Arsenal 2017-18: Au Revoir, Arsene

[Conigliaro's Potential]

Alexis is staying, I guess...for one year only:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/jul/18/arsenal-alexis-sanchez-finances-contract-arsene-wenger

 

[the1andonly3003]

do we start panicking after this 3-0 loss to Chelsea?!

 

[the1andonly3003]

http://www.espnfc.us/story/3169903/arsenal-to-bring-back-wellington-silva-and-sell-him-to-werder-bremen-sources

Can someone explain why this buy-buy back-sell is happening instead of a simple loan?

 

[shaggydog2000]

http://www.espnfc.us/story/3169903/arsenal-to-bring-back-wellington-silva-and-sell-him-to-werder-bremen-sources

Can someone explain why this buy-buy back-sell is happening instead of a simple loan?

It's simpler than it sounds. Arsenal just has a right to skim some money off the top of any new sales of the player. They're only acting as a middle-man in this between the Brazilian club and the buyer. That's why they didn't get stuck with him when Bordeaux flunked him for having an inflamed pubis.

 

[mikeford]

Real matches start a week and we still have no one to play central midfield.

Tremendous.

 

[shaggydog2000]

Real matches start a week and we still have no one to play central midfield.

Tremendous.

Xhaka and Ramsey aren't good enough to play in your mind? Wenger has said Ramsey should be available.

 

[mikeford]

Xhaka is a DM, not a CM in my mind (though not in Arsene's) and Aaron Ramsey stinks like shit. Santi Cazorla is our only other true CM under contract and welp, he died sometime last year and was never replaced by Arsene.

 

[the1andonly3003]

The 3-4-3 lineup seemed to do ok late last season. Is Ox definitely gone? He seemed to fit the Cazorla role ok

 

[JimBoSox9]

When? For fifteen seconds in a Swansea game I don't remember?

 

[the1andonly3003]

When? For fifteen seconds in a Swansea game I don't remember?

Final 3 games of the season.

Also thought Ospina was on his way out.

 

[mikeford]

Ayyy, 1 trophy down, 4 more to go

 

[mikeford]

Also I guess Ospina came out this week and said he wanted to stay and fight for his spot

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[shaggydog2000]

Ayyy, 1 trophy down, 4 more to go

Pre-season treble completed.

 

[shaggydog2000]

Xhaka is a DM, not a CM in my mind (though not in Arsene's) and Aaron Ramsey stinks like shit. Santi Cazorla is our only other true CM under contract and welp, he died sometime last year and was never replaced by Arsene.

Xhaka is playing a role that is pretty close to what Santi used to do, but with less holding and dribbling. He passes very well, especially from deep, starts a good number of the breaks out of their zone, and ends up involved in a lot of the passing in the final third as well. I don't see Xhaka sitting deeper once the ball goes into the final third and waiting to break up counters as I would expect a DM to. I loved Santi and wish he were healthy to complement Xhaka, and he was better at holding the ball and breaking down a defense before passing, but Xhaka seems to be a better long passer to start the attack.

For the other CM, Elneny and Coquelin both seem like solid squad players but short of good enough to be the full time starter for a team hoping to win the league. Ramsey has shown the talent before, but between injuries and stretches of bad form I could understand why you'd want to move on from him. You'd think Kolasinac is going to move into the Wingback slot opposite Bellerin, so maybe the Ox will get some time in the middle as well. I'd prefer another option there as well, but I think a new CF and Wing-back were probably more needed overall.

 

[the1andonly3003]

http://www.espnfc.com/arsenal/story/3175709/alexis-sanchez-ruled-out-of-arsenals-game-vs-leicester-with-abdominal-strain

gee...surprise surpise..."ab strain"

 

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

Crazy start to the season.

Let me get the bitching out of the way first: Once again, Wenger had his team totally unprepared for the first match. We've lost that first match three of the last four years (all at the Emirates, conceding nine times in those three matches) and you could see why again. Makeshift defense, mental lapses, etc. Hopefully the club can now put that past us and get into some kind of rhythm because the fixture list gets harder.

Lacazette - The best player on the pitch. In addition to grabbing the early goal, he linked up with others very well and seemed to be involved in a lot of our best stuff. It will be fun to see how he works with Alexis and Ozil once they're all up and running.

Ramsey - Brilliantly taken goal, made a big difference when he came on. I'm still a skeptic but the 3-4-3 formation was good for him in general last spring and if he can rediscover his goal scoring form that would be a big boost.

Xhaka - Directly contributed to two of the goals conceded. My biggest worry is that he just doesn't have the composure to deal with the high press very well. He was a lot better at this last spring so maybe its a matter of needing the right players around him. But this is a legitimate worry.

Welbeck - Such a terrible finisher and its a pity because the rest of his game is pretty good.

Ozil - Had a typical "Ozil isn't fully fit and it shows" kind of game. Still was involved in some good moves though.

Overall, it was a fantastic comeback, despite the frustrations involved with being in that position (again) to begin with. Three points is three points. We should have Mustafi back in the starting lineup for next weekend, kicking Monreal over to LCB, and hopefully that settles the defense.

 

[mikeford]

Hoo boy, that was a wild ride just watching the highlights. Upset I had to be at work. One thing is clear from watching the extended highlights though: our defense and midfield fuuuuuuuuckin suck.

 

[Schnerres]

They should try to get a keeper someday. (Maybe buy someone of PSGs guys next summer, if they decide to buy someone else. Just to keep the french connection going.) But Cech isn´t the guy he used to be (just turned 35).

 

[miracleofmidre]

Hard to judge the team on today's defense, without LK, PM, and SM available. Cech seemed indecisive, perhaps just slow. But it must not be easy with the trio he had in front of him.

In a vacuum one might have things to complain about. But that was a great win, and a really fantastic way to start the season.

 

[shaggydog2000]

I do like Lacazette and Kolasinac so far. When Kolasinac gets moving forward he is just a freight train, so I'm hoping once Kos and Mustafi are healthy they are in at central defense and we get to see him at Wingback or left back. I really want to see him charging up the wing. And Lacazette seemed to do everything you wanted out of a center forward, just a very good all around player who worked hard. Xhaka I thought did well offensively, but the instability in the back 3 didn't help him defensively. And no matter how much you try to replace him, Giroud just seems to deliver when you need that goal.

 

[mikeford]

They should try to get a keeper someday. (Maybe buy someone of PSGs guys next summer, if they decide to buy someone else. Just to keep the french connection going.) But Cech isn´t the guy he used to be (just turned 35).

There's a youngish guy who just signed for Juventus that would be a perfect fit and.... oh right

 

[shaggydog2000]

There's a youngish guy who just signed for Juventus that would be a perfect fit and.... oh right

I'd love to know what really happened there. Szczęsny performed well after he left, seemed to really like Arsenal, kept talking about wanting to come back and posting pro-Arsenal, and anti-Tottenham stuff, it's not like they got all that much for him, and Ospina didn't really want to come back. The smoking thing just couldn't have been the real reason here, it had to be a cover for something. I'm dying to know, and it's probably going to take 20 years for us to find out if we ever do.

 

[mikeford]

Yeah, I have no idea cuz on the surface it makes absolutely no sense. It's not like Woj wanted out either, the guy nearly cried at his Juve press conference when asked about Arsenal

 

[shaggydog2000]

35 Mil Pounds on offer from Chelsea for the Ox. I'd volunteer to pay for the crosstown Uber myself it helps seal the deal. Like the player just fine, but that is a lot for a guy who isn't a regular starter and doesn't really seem to have had a set position here over the last few years.

 

[Time to Mo Vaughn]

I'd take that in a second.

 

[mikeford]

Don't like losing someone that young but it's a massive overpay so bon voyage Ox

 

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

I don't buy these rumors for a second. Wenger is far too stubborn to sell a player in which he has invested so much, and certainly not to a rival. Ox, for his part, is a guy that loves the celebrity life and has been criticized at times for not taking his football seriously enough. Does he really want to go play for the Italian Keano?

 

[shaggydog2000]

Don't like losing someone that young but it's a massive overpay so bon voyage Ox

He's 24 today. That's not that young in world football. And if he's refusing to sign a new deal because he wants to play a position Wenger doesn't want to play him at (CM), then I don't think Wenger would mind selling him, even to a rival.

 

[mikeford]

Apparently Draxler is available for 32m pounds from PSG

Sell Ox, buy Draxler. EZ PZ.

 

[mikeford]

Another piss poor performance and this time against a team that won't get relegated so... we lose.

This season is going to be an absolute disaster if they don't bring anyone else in.

 

[miracleofmidre]

Didn't love the setup (Kolasinac is a waste as a CB in the back three), and Lacazette and Welbeck's key touches were, in general, clunky. Their lack of consistent finesse was the big difference. On the other hand it would have been a 1-1 game with all of the mess but for a bad non-offsides call.

I am starting to have deeper concerns about Bellerin. He looks healthier than last year, certainly quicker (his ankle had to be a problem in 16-17), but he doesn't really make smart decisions and he also wastes good opportunities, either forcing passes or shooting early and without power or accuracy. It's pretty worrying to me, considering what has been his incredible promise and potential. If he is just a gloriously fast but unpolishable player that's a real problem and a huge comedown.

 

[the1andonly3003]

nothin changes.

 

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

We won't be title contenders as long as Wenger is around, as we all knew before today.

He has a romantic idea of how to run a football club - stay loyal to your players, build team spirit, pay everybody well, give young players time even if you know it will hurt you, don't buy in the market if you think a player already on the squad could do almost as well with some maturation, etc. He is a very admirable human being, sort of like a stock character in an inspirational movie about a football club that overcame the odds to win things the right way, staying true to their values, etc.

Unfortunately, its not a movie. Football at the top level needs to be a cutthroat business and Wenger doesn't have it in him to manage the club that way. Ultimately, this leads to things like having your two best players poised to leave for free because you haven't bought anybody else nearly at their level since you brought them in, starting two LBs in a three man defense even though only one CB is completely unavailable to you, having a LWB who can't cross with his left foot because you're trying to shoehorn both Bellerin and Ox into the team, and relying upon a player like Danny Welbeck as your first choice backup to Alexis.

 

[mikeford]

Today's set up also made no fucking sense. We started our LB as our only CB, a RB as the LB and a CB as the RB?

Wut.

 

[the1andonly3003]

Gabriel sold at a loss?

 

[the1andonly3003]

if Gylfie Siggurdson is worth 52 mil, then Ozil & Alexis for 200mil combined...

 

[Conigliaro's Potential]

Arsenal gets Doncaster at home in the League Cup.

I was thinking about this the other day...I know Arsenal is likely to field the youngsters in the League Cup and probably a lot of reserves in the Europa League. In an ideal world, shouldn't Wenger just focus his attention on the league and leave the cups to a deputy - as in, not even attending the matches or thinking about them at all? That might even have an element of succession planning involved with it. I mean, Wenger is a control freak and this is never going to happen, but it seems to me as though this is the way out of the Thursday/Sunday fixture conundrum, and other clubs should perhaps consider this sort of management structure as well - if your key players *and* manager aren't involved with the Thursday match, how can they be affected ahead of the Sunday match?

 

[hube]

I'm seeing reports that Mustafi is off to Inter. Don't see how this makes sense at all!

 

[shaggydog2000]

I'm seeing reports that Mustafi is off to Inter. Don't see how this makes sense at all!

Very little of their transfer business has made sense this Summer.

 

[the1andonly3003]

I'm confused by this lineup

 

[hube]

Nothing Wenger does makes any sense anymore. It's maddening.

 

[lars10]

Nothing Wenger does makes any sense anymore. It's maddening.

Beyond not making any sense.. it's the exact opposite of what a competent manager would do. It's almost as though he's sabotaging the team.. and the players are taking most of the blame.

The tactics, if you can call them that, and lineups, don't make sense together and there's no consistency other than rewarding players that don't perform and sitting players that do.

 

[miracleofmidre]

I'm a level-headed, rational fan. And the biggest problem with Arsenal is that their owner is an ambitionless creep. But part of me wants Wenger to stand up after the game and take some responsibility, resign his position. He's done. He has no ability to set a lineup at this point and his talent identification is clearly dubious. Time for him to go. I was slow to this position but here I am.

The next few years (with Wenger or not, and as long as Kroenke owns the team) are going to be a drought, if they aren't already an embarrassment. I find it sad, less for me (I've been rooting for the Gunners for half of my 48 years) than for the true local, lifelong diehards.

 

[Dummy Hoy]

 

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

The next couple years are going to be terrible.

I don't really see any way out other than Usmanov buying the club.

 

[Conigliaro's Potential]

One picture = 1,000 words.

 

[mikeford]

Wenger should be fired tonight.

 

[ifmanis5]

I'm a level-headed, rational fan. And the biggest problem with Arsenal is that their owner is an ambitionless creep. But part of me wants Wenger to stand up after the game and take some responsibility, resign his position. He's done. He has no ability to set a lineup at this point and his talent identification is clearly dubious. Time for him to go. I was slow to this position but here I am.

The next few years (with Wenger or not, and as long as Kroenke owns the team) are going to be a drought, if they aren't already an embarrassment. I find it sad, less for me (I've been rooting for the Gunners for half of my 48 years) than for the true local, lifelong diehards.

This is mostly my take as well.
The Board needs some reality: 16th place team right now. They've been blown out repeatedly by top teams on the road for years. The players folded today and with good reason- half of them want out and the other half don't care. No one wants to take responsibility and so we we keep getting results like today.

 

[mikeford]

They didn't even fold. They never showed up to begin with. He can't motivate these players.

 

[fletcherpost]

#Wengerout is trending in Glasgow at the moment. it sits between Ross County and Drake.