I’m late to the party, buuuuuuuuut… welcome BACK to Arsenal, Dani Ceballos.
This is huge for our season. Dani started 2019 well, then slumped into averageness under poor leadership and an unstructured system. He then made things worse by trying to cut his loan spell short under Mikel… but then something clicked for him and he hasn’t looked back since. His restart stats were amongst the best in the league. He’s proven to be an aggressive presser of the ball, he loves to tackle, his reading of the game makes him expert at interceptions… he’s looked the real deal. Could do with some refining of that final third passing, but that’ll come.
Here is what he had to say.
“I think everyone will have seen last season that from the moment I joined, I bought into the club completely and always gave 100 per cent both on and off the pitch,”
The fans love Dani because of this. He also seems to love the adulation he gets from the fans and he always looked like he wanted to crack it in England. I’ve not seen a player enjoy the fans as much since Patrick Vieira donned the shirt.
“The fans repaid me for that by showing me a lot of love… when I was at home they were sending me messages asking me to come back and saying that they needed me here. I think they’ll be as happy as I am that I’m back and I’m sure we have a great year ahead of us this season.
“When the coach, the club, the players and everyone is asking you to stay for another year, you realise that they see you as a good team-mate and a good player,”
“I feel proud that the club, the coach and – most importantly – the fans wanted me to stay. I didn’t doubt it for a second. We’ve been negotiating around my contract all the time, right up until today, but I’m very happy to be back here and that I’m going to be with Arsenal for another year.”
Now, I know we like to think the players don’t pay attention to the fans, but here we are again, a second player in a week commending the lunatic fanbase that DMs and begs them to join. I feel like it’s quite a unique Arsenal thing and it amuses me no end that Arsenal’s digital fanbase is now an official secret weapon of the recruitment team.
Edu, who is trying to cement his importance in a post-Raul era, had this to say.
‘We’re thrilled to have Dani back with us for the new season. We all know his qualities after an impressive 2019/2020 campaign, which ended with him playing a key role in our FA Cup success. We’re excited to add Dani to the list of quality players we are bringing in.’
DID YOU READ IT: ‘to the list of quality players we are bringing in’
That’s great news. I’m hearing whispers that ESR might be loaned out this season. If that is true, it might indicate that we’ve found someone for the role of ‘playing in the pockets’… could be Willian or it might be someone else. Either way, it seems Edu is confident that we’re going to bring in more names.
I suspect we’ll see a big week next week for exits. Sokratis, Torreira, Holding should find new clubs. I also wonder if we’ll start to see Matteo, Lacazette, and maybe Bellerin noises grow louder. It’s clear we need to sell to buy, and it seems like clubs are starting to move. The season literally starts next week, bumming around on deals makes little sense to anyone…
Interesting to see Wolves moving hard. They offered £15m for AMN. 100 games in the Premier League. Just pocketed some of the deadliest wide players. Won an FA Cup and Community Shield. We turned them down. So what do they go out and do? Drop a club record £35m on an 18-year-old from Porto with 12 games and 1 goal to his name during a pandemic. He’s the Football Manager wet dream, but that valuation seems nuts (especially as his break out season last year didn’t really come to much). That’s Van De Beek / Partey levels of money. I do not miss ‘contacts’ scouting.
Arsenal were beaten 3-2 by Villa today. It was a behind-closed-doors affair. Not great, but hey, preseason is all about experimenting. Ceballos, Auba and Willian played… annnnnd, Mesut Ozil! No blonde hair this preseason. Is this forgiveness? Has he found a way back? Is ESR going out on loan because Mesut is back in favour? It’d be a huge 180, but in keeping with a manager that doesn’t hold grudges if you do what he asks of you. You can’t say our midfield doesn’t need the playmaker’s creativity… question is, can we get it combined with the off the ball work we don’t normally get? Jury is out.
Let’s hope we’re ready for the big game after the international break! Also… let’s hope Arsenal speed up those midfield signings!
Right, that’s all I have for you today… see you tomorrow. x
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Oh god!
Its gonna be an Ozil related debate up in here
*jumps ship*
Ozil will be like a new signing.
Pedro “Agree with Bamford here, Gnabry wasn’t great. I was at one of his first games in CL when he gifted a goal within about 5 minutes of being on the pitch. Though I will say, he was no worse than Chambo.”Common now….he may not have been great in every game he played back then ( he was still just 18) but he showed enough talent to stand out as one for the future. Fair to say he was already a better winger than walcott and wenger is solely to blame for not giving him more playing time when walcott… Read more »
I was looking forward to seeing ESR in the EL and lesser Cup matches. Not sure how loaning him out works for the squad? It’s not as if whomever is first choice in the CAM role is going to be able to play every match and we keep crying about a lack of creativity.
Until we can get Coutinho or similar trying to us Ozil is our only option.
Difficult at best , our first few games with a crap mid is worrying.
“Ozil will be like a new signing.”
yeah just not a very good one!
Legend, mismanaged was letting him go to the Olympics without offering a deal. Hard to critique Wenger for not getting a turn out of him… if he was standout during that time, he’d have started. Wenger didn’t need an excuse to play kids.
Gnabry would still struggle in the EPL
Im telling you for free!
Any subject that can be answered with “Wenger fucked up” in what ever way doesn’t really need any further debate it’s been done to death.
Let’s talk about just how useless Xhaka is – that never get’s boring!
Unlucky to concede a pen there… what a grim performance this has been.
What’s with this farming out of ESR ?
He’s not going to make it at Arsenal, is he ?
Looks like we’re merely trying to increase his price at this point
Sunday league stuff here
Can’t help but be excited that ozil featured..
That was a terrible penalty
Why is Gylfi not playing for Iceland ?
Pedro
“if he was standout during that time, he’d have started. Wenger didn’t need an excuse to play kids.”
He did standout….compared to what we had playing in the same position.
Yes AW didnt need an excuse to play kids, except when they threatened to replace one of his darlings…in this case walcott
Guns…yup.
Can’t believe that Ozil played though. I mean, Pierre has told us a million times that the only reason he doesn’t play is because he wouldn’t take the pay cut. Does that mean he’s now agreed to it? Or was that reasoning actually complete bollocks all along?
I cant even be bothered with the ozil issue anymore.
Even if arteta does bring him back, he’ll be a squad player at best….playing cup games and europa league.
We might as well squeeze out some value from him since he wont bug off
andy
More like the reasoning is actually bollocks. Cos reportedly, he wasnt the only player who refused to take the paycut. There were 2 others
Why would he be the only one frozen out?
Pierre will make up any excuse for his darling….no surprise there
We deffo need midfield options signed sooner rather then later. Why do we take so.long getting deals over the line ? What a pity the board couldn’t back the manager !!!
Gnabry was to blame for his arsenal exit nobody else. Couldn’t get his fitness back after a serious knee injury and WBA was the wrong move.
We offered as contract he chose Bayern instead (via Werder pre arranged).
Can you blame him? No
Can you blame the club? No
Ozil will be a positive for the club. Arteta has saved face by exiling him and stuck to his principles by keeping the door open.
Win win for the club.
Pedro
“Sunday league stuff here“
Like I says…..a friendly lol
What’s the point if Iceland’s national team football other than the this whole tiny overachiever narrative they got going?
I know we all like a good underdog story but their football is worse than a Tony Pulis kind.
Legend, he really didn’t. Saka is what standout looks like. Not Serge G at Arsenal. He clearly had talent, but it didn’t awaken until after he bossed the olympics
Maybe both parties have come to settlement . Maybe Arsenal realised they need a creative outlet and Ozil realized he just cant sit on his arse another year or else he wont get a good deal later on free.
Gnabry got tapped up and left.. If he wasn’t rated he wouldn’t have been making his debut at 17
Pedro do you know the starting line up that played today ? I cant find it . 343 or 433 ? or that cool hybrid version where Tierney conquers everything on the left ?
Tom
They didn’t even attempt to win the game when it was 10 v 11. Shambles
We’re really gonna have another Ozil filled saga for the season. Thankfully it will be the last one.
‘Gnabry got tapped up and left.. If he wasn’t rated he wouldn’t have been making his debut at 17’
Exactly G 100%
‘Ozil will be a positive for the club. Arteta has saved face by exiling him and stuck to his principles by keeping the door open’
Hoping for a big season from Ozil. Arteta loves small pockets in the opposition half and right now in our squad only Ozil is a player who can really cause problems in tight spaces.
If ESR goes on loan , it had to be a place where he’s an important player in the squad. Like Huddersfield last season but definitely need to find tougher competition.
Mid-table Bundesliga could ve perfect imo.
Red Army “”Gnabry was to blame for his arsenal exit nobody else. Couldn’t get his fitness back after a serious knee injury and WBA was the wrong move. We offered as contract he chose Bayern instead (via Werder pre arranged). Can you blame him? No Can you blame the club? No Ozil will be a positive for the club. Arteta has saved face by exiling him and stuck to his principles by keeping the door open Win win for the club.””” Correct Analysis. You wont be popular around these parts. This mob ,still get breast fed. And understanding the game… Read more »
“They didn’t even attempt to win the game when it was 10 v 11. Shambles“
Red Army
If anything it was England who looked like playing with numerical advantage after Walker sending off.
I am not convinced on Ozil.
I hope he proves me wrong if he is staying.
G, if he was rated, he’d have been offered a new deal before the olympics and likely not sent on loan to WBA with Tony Pulis mentoring him
Well, at least there was a bit of thrill towards the end. Iceland unlucky.
Here’s to the last year of Ozil. Thank fuck!
Good to see that Arteta is putting the team/club first.
He’s obviously looked at the results in the league pre covid and post covid and came to the conclusion that the team performed better pre covid.
Great backs to wall performances against the top sides towards the end of the season but Arteta will hopefully use horses for courses in certain games.
Away to liverpool and city early on ..park the bus ..can bring in the more creative players for games where we need a little more patience and subtlety to unlock the door…
Weird how many people still believe that Ozil is a capable football player in 2020 with all the evidence to the contrary lately. If he’s involved regularly in the first team next season we’re screwed, will just mean we’ll still lack creativity but with the disadvantage of playing with 10 men. Don’t think that’ll happen anyway btw, he’s done at Arsenal. Positive today was that Ceballos played already, thought he was going to be in quarantine for 2 weeks? How does that work, is it just from some countries? Could mean we can still get a CM in time for… Read more »
We should have paid the money for Ceballos, he’ll cost at least twice the price, and twice the wage packet next season.
Pepe, Ceballos, Tierney are €150 worth of talent, all three are now settled, Saka is looking the business, expecting big things from all 4 this season.
Gutted we signed Willian and in doing so blocking Nelson, think we could end up regretting that.
Pedro thought he was offered a contract before the olympics he just didn’t sign it before he went as he had no intention of staying after the Bayern interest.
In hindsight a stupid decision to send to WBA and Pulis but can understand why he was sent there, to get regular football, get used to some hard knocks and toughen up after a serious knee injury.
Why would a professional footballer at an elite club need to quarantine when there are tests available out there capable to return results the same day?
Freddie Ljungberg
I agree Ozil hasn’t shown any consistency since the first half of the 2015/16 season, he’s been on the slide for a long time
Hopefully contract renewal time wakes him up a bit, he’s still very good in possession and whips in a decent cross, I’d rather get shot of him, but if he’s he’ll be t on staying? Hopefully he’ll be looking to put himself in the window, and sharpened up a bit
Tom, Elite athletes are apparently exempt, Ceballos is straight into training with us.
Pierre
‘ Great backs to wall performances against the top sides towards the end of the season but Arteta will hopefully use horses for courses in certain games.Away to liverpool and city early on ..park the bus ..can bring in the more creative players for games where we need a little more patience and subtlety to unlock the door…’
Exactly use all every available resource you have to hand as not all games are the same. Every team needs a lock picker against a parked bus.
Fred
Why don’t you try be objective about the situation and take your obvious distaste towards the player out of this scenario?
If Ozil has dug his heels in and isn’t going anywhere, use him when needed. Simple.
Say good bye in the summer, move on and maybe grow up.
Red Army
“Every team needs a lock picker against a parked bus.”
And that would be Ozil in this scenario with his 2 assists and 1 big chance created (you’re welcome for that stat Pierre) last season?
Some of you are just waking up from a come I swear.
Red Army
I’m pretty objective, can’t say the same about peolle still rating Ozil based on what he did 3 years ago. He’s not that player anymore, not even a shadow of that player. He doesn’t create when he plays, even though he usually only play in the “easier” games at home because it’s been obvious for ages he doesn’t fancy away games.
Ozil isn’t like Xhaka for me who’s never been good enough for us. Ozil clearly has the talent, had some excellent early seasons for us but has just been a millstone around our neck for the last 2-3 years and any semblance of affecting games has just steadily died off until he’s worse than playing one of the youth players now.
Red Army
“Say good bye in the summer, move on and maybe grow up.”
I wouldnt waste your breath on Fred.
formerly a Wenger obsessive that has become an Ozil obsessive.
beyond help I’m afraid.
Give it time and they will all be crawling out of the woodwork.
It’s pretty straightforward for me if Arteta brings back Ozil he’s full of shit. He’ll have gone full Wenger and we’ll have made a serious error in hiring him
“The right-back search at Bayer Leverkusen goes into the next round. According to FT information , the factory club has now picked up a rejection from London. As our editorial team learned, Bayer asked Héctor Bellerín from Arsenal FC. The Spaniard is generally open to a move, but Leverkusen cannot meet Bellerín’s salary wishes.”
I can see the steam coming out of Marko’s nose 😤
That’s quite the turnabout with Ozil. Could it possibly be that the club have come to the conclusion that signing a new attacking midfielder is not possible this window, in audition to a defensive midfielder or otherwise, and are concentrating on who they have. It js hard to argue that someone like Ozil could have made a difference in a game such as the Villa away defeat a little while ago, where we looked bereft of ideas and creativity. He could be used sparingly for games similar to this but there still remains a big question mark if he can… Read more »
Marko why would Arteta be full of shit if after exile Ozil is now putting in 5-10% more in training and conforming to the non negotiables.
Did he or did he not say the door was always open to a player if they conformed?
Marko why would Arteta be full of shit if after exile Ozil is now putting in 5-10% more in training
If that’s all it takes then he’ll be full of shit
Red Army is another troll in the in CG and Pierre mold.
There’s simply no running out of them !
Arteta bringing Mesut back into the mixer if very on brand. The door is always open if a player conforms to his principles.
AMN > Ceballos > Pepe
Fred nobody is expecting the output of Ozil of 3 years ago. If they see him training they want and expect a forward thinking creative player to be be included in the match day squad to be be used as and when called upon.
And nobody specified away games let alone the ones we have limited possession in.
Red Army the problem is, how many more chances does one player warrant? 3 separate managers have dumped him, and it’s not like Ozil hasn’t been given opportunities, he’s had plenty, he’s just not taken any of them. I’d love him to start playing to his full potential, but what we’ve seen from the last 4.5 years is a player in decline. He’s been free to leave for the past 3 windows, and he instead of moving on and getting the most out of his career, all we get is he likes living in London, which suggests to me he… Read more »
Marko if a manager has principles and sticks to them it proves he’s consistent in his approach and expectations of his players, exactly the opposite to being full of shit.
I think it says more about you and your grasp of the situation than the manager if this is your interpretation.
pvc why would I be a troll?
Step away from the herd opinion, use your eyes and think for yourself.
Pierre
“I wouldnt waste your breath on Fred.formerly a Wenger obsessive that has become an Ozil obsessive.beyond help I’m afraid.”
Stuff it sock boy. Don’t you have some wanking to attend to now that your boyfriend has been returned from the cold?
Guessing it’s only temporary though until we can get some bodies back. ESR would give us more output than current day Ozil.
When Arteta joined he said “My philosophy will be clear. I will have everyone 120 per cent committed, that’s the first thing. If not, you don’t play for me. When it’s time to work it’s time to work, and when it’s time to have fun then I’m the first one to do it, but that commitment is vital.” Now Ozil isn’t committed in the slightest to Arsenal so Arteta bringing him back into the team will be bullshit completely contradictory to everything he said when he joined against his “philosophy” so to speak. I for one hope that it shouldn’t… Read more »
Rich he absolutely is riding out his contract and doesn’t want to leave to go to turkey or Saudi. The point is if there has been a visible change in his application in training why not use what we’re paying for.
Marko think you need to calm down mate Ozil is only training with the group again, he isn’t the first name on the team sheet. We’re talking hypothetically. A player can be 120% committed and still leave at the end of the season. If a player has improved in training and is delivering on the non negotiables (is what you were trying to allude to above but it was a swing and a miss) and is showing improved levels of commitment (that satisfies the manager) why not start including the player in the squad? Your juvenile approach doesn’t benefit the… Read more »
Ozil is getting the most game time this season right now. Once it starts officially, this POS will be on the bench.
Perhaps this is a ploy to get a buyer interested? Get Ozil up to fitness?
Who knows…. this entire, its a new season, all is forgiven shit does not go well with me.
I mean, who is changing? Seems like the players who need to change, have to change before anything gets forgiven?
Seems like a subtle type or enabling going into the season with this attitude from Arteta.
Ozil is shit end of story.
Red Army
What are the ‘non negotiables’ ?
Doesn’t really matter if he’s showing commitment, or is training like a mad man (which I doubt he is anyway) he’s simply not good enough to play games for us anymore, he hasn’t been for a while. His output offensively is laughable and defensively is better not mentioned at all. If he wasn’t on 350k a week and refused to move so we can improve it wouldn’t be the major issue it is now but as it stands he’s a major road block in our rebuilding project so freeze the cunt out if he doesn’t leave, it’s that simple. He’s… Read more »
The Özil merry-go-round at Arsenal won’t stop until the end of his contract. Provided there is no talk of an extention I’ll go along for the ride for another 10 months.
Typical that Ozil decides to pull his finger out in the final year of his contract. I just hope Arsenal don’t fall for it again regardless of how well he does. Shameless character.
Freddie
I agree with you. He is shit. Total shit player.
Even in his good days, he was good but nothing great.
The ozil fan boys need their head checked.
he slows our attack, does not track back, has terrible body language, and needs the ball constantly. He does not become a scoring threat when we need it but prances around the field looking for the killer assist. The man is full of himself.
Get lost Ozil
I so hope we get a CAM. please … i do not care who it is… as long is it makes Ozil sit on the bench or leave I will be good. It cannot get much worse than him
Wolves should just move to the Primera Liga and be done with it.
pvc didn’t you listen to Arteta’s first presser?
Most arsenal supporters did and the non negotiables are widely known.
Commitment, energy , desire, application and accountability to name a few.
Simple things that have been lacking at our club for years.
Try contribute something pvc instead of being dense.
I don’t think Arsenal will put trust in Ozil for a season, he will inevitably revert to type. If we’re not fixing the midfield and he’s being brought back to the fore then the seasons done before it starts.
I think it says more about you and your grasp of the situation than the manager if this is your interpretation.
Yeah Mesut showed great commitment when we were playing in a cup final and he was on holidays
The number of posts are down so Pedro blogs about Özil to drive them up again. Great strategy.
Guns sf
What is POS? Point of sale? Pirate on ship?
Arteta leaving the door open to players is smart. Regardless of how undeserving they may be it gives him options that we haven’t got a lot of.
Why are you getting so emotional and calling people Ozil fan boys when they are been objective and trying to understand the rationale behind bringing him back in to training squad?
Fred
he won’t leave. That’s the point. Use the player while he is here. If his application matches what the managers expectations are no problem. It’s an option not a solution.
Marko backing up my point of not understanding the situation beautifully.
I’m sure this season is 20/21 not 19/20 that you’re talking about.
Probably behind the times with this. New third kit.
https://www.footyheadlines.com/2019/11/leaked-arsenal-fc-20-21-away-third-kit.html?r8AOB=HcWyw&m=1
Red Army Its called Piece of Shit FYI And yes, its emotional for me, as I see him as a player who is like a cancer…. someone who will milk the club for all its worth, puts in the minimum effort and can care less about this club. So yes, indeed its triggering for me to discuss the player as he is a ball and chain around 3 managers so far at Arsenal. His off the field and on field behavior is always questionable. Ozil is out for himself. always has been. SO yes, fan boys need to get woke…… Read more »
Hmmm the much maligned and ostracized Gunduozi Just captained the French U21 squad to a victory.
Always knew the little man from Spain has made this thing a personal vendetta
Arteta hasn’t got a midfielder yet and may be struggling.
So he’s trying to motivate Ozil a stop gap.
Strange to think we have countless defenders and virtually no choice in midfield.
Only at Arsenal can we create such a mess
Red Army
The point of the ‘non negotiables’ is exactly that….they have to be adhered to 100% of the time, not any day of the week your arsed to do so. You get a ‘clean slate’ only the one time, not everytime you mess up.
But of course all the above is basic logic that shouldn’t have to be explained, but I can’t resist, even for a troll.
Apparently Arteta has spent our entire transfer budget on a faith healer so he can have Mustafi back for the first match of the season as well as Xhaka and Ozil.
After all you just can’t have enough shit players on the pitch at anyone time.
Guns sf You’ve mention woke, pos, and fan boys in one post how old are you fella? Even worse you’ve related a player being at the club to cancer ffs. Have a fucking word with yourself. Spanish Dave knows. ‘As far as options go, there is a kid called ESR that could run circles around Ozil.’ The fact ESR is going out on loan currently proves otherwise. ‘Take off the rose colored glasses…. see it for what it is.’ If being objective about a situation is having rose coloured glasses on then you need to go back to school to… Read more »
Spanish Dave knows
Sorry got caught in that last post
Red Army
Sure he does ! I was fascinated by his vast knowledge exhibited in the previous thread.
Go have a look if you haven’t had the pleasure yet
Afraid to say he might even rival you
pvc your comprehension isn’t up to much. The manager said verbatim ‘the door is always open’.
End of story.
What you’ve interpreted is evidently wrong or he wouldn’t be training with the first team again.
Call people trolls cos you disagree with them. Classic.
Red Army
“The fact ESR is going out on loan currently proves otherwise.”
1 that’s not sure at all yet.
2 if we could get someone to take Ozil on loan and the lazy cunt actually agreed to it so he can play some football instead of only fortnite he would be out the door in 2 seconds flat.
It doesn’t mean he’s the better option, he’s clearly not.