Well, we are sailing down choppy waters on the Straits of Panic.
Aulas has told RMC that Lyon have cancelled all negotiations for their players. PSG pulled out of the Aouar deal. It doesn’t look particularly handsome on the face of it.
Thomas Partey has been playing for Atleti dropping promising performances. That seems very dead.
Outside that, there aren’t really many hot rumours. We’re all out here warming up for Jorginho, which would clearly be an improvement on our current midfield, but it’d certainly be a bit of a flaccid way to end the summer. It’d be like one of those sexy videos your builder mates send you that starts on a beach with all the babes but then cuts sharply to a dog taking a poo.
I don’t need that dog in my life right now. I need beach boys that look like athletes that can role as a #8 role or a #6.
There’s no point in spewing your guts about anything just yet and there are some things to remember.
- The problem we have is a lack of money. We’ve spent badly over the years. Last summer, we not only spent badly, we also borrowed from this summer in a gamble for Champions League that failed. We are skint.
- It is hard to operate at the level we need to operate at when you don’t have a lot of money. It seems like Arsenal just want game-changers. Aouar and Partey are those two players. We seem to be running it up to the line in the hope that we have a selling spree.
- We haven’t sold the players we thought would fetch money. No one wanted to buy Torreira. Sokratis, Mustafi, Cal Chambers, Reiss Nelson, Guendouzi and Lacazette have all failed to attract suitable bids. I don’t think the club thought that was going to be as much of an issue as it was.
- The COVID nightmare got worse, not better. We’re now in a situation where the world is spiking in cases and most authorities are shutting down the game. That changed the numbers for lots of clubs (all) and I think some of the lighter traffic we’re seeing in the last week is the uncertainty.
You know I have deep reservations about Edu, but I don’t think we can pin too much blame on him for how this is panning out so far.
Also, it’s not over until Jim White sings.
My main criticism, if things go to shit, is that there doesn’t seem to be a back-up plan. I’m not sure I can buy into the idea that there are literally only two players that can improve our playing style. We’re not 2002 Arsenal needing a special cherry to go on the tastiest cake ever baked. We’re a team that can’t create chances from a midfield that lacks any sort of power.
Clubs all around Europe have been making good signings with players that have high ceilings. Sangare went to PSV for £9m, Sourmare is attracting bids from Italy as two examples of talented players in the Thomas Partey shape. I would love a Champions League creator, but if we can’t afford one, there are plenty of attractive players that could do a great job for us in the interim. Though I am a bit worried Oscar and Jorginho is as creative as we’re getting. Hopefully just agent talk.
It’s not over yet, so there’s still time to be shocked, so let’s save an explosion and look forward to a good game tomorrow against Sheffield United. An absolute MUST WIN.
See you in the comments.
Arteta is not a “demi god”, but he doing a decent job in very difficult circumstances without the financial resources which you would expect from a team aspiring to qualify for a top 4 place in EPL and qualify for Champions League. Last week I pointed out that 10 clubs in EPL and 25 overall in Europe had spent more money in this transfer window than Arsenal. By the end of this window that situation could be even worse if no further players are recruited. So the idea that a guy is already rated by some who post on here… Read more »
I would be feeling better if Guendouzi was back in the fold at the 6 position. In no way Elneny should be come a starter there because of our lack of options. An attacking Midfielder is an absolute priority for me though. We need someone. Even if that someone isn’t Aouar. I like buendia because he thrived in a relegation team creatively, He would have assisted more if it wasn’t pukki infront of him and he is premier league tested. He was in the top 10 for chances created last season along with Willian. As of now we are marginally… Read more »
what was emery crime ah ah i forgot, he broke professional footballer to pieces to extent they dont know how to kick a ball around
I think everyone can agree that this transfer window has been shite at best. Only the very optimistic thought we would be getting Partey & Aouar but everyone else believed we would at least end up with one of them. The reasons we have not landed one is down to some very strange decisions… 1. Mari WTF are we doing signing this guy given it was also our plan to sign Gabriel. As others have mentioned the hoarding of CB’s is getting out of hand. We can nearly field a whole team of them now or maybe that’s the intention!… Read more »
If we give Torreira on loan to AM and don’t manage to get our hands on Partey, there’s going to be an awful lot of pissed off Arsenal fans.
Torreira may not be a natural Prem player but he’s different enough to be worth keeping around.
Rome was never going to be built in a day but we haven’t done great business this window as it stands. And even worse, the business we have done has been pretty bog standard. Even more so if we are in for Jorginho.
One more day and we can write our final analyses.
Unless someone dines with the trio, Vinai, Edu and Arteta, we’d only rely upon the media for info, judge what /who to believe and join the dots. No point fighting amongst ourselves. Simply put, as it is, it’s fans vs club.
Fans /supporters are stakeholders and this TW irks very poor stakeholder (+expectation) management.
Prima facie, to-date, Arteta is as ‘guilty’ as the others again based on what’s reported. But then, I get ahead of myself. Should wait another 24h or so …
Still, looks bad. Very bad.
Will be glad when the window shuts ,it holds no interest for me.. On the pitch is what matters as far as I’m concerned, and I think our season could go one way or the other.. Whether by luck or design , Arteta needs to find a way of improving our creativity with the players at his disposal.. This would mean taking risks with his team selections, tactics and the system he plays.. At the moment he hasn’t found that magic formula that will turn us into an attacking force to be feared. Maybe he should try some different to… Read more »
It’s weird how an Arsenal squad – an ARSENAL squad – has been drained of all creativity within three seasons.
There is not a single creative, technical player in the squad when we used to have five or six on the regular.
It’s literally baby and bath water what has happened at the club. Could be a better illustration.
Couldn’t
Jorginho is a big no no. We need someone to drive us forward from midfield & or provide creativity not another crab going sideways…
Pierre As you have mentioned in the past (think it was you, apologies if not), Saka has been very creative when he has operated in the left and left central positions of the attacking third. If we make no signings before the end of the day tomorrow I would be all up for seeing what you suggest, Saka on the left and Aubameyang central. The style of play Arteta has used for the big games I feel can still be trusted, despite Liverpool beating us in the league, but we have to do something to become more dominant over the… Read more »
After the window. I hope arteta sits down with guen and they talk this out because if handled properly we could have a 30m french youngster on our hands. Someone we can flog next summer. Guen has always been professional on the pitch. He will bring added depth to our midfield.
Still boggled that a club of this stature has no back up plan. It was get aruar and partey. No thought to the repercussion if we failed in the attempt.
Arsenal are a shameless club, why is the no money available? why not be clear from the beginning?
Drop willock and Nelson and bring back ozil, arteta is a stubborn little bastard.
Spurs have built a new stadium which has been empty for best part of a year still spending money on new signings let alone having to sell their best players to cover costs, usmanov splashing the cash at everton, wolves spending nevermind city Liverpool and Chelsea. club is a joke we’re making fucking redundancies ffs we’ve got a squad full of frauds we can’t even give away literally can’t give away what a joke I could go on and on and on with reasons why we are a joke kroenke being the biggest example yes i get the self-sustaining model… Read more »
Chris I’m just thinking that he has to try something different and it may click . Tierney and Saka on the left sounds good to me. I’m not really against Aubameyang playing on the left as he has been prolific there but Saka is almost up there with Debruyne in his delivery into the box , plus Tierney is a quality crosses of the ball , but we rarely see either Saka or Tierney in a crossing position these days.. Playing Pepe on the left as against Liverpool is not really playing to Pepe’s strengths is it . Play him… Read more »
Random thoughts: – We’re not getting Jorginho. Like others said he’s a deep lying playmaker like Xhaka. No coach has 2 of those starting except by necessity and our Tets likes his Xhaka. – Again, we should have back up options like Buendia and Soumare, but trying to do it the last day won’t work out – Torreira and Guendouzi are both better than Elneny, that’s why no major club is interested in Mo. Can Tets see that? We have reduced their combined value by about 40 M in a single year. Now that’s an achievement! – Ozil has to… Read more »
Gons
Completely agree with what you said re Guen. Had Arteta and the club managed his situation properly we could of flogged him off for at least 20 mil + which in turn would have helped us buy Aoaur.
And if he is here we need to get him back onside along with Ozil.
There is no creativity in the current squad and if we are to beat the bottom 12 teams, pragmatism alone will not work.
There is still time enough for Arteta to transform the midfield. And very likely with a couple of players we’ve hardly heard of. Indeed,they might already be signed, kept secret to allow him to pick a last-minute plum.
It could be that Aouar/Partey was a deliberate diversion, smoke and mirrors.
A load of departures is perhaps what Arteta means by ‘crucial’.
CT
I don’t know about ozil, ability is there, but will be apply it or be a passenger in the team. That’s a gamble I don’t want to take.
Can we try a last minute bid for someone, anyone ( goes to show we had no plan B).
Ozil has to be the most talented player in the whole squad, but arteta is has a obsession of playing willock and Eddie nikita
Assuming we don’t sign anyone in TW, I would like Arteta to change his system now and be more attacking in his approach against teams other than the top 6.
Saka —-Auba —-Willian
——–Ceballos——-
——Elneny/AMN—-Xhaka/AMN—–
Tiernney —-Luiz—-Gabriel—–Bellerin
Pierre Arteta has done things different. It’s just most fans can’t see it. Arsenal’s creativity issues were two fold last season. 1) only one runner in behind(Auba). Ideally you want two. 2) lack of quality BTL. I gave an example with ozil’s movement vs crystal palace on here, before. Arteta’s solution is get WBs make good late runs in behind so that there is another runner in behind. Coached Auba and Saka to improve their positioning BTL Arsenal’s first goal against West ham was an example of that. This is him doing things differently. As for Pepe, what is he… Read more »
No signings will bring the inevitable questions about players that Arteta says he will give a chance but in reality have been binned for breaching the non negotiables.
Have to say , I thought Cedric had a decent game in the week and is maybe knocking on the door to get a start today …doubtful though, 2 games in a week is way too much .
Of course if we sign Buendia, he plays no 10 for us and Ceballos.drops to central mid to play alongside Elneny/AMN/Xhaka – a much better proposition than Ceballas playing no 10.
Firstly we are 433 in possession anyway. Willian drifted too central against West ham. I would keep him in the right half space. Bellerin on the right flank. Nketiah instead of laca Rest the same as against West ham. Ask xhaka to switch the ball to Willian/Bellerin more. Overload the left and if we can’t break through, switch play to the right where we should get 1v1/2v2s But saka unfortunately played full 90 against Liverpool in efl cup right? So I don’t think he will start today. Sheffield United are one of the best in the world defensively so it’s… Read more »
Leftfootcurler Credit to you for at least looking at the game through different eyes. The efforts that Arteta has tried to improve us creatively haven’t worked consistently. He hasn’t changed the system, he has played Xhaka every game and he plays Aubameyang on the left every game. I said during lockdown that Saka is the conundrum for Arteta and nothing had changed. Aubameyang is occupying Saka’s best position and Arteta cannot find room for out most creative player. Half the problem is the insistence that the striker is a glorified work horse and Aubameyang will never be that. Lacazette /… Read more »
Pierre, Every manager tend to have at least one blind spot. Wenger used to have two the defensive organisation and the goalkeeper. Arteta also has two: the attack organisation and overvaluing experience to the detriment of youthful exuberance and talent. Every manager want hard worker willing to the cause, but good manager accepts that having a striker spending all his energy defending to the front to the point of exhaustion means that often they can’t be in the right place at the right time nor can they be calm and controlled enough to take their own opportunity when it arises.… Read more »
Jay, talent without application is worth fuck all. If you read just about any player autobiography they all say that there were players with more talent, but they didn’t have the desire to make it. Ozil is now in that zone, a semi-retired footballer who doesn’t give a crap about playing.
As Kris said earlier if non-home grown players are a problem why sign the Icelandic ‘keeper? He only joined recently when we already knew that we were struggling to get rid of players. Even when we signed Cedric and Mari we would have known that this would become an issue.
Valentin Lacazette made the best play this season from an Arsenal player in terms of sheer work rate in the league game at Liverpool. It was when he missed a good chance but he was called offside. His first chance after the goal. Even if he was offside he should have done better with the shot. Why it was impressive from such a work rate point of view is that he ran back to defend in front of his own penalty area. He stripped and won the ball from a Liverpool attacking player in front of his own area. He… Read more »
Andy
arsenal don’t have time to pick and choose, play ozil, or keep picking Joe willock
Jay, why play Ozil exactly? You seem to be thinking that he’s the same player he was three or four years ago. Last season he posted one goal, two assists, and one big chance created (official PL stats). On that basis he isn’t worth his place in the team.
Andy
okay stick with Joe willock
I would rather have Gunnersaurus as no 10 than bringing back ozil
I agree though Arteta has to change formation and selection to improve the football
If we end up with insufficient money to structure ONE deal to get Aouar or Partey, Edu / Vinai / Arteta better not fucking waste it on Jorginho. My team would have done better in managing Arsenal and we’d write a more robust report for the board. It’s bloody embarrassing these trio. I am quite sure it’s not the board or SS until it’s last minutes. All the time since May when the talks and courting etc started, it’d have been these guys. May be Raul the snake Mk II involved earlier too. Let’s not say we needed Raul to… Read more »
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