CUP STRATEGY, BUBBLE WRAPPED MIDFIELDERS, AND FEAR OF DARK ARTS

The transfer window has about 6 days to go and it’s looking clearer than ever that if we want to sustain a title challenge, we are going to need to add some more bodies to the team.

We play Manchester City on Friday. If I know Mikel Arteta like you do, there’s about zero chance he’s going to give anything outside 100% to that game. Prize money is weak, we’re going to make Europa League, the manager has already won the FA Cup. It doesn’t really hold value when you’re fighting for the biggest prize in England.

… but, Mikel will no doubt believe the prize is a psychological edge.

What he might not be thinking about is how fragile our squad is this season.

Bukayo Saka… indispensible.

Martin Odegaard… indispensable

Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka… mega indispensable

Manchester City are experienced winners. They can taste our title challenge in the air. Is it beyond the pale to suggest they might go in extra hard on some of our players? Is it really worth the risk in a game that doesn’t deliver much on the other end?

City can afford to lose 11 players and still be fine.

If we lose two players, we’re in deep shit.

So the ugly question is: What is better for the title challenge this Friday? Hard to say with certainty because I can’t synthesize the theory in parallel pathed alternate universes. But what I can say is our squad is not robust enough to handle hyper-specific shocks to the system. We have been relatively lucky with injuries this season, just look at what is going on at Chelsea, it’s a mess. Same with Liverpool.

Midfield is a particular worry. Thomas Partey is the best #6 in the world, but to make matters worse, Granit Xhaka is now the best #8. If we lose one of those two, we don’t have great options over the longterm. I love Big Mo, no doubt he can deliver to a specific plan, but he doesn’t give us much dynamism and he can’t replace that one touch magic TP offers. Sambi Lokonga should be out on loan already, he’s been poor all season, and the snippet we got from All Or Nothing suggests he might not be cut out for squad play. Outside that, we are looking very threadbare and inexperienced.

We need to be looking at our options. Charlie Patino has been doing very well at Blackpool despite their poor league standing. They sacked their manager and hired in Mick McCarthy who couldn’t develop a loaf of bread. Could he be brought back in as cover? He’d be better than the Belgian. He could do a job in Europa League and half a season of training under Mikel might be good for his prospects next season.

Weston McKennie seems to be on the agenda. He’s powerful, technically sound, has experience at big clubs, and if he’s on our talent ID board, you have to trust the club thinks he’s decent.

Talk of Caciedo seems far-fetched, so do the stories of us offering to pay £55m for the Sociedad guy no one was talking about up until 3 days ago.

Declan Rice is most certainly on the agenda. I’ve been hearing some interesting bits from people that know West Ham folk. I was told his family do NOT like Chelsea because of how they treated him when he exited. It’s also clear that Arsenal has been backchanneling with him. Arteta will have a very specific plan for him, how he can improve his game, how he’d integrate him, etc etc etc. Then you have location. He’s a Londoner. He doesn’t want to move up North. If there’s a choice of staying locally and challenging for the title with your mates, why would you consider anything else?

… but West Ham isn’t going to sell him to us now. They are in a relegation battle. So that leaves us in a bind. It means we can’t buy in a #6 this window. The best option would be finding a player that looks very utility like that can play as a #8 and a #6.

I mean, better than that, the best option would be to keep Granit and Thomas in bubble wrap for the rest of the season.

Which brings me back to this City game.

How is Arteta going to roll?

Will he give them an unArsenal starting 11 and keep his main men fresh and safe?

Or will he roll the dice to try and hope to put a bit of doubt in their minds with a stunning victory?

Big decisions, big decisions.

Right, that’s me done. Jump on the podcast.