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

Bad for us as it means he will fudge off to that sharkhouse African Cup of Nations every two years.

And also a lot more travel in general international windows.

Diaby made his comeback finally in a 5-2 loss to Rennes (also notable for the Marseille fans rioting), coming on in the 79th minute. Good luck to him. Hope he at least strings a few games together.

Skipping ahead to the off season Lukaku could be worth a crack at, considering he's proven for years in the EPL and wants a change to a Champions League club. Win/win if we actually paid what he's worth...

Would be worth a go. Lukaku is an upgrade on Giroud for sure.

Mauro Icardi.

While he hasn't been as good as last year, he'd be a good player for Arsenal with someone like özil giving him chances. Still young as well. 

He might have the potential to upset the dressing room though - you know, wife stealing and saying everyone else is shark for not putting enough chances on a platter. 

Looking at other Serie A options, the one to get would be Gonzalo Higuain - he's on fire but I don't think you'll get him away from Napoli now. Would need big money which I don't think Wenger is willing to stump.

Also worth considering are Eder (single handedly won games for Samp this year but guessing Inter have an option on him) or Carlos Bacca from Milan (who would be a goal machine if he was getting better service).

Really hoping some time back with Chile means Alexis comes back in form.

Also crossing everything I can we get the squad back injury free.

Nice to see Chambers back in the England set up, albeit it at yoof level.

Wilshere injured again......i wish i was suprised or shocked but i'm not

I think Alexis is nearly there i think......goal against spurs and assist vs everton. He needs to sort out his shooting thou LOL

Time to cash in, hopefully someone wants him, I think this is where Wenger can actually get back some credibility, look at the joke of Diaby, Arteta, Rosicky etc etc

If he got rid of Wilshire and maybe even Walcott then that would show kahunas!

RIP H J Cruyff

Massive influence on one of our most skillful players ever and also our Greatest ever Manager.

Good shout Skinny B. Wenger has a track record of loyalty with players, which I do appreciate. But there's got to be a balance between loyalty and whether or not players are up to the level or fitness required.

Yeah because no one denies when fit hes rocking it, but he's now become Diaby.

And as for Walcott between injuries and form slumps he's hardly any value now either. 

If Wenger wants to end this career of his on a high with either the Premiership title or Champions League again hard decisions have to be made.

Is he on P?????

1) He won't be fit

2) Alli, Barkley and Henderson are all better at the moment.

Great player but we have to be past the point where he's a major part of our plans. Expecting him to be fit for 50 games a season is irresponsible.

Yep. Wilshere is actually a good player, unlike Walcott. I always rated him higher than Ramsey.

Unfrotunately he will never reach his potential now.

Many players are good, some are potentially great. Very few live up to that potential.

I'd love nothing more than to see JW injury free and tearing up the league, and the ECL, though unfortunately he's currently not looking likely. More likely is a solid career in a fair to middling EPL club. I hope he proves me wrong and I hope it's with us.

Theo, The Ox, and KG are in danger of doing the same (again, unfortunately for us). But then I remind myself I'm supporting Arsenal, not England - and those good English players will always have other opportunities to play and be well played (assuming they're not happy being squaddies).

It's time we realised potential (and "next" year) doesn't win us titles.

A lot of rumours pointing to Granit Xhaka for 33 mill, he's CM/DM.

He's been sent off 3 times in 22 games this and sounds like 3 times last season too, he fit into the squad as when others are injured, he'll be suspended.

I think The Ox and KG need more time. KG has been kept out by the sublime form and fitness of Monreal and has looked good when available. The Ox has not had a good season but is still only 22. As opposed to Walcott who is 27. 

https://news.arseblog.com/2016/03/report-from-arsen...

Interesting write up about the medical conference Arsenal hosted, written by a sports physio.

He also wrote this piece on an interviewing between the Arsenal head doc & TH14 https://thesportsphysio.wordpress.com/2016/03/22/a...

Looks like we might have made it through the international break unscathed, minus Ospina. Be good to see if some of the injured list are coming back, I'm looking at you Ramsey & Cech.

It is now sixteen years since I last saw Arsenal play at home.  Time flies...

I think Ospina has been terrific; but would be good to have Cech back

Another 3 points locked away and total dominance all round!!

Alexis is getting back to his best and Iwobi has no fear and is prepared to take shots which over the last few years has been a problem.

Elneny looks to continue to be that combo of defense and engine between box to box that we've cried out for.

If I were Walcott, Ramsey and the Ox I wouldn't like my chances of getting back into the team, then there is Gnabry and Zelalem who have been on loan too.

Fast forward to next season once Arteta, Rosicky and Flamini are released the squad will look quite different.

That was the best we've played in ages. Such good viewing, epic stuff from the team all round. Good as well with sp*ds being held by Pool. Hopefully Southampton can get up for us in the morning too. 7 games left, 7 wins needed.

Yeah, easily the most fun i've had watching Arsenal in a long time. If only Iwobi came in earlier, eh!

Need to overhaul the Cocks

Foxes need four wins from 6 games assuming us and Cocks keep winning.

The run in...

Iwobi has livened up the attacking third and Elneny has settled in quickly making a bigger difference than what most people would have thought.

I think we finish second, the yids will pack themselves and I think Leicester drop a few points to close the gap. However, I'd rather they run away with it though because if they win it by 3 points or so over us I'll end up being more frustrated than I already am.

that away fixture at City has me the most worried. I think that is the weekend everything will be decided. one way or another. 

Meh, Leicester has won it anyway. They have performed this last month pretty amazingly.

They've performed the whole season pretty amazingly. Deserved winners.

1-0 has got to have been their most consistent scoreline too. They do enough to keep the opposition out, and sneak a goal somewhere.

Oh definitely, but there was always that sneaking suspicion that they would fall over when the pressure of being on top hit. They've just gotten better.

They are consistently getting good calls (there have been 4-5 penalty decisions that have gone in their favour over the last few games), but they deserve to win either way.

Watford were too easy yesterday. Makes the surrender in the cup hurt even more. Looks like we're on our usual storming end of season run when its too late and the pressure is off.