(The not-so-temporary quite-official) Gooner Thread (Part 2)

Looks like Sánchez played the full 90 in the first qualifier. I doubt he'll be getting a rest in the second, but here's hoping.

some rumours about that wenger is planning to give sanchez a mid-season rest...

I'm sure he will offer Alexis the rest, but I can guess what his reply will be.

It doesn't matter where you send him. 

I don't mind that, just make sure he doesn't play 90 minutes for a couple of weeks.

Wonder when we will announce we have signed Messi for 600K per week #donedeal LOL

anyone got any updates on the injury list??? Theo and Ox are "meant" to be back after international break 

Wilshere can't be too far SURELY

Surely we could get him down to $400k per week for a couple of seasons, let the board put their money where their mouth is...

Ramsey, Bellerin and the Ox all fit

Here we go here we go here we go

errr... ok!

Huawei or another, I'm going to profess my love to him.

Feels like it's been an age since the last game.

Not sure how fit Ramsey and Bellerin really are, but if possible this;

                           Cech

Bellerin-Mertesacker-Koscielny-Monreal

                Coquelin-Cazorla

              Ramsey-Ozil-Sanchez

                          Giroud

Nice, just saw that on Facebook. Didn't even realise he and his wife were expecting.

Sharke.

Classic Arteta, slow to get back, tactically unaware and got in Cech's way.

Coquelin needs a worthy backup otherwise don't even bother

Gutted!!

Couldn't have gone much worse.

Arteta can't stay fit. 

Hope coq's injury isn't bad......

Shark. Fudge. Cod

Ox had a 'minor setback' and now not  available until Norwich.

Ramsey should be fit for midweek.

Coq/Arteta unknown as of yet.

Walcott is "ahead of schedule" but still a couple of weeks away. 

Welbeck, Wilshere, Rosicky in the new year probably. 

Also some weird, but widely reported, rumours that Ibrahamovic wants to come to us on a free at the end of the season. He'd be 34 but with the lack of decent strikers available we could do much worse than to get him in on a 1 or 2 year deal. 

I think we need to get that DM in Jan. Arteta is bust, he keeps doing that calf over and over. He's taking his coaching badges now and is well regarded by Arsene and others at the club, so why not get him involved with that stuff and keep him around in a non-playing role. Go balls out and get a beast DM in Jan. I'm personally really happy with what Flamini brings to us as a 3rd choice and squad player, reckon his performances this season warrant a deal to continue in that role. He's had some good games when needed and even contributed well this morning despite the result. He can also cover fullback in a crisis, and most importantly Mesut wouldn't survive without him...

Cock.

That's got to be the most frustrating game of football I've watched in ages. What the hell happened to Santi? Hasn't scored for us since Feb, then get's a penalty & falls over! Amazing how a player like Coquellin going off injured in an inocuous enough challenge changed the game.

Coquelin is extremely valuable to us. 

Any DM purchase we make is going to be 2nd choice behind him.

Who do you bring in? Arteta & Coquellin out for awhile, Jack (always injured) Wilshire not quite back we're looking tight for numbers. Santi also looks like a man who needs a rest/a weekend in Vegas to get his head straight.

OK I'm running out of ways to be positive about this guy...that miss was horrendous, and having started on the bench so a full back could start ahead of you he needed to put that away for his career. 

As an aside I thought Gibbs was quite useful on the field, he was tracking back well, he came back and covered Bellerin a couple of times. His shooting isn't the best though, and thought his shot from the top of the box wasn't the best option with Ozil over lapping.

The worst thing about that game for me was that we had the chances to win. Between the penalty, Ozil hitting the post, and Campbell missing we can't blame anyone but ourselves.

One nil up against WBA away - absolutely we should win.

I'm pissed about this performance. It's like we're getting ahead of ourselves. Again.

Jumping back on WhoScored these are the top 5 DM's we could get in:

1) Lars Bender, overall rating of 7.86 from 7 appearances

2) Lucas Biglia, overall rating of 7.62 from 15 appearances

3) Yann M'Villa, overall rating of 7.44 from 11 apperances

4) Illaramendi, overall rating of 7.42 from 11 appearances

5) Matuidi, overall rating of 7.39 from 10 (2) appearances

I'd prefer Bender of Illaramendi based on age & future contributions

Coq has ligament damage to his knee. out until Jan.

ffs

So Coquelin goes down and we don't have adequate cover. Who could have seen that coming?

mmmm i'd take any of them

Funny that M'Villa is one we passed up more than once if you believe rumours from last coupleof off seasons.

Add to it we've been linked with them all bar Matuidi!!

Arteta is injured (again) but flamini is there as third choice. You can't have more than three for a single position.

Depth was never the issue, quality is. Upgrade needed on Arteta imo. 

Lars Bender has been linked with us  for years, Wenger must be a fan, I'm sure we've had bids turned down or something like that.

Exactly. The upgrade was needed in the summer because we could never afford for Arteta or Flamini to play in any games that mattered. The former crocked, the latter not good enough. This situation was predicted by many.

I wouldn't mind either of the Benders. Imagine the abuse from opposition fans though!

To be fair Flamini has been excellent whenever he's played this season. He's convinced me that he's worthy of the third choice spot. Pretty decent squad to have Flamini filling that role, the weakness is Arteta and his fitness, we seem to agree on that. We need a player to compete with Coquelin for the first team spot.

I think Wenger gambled on Arteta unsuccessfully. The good news is that it hasn't bitten us until now, in late November, so a month to get through before we can resolve the situation. Wenger seems aware of what's required, our friend Dick Law best be earning his keep right now...

"I'll do what's needed in January even though in January it is not an ideal transfer market,"

He always says the right things before the transfer window but when the moment it comes it's more like: "Find me someone who can improve what I have. We have Flamini, Chambers. Gabriel can play there. Coquelin will be like a new signing." We'll have to wait and see what he does in January but recent history suggests we'll probably be left short when the title is there for the taking again.

Agreed. Can't understand how you take doping seriously if a player involved in a win or the drawing of a match doesn't have the result given as a win to the other team.