Elneny Replacing Ceballos? By Dan Smith
If I said to you back when we were lifting the FA Cup that Elneny would be starting in the Community Shield, you would worry.
He seems a nice guy and his effort can’t be doubted, but he proved over a long period that he isn’t good enough to take us to that next level.
We played as strong a team as possible at the weekend apart from the Egyptian. It seems odd to me that Arteta would waste an opportunity to boost someone else’s fitness, or not take the chance to try something new.
For example, if Maitland Niles can’t get into a midfield over Elneny, he has to accept that’s never going to be his role at Arsenal. Willock equally could have started next to Xhaka.
Our manager wouldn’t care about the sharpness of a player who wouldn’t be his problem after October, which suggests the Egyptian might be here to stay?
In his own words, our head coach is giving all talent a clean slate, apart from it seems Guendouzi and Ozil. Going by that logic, the midfielder impressed on loan in Turkey and was good at Wembley, so based on form, he could be starting at Fulham on the opening day?
From day one, our new boss has said lots of positive things Gooners want to hear. I like the Spaniard but can also see through a lot of things. The Spaniard’s ambitions are real, but he’s equally smart enough to know he has to tolerate certain things from his employers.
Mr Wenger was used to this. He was so respected that for many years we trusted what came out of his mouth, when in fact he was simply taking the bullets for the people he worked with.
I stress I will wait till the end of the window until I judge, but I have seen the Kroenke family do business like this for a decade. Would I put it past them to sell a Torreira, keep the money and try to make out that Elneny is ‘like a new signing’?
Is that when they reveal Aubameyang has signed a new contract? Our fan base gets so excited over that, that they will ignore how quietly we are not improving our midfield. Keeping our best player shouldn’t be celebrated, it should be a minimum requirement.
Don’t be fooled, our striker is good but he’s the same one we had when we were finishing in our worst position in 25 years. In other words, let’s get quality around him.
Meanwhile Chelsea have brought Ziyech, Werner, Chilwell, Silva and Sarr. They have an owner who won’t tolerate 4th and is giving Lampard backing.
It’s not Elneny’s fault. He was given his chance against Liverpool and took it. If that earns him a chance to relaunch his Gunners career, then great …. If it convinces us there’s no need to activate Partey’s release clause, then that’s us again prioritising money over what’s best for the squad.
Is Elneny Staying?
Does he deserve a second chance?
Am I reading too much into it?
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Dan Smith
