Ok, so I can write the post that I wouldn’t have dared if we’d have lost that 5-0.
That was a game I suspect neither manager really wanted to win. This season is jam-packed with games. Players need fresh legs, the League Cup is not a priority for anyone in the Premier League, particularly with the covid-fixture pile-up.
Arteta put out a starting 11 that was uninspired. Lots of players that are struggling for form, some that will be sold, and some that we haven’t seen this season. With that in mind, we weren’t that bad. We put in another fairly dogged defensive performance, we asked different questions of Liverpool tactically, and we eventually ground out a win via shootout.
The second half was more positive than the first. We found the front three a little more often, but they all seemed 0.5 seconds off the pace. Still, you can’t say we didn’t have a go and you also can’t deny that even the second team fights to the death… not something that was true of Wenger’s latter year League Cup sides. Dissenter in the comments made the point that we had a doubleheader against City a few years ago and we couldn’t muster a response in the second game. We found one today. Also worth contrasting that this same game last year was a 10 goal thriller. 0-0 is a sign of the times, it’s the vision of a backroom team that prioritizes defence over attack. I don’t hate that.
As Roy Keane said the other day, the most important statistic is the score. The hero keeping that respectable? Bernd Leno.
I AM SORRY FOR DOUBTING YOU.
He made a thrilling save in the first half from Jota that spilt into the danger area, the bar rattled hard with the Minamino follow-up. Palming the ball into danger seems like a new thing from him this season. I (you as well) was a bit worried about him going into half time.
WHO WERE WE TO SPEAK ILL OF THE GERMAN KING?
His second-half performance was fucking fabulous. His low save from a swept VVD shot was magic. He tipped over a looping header where he switched hands mid-air. He was first to everything. He was a HERO.
I’ll say this aloud: EMI WHO?
One for the records: I don’t think we’ll see a lot of Runar this season.
We also need to have a conversation about Nicolas Pepe. It’s really not working out, is it? There seems to be two things going on, firstly, he’s not at the level you’d expect for a winger in season two. He slows the play. His first instinct is to cut the ball back (remember Wiltord used to do that?). Forward locomotion feels like a rarity. He’s also very weak, which means any sort of tussle leaves him on the floor. Second, he doesn’t look like he really cares. He has the same body language issues as Mesut Ozil. That game yesterday was a disaster class the likes of which you don’t expect of someone with that level of finance behind him. Very worrying. Really, quite unbelievable we gave someone £72m for him, glad that person is no longer here.
Joe Willock had some bright moments, but overall, I’m not sure he moved the needle. Mo Elneny still looking like a starter above him.
Cedric looks quite efficient going forward, I think he likely has the best delivery on the right and he certainly still has pace.
Eddie was fairly quiet, but the service wasn’t really there. Saka had a good game, slotting in all over the pitch. I love that his instinct is always forward, he’s the opposite of Pepe. He really is going to be some player. Again, it’s the players that didn’t start that matter: No Reiss against a team he scored 2 against last season.
The penalties were really good. Mo Elneny missed his. But Bernd managed two super saves denying Wilson and Origi. AMN finished like an ice-cold killer, as per usual. Laca, Cedric and Pepe all finished well. Then Willock finished the game off with a shot that narrowly squeezed under the glove of Adrian.
So the most important stat of the night? A victory at Anfield. The second most important? A clean sheet because of a worldie performance from a keeper under pressure. Get this, Leno is the first Arsenal keeper since 2012 to keep a clean sheet at Anfield. That keeper? Vito Mannone.
So what have we learned?
Well, Arteta is very much aware that we’re in desperate need of a creative midfielder. First or second team, it doesn’t matter the configuration, we’re not creative unless we’re leaking goals. Folk peddling the idea that the club doesn’t know where the squad is weak are waaaay off base. Arsenal are gunning very hard at the problem, so hopefully, we’ll hear good news. My worry is that even if we do land Aouar, is that enough? 5 years ago we had too many creative technicians, now we don’t have a single suitable player that can do the job. What happens if the one signing tears their ACL? Bland. That’s what happens.
It’s worth remembering that we’re still massively hamstrung by the terrible way Arsenal managed transfers over the past decade, the rebuild given the situation and ongoing moment is probably going to be slower than we hoped. The challenge we’re having is that all the clubs in Europe; who also have financial issues, know we want to clear deadwood. They are lowballing us. All of them looking for cut-price deals. Again, this is a legacy issue, not an Edu problem (mostly). At least a chunk of that problem is out of contract next June.
Though our creativity wasn’t elite, there was a clear shift in tactics to give us more opportunity to get the ball in Liverpool’s half, Klopp acknowledged as much after the game. We explored the right as much as the left, our lack of shots on goal felt the result of a lack of killer instinct just as much as our limited ambition with final third passing. There needs to be serious solve though, otherwise, this season is going to be laborious and very imprecise when we attack.
We also learned that William Saliba is not going to be the starting hero everyone had hoped for. Again, I am glad we signed him, he’ll hopefully be a star, but looking back to last summer, our overspending on a player that won’t be ready until next season seems quite mad considering what our squad still lacks (£100m outlay on two players still not ready is so bad). Arteta says he’ll have a transitional year with us to get fit, mentally right, and to adapt to the power and pace of the beastliest league in the world. Also worth remembering that there are about zero 19-year-olds killing it at centre back at top clubs in Europe.
I found some of the bitching about the lack of sexy football a little hard to digest. We have a clear identity with the players we have at the moment, it’s version 1.0, but it’s necessary and it will evolve (switching formations in-game seemed like a new move last night). We don’t have the squad to play expansive football, so we don’t. Arteta wants to win more than he wants to entertain, so we are a side that has been remade to be able to defend and attack in a very structured way. Someone in the comments was reminiscing about the Wenger days mid-game. Incredible that anyone would want to go back to years of Glorious Failure with big teams lining up to spank us with ease. 8 years of being absolutely pathetic, so bad teams would give us the ball so they could bully us off it and score. This season will be about pragmatic football if we don’t land the players Arteta needs to play expansive football. Arteta wants to win games, he’s not here for the purists, he’s here for the Champions League places and he’s built a system that he thinks can nick wins and keep clean sheets. This is a 1-0 to the Arsenal kind of year I’m afraid.
Yesterday wasn’t winning any awards for aesthetics, but that was Liverpool, they are better than us on every level top to bottom, and we delivered the performance needed to beat them. The third time in four games to be precise, even better when you consider the brutality of the weekend. We did it with a team that was less than ideal in a competition that is the lowest on the Arsenal priority list. Majority of the coaching staff focus will have been on winning this Sunday. The club desperately wants to go into the international break in the top 4. That is the #1 focus of this season. Getting back into the Champions League so we can afford a summer richer than Leeds United next year.
Regardless of the focus, that was a GREAT night for the process.
Winning breeds winning. Beating great teams is good for momentum. Crushing penalty shootouts is excellent for team bonding. Last night was a good night. If you can’t enjoy beating the best in the game, why bother?
P.S. Huge LOLz that we drew City in the next round. We are cursed with cup draws at the moment. City, Chelsea, Leicester, Liverpool, now City again. Still, you have to beat the best if you want to bring home trophies. Might as well start early.
Marko
“This is what is getting to me. That we’re forced to loan out a good player cause a bad player is still around is dumb”
Sounds like another excuse to go along with all the others .
Maybe it’s time for you to accept that at this present time , as I told YOU a couple of weeks ago , Saliba is not ready tro play and Holding and Mustafi are better options .
William Saliba / Cost: £27m / Appearances: 0
This is going to turn into another Wellington Silva.
MJ
Torriera? Recall Elneny back from loan? Play AMN in midfield? Buy someone for £20 million who’s better than Xhaka – the PL is full of them?
You can’t hoard shit players and then plead poverty when you’ve turn good bids down.
Anyway it’s all hypothetical reasoning and excuses for what is at the end of the day something pretty simple Mikel just doesn’t fancy the player. We see it with others we saw it with Martinelli and we saw it with Ceballos initially. Hey look he prefers Holding and Mustafi to Saliba who are we to argue with him he’s the one with the sauce. With that in mind and given our needs for money then we might be better off selling Saliba
If Holding was a monster defender his lack of on the ball composure and very suspect passing maybe would be forgiven.
But he’s not a monster defender. He’s a useful defender.
Marko
I have not seen Saliba play so I won’t comment on his ability. But see Madrid tend to go after players who are bigged up by media. Again not saying Saliba is good or not as I don’t know but interest from Madrid or for that matter any other club should not be a barometer to estimate a players’s capability. Pepe was being termed a generational talent by some when we were linked to him but I don’t know he never impressed me one bit since he played for Arsenal. Media hype is just crazy these days.
Xhaka must give good bjs
Everyone one of us would have binned him immediately.
Such a shame Guendozi is being ostracised.
We’ll flog one or two of the deadwood and then won’t have time get get an incoming deal over the line.
Maybe he even sees Calum Chambers as ahead of Sailba in the pecking order.
Calum was having a monster game in that match he got injured and had to come off.
There is a glimmer of hope for Chambers. Not as fullback or wingback but as CB.
Then he again he can crumble like Holding can when the heat is really turned on them.
Pierre
“””Saliba is not ready to play….”””””
Luiz aint ready to play- Yet the Teachers Pet keeps getting selected
At Anfield. ( 2 games for Arsenal)
3 goals conceded both time. A Pen and a mistake
At Man City.
3 goals conceded. A red card and pen conceded
At Chelsea
2 goals conceded. A red card and pen conceded
Young players will never be ready, if you dont believe in them or blood them.
(Anelka was instrumental in winning Arsenal the double at 19!)
appalling man management.
Torreira is a great player, his confidence after Emery tried playing him as a 10 plummeted and he hasn’t looked the same since.
He’s also having some troubles with living in England and clearly wants a sunnier environment. It’s a shame, I still think with our current tactics he’d be the most crucial player for us. Such a fucking waste.
Guendozi and Torreira as the base and then you can chuck Cebellos ahead for the midfield 3.
That’s a decent midfield.
But what do I know, I must be retarded because I haven’t picked Xhaka as a starter.
This is Arteta but sounds like vintage Wenger…
‘but we are trying our best and I’m really happy with how the link and communication is flowing at the moment.’
https://arseblog.news/2020/10/arteta-we-are-trying-our-maximum-over-transfers/
There’ll be no Aouar. Brace yourselves for a slow Chelsea reject on loan.
Holding and Chambers. It’s the future. 🙁
Kaz
Stick to making your own judgements and skip any “everyone of us” type remarks, you definitely don’t represent my views.
Kaz
“Xhaka must give good bjs”
The Xhaka years at Arsenal are still in full gear.
Teets is big on back three.
Back three means plenty of Xhaka. Plenty. Ever present as has been the case before.
But see Madrid tend to go after players who are bigged up by media.
Eh. One of the most successful clubs in world football just go after hyped up players in the media? That’s pretty fucking dumb if you ask me. In fact I’d argue that given some of their history in targeting young highly rated CB’s i.e Sergio Ramos and Varane as teenagers as great examples that they know what they’re doing.
Arsenal & Lyon are still yet to make a breakthrough in talks for Houssem Aouar. It’s looking complicated & there is less optimism now. Jorginho is another option being mentioned. [@LaurensJulien] #afc
My worst nightmare of a Xhaka-Jorginho pivot is perilously close to becoming a reality.
TR7
It won’t last if it does happen – our lack of forward penetration would get even worse and results would follow.
Again, new staff but same issues. Can’t push a deal over the line. Unless it’s for a £72m pub player and a £22m mentally weak CB. Then we’re all over it.
Arteta, Emery and Wenger all poisoned by Arsenal FC.
TR7
“My worst nightmare of a Xhaka-Jorginho pivot is perilously close to becoming a reality.”
Back three to give them defensive security.
Registas who can’t defend are possible with a back three behind them.
Anything is possible with Teets liking for back three.
Champagne Charlie
I don’t even know what the fuck you’re on about.
@Ishola
I just can’t understand how they don’t see what we see.
He hits the ball hard when he makes a pass. That’s basically it. David Luiz does better balls over the top then he does.
My worst nightmare of a Xhaka-Jorginho pivot is perilously close to becoming a reality.
Xhaka and Jorginho as holding midfielders with Elneny still in the squad and a back 3 that turns into a 5 with Rob Holding in it. All we need is our best source for goals playing out of position and tracking back opposition fullbacks and we’ll be in full Arteta mode.
Here’s hoping for Aouar and Partey so we can save Mikel from himself
Those quotes do sound Wengerish a tad though.
“If we find qualidee in the market we will do it”
Its just the fact they’re so close to the deadline that it’s worrying.
Ohhh I get it.
Cc wants a Xhaka BJ.
LOL
Put that razor down Teets.
We are here to help you.
‘My worst nightmare of a Xhaka-Jorginho pivot is perilously close to becoming a reality.‘
Thank God I’m a huge boxing fan and the fights are back in full flow if this is the eventuality. What would be the point?
Kaz
You want Guendouzi and Torriera at the base of midfield and still have room to cast aspersions. I’ll get Bris to throw a prayer in for you ya hopeless cunt 😂
😂
I mean it’s the most Arsenal thing ever to happen.
I’d take Jorg over Xhaka everytime BTW, but I don’t want them starting together.
Agent run club. Period.
No scouting going on at all.
Willian at a £1m a month.
Luiz.
Soares.
Mari.
Cabellos.
Saliba.
Pepe.
These are not the players you sign if you want to win. Ergo, we are being played by the agents and CEO.
Marko
You excited to get your boots on and play against the Arsenal in the EL?
And this is what Aubameyang extended for?
There’s still time to sign Flamini up for a third time.
Left
If we don’t get anything done I’m sure Auba will be asking himself that.
“Liverpool striker Rhian Brewster is on the verge of completing a permanent move to Sheffield United in a deal worth up to £23.5m”
If Liverpool decide to sell 10 of their fans they would get more than what Arsenal would get for their entire squad. How they managed to get so much money for every player they decide to sell is just unbelievable. I know Arsenal players are overpaid but we can’t even shift MG or LT who are good players. The inexperience of Mikel, Edu and the sauce of Steve Round is on display
Cc
Guess you forgot what Torreira was like when he first got here and got mindfucked by Mr Good Ebening.
Guen needed some of that elite coaching but he ended up playing as the lone protagonist in a team of hiders which often included your boy Xhaka. With good direction that kid becomes a baller.
Xhaka has been shit for years. Been found out from day one but here he is still.
Kaz
Mindfucked?
Excuse. The man is weak. No one alive should ever be able to influence you under any circumstance. No one!
These players are mentally weak. It’s a millennial thing.
Spurs are quietly doing some proper business in the this transfer window. This season the competition for places in the top 6 is going to be a dog fight.
Left testicle
“There’s still time to sign Flamini up for a third time.”
Flamini in his first period at the club was several levels above any current Arsenal central midfielder.
Charles I might have done but it’s out of the way and there’s still restrictions over here on gatherings. Otherwise I would have loved seeing Arsenal battering 11 Irishmen in the flesh
Mindfucked because he’s a holding mid being asked to play as a 10.
It’s not in his locker and he struggled.
I wouldn’t say he’s weak, he’ll go to Atleti and be a baller. He just got Emeried badly.
Ish nails it.
Flamini was a really good pro. Nothing mind blowing but a decent, hardworking lad who we could depend on.
And he’s a billionaire. Smart too. I like him.
@Gun
Guen is a millennial but you wouldn’t say he’s weak.
That’s lazy thinking.
Marc,
I’m sure Auba’s £250,000 PER WEEK will soften the blow.
Arsenal boss Arteta says the Gunners are ‘as big as Barcelona’ – and claims that’s why Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang turned them down to captain an ‘incredible’ team at the Emirates
…………………
Comedy Gold
Kaz
What if we say Guendozi is immature and acts like a petulant child?
Kaz
Think maybe your football takes are more questionable than you’d like to believe…
Kaz mate…
Look, unless a player is asked to do something ridiculous like an outfielder playing as GK or vice versa…or a defender playing as an attacker, or vice versa…players should adapt.
A good player is a good player.
But the trouble now a days is everyone has an excuse. One of my sporting idols, Viv Richards would go anywhere and dominate. Sub continent, Aus…wherever. No excuses, no helmet. Just some chewing gum and self belief.
If a player can’t work out a slightly different position, then they aren’t good enough.
Marko
Who the fuck are they? Can you compare them to an English side for an idea of ability?
LT it’s £350,000 pw.
@Marc
It’s wrong to be immature? You expect a 20 year old to immediately think like a 36 year old man?
Anyway I don’t know the nature of their breakup, maybe Arteta is just too hard on him?
Who knows, I’d still take him over Xhaka as a starter everytime.
Whoever the paddies are, they will bring it. I expect a tough game and Arsenal to get the shit kicked out of them.
The quack quartet of Ozil, Xhaka, Muatafi and Kola gets to stay at Arsenal for one more season while the likes of Torreira, Guen, Martinez etc. are forced to look for new pastures.
HE WON’T play Saliba, Torreira, Guendouzi and Ozil.
HE WILL play Holding, Elneny, Xhaka and Nketiah.
HE SIGNED Soares and Willian.
HE SOLD Martinez.
HE CAN’T seal deals for Auoar and Partey.
20 isn’t young. That’s voting age. Driving three years. Drinking for three. Fucking for four years and probably in the last year of university.
Jesus, I was very mature at 20. Mind you, I was mature at 8 years old.
My bad. I was only £100,000 PER WEEK out.
@Guns
Yes and no.
If we chuck Ronaldinho in as a centre back, we expect him to stay disciplined and constantly making tackles and keeping to his position? If he doesn’t is he a shite player?
I get the point where you need to be able to ask more of yourself but some players don’t work out in other positions. Torr tried and wasn’t great, got bossed out and lost and then his confidence went.
Whereas if we kept playing him consistently to where we know he excels, I am very confident he would he a starter.
LT
Meh, £100,000 to them is like you losing a £5 on a night out while you give blow jobs to transvestites.
Kaz
If Guendozi is so fucking good why does no one want to buy him?
Kaz
Re read it. I said unless the position is ridiculous. Then you give Ron playing at CB. Come on.
We all have natural positions etc but football these days is so fluid, good players should be able to move about a bit.
Take me for example, a natural CB, CM and forward…also a world class GK. Musician. Funnyman and ladies man. It’s possible.
Marc get that right.
All the clowns are getting a couple right today.
But then, a broken watch etc.
Hackney
You missed off modest
The combined value of Dundalk, Molde, and Rapid Vienna is less than 50m according to transfermarkt.
One thing I like about the Europa League is I’m always learning new cities and clubs I hadn’t heard of before.
Dundalk is a city of 40k people , the club is worth 2m, and its two biggest tourists attractions are a medieval castle ruins and a whiskey distillery.
The last bit I probably could’ve guessed without a google search lol.
@Gun
A ball winning midfielder to a holding midfielder is logical. It’s not logical to then shift him up and as an extra link in the attack.
It’s a romantic idea and against Tottenham where he scored it worked out beautifully due to Dier falling flat on his arse but that was more luck.
Ironically we had Aaron Ramsey but Emery obviously knew better…..
Tom
Take your racism elsewhere.
You will only find tolerance here.
Disappointed.
Kaz
Ramsay was and is fucking shit. Apart from that one magical season, he’s a 6/10 player.
Nice looking. Smart haircut but not a great.
@Marc because his fallout with Arteta and because they know we want big money.
@Gun Hehe, I missed it on the first read but fair enough, but playing as a defensive specialist and being asked to become a link from midfield to attack is a very different set of skills.
Kaz
Big money? What’s big money we’d take £20 million right now.
But Rambo was a player who could link midfield with attack and get you goals.
We also started playing well again once Emery reintegrated him back into the side. Then overplayed him to injury again.
I don’t have Pedro’s hateboner on Rambo, he was a good player who was sometimes great and sometimes not so great, but he is better than Xhaka.
Kaz
If you are a pro anything, you should be able to adapt.
Maybe I’m being harsh but playing football isn’t hard. It really isn’t.
I’m so shocked at the one footedness of players. This isn’t a boast, but I taught myself to be two footed. I’m naturally right but I am more than capable with my left. In fact, my shot with my left always felt cleaner and more nailed on.
It’s training.
Tom
“One thing I like about the Europa League is I’m always learning new cities and clubs I hadn’t heard of before.
Dundalk is a city of 40k people , the club is worth 2m, and its two biggest tourists attractions are a medieval castle ruins and a whiskey distillery.”
And The Cranberries pissed all over The Corrs.
@Marc
Finances are tight for most clubs right now, they want proven pedigree players. As they gotta stretch the pounds.
If we play him regularly again this season with good coaching his price will be big for the next summer window.
Kaz
So he’s not actually good now but he might be?
I ‘m inclined to think that with about 8 central defenders on our books most of whom are not attracting interest from other clubs (Mustafi,chambers,Kola,Socratis) yet we must offload some players to create room for the incoming ones is the reason why Saliba is being lined up for a loan move .
GoH
It’s not racism but bigotry.
If I’m gonna get scolded do it for the right reasons please
Looks more and more like Arteta is a great coach, but not necessarily a great manager yet. Like many said at the time letting two novices in charge of that very difficult recruitment campaign is proving a dangerous move. Arteta and his treatment of two French U21 teammates of Aouar is sending mixed signal to Aouar. If you are Aouar and you hear that Guendouzi is in the doghouse that Saliba is likely to be sent away for not being ready for premiership. One you can understand, but two will lead to doubt. Also with the desire of Aouar to… Read more »
@Gun
I mean why can’t Bellerin cross a fucking ball then? He’s training constantly on it I presume? It’s just not in his locker.
Some players have some limitations.
I started as a RB as a kid, then went to CB, then went to holding mid, then to Right mid and ended up as a Right Winger in my very short footballing years. I know exactly what you mean about pushing yourself and training.
Tom
Touché
Well played.
@Marc
He is good.
We should send Saliba to Norwich, they’re selling Godfrey, they play possession based football, he’ll pick up 40 games, the language, and a better understanding of English football.
But we should tie him down on a new 5 year deal before he goes anywhere.
Kaz
Honestly, it boggles the mind when I see a footballer packing £200,000 pw and having to literally reshape his body to make a pass because the ball fell on his ‘wrong’ side.
It’s like a boxer, ONLY being able to hit with one hand???
What’s the difference?
BTW I’m on your side. Too many on here take things a little to personally.
Rich
Tie a man down to five years when he hasn’t kicked a ball and is too weak to play football?
Good move.
Don’t know when Arsenal are playing Dundalk away but I’m sure CG is already looking up the best itinerary and scrambling for tickets.
This guy is just nuts about Europa league and Arsenal.
Such a fan.
Whether you are pro Arteta, unsure of him but open minded (there are 1 or 2 on here) or think he’s the wrong choice / not ready there is one very simple fact. Kroenke has shown that his tolerance for managers is 1 failure to make the CL after that you are on thin ice. As soon as it became clear that Wenger wasn’t going to make it in the second season out of the competition he was leaving, Emery wasn’t allowed to finish the season like Wenger but was rightly removed. Now this is Arteta’s first season but right… Read more »
Kaz
If he is good why won’t someone buy him?
You can’t answer that because he is not rated by other clubs.
I can’t wait to see the ubiquitous ‘new manager’ list appearing in the next few days.
Is Baglesmann still a thing?
Tuchel?
Rose?
Alardyce?
@Gun
I feel the same way honestly, you don’t have to be Santi Cazorla levels of two footedness but you should have enough confidence and ability to control with the weaker footer and the ability to first time hit it.
GoH,
I agree that professional footballers should be proficient with both feet. Everytime a player take a rabona, pundits are excited, all I see is a player who can’t use his weak foot.
From the training video of last season, Arteta had started to have skill drills that included the use of both feet. However that will take months if not years for players to be ready.
Banford
Threatened to kill you?? Haha fuck off.
The only way you’ll die in the short term is if that stick you’ve got shoved so far up your arse finally pierces your brain.
Answer me this. Have you ever spent the afternoon/evening in the pub with your mates watching the football taking the piss out of eachother? Ever?
I answered Marc you just want to go in circles, I appreciate the energy but I don’t want to keep repeating myself
Kaz
OK you answer my question Guendozi is not all that and no one is interested in him for any sort of fee.
Christ even Xhaka had someone interested.
Val
Quick £10,000 fines for fucking up training will cure that ASAP.
Left/right only sessions should sort it.
No excuses I’m afraid. A leg is no different to a hand and if a boxer can do it, so should a footballer.
Marc
Who the fuck wanted Xhaka?
Broadmoor?
“Whether you are pro Arteta, unsure of him but open minded (there are 1 or 2 on here) or think he’s the wrong choice / not ready ….”
Marc, Arteta curious is my personal preference……kinda like collage girls experimenting with their sexuality before they settle down and merry
Son of Spurs shows the benefit of being a genuine two footed player.
And yet Teets seems fixated on left footers as Valentin highlighted in a post a few days ago even to the extent of supporting Xhaka’s inclusion due primarily to his one left foot.
@Marc
Guen hasn’t played in like 7months…
Ish
I think everyone has one left foot. Even Daniel Day Lewis. Nailed it.
Marc Torriera? Recall Elneny back from loan? Play AMN in midfield? Buy someone for £20 million who’s better than Xhaka – the PL is full of them? You can’t hoard shit players and then plead poverty when you’ve turn good bids down. Torreira is still understandable because he played that posittion under Emery before he was pushed forward to the 10 position. But Elneny and AMN in midfield in the middle of the season without a preseason at the time Mikel Arteta was appointed was a big risk. When he was appointed he expressed his plans to get the maximum… Read more »
Hackney
Hertha Berlin bid £23 million for him in Jan and then Arteta persuaded Xhaka to stay.
MJ
Xhaka is a terrible player and not fit for the PL. Finding a replacement whether permanent or temporary is not and would not have been even close to impossible.