Got a few things on my mind so a thread for you to drive some Friday chat.

I was saying on the @ArsenalVPodcast

https://youtu.be/UfmVX_KPvMY 

I">https://youtu.be/UfmVX_KPv... think we have to start thinking about who we want to be philosophy & formation wise.

Arteta is a son of Barca so it’s time for 4-3-3

When Arteta arrived he viewed the squad and developed the 2-3-5 from a system 4-3-2-1 that suited some of the key players

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="♦️" title="Karo-Blatt" aria-label="Emoji: Karo-Blatt"> Xhaka
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="♦️" title="Karo-Blatt" aria-label="Emoji: Karo-Blatt"> Ozil
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="♦️" title="Karo-Blatt" aria-label="Emoji: Karo-Blatt"> Luiz

The double pivot inverted FB made sense to stabilise this group.

Those 3 players are not available - this is time to change

In the 4-3-2-1 all I see is ambiguity

We have one true 10 - is he our future - NO

So we shoehorn others into that role and it doesn’t work.

Xhaka is unique in the role he plays.

We don’t really have a comparison that has the passing range from deep with a physical presence

We do have a number of CM players that need comfort of numbers and need to be chaperoned.

Control the space - reduce the distances.

We have 2 true number six’s

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="♦️" title="Karo-Blatt" aria-label="Emoji: Karo-Blatt"> Torreira
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="♦️" title="Karo-Blatt" aria-label="Emoji: Karo-Blatt"> Xhaka

That role needs to give our average CB’s comfort and allow triangles to beat the press.

We do have a number of players that could play the free 8’s

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="♦️" title="Karo-Blatt" aria-label="Emoji: Karo-Blatt"> Guendouzi
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="♦️" title="Karo-Blatt" aria-label="Emoji: Karo-Blatt"> Ceballos
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="♦️" title="Karo-Blatt" aria-label="Emoji: Karo-Blatt"> Willock
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="♦️" title="Karo-Blatt" aria-label="Emoji: Karo-Blatt"> Saka
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="♦️" title="Karo-Blatt" aria-label="Emoji: Karo-Blatt"> AMN

Comfort in numbers.

It’s not the quality individually we need but zonally roles can be defined and connections with a front 3 obvious.

We need connectivity

Arsenal vs the better sides get disconnected too easily.

Teams run through or move our unathletic midfielders who then struggle to connect to our front players.

We then drop off and have to go longer which is easy to read.

No point in having Aubameyang if you cannot connect

A coach has to recognise how to manage the comfort levels and I’m sure Arteta knows this.

He has lost some pillars so he must allow others to come in and feel comfortable.

It works not just for the midfielders but allows say a rusty Holding to feel like he has passing lanes.

Arteta must be wondering what he as taken on. Let’s take a look.

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="♦️" title="Karo-Blatt" aria-label="Emoji: Karo-Blatt"> Arteta
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="♦️" title="Karo-Blatt" aria-label="Emoji: Karo-Blatt"> Lampard

Arteta is better IMO but he is working with a club exec & finances that doesn’t protect his career.

Let’s look at CFC:

I said at the start of the year we were in a development race with Cfc

I looked at their youngsters:

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🔹" title="Kleine blaue Raute" aria-label="Emoji: Kleine blaue Raute"> Tomori
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🔹" title="Kleine blaue Raute" aria-label="Emoji: Kleine blaue Raute"> Mount
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🔹" title="Kleine blaue Raute" aria-label="Emoji: Kleine blaue Raute"> Abraham
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🔹" title="Kleine blaue Raute" aria-label="Emoji: Kleine blaue Raute"> CHO
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🔹" title="Kleine blaue Raute" aria-label="Emoji: Kleine blaue Raute">James
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🔹" title="Kleine blaue Raute" aria-label="Emoji: Kleine blaue Raute"> Gilmore

I foolishly thought ours could compete now

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="♦️" title="Karo-Blatt" aria-label="Emoji: Karo-Blatt"> Willock
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="♦️" title="Karo-Blatt" aria-label="Emoji: Karo-Blatt"> Martinelli
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="♦️" title="Karo-Blatt" aria-label="Emoji: Karo-Blatt"> Saka
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="♦️" title="Karo-Blatt" aria-label="Emoji: Karo-Blatt"> Nelson
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="♦️" title="Karo-Blatt" aria-label="Emoji: Karo-Blatt"> ESR
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="♦️" title="Karo-Blatt" aria-label="Emoji: Karo-Blatt"> Eddie

Look at the lists and the first thing you see is an experience gap.

Cfc are better organised and ensure their players Gilmore apart get significant loan time.

Because we have lacked a squad strategy we can’t loan our players as they are too important to the squad.

The issue at AFC is not the youngsters but how we buy retain peak age players.

I really believe in Arteta and if the club feels as many of us fans feel then this is the moment to close the gap.

Football will come back stronger - maybe a super league in some form is on the horizon.

This is the time to position yourself.

We must protect Arteta’s career

In business there is a moment to strike.

We talk about the culture change internally and it’s great to read and see but our perception externally has not changed.

We still get laughed at for stupid decisions and are defined by that stupidity.

The Arsenal world is watching