Who will leave if Arsenal get all their targets? by Neil Watson
From the get go I am not writing this article as an enforced opinion but more to understand and be enlightened from reaction to it..
We appear to be in for a large amount of players and, unlike the last twenty pre-seasons, this is unprecedented. We have a keeper, two new defenders, we are allegedly in for two midfielders and now a winger. I also anticipate more rumours and/or acquisitions….
We already have a relatively large squad and so there must surely be a plan as to who is leaving, aside from Jack. I do understand the concept of owning players, loaning them out with the prospect of them improving or their value increasing but I’m wondering, if all the acquisitions happen, how our X1 will line up come August.
We know that lack of opportunities can demotivate senior players as well as stunt the growth of youth players, which can have a negative impact on them personally as well as affect squad moral.
I know many of you are able to demonstrate a starting XI from our growing group of Merry men but who does that leave sitting on the bench. I’ve seen a couple of line ups on here where Ozil doesn’t even make the starting X1. Does that mean that those of you suggesting he is not good enough feel he should be sold? (I would be surprised if any club in the world can have a £350k a week player warming the bench).
We know KOS is out until Xmas so I understand the need to replace him but he is one player. If we acquire more than one replacement who should be shipped out to make way for our increased defensive cover? We can’t keep everyone…
That principle applies to every area of the pitch…
Does Unai have a clear idea of how we will line up in August, has he already seen enough of the entire squad to know who he sees as starters, who he sees as squad players and who is on their way out? If he has then that’s impressive given not all the squad have started training.
I personally think certain players don’t deserve any more chances, whereas others haven’t been played in their strongest positions, and so need to be moved on.
My personal preferences would be to lose Cech, Xhaka, Wilshere, Iwobi, Mustafi And either Chambers or Holding (we don’t need two apprentices).
Players like Perez I believe haven’t been given a chance or a run in a full strength team and so evaluating based on the opportunities he has been given is harsh.
Losing all of the above allows us space but are they the right sales or should there be less?….. or more?
There are no guarantees players coming in will work within our team: You can put a Cheryl Cole mask on a fat bird but…. you get my point!
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Neil Watson