Tag Archives: Arsenal

Delighted in Arsenal’s CENTRAL position

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132Up to this point, Arsenal’s transfer window has been a little under-whelming. Some might say that is not strong enough.

The team so clearly needs strengthening in the same, obvious places that it has needed strengthening for the last decade.

However, one place where I am happy with the make up of the squad is the middle of the park.

During the discussion about why Arsenal did not go for N’Golo Kante, my eyes were really opened up to the strength in depth we have in midfield moving forward into the 2016/17 Premier League season.

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In Granit Xhaka, we have the man to make the team tick. A defensive leader who has the all round game to dominate the middle of the park whilst starting attacks. His ability will allow Aaron Ramsey to move further forward up the pitch, relinquish him of much his defensive duties, allow him to continue the great form he showed for Wales.

And then we have Mesut Ozil. A truly world class performer.

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Imagine a side where Santi Cazorla and Jack Wilshere are not in the first team. They would start in the middle of the park for almost every side in the Premier League. A case could be made for both to start in Arsenal’s first team ahead of Ramsey.

When fit (and for Jack that is a big when they are both top players.

Then in behind them we have a new-ish boy. Mohamad Elneny, who performed well at the back end of last season. He will be a good understudy for Granit Xhaka.

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This time last year, Francis Coquelin was our undisputed 1st choice defensive midfield. It sent shivers down a fans spine when the names Flamini or Arteta on the team sheet. The fact that he is now 3rd choice shows the improvements we have made in the area.

Oxlade-Chamberlain has a big season coming up for him. Make or break (although the same was said last year). And Iwobi has shown enough in 6 months that he deserves a place in the first team squad.

It is all very exciting.

There has been some very light talk that we might play a diamond. Even then, with a 4 man midfield, we look very strong.

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This summer, we might have lost 3 midfielder in Flamini, Arteta & Tomas Rosicky, and replaced them with just one, Granti Xhaka, but we go into this year stronger, not weaker.

Last season, Rosicky and Arteta played less than 200 minutes of Premier League football between them. Those minutes do not exactly need replacing.

Another way to look at it is last year, we started the season with our defensive midfield options being:

Coquelin, Flamini, Arteta

This year, they are:

Xhaka, Elneny, Coquelin

The centre of the park is strong. Now Arsene Wenger needs to be focusing on the forward line and defence.

Keenos

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Laurent Koscielny contract is NOT nearing its end

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One of the more concerning Arsenal relating stories to come out this summer is the interest of Bayern Munich in Laurent Koscielny.hi-res-de06ec0d041fae11d70f2db4bf456598_crop_north

It has been widely reported that Koscielny is entering the last year of his contract and that Bayern Munich were looking to take advantage and sign the French centreback in a cut price deal.

It has not taken too much research to discover that Koscielny is not entering the last year of his contract.

In 2012, Laurent Kosicleny signed a new 4 year deal, set to expire in 2016.

Just two years later, in 2014, he signed another deal. And this is where people have got confused.

In 2014, he signed a 3 year extension to his current contract. That means he was extending the duration of his contract. With two years remaining on his 2014 contract, he was basically signing a new 5 year deal.

And this is what is key. In 2014, Laurent Koscileny was not signing a new 3 year deal that would take him through to 2017, but a 3 year extension on his current deal that would take him through to 2019.

So Laurent Koscielny’s current contract runs out in 2019, not 2017.

Koscielny is currently reportedly in contract negotiations with Arsenal, but this is likely more to do with once more extending a deal with 3 years to run (with an extra year?) and giving him a pay rise in line with what our first choice centre back and vice captain should be on.

Of course, this does not stop Bayern Munich sniffing around, but it makes Arsenal’s position a lot stronger.

Keenos

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Why did Arsenal fail to sign N’Golo Kante?

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01_04085432_a3d934_2840443aN’Golo Kante is joining Chelsea. And the response from Arsenal fans is predictable.

” Lost Kante. Need a quality holding midfielder and Wenger lets another gem go. Absolute c***” is one comment I have seen on it. And it is a comment I have seen by many people.

It shows how short Arsenal fan’s memories are:Granit-Xhaka-673633

Arsenal have already signed their defensive midfielder. Granit Xhaka.

Having been around for what seems like forever, Xhaka is still just 23 – younger than N’Golo Kante. As a teenager, he was described as the best talent in Switzerland, ahead of Xherdan Shaqiri. Ottmar Hitzfeld likened him to a “young Schweinsteiger”.

With an 85 per cent pass completion percentage this season, second best at Mönchengladbach, he combines playmaking ability with a combative style him consistently ranked in the top 30 Bundesliga players for tackles and interceptions per game. Xhaka also leads the league for red cards (three) and second for fouls per game (2.6). Nastiness that Arsenal have missed in the middle of the park for years.

At 6ft 1in, Xhaka combines the physical frame and range of passing to hold his own. He has been Gldbach’s creative hub for the last 18 months, sculpting play from the heart of midfield with his immaculate left foot.

Technically gifted, he reads the game well and is robust enough to do the nasty work as well; For reading of the game and an ability to pick a pass, he is very much like Jack Wilshere. However is far more durable, and a lot more physical.

Perhaps most importantly, he is a leader.

So those of you moaning we have not signed N’Gole Kante, please remember, we have secured Granit Xhaka, a superior player who suits Arsenal’s game a lot more.

Keenos

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