Up the Arse! Goons Thread

[charcoalchicken]

Damn, really think we needed another player to come in probably two.. what happened with tielemans?? Dunno why they just didn’t pull the trigger last minute when luiz deal was dead

 

[glenferry23]

It was almost too good to be true in last Friday's press conference before the Fulham match, where Arteta said we basically have a full squad available haha.

Not making the move on Tielemens and so on, can only speculate the club has some internal solutions in mind for CM if need be. Don't know who though, next in line from the youth team seemed to be guys like Patino and Azeez, both who have been loaned. And now AMN loaned as well.

Sambi is going to have a decent workload in the next month or two, Europa league kicks off next week too.

 

[Planet14]

The gap in midfield was not going to be filled by Tielemens, so that signing would not have made sense.

Everyone has been banging on about a winger, but the bigger issue in my mind has been the Partey understudy. The fact it took two injuries for them to even look at it on the last day was a massive failure by Edu and Arteta. I think when we miss top 4 at the end of the season that will be the defining moment, similar to not signing a forward this past January probably costs up CL this season.

Arteta is a goldilocks manager, everything has to be just right. At some point he has to suck it up and work with players were aren't his ideal and adapt to suit the players he has. Otherwise he will have a short career.

 

[dirty2]

**** Barca.

 

[glenferry23]

The gap in midfield was not going to be filled by Tielemens, so that signing would not have made sense.

Everyone has been banging on about a winger, but the bigger issue in my mind has been the Partey understudy. The fact it took two injuries for them to even look at it on the last day was a massive failure by Edu and Arteta. I think when we miss top 4 at the end of the season that will be the defining moment, similar to not signing a forward this past January probably costs up CL this season.

Arteta is a goldilocks manager, everything has to be just right. At some point he has to suck it up and work with players were aren't his ideal and adapt to suit the players he has. Otherwise he will have a short career.

Lokonga is the understudy isn't he? He has looked good in the games he's played, I don't really count those few matches late last season where he struggled a bit as Arteta has this nagging issue of freezing blokes out for weeks/months then expecting them to deliver when they come in from the cold. He's going to get a decent run of games now, if he gets injured/suspended etc then its going to be a bit of a mess with midfield options.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

Absolutely ridiculous and negligent that we did not sign a midfielder.

Yet again we were so close to being able to achieve something and force our way back into the top four - and now we have hamstrung ourselves. I actually can't believe it.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

The gap in midfield was not going to be filled by Tielemens, so that signing would not have made sense.

Everyone has been banging on about a winger, but the bigger issue in my mind has been the Partey understudy. The fact it took two injuries for them to even look at it on the last day was a massive failure by Edu and Arteta. I think when we miss top 4 at the end of the season that will be the defining moment, similar to not signing a forward this past January probably costs up CL this season.

Arteta is a goldilocks manager, everything has to be just right. At some point he has to suck it up and work with players were aren't his ideal and adapt to suit the players he has. Otherwise he will have a short career.

Tielemans is a better and younger player than Xhaka, who will probably be gone next season. Which means we will be yet another midfielder down then.

Signing him now would have vastly improved our depth and helped mitigate any issues when Xhaka and Elneny leave next season.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

Damn, really think we needed another player to come in probably two.. what happened with tielemans?? Dunno why they just didn’t pull the trigger last minute when luiz deal was dead

Negligence, or maybe arrogance. Who knows. Either way we have totally shot ourselves in the foot.

 

[HODGEYROAD]

CM and Winger short, I hope running the gauntlet with the injury gods and thin squad doesn't cost us CL football.

 

[charcoalchicken]

Maybe trying to get through to to next window, World Cup November isn’t it? Think they are banking on tielemans as a free, only way it makes any sort of sense

 

[Latro]

After paying off a lot of players then seeing Tielemens be unprofessional has ruled him out at Arsenal

 

[Planet14]

Tielemans is a better and younger player than Xhaka

Younger, yes. Better? I don't think there is a body of evidence to support that. In fact, Tielemans has been bang average since the cup final. If he was in the Arsenal squad today, he isn't starting ahead of Xhaka. He might be better long term, but that is not what we need right now. Someone to compete with Partey is essential, and they don't recognise it.

 

[windyhill]

Villa did really well ! Really well to finish with 11 men !!!

 

[glenferry23]

Maybe trying to get through to to next window, World Cup November isn’t it? Think they are banking on tielemans as a free, only way it makes any sort of sense

I get the sense the January window will be more active than usual, for many clubs. This is a very odd season, I believe Arsenal's last league game is November 12th. And then the world cup, with the league to resume on boxing day.

Between now and the world cup, I read Arsenal have 12 league matches. Maybe that's the rationale here, the club believes we have the players available to see out this period and perhaps reassess in January. Zinchenko hopefully is back soon and likely a CM candidate (although another Tierney injury would scupper that plan).

Marquinhos not being loaned out suggests he's in the first team picture, I imagine he would play the 6 EL group matches and league cup etc. Saka hopefully can be rotated for that. Vieira has also played on the right in the u23s so perhaps he's earmaked as an option in place of Saka as well.

This summer the primary target was a CF, which the club delivered upon. I reckon next summer they're prepared to spend big on that long term CM option, with Xhaka and Partey approaching 30 and in Partey's case, his fitness is very unreliable.

 

[Cruyff14]

I wonder when we are going to see Vieira?

 

[charcoalchicken]

We still got Nelson hanging around, probably would have gone bar the injury, probably gets a run this season but fairly sure he ain’t gunna make it.

 

[windyhill]

I wonder when we are going to see Vieira?

Europa definitely, maybe a cameo v utd.

 

[Gambit78]

Sigh...

Well, time for a ritual sacrifice at the shrine of the Football Gods. I may be a while...

I'd love to know Aston Villa's thinking here. £25m or lose him for free next season... they're a long way from European football, so why not cash in?

I'm glad we're not stupid with money - not even in the half dozen spenders in the league - but it is frightening to think we've 'splashed some cash' then you look over at Chelsea: £270m, ManU: £220m... I mean, how the frog do you compete with such idiocy?

 

[dirty2]

Sigh...

Well, time for a ritual sacrifice at the shrine of the Football Gods. I may be a while...

I'd love to know Aston Villa's thinking here. £25m or lose him for free next season... they're a long way from European football, so why not cash in?

I'm glad we're not stupid with money - not even in the half dozen spenders in the league - but it is frightening to think we've 'splashed some cash' then you look over at Chelsea: £270m, ManU: £220m... I mean, how the frog do you compete with such idiocy?

Don't try and compete... Play smart (this is when scouts earn there $$)

 

[Tomnat Tigers]

Sigh...

Well, time for a ritual sacrifice at the shrine of the Football Gods. I may be a while...

I'd love to know Aston Villa's thinking here. £25m or lose him for free next season... they're a long way from European football, so why not cash in?

I'm glad we're not stupid with money - not even in the half dozen spenders in the league - but it is frightening to think we've 'splashed some cash' then you look over at Chelsea: £270m, ManU: £220m... I mean, how the frog do you compete with such idiocy?

As frustrating as it is to end up with no one Im happy with how the club is operating at the moment. The club receives blame today but if Partey had of picked up his thigh injury on the weekend and El Neny against United this weekend and the window was closed then its simply bad luck.

As it turns out we had the chance to pick up a player but theres a limit to what you can spend in order to fill that void. No point creating another issue further down the line by spending good money on someone who is probably somewhere between the 3-5 option on your list. Depth players are good/acceptable when you pick them up for a price (wage+transfer) that reflects that but paying starting 11 price for them only for them to end up sitting on the bench limits what you can do later.

We are into the second year of our rebuild with a team that is growing together, we don't need to accelerate any time lines. We should comfortably make top 4 regardless this season and be pushing City and Liverpool because we are behaving and performing like a team much like them. There is a plan in place, not signing 32/33 year olds like Chelsea, not becoming Ajax 2.0 like United. We are doing a lot right and we now have a system in place with enough depth in all areas to limit any damage one or two injuries will make with the exception of our back up wings, which could be our biggest downfall. We should have very good home form this season and should be beating most bottom half teams away from home. Might stumble a few times along the way but thats where we are at.


Also have no idea what Villa are thinking. The amount of money in the PL is crazy and while the criticism is of the big clubs spending too much the smaller clubs are just as big of an issue. You have a player who has 9 months left on his contract, isn't starting for you and wants to leave. Now thats a poorly run club. Lucked out on Grealish and have made shit decision after shit decision ever since. I liked it better when these teams knew their place in the food chain, they had players that cared and fought for their club.

 

[glenferry23]

Hard to understand Villa’s rationale here, I think though any other club aside from Arsenal and they sell. Arsenal laughed them off swiftly last summer when they made paltry bids for ESR (started at £25m from memory, then increased to £30m). Both were quickly rejected and rightly so.

I reckon there’s an element of that involved in their decision to retain him.

 

[dirty2]

Shrug... We had a good window. We have a talented team. We are 5/5

We have hope... Which someone once said is a dangerous thing... But I'll hold on to it as long as I can...

 

[Tomnat Tigers]

Hard to understand Villa’s rationale here, I think though any other club aside from Arsenal and they sell. Arsenal laughed them off swiftly last summer when they made paltry bids for ESR (started at £25m from memory, then increased to £30m). Both were quickly rejected and rightly so.

I reckon there’s an element of that involved in their decision to retain him.

We gave them Chambers for nothing 6 months later.

 

[glenferry23]

We gave them Chambers for nothing 6 months later.

Yes totally forgot about that one, can’t recall if it was a direct transaction with them with a nominal fee or if another contract termination. Arsenal have done that so many times and hard to keep track.

Speaking of which, that kind of thing has really hampered Arsenal’s ability to purchase further players. The fees for Torreira, Leno etc were all quite low and could only manage to loan Pepe, AMN instead of selling.

It stings a bit watching Barca get Hector for free and sell Auba for €10m just months after getting him for free as well. If Arsenal start recouping decent fees for these fringe players, it changes the dynamics of what you can then do in the market.

 

[Gambit78]

Yes totally forgot about that one, can’t recall if it was a direct transaction with them with a nominal fee or if another contract termination. Arsenal have done that so many times and hard to keep track.

Speaking of which, that kind of thing has really hampered Arsenal’s ability to purchase further players. The fees for Torreira, Leno etc were all quite low and could only manage to loan Pepe, AMN instead of selling.

It stings a bit watching Barca get Hector for free and sell Auba for €10m just months after getting him for free as well. If Arsenal start recouping decent fees for these fringe players, it changes the dynamics of what you can then do in the market.

They've learned from the Auba circus and added a sell on clause to Bellerin's transfer. Interestingly, he only signed with Barca for one year.

Not recouping fees for players is a good indication of how messed up our squad was. I think reducing our wage bill has been significan, however. A fun game is going through our squad now and guessing their transfer fee. We've banked some real value.

Going deep into Europe and the domestic cups, playing 50+ games, and having the gate receipts this season will do wonders to our bottom line. And I think, strategically, spending big in the midst of the pandemic, when clubs in Europe were desperate for money, was savvy.