According to numerous reports, Arsenal will recall Eddie Nketiah from his loan spell at Leeds United in January because the striker is not playing enough.
It sounds as though the England under-21 international will be made available to other clubs with Bristol City, one of his suitors in the summer, leading the chase.
Nketiah has scored five goals and made one assist in 18 appearances for the Elland Road outfit; a tidy return. However, he’s played just 618 minutes; the equivalent of just under seven full games.
Leeds United made a big effort to seal the loan signing of Nketiah ahead of interested parties from across Europe. Not only did they make a detailed PowerPoint presentation to loan manager Ben Knapper, but they also paid a hefty fee, on which they won’t get a refund.
The idea was that Nketiah would start regularly, snaffle goals left, right and centre (which he kinda has every 123 minutes) and return to the Emirates a more complete player ready to take over from Messrs Auba and Laca.
From what we can gather, Nketiah’s goal-poaching tendency, while useful, isn’t what Marcelo Bielsa values in a striker. Indeed, more often than not, the Argentine has preferred Patrick Bamford, a player recognised for his build-up play.
Leeds are currently top of the Championship level on points with West Bromwich Albion, who they play on New Year’s Day. It’s unclear if Nketiah will play a role in the match. The Athletic’s Leeds aficionado, Phil Hay, claims the Gunners are yet to relay their intentions.
Coincidentally, we were drawn against Leeds in the FA Cup and play them on 6 January.
Personally, we’d play Nketiah and let him score against them even though that would mean he couldn’t go on loan elsewhere. But that’s because we hate Leeds. They suck balls and we hope they miss out on promotion. Again. ?
Maybe Eddie is a good option for us from the bench? We don’t have enough firepower and if we don’t bring winger (highly doubtful) this transfer window, it will be nice to have another option upfront…
The one thing that we have is firepower. It’s every other position that’s lacking.
We have it and yet we still lack goals
In theory true. In practice, not so much. Take away Auba’s goals and we’re the lowest scoring team in the PL.
yeah, but you can’t just take away goals from your leading scorer, the second highest scorer in the league, and say we’re terrible. If you replace Auba with someone else, you don’t have 0 goals from them.
Take away goals from the leading scorer of EVERY team, then compare.
Well, to take the most obvious parallel example, Harry Kane has 11 of Spurs 36 goals. Take away his goals, and they still have 25. Arsenal have only 26, even with Auba. Take away Auba’s 13, and we’re at 12 goals. The top 3 teams all have over 40 goals. The top six all over 30. We’re getting no production from anyone besides Auba. So, unfortunately, if we have any firepower beyond Auba, it’s not showing itself this year.
But 13 + 12 = 25; not 26. Where did that other goal go?
He won’t play ahead of Martinelli even for CF position. Martinelli is RVP of the near future.
“Before he died two years ago I promised him that one day I would play for Real Madrid,” he said to L’Equipe in 2016. Auba may leave soon.
Quite aggressive against Leeds
Yes because they’re cunts.
Someone fill me in on why we hate a club that hasn’t been relevant in a decade and a half?
Lest We Forget.
The fact that they’re irrelevant doesn’t stop them from being cunts. Bit like Stoke in that regard, although at least Leeds actually were relevant at one point in time.
Can’t disagree, on any points here….
Stoke were relevant for a few semi finals.
88 – check out the 60s/70s; history matters.
“We all hate Leeds and Leeds and Leeds, Leeds and Leeds and Leeds, we all f***ing hate Leeds”
afcchamp88
Suppose it depends how old you are. I don’t remember dirty Leeds like my old man does.
But if you’re looking for reasons; the absolute human haemorrhoid that is Chris Moyles supports Leeds. That’s enough for me.
The latter is true, but people in glass houses…
Piers Morgan supports us… Absolute oxygen pirate
Don’t forget Osama Bin Laden.
They’ve always been cunts
Enjoyed that last paragraph. Actually lolled!
Dirty Leeds!
Really loved how the whole story escalated. Proper buildup.
Only been watching football since 2007. Why do we hate Leeds? I doubt I have any problems with the reason but why?
it’s old history but if you had watched them a few years earlier and seen cunts like Alan Smith and Lee Bowyer, it wouldn’t matter much
that shit goes deep.
Yeah Leeds are scum
Why the hatred against Leeds? Someone care to explain please
Wouldn’t surprise me if we bring back Mhiki and/or El Neny in January – we seem to be light in numbers at the moment. Not that I actually think that is the way forward, but that is the cheap option….
Good call, if they’d come.
Sometimes it’s hard to forget how nasty a particular cub were or in some cases still are. I could use the team we just played as an example of cunts but I wont.
or the one we play next but I won’t mention it
I’d love to know what was on that PowerPoint if not a description of how they planned to use Nketiah.
How then does it transpire that he doesn’t actually suit their style of play?
All seems very badly thought out and silly to me. On both Leeds and our ‘Loan Manager’.
We’re suckers for powerpoints. I heard Unai gave a great powerpoint presentation too
I believe the presentations are slides showing how much money we’ll save in wages by hiring the manager or loaning out the player…
Good to see us take an interest for once. [thinks back to Serge ..what could have been]
Ha ha. I love the end of this article. We all hate Leeds.
Saka, Nelson, and Willock should have also gone on loan in England too for a whole season, maybe two seasons. There should also be something in the contract that they must play 25 games, or they have to pay a fine.
No, completely disagree on this. You can’t stipulate how many games a player must play. Makes no sense for either party. Going on loan is an education & a huge part of that is fighting for your place.
Hated Leeds since the late 90s/early noughties (I think it was). I recall us going for the title and losing at Elland Rd (1-0 I think). The result meant nothing for Leeds in terms of league position, but their players (and fans) were celebrating like they’d just won the title. I think a few fans were even on the pitch celebrating with the players. Ridiculous.
Never forgotten it. Hated them ever since. Rescue Eddie from the cesspit asap.
Mark Viduka was offside for that goal too but we never stood a chance with refs in those days. I still believe Fergusson was buying them
He’s (or she’s) referring to 1999. You’re thinking of 2003.
Btw, did you mean to use the past tense when talking about us not standing a chance with refs? That’s like saying the sky was never beige in those days.
I don’t remember them celebrating so wildly, but if they were, then didn’t they realise they were handing the title to Man United of all teams?
Yeah that would be like us going wild over beating ManUre and at the same time handing spuds the title – neither would happen, thankfully, but shows you what cretins the Leeds fans are!!!
If this manager likes strikers who don’t score, I’ve got a Chamakh to sell him!
Nicholas B – there’s a whole article in itself, Failed Strikers through the years. I would throw in a Jeffers and a Hawley.
Park Chu bags and get out of here
Question is who is the worst from Leeds, ManUre and spuds?
Sorry for not knowing, but could anybody educate me why we couldn’t let him go on loan if he plays for us in the FA Cup? Is it cause you can’t play for 3 clubs in the same season, does that also apply to loan deals?
I say bring him back as we need all the firepower we can get