Maybe I should be more specific and say that Alex Iwobi might be the reason why the Arsenal manager does not seem unduly worried or under pressure to sign a player like Riyad Mahrez from Leicester City or Julian Draxler from Wolfsburg, because I think that Arsene Wenger is still very much aware of the pressing need for another centre forward and centre back before the summer transfer window closes in a few weeks.
Mahrez and Draxler and many other players that have been the subject of Arsenal transfer rumours this summer are not out and out strikers, though, even if the Algerian international did bag more goals than our own top scorer Olivier Giroud.
They are wide forwards or wingers or attacking midfielders and perhaps the reason why Wenger is not going to be forced to pay over the odds for someone like that is that, along with the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Theo Walcott, we already have a young playerr who looks like they may turn out to be a world class star in that area.
I am talking, of course, about Alex Iwobi, and if anyone thought he might struggle to push on from his impressive debut season with the first team, then his brilliant performance from the subs bench against Viking FK last night should have eased those fears.
It was a cameo full of pace, power and skill and was capped by two goals, the second of which was a real peach. If Arsenal were to add Mahrez or Draxler to the squad it just might see Iwobi’s chances of playing regularly and improving disappear, so is that why Wenger is so relaxed about signing someone like that?
Bob.
Iwobi is a long ways from Mahrez. People are too optimistic about these young players based on displays against inferior opponents. Wait and judge hm against Premier league level competition. This is the same issue AW has, inabliity to objectively assess the Arsenal team against the competition and thiinking that the team is good enough without additions. It is NOT. The results last season are evidence of that.
The joke of the season is ,” walcott is a great striker,” forget great even walcott will be surprised to know that he is a striker. Its over guys. Spend your time better elsewhere rather than on the speculation. All we are getting is a cb (and that too since mert is injured) else its one player a season for us. Gn
I swear some of you guys don’t actually follow Arsenal at all. He HAS played against PL opposition already and looked comfortable. He played in our last 8/9 PL matches and we didn’t lose any of them.
Just an excuse for being cheap
I like Iwobi a lot and he played better than Theo and Ox last season
But until Iwobi proves he is Top quality you need to have a Top quality, experienced winger on both sides. We just have Alexis
Theo only had 1 good season. 14 PL goals and 21 total goals
Granted he had injuries for 2 years after that season
But he had last half of last season to prove himself and was awful
Also, he earns £140,000 per week
Should be sold really
Get Mahrez, Draxler or even Isco (he can attack and be a long term replacement to Cazorla b2b- Zidane said he is on the market). And The other players (Iwobi, Campbell, Ox) can substitute and play FA Cup or League cup for experience and prove themselves.
Liverpool 3-0 Barcelona
Just saying
And well said lol ?
Arsenal vs Chivas
Arsenal vs MLS
Arsenal vs Viking
L()L
ReveL!!!
Real tests Ahead…… We’d come down to earth….
A matter O’ time…. A matter O’ time
Wenger is the master at deluding the Arsenal faithful, especially during the summer transfer window, With his hand – picked, pre-season friendly games, being his greatest illusion and deception.
And Yes.. tomorrow’s meeting with City will paint a more clearer picture for all to see.
Jeez you are so depressive. It’s like you want Arsenal to lose?
I think some of us fans are too sentimental when it comes to our youngsters.
Let’s be honest, 90% of the current rop wont make it and will endup being squad players at best or taken up by some middle table clubs.
Ppl keep on saying ox and Wilshire are still young and should be patient with them, but guess what, ozil kroos khedira muller hummels boeteng iniesta xavi cazorla fabregas mata busquets alaba etc were already established players for top club the same age as ox.
Iwobi is good but he’s nowhere sane’s level muchless draxler’s.
Bellerin is the best academy product since Ashley cole and he’s not even 100% arsenal produced
Am I the only one watching Liverpool vs barca? Pool seems like a well oil machine. Our CB would be slaughtered am sorry. Those kids may not just be ready. Bossieny to the rescue. OH i forgot we beat the Mighty Vkings with our sword.
@galen
Pool are puttin Barca under their foot…Mane is a monster.
A few of us called for a Mane to Arsenal but Most of the Lemmings on here were calling Mane lazy and inconsistent! ??
Oops…..Hahaha…….. Mane’s a Monster?
Where was wenger when klopp was handpicking the likes of Mane?
Riding a scooter on a mexican beach….smirking
Hope i don’t get to ask the same question concerning other available/non-available talents out ere L()L
I’m sure that there will be a few more to question, as the weeks roll on. ??
Wenger was never interested in bringing in another wide player. That came from us fans, and the reporters, who believe three positions with adding a ready made quality could go a long long way in ending this miserable drought. If we are being serious here, showing some true ambition, that is what it would look like. They say everybody new to a team is a gamble, which is true, but some odds can be severely shortened, and it’s not like Iwobi can’t still be an option. Bellerin took a French international who kept Sagna out of the national team, but he started understudy none the less.
Anyways, especially down the spine, this is most important. If he sorts this out, then by all means, hell yeah, lets see what Iwobi and co might do.
Today we heard something very telling about the rumour madness which we’ve all been subjected to……
We do not have to panic, but we are on alert in the transfer market so that we can make the right move when the opportunity pops up. Don’t know about you, but for me, panic, alert, right move, and opportunity, just about gave me a mini stroke.
Are we just gon sit around an wait for opportunity to present itself before we make the right move?
Going by that dead Logic, there would be no activity taking place….cuz no team take joy in losing their best players
in a transfer window as this…. It takes alot of
*Expenditure
*Interest
*convincing
*sweet talking
*Bidding
*Persistency
*Agreement
*Deliberation
*Willingness
To get a club to want to sell and player to want to come…
And knowing Wenger, he doesn’t tick alot of the boxes
alot of players are after :
*The money
*Glory
*Ambition
*The Love for the game
*Love for the team
*Love for the Manager
*Love for the team-mates
*Love for the city
The world of football will not pause even for a minute because of Arsenal
We need to take charge and take matters into our own hands!
Read it and weep…. Some more ???
Wenger’s latest statement⬇
Arsene Wenger says that he will use Theo Walcott as a striker again this season! ?
Arsene Wenger insists he still views Theo Walcott as a central striker and that his poor defensive qualities make him less effective as a winger.
Walcott said during the Gunners’ recent tour of the United States that he wants to go back to playing on the right wing this season after struggling to get playing time up front and being left out of England’s squad for the European Championship.
But Wenger, who started last season with Walcott up front before going back to Olivier Giroud in that role, said Saturday that he still intends to play the pacey forward as a striker.
“I believe he has all the ingredients to be a great striker. He has the quality of his runs, he’s a very intelligent players, he’s a good finisher,” Wenger said ahead of Sunday’s preseason game against Manchester City in southern Sweden. “He’s not a great defender so to use his runs in the final third for us could be very efficient.
“On the flank today so much defensive work is asked of the players. You lose a lot of his qualities when you put him there. I don’t really doubt that for me, in my head I will use him more up front.”
So I guess we’ll be fielding a bunch of kids against Liverpool? Seriously these guys should be learning from experienced class players, I just pray we don’t get embarrassed against at home on match day 1. We’re already without our best defender, best creater, and only out and out senior striker. Anybody that’s says we don’t need Mahrez or shouldn’t go for him is already planning on failure. Arsenal can be sooooo frustrating!
Pêrsonally I think Iwobi and Campbell (and maybe Akpom) should be given the chance to prove themselves. They are hungry
Both have been very good from what I have seen, they just need playing time. They have been far more consistent than Wilshere, Walcott, Ox and actually visibly work out in every match.
Liverpool playing as if it the Champions league final. These frienlies don’t exactly show how a team has progressed really. Barca using the game to get players fit while Liverpool taking it as if it’s a final.. I bet if it were a serious competition the scoreboard would be the exact opposite..
@RTOROH……. What are u insinuating?
We beat a small Norwegian side … vikings 8-0…..and that makes us world beaters [Testing ourselves with babies]
Pool destroying an established Barca side…..in a similar preseason game And u say they are dead serious for nothing? [Testing emselves with real Men]
#SickTalk#
I tell you from a footballing point of view scoring 8 goals you got have players that know where the goal posts are it takes energy and creativity to score 8 yes I agree vikings changed their players because their league is starting i think tomorrow so yes they were not a big team team but to say that Arsenal were not strong thats a bit to much and I say it again you need energy and creativity to score 8 I was very happy they did that Arsenal are well known for creating chances yesterday they converted them chances into Goals this should be the norm and I hope this will give them a lesson on how to win a game as they didnt dwell about with the ball it was goal after goal and that tells me that they went for the goals directly and I hope and wish the young guns all the best and to do well in the next season
You must ve bet we would have won one of the last few PL I guess as well
Ahh so when we beat the Vikings we are on point but when Liverpool thrash barca it’s a friendly. Some on here are laughable and deserve what we get is doing. However some fans want the best for the club and unfortunately wenger is proving he’s not it
If we don’t sign, which I don’t think we will unless it’s a last minute panic buy we won’t make top 4. If we beat/draw against Liverpool I can see the see I told you so, if we lose it will be oh we have some top players out don’t worry
I’m looking forward to the most competitive PL ever shame we will only be there for the ride. Hmm
Or is it the arsenal fans who are being taken for a ride ?
Yes, Thats two rides for the price of one! Everything is cost efficient @ AFC! ?and Wenger is loving it, McD’s style! ?
If Wenger doesn’t sign a top quality striker (Griezmann, Lewandowski or Aubameyang) … Asap! Then I can see us suffering the same fate as Chelsea did, last season.
And if wenger is sacked before the January transfer window opens, then that will tell me for sure that it was all his fault and nothing to do with the board, for the lack of quality signings.
There’s nothing new with that observation, infact it’s one of Wenger’s favourite excuses, for not buying! And when you look back at the last decade, none of those youngsters have progressed in the way that they were hyped up to and yes I’m talking about the likes of Ramsey, Walcott, Jack Wheelchair and the Ox who all had a one season wonder of some sort, during one point in their Arsenal careers, thus far and We can’t keep using this excuse for not buying ready made quality,which would instantly improve our chances of winning a major trophy or two, but No, Wenger wants to stick with a theory which clearly isn’t working for us on the pitch, but he doesn’t really care, as long as it works out well for saving the penny’s and the pounds, in the place where it matters most for Arsenal fc,in the bank.
As for Bellerin, it’s too early to judge him properly, lets hope that he continues to improve and not turn out like the previous one season wonders, as mentioned above.
Yes, Iwobi looks like a good prospect, along with afew others from the youth team, but again, we have all been here before, playing the waiting game for them to become constantly good enough to take Arsenal fc to the next level.
Maybe Arsenal should be sponsored by Guinness brewery?.. They have similarities with the waiting process.
@FbG
I’d say, the reason we’re not buying is due to same players you mentioned. Simple as that. The favorites are going to be pushed out…
I’d say the reason for not buying is cuz sombody puts all the blind, dumb & deaf faith on a bunch of incapable favourites!
And is as well a culprit in the game….but he’s not alone…. There are other Hounds in suits as well
I on the sideline is innocent *smirks* … Wanting best for the team….. All i do is cheer and moan L()L
@SA
Exactly what I meant…
C’mon, these preseason games mean nowt!
Come the start of the season we will beat the bin dippers, no worry.
I really don’t understand why people are scared of competition for places?
This is why we drastically under achieve because we fail to buy top quality talent for the fear of blocking a youngsters progress. One of the best lessons a youngster can learn is to try and take the place of a world class player.
Rashford and Martial development is going accelerate under Zlatans influence. Iwobi would benefit from competing with a world class talent.
Amen to that
Blame Wenger for THAT! ?
Serious question! How, just how on earth do you fans that live in England, that are able to physically go and watch the games live put up with this over and over and over again and almost do next to nothing? I live on the other side of the world and will die supporting Arsenal but damn this club has brought anger out if me that I didn’t know even existed. I always watch interviews after games and the fans that lose it or have the marbles to say something they’re always labeled negatively. Are they really the bad guys or do they truly want what’s best for Arsenal Football Club? I’m sick and tired of hearing the window doesn’t close until August 31st also, this speech is like a broken record stuck on replay year after year after year. Who here is honestly confident going up against Liverpool next week?
JAmerican I can only speak for myself and my son, we’ve been fans for a long time me for over 30 years. Each season we renew our membership then attend as many games as we can buy tickets for. This season we are not renewing its not right to expect fans to pay £150 each to attend a game( we live a long way away) and not value their opinion. I understand it’s a business but there has to be some leeway, at the moment the club is funding there transfers like a top 8 team but charging fans PL winners money. That’s not the correct way to treat fans. If others want to keep finding the owners high living that’s their choice
Campbell has been more impressive in the pre season, hard working and finally got a couple goals.
Ox has also been impressive, he looks like he wants to prove something this season, if he can keep that hunger then he may have put his poor performances behind him and prove to be an asset.
Those 2 I think have done well enough to make Wenger think we can ignore a wide attacker for 12 months and focus on a CB and CF.
Iwobi has been good, glad to see him stepping up and you really seen how much he stepped up when the other ‘kids’ played at the end, he controlled the attack. I think he should be Alexis understudy, got promise but as others have pointed out, not quite there YET. Keep the pressure off him and let him continue growing as a player in the shadow of Alexis for another year or 2, Iwobi has done better on the left and he is an ideal age to take over from Alexis when he gets over 30… Letting him physically mature for a couple more years could make him resistant to injuries which would be rare for us lol.
Beilik might get ahead of Gabriel if he carries on the way he has been, I know VIK isn’t a top team but Beilik made Gabriel look like the one trying to break into the team, not the other way round. To be honest I would be happy if we loaned both Chambers and Holding out (assuming we buy another CB) and let Beilik be 4th choice cover for the season, he has done well and would like to see him fight it out with Gabriel for 3rd choice. (I also assumed the new CB would be 2nd choice after Kos being our number 1 defender)
Aw can u canpare iwobi wit mahrez. For a player to win player of d season is nt a day job, I tink iwobi sh d lean from him bcuz is WC player. Its high tym mr Wenger sign d needed players n stop playing d role of loyalty to his dead wood players. At end Wenger will com to tell us, we r almost dr bt bcuz of injury or inconsistence of som players we miss d first position. Same story, arsenal av seen d 4th position as dr league. Arseanl was d team to carry last season league, so cleared bt at d end we miss out.