Granit Xhaka (official)

[Niall_Quinn]

We need one top quality striker and then we could play three strikers from Welbeck, Alexis, Walcott, ANOther. No place for Giroud, he's immobile, slow, not suited to the game we should be playing even those he's suited to the shit we play at the moment.

Any from Ozil/ Cazorla/ Ramsey in behind.

Any two from Xhaka, Wilshere, Coquelin, Elneny, Ox with the fullback making the 5 when we have the ball and the forwards making the 5 when we don't.

Ideally Kos and a WorldClassCB with Gabriel and Merts in reserve.

They'll all get plenty of game time because they'll all be injured at some point, a couple for most of the season.

The whole point of the play should be to get the ball forward. Constant pressure on the opposition for 90 minutes. If they aren't fit enough to do that now, or have become lazy, then that needs to be dealt with.

Anyone who passes sideways should be killed.

Anyone who is static should be electrocuted. Give them a bit of energy.

Shape. When we are going forward we do it as a unit. When we are defending we do it as a unit.

We have the players to give anyone a decent game.

We don't have a coach or a manager and that's a mountain of a problem. It's difficult to blame the players when they are sent out with no tactics, no shape, no plan and they are not expected to have any discipline. I can't see how this major impediment to everything else we are supposedly trying to do can be overcome. We all know this Xhaka kid will be passing sideways and backing off his man by October, that's how long it will take Wenger to fuck up all the good work done by previous coaches and managers.

We could have some hope if only Wenger would give the slightest hint he's prepared to learn from the thousand kicks to the bollocks he's received in return for his stupidity and conservative cowardice.

We should go into the next season expecting to win the title and the CL. Expecting it! If we don't do both then it's a failure for a club of this stature. 12 years of failure, not one more minute of failure is acceptable. I mean how can you even begin to approach the mindset required to win these big prizes if you already know 4th is good enough? If the so-called manager won't do the honourable thing and go then the horrible fucking mentality he's let grow in this club needs to go.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

I think we've lacked a good all round CM for years, how many times do we just seem to empty the midfield and get overrun?

I still agree with the attack though, without an effective front line we're never going to be competitive in the league or CL.

We have but I believe that is my a symptom of the coaching and system employed. We also had one season when Ramsey was the best all round midfieder in the league but he has obviously struggled for consistency since then....but I can't help but think that is down to instruction and that Ramsey simply needs a less liberal manager to guide him. I'm concerned Xhaka will simply come into a confused system and then be subjected to the same criticism as everybody else.

You might sneak a league with an average midfield (or at least not world class) but you never will with an average forward line.

As we know....the team that scores the most usually finishes Champions but this year is unusual in that the team to score the most are in 4th place.

This boy is coming with a big rep, Pep tried to sign him for Bayern last summer and Gladbach rejected the 35mill offer. From the little I've seen of him he looks a very good player, highly technical, strong in the tackle, very good passer (long & short). He has the potential to be world class if he keeps on developing. Good signing, surprised we've got him.

Still think we need to upgrade Centre Forward & Centre Back.

P.S I Agree with NQ, this signing will be pointless if we don't adapt our approach and implement a system that benefits the starting players.

So rather than sign for Bayern he's signing for us and rather than get 35 million for him his club will get 30? Well at least we're happy hey!

[GP]

https://twitter.com/CheValon1/status/733978250360291329

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Well I'll be damned....back of the net, early doors!

[Munchies]

https://twitter.com/CheValon1/status/733978250360291329

Our new home kit

[I am invisible]

Nah, I'll only believe it after he's played his 100th game for us...

[Marc Overmars]

Welcome.

I'm liking the new kit.

[Globalgunner]

Welcome.

I'm liking the new kit.

I dont think her name is Kit. But I agree she is Welcome.

[Thierrymon]

[Power n Glory]

We have but I believe that is my a symptom of the coaching and system employed. We also had one season when Ramsey was the best all round midfieder in the league but he has obviously struggled for consistency since then....but I can't help but think that is down to instruction and that Ramsey simply needs a less liberal manager to guide him. I'm concerned Xhaka will simply come into a confused system and then be subjected to the same criticism as everybody else.

You might sneak a league with an average midfield (or at least not world class) but you never will with an average forward line.

As we know....the team that scores the most usually finishes Champions but this year is unusual in that the team to score the most are in 4th place.



So rather than sign for Bayern he's signing for us and rather than get 35 million for him his club will get 30? Well at least we're happy hey!

Agreed. Unless we change our forward line, this n't make a huge impact on our play. Unless we're playing Ramsey in the midfield, we don't usually have a problem with moving the ball forward and retaining possession high in our opponents half. If Wenger continues to play Giroud as a target man with our players trying to ping pong the ball off him like a brick wall, we're only going to get more of the same. The fluidity in our play is fine further back. But Giroud acts like a dam when he plays up front and it just stops the flow of our play as if we have nowhere else to go. There is hardly any space further up the pitch to exploit. Ozil makes the majority of his passes in the final third and the stats show he's creating but it's not the sort of chances that are being converted into goals. Unless we find nimble players that find the small pockets of space to score, give up our possession play or try a totally new formation, I can't see this being the game changer.