Arsenal Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2017 *Warnings see OP-updated 09/05/17*

Skylinehead

emmetlego wrote: »

Agreed, I just feel we need a bigger threat on the right, especially if Ox leaves. Relying on Theo is not good enough

Depends on the formation. If Wenger sticks with the 3-4-3 it will be Sanchez-Lacazette-Ozil with Bellerin providing the width from wing-back. Of course, if Everton are willing to part with 30m for Walcott...:pac:

tayto lover

Walcott and Welbeck are not of Premiership winning standard for me.
One will run all day and lack finishing and the other will hide all day and score the odd goal. Not enough of a threat posed by either for me.
We should ship out both and buy a proven scorer.

salmocab

tayto lover wrote: »

Walcott and Welbeck are not of Premiership winning standard for me.
One will run all day and lack finishing and the other will hide all day and score the odd goal. Not enough of a threat posed by either for me.
We should ship out both and buy a proven scorer.

or glue them together and call them one player

Skylinehead

tayto lover wrote: »

Walcott and Welbeck are not of Premiership winning standard for me.
One will run all day and lack finishing and the other will hide all day and score the odd goal. Not enough of a threat posed by either for me.
We should ship out both and buy a proven scorer.

To be fair, goals aren't Walcotts problem. Its everything else with him. Still, ship him out.

I like Welbeck for depth. Yeah his goals aren't numerous but he is useful to have. And I thought we did buy that proven goalscorer a week or so ago...

Soups123

Skylinehead wrote: »

To be fair, goals aren't Walcotts problem. Its everything else with him. Still, ship him out.

I like Welbeck for depth. Yeah his goals aren't numerous but he is useful to have. And I thought we did buy that proven goalscorer a week or so ago...

Completely agree

I also think Welbeck offers some different and is very useful for some of the tougher away games whilst offering dept throughout the season

I would probably prefer to lose Walcott before Ox and Welbeck

tayto lover

Skylinehead wrote: »

To be fair, goals aren't Walcotts problem. Its everything else with him. Still, ship him out.

I like Welbeck for depth. Yeah his goals aren't numerous but he is useful to have. And I thought we did buy that proven goalscorer a week or so ago...

Sanchez's replacement i'd say.
I will be very surprised if we buy anyone else.

Skylinehead

tayto lover wrote: »

Sanchez's replacement i'd say.
I will be very surprised if we buy anyone else.

I'd say one more player. Sanchez and Lacazette don't play the same position, so hardly a like-for-like replacement.

Arne_Saknussem

Skylinehead wrote: »

I'd say one more player. Sanchez and Lacazette don't play the same position, so hardly a like-for-like replacement.

Odds are on Giroud leaving too, and possibly Walcott too seeing as he's made 1 appearance since the switch to the back 3.

tayto lover

Skylinehead wrote: »

I'd say one more player. Sanchez and Lacazette don't play the same position, so hardly a like-for-like replacement.

Never going to be a like for like but a replacement nonetheless.
My young lad says that Wenger might sign Celtic's Dembelle. Don't know where he heard that.

Soups123

tayto lover wrote: »

Never going to be a like for like but a replacement nonetheless.
My young lad says that Wenger might sign Celtic's Dembelle. Don't know where he heard that.

A couple of rags reported it today, he has been linked with loads of clubs

Good talent but needs a lot of work

emmetlego

I see Debuchy is getting a medical at Nice. I wish him well, was a great signing and did brilliantly up to his bloody shoulder injury. Was never getting his spot back after Hector stepped up.

greendom

emmetlego wrote: »

I see Debuchy is getting a medical at Nice. I wish him well, was a great signing and did brilliantly up to his bloody shoulder injury. Was never getting his spot back after Hector stepped up.

talk of Gibbs to WBA for 12 million. Sounds a little low with all the super-inflated prices this Summer.

KaiserGunner

greendom wrote: »

talk of Gibbs to WBA for 12 million. Sounds a little low with all the super-inflated prices this Summer.

I'd be delighted with that if it happens. Wasn't expecting to get any money for him. There's quite a bit of "deadwood" in the squad at the moment. Would be happy to just get rid of them and if any transfer fee can be re couped along the way is a bonus imo.

keano_afc

tayto lover wrote: »

Walcott and Welbeck are not of Premiership winning standard for me.
One will run all day and lack finishing and the other will hide all day and score the odd goal. Not enough of a threat posed by either for me.
We should ship out both and buy a proven scorer.

So reading between then lines here, you want Wenger to somehow fuse them together to create a hybrid monster that runs all day and scores goals?

emmetlego

Latest gossip. Scezney to Juve for 10m, Gibbs to WBA for 12m, Chambers to Palace for 20m with a buy back clause and Debuchy to Nice! Chambers is good business, especially the buy back clause.

Wonda-Boy

Basil3 wrote: »

Theo had a good season last year. If he was played off the park by these youngsters, what's your view on Danny?

If Walcott had a severe injury like Welbeck you would cut him some slack, its hard to score goals from an operating table!

:rolleyes:

Wonda-Boy

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

If Walcott had a severe injury like Welbeck you would cut him some slack, its hard to score goals from an operating table!

:rolleyes:

Right, well lets hope he gets back to his pre-injury form then :rolleyes:

Theo has also had a probably more significant injury, let's not forget.

Quazzie

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

If Walcott had a severe injury like Welbeck you would cut him some slack, its hard to score goals from an operating table!

:rolleyes:

Welbeck was never good enough, and was always a stop gap player. Getting rid of Giroud and keeping Welbeck is madness at the figures quoted.

Quazzie

Quazzie wrote: »

Welbeck was never good enough, and was always a stop gap player. Getting rid of Giroud and keeping Welbeck is madness at the figures quoted.

"Great engine" etc.

emmetlego

Deleted User wrote: »

"Great engine" etc.

He's a poor finisher, but you sound a little disingenuous with that quote. He offers more up front by creating gaps and space for Alexis and Ozil. We have been far more dangerous attack wise when he is in the team. I do agree that he is not good enough to lead the line however. The best description I've heard of Lacca is that he has the movement, pace and strength of Wellbeck but a far superior finisher.

Wonda-Boy

Basil3 wrote: »

Right, well lets hope he gets back to his pre-injury form then :rolleyes:

Theo has also had a probably more significant injury, let's not forget.

Welbeck was bought as a squad player, we knew what we were getting when we purchased him. Maybe even a panic buy when we were light up front.

He is only with us 3 seasons and one of them was a disaster out injured.

Walcott has had 11 yrs to prove himself worthy of a jersey at Arsenal, as was said before on here, the chap is robbing a living off the club and is no where near worth the wages.

Arghus

I still think Wellbeck is worth persevering with. He's been very unlucky with injuries and while Arsenal is a football club and not a charitable organisation I think he deserves a bit more patience. Fans make a lot of noise about the loyalty of players, but I think when the shoe is on the other foot they aren't half as quick to reciprocate it.

Walcott though... I think we all know the story with Walcott. He's just not going to do it. He might have patches in a season where he looks like a worldbeater, but he just flatters to deceive.

Worst of all, he's always - always- there with a quote for the media. When things are going well: "yeah I'm playing great" - cue massive dip in form or injury lay off. Every. Single. Time.

When things are going badly he's usually the first to trot out the empty platitudes. Saying the things he thinks the fans want to hear. I just can't help but feel there's an awful lot of stage management to the manner in which he presents himself to the media, which just rubs me the wrong way because he either can't follow his own advice or cares more about saying the right things than he does about actually doing them.

I think it's more than time enough for Walcott to be moved on. He's had eleven highly lucrative years at the club and, yes, while he has scored goals in that time, I think Arsenal have really got all they can out of him. And in this summer's market when English players are moving for truly stupidly inflated prices I think the value he brings versus the value you'd get for him is an absolute no-brainer.

The Red Lad

Is Wilshire heading to Italy ? Sad to see him go but it's the best decision for the club. Good few leaving should free up the wages nicely but disappointed to see Chambers go thought he could offer us a lot of options this year Walcott out the door next please. Are we ever going to buy a proper holding midfielder because xhaka coq and Elneny do not cut it.

Dolph Starbeam

The Red Lad wrote: »

Is Wilshire heading to Italy ? Sad to see him go but it's the best decision for the club. Good few leaving should free up the wages nicely but disappointed to see Chambers go thought he could offer us a lot of options this year Walcott out the door next please. Are we ever going to buy a proper holding midfielder because xhaka coq and Elneny do not cut it.

Not disappointed to see Wilshire go either, I thought Chambers would have been a useful squad player this season.

Looks like there may possibly be only one more signing, Lemar hopefully, and then other signings will depend on what players are sold, Walcott, Giroud, Ox. I wouldn't feel bad about any or all of them being sold as long as we are getting in some good replacements or quality prospects who are ready for some first team football this season, Dembele.

irelandrover

The Red Lad wrote: »

Is Wilshire heading to Italy ? Sad to see him go but it's the best decision for the club. Good few leaving should free up the wages nicely but disappointed to see Chambers go thought he could offer us a lot of options this year Walcott out the door next please. Are we ever going to buy a proper holding midfielder because xhaka coq and Elneny do not cut it.

I thought Xhaka started to look very good towards the end of the season. It was always going to take him some time to settle in,

ClareVisitor

Letting Chambers go would be pure madness with Koscielny's ongoing achilles problems, Gabriel recovering from his knee injury and Mertesacker going into the final year of his playing career. Chambers and Holding could be mainstays of the defence for years to come. I very much doubt Wenger really wants to get rid of him, if we can lose Gibbs, Debuchy and Jenkinson off the wage bill then the defence will be sorted.

I also thought Xhaka was improving as the season wore on, with the three at the back and Ramsey making the forward runs the balance was good in there towards the end of the season. He ran the midfield in the cup final. Hopefully the upward trajectory in his form will continue into the new season.

emmetlego

There's a buyback clause inserted in Chambers sale by all accounts, so I think it's good business personally.

Arne_Saknussem

emmetlego wrote: »

There's a buyback clause inserted in Chambers sale by all accounts, so I think it's good business personally.

Yeah a buyback clause could be the way to go, you'd wonder how much playing time he'd get with Koscielny, Mustafi, Monreal, Gabriel, Holding, Mertesacker & Kolasinic all able to play in the back 3 too.

Wenger once again saying Alexis is going nowhere

https://www.arsenal.com/news/wenger-alexis-lacazette-and-spending

Will look very, very silly if he does.

highbury1913

Chambers for his own career is right to move on. Loan moves can be good as we know for a player's development but once players get a taste of regular football they want to keep getting it. Even more so as the regular games in a row coincided with his good form as time went on at Middlesbrough.

Walcott's time should be up. He can get a goal like he did at Man City away but he was missing for the rest of game and at times his general play and link up play is non-existent. He offers little in the way of controlling games possession wise in big games away from home like that. Welbeck on the other hand does give that even if his goal scoring threat isn't as big as Walcott's. You look overall at the contribution to the team and how it fits into a collective aspect.

It's why Klopp rightly plays Firminio over Sturridge even though Sturridge would get way for goals with a run of games.

Royale with Cheese

Basil3 wrote: »

Wenger once again saying Alexis is going nowhere

https://www.arsenal.com/news/wenger-alexis-lacazette-and-spending

Will look very, very silly if he does.

Maybe for once he's just trying to protect the club's position, instead bending over and taking whatever paltry fee they're offered for him.

Wonda-Boy

Only time Walcott steps it up is when contract renewals are inbound....and in FIFA on the PS4

wandatowell

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

Only time Walcott steps it up is when contract renewals are inbound....and in FIFA on the PS4

As much as I dislike him he's lethal in PES

emergingstar

Walcott got 19 goals last year

If him and Sanchez we're to go, you would find it very hard to replace there goals

highbury1913

emergingstar wrote: »

Walcott got 19 goals last year

If him and Sanchez we're to go, you would find it very hard to replace there goals

We played without Walcott for the most part after the Palace game. The team was a lot more balanced and fluent as a result.

Goals cover up the flaws of other aspects of his game and I think the team suffers for it.

I mentioned above the Firminio and Sturridge example with Klopp. The same can be said for Fabregas and Conte. He's a liability defensively and leaves gaps in the midfield where he can be overrun. Fabregas might have great stats for assists and creativity but Conte rightly sees a better balance for the team with Kante and Matic. He has just got Bakayoko for that reason too. And by the way, Fabregas and Sturridge are far better footballers than Walcott.

Walcott can easily be replaced and I would never put him in the same sentence as Sanchez in saying he will that difficult to replace.

It's time to move him on. That being said, I don't think it will happen and I think we'll see more of the same as previous years.

emergingstar

emergingstar wrote: »

Walcott got 19 goals last year

If him and Sanchez we're to go, you would find it very hard to replace there goals

Only 10 the premier league, though..... Which is coincidentally as many premier league goals as Welbeck has scored in his 3 years since joining arsenal....

Walcott can go, as soon as we get in someone who will contribute at least as many goals as him. We will be screwed if we lose 2 of Sanchez/Giroud/Walcott.

Gringo180

emergingstar wrote: »

Walcott got 19 goals last year

If him and Sanchez we're to go, you would find it very hard to replace there goals

Walcott is a very very average player. If we eant to be realistic title contenders he cannot be anywhere near the starting 11. Podolski scored more goals than Walcott and he wasnt really missed much when he left, and hes twice the player Theo is.

Arne_Saknussem

I'd happily swap out Walcott for Mahrez, even after his duff season last year.

MEGA BRO WOLF 5000

All Walcott is is a pace machine. Take that away and he's a 2nd division player. He's average at best. The only thing between him and 19 year old Theo is he's a much much better finisher. Other than that though...

wonga77

We havent seen Walcotts pace for a long time now, I think with the injuries he's had that speed is a thing of the past

Skylinehead

Walcott isn't that pacy. He's all about goals now, and little else. I will say he's a good big game player, but 90% of the time it's a whole lot of nothing from him.

highbury1913

This is something in his game I have spotted for a while. He comes in off the wing without the ball too much and into traffic where it's difficult to receive the ball. People say it's done to give Bellerin space to go forward yet Neville pointed this out in the commentary on a few occasions during the United away game where he said he was coming in off the wing too early when Arsenal had the ball. He was doing that with Jenkinson at full back. Allardyce in the after match interview of the Palace mentioned this about Walcott and Bellerin coming forward and planned on exploiting it. He correctly said it's something they always do and you didn't need to be footballing genius to see it either.

There is no genuine width where he can carry the ball as an outlet for the team.

emmetlego

So £14m for Scezney? Good business?

highbury1913

I was always of the opinion that Sanchez was definitely leaving this summer, yet the more I'm reading the more I'm thinking Wenger's comments about him not leaving are a bit more believable than his previous assertions with Cesc, Nasri, RVP.

The reasoning can be debated and of course it remains to be seen if it's true in the end.

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

Quazzie

emmetlego wrote: »

So £14m for Scezney? Good business?

Nope. Cech is already declining and we have no one to replace him. At the end of next season we will regret not have Szczesny at the club.

KaiserGunner

emmetlego wrote: »

So £14m for Scezney? Good business?

I'm disappointed that we didn't keep him. If he's good enough for Juventus, than he's good enough for us. I'm assuming that Ospina will be staying on for another season now with this news?

wonga77

emmetlego wrote: »

So £14m for Scezney? Good business?

Not for me, at 27 he still has his best years ahead of him and in the long term I think we'll regret selling him. Cech is 35 and not anywhere near as good as he was. I like Ospina but think that Ches would be a better option going forward

Arghus

Yup. You'd have to think selling Woj is a mistake: Cech is pushing on and getting creaky. And if Juventus are the ones who want to take him then I think that says a lot about how his qualties are perceived over there; I presume they know a thing or two about goalkeepers.

I suppose the real question is did he want to come back and stay. I reckon probably not.

greendom

Arghus wrote: »

Yup. You'd have to think selling Woj is a mistake: Cech is pushing on and getting creaky. And if Juventus are the ones who want to take him then I think that says a lot about how his qualties are perceived over there; I presume they know a thing or two about goalkeepers.

I suppose the real question is did he want to come back and stay. I reckon probably not.

I'd say he's a keeper equivalent to Walcott, Wilshere or Gibbs in outfield. Decent level but not the type of player who's going to push you on to win the league.

Always a mistake in him and his mentality can be found wanting. We can do better

Arne_Saknussem

Arghus wrote: »

Yup. You'd have to think selling Woj is a mistake: Cech is pushing on and getting creaky. And if Juventus are the ones who want to take him then I think that says a lot about how his qualties are perceived over there; I presume they know a thing or two about goalkeepers.

I suppose the real question is did he want to come back and stay. I reckon probably not.

That's how i'd read it too, they're clearly willing to let Ospina go to anyone who'll pay his wages.