I feel like this summer, more than many that have passed before, is feeling like one of the worst.
14 years of neglect have hit us very hard.
We have regressed.
Our nearest rivals have progressed.
If we were looking at a graph, it’d be the saddest graph in the world.
5 years ago, Spurs and Liverpool were behind us in the league. Now they are Champions League finalists with monster transfer budgets. Both clubs invested in elite coaches with big ideas. Both clubs are now attracting the very best in the game. At the same time, Arsenal fans were purring at the idea of Wenger being given big money to spend.
£350m later… we’ve managed to make things worse.
Arsenal didn’t make hay while the sun was shining.
Many people are complaining that Spurs are spending after a stadium move. That’s because their frugal strategy of prioritising youth, smart buy and great coaching is reaping bigly in Europe. They had a coach that took them to the Champions League final after spending zero pounds last summer.
Arsenal’s issue, for all the bluster, is that we were never really that future-facing.
We hoarded Champions League money when elite players were adding 50%+ year on year. Remember when we baulked at £32m for Higuain? Remember when we fucked up Suarez? There are so many times we didn’t pull the trigger because leadership at Arsenal hid under the comfort blanket of Wenger’s perceived view of value.
Arsenal didn’t recognize the clear patterns that were emerging in football.
They didn’t preempt what the uplift in TV money would mean for agent expectations with contracts. Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil and Alexis would still be at Arsenal on £180k a week if we’d given them proper money when most major clubs were bumping salaries. At the very worst, we’d have sold them. We waited until it was too late and lost two for fuck all and had to keep the third on outrageous cash because of Ivan’s ego.
We never paid a premium when it made sense.
We didn’t take chances.
We didn’t refresh our talent, ideas or thinking.
We invested too much in players that were good for a culture of meekness. Too little in players that could have taken us to the next level.
Now we’re in a situation where we’re in danger of being gazumped by Spurs for Saliba, we’re being hardballed by Celtic with Tierney, and we’re seriously contemplating selling Auba to fund a move for a 27 year old winger who scored 15 goals last year.
Edu is having a week off after the Copa America according to Ornstein.
What a mess.
Still, Adidas is our kit sponsor, so who cares?
Thoughts on the leaked advert (someone in deep shit over that mishap):
This is a great spot.
I love the humour. The respect for the local area and the texture. I like the mix of old and new. I love that Wrighty is in it. I like that Adidas are massaging our egos pretending that we still run North London.
There’s a lot of hope in there.
It’s so great to have a proper sportswear brand backing us.
Mustafi is going to look about x4 better sliding into the back of Harry Kane next season.
Bring it on. Being shit with good clobber. Bit like me playing in goal with silver mercurials back in the day.
‘All the gear, no idea’ my friends teammates used to say to me.
See you in the comments. x
Remember when we had a team that finished runners up in the prem and reached 4 cup finals in 5 seasons ( winning 3) ……..and the wenger obsessives were not happy. Remember when we had a team consisting of Sanchez, Cazorla and Ozil who hammered Villa 4-0 in the cup final with a superb exhibition of football …..and the wenger obsessives were not happy. Remember when we had a team consisting of RVP, Adebuyor, Fabregas, Cliche Nasri ,Hleb who played some of the most exciting football witnessed by Arsenal supporters ever …..and the Wenger obsessives were not happy . The… Read more »
Lmao What has Wilshere done at West ham if not publish a documentary so he’s not written off.
What has Walcott done?
Heck even Liverpools coach improved The Ox before he got injured.
Looking at some of the comments and rightly pointing out our lack of wingers, maybe a 5-3-2 with wing backs is our best option. Auba & Laca are both potent goal threats so should start in my reckoning. Tierney is strong going forward, would suit Bellerin when he is back. Signing Meunier would makes sense and he can play as part of the back 3 when Bellerin returns. I still think Dunk from Brighton would do very well at a big club, maybe not our level but 6’4 reasonably quick, reads the game well and chips in with goals. Saliba… Read more »
Pierre Hate to burst your bubble ” RVP, Adebuyor, Fabregas, Cliche Nasri ,Hleb ” all of those players left years ago – who did Wenger replace them with? You’re so quick to criticise Emery who’s been with the club one season and had £70 million to spend (the players brought in weren’t his choice) Wenger spent £70 million on Xhaka and Mustafi. It was Wenger who stopped the sale of Sanchez for £60 million the summer before he left – no we’re stuck with Mikki. How you can be so critical of the current regime when 99.9% of the problems… Read more »
I don’t want to see 3 at the back anymore. I get what people might be saying about necessity, but this is where the board needs to back the manager and the club. There’s a reason hardly anyone plays 2 up front anymore and I don’t actually think Lacazette and Aubameyang are suited to it at Arsenal and I don’t actually think they compliment each other that well despite the club’s PR. Not to mention the fact we’re not equipped to play it properly squad wise. Emery has been a lifelong 4-2-3-1 manager, to the point Pedro was lamenting its… Read more »
Lmao that post Pierre. I almost threw up some sick. How long have you been holding that in ?
Totally agree with Pierre’s sentiments. (Accurate, Accurate and accurate.) The simple fact is- post Wenger – we have people in charge at the club in vital positions that are frankly hopeless. from Raul to Vinny to Emery to Edu.( I smell Bull***t) All of them have not got a scintilla of a thought on how to run a major football club None of them even have a plan, an objective, a target, a strategy or a vision. Its all about Self Preservation and keeping their highly numerated jobs as long as they can before are Rumbled…..(think Louis XVI entourage and… Read more »
Marc
“Hate to burst your bubble ” RVP, Adebuyor, Fabregas, Cliche Nasri ,Hleb ” all of those players left years ago – who did Wenger replace them with?”
Sanchez, Ozil, Wilshire ,Ramsey, Ox and Cazorla.
The question you should be asking is, who is going to replace these players ..
We still have very good offensive players at the club in Aubamayang, Lacazette, Ozil and Mhkitaryan but there is a good chance that they will be shown the door anytime soon and then we will find out what type of players , team and football we will soon be watching..
Pierre -tread carefully- the AFC Delinquents and AFC Deplorables can not handle The Truth.
(It eats away their insides – like hungry tapeworm)
all those fabulous players we witnessed.
all those great team goals we watched
all those trophies we won and nearly won!
get used to football from The Dark Ages now
Tick Tock and put your Ear muffs on!
“…How you can be so critical of the current regime when 99.9% of the problems we have were inherited by them I really don’t know.” Well said. Can’t be more true… At this rate (and way) in the TW, we are screwed next and many more seasons. Worse of all, not able to sell the many dross (6 to 7 min) and rebuild from there. We all heard how Afc staff more than doubled in numbers during Wenger’s later era. I seriously think the rot is so deep and pervasive Afc is ‘totalled’ like a car crash. Fuck the club… Read more »
Pierre
Oh dear – Wilshere was unfortunately a crock, a real shame. The Ox massively injury prone and sold 2 years ago. Ramsey should’ve been sold 2 years ago, Sanchez could’ve and should’ve been sold. Ozil worlds highest paid wet blanket.
The Santi injury / problem was really bad luck and I feel for the player. The contribution of the others is questionable as is the state of the squad that Wenger left behind.
It’s understatement Sunday if anyone is wondering!
Cesc what would you go for next season system wise?
If one up top, who do you start? Or Auba on the flank of a 4-3-3?
Lol Pierre there’s really no helping you is there
There’s so much wrong with your comment but I think even you know deep down facts and reasoning have no place in your sob story as you cry logically bankrupt tears into your ozil mug.
Pierre you’ve literally some absolute corkers in there
‘Who could replace clichy, nasri, hleb, adebayor rvp and cesc?’
Chamakh mate. Chamakh was the next best option in world football for us up front. Thankfully we got him. The rest was history
Pierre we spent how many millions on diaby’s wages and treatment over the decade he was with us?
Actually sit down and think about it?
I hope you never run your own business because your comprehension of value for money is effectively non existent
I really dislike 5 at the back
Or 3 at the back with wing back
I’m old school about liking ‘proper’ wingers but we will have a shit squad next season and emery will have to do whatever he has to do to get by with it
Toli My personal preference is 4-3-3. I think that achieves everything we want in terms of a high tempo pressing middle and also the ability to control a game from midfield whilst also giving us width and a press up front. I think it is the cheapest way to achieve what we want as well. Physical, mobile, tenacious central midfield 3 and then have your flair and attack in your front 3. I would only play one of Lacazette or Aubameyang as well. Which is why I would sell one to fund transfers. It is totally dependent on transfers though.… Read more »
The more the good folk on here hark on about Wengers inadequacies – the more the New Regime are exposed for their impotence and incompetence.
They have had a year and longer to rectify them or improve upon the players weaknesses.
They have had a year to sell you their ‘vision’ of the future.
They Have not.
They Can not.
They Will not.
But Le grove Breaking news – looks like ‘Torn Knee’ is arriving from Glasgow Celtic!
Cesc Apple
This current “shit squad that’s good for nothing” could and should have finished 3rd in the league , making them the 3 rd best team in the country and possibly Europe considering both European finals consisted of English sides that didn’t even win the English premier league.
This tells me that the squad is not shit but was very badly managed towards the end of the season when we had the easiest run in and the manager cocked it up.
Cesc A “”””This current squad of shit is good for nothing, it can’t press, it can’t be a possession side, it can’t be a defending side, it can’t be a counter side etc. It can’t play with 3 at the back, with 4 at the back, with 2 in midfield, with 3 in midfield with 1 up top, with 2 up top etc. It has no width, it has no mobility, it has no work rate, no tenacity and no physicality.””””” BUT IT WAS THIRD WITH 6 GAMES TO GO! AND SMASHED THE SECOND BEST TEAM IN ITALY IN THE… Read more »
China1
“Pierre we spent how many millions on diaby’s wages and treatment over the decade he was with us? Think about it”
We also spent millions on van persies wages whilst he was injured before he actually came good , so sometimes being patient with a player works and sometimes it doesn’t…… Nobody really knows the outcome do they.
Cesc, Agree with you to a degree. There are green shoots of optism from last season. Our form in the run cost us what should have been 3rd place. It’s attitude, not talent alone that’s the problem. Spurs we took 4 points off but should have won both, other games like United away we’ve not took the 3 points due to individual areas . We got to a Euro final as well. I’ve said to you before (which we agree on) – we have no width which is the burning issue. New full backs and wingers are the priority if… Read more »
Toli ‘Our form in the run cost us what should have been 3rd place. It’s attitude, not talent alone that’s the problem’ I’m not sure. Attitude is a problem for sure, we have some talent but we have no balance…I think that is my main point. There is no balance in this side and a lot of the players who some will say have talent are very lopsided in their talent. Xhaka for example without doubt has talent, but it’s painfully lopsided. I just want to see balance added to this team and this ridiculous wage bill cut. You can’t… Read more »
Add Pierre to the list of posters people really need to ignore like CG. Literally out of the blue he started and people people got sucked in. It’s so obvious what he does sad really considering both their ages
Marko, It doesn’t matter except for my sanity but j stopped reading Pierre and CGs post a long time ago. I didn’t seriously think people will still read them.
Ishola, as for Tierney, I saw 3 days back that a few had been agreed. Just add-ons and complexity of the payment. Seemed my sauce came correct. Tierney is almost done.
Tierney looks on. It’s all taking an age though. Trying to stretch a relegation type budget to our needs is seemingly a struggle
Very good signing.
Certainly a necessity.
Now the question is will the other necessary signings be made. I still make out about 4-6 new players to the starting 11 are needed.
People should just ignore Pierre and CG.
they’ve lived in denial for years and still dwell in it. Arsenal’s history cannot be written without Wenger’s imprint whether good or bad.
Yes, he did great no doubt but so was he a catastrophe and a plague that will take time to get rid of.
To blame this regime for our failings might be a bit over board but they can’t be declined from any wrong.
Emery did all he could last season but I feel complacency and tactical naivety took the better part of him.
For the life of me- I can not see how Tierney will pass his medical. (He is recuperating from a double hernia and knee injuries!) if he sails through – we must have the Stevie Wonder equivalent of doing them. I hope Raul has structured a deal that relates to the number of games he plays for us. Not fit! Not fit for purpose in the ferocious Prem! We must learn our lessons from the past with these Crock players One other thing to note: This Tierney story has been public for a fortnight. Why have we not been Gazumped… Read more »
Well if it is a done deal (or there abouts) for the fee that’s being quoted then I think we’ve seen what Sanllehi is about. In an ideal world a quick deal that’s done before anyone knows what’s going on is great but sometimes it just doesn’t work like that and being able to grind out a deal for a reasonable fee is precisely what we need, a little bit of the dark arts to get the player to put pressure on as well.
With such a limited budget being able to do this type of thing will be critical.
Marc with a c
You talking about Tierney .?
Does 5hat look over the line now…
Cg
You speak sense there….
No one else interested…
CA
“””Very good signing.””””
What an injury prone and unproven player at the highest level joining for £20 000 000?
Thank gawd – you are not chief scout!
I guarantee – he will have surgery and be back under the knife by 2020- ( after manic Christmas schedule ) due to the demands of our league.
Ah cg
You then talk crap
Emery ain’t the problem…
U nearly sucked me in the,.
https://www.marca.com/en/football/spanish-football/2019/06/29/5d17aa04268e3ecb4f8b458d.html
A new club for Val to support. That last paragraph is hilarious
Who was the poster suggesting that we resign Cashley Cole?
I enjoyed that bit of commentary, good thing the internet never forgets.
“We still have very good offensive players at the club in Aubamayang, Lacazette, Ozil and Mhkitaryan”
Yup, the last two are so good we couldn’t give them away to a tribe of starving cannibals.
Dissenter that was Val though specifically he talked about signing Ashley Cole if we couldn’t get Tierney. Which doesn’t make it sound better
“due to the demands of our league.”
The SPL & EPL play exactly the same number of fixtures – 38. Both AFC & Celtic have European commitments and both play a FA/SFA and League Cup. Only AFC have a bigger squad and rotate more often. Oh, and the SPL is far more ‘agricultural’, the refs far more lenient, and the pitches far worse than in the EPL. So basically that’s bollocks.
https://www.givemesport.com/1486632-arsenal-fans-twitter-thread-suggests-mesut-ozil-should-never-be-put-below-david-silva?autoplay=on
Like I said yesterday there’s just too many stupid people supporting Arsenal these days. Still a nice change of pace from the Ozil Erikson debate. I give you Ozil David Silva
“I still make out about 4-6 new players to the starting 11 are needed.”
Good to dream… Pedro not posting anything new, hes on vacation, just like our board.
Rip Afc.
(But in a beautiful kit, indeed)
andy
“Yup, the last two are so good we couldn’t give them away to a tribe of starving cannibals.”
So that’s what the magic sauce we’re missing is for!
Even a cannibal would refuse to eat Ozil.
Ha! The world’s most expensive BBQ!
Who’d even eat Ozil. Look at him. He looks how he plays these days
andy
I dunno it’d save us a fucking fortune.
Pierre
Re: 09:30 post “Wenger obsessives”
Are you sure you’re alright?
Did you have a tough day on the golf course?
Can’t sell our dross I wonder why?
Graham
It’ll be interesting to see where he goes next – Ozil will be gone maybe next summer certainly the summer after. What Wenger players will be left at that point? Maybe Bellerin but Mustafi and Xhaka should be gone as well. There won’t be any Wenger stalwarts left for him to latch onto.
100 Million for Zaha.
You can’t make it up.
Would be the worst business
anyone club does.
The sun is shining, England going well vs India, and, as of tomorrow, there will be no costs from Arsenal associated to A. Wenger for the first time in over two decades.
Could be worse.
And the “SHIT SHOW” that is Arsenal moves on another worthless week. Can you feel the urgency? I really hope we wait for the last minute of the transfer window then scramble for shit players and bad deals. I fucking love that!!!! Imagine a club where our new players come in for preseason travel to get embedded into the club for the start of the season. IMAGINE a club that has their shit together again……………. Cant even do a kit rollout anymore……….
The Royal Arse
“””” Can you feel the urgency?””””
What do you mean?
Edu is getting packed this week…………
Visa and passport in his drawer ( I hope)
Suitcases empty on the bed in the spare room as we speak.
Bubble wrap and packing tape purchased
By the time he has got over his jet lag- all out transfer dealings will have been done.
Arsenal 2019- do transfers via Whats App Group!
Bloody Farcical!
(About as UNURGENT as you can get)
Kroenkes have to go after this summer of Discontent!
Enough is Enough!
Er
New post
“all those trophies we won and nearly won!” This comment.. my goodness where to begin. Ok so the last 8 years of wenger is the time frame around which alot of us wanted him out. Justifiably so. We wanted him out, still feel as though we’d want him out and just like josh kronke, We’re glad he’s out. Now these “trophies won” during those 8 years, fa cups. So we should be regretful because we used to be a mickey mouse cup team? You conveniently ignore the 6-0, 6-1 5-1 bayern twice 10-2 and all the other embarrassing sackable results?… Read more »