BWooley wrote:

It's quite sad that Ramsey evolved the way he did into a goal hanging CMINO (CM in name only). When he started, one of his great abilities was to know exactly when to drop off, when to support his partner and play behind the ball with the occasional late run into the box. Even the second half of that 2012-13 season when he and Arteta formed a really good midfield pairing and he couldn't seem to hit a barn door with a banjo, his positional awareness was exemplary. Those 6 months of getting on a scoring run really changed him.

Funnily enough I thought he'd have been better utilised as either a goal scoring CAM, or as the hybrid #8/10 in a midfield V next to Ozil, so as to exploit his movement in and around the area.

Linked to Florian Wirtz. This guy's supposedly the next Kai Havertz!

Wirtz father gave an interview couple days ago that he's staying at least two more years

Quincy Abeyie wrote:

Linked to Florian Wirtz. This guy's supposedly the next Kai Havertz!

He is going to go for some ridiculous price. But what a talent.

17 days later

football London reporting we're after an attacking RB with Aarons, Justin and Lamptey on the list. would be very artetery to blow another 20-30m on another defender

Nah I think RB has to be the 2nd priority after a striker. We haven't resolve it at all and I doubt a CB there is a long term solution. We will need someone that can attack there.

so what will we do with tommy? i thought the word was that they deliberately crossed off aarons and lamptey this summer because hey didn't want that profile at RB and were looking for a tommy type to slide over and create 3 at the back. or was that some made up bullshit to cover for us signing 2 more CBs.

Meatwad wrote:

so what will we do with tommy? i thought the word was that they deliberately crossed off aarons and lamptey this summer because hey didn't want that profile at RB and were looking for a tommy type to slide over  and create 3 at the back. or was that some made up bullshit to cover for us signing 2 more CBs.

Tommy to CBR and White to replace Xhaka at CDM in a role similar to Phillips on the ball, and dropping in between the CBs in Defence as seen from Partey earlier in the season?

Clrnc wrote:

Nah I think RB has to be the 2nd priority after a striker. We haven't resolve it at all and I doubt a CB there is a long term solution. We will need someone that can attack there.

ST and CM before another fullback surely

First priority has to be a DoF and a manager. Then comes the squad on the pitch.

Gazza M wrote:
Clrnc wrote:

Nah I think RB has to be the 2nd priority after a striker. We haven't resolve it at all and I doubt a CB there is a long term solution. We will need someone that can attack there.

ST and CM before another fullback surely

As long as Arteta is here we won't sign another CM. Xhaka is here to start.

we tried flogging him all summer, so it's not like a replacement CM wasn't on the agenda. we couldn't find the price we wanted, so we extended him in a misguided attempt to protect his value. marriage of convenience imo, we'll try to sell again next summer

It was the other way round though, he pushed for a move to be with his dream coach and we couldn't agree a deal. Then we tried to convince him to stay and activated a clause to extend a deal. He has been low key criticizing many aspects of our club since April till euros.

Just see the reaction of Arteta to his sending off vs Pepe.

Arteta dropped him for Elneny for a couple of games early last season. The only reason he's ever present is because the options behind him are trash.

If that's the only reason why didn't he replace him last summer?

"oh the options behind him are trash". so you can't sign a replacement? uhmmm i need another center back.

Things are working so well with Tomiyasu right now that I'd be very hesitant to move him and mess it up. I really don't think it's a coincidence that we've found a bit of precious balance again with one attacking fullback and one who's a defender first and foremost. It seems like a recipe for disaster to my mind to replace him with Lamptey.

Totally agree. But I'd understand a Tavares style signing to back up Tomi.

Klaus wrote:

Things are working so well with Tomiyasu right now that I'd be very hesitant to move him and mess it up. I really don't think it's a coincidence that we've found a bit of precious balance again with one attacking fullback and one who's a defender first and foremost. It seems like a recipe for disaster to my mind to replace him with Lamptey.

Tomiyasu has been really good but so far he's made us more defensive with their being no adjustment in other positions to compensate. I can definitely see where Clrnc is coming from but it'd mean admitting Tomi is a better CB than White and benching our marquee £50m man.