Was just about to post about this dude still being shit and how we’ll never get anywhere with him in midfield.
But then I was reminded of this tweet
So now I reckon he still has a little credit in the bank. It is wearing quite thin though.
This got me so bad, I don’t know why 
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Looks set to stay. Does make sense as we have 2 domestic cups and Europa League to play, plenty of games.
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I think Elneny could do a job in the cups and Europa League group stage games plus the odd PL game when we want to rest the likes of Ceballos and Xhaka. He’s looked real good in the last two games, so another season with him wouldn’t be the end of the world.
What we get is a hard working sideways passer who knows his limits and plays to his strengths. He puts the team first. Can’t hate a player like that tbh, even though he’s not amazing.
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He plays progressive passes as much as any midfielder.
The first goal came because of his lofted pass to Aubameyang
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At the moment we don’t actually have any free none home grown places. It’s also a pandemic where we don’t have match day income or Champions League money. I personally see it as more likely we don’t get anyone. But if we shift Emi, Torreira and Lacazette, then I see probably 2 names, one of these and Edoarde from Celtic. Supposedly we bid for a Brazilian mid from Portugal
Have to agree. I think it’s way more likely we sign neither than both.
It’s a real dilemma for the club. Do we take hits on players like Matteo Guendouzi and Torreira or assume their valuations rebound just because there’s a COVID vaccine and clubs have more gate revenue. (Never mind the fact that their values aren’t likely to explode with one in exile and the other probably starting EL matches only).
I’d probably vote for getting them off the books now to make room for the next window. Then again I’m also not as enamored by Partey as some.
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It doesn’t have to be Partey. He just fits the profile of the centre midfielder we need, especially if 3-4-3 is here to stay.
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He’s better in hustle & bustle type games where it’s not so much about unlocking the door as it is about pressing and intensity. His progressive passes in this type of game is better as well.
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Yep - its also not good to have so many wantaways and disgruntled… Torry would prob behave, but for whatever reason Arteta is keeping Guen and Ozil away and I’d just as soon move these guys on if we can, free up wages, and give more clarity for funds in future transfers.
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The other positive in keeping him is that Arteta will probably make him look better than we’re used to. This isn’t an Elneny under Wenger/Emery, this is going to be a guy playing in a system which he will definitely benefit from. If we flog Torreira for £20M~, it justifies keeping Mo. I’d still want another CM type to come in though.
Klopp had Henderson and Gini as his midfield machine and won everything. Limited players can still play a vital part to a system after all.
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Wenger: ‘‘Elneny never played like that for me’’
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But why would you want this guy as a squad player?
He would fail to stand out at Brighton, but now he’s good enough to be one injury away from being a starter?
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As it stands we have Xhaka, Ceballos, Torreira, Guendonzi, Ozil, Willock, Elneny.
So if every player does their bit (especially Torreira & Guen), Elneny is not one injury from being a starting player in a formation of 2 midfielders.
So for this role, Elneny is more than good enough. Let’s not overplay his role.
Because it’s not efficient to sign a squad player when we need a starting midfielder and if we sign said starting midfielder he automatically drops a place in the pecking order?
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Do you need top players to really compete? Yes. But having players who can fill in and fit the system well are just as important. This is Elneny. He isn’t a standout but gets the job done and allows others around him to excel.
Do I want him in the starting XI on a regular basis? No. But there are a lot of games and the season is more compact than ever. We need depth. He fits the bill.
Now, if someone comes in the a good offer that can help us land Partey or Aoura, then sell and upgrade. But he is a quality squad player. With us trying to shift at least 2 midfielders this window, he could prove to be very useful. If Partey/Aouar comes in, then we have 4 players that can be shuffled about: Partey/Aouar, Xhaka, Ceballos and Elneny. And if we keep AMN, then he can even slot in there too, but haven’t seen much of him there, so I don’t know how that will turn out. But we need to have a minimum of 4 players there, imo. And we aren’t city. We won’t pay £40-60m for a squad/rotation player.
He’s not an outstanding player but is fairly reliable and good enough as cover.
The problem is we are in the same situation with our CB’s, we have plenty of them and they’re all ok but what we desperately need is the sort of quality player that can change a game, like every successful team has and what we used to have when Wenger was successful.
If, by selling Elneny or any of the array of players we have in that position, it means we’ll get a top quality CM or attacking midfielder, then it must be done.
We can’t go yet another season with the same midfield that has let us down so frequently and is so lacking in quality.
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Exactly. And outgoing midfielders are still likely to be Torreira and Guendo. They would both fetch far more than Elneny. And Elneny is only getting 50k pw. I think if Torreira goes, that should be enough to bring in one of Parety Aouar. I’m not convinced Guendo will go. He’s turned down a couple of moves, probably thinking he’s better than those teams, and bigger sides not really coming in for him.
We can’t buy a first and second string at the same time. Never going to happen.
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