Arsenal missed out on the chance to move into fourth place when failing to beat Burnley last weekend, but it is their actions in the current window which is casting real doubt on our campaign’s aspirations.
We had to request the postponement of our match against Spurs recently, and have since allowed three further players to leave the club in Pablo Mari, Sead Kolasinac and Calum Chambers.
I get that none of those who have departed have played much of a role in our first-team of late, and that we only have the one competition to concentrate on going forwards, but the fact that we have already had to postpone one league match should be testament enough to the fact that a squad is needed.
We’ve never been the luckiest when it comes to injuries, and I don’t think our disciplinary record of red cards has gone unnoticed in recent weeks either, and I simply can’t accept that our club believes our current quota of players is sufficient to mount a serious challenge for a place in the top four.
Playing in the Champions League is becoming a bit of a distant memory, and we actually have every chance of securing a return to the competition with a strong finish to the current campaign. I get that they tried to think big with their attempt to sign Vlahovic, a move I fully backed, but there simply has to be a back-up option as qualifying for the CL for the new term would be a massive step in the right direction for us.
Has the club let us down this month so far? Could there still be a big signing or two this month?
Patrick
We have to wait and see how the season will end. If we fail to secure the 2nd to 4th spot (we are not far off from those spots) then at the end of the season we can expect capable men to replace Arteta and Edu because it definitely will happen.
If that will happen (and I have hope it won’t) they will have no one to blame when they are forever remembered to have been in charge of the darkest days of the club history.
For now they need our support because they are still in good position to secure CL spot. The judgement should be reserved for later in my opinion.
We won’t even finish top 6 without some coming in.
I am reading that Spurs are in for Bissouma before the deadline.
If that is true, then at least they are serious about the top 4.
So lets see how serious Arsenal are.
Seems top 4 hopes are slowly fading away, we have substandard guys that don’t cut a top 4 anyway, look at our bench, who can manage to change things except for ESR , think of Holding, X Lokonga, Eneny, Soares…… our first 11 is the only team we have despite having frailties in the middle with the inconsistent Partey, the careless xhaka, and Martinelli now doing it too hard and complicating things for himself and ordegaard disappearing at times . Somehow if the team is getting something from the sell of Nketiah he should go, he is just useless in the league games, we ain’t playing cup games where he is a specialist. Going forward this season he will definitely offer nothing. Let him go. Just bring in Ruben Neves, Calvert Lewis and we are sorted.
Honestly I don’t think this is part of “The Process” outlined by Arteta, Edu, and Josh. I think that when they switched “The Project” to “The Process” it was subtle cue that they were taking a longer term view.
After the last 2 years, this is my impression of the club since Arteta came on board and Josh has taken a significant role at the club.
They have no intention of big spending every Summer, or buying success, trying to financially compete with the top clubs in the league. The buy low sell high strategy, all while establishing a young core designed to be the squad for 3-5 years.
1. 1st year free pass for Arteta and begin to clear out roster and remove players with no future at Arsenal.
2. This Summer was about establishing a core of young talented players with a future at Arsenal.
3. January was about continuing the clear-out, reduce the wage bill, and assess the team to prepare for Summer business.
4. Top 4 and CL was never a focus this year, rather hoping for progress like top 6, and solid showings in cup competitions.
5. This Summer will be about finding our striker for the next 3-5 years, and bolstering the midfield if we happen to rejoin European football.
The club is clearly laying groundwork for the future, and a business model different than the last decade.
No more band-aid patchwork temporary fixes like in years past. Gone are the 28-30 year old players without a future or resale value.
Establish a core group to play for the next 3-5 years, buying time to develop and integrate academy and youth additions.
I tend to agree with you about where the club want to be and the project they have in place.
Many of us fans, for years with some players have been calling for them to be moved on.
Over the last 2 years, it looks like that has finally come to fruition, last few left now.
But i do feel its a risk to let so many go now and not bring in temporary replacements to gap fill.
it has proved that if you take one of TP or Xhaka out of the 11 or both, we are in trouble.
I’m also quite sure that we didnt have the money to spend that was being reported.
Complicated market?? it is when you need this and that and have a bag of peanuts as currency.
still i am enjoying the project, we have some very exciting players who can only improve and i do see us again splashing the cash in the summer as we have or will have a very thin squad
I believe that you are absolutely right,it seems to be the club’s plan.next summer should tell us a lot,depending on departures we’ll need at least 4/5 new players including Saliba,I also expect MA to promote 1 or 2 youngsters.
Durand, it has been more about buying low and selling on at a loss or free for most of the recent transfer activity. Arsenal have been poor and we should be concerned about the Club’s high value assets like ESR and Saka.
Imagine how much Arsenal would have to spend (and spend well) in order to make the Club competitive, should it gain entry to European competition next season.
You are right, Arsenal isn’t planning for tomorrow and they have realistic ambitions about top six.
Our first eleven has top four quality, but not our squad. The FFP rules is restricting us for doing big things in January, but not for doing them next summer, which we are planning to do.
I doubt there will be any top four team in the league with players like Holding, Cedric, (Chambers) or Elneny in their first eleven. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against them, but not good enough for a club with top four ambitions.
I would beg to differ!!!!!
Our first eleven HAD top 4 quality, but have since fallen away.
We have 17 games to go, and we are bound to get some injuries in the run in. We badly need two new top class players for the rest of the season.
I would also like to say that, if we do NOT make the top 4 (or worse the top 6), we might be more liable to lose our better players next season than attract new ones.
So for all you proponents of:-
“Our goal is not top 4 or even top 6 this season”, but to consolidate. I would say beware of what you expect, it might be actually a backward step rather than a forward move for the PROJECT!!!
Why are we cry for top4 every season that is the only ambition for arsenal management and fans, its almost more than 15yrs we have’nt win EPL and all our plans is top 4, i wonder saka &co can’t win the tropies, lolz let dream big not top4.
The vulnerability in the CM as mentioned before could be revolutionised by putting White there with Partey..the central backs with holding/Gabriel would cope if we had the 2 CM players promoting attacking play.
Then just rotate the forward line to keep it fresh..White is wasted at right back..and much better than Artetas existing preferences..
Better yet Saliba should’ve been here this season, £50m on White was a waste when we needed a Bissouma while Xhaka was flirting with Roma all summer.
Matteo should of been here also instead of Xhaka or Elneny… Lokonga Bissouma Partey and Matteo would’ve been more than enough in the middle with Azeez coming through.
So much wasted all because Mikel can’t man manage players. Arsene was the best at this protecting his players..
Sean, I completely agree with you. Mikel can’t man manage at all.
👍 👍
We are linked with Gianluca Scamacca. At first I thought he’s nothing special but after a little research, he actually looks pretty good.
195 cm tall, actually very quick, good in tight spaces, aerial threat, can hold up play. Also scores a lot from outside the box. And lets remember Genoa and Sassuolo he has played are lower bottom teams in the Serie A. In the past 18 months:
25 starts, 17 goals. 3 outside box. 2 penalties. Goal per every 150 minute.
Vs. Vlahovic:
55 starts. 38 goals. 3 outside box. 16 penalties! Goal every 124 minute.
Yes, our last 4 match results at away and home in the Cups, EPL and the Cups again were disappointing if to say the least.
For, Arsenal failed to score a single goal in four match outings. A bad trend that needs stopping by Arsenal immediately from continuing.
Thus the underlining factor an urgent action be taken by the Arsenal bosses concerned to revamp the senior team squad of the club during the last 2 days of this January transfer window with new marquee striker and creative midfielder signings done in the window closes.
So that the team effort me so far this season in the EPL that is Arsenal currently laced 6th, and aspiring to finish in the top-four places at the end the season will not be Jeopardized as a result of inadequacies in top quality playing personnel i key positions in the team..
Yes, our last 4 match results at away and home in the Cups, EPL and the Cups again were disappointing if to say the least.
For, Arsenal failed to score a single goal in four match outings. A bad trend that needs stopping by Arsenal immediately from continuing.
Thus the underlining factor for an urgent action be taken by the Arsenal bosses concerned to revamp the senior team squad of the club during the last 2 days of this January transfer window. With new marquee striker and creative midfielder signings done before the window closes.
So that the good efforts that have been made by the team in the EPL so far this season that is seeing Arsenal currently in 6th, and aspiring to finish in the top-four places at the end of the season will not be Jeopardized to see Arsenal not in the top-four as a result of inadequacies in top quality playing personnel in key positions in the team..
This question sounds comical because the answer is without equivocation distinctly clear. Arsenal are nor serios when it comes to pursuing new players. We only come big when buying the players we don’t need and can’t sell for Overblown prices.
Teams like Leicester, Westharm, Tottenham Wolverhampton are smarter and shruder when it comes to doing business.
We are already out of the FA Cup and league Cup, very soon for the obvious reasons of not strengthening we will go back to were we rightly belong which is eight position
I think we proved in the summer we were serious, you dont spend the most tranfer money in the whole of Europe if you aren’t. If the manager can match that ambition, we cant moan. January is not the time to buy good buys, we did the business in the summer.
Agree Reggie
Gentleman’s agreement between Arsenal, ManU, Spurs and West Ham not to spend any money in January and have a straight sprint for fourth?
I’ll take my tinfoil hat off now.
Trust the process 😜😝😛
Arsenal are as clueless as Man Utd… Top 4 is worth at least £30m because of CL qualification yet ArtEdu & Kroenkes are selling & not improving the squad, don’t be surprised when we become also&rans again!😂👎