Arsenal dropped their squad picture for the season. Bit weird that Mesut is in it, but hey ho, what are you gonna do?
BIG trouble for Willian. He’s been busted taking a hot trip to Dubai to meet with Salt Bae. He was caught by… a photo. Which suggests the trip was probably permitted. The story seems to say that he’ll have to take a covid test before he returns to play with the lads… not sure that’s any different to how the rest of the players will have to behave. Kind of feels like this story is a bit of a nonsense. Hardly a Sneeze Rave in Brockley Park, is it? Also, notable that the Brazilian is all over the .com. I suspect the club will welcome a bit of alone time for him, needs to get his nut on the game this weekend.
Our big hope after this lockdown is that Arteta has had some time to think through the abomination before the international break and work on some solutions. He’ll have had plenty of players to work with, so hopefully there’s some new thinking heading into another outrageous run of Premier League games.
I’m hearing mutterings that he very much likes the Swedish kid…
Our first game back is Leeds away. Far from ideal. They play like a pack of hyenas, hunting you down, harassing you… scoring goals for fun. There’s quite a chunk of the fanbase that thinks the best way for Arteta to get over the loss last week is to throw all caution to the wind and try to savage them back. That my friends, is what dim people suggest. We don’t have the players, nor the muscle memory to drops something like that. I suspect the system will stay in place, but the chess pieces will move around.
There are some forced moves that we’ll have to deal with. Mo Elneny is out with Covid. That likely opens to the door for Dani boy next to Thomas Partey. The question is who fills in for the more advanced role? Will Arteta dare put Granit Xhaka in against a side that will see him as a tactical weakness? Is it time for Joe Willock to get a runout? His positional sense and movement could be problematic for Leeds, especially on the break.
What is apparent is the options in midfield aren’t exactly oozing sex appeal. However, it appears the rumblings have started up for January.
The most alarming of them is that Christian Eriksen has been linked with a swap deal for Granit Xhaka. Now, on paper, I quite like the idea of moving on the Swiss for someone creative. However, the deal would put us back on course to repeat the mistakes of signing greats of the past. The Dane has been a machine during his career for assists and vital setpieces. However, at 28, on £250k a week, it’s hard to look at signing him as anything outside Mesut MKII. After watching that Spurs doco, it’s apparent he’s a bit of a beta male. Not sure I like that.
Now, I could tolerate the move if it were a loan for 5 months. I would also want to see movement on Aouar or Sobolazai. My preference would be the Hungarian. He has a low price point and a very high ceiling. You also don’t have the annoyance of an entourage that’ll be pushing for Madrid after 3 assists. Though the Austrian League is less competitive than Ligue 1, I do like that Dominik is and out and out goals and assists machine. The ceiling there is very high.
Any of those players improve us, but two of them are the profile of player we SHOULD be signing. The other is just giving oxygen to a transfer strategy that has not helped us at all.
I’d normally suggest that Arsenal moving for anyone is January unlikely… but, we know there’s probably budget available from the signings we didn’t make in the summer. Well, that’s the hope anyway.
There’s also a higher probability that we clear a few players off the wage bill that have 5 months to go on their deals… though I won’t hold my breath.
Ok, do you feel textually satiated? Good. Now listen to a podcast I did with an Arsenal and a Spurs fan, it’s called United Mates Podcast. They had a quiz at the start they had to scrap because I was so bad at it. I talked some good football though, enjoy.
Nelson I actually think our academy and youth recruitments generally look quality these days The question for me is can/will arsenal give the best players a serious platform to make the grade or should we expect more of the same cockblocking with senior squad players as we’ve seen so far apart from for saka Some of our kids right now are quality but without either getting loans or minutes in the first team they’re irrelevant. Smith Rowe, Nelson, AMN and Saliba are now our poster boys for irrelevance (regardless of their individual circumstances) Let’s hope arsenal seriously sort it out… Read more »
We just need Dominik S ….. and Aouar
I miss the days of our mids being like a symphony of destruction to opposition.
We need 2 creative mids… not one… genuine scoring and assist dribbling machines.
Look at the mold of Cesc, Hleb TR7
TR7 never saw a shot he did not like.
Long distance bombs…
Cesc always shot right at the goalie, but went to Barca and did much better.
Our team could unpick any low block back then, with TH, RVP as well.
Say what you want, but Wenger did have some utter gems of players and did play with the handbrake off…
His other problems are another story
I do hope we get some attacking mids in Jan!
Luiz is a mild mannered happy fella. Something much have really irked him.
Dani the loanee is fighting first team players…. !?
What the F
In Germany, money does not wash. You have to be a philosopher and statesman.
La, la, la, la (hey!)
Wait till I get my money right
La, la, la, la (yeah!)
Then you can’t tell me nothing, right?
Excuse me, is you saying something?
Uh, uh, you can’t tell me nothing (ha, ha!)
You can’t tell me nothing
Uh, uh, you can’t tell me nothing
Pierre we might sneak a victory against Leeds but not with that scoreline. How many of the Leeds starting eleven went away for meaningless internationals?
Leeds are just two points behind us and have scored more than us in the league this season. I don’t see us walloping them 3-0.
Dani fought with Nketia, now reportedly involved in a scuffle with David Luiz.
Waiting to see if he will get the Guen treatment.
2 things
1.It will be a low score game vs leeds,
2. It will be brutal on our player
https://twitter.com/DaniCeballos46/status/1329463425597124608?s=20
Ceballos tweeted that ^^^ in response to Ornstein’s tweet about the ‘incident’.
The problem with pack the bus tactics is lack of options, attacking football is dynamic,
the opposition will be caught offguard because there are many options of doing it
Everyone now knows what to expect from Arsenal while we dont know what to expect from teams that play positive football.
Guns
“The US is so ass backwards compared to other countries”
Unfortunately this is 100% true.
That’s what happens when the dollar rules.
If you are going to criticise Arteta then at least do it constructively. We have lost sofar 4 games this season. Two were away against Liverpool and Man City and to be frank those results were to be expected.They are better teams. The other two defeats were against Leicester and Aston Villa at home and were not expected. There is a strong case for criticising both manager and players for the performance there. Arteta has acknowledged in both games his personal responsibility. It is always difficult to identify precisely the reasons for Arsenal’s failures, because they are often different in… Read more »
Stroller “and we have a major problem in finishing clinically.” The major problem is not the finishing, it’s the creating of chances , aubameyang 8 games , 8 shots at goal in the league says it all. Nketiah has started one league game ( 1 goal) and you think he has been poor. Lacazette 9 shots in 6 games( 3 goals) And yet you are in agreement that the player who has created the most chances per 90 minutes under Arteta is not in the squad.. The strikers are not blameless but they are feeding on scraps and nothing will… Read more »
No Partey for Leeds.
it’ll have to xhaka and Dani then, in MF?
they did alright at Wembley….
maybe AMN for Saka as well? Saka clocked a lot of minutes over the break…
ES Good morning. The criticism of Arteta is, I feel, totally justified. At the end of last season, there were clear signs that we were on an upward curve. Yes, we still had frailties but it was evident that we were looking more like a team and believed in what we were doing. This season however, things have gone pear shape. Arteta, imo, has tinkered too much and his stubborn refusal to adapt to given situations has cost us big time. Tactically, we are inept with the ball and going forward we have little variety in our play. Decisions off… Read more »
@GD, yes unfortunately Saka needs a rest, so AMN would be the obvious replacement. Not sure if we’ll still be using a 343 though, I’d like to see Tierney as a LB rather than a LCB, AMN or Saka on the left of a midfield three or further forward if we switch Auba centrally.
In reality though it’s likely to be more of the same with direct replacements for those unavailable (although how you could call Xhaka a direct replacement for Partey is a mystery).
Andy 1886 – you are forgetting AMN is currently in the naughty corner.
@NORG – Possibly, I guess we will see on Sunday.
On a completely different subject what is all this ‘Protagonist’ BS about? Emery liked the word, Pedro seems to be a fan, and Arteta used it in his press conference today. Nothing more annoying than a buzz-word bandwagon that’s utterly meaningless.
You’re right Andy.
Also, Emery using the word protagonists when we were the exact opposite under him was like countries like North Korea or East Germany having ‘Democratic’ in their official name to deflect from the truth.
If Arteta has begun using the same, it’s not a good sign considering we’re becoming more and more reactive instead of proactive in our approach to even middling opponents.
“Luiz “took exception” to a challenge by the Span international at the end of a training ground match last week which prompted him to lash out. Luiz is reported to have struck Ceballos on the nose, drawing blood through a scratch, before the pair were separated by members of the Gunners’ coaching staff.”
Wasn’t it Luiz who crocked Martinelli in training????
China
Thanks for reading my post on Marx/Engels!
Perhaps Arteta doesnt like being the subject matter – Emery obviously felt the pressure towards the end.
A healthy dose of player poverty earlier on by certain posters on the last post andnsome rubbish about Villa having a better squad than ours from someone else too.
So much excuses, let’s hope we see something different on Sunday and for the love of all that’s good ditch the current system that hasn’t seemed to work so far
Graham62
Sorry, loyalty means everything, – otherwise why do you support Arsenal?
I’ll grant you, loyalty is a two-way street, and we’ve had little from Stan. But Arteta is a different matter.
I guess you got out of bed in a bad mood.
Arteta is learning fast. When he was asked by a reporter about the Ceballos and Luiz incident, his reply was that he didn’t see it. The matter has been resolved. This is the Wenger’s way of sweeping it under the carpet.
imagine if we manage to beat Leeds, it will be like getting a 15th fa cup!!
ffs. embarrassing clown show.
englandsbest
Sorry, I meant to say.-
“Loyalty means nothing” in this case.
Actually I’m in a good mood even though I’m stuck on a train half way between Worthing and Portsmouth.
It just keeps getting better and better – Partey and Elneny both out for Leeds.
Maybe Xhaka can put in one of the odd good performances he manages a season..
marc
he’ll have to, or we’re toast
With so many players out,we will get a good result because the selected squad will be fighting for their lives
gd
I’m trying not to be negative.
“With so many players out”
Liverpool are in a similar boat – not sure about other PL teams.
marc
neither am I 🙂
Afternoon,
Willian took a trip to Dubai without permission. breaking covid protocol
Luis and Dani fighting allegedly.
Nothing like a quiet interlull for us.
So no Elneny, no Partey for this weekend.
xhaka and dani in midfield thats not got car crash written all over it, much.
lets hope Arteta has spent the last two weeks showing the squad the Invincibles dvd!
U4GN
That’s like suggesting showing an episode of MasterChef will make someone who can’t cook lay on a Michelin Star quality meal!
“I’m trying not to be negative.”
One word for you : SAUCE.
Marc,
At this point id try anything, im hoping im wrong, but have a really bad feeling that Sundays game could be a horror show.
“Since Martinez left the building we have lost our mojo.”
But thank god, we still have the sauce.
Highbury
Yeah but is it the real stuff or more bullshit sauce?
@Up4 : this is not a bad feeling.
It’s a fact.
Arteta, however, would not confirm whether Willian would be a part of Sunday’s matchday squad after the Brazilian reportedly made an unauthorised trip to Dubai, which would force him to miss the game due to Covid-19 protocols.
The Arsenal boss maintained the issue would be dealt with by the club internally: “We had a conversation and I explained what I was expecting. I don’t confirm anything, that only it is an issue that has been resolved, explained and let’s move on.”
if thats true it didnt take willian long to start playing up to Arteta.
U4GN
It shouldn’t be – it’s a real pain in the arse that Partey’s missing but we have the players on paper to get a performance out of them.
The problem and the reason Pedro’s so defensive is we’ve been poor this season and it hasn’t looked like we’re pulling out of it.
Hopefully a couple of weeks has given Arteta time to come up with some fresh ideas.
U4GN
“Arteta, however, would not confirm whether Willian would be a part of Sunday’s matchday squad after the Brazilian reportedly made an unauthorised trip to Dubai, which would force him to miss the game due to Covid-19 protocols.”
Where did you get that from? Not a criticism of you but that comment demonstrates why all journalists should be neutered and not allowed to breed.
Trying to shit stir but being a moron, unfortunately a good chunk of the population will buy it.
Highbury, our next 7 leagues games are games that could go either way. Leeds A wolves H spuds A Burnley H Southampton H Everton A Chelsea H other than Burnley who are shocking you wouldnt be surprised if we managed only 8 points from that lot. win at leeds? home against Burnley, draw at wolves and home against southampton lose the rest? on current form especially with our shot shy attack, we could be miles off 4th by boxing day night after playing chelsea. i hope im wrong but can see Arteta losing the dressing room as quick as Emery… Read more »
Marc,
sky sports news mate. from his press conference i presume?
https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11670/12136950/dani-ceballos-and-david-luiz-mikel-arteta-plays-down-arsenal-training-ground-incident
Xhakalson vs a high tempo team, you can be sure diet Pep will give instructions that the ball should not be passed to midfield.
Its Leno to CB, CB to Leno, back to CB then to wingbacks, back to CB then a long pass to Auba. Rinse repeat.
You can take this to the bank!
The most points from our next 7 games is 7. Could be less.
WINTER IS COMING!
After watching how England NT applied the 3 4 3 system, I would be really disappointed if Arteta couldn’t see what’s wrong with his offense. With this system, he has a solid defense. The attack is heavily through the wing. You can’t have your striker spending so much time and energy in the midfield. On top of that, the striker has a bad header. That’s a fatal combination. For the 3 4 3 system to function properly, Arteta needs a more balanced attack. The two inside forwards should be the one to come back and help out to advance the… Read more »
Pierre & Graham 62 Greetings We can continue to blame ad infinitum the manager for his decision making. Yes from time to time he makes mistakes as indeed do most other managers. However, Arsenal’s current erratic form is mainly down to the performance of players on the pitch. We can debate the goalkeeper decision, because Arteta was responsible for that decision. You can argue about the formation. When Arsenal win as we did against Man Utd most people agreed with the decision. On the other hand when we lose as we did against Leicester and AV it is considered by… Read more »
In the next 8 games – we will max take 10 points. I think Arteta’s number will be up before December.
Starting at Leeds – where Xakha and Dani need to start we will be overrun by the mindless runners Leeds have and it will be nothing short of a miracle if we came back with a mauling…
Currently – its very difficult to see any positives. Our mid field is overrun by AV – they just bypassed our midfield as if it never existed.
Leeds is getting two of their best players, Rodrigo and Kalvin Phillips back. That was the team that defeated Villa, Wolves and tied MC. Sunday’s game won’t be easy.
Emirates “You can argue about the formation. When Arsenal win as we did against Man Utd most people agreed with the decision. On the other hand when we lose as we did against Leicester and AV it is considered by some the wrong decision.” Surprised by that coming from you – you usually have a more balanced insight than most on here. The reason “most people” agreed with the defensive setup against ManU was because it was an away match when we haven’t won away against a top 6 team for 300 years. The matches against Leicester and Villa were… Read more »
https://metro.co.uk/2020/11/20/arsenal-owners-prepared-to-back-move-for-e25million-transfer-target-dominik-szoboszlai-13628362/?ito=newsnow-feed
Kroenke in?
If he puts all those lockdown millions to good use I’m not going to complain, clear as day we need reinforcement in January. That, and Arteta needs to get his finger out and start getting the XI right more often than not.
Arteta said: “I mentioned with Joe that I’ve been really impressed with the way he’s handled the situation of not having much game time in the Premier League.” I know this may seem a novel idea ,but how about starting him and give him and Nketiah a run in the side the way he has given Willian and Lacazette a run when they are struggling for form. Up to date, willock and Nketiah have started one league game between them……. We have kids like Balogun, Eddie, Willock, Martinelli, Nelson, Saka, ESR that are ready to make an impact and give… Read more »
U4GN It’s an utterly moronic point and typical of SSN – if Willian went to Dubai then the COVID procedures say he can’t play on Sunday, if he didn’t go why didn’t the club put put a statement refuting the claim as false and move on? A bigger question is what is a player doing taking an action that would mean he isn’t available for an important match? Personally I’d have the Club’s lawyers looking at whether this constitutes breach of contract – it’d be a useful way of getting £10 million a year off the wages bill for the… Read more »
Marc
I think Willian is planning for his retirement. He has started a business in Dubai.
Nelson
Surely a player who takes a deliberate action that means they are unavailable to play is in breach on contract?
Pierre
Balogun has refused to sign a new contract and will leave for a nominal fee in the summer. Unless he’s had a change of heart and is now talking to the club about a new deal playing him is just obstructing the path to the first team for another player.
Marc
“. Unless he’s had a change of heart and is now talking to the club about a new deal playing him is just obstructing the path to the first team for another player.”
https://youtu.be/wjxPqYxDt-o
What better wayis there to convince him to stay than by playing him
Freddie is like to see us be aggressive and get a ore transfer window deal signed and sealed that just doesn’t become active until the transfer window opens Bayern we’re talking him up the other day. Now Real Madrid links. I’m a bit worried by the time the window opens we’ll end up being the ugly step sister in the bidding process and his head will get turned by a bigger and better team Tho tbf he himself has said being in the starting 11 is his priority and he doesn’t need to be in a CL team yet. I… Read more »
Man the process of applying for a green card here is such a pain in the ass
Will be worth it if jt works tho. A 10 year visa, no more fuss each year. No more companies having me by the balls due to it being awkward to change jobs whilst on a work visa…
Marc
The team that barely escaped relegation spanked the champions 7-2 , not sure you can make the argument . That was also when Van Dijk was fit .