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The Fox

The Fox

Posted
Posted

There's no like for like replacement for Fenton in the squad. Not Gnabry and certainly not Ox, coming back from a similar injury. This is potentially disastrous, but we did do ok without Theo before.

If we were truly going to go after Draxler in the summer, we need to try and bring that forward even if it means paying more money. We absolutely have to do all we can to get another forward in now. We also need Ramsey to start scoring again as soon as he comes back basically, otherwise I don't know where the goals are coming from.

I think initially it's worth trying Podolski on the left and Cazorla/Wilshere/Rosicky/Gnabry on the right. If that doesn't bear fruit then switch back to the five man midfield we used when Poldi and Theo were both out earlier in the season, and look to control every game.

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Lucky

Lucky

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OX can possibly fill in for Theo out wide but we are fucked up front.

We are gonna miss his pace and directness and all the problems that creates for the opposition.

Apparently Draxler was shown around Arsenals' facilities ahead of a potential move in the summer. He was of course impressed.

Good if it's true.

Maybe pay the money and get him in now?

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The Fox

The Fox

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The other thing with Theo is he nearly always makes a significant contribution in big games. The same can't be said the other main attacking guys in the side, Giroud, Ramsey and Ozil.

I've been really down on him in the past but this year I've become more appreciative of what he offers us. He's also improved quite a bit in the last couple of years on a technical level.

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carlito

carlito

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Fox you sensationalist.

We have plenty of goal threat, you don't even mention Santi Cazorla, scored bags last season.

Also, while in my heart I believe that we probably needed Theo to be one of the players to really perform for us to be in with a real chance of winning the title, he isn't the rarest of beasts. He's a runner and, if you give him space, he can finish. He isn't much of a technician on the ball, he doesn't really see a pass and he can only beat a player with pace.

We are, admittedly, a bit short on players who get behind defences like Theo but we have Chamberlain coming back as well as Gnabry potentially breaking through so there is hope.

Also you think that a 20 year old German winger would score more goals in a new team and a new league than Cazorla or Podolski or Rosicky? I wouldn't stick 30m on that.

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carlito

carlito

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Okay now I wasn't going to make this post because it's become such a twitter cliche but I might as well and you can take it with a pinch of salt or ignore it completely.

Word in the Aston Villa Director's box from a few different people is that Benteke is leaving Villa in this window whatever happens.

I know he's not exactly been banging them in this season but he's a strong boy, he's young and he does make the runs. With the service he'd get here we could do a lot worse.

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The Fox

The Fox

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Fox you sensationalist.

We have plenty of goal threat, you don't even mention Santi Cazorla, scored bags last season.

Also, while in my heart I believe that we probably needed Theo to be one of the players to really perform for us to be in with a real chance of winning the title, he isn't the rarest of beasts. He's a runner and, if you give him space, he can finish. He isn't much of a technician on the ball, he doesn't really see a pass and he can only beat a player with pace.

We are, admittedly, a bit short on players who get behind defences like Theo but we have Chamberlain coming back as well as Gnabry potentially breaking through so there is hope.

Also you think that a 20 year old German winger would score more goals in a new team and a new league than Cazorla or Podolski or Rosicky? I wouldn't stick 30m on that.

Cazorla isn't playing anywhere near as well as he did last season, and so far he has one goal. Hopefully he can improve but it's certainly not guaranteed.

You say Theo isn't the rarest of beasts, but as far as our squad goes, he is. Unless we're playing a good team parking the bus with a low block (Mourinho's Chelsea, basically), he is always our most likely source of a goal, and he gets a lot of assists too. Gnabry and Ox are not going to be at his level of effectiveness; one is a kid who's barely played, and the other is coming back from his own ACL injury and will take time to start firing again.

I didn't say anything about Draxler scoring more goals than Cazorla or Podolski (although I can't see how he'd get less than Rosicky). You've just made that up. I said if it's true that we wanted to bring him in this summer, we should do a Monreal and try to bring the move forward so that we have an extra option up front, because at the moment we're short. Simple as that.

edit: on your second post, I don't think he's good enough personally, and he'd be expensive. I'd be absolutely amazed if we signed him.

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carlito

carlito

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Have a bit of faith young man. Solutions come from within at Arsenal more often than they come from outside.

I think, aside from his goal at the weekend, Cazorla is playing much better now. The guy was injured and didn't hit the ground running as much as we might have liked - I don't think that is any reason to doubt his long term attacking contribution.

With regards to Walcott. Yes, he gets a lot of assists but those are not the issue, we have plenty of providers. I can't be bothered to check the stats but look at any of our attacking players and they will likely be similar.

The thing we really lose is he is making the runs that every other one of our ridiculously technical midfield is looking for. Play will break down through him far more regularly than any other player in the team if he is involved in the build up with his sloppy lay-offs and (comparatively) poor control. So all he has to do is make runs and he really doesn't do that all that well - he's not a smart runner, he's just so fucking rapid that if you lose him you're done and if you do stay with him then you make space for our other players.

Gnabry is quick, Chamberlain is quick - maybe not as quick as Walcott but quick enough. I don't see any reason why they can't make the runs even if their finishing is likely to be less assured. Or Podolski for that matter and he can definitely finish.

This team flatters Walcott. He's got qualities no doubt, but it more the players around him facilitate his scoring record.

You suggested Draxler in January was a good idea in light of our lack of sources of goals. I disagreed. No "making up" there mate.

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The Fox

The Fox

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Sorry, I didn't mean to imply Draxler would come in and start scoring loads of goals, merely that we are now even more short in forward areas and I think we need to sign someone if it's at all possible. He's clearly a very talented player who could be beneficial from now until the end of the season. There has been lots of chatter about him coming to us in the summer so if that's correct (which is a big if, obviously), I think we should try and bring it forward like we did with Monreal last season when Gibbs got injured. It might not be doable, and he might not set the world on fire instantly, but he'd give us another option. He's a good finisher too considering he's not a striker. Ofc this is all very dependent on price, as you're principally paying for potential.

I also haven't said we're completely fucked, but at the end of the day we have lost our most prolific forward and there's a chance he'll never be quite the same again. It's also horrible for him on a personal level, so forgive me for being a bit glum. I'm not writing anything off by any means, but it is a significant blow.

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Rocafella

Rocafella

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We're still risking it in the forward area I reckon. Ox has had a long lay off, as has Podolski. Santi is only just finding some form and Rosicky could get injured at any moment.

The problem is you can't do much in January, especially in a world cup year. I have a feeling Wenger will risk it though and go with what we have. Would be a massive call, considering this is the best chance we've had at challenging for the league in years.

I'd go back in for Ba personally. Mourinho might not change his stance, but it's surely worth a go.

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The Fox

The Fox

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Forget Ba or Hernandez, their clubs won't sell/loan to us, and I don't see why Morata would swap Madrid's bench for ours.

I suspect we'll try and muddle through the rest of January, resting Giroud whenever possible, and then use Bendtner as our cover at CF for the rest of the season with Podolski/Gnabry for emergencies. If we do try and sign a forward player I think it might be someone more versatile. Draxler does fit the bill in that regard (he plays No10 or wide left, but is tall and a good finisher). Obviously he's not the finished article though by any means. It looks like he's definitely off somewhere in the summer as Schalke have signed a pre-contract with Sam to replace him. FWIW John Cross thinks he's Arsenal-bound and has had a tour of the facilities etc.

Most likely outcome though is we continue with what we have and hope we can coax top form out of Ramsey, Cazorla etc going forward. I mean, it's not like we don't have options if we can keep people fit:

----------------Szczesny--------------

Sagna--Mertesacker---Koscielny--Monreal/Gibbs

----------Arteta----Ramsey-----------

----Cazorla-----Ozil-----Podolski-----

---------------Giroud----------------

That's the most like-for-like XI I guess, just swapping the directness/finishing from the right flank to the left, and swapping Cazorla to the other side coz he gives no fucks. But we could also see a return to the type of side we were putting out earlier in the season when Poldi and Fenton were both out:

----Wilshere-----Ozil-----Cazorla-----

---------------Giroud----------------

Rosicky and Ox are the alternatives on each flank here. This setup allows us to retain the ball better in theory, and could be useful against teams who sit back and defend deep. The pitch is squeezed a lot, obviously, and this formation places a big importance on Ramsey's forward runs for goalscoring.

The other setup is a bit of a wild card that I can't see Arsene using very often, but it basically involves trying to get Gnabry to replicate Theo's role on the right:

----Gnabry-----Ozil-----Cazorla-----

---------------Giroud----------------

So yeah, losing Fenton is a big blow but even if we don't get anyone in, it's not necessarily THE END. Any more injuries at that end though and we'll be in trouble, so I do hope we can strengthen this month.

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Rocafella

Rocafella

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Still relies on Giroud making it through the rest of the season pretty much. We're going to run him in to the ground. His performance levels were already dropping by the time he was injured. If we're still in it come March/April, he'll be a wreck.

Nik is a back up isn't awful, but it's whether we think we can seriously win the league with Giroud and Bendtner.

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Lucky

Lucky

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The pressure's really on for tomorrow. Everyone in the top 10 won their games (apart from Newcastle who lost to City & Hull who lost to Chelsea)

Villa away is tricky but it's a must win game.

I think we can do it. 2-0 to us.

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SeanR

SeanR

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Is Villa "tricky"? Their home form is absolutely appalling. I'd say it's about as un-tricky as away games get in this league.

I wanted to say something witty about the start of the season, but the BBC put it better:

Aston Villa haven't beaten Arsenal at home in 14 attempts since coming from two goals down to win 3-2 in December 1998 (D7, L7).

Arsenal have lost only three of their subsequent 30 league meetings with Villa, including a 3-1 home defeat on the opening day of this season.

Aston Villa have not beaten Arsenal home and away in the same season since the inaugural Premier League campaign of 1992-93.

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