Enough with this disjointed set up
Want to see fluidity in our game.
Would like to see
-----------Walcott Alexis---Cazorla--Gnabry ------Coquelin-Rosicky Gibbs--Kos--Gabriel-Bellerin ------------Ospina
that is one dodgy line up
Need to try out our best line up a soon as injuries allow us:
Ospina, Debuchy (Bellerin will do for now), Gabriel (need to start phasing out Per for next season), Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Ramsey, Özil, Walcott, Alexis, Giroud.
I like the way Gabriel is in our best line up without anyone really having seen him properly.
Based on what people read about him. That's how I judge players I don't watch.
I wait till I've seen them a few times before I decide they're better than our current 1st choice. Frankly I'd be amazed if Gabriel can come in and perform at a high level straight away in our current set up.
Me too. From what I've read, I don't believe he will be an upgrade immediately. I think Wenger bought him now for him to be a backup while settling in. If he can't take Mertesacker's place next season, he's not worth the money we paid.
Of course I'm more careful talking about players I don't watch. For example I haven't seen any Bundesliga this year, but I've heard that Robben is having a good season.
You could make a bingo card for the things people will say about him as he beds down.
Looking forward to him getting a few starts, everything I've seen and heard suggests he's a sensible signing, hope that's true.
It's a case of rolling the dice. Stomached enough of the shit wenger has served up over the past few years
At least we're not gunning for "experience" any more like we did with Squillaci (He's a French international!) and Silvestre (Look at that trophy cabinet!). I like my defenders with two functioning legs.
Burnwinter™ wrote: At least we're not gunning for "experience" any more like we did with Squillaci (He's a French international!) and Silvestre (Look at that trophy cabinet!). I like my defenders with two functioning legs.
The problem with those 2 is that they were both poor players anyway. Signing either of them 3 years earlier wouldn't have made much of a difference.
Gabriel is a decent age to sign a player though, especially if he'll need a bit of adjusting time. Similar to Kos in that regard. I do like my centre halfs with more experience though, late 20s to early 30s is the normal peak for centre halves.
I'd really like to see us get someone in there in the summer with real authority if we are to upgrade on Mertesacker. And I think we should but it needs to be a proven player at the top level.
Burnwinter™ wrote: You could make a bingo card for the things people will say about him as he beds down.
I'm conflicted in my totally prejudicial judgement of Gabriel, on the one hand Silvinho and Gilberto were great and on the other hand Denilson and Santos were shit, Edu was meh...... Guess I'll actually have to wait to see him play few a times before I let fly my customary volley of sickening sycophancy or my staccato of vengeful bile.
I haven't talked Theo in a long time. As you guys know, I'm super concerned about what he adds to the team's approach play, and we've discussed ad nauseum. Arseblog mentions just how uninvolved he was yesterday. Can we afford this in a starter?
He attempted just 9 passes and completed only 6 of those. He had fewer touches of the ball in all that time than Giroud did despite the Frenchman playing 50 minutes less (thanks to @JongsmaJongsmafor that stat). It speaks to a player who isn’t involved enough. He was selected on the right hand side last night, but his trick of drifting into the centre into positions where he can’t get the ball – or where it’s not sensible for other players to give it to him – means he barely features. He fluffed a great chance in the opening minutes, was on hand to tuck away the rebound very smartly indeed, but aside from that he was a complete passenger. I don’t think it’s overly-critical to expect more from a player. I get he’s not the most technical or skillful and that his main strengths are getting in behind and finishing, but on nights like last night he becomes very difficult to carry. If Mesut Ozil had been as uninvolved last night, the Daily Mail would have had him deported.
He attempted just 9 passes and completed only 6 of those. He had fewer touches of the ball in all that time than Giroud did despite the Frenchman playing 50 minutes less (thanks to @JongsmaJongsmafor that stat). It speaks to a player who isn’t involved enough. He was selected on the right hand side last night, but his trick of drifting into the centre into positions where he can’t get the ball – or where it’s not sensible for other players to give it to him – means he barely features.
He fluffed a great chance in the opening minutes, was on hand to tuck away the rebound very smartly indeed, but aside from that he was a complete passenger. I don’t think it’s overly-critical to expect more from a player. I get he’s not the most technical or skillful and that his main strengths are getting in behind and finishing, but on nights like last night he becomes very difficult to carry. If Mesut Ozil had been as uninvolved last night, the Daily Mail would have had him deported.
He won't start when we have a full forward line to pick from.
What's your front four, my dear man?
Claudius wrote: What's your front four, my dear man?
Looks like we only have a front 3 nowadays, and in that case it will consist of Özil, Giroud and Sanchez.
Not sure about the accuracy of that list. For one thing, I was under the impression that Podolski was on more than £75k per week. Oh, and if we are paying Rosicky £85k per week - that is just laughable for a squaddie.
Ramsey is not on that list either, and he signed a new deal last season I think. Would surprise me if that isn't north of £100k per week.
Jalen Rose, ad nauseam, quotes the saying "In life and sports, you never get what you deserve but what you have the leverage to negotiate" and Theo's agents used this to his advantage as he pays them top dollar as they are predominantly a recording industry agency and they got him that deal when we had no alternatives so we were desperate.
We need to dump players like this. We cannot afford to spunk 4-5m pounds a year on half players. I'm sorry. I know fans have a soft spot for Theo given his tenure, but this is misapplication of resources. A guy who is always injured and then disappears for large portions of the games he actually appears in and breaks down play.
I would honestly raise £40-50m from selling this guy and Jack and use it to have a serious conversation with game changers like Pogba. That's where we will get s return on investment. Trim the middle layer to fund more stars.
