Willian: Moving back to Brazil

[GDeep™]

Don’t think anyone could’ve foresaw his rapid decline.

You could’ve though? They always say in football that players past 32 can age and decline overnight. Even Gary Neville said the other day he felt his legs go in one game and he knew he was finished.

I know what you’re saying, but signing a guy at 32 was always a massive massive risk.

 

[GDeep™]

He gave his best years to Chelsea, came here for his retirement and now we’re stuck paying him for 3 years. Enjoy it.

 

[Macho]

Nothing wrong with signing a guy at 32 tbh, just has to be done right. On this occasion, it was not.

You lot make him out to be this horrible guy, I doubt he’s happy with the way things are going. He’s probably embarrassed.

 

[Maybe]

It was average game but he really not influencing anything he just stand there and when he have ball he lose it or make wrong pass

At least he wasn't passing backwards all the time, more like sideways this time

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

At least he wasn't passing backwards all the time, more like sideways this time

He did it few times at 2nd half lol

 

[GDeep™]

Nothing wrong with signing a guy at 32 tbh, just has to be done right. On this occasion, it was not.

You lot make him out to be this horrible guy, I doubt he’s happy with the way things are going. He’s probably embarrassed.

Nobody has called him a horrible guy but he walked away from a CL club, to join Arsenal simply because the retirement package was better. The writing was on the wall.

He’s here for 3 years, maybe he’ll improve and get better and develop into a useful player.

 

[Taylor Gang Gunners]

You could’ve though? They always say in football that players past 32 can age and decline overnight. Even Gary Neville said the other day he felt his legs go in one game and he knew he was finished.

I know what you’re saying, but signing a guy at 32 was always a massive massive risk.

True but there’s also plenty of examples of footballers who can sustain a high level until well into their 30’s. Willian was coming here off the back of his best season for Chelski stats wise. Plus he was a freebie and PL acclimatised, seemed lowish risk.

A 3 year contract was ****ing bogus though. I called that at the time. A player with no resale value on high wages, you need the player to perform and he just hasn’t.

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

I never expected this signing turn out to be disaster i was against it but supported because he can give us extra creativity. Well we got f**k all.

 

[Macho]

He’s here for 3 years, maybe he’ll improve and get better and develop into a useful player.

We both know that’s not happening and both knew this since summer

 

[OnlyOne]

Again it's all hindsight. We signed him as a free agent after he had a good season at Chelsea in a moment where we had very very young an inexperienced attackers, lots of football to play and big money needed to be spent elsewhere.

It hasn't worked so far, and theres always a risk but we've seen with transfers fail before and we'll see it again.

The idea was right in my opinion as many footballing decisions are but we have to take it on the chin and look to replace him.

He's regressed as all our attackers have.

 

[dashsnow17]

You could’ve though? They always say in football that players past 32 can age and decline overnight. Even Gary Neville said the other day he felt his legs go in one game and he knew he was finished.

I know what you’re saying, but signing a guy at 32 was always a massive massive risk.

Yeah but we thought he'd go to sh*t after two seasons, one season worse case scenario, not after one game. It was still a bad deal to begin with, but couldn't have predicted just how bad.

 

[say yes]

Nothing wrong with signing a guy at 32 tbh, just has to be done right. On this occasion, it was not.

You lot make him out to be this horrible guy, I doubt he’s happy with the way things are going. He’s probably embarrassed.

The problem with Willian was never his age. It’s that he’s a rubbish player.

People had this odd idea that he’s an intelligent footballer, presumably because he’s Brazilian and has played the odd game as a 10. In reality, he’s just an uninspiring cross merchant who works hard and occasionally hits a nice free kick.

If he’s born in England and named William Bovril Smith he never plays for a top club.

 

[GDeep™]

Yeah but we thought he'd go to sh*t after two seasons, one season worse case scenario, not after one game. It was still a bad deal to begin with, but couldn't have predicted just how bad.

Most of last season he wasn’t doing much other than getting the ball and spamming crosses. Watched nearly every Chelsea game after lockdown and his performances weren’t much off today.

 

[AberGooner]

If the deal hinged on him getting a 3 year deal, which I think it did, then negotiations should have been over. It's not a position we where in desperate need of numbers unless the plan was to use him as a CAM.

 

[Macho]

The problem with Willian was never his age. It’s that he’s a rubbish player.

People had this odd idea that he’s an intelligent footballer, presumably because he’s Brazilian and has played the odd game as a 10. In reality, he’s just an uninspiring cross merchant who works hard and occasionally hits a nice free kick.

If he’s born in England and named William Bovril Smith he never plays for a top club.

I quite liked him in his peak to be honest, so whilst you have points that may be true - I do get the rationale to sign him.

Especially if you look at Pepe everyday in training and you’re not convinced.

The 3 year contract though, that’s facepalm tings.

 

[Macho]

Also fwiw, and I stand by this - you don’t get this bad overnight.

He’s completely uninspiring, but it can’t be entirely his fault - he’s not the only attacking player at Arsenal football club playing like a sack of sh*t.

I think you guys got fooled with some of our performances against the dregs of the Premiership. Southampton have been better than us all season, but we wouldn’t take more than a handful of their players.

 

[gunner4lyfe]

 

[Monstar-Gunn4r]

He looks every inch a journeyman player, put himself about, made some okay passes, didnt offer much threat but was available for passes, helped defend without doing too much of it.

 

[Jasard]

 

[Pop Tart]

I knew we would lose with him starting, said it multiple times. Arteta picking his bf will cost him his position