TETHERING EXPECTATIONS FOR SUCCESS AND TRANSFERS

by .

So with Ainsley off to Roma, we could have a bit of a nightmare shortage in midfield should something happen to one of our two available midfielders. Granit and Lokonga are keeping the club going with Mo and Partey out at AFCON. Odegaard and ESR might be able to drop a bit deeper if necessary, but let’s be real, it only takes an errant sneeze to ruin everything… and something like that could badly derail our season. Always remember, before clubs could just make a call to postpone a game… there was Arsenal vs Brentford, COVID ripping through the dressing room, and no option but to play on. Losing our opener then hit us hard for the next two games.

So what options do we have?

I think we’re about to see a number of clubs drop expensive goods from their contracts.

Coutinho will likely be given an exit ramp either on loan or on a free so he can pick up a fee.

Juventus are reportedly saying goodbye to Aaron Ramsey.

There will be others as clubs weigh up the reality: no one is buying ageing stars in 2022.

Could Arsenal bring Ramsey back to the carpet? I have my doubts. It’s a sexy thought, but the truth is he was a risk when we last had the chance to sign him, and let’s be honest… he was a massive waste of money for Juventus. He made 25 games worth of Serie A minutes for £300k a week. Colin Lewin said on our podcast a great indication of future fitness is the past… his past is quite a sad story.

BUT… don’t put it past Arsenal to move on a short term deal for betting advert sensation, Jack Wilshere. He has stature, he gets on with Arteta, everyone is very impressed with how he’s playing and behaving behind the scenes. Even if it’s only a few games, you can’t deny the technical levels he has in his locker. He’s baked in Artetaball, so he’ll hit the ground running. He’s basically had a 2 month medical/trial.

It’s the easiest option for Arsenal that doesn’t break the bank. He can do a Xhaka job, he can do a Partey job, he can do most jobs in midfield.

There’s obviously a big difference between training and match day… but he’s 29, not 38, I’d say it’s a gamble worth taking. There could still be a signing or a loan to buy move. Mattias Svanberg is interesting because all the big Italian clubs are looking at him, the idea there would be to nip in before he turns into a £50m player in 2 seasons time (check out this scouting report).

I have no idea what we’re doing on the transfer front when it comes to strikers, but the more I hear Vlahovic talk in the media, the more I wonder if we’re looking at a big mouth over a big name this summer. There’s not much to suggest Arsenal go for the obvious player these days, if his agents are telling the world they won’t pick up the phone to them, that might be because we’ve refused to pick up the phone to them. What is incredible is how hard the Italian transfer rumour circuit is working to pump him. I wonder if they are paid to do that? Media noise impacts decisions. If fan perception is that a player is right, don’t imagine that doesn’t affect some of the amateur hour minds that are in charge of purse strings in football.

Whatever happens there, don’t expect Arsenal to be making big money moves this January. The value is in the summer or in a try before you buy like Jovic.

I’m no financial expert, but I also wonder if the big rich men of world football are going to wait and see if there’s a mega-market crash brewing. Markets have been very volatile and there are a lot of warning signs that this year might be rough.

The Liverpool game was postponed yesterday. Apparently, their caseload is pretty wild. Klopp has been calling for transparency, but it doesn’t seem like he’s been too willing to share what a mess he’s dealing with or where the mess is.

The disappointing thing is that once again, a big club cries, and they get what they want. Leyton Orient get binned, Liverpool get the full primo service… and they will play the FA Cup on Sunday. Hard not to see that as a dirty darkarts move because Arsenal are in good form and Liverpool is not.

Still, for Arsenal, we have to take it as an advantage. More time on the training ground is a good thing. More rest in the legs is a good thing. Playing the first leg at Anfield is also a good thing. Liverpool clearly not wanting to be part of this thing is a good, good thing. So let’s see what happens there.

It was also nice watching Chelsea easily beat a very strong Spurs side. Not a spanking, but a paddled arse to drive home who the daddy is. 2-0 means Unai Conte has to go with a full team for the second leg. Did you see his body language after the game? Did you hear what he said?

‘Chelsea spent a lot of money’

IT BEGINS

Arsenal will go with a skinny line-up against Nottingham Forest, they’ll probably go pretty meaty for Liverpool on a Thursday, then we roll the dice against Spurs on Sunday. If they get rattled by Chelsea at home again, it might impact how they play against us, especially if Conte plays the victim again.

Back to Spurs. They are really bad. 5 attempts at Chelsea’s goal, 2 on target… when Chelsea had Kepa in goal? It’s very drab. Antonio Conte is here to play on the break, you know what he’s going to do every game, and it is painful to watch. I really hope Arteta takes the same energy he took into last seasons win or bust game.

Here’s the big truth that you can’t escape: Top 4 is still a stretch goal.

‘You are making excuses’

No, I’ve been preaching the same reality all season.

This is the youngest team in the league.

We had the biggest reconstruction of any big team this summer.

This group has to suffer before it can truly be deemed top 4 quality.

That doesn’t mean I’m not hoping we can nick it, we have a lot of things going for us this season. Momentum is one of them. Hungry young players is another. The speed in which they’ve all bonded around the Artetaball idea. They’re all massive, but things can come unstuck very fast, as we saw against Everton.

I don’t want to pick on fan archetypes, but generally, I would say the fans that said the new signings didn’t move the needle / Arteta would be sacked by November, are the people now saying we should make top 4.

Don’t raise the highs too high and don’t take the lows to extremes.

Whatever happens this season, we are on a sharper track than most teams in the league at the moment.

You know where the Spurs story is heading, a massive arson attack that Daniel Levy will have to pay a premium to solve.

You know where United is heading under Rangnick… right into a painful transition. His success has been built around nobody young men from around Europe that agree to work themselves to the bone in a selfless system that requires every single player to do their job. He can’t work with Ronaldo, his system won’t allow it, and he just made him captain. Older players do not want to learn new tricks. Rangnickball is very bad unless everyone buys in.

This season is an opportunity to catch a leap on the competition, no doubt, just tether your expectations to reality. One day, we will drop a performance against Everton so bad, you actually want to cry. Two weeks later, we’ll put on the best show against City of any team in Europe and totally control them by making them look ordinary.

The rocket ship is heading to the moon, but buckle up, because we’ll get nicked by space debris, and occasionally, we’ll be pushed off orbit by a big fuck off rock you weren’t expecting to see.

Have fun in the comments. x

262 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Dissenter

I believe Saka and Florian Wirtz are the only players on that CIES list who didn’t play for clubs in the CL this season. .

WengerEagle

Rich

It isn’t an opportunity though, he’ll cost close to €100m if he is sold and we’ll have to get in line behind Europe’s elite who could all use a world class CM talent.

Dissenter

AFC
I have no idea what you’re on about.
I’m not flustered in the least by what you post, I just replied your post in a nonchalant manner

WengerEagle

Any list that Haaland does not top is suspect for value.

Unoni

And Figo was bought by prime Galacticos Real Madrid. Is that comparable to us?

Wenger Eagle
Not saying he will come to us but they are certainly capable of losing star players only to later regret

WengerEagle

Unoni

True but to me the more unbelievable part is that he would choose us over everyone one else rather than he would actually leave Barca to begin with.

We are in a transitional phase at the moment and he is coming into his prime years soon (25/26). He won next to nothing at Barca so cannot see him being super patient to join a work in progress.

Habesha Gooner

Wenger eagle
That list considers contract length and the position af a club that is holding onto said player. If not Mbappe would definitely be there. And Greenwood won’t be top 4.

Rich

WE

If I was the Arsenal owner, I’d immediately hand you your P45 if you brought that type of negativity and lack of ambition into London Colony….

A dream without ambition, is like a car without petrol… you’re not going anywhere…

No player is too good for Arsenal…

WengerEagle

What planet are you living on Rich? This isn’t 2004.

It’s not lack of ambition to suggest that De Jong isn’t a player that will join us.

We aren’t close to as attractive a destination as PSG, Bayern, City or Liverpool right now. It’s a toss-up whether we even qualify for the CL next season.

Habesha Gooner

https://mobile.twitter.com/ChrisWheatley_/status/1479065932836356096

Kia has fucked us at least two times. It must be time to repay all that shit he got away with. At least we might be getting a good player after all. Kia or not I would love this deal.

WengerEagle

Habesha

Yeah strange list. How has Havertz’s value increased for example?

Greenwood being the 4th most valuable player in Europe is amusing too. And no Saka.

Rich

WE

It was a joke, I’m not really buying Arsenal…

Calm down, if you’ve got a job at London Colony, it’s safe

At least for now….

WengerEagle

Rich

You’ve been lusting over Frenkie for a while now, it wasn’t a joke. 🤣

Anyway those mega signings don’t fit the new model/ agenda do they?

Which is why I also do not see Vlahovic happening.

Habesha Gooner

WE
Yeah. It’s mental. Saka is worth more than Greenwood. Vinita is great but he wouldn’t be calued above Haaland if he didn’t have a release clause and Mbappe would be at least top two if he didn’t have 6 months left. Havertz is there because he was signed for big fee and he has a long contract. His value didn’t increase. It just means it is harder to get Chelsea to sell him. It is a very weird list.

MidwestGun

Damn they just said Verona in Serie A played today with 10 players out from Covid.. Clearly the Covid protocol standards are a bit different from Italy to the PL.

How many did Pool actually have out today. Just curious mostly..

Habesha Gooner

Vini * I don’t know who vinita is. Valued*

Pierre

Oh yes , pace, power , can hold up and link the play with effortless ease, and look at the quality of his finishing …exquisite.

Put his highlights alongside the others in the frame and he compares cery favourably …and he won’t cost a penny.
https://youtu.be/yb3yIhRgmWU

Habesha Gooner

Pierre
But he is so afraid he won’t play, he is leaving for free. If he backed himself he would have stayed and fought for a starting role. He is still 22. He can sign a 3 year contract and leave if things don’t work out by then. He is a good player but he knows who is no more than a backup at a top club himself.

MidwestGun

I’d say Eddie’s agent is why Eddie isn’t playing more .. Clearly he wants to run his contract down.

Dissenter

Habesha
Isn’t Bruno Guimarães an attacking MF who would occupy the same positions as ESR
ESR can’t even get starts anymore because of Ode’s form.
Seems to me, Arteta will just be buying himself a headache

Time Up

That list of Dissenter is laughable, useless Sancho is almost 15 mil more than Saka. Foden 50 mil more and that mental waste of talent Greenwood 30 mil more.

The most laughable is Trent Alexander 10 million more than Saka 😂. The funny thing Saka is better than him even at full back..

Dissenter

I believe they didn’t factor in release clauses for that CIES list
These lists are always goin to be subjective

I don’t consider Saka to be #17 on the list, the English premium wasn’t factored and they overrated the value of the younger Bayern Munich players

Rich

WE

Not joking about trying to sign Frenkie De Jong, I’m under no illusion that it’s a long shot, but sometimes long shots pay big

I was out in Manly years ago, I’ve gone to put €50 on No6, but I was so smashed, I accidentally put it on No9

No9 then came in at 34/1

If you don’t shoot, then you don’t score….

Time Up

I would say no to Vlahivic, not because he’s not a good player. Because he’s style isn’t what we need.

We need striker can drop deep to pull defenders with him, control the ball, turn and release the wide attackers, can do mainly number 10 and some 9 job. Vlahivic not that type of player he’s out and out number 9.

My pick would be ….
1) A Isak
2) Joao Pedro
3) J David

Dissenter

Rich
Frenkie De Jong or Jude Bellingham
If you had a choice to get one for Arsenal, who would you prefer?

Rich

Diss

I’d go with De Jong, he’s at a better age, just coming into his prime, and we need a deep lying midfielder, he’d hit the ground running, and instantly be one of the best players in the league

I’m not sure what position Bellingham will end up, brilliant talent, certainly wouldn’t be disappointed if we went for him, he’s giving me Zidane vibes, but still has plenty of developing to do

Who would you go for?

Time Up

When we talk about a striker, you can be sure Pierre will arrive and talk about Eddie. What Pierre don’t or can’t see, there are strikers 10 times better than Eddie and playing at bottom 10 teams in the EPL.

I could mention few here…

Wilson at Newcastle
Watkins and Inges at Villa
Bamford at Leeds
DCL at Everton
Edwardo at Palace
King at Watford
Etc

Dissenter

Rich
I think both are out our reach already but if I was drinking the same sauce as you, I’ll prefer Bellingham because of the wide range of skillsets that he has.
He can plan anywhere in the middle and he’s not even 19 years yet.

Tee

Pierre,

Nkethia is nothing more than a fox in the box. I don’t know where you are getting this hold up, link up attributes.of him.from.

I’m sorry but nkethia gives me a tap-in Merchant vibes.

Habesha Gooner

Dissenter
Bruno Guimaraes is a CM/DM. He doesn’t play in attacking midfield at all. He would come here to replace Xhaka in the starting line up.

izzo

Pierre must be trolling with his Nketiah nonsense. Don’t know what he sees while watching him play football. I mean just have a look at what Martinelli does in PL and look at what Eddie does whenever he’s gotten chances in PL . The gulf in desire and overall quality is gargartuan. No one will miss Nketiah when hes gone. Just another Chuba Akpom and Benik Afobe type. Do we miss them? NOPE!

Zacharse

If the press are anything to go by doesnt look as though we’ll be buying any english players in jan. Unsurprising unless we’re targeting youth players etc

The vlahovic story gets bugger everyday. Is anyone sure hes not just going to hold
Out and go to juve on a free?

Dissenter

Valentine
“OSEI-TUTU RETURNS AFTER NOTTINGHAM FOREST LOAN TERMINATED’

Your favorite academy player didn’t quite make it after all.

Tony

I can’t make up my mind whether Nketiah is a late bloomer (Ian Wright? late bloomer type) or a mid to low table club player? I agree with Izzo, but also see Pierre’s frustration. In pre-season Nketiah showed he has more to his game, but for whatever reason he gained limited game time to express and explore that side of his game. He also didn’t fit into Arteta’s pampering of Auba showing considerable lack of understanding his younger players. He’d still be pandering to Auba had he not breached the sacred non-negotiables. As always, what many here including myself were… Read more »

Tony

Arteta & Edu are on*

DivineSherlock

I am surprised people are talking about #9 but nobody gave a mention to Emmanuel Dennis at Watford ? He is playing beautifully over there . I would love some stats just to compare him with some names on here.

China1

Rich

‘If you don’t shoot you don’t score’

And if you shoot you don’t score either if you’re welbeck 😁

China1

Nah I do wish welbeck all the best. I’m harsh on him but I don’t really dislike the player he just used to drive me crazy. Good luck to him Btw has anyone else seen the stats underpinning auba’s decline in the last 4 years The decline is statistically obvious and quite remarkable. Goals to minutes declined every single season since he joined without fail. Meanwhile attempted shots has actually increased. As well arsenal are a better team these days than we were when he joined so what possible excuse is there except his own decline? Very glad the club… Read more »

Sid

Nketiah is quality, he has a higher ceiling than Laca, he has Eduardo level of potential.

You can take this to the bank!

Sid

@Dissenters list of favourite players is more disastrous than Valentines

Im telling you for free!

Tee

“@Dissenters list of favourite players is more disastrous than ValentinesIm telling you for free!”

Most times, about to expire or worthless products are given out for free.

Besides, how’s your world-class willock fairing at Newcastle?

TeeCee

Eddie = Championship level. Arsenal reserve’s will be the best team he ever plays for!!

kjelli

Bring one of Wijaldum Pogba or Bruno G in and we’re in UCL next year.. we’re going nowhere
with Jack or Ramsey

Sid

“””Besides, how’s your world-class willock fairing at Newcastle?”””

Pierre, help this football patsy with some elite football knowledge.

TR7

Did some YT scouting of Isak. His signature move is to cut inside from the left wing position and hit a curler from his strong right foot, very similar to some of the goals scored by Auba when he played on the flanks for us. Doesn’t strike me as a well rounded central forward, more like a LW.

Terraloon

Pedro It’s the easiest option for Arsenal that doesn’t break the bank. He can do a Xhaka job, he can do a Partey job, he can do most jobs in midfield. I really had to a double take when I read this about Wilshire. Sadly he is a busted flush . No club with any ambition would invest even a single £ in a player who ( if you include this season ) has played in total 30 league games in the las 5 seasons. There is a reason clubs such as Brighton, like Bournemouth, like Reading haven’t gone close… Read more »

Pierre

It’s ok sid , willock’s 8 goals in 8 games FROM MIDFIELD to save newcastle from relegation last season says more about willock than i ever can.

Tragically mis used in a defensive/holding role this season for Newcastle and people question why he hasn’t repeated his heroics of last season.

Raulishuss

willock was producing some crazy defensive numbers before he got bench earlier. Thing is willock will develope to be a good box to box midfielder but newcastle are a mess.

Soham

Per the Daily Mail Coutinho hs agreed a loan deal with Aston Villa till the end of the season

Samesong

Chris Willock at QPR is a better player.

Raulishuss

chris is older and has been playing consistent footie for almost 3years now. Joe has always been rated higher even when both were in our academy.

Rich

According to Ornstein, Arsenal are actively trying to sign Dusan Vlahovic in January, so far they’re ahead in terms of fee + wages if the player were to move this month

City want Haaland and will do everything they can to sign him this summer, but Haaland apparently wants Real Madrid, they’re also monitoring Alexander Isak + Dusan Vlahovic

Leedsgunner

Coutinho loan to Villa…?

Yes. Bullet dodged.

Karsa

So Villa have agreed a Coutinho loan. At least that’s one less player for folks on here to get bent out of shape over.

Leedsgunner

Even if Coutinho moves and has a stellar six months we need to start thinking longer term.

We need players that will give us more than 6 months but more like 6 years… especially if we are going to be paying these silly ages.

Leedsgunner

*wages

Samesong

Why are wanting a player that literally doesn’t want to sign for us? Arsenal not his preferred destination.

Samesong

we*

TR7

Extend Laca’s contract for 1 more year and hope by then Gabi becomes the striker we have been looking for.

Karsa

Can’t see Laca agreeing to a one year deal.

Leedsgunner

“Why are wanting a player that literally doesn’t want to sign for us? Arsenal not his preferred destination..,”

True… although is this actually what his agent is saying or what the player actually wants?

I have a feeling that agents are driving this and not the player.

China1

So this summer Real could sign Mbappe on a free and Haaland for 65m

I know there are loads of sign on bonuses, agent fees and insane wages so I don’t know if it’s remotely possible, but it’s Real Madrid so you wouldn’t write it off.

I really hope it doesn’t happen. Having the two best players on the same team is pretty boring imo. Imagine is Messi and Ronaldo had both played together, it would’ve made la liga way more boring

As well I’d much rather see haaland come to England. Mbappe too but I can’t see it happening