14/09/17 | Arsenal 3-1 FC Köln | Europa League

[GoonerAlexandre]

Holding is in a period of really poor form, he's light years away from the charity shield performance and the back end of last year.

He played in some really rough games and did well.

People are overreacting imo, he's 20 and 20 year old defenders won't be massively consistent all the time.

We just need to have a replacement that's competent and can step in when needed.

Gabriel was 26 and still making schoolboy mistakes, plus he was never going to learn a lick of English so he wasn't going to improve communication wise which is probably the biggest trait a defender needs to have with his partners.

Holding was making mistakes then too. The thing was, he had Monreal and Koscielny to cover fo rhim.

Here, a mistake meant that the striker was through on goal with only Mertesacker to beat.

The bigger issue was Bellerin down his side going AWOL

[ESR10]

Holding is in a period of really poor form, he's light years away from the charity shield performance and the back end of last year.

He played in some really rough games and did well.

People are overreacting imo, he's 20 and 20 year old defenders won't be massively consistent all the time.

We just need to have a replacement that's competent and can step in when needed.

Gabriel was 26 and still making schoolboy mistakes, plus he was never going to learn a lick of English so he wasn't going to improve communication wise which is probably the biggest trait a defender needs to have with his partners.

True, way too early to give up on him. Chambers got slaughtered here too 2-3 years ago, when he was 19-20. They need time and better defensive coaching. Chambers already looked better last year.
I think a loan to a more defensive side could help Holding develop much more than getting a few games here and getting coached by Wenger.

[CrimsonGunner11]

Holding is in a period of really poor form, he's light years away from the charity shield performance and the back end of last year.

He played in some really rough games and did well.

People are overreacting imo, he's 20 and 20 year old defenders won't be massively consistent all the time.

We just need to have a replacement that's competent and can step in when needed.

Gabriel was 26 and still making schoolboy mistakes, plus he was never going to learn a lick of English so he wasn't going to improve communication wise which is probably the biggest trait a defender needs to have with his partners.

Had we not sold Gabriel we wouldn't need to play Per.

Mind boggling that he thought we needed a replacement before we could sell Sanchez but he didn't think we needed a replacement before selling Gabriel.

It seems that when Wenger builds a relationship with players it becomes hard for him to break that relationship or he takes too long to break it. It’s this blind loyalty that will keep him from achieving whatever his goals are for the season, imho

Holding and chambers are the replacements imo.

That's almost like saying Welbeck and Walcott are Sanchez’s replacement. And if this is the case we should have just let Sanchez go the second City submitted their bid.

Wenger not only needs to be more ambitious but needs to be consistent as well

The difference in quality is not that big between Gabriel and Chambers. There were many decisions in the transfer window I didn't like, but this one was one of the least, which bothered me. Gabriel was never starting quality for us, and Chambers will come good. I know the most users here don't share this point of view. But I hope that at the end of the season people will see Chambers differently (if Wenger gave him the time on the pitch)

It's the lack of ambition that's getting to me. Only a manager who aims to win nothing would make a move like this. Gabriel was quick for a CB and made plenty of nice recovery tackles because of that pace. He was also versatile and had a decent run at RB when we needed someone to fill in. A more ambitious approach would have been either to keep Gabriel and let Chambers and holding continue to develop (either with the club or on loan elsewhere) or buy a starting CB to replace Gabriel and drop someone like Monreal to the bench.

I don't disagree that the difference in quality isn't huge but there is a difference and it is that difference that worries me. Hope the decision doesn't cost us something big in the end and I hope chambers and holding develop quickly because we'll be needing them a lot this season.

[Cripps]

Had we not sold Gabriel we wouldn't need to play Per.

Mind boggling that he thought we needed a replacement before we could sell Sanchez but he didn't think we needed a replacement before selling Gabriel.

It seems that when Wenger builds a relationship with players it becomes hard for him to break that relationship or he takes too long to break it. It’s this blind loyalty that will keep him from achieving whatever his goals are for the season, imho

Holding and chambers are the replacements imo.

That's almost like saying Welbeck and Walcott are Sanchez’s replacement. And if this is the case we should have just let Sanchez go the second City submitted their bid.

Wenger not only needs to be more ambitious but needs to be consistent as well

The difference in quality is not that big between Gabriel and Chambers. There were many decisions in the transfer window I didn't like, but this one was one of the least, which bothered me. Gabriel was never starting quality for us, and Chambers will come good. I know the most users here don't share this point of view. But I hope that at the end of the season people will see Chambers differently (if Wenger gave him the time on the pitch)

He was given time on the pitch at boro and was really poor. It was Gibson getting all the plaudits. Don't think there's much hope for him

[OptimusPrimett]

is sanchez in our b team then?

[ESR10]

Had we not sold Gabriel we wouldn't need to play Per.

Mind boggling that he thought we needed a replacement before we could sell Sanchez but he didn't think we needed a replacement before selling Gabriel.

It seems that when Wenger builds a relationship with players it becomes hard for him to break that relationship or he takes too long to break it. It’s this blind loyalty that will keep him from achieving whatever his goals are for the season, imho

Holding and chambers are the replacements imo.

That's almost like saying Welbeck and Walcott are Sanchez’s replacement. And if this is the case we should have just let Sanchez go the second City submitted their bid.

Wenger not only needs to be more ambitious but needs to be consistent as well

The difference in quality is not that big between Gabriel and Chambers. There were many decisions in the transfer window I didn't like, but this one was one of the least, which bothered me. Gabriel was never starting quality for us, and Chambers will come good. I know the most users here don't share this point of view. But I hope that at the end of the season people will see Chambers differently (if Wenger gave him the time on the pitch)

He was given time on the pitch at boro and was really poor. It was Gibson getting all the plaudits. Don't think there's much hope for him

Definitely not poor. I didn't watch much of Boros games last year tbh, but almost all pundits agree, he had a decent time there. He also did well with Englands U21 and played ahead of Holding. Why would Leicester and Crystal Palace bid 20m for him otherwise?

[Cripps]

English tax

[ESR10]

English tax

True, but still there are other young english defenders, who didn't recieve bids of 20m. Even if we said the english tax is 10m , he's still a 10m player, which was Gabriels value in the transfer market. He won't play that big role anyway this season. Neither was Gabriel.

[starmandb]

Some good points. the problem is IF arsenal turn up they win. But we dont know what arsenal turns up on top of suspect team selection.

Does'nt matter lazio ,AC and all this other shit. Arsenal have to turn up for the whole of europa league to win. CAnt really bank on that shit.

My thursdays never included watching thursday night football. So im out on thursdays and probably many more thursday.
Its europa league man come on now....

One of my Thursday nights involved watching football
Arsenal 2 Sheffield Wednesday 1
1993 fa cup final replay
Great night at Wembley
Great night in blackstock rd

[starmandb]

"What a reception he'll get tomorrow"

Yep yep. Biggest return in sport since Triple H done his leg in.

100% going to get a ticket for this now

It was sold out at least 9 days before this post was made on Wednesday the 13 th

[Royal Gooner]

Except it wasn't sold out,there were loads of empty seats.

Then again,could have been the large number of nazis who got kicked out or barred from entry

[starmandb]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4884574/Fights-break-ahead-Cologne-Arsenal-match.html

Time to ban the German hooligans from coming over here again. Disgusting to see this, fights, murders, have to be the worst group of football fans I've ever seen in England

At last ........... a football match with some old school passion for the game.

Hope the Gooners stick together and hope our team does the talking on the pitch, Wilshere should be up for it.

Europa here we come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think it'll do our club good to get our hands dirty, we're too prawn sandwich and spoiled as it is.

Hope our fish bowl fans will be ok though.

As if they'd visit a Europa League game, lol

On second thoughts, liking the Europa league, new teams from actual footballing nations who we can beat. The winners aren't going to be Real, Barcelona or Bayern. We might actually win. What a feeling.

This game was sold out to arsenal fans by 4th September

[Royal Gooner]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4884574/Fights-break-ahead-Cologne-Arsenal-match.html

Time to ban the German hooligans from coming over here again. Disgusting to see this, fights, murders, have to be the worst group of football fans I've ever seen in England

At last ........... a football match with some old school passion for the game.

Hope the Gooners stick together and hope our team does the talking on the pitch, Wilshere should be up for it.

Europa here we come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think it'll do our club good to get our hands dirty, we're too prawn sandwich and spoiled as it is.

Hope our fish bowl fans will be ok though.

As if they'd visit a Europa League game, lol

On second thoughts, liking the Europa league, new teams from actual footballing nations who we can beat. The winners aren't going to be Real, Barcelona or Bayern. We might actually win. What a feeling.

This game was sold out to arsenal fans by 4th September

Yet there were loads of empty seats. I guess our gestapo were actually a bit more efficient with the nazi spy/infiltrators than we give them credit for.

[starmandb]

I can't see Twitter or Instagram pages at work ............ someone please name the squad!!!!

Anyway if these guys can't been Cologne then they have no business being at AFC.

Last season
Bayern 1 cologne1
Dortmund 0 cologne 0

[starmandb]

The sooner we're out of this shitty tournament, the better.

Yes because when we won the fairs cup in 69/70 overcrowding was not invented
51' 000 at Highbury for the final
Yeah right
There was probably that in the north bank