Arsenal

[wev]

Tbf he's been mostly shit since the FA Cup win, that whole "sign da ting" was embarrassing at the time, even more so now

[Art Vandelay]

Ozil, Ramsey, Wilshere, Carzola, Chambers, Mustafi, Sokratis, Kolasinac, Mkhitaryan, Willian, Aubemeyang, Sanchez and soon to be Lacazette, Nelson and Nketiah have left the club without us receiving a solitary penny. Crazy that we’re all talking about how great it is we’ve got these wages off the books like we’re some sort of canny operators.

[wev]

I think I'm more gutted about Ramsey going to Rangers than I am Aubemeyang

[Stagger Lee]

13 hours ago, Art Vandelay said:

Ozil, Ramsey, Wilshere, Carzola, Chambers, Mustafi, Sokratis, Kolasinac, Mkhitaryan, Willian, Aubemeyang, Sanchez and soon to be Lacazette, Nelson and Nketiah have left the club without us receiving a solitary penny. Crazy that we’re all talking about how great it is we’ve got these wages off the books like we’re some sort of canny operators.

 

Nelson's on loan. We still may receive a penny.

[Art Vandelay]

Is he out of contract in the summer? His current coach gave him an absolute coating this week so I’m not holding out much hope for a big fee. Also, I forgot about Welbeck. He left for nothing too I think. 

 

Part of me is glad that when we didn’t get out main target we didn’t panic buy some chump again, but the thought of watching Lacazette huff and puff about for 17 games isn’t filling me with much enthusiasm. Prove me wrong kids, prove me wrong.

[Gotters]

We'll be adding Pepe to that list as well in the near future too. 

 

Actually torn up Aubamyang's contract with 18m left to let him sign for Barca - which saves us about £27m in wages.

 

Some on that list are understandable (cazorla) but mostly just terrible business paying wages nobody else would for players in decline or simply never good enough.

 

I think the longer term direction is an improvement, younger hungrier players on the up and don't panic buy for the sake of it - we made what look OK signings in the summer with no outgoings so this window was balancing the books. They seem to have taken the view there is only a handful of matches to get thru with no cups left so a smaller squad may be enough, and the targets weren't available for money we wanted to pay (I don't know how good Isaak is but don't doesn't seem rated anywhere near his €75m release clause)

[Stagger Lee]

2 minutes ago, Art Vandelay said:

Is he out of contract in the summer? His current coach gave him an absolute coating this week so I’m not holding out much hope for a big fee. Also, I forgot about Welbeck. He left for nothing too I think. 

 

Part of me is glad that when we didn’t get out main target we didn’t panic buy some chump again, but the thought of watching Lacazette huff and puff about for 17 games isn’t filling me with much enthusiasm. Prove me wrong kids, prove me wrong.

 

I think we extended it by a year this season so out of contract next year. You are right though I don't think we will get much if anything from him. He doesn't look like he will ever kick on.

 

Not getting anyone in seems like a massive gamble. It makes this summer massive (again). Potentially 3 strikers to replace, a CM, back up RB and a number 2 keeper. Also back up for Saka if Pepe goes (which he should).

 

 

[Art Vandelay]

I reckon we'll want a striker and a winger and then move the bits we have around a bit. Think we've already sorted a keeper and a right back should be a doddle. I'd love us to get a proper midfielder, but it's going to be Xhaka for another season, I've accepted that now. My only wish is we don't spend all year convincing Eddie to sign. I just don't see the value in him at all.

[Gotters]

I think part of the gamble is on the 'Shane Long effect', whereby strikers in the last 6m of their contract who have barely scored for 3y suddenly go on runs of a goal a game and look brilliant - which will keep us in a euro spot of some flavour.

 

No chance Nketiah signs, we've purely offered him an extension on current terms as that is required for us to get a fee when he moves on as we developed him, if we didn't offer the extension he walks for zero.

 

Lacazette is the great conundrum, he can look a right handful when up for it but that is pretty rare and he seems a very sulky moody individual who we shouldn't be spending vast wages on - it's just bad business.

[Art Vandelay]

This team could really go places with a good striker. Aubameyang was banging them in at one point and somehow got us fifth when the team behind him was absolute dogshit. Now the rest of the team looks really decent and we're suffering because we don't have someone like Kane who can do nothing all game but bash one in to drag you to three points. I've gone a full 180 and am now a true believer in The Process, but they really need to make sure they don't run out of road in terms of good will. Limping into a Eurovision finish behind the worst Spurs and Man Utd teams you can imagine and West bloody Ham just isn't going to cut it. 

 

Arteta has huge brass balls though, massive respect for not getting cowed around. 

[Lucky]

While it's always disappointing, and a bit boring, when we don't have any new signings to be getting excited about I'm glad we didn't panic and just bring in a body or two.

Yeah we look a bit thin and we could be a few injuries/suspensions away from a real problem but we do only have 17 games to navigate.

Lacazette, Nketia or even Martinelli could play up top. If it came to it maybe even Pepe could, with the instructions to run around, confuse everyone and make it look like he knows what he's doing, which is pretty much what he does anyway.

We did manage to clear the decks of the dead wood. Plus Auba going was always going to happen.

 

Moving onto the summer however, we should let Laca and Nketia go, Xhaka, Cedric, Leno and Elneny going would be fine with me and even Pepe can go too.

That would then need some serious investment in the summer window.

 

We seem to have the American keeper coming, I would expect a proper striker to be signed, a proper CM, hopefully Saliba coming into the squad/team. We would still need a RB as cover/competition, a further CM, Balogun coming into contention if he is indeed good enough. Even then we would still need a further striker. Patino coming into the squad too.

 

Of course it would be great to go into the summer window having secured 4th place especially as it is really up for grabs this season.

[hauk]

I know people are losing it that we didn't bring in a big name striker, but I'm glad we didn't panic buy which we have done in the past few years. It is a big gamble to have so few players in the squad when we have a chance of getting 4th though. We do look really good when everyone is fit, I mean we bossed Man City a few weeks ago, but it only takes a couple of injuries/suspensions (hello Xhaka) and we don't seem to click.

 

This summer we need to bring in a quality striker and I would say a midfielder. What I wouldn't give to have Declan Rice in this team! I feel like we should extend Lacazette's contract as well. If Nketiah goes that leaves us really short up front. Although let's be honest we'll probably give Lacazette an extension, he'll get injured. Nketiah will come in and absolutely boss it then leave on a free!

 

[wev]

Thinking on Aubemeyang. His transfer, and that of Willians, is effectively saying to other squad members "if your performances significantly drop and/or you don't follow club policies, then we'll find a way to move you on"

 

Spoiler

Unless youre Xhaka

 

[Gotters]

I feel it's all a necessary part of a process to take back control of the club from the senior players, which crept in during the latter Wenger era, rode all over a decent bloke in Emery and has been a thorn in Arteta's side the whole time he's there.

 

They aren't particularly getting punished beyond not playing, Ozil sat out on £300k a week for years, Willian hated it and was let go as a free agent enabling him to sign elsewhere, as is Aubamyang. 

 

It's a ballsy move, especially with Aubamyang, but should show the players who remain and are now mostly far younger that you don't get to be prima donnas and you don't want to be sent to Arteta's version of Coventry at this age in the early part or prime of your career.

 

I'm all for it actually and would rather that attitude hadn't been allowed to fester but it did and now they are attempting to deal with it.

 

I don't think he's trouble in that way but no reason at all to offer a huge renewal contract to Lacazette on better terms, we just need to get that balance though and not throw talented youngsters in too early and kill their confidence before they are ready.

 

[hauk]

When it comes to Lacazette a 1 year extension, like Wenger used to do with Bergkamp, would be best. God knows if that sort of thing flies these days though.

[Art Vandelay]

If a clapped out Aubameyang can somehow sign a contract at Barca until 2025 I don't reckon Lacazette will wear a 1-year deal. I like him but it's time to move on.

 

Talking of Bergkamp, I had one of those anxiety moments you have when you put your head on the pillow of the time we were going to ship him off to Fulham around 2002. Then I remembered when Rioch tried to bin Ian Wright off to Chelsea. Christ, how upsetting.

[Rocafella]

We've decided with Laca and Eddie that their hunger to earn new contracts elsewhere will keep their motivation high, which is fine, sure. The real issue is they have 3 premier league goals between them (all being Laca, and one of those being a penalty).

 

Fair enough with the argument not to blow money on a panic-striker, but we've resigned ourselves to not finishing 4th. It just isn't happening with our striker pool to finish the season. 

[Rocafella]

I can see why the club would be risk-averse, with the awful squad management over the last several years, but this is the best shot at 4th place we'll have for years. 

 

Like Arseblog said, we didn't need to spend £70m on Isak, but are you telling me our recruitment/scouting network couldn't identify a single striker to take on loan, who could do a better job than Nketiah?

[Silent Runner]

Ramsdale; Cedric, White, Gabriel, Tierney; Partey, Xhaka; Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli; Lacazette.

 

Decent team, no Tomy as expected. Don't see us getting anything tonight, we never take advantage of teams dropping points and Wolves are red hot at the moment. Prove me wrong Arsenal, prove me wrong. 

[hauk]

Jesus Christ, Xhaka's already on a yellow. Can you even get odds on him being sent off in the second half?

[Silent Runner]

Solid first half. Odegaard, Saka and Lacazette all played well but, yeah, Xhaka is getting sent off.

[Silent Runner]

Two yellows in the same passage of play. The Arsenal always find a new way to entertain. 

[Art Vandelay]

That is the softest red I have ever seen. What’s even the point.

[suzzopher]

I didn’t think you could be shown two yellows in the same passage of play? 

[The Fox]

Absolutely ridiculous. A yellow card is meant to be a warning, you can’t give him a second one when he didn’t know he had the first.

[Art Vandelay]

He couldn’t wait to give it. Bent as a hairpin.

[suzzopher]

Lacazette is so bad at finishing 😅

[Art Vandelay]

What a fucking result. Absolutely love these dickheads.

[Gotters]

21 minutes ago, The Fox said:

Absolutely ridiculous. A yellow card is meant to be a warning, you can’t give him a second one when he didn’t know he had the first.

yes you can when advantage played like that, though doubt we’ll see it happen to any other team this season

[Silent Runner]

Incredible win. Really thought we'd no chance but they all looked sharp and full of running - two weeks in Dubai did them a power of good.