Statement of intent from Wenger... I can see you lining up like this next season... Cech Konchelny Wilshire Ramsey Xhaka Ozil Carzola Coquelin Flamini Walcott Giroud Or perhaps the doddery old ****er will sell a midfielder before he gets to retierment age.
Excellent that he has finally signed - good to see we are addressing one of our major weaknesses very early in the window (before it's even opened in fact!!!). Welcome Xhaka - he sounds like a major upgrade on Arteta and Flamini, who have both gone. Now if we can sign a defender - rumours we are in for Medhi Benatia, and a striker and we could well be set!
And must leave the charming Wilshere even further down the pecking order. How about swapping Wilshere for Payet?
Great to see our management striking early while the iron is hot. Sounds like a bright prospect and someone we needed with a few players exiting. There should be some competition in our midfield, especially early on before Wenger settles. He'll have 2 positions which need filling out of the following - Ramsey, Wilshere, Xhaxa, Coqs, Cazorla and Elneny. In my opinion, Ozil is best as our main attacking central midfielder but he might shift him to the wings and play Cazorla there to accommodate. I hope Wenger doesn't do that.
More box to box but likes to drop deep to pick up the ball and distribute it. Bit like Arteta was in the old days.
Hey 'Ain't Nobody' going to take the mick out of our new midfielder! He's going to be the 'Sweetest Thing'...
He will be faced with a dilemma. He likes certain players and usually plays them on a regular basis. He'll try and fit it Ramsey, Wlshere, Ozil, Coqs and Cazorla in midfield. This may lead him to play Ozil and Wilshere out wide or be more ruthless and bench the regulars. Problem is Elneny hasn't done much wrong so doesn't deserved to be be benched because he's not a marquee player. I hope he's more ruthless and plays the players on form and not reputation, even if it means benching them.
It says to me that Wilshere and/or Ramsey have no future. If he is a box to box player then Cazorla and Elneny/Coquelin can play with him if he goes to a 3 - or move Cazorla forward. Ozil and Sanchez either side of, presumably, a new striker. Or of Cazorla if he is moved forward.
I agree I think that Wenger has realised that he can't rely on Wilshere to get over his fitness issues while he seems to have been unimpressed by Ramsey's ability to cover for Santi and impose himself in the middle. I see it as Santi and Xhaka starting in the middle with Coq and Elneny backing them up, with Coq and Xhaka playing when we need to be more solid/defensive. Ozil will be in the 10 spot, while Santi and Wilshere can take over from him. Wilshere and Ramsey will be relegated to the RW spot and I imagine that Oxo and Campbell will be sold. I'd imagine that one of Wilshere or Ramsey (probably the former) will be moved on at some point, depending on how everything pans out. Hopefully a new striker will be signed and then Theo won't get much of a look in as there'll only be one spot left - no 9, with the new striker filling it and Giroud being able back up.
Disagree on Wilshere. I think with everyone fit Wilshere might actually get into our starting 11. History has shown us whenever Wilshere is back to full fitness Wenger starts to bring him back into our starting 11's. He clearly rates him higher than many of the players in our side. Personally I agree. Poor kid gets critised for not looking like a World beater after 12 months out with an injury. I still think Wilshere can develop into a 'World Class' midfielder if he can stay injury free and Wenger knows this. Also he makes a great sub. In games where we struggle to break the opposition down Wilshere's ability to work in tight spaces and carry the ball makes him invaluable. My first choice midfield would be... -----Xhaka------Carzorla----- --------------Ozil----------------- But I would have Wilshere in the side ahead of Elneny Oxo and Ramsey.
