Perez underwhelming, Sturridge correct

One Arsenal fan isn’t pacified by the potential signing of Lucas Perez, while Daniel Sturridge’s best position is also up for discussion.

Perez underwhelming

And just like that comes a transfer completely out of the blue. Not a single link to him all summer and then BAM! it’s all but done according to MARCA and other Spanish outlets. These are always the ones that are more believable with Arsenal as well – totally under the radar throughout. The fee is believed to be in the region of 17 million.
Apparently he was all but set on Everton but changed his mind when he heard of our interest.
Underwhelming was the word that came to mind initially. He turns 28 very soon and when you look back over his career, he is something of a journeyman striker. He has played in Spain, Ukraine, Greece and then back to Spain again and averages a goal every 3 games at Deportivo. Not that bad when you consider they aren’t a particularly good side.
I have only seen him on TV a couple of times in La Liga. He is one of those players where, if you watch a compilation of his goals, you would think, wow, we might have ourselves a player here! Not lightening quick but speedy enough – certainly more so than Giroud, but then again, most people are. Quite strong as well even though he doesn’t have the same height – quite stocky in build. He strikes me as a grafter who will run the channels all day long and having a more mobile target in front of them, might bring the best out of Ozil and Alexis again. Very tidy left foot but its a complete ‘who knows’ as to whether he could cut it in the PL. He hasn’t played in a ‘top league’ for any great length of time.
Not final yet but this has a very Arsenal feel to it, mainly because no one saw it coming! Does he fall into the ‘top top top top top top player’ category that Wenger likes to talk about? Hmmmmmmm…….
andy528

Blind to United star’s class

Daley Blind gets absolutely no respect on this forum. I haven’t seen a more consistent player for us since his arrival other than De Gea. No matter where he’s slotted he does a damn good job.
alex_the_red

Baggies’ frustrating

Old Father Time marches on relentlessly, whilst we remain inactive. Five more players says the boss two weeks ago. We still need five players with less than seven days til the door slams shut. That’s one player every 30 hours or so. Bearing in mind we took 12 months to sign Philips it doesn’t bode well. We are now linked with Ofori, a defensive midfielder because that’s clearly what we need at the club – NOT!! And a 21-year-old winger from Palermo, that hasn’t made a single appearance for their first team. He was on loan at Brescia last season. Barrel and scraping springs to mind. Or penny pinching if you will. Where are the creative players we so need, and strikers to score the goals. Why are we linked with players for months, yet nothing seems to materialise? We have been linked with Slumani at Sporting Lisbon for weeks, and we allegedly know the asking price, so either pay the money or move on. Yet we wait in the hope that the selling club get pressured into letting their player leave a bit cheaper. Not that he would ever sign. Bony is available from City for around 15m allegedly, would he be good enough?
sludgy

Sturridge’s best position

I firmly believe that he is our best centre forward,and should be playing there. Forget the injuries. On his day,he will score us goals,guaranteed. Yes,he played out wide for Chelsea (he even scored against Liverpool playing out wide in one game if I remember rightly) but,like he’s done here,he told Villas Boas that he didn’t like playing out wide. He’s not a wide player. Playing him out there is like cutting off one of his legs. It’s crazy that Sturridge is out wide,and yet Firmino is so inconsistent,and plays up front. Crazy. Move Firmino or Coutinho out wide,and play Sturridge through the middle. It’s where Klopp will get the best out of him
suarezsteeth

Sakho loan rumours

There’s one of two things happening here: 1. Klopp is sending him out to prove a point and discipline him, or: 2. Klopp wants rid – I presume for problems of which maybe we are only aware of some of the issues. We just don’t know everything that has gone on.
Sakho was not signed by Klopp and perhaps doesn’t rate him/prefers his other players. Is he keeping Lucas as cover for the defence in the same way as he is using Milner? At present it could be that Gomez will be Klopp’s preferred LB or CB.
redrob

Rashford’s limited role

Mourinho will not be starting Rashford in the league for the foreseeable future. I am convinced he wants to try steal a march on the title race and will therefore not rotate the current eleven as long as we continue to win. I can only see Rashford, Memphis, and Fosu Mensah getting gametime in the league if we have a 3 goal lead.
I expect Rashford to get starts in the cup competitions. Mourinho’s challenge is to keep him (Memphis, and Fosu Mensah) motivated while they sit on the bench.