Morning all.
Next summer, Mikel Arteta, Mathieu Flamini, Tomas Rosicky and Joel Campbell are all out of contract.
According to the Mail, Mikel Arteta has been offered a one year extension but as far as I know, none of the others have.
Back in the summer, there were plenty of stories around which suggested that Flamini was told to find another club, but as so typical of the Frenchman, he said no as his intention was to leave for free and earn a big deal elsewhere. That’s what he does as no signing on fee equals a better wage packet…
Mikel Arteta, well who knows where his future lies. If he wants to continue playing then he surely has to go and do that somewhere else because there’s no way he can carry on playing at the level Arsenal need to be at.
Tomas Rosicky. Great player but too old and always on the injury list. He has to go surely and I think he will. Why he was ‘forced’ to stay still amazes me.
Finally, Joel Campbell. He’s 23 years old and if he was truly good enough, he’d be playing regular first team football by now and not need a glut of injuries to other players in order to get his chance. Let’s be honest, when a manager prefers to play a central midfielder in the position Campbell plays, time is up.
I think he should be sold and replaced in January, although the way Arsenal carry out their transfer business, finding another player will be difficult, so just let him leave in the summer. The same goes for the others too imo..
What do you think?
[yop_poll id=”-2″ tr_id=””” show_results=”-1″]
Finally, Didier Deschamps has told Mathieu Debuchy to play regularly or quit Arsenal in January if he wants a place at Euro 2016.
Mathieu Debuchy is in a position where he is playing very little, when he does play, look at yesterday’s result.
He has a decision to make in December or January. He hasn’t lost his quality, he’s playing very little.
With Bellerin expected back after the international break, I can’t see the Frenchman getting an extended run in the team, so perhaps his exit is on the cards too…
Should be a busy summer for the Arsenal manager….
That’s it for Friday, have a good one guys…
Good post Rico…
Joel Campbell, should he stay or should he go, is London calling?
It’s an interesting question but difficult to answer in November…
Let’s see where we stand in May..?
Good Post Rico…
Instead of waiting till Summer, at least one player should be brought in January…
If some more injury happens before others come back from injury, we will be going down in premier league as well…
Sitting on the fence Kev? 😉
Madhav, fingers crossed we’ll get at east one in Jan…
The kids only started 1 game…..and he did score and he did play his socks off…….yes he was week against Bayern……but so was the rest of the team………I reckon he could be a good squad player
As for the rest of them……..upgrades needed!
No Rico, I am not sitting on the fence ?
I just don’t know about Campbell, well not yet…
🙂 Kev..
You have a point though, perhaps a few god games from him might change my opinion…. However… lol
The player wants to stay according to reports…
“Arsene Wenger has expressed fears that a mounting injury list could derail Arsenal’s Premier League title charge in the next couple of months….”
What AW expect with a short team and games every week?
So predictable…
Afternoon All,
Good post Rico…
This thing about being a squad player is two-fold…however the quality, non-regular starts kills a player’s confidence. That is why it is a dilemma for Wenger to make certain decisions – step-up or step-down?
When you bring in a player of same qualities in one position, one eventually ends up as second choice…and when he does, he starts deteriorating once the first choice continues on extended run…however good the cover, every manager has his preferred 11. So getting a player of real quality to sit on the bench is Herculean…Debuchy only came because he was certain he’s first choice…just injuries reversed his role.
Yes, Arteta, Flamini, Rosicky should go but it’s not always easy to shift out a loyal servant. Rosicky deserves every respect…end his career in Arsenal. When a player gave genuine dedication the club should equally pay back for appreciation and an example to others.
Very predicable Jm, it’s not like we’ve been here before eh…
Welcome Chris.
I get what you are saying, but as much as AW bigs him up, if Campbell is good enough, surely by now he’d have been played. Yet AW prefers to play Ramsey on the right than to give him a chance.
We seem to be one of a few top clubs who don’t have the depth though Tai…
As we all know Wenger has a problem because he is like a two year old in a toy shop. He doesn’t go to buy a specific item he will pick up everything he sees and then cries if he has to put it down. This why we end up with a squad of players that are not suited to specific positions and he has to shoe horn them into the side. Effectively we have too many central midfielders and not enough wide men so to keep preferred players in the team he has to leave out lesser players that are more suited to the position. Maybe this is why he seems to enjoy having a long injury list every season because it eases his selection problems.
I don’t think any team in the EPL can do without players like Koscielny, Bellerin, Walcott, Chamberlain, Welbeck, Wilzshere, Rosicky, Arteta…everyone of them could have started against Bayern…and be same team.
We’ll play against a very good team on Sunday without most of these players coming back yet. Should we add players because we’re anticipating injuries or should we because the squad is not strong enough? Can Arsenal squad be that thin if we had all these players fit?
Spot on there Potter..
How long have we been saying that for….
Potter, I think AW has justification in playing Ramsey wide…because he has Bellerin. Bellerin is credited with creating the most ‘sure’ chances in Europe so far this season.. Such a player should be freed to express his talent and strong points. Playing a midfielder in front of him is a decoy…while the midfielder helps to defend, Bellerin marauds along the right flank all game long.
Against Everton, Matinez had to play Aaron Lenon on the left flank to help neutralise Bellerin’s threats. Teams are getting scarred, really scarred of the Spaniard.
AW/Arsenal should have signed players back in the summer which would ensure we had the right depth and strength to cope with injuries to key players.
One injury to Santi, Coquelin, Alexis, Ozil or Giroud and we are in the mire…
Also, injuries occur every season at Arsenal, suffering as we are right now isn’t something new this season.
Bellerin? I told you so….Christmas, he’ll be back just in time for Xmas, if we’re lucky! And the same for Walcott! And the rest? Later rather than sooner, we are talking about the Arsenal here, they never seem able to mend their players quickly! It does seem strange that so many are out injured…..again! It begs a question or rather lots of questions about how they train how they ‘relax’ how they warm up and warm down. It also has been suggested that the pitches that the players play on and the training playing surfaces are very very hard, like playing on concrete, apparently! Obviously not good on the arms, knees and boompsadaisy! Who is to say what the causes are, they are manifold! But the situation needs to be dealt with urgently.
Morning all, or is it afternoon? Drearily dull here, as always!
It’s not just this instance though Tai , Wenger has done it for years Cesc , Denilson , Gilberto , Edu, Diaby, Song,Vieira, Larsson all central with just Pires and LJunberg as natural wingers . Reyes ( forward ) , Eboue (fullback ) and Vela ( forward ) getting forced out wide . Then we had the Bendtner situation , a natural centre forward with a good international record playing as a winger losing heart and eventually failing. If you want a winger and you don’t have one coming through just go and buy one , it’s much simpler than always unbalancing the team with players out of position.Whyat’s he going to do when Wilshere and Ramsey come back ? will they both be fighting for the right wing slot ,because knowing Wenger’s flog to death record he won’t willingly drop Coq,Ozil , Cazorla or Sanchez.
It was injuries to Debuchy, then Arteta and Flamini that brought in Bellerin and Coquelin. I don’t enjoy it.. that we have injuries…but I can’t blame Wenger for it when I don’t know who he plans to introduce from the youth team yet. What will give us the title is a little luck on our side. We have the squad to win it.
Without Silva and Aguero, Man City managed to survive against Man United…next they equally managed to get over against Norwich. Yet, we all believe the have depth, quality depth.Every player struggles from the bench whenever a first choice gets injured.
Blaming Wenger for every bad result is not the best way for we fans to help the team win the title. Until January comes, all we need is support, support, support.
Against Bayern…I watched Lewandowski and Giroud closely…In about 105 minutes, Giroud scored twice while Lewan managed just once in over 170 minutes…yet all arsenal fans will swap the Pole for the french. I wouldn’t right now. Giroud is EPL tested and confirmed…Lewan hasn’t gone through the test. I remeber Shevchenko, Di Maria, Falcao ….
Wavy, AW said Bellerin will be back after the break…. Have to trust him on that one… lol
Yeah Potter…absolutely agree with you on your 12.33 p.m.
I equally kicked and still kick against ‘conversions’…get a winger when you need one and a midfielder when required.
But since I can’t change Wenger as long as he remains our manager, I manage to think like him, try to see his reasons for any action…and whenever I do I enjoy supporting Arsenal more. Wenger has genuine reasons for every action he takes but because he’s not God some or most of his permutations betray him. But I’m sure he convinces every board member with genuine intentions.
Lewandowski over Ollie any day of the week for me…. But to have both in the squad would be better… And Walcott of course then we’d have three options and the ability to rest and rotate…
Sweet dreams there Rico…it’s almost impossible to give Lewan and Giroud equal opportunities in one team, plus Theo…one must drop and can’t be at same level whenever injury forces his inclusion. Every coach has his preferred first choice. It’s absolutely surprising the way Wenger has been using Walcott and Giroud….positively surprising, I must add.
Lewndowski is a great striker but I won’t jump to sign him to replace Giroud in a hurry…I’d be cautious, very cautious.
I know Tai, sadly it will always be a dream….
He’s not to be trusted Rico!
I offer you Danny Welbeck, “a small problem with his knee, a couple of weeks and he should be back” that was 3 months ago and he’ll be back just after Christmas! Do you really believe Weger and his guesstimates? ‘Cos I don’t!
Bellerin? I hope you are right and he is back after the Interlul but I ain’t going to hold my breath!
Irony Wavy… 😉
Funny how other teams don’t have to worry about us running away with the title cause they know injuries will (definitely) curtail our impressive run, because thin squad. In my opinion all three should go and a replacement like Reus (i wish) would come in. with Welbeck, Sanchez, Reus and Ox our wings would look pretty.
About Débuchy he ought to go. He just doesn’t cut it. Get Jenko back from loan and him and Bellerin will cover the right back position perfectly.
I asked this the other day. Would Jenks be happy playing second fiddle having played two seasons at West Ham as first choice left back?
Yer, got that Rico, I was just venting my spleen in public!
I suppose if Wenger works on the principle of one decent player and one half decent understudy then that would be fair enough, and I think that’s exactly what he tries to achieve. In his own mind, at the beginning of the season he ‘had enough’ all bases covered. But he didn’t really think it through, he didn’t factor in injuries in all positions in double figures before we’ve even reached numbing November! However, in his defence of his transfer policy, he wasn’t looking for squad disruption, that is if you pay a lot of money for player, said player is not going to want to warm his bottom for ninety minutes game after game so he has to be found a place in the team, not easy at the moment because, when they are all fit (!!!) the first team players are outstandingly good and the rest are all under studies and they know it! Difficult circle to square!
In Marshal’s example, sell Debuchy bring back Jenkinson, continue with Bellerin, recently renewed contract or not will Jenkinson return with a big grin on his face knowing that he is going to play second fiddle to the young spaniard, whereas if he stays where he is, at West Ham, he will be a regular in their first team for years to come. I mean which option would you choose?
Finding replacements to fill non empty holes in our first team is almost an insoluable problem to solve. No wonder the old git didn’t buy any new players, no one would come just to get splinters in their bums, would they? And now look at the predicament we find ourselves in! Too many of our star spangled quality players injured and not enough good quality replacements available!
I’ll tell you what, “we’re all doomed, all doomed I tell ye!”
Started raining now. It does improve the humour you know, all this miserable weather!
But where’s the ‘decent’ back up Cdm Wavy? Or left winger if Alexis needs a rest?
Ah, Jack and he’s injured… 😉
Afternoon troopers
Campbell, TR07 , MA8 , Welbz Debuchy , chez, martinez , ospina, Wilshere and that carthorse Sanogo and a few of the loanees should be sold or moved on.
Loanees: hayden, Gnabry, Maitland-Niles, Zelalem and Wellington should move on as well. I know Rico likes Hayden but he doesnt impress at Hull, and he is simialr to Chambers- no real position.
Youngsters Bennacer, Kamara and Iwobi need loans.
Akpom should be recalled.
Then the academy needs a rethink as does the medical staff! I mean muscular injuries on that level…seriously?
My manners, forgot to say hi. Hello all.
Well it’s true Wavy, no player who want to come in just to cover. But I think competition is good for the team. For instance, Giroud-walcott tussle for the striking position is bringing out the best in both of them. Not to point fingers but half of the problem is Wenger doesn’t rotate. Sanchez, Ozil, Coq all deserve first places but they are getting lots of games wearing them down. If Wenger rotated, then players like Gibbs, Campbell and even Ox wouldn’t be dipping in performance.
Lol Rico I’ve stopped on counting on Jack to be on the pitch. That CDM position should have been sorted in-case Jack happened…Let’s hope there’ll be a replacement after flam and arteta goes.
George, that’s one heck of a clear out…
Can’t see all of those leaving at one time, we’d have no-one left… 😉
Agree re rotation Marshall, 100%. AW flogs players to death and then cries injuries. If he doesn’t trust those players in the squad, then why the heck has he kept them…
Off to drag Fido around in the rain, catch up later…
Enjoy the mudsling with the woofa Rico, but yes that level of clearout needs to happen and we should spend whatever we get for that lot plus half of the 200m beefing up on players that wont spend months on the sidelines.
Ah yes, forgot to mention, bring back Jenks, he has improved massively.
Got soaked George…. Lol
Friday night so I’m off for the day, catch up tomorrow folks…
Night all….
Hi Rico,
Interesting Post as ever.
I read last January that Campbell had signed a long term (5 year) contract before being loaned out for the remainder of the season, returning last summer.
On the other hand, I read that his contract finishes in June 2016.
He needs more time in the team, in my opinion to establish whether he is a keeper or a a goer. 🙂
Hi Henry, just caught your comment and googled his contract. You might be right about the five year one signed this year…
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/joel-campbell-signs-new-arsenal-contract-before-joining-villarreal-loan-1485763
Gone now….
Nite, Rico. 🙂
Campbell, Rosicky and Flamini should leave in the summer. Arteta could still be useful, but given his fitness problems over the past 2 seasons I am not sure we can afford to keep 1 more injury prone player.
One of the big questions is the RB situation and what happens with Jenks? Debuchy will surely leave and Chambers looks far from being good enough to play that position. Will Jenks want to come back just to sit on the bench? Of course given Bellerin’s form there is the very real possibility Barca will come knocking. Just a thought, I also seem to remember one of Gnabry’s substitute appearances including a short stint at RB and he acquitted himself well if I remember correctly.
Hopefully Arsene will finally realise that our British youngsters are seriously injury prone and will likely be available for less than 20 games a season.
Marshall, you’re pulling a nerve when you talk of British Gunners injury troubles…
Morning All.
Morning Allan, Tai and all..
What a horrid morning it is too here in the Uk….
Wilshere, Gibbs, Walcott and OC are all pretty fragile…..
I think it’s not really being fragile…it’s the way they play…
Wilshere is the craziest footballer of this era I know. He jumps into tackles instead of evading them. Even if he was made of iron in place of bones, he’d still not complete 10 consecutive matches without being stretchered out. I’m not even sure he’d survive 10 consecutive training sessions.
Walcott is a player who depends on pace…to stop him, you need to foul him and most times it’s from behind. After so many of such tackles, one’s legs should buckle. It’s much easier to manage a tackle frontally than one from behind. Ox is more or less same.
Gibbs is a pacy wing back…always attacking. He’s equally expected to attract cynical tackles.
Chambers is a different player…let’s see more of him …but I’m certain he wouldn’t be getting as much injuries.
Don’t really know what to make of Welbeck’s long lay off. Hope he comes back stronger.
But the last few injuries to Theo, Jack and Ox are nothing to do with tackles…
New post up now…
Hi guys.
Wenger showed with Diaby that he will release a player later rather than sooner, so these guys have a few good years left lol.