Equally focusing too much on the managers when trying to understand what's going wrong. Ljunberg hasn't seemed that great, but he's had a set of players, out of form shall we say, plus injuries and no support staff. And the no support staff was always telling him what he needed to know about the club's intended next step.

I think Emery was a bad manager, but I'm not sure what involvement he had in signings, with the exception of the lamentable Suarez.

And AW gets a lot of flak over the current crop, but one of the things I noticed is that the types of players over his last few years didn't really fit the types of players he liked. We could see he wanted Sanchez. Özil was just picked up in a last day 'bargain' sale from RM. To show we were still a big club. After years of AW apparently being starved of funds for new signings. We know Gazidis had a plan to reduce AW's control of football processes. Hard to know the truth from outside, but I think the odds are many of those buys being more influenced by the new club 'processes' than being AW choices.

I saw AW saying that the club had 70 employees when he started, but 750 when he left. Looking at the results I think it would have been much better if Gazidis had been kept away from football matters. Not that he seemed to be doing as well on the financial and contract sides as other big clubs either.

It was supposed to have been his casting vote to choose Emery over Artetà last year. Because he so impressed them at the interview. Emery? Impressed at an interview. In English? Just a story, of course. Doesn't seem that it could be true. And Gazidis claimed the decision was unanimous.

The one thing we can all see is that the whole contracting side of the club has performed abysmally for ten years or so. Paying too much, wages too high, selling too low, slow to make decisions. Some of that might have been Wenger, but all of it can't have been. And from a strategic point of view, it's got worse not better.

Last summer seemed like a potentially exciting success. or a lot of fans thought so. Pépé so expensive, and young; exciting and successful. But did we really want a winger that much? Saka starting to come through. We bought Saliba as a CB. Did we need a CB? - obviously we did. So our new signing was loaned out for the year. Presumably the only way we could sign him, but the outcome was we didn't have a new CB. Except a last minute 'bargain basement' Luiz. Mmm. That can't have been planned. And whoever thought Luiz would be a good buy to plug holes in a defence? He had often been a loose cannon in an otherwise very tight Chelsea defence. Aubameyang and Lacazette? Tierney was a gamble. Not paying off yet, but maybe he'll get less injury prone. Not that we've had much success with players getting less injury prone. The one outstanding success is Martinelli; I'll assume that's down to Edu since that brings hope he might find a few more. It's all total chaos.

He will not be heading to China anymore. His tweet killed all chances.

I don't recall Arteta displaying any leadership on the pitch and don't think he has the gravitas to re-arrange the current lazy bunch.

Terminating Ozils contract would be the strongest message Arsenal could send to the squad right now.

Martinelli is a great prospect. I'd hate to lose Aubameyang but Martinelli has super start written on him.

Yes

Like i said; it makes his position untenable and might be deliberate. He’s trying to get a pay off

That’s fine but that involves paying Özil another 10 million to cancel the contract

The only message it sends is that if you act up you can make a fortune if they can cancel your contract too.

Look at the stats

The midfield is non existent

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football ... ield-ozil/

No player can be sold against their will.....as long as their will is strong enough. You can’t fine a player for refusing to leave, all you can do is make them train with the kids and not pick them. Özil doesn’t seem overly bothered by that. If he was bothered he’d surely show a bit more in games.
If Özil wants to stay and see out his contract then he will

I think Aubameyang is off this summer. He is clearly not renewing, and even if he did would it be sensible for a club like ours, one that is rebuilding, to have a superstar striker on £300k per week on a deal that takes him to he is 34?
Sell him for £60-80m to one of the big Spanish two and invest that money in defence

Or he might be someone genuinely interested in highlighting the greatest mass incarceration since WWII. It is not always about money.

I wouldn’t trust his character as far as I’d throw it.

If it was another player maybe

Yes it's a tricky one isn't if Gunny?

His comments certainly don't help the Club as they try to build their fan base in China - nor do they help the PL as they build the world-wide brand of English football. Does he have a right to speak out? Undoubtedly as a man but should celebrities and public figures use their fame like this?

Seems to me that if the cause is important - and I agree this one is - anything that shines a light on such an outrageous disregard for human rights is fair enough.

With it looking like Arteta (37) thought I'd copy this list that Andy Kelly (@Gooner_AK) posted on twitter of ages of previous managers when they took over.

I dont think so. Özil is a toxic influence on all those around him and they need to cut him out. the longer he stays the more he will infect others.
being sacked I think it unlikely anyone would be rushing to buy him, nor paying a fraction of what he's on now. Maybe in Turkey or something but who else would want to be living and playing over there. Other players might act up like you say but stick them in the kids training for 9 months and don't play them at all and see if they're happy with it. Özil is so unprofessional that he doesn't care, nor does he seem to have any interest in playing football. I doubt other players are the same and most want to be on the pitch and playing. Real Madrid dumped him quick smart when he was supposedly in his prime. Germany wanted nothing to do with him. But under the tender mother hen wing of Wenger he crawled. Get rid of him.

You know absolutely nothing about him off the pitch.

I think some regimes are so odious that to not speak out would be the less moral course. Özil is a devout Muslim so him championing his co-religionists is not a surprise.

Having witnessed at close quarters just how poor this Arsenal team is on Sunday, I would imagine Arteta's first question to our contract cronies was how much money will I have to spend in January. As we need a centre half and centre mid as a minimum requirement immediately. Both built like brick s%*&houses preferably.

If he was told there is no money available he should run a mile.

apologies, thought the expletive would be obscured in my previous post

Edit - Fixed

Arseblog reporting Arsenal have agreement with Arteta, with just City release part of the deal to be agreed now.

I do

His attitude stinks

He’s a bit of a *%^@

And to quote Aaron Ramsey “he’s the worst trainer I’ve ever seen”

He’s a dick mate and on Sunday his petulance proved it. You have teenagers behaving more professionally

Someone get ridvpls

Imo Arteta will do no better than Freddie.......

Hope I'm wrong

I think anyone would struggle with this lot, regardless of age/experience. Worst Arsenal team I've seen for as long as I can remember.

This is interesting

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/50784201

The part chairman says the club needs to make money as they are way behind clubs like arsenal

Made me think again about what I thought on Sunday. Arsenal are not a sporting institution. There’s no desire to do well

We have the worst midfield on any arsenal side I’ve witnessed.

Even the selley, morrow, hillier midfield put challenges in

I hope Arteta has the balls to rattle some cages.

I will be interested to see just how much power he is given, especially with respect to transfers.

Will be be allowed to shift out the bad eggs and bring in some players with passion and desire.

Arteta was quoted in 2014 as saying his philosophy as a future coach would be firstly to demand 120% from everyone, and if they don't then they don't play for him. He also said he is committed to a style of play that is attacking, entertaining and focuses on his team more than the opposition.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo now wading into the Uygur 'debate' backing Özil by name. This is turning into a real shit-storm with Özil and by association Arsenal becoming increasingly toxic in China.

There won't be much Arse merchandise sold in China until Özil is gone. Could be he knew what he was doing when he stirred all this up.

Kevin DeBruyne gives damning opinion on our strikers. This is a coaching issue as well.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football ... s-21106898

I like Arteta personally but I have to wonder what percentage of wanting him to be manager is the fact that he is assistant to a wildly successful side?

i just find his moral high ground hypocritical, his best man is a Fascist Dictator who has killed and imprisoned his political opponents and bombed the Kurds whilst suppressing any media outlet including Wikipedia or twitter that reports any of his morally bankrupt actions.

... then on a Sunday he stinks the place out. Last week was all so Özil.

Every team he’s played for has said he’s a bit of a *%^@. At this point I think he’s trying anything to get arsenal to pay him off. This includes his little petulant kick when being subbed.

Except if we back him will earnt he respect of many as a club with real values. Instead of just money.

You really are a Grade A bullshyter aren't you? Real Madrid fans were raging when he was sold. He was a star at Real and admired and respected by players and fans. Mourinho wrote the forward to his biography and considers him a world class player and has said he admires him greatly.

Note he said except Martinelli.

The club itself had had it with him, he had a row with Germany too. He’s trouble

Few people seem to respect him and he has been *%^@ all season and we have to play him because we have no one else.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/a ... -1.4118327

This is what Mesut is protesting.

Don't know. Is it 62%?

" A club with real values " or a club that has completely lost it's marbles .

Backing a player who has just destroyed a 1. 3 billion population merchandise market , puts out so little on the pitch while pocketing by far the largest pay check .

Pompeo / America wouldn't have the slightest concern for the Uyghurs they just use any issue to try to embarrass China .

Players who enter the realm of politics ( Özil Bellerin) or religion (Folau) while they are with an employer should be able to be dealt with. You are correct about the chinese market. Instead of the moral outrage of some fans about the club distancing themselves from Özil remarks, they need to have a look in their own backyard for issues and ask if they want Arsenal players, who live a privileged life, making a comment about their area.