Daily Bits and Bobs

A straight shootout for third Arsenal summer signing?

Posted on by rico

Morning all.

The media would have us believe that as far as our next signing goes, it’s a straight shootout between Thomas Lemar and Riyad Mahrez.

One had great season in the Premier League for Leicester as they ended up being crowned Champions in May 2016, although to this day I still don’t know how. The other, well he’s just enjoyed a good season in the French to division with AS Monaco. He too has a Championship medal in his pocket after winning the league earlier this year.

For Mahrez, last season was very up and down, mind you, it was for most of the Leicester players as they failed spectacularly to reach the dizzy heights they had the season before. I wasn’t at all surprised though such was the freak goings on the year before. Things picked up after Ranieri was sacked and the threat of relegation was just that, a threat. In the Champions League they did well, certainly much better than Arsenal. Better than all the other English teams too if my memory serves me right.

The Algerian is 26 years old, already adjusted to the English game and with a reported £50 million price tag. The Frenchman is a few years younger, never tested in England and he’s of slight build. Well, he’s short, but so is Alexis and Lemar has an inch on him. I jest, height matters little, certainly with an attacking player, it’s strength, attitude and desire which counts more.

Mahrez showed with Leicester that when the going got tough, he went missing so perhaps there’s a question mark over his attitude. After all, the last thing we need is yet another player who isn’t prepared to roll up his sleeves when the need requires.

Lemar, well I’ve not seen enough of him playing to pass judgement but what he does have is lovely feet, trickery and he loves to dribble. His passing range isn’t bad either, nor is the accuracy of his passes, something which so often we miss in our team. The Frenchman can play anywhere going forward, right, left or centre which is a big plus imo and he’s been quoted as saying that he prefers to link-up with team mates, rather than taking on defenders:

‘I am trying to avoid duels and concentrate on passing and movement as much as possible.’

Pass and movement… I love him already!

Thanks to Youtube, here’s a clip of the two.

Lemar gets my vote, but if we end up with Mahrez, I don’t think he’ll be a disaster…

By the way, the media still remain adamant that we are in for Mbappe. Wouldn’t that be a triumph for Arsene Wenger if the young man turned down the likes of Real Madrid and Man City to sign for us…..

Have a good day guys, Sky Sports suggest we are sorting a massive clear-out..

rico

56 thoughts on “A straight shootout for third Arsenal summer signing?”

  5. ScottfromOz says:

    Morning all.
    Both players we are linked to are obviously top quality, but based purely on what we have up front now, id take Lemar for his delivery.
    Either would be a positive, though.

  7. Le Coq Monster says:

    Two thing`s really made me chuckle since yesterday !……………………1) If it were up to me, Rico, Arsene Wenger would be arrested for fraud and deception…………………….thank you Herb ! hahaha……………..and 2) Stoke in for Ox at £25M ! …………………………didn`t know if someone had spiked my fresh fruit smoothy with LSD ! hahaha

  10. Le Coq Monster says:

    How`s my downunder boys dooing ?……………………..best compliment I can pay you Aussies is that you are like us cockney`s but with sun tans !………………the humour is the same ! 🙂

  11. Dennis Seymour says:

    Why is it taking so long to buy these players if city wanted either the deal would be done or maybe it’s Wenger trying to get the lowest price possible(skinflint) or will it be just another player that we could have signed but didn’t……DO THE DEAL WENGER for the long suffering fans that you promise so much to but don’t deliver………

  14. Le Coq Monster says:

    Yes Rico…………………………probably the funniest blogger out there , we have history as a twosome of adult humour which got us into trouble a few times ! hahaha

    He`s not just an AKB, but a stalker of Wenger !………………….. has a shrine to him and also an Arsene blow up doll which he married in the Seychelles or some where similar where it`s legal !…………one of the nicest people I have met ! 🙂

  15. ScottfromOz says:

    Hahaha LC, some of our fellow members would disagree with you about my sense of humour 🙂 🙂
    Life is too short to be miserable all the time lol

  16. allezkev says:

    This’s is a classic;

    Even Mathieu Flamini got in on the act:

    When I first arrived at Arsenal I felt very comfortable because we had a French manager and lots of French players. Everyone made me feel very welcome, but in the first day of training I had a run-in with Jens. I scored a goal past him in a training game, a nutmeg, and he hated it.

    The next time the ball came to me in the area, I looked up to see if I could pass it to a teammate but all I remember is seeing this shadow looming over me, and when I woke up I was in the medical room flat on my back. Apparently I had been unconscious for two hours, and I had a terrible headache.

    Arsene Wenger came in to see if I was ok, and Pat Rice was there to reassure me. I was very groggy and after a while I went back to the dressing room to get changed thinking everyone else would have gone home. Jens was there. He looked at me, smiled sympathetically and held out his hand as if to shake it to say sorry.

    Instead, he grabbed it, pulled me close into him and squeezed me so tight I could barely breathe. My nostrils filled with his Westphalian musk and he whispered ‘Do that again, and next time you’ll never wake up.’

    He was such a positive influence on me.

    ?

  20. bumba11 says:

    Morning all – Good post as per usual.

    I’d much prefer Lemar, i didnt like the way Mahrez seemed to throw a strop last season as as mentioned already, we could do without that.

    Just back from the Isle of Wight….Chucked it down all weekend! Sunny on the Ferry back home! Marvellous!

  22. Le Coq Monster says:

    If you`ve been to The Isle of Wight…….bumba !………………………….check you haven`t grown an extra finger ! hahaha

  25. bumba11 says:

    LC i was only there for 3 nights, i think i got away quick enough to avoid any extra limb growth.

    GG – yes they do. Still while he had his season, ive never really liked him that much, dunno why, so ill still go for Lemar……or Seri who we are also being linked with, but then he is a differnt kind of player.

  27. Le Coq Monster says:

    “New diesel and petrol cars and vans will be banned from 2040 as part of efforts to tackle air pollution, the Government is expected to announce”…………………………I see a problem here !……………anyone ever been stuck on a motorway for hours when there`s been a crash ?……………………….a motorway crash and miles upon miles of electric cars vans lorries and they have run out of power !……………………..how do they recharge them all ?……………………………………maybe motorway hardshoulders will have charging points every 100 yards !………………………an answer from HH environmentalists ( also known as virgins ) will be appreciated ! hahaha…………………………………….
    I will probably move to Oz and marry my Ornstein blow up doll and move in with GG and Scott, at least they have Kanga` power there !

  28. Wavy says:

    Geordie Armstrong for me! ?
    More seriously, of the two I’d take Lemar, not that I know much about him but, Mahrez, I believe has had his moment in the sun. He was brilliant for L City during their winning year but last year he was less than ordinary! His performances were dull and often fruitless. No idea where it went wrong for him, but it did. And his disinterest on the field was at times quite staggering. Does he have an attitude problem? I rather think he has. Could he be the token rotten apple in the changing room to replace Alexis? He may be the perfect miserable fit!! No, not Mahrez, not for me.
    There is always Asensio at RM if we can’t get Lemar. He may be worth a punt.

    Afternoon all. Wicked weather here at the moment although the local forecast says sun by 1.00pm. I’ve got my sunglasses polished and ready awaiting a golden afternoon. Got my umbrella handy too?

  29. Le Coq Monster says:

    “Sperm concentrations in Western men have declined by more than 50 per cent over the past 40 years, according to a major new study.”

    I put that up just in case any of you HHers needs help !……………I`m here if needed !……………with the amount of exercise I do, my sperm dont just swim, they are like hard core Iron Man Tri Athletes` !…………….swim, run or cycle, they will get there and by 2040 they will have the help of super lithium batteries as back up as well !……………. hahaha

  34. Meerkat says:

    Afternoon all, good opener as per usual rico.

    The last thing we need is another ‘tippy tappy’ player, who dances around like some of our current goonettes. So, whoever it is, he had better have some steel.

    Reading that Flamini anecdote reminded me that we have Lens back. Now he is a good signing for us! Most of the old great team were a little afraid of Lens.
    Shame Sanchez is leaving, he’d be given a good kick up the arsenal if he started with the attitude.

  37. Meerkat says:

    To be fair, it’s not only Le Prof who hesitates and won’t just go for it. Look at Citeh. They want Sanchez, and have made that clear for weeks now, but still they won’t go for him at any price. We should get for him, what it will cost us to replace him, minimum £80 million. Yet still Citeh seem reluctant to put in a firm bid for him. Money is an issue even with chavs sometimes.

    It won’t be all roses at manure this season regardless of who they buy. They still have Napoleon as manager after all, and he has little man syndrome, and only likes giants playing for him.

  38. potter says:

    LC re electric cars, How many nuclear stations will we need ?( that’s green ) What about country areas ,we haven’t got gas or cable yet. when they lose the fuel revenue what happens to electric prices ? You think they have no idea about Brexit well they haven’t thought this through.

  46. allezkev says:

    What, Mahrez vs Walcott?

    Different types of players and playing in a different system at Arsenal now.

  49. allezkev says:

    I’ve heard that Lemar has been likened to Bobby Pires, if that’s true then if we don’t get him this summer then he’ll double in value by this time next year…

    Theo got into double figures with his goals last season didn’t he Rico?

  50. rico says:

    Just kidding Kev, you know I love him really. And yes, he did which isn’t bad for a winger is it…. would Mahrez get that amount I wonder…

  51. Le Coq Monster says:

    Yes, Potter, lots of consequences to think about with only electric vechiles from 2040 !…………..probably best to open up the canal`s again !……………if the battery runs out they can always row to a charge point !………………….maybe all vechiles will have solar roofs on them……………bugger for driving at night though !…………………………….lots to take in and think about and my first opinion is probably only the tip of the iceberg !……………….like you say country areas etc` !
    I was at the Royal Cornwall Show in June and was interested in a couple of stands promoting Tesla Powerwall battery !……………………they said it is possible to go off grid by charging these batteries with solar power, I think the battery is14kw !…………………they said the battery would last 20+ years and cost would be £6k for the batery and then the solar panels another £6K ? (guessing here)………………..it appeals to me if I could build another house again and making that a passive house !………………………..Ok Im` getting boring now ! hahaha

    OK, so Lemar is not for sale, it has to be Mahrez then !………………………..to tell the truth the vid up the top makes Mahrez look the more skillfull player imo…………………. Lemar looks the better deliverer of a ball and decent free kicks !………………….or someone else !.

  53. Lee says:

    Don’t see many drastic changes to the Arsenal set up and this window has all the makings of so many before it….

    Wonder what the master plan is? Is there a master plan? Wenger is sooo reactionary as a manager…

    Early days in the TW I guess, said that few times before too……

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