Haven't seen any fresh links or rumours
How desperate are Milan for cash?

Right, not quite a fire sale yet then.

Only way to get El Shaarawy is to put in a PSG bid.

I think Pato would be worth a punt though. Maybe a loan for a few millions with an option to buy in case he doesn't shape up?

Pato or Villa on loan?
My uneducated choice would be Villa.

Neither, ideally. Villa hasn't played well post his leg break which is why he might go on loan. I'd prefer if we signed a permanent solution or at least someone who can hit the ground running. Pato would be worth a punt only if we had the choice to make the deal permanent but it's not a signing that will help us in january.

I suppose not.
None of the stronger links and repeated rumours impress me much though. Certainly not Huntelaar.

Llorente excites me but I don't think we're serious about him. We would have bought him in the summer if Wenger really wanted him. I really can't take a front line consisting of two or more of Podolski, Giroud, Gervinho and Walcott much longer though. I might injure myself again.

Podolski-Theo-Oxlade was the most coherent attack we've had all season.

Pato is off to Corinthians.

spaceman spiff wrote:

Podolski-Theo-Oxlade was the most coherent attack we've had all season.

Means literally nothing I'm afraid.

Not to mention that they played against the weakest side in the League.

And were backed up by Cazorla's best performance in an Arsenal shirt.

It wasn't only Cazorla either, the entire midfield worked well going forward.

Absolute rubbish defensively though.

Not sure they were that good going forward either. Once the ball was in the attacking end maybe, but getting it there... it seemed to me like it was Arteta who made that happen like usual. The rest of the team passed it back to Mertesacker as often as they could. It boggles the mind how often we work it two thirds up the field only to turn all the way back to Per or even Szczesny.

Klaus wrote:

Literally means nothing I'm afraid.

Somewhat true, but it's worth persevering with for the next month. Can't see us buying players early, we'll probably wait and see again.

I see promise in that line up though. Theo is a good finisher and his mere presence gives space for the likes of Podolski and Ox, and both of them mixed it up - running inside to have a shot, or staying wide and crossing (better).

Wilshere and Caz need aggressive forward movement in front of them to shine, which they had for the first time together against Reading. Arteta's cross field spray passes are a brilliant countering weapon, but Jack/Caz were definitely THAT good going forward.

Klaus wrote:

Coombs wrote:

Really? Hmm. I need to watch both of them more, but Jovetic has more power in his game doesn't he?

Jovetic is the more intelligent player but he's also more injury prone and less productive. In theory he could be a power player. In reality he shuns away from physical duels. El Shaarawy is more physical at the moment and will probably keep bulking up since he only turned 20 two weeks or so ago. He's lightning-quick too with the ball at his feet. Try watching the goal he scored against Zagreb. He just ripped them apart. Out of the two he's a better fit for our team right now. Jovetic would probably occupy Cazorla's position.

So you'd play SES off the left, right? Like a left-forward? Wenger would make him track back to cover gibbs so he'd be shattered every game just like Poldi.

Anybody wants Robinho?