There is speculation that there will be a significant difference between the squad Arteta completed the season with and the one he will begin next season with. A number of high-profile stars are expected to join Arteta’s project, but when they do, several of our present stars are expected to leave.
Kieran Tierney is one of the top players rumoured to be leaving Arsenal. The Scottish international has been forced to play second fiddle to Oleksander Zinchenko, who has made the left-back position his own.
Some Gooners may still hope Tierney will stay and compete for a spot in Arteta’s starting XI, but David Hill in conversation with Kevin Campbell on the Highbury Squad Podcast claims Tierney understands leaving Arsenal is the only way he will be able to smile again. He implies that the 25-year-old had every opportunity to have a better 2022–23 season but did not put in the effort, implying that the left back may have simply given up and would be better suited to join a club I believe to be Newcastle.
Hill said: “We were talking about disappointments, and I will say there were a couple of players who had the potential to do a lot better this season who didn’t. I will say Kieran Tierney, he could’ve worked harder at being happy; he could’ve given a bit more.
“Tierney’s situation is nothing to do with playing a different way or adapting his game. I’m telling you, the boy is not happy; you can tell a mile off. He wants to be with his family. I truly believe I can see it in Tierney’s face, he loves Arsenal, but his heart is somewhere else. There’s a club up there who have just gotten into the Champions League who aren’t far away from where his family is. It’s about happy players.”
Many Gooners are already comfortable with Tierney’s leaving, but the question is, “Who is signed to replace him?” Ferland Mendy of Real Madrid has been linked, but what if the Real Madrid raid falls through?
Could Jakub Kiwior, like Ben White, be transformed to play at left back at times, as he has in Arsenal’s last two games?
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Here is their first analysis of the summer, where Alfie and Rob discuss and predict every single possible Arsenal incoming and outgoing this summer, including fees and potential destinations for outgoings.
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If we wants to leave – no one knows what’s on his mind but himself – maybe it’s just because he wants to play and in the current team there seems to be no place for him. That’s sad for many Arsenal fans as myself, but the boy has to play and to be able to play maybe the solution is to go somewhere else. He seems to have a winning mentality and does not conform with being benched every week, that’s understandable.
I don’t think so, because he’s too young and too talented to return to Scottish league. If I were him, I would try to move to a team that use attacking LB as their main weapon
Arteta doesn’t seem to require a fullback anymore and the best two EPL teams this season have proven that they don’t need one
To answer your question, White could struggle to play on the left side as he’s too right-footed, but Kiwior could be a good inverted-LB
However, I suspect we won’t play with inverted-fullbacks anymore next season. Arteta may copy Guardiola’s false-CB tactic, if he can sign Rice
Gai,.Arteta won’t be a good coach or original if he keeps copeing PepG, He has his own ego. Besides you don’t have to play like City to beat them. Arteta and Arsenal only need to improve their dynamic style of play. PeoG style has its own flaws that good coaches in Epl would soon find out.
Yeah, I hope Arteta can be more creative
Maybe playing football and having a manager that wants to play you has the biggest bearing.
Agree, Reggie. He also needs to play top level football to meet the demands of International football for Scotland. Scotland has had a good run of results and Kieran Tierney has been a leading light in their squad. Unfortunately his talents are wasted at Arsenal, notwithstanding demands of competing domestically and in Europe this season and next.
Ozzie Tierney will have a great career but not at Arsenal.
Arteta’s tactics generally revolve around specific players that fit the requirements of what he envisions.
Arteta is a young coach still, and does not have the experience to adapt his tactics to utilize the talents and skills of players outside of his tactical box.
It is all part of the developing process as a coach, we can forget that it’s also Arteta and not just the players that are developing. Arteta, I hope as he gains experience that he will evolve his system to maximize talent beyond just round pegs in round holes approach. Pep is excellent at maximizing players talents with various positions and responsibilities.
I think our future continues to be bright, so love as Arteta continues to adapt and evolve his approach and tactics.
Let’s hope so to Durand. That was a really good post
Kieran Tierney has not been treated fairly imo, and the final insult was for MA to still refuse to start him even with Zinchenko injured and at the end of the season having lost the title. Now I am convinced that MA has his own good reasons for this, but I don’t really think Kieran ever did anything very wrong so I feel rather sorry for the lad.
“Homesickness” though ? Well that’s not really a viable reason is it. Scotland’s not a million miles away you know.
No, I think Kieran is just fed up with being overlooked and he has every right to be pissed off. That’s all it is.
I’ve said this before – Kieran seems to be a quiet lad who is a bit different to most of his team mates, right down to the way he wears his kit. No shirt outside his shorts for Kieran, it is always tucked into his shorts. That may seem to be a strange thing to mention, but I am an observer of human nature and it strikes me that Kieran may just be a bit different from the others. MA might see him as not being compatible with his team mates for one reason or the other, or it could just be that he doesn’t rate him.
I hope he stays, but I don’t think he will. If he doesn’t want to stay, Newcastle will be licking their lips.
I have never heard of David Hill, but I do know he is talking utter nonsense when he suggests that KT yearns to return to Celtic at this stage in his career.
Grandad – I thought they meant he was literally homesick for his family, not that he necessarily wanted to play for Celtic again. The article wasn’t very clear to me, as we have come to a different understanding of what they are going on about.
No doubt Newcastle would be the ideal PL club for him as it would possibly mean he didn’t have to live in England while playing for them. How long does it take to get from Newcastle to Glasgow?
Yes Evgunner I find you very observant and meticulous.
The lad really seems discipline and different, it’s like he’s almost from the old school, its strange though as that’s the kid you want to leave in charge of the class when you have to go
Gunsmoke – Although I say I feel sorry for the guy, our players are on so much bread (money not food) that is, THEY should feel sorry for the people who don’t earn as much as THEM. It just shows that no matter how much you earn it can still be very painful to be treated like an outsider which is how KT seems to be. Just from a pride point of view, KT must feel pretty low right now.
I was a defender and every time I walked onto the pitch I thought about the Italian defenders I admired so much. They wore their kit in a particular way. Always shirt inside the shorts and stylish too. Then fashion changed and now nearly everyone wears their shirt over their shorts. Keiran is a throwback.
Ever seen Alessandro Nesta ? He was my favourite defender. The man looked stush ! Then there were players like Maldini, Canavaro, and before them, Cabrini, Baresi, Scirea, Gentile, Collavatti, Bergomi. Those guys could really defend. It was a religion to them. Put any four of them in our team right now and Man City would be toast.
Haaland, De Bruyne etc would get mashed because the great Italians didn’t take any prisoners.
When it came to flair at the other end of the pitch it was always the Brazilians I loved to see and waited every four years for the World Cup. Unfortunately Brazilian players today are no better than the best Europeans because they all play in Europe and their game has been diminished in my opinion. There’s no mystique about them anymore. Sorry I’ve gone off topic.
Yes I realize you understand exactly what am saying.
That Nesta guy he was the best of the lot it’s like am looking on him right now.
It’s like defending was an art to them they did it proudly, just as how Brazilian attack with flare and proud of the art work on display.
The Italian were so mean and organized in their defending, it’s like they never played to score more than one goal then they draw stumps, lol
Yes the gaffer has to improve in his Management skills, the kid does absolutely nothing to be treated in that manner, but in all honesty I think the gaffer is innocent, he dosen’t realize what he’s doing as he’s consistent in his behavior.
Gunsmoke – sometimes you are so loveably funny.
Your last paragraph is so priceless to me, but you make sense and I know exactly what you mean. Let’s see what happens next season. Personally I think MA will improve as a manager.
By the way did you see Mourinho cussing the ref last night ? Completely outrageous and I bet he gets away with it.
Ev, if you only hadn’t get on your roost so early
I still believe that MA can use him as a LB and Zinchenko as a left CDM; they both can do an excellent job on the left side and attack well.
I’m saying this because MA loves to play with 2 CDMs
Prof – yes it’s so clear to most of us, but MA seems to see things differently. We can not know what’s really going on, so we just keep guessing. I feel bad for the lad. My main concern is that our loss will be a big gain for someone else, and I really don’t like when that happens. It always seems like a waste.