So Arsenal have a new manager (Yippee!) and we are all dying to know how Unai Emery is going to get the team competitive in time for the new season in three months time. At least he will have the whole summer to plan, and with not many Arsenal players going to the World Cup, he will have ample time to get lots of training in before the campaign begins.
But now that the Gunners have already announced some new shirt numbers, including Cech at Number One, Bellerin at Number Two, Elneny at Number Four and Xhaka at 29, we can definitely assume that we will not be getting a new first-choice keeper. Cech himself has told us that hewanted that number from the start… “I already wanted number one when I came but it belonged to Wojciech Szczesny at the time,” he said.
“Last season when he left, it was at the last possible moment so I couldn’t get it either.”
“When they asked me if I would take it this year, of course I was happy to have the opportunity,”
So forget Leno or Oblak arriving this summer, despite Cech having had his worst season ever in the Premier League. We can also ignore any more ridiculous rumours about Hector Bellerin being sold to Barcelona or Juventus, and all hopes of Elneny or Xhaka leaving this summer have been scuppered very quickly..
It’s a shame that they have announced the rest of the squad numbers as we could have got some clues on whether Aaron Ramsey or Jack Wilshere would still be with us next season…
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Cech getting the #1 Jersey is a crime really.
It does give me hope that Lukas Hradecky has completed his move to Bayer Leverkusen which menes Bernd Leno is definitely on the move.
But where will he go?
Czech could be better if he has good CBs and DM in front of him
Since Xhaka and Elneny are staying, I bet we wouldn’t get a new DM, but there is still a possibility for a new CB
In PSG, Emery liked to use skillful wingers (Neymar, Mbappe, Draxler, Di Maria) and I hope we will get new wingers from him
No he couldn’t.. The mistakes he has made are not because of defense but because of his own proness to err:
– Okazaki goal against Leicester last year
– Niasse goal vs Everton
– several goals conceded near post
– Firmino goal in that 3-3 draw last season
These are just a few I can think of right now but I KNOW there are several others as well. He is 2nd choice at best and doesn’t deserve the NUMBER ONE jersey.
Agree…. the Firmino goal was a shocker
Who’s Firmino?
Draxler please, always wanted him. Only drawback is his injuries.
I want to see what Emery thinks of our young guns……. Nketiah, amn, iwobi, sheaf, Nelson, Dinos, dragomir, holding and co.
Who says the new manager does not have a way of bringing out the best in the current players? I’ll wait until January before any player is sold, Conte brought the best out of Moses at Chelsea, Mourinho turned Smalling into a beast, Guardiola and Sterling? Klopp and Salah/Chamberlain?
I am really dissapounted with the Elneny’s shirt number.
#4 ? To Elneny?
No disrespect to Elneny ..but historically #4 has been a legendary number at Arsenal with great players like Viera and Cesc wearing it.
But elneny?
He is a good utility player.. But i dont think he is anywhere near great.
I was hoping that we sign a solid defensive mf this summer and give him #4 shirt as it has beem vacated by per.
Someone like Kondogbia.
But i think we can say good bye to our hopes of signing a Defensive MF.
May be some cheap option we might sign but definitely not a marquee.
Now that we have Emery we could have got Rabiot.
I hope we atleast sign Max Meyer. when we are very reluctant about spending loads of money.. We should be looking out for such options whom we can get for free.
Meyer would be perfect replacement for Santi. And would also get a huge upgrade on his wages if we just give him the wages of santi.
But what do i know.
Seems we will be stuck with xhaka and elneny.
Unfortunately Max Meyer has agreed terms with Hoffenheim for next srason.
Emil Forsberg Swedish international is still available.
Mertesacker was a #4 wasn’t nearly as significant as Viera or Cesc but I like Elneny works hard and is definitely improving
Ellneny is a lucky man he plays football like my three legged dog but gets paid thousands per week….Life ain’t fair 🙂
Very scary and predictable Cech was dreadful last season and should be put out to pasture…I like Bellerin he creates chances…Jack Butland might be a replacement for Cech if he lost a bit of weight…chubby chops
giving out jersey numbers doesnt mean the player willl not be sold….
Welcome to our beloved afc emery.
1.looking at our budget I say we stick to cech spend the funds wisely on other positions.
2.bellerin could actually improve with his Spanish head coach.
3.2 cb and a dm is needed.
4.emery always played with a dm at psg and in Spain.
5.emery is the same age as spurs manager but guess who’s won more silverwear lol
6.let’s give the manager time to implement his way.
7.really looking forward to next season.
Coyg
Emery will be another puppet until we get rid of KROENKE….
Can you give me next week’s lotto numbers?
09/23/34/50/56/57
After solving our defence and midfield, personally I’m hoping Emery brings Julian Draxler along with him, I know we have attackers already but there’s nothing bad in having squad depth is it? Man City have quality players even on the bench and Draxler will be a big upgrade on Welbeck and Iwobi. Sad about not getting a new goalkeeper though
A good way to get rid of Iwobi in particular but with our alleged tiny budget of £50m, a couple of good CB’s to replace Mustafi and Kos (only because of injury) seems to be the sensible way forward.
You want julian draxler for bench or first 11, I personally want drax for first 11.
Cech isn’t actually a spent force, it’s all about confidence and with a good CB pairing cech can give two more seasons of champions material performance.
Really? Cech can’t compete with the keepers from Man City, Man Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea….He is too old get rid….He should leave along with Mustafi, Iwobi, Xhaka, Chambers,Ramsay and Kos….
I don’t think we could afford the talented Draxler unless we sold deadwood Iwobi, Cech, Xhaka, Chambers and Mustafi…
Yippee really? we have got the only candidate who is a “yes” man….How any potential suitors rejected us because the board wants to be in charge of hiring and firing….I fear for the future of the club I have loved for forty years…
And you know Emery’s a “yes man” how?
Because he is the only candidate who is agreeing to the board (The knob Kroekne) to dominate who they hire and fire. Please read the news and keep up with what is happening….
pleeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaasssssseeeee sell Xhaka and Mustafi
and the useless IWOBI…
Or just release Iwobi from his contract if no one wants him. Worst player ever
Wouldn’t get a decent amount for Iwobi that’s for sure
I would not want Iwobi in my Sunday League club….Absolute Rubbish…Wenger must of has dementure…..
Xhaka, iwobi and mustafi are not useless or shite, they just need a good coach who can put round peg and square peg in a round hole and square peg respectively. It’s that simple, use player in their natural position.
No mate xhaka is absolutely a load of turd ?
And Iwobi isn’t far off him ,if we want to be challenging for titles these kind of players are not good enough
Really you evidently are not an Arsenal they are shite…..Sell the losers
OT: 2 GOOD REASONS WHY EMERY IS THE PERFECT FIT FOR ARSENAL
1. EMERY – EMIRATES
2. HE IS 22 YEARS YOUNGER THAN WENGER . (Wenger stayed 22 years at Arsenal)
MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN
Which means he was just a low profile footballer when Wenger started his Arsenal revolution
I bet this busy man rarely had a chance to watch Arsenal’s game
Yep.
Arsene – Arsenal
Emery – Emirates
Arsene lasted 22 yrs
68 – 46 = 22
But I don’t understand how
Kroenke = Crook
Invisible = Disappear = Bye Bye!!!
Judging from comnents above, it hasn’t taken long for posters to get back to the glass half empty. Thanks for the 12 hours of feel good unity Unai – welcome to Arsenal.
?
Posters? My glass is full…Trudeau you are a Knob…
Why on earth do you need to be rude to fellow supporters, please focus on football rather than hating people with different views.
Welcome Unai. Am glad you are here. Am also glad Xhaka Rambo Elneny Iwobi Cech are all staying. I hope Jack stays as well and i also kinda had hopes about magician Santi but alas. Truth be told arsenal has a strong team especially the young players(congrats for winning PL2 by the way and Reiss Nelson POTY). Unai has big shoes to fill an hopefully the board give him sufficient time and resources to make his mark on the league. Exciting times ahead whichever way you look at it.
Most deadwoods seem to be staying
Arsenal do not seem to have big transfer budget, hence he has to inherit most Wenger’s favorites. Or maybe Arsenal would have to sell their 30 million plus players to get more funds
LOFL You are a Tottenham supporter……RIP…
EMERYS PRESS CONFERENCE LIVE
But someone should Tell Emery to always “fasten smaller” d upper side of his tie lol
Hold up!!!
since when did giving out shirt numbers have an impact in bringing in new players?
I think the whole shirt number issue has lost meaning in modern football, I mean even the legendary AC Milan shirts had numbers as high as 99 and likes. The only shirt number I feel is not justified is jersey 4 given out to Elneny who should have taken up 19 vacated by Santi.
Cech is a senior player you cant expert a younger goal keeper to come in and take it up. Xhaka always wanted 29 the same way Ozil wants number 10 in case Jack moves on. 2 suits Bellarin who is here to stay.
Still a lot of numbers up for grabs so fear not and lets be patient until deadline day.
Too many prophets of doom out here.
shirt numbers mean nought.
if they are not up to it emery will ship em out and get someone else in.
Expect Rabiot!
Hear it here 1st!;)
Your ain’t Pisscasso….
You cant blame most goals on goalkeepers
Cech didn’t have good enough CBs in front of him and no defensive midfielder.
Emery Emeric Emirates good match.
Nzonzi-10m, Soyunco-35m, Sokratis-20m, Leno-20m
Keep Campbell, loan Iwobi
sell Perez-10m, Jenkinson-5m, ospina-10m, mustafi-15m
Leno
Bellerin Sokratis Soyunco kolsinac
Ramsey Nzonzi
Ozil
Myhki lacazette PEA
2nd team
Cech
AMN Koscielny/chambers Holding/Mavropanas Monreal
Elneny Xhaka jack
Campbell Welbeck iwobi/Nelson
Should defs get us into the champions league COYG
Emery has a two year contract…Just hope we won’t be playing Port Vale in two years time….
Come on everyone, they are just numbers. They don’t mean anything these days. In times long ago the keeper always wore 1, right back 2, left back 3, right half 4, centre half 5, left half 6, right wing 7, inside right 8 centre forward 9, inside left 10, left wing 11. History lesson over.
Just cos Cech has 1 on his back won’t make him the number one keeper when we sign Leno or someone else.
And that was when every team played 2-3-5.
I take little notice of shirt numbers being changed. Until all players wear consecutive numbers from 1-25(assuming a 25 strong squad) – or whatever the total number of “squaddies” are – numbers are of little importance. They tell us nothing. In olden times the number two meant the right back, the number nine the centre forward. Those days are long gone. When our greatest ever forward, Henry, wore Number 14 and later on so did Walcott, that total contrast meant that Number 14 is irrelevant. Same with other numbers. No sensible manager will be hogged tied by mere exising shirt numbers. That would be childish and “children” managers do not have CV’s like Emery has!
Apparently Xhaka has some sort of emotional attachment to No.29, he even has it tattooed on his leg!
Xhaka actually has the no 34 tattoed on his body. That was his number back in Germany and that is the no he has chosen for next season not 29. He has bee wearing the no 29 shirt since he joined us