Add Aouar to Elneny and Partey and think we would be well set . Hope we can nab him in January.
Sandy Schweinsteiger
Think Arteta has given Elneny direction. He plays a simple game but does it well... He was always a bit aimless with his passing though but know under a defined system, seems to be finding his place. Can be a decent squad player
I wonder if Elneny's previous performances make us qualify our praise. Of any other new signing came in and put this level of performance we'd want him straight into the first 11, particularly since the alternatives haven't really done much this season.
Mirth wrote: I wonder if Elneny's previous performances make us qualify our praise. Of any other new signing came in and put this level of performance we'd want him straight into the first 11, particularly since the alternatives haven't really done much this season.
Of course it does. For example there's nothing Mustafi could do right now to make people want him straight into the first 11.
GooneriC wrote: Add Aouar to Elneny and Partey and think we would be well set . Hope we can nab him in January.
What about Joe Willock?
banduan wrote: why I wanted him there with Partey is because he has that underappreciated massive composure, similar to Partey. In a team that wants to play out the back all the time, this is invaluable.
why I wanted him there with Partey is because he has that underappreciated massive composure, similar to Partey. In a team that wants to play out the back all the time, this is invaluable.
Exactly. Smart, composed and mobile. Pisses me off we've persisted with a player with Xhaka's skillset in this league for so long.
Yep. But I think we need a powerful attacker up front too, be it on the wings or central depending on where we want to play Auba
Absolutely.
I said a few weeks ago Xhaka is a mainstay in our midfield but I'm not sure what we'd have missed today even from a peak Xhaka performance. Dani on the other hand can bring more to the table, but he's not been very reliable so far this season. Either way, Elneny has more than won his right to be a part of the conversation.
Pyramid Pirlo 😆
Isn't that fair though? Elneny today reminded me of some of the games at the end of the summer spell from Ceballos. But Ceballos has fallen off from there again too. I think we hope this isn't just an outlier from Elneny but I think in all likelihood it probably is. If he can do that again for the next few weeks and especially against Spurs then I'll be convinced.
Played really well and looked good. I think he actually looked decent when he first came to us but then seemed to lose his way.
Have to see if he can perform at today's level consistently for me to determine whether this is a new found level and confidence. But he's earned his chance.
I think its a coquelin-esque purple patch personally, but at this point I'll take that for 6 months or however long as it lasts
Gazza M wrote: I think its a coquelin-esque purple patch personally, but at this point I'll take that for 6 months or however long as it lasts
I'd be surprised if many think this is anything but that. He'll go back to normal Elneny sooner than later
I hope i'm wrong
Yeah, it could be. Well, in any case this is useful for the team
naz wrote: Gazza M wrote: I think its a coquelin-esque purple patch personally, but at this point I'll take that for 6 months or however long as it lasts I'd be surprised if many think this is anything but that. He'll go back to normal Elneny sooner than later I hope i'm wrong
How much Elneny did we see before and under what circumstances? It could be a purple patch. But it could be that Arteta and Partey are the men to bring out the best in him. What I do know is I want to retire Xhaka and, on paper, this has felt a better alternative. And it’s looked good twice now vs United and Rapid. Let’s keep testing the hypothesis
Elneny was never a spectacular player. In his first season when he was playing well he was compared to Arteta for the metronomic qualities but not much more than that. It felt frustrating because he was seen to be another Average Joe when we needed real stars.
Wait, they've actually played together haven't they?
Overlapped at Arsenal for 5 months, Neny and Art.
Also, in 2018, Mo was sent off against Southampton for shoving...Cedric Soares.
coquelin was less a purple patch and more about his role in combination with santi. if elneny is like that and only useful with partey then sign me up because i don't think partey is going anywhere.
It was a purple patch. He started looking average next santi again once he was established in the team. Like coq in 2014, elneny looks like he's playing with a point to prove
