Top Jan signings - everyone's forgotten Nacho. If I remember correctly, Gibbs got a

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

long term injury right at the end of the window and we only had that fat Brazza who couldn't defend as our other LB option.

So we signed Nacho the next day, I think the last of the window, and lent out Santos.

He assisted a late winner in his third game, and two games later, he scored late on to put us 1-0 up. {We got a second on the counter in injury time, but without his goal I doubt we'd have won.}

I remember thinking after his assist that if those 2 points are the difference between pipping the Sperz to 4th place, then he's paid back his transfer fee and contract wages already.

So he won us 4 points with his attacking - and defended very well, far better than Santos would have done - and we beat Sperz to the last CL spot by 1 pt.

Obviously, I hope Leo's signing has an even greater impact, and I take nothing away from Auba's 10 goals and 4 assists, even if it didn't get us into the CL. Or AA23 scoring 4 at Anfield. Or JAR's goals in '04. And Kanu could well have won us the double had DB10 not missed the pelanty in the semi.

But Nacho's signing was the reason we got into the CL and the Scum didn't.

Great player. We should have kept him, not Kola, when we bought KT. He could play CH as well.

[Tony C]

Kaba Diawara lol

I think there’s another universe where he finished the season on double figures and we won the league.

He genuinely did everything but score…Leeds away he hit both posts and had a header off the cross bar.

Then they scored and we lost the league.

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

Kaba Diawara lol

I think there’s another universe where he finished the season on double figures and we won the league.

He genuinely did everything but score…Leeds away he hit both posts and had a header off the cross bar.

Then they scored and we lost the league.

Shît. Is that what happened?

On the day of the game, I was on a crusty traveller site in West London with an ex-gf and one of my best mates who's a Chelsea fan.

We'd been there for 2-3 days. The morning after, I got up and went to buy a paper. Saw we'd lost and just left and fücked off back to Hackney.

When my Chelsea mate hooked back up with me a week later, he said him and my ex were shocked to see I'd just left without even waking them to say goodbye. Then he'd found the copy of the Sun on bed I'd been sleeping on, looked at the back page and sussed why I'd been so pîssed off that I just left.

I'd never realised that we hit the woodwork 3 times cos I didn't even read the report. Just saw the score, went back to the trailer I'd been sleeping in, got my stuff, left the paper and went.

So basically, DB's penalty and the woodwork denied us two doubles in a row. Gutted. Absolutely fücking gutted.

[Luis Anaconda]

Shît. Is that what happened?

On the day of the game, I was on a crusty traveller site in West London with an ex-gf and one of my best mates who's a Chelsea fan.

We'd been there for 2-3 days. The morning after, I got up and went to buy a paper. Saw we'd lost and just left and fücked off back to Hackney.

When my Chelsea mate hooked back up with me a week later, he said him and my ex were shocked to see I'd just left without even waking them to say goodbye. Then he'd found the copy of the Sun on bed I'd been sleeping on, looked at the back page and sussed why I'd been so pîssed off that I just left.

I'd never realised that we hit the woodwork 3 times cos I didn't even read the report. Just saw the score, went back to the trailer I'd been sleeping in, got my stuff, left the paper and went.

So basically, DB's penalty and the woodwork denied us two doubles in a row. Gutted. Absolutely fücking gutted.

That and the **** of a referee in that Leeds game who booked our three midfield players for breathing in a built up area but allowed Alan Smith to kick the **** out of anyone who came near him (all of whom he promptly ran away from as soon as they stood up). Absolute **** as well

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

That and the **** of a referee in that Leeds game who booked our three midfield players for breathing in a built up area but allowed Alan Smith to kick the **** out of anyone who came near him (all of whom he promptly ran away from as soon as they stood up). Absolute **** as well

Dear God. How come the Mancs got so lucky in all three comps that year?

Would be nice for us to have that sort of level of luck this year, esp during the coming run-in.

Ganpatiji is the God of Good Luck and Fortune and the Remover of Obstacles so let's hope He sticks His trunk in for us.

The obstacle of the crossbar was removed by Emi's head, for example. And the curve on that pass from Saliba to GX for our 2nd was pretty trunk-like.

But anyway, do you reckon people have been unfair to ignore Nacho's contribution? I loved him. I remember just after we'd signed him, and someone here said that it was a good deal cos he'd be cover until Gibbs was fit again.

Someone replied presciently that they watch La Liga and if Nacho plays for us like he does over there then young Keiron may not be getting his place back.

Though didn't Gibbs come on as a sub in the final match of the season and pull of that amazing sliding tackle in the box that won us the game?

[Luis Anaconda]

Dear God. How come the Mancs got so lucky in all three comps that year?

Would be nice for us to have that sort of level of luck this year, esp during the coming run-in.

Ganpatiji is the God of Good Luck and Fortune and the Remover of Obstacles so let's hope He sticks His trunk in for us.

The obstacle of the crossbar was removed by Emi's head, for example. And the curve on that pass from Saliba to GX for our 2nd was pretty trunk-like.

But anyway, do you reckon people have been unfair to ignore Nacho's contribution? I loved him. I remember just after we'd signed him, and someone here said that it was a good deal cos he'd be cover until Gibbs was fit again.

Someone replied presciently that they watch La Liga and if Nacho plays for us like he does over there then young Keiron may not be getting his place back.

Though didn't Gibbs come on as a sub in the final match of the season and pull of that amazing sliding tackle in the box that won us the game?

Don't think Nacho is underrated by Arsenal fans - always very popular. Liked a goal as well. you are right about Gibbs and the tackle though

[Tony C]

I liked his goal in this game and also Welbeck’s

https://youtu.be/pYHbvAD81tE

[Luis Anaconda]

I liked his goal in this game and also Welbeck’s

https://youtu.be/pYHbvAD81tE

An absolute blinder

[Luis Anaconda]

An absolute blinder

Forgot the hilarious Di Maria red card as well

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

Don't think Nacho is underrated by Arsenal fans - always very popular. Liked a goal as well. you are right about Gibbs and the tackle though

Oh, I know the fans didn't underrate him - best LB since Cashley.

It just seemed strange that when the blogs had been debating best Jan signing all week, no-one even mentioned Nacho.

I guess very solid defending with one goal and one assist doesn't seem as sexy as Leo's 6 goal involvements in 6 starts, Auba's 10 goals or AA23's 4 at Anfield.

But £6.5m to pip Sperz to the CL spot and 6.5 years as a LB we were all perfectly happy with was a good buy. Won us a couple of cups, almost won us the league and part of the best back 4 we'd had in a decade.

[Arsenal Alcoholic Review]

Nacho and Sagna are both underrated. Especially Sagna. Probably our best ever right back but played in an Arsenal team that was on the decline so doesn’t get the recognition he deserves. I’d have him in the invincible line up over Lauren any day of the week. And I like Lauren.

[PSRB]

Kaba Diawara lol

I think there’s another universe where he finished the season on double figures and we won the league.

He genuinely did everything but score…Leeds away he hit both posts and had a header off the cross bar.

Then they scored and we lost the league.

I have never seen a player so consistently hit the woodwork, quite remarkable

[Luis Anaconda]

Nacho and Sagna are both underrated. Especially Sagna. Probably our best ever right back but played in an Arsenal team that was on the decline so doesn’t get the recognition he deserves. I’d have him in the invincible line up over Lauren any day of the week. And I like Lauren.
Sagna was incredible in his first season - form dropped for a while after his brother died (quite understandably) but pretty much always a consistent defender. Probably wouldn't argue that he was better than Lauren (though would make a case for Viv Anderson as being a better player adjusting for eras).

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

Nacho and Sagna are both underrated. Especially Sagna. Probably our best ever right back but played in an Arsenal team that was on the decline so doesn’t get the recognition he deserves. I’d have him in the invincible line up over Lauren any day of the week. And I like Lauren.

Thought it was only me who thought that. And when interviewed after scoring our fist from 2-0 vs the Scum, he called them the enemy on the post-match interview. Genuine legend.

[Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult]

I have never seen a player so consistently hit the woodwork, quite remarkable

I could very well be imagining this, but I seem to remember that in his first full season at RB, Eboué hit the post like 10 times without scoring.

[Luis Anaconda]

I could very well be imagining this, but I seem to remember that in his first full season at RB, Eboué hit the post like 10 times without scoring.

Depends which end you are thinking of

[John Bunnell]

Loved Nacho. Consistently reliable.