Jeorge Bird
@jeorgebird
This formation, whatever it’s supposed to be, isn’t working. Need Taylor-Hart on and to get Biereth into the game more.


This was at 1:0. JB is normally quite calm and considered in his comments about Arsenal youth performances.

Ooo Betsy...

Genuinely don't think the Italian financial situation will improve in a single season, Seebs.

Hope I'm wrong, but I think the club have just committed us all to another year (on top of what we were already facing) of slow as fack build up play.

Yeh, I'm scraping the barrel on this, tbh with you Lex. I don't understand this decision but I'm just resigned to it. I was always hopeful given Xhaka was very keen to leave, but it troubled me that Arteta/Edu might actually like him and want him to stay.

All news of Elneny leaving has dried up as well. Unless Lakonga springs a surprise, then yeh, it's that slow as fack build up for this season.

Our best hope now is Sambi continuing to press a claim for starting, forming a good partnership with Partey and hopefully them both staying fit.

I doubt Xhaka would be keen to stay beyond this season if he's not starting regularly.

Problem now being whether Roma, or anyone else, would pay more next summer than was offered for him this.

During my lifetime supporting Arsenal, I genuinely can't even remember feeling this depressed about the club.

*at the start of a new season.

You know what'll upset me even more than Xhaka staying? Arsenal swapping Auba for Coutinho. Don't mind Auba leaving for Barca, but out of all the talent they have we choose crocked caant Coutinho. Hope these turn out to be just Kaveh's wet dreams, and nothing more.

comment by Serial WUManiser™© 🇵🇸 (U1410)
posted 9 hours, 24 minutes ago
TBH, don't mind the additional year. Stops the likes of Roma making mugs of us (cos we're doing a good job to ourselves) and pRoTeCtS xHaKa'S vAlUe for next summer when, hopefully, Italian market will pick up a bit.

Massive downside is, obvs, we keep an average player without strengthening the side.
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Agree.

Why do you concentrate everything on one player? I know we have different opinions.

We have more issues in this squad. Less than 14 days to go and we havent done anything to improve our squad.

Where is the 150/250M warchest?

I remember an interview with Arteta where he was asked if he feels the full backing of the owner. Arteta: 100%.

Not sure if he would repeat that if you would ask him now. You might say don't give him money anyway and sack him instead. That's okay. Do you think a different manager could act differently?

As I (and many others) said at the time the rumour emerged, that figure is unrealistic, and any business we do this summer would rely on clearing out players already at the club.

We’ve currently got four RBs, none of whom are great, so how can we sign another one until at least one of them has gone?

Same up front. Needed to sell Eddie and Laca to free up space (and wages). Two weeks left of the window, both are still here.

Want to new CM? Elneny and / or Xhaka are an obstacle to that. Runarsson not exactly blocking the way for a new keeper signing, but hardly helping either.

You can literally put a ‘deadwood’ Arsenal XI out, and still have a few sat on the bench. Such a badly run club.

You can literally put a ‘deadwood’ Arsenal XI out, and still have a few sat on the bench.

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We do that every week

Sorry but I don't buy the deadwood excuse anymore. Just watch a replay of the Brentford game and explain to me how a newly promoted side can dominate Arsenal. The players just did not know what to do and were constantly looking at the bench.

It wasn't a case of one player letting the side down as it used to be under Wenger or Emery. It was a collective meltdown.

If we sell Auba and get Coutinho instead and being done with our transfer window then liquidate this club.

'Sorry but I don't buy the deadwood excuse anymore.'

You mean you think we currently have a perfectly balanced, not at all congested, playing squad, with adequate space still for one or two additions.

Okay.

comment by Gunnerthru (U6675)
posted 26 minutes ago
If we sell Auba and get Coutinho instead and being done with our transfer window then liquidate this club.
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Kia will want a minimum 4-5 year deal for the guy. It would be even crazier than the Willian deal, and almost as bad as the one for Cedric.

Can totally see it happening tbh,

Apparently Neto is also one of his

"Why do you concentrate everything on one player? I know we have different opinions."

CM is probably, for me, the most critical position on the pitch. You not only set your first defensive barrier in front of the two CBs, but a good CM pairing turns a simple pass into an attacking chance. In the PL the need for a sharp, mobile, quick passing midfielder can be the difference between top 4 and 8th.

Partey should have been the step up, but his injury issues are now starting to become a serious issue. Sambi is a young man, and you seriously can't expect too much of him in his debut season. That leaves us Xhaka and Elneny. We'll leave out Elneny, cos he's shiete and no one here rates him anyway. Xhaka is therefore the main CM. A player who so ill-quipped to deal with the PL you wonder if you're actually watching a comedy skit.

After all the gusto talk of change and ruthlessness we essentially have the same XI as last season and the same midfield.

comment by Serial WUManiser™© 🇵🇸 (U1410)
posted 51 seconds ago
"Why do you concentrate everything on one player? I know we have different opinions."

CM is probably, for me, the most critical position on the pitch. You not only set your first defensive barrier in front of the two CBs, but a good CM pairing turns a simple pass into an attacking chance. In the PL the need for a sharp, mobile, quick passing midfielder can be the difference between top 4 and 8th.

Partey should have been the step up, but his injury issues are now starting to become a serious issue. Sambi is a young man, and you seriously can't expect too much of him in his debut season. That leaves us Xhaka and Elneny. We'll leave out Elneny, cos he's shiete and no one here rates him anyway. Xhaka is therefore the main CM. A player who so ill-quipped to deal with the PL you wonder if you're actually watching a comedy skit.

After all the gusto talk of change and ruthlessness we essentially have the same XI as last season and the same midfield.
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Spot on.

I never said we can't improve on Xhaka or someone else.

BTW, I've shifted my opinion on Ramsdale. He's 23, decent, and playing regularly. I look back at where Emi Martinez, Pickford, De Gea, etc all were at 23 and probably at worse level (certainly Emi, who wasn't even getting games).

If Ramsdale is at that level at 23, imagine what he'll be like at his prime, at 28.

£30m is steep, but long term might be a great buy.

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

Leno was 26 when we signed him and looks worse

Arsenal have 4 Covid cases, Laca and Auba are 2 of them. Arsenal want to cancel game, PL not letting them. All players travelling to the game on their own, no team coach. #arsenal #BREARS
@EduardoHagn

If it's true it is a scandal to be honest. It comes all together for us.

'CM is probably, for me, the most critical position on the pitch. You not only set your first defensive barrier in front of the two CBs, but a good CM pairing turns a simple pass into an attacking chance. In the PL the need for a sharp, mobile, quick passing midfielder can be the difference between top 4 and 8th.'



As much as I loved Santi, even with him we rarely dominated midfield. Since the Cesc/Flamini/Hleb/Rosicky era it's an area that has been allowed to deteriorate. Partey is the first time we've really invested in it and, as you say, his influence hasn't truly been felt due to him not being available.

Hopefully Sambi can step up quickly this season - though it's probably unfair to expect him to solve our midfield issues this season.

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

comment by Gunnerthru (U6675)
posted 2 minutes ago
Arsenal have 4 Covid cases, Laca and Auba are 2 of them. Arsenal want to cancel game, PL not letting them. All players travelling to the game on their own, no team coach. #arsenal #BREARS
@EduardoHagn

If it's true it is a scandal to be honest. It comes all together for us.
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Sigh....it's going to be another season of covid disruption. Why can't PL players get mandatory vaccinations?

comment by Awfulness FC (U3245)
posted 28 seconds ago
"As much as I loved Santi, even with him we rarely dominated midfield."

erm
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Go on...