By Sir Hardly Anyone
1: Aubameyang: not all plain sailing
Aubameyang CONFIRMS On Twitter He Is Coming To Arsenal says ArsenalInsidernews.com and of course we all know that if it is on Twitter it is true because they have absolutely stopped people putting up fake accounts.
But even if suspicious of Twitter we can be assured from “Confirmed by Dortmund: Aubameyang on his way to London to sign for Arsenal” from Arsenal News HQ.
And if that were not enough “African star agreed£183,000-a-week contract with Arsenal” is in offsidefootball.com
And even Sky Sports who of course are always right, revealed that “Arsenal have finalised personal articles with Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang before of his suggested switch to the Emirates this month.”
So that seems to be pretty much that except that not everyone agrees.
For we also have the headline “Surprise twist in Arsenal’s move for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang” from 101greatgoals which tells us that “In a surprise update last month, though, both Aubameyang and Borussia Dortmund confirmed that the African hitman had extended his deal at the Westfalenstadion until 2021.”
But they are out on their own as Giants Football News tells us that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Arsenal is as good as done.
And that fountain of all truth the Daily Mail, sponsors of a particularly nasty little blog themselves, tell us “Arsenal Confident Of Securing Deal For£53m Star After Submitting Mega Bid” At least Arsenal Football Talk tell us that is what the Mail says. I won’t look at it myself.
The Daily Star, however is on the negative of all this saying “Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang unhappy with Arsenal, wants swift Dortmund exit.” Although they seem to have confused themselves because the article goes on to say that the player is happy to go to Arsenal but unhappy with his current club for holding up negotiations. Pesky things these headlines. But I am sure Guillem Balague knew what he was saying before the Star got hold of it.
Arsenal News HQ have another Daily Mail story which “confirms Giroud-Aubameyang shock swap deal” However I can’t read it because my computer thinks there is a virus there. That doesn’t mean there is but the level of threat protection we have is quite high for obvious reasons, so it might be a false positive. Not suggesting the blogger has got a virus. Oh no. Not at all. On the other hand they have another story about a third signing ready to roll but again we can’t see it. Must be my laptop.
2: Ozil
Thankfully this one is simple. Here is the headline. “Done deal: Arsenal agree deal for£42m attacker wanted by Mourinho – Not Aubameyang” That is in Giants Football News
3: Mahrez
Rather like a nasty rash this story just won’t go away. “Welcome to Arsenal’,’It’s official’… Gunners fans think 26-year-old attacker has signed” That highly misleading and odd headline is from FootballFanCast.com and they explain…
“Reported Arsenal target Riyad Mahrez was in attendance at the Emirates Stadium as the north London outfit beat Chelsea 2-1 – and by the same scoreline on aggregate – to advance to the EFL Cup final, and Gunners fans are confident that they are signing the 26-year-old.
“The Algeria international was in a box with Foxes teammate Islam Slimani according to the latter’s story on his official Instagram account, and the winger was spotted leaving the stadium afterwards according to @ArsenalFanTV.”
Ah “spotted at the stadium” and “ArsenalFanTV” – a perfect combination for truth, reality and calm and considerate contemplation.
4: Giroud
Deal On: Club’s president in London to sign Arsenal’s£100,000-a-week star
Eplscouts.com are running this one but they are pretty much on their own.
5: Abdou Diallo
Better than Evans? Arsenal close in on €8m deal for tough-tackling CB
Again we are in the in the field of “Giants Football News” who are clearly aiming to make a bit of a splash somewhere.
6: It’s a secret
Arsenal close to signing Real Madrid star, as striker begins house-hunting – takes us to an adverrts for a Swiss army knife. ArsenalFever.com is the site seeming to have the problem (but again it could be something we picked up although I hope not) but either way I can’t take this one much further. Or maybe the bloggetta was searching for a Swiss Army Knife.
7: Lucas Moura
“Unai Emery hands Gunners huge boost ahead of potential £35m swoop” says the Star adding “PSG boss Unai Emery has told Lucas Moura to find a new club if he wants to pay regular football for the rest of the season.”
And that is a quick roundup of the gibberish pouring forth this morning. You pays yer money… as they say – although not at my club where one would be ejected for speaking in such common parlance.
- Jack injury worries, Aubameyang worries, Santi worries, and a spot at the airport
- November 1919: Arsenal solid but in debt, Labour advances, another goalscorer, Norris honoured.
You just know the deal for Auba wont go through. This stinks of our transfer dealing of the past 9 or 10 years now. We are the club who go in, get things moving, mess around with stupid offers for the player, then up pop another club and steal them away.
Whoever deals with Arsenal transfers wants sacking and pretty damn quick. If I did my job as bad as they do I would be straight out the door. They are making our club an embarrassment now. Why would anyone want to come and play for a club where these idiots are given free reign to screw things up day in day out. We must be the only club who spend months trying to sort out a transfer deal. Every other club on the planet gets it done a damn sight quicker than we do.
The thing with this Auba deal is it isnt even round season ticket renewal time, which seems to be the time we go for big names then pull out once tickets have been renewed!!!!!!!
Getting really ashamed of the club at the moment, and frustrated beyond belief!!!
Agreed recent twitter poll showed most people would rather change Stan Kronke and Arsene Wenger than Ivan Gaxidas. I blame him for bad transfer dealings. He is the man..he is to blame.
We always hear stories but rarely does he deliver.
Agree with some of JSP2303 comments
I believe Wenger is a brilliant manager, however, he has an achilles heel in his transfer dealing, wanting to get the last ounce
The price we are asked to pay for Auba is only marginally more than we are offering
What are we tarting around for gawds sake?
If the difference were say £30 million, of course we cough and do nothing
But trying to wring out the final few quid(yes even few million quid) is pointless
Spread over the life of the contract it is meaningless
Either we want the player or we don`t, it reminds me of going down Petty Coat Lane trying to get a bargain, my life
“Never mind the quality already, feel the width”
Please boss, go the extra mile and pay the asking price if you want the player don`t tart around
@ JSP2303 & Terry,
How does anyone of you know what the actual price is, what Arsenal are offering and how the negotiations are going ?
And if you come here regularly, you must have read the couple of statistics that show that 99 % of transfer links are wrong, which makes 99.99 % of news stories around them wrong as well.
So before you send all the Arsenal organisation to face the firing squad, why don’t you chill out and wait and see ?
I wouldn’t want the Aub deal to go through, I think the existing team is good enough, just buying for the heck of buying is bad business & poor reflection on the current team.
JSP2303
26/01/2018 at 8:39 am
“You just know the deal for Auba wont go through. This stinks of our transfer dealing of the past 9 or 10 years now. We are the club who go in, get things moving, mess around with stupid offers for the player, then up pop another club and steal them away.”
Ok if that’s true name all those players over the last 9 or 10 years you are talking about.
Name of player, Club, how much we bid, and who gazumped us and with what size bid, and the proof of what you are telling us?
I cant wait.
@JSP2303 and @Terry WHite
Arsene Wenger isn’t leading the negotiations for Aubameyang and neither is Dick Law. Gazidis and his team are.
If it happens, it happens. If not, well we move on. These transfers are complex business deals with many millions of pounds at stake over the life of a contract and they involve at least 4 parties in the deal: Selling club, buying club, player and agent(s). Due governance has to be performed as well.
You got any evidence that it is Ivan Gazidis fault?
If Dortmund did not sell their player, Auba this January window, it means no club was able to meet their valuation transfer fee for him. And if not for the transfer fee cap on foreign players introduced in the Chinese Super League of recent, he would have been playing there by now as his attempt to move there failed because of the cap limiting the inflow of foreign players to the Chinese Super League.
Had Auba’s attempt to transfer to the CSL was successful, and his club, Dortmund’s valuation asking fee for him is met by the buying club, Dortmund would have collected the money without having to first sign a replacement for him before selling him as being purported. And Auba would since have been playing in China.
I think both Dortmund and Auba want handy money and if Dortmund received a fee that meet their valuation for Auba and he gets the wages he wants, his transfer will be allowed to happen by Dortmund and he’ll go. It’s not now that Dortmund have been selling their top players for to any club that wants them provided their valuation fee for the player is met. They have in the past sold Lewandoswki to Bayern, Mkhitaryan to Man Utd and Dembele to Barcelona just last summer.
I think Dortmund is more or less a selling club selling to any club that can pay their valuation fee for the player it wants from them. I believe they sell Auba to us, but if Arsenal meet their valuation fee for him. Since Arsenal have agreed terms with Auba, can’t they close their eyes and pay Dortmund their valuation fee for Auba and get him for us?
If Dortmund did not sell their player, Auba this January window, it means no club was able to meet their valuation transfer fee for him. And if not for the transfer fee cap on foreign players introduced in the Chinese Super League of recent, he would have been playing there by now as his attempt to move there failed because of the cap limiting the inflow of foreign players to the Chinese Super League.
Had Auba’s attempt to transfer to the CSL was successful, and his club, Dortmund’s valuation asking fee for him is met by the buying club, Dortmund would have collected the money without having to first sign a replacement for him before selling him as being purported. And Auba would since have been playing in China.
I think both Dortmund and Auba want handy money and if Dortmund received a fee that meet their valuation for Auba and he gets the wages he wants, his transfer will be allowed to happen by Dortmund and he’ll go. It’s not now that Dortmund have been selling their top players to any club that wants them provided their valuation fee for the player is met. They have in the past sold Lewandoswki to Bayern, Mkhitaryan to Man Utd and Dembele to Barcelona just last summer.
I think Dortmund is more or less a selling club selling to any club that can pay their valuation fee for the player it wants from them. I believe they will sell Auba to us, but if Arsenal meet their valuation fee for him. Since Arsenal have agreed terms with Auba, can’t they close their eyes and pay Dortmund their valuation fee for Auba and get him for us?
It gets more weird by the day….
Just reading Sp***urs managers comments….fascinating. Mr Wenger talks, does not mention ANY club in particular and our neighbours and the blogosphere are outraged…
But the best is the Sp***rs manager comments, particularly this phrase :
“I’m so young. Praise? Of course we receive praise. Football is not only to win trophies, it’s the circumstances of different clubs.”
I must be dreaming ! For him football is not only to win trophies ?!?!? (pro football, not kiddies football) This is the justification he comes up with as manager of one of the PL media-darlings ?
I mean, where is the uproar, the scandal, the jokes, the trolling, the explosion in the blogosphere ?!?!
Then again, what has he won as a manager ? Mr Wneger has won almost as many trophies in 30 years as have the Sp***rs as a team in more then a century.
Can you imagine M. Wenger ever saying that and getting away with it ?
Then, one must give credit to the Sp***rs manager for being realistic : some clubs have higher ambitions and the results to show for them, others are just happy to be runners-up and have neighbours win trophies at their ground….(W link Win, like White Hart Lane, like Wembley… ;=)
Still, the press not picking up on this shows their lack of objectivity
For the record, the article on ESPN : https://www.si.com/soccer/2018/01/26/spurs-boss-pochettino-tells-wenger-focus-arsenal-following-inflammatory-remarks
On Sánchez, Mourinho said he was “one of the best attacking players in the world” but admitted the signing had very little to do with him.
“Sometimes managers can take responsibility for signings but my contribution for Alexis to be here was zero,” he said. “That was [executive vice-chairman] Ed -Woodward’s work after the green light from the owners.”
Arsene and Jose stay away from insider trade.
In other news.
Mourinho believes both clubs have done good business. “I lost a fantastic player, so did Mr Wenger,” he said. “Mkhi has gone to a fantastic club and Alexis changed from a fantastic club to a giant club. I believe Mkhi is going to be even better than he was with us. He has had one and a half years in England now and he should fit in with the way Arsenal think.
Jose learned some humility.
Sir HA. Hats off!
If you
Want something given credibility with a leak, but not from the horses nose. Let Graeme know. Apply some logic and, you have why would he want to tarnish his reputation as the man in the know, whilst £183k sounds about right and we offered what we could prize him away from a struggling club with, £49m + few add one and you got yourself a deal, meeting between the initial offer and their valuation almost slap bang! He was £53m till he was like no, I go!
Mahrez wants the move, furlong speculation, with that little trip. Chat with Arsene, careful use of semantics, drop some French in, surely he speaks French and. We would only have space for a Reus next summer, attacking sorted!
Yeah, it’s Wenger, it’s always Wenger, Wenger Out! Seriously…… Have to love ARSENALFANTV Lifetime members.
Aubameyang will go down as one of the best strikred in history. Just like the former King!
Chris,
This is how managers’ press conferences and the subsequent reporting of them work: journalists ask questions; manager answers as best he can; journalists quote manager selectively and without any mention of the original question, simply in order to create a story.
In this instance, a journalist would have informed Pochettino that Wenger had criticised the likes of Spurs for getting praise despite not winning trophies. Said journalist would then have asked Pochettino what he thought about that. Pochettino would have had no idea what Wenger actually said so he would have answered the question as best he could, given what the journalist had told him. In the circumstances, his response was very respectful, saying that Wenger is an outstanding manager but that everyone occasionally makes mistakes and that he had made a mistake by talking about other clubs in such a manner.
The point is that the fault here lies with the journalists, not with either manager.
As to Pochettino getting away with saying that football isn’t just about winning trophies, you need to remember what the media’s ulterior purpose is. It is to sell. Sell papers; sell advertising; sell satellite dishes and programme packages. So they tailor stories about each club primarily to reflect the respective zeitgeist of each club. And right now, a large proportion of Arsenal fans are hugely dissatisfied with their club and their manager, and have been so for a number of years. By contrast, Spurs fans have rarely been happier with their club and manager in modern times. That’s not to say that the media doesn’t still needle away at Spurs at every opportunity (with all of Kane, Alli, Eriksen, Lloris, Alderweireld, Rose, Dier and Pochettino imminently leaving; with Spurs never winning trophies; with Spurs being bottlers etc.). It’s rather that the criticism directed at a club is targeted – designed to prey on each set of fans’ particular fears for and criticisms of their club.
It’s also important to consider context. 14 years ago, Arsenal went undefeated in winning the league and finished a massive 45 points above a Spurs team that was in very real danger of relegation until the final few games. And Arsenal were just about to start building a huge, new stadium that would only widen the gap. Spurs, after all, would never be able to afford, or even need, such a stadium. It genuinely seemed that there might never be a true north London rivalry again. And yet…….in the years since, Arsenal went on a 9 year trophy drought of their own. And with every passing year, they looked less and less likely to win the Premier League or Champions League. Furthermore, Tottenham finally showed signs of stirring back to life after a 15-20 year decline. They became regular qualifiers for European competition again. Along with a newly wealthy Man City, they turned the top four into a top six. And they will move into their own huge, new stadium later this summer. Arsenal are still ahead by most measures but the gap no longer seems like a yawning, unbridgeable chasm. Unthinkable back in 2004.
That context is why Pochettino gets away with it now but Wenger doesn’t. That won’t last, though. Because, just as Arsenal fans were trained to expect more after the early Wenger years, so Spurs fans will be too. And when Pochettino fails to meet those expectations, some fans will turn on him and the media knives will be gleefully sharpened.
In my opinion Arsenal should sign Aubameyang to avoid more negative press coverage, especially when it comes to transfers, and for the sake of keeping a section of the fan base happy, I hope they can get this deal over the line. If reports are true that we only offer £10 million lower than what Dortmund want, can we please pay it. The public relations is not great at the moment, I fear if we keep getting bad reporting it could seriously harm the club attracting the next generation of supporters.
How many times have we been told we can’t compete with Manchester City in the transfer market? Yet, they are about to spend £57 million on a defender – and that will be their club record. Assuming we get PEA for around £55 million, that too, will be OUR record fee. I’d also suggest that, if Mesut Ozil stays at Arsenal, he will be on around £300k a week. That is MORE than any City player I believe.
The other thing about this Auba deal, is that we have the money, he wants to come, we want him and Dortmund want to sell. So, why the games? Only 3 more working days to get a replacement for Sanchez. Our “new” recruitment team is looking as inept as the last lot. Once they turned down 45, we should have gone to 55, and, if they turned that down we should have walked away. I’m sure he (Auba) is not the only striker on our radar.
All we are doing at the moment, is showing that we can be bullied, and in the end, we will probably end up with no further signings this window.
It’s all too easy for certain fans to criticise Wenger regarding transfers. They should pay attention. For the past fortnight every time he has been asked about it he has been straight; we are not close on the deal and nothing is near to being finalised. Understand this: Auba has agreed terms on a contract, which means his wages and endorsements etc have been finalised ahead of negotiations on a fee. Based on the salary Mhiki will receive, the extra money required to tie Ozil down to a new contract and the very real pursuit of Jonny Evans (which WBA keep moving the goalposts on price), Arsenal have to try very hard not to be held to ransom by Dortmund on securing the deal otherwise the numbers simply might not add up. I personally don’t believe he is worth very much more outlay than Lacazette, certainly not the £60m Dortmund want. Between 50 and 55 million should be the maximum for any club to pay for his services at this moment, given that nobody else is bidding on him. That itself should keep the price sensible. It’s also a valid question as to whether we need him if we could possibly get Benzema for half the price. I see Auba being a good investement but Sanchez-level problematic further down the road – you’s get a world-class striker in Benzema who won’t cause a single problem in the dressing room and I believe would be warmly welcomed. Signing either player would likely be a positive factor in Ozil staying put.
Benzema the Blackmailer you mean, Flares?
No problem in the dressing room there then!
Whatever Aubameyang has done, he does have a fantastic goalscoring record. Also, as poor as Real Madrid are at the moment, they’re willing to let Benzema go for about 25 million.
That just about says everything we need to know about him, I’d say!
Flares wants Benzema, yeah….. NO! He is too similar to Lacazette and how is his temperament less questionablr, he cannot deny the rumours because they are in part at least true.
Polo is in part right, but more so, Wenger has been escqusite in his dealings this January, settling the debate for the educated by removing himself further from the negotiation process, having already discussed with the player his role, the strategy going forward allowing personal terms to be completed.
Both Dortmund and Arsenal have leverage. Dortmund are not looking competitive even wit PEA’s goals, but if picked he is unlikely to let his stats suffer too much, a risky tactic if he continues to make it evident, the time has come to move on. However Arsenal benefit from this situation, they also are hindered as Dortmund know that the player is highly sought after and we are somehwhay trappped in the deal due to (correctly pointed out) PR. Arsen doesn’t talk about other clubs players.
But the fan fruatration is stupid, who are we playing before the window closes, with a day to register before any game, Swansea and Mikhi is available, noting we went unbeaten with the exception of the FA Cup game which we played with fringe squad players, during a period in which Alexis was largely unavailable as was Ozil.
Saying it’s ten million is short sighted and foolish, he will certainly arrive before the window closes, early on the 1st Feb. The next game is Everton and on the third, giving the necessary egistration time.
Last day big signing, Ozil, be patient. With Giroud likely needing a club and quiet talks progressing with multiple suitors and personal terms to be agreed.
That would be 3 places and one acquisition. Laporte is only being finalised as we here, with Real interested in renewing their forward line and GK primarily.
I hope we are not going for Evans, I do not see the point in signing him at 30, especially at the quoted figures.
Debouchy could also e moving, which is another slow burner, with personal terms and a fee to be agreed.
But with just a final, EL and the league, I can’t see his as trustworthy in anybody of these key areas.
Niles will suffice in our next EL tie, if he can handle Liverpool he can handle Ostersund, gaining valuable experience, especially with the opportunity to put the game to bed in the first home tie.
The move for Aubameyang is advantaged by our financial position. But to say we can compete in terms of United and City is foolish, we will be able to compete if we remain prudent in our negotiations. £10m now is £10 million less in the summer.
This would be self sabotage, the fanatic who wants to enjoy a sense of accomplishment, vicariously through his preferred team, so as to boast down the battlecruiser. At the expense of the club he wishes to brag about.
We got the better deal out of Alexis / Mkhitaryan, exchanging a 6month contract worth nothing, due to pre contract agreements being an option. For a contract of 3 & a half years.
The value of Alexis plus depreciation, equates to around £5m, which we turned into around £35m. The appreciation of Alexis is only representative of his initial value, which we got at a cut rate, by only emphasising what he was capable of, so to say he is worth £60m is relative.
Where as if Mikhi proves a better prospect in terms of a tactical shift, Alexis being known for cutting inside, hence the need for a LWB at United who can deliver consistent balls into the box. Whereas nobody really knows what Mikhi can do, especially within a total footballing system, lacking any distinct rigidity.
We sold £5m for an undisclosed fee, a changed United’s liability into an asset worth £35m and set to appreciate.
There is a 25 man squad as appoosed to 18 match day players for a reason.
@:
CF Aubameyang, Lacazette
Converting Welbeck to WF and making Giroud a liquid asset worth around £25m
RW Mikhi, Welbeck, back up Nelson Iwobi
LW Mikhi, Welbeck backup Nelson, Iwobi
You have to love all these multiskilled personnel.
What you have is just a starter and a half, given Welbecks injuries, @CF elsewhere he minimises risk of injury FYI.
AM/10 Ozil, Wilshere, Mikhi, Ramsey we operate with 4 starters who can cover this position.
Attacking/creative midfielders
Ramsey, Wilshere, Xhaka
Holding CM
Xhaka, Elneny
Deep lying CM/DM cover
Xhaka, Elneny
CB
Koscielny, Mustarfi
Cover CB
Chambers, Holding, Mvrapanos
I have omitted Per as it is unlikely he wi be selected unless a crisis occurs, something we are three games from.
LB
Kolasinac, Monreal
RB
Bellerin, Niles
I won’t bother with GK
What you should observe is that we are light in both full back positions, a supporting first team CB, DM and LW/RW.
One might argue that Jack is out only creative CM, with Ramsey more of a deep lying AM, Ozil the mercurial Triquesta as opposed to AM.
So what you observe is that we can actually accommodate comfortably 2 AM, who only need pace and intelligence and lack a dislike of wide positions and the requirements in terms of defending. Alexis 🙁
If you buy a versatile WF/AM/RLW
I.e Mikhi you could cover both wings in one, Reus. Although you would want one more, Mahrez. Cover and competition of a necessary calibre. Giving you 3 wingers, and 2, 10’s and 2 CF.
For those who struggle with arithmetic that’s 7 personnel.
Remainder 18. I’m being genuinely considerate not taking the piss, you may be dyslexic for instance.
Some are just ignorant and dumb though.
So remember you have hypothetically replaced Welbeck, signed Aubameyang & one more WF.
Omitting Debouchy and Per alone and including Mavrapanos as a third understudy at CB.
You use 13 births to accommodate the following.
Ramsey
Wilshere
Xhaka
Elneny
That covers midfield rotation, but not +1 for cover.
At CB
Chambers
Holding
Macrapanos
Koscielny
Mustarfi
FB L/R
Bellerin
Kolasinac
Niles
Monreal
Add 2 GK and your total is 22.
Meaning if you offload Giroud now you have 3 spots. even if you sign an additional WF now for instance.
That would allow you a creative CM, defensive Midfielder and a CB.
Now if you consider that for 2 years Niles need not be registered and Nelson and Nketiah 3 and Jeff also 2.
You actually have 4 squad places.
Meaning you can keep developing Macey without making him direct back-up.
A sensible man, cashes in on Monreal this summer, rather than expose further his deficiencies, and run down his contract to 0.
A wise man gets rotation for Hector.
And acknowledges that Thr squad will transition in about, the length of Milhis contract.
Indeed an astute man has near like for like doppelgängers for both FB positions, WF and CF roles.
He has 5 midfielders he would be happy to field on any given Sunday, picking by form and opposition and likewise a partnership in central defence or 3 options should he wish to field 4 at once. I still prefer an experienced DM to drop into the line and sniff out danger.
But also 3 understudies in reserve.
So to recap:
10 defenders
5 midfielders
4 WF
2 CF
21 total
23 if you have a minimum 2 GK
All of that leaves an Ozil
And 2 spaces
And in fact if you thought ahead, your third striker, 5 & 6 WF come from the U22 category, which is out case, with Willock and Jeff giving 5 playable U21’s. Just under half a ELC starting line up. Which is about the ratio you want for youth/experience.
So how do we accommodate PEA. Well he has a spot, but his arrival, evolves us beyond Giroud. And in fact we have space already for 2 WF, after the sale of Coquelin and Walcott.
When Debouchy leaves he gives us the cover for Hector. I expect a choice of best offer may be finalised before Feb 1, hopefully someone will pay his wages.
Cohen returning shifts Niles to the right appropriately. 5+6 FB
The departure of Monreal, signals the arrival of a LB.
And the departure of Ospina means Macey makes the bench, given he made that in the sink final the other day, he must be better than the opportunities he’s had to demonstrate that much.
Per out CB 3 in.
So in actual fact we could sign exactly:
1 Reus
1 Mahrez
1 Aubameyang
And replace
1 Debouchy
1 Monreal
1 Per
And have 3 spaces spare provided you promote Macey and offload Ospina and Giroud.
And if I were a professor of the game, I would be looking for two very special pivots, with mobility, both feet preferably, one with height, one with a low centre of gravity, one for 8/10 and another at 6.
Something just like our two very special number 4’s.
In fact if I bought those 3, I would be assured. That I could upgrade in 3 years, motivating the squad and Niles and Jeff given that they would need a place so 2 leave.
Def:
Gk
Cech
Macey
RB
Bellerin
??? (Exit Debouchy)
U21 Niles (ends 20-21)
LB
Kolasinac
Bramall
U21 ??? (Bramall is 21, Monreal has to leave to accommodate that, he looks a Bellerin/ Cole to me.
CB
Koscielny
Mustarfi
??? (Per is retiring & 6 = 4 comps)
Chambers
Holding
Mavrapanos
(It is unlikely you will be able to field an U21 in a position that requires experience without concern) you need only generated 4 every 6 years, ask Juve)
Having used 12 registration spots, 5 of 8 HG players are accounted for with 1 having been developed at the club for 3 years, with any player trained at a U.K. Based club for 3 years prior to his 21st birthday qualifying as home grown (HG) provided they have spent 36 months at a club in the U.K. Since 15. For a player to qualify as club home grown, the 4 player requirement they must have trained at the parent club for 36montjs prior to 21 but since 15.
Hector is club trained; whilst Holding, Chambers, Cohen and Macey are HG, somewhat externally,
On Midfield
Wilshere
Ramsey
Xhaka
Elneny
Ozil
(he is a midfielder riguelme should be his role if you want to see distribution masterclass watch that man play 10 at Villereal. Metronomic one touch passer. efficient is an understatement m, but Mesut should do the odd high intensity run, a la WC 2006, best I have seen anyone’s play in that competition ever, age 17.
I do believe Jack is the only 8/10 and we have an almost 6 in Mo, Xaka is an 8 like Rambo.
Santi was the other 8/10, Ceac deserted, and we haven’t had a 6 since that other 4.
That’s 5 but should be 7 counting the ten as a midfielder not forward. A 7/11 should be a rotation 10 in the Attacking midfielders aense. Mikhi, not really Alexis, since he prefers to carry the ball, Jose we find out soon enough.
So only exchanging 3 registered players and adding 2 midfielders and reducing to our 2 neceaaary GK’s we have used 19 spaces and have thus 6 remaining of 25 am due need one player club trained to complete homegrown status with full squad allocation.
CF
Aubameyang
Lacazette
Based on effective side preference.
LWF
??! (Alexis getting a good deal)
Iwobi ( has CR7 qualities and deficiencies + Messi feet watched Alexis) short memories CR7 had no end product! Mikhi could make this his own, Reus likes the Alexis from the left though!
RW
0 Mahrez plays this with something of a Sterling, but with better close control, bit less pace, better transitional power play, Hleb, it’s a carbon copy.
0 Reus turns provider out here, do you want it on a plate, I have a point to prove, couple of leagues and that’s it. How did fate injury me before the WC. I am as good as Ozil but different. Possibly more intelligent.
Mikhi is good at LWF/RWF/10 in the classic half turn and drive and spray or finish sense.
Aubameyang arrives. You go take Mahrez who wants it, Reus doesn’t need tapping up, his best friend is joining us and Dortmund are cashing out. He could score the winning goal for Germany at WC, they made a pact. Knowing these things, is transfer genius. Wenger knows everyone.
And there you have it 8 HG players and 4 club made, all world Class or soon to be or be again.
And that was your final six.
1 arriving, 1 best friend of the arrival, one who wants to come so badly he stirred the pot and came to watch us play and bump into the gaffer, didn’t make a fuss although he was denied the chance to join already.
And you can buy 1 FB and 1 CB.
Aubameyang = 4 signings to Supernova, it goes through, of I’ll stop supporting my first wife.
So moving on: Welbeck, Giroud, Debouchy, Monreal, Ospina and Per is becoming a great coach we hope. Koscielny too we hope, along with Cech.
Get Bergkamp back, tell him to take a train and boat FFS. Technical master.
Meyer would make a11/10/8
5 CB once Koscielny retires leaves a space,
We still need an enforcer in midfield. Macherano, Makalele, Vieria, Keane, Marci, not quite Kante or Wanyama but they do a job. But Kante has developed more game, he became Ramires and isn’t nobody’s Slave anymore. PSG my fiend, take a load off and only do grunt work in CL.
This is why o cannot see why we don’t go for exactly these players, it’s staring at us in the face.
Still not absolute on a CB or DM.
But the best in class will die for their countries, you won’t miss it, you’ll have options, and due to Vrexit. Transition, and already complying with HG status, African DM (Zulu) Central/Eastern European (Granite) could be cheaper options of the right demographic, two fingers at the establishment and with charachte/physical traits we need more like evident.
Thanks and goodnight!