Tag Archives: Arsenal

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain & Shkodran Mustafi futures

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Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Is Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain really all that?

In his time at Arsenal, he has barely put 6 games together, let alone 6 good games together.

He wants to leave because he wants to play central midfield, but would he get into the middle of the park for any top 6 side? No.

At Chelsea, he would be first choice right wing back, and provide cover for Hazard, Willian and Pedro. Pretty much the same as what he is at Arsenal. He is a player who thinks he is better than what he is. It would not surprise me if he is at Crystal Palace of West Ham within 3 years.

It is incredible to think that in the 6 and a bit years he has been at Arsenal, he has managed just one goal more than Laurent Koscielny. In fact, the list of top 10 goal scorers for the period that the Ox has been at Arsenal makes depressing reading:

Taking into account that of those above him, only Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsey have played every season, it perhaps shows how little influence he has on games.

Shkodran Mustafi

I wrote the below back April:

I questioned Shkodran Mustafi’s ability back in December. At the time he had no lost a single game at Arsenal which he had played in. I was mocked in the comments o nthe blog, on Twitter and Facebook. How could I be criticising a player who had yet to lose in an Arsenal shirt?

Well at the time I looked beyond the results of the team and was looking at the performances of the defence.

At the time, Arsenal had not kept a clean sheet for 10 games, with just 4 all season – 3 of which had Mustafi in defence, and the Mustafi / Koscielny partnership was conceding at a rate of a goal a game.

I ended the blog with;

Arsenal defensive frailties have become worse this season. Mustafi has solved one problem but created another.

4 months on and he was part of a centreback partnership against Crystal Palace that failed to make a single tackle. Two crude tackles in the 1st half meant he probably should have seen red. He was lucky to stay on the pitch.

Mustafi has played 17 games in 2017, Arsenal have conceded 31 goals. We have conceded more 3 or more goals on 7 occasions this calendar year. We have kept just 6 clean sheets. 3 of which have been in the FA Cup.

It is not just Mustafi’s fault. The entire defence from Bellerin across to Monreal has been shocking. But Mustafi has shown as huge technical issues which worry.

He tends to chase the ball. He is a poor judge of a high ball. His headers rarely reach a team mate. He dives in to tackles. He is beaten too easily.

I still think he will turn out to be a good player at Arsenal, but at £35,000,000 you would expect better performances than the Sunday League level ones he is putting in at the moment.

I have no issue getting read of substandard players like Mustafi and Oxlade-Chamberlain. My big issue is that we will not replace them

Keenos

Has Arsene Wenger lost the dressing room?

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Arsene Wenger has lost the Arsenal dressing room. It is clear for all too see.

There was talk earlier in the year that if Arsene Wenger signed a new contract, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain would be of. Now without getting into the ins and outs of the relationship, Oxlade-Chamberlain has not progressed since he has been at Arsenal. He has gone from highly rated young talent to average squad player. It is clear he blames Wenger for this lack of development.

As soon as Wenger signed the new deal, he was always going to be off. It is like the employee who dislikes their manager, and the manager only shows him any interest when he gets a whiff that the employee is unhappy and on the verge of leaving. It is almost always too little, too late.

You get the feeling it is the same with Mesut Ozi land Alexis Sanchez. That they were almost expecting Wenger to leave, and were happy to stay at Arsenal, but things have changed, and they have lost faith in the manager.

Shkodran Mustafi is another who seems to have lost the faith. The relationship between the German and Wenger seems to have broken down quickly. From Arsenal bringing him back slowly from international duty, to suddenly he is out the door to Inter Milan.

Then we have the future of the likes of Kieran Gibbs, Jack Wilshere and Lucas Perez. All of whom have been cast aside by the manager recently.

The ship is sinking.

Keenos

 

 

“There is no crisis at Arsenal”

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It is set to be 27c today and yet I am inside, nursing a horrendous hangover, caused due to Arsenal’s inept performance yesterday. At least I have the cricket to watch. England are fighting back well. But as I have written this, Joe Root has just got out. Great.

There is plenty wrong at Arsenal. I can see it. You can see it. Everyone can see it. Except for one man. Arsene Wenger.

It seems only the Arsenal manager can not see what is wrong with the club at the moment, He is the man not only without a plan in the transfer market but without a plan full stop.

Arsenal lost against Liverpool, Arsenal lost against Stoke. I do not really care that we lost games. It happens. We almost always lose against Liverpool and Stoke. But it is the manner of the defeats that drove me to drink.

For so long, Wenger has been criticised for a lack of tactics, and that has been shown in the recent games against Stoke and Liverpool.

The move to 3 at the back worked last season, and Wenger has continued with it this season. But you can only play a formation if you have the players that sort it, and when Arsenal are lining up with a winger at full back, a right back at left back, and 2 left backs at centre back, it is clear to all that the formation does not suit the players. Clear to everyone, of course, except for Wenger.

In the recent game against Stoke, Wenger complained about the lack of central defenders available to him, yet he had 2 on the bench that he never used.

Then we have the misuse of Rob Holding. The poor lad must not know if he is coming or going.

Holding started the first game of the season, dropped completely from the match day squad for the second game, then back in the side for the third game where he was ripped apart by the brilliant Sadio Mane and given no support. I feel for the lad.

As for Calum Chambers, a man who played nearly every game in the Premier League for Middlesbrough last season, and performed so well for England in the summer Euro U21 tournament, finds himself nowhere near the team, behind left backs playing centre back.

But of course, we can all see these problems, but Wenger can not.

And why were Alexandre Lacazette and Sead Kolasinac on the bench yesterday? It is baffling.

Last seasons transfer dealings have been exposed as truly awful. We spent a lot of summer last year, yet only one man is still in the teams plans this summer, Granit Xhaka. And he has performed awful of late.

In fact, going through Arsenal’s last 10 transfers, just two of them started yesterday against Liverpool – Holding and Xhaka.

We need players. We need players playing in the right position. We need top quality players. We can all see that, but Wenger can not.

He is becoming deluded. Or has become deluded depending on how angry you are. He does not know what he is doing. He is the captain of the Titanic telling the passengers it is only a bit of ice, that there is no concernable damage.

He is not a captain not a captain going down with a ship whilst rats leave, he is the captain taking his ship down, whilst screaming everything is alright, full steam ahead.

He should have gone after the FA Cup in 2014. 3 FA Cups in 4 years have cemented his place further as an Arsenal great. But like Brian Clough at Nottingham Forest, he has outstayed his welcome.

On Thursday the transfer window shuts. We are not signing anyone. We will sell key players. but Wenger will tell you it is all OK. He is lying to you.

Have a good Monday, Enjoy the sun. Enjoy the cricket.

Keenos