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Jokes aside I can’t believe Partey isn’t getting roasted for that 2nd yellow - it was just so unnecessary in a game that was lost by then. 

Very worried about Burnley. Re enforcements desperately needed.

Up side of being out of the cups is 100% focus on the league. Find a way to win our games in hand and we are level with Chelsea…
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game on!
slightly sad that the Woodsman isnt in the oppositions lineup.

oh well, sad moment gone, lets smash the bottom team in the league.
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well this has been dire, almost 80% possession and 0-0. Burnley with 5 shots and us with 10.
Burnley have controlled the pace and made it tough for us to get Saka and ESR into the game. 
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so much of the ball, so many corners, nothing from it. Burnley have defended well and frustrated us, but we have really offered very little in motivation. So slow with the ball, on the odd occasion where we've attacked with pace we've looked good. Disappointing effort when 4th place was up for grabs. 
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We also missed killer opportunities, like Laca stabbing wide & Gabriel heading straight at the keeper. The Laca one is the most hurtful, and a prime example of why losing him for free in the summer is best for all. Same with Nketiah, came on and ran around a bit, won some corners, but also continues to give away unnecessary fouls in the final 3rd which halt our attacks. 

It's a crazy thought to think next season we're without Auba, Laca, and Nketiah but if we refresh properly and make room for Balogun and Martinelli to play more through the middle it'll be worth it.

I'm still shocked by the refereeing, especially since the commentators were wound up by it. The tackle of Tierney was the most orange card of the game, and very high on the ITWGX index. The second from Westwood on Gabriel was very similar to the second yellow that got Gabriel sent. I don't care it's the first half, you go flying in on a yellow you're due an early shower.

Tough tough day at the office but it does look like Odegaard can do well deeper with ESR ahead of him.

Should Sp*rs lose tonight and we beat them in the Derby (our game in hand on United) we should be in 4th spot on points outright able to survive Sp*rs other game in hand.
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brumbys
We also missed killer opportunities, like Laca stabbing wide & Gabriel heading straight at the keeper. The Laca one is the most hurtful, and a prime example of why losing him for free in the summer is best for all. Same with Nketiah, came on and ran around a bit, won some corners, but also continues to give away unnecessary fouls in the final 3rd which halt our attacks. 

It's a crazy thought to think next season we're without Auba, Laca, and Nketiah but if we refresh properly and make room for Balogun and Martinelli to play more through the middle it'll be worth it.

I'm still shocked by the refereeing, especially since the commentators were wound up by it. The tackle of Tierney was the most orange card of the game, and very high on the ITWGX index. The second from Westwood on Gabriel was very similar to the second yellow that got Gabriel sent. I don't care it's the first half, you go flying in on a yellow you're due an early shower.

Tough tough day at the office but it does look like Odegaard can do well deeper with ESR ahead of him.

Should Sp*rs lose tonight and we beat them in the Derby (our game in hand on United) we should be in 4th spot on points outright able to survive Sp*rs other game in hand.
agree on the referring, the calls were pretty horrid, along with allowing Pope to take all day with the goal kicks etc, Burnley were slowing the play down from about the 35th minute. We definitely need a new body up front, someone other than a play the ball to feet kind of player, we simply have no height in the front of our attack, if Laca and Auba go with Nketiah possibly following we need to replace them with a starting striker who can score 15-20 goals a season and a back up who will chip in with 10 or more. With ESR being our top goalscorer playing as a sub or pat time starter we have to find goals.
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So we’ve lost Mari & Kolasinac this window, and looks like Auba, Laca, Nketiah, Elneny, Soares, Chambers will go end of season too.

Of those over 25 I only expect Pepe, Holding, Partey, and maybe Xhaka to stay.

3 names on that list could all move too.

I imagine we’ll have to make a few mature signings to make this work, in that 24-27 age bracket. 
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Did anyone else see that Carl Jenkinson is at Melbourne City on loan for the rest of the season? He even scored on his debut. 
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Jenko! Did not know. That's awesome. 
The burnley game was disappointing but good to see the clean sheet, and continued dominance in the games we should dominate - which wasn't happening under Emery and for a period of Arteta's reign too. 
It seems now we're in a groove where we control a huge amount of ball against the teams we should beat, and give it a good crack toe-for-toe against the big sides we shouldn't necessarily beat. I took that for granted with Wenger, it's harder than it looks! I'm happier to be disappointed when we can't quite crack a goal, rather than being disappointed that we looked like the worst of the two sides on the pitch, if you know what i mean.
We really needed someone to make the difference in one of those moments against Burnley. That's really the only area for me where Laca falls down, and is why he's not quite at that elite level of striker, even though he does possess all the skills. When it comes to that one moment that we desperately need him to finish, in a difficult game where we need the 3 points, he often doesn't deliver it. There was another moment where we had a very promising move and he criminally underhit the pass. It's really gutting because I love the guy, I feel he has the right attributes for our team, and he's been an excellent captain, leading by example. But we just need that little extra edge of composure in that role, which he hasn't been able to give us in the crucial moments. As an aside, Ramsdale seems to have that in him. He'll have nothing to do for a long time, then they'll get a deflected shot headed for the corner, and he'll be alert and ready to make the game-saving save. There were several yesterday that felt like the moments where Burnley nicks a game like that - like they did against us last season.
I think Martinelli looks quite at home on the left, I'm not sure if he will move into striker. My preference at the moment would be to to re-sign Nketiah, give Balogun more minutes, sign a brand new starting striker, and let Laca/Auba go.

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I agree on the Laca front, he isnt that kind of striker who is going to score every time he touches the ball - although he should have done waaaaay better with that last chance he had. I think he stills has a lot to offer the team, he work that he does in the build up to a lot of our attack play is crucial, and at the moment nobody else really does it, odegaard should be able to do this but has done it consistently. Martenelli as a wide player works really well, ESR works well out wide too, Lakonga has me concerned he too is inconsistent in the middle, as is Xhaka who provides heaps but is too risky in the big games. Way i see it we really need a killer striker who can guarantee us goals and a decent reliable midfielder with some supporting players to back up the rest.
I'd like to see Laca stay but if he goes along with Auba et al I'd not be too upset
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The links to Tielemens and Renato Sanches excite me a lot. They’d be great long term buys for us. Reckon we could sign 2 more midfielders next season should Elneny & Xhaka go.
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Dont know much about Sanches or how he has gone after exploding onto the scene during the euros and signing for bayern a while back. 
Big fan of Tielemans, really like watching him play at Leicester.
Yes I agree, we should be signing 2x midfielders. Partey is a rock for us, always starts, we need another like that. I feel Lokonga is very promising, he's got great vision, just needs to get more physical. Not quite ready to start week to week but I think he can get there. I reckon he's got goals in him too, pops up in the right places for it around the edge of the box and he likes to shoot. Just needs a couple to go in and he'll gain confidence. 
On the physicality, I noticed he is improving in that area, and I saw a couple of last ditch defending moments yesterday that impressed me. He has a decent frame and is quite athletic, and should get physically stronger all the time as he gets used to the PL and grows a bit. 
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Its all looking pretty barren for incomings in this window unless a lot of barriers get busted through quickly. Looks like Vladhovic is off to Juve, Isak looks to be staying in Spain. The links with Tielemans are exciting, though he is negotiating with the Foxes so I think any links to a move away from the king power are just antics being pulled by his agent. Something similar is happening with the wijnaldum situation. The Arthur move from Juve has also cooled off. 

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Oh yea forgot to mention, 100% agree brumbys, those two calls were SO BAD.
Gabriel's second yellow against City was far less obvious than Westwood's. I can stomach Gabriels, it was a correct call, but when it's our turn to get it the other way, no dice. 
And the stamp on Tierney, absolute shocker. Yes, imagine if Xhaka had done that! The ref would've morphed his red card into a giant red baseball bat, beat Xhaka to death with it and rolled the corpse off the pitch. 
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brumbys
The links to Tielemens and Renato Sanches excite me a lot. They’d be great long term buys for us. Reckon we could sign 2 more midfielders next season should Elneny & Xhaka go.

Tielemens isn't fit enough IMO.
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Getting an Andre Santos vibe?
Buffon II
brumbys
The links to Tielemens and Renato Sanches excite me a lot. They’d be great long term buys for us. Reckon we could sign 2 more midfielders next season should Elneny & Xhaka go.

Tielemens isn't fit enough IMO.
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Good summary in the athletic today; chasing a striker, midfield, goalkeeper.  if we can’t buy long term targets now we’ll go short term loan deals - which is Melo in midfield.

Long term striker targets appear to be Isak, Dominic CL, or Vlahovic, short term would be someone like Jovic.

Minimal insight on GK beyond links to that US bloke.

Most interesting part is Arteta is in the US at the mo to discuss this and new contract. Could make a for a busy final week!
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brumbys
Getting an Andre Santos vibe?
Buffon II
brumbys
The links to Tielemens and Renato Sanches excite me a lot. They’d be great long term buys for us. Reckon we could sign 2 more midfielders next season should Elneny & Xhaka go.

Tielemens isn't fit enough IMO.


Haha not quite that bad, but I do feel like he wouldn't be fit enough to last 90 in a team where constant pressing is expected of him. Might just be when I have watched him but he always seems to be blowing out his arse halfway through a match.
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Also think Calvert-Lewin would be a good buy personally. Not that I would be unhappy with Isak, but prefer DCL.
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My only worry about DCL is his injuries, is he having a bad season or the beginning of a pattern?
Buffon II
Also think Calvert-Lewin would be a good buy personally. Not that I would be unhappy with Isak, but prefer DCL.
 
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Fudge me this window is long and drawn out. We’ve always known we needed a CM and ST but man it seems like we are struggling to get either. I know January is tough.

I suppose this is what happens when you’re trying to avoid Kim Kallstrom and Dennis Suares type signings, and have Jack W training with you in Dubai as a proper back up..
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Chambers has joined Villa. Didn't see it coming. Hopefully, it means more football for him. 
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wow! good for him in that he wont be the 3rd choice CB at Villa, but it means we are lacking a ready replacement for Gabriel or White when they are either injured or White is playing wider.
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and I think we have just signed a new GK. Matt Turner from the US. 
I wonder if we will see Leno move on this window. 
- edit - apparently he will join at the end of the MLS season. So not sure if that is this window or not.
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theprof
wow! good for him in that he wont be the 3rd choice CB at Villa, but it means we are lacking a ready replacement for Gabriel or White when they are either injured or White is playing wider.

yea we only have Holding as backupnow. Do we recall Saliba?? or sign someone new? Maybe Tierney in there?
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I think were fine at CB. 
Gabriel, White, Holding, and both Tierney and Tomiyasu have good experience at CB as the 4th and 5th choices. Tavares form (Nottingham Forest game aside) means we are in decent shape if he starts at LB and Tierney moves central.
Soares had Covid otherwise White wouldn't have been needed at RB. Soares isn't a world beater but his style suits us on the right much better than White - we lost a lot at the attacking end with White starting there.
I think we're fine for the remainder of the season, and if we had a crisis we could recall Mari from loan. 
Not to mention Xhaka has done a good job at CB in desperate times as well. And the fact that we're only in the PL now, so we literally have 17 matches left to play. 

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We are now super light at CB, surprising decision if no incomings! Goalkeeper sounds like a long term play, but if he isn’t good with his feet I’m slightly concerned…
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It would be good if we got Wijnaldum, the rumours seem quite promising - arsenal fan as a boy and apparently keen. 
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As of today our official first team squad is down to 22, and that includes Auba.

Given we’ve let 5 players go who aren’t getting game time we really must have an incoming or two planned.

While I hear what you’re saying about CB that 4th spot is essentially being covered by using a full back (and thus plugging their position) or Xhaka.

Given post AFCON we have Xhaka, Partey, Elneny, and Lokonga for two spots I’m actually comfortable with the idea of not getting anyone in unless they’re a proper upgrade.

Priority really has to be striker, and then arguably bringing back Saliba to ensure we have a 4th CB.

I get letting Mari, Chambers, and Kolasinac go given they’re not in the plans and we need some funds - but we are two injuries or suspensions at CB away from being in trouble.
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I've heard that we might be signing Fukin Nowan
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Isak's been spotted in London. That's pretty normal during transfer windows, possible targets being snapped. But then Arsenal fans figured out from the snaps the custom number plate on his car I5AAK and confirmed it was registered in the UK! Too much man, hilarious stuff.

If we do sign him happy days, if not I appreciate this level of stalking.

Aside from that shambles reports that Neves has a £40m price tag and Brighton want £50m for Yves Bissouma. If either one is on our long term list those prices don't seem insane for PL ready midfielders who would arguably be an upgrade on Xhaka.

Edit; apparently the I5AAK number plate snapped near the Emirates. Madness.
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Nketiah apparently heading to Newcastle for a medical. But the deal will rely on us bringing someone else in first. 
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Putting money on failed medical popping up with a 90th minute equaliser.
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Genuinely struggling with the idea we’re going to push for the top 4 with just Laca/Eddie available. Looks like we’re down to loaning Morata, or dropping £75m on Isak…
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maybe arteta has some last minute surprises up his sleeve?
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lots of very different talk on Auba to Barca today. Barca president has come out saying that his done. Arsenal have said nothing. Auba has said that he is just in Barcalona for a holiday.... which he did not tell the club. farking mess!
But still no signs of anyone coming in. Never seen a window where a club has shed so much without bringing in a new face. this will make the 2nd half of the season very tricky. 
edit- now reported as being a free transfer rather than a loan! wtf!! we are going to get nothing for one of the (former) best strikers in the world....makes this process very hard to trust. 
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oh and we have signed another player from the MLS, defender Auston Trusty. Never heard of him.
Also odd that we are giving players to top european clubs while picking up new recruits from the MLS....
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I reckon this is KSE group accounting. Get him on our books for bigger wages than MLS cap allows?
kwlap
oh and we have signed another player from the MLS, defender Auston Trusty. Never heard of him.
Also odd that we are giving players to top european clubs while picking up new recruits from the MLS....
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in Arteta we trust

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