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

http://metro.co.uk/2018/04/05/henrikh-mkhitaryan-r...

Haha Leggy that made me find this gem on their site:

You couldn't ask for better advertising timing

The picture of a Man Utd reject.

https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2018/04/...

bit rough there leg, the guys injured and the picture is of him in pain. What do you gain from posting that?

Huge blow with Mkhi out, he's the link man. Iwobi will replace him.

If it's a bad MCL issue, then he'll likely be out until June..

Time for Iwobi to step up.

Early talk is that he's out for the season 

Didn't take long to prove he belongs.

Mustafi for the first goal - huge WTF moment. 

Watched highlights. Saw Welbeck's first goal... good for him.

Cut to Welbeck's miss. Yep that's old Danny.

Mustafi can fudge off in the off season; he's a complete and utter liability. I cut defenders slack in their first season, but he's had more than enough time to get used to the league now. I don't think he'll ever change.

He is Vermaelen if Verm didn't score goals to at least kind of make up for shoddy defending.

How bad has Wilshere been for the last month or so, too? He looked like a 40 year old trying to play out there. A metre behind the play at every opportunity and then he lashes out like a petulant kid. He can bugger off in the off season too.

Anyway, at least we won - was entertaining, if nothing else. Good to see Auba score again. Nelson was a little disappointing. Iwobi did well, overall, but still has moments where I wish I could slap him over the head - i.e. their 2nd goal when he just stood around complaining to the ref.

Interesting stat comparison... in the league this season:

Iwobi:

Minutes: 1352
Goals: 2
Assists: 5
Passes/game: 41
Key passes/game: 1.4
Dribbles/game: 1.3

Oxlade-Chamberlain:

Minutes: 1371
Goals: 3
Assists: 5
Passes/game: 22
Key passes/game: 1.0
Dribbles/game: 1.1

That is interesting Paulm, although it is hard to compare given they're deployed in different roles right?

For Friday I'd like to see:

                          Cech

Bellerin  Mustafi Kosc Monreal Kolasinac

          Elneny    Ramsey      Xhaka

                          Ozil            

                      Lacazette

I'd set up defensively and let Ozil/Lacazette trigger some counter attacks, but back ourselves not to lose by 3 goals away to CSKA. We go 2 down bring on Welbeck/Iwobi to try peg one back.

I'm convinced we'll get through Friday only to draw Atheltico and go out in the semi's on away goals.

I have a feeling Welbeck will start. I think he should; he's really good defensively, which is what we'll need over there.

Laca really looks on form now; it seems like that injury was holding him back and now he's had surgery to correct it, he's really playing a hell of a lot better. Just his general play seems more confident. Gee, it's nice having two top level strikers, isn't it? 

It's such a good change, and then having Welbeck coming into a bit of form too (although still with peak Welbeckian moments).

The Ox has played as one of the more advanced players in a midfield 3, or occasionally as a wide attacker, so I think it's an ok comparison. Iwobi has mostly played as an attacking midfielder in Ozil's absence (like the Soton game), or sometimes wide left. Klopp seems to have given up on the Ox as a forward entirely now, which Wenger had done in the last year of his career here as well, mainly due to a lack of goal threat. 

I would have at least assumed that the Ox would be making more passes, and more dribbles, as a full time midfielder, that was the most surprising thing on those stats for me.

Having said that, despite our relative positions on the table, the Ox simply wouldn't be getting a look in at Arsenal. The best he could hope for is wing-back, which is where he played for the last year for us anyway. Even then we have Bellerin and Monreal, and have largely moved away from 3 at the back as well. 

So I'd say that despite pretty low minutes, and an inability to cement himself in the eleven since Coutinho left, it's still been a good move for him. 

I'd like to see three at the back as well, but I think Wenger has largely gone away from that now. 

I think we should go;

                         Cech

Bellerin-Chambers-Koscielny-Monreal

          Ramsey-Xhaka-Wilshere

                          Ozil

               Welbeck-Lacazette

I think we're a bit sh*t defensively to play on the counter, I'd just be going for goals. Not sure it would really be a front 2 like that, but that would be my personnel, with Mkhi and Auba unavailable. 

Dunno bout you guys, but if we get through this tie, I'd much prefer to play Atletico in the final than across two legs in the semis. I think they're quite a bit better than us right now, we'd have a better chance in a one-off game I think...

Well that Roma result shows that 4-1 at home is not necessarily game over for a 2 leg tie.

Definitely want to play Atletico in the final. No chance we beat them over 2 legs. Also, hopefully we'd have Mkhi back by then..

Still think we're a chance of going out to Moscow; it's not going to be easy over there. Think people are underestimating it.

We have to be on guard. One good thing about that result is if there was any complacency whatsoever there shouldn't be now after the players have seen that.

Wow nearly Madrid this morning too.

Liverpool bossed it but people were afraid they might have gone the same way, given City's strength at home. 

Anything can happen these days. 

An early goal or two and I'll be sh*tting bricks. 

Game is on at 5.05am NZ Time. Knowing Bein won't have it live and our flat's getting Sky installed on Saturday I won't wake up for a sh*tty stream - but hot damn am I not excited about this tie!

Edit: no idea why but Google told me 5.05am, clearly it's 7am!

I see we're now only 3 points behind Chelsea. With 6 games to go and both of us not exactly in peak EPL form we could just overtake them. Liverpool looks to be their hardest game, while United is ours.

I would never want to wish us to lose games, but if I'm totally honest, 7th would be better than 5th or 6th, unless we win the Europa League. 

i just want us to win every game left. play for some fudgeing pride in the cannon. then have Wenger ride off into the sunset. 
Now i have a feeling that none of those things will happen, and that just sharks me. 

Is it 5th and 6th into Europa?

6 hours until we choke

Yes

 - Normally 5th place goes into Europa Group Stage

 - Because Man City won Carabao Cup (and will finish in top 4), their Europa spot will go to the 6th placed team who will enter Europa in 2nd qualifying round

.....I think

So why all the talk about Burnley currently holding a Europa spot in 7th?

If either Man Utd / Chelsea / Spurs win the FA Cup (which gets a Europa place) & they also finish in the top 5, the Europa place for winning the FA Cup would go to the 7th placed league team.

Job done.

Salzburg next please.

Almost. 

Way easier than I thought ?

Ahhh the Arsenal way, that's how we dooze it. 

Panic stations, then Welbz to save the day, he actually is playing well at the moment. 

We missed Xhaka I thought, who has quietly come into some serious form of late. We've looked a little lost in midfield whenever he hasn't played over the last couple of months. He's become our metronome to some degree. 

Agreed Paul, need him back for the weekend but doubt he'll have the stamina after the flu in just a couple of days. Poor bugger! Would be interesting to play Newcastle on the counter with a front three of Auba, Laca, and Welbeck. I actually prefer Laca out left and Auba through the middle given Laca's lack of height and quality on the ball over the other two. Jack is really out of his depth at the moment, can't have him starting again soon. Draw for Europa league's tonight, hoping we don't get Athletico!

Hopefully we can avoid Atletico, Salzburg would be the one, Marseille are a very attacking side who could tear us apart on their day too. 

Wilshere has been a horror show the last couple of games, really disappointing. 

Despite missing Xhaka, Elneny was really good in that 2nd half when we were struggling. Just kept going, didn't hide, and ended up bagging 2 assists. He's a valuable squad player, I'm really glad he's re-signed. 

Rambo had quite the cut, got a few staples, got back out there and scored. Legend. 

Meanwhile remember this...

Levels. 

I like the idea, but it does seem like Auba is slightly more suited to a wide role than Laca, for his pace and his ability to run off the shoulder, Henry style. I wouldn't be averse to them rotating in-game though, could be effective. 

Given Wilshere's drop in form, and how good we look with Mkhi in the side, I think my preferred strongest eleven for next season at the moment would probably be;

                     Cech

Bellerin Mustafi Koscielny Monreal

             Ramsey Xhaka

    Mkhitaryan Ozil Aubameyang

                  Lacazette

And for signings, perhaps look at an upgrade on Cech, and a big CB purchase. Next priorities after that, perhaps a midfielder if Wilshere goes, and an upgrade on Welbeck in the form of a pacy wide forward. 

FYI, I often use this site to watch highlights and clips;

http://arsenalist.com/

It's really good, usually reliable for posting things as soon as they happen, or straight after the game.

For these Europa League games happening when I'm at work, I have them on live, but struggle to really watch it properly while working, so I often watch the extended highlights from that site on my lunchbreak, it's great. 

Elneny's first assist for Welbeck this morn was a great pass by the way, really good vision. 

10pm tonight lads. Draw on BeIN.

Be careful what you wish for. Salzburg are not the bunnies you think they are.