Shak

Would love an Isak hat-trick and absolute worldie performance, just to remind Arsenal that they REALLY should have signed him back when they were a bigger club than us.

Aye, I'd expect Willock to get out on the left and Isak drifting inside quite a lot.

Very clearly specified he could be used in Longstaff or Willock's place

Feels like it almost has to be, doesn't it? We've looked dreadful the last two games that Gordon started on the left, can't imagine we'll go back to that well in such a big game. There's just not enough quality on the ball with any wing pairing from Gordon/Murphy/Almiron. Sounds like Maxi will be on the bench, at best. I guess it'll come down to whether Longstaff is fit to play and even if he is whether Eddie will be happy to start a player who I believe hasn't trained all week. If so, we'll get the Joelinton and Willock LCM and LW double act with Murphy on the right and Isak up top. If not, it's Wilson and Isak time.

Mine too, gave up and went to sleep. This anyway!

Forgot what a pain in the arse it is doing formations on my phone

Think Vitor Roque, Evan Ferguson or some other absolutely top CF prospect is the way to go. Someone young enough that they'll be OK with being rotated quite a bit but someone you also reckon would more than hold their own if needed to be the main man. Guess it depends on the long term plan for Isak. I do like the idea of him on the left, but with a bit more freedom. I wonder if maybe we could end up in something of a hybrid between a 4-3-3 and a 4-4-1-1. In Joelinton and Willock you have two players who we know are ideal for the role of LCM player who gets out wide quite a lot. In Gordon, Almiron and Murphy we have RW options that will really put in the work and allow Isak to have less responsibility to track back. Joelinton could obviously be used in place of either Longstaff or Willock, there'll be new additions too. I don't know, maybe the plan is for Isak to be the main man at CF and Wilson backing him up and providing a change up like how we've seen them used together this year... I guess ultimately I just think having two top quality goalscorers in the team is better and Isak on the left gives real potential for that.

Good news is unless they dish out a couple of serious hammerings in the last three games they're increasingly unlikely to beat us on goal difference even if we slip up.

Aye, I remember early in that West Ham being shocked at how we were dominating possession and how it completely took the crowd out if it. Was such a foreign concept after years of having managers whose approach to every away game was to essentially concede possession and get men behind the ball and hope to fluke a counter attack at some point.

A draw is no good to Arsenal, surely? Even if they win their last four they're very unlikely to catch City but draws are certainly not going to get it done.

Not sure he'll get a game ahead of Isak and Vitor Roque tbf.

Being Irish I'm very much hoping Evan Ferguson is going to be that top class striker for them

If we wrapped up a CL place and going into the last day Man U and Liverpool were fighting for the last spot... Who would you be hoping misses out?

"Aye Luke, that's the target. Please don't tell anyone though, we don't want that getting out."

The least convincing "sorry to be that guy" I've seen in a while Have to impressed with how consistently wrong he is about so much without ever even slightly accepting that he basically is being told and knows fuck all reliable.

Feels like he might stretch the wage structure.

Raphinha would be an incredible get this summer. We were linked with him quite a bit last year as I recall, once Barca wanted him it was obviously never happening but seems things have changed. Absolutely perfect for the right side of our front three. Think we sorely lack an attacker who can pick a quality pass in the final third and he'd give us that while also having the pace and dribbling ability you also want from a wide man. Experienced playing a high pressing style too. Think if it's at all feasible we'll go all in on trying to make it happen. Raphinha, Roque, Rice and some amazing LB whose name starts with R would be the kind of themed summer signing spree I could get behind.

Absolutely heartbroken someone has a Brass Eye reference in already.

Think people are getting a bit carried away with how much of an absolute pressmentalist they expect all our players to be, I must say Do think it is and will rightly continue to be a huge part of how we play but you do need a bit of variety in your squad. We're sorely lacking an attacking player who can regularly play a killer ball in the final third, something that is going to be more and more necessary as we continue to improve and more and more sides set themselves up to defend deep against us. If we sign Maddison it's not going to be like we're building the team around him. He's just a type of player we don't really have who'll give us some variety in how we can set up.

Aye, my point was that I think Maddison would probably be best used in the front three so I'm not sure what you're disagreeing with?

I'm not sure there are many players who fit the bill in this regard, like I would be super intrigued to see him in Murphy's current role. Think he and Trippier linking up would be quality. Maddison was poor tonight but thought a lot of his better work came when he drifted out to that side. If he did come in I wonder if he'll play one of the wide roles quite a bit. Not sure there's enough pace and power in a three man CM with Bruno and Maddison. My inclination would be to leave Bruno as the base of the midfield, pulling a the strings. Then stick two absolute bags of energy either side of him. Maddison doesn't fit the bill in this regard.

Tell Vitor Roque he can be the pageboy if he comes here.

Aye, that went from being a relegation scrap for the ages to just dull at the end.