Eddie Nketiah.

Welbeck has gone and Nketiah probably needs more time so that leaves us with just Lacazette and Aubameyang as our main weapons up front and that is simply not enough for us to be competitive next season.

We will be fighting on four fronts and an injury to one of our main attackers could be disastrous, in fact, even a suspension could have dire consequences, just look at what has happened to Tottenham.

So, it is clear we need to bring in at least one new striker, one that will be ok playing a backup role but good enough to make a difference, a sort of Danny Welbeck you could say, yeah I know.

We could bring back Reiss Nelson and give the lad a go but I accept that he may yet need another season on loan but we could do worse than give our youngsters a proper try out in the first team and let’s not forget Folarin Balogun with the youth set-up, he is definitely something special.

But a high profile addition to our front line is definitely required, someone that is big that we can throw on when we need a late goal, someone to aim high balls at, someone that can hold up play, an Olivier Giroud or Fernando Llorente type of player but with a little more pace.

In conclusion, we do have a good core frontline but it needs depth mixed with a couple of youngsters and so maybe Lacazette, Aubameyang and Nketiah with Nelson given a squad number and one new impact forward signing.

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    3. Klopp has done a very good job at Liverpool. He is a top Manager. We should sign Nabil Fekir. And play a 433 formation. Emphasis should be on the midfield. High energ and intensity. Sign Doucoure. We have a long way to go. We need 3 top signings in the summer. Doucoure, Koulibaly and Nabil Fekir. And a manager who is very bold like Klopp..Then we can have a shot at the EPL next season. The last time we won the league was in 2004. This is 2019. Liverpool could end the season with 96 points and still not win the league. There is no other way. Invest. Buy quality. Buy Top top Quality. 433. The defence and the midfield is where the emphasis is.

      1. I think if you consider a footy pitch as a chessboard and consider how best to dominate space, the evolution of 4 3 3 has become a counter for 4 4 2 more so then 4 2 3 1(short lived) because 4 3 3 allows you to switch to 4 1 4 1 when defending a lead (like liverpool did today) and allows attacking threat still and thus, being the current best solution to dominate space.

        With that, you need to be able to push and play with vigor which sometimes you get with youth more so.
        Saying that and addressing the question of the post, we need someone who is a natural goalscorer but raw and needs guidance as this is the type of gem we can afford atm…and thays okay when you have Auba and Laca.

        I think unai is afraid to use his preferred 4 2 3 1 because he knows this is being replaced in the game. It has no true forward width with this, and no true ability to defend with 2 back and your full backs running up to make up for a lack of width from forwards. (Checkmating yourself)

        So 3 4 3 is his current preferred style. But ozil, xhaka, none of our current fit defenders suit this system.. it’s why we look bland. With this tactic as a reference, you/we still must consider 4 3 3 is better as 3 in the middle against the 2 of a flat 4 midfield means you are overpowered.

        So, we are stuck with 4 3 3 as the best option. Unless your 3 4 3 works so that your 3 from the 4 shift into a middle 3 and the 4th player (one of the ‘wing backs’) either drops in front or drops into making the middle 3 whilst one of the CM drops behind them (when in defence mode for example) (3133) but this is compact play…only a theory so dont know how well it will work…

        Sorry it’s all 442s and 433s and so on… I need a chalkboard.lol.
        But this is elementary for premier league managers and they will know far more then me, it’s just a shame our current squad is not advanced enough to follow these ideas. They been guided towards one ideology for too long (attack is the best form of defence).
        The games advanced now. 90+ points is essential, fast energised play and none stop commitment…

        We have some way to go, so it’s right to applaud liverpool for doing what British clubs should be doing…and dominate Europe!

        Shouldn’t it be wonderful if arsenal joined in and won the UEFA Cup. Can we not but just dream what a springboard this could mean.

        1. Good article Tom but even more than tactics the Liverpool crowd won that game tonight at least contributed just as much as the players. They intimidate the opposition, fans and team alike, in such a way that Barca were terrified from the moment the entered Liverpool City Centre. My brother in law is a red scouser and I sent him a message after the game and asked if they could lend us some of they’re fans to liven up the dead atmosphere of the Emirates Stadium. When you have an announcer who says, for example, “Arsenal Football Club welcome the fans and supporters of Valencia Football Club, we hope you have a wonderful time at the Emirates” really intimidating, what a joke he then goes on to play Spanish music for half an hour before the kick off just to make them feel at home. He follows that with announcing “I’d like to wish 5 year old Hayley a very happy first visit to the Emirates” FFS it’s supposed to be a football stadium, and another thing why doesn’t anybody inside the club have the brains to use the multi ball system on home European nights like every other club in Europe do when they host games against us. Every time the ball goes out of play it takes 5 minutes to resume. The reason for all these deficiencies is because there’s no real football people running the club just business men in suits Get someone who knows a few songs and give him a megaphone to improve the atmosphere. Give me the job, I’d liven the place up. Oh, and sack the stupid announcer.

    4. Liverfool are guaranteed to win the double

      world class players

      Klopp finally build a team and win in 4 season

    1. it looks that it’s gonna be a week of comebacks.
      looks like every team is gonna come back

        1. we only have to play safe, I don’t see Valencia or spurs staging a come back though.

          1. you never know that you could have bet on both of them to stage a comeback over liverpool

    2. Arsenal board,coach and players should be ashamed of themselves seeing what liverpool are doing right now. This is a club that know what they are doing arsenal fans should stop desieving themselves

      1. Or how’s about our attackers spend this summer break training with Thierry Henry and Ian Wright since Gabon won’t be participating at Afcon & Lacazette wont be in Le Bleu’s Euro qualifiers ,TH ain’t at Monaco anymore, but Nope our players will think that they’ve done enough to go on Holiday….

  4. They never walk alone! And that is true. If they win this one, their brothers – the spurs – will join them???

  5. Take a bow Liverpool!!??
    I’m sorry I wrote you guys off, I was wrong!!, massive respect

  6. 4-0 and not contented with that yet. How did Barca even lead with 3 in the first place? They just have to score even if it’s half a goal.

    What a disgrace…

    1. They’re not the Barca of a few years ago, the team we beat at the Emirates and came within a whisker of knocking them out at the Camp Nou, Pep’s Barca were different class to this lot. Only Messi remains, a lot of average players in this side now that Busquets, Pique and Suarez are ageing When you lose two of the greatest midfield players of all time in Iniesta and Xavi you’re never the same, The famous tippy tappy football they played under Pep went through Andros Iniesta. They miss him most of all.

  8. what Liverpool have done deserves massive respect.
    Barcelona rested their entire xi in the weekend.
    Liverpool had to put up with two injuries on their best players and now they have overturned the tie.
    they lost Roberson at The break

    1. I gotta admit this is one of the best UCL games ever. I apologize Liverpool!!
      Jodi Alba was Xhaka tonight, Liverpool is the team we wish Arsenal would be

      1. ..a football lover u r indeed – they have that “winning habit” and do or die mentality and we need to find arsenal players possessed of similar character and spirit.

      2. Eddie, this Liverpool team is something else, Kloop told reporters he does Tactics, tactics, and more basics tactics, he makes them fitter, he gives them passion, he trust every player on a one on one bases so they all play for him. I truly miss Arsene Wenger. I thought when he is gone we will have a better manager. I pray we win Europa League.

        1. Pat I pray we do also, because seriously I already promised myself not to watch any Thursday night football next season.
          Liverpool got one shot at the UCL trophy and they took it, I can’t remember the last time Arsenal played a football match like this.
          I wrote Liverpool off, because clearly Barcelona had gone through but then Barcelona pulled an Arsenal, and Liverpool well, stayed Liverpool.
          Without Salah and Firmino!!!
          FFS will this football club ever get players loyal and hungry to fight for the badge like these Liverpool players? Can we ever get a manager like Klopp?
          Don’t even get Me started on Mr Tinkerman, If after tonight, they watched the game and we font end up winning the Europa League, then we shouldn’t even be playing in any European competition

          1. Pat, when you’ve got fans like there’s that push you on, half the job’s done

    3. And we had four to five chances to redeem ourselves and will failed woefully. Liverpool has one without Sallah and Firmino and we are witness to how it turned out. Origi? Shaqiri? and that masterclass. Anyway, there is always a next season.

  10. Wow!!
    What a game. Total respect to Liverpool.
    That Barca team should not enter Spain any soon????

    Now the Spurs will join them because they never walk alone

  11. Liverpool basically have three week break after the wolves game. And so do Spurs if they beat ajax. Eredivisie finishes three days after the prem so it’s clear who Liverpool prefer to face…
    Now watch us blow it against Valencia 😉

    1. Credit where credit’s due. Liverpool deserve to get something this season and Klopp has turned the club around tremendously. May the best team win in the finals… (as long as it’s not spurs)

      1. I am honestly going to have to hear about this for the rest of my god damn life!! All the Liverpool fans I know are big headed enough as it is… oh I want to phone in sick tomorrow (& for the next year at least!)
        If we win EL.. oh yes a bloody annihilation in the super cup… oh great

        1. i think them winning EPL would be 10x more annoying than it’s going to be if they win UCL. Watching Arsenal team against Brighton to watching Liverpool today has almost sent me into shock. The level of difference between the two sides is astonishing. But this is part of the process. And it’s still better than arguing about if Wenger should go or not.

          1. Them winning anything is bad enough (for me anyway) yes it’s frightening how crap we are compared to them, RSH… hopefully in a few year’s time, we’ll be like that, with that never give up attitude

            1. Take heart sweetheart, you must appreciate a good football game. Absolute pleasure watching that game. ?????

    2. Barcelona were an embarrassment Sue, now we’ll have Liverpool fans bragging for weeks and thinking another miracle will happen on Sunday ?

      1. Oh FFS Kev…. this is like my worst nightmare! Some old gal on Twitter said she feels like an Arsenal fan, being let down year after year ?

        1. Sickening Sue ? those supporters will be thinking we’ll do it again on Sunday ? difference is anfield can be atmospheric from the rooftops won’t matter, city are going to Brighton and will sweep them aside ?

          1. They’d bloody better Kev… or it’ll be time for me to buy a one way ticket to a desert island (& live with Wilson ?)

            1. Haha castaway ? Jesus Sue this season has been too stressful! I couldn’t deal with Liverpool winning CL and PL Sunday is high blood pressure day ?

                1. Sue I’ve been vaping like a man possessed there’s more clouds during the football in my house than there is in the sky ? now have to watch Liverpool in CL final for the 2nd successive season oh Jesus the pain ?

                  1. You vape? What flavour? Yeah I can imagine, if I smoked I’d have been clanging them off like nobody’s business!!!
                    Yeah that really is ? I might give it a miss..??

                    1. I don’t smoke I only vape ? watermelon ice is my flavour right now go through half a bottle during Arsenal games it keeps me calm ? I’m ordering a box of vape for Thursday ? oh id love Ajax to beat them because they think they’ve already won it ?

                    2. So what’s the difference then, between a fag & a vape? I’ve never smoked (or vaped ?) so not sure of the fascination!
                      My life is going to be unbearable now.. beginning tomorrow at 9am when I get to work & will carry on for 40 years ?

                    3. Well fags are pure nicotine and tobacco vape has no tobacco some vape Juice has nicotine I don’t use it my vape Juice is 0mg ? plus it smells lovely ? never ? Not even a crafty fag at school ? you’ll just have to look for a new Job Sue I couldn’t deal with what you have to deal with ????

                    4. Well thanks for the explanation Kev, but I still don’t get why people do it ? no never… my Mum smoked when I was a kid & I couldn’t stand it!! Still hate it now!
                      Ha you’re right, I best start looking in the morning! I give as good as I get (usually) but wth can I say now? You thrashed Barca & we couldn’t even beat Brighton!!

                    5. Haha yeah Brighton ? they’ll come off they’re high come Sunday have faith Sue.. losing the league on the last game is hurtful it’s a kick in the ⚽⚽ ? and we know because we did it in 99 ? oh I used to smoke from 17 to 24 and took up vaping about a year ago out of boredom well I don’t drink so I needed something ? we’ll Sue I will let you get off to sleep I’ll pray for you for tomorrow ???? goodnight Sue ???? come on Ajax ?

                    6. Thank you very much Kevin ??
                      Goodnight.. hope you can find your way to your bedroom through all the vaping clouds ? ? ? sleep well ?

        2. My worst nightmare too… they won’t be bragging for weeks it will be for decades!! They are so fuc|cing annoying! Arggggggh

            1. Don’t like all these compliments Sue, they never gave us any when we beat them 2-0 at Anfield to win title in the last game of the season in ’89

              1. I’m joking Sue, the whoe of the Kop actually applauded that fantastic night.

              2. I’m joking Sue, the whoe of the Kop actually applauded that fantastic night.

  14. This is what a great coach does to players. Imagine Origi, Alexander Arnold, Milner, Henderson etc taking barca for a ride.

  15. 4-0! how will I explain n convince my friends this happened. barca let me down this bad, hope we win Ecl as a consolation tho

        1. I am clearly in a small minority on here who want Liverpool to win the CL. I admire them as a real football club who cares for its fans and stands by them. They are not funded by corrupt oil wealth and a corrupt Shah, as City are. They have earned their dues and well deserve glory. I hope they win the title too this season, though it is not going to happen. Unlike many on here I am NEVER jealous of properly run clubs who recognise and treat all their fans as a key part of the club, UNLIKE ARSENAL, SADLY! We have much we could learn from Liverpool, if only we had the sense to choose to. Sigh! Chelsea, City and United I do loathe and and also want Spurs to lose, though merely for local rivalry though I have never “hated” them as they have historically been a decently run club, as we WERE too, til KROENKE CAME. He is the one I TRULY HATE AND ALL HE STANDS FOR.

            1. I was using the word ironically. Thought that was obvious, given my well known attitude to using “hate”. Perhaps all I am guilty of is not using quote marks for it! No comment from you though KENNY ON THE SUBSTANCE OF WHAT i WROTE ?

              1. I’m sure you know my feelings towards Liverpool supporters from past emails. The most dangerous city in the UK for away fans to visit in ’70’s when hooliganism was rife.

  16. It’s not over yet. Liverpool could get a double now.
    It’s up to ManCity to win their final EPL match or become a Fat ManShitty.

  17. Our forward line? It’s the midfield lack of creativity that kills me. We lose the likes of rosicky cazorla Ramsey footballing artists to end up with xhaka and Miki!

    Sat watching liverpool with a very gutted and jealous lump in my throat.

    The question how can we make an atmosphere at the Emirates even 1/4 of the noise and atmosphere of Anfield and wed be on to something.
    Playing Brighton at home and all I could was their fans shocking.

  19. Three things won that game Alex Arnold quick thinking, desire/hunger, but most of all Anfiled fortress you could see Bsrxa players actually rocked by the noise and intensity of how close it was to them.

    1. Hate to say it but Liverpool are everything we aren’t right now — they have a system, they have passion and they have the belief. Chapeau Mr Klopp.

      Now what can I take to make this pain go away…

  21. Liverpool show is how it’s done get a good manager back him and the sky is the limit

  22. if you hate Liverpool then pray Ajax reach the final.
    otherwise if Spurs do you might as well print the trophy Liverpool already

  23. The responses in this article just go on to show how good Liverpool are. An Arsenal site filled with Liverpool praise, well sometimes you just have to appreciate the performance of your opponent, after all, we are all football fans. What Arsenal lack is hunger, desire, passion & grit. Liverpool pulled a miracle against a Barcelona team full of stars. How many of you believe Arsenal would pull out such a comeback?
    We need to get rid of all the snowflake players & bring in new hardworking and young players. Just look at how hard those Liverpool players work, no passengers at all. Everyone pressing and trying to win the ball for 90 minutes. That’s what I want to see from Arsenal, is it too much to ask?

    1. If Spurs join them in the final, that proves what I thought all along. That we’ve been overpaying a bunch of losers from other teams that don’t pay us back. Man U know that too. We can chop and change management all we like, but it won’t bother those who are too comfortable to give a shit about football.

      1. chop and change management? Majority of these losers are still Wenger’s. Don’t think most of us realize how badly he damaged this club in the 2nd half of his tenure. The mediocrity runs deep in the entire squad and if we could get rid of 90% of realistically I’d be happy because they are mentally weak players.

  24. Haven’t read all the comments but I bet some twat has called them Liverfool on this post. What a comeback by a proper team with a proper manager!

  25. For those who are jealous, instead take a leaf from this Liverpool side.
    1: Unless you have a serious coach you’ll never achieve anything. Imagine the likes of Origi, Alexander Arnold, Milner, Henderson etc very average players having them really doing the impossible.
    2: Valverde tactics; really how can you opt for vidal when you have an Iniesta kind of player in Arthur and you expect to dominate Liverpool. These are the same stupid tactics even our coach uses.

    So unless arsenal changes this rookie manager expect more of the same.

  26. @rsh
    Not too worried about that game it’s more like us to get to the final and then bottle it against Frankfurt or Chelsea. Damn midfield is so poor in creativity without Ramsey.
    Chelsea finish 3rs and win EL I’m guessing but hoping I’m wrong, that’s what being an Arsenal fan does to you!

    Crazy seeing Coutinho and Suarez’s faces at the end tonight btw!

  27. @s
    Yes bit also it’s about allowing a strong squad to disband and not replace the players that left the good ones that is, (kroenkes fault).
    Obviously not including lacazette and aubameyang in this.
    But I still stand by the fact that arsenals stadium that I’ve sat in many times is like a bloody library where as Andield tonight was screaming at the barca players.
    12 man cannot be underestimated.

  28. Also helps to have a lot of money to be able to spend on a gk and CB followd by good squad players like ox, keita Robinho wijnaldum etc
    Penny pinching arsenal budget.

  29. I guess we should brace up to losing Lacazette next season to Barcelona. They’ve been sniffing around lately and I’m sure they would soon put in a bid for him given Luis Suarez heydays are past him.

    I just hope they put in a good bid, upwards of £75M. The fact that Barca are preparing a bid should spur him to perform well for us in the remaining games of the season. Hopefully he wins us Europa League and leaves with my blessings.

    With the transfer fee, I hope we can emulate Liverpool and invest smartly by strengthening the weak areas in our squad. Underperforming players like Ozil and Mikithyran should be shown the exit.

  30. keep Lacazette
    get Isco for #10
    sell Ozil n Mkhi
    get Zaha for RW
    get Ziyech

    nelson n iwobi as backup options

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