Jet heeled defender

Earlyriser said:
Why would you play Stones at RB when he has no pace whatsoever and you could guarantee when he would try to put the hammer down he would pull a hamstring
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You’d play him there if we’re going to persist with the inverted fullback stuff, as he’s far better going into midfield than anyone else.
The other thing we could do, of course, is start playing 3 at the back (3 from Stones, Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol) with Nunes and Ait-Nouri playing as wing backs. Lose the ‘wingers’, play Rodri, Reindeers, Cherki, Foden and Haaland (or play Marmoush as a second forward and lose one of the midfield players).
 
lonestay said:
Just play Kush at RB and give him games, the guy needs games he will make mistakes but he will learn .
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Is the correct answer, makes me wonder about him now though because I get the feeling Pep isn't interested.

We seem to have quite a few players Pep doesn't seem interested in.
 
To Hell with concerns about Khusanov's attacking flair, let's just play Khusanov at right back. No left-sided forward would get past him. He is a Walker clone. and his his time is fast approaching.
 
mexico1970 said:
Is the correct answer, makes me wonder about him now though because I get the feeling Pep isn't interested.

We seem to have quite a few players Pep doesn't seem interested in.
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Seems like it’s on an inverse line to their age as well. The younger you are, the less interested in getting them in the team he is…
This much talked about rebuild is hilarious. On Saturday, getting run over by a Spurs team missing 3/4 regular starters and we end the match with Stones, Dias (new contract?) Ake, Rodri, Foden and Bernado on the pitch.
Cherki, Bobb and Marmoush first ones off the pitch. Meanwhile, Arsenal are giving a debut to a 15 year old…
 
Brewster's millions said:
We don’t do pragmatism.

Other teams either have a system and playing style to fit their players - as Thomas Frank showed on Saturday- or buy players to fit their style.

We used to be very good at doing both, the best you wouldd have to say. But for the past couple of years it appears we’ve been unable to do either, so we end up where we are now. A set of tactics that the current players can’t implement, and with a few players who probably would fit better with the tactics (Khusanov) sat on the bench.
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I agree with a lot of that. Up until the last few seasons no team pressed us....barely at all....as we played through them with ease and cut them open. Hence the reason everyone came here and put ten men behind the ball and asked us to find a way through. A combination of decreased confidence, a change of players / age / collective drop off in form and the dip in the intensity of our press I think has made teams smell blood and it seems that the fear has disappeared. I think we can get that back but it wont be easy and a fit Rodri is absolutely key.

I may be in the minority but I actually thought we looked more aggressive out of possession on Saturday in the first half but that gift of a goal before HT just killed us and we faded badly in the second half after the 'lets start on the front foot' 5 mins after the teams came out. Had we been only 1 down I think we'd have got something from the game.

This performance didn't strike me as anything like the same as last season and that Spurs XI, despite what some on here believe aren't a bad side at all who I think will comfortably finish in the top 6 if they avoid the injury pile up of last year. I've got faith we will keep improving and I'm certainly not pressing the panic button after 2 games!

Final point...I hope the uncertainty over who is staying, going and arriving gets sorted ASAP and doesn't drag on until the last day of the window. It's not doing anyone any good. Either sell Eddy and get Donnarumma in or give him another 3 years. Trafford is a good no.2 and could well become a decent Premier League keeper but Saturday showed why he is miles off being the main man in a team with title ambitions.
 
So many examples over the Pep years of conceding goals from teams in transition when we were at our best we still did it but it matter less as we would get back in the game and probably win or at worse draw Unfortualtey we dont at the moment take enough of our chances Saturday was another example of not doing so

If Pep wants to persist with his inverted FBs then Khusanov has to play as a CB Im convinced if he'd played in the FAC final we wouldn't have conceded the goal as stated above he's gone from player of the month to player on the bench

I posted these on another tread but I think its worth showing again as an example of the type of goal we are prone to going away and IMHO would be less likely to if Khusanov was playing

Image 8-24-25 at 9.41 AM.pngImage 8-24-25 at 9.43 AM.pngImage 8-24-25 at 9.45 AM.png

The move starts with Marmoush not stopping the ball
Dias being no where near the header
Stones playing offside then. slipping
Rico no being aware of his man
Ake bing next to Nico
Ake wasnt slow he nearly caught up with Richarlison

Now tell me where Khusanov would have been and if he would have prevented this? Probably ever other goal like it as well
 
Gordyola said:
when winning 4:0 at home to relegation zone Leeds who weren't providing any resistance, do you Arteta would have done the same 0:2 to Spurs at home?
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That’s spectacularly missing the point.
For a start, he wouldn’t be on the bench at City.
We’ve won PL2, under 19, under 17, all sorts of stuff. And yet, our young players, still nowhere to be seen. Chasing a game and bringing Bernado on, a half fit Rodri and an unfit Foden. Worryingly, we got much better when the last 2 came on, although at 0-2 it’s difficult to read too much into it.
Thing is, we’ve got no legs and Pep just does not trust the younger players, save for Lewis, which suggests another difficult season.
 
The Light Was Yellow Sir said:
That’s spectacularly missing the point.
For a start, he wouldn’t be on the bench at City.
We’ve won PL2, under 19, under 17, all sorts of stuff. And yet, our young players, still nowhere to be seen. Chasing a game and bringing Bernado on, a half fit Rodri and an unfit Foden. Worryingly, we got much better when the last 2 came on, although at 0-2 it’s difficult to read too much into it.
Thing is, we’ve got no legs and Pep just does not trust the younger players, save for Lewis, which suggests another difficult season.
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Phil, Rico, Nico etc Pep has bloodied young players and more than Arteta
 
Marvin. said:
Perhaps we will soon but I think there is a good reason why we have not done that. A right back has to play on the entire flank. Have you seen Khusanov's attacking game?
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Well, the obvious one would be for Dias. He’s offering absolutely nothing at the moment and is no better on the ball Khusanov
 
If it's jet-heeled you are looking for then last season, Nunes was the second fastest player in the Premier League !
I think he deserves an extended run as right back to learn how to make the position his own defensively as offensively he has a lot to offer as a converted midfielder .
In my opinion he was the most improved player in the team from January onwards.
 
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