Obviously the biggest news coming out about Arsenal today was the bombshell that PE Aubameyang was being stripped of the captain’s armband would not be included in the Arsenal squad to face West Ham, despite the Gabon hitman already having been excluded from the Southampton match.
I was thinking today that I wondered what the reserve team coach Per Mertesacker must be thinking about all these shenanigans, as I remember that when he was the captain under Arsene Wenger, it was his job to issue fines for being late to training and suchlike.
He must be thinking that Aubameyang has now been captain for what, two years? And the only person that we know of that has been in breach of discipline and excluded from the matchday squad has been our captain himself! Not once, but twice!
So I am sure that the Big Friendly German will be right behind Arteta’s actions…
But there is one possibility that hasn’t been discussed yet, and that is that perhaps the ambiguity of being the carefree joker AND the captain has been too much for our striker to deal with, because his goalscoring problems have surely started after being given his massive pay rise and the captain’s armband.
As Luke Chadwick, the ex-Man United midfielder, said today in an exclusive interview with CaughtOffside: “When he first came in he was a breath of fresh air and carried on from his incredible success at Borussia Dortmund.
“Since getting the captain’s armband his performances have dipped a little bit. Maybe without that pressure of the captaincy he can get back to doing what he does best, which is scoring plenty of goals for Arsenal.
“At his best he was without a doubt one of the best strikers in the Premier League.”
So, we can perhaps look on the bright side of this devastating situation. Possibly, after a short period of reflection, Aubameyang will appreciate that a weight has been taken off his shoulders at last and get back to using his carefree character to his advantage once again, and start scoring goals again with freedom.
One can only hope….
JUST ARSENAL SHOW – DAN SMITH DISCUSSES THE AUBA v ARTETA FALLOUT….
I have read lots of stories and comments on the issue and contrary some view, I think the issue is too big for MA alone to preside over, the decision would have been made after deliberation between the coaching crew and some higher ups, a captain is the image bearer of any club and for a club if arsenal magnitude, it’s a bad image if the club keep condoning Auba continuous breach of rules.
I know those fans that are against the decision are doing so because they feel MA isn’t qualified to be our coach in any case .
These are same ppl complaining about most of MA decision since he got here am so sure if it were Pep or Klop or Wenger that made those decisions none of them would have objected but I want to remind us all that all this elite coaches were once rookies and being a starter or upcoming doesn’t mean one has no right to do things the way he feel should be done best.
I just hope he didn’t make mistake of returning the armband to Xhaka because that would have void all the effort
So spot on
I think it is a good decision. He needs some time off. I agree with the club on the reduction in his responsibility. I don’t feel it’s a punishment and the club needs to continue to speak his behalf and protect him as they have done.
Auba’s “crime” coming back a day late from visiting his sick mum is hardly earth shattering but rules are rules so it is what it is. However I too believe losing the captaincy is going to be good for Auba and Arsenal. He was a reluctant captain just took it because he was asked. He was never a demonstrative or outspoken leader on the field. So this is a blessing in disguise. I reckon this little break is just what was needed and without the pressure of captaincy Auba will start scoring again very soon.
I think this issue will reinforce the expectation and pressure on all the players to perform, will unite the team and helps our underdog status v a huge rival for top 6.
Auba’s form makes this a much easier decision.
of course I don’t have a serious problem with the idea of changing course when it comes to our captaincy, so long as the player replacing Auba makes sense moving forward, the real issue at hand is the piss-poor manner by which our MIT chose to embark on this transitionary process…once again, he’s allowed his own self-interests to supersede those of the club as a whole, which could be a byproduct of his inflated ego and/or his managerial naivety, either way it’s not a good look for an organization that has bungled so many football-related decisions over the past decade that it’s mindboggling…so much so that I’m not the least bit surprised when another butchering occurs…just try and make sense of Arteta’s response to the whole Auba situation:
“What I can say now is to make the decision that we made is really hurting, and it is still like this and it needs a bit of time to heal, so for now, he is not involved in the squad,”
Asked if Aubameyang had played his last game for the club, Arteta added: “All I can say is that for now, he’s out of the squad, he’s not involved and sadly, this is the decision that we’ve taken.”
now that’s some passive aggressive delusional sh**
I think the public announcement means he is transfer-listed. I just assume the club and his agent has already found his next destination, be it for loan or for a permanent transfer
I hope Arsenal know what they’re doing. Because if they can’t sell or loan Aubameyang out as soon as possible, his gang and him could ruin the dressing room’s atmosphere
That might not be impossible anymore, I used to think his wages would mean we are stuck with him but with Newcastle money and desperation, should they bid £20m they club might want to cut their losses even Laccazet £10 or more is ok, I only doubt either can be of any help to Newcastle atm but if they want to attract big names they might need some ‘has-been’ names like Auba as showboys
To send Ozil away, Arsenal were willing to subsidize his salary. So they could do a similar move to make a space for a new striker
How long do you think Kronkie will keep subsidising the contract decisions that our club seem intent on making GAI?
If it was your money, would you be as keen to keep putting your finger in the dyke?
We had the example of Ozil’s crazy contract to go by and yet, the two people who (so we are led to believe) who wanted his salary off the books, then proceeded to do EXACTLY the same thing with Aubameyang!!!
Let’s see who MA entrust the captains armband too and whether the fan base “approves” of his choice….. and if Aubameyang plays for the club again, whether that responsibility that’s been taken away, will see him become the player that MA /EDU decided was worth the Kings ransom that you think kronkie should pay for.
Kroenke seems to really believe in Arteta’s and Edu’s project, as seen in the amount of money he spent for them so far
So he might be willing to pay Aubameyang off half of his remaining salary, just to replace him with a much younger CF. Provided that Arsenal and his agent have found a suitor
His gang??! Really, gai??!
According to some on here, he’s already ‘lost his team-mates’ SMH!!!
I bet he is close to some players at the club, Sue
Of course he is, gai, but your suggestion is crazy (sorry 🙂)
Agree
gai, Laca apart and even then only possibly, I see no Auba “gang” that he can any longer be a part of.
Reality and human nature, which includes the natural personal desire of each player to keep the manager onside, to gain his favour in picking them for selection, will well override any supposed “affection” that other players feel for maverick Auba. Are you seriously suggesting his teammates will be prioritising Aubas “friendship” above their OWN career!!
I see him out of AFC really soon now, probably by next summer, one way or the other.
There is now – and obvious to some of us, even if not to others – a new broom in Arteta, sweeping away all the fairweather half tryers, trouble makers and “turn up only when they can be bothered” players. Eg, OZIL GUENDOUZI AUBA.
You may be blissfully unaware of that but it is happening and happening before the very eyes of those who CHOOSE to see what is clearly under our very nose.
In football , as in life generally, there will always be those who are peceptive and then again those who deny the plaintruth. Like anti vaxxers for example! AND Auba excuse makers.
Yet Jon, those players you love to mention as lazy, not ready, or not good enough are carving out and furthering their careers at other clubs – Guendouzi… Saliba… Bellerin etc etc
Perhaps the new broom needs to step back for a second and revisit some of his decisions…. the awarding of Aubemeyang’s contract being one of them.
I also hope there is no unhealthy solidarity among Aubameyang’s close friends. But something like that could happen, if some of them no longer have good future at the club and have expiring contracts
I think you are possibly right in your first paragraph but who exactly are his gang in the second GAI?
I believe it consists of Lacazette, Pepe and maybe Maitland-Niles, SueP
And your reasoning behind that view GAI is……………
.
Ken, Lacazette’s contract is expiring and Pepe/ Maitland-Niles have been benched for a while
It’s just an assumption though. Only the players know what’s going on
So far what the Athletic has revealed is that when Willian took his trip to Dubai, it was for work reasons, but he was fined by the club.
Around the same time, Aubameyang missed a pre-EL trip Covid-19 test, and he was also fined.
Then Aubameyang was “reminded of his responsibilities” by the club after breaching Covid regulations to get a tattoo.
After that, PEA got dropped against Spurs for reporting late to training, which was “not the first time” he had reported late.
In at least the fourth infringement that is known of, Aubameyang returned to England later than agreed from a personal trip to go see his Mom.
First punishment was the same as Willian’s, they were both fined.
Only now that it’s happened again after countless warnings has he lost the captain band.
Some people at the club were surprised Arteta usually allowed Auba get away with certain infringements.
Even the club’s statement this afternoon started off with “Due to his latest infringement”, but noope, Agenda FC says the manager is just throwing him under the bus and only using him to deflect from recent poor performances and is just a terrible manager.
The article is there on The Athletic, read full story, but nooooooooooooo, Agenda must Agend first before any other thing.
Goodnight Folks.
Till the game tomorrow
Absolutely right.
There is a set agenda against Arteta. This has been clear for quite some time now.
The convoluted explanations that are being used to blame Arteta for this situation are really odd and in some cases laughable.
I agree totally
Those that want Arteta out at all costs are blinkered to the point that they find only negatives in anything he does. Somehow Auba is not responsible for his actions and he is exonerated on JA purely because of the loathing expressed by those who can’t abide Arteta
Football is a team game and a huge business – a business that rewards top players way beyond their worth in most cases. Is it too much to ask for players to do the right thing?
Those are fair points SueP, and there are examples to back up the point you make.
Couldn’t one on the other side of the fence make the same statement regarding Arteta?
That some Arteta defenders are so blinkered that they can excuse and find positives in all his mistakes?
My point in that people on both sides are right to some extent. Arteta will never be good enough for some fans.
For others, they overlook worse performances and table results that got 2 previous and more accomplished managers fired.
I only speak for myself, and I choose to focus on standards and whether the manager is upholding and maintaining them.
Wenger and Emery did not in 18 months and were rightfully moved on. If Arteta cannot at season’s end, then he should be moved on.
I base my opinion on the standards; I refuse to lower them for a player, manager, or owner. I choose to put the club above all else.
I leave others to decide for themselves what holds prominence for them.
7-0 to City so far
I was way off with 3-0
Rampant!!!!
Now is the time to sell Aubameyang and buy Vlahovic , Ayedemi, Isak or David. Arsenal must get rid of Aubameyang in the January transfer window. He is not bigger than the club. As captain, it’s a bad example to disrespect the rules of the team. Since his huge contract, he has not shown the passion and commitment to Arsenal. Let’s hope that Arsenal do not have to go through another situation like this by giving Lacazette a new huge contract. When players reach 30yrs. old, their contract should only be extended for one at a time, after which , it can be terminated or extended based on current performances.
Ah yes!!! One of the many AW decisions that gazidis ignored and MA has endorsed…. the one year contract for over 30’s that Dennis Bergkamp agreed to abide with.
I’m sure Arsene will be blamed, one way or another, for Aubemeyang’s contract and the situation our ex captain and MA find themselves in today. LOL
I, for one, don’t blame Wenger for Auba’s re-upping or for him being named and now stripped of his captaincy…after all, we all know that Wenger would never air out our dirty laundry in a public forum…even when he was trying to get rid of Sanchez, he was savvy enough to make sure that all club representatives remained within the realm of “unnamed sources” when he was trying to undermine the relationship between the once-beloved player and the fanbase
“when he was trying to undermine the relationship between the once-beloved player and the fanbase”
Really TRVL? Really?
how naïve HH…it was not a mystery that Alexis and Wenger were at odds regarding several football-related matters…Arsene was displeased by Sanchez’s unwillingness to adhere to his antiquated and largely ineffectual tiki-taka tactics, which relied far too heavily on passing the ball into the net and made functionally little sense with the speed-challenged Giorud up top and Ramsey and/or Ozil being shoehorned into wider positions
on the other hand, Alexis wanted us to invest properly so that we could compete for titles and adopt more personnel-friendly tactics, of which he would be the centerpiece figure…this might have seemed totally self-serving, but so was Wenger’s resistance to increasingly necessary tactical changes, as his particular possession-based brand of football no longer made sense for a variety of reason
at that time, Sanchez was clearly our most talented player and that should have mattered more than appealing to Wenger’s selfish tactical pursuits that would focus infinitely less on those aspects of our game that had been most successful during Alexis’s time here, like taking on defenders in wider positions, shooting from distance and attacking with pace by having Ozil and Ramsey playing in more central positions, which would allow us to attack more directly on the counter…just imagine what might have been, especially considering the unsettled nature of several other “big” clubs during that time period, if we could have properly addressed our DM position and acquired a Striker with pace and decent height to boot
these aforementioned issues were undoubtedly a stumbling block when it came to any potential re-upping of Alexis, albeit it was somewhat cleverly disguised by Wenger up until the start of Sanchez’s final half-season, when it was became abundantly clear that there was little to no chance that he would be extending his stay…it was around this time that strategically placed stories began to appear about the problematic nature of Sanchez on and off the pitch
all of a sudden he was being described as a diva who was bent on upsetting the supposedly copesetic locker room environment and who had likewise demanded the moon to stay in North London…the real kicker was when the media began to actually attack those very aspects of Sanchez’s gameplay that, up until that point, were highly revered, like stating that he was dwelling on the ball too long and taking on too many defenders etc
the real beauty of this orchestrated campaign against Alexis was that it preyed upon those aspects of his, or anyone’s game for that matter, that generally fail more often than they succeed, otherwise such an individual would dominate their respective oppositions at all times and score seemingly at will…by simply highlighting the “failures” he would be open to far more scrutiny, as once your head had been turned by all the chatter you were far more hyper-aware of every time any such incident occurred…it was clearly a successful ruse, as he was reviled by many former fans of his work long before his ultimate departure…unfortunately this plan hurt our leverage on the open market and vastly increased Ozil’s leverage in the coming months
it became abundantly NOT it was became
TRVL, if you read the article by Dick Law, you will see that, in actual fact, the club and AW did everything they could to make Sanchez stay and had agreed verbally over the phone to a new contract.
That contract was sent to Sanchez for signing and then manure stepped in and the rest is history.
It had nothing to do with your oddball story about Wenger wanting to turn the fans against the player and Sanchez himself has said that he wanted to return to The Arsenal after his first day at United.
Would he say that if your scenario of events held any credibility?
I’m not sure where you get your information from, but none of it coincides with the official accounts from both the player, manager and the board.
“none of it coincides with the official accounts from both the player, manager and the board”
sadly, you’re even more naïve/gullible than HH…thank goodness you cited such credible sources, all of whom would never “massage” or fabricate a particular narrative for their own best interests, especially considering how things ultimately unfolded for all parties involved…now that’s some stone-cold Blinders sh**
Yet another poor decision by Arteta now being seen by all. It was stupidity of the highest order to give Aubamayang the armband in the first place. That of course followed the contract that beggars belief.
This novice is making a fool of himself and the club and it must not be allowed to continue. He is slowly turning us into an even bigger laughing stock than we were when we appointed Emery. Just how long must this continue
I’m telling you guys, there is something wrong, Auba is a world-class striker. Suddenly, has become one of the worst strikers, missing easy chances and not even being able to create spaces for his teammates to deliver him the ball to score, SOMETHING IS WRONG!
I hope he is not thinking of doing this just to move away, I remember that he was linked to Barca many times before.
I wonder what if Aubameyang would have been in free flowing goal scoring form the way he was before signing the contract, then in that case still Arteta would have taken this decision of stripping him from captaincy??
At least he would be giving back something in return. Before we defend Aubameyang we have to remember what happened to Unai Emery. The players deliberately lost the EL final and the fourth spot to get the manager sacked.
We are where we are today because of the players. If we don’t support Arteta in this (even if he can’t coach) it is going to happen again next season under the new manager.
HH where on earth did you get the idea that the players deliberately lost a final and 4th spot just to get rid of UE?
We were humiliated by a far superior team in the final and it was UE who, by his team selection, saw us fail miserably in our last six games.
Ahh yes, Emery’s “chameleon” tactics for every match. More cutting and chopping than the local butcher.
Remember the matches where Emery started 7 and 8 defenders? Poor guy, I don’t think it was ever going to work for him, and I believe that he was always a temporary appointment.
The club was shockingly poor of not having a replacement ready when Wenger left, and never convinced Emery was the first and logical choice; more like a sacrificial lamb for the slaughter.
Didn’t Arteta in his pre WHAM match presser talked of Auba breaching of the “none negotiables” at Arsenal? And Auba the recently stripped Arsenal captain has been caught wanting several times in this regards,. Principally done this because of his attending to his mother in her sickness that resulted to his coming late a times to work. .
But in as nuch as Auba cares for his mother in her time of dear needs in sickness to be cared for is laudable and commendable. However, Aubameyang who earns his leaving as a top professional footballer at Arsenal should not continue to use his caring for his Mom who is seriously ill as an excuse to be violating match protocol and the “none negotiables” rules at the club. With what has looked to become unacceptable to his manager and team mates alike.
But I think before this matter reached the boiling point it has reached that force Arteta’s hand to stripped Auba of the team captain’s armband, Arteta must must have called Auba to a meeting to discuss the issue with him. But I suspect the reaction by Auba to Arteta querying him for his coming to work late again must have been highly negative to the point of Aerial getting very agreed and got feed up with him. Who maybe is not apologetic to his manager nor show any remorse for his unacceptable breaches of the laid down rules at the club which must be adhered to by all at the club as it concerns regular time keeping to report for work.
i think Auba might might only have been dropped for the WHAM game and fine for his reporting to late work again had he tendered apology to his manager and team mates too. Whom he should show respect to them. And makes a pledge to Arteta that he will adjust to be reporting for sorch in time as scheduled henceforth with.
But nevertheless, I think Auba’s image personally can still be redeemed by him if he works his ways back into his manager’s heart to return him to the team as quickly as possible. So that he can resume full training and playing games to do what he knows best by scoring goals in number for Arsenal. After all, was Xhaka not Stripped of the club’s captaincy armb? But later return to the team to resume playing up till now. Auba can also do so if Arteta gives the chance to do so. But not banish him from the team which he could do if he chooses. Arteta can be very friendly, unfriendly if need be. Soft and helpful to his players who are regularly performing for the club in matches to the required top level. Shun off any Gunners who isn’t and not working hard to improve. Arteta can be kind and unkind if he’s offended repeatedly and cans”t bear it anymore.
Aubamayeng’s Goal drought started after he was benched with the first incident, And since then he has not been performing well. In my humble opinion I think he is not happy, so Bonvoyage Monsieur Pierre!!! 🖐️🖐️ We need players who are professional and respect the shirt they where. Well done to the Management of Arsenal 👏👏#Trusttheprocess
The club and the hierarchy will stick with Arteta, regarding the Auba fiasco, come what may. The reason is simple, no player is above the club and Auba has set a bad example and could be a distracting factor for other players if he continues as Captain. I totally support Arteta in his latest decision but I only hope Xhaka doesnt become the Captain again. Reckless in his game, bad tempered and wanted to move to Roma in the summer, he wouldnt be the right choice. Tierney would be the best Captain material, young passionate, dedicated and committed to the Arsenal cause.
For me the biggest “news” wasn’t him being stripped of the armband or being left out of the West Ham game.
It was the indication, that he may not play for us again.
That shows either Auba has done something absolutely intolerable in the first place, or the conflict has escalated a lot in the recent days.
If the former is the case, then I am all behind Arteta, but if it is the latter, then maybe the situation isn’t being handled maturely.
There is of course also a risk, that Auba’s actions are just the tip of the iceberg, and there is more player unrest underneath.