Cazorla

[highburyJD]

really hope not... would be tragic if we only get one season Santi

[topgoon]

City will be in for Cazorla as soon as Pelegrini is appointed, they know we like their money.

I would like to think they would tell them to go f**k themselves but my worry is he might want to work with his former manager, especially if he sees us not strengthen and more importantly, Stanley does love that Mancunian cash

[northbank123]

According to Sky Sports' end of season review that he stands in the shadows of Mata and Silva.

Seems very harsh to me - he certainly doesn't stand in Mata's shadow for Spain (having amassed more than twice as many caps over roughly the same period). And whilst Silva showed in the first half of last season what a fantastic talent he is, I think you have to be fair and assess him over his 3-year career at City as a whole. All three are very good players and although people will have their favourite of them I don't think it's fair to say any of them are standing in the shadow of the others.

[highburyJD]

agreed.
Amazing how many tiny brilliant playmakers Spain can produce:
Xavi, Iniesta, Alcantra and Cesc at Barca
Mata, Cazorla, Silva (also in Prem Swansea's Hernandez)

[littlefire]

Wouldn't it be nice (just for once) to hear the phrase "He is not for sale at any price"
emanating from our people?

Edit * And maybe add "now go away" as a semi-polite rejoinder?

[oaodan]

This guy immune from all criticism on her?. Some disgraceful performances. No need to worry about City or anyone else tapping him up. He is one of the reasons we were never gonna win d league, mourinho must laugh when he sees us turning up with these lightweights. Average passer,average shot, won't track back,no pace. Harmless. He has never played well in a big game. For me he sums up how shit we've become and how shit Wenger had been for years now. He would have been a Spurs player, when we were any good.

[spendsum4uckingmoney]

Wouldn't it be nice (just for once) to hear the phrase "He is not for sale at any price"
emanating from our people?

Edit * And maybe add "now go away" as a semi-polite rejoinder?

The guy is 29 I think we can safely presume he is gooner for some time.

[topgoon]

This guy immune from all criticism on her?. Some disgraceful performances. No need to worry about City or anyone else tapping him up. He is one of the reasons we were never gonna win d league, mourinho must laugh when he sees us turning up with these lightweights. Average passer,average shot, won't track back,no pace. Harmless. He has never played well in a big game. For me he sums up how shit we've become and how shit Wenger had been for years now. He would have been a Spurs player, when we were any good.

He Is not an average passer, his shot taking isn't that bad, he does track back but he's like Mata,lightweight so can only be in the team when the midfield is more solid. He has pace but isn't the fastest. If you think he doesn't have pace how come most of our quicker counter attacks have involved him. He isn't lightening fast by any means but he is no Giroud. The entire team plays poorly in big games.

He isn't that immune from criticism, it's usually buried with the criticism other players get.

He is a luxury player worth having because he can see a pass better than the rest of the team and can still help unlock defences of most bar the top 2 teams I'd say.

Let's not throw the baby out with the bath water because of a defeat that all but the most delusional gooner could have predicted.

[northbank123]

This guy immune from all criticism on her?. Some disgraceful performances. No need to worry about City or anyone else tapping him up. He is one of the reasons we were never gonna win d league, mourinho must laugh when he sees us turning up with these lightweights. Average passer,average shot, won't track back,no pace. Harmless. He has never played well in a big game. For me he sums up how shit we've become and how shit Wenger had been for years now. He would have been a Spurs player, when we were any good.

You make a valid point in your first sentence or two before drifting off into a strange rant. Cazorla has not had a great season and has played particularly poorly recently.

But let's not forget he was excellent last year in team that didn't have 3 great months like this one. It's plain to see that fitting him and Ozil into the same team is generally a problem, and farming him out to the wing every game is not a viable solution - he looked better when Ozil wasn't playing imo. As I said he has been poor recently but we've had tough away fixtures where the whole team is playing badly and not much by way of creative support. Of course he's going to look like a luxury.

He's certainly not an average player and physicality is not a particularly decisive attribute in his role. He is a symptom of why we won't win the league under Wenger - in that we are wasting the quality in our squad because of Wenger's tactical and transfer shortcomings.