BACK TO BORING + MOVERS AND SHAKERS

by .

Arsenal winning games makes life better. It’s as simple as that. In a complicated and stressful world, football is the antidote. Mikel Arteta has not made life easy over the past year, but it’s clear, if things get better over the next two months, fans will get back on side… because it’s hard to be angry when your team is winning games with style.

That won’t happen this weekend.

We’re probably going to get pasted.

BUT, I would like to see a concerted effort to show up and play some pragmatic football.

The Chelsea game was naive, probably on purpose. I don’t want to see that against City. The moron brigade demanding we go up North and put on a show are painfully deluded about where we are with this project. I want to see a shithousing. 3 at the back, everyone dying for the cause… Auba with a 78th-minute chance that could decide the game. This squad can defend, we’ve seen it against good teams, I’d like to see a boring starting 11 with a street-fighting attitude.

That might involve a really boring performance from Mo Elneny in midfield, but if it’s what we need to get the job done, let’s have it. It certainly can’t involved Kola as centre back or any other galaxy brain move.

The WBA outing might have been against meek opposition, but it was with our first team, and it was beyond a conventional win. If you are a striker, you don’t say after a hat-trick, ‘well, that didn’t feel great because it was against kids’, confidence doesn’t work like that. All the players will be feeling like some ideas clicked that they can take into the next game.

Auba has the confidence that he can score with limited chances, but more importantly, he will feel confident that if he makes a run, there are players in the starting 11 that can find them with accurate balls over the top.

Everyone is going to feel a little sexier having Odegaard in the starting 11, because he will make that tough first time pass someone like Granit will shy away from.

Saka looked on fire in the week, that’ll give him confidence he can make something happen.

I don’t need to see an evolution of style in a game we have almost zero chance of winning. I want to see spoiler tactics and ruthless discipline.

The transfer deadline is fast approaching, here’s what we ‘think’ we know:

  • Torreira will move to Fiorentina for the season and get games
  • Eddie will move out of the club, probably to Palace for £11m
  • Kola will have his deal terminated and likely head to Besiktas
  • Willian has scrubbed his feeds of the Arsenal name, Corinthians looks a real possibility
  • Reiss will have to find a club, he cannot possibly think it wise to spend another season rotting away
  • I’m not sure what the deal is on Ainsley, I’d love him to stay, but only if he’s considered a serious squad player
  • There’s talk Lacazette will be exited, but I’m not sure about this. We are SO late in the window. Lacazette moving only works if there’s a deal coming the other way.

There’s talk of Jovic moving if Mbappe goes to Madrid.

There’s talk of Calvert Lewin, though this feels very fanciful

I’m just not sure what to make of it all.

All I know is this… I really hope Trippier ends up at United. Arsenal shelling out on a 31-year-old really doesn’t sit well with me. Trippier would basically be the Lichtsteiner move this summer. He’s a good player, way better than what we have, he’d also be the only senior defender we’d have… but it’d be expensive and our funds really should be going on a player with more long-term in the tank.

This is Arsenal though… every time we right an expensive wrong, we jump right back in and do it again.

Ok, quick one today, I’ll see you in the comments… watch my damn video or listen to the podcast.

ACAST | SPOTIFY | iHEART | ANDROID

1.4K Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Muppetman

First

Muppetman

Ronaldo is signing for us

Muppetman

Wants to play alongside Willan

Muppetman

Sees white as the future of football

Muppetman

Arteta has agreed to sign him and will see how he does at RB

Muppetman

Think Triplier is loads better than litch but not at the 30 million mentioned!!

Positive pete

Bissouma.Just get Bissouma & I will forgive almost everything.Well,almost………

Muppetman

Fish and chip Friday

Mr Serge

Ronaldo to man u

Bill

For what it’s worth, LFC mouthpiece, The Liverpool Echo denies Liverpool are sniffing around Bissouma.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/liverpool-transfers-yves-bissouma-marshall-21414205.amp

Toniboy

Think AFCON is being considered regarding Bissouma….Partey, el Neney, Bissouma would be alot to lose in January. Not seen alot of Bruno G but hear good things

Mr Serge

Can’t see us getting rid of lacca or auba we saw how blunt our attack was without them at Brentford it would be a huge mistake unless we brought in a new striker

Champagne Charlie

Pedro Season ended with us having scored 55 league goals at something like the 9th/10th best in the league. Fast forward to the end of the summer and City, Chelsea, United, have added world class ability to their forward line, Spurs have retained last years best player and added a few others, Leicester have added speculative talent through their spine to improve their issue of depth, and Liverpool have welcomed back the leagues best defender plus another very good CB.. Arsenal, by comparison, have bizarrely chosen this summer ignore all forward options and focus on our defensive depth (Ramsdale, Tavares),… Read more »

Mr Serge

CC I can’t see us getting a striker we will see a RB come in unless we can’t sell bellerin then we will roll with him again
I can feel it in my bones sadly

Up 4 grabs now

If we even think about trippier, after looking like we’re getting rid of William, the lunatics have really taken over the asylum.
Worse case scenario stick Maitland Niles at right back for the season.
And recruit next summer.

Crabregas

It would be good if we could swap out Laca for a mid twenties striker but not likely for me.

Regarding the AFCON I heard it only meant players would miss 2 league games so it’s not as big impact as it has been in the past. Would love a bissouma in there for us

Mr Serge

Up 4 grabs I agree stick Ainsley RB he is good there for the life of me I don’t know why Arteta won’t play him there
He was great when we won the cup

MidwestGun

So… it looks like all we are gonna do, to see this transfer window out, is cut bait with the deadwood. Then I think you can call this transfer window a failure. Little to no impact on the starting 11 from last April. The same squad that struggled to score goals. Only way you could call it a success is if at the end of the season Ode, Loko. White and Ramsdale are starting every match and we are doing well. Odds slim on the doing well part. I know you shouldn’t judge transfer windows for 2 seasons they say…… Read more »

Champagne Charlie

Serge

Haven’t seen any compelling RB linked though, another youngster in Aaron’s, and Trippier have been the most mentioned. Neither are moving the needle for us imo, despite a few people claiming we’re a good RB away from seeing Pepe turn into Mane.

Will be a season reliant on the development of ESR, Ode, and Saka, which for where we’ve been the last two seasons is really lowering the bar. That’s an approach I could’ve made sense of the season following Wenger, but much less so now.

China1

Saka was so good against WBA

Also that Ode assist was spectacular

Got myself a Lagavulin 8 bottle. Fantastic stuff for those who love pear and smoke galore

China1

Peat*

TR7

Our transfer business has been bad anyway but when you contrast it with what other clubs have done, it looks absolutely horrible.

United, Pool, Spurs, Leicester, Chelsea, City have all improved from last year. We have spent huge money for very marginal improvement if any. Can’t see us finishing above 7th at best and could as well finish 9th or 10th.

azed

I don’t know what the deal with AMN is, but I’ll play him at RB before I play the Cedric or Bellerin.

Guns of SF

White> Ronaldo

Guns of SF

Shocking we have not grabbed Aouar. This is just getting too weird man

salparadisenyc

“Season ended with us having scored 55 league goals at something like the 9th/10th best in the league.” Solid post CC and pretty much sums up the state of play for Arsenal’s summer, which looks to be all but done barring some outs with potentially another defensive addition. Think Laca’s situation is best metaphor for where Arsenal are, not hitting the heights we need but can’t manage to shift from lack of imagination on possibilities from Edu and co. That £47m out on free transfer come June. Reality is we had serious moment for an opportunistic approach for a club… Read more »

Words on a blog

Ronaldo to Manure!

Receding Hairline

He’s back

Words on a blog

The Glazers understand the meaning of an “apology transfer.”

Meanwhile, Josh gets us Ben White.

TR7

£480K per week

peanuts&monkeys

Arsenal fans still can’t figure how weak their striking department is. When compared to Spurs, Chelsea, now ManU (with CR), ManC, Liverpool, what Arsenal badly needs is a 175 pounds/6’2” man who can nod in SOTs. Forget cribbing about a RB and MFs.

With this strike force Arsenal will not go over 35 goals this season and GD will be -15

peanuts&monkeys

CR back in ManU: Worst- possible news for Arsenal

Words on a blog

£480k per week?

ESL blood money to the Manure fans.

Principal beneficiary: CR7.

Receding Hairline

“£480K per week”

That’s Pogba gone on a free next year, Mino will be demanding north of 600k once he sees this

raptora

1/3 more than what Ozil was earning which is way worth it. Not insane money in my eyes. Very doable for a club like Manure if we could afford to pay a luxury player a comparable wage.

Guns of SF

who will manure let go?
Martial? Is he worth going for?

ALso, Juve might come for AUba or Laca

Guns of SF

Wasnt Fatty Sanchez on 500K?

peanuts&monkeys

Even that Togolese striker who joined ManC from Arsenal would be better than having Laca. What was that guy’s name?

Oh yes Adebayor

peanuts&monkeys

Martial is a slower version of Laca

Receding Hairline

“The Glazers understand the meaning of an “apology transfer.””

I sit across a United fan at work, he is livid. He says they will just spend the next two years catering to Ronaldo and i agree.

Still not a fan of the transfer, it was just the thought of seeing him in City blue that triggered it, City were not even interested, they reportedly offered 280k a week which is same as no interest for Ronaldo

raptora

Lacazette is the Xhaka of midfielders. Same averageness in their respective positions.

raptora

Xhaka of forwards*

peanuts&monkeys

Balogun is poor. He made two passes at the Chelsea game. Both mispasses.

CG

If you are going buy ’em old and crustie.
C.Ronaldo is the way to do it.

(Arsenal paid more for Ramsdale, than Man Utd paid for C. Ronaldo.)

A stunning coup for Fergie and co.

peanuts&monkeys

If Arsenal cares about their fans one bit, they should sell Laca and get Suarez.

raptora

Manure just became the biggest club in the world again with that transfer.

Muppetman

The amount Man U will make out of Ronaldo with merchandise etc will go along way to the wages plus the goals etc it’s not crazy money

peanuts&monkeys

Suarez is Arsenal’s best quick-fix of the striking shit theyvare in today

TR7

If CR7 plays as a central forward, Manure have Martial, Rashford and Greenwood vying for the same position on the left side. Surely one of them will look for new pastures.

Guns of SF

Martial to leave is my guess

WengerEagle

Charlie That’s why they were the wrong moves to make though in light of how the summer has gone. It is possible that they could have been the right moves to make if the circumstances were different but the fact is that even if they were the right moves at the wrong time is no different to the wrong move to make in its finality. £50m on White and £30m on Ramsdale could have been solid if our budget was £300m (even then not for me but at least a respectable argument could be made), in reality the budget was… Read more »

DigitalBob

What a summer of transfers, Messi, Ronaldo and potentially Mbappe moving on in the same window. Not forgetting Lukaku once again moving for an astronomical sum. Sancho went for maybe £20million less than last years price but still a massive sum.

Seems funny that some suggested we would never see deals like this again this time last year, big transfers a thing of the past and all that due to the pandemics financial impact on the game.

Massive amount of pressure on Ole now, they have to contend for everything or he’ll be gone in the spring.

zacharse

wonder if pep is gonna come sniffing for auba now…

Words on a blog

Receding,

Some Manu fans will be livid, others delighted.

I don’t disagree that it might end up being an expensive mistake, but it is very much a statement transfer

TR7

Not a dig but Charlie was pretty much defending our transfer business for the last few weeks and is now expressing the same concerns many others he argued against were expressing.

Pierre

Strange that Ornstein reported that Arsenal turned down brightons request to include Eddie in the White deal, and yet we will sell him to Palace for 11 mil.

Does that make sense , not really.

Receding Hairline

We watched Brighton for a season and decided the player we needed from them at whatever cost was Ben White

I prefer not to think about this, shocking state of affairs

TheLegendaryDB10

Decided to “switch off” from the Arsenal during my hols but noted our glowing thumping of the Baggies. Good to see but, when a coach changes the entire 1st XI, you can’t help but think that WBA weren’t really interested in the carabao cup. Regardless of that, the thumping hopefully will do the team some good. Shame we have Man Shitty, but I doubt there will be any thumping by Pep. He won’t allow it.

My curiosity will be fully turned on how we deal with Norwich and Burnley. 2 teams who will genuinely want to test us.

TR7

Anyway I will be delighted if CR7 turns out to be an expensive flop like Alexis Sanchez.

Receding Hairline

“Strange that Ornstein reported that Arsenal turned down brightons request to include Eddie in the White deal, and yet we will sell him to Palace for 11 mil.”

Arteta didn’t want anything to distract from the 50m fee for a defender, that was Man City IP, he didn’t want to spoil the fee with a player going the other way, has to be a sparkling expensive ball playing defender just like Pep gets

Guns of Hackney

I have to say I am looking forward to seeing the fake Ronaldo back in the league.

I think he’ll be utter shit, but still a massive name.

Sid

It will be dreadful, theres No chance if making any of the passes we saw against WBA,
Man c players will be the ones making those passes

Guns of SF

There is only one Ronaldo for me.

R9

CR7, disrepsctful cunt. Should have chosen another name but no…

Receding Hairline

“My curiosity will be fully turned on how we deal with Norwich and Burnley”

Real acid test for any top team that, two pointless teams so far, that’s where we start rating the “project”

Lord give me strength

zacharse

i agree with a lot of what yall are saying we should have made more offensive signings- ive been banging the drum against laca since he signed though i do think he’s quality, he’s just never been an EPL striker for me even before he came i thought he was too slow for his size and after last season i imagine he has the fear against certain defenders that continually clobber him pretty dirty. but in light of the fact we got no continental ball and options are limited, especially for top attacking talent, there’s a scenario in which it… Read more »

Champagne Charlie

Weagle That’s what I mean, I can understand the moves when you isolate them. But when you introduce the context of the squad, and it’s glaring misses of the past two seasons, it becomes near impossible to rationalise as the ‘best’ course of action. If it were me we’d damn near replace the front 4 of Willian, Auba, Laca, and Pepe. Instead we’re pushing one of them out, bringing nobody in, and pretending like we’re about to see a masterclass from guys we know have serious limitations on the pitch together. It’s disheartening. Look at some of the chaff at… Read more »

Champagne Charlie

“Not a dig but Charlie was pretty much defending our transfer business for the last few weeks and is now expressing the same concerns many others he argued against were expressing.“

Not true though is it?

WengerEagle

‘think he’ll be utter shit, but still a massive name.’

Based on what? 101 goals in 134 games for Juve at age 33-36 not an acceptable return now? Top Scorer in the Euros too.

TheLegendaryDB10

On a total side note, but not that unrelated as you shall read. Decided to read The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (excellent, excellent book to read for those who love British humor!) and stumbled on this paragraph which is right at the beginning where Arthur Dent is dragged to the pub before his house is demolished and is so relevant to The Arsenal that I couldn’t help but laugh. “”Six pints of bitter,” said Ford Prefect to the barman of the Horse and Groom. “And quickly please, the world’s about to end.” The barman of the Horse and Groom… Read more »

salparadisenyc

What number we reckon Cavani going to shift to?

China1

‘ and pretending like we’re about to see a masterclass from guys we know have serious limitations on the pitch together.’

Unless lokonga is quality this could have been written about our midfield…

WengerEagle

Charlie “That’s what I mean, I can understand the moves when you isolate them. But when you introduce the context of the squad, and it’s glaring misses of the past two seasons, it becomes near impossible to rationalise as the ‘best’ course of action” Why can’t you walk that bit further and outright say that you do not understand the moves now given the whole picture though? Why even try to rationalise them with a caveat that they made sense at the time when it looked like we would be spending big in your mind? You can now say with… Read more »

Receding Hairline

“it becomes near impossible to rationalise as the ‘best’ course of action””

Didn’t stop you trying though did it?

zacharse

damn. is lewandowski still looking to move? remember reading he was refusing contract extensions…

Distanced hairline

Well, if we can get the genk st onuachu, sell auba or lacca, loan out balogun, wed be aight.

TheLegendaryDB10

Receding

I am giving MA the rope that he deserves.

Man Shitty is a forgone conclusion, which SHOULD not be the case, if we were a serious team with serious aspirations. Pep is not going to maul us, hence my remark on the next games.

The acid test is, is MA capable of handling teams we should be comfortably beating?

A team with serious ambitions should be brushing away these 2 teams.

WengerEagle

Sal

Cavani will be a Cup striker for them imo, Ronaldo the PL and CL. Also get the odd CL and PL dead rubber/softball match too.

Only expect Ronaldo to play 35-40 games in all comps this season.

Bob N16

WengerE, without knowing our budget for the TW we have had to wait until the end of the TW before deciding if our priorities were right.

You may well say, ‘ I told you so’ but we’ve got four days left……

TR7

Charlie

Not in a mood for long drawn arguments but you were defending signing of White and countering criticism of Ramsdale singing. You wrongly assumed that we would still sign attacking players when it was pretty much expected that their signings would mean limited financial muscle to improve our attack.

TitsMcgee

Arsenal really are an outlier. It’s amazing how all the other big clubs “get it” in terms of what is required to build hype.

We sign some kids and 50/50 players we hope will defy the odds.

zacharse

can’t imagine ronaldo is going to stay healthy playing in england. imagine he’ll be out for long stretches

Bob N16

Man U share price gone up 8% on the news of CR7 signing.

WengerEagle

Bob

I take no pleasure in the told you so bollocks, I love the club and want us to push on back to where we belong so it comes from a place of frustration and pragmatism.

We have never had a big net spend in a window since Kroenke has been here, a £200m spend was always pie in the sky stuff so not sure how you could put so much faith into there beinf much more money in the coffers.

What do you really see happening between now and Tuesday night?

Receding Hairline

“A team with serious ambitions should be brushing away these 2 teams.”

Beating Burnley and Norwich shows a team has serious ambitions of what exactly?

I mean we have already excused the Chelsea defeat with “he did it on purpose, he is an intelligent chap” and the City game has already been surrendered before the day even came, so what ambitions really does beating Burnley and Norwich show? Ambition to stay in the league?

Champagne Charlie

Weagle I’m not saying they made sense ‘at the time’. I’m saying you can look at each of the transfers and see exactly what the thinking is behind them relative to the position. But the priorities are a mess given the needs of the squad. Receding I haven’t once tried to, what are you taking about? You’ve spent the summer deriding all manner of player linked with the club, you even pied off Ronaldo earlier today. Do you even have an opinion on what should’ve arrived this summer? Or just more of the same critical voice bollocks you offer as… Read more »

TR7

“WengerE, without knowing our budget for the TW we have had to wait until the end of the TW before deciding if our priorities were right.”

I mean we are Arsenal FC. What did you expect us to do – spend 250M in transfer window ?

Champagne Charlie

TR7 I argued what a player like White would bring, and that Luiz was our best defender so would need replaced. Not dropping 50 mil on a defender at the expenses of attacking recruitments. Try and offer some truth once in a while, pat yourself on the back for having a great memory when hurling insults at Stroller, but you’re now misquoting. Very good. Same with Ramsdale. Said more than once I’d much prefer Onana or even Ryan on a free and deal with the GK issue in a another window. I didn’t defend the signing, I defended the idea… Read more »

Receding Hairline

“You’ve spent the summer deriding all manner of player linked with the club, you even pied off Ronaldo earlier today.” didn’t know he was linked to us, what a miss for him, he could have played out his glory days under Arteta, no wonder he looked so gloomy at the airport ” Do you even have an opinion on what should’ve arrived this summer? ” I have an opinion on who should have left, the man who finished eight and left us with no European competition to attract any footballer with a modicum of ambition, the man you continue to… Read more »

Guns of SF

Ronaldo and Fernandes. Hmmm
Will take some of his mojo away I think.
Darn man, I have that fool in my fantasy team…now stats will drop

MidwestGun

Just setting aside everything else.. ESL Apology tour.

City… Grealish….. good apology..
United… Ronaldo/Sancho … good apology.
Chelski… Lukaku… good apology.
Spuds… Keeping Kane. decent apology

Arsenal… White….. *crickets*….. apology not accepted… Super League my ass.

Sid

CR7 will win them the CL its his bread and butter

You heard it here 1st!

Champagne Charlie

Receding

Exactly, so no actual proactive opinion and instead just a steady stream of sniping bollocks at others who offer up something. Gotcha

Receding Hairline

“I argued what a player like White would bring, ”

Honest question was Ben White ever on your radar before you read Arteta wanted him?

How exactly do you know for a fact what sought of player he is and what he will bring to a goal shy team that struggles in the air while struggling in the air himself

Bob N16

WengerE- we’ve wanted to shift a lot of players – that hasn’t happened (yet!). If and it is a big if, say Laca, Nketiah, Bellerin can be shifted I wouldn’t be surprised if we get two more incoming. I not arguing that we’ve had our priorities right – I’m in the Bissouma camp. We should have got him in before White as a higher priority.

TR7 that £250 m was always fanciful- the net spend was always more relevant. As we’ve not sold enough it looks like it’ll leave us short but last minute deals could obviously still happen.

WengerEagle

Charlie Ok but you’re still justifying and rationalising the thinking. In an ideal non-fiscal world, we bring in Theo Hernandez and have Kieran Tierney as a back up LB or we bring in a top class widemen and have Saka as back up amd get up to speed ala Foden. Like I said, they were moves that would make some sense if we were Man City with a blank chequebook to work with. Largely irrelevant when you have a limited budget to work with though as we have always had in reality. You don’t go out and buy a nicer… Read more »

Champagne Charlie

Receding

Ben White doesn’t need to be on my radar for me to think that a ball-playing CB is going to be of value to a team that plays football from the GK. I’m not a football scout getting paid thousands to cherry pick the right guys for the job, I’m a fan.

Same way that if we recruit a striker tomorrow that can hold the ball up, and bully defenders, I’ll know what he’s likely to bring to this Arsenal team without him being on my radar either. Quite simple how it works.

TR7

Charlie “Try and offer some truth once in a while, pat yourself on the back for having a great memory when hurling insults at Stroller, but you’re now misquoting. Very good.” Well I deal with truths. I am not going to bother myself with digging out your posts defending White signing as a replacement for Luiz as if that was what the team needed the most. We could have very well persisted with our existing options and it wouldn’t make a jot of difference. As for “insults” hurled at Stroller, he dishes out a lot of insults himself calling others… Read more »

Receding Hairline

“steady stream of sniping bollocks at others who offer up something. Gotcha” you offer up nothing so save it, no self respecting footballer comes here, we have no ambition and two pretenders playing manager and technical director. We watched Brighton for a whole season, arrived there with 50m and left with White, that should be enough for any sane person to pocket their wish list. You are waiting for cast offs from top teams who come here to sulk in the name of suggestions on how to move the needle, if you want to move the needle address the two… Read more »

Sid

Arsenal should Not be left behind, we should resign Wenger

Le Sauce

“Not in a mood for long drawn arguments but you were defending signing of White and countering criticism of Ramsdale singing. You wrongly assumed that we would still sign attacking players when it was pretty much expected that their signings would mean limited financial muscle to improve our attack” On the money TR7. The lack of foresight from those defending the importance of a David Luiz replacement and disregard for order of transfer is astonishing. They just believe we turned to man city overnight because of Arsenal. Highest spenders in the window, others strengthened their first eleven, we strengthened our… Read more »

1 2 3 15