Mesut Özil

He might be out for 4-6 weeks, supposedly felt his hamstring within 10mins but kept on playing as he didn't realise how bad it was. Reckon after what happened in the first match he didn't want to go off so thought he could play through it. Silly thing to do and we lose another key player going into a tough set of fixtures.

I think that's definitely the key thing. He's spent the last few years with Ronaldo, who's probably the best in the world at making those runs. It's entirely understandable that he's finding the move difficult, especially since Walcott's been injured and he's not given the opportunity to play to his strengths.

From here on in it's just a case of either him adapting to a new style, which he's certainly good enough to do, or Wenger being allowed to spend what it takes to get in the kind of players who can bring out the best in him. Ultimately I think the latter would be better for the club.

I think with his price tag people are expecting him to settle in right away but that isn't always how it works. It looks like Wenger is looking for a more mobile striker and left forward so I think he'll play a lot better around them
 
I think with his price tag people are expecting him to settle in right away but that isn't always how it works. It looks like Wenger is looking for a more mobile striker and left forward so I think he'll play a lot better around them

Yeah, with all due respect to Giroud, as good as he can be etc., he's not the CF who's going to win you titles.
 
Ozil has confirmed he picked up his injury after 2 mins but carried on playing, he should of just come off straight away. We could potentially lose him for the season now.

Yeah, with all due respect to Giroud, as good as he can be etc., he's not the CF who's going to win you titles.

I'd agree with that, good as backup and nothing more. He has cost us way too many points this season
 
Stupid thing to do. The pen miss in the 1st leg and hoe much he blamed himself for missing it could have played a big part in this.
 
I'd agree with that, good as backup and nothing more. He has cost us way too many points this season

Yeah, even if a big, bustling CF isn't lethal at finishing off chances, for a club competing he has to do much better at holding up play against the big teams. Giroud struggles at both, especially against top class defences.

Compare that to the Henry days....:drool:
 
David Ornstein has just confirmed it is 4 weeks out, fecks sake!!

Yeah, even if a big, bustling CF isn't lethal at finishing off chances, for a club competing he has to do much better at holding up play against the big teams. Giroud struggles at both, especially against top class defences.

Compare that to the Henry days....:drool:

He had a purple patch at the start of the season and I think it made people think he is a lot better than he is. I don't blame him but he just isn't good enough.

Stupid thing to do. The pen miss in the 1st leg and hoe much he blamed himself for missing it could have played a big part in this.

Yeah I think he felt he let the team down and by going off he might be doing it again.
 
Ashton is a twat. Chelsea loving shit, some of his articles on AVB were a disgrace.
To put it mildly. Saw his top 5 centre-backs of the Premier League era today....
1. Marcel Desailly; 2. John Terry; 3. Tony Adams; 4. Jaap Stam; 5. Ricardo Carvalho
Sorry, a little off-topic but I try not to miss an opportunity to insult that smug-faced wanker.
 
Ozil's loss will hurt Arsenal. He didn't justify his reputation in a few key games, true, but he's still their best player, IMO.

The title charge is good as gone now, Arsenal need to make sure they don't react negatively to his injury, and let their performances drop further. The way this season is going, a couple of bad games and they might find themselves battling to retain the fourth again.
 
Ozil's loss will hurt Arsenal. He didn't justify his reputation in a few key games, true, but he's still their best player, IMO.

The title charge is good as gone now, Arsenal need to make sure they don't react negatively to his injury, and let their performances drop further. The way this season is going, a couple of bad games and they might find themselves battling to retain the fourth again.

He looked like he was getting back into top form after a great performance against Everton but this is a big blow. Just hope Ramsey is back for next week now, thankfully our games aren't too close together so will give us a chance to get some of our players back.
 
To put it mildly. Saw his top 5 centre-backs of the Premier League era today....

Sorry, a little off-topic but I try not to miss an opportunity to insult that smug-faced wanker.
It's so fecking weird. He's a Palace fan. Why is he so intent on tongue polishing the arse of anyone with the vaguest Chelsea connection?
 
It was inevitable this was going to happen. Wenger played him too often, and overkill can make players very prone to injury. Hammys are also an absolute pain if not treated properly, so they have to be extremely careful not to reintroduce him so soon.
 
We didn't dodge a bullet; he's a fantastic signing who is being overused right now. I can see him coming good like Silva, he certainly has the same qualities as him. I don't think he will reach Madrid heights but he will be a good signing in the end.
 
We didn't dodge a bullet; he's a fantastic signing who is being overused right now. I can see him coming good like Silva, he certainly has the same qualities as him. I don't think he will reach Madrid heights but he will be a good signing in the end.
I'm pretty sure he will surpass Madrid heights (I think his time at Madrid is overrated though). Wenger will build a team around him and he will be fantastic for Arsenal.

I hope Arsenal won't rush him back though, German midfielders are droppling like flies this season and it would suck if he isn't fully fit at the worldcup (even though I don't necessarily want him to start, when everyone else is fit).
 
Wenger has clearly overplayed him in his first season. He's played nearly as many minutes this season already as he did in the entirety of last season. And this in a faster paced, more physically demanding league. He was obviously desperate to have him in the team but was always going to run the risk of loss of form due to exhaustion and/or injury. And so both have come true at the most crucial period of the season. As has been said, a proper winter break would've served him and Arsenal well.
 
@simonhch yep. not sure what's wrong with med dept. at arsenal but they dont seem to be managing players well. van Persie had to to start managing his own fitness
 
@simonhch yep. not sure what's wrong with med dept. at arsenal but they dont seem to be managing players well. van Persie had to to start managing his own fitness

I think it's desperation to win a trophy finally.

Another reason to laud SAF. He knew how to manage a squad, so that it'd peak at the right times, better than anyone.
 
I think it's desperation to win a trophy finally.

Another reason to laud SAF. He knew how to manage a squad, so that it'd peak at the right times, better than anyone.

indeed but if it's desperation, they're managing it poorly because the same desperation could play a factor in them ending up empty-handed once again.
Our medical staff are hilarious, to be fair.

Aaron Ramsey gets a thigh strain on Boxing Day.

Out for four months AT LEAST.
yeah that is ridiculous. think there's some incompetence because i'm sure the issues are clear enough to spot but seemingly nothing is done.

Didn walcott go down with injury without contact?
 
yeah that is ridiculous. think there's some incompetence because i'm sure the issues are clear enough to spot but seemingly nothing is done.

Didn walcott go down with injury without contact?

It's just poor management of players - simple as that.

If you got Sunday League players to put in 60 games a season, they'd probably have fewer injuries than us.

I really don't understand how a top football team can be so completely unaware of modern training methods.
 
Walcott came back from injury and played 90+ minutes about 4 times consecutively. I know he's an important player for Arsenal but that to me is just poor management.

Lot to do with limited squad depth in certain positions, imo. A lot of people, including me, laugh at Arsenal for their annual March meltdowns but in reality it is due to the main players being over worked up until that point. I can't comment on the training methods or such as I have no idea about those things. However, from the outside I feel Arsenal lack the required squad numbers to last an entire season. That is the reason the main members of the squad are rushed coming back from serious injuries rather than eased back.
 
Playing on injures was monumentally stupid.

I actually feel a little bit sorry for Ozil just now though, people can't wait go after him. I think it's partly a reaction to smugness of Gooners when he started so brightly. It also reminds of the way the press couldn't wait to stick the boot into AVB.