Morning all.
Mo Elneny, 30 years old in July, out of contract in the summer and one of the heroes on Wednesday night. To suggest he’s been used sparingly by Mikel Arteta this season would be an understatement but what we saw from him against Chelsea is usually what get. Reliable, not flash but steady. Away from the pitch, there’s nothing. No grumbling about not playing, no negative press stories either and the only social media comments I’ve seen from him have been positive towards either Arsenal or Egypt.
Sadly for him though, when Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka are fit, he doesn’t get a look in but he’s not been the only one. Nicolas Pepe, Rob Holding, Eddie Nketiah, Nuno Tavares and Sambi Lokonga have been in a similar boat this season. The latter two are players for the future so they’ll get their turn I suspect but Elneny and Nketiah, along with Alex Lacazette, will be gone in the summer. That’s unless anything changes with their contract situation.
Footballers careers are short and for those who love the game rather than the money it pays, just want to play. Elneny, won’t want to be a benchwarmer at 30 years old and nor will Lacazette in my opinion but if Arsenal want to top 1, 2, or 3, neither of the two are likely to be one of the first on Mikel Arteta’s team-sheet next season if they stay. Europe and the domestic cups would likely be the best they get. Even then, should we go deep into any of those competitions, there’s a chance Mikel Arteta would field a stronger team.
Nketiah’s situation is different. He’s young, he’s quick and on his day, will guarantee most teams goals. He’s a bit of a terrier too who seems unfazed by who he’s up against. He’s grown up with Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe. Nketiah, 22, ESR, 21 and Saka, 20. All played academy football together as well as for England through the age groups. They probably know each others game better than anyone else in the squad and that might, and I emphasise the might, make a big difference for Arsenal’s attack over the final games of the season. In my opinion, Mikel Arteta needs to be brave and ignore any temptation he might have to bring Lacazette back into the starting eleven tomorrow.
Utd are there to be beaten right now. Ronaldo is a doubt and they have more injuries than we do. They have a slow and clumsy defence which Liverpool ran rings round. Nketiah wont go to ground if Maguire breathes out a bit too heavily but Lacazette will. Nketiah will chase what looks like a lost cause whereas Lacazette might not. I don’t write this just because Nketiah scores two goals against Chelsea but because Lacazette has failed to convert chances to goals for far too long and because only one of the two gives us pace up front and it’s pace we’ve been lacking. As well as goals of course.
I’ve no idea what Nketiah’s plans are for the future but I’d like to see him stay. As much as I like Elneny and Lacazette, if they both leave which I personally think they will, the door opens for academy players. After all, what’s the point in paying out millions of pounds on a young overseas player when we have our own players coming through the youth setup? It’s often said that cream will rise to the top but how do they get there if they aren’t even considered? Not every academy player will make it at Arsenal but on the flip side, not every one will be unsuccessful either.
That’s why playing in Europe is important as it should give more younger players a chance. Those who’ve been making the bench for the last couple of months could finally get playing time for the first team. A strong pre-season and who knows, maybe even Mikel Arteta will struggle to ignore them.
See you in the comments.
But they are also prone to lose games against smaller teams they are supposed to beat, as well as not being able to defend a huge advantage from the first leg.
Sounds like Arsenal.
Who Potter? The kids or Utd?
It was an answer to a qoute from PBarany this morning but the new thread went up whilst I was outside getting something from the car.
Elneny is a solid pro. He won’t pull up any trees. but he will do a job sitting in front of the defence.
Eddy still doesn’t convince me, but if he offers more effort than Lacazette, who has been virtually horizontal of late.
Arteta needed to be brave and change formation. It worked. Let’s hope that continues ’til the end of the season.
He is Pete but if I was him, I’d want to be starting each week. Elneny has been overlooked all season, understandable to a degree but there have been times when perhaps his inclusion would have made the team stronger.
I like Eddie and I think he gives us something different to Lacazette but I fully expect him to leave, despite Arteta suggesting he ha# big plans for him.
Morning Rico and All
Thanks for the information on Ten Hang as I said I have never heard of him before.
Laca. Elneny and Nketiah All three will be able to leave if they want but I recon Arteta will try to keep them if we finish 4th or 5th so he can rest players during the FA cup and any other small cups during the year and possible to play during the first leg of any European matches
Hi Geoff, I’d rather we use the academy players, they, or whoever make it are our future.
Good day all.
Unless we are certain of signing a strong, experienced defensive midfielder in June we should give Elneny a contract extension, we cannot afford to be stuck with just Partey and the inexperienced Lokonga.
I would prefer to keep Nketiah instead of Lacazette, he’s younger, quicker and hungrier while Laca could become another Auba, content to draw his pay for as little effort as possible.
I think Eddie has to decide if he just wants to play or taste a little success. To go to a winning side there are only a few clubs and I can’t see him getting a lot of immediate playing time . To get a start every week he will have to drop down the league a little i.e. Brighton or Palace .
Elneny will have to go abroad as will Lacazette unless Newcastle offer themthe sort of money they can’t refuse.
Personally I would try to keep Eddie and promise him the number 2 striker slot with Balogun and go for a top striker to lead the line , good in the air which Eddie would thrive alongside.
Lacazette unfortunately is a spent force as far as we are concerned and Pharoah if he is prepared to be a back up player.
I was banking on Arsenal signing a midfielder. Don’t think we can rely on Xhaka, Sambi and Partey for an entire season.
I think Brighton will go after Eddie, or one of the newly promoted sides who come up. Someone is going to get a bargain.
Happy St George’s Day
Morning Rico, just catching up, yeah I tend to agree with Cicero, Lacazette has had some great moments this season particularly the Wolves double header and those matches prior to our post-Interlull collapse but he’s on massive wages and would want an increase so I don’t see extending his contract as good financial sense.
Eddie has on current form the games up to the end of the season to finally secure his Arsenal future as long as the Chelsea game wasn’t just an isolated case?
If he can produce 4 or 5 more goals in the remaining fixtures along with Chelsea type performances then he’d be worth another contract especially as the club could then loan out Balogun once more, probably to a Premier League club. Eddie’s confidence should be sky high and his game seems suited to what Man Utd will put out this afternoon so ‘more of the same’ is just what we need. It’s really in his hands now?
Elneny isn’t the type of player who’ll take you to the next level but he’s a rock solid squad man. He is well liked at Arsenal and must be settled in England so I reckon that at the 11th hour a deal can be agreed. It’ll depend on the business Edu can do in terms of new signings and if Arteta feels that the likes of Azeez, Patino and Hutchinson are ready to push on next season?
I doubt that Mo could get as lucrative a deal outside of Arsenal so finances isn’t an issue I’d guess it’s just how much football needs at this stage of his career? It’s not affected his place in the Egypt squad so I’m sure a deal that suits everyone can be agreed…
Elneny starts and Tomiyasu on the bench, a good sign.
At last a game I can watch at a good time, Lets hope for another win.
Mcguire Out, Ronaldo in, looks like a United saw what Eddie did to Chelsea and hav3 adapted their defence, Ronaldo is the kiss of death to Arsenal, usually, but maybe today his mind may wander?
Eddie needs to deliver big time but maybe we should take the draw considering how we continually underachieve against some awful United teams?
Great start nearly undone by Ramsdale
What is it about not holding a lead ? You can’t switch off .
Ramsdale showing off nearly cost us another goal
Afternoon rico, all. Amazed at VAR! But both teams looking dodgy in defence, could have been 3-3. Will we stop being stupid when playing out from the back, it’s going to catch us again soon.
Glad for half time, let my heart slow down, we nearly gave our lead away more than once
Game management is the phrase
Geoff, we trying our best to give away lead! One inch on that offside. Twice woodwork. We far too open. Can only see a win if we score another one…. or two
Andrew Xhaka not helping our corse with another stupid yellow card, we need another goal soon
Tavares has to come off now bring on holding
Just as I have a go at Xhaka he scores a great goal
Let’s hope that’s the game. Yee ha, how many times do teams do that to us.
4 minutes of extra time and Thommy on and straight into the action
Great win, nice week, now to let my heart rest,
It’s blatantly obvious that Elneny deserves a contract extension, another solid performance from him today.
Goals scored and disallowed, penalties awarded, penalties scored and missed. A great game for the neutrals and for Arsenal fans….after it was all over.
Now for a half hour break and then Harlequins vs Leicester.
Chelsea win and this win against MU show how ridiculous Arteta’s selection and game management against Brighton was. He threw away a precious 3 point and that could be the difference for a top 4 finish.
Tavares is too erratic at left back. We got lucky I thought especially with some ref decisions.
We were all over the place the last 2 games and I feel we were lucky we played hap hazard defenses and Midfield similar to ours.
Glad we won the battle of shit defences though.
Taking into account the effort and energy this young Arsenal team used up beating Chelsea just 2.5 days ago and how desperate United were to put that Liverpool thrashing behind them I reckon we did brilliantly coming out of this game with 3 points.
This stage of the season it’s just about the 3 points and even though I was losing my mind at some of our misplaced passing and slack defending it was, I think, a great performance by our our lads given the circumstances. We could have easily folded at 1-1 and some recent Arsenal teams would have, but I reckon our team spirit saw us over the line – that and some amazingly pro-Arsenal VAR decisions and not before time.
Rico, dare I say we had some luck, it does make a hell of a difference, just ask Liverpool…
I felt a bit sorry for Tavares as he needed some help, Mikel probably should have brought on Super Rob Holding a bit sooner and freed Nuno from a lot of his defensive duties, but all’s well that ends well, I’m glad that Arteta didn’t bring him off and I hope he plays at West Ham.
Eddie looked knackered, unlucky not to score but he faded in the 2nd half.
Elneny was a trooper, yes give him a new contract.
Xhaka had another impressive game, got a stupid yellow (he’ll never curb that part of his character) and then scored a killer 3rd, delighted for him.
Odegaard was just superb.
Arsenal : Never a dull moment…
I know it’s all about the game, but I rather point out how much I agree with Rico’s view from the post on Nketiah. Who were not only MotM on Wednesday, but also nominated to the PL team of the week with the highest rating…
Bradley, you are right on Tavares. But he is very talented and really good technically. So all he needs is experience, and use those opportunities to cut out the errors from his game.
So it’s kind of fortunate that he has a run of games when Tierney is injured, and he will be called up next season in Europe and cup games. Therefore I think we are well covered at LB position, and shouldn’t spend money on reinforcements there; especially as the team is tactically versatile, thus Xhaka can play LB and Saka LWB would our first choice happen to be injured and the second suspended.
Kevin, I agree on your appreciation on Elneny, but I think he won’t be signing a new contract. And he kind of shouldn’t. He is our 4th choice CM. And if we make a Tielemans/Neves signing that would make him #5. Or even further if Azeez/Patino ripen. No doubt, he is really good and effective against big teams with strong midfield. (And an absolute waste against minor opponents.) But that’s only 5-6 games a season. Let’s not kid us: if Partey was fit, Mo wouldn’t play a minute today. He shouldn’t base his career on such slim chances, albeit I really very like him as a person.
Yes Peter, I get what you mean and if Partey does stay fit you are totally correct, but we’ve seen him seize up two seasons on the spin now so maybe physiologically he can’t do it for 10 months, it’s a slog for some. Of course if Edu has a new midfielder earmarked for next summer then happy days but I’d still act cautiously before letting Mo slip away.
Let’s see what the summer brings?
Edu has been quoted on ESPN as saying that after all the business done in 2021 that he is aiming for only two quality signings this summer and that could be it.
Watch this space?
Let’s hope that Edu’s quality signings are done sooner than later and one of them are a good leader.
The Middlesex derby is underway, Brentford nil, Spuds nil. 16 minutes.
We are in agreement, Kevin.
With European football Arsenal needs 5 CM/DM. (And that’s only my take, who is know to have a small-squad fetish.)
And even if we won’t have Guendouzi and Bellerin back (assuming AMN leaves, too), we will have Partey, Xhaka, Lokonga, Elneny and an academy CM. So as long as no reinforcement is appointed we shouldn’t let Mo leave. But as long as we have an offer accepted, we should say goodbye to Elneny, as he deserves a club for his twilight years which considers him a first team midfielder.
That’s how it finished. 2 points ahead it’s all to play for again
If Elneny goes he goes with all my best wishes but it’s always a case of going to play regularly against being settled and obviously happy in this squad.
In a squad game players like him are like gold dust, rarely flustered, not spectacular but seemingly popular with the young players . Worth another go if it can be organised.
The Middlesex derby, I like it.
Were is Rico, is the shock of beating Chelsea then Man u too much
It’s a funny old game
But for the sake of a couple of inches Eddie Nketiah would have been onside and the hero again yesterday.
Never far away Geoff…
New post up now.
I agree re Elneny Potter, finding a player who can do what he does will cost money. I thought he was good yesterday. He’s changed his approach too which must be down to Arteta as he looks for the forward pass now and not just a safe ball.