https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/foo ... 72610.html

Unbelievable
Speechless.
That stuttering penalty run up is bad enough but he is as slow as f****
How on earth does he do the same job as Partey???
I hope Arteta has got this right.
Only upside is it doesn't hinder us getting Rice/Caciedo in the summer.

Apparently lokonga is being loaned to palace. Just bizarre.

So you are still down to only 1 player covering Partey

Here's a cracker from Arseblogger:

"BREAKING NEWS- Chelsea have just submitted a £33m bid for Jorginho!"

£12m is a lot for a 31 year old with only 6 months left on his contract. Having said that, are people not dismissing him a bit too readily? He is a very talented player in terms of technique and passing ability. He doesn't have pace but he never did. He won't press well but that doesn't mean he can't play on a team that does. Italy were very aggressive at pressing when they won the Euros with Jorginho sitting behind it and dictating a lot of the play.

It isn't a signing to set the pulses racing but he is a good player.

Xhaka is being layed further forward and it is Partey who has been deeper. Given Xhaka's tackling "technique" I would not put him deeper. I 'd say Jorghino will be used in Europa League matches and where Partey is subbed and we are comfortably ahead.

Erikssen out till late April

What!?!?

Ally McCoist is a Chelsea fan!?!?

I'm sure we've all heard the news. Not the ideal signing. Obviously a stop gap as his age alone goes against Arteta's methodology of signing great YOUNG players who are mobile.

His signing can only mean, at least to me, all other options were not available. Also, we'll have to wait for the summer for any big DCM /holding midfielder signings.

The two positives are, first, he's experienced and knows how to win and won't freeze up in big games and make mistakes like Lokonga. Second, its help. It's a body we can put in there that is better than we already have in that position.

The gooner who called in this video says we are doing Chelsea a favor and said we could have put Zinchenko or White in there in a bind, admittedly the latter has been by some as not an option. I'm just hoping its not another Willian debacle. Čech was a good signing but he couldn't save a PK to save his life.

I've lost interest in United now that their games against us and City are finished.

There’s a few connections between Chelsea and rangers historically.

I’ve watched us at Ibrox and the rangers fans were chanting “Chelsea,Chelsea,Chelsea” to taunt us. Obviously this left us a bit bemused as surely spurs would have been a better bet.

More here

https://www.reddit.com/r/chelseafc/comm ... riendship/

If it’s Jorginho, I agree it’s not an inspiring transfer.

However, Arteta has got us to where we currently are; top of the league by 2 points with 2 games in hand. So I think he’s entitled to do what he thinks best.

Damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t.

Likewise with rangers and Chelsea I’m sure our older fans will remember the joint Arsenal/Celtic bobble hats you always used to see in the 80s around Highbury

I'm a bit underwhelmed by the Jorghinio, however its probably not a bad signing for a few reasons.
1) He is surely an upgrade on Lokonga who has struggled season.
2) The bloke has won a ton of stuff so he should be used to the pressure/expectations on Arsenal this season.
3) It does keep a lot of our powder dry to continue improving the first team this summer which seems sensible.
4) In these days of crazy transfer fees approx £10M is not a lot.
5) Hopefully we dont need him to play every remaining game. But if it means we can give Partey/Xhaka a rest or reduce their minutes then it may even protect them from getting injured.
Of course if he's rubbish ignore everything i've just said.

I'll have to trust Arteta. Until we see him play in our system, we are only speculating. I recall gooners being very underwhelmed by White and Ramsdale and they turned out decently for us.

Xkaka is still slow and doing well.

Mers isn't having any of this negative talk about the new signing.

Low key (I think that’s the phrase) blowing my mind. Did Bernard know this?? Although, idiosyncratic choices really defined his tastes I suppose, God rest him.

The trajectory of my opinion on Jorginho is “NOOOOO!!!” to “Well makes some sense I suppose…”

Hope he can take some minutes off Partey and not cost us points. If he does that it’s a winner.

I’m sure we talked about It once.

What about Lokonga loaned to Palace and learn under the best to play the position.

Some stats

Here are 5 home fixtures where we could use Jorginho where his downgrading from Partey should not be the reason we drop points.

We need to keep Partey fit, it’s difficult to legislate for an impact injury but we can mitigate for fatigue based injuries. If Jorginho starts the next few europa league games and some of these home matches that’s the job he’s been bought in to do. As well as hopefully being able to be subbed on in games that we have wrapped up or need a bit of experience and ball retention to see out.

I recall one of Arteta’s first games in charge at home to Chelsea, we went 1-0 up, ran our socks off then Jorginho came on at half time, wrestled back control for Chelsea, we were out on our feet chasing the ball and we lost 2-1. He can do a job and is a better option than Elneny and Lokonga

Some more stats.

I hope so.

Worse case scenario is that he has one mediocre game, Arteta never picks him until Partey gets crocked, then Jorginho, completely out of form, has a poor run and is recorded in the annals as "as bad as Willian'".

We average 2.3 points per game with Partey and 1.6 without. That's quite a stat.

Good stats all round

Trossard, Kiwior, Jorginho.
Not the names everyone wanted but we have to trust the club.

Looking ahead to the summer there is a big question mark to be answered in terms of us closing deals for big money. Vlahovic, Raphinha, Mudryk and Caicedo- we bid for all of them at £60m+ and incrementally increased the bids with no success.

The summer now needs maybe 3 players:
A defensive midfielder - Partey back up
A central midfielder - Xhaka back up
A versatile right winger - Saka back up

The first two need to be signed with a view to being able to take us forward as first choice players soon as Partey and Xhaka will be or are already 30.

Balogun and maybe Patino could be added to the squad also

5hours to go and Jourjinho still not confirmed?

Wtf?

Getting closer?

Has anyone mentioned that the Lakonga loan to Palace has gone through?

So Spurs summer in which many claimed they ‘won’ the transfer window
Richarlison yet to score a league goal
Bissouma can’t get in the team
Spence has been shipped off on loan
Perisic looks his age
Lenglet looks very dodgy in defence (see City’s 4th goal the other week)
Forster as their back up GK looks their best signing and eve he isn’t deemed good enough to replace the error-prone Lloris

Sabitzer on loan to Man U to cover eriksens injury

Elneny’s contract is up at the end of the season but there is an option for Srsenal to extend it for a year. If the injury is an ACL knee which seems likely or something similarly serious there is talk Arsenal will extend the year to provide the support to Mo in his recovery. If we didn’t renew Elneny would technically have nowhere to do his rehab as no club is going to sign a player with a 6-9month ACL rehab to do.

It would cost the club his wages for the year and whilst we aren’t a charity I think it would be the class thing to do for Elneny.

Sky have confirmed it. And saying it's a good move too.

Can you believe anything SKY say. Reporting Villa's Ramsey, Aaron has signed for a loan to 'Boro anfd the picture on the screen is that of Jacob Ramsey

Compare the behaviour to Cardiff and their antics about sala

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-64333540.amp

Jorginho confirmed on Arse website. Even a pic of MA and Jorginho with Jorginho glad to finally link up with MA.

The picture could be faked. We still can’t be sure

I don’t know if this is a good signing. An important feature of placing players in this team is not just playing ability but do they fit in with the culture and have they bought into the project. I don’t know if we have had time to assess if he will buy in. But then the Brighton bloke was totally unknown to me as to whether he was a one season wonder. Give Arteta wanted him I will have to trust him but he is so stubborn that he will want to prove it a great signing and probably squeeze him into the team at times to justify himself. I have to say I thought he was a year past his best. If we are paying him silly wages that will be another problem around the team.

At the end of the day, we win the league and he is part of it, a worthwhile signing.

Yeah I wouldn't be too sure. There's still a chance Chelsea will outbid us at the last minute.