I find it frustrating that we are at this point of the window with a squad of quantity and not quality. Why haven't we already shed the dead wood?!?
I think it's because we're trying to sell, not just releasing. Jenko loan deal will likely have us still paying chunk of his wages which isn't ideal. I'm wondering why with Gibbs/Debuchy we didn't agree to let them go for free to get them off the books.
Paulm after last weekend I'm more inclined to lose Danny, I'd rather have an attacker who can finish than one who can't.
The socialist wage structure is and always has been the the biggest issue with getting rid of and signing players. The dross are paid too much and the stars not enough with Jenkinson being a prime example of someone we haven't been able to shift for years because the type of clubs interested in him can't match his wages and he won't take the paycut. Similarly at the other end we won't match what the top clubs will pay our stars so they don't sign new contracts.
But that's got to be fixable though. If someones willing to sign Jenko on half the wages with a year left, surely we match those wages for a year to help him adjust/honour the contract and then he can go on his merry way. As opposed to not kicking a ball for a year and finding himself unemployed in his early twenties.
"Arsenal show no passion"
*Arsenal player shows passion*
"What a knob"
"Jumped up little Twit"
"Idiot"
zzzzzzzzz
There is a distinct difference between showing passion and being an idiot who managed to get riled up by a child.
a.haak
I'm hoping we'll line up like this for Liverpool:
Cech
Koscielny Mertesacker Monreal
The Ox Ramsey Xhaka Kolasnic
Ozil
Giroud Lacazette
Bench: Ospina, Mustafi, Bellerin, Elneny, Welbeck, Walcott, Sanchez
I just can't fathom starting Welbeck in an attacking role when his finishing is this out of sorts. Ozil has created 10 opportunities in 2 games, we've got to give him the best finishers to work with.
Also The Ox has been better at FB than Bellerin, BUT if The Ox isn't interested in signing a new deal then bench him.
I'd just chuck Sanchez right in there if he's fit enough, he's a tough lad. If not, I would still go Welbeck. His all round game has been excellent despite the finishing, I would persist.
Totally agree on the Ox/Bellerin, and I'd love to see that back 3 as well Brumbys, although I fear we actually won't.
My preferred lineup would be;
Cech
Koscielny Mertesacker Monreal
Ox Ramsey Xhaka Kolasinac
Ozil Sanchez
Lacazette
Cech
Mustafi Koscielny Monreal
Ox Ramsey Xhaka Kolasinac
Ozil Sanchez
Lacazette
For me. Mustafi plays well alongside Kos. I don't really want to see Per against Mane.
a.haak
Good point.
On another note in the presser just now wenger bizarrely didnt rule out mustafi leaving???
Lemar deal dead according to press conference this morning.
www.kiwifromthecouch.blogspot.com
ok, ill admit it... I had a look at the UCL draw this morning to see who we were put with... and then i remembered last season :(
Thoughts on the Europa draw?
Personally a bit disappointed. Don't find any of those 3 teams interesting. Seem like the kind of lower tier sharke we would occasionally draw in the CL. One or two of them have been in the CL recently as well. Was hoping for some obscure sharke from Albania or Macedonia.
Anyway should top it comfortably.
Three for me, and two for them.
I'm looking forward to playing some different teams for once, until we inevitably end up with Dortmund in first knockout round after they come third behind Real and Spurs.
totally agree. But Ive heard we are in for Van Dijk..
also not sure about the rumours about the Ox leaving, but there are more and more of them...
Yeah for me this is a huge mistake as Southampton seem as determined to hold onto Van Dyk as we are Alexis.
This is basically saying we think Chambers is as good as Mustafi which clearly is bollox
Wenger doing his usual thing of holding individual defenders accountable for bad performances instead of his poor system and lack of cover in midfield.
a.haak
It's funny, we stated the off season needing to clear full house defensively with Jenkinson, Gibbs, and Debuchy - and maybe a loan for either Chambers/Holding.
Now we're looking at the option of losing Gabriel and Mustafi, knowing we'll lose Per end of the season, while we still have all 3 of those full backs on the books.
Going to be a mad end to the transfer window and I don't think it's the right focus when we're all still crying out for another CM option.
Wenger has just completely lost the plot in my eyes. It's getting to be more than a bit of a joke, and I was a supporter of him for a long time. I even thought that he deserved another shot this year to go all in and see what happens. The reality? He's quickly reverted back to his same old habits and we've descended into chaos again with only 2 games gone. Ridiculous.
a.haak
Wenger has just completely lost the plot in my eyes. It's getting to be more than a bit of a joke, and I was a supporter of him for a long time. I even thought that he deserved another shot this year to go all in and see what happens. The reality? He's quickly reverted back to his same old habits and we've descended into chaos again with only 2 games gone. Ridiculous.
I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt until the window closes.
In other news Jenko lasted 33 minutes before dislocating his shoulder on his debut. Unreal how unlucky that is.
I think we should sell Ox, that has descended into a farce. I still believe he's one of our best performers at the moment, though, and I wish we didn't have to sell to a direct rival..
I think we need a big signing in midfield, but I don't see where that is coming from.
If we sell Mustafi, we better bloody replace him with someone of equal or better quality.
a.haak
wow this is actually disgraceful.......team selection was a shocker
go gunners
Watching that I wonder what could have been if Wenger had been moved on and Klopp in when he was available. Worst performance in ages.
I'm just at an absolute loss to understand what on earth is going on with our team selections and strategy.
He persists with the 3-4-3, which is actually looking more like 3 - 3 - 4 with Ramsey and Ozil leaving Xhaka deep on his own. He plays players out of position or leaves his record signing on the bench for...Welbeck.
Welbeck did have a good game from a work rate perspective, but how is that better than someone who would actually score?
Then when we revert to 4 at the back we still get caught out.
We've not got a game until September 10th, hopefully, that means the full focus on our recruitment. For me this will be the moment to truly judge Wenger on.
Emailed this to me brother so pasting here, but it feels like we are totally under a cloud with the ridiculous situations our player contracts are in;
Last season we were hamstrung because of Wenger's contractual situation, and the Ozil/Sanchez contract situations simmered all year, with neither of them signing.
Now it feels like we're in a similar position. Both players still not having signed, now with the Ox in the same position, Mustafi apparently leaving which is messed up, and then a bunch of guys we need to get rid of but can't.
SORT OUT THE F*CKING CONTRACTS jaysus h christ
It looks like a team out there that doesn't know who's in it for the long haul, and who's right about to f*ck off. They aren't unified. They were at the end of last season, they had a common goal and they mucked in, bloody unlucky to miss top 4 and they bagged the FA Cup. Now that stuff's gone they are just a rag tag bunch with an overall feeling they are about to be torn apart and re-shaped. I don't know how they could go out and perform with all this pathetic noise, and all the players involved in the starting eleven aside from Mustafi this morn. Liverpool have done well to just put coutinho with the reserves, ignore it, and carry on.
For the life of me I can't understand why we don't just get some leaders on the pitch to carry through this. I think Mertesacker and Giroud starting is what the team need right now, even if they aren't starters in the long term. Just need some blood and guts out on the pitch.
We waz dire.
And even that's an insult to Dire Straits.
Wenger just doesn't give a fudge.
Any normal person would go "what were the ramifications of the last 2 seasons start"?
Exciting game but really?
So after 3 rounds
E's Flat Ah's Flat Too
Even the social media group is running out of positives to put forward.
Compared to this response to Stoke:
I think he is 100% correct.
If you are old and wise you were probably young and stupid
Wenger just doesn't give a fudge.
Any normal person would go "what were the ramifications of the last 2 seasons start"?
Exciting game but really?
So after 3 rounds
Plays about 719 players out of position to accomodate Ox.
Fudgeing shambles.
Are we selling Mustafi now as well?
Just close it all down.
Three for me, and two for them.
On the bench along with our 50m striker, and our striker who starts for France.
Who started ahead of these two strikers you ask? A player who couldn't hit a fudgeing barn door.
Three for me, and two for them.
On the bench along with our 50m striker, and our striker who starts for France.
Who started ahead of these two strikers you ask? A player who couldn't hit a fudgeing barn door.
As soon as I saw that selection I knew we were doomed.
a.haak
Once again it's up to me and my copy of FIFA 18 to ensure some dignity is returned to the Arsenal prem title challenge this season.
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