So the mystery deepens with the earliest news coming out of Mikel Arteta’s pre-match press conference ahead of the Leeds game is that our (ex) captain is still “not available for selection” for the match.
Aubameyang was not allwed to play against Southampton, and he was apparently punished for his ‘breach of discipline’ by being left out of the squad for the match against West Ham, where his replacements had an excellent game to put Auba’s return in doubt anyway.
Personally I thought that that would be the end of his punishment and that our striker would get back on the training ground, put his head down, and work hard to get his place in the team back, but now that Arteta has told us he is still not available, it makes one think that there are further or deeper issues that need to be resolved before he can rejoin the fold….
Let the speculation begin!
I wouldn’t make a big deal out of it.
PEA is an important player, even though he’s been out of form, he’s one of the most loved and respected one in the dressing room.
All you have to do is watch everyone else reaction.
Martinelli after the West Ham game said everyone’s together, all in harmony with the coach and Auba losing the captain band doesn’t change that.
That’s all I need to know.
It’s glaring, on pitch, off pitch, I’ve not seen any squad of ours with harmony and cooperation more than this squad. That’s the amazing part, because they’re all just young players, happy to be playing together and growing, learning as they grow, all respect each other.
I’m not gonna let whispers of the media create any doubt in my mind.
I’m ready to give the whole situation time only because Auba’s been out of form and Martinelli & Lacazette all do way better than he’s been doing, and I think that’s the only reason Arteta is yet to include him too.
There’s no way he’d have been kept out if his form didn’t drop.
Now that itself altogether is left for Terta to explain, if Auba is training or not with the team.
All in all, I’m not gonna be carried away by any rumor by the media
Well said Eddie.
Arsenal have been linked with Gabriel Jesus, because his contract will expire in 2023
Gai,
Is Gabriel Jesus really what we need I will prefer many times if we can get Dominic Clevert of Everton.
On Auba it’s more of a situation between an employer and the employee not just his coach- Arteta. You can’t be earning 300k and out of form yet disciplinary issues. No employer would like that from a club captain even if fans are opinionated.
Me too, but Jesus has been trained with Guardiola’s system for years. He is also going to be cheaper because of his contract and non-homegrown status
Does it matter who trained him if he doesn’t score 🤦♀️
Guardiola’s CF doesn’t need to score many goals, as long as he can be the main pivot or focal point in the front line. Look at how their CF worked with the midfielders
Arsenal tnrives on having CF who can score many goals. Arteta should have his own ideas and not necessarily use Man City forte.
Agree every word with you Eddie Hoyt. The media is the one who creates disharmony in the team where there is none. Arsenal stands united in times of crisis and the team plays as one, with or without Auba. So one must not make an issue out of nothing. What matters most is Arsenal playing well and trying to win every game.
To be fair Arsenal has had a succession of underwhelming Captains. Xhaka Mertesacker Arteta Koscielny Van Perisie Vermaellen Gallas even Henry and now Aubameyang have all lacked charisma were often yes men and usually reluctant appointments. Auba was vey low key more like one of the lads hardly a captain at all. Lacazette seems very similarly low key. I think the situation has hardly impacted the squad harmony at all. In fact I think Auba will be relieved to let go of the responsibility. He has retained complete support of the players and Arteta and Auba will quickly be once again on good terms. Storm in a tea cup no more.
I think he’ll stay, bacause no-one else can afford those wages and Auba, quite reasonably, won’t sacrifice the last big salary of his career.
I believe the captaincy, especially the criticism Auba received for being a poor leader, negatively affected his form. He’s a laid back guy and it’s stressful enough getting older and not scoring goals without that on top. Probably pride prevented him from asking for it to be removed, and now pride again means he’s upset at it being removed and all of the media criticism along with that.
If he thinks rationally it’s allowing him to get his mojo back without one more albatross around his neck. But it needs him to get over the loss and see the positives. Will he?
As. Long as we win, I don’t care. Media are just making noise
I see this as simply him not having trained enough with his team mates to be available. More to the point though, he DOES NOT DESERVE to be picked.
Given my way, he would be sold asap, even if it means we cannot first buy another striker. After all, we have been effectively without him all season, even when he has been picked. We have effectively had ten men most times when he “played” and we have been far better without him.
Essentially, by now,he is already no loss on the pitch and is only costing us his obscenely unearned wage. Whether or not anything can be done to cut that loss in wages remains to be seen.
But he should not play again ever for us, in my firm view. He has morphed into OZIL MARK TWO!
Thank you simon.
If auba being absent from the match and stripped off the captaincy will ensure us winning and team progressing
Then i dont care.
All that having been said, Arteta mentioned that Auba was striped off the captaincy due to disciplinary issues. What the media does not tell us is wht other forms of punishment was meted out to Auba. It could be that missing out on training and therefore game time was among the punishments. Which could explain why Auba is not training and therefore not available for selection. There doesnt seem to have been enough information collected on the story.
I don’t think Auba is in the right head space and hasn’t been for a while. If we can swap him in January for a good player then we may get a younger quality player. Auba has been a fantastic player but I think maybe an accumulation of post-covid, age, lack of challenges and lack of confidence have caught up with him. He still will be seen as a top striker by many clubs so swap him with a quality player.
OT
Any predictions this week Dan mate ?
clean sheet..
I think Auba form dropped after he was made captain……not sure how right I am….!
Or aubas form dropped when Arteta was made manager 🤔
COVID outbreak also started after Arteta was made manager 🤔
I’m inclined to agree with you Jakes, for me a captain should come from midfield or defence. Our best captains, Tony and Patrick imo!!
let’s call a spade a spade… Auba is finished fullstop and no comma..
Arteta needs to be very careful about how he handles Aubameyang coz we really can’t afford another Ozil situation. He still has 1.5 years to go, if he decides to just sit and collect his wages what are we gonna do?
Groundhog Day?? I would ask one question, would Auba have been stripped of his captaincy and dropped from the squad if he was scoring regularly and was 3 years younger? Being the cynic that I am, I doubt it. Either way he holds all the cards, a mammoth salary running up to September 2023, all he has to do is train then go home to relax for the next 21 months. I can’t see any top club willing to buy him and maintain his earnings. I’m afraid player power rules now. We were stupid to extend his contract at his age and at that massive increase in salary. It appears that we never learn from our mistakes.
Atthe time it did not seem stupid. he was one amongst a few top players but he ransomed the club.sad.they should have make more of the salary based on performances. Hopefully they learn from that.
According to the media, PEA and the club have agreed to him training alone at Colney. Also apparently he won’t be in the squad until after the African Cup of Nations. This says to me that his time at the club is over.
Good news!
Time for Marti and Laca to glow!
Auba may not be picked anymore by Arteta absorbing him into his team to play for Arsenal again. Despite that he Arteta has not say Auba his been suspended from playing for the club. But announced that he has stripped him of the Gunners captaincy armband on disciplinary grounds.a..
But save, if there is a turnaround in relationship between Arteta and Auba that restores tranquillity between the pair to ensure peace now reign between themselves vis a vis Auba recommitting himself to work hard than ever for the team in training and on the field of play in the EPL and the Cups for Arsenal. It is not certain if Arteta reabsolved Auba into the fould but sell him during the Jan transfer windo.
Which I think Auba may not refuse to move if a good club side want to sign him.
Auba may not be picked anymore by Arteta to reabsorb him into his team to play for Arsenal again. Despite that he Artetat has not say Auba has been suspended from playing for the club. But announced that he has stripped him of the Gunners captaincy armband on disciplinary grounds..
But save, if there is a turnaround in relationship between Arteta and Auba that restores tranquillity between the pair to ensure peace now reign between themselves vis a vis Auba recommitting himself to work hard than ever for the team in training and on the field of play to rediscovered his lost top goals scoring form for Arsenal in the EPL and the Cups could Arteta reinstate Auba to his team. Otherwise there is no certainty if Arteta will reabsolved Auba into the fould. But sell him during the Jan transfer window.
Which I think Auba may not refuse to move if a good club side want to sign him in Jan..
@Fairfan
Do not disrespect Mertesacker. Maybe you are referring to another Mertesacker not the BFG I know. When it comes to leadership even the great Henry himself was nowhere near the BFG. He commanded respect from players, his manager and even board. He stood up for his teammates and defended them but also scolded them when needed. I remember when he famously forced the super star Ozil to applaud away fans as is the tradition. Always the first to come to training, second to the last to leave (Sanchez was reportedly the last to always leave training just after the BFG). He also was the one who instilled discipline in the squad, he would hand out punishment and collect fines. Many times the team was on a bad run and lacked motivation he and Santi would call for team meetings to address the situations. Handled himself in a classy way. Never involved in transfer issues or contract stand off. Was always at some academy games to help the kids while captain. Whenever at the academy always spoke of discipline and values. Even till today you can see what a leader he is. His impact is being felt heavily at the academy and youth level. Had the BFG been a shiny “commercialable” personality then he would have gotten more hype than he got. His partnership with Koscielny has been our best of the post invisible era to date. A world cup winner and also won a few trophies with us.
I saw the article ranking captains and I shook my head. A lot lot of people didn’t like Mert because of how slow he was so they allow It cloud their overall judgement of him. To be honest the BFG was a better leader than player. If asked to choose of all our captains post Adams and Viera, who comes closest then I will pick Mertesacker first, seconded by Arteta then Van Persie (though I hate the way he left he was still a very good leader).
Don’t just follow Arsenal on the pitch alone, follow off pitch affairs too so when time for history comes you know exactly what you are saying. Mertesacker was a very good captain and leader. Go do your research if in doubt.
I agree with you Chapo and I do remember the Ozil incident. I also believe that AW rated him as a man and a leader.
so much to unpack here, but the most humorous comment by far, as it included a Freudian slip of epic proportions, was when you declared that the Kos/Per partnership was the “best of the post invisible era”…how apropos considering
Good points Chapo
There is little BFG was a good leader. The problem is that his limitations as a player have clouded peoples judgement of him.
Lol😂 @LeGunner Mikel Arteta always responsible for everything. Tracking back to the period when we won the FA cup and community shield, he was the most acclaimed. Mikel Arteta. How swift things can turn🤔….
Let’s be honest with ourselves, Auba hasn’t been that majestic as most claimed. The best have seen him play has been under Mikel Arteta, if only we understand the game. If not until recently, Auba is never involved in link-ups, can’t create chances, can’t hold the ball, can’t challenge for the ball, can’t dribble. His only successful dribble in an Arsenal shirt was against Chelsea in the FA cup final, where he managed to get past Zouma. That is to tell you how well I have studied him🤔…
I also remembered Kelvin De bruyne at some point made mention of Mesut ozil , Nicolas pepe and Aubameyang as being the weak link in our team, making an exception for Martinelli, having won us 3-0. We are free to confirm the story, if deemed untrue by any.
So, my point is, Auba dip in form as most just realized isn’t Arteta’s doing, but rather him being poor on a norms.
Although, I also must admit being among the proponents of his contract extension, for I thought he was extraordinary in the FA cup victory that season.
@TRVL
Name me the centre back duo post invisible better than The BFG and Boss? Big Gabby and White?
Together they were great and complimented each other perfectly. Gave us stability at the back for a good while.
Mert was made academy manager while still a player because the club recognised his leadership and managerial still. Mind you manager is different from coach, was made academy manager while still a player. That is a testament to his great leadership qualities. Had Mert been British we probably won’t be having this conversation.
Mert was a great captain. Always shouting, organizing and dishing out instructions. Stood tall like a beast above the rest. Very vocal. His only limit was his personal playing ability, even at that he played to the best of his ability. Over 100 caps for Germany and captaining them too is no joke. According to him he and Ramsey were always having a go at each other in training just get their best, he always accepted when other pointed out his faults.
Mert is a great man and was a very good captain and leader send not even you can take that away from him