Guess what? Partey pulled out of the game against Brazil due to a knock picked up during warm up.
It might not be serious and could just be a precautionary measure to safeguard himself but there has been a pattern since he has joined Arsenal in a 45 million transfer from Atletico Madrid.
If you compare his days at AM, he was injured only twice, missing 5 games in 15/16 and 1 game in 19/20. Since he has joined Arsenal, he has missed a total of 36 games in last 3 seasons (source).
This is very alarming. When you consider the fact we have Lokonga and Elneny as his covers, it is very alarming! His injuries affects our game play and results. Listen, if we had a proper cover and/or his competition, we could have managed him better by distributing his game time and giving him some more rest than usual. But if you are saying Lokonga is the one, you are fooling yourself.
There is a sharp drop in performance without Partey. Lokonga and Elneny can deliver a Partey-esque performance once in a while but it’s the consistency and his cool head that makes a difference to our game. His passing is brilliant, he is press resilient and he can take ball when surrounded by three players and still manage to hold on to it – no panic at all!
We are having a great season. If you are following London Is Red, you must be aware how excited I am with our performance and improvements compared to last season (and the season before). Arteta and team has managed to deliver consistent good football and results. WE ARE SITTING ON TOP OF TABLE, credit where it’s due.
However, to sustain it, we need Partey playing every game. The drop in performance when he is not around is noticeable and I think it’s the only position where we don’t have a back up whom we can rely on.
I will go ahead and say we shouldn’t be looking for a back up but a competition. Someone who can replace even a fully fit Partey. We have ourselves to blame though! It’s the one area we constantly neglect, there were not even rumours of us searching for a DM. The closes we were, was bringing Douglas Luiz from Aston Villa when Partey was injured just before the transfer deadline day, which Villa vetoed.
Luiz seemed like a good idea who would most certainly start ahead of Lokonga but that ship has sailed.
We have more than 3 months before January window, when we can think of bringing in some reinforcements. We hope Partey remains fit. Living on luck is not a good idea but we don’t have an option!
Yeah I’m there – no idea on the result. Conte’s a shrewd operator who’s capable of getting a result and I’m pretty sure they’d take a draw. It really does depend on who we have fit and available.
Bad news on ESR but hopefully it’ll mean he’s fit and in good condition for the 2nd half of the season.
Bacary is God. You’re a strange one. Either that or a sanctimonious, judgemental tosser like many of the wankers over there. And the sycophancy towards paranoidpedro brought a lump of sick to my throat. Get a room – one where you can sit together and eulogise our clueless manager. And while you’re also idolising plurality hating Pedro (who of course bans contributors who don’t share his Artetesian love-in philosophy), don’t forget also to say a kind word for his alter egos positive Pete, negative Nigel Tufnell and all the other cunts that inhabit Pedro’s head.
For fuck’s sake mate. Plastic fans like you can’t even recognise real gooners who, gulp, may not think the same way you do. Time for some BiG (geddit) boy trousers.
Hi Marc
Enjoy mate. I’ve got a good feeling about it. I used to get nervous going to NLD’s even during that time when we seldom lost, let alone drew.
Their game-changer is arguably their manager as you suggest, and he demonstrably has a winner’s temperament and determination. I also think lisping ‘arry and his teammates are genuinely afraid of him and his 12 speed Italian hairdryer.
That is, by contrast, our achilles heel. No matter how many ‘fockings’ and David Brent style platitudes he dishes out, that will never be one of Tets’s strengths. It’ll be good to get some of your thoughts afterwards if you get time.