So is that it then? Incomings transfers all completed

before we go to our overseas training thingy?

No desperate final bids in a panic during the last two weeks of August? No waiting to see which French player who is willing to join us will be our final signing? No taking whatever we can get for the players we need to sell to raise funds for that last second buy? Completing all our purchases in time to integrate them into the team for the first match of the season? Forcing other teams to pay what we want because we have no real need to sell as our business is done?

Doesn't even seem like a proper transfer window imo. :-(

I think Partey will go and we will get one more midfield in.

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Originally Posted by Pat Vegas

I think Partey will go and we will get one more midfield in.

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This. And possibly a cheap punt on a youngish chap from the Brazilian league. Possibly that could be the Partey replacement too. Supposing this scenario plays out I'm still not convinced we're stronger than last season.

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Originally Posted by WES

before we go to our overseas training thingy?

No desperate final bids in a panic during the last two weeks of August? No waiting to see which French player who is willing to join us will be our final signing? No taking whatever we can get for the players we need to sell to raise funds for that last second buy? Completing all our purchases in time to integrate them into the team for the first match of the season? Forcing other teams to pay what we want because we have no real need to sell as our business is done?

Doesn't even seem like a proper transfer window imo. :-(

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Nelson, apparently injured in that friendly game......so some things don't change

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Originally Posted by Arsenal Alcoholic Review

This. And possibly a cheap punt on a youngish chap from the Brazilian league. Possibly that could be the Partey replacement too. Supposing this scenario plays out I'm still not convinced we're stronger than last season.

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We don't have to be much stronger, only a bit stronger. But we need to be much deeper. And I think we are.

Saliba doesn't get hurt we win the league imo.

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Originally Posted by Arsenal Alcoholic Review

This. And possibly a cheap punt on a youngish chap from the Brazilian league. Possibly that could be the Partey replacement too. Supposing this scenario plays out I'm still not convinced we're stronger than last season.

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Maybe we are looking at it wrong. Maybe Rice is Party's replacement and Havertz is the new Xhaka.
Interested to see what Arteta has in mind.

If Partey does leave. (I don't really want him too) I hope it's done soon. But clearly something is going on with him

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Originally Posted by WES

We don't have to be much stronger, only a bit stronger. But we need to be much deeper. And I think we are.

Saliba doesn't get hurt we win the league imo.

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With this Dutch fella coming in I suspect he'll manily be used as a right back. Probably Ben White will still be starting. But now if Saliba is out i reckon we'll just move White to CB so, although he's nowhere near as good as Saliba at CB he can at least play the ball playing cb role well. Something Holding was incapable of doing. The Dutch lad will also be a useful sub to bring on for White around the 70 min mark too at RB depending how the game is going.

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Originally Posted by Arsenal Alcoholic Review

With this Dutch fella coming in I suspect he'll manily be used as a right back. Probably Ben White will still be starting. But now if Saliba is out i reckon we'll just move White to CB so, although he's nowhere near as good as Saliba at CB he can at least play the ball playing cb role well. Something Holding was incapable of doing. The Dutch lad will also be a useful sub to bring on for White around the 70 min mark too at RB depending how the game is going.

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As far as I can tell a second 11 would be

Turner
Tomi White Kiwior Tierney
Vieira Partey/Jorginho ESR
Trossard Eddie Nelson

Not bad, although maybe light one player in midfield and up front

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Originally Posted by Arsenal Alcoholic Review

This. And possibly a cheap punt on a youngish chap from the Brazilian league. Possibly that could be the Partey replacement too. Supposing this scenario plays out I'm still not convinced we're stronger than last season.

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Since the beginning of last season we have added Trossard, Jorginho, Kiwior, Havertz, Timber and Rice, with the only significant outgoing being Xhaka and you don't think we are stronger? Blimey

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Originally Posted by Luis Anaconda

Since the beginning of last season we have added Trossard, Jorginho, Kiwior, Havertz, Timber and Rice, with the only significant outgoing being Xhaka and you don't think we are stronger? Blimey

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I suspect all of Tierney, Partey and Xhaka (and erm Lonkonga) will have basically been replaced With

Kiwior as a ball playing cb used as a left back in the Arteta system where he tucks in. I wouldn't be getting rid of Tierney in a million years but Arteta just doesn't want him in his system.

Rice coming in for Partey. Rice is a great player but he just wasn't better than Partey last season. I get it he has to go because of his sex life though.

Havertz has basically come to take Xhaka's spot. He may well match or better Xhaka's very good goals and assists stats from last season but i just can't see how he's going to be better with anything else. This looks a massive gamble we've taken. Certain games (if not all of them) i'd probably prefer Zinchenko in that position.

Our young great players can all go up a gear too of course. But whether we're going to improve on last season's performances will probably come down to whether Havertz can hit the ground running and naill his starting spot.

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Originally Posted by Arsenal Alcoholic Review

I suspect all of Tierney, Partey and Xhaka (and erm Lonkonga) will have basically been replaced With

Kiwior as a ball playing cb used as a left back in the Arteta system where he tucks in. I wouldn't be getting rid of Tierney in a million years but Arteta just doesn't want him in his system.

Rice coming in for Partey. Rice is a great player but he just wasn't better than Partey last season. I get it he has to go because of his sex life though.

Havertz has basically come to take Xhaka's spot. He may well match or better Xhaka's very good goals and assists stats from last season but i just can't see how he's going to be better with anything else. This looks a massive gamble we've taken. Certain games (if not all of them) i'd probably prefer Zinchenko in that position.

Our young great players can all go up a gear too of course. But whether we're going to improve on last season's performances will probably come down to whether Havertz can hit the ground running and naill his starting spot.

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Literally, by any meaningful measure, Rice was better than Partey and in a struggling side.

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Originally Posted by Arsenal Alcoholic Review

I suspect all of Tierney, Partey and Xhaka (and erm Lonkonga) will have basically been replaced With

Kiwior as a ball playing cb used as a left back in the Arteta system where he tucks in. I wouldn't be getting rid of Tierney in a million years but Arteta just doesn't want him in his system.

Rice coming in for Partey. Rice is a great player but he just wasn't better than Partey last season. I get it he has to go because of his sex life though.

Havertz has basically come to take Xhaka's spot. He may well match or better Xhaka's very good goals and assists stats from last season but i just can't see how he's going to be better with anything else. This looks a massive gamble we've taken. Certain games (if not all of them) i'd probably prefer Zinchenko in that position.

Our young great players can all go up a gear too of course. But whether we're going to improve on last season's performances will probably come down to whether Havertz can hit the ground running and naill his starting spot.

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Not unfair points but I feel the extra depth we have (and Smith Rowe will be like a new signing :hehe: ) should be considered. The point about young players going up a gear is very important though - this is where Mikel will earn his money imo. To keep that momentum and that improvement in players like Saka and Martinelli

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Originally Posted by PSRB

Literally, by any meaningful measure, Rice was better than Partey and in a struggling side.

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He just wasn't. All the talk all last season was about who in the league was the daddy in cm. Partey, Casemiro or Rodri. Rice wasn't in that mix. There's no two ways about it. For about 80% of the season Partey was exceptional. He was playing at the level of a prime Vieira.

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Originally Posted by Arsenal Alcoholic Review

He just wasn't. All the talk all last season was about who in the league was the daddy in cm. Partey, Casemiro or Rodri. Rice wasn't in that mix. There's no two ways about it. For about 80% of the season Partey was exceptional. He was playing at the level of a prime Vieira.

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Because he was in a relegation battle, look at the the other 3 you mention, they were all in Top 4 chase.

Rice carried that West Ham side both out of relegation and to a European (Mickey Mouse) trophy. Watch Rice for England as well and he always puts in an excellent performance.

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Originally Posted by PSRB

Nelson, apparently injured in that friendly game......so some things don't change

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He'll be like a new signing in late autumn. :)

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Originally Posted by Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult

He'll be like a new signing in late autumn. :)

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I suspect he's another Wilshere/Diaby, very fortunate to get a 4 year contract, imo

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Originally Posted by Arsenal Alcoholic Review

He just wasn't. All the talk all last season was about who in the league was the daddy in cm. Partey, Casemiro or Rodri. Rice wasn't in that mix. There's no two ways about it. For about 80% of the season Partey was exceptional. He was playing at the level of a prime Vieira.

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Two things:

1) I would have agreed with you at Christmas, 2nd half Partey was poor, possibly because he expected to be incarcerated at any time.
2) Rice, in addition to being as good a player as Partey, is much younger and more physical - something I felt we lacked last year in midfield in the big games

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Originally Posted by WES

Two things:

1) I would have agreed with you at Christmas, 2nd half Partey was poor, possibly because he expected to be incarcerated at any time.
2) Rice, in addition to being as good a player as Partey, is much younger and more physical - something I felt we lacked last year in midfield in the big games

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He also has that Vieira-esque ability (French one, not the skinny lad) to carry the ball past players and break lines in the process. I think Odegaard is going to love playing with him.

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Originally Posted by PSRB

I suspect he's another Wilshere/Diaby, very fortunate to get a 4 year contract, imo

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No, Eddie waited all that time to prove he was an AFC squad player. Only the Auba madness and Laca injury gave him his chance and he took it.

When Jeez got injured, we were 5 pts ahead and were still 5 ahead when he came back. {And if Ødin hadn't missed that sitter after Eddie genius down the left put it on a plate for him just before the other lot scored, we'd have had an extra 3 points.}

RN* waited his chance. Came on for Bukayo and scored 2 and made 1.

That 97th minute winner would have been joint second {with Charlie '71, behind Mickey Thomas} in greatest ever goals had we won the league.

Give him a chance. His games for us last year were more productive that Mud-Rik for the Chavs and how much did he cost? RN's onlyb 2-3 years older, no?

*RN also shares my initials so he must be a God incarnate. Fact. Thus, I have faith in him.

Edit - at diff times, two great MFs said JW/AD had the most potential of anyone they played. It was Xavi or Inesta about Jack and some Frog intl MF about Abou.

If RN at his best can match those, even if he's a crock, he's worth the gamble. If he can match them and stay fit then we've just saved Havertz-to-Declan money.

And he's Hale End. Did I mention he shares my initials?

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Originally Posted by Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult

No, Eddie waited all that time to prove he was an AFC squad player. Only the Auba madness and Laca injury gave him his chance and he took it.

When Jeez got injured, we were 5 pts ahead and were still 5 ahead when he came back. {And if Ødin hadn't missed that sitter after Eddie genius down the left put it on a plate for him just before the other lot scored, we'd have had an extra 3 points.}

RN* waited his chance. Came on for Bukayo and scored 2 and made 1.

That 97th minute winner would have been joint second {with Charlie '71, behind Mickey Thomas} in greatest ever goals had we won the league.

Give him a chance. His games for us last year were more productive that Mud-Rik for the Chavs and how much did he cost? RN's onlyb 2-3 years older, no?

*RN also shares my initials so he must be a God incarnate. Fact. Thus, I have faith in him.

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My issue is not with his ability, more that he keeps picking up injuries

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Originally Posted by PSRB

My issue is not with his ability, more that he keeps picking up injuries

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My issue is with his ability. Every time I watch him play I see bad touches, poor passes, poor reading of the game and a lack of genuine athleticism.

I assumed we signed him so we could sell him :shrug:

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Originally Posted by WES

My issue is with his ability. Every time I watch him play I see bad touches, poor passes, poor reading of the game and a lack of genuine athleticism.

I assumed we signed him so we could sell him :shrug:

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2 weeks out with a toe injury :rolleyes:

Recently met the Sunderland physio on holiday (lovely chap and family). I was asking him about Rodwell, Moyes, etc. He was saying you can tell the players that will make it, they don't pussy around over small injuries, they just play through them. Hence Rodwell would cry about every injury whereas Jordan Henderson would play through any injury as he was determined to make it to the top (B-in-l was the same).
Moyes was apparently the worst manager he's ever worked with :hehe: