Also, please spare me this whole nonsense about player availability. Whose fault is that Xhaka and Partey were unavailable? Who allowed 4 players to leave the club this month and, with 8 days of the window left, still have not brought anyone in?

These are self-inflicted issues. I'm not hearing anything else.

comment by Justice FC (U18355)
posted less than a minute ago
Spurs and United score late goals, we don’t
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True but that luck wont be there for them all the time. They got very lucky in those games. They will drop enough points this season. Its about whether we can win enough of our games when they do.

comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 4 minutes ago
comment by Samir (U2630)
posted 5 minutes ago
comment by Gunnerthru (U6675)
posted 23 seconds ago
comment by Samir (U2630)
posted about a minute ago
comment by King TUt - I Need a Hiro (U3732)
posted 2 minutes ago
We werent even rubbish. A good striker and we win that comfortably ffs.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Seriously? We were fking awful. We barely created anything, there were zero intensity, no counterpressing, constantly passing it out wide and crossing balls into the box against a team full of giants. We didn't do enough in attacking areas to trouble a team that are bottom of the division.

We got exactly what we deserved.
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Disagree.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

I don't understand how you can watch that and think it was an acceptable performance. Absolutely incredible people think we played well.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Down to 13 senior outfield players, with a fair few not fit. Dominated possession and created chances despite that.
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This.

Whose fault is that Xhaka and Partey were unavailable?
=====
Both rushed backed, one from Covid and the other after returning from Africa the day of the game.

Not sure Mari or Kolasinac would have made a difference today
Balogun is a youth player, only Ains is questionable and he went early doors.

Is COVID and afcon arteta's fault Samir?

You can blame Xhaka's stupidity on him though, should've let him leave when he wanted to go

If we had played Liverpool when we were meant to maybe we would have a different story to tell

Whose fault is that Xhaka and Partey were unavailable?
=====
Both rushed backed, one from Covid and the other after returning from Africa the day of the game.
=====

And how does this absolve the club of responsibility when a) they knew AFCON was happening ages ago, and b) they knew Xhaka is a liability, yet decided to give him a new contract anyway?

We have had plenty of time to sort this issue out with our squad. I don't want to hear any excuses that most of it isn't the club's fault because it is.

Arteta to
@BBCMOTD
on Arsenal's January transfer plans:

"In this market things are complicated."


Yeah we know Mr Wenger

Is COVID and afcon arteta's fault Samir?
====

AFCON is absolutely on the club when we ALL knew it was happening and many of us recognised how short we would be if we didn't bring in reinforcements during that period. It is absolutely down to poor squad planning/management.

And look what's happened. Top-4 out of our hands, and out of both domestic cups. This season is in serious danger of unravelling fast.

We weren't prepared for this transfer window.

I say it again and again. If we were this Juve chap was in at the start of January.

Now that we have lost it all we dont need them. Planning has been awful.

comment by Samir (U2630)
posted 3 minutes ago
Whose fault is that Xhaka and Partey were unavailable?
=====
Both rushed backed, one from Covid and the other after returning from Africa the day of the game.
=====

And how does this absolve the club of responsibility when a) they knew AFCON was happening ages ago, and b) they knew Xhaka is a liability, yet decided to give him a new contract anyway?

We have had plenty of time to sort this issue out with our squad. I don't want to hear any excuses that most of it isn't the club's fault because it is.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
What are we meant to do, sell the Africans or stock the squad with 30 players when you can only name 25?

Samir has a point. Letting AMN go so early in the window without having a replacement lined up is criminal. Everyone knew about the AFCON and unless I've missed something, we only had one Covid case.

Just watching lacas miss. How the fack...

"Tomi had an injury and we didn't have anybody to play in that position against Liverpool. He needs to recover and look after himself, to try and be available as quick as he can. He will be out for a few weeks."
-----------
Fcuuuuk!

Arteta says he expects Tomiyasu to be out for a few weeks.

2 and half probably...

comment by Samir (U2630)
posted 10 minutes ago
Also, please spare me this whole nonsense about player availability. Whose fault is that Xhaka and Partey were unavailable? Who allowed 4 players to leave the club this month and, with 8 days of the window left, still have not brought anyone in?

These are self-inflicted issues. I'm not hearing anything else.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
a barely functioning midfield at the best of times - partey and elneny scheduled to leave for a month - and arteta lets AMN leave - WTF

comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 14 seconds ago
comment by Samir (U2630)
posted 3 minutes ago
Whose fault is that Xhaka and Partey were unavailable?
=====
Both rushed backed, one from Covid and the other after returning from Africa the day of the game.
=====

And how does this absolve the club of responsibility when a) they knew AFCON was happening ages ago, and b) they knew Xhaka is a liability, yet decided to give him a new contract anyway?

We have had plenty of time to sort this issue out with our squad. I don't want to hear any excuses that most of it isn't the club's fault because it is.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
What are we meant to do, sell the Africans or stock the squad with 30 players when you can only name 25?
----------------------------------------------------------------------

You know as well as I do that we could have had one or possibly two more bodies in midfield without it congesting our squad. And if we couldn't do that in the Summer, we should/could have done something this month especially with the players we've let go (freeing up more space). We are 23 days into January and have done nothing. We should have had this sorted much, much earlier on.

comment by goonerGunnDog (U7206)
posted 6 seconds ago
comment by Samir (U2630)
posted 10 minutes ago
Also, please spare me this whole nonsense about player availability. Whose fault is that Xhaka and Partey were unavailable? Who allowed 4 players to leave the club this month and, with 8 days of the window left, still have not brought anyone in?

These are self-inflicted issues. I'm not hearing anything else.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
a barely functioning midfield at the best of times - partey and elneny scheduled to leave for a month - and arteta lets AMN leave - WTF
----------------------------------------------------------------------
And decide to play a kid in lokonga who should be anywhere close to first team football.

Awful management

comment by Castor Troy (U8700)
posted 0 seconds ago
comment by goonerGunnDog (U7206)
posted 6 seconds ago
comment by Samir (U2630)
posted 10 minutes ago
Also, please spare me this whole nonsense about player availability. Whose fault is that Xhaka and Partey were unavailable? Who allowed 4 players to leave the club this month and, with 8 days of the window left, still have not brought anyone in?

These are self-inflicted issues. I'm not hearing anything else.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
a barely functioning midfield at the best of times - partey and elneny scheduled to leave for a month - and arteta lets AMN leave - WTF
----------------------------------------------------------------------
And decide to play a kid in lokonga who should be anywhere close to first team football.

Awful management
----------------------------------------------------------------------
*shouldn't

Arteta on whether Aubameyang will train with the team in Dubai:

"We'll see the situation. I don't know."

comment by Gunnerthru (U6675)
posted about a minute ago
Arteta on whether Aubameyang will train with the team in Dubai:

"We'll see the situation. I don't know."


----------------------------------------------------------------------
He will be there anyway, so he should pop in.

Arteta on whether transfers should have happened earlier:

I think that’s the dream of every manager but it’s not realistic.

comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted less than a minute ago
comment by Gunnerthru (U6675)
posted about a minute ago
Arteta on whether Aubameyang will train with the team in Dubai:

"We'll see the situation. I don't know."


----------------------------------------------------------------------
He will be there anyway, so he should pop in.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
yeah probably on holiday because of the stress at the AFCON

Kami hasnt updated his prediction thread for a while. Feel free to predict. Link in the OP.