This Post from LBG was briefly published earlier this month but was quickly gazumped by another Post that was inadvertently uploaded at the same time. It deserves a revisit now.
THREE STICKS OF DYNAMITE HANGING ON THE WALL…
…and if one stick of dynamite (money was no object, and they were available) should accidentally fall… into your lap, who would you choose: GREALISH? FODEN? or MOUNT?
So I will start with Grealish. A true Maverick. Able to almost single handedly carry an average team into contention for a top four finish. Strong, quick, sneaky, snidey, eye for goal (and for a penalty, especially). Not sure he would be a great team player if there was equal talent around him. 8/10.
Foden. Has all the skills it seems. Scores vital goals, pace, works hard for a team of hard workers, some with consummate skill. Will he take the lead in a team of lesser ability? 8/10
My choice would be Mount. A real team player, pace, eye for goal and (as he has shown recently) the ability to make it happen. Great close control and, my favourite football word, “dynamic” in his thought and deed. 9/10
But, who needs ’em?
If our own stick of dynamite can add to his Merson-glide across the ground, his Wilshere shoulder drop, and his Fabregas final pass, I for one will be in heaven. all we need from you, EMILE SMITH ROWE, is goals and, as a youngster, they will surely come.
LBG
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
Thanks for resurrecting my thoughts from a couple of weeks back ( straight after that goal against the Pool!)
Happy St Patrick’s day to all, and Birthday to Pat Rice and Lee Dixon. Only Ralph for me a better right back!
It was a shame it appeared and vanished without getting a proper look in first time round LBG.
And a Happy St Pat’s to you too.
Being of the Irish persuasion myself I shall be sipping a Guinness this evening in honour of the occasion.
So many fine Irishmen have played for Arsenal over the years – Brady, Stapleton, O’Leary, Jennings, Rice, Nelson, Steve Morrow, John Devine… who have I missed?
In response to the Post, I don’t watch opposition players enough to make a sensible judgement (except when they play us, at which point I find them all objectionable).
However, from the three above I would go for Grealish, although I believe he’s a bit of a knob.
That said, I would rather develop Smith Rowe than sign someone who could threaten his place.
None of them needed.
Rocky
Pat Jennings and Niall Quinn only ones extra for me, but sure there are others.
I mentioned big Pat, LBG, but Quinn is a good one.
Happy St-Patrick’s Day to all! Love that Irish festival, especially in the US 😛
I really rate all three players a lot and any of them would improve our squad and would be an automatic starter…
I think the best of the three is Foden – he is England’s Iniesta. He is that good. I think Barcelona, Real, Juve, Bayern will all look at him and try to lure him away from City but I don’t think any of them will succeed.
As of Mount, he is also very promising and would add a lot of to our squad. I like his runs, his pace and his ability to drive the ball forward but he still needs to find consistency…He is clearly going to be one of Chelsea’s major players for the next 3-5 years.
Now of the lots, I would take Grealish because he is still young but yet a confirmed player in the EPL and international level. Also, he could play on the left wing or in the center. I also think that with times, he will play either deeper next to a DM or much higher right behind the striker. He can create, dribble and he also contributes defensively. A real gem tarnished with a knob attitude.
Imagine Tierney – Grealish on the left and if we get a better right back, we could have a lethal left right wing as well with Saka. Emerson seems like a really good option – he is a loaned out by Barcelona to Sevilla and he seems reliable and agressive…
In the middle of the park and next to Partey, we could go for Veretout, Ward-Prowse, Milinko-Savic, Pellegrini or Merino for example.
Leno – EMERSON, Holding, Gabs, Tierney – Partey, PROWSE – Saka, Smith-Rowe, GREALISH – Laca/Auba?
What would be good in this starting XI is that we would have 5 English internationals, which would be a nice thing after all these years.
Our back-up team would be decent too, then:
Ryan – Bellerin, Luiz, Mari, Cedric – El Neny, Xhaka – Pepe, Odegaard(?), Martinelli – Laca/Balogun
We also have to see what to do with AMN, Willian, RN, Azeez, Willock, Nketiah.
I think that Mavro and Saliba will be loaned out again and that Douzi and Torreira will be sold in France (PSG, Monaco, Lyon) or Italy.
Interesting little read, thanks for that.
Haven’t got a clue as to how to answer the question, I don’t know enough about them.
LB
Sounds like you’re as bad as me for not watching other teams 😀
But thank you for popping in.
Grealish of those 3. Mount & Foden are small and lightweight.
I think Saka will be better than all of them and possibly ESR.
You missed the stand out Irish player of his generation:
Eddie McGoldrick !
Foden runs around with that annoying open mouth look previously displayed by Jack Wishere and perfected Peter Beardsley.
Rocky
We all missed a classic Irishman – Terry Mancini- although, as one site says, dont ask him to sing the Irish National anthem,🤣🤣
Ah, LBG – great call.
Big Bald Terry – the London-Italian lad who somehow became an Irishman.
Born in Camden Town 😀
Ooh nice one, LBG 👍
Really like all 3.. Grealish for his calves. Foden as he comes across as Liam Gallagher’s love child and Mount for that goal against the scousers!!!
Am amazed at how rubbish Villa have been in JG’s absence.. shows how much he does!
Foden has been superb this season, love watching him.
Mount has been just as good, surely the first name on the team sheet!
I wouldn’t object to bringing any of them in in normal circumstances…. but….we have ESR and he’s incredible. Love him!!
I read LGB’s interesting Post, and started to press wrung letters on the teaboard when I saw it was the luverly Peaches her vary self ooo ad posted it!!
Wot we kneed now Peacher is a comment or toe – so let’s be avin yer, please. 😁
Villa most important player is emi,
I am a man like your good self Rocket, I do not care about other teams’ players, except for exceptional ones, most of whom play for Citeh and Pool.
Sod ’em.
Happy St Paddy’s Day to all who originate from the Emerald Isle.
[I think Jack Grealish has Irish antecedents — so maybe he should have played for Arsenal and joined ace players Liam & Co.]
Nice one LBG and an interesting question that gets me not only thinking about where we have a quality deficiency in our attacking midfield, but what type of player it is we truly need to get that balance right.
Each of Grealish, Mount and Foden are fine players but all slightly different and maybe one of the three standard out as having that something different that we dont have on our books on a permanent basis right now.
For a while I would have said Grealish all day and I still wouldn’t say no, as you can never have too many good players.
The emergence of Smith Rowe though has altered who of the three I would go for based on who would compliment him the best because none of them would replace our ESR.
I am sure ESR could play in the centre with Grealish but I feel they are a tad too similar in their play and wouldn’t compliment each other quite as well. I think in a slightly different way that Mount also is a tad too similar in many ways to ESR.
Foden I feel would be the beat fit and the best one for the squad we have. I like right and left footers to balance each other out and feel the left footed Foden playing centre right would compliment our right footed ESR playing centre left in a better way.
Foden’s beat position is centre right but he is adept at playing either attacking side of the number 9 as well.
However Foden is not realistic for us but Odegaard is, who is also a left footer whose best position is centre right but could also play from the wider right attacking position.
You and I discussed this yesterday LBG, and we would both like to see us progress to a line up with an attacking four behind the number 9 with one DM only.
Foden would be the best of the 3 you mention to give us the greatest attacking balance but Odegaard can give us this as well and I think we have only seen a bit of what he can offer and I think he is a talent we should try and secure permanently.
Personally I would also like to see Nelson factored in as an option in the attacking 4, and obviously Martinelli should start being a regular again at some point.
With the attacking 4 we have options as follows:
wide left: Auba, Martinelli, Nelson, ESR
Centre left: ESR, Nelson
Centre right: Odegaard, Saka
wide right: Saka, Pepe, Odegaard
There is arguably even more options than I have mentioned, but we would be well covered in the 4 attacking positions with the 7 players listed above.
The only one not on our books permanently is the left footed centre right specialist, so Foden would have been the best fit for us over Grealish or Mount if we had that option, but I am hoping Odegaard makes the permanent switch to fulfill that role, because realistically we have no chance on Foden.
RC why was Mbappe wearing number 17 jersey last night seems everyone number was change kean was wearing 7