Experience sometimes is not always the best thing!
It is clear that despite the recent clear out at Arsenal, there is definitely more that needs to be cleaned out. I cannot wait for the summer window to open because most of those players that have gone on loan, and even some in our current crop that have stayed really do not deserve to stay with the club.
So is it time to say goodbye to certain members of this current crop and move on? Yes, I believe so..
The likes of Pepe and Willian are said to be experienced, yet the younger stars of Emile Smith-Rowe and Bukayo Saka are constantly putting them to shame.
As Arteta’s philosophy seems to be to nurture and play the young guns, then surely he should get rid of the old biddies who are causing nothing but utter frustration to this Arsenal side!
Willian has no excuse as he has had successful years in London with Chelsea, yet he has blamed the change of tactics and structure for his inability to fit in right now. Although Pepe has had a bit of a better run going, he will not be a Thierry Henry, and he is definitely not a 30 goal a season striker, so the quicker we can cash in on both the better!
Time and time again they have been given chances, but Pepe and Willian in my eyes, along with a few others who are out on loan right now, do not deserve to wear the Arsenal shirt. If things do not change soon and if Smith-Rowe and Saka continue to impress and run rings round the likes of Pepe and Willian and show them how it is done then, it will only be a matter of time before I will be the first person to bid them adieu!
Gooners what do you honestly make of Willian and Pepe? Should we cut our losses in the summer and move them on? Who else should be shown the door?
Shenel Osman
Luiz, Elneny and Ceballos out
In – a LB, Buendia, Bissouma, and Solomon. Odegaard’s loan deal extended
Keep Pepe. Nobody will buy Willian from us on his wages. It’s Ozil all over again
Very accurate.
Start from the back who needs to go?
GK – Runarrsson, Iliev, Hein possibly Ryan too
RB – Bellerin, Soares
LB – Kolasinac, Bola
CB – Luiz, Oluwu, possibly Saliba if Arteta cannot forgive possibly Chambers too if he cannot convince Arteta
CM – Torreira, Xhaka, Elneny, Ceballos, Sheaf, possibly Maitland-Niles if Arteta is not convinced he is CM or AMN cannot accept a wing back role and Guendozi if Arteta cannot forgive
AM/wingers – Willian, possibly Pepe if an offer comes in, McEnuff,
Striker – Nketiah, possibly Balogun if we cannot keep him.
We’re stuck with Willian now so we just have to hope and pray he improves. I can’t see it and believe his wages are wasted. What were the club thinking? Cup competition player for youngsters, maybe?
Pepe is starting to show signs of finding confidence. Need to do much more though. Another season might see him shine (finally).
Elneny came back from his loan spell and actually impressed me for a while. Unfortunately, he seems to be slipping back into his pattern of being very average. Okay for backup.
Luiz can be a good captain. He has leadership qualities. Unfortunately he also has tendencies to lose the plot. Very expensive tendencies that lose us points. Not dependable.
Ceballos is another one that is “in and out” of a game. He’s hot and cold and can go missing at the wrong time. Can’t depend on him.
Bellerin has also lost some energy for me. His crossing could be much better although his runs can be effective. His passing has also became a little predictable and his eye for a good forward pass has often failed. Maybe his best is behind him?
Xhaka has been better in recent weeks. But his style of play and his lack of quick thought process puts us at risk of losing the ball too often. He can be slow to react and often get caught out. Ultimately, he gets a yellow or even a red card. Not dependable.
Laca has had been quite good for us since the turn of the new year. He’s being starved of service though and this seems to impact his chances. He needs to score more but with the lack of service how can he? Needs another year.
Thank god we already release a few (Ozil, Kolasinac, Mustafi and Co) but I still think we can release at least another five.
I’m also beginning to see through Atreta’s abilities and maybe he will be on my list of “outs” come the end of the season. Our current form and situation is the worst it has been in decades. This club needs a big shake up because mediocrity and bad decision making has set us back years. Whilst other “so called” mid table clubs have been building, we have been crumbling. In my opinion, the club need to show ambition by making some big changes and hopefully that has already started?!
Xhaka often caught in possesion?, that was last season. unlike previous seasons, arsenal has zero mistakes leading to goal this season, that thanks to solid performance by DM and defense.
i see only Ceballos and maybe luiz leaving out of your 5man list. am expecting another serious bid for Bellerin in the summer, maybe we should place lacca in the market
Aren’t you choosing to forget last game against Villa and that glaring defensive error?
deadwood? i do not see willian, Pepe and Auba as one, though they are not doing well presently, they could pick form anytime, the coach is missing something in the attack, fixing it means this guys could get back to form.
i do not see any of our current player leaving except those we got on loan and maybe luiz, which i doubt, our defenders are all young with Holding the oldest, it may be costly to let luiz go for Saliba, if not for home grown rule, ill swap Chambers for Saliba, however, i detest his moan about the coach at every opportunity.
It’s realistically impossible to move them on at the moment.
One has his value halved, the other is literally worthless and Edu should be fired for bringing a retired footballer/full-time chelsea agent to the club.
Pepe might actually get better and I’d definitely keep him for at least another season.
The Brazilian passenger should be frozen out as soon as 2021/2022 kicks in. Arsenal should play the waiting game with him. Let him know he won’t play or train with the first team for the entirety of his contract so if he wants game time, he’d have to look for pastures new.
The practice of “clearing-out deadwood” is very popular these days but we must not forget it is a costly exercise that drains the club of financial resources. We need to call a spade – a spade: deadwood represents a strategic error on our part – to identify and sign the right player in the first place. Stop blaming the players; it is the fault of scouting and recruitment.
And what is the role of the manager here? Should we not expect him to get the best out of the players at his disposal. No organization can sustain high staff turnover year after year and still continue to perform well. It’s just not good business practice. The same applies to a football team.
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DEADWOOD IS ENTIRELY THE FAULT OF THOSE WHO BOUGHT THEM IN AND AGREED THEIR WAGES CONTRACT. NO ONE ELSE!
Nor can MA be fairly blamed that he cannot make silk purses out of sows ears. Sows ears should NEVER have been BROUGHT here at all.
ONE huge sows ear, Willian,IS the fault of MA.