Premier League 17/18

[craig 5,199]

How he can afford to turn down another 60K or so a week I will never understand. How is this boy going to survive. But joking aside nice to see there's at least someone out there who has something other than money on his mind when it comes to playing.

 

Turning down around 3 million extra a year to play for Liverpool can only be for footballing reason. According to his wiki entry "He grew up as an Arsenal supporter"

 

Lol. Believe it or not, apparently, Chelsea offered him 100k more than that. They offered him 220k. So fair play to him - over a 5 yr contract that is 25 million quid. Not chump change.

[craig 5,199]

I don't see that as a personnel problem, though. If they want that they have Xhaka, Elneny - both exceptional at those roles with Monchengladbach and Basel - and even Wilshire, Ramsay and Ox could do that job, albeit they're not perfect. The MNF guys on Sky were saying the same thing as you pointed out: Ramsay was getting into the box despite being a sitting midfielder, and I recall in another goal Xhaka was up there too! Even Wenger was saying, 'I wanted Ramsay there so he could make those runs into the box'. I don't see Arsenal's issues changing, unless the manager goes, unfortunately.

 

Maybe Drinkwater could do a job, but IMO only in certain games, as Arsenal tend to dominate and need creative, short-passers of the ball, which Drinkwater is not.

 

I agree that unless the manager goes then it doesn't change. If you play a 4-2-3-1 you don't need BOTH sitting midfielders to get ahead of the ball. Indeed, if you do, then your central midfield is non-existent. And with a 4-2-3-1 you already have 4 attack-minded players so only need one of the sitting midfielders to break.

 

Where I disagree is with someone like Drinkwater. If you ignore his passing abilities then what you have is someone that made the most tackled in the EPL last season. Arsenal need someone who understands the positional sense and won't feel the need to get forward, someone who will hold up the opponents attacking play to allow others to filter back - and someone not afraid to put in a tackle.

 

Ramsey's positional sense is poor - but not helped if doing what Wenger asked him to do in your quote above.

Xhaka isn't mobile enough to prevent himself from being over-run from a counter

 

Dare I say it, Arsenal could be doing with a Stuart McCall type player.

[craig 5,199]

Draxler is a very good player but I don't think he solves any of their problems. It's the same old problems with Arsenal, and it stems from the manager: he just seems incapable of building a balanced side. His best defensive sides of the past were mostly inherited.

 

Kolasinac was a good signing, but he was benched for the Liverpool game!?

 

His two summer marquee signings were on the bench. Makes no sense whatsoever.

[craig 5,199]

Apparently Arsenal have accepted City's improved bid of 55 million plus an additional 5 million of add-ons.

 

Good business financially for a guy in the last year of his contract. But very, very difficult to replace from a performance perspective.

[Scott7 5,663]

Erra scorrs ramorra.

 

City 1-2 'Pool

Gunners 2-0 Bournemouth

Brighton 2-0 Throstles

Toffees 1-2 'Spurs

Leicester 0-2 Chelsea

So'ton 0-0 Watford

Potters 1-3 United

 

Clarets 2-1 Palace

Swans 1-2 Magpies

 

Hammers 2-0 Town

[Gribz 745]

Cant help noticing you back against WBA every week Scott. Is that why they are doing well?

 

Man City 1-1 Liverpool

Arsenal 2-0 Bournemouth

Brighton 1-1 WBA

Everton 1-1 Tottenham

Leicester 2-3 Chelsea

Southampton 0-0 Watford

Stoke 0-2 Man Utd

 

Burnley 0-1 Crystal Palace

Swansea 2-0 Newcastle

 

West Ham 1-0 Huddersfield.

[Scott7 5,663]

WBA are on a downward slope. They let it go when they were safe last year and it's a bad attitude. They have punched well above their weight. Pulis has done a magnificent job. I hope he keeps them up. I like the Baggies.

 

Someone on Talk Sport yesterday said they have the best record in the league for set piece play both offensive and defensive. If either Liverpool or Arsenal could have replicated Albion's efficiency they would have been champions.

[Gribz 745]

WBA are on a downward slope. They let it go when they were safe last year and it's a bad attitude. They have punched well above their weight. Pulis has done a magnificent job. I hope he keeps them up. I like the Baggies.

 

Someone on Talk Sport yesterday said they have the best record in the league for set piece play both offensive and defensive. If either Liverpool or Arsenal could have replicated Albion's efficiency they would have been champions.

 

I would have to say the opposite, I think they are on the up. They used to be a yoyo club but are well established now. For a while they would be bottom 8 but now I cant see anything lower than 11th for them and would have them a likely top 10. They did well in the transfer window. Last season fizzled out and they were on the beach by April after reaching their target points tally and rather than cementing 8th they dropped a bit.

 

They are a more established club than the likes of Bournemouth, Swansea, Leicester and Watford plus better than Huddersfield and Brighton so I dont think they will struggle at all.

Edited September 9, 2017 by Gribz

[Scott7 5,663]

I will be very pleased if I am wrong.

[craig 5,199]

Liverpoo-poo taking a doing, down 3-0. Mane sent off, correctly IMHO, for a high challenge on the keeper. Originally I thought it was harsh but when you see it back his foot was high and it was dangerous.

 

They were already down 1-0 when that happened thanks to a very tidy finish from Aguero. The game, competitively, was done after the 2nd went in. But what a ball from Fernandinho to Aguero, and how unselfish of Aguero with the pass to Jesus, for the 3rd...