I've said it before and I'll say it again. One important characteristic of true greatness is knowing when it's time to go, move on, retire or however else you want to put it. The game not only caught Wenger's juddering Skoda up but passed him by in its Ferrari without even bothering to give him a casual wave goodbye as it accelerated away.

Knowing when it's time to leave is a characteristic that Wenger simply doesn't have.

Thank God I went back to bed ..... Wenger promising to look at the result "harshly ".

Please .......... it's not in your DNA to take harsh action , remember your utterance last month "criticised players might get worse ".
Ask for help or f**** off you half wit ...... preferably the latter . Citeee beaten Halleluhah

Liverpool concede a lot but score loads. If we can’t win stuff hen I’d rather we went back to that kind of football. It is fun to watch. Pace, pressing, tempo - and it isn’t turned on or off. The intensity is generally here all game. Yes they have brain farts that stop them winning the league but I think they could be 20 points ahead of us by the end of the season

We haven't got anyone who scores goals, Rich.
If Aubameyang is available and willing to come to us, it is exactly the type of signing we need. To give the club a lift and prove we can still attract top targets despite Sanchez's departure and the possible departure of Özil.
If we land Aubameyang and Malcolm this week then we'd have two new committed players that I would wager any possible incoming manager would welcome having in the squad should that be the case.
We have loads of money, part of the problem has been the inability or reluctance to spend it on quality players.

The only thing that lends an element of credibility to it is that our new scout has just come from Dortmund and discovered the player I think. Also may influence the Armenian winger at united coming as part of the Sanchez deal who was also at Dortmund.

However PEA and Lacazette can't both play in the same side as others are suggesting. Both players play on the shoulder of the last man, surely not a good combination and it would have to be one or the other

Yes the last point could well be valid. But we could rotate the two players in the squad. With Giroud probably off and Walcott too we haven't got any other strikers bar the youngster Eddie.

We really are a mess.

Agree completely with this. Malcom, Lemar, Goretzka, Keita, Bakayoko and Draxler are the type of player we should be going for, not Aubameyang (who I suspect may fall of the proverbial cliff in the near future) and Mkhitaryan.

Get young, talented players in who are hungry to make a name for themselves, and a manager who has an idea of what to do with them. Look at the way Liverpool are playing now after a couple of seasons with Klopp and the team he has built. This was their squad the season before Klopp arrived - mediocre pretty much all the way through, with a couple of bright spots. Fast forward to now and they're one of the most exciting teams to watch in Europe. And who knows, if Van Dijk is the player he's hyped up to be and Keita is successful they might be ready to properly challenge next season.

Nobody is going to disagree with a policy of bringing in young, hungry, potentially top players. Problem is, who is going to replace Sanchez's 20 goals now? None of those names scream goals to me like PAE does. For me, it's a no brainer, you take the top striker all day long.

I agree, scoring goals is now our biggest problem I think. Our ratio of goals to possession must be the worst in the league.

Not sure how he'd fit in but we are in no position to turn away potential goal threats.

My only concern is, like Lacazette, why have none of the big boys taken a punt on him before now. He's no spring chicken.

A top quality CF and a top quality CB and maybe we'd at least have the beginnings of a team again.

I wouldn't expect any one player to replace what Sanchez brought to the team. Think our success depends more on finding a new balance where we simply create more chances and several players can chip in with the goals.

Never mind that bollocks !

Did you see Xhaka for the 2nd goal today !

One for your magic list as you forget quickly

I absolutely agree with this Haz, but we need some short of short term fix as well if Wenger intends seeing out the rest of his contract.

Everybody wants that. No one is claiming that signing Aubameyang is the only signing required.

The problem is we need a player who is capable of scoring 20 goals plus .. we have lacked this player since Van Persie left and Lacazette unfortunately up to now has not delivered the goods.

It seems strange to me that some people would rather we didn't sign a striker of the quality of Aubameyang if we have the change of landing him.

I didn't say he hasn't cost us goals - I even gave examples myself of when this has happened. But you know what, at least I'm stating my honest opinion about the player, and debating your points at face value. Have you ever made an intellectually honest point on here? Or debated someone without distorting what they say in an attempt at being funny or clever (you're neither)?

Finding it very hard to come to any other conclusion than you simply being a *%^@.

Apart from my idea of what our transfer strategy should be, I'm just not sure there's that much top quality football left in Aubameyang. Turning 29 later this year, and his game is based on speed. Those type of players tend not to age well.

Yes you bloody did.

http://news.arseblog.com/2018/01/report ... ubameyang/

Various reports this evening suggest that Arsenal are trying to sign Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund.

The Gabonese international was left out of their 0-0 draw with Wolfsburg today, because of apparent disciplinary issues, and with the Gunners looking to replace Alexis Sanchez and possibly Theo Walcott, his name is doing the rounds as a potential recruit.

Some might say that it’s designed to take the focus off the team after a dismal 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth, however the stories are not coming from the Arsenal press pack and thus briefed by the press office, but journalists based on the continent.

Arsene Wenger would not be drawn on his transfer plans after the game, but did say Sanchez’s future would be decided in the next 48 hours with Man City or Man Utd his choice of destination.

The club are also believed to have held talks today with Bordeaux forward, Malcom, having had permission from the Ligue 1 side to discuss a move to North London.

Aubameyang, who will turn 29 in June but until that point remains 28, has been a consistent scorer in the Bundesliga, nevertheless, in the current circumstances it feels a bit panicky.

We’ll give this one a 6 for now, because if Arsenal aren’t planning on doing something about the state of this team and its lack of goals, we might as well pack up and go home.

... but a short term fix would prolong the agony , better to lose a few more and hasten Wenger's departure .

For me his idiot interviews , his perserverance with tippy tappy , a team reluctant to shoot , unable to organise a decent defence has completely over shadowed his Henry , Pires , Invincibles legacy and he'll be remembered as the bloke who was too stupid/ stubborn to retire when the writing was on the wall .

We desperately need a change of tactics not new players .

I’d take Aubameyang, but I know and have previously seen what has happened with arsenal before. Aubameyang for £50m and wenger indulges himself with a striker but refuses to buy anyone else meaning we have (on paper) a rolls Royce strike partnership worth £100m with a bag of old spanners either leaking goals left right and centre and not creating a thing.

We regularly concede at least 2 goals against any team. We know arsenal operate on a budget, we’ve thrown away the thick end of £100m by letting Sanchez and Özil run their contract down so I can’t imagine the board will release that much money. £50m may hoover it all up.

We’ve been in this position with 1/2 top class players and rubbish around them, it just annoys the class players and they stop trying because they are carrying the team.

We really need to rip it all up and start again, I’m not even sure there is a decent squad there for any new manager.

Thanks for making my point, boozy.

`
Leaving Wenger out of it for a minute (please!!), we need new players desperately. We are bang average and need to improve the squad be that for Wenger or an Ancelotti.

Spot on

Say all you want you've properly mugged yourself off with that one

How about you show the post(s) you're referring to then.

Check for yourself you wally. You wrote it!!!

I don't deny it's not ideal but I don't see Wenger being hounded out because every time we have a wobble we then win a couple and all the fuss dies down again. We'd have to self destruct completely to really put pressure on him.

Aubameyang is not one for the future or to build a team around, he's a bloody great big sticking plaster who might (and I hasten add might) stem the bleeding and get us going again until some proper repairs can be done.

Because Niall I dont have confidence [ a ] Arsene would use him correctly [b] he'd get the quick service to maximise his strengths .

Look at Lacazette a quality player would probably have scored twenty something goals in a Spurs side .

I'd rather the money was saved and let a new manager decide what he needs .

It'll also give Arsene eighteen months to 'Wengerise' him. He only needed six months with Lacazette.

No I didn't, and since you're the one claiming I did you're the one who should back it up. This is a post I've actually written about Xhaka:



In that same debate Bernard was asking you about the number of goals you think Xhaka has cost us, and later you claimed Bernard considered Xhaka a 'midfield maestro'. Another fabrication.

So, any actual argument for why you're not a *%^@?

It is quite funny, Lacazette has gone from one of europe's supposed most lethal finishers to a quivering wreck who couldn't bit barn door from two yards.

Never said any of that. You were the one saying Xhaka hadn't been costing us goals and kept asking me to give examples

You also referred to him as and I quote "a great midfielder" then argued till the *%^@*** cows came home.

What a mug

What are the best twitter accounts for ITK transfer rumours? I could do with a laugh.

AFC Camden is the best and most reliable

Really?





It's all on this page, and if you go back one page you'll see what I actually said about Xhaka. You'll also see who actually was asking you what goals you thought Xhaka had cost us (whish is a pretty reasonable question to ask if one assumes you're having a debate with someone who hasn't got the wit and intellectual honesty of a loaf of bread).

Haha what a Wally

Great point, well made. *%^@.

Thanks John ...and I'm sure Soc [ his thought processes being that little bit slower ] will eventually think similar .

Watching the highlights of both today's games .... emphasises our dilemma

Oxlade bursts through on goal takes a shot ....... scores

Iwobi does exactly the same ; almost identical position [ maybe a little closer ] ....... AN ...AND ..... passes ..... to no - one

Less for Iwobi ... upgraded from the youth team , a star for the future , looked sharp , promising . Jay Jay Okocha's nephew etc etc awarded a pay rise .......... then got the full brain wash in first team ways

.

To me this would be such an easy fix ...... set up ten 44 gallon oil drums painted different colours ... all defenders and midfielders with balls at feet ...shout Callum red barrel , Rob blue barrel ... the embarrasment of not being to land a ball somewhere near a staionary target would mean their delivery must improve .

DO NOT except under dire circumstances take that pussy soft cock option of passing back to the goalie .

Next do the same thing with moving players alone , then players covered by a defender ..... delivery speeded and improved .

Then toss balls to players ... fire at an empy net .

Ooops cue for further embarrassment , leaning back technique can't hit an empty net ...... but things would improve , adjustments made .. next stick in the keeper do the same thing .

Spend a week doing that , new confidence in passing and shooting ability we'd have a different team the following Saturday ....... genius