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Our work in the transfer market is done

Discussion in 'Arsenal' started by Mantis, Jul 12, 2018.

  1. BrunelGooner

    BrunelGooner Well-Known Member

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    Put it this way - if our centre-half options for the season are Mustafi, Sokratis, Mavrapanos and Holding, then I will be deeply concerned.
     
    #61
    Quilllogic likes this.
  2. BobbyD

    BobbyD President

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    Don't think it's a massive loss for you guys.

    Always thought Chambers was sort of crap, when he's played and when he's gone on loan. A very average defender with "potential". He's not even that good on the ball and his physical attributes are not anything to be shouting about imo.
     
    #62
  3. BrunelGooner

    BrunelGooner Well-Known Member

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    Nah, he performed well in the second half of last season, which says a lot considering how poor the experienced Koscielny and Mustafi were. I wouldn't necessarily say he stood out as such, but he was one of our better defensive players at a time when we were defensively calamitous.

    I was more willing to give him a chance in the first-team than, say, Mustafi, who quite simply isn't a top defender at all.

    I've always felt a bit sorry for Chambers as he's been shifted around a lot without being given much guidance and then once he did get a run of games, Wenger would drop him. I'd argue he's not had a fair crack of the whip.

    To reiterate, with Koscielny out until December/January, Sokratis new to the league, Mavrapanos still highly inexperienced, Mustafi who is not rated particularly highly and Holding who hasn't featured much, these centre-half options are extremely underwhelming.

    If we then replace Chambers with someone like Vida (which makes no sense at all), then I have to raise serious question marks over how the backroom staff and scouting team are assessing our squad.
     
    #63
    Quilllogic likes this.
  4. BobbyD

    BobbyD President

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    Vida would be terrible. I don't think he ever looks good for croatia lol although him and lovren manage to get away with it.

    I know defending is done as a team but i am just not convinced by him. I think i prefer Mustafi over Chambers but i do believe if Sokratis likes to go for the ball then him and Mustafi can't work together as they both like to attack it. You need one aggressive CB and one that is intelligent who covers as well as a minimum 1 of the two being a leader who communicates
     
    #64
  5. Mantis

    Mantis Well-Known Member

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    I'd honestly throw Mavrapanos in the deep end. Can't do any worse than what we had. I'm not really happy though
     
    #65
  6. ToledoTrumpton

    ToledoTrumpton Well-Known Member

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    Chambers needs another year or two. You all know I think Mustafi is treated unfairly by the fans. He gets into trouble for "Looking dodgy" but no one can actually put their finger on what he does wrong. He seems to have ben convicted over Kane out-jumping him putting two hands on both his shoulders, and the mix up with Cech.

    Chambers on the other hand has been at the centre of a lot of goals and been out-jumped for headers consistently. Maybe he would be better under Emery, but under the old system he just wasn't good enough in the air, even I he is 3 or 4 inches bigger than Mustafi.

    Holding is more like Mustafi, he looks a bit dodgy sometimes, but he doesn't end up being responsible for goals going in. If you go through the goals we let in last year though (and I did) it I shocking how many you can put down to Bellerin and Chambers, particularly when they are both together on the right side.
     
    #66
  7. straycat_67

    straycat_67 Well-Known Member

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    Surely an experienced replacement is needed before the window shuts now Chambers is gone, Kos is injury prone... leaves 2 experienced CB's! and one of those without PL experience!
     
    #67
  8. PINKIE

    PINKIE Wurzel Gummidge

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    Yeah don't get this Chambers loan move. I would have thought Holding would have more likely to go out on loan if one of them did. Also not been convinced by Sokratis in pre season. He's a bit slow on the turn and whilst it's early days, he's going to need to fix up sharp if he's going to be holding the back line in our CB berth this seaosn.
     
    #68
  9. PINKIE

    PINKIE Wurzel Gummidge

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    I actually wouldn't mind seeing Elneny used as a CB. He's done okay when he's been used in there. He's pretty mobile and positionally quite sound too.
     
    #69
  10. PINKIE

    PINKIE Wurzel Gummidge

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    please log in to view this image

    <laugh>
     
    #70
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  11. TheBear

    TheBear Well-Known Member

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    I like Chambers but lets be honest he has been here a while and never really done enough.

    He's had plenty of oppurtunities but has never managed to stand out and put in TOP class performance. I think Mavroponos has probably pushed ahead of him in the pecking order.

    Dont really like this Vida character as a replacement though.

    In other rumours we are being linked to Jerome Boateng (PSG and United also interested). I would be very happy with that TBH. Would be nice to sign an actual TOP quality defender for once.
     
    #71
  12. lazarus20000

    lazarus20000 Well-Known Member

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    In my opinion he should improve us but winning something would be a bonus. Who knows, we still have some tasty attacking players that can inflict some serious damage and with better team organisation, we could get top 4. I think we haven't seen the best from our attacking players yet.

    But realistically the guy needs at least a season or two to get his philosophy going.
     
    #72
  13. Mantis

    Mantis Well-Known Member

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    True I think we have to balance expectation and reality this season. I want to see us competing more in the big games, if we are going to lose, at least making the opposition beat us rather than limply offering them the win. I think we need to realize Emery isn't a miracle worker, he will do what we can. Once the transfer window shuts, we should get behind the team and support them to the best of our ability. Can't be a divided fanbase.
     
    #73
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  14. PINKIE

    PINKIE Wurzel Gummidge

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    The one thing I think will be guarantee this season is that the fans will get behind the manager and players. About time time too. It’s our support has been embarrassing at times in the last few years.
     
    #74
  15. lazarus20000

    lazarus20000 Well-Known Member

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    I agree. I'm not expecting anything amazing, just general improvement in our play which i think will happen under Emery. He comes across as pragmatic and will see our shortcomings and change them, so far we've seen this from certain players coming in. The fanbase will hopefully come together more under Emery and show patience with him.
     
    #75
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  16. lazarus20000

    lazarus20000 Well-Known Member

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    It has become embarrassing from a fanbase and management perspective. Whether we agree with what happened or not, the change was something that HAD to happen.

    All I've read so far have been positive upbeat messages on Emery and co coming in. I don't think our fanbase are bad, i don't think they've been listened too and taken for granted. We will see a much more positive impact from the fans in games this season and hopefully bring back what we've been missing for years.
     
    #76
  17. PINKIE

    PINKIE Wurzel Gummidge

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    Yep change needed to happen. And and painful as it was to watch it happen, maybe the toxic atmosphere was needed to force that change to happen.
     
    #77
  18. Mantis

    Mantis Well-Known Member

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    Word on the street is that Emery is unhappy with the defence inherited from Arsene Wenger. Feels that Vida could do a job. But we have no more money left for transfers. Something not right here.
     
    #78
  19. BrunelGooner

    BrunelGooner Well-Known Member

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    I'm still trying to wrap my head around the Chambers loan to Fulham. What a bizarre decision.

    He was our best defender at the back end of last season, was one of our best players in pre-season, he is beginning to look quite comfortable in possession bringing the ball out from the back (compared to a few years back where he looked very shaky with the ball at his feet), he signs a new contract, and then we loan him to Fulham? It just doesn't make sense.

    To make things more confusing, Mavrapanos and Holding are players who needed loan moves more urgently than Chambers did, given their relative lack of experience and game time, but we loan out one of the most experienced in English football that we had in our squad?

    And now to compound matters, we may (or may not, depending on which source you believe) sign a 29-year-old centre-half from the Turkish league, that no-one would have been interested in prior to the World Cup and would be expected to hit the ground running, for a fee potentially around £25m or above...

    And now we've put ourselves in a position where, if we don't sign anyone to fill that void in our squad, then that would be even more stupid.

    Whichever way you look at it, I'm seriously not convinced by the outcome of this situation.
     
    #79
  20. TheBear

    TheBear Well-Known Member

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    Perez to West Ham for a miserly £5m.
    Poor business by us. They got themselves a bargain.
     
    #80

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