03 Aug 2020 08:25:42
Very happy about us being in the Europa League next season for primarily two odd reasons: 1) it has recently been a good avenue for youth players into first team football and 2) now we get so see more Arsenal games of course :)

For next season my expectations aren't that high. Obviously i will be hoping for the best but i'd view an improvement over this season's finish as a success. I'd definitely give Arteta another year to develop though. 21/ 22 will be when he needs to truly start delivering.

Let's see what we can do this summer but it's surely going to be a difficult one. Maybe another loan for Ceballos and I'd like someone like Doucoure who has the right kind of ability, experience and age for us in my opinion. Then it's all about keeping Auba and Laca while trying to move some players on in order to free some wages and raise funds. And no matter how i look at it i think Arteta has to involve Özil again. He's not doing himself any favours by freezing our most creative player out and he's very likely to stay no matter how hard we try to sell him. So why not just use him while he's still here?

{Ed047's Note - the thing is, I believe he gave Ozil the chance, brought him back into the side and did he repay that time and effort, no he didn’t, he just simply isn’t up for the style of play Arteta wants to have at our club.

Ozil should shine as David Silva does but he has no work ethic and believes talent alone is enough.

1.) 03 Aug 2020
03 Aug 2020 10:42:10
I like Mesut but it's not about the individual choices Mikel makes its all about what Mikels overall team do or don't do that matters.
Play Ozil and finish 8th again and it should be ta ta Arteta next summer and equally finish 8th without Ozil it should be ta ta Arteta next summer.
I back Mikel 100% next season and if he should choose to sell Saka Tierney and Martinez this summer I would still back him 100% because it can't be about individuals it has to be about what the team achieves or doesn't achieve that matters. Obviously he won't sell Saka Tierney and Martinez but if he did and we got 90 points next season and finished top 3 would it really matter if he did?
It's not about how Arteta goes about his job it's all about what his choices and methods deliver on the pitch surely.
I like Ozil I like Auba and I like Guendozi and I like Arteta but I like Arsenal a whole lot more than all of them put together.

2.) 03 Aug 2020
03 Aug 2020 11:06:29
G62 obviously we can sell the whole first team and if we then manage to get let's say top 4 with a team filled with teenagers then it would have been a brilliant job. But what's the likelyhood of us achieving that with kids vs with the first team? And to follow that up what is the likelyhood of us doing better next season with Özil being involved vs Özil sitting in the stands the whole season with no replacement?

3.) 03 Aug 2020
03 Aug 2020 10:44:51
Ed while i think you're right about him not repaying Arteta's faith i would say that a motivated Özil would still be a terrific asset for this team. A year is a long time for a player earning 350k a week so i'd say it's still worth the effort to try and make him interested. By leaving him out completely Arteta is ensuring we won't be getting any effort from Özil and that is a shame.

{Ed047's Note - if you believe the reports, Arteta and Ozil were apparently friends so if Mesut can’t find it in him to motivate himself then for a friend, a manager and the club that’s paying him his fortune what chance do we have of him doing it in the future.

Ozil is an incredibly talent individual who was so impressive initially but now is just floating along without a care for me.

We moaned that we wanted a striker that he could create for, we now have Pepe, Lacazette and Aubameyang and still he can’t be bothered.

How many goals did he create for them against how many he should have.

Ozil looks to have zero drive and made token efforts to press and track back when Arteta gave him the chance. He should be thriving but for me he’s hiding Iceman.

I won’t to be proved wrong, I want to see him come flying out the blocks next season but do you or anyone else see that really happening. It’s not like he even has to worry about international football.

4.) 03 Aug 2020
03 Aug 2020 11:46:19
Hi Ice mate, we all have opinions and beliefs on which is the right way to go, we all have our favourite players and players we don't rate but at the end of the day what we all want to see Arsenal winning games and trophies and playing good football while doing it.
We all enjoy sharing our views and opinions because we are fans and that's exactly how it should be but equally none of us actually know for sure What will or won't work out well because if we did we'd all be title winning managers ourselves wouldn't we :-)
Even if I agreed with every single decision Mikel made between now and the end of next season and we finished 10th I'd want him sacked and equally if I 100% disagreed with every single decision Mikel made between now and the end of next season and we ended up champions I'd want him to be given a 10 year contract and a statue :-)
Ultimately it's all about what Arteta achieves rather than how he achieves it that will make us Arteta in or Arteta out fans:-) .
I'm cool with whatever Arteta does but he should be under no illusion if he his choices I go badly I will not be cool at all and I will have no qualms about posting some very derogatory posts about his abity to manage, even if I though he was right at time :-) .
That's the luxury of being a fan 😎.

5.) 03 Aug 2020
03 Aug 2020 12:17:52
Honestly ed it's hard to argue with any of that. Let's just try to get as much out of him as we can before he leaves 😅.

6.) 03 Aug 2020
03 Aug 2020 15:43:09
It has made me feel slightly uneasy that Auba was considering a move across London during the winter break. I love him to bits but . I think we need players who love to play for us. Emi for instance, Bakayo another. Players who say "C'mon it's Arsenal" when they sign a new contract.

7.) 03 Aug 2020
03 Aug 2020 16:10:46
I'm with you Sally, give a player the going rate so he's able stay with you through choice but never try and buy someone's love and loyalty.
Love me for who I am not because I'm your best bet for material luxuries :-)

8.) 03 Aug 2020
03 Aug 2020 16:25:05
And regarding Mesut, he looks so frail, I really wonder if his mental and physical health is ok. And his new baby is probably keeping him up at night!

9.) 03 Aug 2020
03 Aug 2020 17:07:35
Or maybe it's making baby number 2 that's keeping him up all night and explains why he's so exhausted but always smiling :-)

10.) 03 Aug 2020
03 Aug 2020 17:44:33
Possibly explains the ‘sore back’ G62 😉.

11.) 03 Aug 2020
03 Aug 2020 19:05:00
Well his missus always looks happy too JGunner mate, my guess is Mesut isn't a marathon man but what he does he does well and can be breath taking at times 😆.

12.) 03 Aug 2020
03 Aug 2020 19:08:04
Haha you could both be right 😊.