He's put in some excellent performances under Arteta. Against Sheffield and United in particular, whilst doing a lot of covering for either an 18 year old winger (Saka) out of position at left back, or the worst left back I've ever seen at the club in Kolasinac, along with the inept Mustafi.
Mind still boggles how Mustafi built this CV as a 37m German world cup winning player with experience of Serie A and La Liga.
Might have to start a Kepa watch with Rashford.
I went to Buriram last night to watch us (Ho Chi Minh City) get beat 2-1 in the Asian Champions League qualifier. That's not a bad result considering the difference in club stature. A decent crowd of about 11,000, with 8 of us from Vietnam (including the managers son and wife) and a local ringer.
Have arsenal sold any player in recent years for decent coins? Do they have funds for players as they have been outside the top 4 for 2+ years now. Surely Auba will be gone in the summer for a decent fee
Ward-Prowse, I would have thought.
Pretty big game tonight for us in the Championship. Thanks to Leeds and West Brom stumbling over Christmas and New Year, we could move to within a point of the automatic spots (albeit having played a game more) with a win tonight at Charlton. No Mitrovic is still a bit of a worry, as although we look a little more dynamic with him out, no one can seem to finish off the better chances we create.
Offloading from the wage bill is as big as anything - we shifted on a lot of big earners last summer but there’s more room there too. Ozil and Kola take up 26m of the budget alone, Mustafi and Mikhi are another 15m and should command small fees.
I’d expect one of either Laca or Aubameyang to go for north of 40m, the former is preferable for most fans at the moment, but perhaps less likely as 2 years younger with an extra year on his current deal. Nonetheless, I’d let him go to keep Auba with Nketiah as back up and retain Saka, Martinelli and Pepe as the wide options.
Give Arteta a decent centre half to partner Saliba or Holding next season and 2 more midfield options and I think we’re challenging for top 5 again and moving towards a better future.
Long over Hojberg?
@Waffdon in the two games I’ve seen him play 90 mins in down here Armstrong is one of the many Scottish talents to turn into just another workhorse well versed in shithousery, a la Dickov, McCarthy et al.
As if Shane Long is a Premier League player.
Long has been playing very well lately apart from his finishing.
That Mustafi backpass should be looked at as gross misconduct. If you fucked up that badly in any other line of work you'd be unemployed in very short order.
Martinelli looks a proper player. They should probably take what they can get for Aubameyang and give him a run of games as the main man, rather than letting Aubameyang run his contract down.
This basically proves my point, hes a bang average footballer yet hes he's still in our top handful of players and we are in the top half of the league.
Armstrong is looking decent now hes getting a run in the side, seems to have found his place in the side since we moved to 4222.
Currently Ibiza 1, Barcelona 0 in the Copa del Rey.
Eyeball Paul with the goal.
I wanted Ibiza to pull this off but they just did "the Wave" and now I hope they lose 6-1
Lloris is back back back
6 minutes for what, exactly? lol
Fucking Greasy twat.
Norwich are terrible, but there's no way we're ever going to take advantage
I love that Fred thinks he can shoot with his right foot.
Matic is so ridiculously casual on the ball around our own box. I'd be going ballistic at him if I was the manager.
His walking pace ball-shielding/stepping past people is and always has been his best attribute.
I've tried to be positive about Maguire but my assessment of him from before we looked like signing him was right; he's shit.
A ball just went in off Buffon for an OG. I thought he retired at least two years ago.
You would rage-quit Football Manager if that happened.
I'd quit if I was Solksjaer. The fact it's the 22nd of January and we haven't signed anyone despite the absolute threadbare state of the squad - especially in midfield - is a disgrace. You can debate whether he's a shit manager or not all you like, but nobody would succeed with these players.
I have a lot of sympathy for him in relation to the wider picture, but it's Burnley at home. Does he really not have the players to beat Burnley at home?
Welp I'm officially the big fuckin sad again.
Is it just my stream or is there a thick layer of fog over the stadium
Imagine if this group of players and this manager is the one the board decide to actually stick with.
One of these Glazer fucks live in my county I'm about to go lock myself to their gates and do a hunger strike or something.
Hot take: United are a bit shit.
If Man Poo can concede a third without reply, then we'll somehow be ahead of them in fifth
This is football manager nonsense. Sheffield United are a point behind you spending 120 million a year less on wages. Southampton are 2 points behind you and they got beat 9-0.
Your manager is shit, your coaches are shit, your plan is shit. And you're still 5th. That's how much of an advantage you have. Nobody would succeed with these players, give me a break.
The club was considered lacking in 2013 and you've done fuck all but buy players for record fees since then. Who are you going to buy? Some super-agent employing wanker? That'll change things.
They'll get Steve Bruce in a year's time for way too much money.
Hopefully United don't do anything too silly.
I guess even their hierarchy could see how mad it would be to sack a manager at the end of January, so they'll probably leave Ole in situ to continue to fuck shit up for another 5 months or so.
I know things can change rapidly in football, but it's hard to see where they go after they eventually bin him. They want instant success with marquee players and 'good football', but also a progressive rebuild based on their core values of developing young players, both of which are pretty hard to do in isolation, let alone together. I suppose there will be no shortage of takers for the thankless task whenever it becomes available, but who are the likely candidates? Is it all aboard the Mauricio 'never won a trophy' Pochettino express?
I don't think the Glazers give enough of a shit to be demanding instant success as long as they're still getting whatever it is they need out of it.
I feel like if they had Pochettino in mind for if/when they have to pull the trigger on Solskjaer they'd have just done it by now, but it probably doesn't matter as long as Woodward is in charge of the football side.
They have needed for a while to have a hard rebuild which will mean two initial years of mid-table finishes, but commercially they can't afford that so they will carry on getting the most famous available managers and players whilst lacking any kind of purpose or identity.
You have to be brave. Chelsea have been brave this year for the first time in decades and it's going to pay off even if we end up in 6th.
I can see both phonics and RL's points of view. Chelsea and Leicester's squads edge United's in my opinion, so they aren't overachieving or massively underachieving (14 points behind Leicester isn't good, but it isn't dreadful either). Pochettino or another top class manager would probably have them 3rd or 4th.
I'm not sure being forced to use the youth squad because you're banned from signing players counts as brave.