Falcao had excuses that was always potentially a flop of a transfer. It was a gamble from day one due to his injuries. Di maria didnt settle at United/ possible England and largely the move was a flop more than for just football reasons. As far as we know mkhitarayan settled at United but didnt produce the goods.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan | Roma player
- Thread starter horsechoker
- Start date
I love how all the Mourinho fans are rushing into the thread now that Arsenal have fallen off a cliff, as if that does anything to actually refute the points that adexkola and I were making earlier in the thread, which shouldn't even be that controversial. I just reread my posts in this thread, and I haven't really changed my mind about anything I've written, and if Wenger (or someone else) can get Arsenal back to playing the type of attacking football his Arsenal sides have been known for in the majority of his tenure I expect Mkhitaryan to look a different player than he ever did for us. But if he can't, and Arsenal continue to be as awful as they are currently (and they look completely dead at the moment), I fully expect Mkhitaryan to be just as much of a nothing player there as he was for us.
Saying that Wenger's Arsenal, despite all their weaknesses (and there are and have been many) and inconsistency, has played more attacking, cohesive and fluid football than Mourinho's sides (for the most part) in the past 10-15 years isn't really a controversial claim (even if you might disagree with it), and the fact that some get so incredibly worked-up and defensive about it says a lot about how much of the Kool-Aid they've actually been drinking. Calling Wenger a 'proper attacking manager' (which he is, or at the very least has been), was enough to send the usual suspects into a frenzy.
I've never excused Mkhitaryan for his own responsibility in how awful he was for us. But as I said earlier in the thread, nor do I absolve Mourinho of his responsibility. To quote myself:
Saying that Wenger's Arsenal, despite all their weaknesses (and there are and have been many) and inconsistency, has played more attacking, cohesive and fluid football than Mourinho's sides (for the most part) in the past 10-15 years isn't really a controversial claim (even if you might disagree with it), and the fact that some get so incredibly worked-up and defensive about it says a lot about how much of the Kool-Aid they've actually been drinking. Calling Wenger a 'proper attacking manager' (which he is, or at the very least has been), was enough to send the usual suspects into a frenzy.
I've never excused Mkhitaryan for his own responsibility in how awful he was for us. But as I said earlier in the thread, nor do I absolve Mourinho of his responsibility. To quote myself:
But sure, knock yourselves out with selective quoting, while simultaneously accusing others of having an agenda (the irony is palpable). I expect nothing more of feeble minds.
Even in a regular attacking system I don't see him being good enough to start for a top 4 side. The one great season he had in terms of numbers at Dortmund was in a specific role in a specific setup that has more or less no chance of being replicated anywhere else.
It's an opinion. No need to be so salty.
He has found his level. B grade player in a B grade competition for a B grade team.
He is a player that needs a coherent attacking structure to funciton optimally, similar to players such as Raheem Sterling and Pedro Rodriguez.
He was always going to struggle at Arsenal like he did at Manchester United.
He was always going to struggle at Arsenal like he did at Manchester United.
Why is he wearing 77??
EL King.
Sanchez wore 7 earlier in the season.
He's very similar to Ozil in that he's invisible when the team is losing the midfield battle. But when the midfield are playing the way they are both of them become several times the player they were otherwise.
Well that's basically what we were when he was here and will continue to be if we keep on winning nothing big and he still wasn't deemed good enough by most of our fans.
Because he's not good enough.
stop bithchin, he played a decent game. Had he scored the second one (hit the crossbar), it wouldve been massive.
He wasn't good enough for the standards we seek so we sold him to a team that suits his standards quite well.
From what heard, Mkhitaryan struggled to settle massively. Since his father passed he only really had his sister in his life, who even moved to the UK in the second season with us (ie this campaign) to help him settle. This is all news I heard from a friend who reportedly met with a couple of youth team players at United in the summer.
Not saying its true, but we're only assuming Mkhi has settled just fine to UK. For all we know he might have struggled to adapt to life in Manchester, which is fair enough. Also, Di Maria was a way bigger flop than him.
I just hope he kicks on for the good of his own career - don't much like to see our ex players fail.
Good game from him, he's at home in the Europa league.
That's his level similar to Memphis in that sense.
The style of play as well. Teams in the PL are all about energy and aggression, they don't give you time on the ball. Mkhitaryan under pressure is a nothing footballer, but against AC Milan the right back didn't care one bit about him, left him in acres of space the whole 1st half.
He's the Europa League King, He's going to save Arsène...
Embarrass myself? What are we then - an A grade team? One that hasn't sniffed a title challenge for 5 years and counting and at times finished outside the top 4? I realise that must be hard for people to take, myself included, but this is the truth. My point was that Mkhitaryan finding his level doesn't really make much sense. He was garbage in our B grade team too (who rather fittingly to my point were in a very similar position last year to Arsenal are now)Oh good grief
Don't embarrass yourself mate.
My money is on A.Madrid here .. Not sure the almost trophy can save Arsène here..He's the Europa League King, He's going to save Arsène...
Huh. Didn't know that that's a rule.
There was no difference in Di Maria and Mkhitaryan at United. Di Maria is a better player but both only really had one moment of magic... Di Maria’s chip against Leicester and Mkhitaryan’s scorpion kick.
Mkhitaryan did manage to score in the Europa League final though. He can at least say that. But Di Maria was always more of a proper “United” player to me. I just wish Mourinho came sooner to manage him.
Yes agreed, truly brilliant but seemingly not easy to manage. It would have been very interesting to see what a 'settled' Di Maria could do for us on that right wing with Mourinho in charge.
saw the game, has been very good last night.
He's still a useless little fanny. HTH.
Against mediocre teams that give him time and space he can be very dangerous.
It's no surprise he's in his element in the Europa League.
It's no surprise he's in his element in the Europa League.
Point of interest ....if we are as you say B grade, seemingly other than City, who else do you see as being ‘A’ grade ?
Good player, just not a Jose player.
First of all, Mkhi should have earn Mourinho's trust with better performances. How can you expect a manager to set a team up to supposedly get the best out of one player when the player himself have repeatedly failed despite being given plenty of chances? The team's tactics shouldn't be altered when the player can't even make simple 5 yard passes or put in a decent cross.
Toughen up, work hard and then maybe he deserves more.
A good example would be Lukaku.
Playing "attacking, cohesive, fluid" football is rather subjective and means nothing when you don't translate it to results. The trophy cabinet for both managers doesn't lie.
And for argument sake, why does attacking football weigh so heavily in this forum? I could easily say Wenger has never played "defensive, solid, well structured" football in his entire tenure.
Everyone else is B grade, we're 2nd in the league.
I expect the manager to set the team up to get the best out of a maximum amount of players - especially the ones he himself has bought.
Wenger has won 3 out of the last 4 FA cups while finishing in the top 4. He’s done alright lately given his resources.
I know it sounds strange, but fans of this club used to care about playing attacking, attractive football - at least until Mourinho arrived.
How do you expect Mourinho to trust someone who constantly blows hot and cold? He started off well and made a number of assists. When the team suffered and had a rough patch, he just went missing. Is easy to blame the manager for not setting the team up but i believe we as spectators are able to tell who is and who isn't putting in effort. If a player is only going to turn up when the situation favors him, do you honestly want someone like that playing for us? This actually reminds me of Arsenal who is spineless and lack that fight for away games.
Wenger bought two strikers for 100m combined.
We haven't played anything remotely attacking for years now. That includes the last few years of Fergie's reign.
What do you think?
I'm sorry but i didn't bother to scroll back and check your post history.
If you are glad he is gone, there is no need to plays devil's advocate.
Scroll back? I quoted that post in the first post you responded to.
I'm not playing devil's advocate.
Says you are glad he is gone but yet goes back to take a shot at Mourinho. Right......
Right, how can anyone ever take a shot at poor Mourinho?
When a transfer doesn't quite work out, the manager has to take at least part of the responsibility for it. Not even remotely controversial.
I do have a chuckle when a newbile uses up their daily post allocation arguing about nothing.