With Ainsley more or less off to work for the Special One and both Partey and Elneny at the ACON in Cameroon 🇨🇲, it feels like something is afoot in our midfield this month.
Sambi Lokonga has shown already what a capable player he is and XhakA has recovered well from his injury. But what if one of them gets suspended or injured this month?
We would be in deep Manure, no?! I don’t think Arteta and Edu would not see these risks, so how are they planning to mitigate them?
The exciting possibility is that they are planning to buy another midfielder. Sambi is great back up to Xhaka or Partey; Elneny is a good squad player to have, and; AMN has good potential.
But it feels like Ainsley is not in Arteta’s plans and so we will need to buy another quality midfielder sooner or later; and by letting AMN go during this crucial month it looks like this may be imminent.
Some will say that Xhaka needs replacing, and not everyone is convinced Partey is the bee’s knees either, but I think they are, for the foreseeable future, Mikel’s first choices in deep midfield. They make each other better players, and that’s always vital in a partnership; and their experience in our young team is pivotal to Arteta’s plans.
I don’t think there is currently a youth player who could be promoted to do deep midfield, but I love to hear about any suggestions.
Now, there are also a few squad players who could step in whilst the Africans are absent. The likes of Chambers, who really needs some game time, or White, or even Tavares or Tierney, may play, well in midfield. Arteta may feel that he has the positions well covered for the next four weeks.
Yet, the more I think about it, the more I feel that we will get a new midfielder this month. The Artetatrain keeps powering forward and Edu’s pockets are full of shiny change.
Who it will be I have not got a clue, but I am sure it will be a 22-25 year old with bags of potential.
Bring it on!!!
TotalArsenal 🚀 ⚽
Bergkampesque 
TA, valid question. If AMN is allowed to leave and we are planning to skint through with Chambers or White as backups when we are in touching distance of Top 4 then its a Wengeresque mistake. The best option is to bring in a loan deal if we don’t get our first choice. If even a loan deal is not on cards letting AMN leave so early in the month is criminal negligence. But iam quietly confident that Arteta and Edu has proper plan up their sleeve and wouldn’t let a Top 4 chance get away
Cheers Madhu, I am pretty sure that is the case. However, I, would love to see Chambers in midfield, especially in the cup, games…. January is a real cup months for us.
A Wengeresque mistake???
Jeeez, such a snidey throwaway comment.
Chambers and White would be decent options imo. Both gave excelled there. FFS Fergie used to throw Phil Nevilke in there when he needed to!
I would have preferred we kept AMN as I’ve always hoped he would get games and establish himself as a 1st teamer, but sadly that ain’t happening.
I’m also hoping we sign Zakaria on a free in the summer, so if we do do business now, it’s likely to be a short term deal.
BTW, I really don’t rate Xhaka, never have, never will.
He was such a (Wenger) mistake! 🤣
UTA!
Hah Dexter, there are so many who don’t rate Xhaka. You are not alone here either!
But I have to say that I rate less those who do not rate Xhaka. You either see it or you don’t as I have learned over the years. He was not only for Wenger the first on the team sheet, and Arteta certainly rates him highly. But I respect your opinion of course.
What do you know about Zakaria. Any good?
Dexter , i meant the proverbial wengeresque mistake 😜. Wenger was always a beast of a holding midfielder away from a treble season. I mean it’s decided that everything bad happening in Arsenal is a Wenger legacy right 😜.
Great point Eris, I really like Hayden and was rather sad when he was released without a chance, Ozyakup I’m not sure he was a D/M but he had a great array of passes like a quarter back in NFL.
Chuks Aneke was another one, who we all hoped was going to be an English Vieira but he never quite did it in the Premier level.
I would doubt that we would be looking for a mid-fielder. If we are indeed looking for one to cover for the missing players then we have either kept it very quiet or left it very late.
The manner in which we negotiate it could take weeks to bring in a new player and yet more time to get them to adapt to our system by which time our missing players will be back in action.
GN5, we are looking for one long term, I reckon. I doubt Ainsley will play again for Arsenal.
Notice as well how the club has not announced Ainsleys loan deal yet. Could this be because the club want to ensure his replacement first… I am pretty sure that is the case.
As a side topic, who should Arteta select to start v Forest on Sunday? What should be our priority: the FA cup game, the League Cup game or the NLD?
Over to you. 😊 ⚽ ⚽ ⚽
Total, you should listen to the Arteta new conference – he wished AMN all the best in his approved loan move,
1. NLD
2. FA Cup
3. League Cup
We need to keep our close competitors at bay in the EPL, especially the cockerels…….
The FA Cup game should be difficult to lose.
Unless we are out of the other competitions who really cares about the League Cup, .
I think he will be this summer’s Joe Willock, GN5. A good loan spell followed by clubs wanting to buy him.
Ok GN5, interesting choices. Looking at the lineups during Chavs v Spuds, it seems all clubs are taking the LC very seriously. Should we not do the same: silverware is at stake?
Total, I feel that we should be prioritizing major trophy’s and Euro football and not secondary trophy’s.
Fair enough, GN5. 🙂
Lots of rumours of Bruno from Lyon. He is a youngish Brazilian defensive mid.
I would like Ward Prowse, Tielemans, Kalvin Phillips or Ruben neves.
I don’t honestly think we can be too picky as of yet, when it comes to prioritising competitions, I know it’s boring but this month should be take each game as it comes, so for me a strong side at the City Ground followed by another strong side at Anfield 4 days later. Tottenham are in a similar situation fixture wise so I can’t see them playing a weakened side vs Chelsea next week, their fans wouldn’t stand for it.
All those names work for me too, Wedge. If it is Bruno then we can be sure that Arteta and Edu will know him. Both were midfielders themselves and will know a good one when they see one.
Good point, Kev. Luckily, Spuds have to make same sort of choices with an extra game in their legs. The latter could become crucial.
Wedge, with all due respect Ward Prowse, Tielemans, Kalvin Phillips and Ruben Neves are all right-footed and we need cover for Xhaka. I was delighted to see that Charlie Patino is left-footed! Would love to see him get minutes in the cup games.
I hear that we are paying more than half of Ainsley’s wages whilst he is on loan to Roma. I’m not sure why we would do that if Roma have no commitment to buy but then I’ve never understood some of the deals done in the upper echelons of the football world.
Kev, does Ismael Bennacer count? He is still highly rated, though he joined our academy at 15 and left the club a few years after.
On the topic, the best possible scenario would be that Arteta and Edu have a player lined up, hence we are willing to let Ainsley leave so soon after the window opened. I had hoped for Bissouma as a longer term option (he should also be away at the AFCON) but he looks to be on his way Aston Villa (who also got Coutinho on loan). I hope whatever we have planned is a right fit who would hit the ground running with no period for adjustments.
On the side topic, while Forrest are in the championship, they would be strong at home and deserve to be respected. I expect a near-first team squad with a sprinkling of academy lads on the bench to come on late if we find it comfortable. The first team were primed to play a league cup semi-final game on Thursday and after this was called off, match sharpness needs to be retained and nothing assured of this than a cup game.
We should see Leno, Holding, Mari, Cedric, Tavares, Xhaka, Lokonga, ESR, Eddie, Balogun and Martinelli. Ramsdale, Laca, Chambers, Tomi, Patino, Ode, youth, youth, youth as subs.
From the above, it is clear that I don’t think we have the luxury of prioritizing one competition over the other. Being out of Europe means we need to remain in the domestic cups so as to keep our players happy. We also need the first team to stay match fit/sharp.
Reading that Xhaka has missed training for a few days this week. If correct, then he won’t be risked.and we could see a midfield.formation which will include Chambers or White in the middle.
Just so you know, I am following all the transfer stories and rumors… I can’t stop myself.. but I don’t get to much into talking about specifics, because we’ll never really know what’s going on behind the scenes. I also don’t like getting my hopes up. My favorite recent buys that we were leading up to in stories, that had me excited were Santi and then Alexis. ….Ozil was a complete surprise.
I trust our scouts and Arteta to make the right choices. If a player comes in not yet ready for our difficult pressing and passing game ( most likely ) .. I also trust that the coaches can bring them into the system after not too long. I’m sure they are looking for the raw attributes and attitude. Very few players are ready made to play Mikelball.
Eris if we let Bissouma move to Aston Villa then I think we’ll spend a long time afterwards regretting that decision, I guess it all depends on who Edu brings in in this window because there’s no doubt in my mind that Arteta would have released Niles without the right assurances that a replacement was lined up?
If you said to me that the club is going to risk this month and sign Bissouma at the end of the ACoN then I’d vote for that because I rate Bissouma that highly. I guess it all depends on finance because if Arsenal do sign a striker and of the required quality then it might limit what we can do elsewhere unless KSE can guarantee some more loans or do some other financial wizardry?
Eris, reading between the lines of the news coming out it seems that Salah-Eddine and Patino will be involved tomorrow and as Hutchinson was withdrawn at half time in yesterday’s U23 game that he might also make the squad.
If Xhaka is doubtful then I wonder if Patino will get a start alongside Lokonga, Albert is young I know but very talented and certainly better than anything Forest can put in the field, failing that then White is an option I suppose although I’d rather play him at the back, especially as Gabriel will be suspended for the tie.
Interesting stuff re Xhaka. Patino would be great or indeed Chambers or White in midfield. I also have a feeling, don’t ask me why, that Tavares would be good in midfield.
J, keep us posted on the transfer shenanigans. 👍🏻🙏🙂⚽⚽⚽
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/jan/07/arsenal-will-let-mikel-arteta-spend-but-face-battle-to-land-dusan-vlahovic
Looks like a certainty that a new midfielder will arrive this month.
Jamie Vardy out till March so that’s them pretty much stuck where they are.
I’m not sure about the form of Forest in the championship but going by the standard of the some of the better championship teams pitched against premiership sides, we should not expect an easy ride.
The expectation is that we would have too much for them and should knock them out and move to the next stage.
Kev, I’d have no problems with the youngsters having a run-out if they would do so representing the shirt, playing with courage and desire.
This would have been a great opportunity for Miguel Azeez had he not gone on loan. Something tells me we have a bit more of a crisis than we are letting on we are. So long as it is a virus and not injuries, I can live with that.
Eris, the rumour apparently is that Patino, Salah-Eddine, Hutchinson and Biereth are all going to be in the party travelling to Nottingham, not the squad the party, so I guess Arteta will decide on the day how many youngsters to include, but with 5 subs it gives him plenty of wiggle room.
NEW POST 🙂