Arsenal Banter Archive February 01 2018

01 Feb 2018 16:56:08
Auba can't play for us in Europa League. Damn. 🤔.

01 Feb 2018 17:44:52
No but iwobi can.

01 Feb 2018 18:03:20
I'm really hoping with the new signings there will be no room iwobi. Fitting in lacca, ozil, aubameyang and mich surely that leaves no room for iwobi.

Right?

Please tell me I'm right.

01 Feb 2018 18:16:14
You are wrong D, auba can't play in the EL, that's the point.

01 Feb 2018 18:36:31
Hence the topic of this post 😂 stupid moment there. Surely we can play someone else there. One of many liabilities who add very little.

01 Feb 2018 19:11:50
D my original answer was a little joke with dags. But looking at it again, it isn't a joke. 😂.

01 Feb 2018 20:07:59
Lol Steve 😉.

01 Feb 2018 22:13:40
Did aubameyang not play in the champions league? If so then he can play in the europa surely?

01 Feb 2018 23:39:03
I thought that too Ben.

02 Feb 2018 01:43:01
Dortmund are in the EL now after relegation, so are now in the same competition, you can't play if you have been transfered from a team in the same comp. If they had finished last in group or second or first, he would have been eligible.

02 Feb 2018 10:58:14
But surely he hadn't played in the competition yet Steve so is eligible mate?

02 Feb 2018 12:06:21
You would have thought it would work like that but not in the EL.

02 Feb 2018 14:30:57
Fair play mate if that's how it works then that's how it works, it does sound a bit like something only uafa could dream up.

01 Feb 2018 14:54:42
Can we make a cheeky pre-Summer Transfer Window bid for Mahrez?

Would love to see that guy in an Arsenal shirt.

01 Feb 2018 15:04:28
Dags i will be happy if we don't buy an attacker and we get a new manager. Our massive problem is stopping the opposition. First job replace xhaka, second cech, third two CBs and a RB. After that you can have mahrez, although he is a bit expensive.

01 Feb 2018 15:25:31
Steve,
Stop being so sensible all the time 😁.

01 Feb 2018 15:33:30
Sorry mate, i'm just still confused what we have or haven't done this window. After everything couldn't we just have bought auba and let sanchez go in the summer? We didn't use his deal to buy auba. I can't believe we have the same untouched defensive unit after this window, i'm shocked.

01 Feb 2018 15:40:25
Getting proper obsessed by the money steve. Especially when you were always “ just pay the money Wenger “type of guy . 😂.

01 Feb 2018 15:59:23
Im always obsessed with money sano, probably because i haven't got any. Lol.

01 Feb 2018 16:23:08
Dags, Mahrez has a monk on, he has missed training. Good for us then. Lol.

01 Feb 2018 16:38:17
Exactly Steve,
That's why I thought we could make a cheeky little bid 😁.

01 Feb 2018 14:28:27
Welcome back G62,

I still say you was on a scouting mission in Dortmund with Gazidis and Mislintat 😁.

{Ed025's Note - i heard he was brokering the walcott to everton deal dags, if he was then thanks a lot G62..

01 Feb 2018 14:43:22
Ed you must be chuffed with Everton's business this window got some solid players in.

{Ed025's Note - happy..ish RG, im a bit greedy and would have liked a LB and a box to box midfielder mate..

01 Feb 2018 14:58:44
Ed,
I'm still gutted about Theo.

20 goals last season and we flog him.

Everton will get the best out of him though.

{Ed025's Note - i really hope so dags..

01 Feb 2018 15:01:46
always had a soft spot for Everton i think it stems from my dislike of Liverpool I think you will push on now ready for the summer Just like Arsenal I hope.

{Ed025's Note - that would work for me RG..

01 Feb 2018 16:03:14
Hi Dags mate, Theo like Ox was never going to reach his full potential with Arsenal and Arsene didn't rate them enough to play them regularly.
For both players it was the right thing to do by going elsewhere to save their careers, both took less money than we were prepared to offer in order to get away so it says something.
Ed025 mate i hope Theo is a huge success with your 2nd favourite team mate i really do, if he plays down the middle I still think he could become a 20 plus goals a season striker.

{Ed025's Note - lets hope so mate..

01 Feb 2018 16:24:52
Be interesting to see if Theo stays fit with you boys Ed mate, I don't think Ox has missed a game through injury yet for Liverpool has he?

{Ed025's Note - i dont remember one G62, if theo can stay fit he can really make a name for himself up here mate and maybe a shot at an england recall..

01 Feb 2018 21:00:16
Theos potential has never been in question Ed025 mate but for 12 years now that's all its been, potential without ever really delivering on anywhere near a regular basis.
In my opinion Arsene always viewed both Theo and Ox as kids who he could play and drop and still keep happy. I wouldn't be surprised to see both in this summers England squad mate because on Merseyside they are viewed as men not kids and expectations of them from new managers fans and team mates are all about the here and now not sometime one day which I think will see them both produce more than we ever saw from them at Arsenal.

{Ed025's Note - i agree G62, i think arsene done both of them no favours at all in the way they were treated, they were the fall guys who never complained when overlooked for players with far less skill and commitment, for me they should have left a few years earlier but they were very loyal mate..

01 Feb 2018 10:52:13
Eds, I know we discussed the possibility of Simeone, Ancelloti taking over or being looked at by Arsenal. What abut Joachim Low? Do you think we would look at him. Always liked his football style, although not very successful at Domestic coaching it seems.

{Ed002's Note - JL extended his contact but a couple of clubs have let it be known they would be interested in taking him after the World Cup. Right now I think a move to Arsenal is unlikely.}

01 Feb 2018 08:50:07
Happy new year everyone :-)
Well the Window came and went and for once we were in Arsene's words Active!

On a personal note I was gutted to see Olly and Le Coq go although I understand it was impossible to keep Oly and sign Aumbameyang so it was the right call.
Le Coq really puzzles me as we were already week in the cmf department and he was our only defense minded midfielder so letting him go without an upgrade seems bizarre to me.
Theo? It had to happen, yes he's way and above Iwobi standard but with the greatest respect in the world there a few premier league players who aren't currently above Iwobi standard right now, Theo wasn't playing and how long could we continue to wait for him to deliver that potential he arrived with 12 years ago?
Sanchez obviously it would have been brilliant if he'd wanted to stay but he didn't and in the end we made the best of a less than brilliant situation we'd allowed to happen.
On the players coming in Aumbameyang is a fantastic signing I never thought for a moment he would come to us in our current situation on and off the field, but here he is and I'm sure he will soon have us all declaring him our new best player, I've got really good vibes about this one.
Mkhitarain? I'm not so sure about hopefully we will see the best of him that utd didn't, time will tell, but considering we were going to lose Sanchez for zilch in the summer it's hard to see how getting Mkhitarain out of losing Sanchez in the end wasn't a result.
So in conclusion 4 players out 2 players in doesn't bode well for a team that is struggling to even stay on the coatials of the top 4 contender's,
The first 11 might be slightly stronger with a happy Aumbameyang replacing an unhappy Sanchez but the squad looks decidedly short in everywhere but attack and defensively we are looking more and more fragile with every passing month.
I'm not sure we are going to see any real improvement in results because of this window but neither do I think it will do us any harm to have a couple of new faces in the dressing-room.
Really happy about Mesut staying that is way and above the best news coming out of Arsenal for some time in my opinion, class in grass.

01 Feb 2018 09:43:45
Couldn’t agree more posted something very similar yesterday. We have lost 3 good squad players in Walcott le coq and giroud.

We have hardly spent any money but people seem to be happy. Why when we are so short do we have to sell a player to gain one.

We need to strengthen not replace. We still have the same shambles in defence.

Didn’t think evens was the man to get but would of added some well needed old school defending we need.

It’s always exciting to get someone like auba come to the club but is he any better than Sanchez?

01 Feb 2018 09:46:50
Welcome back mate, you have been missed. I saw a photo of Aubamayang, Ozil, Miki and Lacazette all together and I can’t imagine any other club wouldn’t mind that.

So if they can score 10 between them per game we’ll be fine. 😜.

01 Feb 2018 10:11:42
Good to see you back 62. hope all is well. :-)

01 Feb 2018 10:14:51
Hi Gibbo Johnny Evans wasn't anyones dream signing but how could he have made our defence worse?
Personally I don't think it matters too much who we do or don't sign as although there are obvious weaknesses in our players the problem goes far beyond the players quality.
Theo said on joining Everton " I'm looking forward to playing for a manager who is hungry for success and that's what impressed me most about coming to Everton "
I'm not sure if that was a dig at Arsene but Arsene isn't a hungry for success although he would like it of course.
Arsene has nothing to prove to anyone his career record speaks for itself and he doesn't need to be successful to keep his job because of what he's done in the past.
For me that is the real problem we have the safest manger in football history and that has to effect his ability to stay loyal to Xhaka Iwobi and others, if Arsenes job depended on the players delivering i doubt Xhaka or Iwobi would still be in our 25 man squad let alone starting 11.

01 Feb 2018 10:17:38
Hi Stoner mate totally agree up top we look impressive to say the least, as they say in the films " whatever you do don't look down " :-)

01 Feb 2018 10:28:39
Welcome back mate. You have been missed.

01 Feb 2018 11:09:55
Cheers Sanogo mate, I thought I would give the January window a miss simply because I know some people enjoy the buzz of optimism it brings and I haven't been the most optimistic Arsenal fan over the past 3 or 4 seasons ( not sure if you noticed:-) and didn't want to rain on everyone's hopes and dreams with my usual less than optomisic views :-)
Nothing much has changed during my January subatical on the pitch, we fantastically beat Chelsea over 2 legs to reach another Wembley final which is excellent :-) yet lost to Forest Bournemouth and Swansea which was not quite so excellent :- ( same old same old on a month to month basis but over the season if we were to win the league cuo and europa league ( which we have to go for 100% now) then it won't be an absolutely awful season even if we fishish outside the top 4 which seems increasingly more likely the longer the season goes on, but personally I'd rather win the Europa league than simply make up the champions league numbers with yet another last 16 exit, 8 on the trot was quite enough of those for me for a while ;-)
Hi Nes mate I'm good ta mate and hope you are too Geeza.

01 Feb 2018 11:14:20
Like you say Ozil re-signing was the best business of the window but most likley we could only offer him 350k PER week once Sanchez left and Giroud and walcott left (Walcott in paricular was also a high earner) .

Aumbameyang will score goals for sure but it is not straighforward mix in trying to fit him in the side with Lacazette Ozil and Mikh. without leaving our midfield even more exposed on the counter.

We need more than anything a good DM. Letting Le coq was a strange one but Wenger mo longer fancied him much and he wanted 1st team action. Nither Xhaka, Ramsey, Wilshire or Elneny are the answer to the DM role. Maybe Chambers or Maitland Miles could become a good DM but we need somebody established now.

It not good having top class forward players if defensivly you are just so fragile.

01 Feb 2018 11:40:27
The thing is and I have said before that I value both yours and Steve’s opinion and more often than not agree. A valued member of this page imo. The thing about optimism and pessimism is that it’s a feeling and not factual. Believe me after years of trying to be optimistic about Arsenal it has eventually left me exhausted . I can see a change. Although we still have not invested in areas in dire need of an upgrade I can see that coming now. I’m sure if there was defensive players available at the correct price then something would have been done. I was for Evans coming in but as I stressed it was a stop gap and a quick fix to get us through to the summer. But 20 million for a 30 year old who would essentially be just that for 5 months is not the direction we should go. If he appears for 3 million in the summer for an experienced squad player then great. But we need long term solutions for CB and a new GK. also a dm and a winger. Jorginho of Napoli would be a good start.

01 Feb 2018 12:10:14
Didn’t say he would of made it worse. Said he would of added something we are missing that is old school defending.

Another thing to add are we the only club that celebrates when a player signs a new contract? With other clubs this is just natural.

The problems are deeper than the players. Lacca come here with one of the best goals to game ratio in Europe and because of the treatment from Wenger looks a broken man.

01 Feb 2018 12:26:09
Totally agree Sanogo optomisic or pessimistic everyone is entitled to their view and at the end of the day we are all Arsenal fans who want our club to be all it can be again, the only thing that really divides Arsenal fans is Arsene simply because some still can find optomisim with Arsene in charge while others have given up on Arsene ever again being able to make us all we could be in the modern game.
Arsene will go when Arsene is ready and not before I totally accept that and when he finally decides to go then I think we will see the fans unite and things really start to change at Arsenal football club, there will be no one standing in between the club and the fans keeping the peace so either the board will change their ways or face a totally united fan base that demands change from them.

01 Feb 2018 12:34:58
Sanogo you summed up my thoughts exactly. Evans Would have been a temp solution and for over 12m I get why we didn't go for it and January is always hard to get players. I am more optimistic for the summer as we know from ed the two new guys have been calling the shots. We've got rid of 3 guys who in all honesty weren't good enough for top 4. Although giroud could be debated I am a massive fan of his. And the 2 main players we got in are without a doubt brilliant additions. Let's hope they continue this squad rebuild in the summer.

01 Feb 2018 13:10:47
Welcome back 62 mate,
I think Iwobi will have a lot less games now we have Aubo-Lacca- ozil- and Mkhi.
And it was best for Walcott to move on as for Giroud he was a great plan B. But he wanted more especially the world cup near by. Wish them both well anyways.
And hopefully in the summer we will have a defence upgrade. And a goal keeper too.

01 Feb 2018 14:25:56
Hi Moe Mate, I don't think any of us expect to see title challenges from our current setup Team/ manager/ board anytime soon there just doesn't seem any real hunger for it or hurt from our lack of challenging from anywhere within the club, Sanchez seemed like the only one who couldn't handle our non competiveness and 400k or not the man wanted out of what Arsenal and Arsene call success.
That's why Mesut staying is so brilliant, because his moments of genius can make people smile even though things aren't great right now.
We are a club in limbo right now with no real sense of desire from anyone at the club to be the best we can possibly be again but winning cups and the odd win in games against Spurs Utd :-) plus Chelsea City Liverpool and Mesuts moments of magic certainly make the waiting for change to come more palatable that's for sure.

01 Feb 2018 14:46:59
gunner62, your alive! what's happened to Gunner62, you have lost your big G. Am i right not important but look look younger. Lol.

01 Feb 2018 20:50:05
Not sure where my big G went Steve but my guess is in room 101 with your thumbs mate :-)

01 Feb 2018 03:24:34
On the positive side we managed to bring in Mkhitaryan and Aubameyang to compensate for the loss of Sanchez, as well as extend Ozil's deal, albeit at ridiculous wages for an inconsistent player. We also finally managed to ship out Debuchy and various young players went out on loan. In addition we sold Coquelin for £12m.
Was it wise to sell Giroud to rival for a top four spot and Wenger's decision to hardly play Walcott this season, despite scoring 19 goals last season was baffling. Perhaps his contract was running down, which caused the sale.
It was the second window running where we had no net spend and arguably have not improved the squad, which now has 23 players, on the official site, which includes Cazorla and the new young Greek CB, so arguably is only 21 players. Maybe, this is to make space for summer signings?
My main disappointment would be the lack of defensive signings, which for a team shipping goals was odd. We needed a CB and a DM. The best we can hope for this season is the League Cup, which won't be easy against City and a strong run in the EL. I really can't see a top four place, after recent defeats to Bournemouth and Swansea, Let's hope Aubameyang and Mkhitaryan hot the ground running, as Last summer signings Kolasinac and Lacazette have tailed off after a promising start to their Arsenal careers.

01 Feb 2018 09:25:08
Can you see spurs getting top 4 R. G. after giving man Utd the runaround again last night.

01 Feb 2018 12:27:01
raver61 - trophies are the target, not the odd good win. A decade since your last trophy. Never won the PL and 1961, yes 1961!

01 Feb 2018 13:42:19
the gap is getting bigger R. G. While you play the carabao cup final we are playing champions league and we have a nice little draw in the FA cup along with a guaranteed top 4 finish while we move into the biggest ground in London, 83 thousand fans again last night Arsenal would never pull crowds like that R. G.

01 Feb 2018 00:29:47
For all aubameyangs sulking at dortmund, i can see him smashing up the premiership, boys got a big ego and he's going to wanna get himself to a spanish giant before he's finished.

01 Feb 2018 01:02:12
We need him too. Make up for the other end.