Winter Transfer Despair and Bafflement.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

flog xhaka yes.... sign Luiz no not convinced he would help us defensively.

I think he was in no small part a reason for their title last season. I can't remember if it was the first game we played Chelsea this season ....but I remember Luiz being the best player for them. I think Conte is a little like Mourinho in that when he falls out with people he makes reconciliation awkward, hence why Luiz is on the bench but should be starting. He got rid of Costa and hey...I get why, but Costa would have absolutely buried us on more than one occasion if they still had him this season. In fact, I think the entire narrative around them might be very different this season if they still had him.

Luiz is a good passer out of the backline, as athletic as CB's come, and can obviously play in a 3, 4 or 5 so I think we could do a lot worse than sign him, but I will concede he needs to be used properly and play in a system where the individuals know what their roles are otherwise he'll probably look a clown as he has done in the past.

[Marc Overmars]

I would have Luiz here if the opportunity came about. Certainly if the alternative is Evans.

I think our defensive issues go way beyond one or two individuals though. There needs to be an entire shift in mentality on how we defend as a unit, the porous midfield is the bigger problem.

[Marc Overmars]

There is a report going round that we paid Dortmund £1.3m for Batshit’s loan fee in order to get the Auba deal done.

[Power n Glory]

flog xhaka yes.... sign Luiz no not convinced he would help us defensively.

Xhaka and Ramsey shouldn't be allowed to play together and they should be restricted to come on from the bench but not together. These two are detrimental to our midfield.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

There is a report going round that we paid Dortmund £1.3m for Batshit’s loan fee in order to get the Auba deal done.

If that's true I fuhking applaud it!

[AFC Leveller]

The club won't announce Ozil's contract extension today because they are currently re structuring the wage bill as his new contract has smashed it.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Xhaka and Ramsey shouldn't be allowed to play together and they should be restricted to come on from the bench but not together. These two are detrimental to our midfield.

He's frustrating at times but I can see what Ramsey can do and can at least reflect on what he has done in the past.

I constantly watch Xhaka and just wonder what on earth he is actually supposed to be doing. We're all frightened of playing Wilshere and Ramsey together because it didn't quite work in the past...but honestly, is it any better to have Xhaka, Ramsey?

Just a horrible signing.

[Penguin]

I actually think Luiz would make us worse defensively. He's one of those headless chicken types of defenders who reacts to what he sees. If a striker drops deep Luiz will blindly follow him and leave a huge gap behind him. Although I suppose Koscielny is kind of like that too but at less of a scale. He;s not an upgrade on Koscielny or Mustafi he's just more of the same.

The type of defender we need is someone who knows exactly where to stand, what positions to take up and where all of his team mates should be. And the balls to shout at them when they are doing something wrong.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

He is less injury prone than Koscielny and proven way more than Mustafi and has a league winners medal which he has over all of them so I'm not sure how you conclude he will make us worse defensively.

[Marc Overmars]

Seeing as Auba is done, I would hope that we’re making Chelsea sweat on Giroud. No reason why we shouldn’t at least be demanding more money or exploring the possibility of Luiz coming our way, if we fancy him.