Why can’t Arsenal have two World-Class players in every position?

Please permit me to express my opinion on our great ARSENAL FOOTBALL CLUB going forward. by Mike Mogo

As we (ARSENAL) approach the end of the 20/23 EPL Season, there is a on my mind one question: Why can’t we have two world class players or world class youngsters or more in every position?

Upfront we’re not doing badly (We do need a finisher though), but at the defence and midfield, I’m not so sure. This does not exclude versatility in any way. We’re Arsenal and we expect players with the same DNA always.

Arteta is doing a great job assembling a group of technically skilled professionals with the right humane character.

If we must have a sustained season-long ARTETAL BALL, it shouldn’t be an issue if a fully fit Bukayo, Saliba or Gabriel Jesus has to come from the bench to play. Maybe even completely left out of the match day squad if strategy, rotation, health or player development management demands.

If Rice or Moises joins, Xhaka or Partey doesn’t have to leave (except of course if they want to).

Now we have Champions League football, let’s go for a culture that is original to us. I’m not saying we shouldn’t have a first eleven by any stretch of imagination. We also don’t always have to fall apart when a Saliba or Zinchenko is injured. We didn’t fall apart when Gabriel Jesus was out injured.

However, we do need to do whatever it takes to preserve the Arsenal psyche, who we are and how we play. Let’s build THE SQUAD to do just that. I’m just saying let’s keep our players, our collective resolve, character and identity FRESH AND ORIGINAL irrespective of match day squad or team.

ARSENAL IS NOT JUST A FOOTBALL CLUB IT’S A WAY OF LIFE.

Mike Mogo


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20 Comments

  1. Probably because of our financial health and FFP. PSG just got fined €10m for violating FFP rules as their wage bill reaches record-breaking €730 million

    I don’t know how Man City managed to follow FFP despite having a £300 million backline and what Chelsea offered to their one-billion squad

    Maybe they promised huge bonuses if their players reach a certain target, as the Saudis promised to Newcastle players for winning a UCL ticket. Low or medium salary + high bonuses might be interesting to some players

  2. There was a piece on sky I saw about our defence and how it was clear that we declined after the World Cup, even with saliba in the side. Once he got injured, our results got a bit worse, but the defence didn’t change much.
    It was, I think, a fairly convincing counter argument to the idea that we fell apart when saliba got injured.
    It certainly didn’t help, but we weren’t defending so well as a side beforehand – the most you could say is that his ability on the ball was missed, and that reduced our ability to dominate possession and make chances.

    Anyway, that’s by the by, the reason it’s very difficult, maybe impossible to have 2 bone fide ‘world class’ players for every position is that it’s really difficult to justify leaving world class players on the bench for big games, which you’d inevitably be forced to do. You couldn’t keep them all happy (plus the wages world be even more obscene)

    For me, the best case scenario is to have a first 11 of top class players, with the second string all players we see as being capable of taking over in the future. Players who are hungry and can realistically become ‘world class’ in 2 or 3 years. Once it gets to the point where leaving them out of the first team is untenable, you move on someone, and bring in the next potential star. Sounds simple, but it’s far from it.

    1. I saw the same piece from Carragher.the thing is that while saying that it was not due to Saliba,all the stats he used from the moment Saliba got injured showed that we conceded twice as many goals,faced more shots that we played much deeper,win% percentage massively dropped…concerning the goals conceded with Saliba in the team,it was in matches we confortable won(when we were up by 2/3 goals up/when the game was already won).like many other fans asked,is it just a coincidence?if you ask me, all it did is to reinforce the impact Saliba absence had on our team.

      1. Maybe I’m wrong, but i thought it said the goals conceded dropped after the World Cup, before salibas injury, and didn’t didn’t change much after his injury? I agree, it says the win% did drop off without saliba, though.
        I do think he had an impact, just not as much on the defensive side as we might have thought. I think his calmness, particularly in possession was the main loss.

        1. I agree, people tend to forget what he brings beside,like calmess,the way he carries the ball forward,starting many attacks and how he allows us to play higher up the pitch.i think that Tomi being injured at the same time was a big blow.otherwise White could have replaced Saliba as a CB and Tomi would played RB.

  3. You cant have two world class players in every position. Impossible and does nit happen in the real world.

    1. exactly a ridiculous notion and has no chance of happening with nowadays exorbitant wages. Its not about the quantity it’s the quality City have 17 top players we have 15 but there is a difference in quality.

      with 5 sub rules we can have an 18 top players max with enough rotation to keep everyone happy

    2. I thought world class meant capable of getting into a World XI or maybe squad.

      Thus if we had 22 of them then that would be virtually all the world class players

  4. It’s difficult when you aren’t winning anything. Besides Pep being a phenomenal man manager he also wins a lot of trophies which also helps keeping players happy even if they are on the bench more than they would like.

    Man City also stay in comps much longer than us, our cup form hasn’t exactly been the best.

  5. 1 Cb
    2 cm
    1 versatile striker who can cover wings

    This would negate what destroyed our title challenge this season. Saliba and jesus injury, Partey and saka drop in form, xhaka fatigue.

  6. The answer is very simple,time.even today we are still stuck with unwanted players,it takes time to move fringe players on high wages (only last summer the club either sold,loaned out..16 senior players and if you add younger players it takes us well into the 20’s).you don’t want a bloated squad,unhappy players bringing negativity in the dressing room.also you do not want to pay players just for sitting on the bench or terminating contracts,we have already lost millions in the last few years.so we need to make room first.also,if you ask any manager(ie:Steve Cooper)it takes time for new players to gel in,if you bring too many at one time it can impact the mood in the camp(several players wondering if they’re going to be benched).the best example is Pep at City,in the last few he’s only brought 2/3 new players maximum but at the start he used to bring more, that’s exactly the stage we’ve been in the last 2/3 years.our next stage is to bring more depth in quality which is the most difficult part.how many very good players want to be a squad player or to know that they’ll be rotating(unless you’re a RM/City)? sadly,we are not quite there.@Reggie (I think) used the perfect example in Pep/City.

  7. We’ve probably got no more than four worldies in our entire squad, let alone wanting 22. Never going to be realistic, but we could import one or two more and hope to produce from the academy. I have a preference for locally sourced talent, but London & the Home Counties seems to be a bit of a barren world-class desert.

      1. Maybe two very good players but not world class.

        We could aim to have two very good players in each position a great deal of them could step up to being world class as the campaigns progressed.

        Think the key is having them playing together to develop that chemistry, as average players relentlessly drill together into a team can beat any team of world class players.

  8. Read from some dailies that Arsenal board have given the go ahead for Arteta to buy Moises Caicedo and Declan Rice.
    That would be a massive intent

  9. When we recruit in the summer, we need some tougher players!!

    Since we lost to Everton, it has become evident that referees are allowing more dubious tackles in the early part of the game..

    Managers of other teams have noticed this trend and have been very physical when playing us. Both Saka and Martinelli particularly, have suffered at their hands (or should I say boots). Odegaard has come in for punishment too.

    This continual physicality has had an affect on the team, many of whom are playing we niggles that impair their effectiveness. Partey has had these problems too.

    This is when our Bench fails us, because we do not have players on the bench with the same quality!!!!

    Trossard, Jorginho and Kiwior are pretty good reserves, but none of the three have made us “Better”

    This summer we need to buy players who improve us, and this may be at the expense of current first team players.

    A goal scorer to replace Jesus might be necessary. A top center back and two top CM’s are a must!!

    It seems we need a top right back, and a top left back (if we are stupid enough to sell Tierney).

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