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

Hope your parents get the news they (and you) are after AJC, all the best.

Thanks. I sent a "mind the gap" last time it went down to the final day but haven't got the heart to say anything today. 

Shame Arteta's goal has gone down as an own goal. Really liked him. Thought he was a wonderful player and a great captain and our midfield has been a mess since his legs went. Was one of my favourite non Arsenal players and always thought we should have got him a few years earlier than we did. Remember him being the first signing I ever punched the air over. With Ferguson's long history of paying big money for stars of that next sort of tier of PL clubs (ie, Everton, Spurs, West Ham etc) I was shocked he hadn't splashed out on Arteta years ago. Hope we can somehow keep him around as a coach.

Only just realised Newcastle went down to 10 men at 2-1 then scored 3 more goals.

It was wonderful.

I got up at 5 to watch the game before work, but still wanted the live experience, so had the Newcastle game loaded on another tab, and synched them in. 

At 70 mins, having come back to 2-1 and Mitrovic having been sent off, I thought that would be that, and stopped watching that match. 

Then the arsenal crowd went crazy when Newcastle got their third, so went back and watched the drama unfold. Newcastle getting the 4th and 5th goals inside a minute was just bliss.

Got in the shower after fulltime, and the whole time in there I just couldn't stop giggling. A crazy, maniac giggle. The best kind.

Another ex Arsenal midfielder in the coaching ranks of City.  Blah. 

Keep Nasri company on bench?

That's not confirmed, just a rumoured offer at the moment. We've also supposedly made an offer of some sort (mentioned something about the club "leaving doors open" for him in his post match interview). Would certainly make sense to learn under Guardiola though.

Some serious gold floating around on twitter today. Wish I could post them all... but did enjoy this Spurs' fan's change of heart over a four day period...

Also flying under the radar somewhat... but Cech has won the golden gloves.

Fudgeing lol

My fave... of the many:

Arseblog a must read today

https://arseblog.com/2016/05/arsenal-4-0-aston-vill...

Unsurprisingly Walcott is left out of the provisional squad for the Euros. He may have had an outside chance of Welbeck's spot but that's gone to Rashford. Wilshere is in as our only player. Three to be cut after the friendlies though.

Yea rashford will probably get cut. Walcott is behind both him and Welbeck now at striker, and behind Townsend as a winger, I mean that's pretty bad for Theo. 

If he stays, and it sounds like he will now given Wenger's comments the other day, I hope he's taking a long look at himself and how his career is turning out, and he f*cking does something about it. 

Strong rumours out of France that we're getting Kante. Drool.

Really? Source?

I'd be surprised given the Xhaka deal looks fairly nailed on, we just signed Elneny, and still have Coquelin in the squad... plus obviously Wilshere, Ramsey and Cazorla... 6 players for two roles...

Despite everything, the fact that we finished above the yids for second spot in the manner they were talking about winning the league a few weeks ago, has brought some short-term joy at the end of the season.

Rosicky has provided the best memories for me of the departing players, he was Pires-like with his scoring record in the NLD. Arteta to his credit did bring stability when we were struggling, if anything we picked him up a few years too late.

So we finish second, with less points than last year, less goals scored and the same amount conceded. Now for a good few months arguing on here about how we do better and watching France win the Euros with two strikers we should have bought instead of the one we did.

Surely this highlights he has got to go. Re-discover his form elsewhere & try to resurrect his career.

If West Ham (or anyone else) will pay 20mil for Theo then giddy up!

If Kante was signed I think we would be 4-1-4-1

Giroud

Sanchez Ozil , Santi(Jack), Ox(Ramsey)

Kante

No way we spend that big on 2 centre mids when we already have so many. It would also probably mean not spending on a forward.

10 years since his debut now and he's played at one major tournament. In fairness he would have gone to 2014 and probably started over Welbeck had he not got injured, he was playing really well that season. And he should have gone to 2010 too, Capello admitted leaving him out was one of the mistakes he made. His career here is dead but he's English and still young enough that someone like West Ham would pay money for him. Still be shocked to see any forward leave now Welbeck is pretty much a write off for next season.

Striking stock (first team):

Giroud, Welbeck, Walcott, Sanogo, Akpom

Assuming that's the view if we sell Walcott when the window opens, we're only one good striking addition away from being OK.

Would leave Giroud battling with another experienced CF, with two young strikers in the squad for cup matches.

Still leaves you with Alexis, Iwobi, OC, Campbell as your wingers, and Gnabry if he doesn't get loaned out again.

Edit: when Welbeck comes back you flick on either Sanogo or Akpom depending on attitude & performance.

im not convinced there is enough in there to have us winning the league. we need a gun at the top. Giroud as a rotation player and the rest can battle out to be squad players

Think that was my point =)

AW has admitted we need to bring in three players; before any other losses/sales... so, fill in the blanks.

Retired: (may turn up at the Olympic Rugby Sevens):

Rosicky - Toral?

Arteta - Kante?

Flamini - Xhaka?

We "could" lose/sell:

Ospina - ??? (Wozza?)

Gibbs - ???

Jenkinson - ??? (Pleguezelo?)

Walcott - ???

Campbell - ??? (Willock?)

And we bluddywellbetter gain:

Starting striker - ???

His name hasn't been linked with us but he has said he wants to play CL football next season, how would you guys feel about going for Lukaku?

I think he'd be a great buy. Proven scorer in the Premiership with a struggling team.

He's the kind of striker you sign along with a Lewandowski/Higuain etc, not instead of. Good for the Giroud role which we hope is behind a star, but he's not the leading man. For the money he would cost he wouldn't give us the upgrade we need.

if we sold Giroud and kept Walcott then maybe buy Lukaku

If not then no

We need a different striker to Giroud and it appears that's not Theo

We also won't sell all of Theo, Gibbs, Jenkinson, Ox. One probably, 2 possible. 

Cech wins the golden glove outright after Smalling's 94th minute own goal robbed De Gea of sharing it.

Lol at chumps

Crazy Season

really cant see us getting Kante and Xhaka....xhaka sounds like a wenger signing but with more $$$ spend

Sell theo and keep campbell, he did well everytime he played and he is excellent at tracking back too

any word on what's going to happen with debuchy?

Gibbs is a excellent squad player and i hope he stay, Monreal form this season was unreal

Hopefully with a solid offseason Gabriel will be better

So all eggs in one basket and sign a gun striker

Injured and missing Euro's. Kind of left him with egg on his face after the way he exited. Hopefully he'll be sold:

https://www.squawka.com/news/arsenal-loanee-debuchy-ruled-out-of-euro-2016-through-injury/668899?

Reports we are in for Morata at 51m. 

Personally would rather we attempted signing Dybala for that kind of money.

Weird deal. Apparently Real have a 30mil buyback clause so we're offering this money to Real, rather than Juve directly.

Good to see we're trying to get in early at least. 

What's the difference between Morata & Lukaku though? I know Morata is rated as 'promising' but given he's not your prolific Benzema/Higuian/Lewandowski type I'm not sure he's the super upgrade we're wanting?

Personally I'd prefer we nabbed Lukaku if that's the level we're aiming at as he's established in the prem as a goal scorer.