Morning all.
That’s three draws on the bounce now. The one against Liverpool was not such a problem because of recent results and certainly poor performances against them but Palace and Sporting? We should have won both. Admittedly, the injury to Danny Welbeck appeared to shake the younger players up a bit but even so, we had enough possession and chances to ensure the final two fixtures in Europe would be dead rubbers. Dropping two points against Palace was just sloppy. Two points could make a difference between fourth and fifth spot in May.
We need to beat Wolves on Sunday and get the winning run back on track before the doubts start creeping in. November hasn’t always been a kind month to us both as far as results and injuries go and already it looks like history might again repeat itself. Unai Emery can’t let that happen and hopefully he won’t.
Yes, we’re going to miss Danny Welbeck, especially in Europe and the domestic cups not only because of his goals either. His work rate is superb and it was that which led to him being injured on Thursday evening. He wanted to get to that ball and in his determination to do so, his ankle went over.
The club are now in a tricky situation as far as Welbeck goes. His contract is up in the summer and as far as we know, a new one hasn’t been agreed. Don’t even know if he’s been offered one either but if he has, I hope the club don’t now turn their back on it. I don’t think we’re the kind of club who would.
We’ll miss Lichtsteiner too for the same reason but his injury is short term, in fact according to the official website, he’ll be assessed before tomorrow’s match. Not that that means a lot really.
But as two suffer injuries, others are set for an imminent return. After this international break, we should have just one name on the injury list, Danny’s and that’s just how I hope it stays at least until the end of the year. The last thing we need is an injury to Lacazette, Aubameyang or Torreria. We can just about cope in all the other areas.
Finally, both Aubameyang and Ramsey picked up Premier League awards for October. Aubameyang, for his five goals in as many games earned the player of the month gong, Ramsey was awarded his for the goal of the month. Well done to both.
23 year old Lille winger/forward Nicolas Pepe is being linked to us this morning which is no great surprise. Not the player but the position. We’re short of options up front now with just Eddie Nketiah in reserve should Lacazette or Aubameyang suffer injury.
Pepe won’t be the first and he sure won’t be the last linked to us as the transfer window draws near. What is it, six/seven weeks until the 1st January? We know how time flies so it’ll be here before we know it.
We’ve a lot of football to get through before then though and right now, beating Wolves tomorrow is what matters.
Have a good Saturday guys…
First.
Two points dropped with Sporting.
Enough to stay in 1st in the group and practically rest in the next 2 games of this competition.
With the Palace, in my opinion, it turned out not to be 2 losing points …
I wonder if the game was on Monday if the result would not have been different. Is not that what the Totts did?
I didn’t think so Jm, not after leading 2-1 v Palace
Morning rico, House. I actually think to have only dropped two league points in all league games since the first two actually flatters us. But a good platform to build on. Only against Liverpool have we turned in a full performance. 2nd half v Fulham and a few others. Emery knows we need to improve, not sure exactly why we not fluent throughout, can’t really blame it on individuals.
Morning Andrew. I think all things considered were in a good place. Certainly didn’t expect to be sitting fifth right now although it means little at this stage of the season. We’re building in all sorts of ways, including a bit of good fortune here and there. We’re long overdue that….
Afternoon Gooners
Afternoon Rico, yeah, some business in January is probable, how about signing a striker on loan as I ain’t sure about this Pepe geezer, we’ve got Nelson to come back in a few months, don’t want some expensive signing blocking him off from the 1st team.
We could do with some full backs, if Monreal leaves we’ll be a bit light at left back and a young right back to understudy Bellerin would be good. The way we play with the full backs having so much to do and being vital to the way we play really means we needs four so we can rotate them regularly.
Cover for Torrieira is vital, lose him and the shit hits the fan. I don’t think we have anyone at the club who can possibly come near to the job Lucas does.
Nketiah has his chance now to make his mark, probably will get a few games on the flanks, cutting in, but opportunity knocks for Eddie, let’s hope that he takes advantage and saves us spending £40/£50m on some wonderboy.
Good afternoon all. Thanks for the post Rico, as you so rightly say, following Welbeck’s injury we be linked with no end of prospective replacements, I think we should forget signing new players and stick with our own, Nketiah deserves a chance.
I can’t be bothered with football today, my full attention is focused on England vs The All Blacks.
Afternoon Kev. A loan makes sense. A good player who just can’t force his way into his first team, who’ll be happy playing in Europe etc. Isn’t Dembele in the bad books right now, he’d do. Lol
Cover for Torreria is a must I’d have thought..
You and me both Cicero, I’ll be seated by 2-40 ready for the Hakka…
Morning all.
Interesting Rico, interesting. To buy or not to buy, that is the question. Or, do we suffer the outrageous demands of loanees? Who knows, who knows?
Do we even know how serious or hopefully not serious Welbz injury is?
I do think, like Kev that the time has come to blood some of our super kids. Guendouzi is only 20. Lucas is only 22. How old is Eddie, 19? If he’s good enough he’s old enough, same with Smith Rowe, and AMN and Nelson to name but a few. Let’s have a look at them before we go off buying very expensive replacements who may well turn out to be duds. I approve wholeheartedly in the priniple of home grown goods. Got to give it a go, surely.
A few tweaks here and there by buying prudently for positions that we are genuinely short in may be a January event, but one or two players at most, and not just to cover currently injured players. Full back and a holding midfield player should be sufficient. Who might they be? Not a clue!
As for being 5th at the moment, I think it’s beyond our greatest dreams, bearing in mind the despondency that we all felt this time last year. We were down the tubes and sinking faster than the Titanic, and look at us now. Fourth or better is a real possibility. I certainly could possibly have said that last year or perhaps even the year before. What a turn around!
A bit of blue sky and relatively warm. Not a bad late autumn day.
Thanks Wavy.
I love Eddie, but throwing him in at the deep end in Europe might be hard on him. I’d hoped he’d have had a few games by now but Emery clearly wanted to get the europa qualification sorted before risking anything. Perhaps the last two games will see him start and then the manager will know if he’s ready or not. I hope he is and can’t see why he wouldn’t be. Not really.
Ditto too, good enough, they’re old enough in my book.
Correction….”l certainly couldn’t have said that……”
Eddie can have a few run outs from the bench Wavy, starting tomorrow, let’s see what he can bring to the party. He can do a job on the flanks and can cut in, he has a great shot and can be deadly in the box, all he needs is games.
This will be the third transfer window Rico, when we have Sven Mislintat heading up the search party and so far he’s brought us a few uncut diamonds and a few pieces of old gold, so leave it to him and ignore all the agent inspired speculation.
Usually when an agent is linking us to their player, we’ve looked, enquired and moved on, it’s the lesser known names with sensible fees that I take more notice of.
Seems that Sunderland want to take Willock on loan, a spell up there, out of his comfort zone, at a big club where every game counts, could be a valuable education to him at this stage of his career – toughen him up.
Not bad so far Rico, I think we stunned the Kiwis at the start, but they’re back in the game. Let’s hope we can start the second half well and rebuild the lead.
Afternoon all and thanks Rico.
Dont mean to be pendantic, but it`s not 3 draws on the trot, we beat Blackpool in the Carabao Cup !………………shows I read it all ! 🙂
Eddie scores goals for fun at all other levels being it Arsenal or England !…………………….trouble is Arsenal are leading games in the first half of most games that have been played this season so far, if we had been winning comfortably instead of our 2nd half revival routine then maybe he would have got on off the bench (when he has been on it ).
Lots of Arsenal young uns being called up for England………………12 I think !…………………….dont think we have had this much potential talent for a long time coming through the ranks, so they are going to need some game time and with all the cups we are in lets blood them with games in EL against the two teams we never heard of !
As for Danny, if it was an intention to give him another contract before injury then still give him one like Arsene did for Santi, however, if the new guys had no intention of giving him a new contract then no time for sympathy as he doesn`t need the money and will still be picked up by another club.
Robbed at the end Cicero…
Agree re Sven Kev, he’ll be busy already I hope. Don’t think he leaves any stone unturned when it comes to spotting a few goodies.
Done by the TMO, he wasn’t offside when the ball was picked up. That was a try and the official got wrong.
Lc, I’m with you, we can’t dish out sympathy contracts. As much as it’s an awful situation for Welbeck, if he was going then I’d have thought he still will.
Making amends for last weekend Cicero.
Small margins Rico, we beat the Springboks by one point last week and lost to the Kiwis by a single point this week. I’m happy with the England performance, but for glaring error by the TMO we’d have won.
I meant the third official making amends Cicero 😉
Totts won again
Reiss scores again !………………………….stat…………..averaging a goal every 51 mins !
Yes JM against Fiji, that’s like Portugal beating The Azores. 😉
We’re going to miss Welbecks versatility and his physicality, I’m hearing that he’s had his ankle treated and it could be a combination a dislocation, a break and ligament damage. That’s gotta be at least 6 months out, so until next May.
It probably means that I saw his last game in an Arsenal shirt last Thursday and that he’ll be playing for someone else by next July.
It’s a real shame as he allowed Emery the option of resting and rotating Lacazette and Aubameyang, but now those two will probably play every game up till the end of the year, except probably the last two Europa matches.
Nketiah can come on in certain games if we’re comfortably leading, but those other two aren’t gonna get much rest for the next few weeks.
Cicero, rico.
England’s try should have stood. The referee could not define weather it was off side or not. Decision went to TMO. The law states it must be “Clear and obvious” This was clearly NOT clear and obvious.
The TMO official was Marius Jonker. I wonder……………..I wonder………….Cynical as I am……..ONE guess where he is from?
Pay back for last week I wonder???????
Exactly Kev so surely Emery will look for someone in January. As you said, a loan would be ideal unless the club plans on signing a striker anyway. Is there anyone else coming through the academy who’s ready for the step up?
Vcc, agree. I was gutted for England but in their hearts, they’ll know they won that game fair and square and they should focus on that… NZ will know too.
New post up now.