January Transfer Window 2017/18

[sneakysnail]

Who do Arsenal play on the right now that Walcott has gone?

I presume Mhiky will play on the left.

Who knows. Aub maybe? The team sheet will be a mess for awhile until they figure out the best 11. Probably more bad performances like Manu's last night while teams juggle players about. People going all hyper about january transfers but forget generally speaking they weaken a team short term because they've had no time to train and experiment in friendlys.

 

[opethdisciple]

Who knows. Aub maybe? The team sheet will be a mess for awhile until they figure out the best 11. Probably more bad performances like Manu's last night while teams juggle players about. People going all hyper about january transfers but forget generally speaking they weaken a team short term because they've had no time to train and experiment in friendlys.

I personally hope we see a new formation from Arsenal. I'm a bit concerned however how we are going to line up.

I do feel like Arsenal have almost written off this season and are going to have another clear out/rebuild in the summer for a proper attack on getting back in to the top four.

We are only 8 points off it at the moment and results show that the league is unpredictable enough that there is still hope but I would be very surprised if we finish in the top four.

I would expect us to win both our next two games against Everton and Spurs if we are serious about it. The Spurs game is now absolutely huge!

Playing Spurs at Wembley might be a good thing for Arsenal. We like Wembley for some reason so hopefully it will feel like an FA Cup final rather than away to Spurs.

One thing regarding Lacazette. He rarely plays as I would expect from a no 9. I see him dropping off going on the wing more and providing assistants, when in reality he should be the one being provided too..

So I think he will be deployed like we used Wiltord back in the day and Aubameyang will be the main striker.

 

[robfosters]

Mahrez not turning up for training today. He’s depressed and in a fragile state of mind. Diddums.

His club pay him £100k a week. He signed the contract. Sorry, but he should accept the clubs decision, buck up his ideas and get on with it.

 

[Shamikebab]

What a tool. If he didn't want to stay then run his contract down or demand a release clause.

 

[Andybtsn]

Bets on Man U snapping him up for 50m at the end of the season?

 

[Shamikebab]

I'm surprised we've never really been linked with him, he always seemed like a good option to fill in our problematic right spot.

 

[BaZ87]

I've always been torn on him. He's clearly talented but he seems like a player that's thriving as a result of being a big fish in a small pond. He's got complete freedom to play as he wants at Leicester in a side that's set up to play to his and Vardy's strengths. At Utd, for example, he wouldn't be the big fish any more and he'd be expected to do a lot more defensive work than at Leicester.

One thing is clear though, we all know why West Ham weren't in for him!

 

[Rids]

I actually feel sorry for Mahrez, usually I'll side with the club, but he is clearly a talented footballer playing at a club which does not have the players to match his ambitions. He has been a good servant to the club, allegedly was given assurances that they wouldn't block him from a big move and then when that move materialised with a fee offered that was more than fair, he was denied the chance to leave.

A bit **** really.

 

[opethdisciple]

In reply to @drunkenmaster on Ozil.

According to this:

'Ozil, 29, has won three FA Cups since joining Arsenal in 2013 and no other player has made more assists or created more chances in the Premier League in that period'

So on that assumption we have the MOST creative player in terms of assists in the league since 2013.

Surely worth renewing his contract.

 

[Shamikebab]

I actually feel sorry for Mahrez, usually I'll side with the club, but he is clearly a talented footballer playing at a club which does not have the players to match his ambitions. He has been a good servant to the club, allegedly was given assurances that they wouldn't block him from a big move and then when that move materialised with a fee offered that was more than fair, he was denied the chance to leave.

A bit **** really.

Then why sign a new contract? Why not include a release clause? He's either a **** or an idiot really.

 

[Lord-Jaffa]

Oops. Yea for got about Van Dijk.

Everyone has

 

[Yas786]

Bets on Man U snapping him up for 50m at the end of the season?

I think City will probably make another play for him in the summer from what I’ve read recently.

 

[BaZ87]

I'd be surprised. I very much doubt he was their primary target and had it not been for Sane & Jesus's injuries and that he was free to play in the CL, they wouldn't have gone for him.

 

[opethdisciple]

Spurs have a good system. Which is the big difference between Arsenal and Spurs. Arsenal don't have a stable system they can build from.

 

[Andybtsn]

Spurs have a good system. Which is the big difference between Arsenal and Spurs. Arsenal don't have a stable system they can build from.

True, but what is the end goal to have a stable system? Trophies? As Arsenal counter your argument if that is the case as they are pretty successful winning something most seasons.

 

[opethdisciple]

True, but what is the end goal to have a stable system? Trophies? As Arsenal counter your argument if that is the case as they are pretty successful winning something most seasons.

Yea, but I guess I'm just considering the Pochettino Spurs. See a system for me is one where you can dig in when things aren't going your way and you can rely on the system to give you a chance of getting a result. And the team that sticks to their system and relies on their training can prevail against another good side.

Arsenal to me don't seem to have a system to rely on when things aren't going their way. Or at least a system that works.

Every team needs to be well drilled on a system. At the moment Arsenal are so frail. (I guess a counter argument to this is well the same can be said for Chelsea and Liverpool in light of recent results)

Arsenal of yesteryear had a system 98-2004 Arsenal knew exactly what they we're doing.

The end goal is trophies but sometimes you can think of small goals such as Champions League qualification which is something Spurs are achieving.

I'd rather qualify for the Champions League than win the FA Cup.

----

There is definitely something happening at Arsenal tho. I think Wenger has lost a lot of power and is now really less of a manager and more of a head coach. Which is perfect in my opinion.

Personally I would have told him at the start of the season that top four is the minimum we expect if you want to get another year in the job. It's harsh but I think necessary.

 

[trigg_27]

Arsenal have a system that works perfectly well at home. The problem is it collapses completely during away matches

 

[Shamikebab]

He had one bad game? Well he must be terrible then.

 

[Robbo]

I have also said before that Pogba is generally thought of as being best in a midfield 3. He hasn't developed enough discipline to play in a midfield 2, it seems. That's not to say we should write it off completely just yet. It's also worth pointing out that he had highly experienced, quality midfielders around him at Juventus - Pirlo/Marchisio/Vidal.

Carragher and Neville covered it well last night on The Debate. What Mourinho has to do now is find out his best system in the remaining games this season, like Pep did in the second half of last season. Meaning he'll know if anything needs changing in the summer and the team will be used to the new system for the start of next season.

 

[BaZ87]

Klopp on why we didn't sign a Coutinho replacement this window:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football...rn-meant-no-crazy-liverpool-spending-january/

Nothing there that we didn't already know - he says we could have signed players but he only wants the "100% right thing" and that it made no sense to spend crazy money on the wrong players.