As we're unlikely to see terraces again at football, this is the virtual equivalent where you can chat to your hearts content about all football matters and, obviously, Arsenal in particular. This forum encourages all Gooners to visit and contribute so please keep it respectful, clean and topical.
I really felt that he could have been a good player for us, but he has been injured for a while now and he has fallen down the pecking order as a result. What this issue does highlight for me though, is the weaknesses in Ceballos's character - he could recognise that this is a new start for everyone under a new manager, roll up his sleeves, and set about showing everyone how good he is. Instead he has decided to pack his bags and hightail it back to Madrid's reserves where everything is nice and cushy - definitely not the type of player you would want to depend on in tough times
What I will also say though, is that I cant escape this nagging feeling in the back of my mind, that this is another example of arteta cosying up to the senior players - it is obvious that for ceballos to be given the best chance to shine he needs to play in the 10, but for that to happen arteta would need to drop ozil, and that doesn't look likely. At a push you could play Ceballos in the 8 when the opposition wasn't the top teams, but again that move would require picking him ahead of xhaka (who shouldn't be playing anytime) and that looks unlikely. As soon as arteta came in he immediately restored ozil and xhaka to the team at a time when most fans never wanted to see them again - for me he chose to gain favour with the senior players knowing that before he even came there were comments coming out that some of them didn't want him. Before half time on Tuesday night against the chavs he was again going for the easy option of taking off the young kid (martinelli) instead of subbing the obvious choice (ozil). Maybe I am wrong on this, but there are little to no footballing reasons why xhaka and (to a lesser degree) ozil would be returned to the team, so imo it is either that he is keeping them on board, or he thinks that they are better than they are and that raises all sorts of red flags about his judgement
Not so sure about that Augie, Cabellos has just one goal and one assist to his name for us so not sure throwing him in for the equally ineffective bug eyed bottle job at 10 would yield any benefit.
Even that "assist" was when he blocked down a clearance in the Burnley game and the ball rebounded to Auba who ran 15 yards with it before bending it past the keeper so calling it an assist is a massive stretch. The goal was the 4th in the 4 nil win over Leige at home.
Although for comparison the bug eyed bottle job has no goals and one assist in 18 games this season and his "assist" was from a corner
Take away that Burnely game and he's been absolute gash for us so if he wants away then fuck him and chalk it down to yet another disaster loan signing to be filed under Baptista, Kallstrom and Suarez (am I missing anyone else?)
Not so sure about that Augie, Cabellos has just one goal and one assist to his name for us so not sure throwing him in for the equally ineffective bug eyed bottle job at 10 would yield any benefit.
Even that "assist" was when he blocked down a clearance in the Burnley game and the ball rebounded to Auba who ran 15 yards with it before bending it past the keeper so calling it an assist is a massive stretch. The goal was the 4th in the 4 nil win over Leige at home.
Although for comparison the bug eyed bottle job has no goals and one assist in 18 games this season and his "assist" was from a corner
Take away that Burnely game and he's been absolute gash for us so if he wants away then fuck him and chalk it down to yet another disaster loan signing to be filed under Baptista, Kallstrom and Suarez (am I missing anyone else?)
100% agree that if he wants away then let him fcuk off asap
Comparing the assists is a bit unfair though - for starters he hasn't played fcuk all in his favoured position, but secondly he is a young player in a new country and new league that hasn't had the run of games needed to adapt and get used to the speed and physicality of the English game. Maybe he would never have adapted to it, but that is something we will never know now
Shakhtar Donetsk want £30m for Arsenal target Mykola Matviyenko. His agent says the clubs are in talks about a deal for the centre back. Matviyenko played twice against Man City this season when Mikel Arteta was assistant coach there. Arsenal want a centre back but prefer loan
)
