Arsenal don’t look ready for the start of the season. Konstantin Mitov
Alright, so the start of the season is about 20 days away and we don’t really look ready for it. And this reminds me of last season and a few seasons back. My first issue with the squad is how it looks like we’ll start with a shaky defence again.
We got exposed against Chelsea and deservedly lost 3:0. Bayern missed a lot of chances and we managed to squeeze a draw, but when the season starts if our defence looks like Elneny, Mertesacker and put a youngster name here, I’m feeling we’ll get a repeat of what happened against Liverpool last year.
How much more time will Holding, Mustafi and Alexis be on a summer holiday? Wenger once said it takes 6 weeks for a player to get his fitness level ready for a full game so does this mean, we’ll get our best squad ready for round 4? Cech said we shouldn’t worry, but I feel like we’re just passing things by at Arsenal like we usually do.
Also the transfers have died up. We got Lacazette which was a good start, but does Arsene believe this is enough? The contracts of Ozil, Alexis and Ozil are still up in the air and I’m one uncertain how dedicated will those players be playing for us, when they don’t know if they’ll be sold or looking for a new club in January.
What’s happening at Arsenal is the minimal that gets enough dust in our eyes, so we don’t see the clear problems. We were promised change, but Gary Peyton and Tony Colbert still remain. I didn’t quite see the backroom reshuffling we were promised, neither do I see enough improvements to the squad to think we’re challengers.
City are practically remaking their defence with some solid signings. United will be doing more business and Chelsea destroyed us without their new incomers. although Arsene said it was more than just a friendly. We seem largely uncertain over our best starting 11, trying to make things work with players, who failed us numerous times.
It’s time we move on Theo, Gibbs, Jack, Jenko and Debuchy. We won’t use Lucas so let him go too. We need a replacement for Cazorla and we’re putting our faith in Ramsey again when for all his time here he gave us one good season, half of which he was injured.
I hope I’m wrong and when we get the entire squad back we miraculously put the pieces together and it works, but it just doesn’t happen like that. We have Leicester at home and then Liverpool and Stoke away. We should be looking at at least 7 points from those 3 games if we want to fight for the title for real.
My problem is that Arsene thinks, things should just happen for him, instead of working hard for progress. His judgement date has passed for me. Last season he failed us for the nth time and his contract extension is a joke of a sorry board, who care just as little about the fans as Arsene does.
This season, anything but delivering a sustainable and serious title challenge is simply unacceptable. So far though it looks unlikely…
Konstantin
For sure will be not.Nothing has changed really…so how can they be ready!?
Yeah, but is our last years best+ lacazette enough for leicester? Thats the question for now
Wenger is still playing the same old game nothing changes
Leave Arsen alone can’t you see the poor man is ill
Not worried yet although everyone else is doing the traditional pre-season pant cacking.
If we apply some of the logic of this piece then you can make a case that all of the other teams are “not ready”.
Man City: Just bought an entirely new defence with weeks to the start of the PL – must equal not ready then eh? Just spent £200M on his back 5 and arguably still has the worst defence out of the top 6 teams.
Chelsea: Got rid of 3 CBs and bring 1 new one in. Push out their top scorer for last 3 seasons and bring in untested PL, RM bit-part player for £70M. Bakayoko, one good season replaces their talisman Matic. Calballero downgrade on Begovic.
Tottenham: No improvement to squad. Every year people on here will tell you that is a big “no, no” regardless of how good you think your first team is to stand still. TH being ultra cocky in this window. Kane injured – season over. Tottenham 2nd XI is dire.
Liverpool: Same as Tottenham. Salah? Let’s see. Solanke, meh.
Man U: Well Jose just buys whoever Mino Raiola offers up. Just Lindelof and Lukaku? How is that different from say Kolsaniac and Lacazette?
BTW: Rob Holding will be our main man in defence next year. Someone in the press will have the guts to finally say that our £2M kid from Bolton makes the new breed of £40-£50M defenders look stupid. Stones must have nightmares when he looks at Holding.
This is best piece I have read in a long time, Arsene is a joke, Arsenal is a bigger joke, when teams that finished ahead of you are seriously improving their tea,s we are playing with youth players that he will never use or loan out.
I am looking forward to the first game of the season, there will be nothing different from the result we hot last year against Liverpool.
You guys are idiots .The product on the field is beautiful.Arsene didn’t miss all those chances that our beautiful football created…I would hate if we had to buy the league and still.end up looking like manure.on the field
You guys are forgetting that this is “The beautiful game”.The product on the field is beautiful.Arsene didn’t miss all those chances that our beautiful football created..
Why do people all over the world adore Arsenal its because of the beautiful way we play…
Arsene created that!!
I should hate if we had to buy the league and still.end up looking like manure.on the field.
Sorry guys IN ARSENE WE TRUST…We going to win the league we going to win the league..sing!
Why do people adore Asenal style of football.?
Who invented that style of football in the Premier League.
Ask Sir Alex?
Who are the jokers that want to displace this ICONIC manager and replace him with who…Moyers??or some other mercenary like JosePep…
The man built a state of the art Stadium for crying out loud…give him some credit…who else has done that????
This is great opinion piece that really resonates with me.
Same here. I will cheer my Arsenal for two more painful seasons.
I am almost sure of it.
I cant see us being ready for the season but i take seven points from nine, though Liverpool away will be tough, if we sign a couple of defenders who knows, play bfg with Monreal and Koscienly until holding is back or Mustafi too
Isn’t koscielny suspended for the first 2 matches? Got a straight red and from memory only missed 1 match.
Also don’t understand how Bielik was deemed ok to travel on tour but holding wasn’t? Both were at the same tournament but were unused subs at the tournament. Sure Bielik’s Poland were knocked a bit earlier, buy still.
Kos is suspended for 2 matches , Gabriel is injured, Mustafa and holding are not yet back in training ,.Our back 3 against Leicester and Liverpool will be Per, Monreal and Elney if we don’t sign anyone.Wenger doesn’t remember what happened last season
Holding should be called for the first two games and when koscienly is back he can have enough rest. Other teams have their squads ready except us.
Always our case, never ready for the start of any season
Calm down for God’s sake. Several weeks to go.
3 weeks to go until the Leicester game, not that long at all.
Lacazete
Sanchez ozil
Kolašinac xhaka ramsey ox
Monreal koscielny holding
Cech
Ready as we’ll ever be
Ps-belerin for ox and/or coquelin for xkaha are options
There’s no long talk about this. We are not ready and at this rate, we won’t be ready. Arsene needs to speed things up. Get Lemar if he’s what we need. Do the necessary changes (ins and outs) and get the team roaring. Why all these dilly-dallying?
Two men, Dick Law and Arsene Wenger
And the player in question, not to mention the selling club. There could also be a rival club involved, then we have the agents.
Got to agree, we haven’t been ready for a good few seasons now.
Good couple of signings made which will strengthen the team but the trouble is apart from spurs everyone else has strengthened.
I’ll be really happy to see Alexis stay with us but just have a feeling that he may be off when an offer comes in that’s too hard to turn down. Ozil wont be going anywhere because no one wants him enough to pay his wages.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few of our squad players go and a couple more additions to replace them but no one who will make the difference between top four and challenging for the league. I think Arsene might regret signing that new deal, if we’re out of the title race by Christmas and even if we lose back to back games early on I think the knives will be out for him which in my opinion will be sad, I didn’t want him to sign a new deal but I didn’t want to see him sacked.
My opinion: the Chelsea game was just a pre-season friendly and we shouldn’t over react. That being said the manner in which we were taken apart is a concern.
Now for:
1) I’ll say that our 1st to game was against poor opposition anything but a win would have been troubling.
2) We travelled a lot for pre-season not exactly ideal to prepare for the season with all the commercial commitments that hinders conditionning and being in game shape.
3) Playing on poor pitch, not in known environment/facilities also doesn’t help.
4) The mash up between 1st team player and youngster didn’t mesh well.
THAT BEING SAID, Wenger would be a fool and thing that those are the main reasons why. The reality, is that the squad needs more than just Lacazette and Kolasinac. It would be wrong to expect them alone to transfigure this team into a championship one. Hopefully we get sharper now that we are back in London with the conditionning and tactical preparation but as well we accelerate in adding to the squad 2 and ideally 3 players who can come into the team and substract those who have to go. And when I say that I am not just thinking about this season but the next one to:
1) RW: we missed out on Douglas Costa whose price was cheap in today’s market as well as James for which we could’ve secured a loan deal. Now it’s either Lemar or Mahrez. One is more versatile and younger while the other knows the prem and is entering his prime.
2) MF: With arguably 2 of our best talent in Wilshere and Cazorla injury prone, Arsenal simply can’t plan the season with them. To make it worse both have 1Y left on there deal. In the case of Wilshere 2 options sell him with buy back or extend and loan him out with option to recall anytime. Cazorla it is a bit more tricky. Regardless having another option in there that’s an all around and can really play both sides of the ball similar to a Modric/Kovacic would be great. 2 options: Goretzka or Renato Sanchez.
3) CB: Per is retiring at the end of the season. Gabriel has had up and down career with us and not great on the ball. Mustafi has shown 2 faces last year and simply don’t know if we’ll get the better one and will it last the season. For Holding, a future Arsenal great but it would be wrong to expect too much over 35+ games. Last but not least Chambers doesn’t seem fully trusted as shown by those trade talks. Whenever you have a shot at signing one of the best defenders out there you make some space and at least try to make a deal for him: Van Djik. On top of that we have a great relationship with them
That is my take…if we go into the season and make the improvements mentionned above along with at least renewing Oz and Ox as well as not making the same mistake with Rambo contract situation we will be great again.
I think most team won’t be ready for the season though due to intenationals ect, yes Koscienly is suspended,
Here my team
Cech
Holding .monreal Mustafi
Bellerin Ramsey Xhaka koliensak
Welbeck ozil lazarette
i think the ox and Alexis will be sold by then
Hope mahrez carvalho or lemar join
Did we sign the brother to Lazarus?…………that Lazarette guy?
Lol @henry.
I’m really disappointed with arsenal. After the signing of lacazette I became optimistic but no signing has followed. We won’t be ready if we don’t make early signings. This squad is not good enough for the title. 3rd position at best and it’s very sad
3rd would be a miracle more like lol have u seen Chelsea city n utds squads?? Everton will over take us and spurs wikl stay we’re they are which is miles ahead of us bcoz they have the best coach we’re going into arsenal’s worst decline in decades bcoz wenger is staying
I just don’t understand the fascination with Welbeck! I would play Lucas any day over Welbeck and even Giroud.
I think letting go of Perez is a mistake. I’d rather be rid of Welbeck Giroud and Wacott and keep Perez and let him play.
ST: Laca/Perez
Alexis Ozil Lemar (go get him now!)
Xhaka, Ramsey Ox
Saed Kos and Bellerin
First game of the 2017/18 season we’ll need the players happy to put in a shift with a tempo that sees any fans of j. vardy realise the arrogance bordering on stupidity of opting for the foxes rather than us. Anything less than a win would be reckless and unacceptable.
“Are Arsenal going to be ready for the start of the season? Put it this way Failure is not an option.
If I really had no other choice but to sell sanchez – i would sell him in a january transfer window so he finds it close to impossible to settle in, or to find his feet and assimilate in to a new team. Im really not so clever, but mr wenger, apparently is ?… and he will know how best to plant sanchez in a circumstances and situation that in the short term and longer term will render him ineffective to ArsenalFC . By the time he realizes he’s made an error, it’ll be too late…arsenal will be too many points ahead and about to consolidate the epl. When it comes to AFC i’m inclined to keep believing
U get that feeling that until Arsenal lose massive points in their first few games, they’ll never really get serious…they’ll just keep dithering until some embarrassing performances force their hands into panic buys. It beats my imagination how no one in the arsenal ranks speaks up to correct some of the recurring issues…the cycle seems to continue…
Well, in the formation front, with a really strong dm added to the team, I go for this 3-4-1-2 formation:
Sanchez Lacazette
Ozil
Kol/Mon Xhaka new DM Bell/Ox
Kos Mustafi Holding
Cech
Really don’t know how long does Wenger need to realize Gibbs, Debuchy, Jenkinson, Campell are not enough to a part of champions. It’s high time to offload them with whatever fees. Take that money and save the wages for future. Theo, after 10 years is clueless that is he a winger or forward and Wenger as well. He’s an expensive surplus and need to offload ASAP. Jack is a good talent but spends more time in treatment table. So no sentiments and sell him or he’s going to be another Diaby. Coquelin is a player with whom we tried many seasons with us and on loan. He’s not consistent so sell him. Santi is the best player with us but he’s 32 and injured major part of season by season. So sell Jack, Coquelin and replace them with Isco, Goretzka and Seri / Carvalho and allow Santi to retire at the end of season. Our midfield will be best equipped for many years to come. If Ramsey can’t perform well this season sell him next year. Sent Iwobi and Elneny on a year long loan and they’ll be good enough for first team by next season. Lemar is an excellent upgrade for Theo. Sell Gabriel and buy Manolas so the defense is well equipped as well. So act wisely and be prepared for the season instead of protecting the above mentioned players.
The minimum requirement thing. I think that does be because we have a manager who takes allot of pride when players come through our system. Other clubs constantly throw money at each position and any youngster that break through will have to be really special, or else a really special youngster they paid allot of money for. That’s why we see these youngsters in preseason, which is a bad thing, good for the youngsters but bad for the older players who need to be tested in training. On the flip side everyone loves when a Bellerin Fabregas Coquelin Iwobi break through, but we can only really claim Iwobi of that bunch. And Bellerin is the only one who came in and earned his place the hard way. It should be that way, the way Bellerin had to earn it. We can’t be holding off on things and doing a minimum requirement because we believe in the younger players, keeping a spot or two for one of the bunch of kids to hopefully rise to the occasion for. If they are good enough to play for AFC they should have to fight tooth and nail for it. Arsene also needs to stop letting so many of these kids train with first team, it’s no wonder we’re so under-prepared each season.
Arsenal fans are so negative. We’ve won FA Cup 3 out of last 4 years!
Won all but one of last 9 league games since we changed system.
Have bought 2 great players – and lost none!
#COYG – let’s get behind the team. I genuinely believe that we the fans have a responsibility to support the team if we want them to win!
Simon says 5th place is ok …. The issue is whether we have a first team that can compete with best in EPL and Europe … We were 3 players short of competing last season and wenger should have known that in May … Whatever the results from last games of season … 1 out of 3 is just crappy management
Simon! The only time a club celebrates not selling there players is when there players are already great but apart from alexis we wouldn’t really miss the players that are linked with moves! Wenger needed to bring in 6 players and sell even more just to catch up to Chelsea and now they’ve even brought in another 4 so until wenger goes and take his sentiment for crap players with him we are West Ham in the making
My line-up…
Cech
(No brainer)
Holding – Kos – Monreal
(Looks solid to me)
Ox – Ramsey – Coq – Kolasinac
(pace in Ox now playing great. Coq provides better protection. I actually think Kol is weaker link as had poor previous game and new. But he’ll come good)
Ozil – Lazarette – Sanchez
(Skill, Goal threat, and both – great front 3)
I hate to say that I agree with this article. Other teams are buying/selling players while we keep our crap ones and buy one ‘big name’.
I’m all for giving Wenger a chance with this new contract, but there’s not much evidence of change in the transfer dealings.
He is still miserly with spending and overly loyal to the deadwood players. While that is the case we don’t stand a chance of mounting a sustained title challenge. Yes we will have good spells (as always) but it won’t be enough against the other teams around us.
I fear we are lagging behind while AW relies on a wing and a prayer yet again.
I fear Groundhog Day is upon us again.
Oh dear.
I hv said it several times,don’t get ur hopes high Arsene is still in charge .noting has changed and noting will change.d same story line every season.as long as Arsene is still there Arsenal will not win d EPL or d CL. same…old same…old.but we ar still Gooners.
We should swap Walcott for Ross Barkley or even Lucas he’s new podolski poor fella looks good player too” and why arsenal let szcheny go for 10 million we could of got atleast got sum juv player in return bad beisness if u ask me arsenal are already trying get back da lacasette cash if u ask me plus a free player come on wenger give us a. Big name we deserve it oh we should stayed at Highbury talking Highbury we had 11 world class players and no money compared to now and some1 please tell me we maybe have 3 world class players now and have massive cash makes no since I don’t want be like citch but just 1 player just 1 to wake us all up like verrotti or naggnaliom of Rome I think that’s how u spell it ok I’m done going watching fever pitch over and out fella gunners
If we don’t beat Leicester under lites opening day Friday night my god wenger be under it we need great start at home we need put Leicester to da sword think we Gita go stoke and anfield after that tough games but if we wanna do sum thing let’s pick up atleast7 Pts from 9 or put down early statement and beat Liverpool pls be prepared this time ” media have field day if we don’t beat vardy I pray we bring in one big name to lift us for battle we need it
Is any team ever ready? How will you know a team that is ready. What are the factors that will reveal if a team is ready or not. is the number of players a team buys or the number of preseason matches a team plays, wins, loses or draw. I take every arsenal fan’s view on the state of things with club we a love as his/her opinion. What I don’t understand is why are some fans so negative that they see noting good about the club they profess so much love for. What is their purpose. Do they think their negativity will better the situation of the club or do they want to infest others with their negativity. Before we lost the match against Chelsea there is always a handful of comments here on every article but after the defeat it like 50, 60 60 comments majority of them is how arsenal is doomed to fail blaa blaa…. We didn’t achieve as much as we all desired last season and part of reason to that is fans attitude towards the coach, the players, the toxic atmosphere at emirate and the constant protest by us fans. With all that nothing changes at the club. The coach’s that we all want gone, extended his contract for two more years. I think it is time we gave negativity a rest.
Mobella I could say to u why are u set ur self up for another disappointment with delusional optimism that a team that finished 5th can compete for a title when it hasn’t changed apart from lacazette who is months away from adapting from the French league! Now if wenger did sell a load of deadwood and brought in 5/6 players no one would be moaning bcoz it’s the bare minimum arsenal needs to catch up to Chelsea who are the champions
@ Dalinho, I’m only asking our fans to stop being negative. Is that too much to ask. Unlike many moaners i know what I bargain for for supporting arsenal with Wenger as a manager for the next two seasons. I also know Wenger is going to be Wenger with little or know change. l believe you also know this too then why complaining or being sad about the man with whom you already know what you and i will get is disappointment. I’m sensible enough to know i can’t affect anything in arsenal by coming on justarsenal with a lot of diatribe. Not even by a protest. All i will do is to support the team as always, hope and pray the manager gets his act together, that luck shines on my beloved arsenal and finally that Wenger retires at the end of his two years extension for his and arsenal sake.
That’s what you get from the horde radicalized by Sheik Konstantin.
Amen brother.the negative fans are creating a bad vibe for the team…..The players need positive energy.
Some of you should just stay home!
Arsenal are usually quick to sell their best players whereas they’re too ridiculously reluctant to dispose of the “deadwood”. Diaby stayed at the club for years when it was clear he couldn’t go 10 games a season without injury…and he was a great player whenever fit. The window is supposed to be for buying and selling players, but it doesn’t look like any of the “surplus-to-requirement” players are being sold. Gibbs, Elneny, Debuchy, Jenkinson, Campbell, and even one of welbeck or wolcott. Selling them will free up wages, bring in more cash, then it’ll shape and sharpen the squad.
Get Lemar, and very necessarily, a combatant DM who’s strong, averagely fast, and technically sound.
If u have a very effective and talented first eleven, you’ll probably have effectively won the league before exhaustion will set in.
If arsenal do their business well (by bringing in Lemar and a solid DM, then letting go of Gibbs, Jenks, Campbell, Elneny, Debuchy, Welbeck), by the start of the new season, the squad should look like this:
Strikers – Lacazette, Giroud, walcott/welbeck.
A/Mid – Sanchez, Ozil, Lemar*, Iwobi, Ox
DM – Xhaka, NewDM*, Ramsey, Coquelin,
Def – Koscienly, Mustafi, Holding, Kolasinac, Bellerin, Monreal, Chambers, Gabriel, Mertasaker,
GK – Cech, Ospina, Martinez
More whingeing and negative opinion…….It’s like being part of a manic depressives group. If you’re gonna be so down on the team go do something else with your time and stop spreading your negative bullshit…
Arsenal should go for a double deal with Monaco for both Lemar and Fabinho in a £100m deal or involve player(s) plus cash deal. I would offer Giroud, Debuchy, Elneny and Ozil as the players available. I personally would want Lemar to replace Ozil not Sanchez. Reasons being Ozil cannot cut it with the pace and power of EPL!
I would also go in for Dembele from Celtic as back up option for Lacazette.
Finally go for VVD from Southampton with Chambers going the other way (with buy back clause inserted)
All the above players coming in have 2 things in common – pace and power (what Arsenal lacks)
Ps. Oh renew Sanchez and Ox contracts is a must!
The question is are we ready. My answer, yes we are ready, we still have first team players that can beat any team in EPL, the team that beat Chelsea r still available for selection, two new first team players have also joined, I kno we still need more new platers. U will be surprised what will happen to the other teams u believe are ready. Support ur team stop being negative.