(The not-so-temporary quite-official) Gooner Thread (Part 1)

Christie sounds like a steal as we wont have to pay a transfer fee

Bayern, No, Will cost too much, Maybe; but we've burnt that bridge already, Maybe...Definitely.

Out of the 'Big strikers' Benzema is the most likely - though I don't really rate him these days.

Who ever we get will need to make impact right away

Well, i'm sure whoever it is will make more impact than Bendtner. They have a pretty low bar to hit.

doesnt pick up any cards and so good that you hardly notice he's on the feild

I doubt there'd be a partnership there brumbys... our formation and style lends itself to just the one striker up top. Perhaps a smaller faster striker like suarez could play wide for us, but I'm not sure someone like benzema lends himself to that role. If we switched to a two striker formation it only leaves effectively 4 spots for our plethora of midfielders - well really only 3 in fact, since we'd likely have walcott's pace down the right.

Not sure if he's on our radar but Dzeko seems like the type to me. Similar to Giroud with his size and ability to hold the ball up, good with his head, gets a good amount of goals and very good off the bench too when needed there. Looking at wikipedia, he signed a 4.5 year contract at Man City in Jan 2010, meaning he's got 1.5 years to run. Usually a club would be trying to get a new contract signed at this point if they wanted to keep him, and with City purchasing Negredo and Jovetic I'm not sure Dzeko would be interested in hanging around. Negredo has been a revelation, Dzeko must be gutted that with Balotelli and Tevez leaving he's still in the same situation he was before. 

Time is right for nabbing big Edin I reckon... proven bench performer, good experience, and all the skills to start for a stretch should Giroud go down... 

We could follow Liverpool and go 3-5-2!!

https://player.arsenal.com/player/4347-under-21s-v-aston-villa-h

Frimpong, Eisfield, Gnabry, Akpom, and Jon Toral all had a cracking game. 

1) Akpom has been one for the future, maybe play him ahead of Sanogo and Bendtner given his size and pace?

2) Gnabry needs to start or come on earlier, he's dynamic and pacey and playing 5 midfielders isn't our best option...

3) Toral seems like a future Ozil/Cazorla. Be good to see more of him!

4) Frimpong...why have we not used him when Arteta and Flamini are out? Given he's still here and coquellin is out he should be getting game time.

Fingers crossed for an injury free international break!

The keeper starts praying as Ramsey runs towards him:

Is that Ramsey or Giroud?

Really? You can't tell from the shirt number?

Crack up I was looking at the player off the ball running towards goal and that is Giroud, never thought you guys were meaning Ramsey down the flank lol :)

That is hilarious!

News that the Ox is still a month away from training, injury not progressing as hoped apparently. That's gutting, can't wait to have him back.

Walcott and Poldi should be fit and ready now though, and Wilshere is slowly getting there... he must be having persistent ankle troubles to be struggling all season like this, hopefully he comes right. He's got a world cup at the end of the year so won't be rested for next season either. Will do a proper injury update soonish I promise

Koscielny meltdown against the Ukraine sees him suspended for the return leg. Good for us, but his ability to give away penalties this season is unparelled.

Rambo didnt play for wales either which is great news, Per didnt play and Ozil played for Germany i think

ozil has already returned to london, germany have given him the second game off, great news

On kosc, I thought he'd learnt after villa, just glad his second lesson wasn't in an arsenal match!

Cazorla scored a jammy goal capitolising on some horrific keeping against Equatorial Guinea...

Kiwis vs england follow by gunners game, should be pretty epic weekend

Szczesny signs a 'long term' deal, good news on the solidity front.

He is still far from a finished product and at 23 could be the no 1 for the next 10-15 years if he chips away at the mental side of the game, eg preventing brain explosions...

great clip of girouds work in october https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rs7mWw5i4as

great compilation that

na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, giroud

France back from the dead to qualify this morn.

Maybe not good for us for next season since a few of our lads will be a tad tired then, but I think it's great news for this season.

No Arsenal players started the game this morning, meaning Giroud, Koscielny and Sagna have got a sh*tload to play for over the next 6 months to get themselves in the world cup reckoning. All three have had great seasons so far and will only get better now in my opinion. 

Arseblog made a point about this in his latest post, the fact that after Russia failed to qualify last time, Arshavin's desire disappeared completely for the remainder of the season. Obviously says more about Arsh than our frenchies but still, glad our french lads won't be lacking in motivation. Few other international-fringers will be motivated by the same thing - wilshere, gibbs, jenkinson, vermaelen, cazorla, walcott, podolski, monreal, szczesny, fabianski, the ox - all in big battles for squad or first team spots for their respective countries. Ozil and Mertesacker are really our only two guaranteed world cup starters at the moment you'd say. 

The start of next season may be a bit of a challenge though...

double post

good post that....Sagna not starting is pretty crazy

sorry one error in there - poland have not qualified so szczesny/fabianski shouldn't be in that list

walcott is back this weekend

Giroud not starting was a bonus really

https://www.101greatgoals.com/blog/arsenal-fans-will-love-cesc-fabregas-answer-to-one-football-moment-you-can-never-forget/

OH Cesc we love you. The man surely has to come back at some point.

I loved that goal so much.

SAME 

such great memories of that game, oh man, that was so good

Cesc you little beaut. Overshadowed van c*ntface's goal as well, just for added spice a few years on ;)

What a goal. And when he piled into Cashley - he knew what it meant to be a gooner

Massive game this weekend, a win after the international break is vital to keeping the momentum up, and stopping a confident Southampton side.

For me I'm guessing we're going

               Giroud

Cazorla   Ozil    Ramsey

      Flamini   Arteta

Gibbs Kosc Per Sagna

         Szy

Bench: Fab, Verm, Jenk, Walcott, Wilshere, Rosicky

Not a bad lineup/bench. Also good to know that on Ramsey, Per and maybe Santi played the 2nd game of the international break so should be fairly well rested...

Draxler.

Hell yes.

I'd agree with that brumbys, just add Monreal to your bench. 

Don't think any of Wilshere, Walcott and Rosicky would be quite up to starting this one, but we could see all three start mid-week against Marseille. Rotation will be crucial now, but needs to be well balanced as every game is of critical importance. 

Podolski's return will be very important in my opinion, but still 3 weeks away according to reports. Man he must've torn that hamstring into a million tiny pieces...

Injury Update:

Walcott - available for Southampton at home (Nov 23)

Rosicky - probably available for Southampton at home (Nov 23)

Miyaichi - possibly available for Marseille at home (Nov 26)

Podolski - possibly available for Napoli away (Dec 11)

Oxlade-Chamberlain - possibly available for Chelsea at home (Dec 23)

Sanogo - available approx January

Diaby - available approx March

5 players in that list are wing options. It's a wonder we've been able to carry on scoring goals like we have (last game aside).

Same with the Ox's issue, he's done some major damage to be out this long! It must be so frustrating for all of those who had good pre-seasons and then injured themselves early on to end up loosing all that fitness!

@Surge, you think we need ANOTHER midfielder? Given he's only 20 he could be worth getting in to replace Arteta & Flamini over the next couple of years.

great win against a good side, had to really battle for it

giroud was awesome - was that a mimicked suarez celebration after the peno? 

yup, a good 3 points. 

hopefully nothing serious for MA

MCFC to beat the Cocks savagely