Tag Archives: Mesut Özil

Francis Coquelin demands number 14 jersey at Arsenal

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French central midfielder Francis Coquelin has claimed first dibs on Theo Walcott’s number 14 jersey next season if the Englishman leaves the club. Coquelin believes he is the heir apparent for the shirt number made famous by club legend Thierry Henry.

ZZZZZZZZZ

That is a load of rubbish, and the headline itself probably got a load of your knickers in a twist.

I also hear that Mohamed Elneny wants to wear number the number 1 shirt in 2018/19 and Hector Bellerin wants to wear a Petr Cech style hat with his top knot sticking out.

So rumours surfaced earlier in the week that Mesut Ozil would only stay at Arsenal if he was given the number 10 shirt. This is literally a made up story for RTs and hits. As fake as my Francis Coquelin demands number 14 jersey at Arsenal headline on this blog.

Firstly, I would be surprised if Ozil signing a new contract hinges on the shirt he is going to wear.

Players are motivated by 3 things:

    1. Money
  • Success
  • Love of the club

 

Now we can get rid of number 3. Ozil is motivated by money and success. And probably more money than anything else.

I imagine Ozil would wear Joe Willock’s number 69 (wah-hey!) if we were to pay him £300k a week.

It really is a non-story. People coming out and saying Jack does not deserve to lose his jersey and others saying Jack is always injured, give it to Ozil if it means he stays.

Why does it matter what number you wear? Whether it be William Gallas in 10, Abou Diaby in 2, Or Ozil in 11. It is just a name and a number.

Bring back the days where everyone wore 1-11 without the names on the back. But the marketing and sales boys would not have this. Getting a name and number is just to generate money for the club with idiot adults who still buy club shirts with a name and number on the back.

Ozil should be playing for Arsenal because he wants to be at the club, not because of the number on the back of the shirt.

And if he really is demanding the number 10 shirt to stay, he knows where the door is.

The number on the back of the shirt is not important. The performances on the pitch are.

Keenos

8 possible Sanchez / Ozil replacements

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Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil are gone. They are not going to sign a new deal. I think we have to all come to terms with them leaving the club on a free.

And when I talk about all of us having to come to terms, I include the Arsenal management.

It often feels that Arsenal transfer windows are managed without a plan. It is disorganised. But with the clubs two best players set to leave for nothing, it will be a disaster if Arsenal are not already prepared.

The plans of action need to start in January. Even if Sanchez and Ozil are to not leave until the summer, Arsenal need to not only target, but secure at least one replacement for the pair now.

Replacing two in the summer will be hard. Getting one replacement in January will take the pressure off and also ensure that come the 2018/19 season, we already have a replacement who is settled in England having had 7 months to adjust to the weather.

So who should Arsenal be targeting in January?

Thomas Lemar

Our number one target from the summer will surely be re-targeted in January.

He wanted to join Arsenal, Arsenal wanted him, but we messed up and did not meet Monaco’s valuation until too late.

Hopefully since the summer transfer window closed, we have kept talking to both Monaco, Lemar, and his representatives, and that a deal in January could happen quickly.

Robert Pires recently claimed that he felt that a deal for Thomas Lemar to Arsenal will not happen now. A lot of people have jumped on this as to assume the deal is dead. But reading the full quotes from Pires, he is saying this due to the price tag of £90m. That he (and probably Wenger) does not think he is worth that much.

At the end of the day, if we have the money, we need to spend it. Every million that go’s unspent becomes less valuable every year as transfer fees continue to climb.

Julian Draxler

Another long term favourite of some, German international Julian Draxler could be available for a cut price fee as PSG attempt to balance the books.

Draxler is one of 4 attacking talents that are being linked with moves away from the club. Angel Di Maria, Javier Pastore and Lucas Moura are the other 4.

Draxler has struggled to nail down a place since joining PSG, but if Arsenal could get him cheaply, a transfer could be on the cards.

Antoine Griezmann

With Diego Costa set to rejoin Atletico Madrid, Antoine Griezmann may well be on his way out – if not in January, certainly in the summer.

It feels he has been itching for a move away for a couple of years.

Whilst Atletico have performed brilliantly in recent years, the trophies have dried up since Griezmann joined the club. He has only won the Spanish version of the Community Shield.

It is all well and good being competitive and making Champions League Finals, but if you are not winning trophies, players will become frustrated.

If he does want to move, there will be a scramble for him, with the likes of Manchester United and Barcelona also interested. Arsenal moved to the Emirates Stadium to compete with these sides for the likes of Griezmann.

Griezmann would be a stellar signing and the perfect replacement for Alexis Sanchez.

Thomas Muller

Things have gone a little sour for Thomas Muller at Bayern Munich in recent months. After a slow start, the 28-year-old finished with 12 assists in 25 Bundesliga starts last season. However, he found the net just five times. This season he has scored just twice in 17 appearances for club and country.

An established world star, he would fit straight in and provide goals and assists from midfield. Signing him might also see Mesut Ozil sign a new contract.

Raheem Sterling

With the development and form of Leroy Sane, Raheem Sterling has found himself on the fringes of the Manchester City first team in recent weeks.

Add in David Silva, Kevin de Bruyne and big money summer signing Bernardo Silva, Sterling is finding the competition for places tough to get game time. He has made just 5 Premier League starts this season.

Add in Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus, Manchester City are the envy of world football with their attacking talent. 7 into 3 (or occasionally 4) does not go, and whilst they might win the trophies and get the money whilst sitting on the Manchester City bench, many players want to play.

Sterling is a London lad (via Jamaica) and spends a lot of time in the capital visiting family and friends.

Despite his lack of game time, he has still managed 7 goals in the league this season – just two shy of his career high 9 at Liverpool back in 2014.

There has always been a world class player in Sterling, but he just needs an arm round him and get consistent playing time.

He would get both at Arsenal, and at just 23, still has plenty of time to develop.

Dries Mertens

It has recently been linked that Napoli’s Belgian born forward has a release clause of just £25m. This is a snip in the current market.

At 30, he would not be a long term replacement for Ozil or Sanchez, but he is having an Indian summer to what had been an average career since Napoli move him down the middle last season – no player has scored more goals in Serie A since the beginning of 2016/17.

Lorenzo Insigne

The diminutive team mate of Dries Mertens, he has also been in excellent form.

Reminds me of a young Santi Cazorla, he is great with both feet, and can play anywhere behind a front man. The only question for both Napoli men is whether they would want to leave a table topping side for Arsenal in January, and lose the chance to become legends.

Possibly not.

James Rodriguez

The Columbian has only recently joined Bayern Munich on a 2 year long long deal, but things have quickly turned sour.

Signed by the since departed Carlo Ancelotti, Rodriguez found himself on the bench in the game after the Italians dismissal and there are reports that both he and Munich are looking for ways to end the loan deal.

With Real Madrid unlikely to want him back, the only option will be for Munich to find a club to take Rodriguez for the remainder of the loan deal. Arsenal could well step in and Rodriquez could show the creative abilities to fill the void left by Mesut Ozil.

Keenos

Where did it all go wrong for The Arsenal?

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The moment Mesut Ozil replaced the struggling Danny Welbeck, everything seemed to just go wrong for Arsenal.

At the time we were 1-0 up, not overly on top, but also not in much danger. A brilliant run by Alex Iwobi saw him put Mesut Ozil clean through. One-on-one with the goal keeper, he tried to give Gomes the eyes and go the opposite way.

Gomes read Ozil like a book, and fall on the ball to his left, good chance gone. But at least we were still 1-0 up.

Gomes quickly released the ball, and before we had mentally recovered from the Ozil miss, Watford had a penalty.

Ozil carry’s the blame for not scoring, the referee has to carry the blame for giving Watford a penalty that never was.

STOKE ON TRENT, ENGLAND – MAY 13: Arsene Wenger the head coach / manager of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Stoke City and Arsenal at Bet365 Stadium on May 13, 2017 in Stoke on Trent, England. (Photo by James Baylis – AMA/Getty Images)

As Arsene Wenger said, it was a scandalous decision. One of those decisions that makes you pine for VAR’s to come in sooner rather than later.

1-1, Ozil had given Watford a lifeline with his miss, the referee had put them straight back into the game.

From that moment on, things went from bad to worse The Arsenal as Watford began to dominate.

Olivier Giroud came on for Alexandre Lacazette and Arsenal sat back, inviting pressure on from Watford.

On the 85th minute, Wenger looked to twist rather than stick. Jack Wilshere set to come on for Alex Iwobi. But just as Iwobi was coming to the touchline, Koscielny signalled that he can no longer carry on.

Wenger kiboshed the substitution with screams from the travelling fans of ‘you don’t know what you’re doing’ as Rob Holding quickly stripped down and came on for Laurent Koscielny.

Rather than make an attacking change, Wenger was forced into a defensive change. Could he have bought Wilshere on for Koscielny, gone 4 at the back?In hindsight, yes, because we lost the game. But hindsight makes football so easy.

What it meant is rather than being on the front foot for the last 10 minutes of the game, Arsenal were on the back foot, and inevitably Watford got the injury time winner.

Petr Cech made a brilliant double save, before Tom Cleverely put the ball in the net, whilst Granit Xhaka failed to track his man and was stood on the edge of the box, hands on hips. It reminded me of Denilson.

Everything seemed to go downhill when Mesut Ozil missed that chance.

I have said before, the league title this year will be decided between the two Manchester clubs. Chelsea lost to Crystal Palace to remain level on points with Arsenal, and Liverpool slipped to 8th with the bore-draw against Manchester United.

Watford’s win took them to 4th in the table. It shows Manchester City’s strength that they scored 6 at Vicarage Road, and another 7 yesterday against Stoke. 29 goals in 8 games, just 4 conceded. Scrap what I said earlier about it being between the two Manchester clubs, Manchester City just look like they have it all.

I guess that is what you expect when they spent £212,200,000 last summer and over half a billion pounds in the last 3 seasons.

Arsenal, Spurs, Liverpool and Chelsea all look fairly average. Whilst Spurs won yesterday, they did just scrap through. All 4 will continue to lose points against sides they should beat.

The title is gone, despite us not even being 10 games in. Time to concentrate on the Europa League? The poor league campaign will soon be forgotten if we win a European trophy.

Onwards to Belgrade…

Keenos

ps: Someone needs to swat that annoying Bumblebee