So as the clock ticks down and Arsene Wenger sits twiddling his thumbs (sorry, working hard on transfer deals I mean) in his office, it looks almost certain that the transfer of the Egypt international midfielder Mohamed Elneny will be our one and only signing of the winter window.
However much we Arsenal fans might have wanted the manager to spend a bit more money or how much we thought the squad needed a boost in certain areas, we can only hope that Arsene knows best. The next few months will tell us that and if the Gunners end up champions then we will have nothing to moan about.
Even Wenger felt that we needed help in the centre of midfield, though, and a report in The Sun last week he explained why he thought the signing of Elneny was the right move for Arsenal. The prof had identified exactly the sort of player he needed and Elneny fit the bill. But the fact that no other clubs were after him makes me wonder if we really have got the right man.
Wenger said, “Let’s see how well he adapts to English football before we see if we have got him for a cheap price.
“Maybe there wasn’t a lot of competition because we were the only interested club in signing him.
“Not too many people spoke about him and he was basically not much on the radar.
“I think we were right about him, but now he has to show that he can do it
“It’s a big step for him to come from Switzerland to go to the Premier League but I think it is the right time for him.
“Physically, he is not a monster. Usually middle eastern people are big on stamina, mobility and agility but sometimes lack a bit of power.
“He is not a powerhouse, but winning the ball is not only down to strength.
It’s also about technique and switching on at the right moment.
“You have players who are really muscular who lose fights against very slim players because small guys get their timing right.
“It’s a real technique to switch your muscle on when the opponent is in a weak position.
“I remember Jean Tigana only weighed 63 kilograms yet he was unbelievable as a defensive midfielder.
“Elneny is a natural box-to-box player but he is more defensive-minded than most who play that role, so he can also play in a holding position.
“He is a little bit between Mathieu Flamini and Aaron Ramsey. He can win the ball and effect quick transition and he is defensive-minded in his transitioning.”
Wenger said all this before Elneny made his debut against Burnley on Saturday and he had a similar sort of opinion after the match, pointing out the need for the new player to adapt to the power of English football but also saying that he was impressed with a lot of what the Egyptian did.
And the stats showed that Elneny was heavily involved, with more touches than any other player, so do you think Wenger has got this one Arsenal transfer right? And will it be enough?
I think it was spot on. We’re in a situation where we need numbers as well with the amount of injuries we have. If you can run and can kick a ball without falling over, please apply within!
but we needed a coq backup; instead maybe we got a ramsey backup. not sure. havent seen elneny play as cdm yet.
hahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah
here at arsenal, we dont do windows.
we fit them….thats right double glazing all sorts. 😉
Sky Sports reported this: Check it out and see…
ARSENAL SIGN A FOX IN THE BOX
Spot on only after he helps us win the league. COYG
You fit one you get one free!
There it is that word FREE Wengers loves this word.
Anyway the fact that Wenger did not buy a Top Class striker will come back and bit him on the
AXX. WENGER OUT.
garbage, we are taken for a ride big time.
dont expect greatness bec our aim is not great
wenger touts consistency: why does nobody ask him why he’s so consistent at failing to win PL?
Elneny had an excellent start. His off the ball movement, positioning, and quick, accurate passes made it very difficult for the opposing midfield. I didn’t see many turnovers from him. Also, he was in the box shooting when it was appropriate. He seems to have positional discipline. He’s either a diamond in the rough or he is a refreshing change compared Ramsey. I’d love to see him play with Ozil.
I don’t see him as a strong tackler, but he will win a lot of balls on effort.
also, dont forget out-of-the-box shooting. thats a perfect complement to all the others who dont shoot from outside (we were doing so at the start of this season, mainly caz and ox, but we’ve gone back to our old ways).
At times likes this when I hear Arsene Wenger I wonder why the board still keeps him. Yes he does not want to go into panic buying, but buys world class players that will give result. Manchester City did and they got result so who says money can get a win. Until the CEO and board of directors over haul their ideas for the club it will only be a local club and a money making machine yes machine. Small club think big we should do the same.
okay, at least i hope wenger makes more use of iwobi, Jeff Reine-Adelaid, and more importantly campbel and paulista, bec as i see, not only that he refuses to get us quality, but he sticks also to under performers and is prone to favorisem as well.
mind my words. eleny is santi replacment ( which is a joke) and ramsey will be used in the right wing, bec he is bale lost brother, and wengers fav player.
Alexis is a must start against the Saints as is Coquelin. I feel Ramsey will pair better with Coquelin as at least 1 will always stay back and help the defenders out. It would however be a crime if Campbell gets dropped for either Walcott or Chamberlain on the right. Though I expect Wenger to go with Walcott up top.
Not much to go on in terms of Mo. One game doesn’t tell us much, BUT…if that’s any indication then I think more likely than not…he will become an inspired signing.
It is very difficult for any player to join a team and become effective in the playing system within a couple of weeks…especially a complex playing system like we have. This boy is a quick learner and has very good game intelligence…you can’t teach these things. He will improve his technique and his physique within the next 12 months. Expect him to keep picking up minutes through the rest of the season.
I struggle to find instances where a striker signed in the winter window has helped a team achieve success…it rarely happens. It would have been dumb for Wenger to have made a striker purchase (who was for sale anyway?). I still do think a Yarmolenko deal could happen and I guess it would be down to how the rest of the squad improve over the next 4 months.
Ox and Theo need to call Glenn Hoddle and do some meditation sessions with him. Ox needs to find inner peace and calm, Theo needs to clear his head to have clarity of thought. It’s very clear that both are suffering from poor decision making, and a contributing factor, at least for Theo, is the lack of confidence – you second guess yourself. Ox needs to just keep it simple and build on that – for him poor decision making is about making the low percentage play too often.
Anyway, rambled on enough. Looking forward to a decisive win at home vs the Saints.
He’s a good player alright but is he any different than the many other midfielders that Wenger favours. He is not a Vieirra, Wanyama or Sissoko. We need some power and a physical presence to give us an edge. Also Wengers logic that such players can somehow out muscle the strong guys is baffling but typical.