In about 19 hours Arsenal’s Strongest 11 Should Look Like This

TotalArsenal

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We are just about 19 hours away from the TW closure, and as it looks the following is likely to happen:

  1. Tierney will join as our nr1 LB – a deal has been agreed with the club and the rest looks easy to get sorted/ player on his way to the home of football as we speak;
  2. Iwobi may get sold to the Toffees if the price is right – books will need to be balanced;
  3. Rumours are growing re David Luiz joining us and this looks very much like  the Petr Cech situation a few seasons ago. The Luiz-Holding partnership would be strong with back up from Sok, Chambers and Mustafi;
  4. The latter may still leave the club if the offer is right for him (but I would use him as squad player in a number of defensive positions/ RB to start with until Bels is fully fit;
  5. Coutinho may join but I cannot see it happening (only if Ozil were to leave us which is also unlikely).
  6. Eddie will go on a season-long loan, possibly to Leeds. Will do him good.

As a result of the above, I reckon ‘our strongest team’ (on paper, due to some fitness issues) would be:

Arsenal first team 2019

Well that would work fine for me. The PL and CL experience of Luiz next to the calm of Holding. The hunger and drive of proper wingbacks Bels and Tierney. The refreshed and ready to rock combo of TorKa in midfield and the European powerhouse attack of Ozil and his PALs!

And our ‘cups’/’second’ team would not look too shabby either:

Arsenal second team 2019

Of course over the season there could well be changes to our strongest 11 due to competition and form of players as well as injuries and suspensions: nothing is carved in stone and Emery will, no doubt, have his own views! In fact it will be just as much about how he will use the players and what style of play and tactics he will apply. But that’s for a future post!

Come on you Rip Roaring GUNNERS!!!

By TotalArsenal. 

94 thoughts on “In about 19 hours Arsenal’s Strongest 11 Should Look Like This”

  • I agree on the strongest 11, other than my gut tells me Emery will try to work Ceballos in for either Torreira or Zhaka.

  • I agree with your strongest 11 with one exception: I predict Emory working Ceballos in for one of Torreira or Zhaka (likely Torreira).

  • Papa and Luiz are a similar operators. I’d be good to start the season with them paired. Adding Holding to that trio offers choices for Emery. Chambers can get minutes in cups or the occasion spell for the other three.

    Since none of us know where the injection of funds has originated? I’m not going to look a gift horse in the– um, anywhere– at the moment.

    If loading up on talent– however it arrives– is in the cards? In making the club’s chances at top-4, then more competitive versus Pool and City? I won’t be so concerned of any blocking of youth players. It’s on them to be good enough to make a more-talented squad. It is that simple.

    If Coutinho is available? It would be foolish to say Arsenal can’t find a place for him. Honestly? A player who– for a season was perhaps either the top– or close to– the Premier League’s most dynamic player? And a 5th place Arsenal can’t see fit to bring him aboard? That’s just crazy. Whatever happened to competition for places?

    Tomorrow by this time– Arsenal should have a strong team.
    From nearly nothing 2 weeks ago.
    I would be a happy sort– if it all comes together as expected. 🙂

    jw1

  • Great team except Xhaka. The guy can’t concentrate for more than a minute and the crap penalty that he gave away that stopped us finishing in a Champions League place still makes me sick. He’s a liability.

  • Got to put Dani Cabellos in strongest team,this guy is hard working,skifull,creative and more.
    Torriera in front of defence,xhaka unfortunately on the bench or xhaka for Ozil if it rains and he has yet another cold.

  • TA, I will play Sok and Ceballos instead of Holding and Xhaka. They are in my second team.

    To see us having a strong second team is quite a dream. At least the board listened to us for a good depth in the squad.

  • I would not play Xhaka even though Emery will persist with the perpetual blunder merchant.
    Willock needs playing time in the midfield and I woukd play Aubameyang through the middle not wide.

  • You sure are “getting carried away”, TA and you know what? It is infectious. Just two weeks ago, it was unthinkable that we would be in this position where we’ve practically signed players for just about every area we targeted. Admittedly, David Luiz wouldn’t have been top of anyone’s consideration at CB but, maybe having played with Emery for a few months at PSG, it may be a good match, after all.

    The first team you’ve put up will only start to take that shape from October, giving time for Bellerin and Tierney to be match fit, methinks. The Scot will still need time to be eased into the EPL as I am not one of those who thinks he will be a straight No. 1 pick for that role. I’m also not sure that Holding would be preferred over Sokratis (or even Chambers), just yet. It’s always a good thing when the players fight for places so, I think Emery will get the maximum from his players, this time around.

    If Everton come up with some good money, maybe we should let Iwobi go. He will thrive at the toffees and we may have some fans thinking what might have been; or going “phew”!, should he go on to be a flop out there.

  • Fantastic squad for a top 4 finish atleast. If we had someone better than Luiz I’d go for the title! 🤨

  • Xhaka shouldn’t be in our first eleven. He’s not even our strongest midfielder. He’s not even in the top 6 midfielders we have. He’s way behind, Torreira, Guedouzi, Willock, Maitland-Niles, Smith-Rowe, Chambers. And, now you can add Ceballos to that list. Xhaka slows our play down way too much. He’s unreliable defensively and when he looks forward he then takes an extra touch, changes his mind and passes it sideways. More a liability than a footballer.

  • Please don’t sign
    Luiz please mustafi and
    Now Luiz again what’s the difference

  • You make a good point, jw1, but we can’t ignore team dynamics and the sanctity of the dressing room. Coutinho looks to me like a sulking type and we cannot be sure what chip he may be carrying on his shoulder these days, having gone to Barca and back. I just ain’t sure he will be a good fit at the club. He turned down Spurs, and that is after Pochetinno made the effort to call him (not that I care). Barca made a big splash of paying big for him just over a season ago. Why would they want him out the door so soon after?

  • Lacazette, Aubameyang, Özil, Pépé, Willock, Guendouzi, Tierney, Sokratis, Holding, Bellerin, Leno

  • Eris–
    On paper, Coutinho looked the perfect fit to me at Barca. There are some big personas and big egos across that front line. Can’t say as to why he didn’t mesh. But I do know that he was fab in the PL. Stick him in the midfield and you have a fast, pressing player used to doing so (as Klopp asked). Style-wise he would make the attack dynamic. Nobody says that City have too many good/great attackers. And it’s City we wish to close the gap on.

    Coutinho, IMO, would contribute and flourish– in a most-complete Arsenal front six.

    jw1

  • Well, jw1, I guess we will see things differently about the need for this man at Arsenal now…..maybe, until he does join. 😔. By the way, does City really have too many good/great attackers these days?

    “Since none of us know where the injection of funds has originated from?”. I hazarded a guess some days ago: from the £60m a year Adidas deal and a truckload of our commercial deals falling due for renewal this year. The club did a good job of disguising it’s financial muscle and had the media feeding the fans with some club-financial-accounts-deduced figure of £45m. It probably helped in the transfer market.

  • Nice line-up, even if David Luiz is dead certain to make our hearts go faster for wrong reasons. He is a good direct free-kick taker so we will get another option there.

    Anyway, our squad is pretty big right now. I expect either a few late departures (clubs from other leagues can buy players after the English deadline) or a January garage sale of unwanted players.

    Goalkeepers (3): Leno, Emi, Macey
    Right backs (2): Bellerin, Maitland-Niles*
    Left backs (3): Tierney, Kola, Nacho
    Central defenders (7): Luiz**, Sokratis, Mustafi, Chambers, Holding, Mavropanos, Medley
    Central midfielders (6): Torreira, Guendouzi, Xhaka, Ceballos, Willock, Elneny
    Attacking midfielders and wingers (8): Özil, Mkhitaryan, Pepe***, Iwobi, Saka, Nelson, Smith-Rowe, Martinelli
    Strikers (3): Aubameyang, Lacazette, Nketiah****.

    * – he is a make-shift right back so I put him there
    ** – if we get him
    *** – he can be used as a striker as well but primarily he’ll play on the wing
    **** – if he doesn’t secure his loan move to Leeds

    If we send Eddie on loan, our strikers’ options get pretty thin as we’ll have to use either Laca or Auba for the league cup and annual visit to Azerbaijan on Thursday night.

    That’s 32 players around the first team. Even if we exclude U21s/born after 1st January 1998 who don’t have to be registered (Medley, Saka, Nelson, Smith Rowe, Nketiah, Guendouzi…), it’s pretty big squad. Balance of the team is questionable as we don’t have a natural RB back-up for Bellerin while we have three international LBs. In terms of numbers, our CB position looks fine but with Luiz coming in for Koscielny, I reckon we will be defensively even shabbier than last term unless Holdini restores his pre-injury form. Mavropanos is yet to convince me, he looks to me as a CB version of Frimpong so far.

  • Hmm

    Part I like best is increased competition for spots. Holding eventually but IF Luiz comes he can come on slowly with less risk… competition for spots is good, we’ve had too little in recent years perhaps.

    Cheers — jgc

  • Luiz is a Gunner! Well as good as… With William Saliba coming next season and Holding likely to come back strong and both Chambers and Sok keen to impress… this looks like a good solution. 17HT will feel sorry for himself with all those extra curls on the pitch hahahaa 😀

  • Searsy, there is a good chance Ceballos is a first 11 starter, I agree, but I reckon that he will compete with Ozil more than with Xhaka, as he is a quality playmaker/nr10 I have been told..

  • Hey JW, strong shout for inclusion of Coutinho and mostly agreed. The challenge where to play him and who to be dropped. Can he play on the left wing? Or only in the hole and what does that mean for either or both Ceballos and Ozil (and ESR and Iwobi)…

  • To all those guys who don’t believe in Xhaka in the first team, I will say that he is the first on the team sheet for Emery and quite rightly so. He sets out the lines and holds it together for us, literally and figuratively the pivot in the team. Yes he makes a mistake no and again but the way Arsenal are set up and play this is bound to happen, and he will get better at this the older he gets. Love him as our captain and try to really look out for what he offers to the team (and not just when he is on the ball).

  • Cheers Eris, agreed re fitness levels of Bels and Tierney but not so much about Holding. There is a recent historical line of Adams, Campbell, BFG and…. Holding imo: the calm heads with plenty of athletic and aerial power and leadership skills. We are desperate to get this back but at least Sok can offer this to some extent too. Sok – Luiz combo to start the season with is fine, though…

  • Gavin, Iwobi is very close to my first team and I rate him highly… but in the post I assumed he would be sold to rebalance our finances. Everton are keen on a left winger and it looks like they cannot get Zaha for the money they have…. Iwobi scored his first goal at Goodison Park (I saw it with my own eyes) and maybe that was an omen… Yet I really would like him to stay and fight for his place.

  • Admir, excellent comment with usual attention to detail. Had forgotten about Elneny and if he stays he would be a good squad player to have. Expect him to move on though. The more I think about it the dumber it seems to let Eddie go out on line. The cup games will be taxing and with an injury to one of the PALs we will be stretched straightaway… There is space and need for Eddie, unless Emery will push Martinelli hard this season..

  • One of my top three favourite moments of the pre-season was Saka’s Overmars-esque weighted cross for Auba/Martinelli late on v Barca that should have led to the winner (Martinelli went very close). I really like to see more of that young man’s game…

  • Am hoping Luiz will reveal himself by pulling off a Chavs’ shirt to reveal a Girondons Bordeaux shirt which then will be pulled off to reveal the mighty red and white! 😀

  • Another good post Admir– thanks.
    Get what you’re stating in veiled fashion about Luiz (and then, he’s still an upgrade IMO).
    Somewhat expressed again in The Guardian this morning:

    “In David Luiz Arsenal will be signing a player who has had his critics but is a proven winner. Across two spells at Chelsea – and a total of six and a half years – he has made 248 appearances, scoring 18 goals. He was a Champions League winner in 2012 and has won the Europa League twice, anchoring the defence on the second of those occasions when Chelsea beat Arsenal 4-1 in last season’s final. Before that game he described Emery as “a great guy, a great coach, a great person”.”

    The Guardian article expressing this as done– medical not quite yet.

    Couple of other picks from headlines of sources I trust:
    + Eddie at Leeds for his medical (per The42).
    + Bellerin quoted: “Says he Is a ‘few weeks’ away from rejoining Arsenal training” (Bleacher Report).
    Hoping for a busy day (in and (mostly) out)– then a busy week (outgoing).

    Must have missed that bit from you Eris (injection of funds from renewed deals)– and that does make sense too. Have to say that I’ve become numbed to general press announcements regarding Arsenal and the club’s transfer kitty. Contrived to beat the club up in the papers and online– ginning up ill-will in the fanbase. There’s a new order of operations at play now regarding transfers. Starkly, and on-display this window.

    As per the City good/great attackers line? When Sane and/or Jesus aren’t in the City XI every week? That, to me, indicates a wealth of options.

    jw1

  • Trouble sleeping, and now, trouble in the coffee room… 😦

    I was a bit impatient so I thought I’d keep testing on a small project in there. I got my espresso brewed ( 😀 ) but I think I blew up a temperature controller I add to some of the small machines I buy and sell… 😦

    It occurs to me that this could be an analogy to the Arsenal and the way management is scurrying here at the (English) deadline to put together something that will excite the fans… 😀 (Do I smell something burning? Why yes, yes I do…)

    Anything for a thrill, maybe…and perhaps there’s enough slack in the (Josh?) Kroenke pursestrings…and enough desperation at management level (to try and save the various jobs of Raul, Vinai, Huss and Unai–where exactly does the buck stop?…) that we’re in for THE most exciting deadline day since…well, you tell me?… 2011 comes to mind (Arteta, BFG, and a few others, including, just like today, a Brazilian defender, Andre Dos Santos). Best of all, we get to enjoy all the excitement without having to endure an 8-2 at Old Trafford ahead of it. Warning: We do travel to Anfield in not too long–and surely we’ve got sales to make to continental clubs, so do we play those players?

    Frankly, even traveling to St. James Park (this Sunday!!) could be a real adventure…and home games with Burnley and Spurs(!!) can’t be considered home bankers…

    It’s all fun and games right now, but then the games begin (and what becomes of the fun?)…

    Instead of making this one giant post, I think I’m gonna break it up…

  • Sorry, I was trying to post the photo by itself ^^^

    It’s a classic…and, yes, if I see those two kicking the ball around the back and flouting their locks I will be as bitter as, say, Andres Guardado, the current capitan of my national team (Mexico)…

    I could post more photos but there’s wisdom that comes with “Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow.” Or so I hope…

  • Sorry TA, I’ve got no beef with Lolo Koscielny and I will wear his shirt with pride…(Until I rip it off in favor of the new club I support?…)

    I thought Tim from Tacoma summed it up well. http://7amkickoff.com/index.php/2019/08/06/so-long-laurent/

    Arsenal fans invented internet fandom (and “great” things like “FanTV”) so a feck-off seems just about right… If fans of the club (note, I didn’t say “supporters”) can (relentlessly) disrespect players at the club, why should players (no longer with “us”) have a different standard for respecting things?…

    Finally, Let’s not forget, we were once the biggest of all the French clubs but that ship sank (off the coast of Qatar, and/or when Wenger was forced to walk the plank…back across the channel)…and now we fight for top 4 (or is it top 6)… That “wasn’t good enough” but now it is… Please explain?…

  • Hi all.. Still remember me..
    Since when this blog is active again..??
    I missed a lot of fun with you guys.. hehehe..

    TA.. Congrats for continuing post some great post in this site.. So happy for you.

    And so exciting also, to face this season with more confident.
    Last season we only unfortunated not to get the fourth.. But this season we surely be becoming stronger..
    Just still surprised to have Pepe with us, in the rumour of the limited fund.. hehehe..
    And we didn’t stop there.. 5 new players are in our team.. WOW..
    I think our TW is closed with Luiz and Thierny in.. Although for me David Luiz is just as poor as Mustafi.. hehehhe..
    I think some of our youngsters are better.
    Glad that Emery didn’t buy another GK..

    Our first starter will be so hard to pick.
    AMN just as good as Bellerin.. Maybe more if defense is our choice.
    Kolasinac and Monreal are also had proved that the are good enough, but this Thierny is so damn good also.. at least what I saw in youtube.. hehehhe
    But Monreal will be our Captain.. and if he is not injured, than he will get more time to play.. maybe as our CB. And why not 3 CB in the back, as we know that we can’t depend on Xhaka for that.
    But sure flexibility is the best.. We must used different formation for different team.
    Sad to hear Iwobi will sold, and why not Ozil.. hehehe.. Iwobi is one of our best academy that Wenger left us.

    So my starting 11 will be :
    Leno
    Sokratis Holding Monreal
    AMN Xhaka Torierra Thierny
    Pepe Auba
    Lacazette

  • Cheers, J-Dub… It didn’t seem like you to post nothing (at all)… That’s my job (content wise, despite the word count)…

    You SHOULD be writing posts here….Back when I gave a poo…you wrote quite a bit (in draft format) about Arsenal and moneyball… Is that idea out the window? So it seems to me… Please update/inform me…

  • Also (or maybe finally…or at least until the big espresso machine is warmed and ready…) what about these moves up the road at Spurs?… That’s almost Pepe money for the De Celso fellow, and their Dybala in–Eriksen out business seems to be hitting a snag? (Sorta like our Musti out for a defender with less hair–note, I said, “defender.” Sorry, but Luiz may play back there but defending doesn’t seem his specialty–again, for some reason, I keep thinking about Andre dos Santos…)

    Restoring the “balance of power” in North London seems job 1, for our management team, I think…

  • Hi all.. Still remember me..
    Since when this blog is active again..??
    I missed a lot of fun with you guys.. hehehe..

    TA.. Congrats for continuing some great post in this site.. So happy for you.

    And so exciting also, to face this season with more confident.
    Last season we only unfortunated not to get the fourth.. But this season we surely be becoming stronger..
    Just still surprised to have Pepe with us, in the rumour of the limited fund.. hehehe..
    And we didn’t stop there.. 5 new players are in our team.. WOW..
    I think our TW is closed with Luiz and Thierny in.. Although for me David Luiz is just as poor as Mustafi.. hehehhe..
    I think some of our youngsters are better.
    Glad that Emery didn’t buy another GK..

    Our first starter will be so hard to pick.
    AMN just as good as Bellerin.. Maybe more if defense is our choice.
    Kolasinac and Monreal are also had proved that the are good enough, but this Thierny is so damn good also.. at least what I saw in youtube.. hehehhe
    But Monreal will be our Captain.. and if he is not injured, than he will get more time to play.. maybe as our CB. And why not 3 CB in the back, as we know that we can’t depend on Xhaka for that.
    But sure flexibility is the best.. We must used different formation for different team.
    Sad to hear Iwobi will sold, and why not Ozil.. hehehe.. Iwobi is one of our best academy that Wenger left us.

    So my starting 11 will be :
    Leno
    Sokratis Holding Monreal
    AMN Xhaka Torierra Thierny
    Pepe Auba
    Lacazette

  • 17

    Spuds have had a few Spursy moments in this transfer window – Ceballos and Saliba both picking Arsenal ahead of them, inability to push Bruno Fernandes deal over the line and failing to get Dybala over the image right issue (Dybala is sued for a contract breach for 40 million pounds and Spuds were apparently asked to pay it for him).

    However, they got a fantastic signing in Ndombele to make their midfield much better. If they had signed a decent right back, I’d even consider them as the biggest title contenders to City. Spuds have kept Eriksen and Alderweireld, even if that will probably backfire to them financially when those two decide to Campbell their way out of Spurs next summer in search for trophies. Very few teams can match their attacking variety.

  • Hi Admir,

    I think you should be writing some posts for this site…(esp. as my interest wanes and my travels increase…and I only keep saying the same stuff over and over and over…)

    “Spuds have kept Eriksen and Alderweireld…” Can we truly say that until all the windows have closed (early Sept.)?… Same for our players too, of course… It’s all very weird with the English window closing early, IMO… Thoughts?…

    Otherwise, I appreciate all the scouting reports. At some point I’ll figure out how to watch more football (paying for streaming, I guess, rather than satellite TV) but it may take me quite awhile…

  • Hi also to Hehehehenry… While you’ve been away I’ve grown fond of saying that Emery likes to play without a midfield…(or at least with only DMs…) and now you leave Ozil out of your first 11… Perhaps you were watching too…

    Also, What’s the latest on Iwobi (to Everton?)… Seems like that’s something just to get the Zaha price down… Maybe?…

  • After the scurry of news it seemed that everything had died down a little. It should pick up soon in an hour or so, and I hope that we can get the Chavs defender at the end of these few hours. And Tierney too.

  • The last few hours of a transfer window are the most exciting.
    Defense has been our Achilles heel for several seasons and it appears that we are attempting to plug some of the holes. Luiz and Thierny will do just nicely.

  • hey Seventeenho, hope you are dealing with your coffee situation… stress in Lake Tahoe I would imagine?! Glad you still feel like supporting Koz. I was a fan but he behaved like a fool, sorry.

    That is a lot of hair floating in the wind with GuenLuizi. I can see Nivea switching from Pool to the Arse soon enough!

  • Hey HehehehHenry, fecking brilliant to hear from you!

    How is Yoona the Goona?

    Nice enough line up but why not play Luiz in the back three and it is missing a creative midfielder I fear… Somebody has to connect the (deep) midfield with the PALs…

  • I am with you, GN5. We needed to plug the defence and although Luiz has his downsides, I reckon his leadership skills and in general good reading of the game (especially in standard situations) will come in handy. Furthermore, he has won prizes and will be influential in the dressing room. Combine him with the calmer Holding and we should have a good CB combo with Sok always close to replace either of them. And then next season Saliba will join and Luiz can be back up… Works for me.

  • Total, I know nothing about Thierny but he appears to be highly rated; Celtic fans are upset he is leaving – that’s always a good indicator. On the other hand I’ve seen a lot of Luiz and I’ve always admired his energy and speed and his stats seem sound.

  • Yes he comes highly recommended but will need time to settle in. Luiz will not be faultless this season, I reckon, but he will bring something to the team that is valuable. I also think that Martinelli will benefit from a fellow Brazilian’s presence in the team..

  • I will have to pinch myself to make sure it’s real if they both sign because we will have had a very successful TW whereas I expected to be very disappointed.

  • Lol, Admir @ Mavropanos as CB version of Frimpong.

    @17ht and jw1, all we need now is for Elneny to grow his hair back and Bellerin joining the fray, for management to come up with a hair policy at the club. Interesting season ahead.

    The lads must stay focused on Newcastle and ensure a win out there because there’s nothing Steve Bruce will love more than a scalp as big as Arsenal’s.

    Nice to hear from you, henrychan. How have you been keeping?

  • GN5, you started with low expectations and so you are happy now. 17HT is the master of sticking to low expectations and that’s why is he the happiest man in and around Lake Tahoe! 🙂

  • It’s like hell has been let loose!

    TA, l like your line up. With Nketiah going, I wonder if Emery’s plans would be Auba or Laca much of the time now that we have another good goal scorer Pepe from the wings. Definitely it is a stronger team than the 18/19’s.

  • PE, good point. Emery letting Eddie go out on loan is a sign that he will not play all three PALs at once very often, as we have little or no back up. I would have kept Eddie… so many games to come…

  • Am fine with Luiz. After all we are working with a budget and £8n for a 2yr deal if fine. He is a versatile player and can fill in for Bels till Oct. Niles could be a revelation in the MF.

  • 17HT,

    Not surprised with your point of view and I agree with quite a lot. But Laurent Koscielny has acted like a spoiled child and was lucky the club were flexible enough to let him go. It is not the first time he has thrown out his dummy – he did it with France’s manager only a year ago – and to be honest I am glad he is gone.

    Re post titles, I am sure you know that they are not necessarily my opinion… but are there to attract attention. Enjoy your brown/black liquid! 🙂

  • Well nothing to see here… And, in fact, somebody edited an earlier screed that really should be private. Hopefully, some folks enjoyed it while it was up… With no response, however, it seemed best to take it down.

    Andy Carroll (back) to Newcastle but he won’t be able to wreak havoc on Sunday, injured like our new LB, I’m reading…

    No Iwobi (nor Zaha) to Everton…or does something break on this in the final hour?…

    I’d like to hear what the cognescenti think about the English window closing ahead of all others… (not good, I think, dominance in Euro finals last season notwithstanding…)

  • Oops, perhaps I spoke–or unspoke 😉 too soon…

    I think the bigger points about bloggers and how to be a fan and how the game has changed are valid, but not so appropriate for a Bolero-esque transfer deadline day…

  • Eddie definitely at Leeds for a season. I have a feeling he will do well there and will come back stronger (fingers crossed for no big injuries!).

  • In line with what I posted (and deleted) about “fans”…

    Our sales could actually strengthen us… Mustafi lost us the EL final…simply by being on the bench that night, or so I’ve been told (I think)… And Mkhi, refusing to play, must’ve hurt the collective mentality… Hopefully no shirt stunts in his future… and he (and his big contract) will just fade away gently 😉

    Iwobi to Everton sounds like it might be the final deal of the window….

  • Tierney confirmed! Indeed, Iwobi could be on his way. I will miss him – such a nice guy and no worries about shirt shenanigans for sure!! 😉

  • Also, is this line written by a contributor here: From the Guardian’s “live transfer update” page…

    As an Arsenal fan, I’m a bit worried we might see a makeshift defence of Maitland-Niles, Mustafi, David Luiz and Monreal at Anfield in our third game of the season,” emails Admir Pajic. “On that day we also might see the first case of a manager instructing his central defenders to man-mark each other. That being said, Arsenal have done their job pretty well this summer and we can’t wait to see our new Ivorian winger from Lille making his debut at St James Park on the opening day because that can only end up well, right?”

    If so, I ask again, why won’t he write posts here?… 😀

  • Ding, ding, ding… Past 9 am here in California…so the wrong end of my “work” day…

    And nothing to celebrate either, IMO… (Or, you’ve had your fun, but now we play the games… 😮 )

    David Luiz as a stopgap defender and an injured left back?… (and the “new Ozil” in–Ceballos, too tall to be the new Santi–but only on loan)… Cafe Pepe (or Nicky Joe) hopefully can make folks forget about Eddy vs Norwich (in the league cup) or maybe that other new kid from Brazil. Maybe the plus side is that (at least) our manager(s) (or bloggers playing at manager…) have been caught in their accounting errors and/or lies about money to spend (waste?…) and relying on (academy) youth, etc., etc.,… though the fun part of the window is now shut and there is still money to be made (or saved, in terms of salaries). Speaking of which, where’s AllezKev?…

    I’m out for the (whole) weekend, but I’ll tape our match…and maybe even try to watch it come Monday… (That’s a Jimmy Buffet song, before he ruined Mexico with that other one…and started a chain of restaurants and retirement communities for old drinking folks…but, at least those are mostly north of the wall…)

    Good window, kinda, but…too much turnover, IMO…and clearly some of the rats still believe(d) that the ship was sinking…

    Low expectations = happiness, or at least not so many dashed expectations…

  • at least we created a little twist in your Arsenal sobriety, Seventeenho!

    Enjoy your break. Missing out on our first game… what sort of supporter are you… 😀

  • Don’t ask that question… But, funny story… I found a quite nice Liverpool t-shirt in a thrift (charity) shop the other day and I thought I would send it to the son of a friend of mine who supports that club. Maybe instead I’ll just wear it under my Koscielny shirt. I will be around for their match vs Norwich…(tomorrow noon-time, out here) 😀

  • Hmmm. Mixed feelings about today. Selling Iwobi takes a lot of gloss off for me. I can’t fault the logic given we have bought in this area and the price is good. But we are losing a home grown quality talent. Someone direct, strong and with an excellent injury record. And he has yet to reach his peak. Will Tierney be a better prospect than Alex? I hope so, but it’s anyones guess.

    I’m not convinced about Luiz. Musti with more hair. We had the numbers already, it was the quality we were missing. And still are I fear. Hope I’m proved wrong. He could be a positive influence in the dressing room – but I don’t like how he forced his way out. That’s says unreliable to me. I also share the view others have given that he’s not a reliable CB in a back 4. A back 3 yes. But that comes at a cost further up front. So it will be interesting.

    We can’t fault the club for their dealing and investing. They’ve backed the manager, been decisive, and got deals completed. So much credit for that looking from the outside. Is it good business? Who knows. A lot of change in there, but I suspect we start the season much as we ended the last and new players will work their way in. I hope some of our young players kick on, in the way Iwobi promised but never quite managed to pin down.

    As things stand we are competing for 4th. And it’s bloody hard to tell where we are against the 3 other sides in the same boat.

  • Hi 17ht.. Sorry for my late answer..
    I not in purposed to see this blog, for I didn’t know that this blog is re-born..
    Since when TA..?? I thought in will be forever..
    Maybe Ijust missed this blog.. so I klik the name.. and here we are.. hehehe..
    No, I never read about Emery favor without CAM.. But I just think that Tierney, Xhaka, Torierra and Niles can cross the ball nicely, and supply our three musketeers.. that TA name PAL..

    TA..
    My Yoona is in a primary school now.. Very cute little girl, she like dancing, but no football.. maybe not yet.. hehe.. thanks..
    About Luiz, you know me.. I don’t like all Chelsea’s players.. hehehehe..
    I know Emery won’t brought him just to sit quite on the bench.. but somehow I feel Holding is better.. hehehhe..

    Sad, that Iwobi really gone.. just like we lost walcott to Everton. And some others youngsters released before we even see their real capability..

  • Respectfully AB?
    I see where you might feel that way about Luiz. Though– I’ll beg to differ.
    Mustafi invariably put fellow defenders at a disadvantage with his recklessness and inability to keep shape as a unit. In essence, forcing UE to play Sokratis at left CB (his weaker spot IMO) allowing Mustafi to play there.

    Luiz is naturally a left CB (as is Rob Holding). I expect better play from Papa with Luiz at his left. Also expecting a much better level of communication with this pair. In Papa and Luiz we have a pair of b^stards who can handle the PL’s physicality and to a good degree, the height which has bedeviled us since BFGs retirement.

    Not expecting excellence. Just some standard, adequate defending. With which last season? Arsenal would be playing Champions League football this season.

    So– not high hopes. But hope.

    jw1

  • If no one has yet linked to a Kieran Tierney YouTube highlights reel– check out this one:

    Young Tierney will be wearing the traditional LB #3 — also worn by another Kieran– Gibbs, Bacary Sagna, and for a very long time– one, Nigel Winterburn.

    Was impressed with Tierney’s ability to motor down the flank into space he creates with his pace– finding targets on crosses at a number of angles.

    Cannot wait to see him fit.

    jw1

  • This is no doubt the best Arsenal TW I have witnessed. Will write a post about it, but jeeps we have strengthened in all areas twice over.

  • I can find no evidence that either the Luiz or the Iwobi deal were finalized, can somebody direct me to the link that shows the deal as completed?

  • Read on Twitter that both have come and gone from Colney after shirt photos– official announcement all that remains. (Luiz will wear #23 BTW.)
    Count on Arsenal’s PR arm to maximize the drama and effect.

    jw1

  • (Guardian) Everton complete signing of Alex Iwobi after giving up on Wilfried Zaha

    jw1

  • It is a shame that the most painful part of the TW for Arsenal had to come at the very end… But it has been a fab TW for us…

    New Post New Post 🙂

  • Overall,

    I like it. Luiz is a good defender. Reasons? Teams he’s on give up few goals. Defending is team systems and cooperation. If he was weak, he wouldn’t be a central leader in a team giving up few goals. So, I like it. Tierney is highly rated.

    Overall, truth will out in 2-3 weeks as it all comes together, I hope.

    Iwobi? I liked him but never took the world by storm. He’s a mid table teams star, but not ours. One look is to say our ability to sell him at a profit is a sign of our ambition and ability to take the best. It also shows we can sell high, which we’ve not done well or at all this last decade. Of course, if he does turn into that star… :-/ …

    Cheers — jgc

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