Considering that Arsenal have not gone past the first knockout stage of the Champions League competition for the last six seasons, it would seem on the face of it that Arsene Wenger still has a lot of work to do with his players to make Arsenal one of the elite European teams with a realistic chance of lifting the European Cup.
Not according to our billionaire Russian shareholder Alisher Usmanov however. In fact the man who owns Red and White holdings has stated his belief that the Frenchman needs just one good signing to make the Gunners a possible winner of the coveted trophy, as reported by The Independent.
Usmanov said, “If there aren’t (any) severe injuries, he’s got a great chance to compete with teams like Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City. The championship will be decided between these four teams.
“With the team that Arsene has put together, except for one position, I think it’s a club that’s ready to successfully fight for European cups.”
The position he means is presumably the centre forward one and most of the Arsenal fans are still hoping that the boss will go back to the transfer market before the summer window shuts, with Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain the most likely targets according to the Arsenal transfer rumours.
But while a lot of people now see Arsenal as potential Premier League winners, does that really apply to Europe as well. Considering that we were knocked out by a very unfancied Monaco team last time, you would say no, but if you think back to that killer first leg at home and the hatful of chances missed by Olivier Giroud, you could say that a top striker would have seen us in the quarter-finals. And then who knows what might5 have happened?
What do you think about the comments of Usmanov and how far Arsenal are from winning the Champions League?
“The position he means is presumably the center forward one.” There is no proof that he is mentioning the center forward role. It could be the defensive midfielder role also because we have more depth in striker position rather than the defensive midfielder. If we can get a decent backup, who can do a job for rest of the games, then we have a team to compete for both PL and CL(not sure about this one but still we can compete).
Also if we had concede less in that Monaco game, we could have had pretty chances to qualify in second leg. I know Giroud missed chances but every player can have a off day. But it didn’t ensures that if you are not scoring, you should forget about defending. Conceding soft goals like the third one was a big blow.
I think Lord Harris’ earlier comments on Arsenal looking out for a striker should give us a clue that Usmanov is more than likely referring to the same position. Also when you consider that Wenger is not the type that will concern himself much about a big-name DM (more so as Coquelin turned up for us) as he would an attacker… I don’t know.
I hope we get another DM
but if not then Arteta Flamini
Wilshere Ramsey Chambers
Gabriel Bielik will just have to do.
Up front if we get another striker
Benzimmer or who ever I am pleased
but if not the attacking group we have
can score 90 goals especially if they stay fit.
So not totally fussed but sense with barely 10 mill spent
and sales covering that small amount,
Arsenal has a big chunk of cash to drop
if the “some one or some ones” come available.
Benzema and a DM I reckon.
Think you guys have run this striker saga to death. We have the players just wait and give them a chance.We have never had a squad so strong since Henry days and then we never won Champs Leag. I am willing to bet we will be top at end of season and in the final of the Champs lg, then you will see the squad really do us all justice and win it. CB
You’re willing to bet we’ll win the League and be in the CL final this year?
I’ll take you up on that, how much?
I only take bets with real Arsenal fans. CB
I think he is right(datz if the position he is talking abt is ST), barca has proved dat having world class strickers goes a long way to winning trophies…..same goes for liverpool wen they had suarez, we all tot they were 1 hell of a team, only for normal service to return when He left……..with 1 of the best MD, a pretty gud DF n a world class GK, having a world class ST wld mk us a team to fear even in europe.
Liverpool. …?
Usmanov need to explain this not only to media and fans but also to the board and wenger. Even a blind man knows that we are short of quality. A dm & Cf wil do us gud.
We need a striker and a DM period!!!!!
Its a MUST!!!
I would also like to hear COYG or some best wishes to Arsenal players from you sometimes rather than your demand lists repeatedly.
The new injury to Wilshere is a warning sign that we still need to strengthen up front and at DM.
It’s sad for Jack but in MF we have good options, and his absence will not be so severe for the team.
But if we lose Le Coq for 3 months, or Giroud (again) or Walcott (again) we will struggle with all the EPL and ECL and Cup games. Benzema and Sven Bender would give us more options and more comfort.
COYG
Breaking News! Jack Wishere out for Six to Eight weeks.
We are f**ked!
*he is f*cked….again
Why? First of Jack was not really missed Sunday and with the amount of midfielders we have he will perfectly come back 8 weeks from now when probably some other midfielder (cough, Arteta, Ramsey, cough) will have problems. Secondly, I thought you lot don’t want Jack in the team because everytime he played we lost the game. Even when he did not played you thought was still his fault. Just because.
Well said Budd CB
We need to sign a replacement for wilshere soon
chuba has been loaned simply may be bcuz wenger is satisfied with walcott’s performance in middle and does not necessarily indicate that new striker is coming
besides the only quality players available are gotze and javi matrinez i think.
The only thing that gives me hope is no.9 jersey. but again RM is not looking at anybody to replace benzema so i dont think he is going anywhere, atleast this season
we have coq ramsey arteta flamini wilshere rosicky santi and chambers that is 8 players
YES EIGHT PLAYERS for 2 positions so forget DM
Akpom is not ready for top flight. Emirates Cup offered a glimpse in what he can offer as of now. I have seen him in few U21 games as well. Talented lad. But he is missing that bite, that calmness in front of the goal. His judgement of a certain situation lacks clarity (we could have had scored more if he’d made the right call). Best thing for him is to be loaned. And he will play for Hull, a team with a clear objective, he will have to do it. At least I will see him play more, in fact all of us.
Jack Wilshere breaks his ankle! This is becoming an absolute joke now with this medical team/ His glass body
This Benzema thing is slowly becoming like the Higuain thing last season…Very annoying for fans..
Two seasons ago you mean. In any case, we ended up with Ozil. At 45 mils they ask at Napoli I will stick with Ozil.
yeap 2 seasons ago…
davidnz always read your comments which are good reading . but i can not agree with you when you say arteta flamini wiltshere ramsey and chambers will do, they have all been tried there and found wanting they are not a stay at home like cogs. he is great if we lose him we have a big problem .in fact i don’t mind our strike force we have plenty of goal scorers all gaured needs to do is get a bit of c–t in to him like costa and get angery when he misses a golden opportunity insted of holding his head in his hands and laughing like oh! i am so unlucky. sure every wants a great striker if you can get one until then he will do he is still a bloody good striker you are arsenal supporters stop putting down.
New Arsenal Strikers both almost through medical!!!
Both Benzami AND Higuan will most likely join the 3 O’clock afternoon tea with Wenger and their new chums, rumours mad-eyed Karen Dizzyspin, from the local citypond of Nowhereshire before her daily round of emptying the local bins to METRO, and therefore it safe to say that Benzami AND Higuan have very much so almost signed.
YES. Whatever top-class signing we make this summer should improve our chances this season.
No one can say for sure if it will make us WIN the UCL though.
Its a good one adding a WC striker and a DM, but the problem of the team still remain, am not worried about how many player is brought in but so worried about the injury crisis we always face before and during the season I.e Jack W ended the season on a superb form but he’s injured foruntil another 2months or so, until we sort the injury problem out, doubt us making any significant impact
Whats this Man Utd make huge bid for Kane…is this a ploy to unsettle the striker before !st game..No Need LVG, Spuds will loose…they always loose wknd league games when they play mid-week games before that..
surely a bid of 40m for griezman or reus makes more sense than 45 for benzema…that said we need better attackinghoptions than we have so would be happy to see it happen..and knowing ozil would be a real plus…a front line of sanchez benzenma and ox with ozil and santi pulling the strings should create alot of opportunities for goals…still if coquelin gets injured we would be in trouble…
I would bid for Lewandowski, Reus and Greizmann before Benzema. However, I would be very happy if we ended up with Benzema
I believe Benzema and at least a quality backup DM if not a superior DM to Coquelin would definitely put us in the running for CL and PL.
We are so close. Just two more signings will make our team fantastic and world beater
One positive out of wilshere’s injury is that ramsey and himself won’t be playing on the wings for the next few months.