03 Aug 2020 10:27:38
Hi ed001, just wondering whether you think arsenal should renew Aubameyang' a contract (taking into consideration all the costs) or whether our rebuilding should continue without him?
{Ed001's Note - no, his attitude is not that of a team player and he wants too much money. It just makes no sense to me, especially right now.}
03 Aug 2020 10:43:52
But Ed, knowing that arsenal are a mess, especially when it comes to transfers, would you not see it as an unnecessary risk because we won’t replace him properly?
{Ed001's Note - no because his attitude is a problem. You finished in mid-table mediocrity in part because managers are keeping him happy, rather than concentrating on getting the best out of the team at hand. You need to get rid of big-time Charlies like him if you are going to progress. He is not half the player Henry or Bergkamp was, but he is ten times as difficult to manage. He is not even your best striker. You already have Lacazette and Nketiah coming through, you don't really need to replace him on the left as Saka is there. I just don't see why anyone is bothered about getting rid of a player that is a passenger for 85 minutes of every game.}
03 Aug 2020 11:29:45
Sorry Ed but to say he isn't our best striker is ridiculous.
{Ed001's Note - no it's not. Best goalscorer, yes, best striker, no. That is why he doesn't even play a striker role but as a wide forward a large amount of the time. So not sure why you think it is ridiculous when he is not even first choice striker?}
03 Aug 2020 11:32:22
Would you think taking a pretty low fee for him now or letting him run his contract down would be a
better option Ed001? My own feeling is his commitment wouldn't be the best if the latter option is taken. I must admit I fear another Ozil situation even though I love Auba.
{Ed001's Note - you sell players like that. High wages like he and Ozil are on cause discontent amongst teammates that are earning much less, especially in times like this when people are being told money is scarce. He is not a good person to have in the dressing room, he caused a lot of issues at Dortmund and required a lot of management there, that is not something a new manager like Arteta needs while rebuilding a side. Klopp struggled to cope with him and man-management is his main skill, so why keep a problem like that for someone who is learning their trade?}
03 Aug 2020 11:51:44
All our other forwards are awful. Maybe he isn't a great no9 but not as though we're stacked with greater cfs.
{Ed001's Note - awful? You really are clueless. Lacazette is an excellent player and Nketiah has huge potential.}
03 Aug 2020 11:52:23
end of day his goals win us games and won us the fa cup. Maybe he goes missing in games but he scores goals.
{Ed001's Note - and yet you finished mid-table with his goals. Perhaps if you got better all-round players instead of greedy, self-interested players like him, then you might be challenging higher up the table.}
03 Aug 2020 11:57:45
The why is easy Ed001 mate fans popularity. If Arteta publicly let it be known he decided to cash in on Auba rather than pay over the odds and things didn't go well without him the backlash would be enormous, but if he publicly states his desire to keep Auba at all costs and Auba goes anyway then big bad Stan gets the blame if we struggle next season and Arteta gets time understanding and sympathy from the fans.
{Ed001's Note - oh yeah I get why Arteta is saying what he is, but I don't get why the club did not get rid of him last summer when he refused to sign a new deal. Once the contract falls below 2 years long their value drops quickly and they become more and more difficult to get any kind of return on. Add that to the problems it causes within the club when other players see someone not keen on extending, it makes them wonder why. It makes negotiations even more difficult with other players too. No matter how good or important a player is, you can't let them hold the club to ransom. That was one of the causes of United's decline, players like Rooney were doing it and it kept them from being able to sort out other issues in the squad.}
03 Aug 2020 12:10:19
yeah we finished midtable. Mainly thanks to him. We wouldn't of won the fa cup without simple as that.
03 Aug 2020 12:11:24
Thanks Ed. I know your not an arsenal guy so might not have much knowledge on the issue but do you see him staying?
{Ed001's Note - from his past record I expect him to leave to be honest.}
03 Aug 2020 12:21:45
I 100% agree Ed001, one rule for everyone and absolutely no one is bigger or more important than the club
For years we had players running down thier contracts and holding the club to ransom where we either gave them ott wages or they left for free.
The two year extend or off you go rule was obviously needed and was the right thing to do and of course should apply to everyone equally, even including Dominic Cummings :-) .
{Ed001's Note - well obviously it only applies unless the person in question needs to check their eye sight, in which case they should be sold to Barnard Castle FC.}
03 Aug 2020 12:52:26
Have to agree with Ed, you need to watch Lacazette for the whole game to appreciate his work ethic and quality
I’d sell pea and buy a midfier like partey.
{Ed001's Note - is that a first? You agreeing with me. Must be the end of the world!!}
03 Aug 2020 12:59:08
I’m drunk ed.
{Ed001's Note - aren't you always?}
03 Aug 2020 13:01:32
I'll be annoying and both agree and disagree. Absolutely agree that it's terrible club management that we keep letting these players run down to the final year when their bargaining power is huge and the sell-on fee is massive. We should have sold him as soon as that happened. That Kroenke continues to tolerate this amazingly poor executive management style brings me to despair.
And yet, since he is here, he scores an absurd amount of goals and keeps the opposing backline guessing with his pace. He's absolutely the best goalscorer we have had in yonks and my view is that the rumours about him being difficult to manage or a negative presence have yet to be substantiated. Yes he likes a flash car, but I don't hold it against him.
{Ed001's Note - it is not a rumour, that has come direct from Klopp's mouth and others that he is difficult. It is never been a rumour, it was said directly by people who have dealt with him.}
03 Aug 2020 13:06:56
Hey Ed001. An interesting debate to say the least.
Can i just ask, what about Auba suggests that his attitude is as bad as people make out? From what I see and read as a fan, there isn't a person in the club and certainly within the team that doesn't have a brilliant bond with Auba and appreciate having a player of his quality at the club.
Arteta has been very vocal and made it clear that anyone who doesn't show the right level of desire and commitment to the team, the club and themselves on and off the pitch, does not have a future at the club. This is evident with the removal of Guendouzi and Ozil from the picture so why wouldn't he do the same with Aubameyang if his attitude is so bad? Guendouzi and Ozil haven't really offered much on the pitch so I appreciate it's easier to do it with them, especially when we needed to secure EL football and the FA cup so you can't just drop Auba's goals from the performances because they were vital for us.
Scoring 54 goals in 85 Premier League appearances mainly from the LW is a fantastic record that I don't think we can just get rid of without suitably replacing. Yes we can strengthen elsewhere and utilise Laca and Nketiah in the no.9 role but why not stick Auba through the middle who guarantees you goals, and let Laca move on to fund a potential transfer in Partey who would bring us much needed stability in the midfield? I love Laca and Auba tbh and wouldn't want either of them to leave but every team needs a player who will score 20+ goals and season and Auba delivers that.
On the other hand, I certainly do not want a player at the club who thinks he's above everyone else and the club so if that's his game then yeah, he has to go.
{Ed001's Note - what about Auba? The fact that anyone who has had to work with him in Germany has said so is what suggests it. I really couldn't care less about flash cars etc, that is not an issue to me, just like Pogba getting his hair cut or dancing around on social media I don't see as an issue. The fact he hasn't signed a new deal is also an indicator that he is not the easiest to deal with.}
03 Aug 2020 13:31:08
Malagasy plenty players do that throughout the league. i'm not saying lacazette is important to us but to label him as quality I mean come on. Can you really see us getting top 4 with him as cf without abau on the left just isn't happening. Abau fills in the void of our strikers not scoring many goals.
03 Aug 2020 13:46:54
I haven't been able to find any evidence of coaches saying he was difficult ed001, are you sure? It was the Dortmund CEO and some of the German media certainly, but I can't see anything but praise from Klopp.
{Ed047's Note - I’m of the same thinking Wire, never has he been in the press over here for any wrong doing.
He didn’t breach lockdown or make headlines for any disruption, it’s clear all the players love him as does Arteta. He always has a huge smile on his face in training and just looks to love life.
Add to that he’s scored more goals than any Liverpool striker, any City striker, any Spurs striker, any Chelsea striker and any United striker and he plays on the left.
What’s not to like 🤷â€â™‚ï¸
03 Aug 2020 14:17:50
I agree that iv'e heard the same issues about him but that was all back in Germany. I remember Ed002 mentioning his discipline and attitude before we signed him from Dortmund but that's very much been left in Germany as far as I can see. At the end of the day he was brought in to the club to score goals. Too often were we reliant on players like Sanchez chucking in 20+ goals or Ramsey putting in a good tally from CM to bolster our lack in goals coming from the striker. Granted, Auba has been playing on the left too but that's because it's been hard to fit him and Laca in the team without disrupting formation too much. That doesn't make him a winger, he's a striker and a blimmin good one at that.
{Ed001's Note - so you want to swap relying on one player for relying on a different player? You make little sense and seem to believe the fantasy that all is well at Arsenal with a player that refuses point blank to sign a new contract.}
03 Aug 2020 14:45:02
Oh believe me Ed, I don't think for a minute that things are rosy at Arsenal because they aren't. The club are in a mess and we've all been told that many times. All i'm saying is that Arsenal have needed a 20+ goal a season striker for years and now they have one who's proven his worth, he should be sold because he had a bad attitude in the past? Like others have stated, the players, the managers (Arteta and Emery) and the club have had nothing but good things to say about his performances, his attitude on and off the pitch and his desire to excel in training.
{Ed001's Note - no he should be sold because he won't sign a contract and doesn't play for the team.}
03 Aug 2020 15:11:58
I think he was suspended twice by Dortmound over his attitude problems and his attitude is the reason none of the usual big spenders like City Barcelona Real wanted to sign him despite his prolific goal scoring record and why we were lucky enough to be able to get him in the first place.
I was skeptical about his attitude before he arrived but have to say I've never heard a bad thing about him since he's been at Arsenal.
He is a fantastic goal scorer and I hope he stays but if the going rate for a goalscorer of his nature is 150k a week we shouldn't give him 150k and 1p to stay, the 2 year rule shouldn't have been breached for Auba last summer, the same rules should apply to Auba as to Mainland Niles Guendozi or Mustafi. Once a player feels they are above the clubs rules you've either got a problem with him or with his team mates resenting his preferential treatment.
03 Aug 2020 17:15:00
All need to get a grip. This isn't pogba. This is someone who scores week in week out.
03 Aug 2020 17:56:39
Good point Olber, give him anything he wants, twice with sugar on it :-) .
I think you might want to step out of that tunnel and have take another look yourself mate, he's a fantastic
Goal scorer but he's not exactly got Real Barcelona City or Liverpool bashing our door down has he? Ever stopped to ask why?
03 Aug 2020 19:22:49
I think the truth is, he looks very good in this Arsenal team, but in the invincible team, would be a bench warmer. I agree with Ed that Lacca offers more in the forward role, in that he holds the ball up better and brings other players in. My Only issue though is that he then misses a golden chance which Auba would have taken. We also have to get Martinelli, Saka and Nkhetia closer to the first 11, otherwise they will quickly be tempted elsewhere. This doesn’t happen so easily when you have both Lacca and Auba in the squad. So I still think one needs to be sold to raise funds so we can go get the best possible Central midfielder we can afford.
03 Aug 2020 20:01:51
Auba is a class player, an out and out goalscorer. Our best striker, our best player, we would be in the bottom half of the table without him. He doesn't do as much work as Lacca, but he scores twice as many goals. He's not caused one bit of trouble since he joined the Arsenal. All the Arsenal players and most fans seem to love him. I for one rate him up alongside Henry, Wright as our greatest goal scores. Arteta is right to do everything in his power to keep him at our club. For me he's the best striker, goalscorer in the Premier League.
{Ed047's Note - he’s done nothing to concern me Rocky, unlike Pogba at United who wants out and Salah at Liverpool whose said the same.
03 Aug 2020 20:16:45
If we had 10 abaus we would win the league. If he doesn't want to sign fair enough. But I've watched every arsenal game since he has played and i'm not going to criticise him on the field because he's by far our most important player.
03 Aug 2020 20:53:17
I agree he's not caused the problems at Arsenal he became famous for are Dortmound and I agree he's an excellent goal scorer and I definitely think he's the player we would fund it impossible to replace on a like to like basis. But I don't belive the club should break our 2 year extend or leave policy to keep him or anyone else leaving us exposed to being held to ransom as far to many players have done in the past. The policy should apply to everyone equally, Auba is good but he really isn't in Dominic Cummings category and neither should any player ever be at Arsenal again in my opinion, letting players use the club the way they have in the past was a bad mistake and the only thing worse than making a bad mistake is repeating it. Make him a fair offer and let him make his decision to take it or leave.
03 Aug 2020 20:58:34
Hey fellow, yeah I agree with Ed01 he should be sold. He’s a natural goal scorer yes but still don’t give enough and no sign of a real captain. Lacazette shows more interaction even when he’s not wearing the armband.
Call me cynical but it doesn’t look to me like he accidentally dropped the FA cup! When he wanted out of Dortmund he spoke openly against them then refused to be play or be apart of the team, if I remembered correctly.
It could be the reason witH Ozil as well why he’s not playing, because of their work rate. I said sometime back that both of them and I think Guendozi shouldn’t play together. All the good teams now are pressing and running back continuously from the front. And if you can do that take your chances and convert you’ll most likely always more goals than the opponent with at least two solid CB and keeper.
03 Aug 2020 21:10:42
It seems Auba now has a contract on the table so let's see if he signs or waits for other offers. It looks like he may be requesting certain players be signed. I hope he really loves Arsenal and comes good for the right reasons.
03 Aug 2020 20:38:20
I'd stick up for you lads being told you're clueless, but the last time I stuck up for someone, I was banned from chat. Still am actually. Ah bugger it, here goes.
Simple maths:
Player scoring loads of goals = good
Player not scoring goals = bad
You don't win football games without goals.
That's how football works. I'm shocked anyone had to say this to you.
{Ed033's Note - i didn't know you were banned, Sharpie, i unbanned you.
03 Aug 2020 21:44:50
If you isolate the situation and reduce it plainly to Auba deserving an improved contract based on his goals then there is an argument that he should be rewarded.
But that’s not realistic and there’s far more to be considered, most of which Ed001 has expressed.
Firstly, what message does it continue to send to the young players at the club? Do you remember Theo Walcott got a £120,000 per week contract as this cat and mouse culture of holding the club to ransom started to become a trend? Think about this, Walcott and his reps manoeuvred him to a place where he earned those wages. Somebody try justify that, you’d be hard pressed.
Play well while the contacts in the balance, coast once its been renewed. Meanwhile team mates are watching and replicating it and morale suffers and performance levels lower. Walcott never performed as well as the season he was playing for that contract, when he got it he reverted back to his passive carefree self.
Older, you probably made the same argument for Van Persie who’s goals carried us in his final 2 years. yet he opted to move and we survived.
At what point do we dig our heels in and say no to this game playing by unseen representatives and ensure that proper contract renewals based on actual performance levels (that would see us grow as a club again) are prioritised? At this rate if we keep going there is the potential to pay a Saka or Smith Rose 500,000 per week by the time they reach their prime because that’s the trend or standard at the club.
Auba would be at Chelsea since last season if they’d met his wage demands. This is a fact and very telling.
Don’t be fooled by instagram exchanges or social media posts it’s all part of the process to get as many fans onside to give even more leverage in negotiations.
We need 25 players with Emi Martinez’s / Tierneys humility and loyalty and Martinelli’s drive. No lip service.
Auba is no Bergkamp or Wright, don’t get it twisted, great goal scorer he may be but he will move as quick as stay.
I say we prioritise the process and Arteta and move out all of those who aren’t on board and once that’s done you’ll see improved league results.
We finished 8th with Auba and we can do better even if he chooses to go. Edouard clearly is also showing promise at his age of being a talented goal scorer and there’s plenty of them out there the football world is a big place let’s not put all out eggs in one basket.
03 Aug 2020 22:20:37
Wow I can't believe the naive comments on here, we are well past the days of Tony Adams type loyalty to a club. If you want the best players you have to pay top money, we need to offer this guy what he wants, do all we can to get him to sign. This is not an Ozil type player, Auba will deliver for us. He should only be sold if he refuses to sign. We currently have no one capable of replacing him, and how much money do you think it will take to replace his goals.
03 Aug 2020 22:23:24
Sharpie what’s up mate?
04 Aug 2020 23:02:50
Ed033, thank you. You're a gentleman and a scholar. Wait, you support Celtic, don't you? Please stop reading at thank you. Just kidding.
{Ed033's Note - no, i don't support Celtic.
04 Aug 2020 23:04:45
Hey Mala! Not much buddy. Hope you're behaving.