Arsenal fans going through the meat grinder today.
Spurs are about the drop £70m on Ndombele, one of the best young midfielders in the world. United have landed Waan Bissaka for £50m. TEARS ALL OVER THE STATION FLOOR.
Meanwhile, David Ornstein has Arsenal out here contemplating selling Auba to find Wilfried Zaha (Palace trying to remove his sell on clause whilst negotiating with United), whilst also chasing Saliba and Tierney.
I’m not that fussed about losing Auba, he’s a very well paid 29-year old I’m not sure we have the luxury of having at this stage of our decline, certainly not if we’re going to have to up his salary. However, those goals are going to need to come from somewhere and it’s a huge ask to expect Zaha to double his output this season. Or are we thinking about giving Eddie a more senior role?
Unless the manager thinks the whole system lacked a good wide player, which will make the entire team score more goals. I mean, he could think that catching X on the overlap just needs better parts… in that case, I really am worried.
It’s frustrating to read around some of the Arsenal accounts trying to find reasons as to our decline when it’s been staring them in the face for years.
No club in the world has consistently made more bad decisions than Arsenal over the past 5 years.
We were way ahead of Spurs and Liverpool 5 years and we’ve blown our lead by giving £350m to a busted manager who spent it in a half-arsed way, we’ve given contracts to players that didn’t deserve them, we hoarded players and lost them for nothing, failed to give actual talent deals quick enough, refused to move our wage bill to one that was more meritocratic, gave Wenger a new deal despite him being on life support, sacked him and spent £17m to undo the mistake, then doubled down on our mistake by hiring in a head coach that has managed to make the whole scenario worse.
It’s even starting to look like we’ve blown a whole summer waiting for Edu to arrive at the club.
We don’t stop doing making the wrong moves.
Still, the one thing you can take from all of this… success isn’t permanent. Things can south pretty quickly in world football. They can also move north pretty quickly.
If Edu comes in and he’s made of the sort of stuff I have heard he is, then we might be capable of making a climb back to the top.
We need a vision, a footballing philosophy and someone that is going to hold people accountable for delivering. There needs to be a proper plan in place. Football shouldn’t be that complicated. It always has and always will start with hiring in great people. Your structure means fuck all if there are talent holes in it. Currently, we look like the aftermath of a drive-by shooting.
This season is already setting up in mediocre fashion. Europe is waiting to see what happens with our dross, so they’ll likely be with us at the start of the season. We are struggling to push deals for our targets over the line. There seems to be no hope of moving on Ozil. It’s also looking unlikely that we’ll be adding any sort of volume to the setup. 3-4 players max, with the rest being made up with internal promotions and return loanees.
… but there’s still time to make things happen. So don’t lose faith yet. But do realise this, we are in another transition year, because Edu is going to come in with new ideas and we’re most likely going to see what peak-Emery looks like… it won’t be pretty.
Let’s just hope the next manager has some really talented kids to work with. Let’s hope some of the youth step up when given a chance this season. Let’s hope Freddie can offer up a little bit of something special. Let’s hope season two of Matteo and LT is the next level.
The most important signing will be Edu. If we’ve blown that move, we are heading into longterm irrelevance as meteor-like speed. He really has to bring the goods and he has to be utterly ruthless in implementing his ideas.
Right, that’s me done, see you in the comments x
U4GN
Have a great time mate.
Ipu4gn
In all seriousness
Hope the familtpy enjoy …
I’m guessing you are taking them round to thebold stadium….
Portion of chips from the Chinese chippy…
Grabs
Ashley is not that stupid ..I’m sure he knows the value of his players.
Ashley
Shrewd man
Also Spurs fan as a kid,,,
Plus he is used to selling shit….
Rspca
Why don’t you write a letter to the club and suggest sending in Claire Sweeney with the 60 minute makeover crew to give the Emirates a face lift if you are so unhappy with the decor.
England’s Best
Personally I think “most” people would rather give Buffoon Boris a slap than a vote
Ornstein apparently said on the radio Arsenal want a CB, LB, CM, winger and B2B player.
Emery wants Mustafi gone…apparently Arsenal have tried to sign Mustafi in almost every window since his first season here. Hilarious.
That is a lot of players to bring in, I don’t know whether youngsters are going to count, but suggests a lot of selling or a slightly larger budget.
*Sell Mustafi in every window
So Arsenal stopped being a joke of a club or what? No? Ok I’ll come back to check again.
New owner
New manager
New players needed
At least £300m for the new manager to spend.
Palace might be up for a player + cash deal because 25% of the few goes to United.
Better for them to get a couple of talents off us, and some money rather than hold out for money that won’t come and be left with an unhappy player. That shot just doesn’t ever end well.
Heard a while back we wanted to throw players in, Chambers suggested and Reiss Nelson on loan for the season could suit all relatively speaking.
I mean the fact that Mustafi and Xhaka most likely are both going on their fourth season at Arsenal tells you everything you need to know about the state of the club. They should’ve been dumped after the first season.
‘So many tourists and its not even kids school holidays yet.
Where’s all the money going!’
Ozil’s pocket.
So Spuds are dropping big bread on players while we’re either waiting for Edu to drive in or waiting for the new kit.
Can’t understand why I keep expecting this club to do anything right.
Honestly I wouldn’t pay a king’s ransom for Zaha.
We need to stop all these short-term marquee signing approach. It’s setting us farther back with every mega wage player we buy.
It’s time to start planning medium term.
Last season, had we bought [the then 21 year old] Issa Diop for 21 million rather than the 30 year old Sokratis for 17 million, we would have some defensive scaffolding for the future. Not to mention that Diop is already the subject of 60 million transfer bids already. At the time, people kept saying we needed an “experienced CB”
So we’re considering selling our best goal scorer/EPL joint golden boot winner to finance a guy who couldn’t make it at manyoooo, and who hardly reaches double figure on goals or assists.
Brilliant this club.
The guys who must be behind us before we touch CL again are dropping £50m(naturally), £65m on players.
Better get used to Europa.
Oh, we will win Europa.
Problem solved, like each season in the last two.
What kind of a young man is Josh?
Watching daddy’s shop being run this way.
THE ARSENAL!
Get Ziyech and start from their you fuckers!
‘It’s time to start planning medium term.
Last season, had we bought [the then 21 year old] Issa Diop for 21 million rather than the 30 year old Sokratis for 17 million, we would have some defensive scaffolding for the future. Not to mention that Diop is already the subject of 60 million transfer bids already. At the time, people kept saying we needed an “experienced CB”’
If Issa Diop was shielded for a whole season by Xhaka while playing next to Mustafi, even bottom table clubs would be sneering at him now.
Ozil.
Xhaka.
Mustafi.
Arsenal’s stomach ache, in that order.
Imagine them gone, and these fine fellows appear:
Ziyech.
Ndidi.
Saliba.
Just imagine for a moment.
Tick Tock……
I knew it was you, Marko, the master of misquotes. On a roll again, mate.
But I’ll give you right on one thing. Yes, I do have a problem putting my trousers on in the morning. And so will you when you reach my age.
I was wearing shorts today so what do I know
What is it with the Marcs/Markos. Hilarious, both hilarious. Is there another of you? If so, you should team up as the Marx Brothers.
Cesc I wouldn’t be hugely surprised if Nelson will be our ‘new’ winger
I’m ok with that if funds get well used elsewhere
For me priority has to go in this order:
1) CB,DM/B2B
2) Winger,LB
3) AM
4) everywhere else
If we sign any 3 first team players from categories 1 and 2 and are able to do any business on top of that (first team or squad players) I’ll see it as a solid summer assuming the players are good
So Atletico have formally bid EUR 126m for Benfica’s Joao Felix (as per statement to stock market).
Just a few years ago, we were tiers higher in financial clout than the likes of Atletico, Liverpool and Spuds. We need three or four amazing diamond-in-the-rough windows in a row to get back into the big boy club, or we’re simply going to drift away.
Athletico are nuts to put that much on a single player
They’ll be more likely to win the league spending that on two top quality players instead
China1
“Athletico are nuts to put that much on a single player”
Actually they are just reinvesting the money they will get from the Greizmann transfer on another top footballing asset
That’s unlike Arsenal who’s philosophy is to keep is stashed away in a bank vault.
The truth is we could raise millions by selling Auba and Lacazette… and Kronke would be under no obligation to strengthen Arsenal.
Arsenal is a private club now and KSE can do with the money whatever he wants and we cannot do a single thing….except to protest.
I thought we moved to the Emirates so we didn’t have sell our best players to afford our transfer targets?
Leedsgunner
Arsenal is a business heavily dependent on commercial sponsorship, ticket sales and merchandise.
There will come a point where the lack of success will impact on the club’s revenues and Kroenke will be faced with the choice of either investing properly in team or selling the club.
Whilst Kroenke has a track record of not selling assets my guess is that applies to interests in the United States. Somehow I would be surprised if he
will persist with Arsenal if it makes substantial financial losses.
Cesc
‘Sell mustafi in every window’
I read this out of context as a typo correction from your previous post and thought you were implying he’s so bad we should sell him more than once hahahah
Is it bad that I liked the sound of it?
ES
This has impacted Arsenal FC now for a fair few years.
Gentlebris
“What kind of a young man is Josh”
Like father, like son.
RSPC
Very depressing take on everything Arsenal but I do get your vibes regarding the stadium.
There’s just nothing on Mustafi. It is horrifically quiet in regards to him at this stage.
You may get late interest if we’re lucky.
Marc with the c Is that for cock, cretin,, creep, cunt, clit ? Harsh attack so I have responded. So you don’t think that entering the stadium in not the club level area where there is carpet and a feel good factor …is good Drab concrete resembling 80s Russia greeting you. Shocking pre poured food an drink carrying more dirt than the dog roll sellers in Leicester square. It hardly enthuses does it entering… Upstairs at least there are windows but a juvenile posters ….nah . I normally enjoy your comments and agree with most So pretty surprised you choose… Read more »
It is no surprise that our transfer dealings take an eternity and there is such total confusion and indecision. According to Ornstein on BBC : Raul, Gagagao, Hussey, A stats man from Stateside- Jason Rosenfied???, Emery himself and even a moonlighting Edu are all involved with the process of buying players.. How they come to any agreement on any player is amazing BUT an SPL player? Tierney signing is one of life mysteries… I bet no one making this decision has actually stepped foot in Glasgow and watched the lad play…. Raul,Edu,Gagago,Rosenfield, Emery – I guarantee none of that sorry… Read more »
Athetlico
Another team that has handled a new stadium finances much better than us..
RSPC Arsenal – what you on about man ? The pitch to far from the stands? Do you think there’s an Olympic Running track there or something? The last time I went ( Brighton ) the pitch is close to the stands and Arsenal tube station is still within easy walking distance . It would help if Holloway Rd was open along with the little train station down the road but big deal. If you want a walk go to Hertha Berlin’s ground that’s like a Wembley with a far smaller train station. The Emirates could have been designed better… Read more »
Mark L
My point on tube station was originally the club were going to redevelop hollyway road
Then went cheaper option.
Had they not it would have been open match days as bigger station.
Shows that they don’t care how you get there …
The club level is the class it should have been all over the stadium.
It’s drab at ground floor entrance level…
And drab on the pitch.
Vieria, Arteta or Dyche for the lowly Newcastle Utd Job.
All 3 of them – are streets ahead of Emery.
Truth Hurts.
Cg
Emery win more cups than those 3 put together ….
Cg
Your post are like arsenal’s interior …
Ill advised boring an lead to nothing
21.42
Up for grabs.
“Ashley has no one advising him.”
A top Canary Wharf solicitor has been ( a team of 10)
have been working on this for months.
Arsenal seem to be jumping from one transfer to a different on
each day, if the media is to be believed .. like a headless chicken .
RSPCA, TfL were responsible for not investing in Holloway Road station. There was a financial commitment from AFC and TfL to contribute to the development of the station, which was part of the planning permission ‘agreement’. TfL decided to spend the money on revamping Finsbury Park and Highbury and Islington instead. I can understand why they spent the money on far busier stations than spending roughly £25 million on extending the platform etc on a station that is not that busy usually. ( I lived 3 mins away from station and 2 mins from the stadium for 10 years and… Read more »
p.e
Peerless name,
“”””Arsenal seem to be jumping from one transfer to a different on
each day, if the media is to be believed .. like a headless chicken “””
The only affirmative actions Raul has overseen since his being in sole charge.
Sack Dortmund Eye
Withdraw Ramsey.
Appoint Edu ( still waiting…….)
Buy Suarez
To defend AFC on the transfer stories, the football journalists have nothing to write about other than transfers at this time of year. The idea that AFC are jumping from one transfer target to another mirroring the gossip columns in the news outlets is ridiculous. RSPCA – as someone who has attended most of the games at the new stadium, I really don’t worry too much about how the stadium looks. I do like the legends arm-in-arm around the stadium but frankly what happens on the pitch is what matters! I think there are far more better targets than the… Read more »
Bob
True
The 1930s signs at Highbury …
Every summer tosh over the white emulsion in the west upper ….
Small bar no width upstairs always bumping into someone …
The lil cul De sack by the toilets to get to the seats by the north bank
But will you ever forget seeing thebpich after walking up the dozen steps….
Wonderful image .
Another day and not a single signing made. It feels like 2015 again.
I want a CB that’s only a CB not one who can play RB or DM ….
FFS
Happy days RSPCA, I don’t mind admitting that I shed a tear on the last game at Highbury. Didn’t shed a tear for the toilets, although they did make your eyes water at times!
Emiratestroller
Absolutely agree. Our best hope of ridding ourselves of Stan is Arsenal financial losses.
Listening, season-ticket holders?
Anybody know what Tierney’s fitness is like. I read somewhere that he’d had a (double?) hernia operation post end of season.
Would he be fit for the start of the season if we signed him?
@Knoxville : when is the next season of Jackass ??
Englandsbest…..season ticket renewals are for the most part, done and dusted. Admittedly I don’t know if the renewals department are having to ring around…..
England best season tickets were renewed already and anyone that did not renew quickly lost their seat for everyone who does not renew 50 are waiting in line for that seat
https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11670/11749512/arsenal-need-two-centre-backs-immediately-says-charlie-nicholas
(lol ?)
The only way to do it is buy them and not show up to games to kill match day revenue
Bob
On the website they want club people n boxes to sell and were advertising them couple weeks back.
Be interesting to know what or if there is a long waiting list for season tickets now.
CG please don’t say we need David Design the guy is in his late 70s and retired for s long time it’s not the late 90s anymore
Some people really have no clue at all
@ Bob N16 ————– Ignore CG’s comments about Tierney as Crock Jock. He’s played 179 games in 4 years. He ruptured a cruciate ligament in 16/17, which obviously wasn’t great. However, the following season (17/18) by January he’d played more minutes than any other top flight outfield player in Europe… so clearly it was a full recovery. The hernia surgery has been on the cards for a while, but it was put off until the end of the season as Celtic hoped he’d make the Scottish Cup final. He was still in training even with the injury. The SPL is… Read more »
RSPCA, Certainly the ridiculously expensive exec boxes are going to be a tough sell right now. I know a few years ago after the initial excitement/ commitment for the new stadium boxes reduced, the sales team had to start offering the boxes on a match by match basis. More work for the sales team but financially worked out as they could charge a higher rate on a one off basis. With Thursday European games, its’s a much harder sell at reduced rates. Am sure bog standard ST are pretty much taken up though. So when Legrovers say it’s up to… Read more »
If Mustafi, Xhaka, Elneny are on the pitch next August, I will seriously thinking about stop supporting the team for a while.
(For Ozil, it’s a bit different, but I hope Emery will have the balls to bench him, and I also hope that the fans will have the balls to boo him every time he touch the ball.)
Thanks Biggles for the info. Still wondering when he may be fit.
I never read CG’s posts, so unaware he mentioned him. Life’s too short to read a troll’s shite.. Giving him a name check goes against my instincts too!
Anyone who feels that David Dein should come back to the club, doesn’t have their head screwed on properly.
What am I saying?
Sorry CG.
HighburyL,
I’m not having a go but I can’t stop supporting Arsenal. My support is not like a tap!
Reliable Graham, feeding the troll!
Wonderful day for cricket.
West Indies v India @ Old Trafford.
I hope that we will be in real trouble next season (yes I know what you’re thinking = “OH MY GOD HE’S NOT A TRUE GOONER!!”) because it’s probably the only chance to see real changes at the club.
BobN16
Why take thinks so seriously?
Feeding the cat, feeding the dog, “feeding the troll”………..
What’s the difference?
No doubt you’re looking forward to BJ’s reign.
Bob I would take the punt on tiernay .. also on salivab.
Maybe use mustafi in any deal we buy like to buy.
Also like Nelson n saka given a run out this year
Apparently Ornstein has said that Arsenal have tried to sell Mustafi in almost every transfer window since we bought him.
Er didn’t we have a bid from Inter a couple of seasons ago?
Really think football journalists just make shit up as they go along. Make a thousand predictions and then lord it up on the one that happens.
Rumours today about Lukaku to Inter now being a couple year loan with purchase afterwards.
Shows we’re not the only ones struggling to move on players.
I’m curious about what percentage ornstein has actually got right over the years
I don’t track so don’t know, but generating clicks is more valuable to a journalist than being right. I’d be frankly shocked if he doesn’t supplement rare pieces of actual insight with mostly made up nonsense, as that’s what all the journalists do
China
It’s the only job in the world where being constantly wrong is actually a benefit.
Mustafi is a player so bad we should sell him twice. Thrice if they’ll let us!
“Mustafi is a player so bad we should sell him twice”
I’d be ecstatic with once.
Well Marc there are no prizes for having the best intel or getting the most right
But there are rewards for generating the most traffic
Summer sports journalism consists 90% of picking clubs at random, then generating random players to link them to.
The remaining 10% consists of seeing what other rags and shitty sites are saying and copying them
The result is each club is apparently in for 50-70 players a year despite purchasing all of 3 in any given summer
I’d be ecstatic with let him go for free.
What happened to the double bids for Praet and Andersen??
Lots of nonsense written around this time and some actually base their criticisms off said nonsense
“The ship of dreams…”
AFC = the Titanic.
Receding
Precisely the reason I won’t lose my shit until something is confirmed.
You get people having complete meltdowns over things that are never going happen – I can’t be bothered to waste the energy on it anymore.
“having complete meltdowns over things that are never going happen”
That’s what we call the “We almost signed” syndrome.
Highbury
I get it’s frustrating but the way some over react makes you wonder how they cope with real life.
Biggles Re: Tierney Injury History If you dont think a double hernia is not a cause for concern for such a young player – I am afraid you would be mistaken. Ask yourself in the age of full backs being the most important players on the pitch- why are no other top clubs in for Tierney? Is its lack of ability or is his fitness concerns…. that is putting other clubs off? When you buy a player with such a chequered injury history……. it never never ever works….. Add into the mix- he is now playing in a football 100… Read more »
RSPCA, would be happy with Saka and Nelson( as well as Willock, Nketiah and EMR) to be given game time. Saliba sounds good and we definitely need a dynamic FB like Tierney so we can play 4 at the back at times. Graham, you accuse me of not finding you funny (or as you put it being ‘over serious’). I won’t come back too hard but could you not be accused of taking the old manager very, very, very seriously? The evidence would suggest that from the number of times you repeat unapologetically, the same message over and over again,… Read more »
My family have been season ticket holders for three generations at Arsenal since the Second World War so it is obviously difficult for us to surrender our seats. However, there are many season ticket holders who adopt a less emotional and more pragmatic approach to their seats than us and there will come a time when the club discovers that demand for seats falls unless they show more ambition and investment in the team Arsenal have been fortunate in my view in securing the Adidas Sponsorship deal in view of their recent track record. Their saving grace is probably their… Read more »
What happened to the double bids for Praet and Andersen??
That’s actually true. We were literally just a couple million from their valuation and then the stories just stopped. Probably bullshit. I’m still sticking to my prediction that one of Konate or Upamecano is going to be signed.
So everyone needs to cross their fingers and toes today cause it might benefit us tremendously if France get knocked out by Spain in the under 21’s and if Paraguay beat Brazil in the Copa.
“I don’t track so don’t know, but generating clicks is more valuable to a journalist than being right. I’d be frankly shocked if he doesn’t supplement rare pieces of actual insight with mostly made up nonsense, as that’s what all the journalists do.” Totally wrong – 100%, comprehensively and wholeheartedly incorrect. BBC journalists like Ornstein are only permitted to report when the story is supported by at least two sources. If Ornstein reported gossip, the Beeb would be like NewsNow. If Ornstein is reporting something it is because it stacks up – whether you like what he is saying or… Read more »
Good points ES, It’s not just about how wealthy new owners are though , is it? Let’s face it, Kroenke’s not exactly down to his last billion. I think we will see more and more ST holders trying to sell a number of matches back into the system. Last season a good mate of mine, through being away a lot, put in quite a few of tickets back into the system. For popular games he was able to sell them but for a few there were no takers. I think this is probably happening more and more as the gaps… Read more »
If we buy Tierny for £20 million- it will absolute and utter folly…when we have in my opinion- a fitter ,certainly more robust left back in Sead.
(Just compare them physically visually .)”
Oh dear!
Afternoon,
Out of interest it would be interesting seeing who we were linked with this time last year, and who we actual bought, and when.
The links to pepe at lille, and the two sampdoria dudes have gone quiet.
I see the bindippers have bought a 17 year old centreback van den berg. Broke in the papers two days ago they just unveiled him at the training ground, that’s how you do business, quick and quiet.
Good post, ES.
The reality is that Arsenal stand at the cross-roads and in urgent need of investment. Other big clubs like Chelsea, Spuds, etc have major issues and a shrewd owner would see this is as a highly opportune moment to invest and carry the club to the next level.
We have the potential but I doubt we have the ambition.
Ornstein doesn’t actually comment on general gossip much and usually is quite diplomatic in some of the things he says and he’s better than most but I still don’t think he knows exactly what’s going on. He still says stuff like reportedly the budget is 45 million he has said that if we got champions league it’d be around 100 million. Seems guesswork at times. Also you have to remember that back in the day there was a summer when he had said that we have no money left and then we literally bid 90 million euros or whatever it… Read more »
I’m super deflated hearing that we’ve tried to sell Mustafi at nearly every window since buying him and have had zero takers according to Ornstein.
I think we gotta come to terms with that German clown being with us till contract expiry in 2021.
Throw Xhaka in that bucket too.
We’re fucked.
Yeah I don’t think I believe that about Mustafi either. One year in we had a bid or a loan from Inter for him and he wanted to go only for Wenger to say no. He probably was looking at saving some face after spending 90 million so poorly and couldn’t let both him and Lucas Perez leave.
Mustafi is a perfectly good squad player , he can play at full back ,in a back 3 and a back 4 so if we can’t sell him it’s not the end of the world.
Of course , he shouldn’t be in the first eleven but as a utility player / defender he is adequate…
he is good enough for Europa and league cup ties …put him alongside a few young defenders and they could definitely learn a few things from him ….
Like how not to defend.
I renember that 92mill for Lemar bid
LMFAO
That one came out of nowhere 😂😂😂😂
The Lemar bid told us all we needed to know about Wenger and his state of mind in his last two seasons , he was always in self preservation mode, afraid of what lies outside football management