dannypayne.bsky.social
Neurospicy northerner. Mediocre bassist. Armchair gooner. Salad dodger. Sometimes take pictures:
@dannypayne.co
65 posts
16 followers
7 following
Getting Started
Active Commenter
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Threadbare squad, and we had about 30 positive minutes over the tie.
How Nwaneri didn't get on the pitch is baffling.
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Too many slim margins. We're great at ball retention, but we're not ruthless enough. We rarely blow teams away by 3+ goals.
We need to think of alternative approaches for the final third next season. We've relied heavily on set pieces and Saka moments of brilliance to win us games.
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If (when) we lose this, and
if (when) we get knocked out of the CL, and then
if (when) we finish third, can we say objectively that this season has been a failure/step back?
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Dec has been the only glimmer of positivity this last week.
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Fair..
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Baleba and Saliba in the same team? That's just gonna get confusing 🤣
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Is this the Henry game in 2005/06?
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Got to wonder what Ismael Kabia and Nathan Butler-Oyedeji need to do to get on the pitch.
We're 6 goals up on aggregate - why risk Martinelli, Ødegaard, and Trossard?
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KT hat trick. Calling it.
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Four if you include Kiwior.. 🤯
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Imagine playing four LBs, two RBs, no striker AND Raheem Sterling, but still managing to score seven away from home?
As if.
🤣
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Gotta feel for the kid. 2 LBs and Sterling preferred to him. Not even sure who was playing where.
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He's earned the #10 shirt for me.
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.. Sterling through the middle. He clearly doesn't have the legs to leave a fullback for dust, but his trickery in the centre - with more room against a heavier centre half - might prove more fruitful as a false 9.
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Agree about Merino on the bench. He was the breakthrough against a tired Leicester defence, but I'm not sure he's the attacking solution we need to start.
The only thing for me that HAS to happen is Trossard back on the left. That's where he's most effective. I wouldn't be averse to seeing...
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What was that celebration actually all about? Who's he shushing?
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Think you've been very, very kind to Sterling. He was just dire - so sad to see.
Wouldn't be surprised if he checks out to the MLS or Saudi in the summer. He's not PL level any more.
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Rasmus Hojlund: 19 games upfront, 2 goals.
Mikel Merino: 19 minutes upfront, 2 goals.
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Can't wait to see the stats on Sterling - it's gonna be eye watering.
Not convinced he completed a pass or a dribble, and he got caught offside far too often.
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63% possession, 0.39xg. Is it too soon to say that the Sterling plan isn't working?
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I can see it, but I can't see Arteta doing it.
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A lot of people suggesting trying Calafiori, Gabby or Saliba(!?) up front.
We've become SO conservative/predictable, both on the pitch and in the market, I doubt we'll see anything wild.
My money is on an additional CM - probably Merino - playing as false 9.
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Precisely. We shouldn't let players leave before we've got are eplacement.
Merino arrived long after Xhaka left.
We've no strikers ready in the reserves, and no striker has been brought in, so why did we sell Nketiah?
Who is filling the gaps left by ESR, Vieira, Nelson?
Still, 6 left backs 👍🙃
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My gut is telling me Arteta will replace Kai with Merino, as it'll be less disruption to our wider game.
Still rely on corners for goals, and defend narrow leads 🫤
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Absolutely.
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5. *Gulp* start Sterling.
Of all the options, my preference would probably be: MLS - Trossard - Nwaneri.
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2. Try someone from midfield as a false nine, although feels like we'd lose too much by moving Rice or Odegaard. Maybe Merino? Similar profile to Kai.
3. Give youth a go: Butler-Odeyeji or even Harriman-Annous.
4. Try Nwaneri upfront - the kid is fearless. However, that would probably mean...
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From what I can tell, the options we've got are:
1. Try a left back on the left wing, freeing up Trossard to play through the middle. Tierney has been useful in this role before, but also made of glass. MLS might be worth a punt, too, given how he likes to bomb forward.
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I mean, striker crisis or not, we should have sent Neto back for that howler alone.
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Ah right, yeah. Forgot that. Although - desperate times and all that - I'd sooner send Neto back and promote Setford and free up a space we need.
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Yeah. I imagine the list is quite substantial if we spent some time on it.
It blows my mind that some of these options weren't considered good enough, yet Raheem Sterling was a "shrewd bit of business".
It looks like we've been really arrogant - looking for the perfect option at the perfect price.
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I get that there weren't any perfect deals to be had, but when your squad is that thin, you have to make compromises. If the "right" deal is not available, take the best wrong deal:
Rashford, Malen, Tel and Ferguson were all available.
Someone has f*cked up badly.
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Imagine there are going to be some very, very spicy conversations between Mikel, James King and the Kroenkes.
EVERYBODY knew we were short, and we did nothing about it. Our chickens are home to roost, and someone needs to take accountability for the failure to recruit.
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Nwaneri has to be nailed on for the #10 shirt next season. Incredible talent.
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£60m does seem a lot for a 29 year old striker. I'm assuming we don't fancy Gyokeres anymore 🤷
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Seen Tolu Arokodare's name thrown about a bit. Top scorer in the Belgian league.
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You say it's a position we absolutely cannot afford to get wrong, but we already have.
It's easy to say with the gift of hindsight, but I think any of the following would have improved our squad:
- Osihmen
- Marmoush
- Sesko
- Gyokeres
- J David
- Toney
- Watkins
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Two 9s *should* be all you need. We barely have one.
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"Not having a guaranteed 20 goals a season striker" and "not having a striker" are very different. Arteta has let several leave, and they haven't been replaced.
You don't sell squad members if you can't replace them. There's no "to be fair" about it - It's negligence.
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Whilst it is doing some heavy lifting, I did say "all fit and well". Agree Saka, Gabby, Rice, Saliba and Raya get in that team.
I'd take a fit Cazorla over a fit Odegaard all day, though.