All season long I have been accused of having an agenda against Arsenal’s owners.
It’s because for years I can point to examples of where the Kroenke Family failed to show ambition when we needed to make that step.
Arsenal have a chance of making the top 4. Out of us, Spurs, Man United and West Ham, whoever puts a consistent run together could qualify for the Champions League.
Despite though clear evidence since December that Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah are not good enough at this level, the Gunners have turned round and essentially told Barcelona that if they pay his wages, they can have Aubameyang for free!
A few days ago, a reader said it was wrong to accuse the club’s priority this window of being to slash the wage bill.
What else do you call a club who having not scored in 4 consecutive fixtures, essentially ripping up a player’s contract just to save 25 million?
Add on a couple more when you consider Chambers and Kolasinac have been released this January and Balogun, Niles and Mari loaned out.
Further revenue will be saved when Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah leave in the summer.
That’s right, the two strikers we now have to trust to fire us into Europe won’t even be in North London come the summer.
Factually our squad is weaker than it was a month ago and quite simply that is unacceptable.
There’s no way Mikel Arteta with a straight face can argue that his employers have done everything possible for the Gunners to be the best they can possibly be.
The Spaniard made it clear from early December he wanted Aubameyang out.
Edu should have been spending every hour since finding an alternative. That’s his job, something he gets paid a lot of money to do.
I want to hear something in the next few days that clarifies our recruitment policy.
Tell us Auba has done something which makes his position untenable, inform us that he refused to say sorry.
Heck, plead that we are in financial trouble, because at least then this makes sense.
A manager’s job is to get the best out of the resources he has. Either I have to accept our manager just gives up on talent, or slashing the wage bill is a priority.
By the way …. yes, I’m negative.
I don’t know how my club has got to this point.
Instead of pushing to make the top 4 we are giving Aubameyang to Barcelona for nothing, with the Kroenke Family realising some Gooners now accept it.
Anyone who defends this does not have Arsenal’s best interest at heart.
Be Kind in The Comments
Dan Smith
Agree 100% Dan.
How AW was pilloried for just signing Cech and losing the PL to Leicester.
Let’s see how the likes of Loose Cannon can defend the circus that is now The Arsenal and why, in all probability, we have thrown away any chance of getting back to the top four that we had for over two decades.
Ken have we really thrown away the chance to be in the top four though?
These statements you guys are making, does it in any show some respect to the bunch of players that has gotten us to this point? 2 points behind top four with a game in hand.
Why are you guys hell bent on saying these guys can’t get us top four when these are the ones that brought us here.
Didn’t Aubameyang score before December. This is not disrespect but glaring that this average squad cannot get the top four, they are even fortunate they around the circle of making top 4. Well let us see where they will be come end of the season.
Agree with Eddie.
The 20 players that got us where we are are basically the 20 players that Arteta is putting his faith in
Ramsdale
Tomiyasu White Gabriel Tierney
Xhaka Partey
Saka Odegaard Martinelli
Lacazette
Leno, Cedric, Holding, Tavares, Elneny, Sambi, Smith-Rowe, Pepe, Nketiah.
Of the players he has released Kolasinac and Chambers, were leaving in July anyway and has taken £200k a week off the wage bill. That represents a saving of £5m on 2 players that barely make the bench.
Aubameyang out on a free transfer saves the club £25m in wages, for a player who was never going to play again.
The players he sent out on loan Mari, Maitland-Niles and Balogun has saved the club a further £150k a week another £4m saved over the next 6 months for 3 players again that were not making the bench.
So £34m saved in wages across the next 18 months. Artetas window was in the summer, Edu’s window was the winter one.
Sure we would have all loved a shiny new player this window. But I think we all agree that we also needed to offload some players and the next window will see some more of Wenger and Emery’s players leave the club. Leno, Elneny, Lacazette and Nketiah are sure to go and I would expect Cedric, Holding, Xhaka and Pepe to join them. Some of our 21 loan players will return to replace some of those. In fact when you look at our best loan x1 it could probably do quite well.
Runarrsson or Hein
Mavropanos Saliba Mari
Bellerin Torreira Guendozi AMN
Nelson Balogun TJJ
To be totally honest if that loan team returned to us next season with 6 months game time under their belts to replace the 8 players I expect to leave then I would be one happy man.
Because equally , the majority of any game under pressure , we have lacked leadership
So Jan should have been used to improve not literally give players away
This is strength in character, belief in his core players, trimming the fat, making room for proper players. What have been the contributions of those gone? 8th for 2 seasons and out of all cups? To get in new talent the mediocre ones have to go. Well done Mikel! Thank you! Gracias! Merci!for further comments read Eddie’s well explanations below
Eddie, this same group of players have seen us knocked out of the 3rd round of the cup to Forest, lose a semi final at home, play some of the most boring, unattractive and mind boggling excuse for a football team in our shirt for years.
I witnessed two games (spuds and City) where the quality within the squad was there for all to see…. where is the consistency, the planning, the pride?
Those two examples above, should be replicated every single game and they simply are not.
Who does one blame for this?
All the “dross” has been given away or loaned out so this old red herring that always comes out, is complete rubbish.
You are not correct that we are in 4th position and it was obviously a false position, because as the other clubs play their games in hand, so we slide down the table.
But what is it about the players today having put us into 4th spot (Temporarily)?
What’s suddenly so special about it, that we all have to pay homage too?
Ending up season after season in the top four wasn’t good enough four years ago… but after spending millions on new players, getting rid of those players, deemed not good enough, who actually finished in the top four or winning cups, we are praising the fact that we might, just might, finish in the top four this season.
It doesn’t make any sense whatsoever, as is the case with our activity this transfer window.
I’m told MA trusts those players he has kept, but there is no depth, no leader, no style, no plan B (unless ringing on Kolasinac in the last few seconds to rescue a cup tie and then let him leave for free a few days later counts?!?!?) and no accountability from the section of fans, who crucified our previous players and manager.
Why are we accepting the fact that Aubemeyang left for free and to a club that, in regards to trophies, is bigger than us?
One fan told us that MA was correct and no major club would touch him…. just simple BS as usual.
Sorry Eddie, we usually agree, but after all that has gone on in January alone, I am at a loose end to find anything positive and I find myself dreading what performance, result, internal mayhem will happen next.
This job is simply to big for MA, who I have huge respect for and why he is being defended by using excuses that hold no water whatsoever, is beyond me as a lifong supporter of The Arsenal.
Ken1945
My friend you already know the simple answer to your question; standards. We have discussed this many times, and how it changes for some based on who is the manager.
Wenger ran out for “only” finishing in 4th, then 5th, then 6th before his time was up. The style of play had dropped off, slow possession based football and defense was not solid.
Emeryball was boring for many, yet he managed 22 games unbeated, 5th place finish and 1 point off 4th; not to mention the finals of Europa league.
All with the “deadwood” many were begging to be shipped out.
Now with Arteta, 2 8th place finishes and people call for patience. Where was that for Wenger or Emery trying to rebuild Arsenal?
Terrible players, not Arteta’s fault? Where was that for Emery?
Standards matter in the end.
Funny how Artetaball is acceptable when Emeryball was not. Funny how 6th is “progression” when it got 2 far better managers fired.
I will chose standards over agendas, and think if Arteta cannot achieve at least a 5th place finish in a dog fight for 4th, then he should be sacked.
Others can decide, let them choose standards or Excuses.
Durand, without standards, we might as well just pack it in!!!
How anyone can say that, by giving a player away, after recently awarding said player a bumper contract, is progress, just makes no sense whatsoever.
What kronkie must think of the way our club is run, I dread to think.
There are others on JA who have questioned why MA is given such an easy ride, but we are accused of not backing the manager… by those same fans who were screaming for the heads of AW and UE for not finishing in the top four – yet I know read that it’s going to take another year for MA to make his positive mark.
There is no point in NOT supporting the team until the end of the season, but I’m certainly not going to sit back and be lectured on what a true supporter should be doing, while ignoring what’s going on both on and off the pitch.
Wenger and Emery’s mistakes pale into insignificance when a player can’t even be bothered to consider thinking about joining The Arsenal.
How the mighty have fallen in just two seasons.
We are saving ourselves rich! Which is just a recipe for losing revenue long term.
I fully agree that the majority of outgoings were the right players to leave but the timing is insane with our squad being so thin at the moment.
Most should’ve been sold already but were held onto for no reason resulting in revenue loss.
1) we should buy players, which fit into our current youth strategy and not buy just to satisfy fans, who measure by how much we spend
2) This season we are still the club with the hifghest nett spend on new players
3) We have young players like Martinelli, Saka, ESR, Odegaard etc., who we must allow to play, if they are to improve and take us to where, we hope
4) By all accounts it looks like we were trying very hard to get one of the most sought after young attackers in Europe. Only he wanted to play for Juventus. Better not to buy a dubious alternative for short term
I think we should buy players that improve the squad and fit into strategy. To insist only on young players just doesn’t make sense for a big club.
We played some great football this season, but some dreadful also. After few very gloomy years, this season offered hope, improvement is visible. We finally have balanced first 11, not the whole team, but we have 12-13 quality players contributing and fighting for the club.
Not counting first 3 games, only Liverpool dominated against us, as they do in almost every game. Brighton away was probably the worst game we played and were lucky to get away with a point, but in all other games we were on good level.
As stats confirm it, our biggest problem is not having a plan B. If game doesn’t go our way, we have no way to change it. As important as Laca is for our game, he is just not scoring. There is no one to come from the bench who can either replace him or support as no.9. It is obvious MA and Edu are aware of it, Vlahovic would have been superb signing, but once we knew we couldn’t get him it is mind blowing that we didn’t sign at least short term solution. Jovic, Icardi, Beloti… anyone who can change our game and offer goals. Club did great work in the summer, we are very competitive in the league, but all that good work and effort can be for nothing. And this is by far the first time that we miss just a little bit, one player, and everyone sees it and knows it, but we again do nothing. Doing same thing over and over again, expecting different results in one of the definitions of insanity.
I would love to know what Edu is thinking, but this kind of action, or lack of action would get him sacked anywhere else.
You are very right. Where is the future of our club, incase now lacazete all gets an injury🤔🤔I think we need to get better ownership that is interested in investing in the club. What do you expect of a team of young players with out leadership. We can’t put our trust in any player that we can base on to be sure he will score consecutively… They are making my arsenal so fragile to avoidable wins
Absolutely spot on again mate. You would have thought after the locateli summer transfer saga Edu & Arteta would of learnt their lesson about chasing players who simply don’t want to play for them.
Vlahović told them from the start he wasn’t interested in joining a “project”. They should have then moved on spent the next six months scouting a plan b.
Instead even up to a week ago Arteta is watching the LA Rams on Kronke’s box.
To simply give Aubameyang away on a free transfer beggars belief. We now are relying on two players out of contract in the summer who have 3 goals between them!
Are these two honestly going to put their body’s on the line knowing getting a bad injury could ruin their next moves.
It’s top 4 or bust for me with Arteta. It’s his team now, he’s spent money there can be no excuses from not only falling behind Chelsea but now West Ham and Spurs.
Hi Dan, I should think you have missed the point completely. Arsenal did not fail because of lack of trying. They tried but there are no quality players available at this time of the year. Only during the summer break. It is of no use to sign a string of players like Sanogo just to make up numbers and satisfy supporters. Better f
ew with good quality rather than a million just to make up numbers. We’ll done Arsenal for clearing out the deadwood so that in summer we can go for the jagular
No quality players available?
Why the hell did MA and Edu chase it player for the whole of the transfer window, only to see Juve to pay £60 odd million for him.
We are now seeing top players not even interested in discussing a move to our club….let that sink in for a second… not even interested.
Those realists amongst us certainly DO SEE the picture and we are slowly drifting down to mediocrity – wake up and smell the coffee!!!
Not interested in “the process” that Arteta, club, and many fans are trying to sell. Add to that the depressing, soul-crushing Artetaball we play. No place for creativity or expression, only the scripted static positioning of players.
They have seen that Arteta doesn’t play to players strengths, doesn’t incorporate the tools that make each player special.
Add to that the man management, and they are not interested in spite of the “different knock” that Arteta talks about.
I can’t consider when the player has a problem as a deadwood.Aub was down in spirit and needed assistance after all he scored many goals for Arsenal and could still take us to number four if was managed well.Chambers was a fighter whose effort was not appreciated well by Arsenal.He could play as a defender and wing back also he is better in midfield than Xhaka.Niles was utility player who Arteta will regret losing. Kolasinac was good as natural 11 was position was not granted. Gondoliers was good and young who needed guidance, Torreira could be Messi if he would been tried in position 10. Artete neither understands premier league nor what he wants for a winning team.He would have signed Abraham an Arsenal fan from Chelsea as a striker long time ago.and added another striker from English lower leagues to propel a team.His experiment will make Arsena a selling team same level as Southampton and nothing else
OT
I think wolves also has a chance to make it to top 4…..
Their structure and defence has been superb all season
Dude all you ever do is moan about how Kroenke is doing this or that and about money.
Kroenke was never fully in charge and didn’t put a dime of his personal money into the club, but the moment he bought full ownership we’ve been spending, he’s been providing mo ey for transfers. You constantly pretend that is not the truth.
Regarding this discussion, while I admit it’s risky, it either stupid or brave to not bring in a replacement for Auba, bit you kept complaining as though we sold and released five out of our first team players.
All the players that’s been let go, all have played less than 5 games except Auba who was shooting blanks.
We have just 17 games left, and we kept together the bunch of young players that has gotten us just 2 points behind top four with a game in hand. These are the players that deserved it, all the players here, a deserves to be here apart from Nketiah.
If the club trusts these youngs guys to complete the job over the next 17 games, that’s fine. Like I said, either bravery or stupidity, depends on the position we end up in.
We’ve been complaining about having average players for years, the moment we constantly started getting rid of them, all you’ve done is complain and moan as if the players that’ll be brought in as replacements will be brought in for free?
When we buy back players to replace and build up the squad, will they be playing for Arsenal for free?
What do you mean the club is saving money?
Oh I for one even though I find it risky we didn’t being in a striker, I’m so happy the club didn’t feel bullied into panic buying players just to satisfy fans like you.
There’s so much space in the team now, and after the season, it’s certain that the rebuild will continue and we hope they bring in new batch of players that’ll contribute just like the players from last summer has been doing.
Pep when he came to City, he basically got rid of 95% of the players he met, but that’s totally fine because what came with it are trophies.
Conte has been getting rid of players Mourinho got haunted for because he said they weren’t good enough.
The same statement made by Mourinho that was true, he got attacked for. Conte came on and is not even giving chances to any of them, has shipped out a few, but the media’s been quiet.
We get it, we get some folks y’all and the media will forever dislike no matter what, and some folks the media will treat like babies no matter what. Those two scenarios has nothing to do with Arsenal, but I only brought them up to let you know it’s normal for managers to get rid of players with their own plans.
Jesus Christ! Not everything has to be some conspiracy about saving money for Kroenke.
I was anxious yesterday, but the moment I realized look we ain’t panic buying or bringing anyone in, I perked up and decided it’s over and I’m just gonna keep supporting these ones that are here because they deserve all they could get from us now.
While we might be weaker on the bench, it leaves us in better position to buy good this summer.
Plus “Mr Arteta hates the kids, doesn’t give them chances” that Mr Arteta dislikes the kiss just made it possible Patino, and maybe Hutchinson will be fast forwarded into the team.
You are 100% right.
DS has an agenda, and it is based on fake facts.
What In article is fake
Did we or did we not spend January slashing the wage bill ?
Something like 9 out 10 of your articles have the angle, that Kroenke doesn’t spend, and that is our problem. It is also the basic premise for this article.
Only you are deead wrong.
Over the years, and including this season, we have spent plenty. We are are in the top 3-4 spending clubbs in the whole of Kroenke’s time of involvement in Arsenal.
That is the basic fact, you either choose to ignore, or have trouble understanding.
That leads you to constant wrong conclusions.
While it is correct, we didn’t spend in this window, it is not correct, it is because of Kroenke’s unwillingness. At least there is no proof of that.
If you accept, we were bidding for Vlahovic as constantly reported, we were actually willing to spend on the most expensive player in the entire window. As I understand, we also bid for other players. So claiming the owners aren’t willing to spend is quite simply false, once again.
Y’all wake up it’s the rebuild process let’s hope it works not criticize,they can’t here you anyway.
He took over a team that had finished 5th & one point off third. They had also reached a European final that season before, you make out he took over Everton!
I doubt in 3 seasons time if Lampard has finished 17th twice(below his predecessor position)he’d be getting much more time to clear out deadwood & impose his style.
When Tuchel took charge of Chelsea they were below us. Within 6months he got top 4 and won the champions league. Compare that to Arteta’s time in charge?
Arteta should be judged at the end of this season. If after being in this position now we end up 6/7th that’s not progress is it?
The biggest joke in the history of this club is given out our best goalscorer for free and not bringing in any replacement when we are just 2 points off top4.
Some are not going to like this but Auba has done more for Arsenal Football Club than Mikel Arteta, in fact the only reason Arteta still have a job at Arsenal is because of Auba. Let’s wait and see how this movie will play out by the end of the season.
He’s not ‘our best scorer’ this season or the last one.
163 games
113 goals /assists
Pretty dismal the way Arteta treated him .
Yes he had a bad patch but maybe he should look in the mirror at himself .
Now our savours for the rest Of the season are Eddie and Laca who have 3 premier league goals between them .
“Pretty dismal the way Arteta treated him .”
Or the way Auba kept disrespecting the club.
“Yes he had a bad patch”
A patch is only a patch when you can see both beginning and end..
@ cocky boy did you say our best scorer? How goals did he score in last 10 outings? 3 or 4. Was that return going to improve us? Getting rid of Auba was the best decision. Otherwise, we would have been stuck with another Ozil like situation.
This isn’t negativity, it’s literal hate. Unthinking anger at those people who own and manage things, under extreme pressures of expected success, player attitudes and excesses (including holding clubs to ransom) and who make unwelcome decisions, often outside their control.
True supporters will try to look deeper at all the different factors at work in club decision-making instead of firing off hate messages based on limited knowledge of the processes which go into team management and development. One big factor is the strategy Arsenal adopted after 10 years of Wenger decline to build a long-term team on youth and loyalty in an arrogant, money-muddied player market. Some decisions will be wrong in retrospect, some will be dead right. Without knowing the background, I don’t see how anyone can simply hate rather than construct a coherent, balanced assessment of the whole 20-22 sale and recruitment policy. There’s more to come in Summer 22. Yes, of course gambling on the Top 4 is a risk. I wouldn’t want to be in the group that has to take these risks. Perhaps you know better!!
You have summed up your thoughts by saying ten years of decline – decline from what?
Being a top four club? Can’t be that, because we carried on doing just that until his last two seasons.
Winning trophies? Can’t be that, because we still kept doing that until his last season.
Buying “dross” players? Can’t be that, because we never gave away players for free, especially to clubs like Barcelona.
League position? Can’t be that, because his lowest position was 6th, then 5th and before that in the top four during his time as manager… since then and under MA and the process?
8th – 8th.
European football? Can’t be that, because we had CL and Europa football every single season.
Since the “process” no European football, not even the third tier level.
So please explain this decline as you see it and how MA has stopped /improved it?
Ken1945 100% nailed it.
If we are not gambling on top 4 what are we doing then?
We were told being out of the Europa cup was a good thing as it lets us concentrate on getting top 4.
Now it’s if he gets us back into the Europa it will actually be a good season?
This “strategy & team decline” he inherited had actually not only qualified but got to the final of that competition. Not to bad for a Arsenal team to be getting into a European final.
This “declining team” also won him the fa cup in his first six months. He wasn’t saying it wasn’t his team then.
The only decline I can see is under Arteta. League position is always the truth and you can’t hide from that.
It can’t be classed as progress if after 3 seasons he hasn’t finished higher than the bloke he took over from!
Oh and by the way those youth players he’s had to play because of the poor decisions taken by the club over the last ten years? All brought to the club under Wenger.
People’s opinions change faster than the weather around here. We had a good December. We played with the same squad that we have now. Yes, we’ve had a terrible January. But we also had players at Afcon, injured or woth covid. We had some rest now, all players bar Elneny coming back. The squad is a bit thin now, but we are also out of all cup competitions, so it’s just the PL to focus on. I believe this squad has what it takes to finish in the top 4.
Ideally we would have signed a few players of course. But we all know that this window isn’t the best window to do that. You either pay over the top, or get sloppy seconds. Me too, would have wished we went out and bought Bruno G or Vlahovic. But for different reasons this didn’t happen. Let’s see what the plan is in the summer. At least we got rid of a bunch of overpaid deadwood.
With Saliba coming back, we only need to replace Xhaka and Cedric, get another CM for cover and maybe buy a striker or 2
Saliba, of course, not being a MA / Edu signing, along with ESR and Saka.
Signed by Raul who had to leave in a hurry after investigations related to the £72 million Pépé deal.
And??????
Lost to Everton and Man United
The league has a crazy contract system. Huge transfer fees, massive salaries, no performance clauses and nothing to stop players running their contracts down. To be fair Ozil, Chambers, Mustafi, Socritis, Luiz, Kolasinac, Lacazette, Aubameyang, Pepe, Xhaka, Elneny, Leno, Niles, Bellerin, Nketiah,Torrira, Guendouzie, Nelson, Mavropanos all pre date Arteta. But Arteta had to get rid of them all. Only Willian/Cedric/Runarsson and the Xhaka/ Aubameyang extensions and are down to Arteta. So Arteta has been lumbered with 18 or so underperformers he has had to kick out one by one screaming and kicking dragging their boatloads of money behind them while at the same time remain relevent in the top 6 conversation. Not panic buying Isac or Vlahovic for 90m was a sign of the new maturity in our management. Still another window to clear the mess before the process can be fairly judged in May 2023.
Spot on again! I wonder why you don’t find that kind of players (numbers) in ManCity, Liverpool or Chelsea? There’s no free lunch and you are not competing top four in PL with that kind of players.
Those players you mentioned won fa cups, got to Europa league finals & finished top 5. It’s down to the coach to extract good performances from players.
Not just discard them like broken toys ala George Graham with Nicholas all those years ago.
“Relevant in a top 6 conversation” is not why he was hired. He was hired as the previous two mangers had been sacked for finishing 5th. That’s the standards that had been set.
Asking for time is fair enough but still 2.5 season in? Have you actually seen anything to give him more time? One half vs man city, a great result away at Leicester (Ramsdale was still motm) that’s about it. We were hammered by the top 3 away.
Wenger coached nobody’s into world stars. Which player has actually improved under Arteta?
Martenli was miles better under Emery unshackled from Artetaball.
Mavopanos & Saliba have gone away and been coached into two of the best you CB’s in Europe but both weren’t given a chance by us.
Saliba’s also not coming back if we’ve spent 54m on white and we were bidding for umtiti is he.
I’m not sure why people think not signing a forward has saved us overpaying. In the summer every single team knows we do not have any forwards. You think that will lower the asking price?
We’re also be buying 2/3 by then with Niketah &. Lacazette going on frees.
As an Arsenal supporter how many of us have persevered through years of Arsenal being two or three players short of competing for the title? As Ken1945 alluded to, the year Arsene Wenger bought in Petr Cech and no outfield players, was the year I completely lost faith in him.
This season Arsenal has (had?) a chance of gaining a Champions League place and the increased revenue and attractiveness to players that it brings to the Club. Yet once again the obvious deficiencies in the areas of midfield and strikers with a reliable high goal productivity have been ignored.
Players like Torreira, Guendouzi, AMN, Mari, Mavropa, Saliba and Balogun have been loaned out. No one should argue that young players like Balogun should not be loaned out to gain playing time, experience and return better players; however one would expect that sufficient players of appropriate quality would be retained or transferred in. Afcon, Covid and injuries have demonstrated the inadequacies of Arsenal’s squad, both in quality and depth.
Another opportunity has being thrown away by incompetent management putting all their eggs in chasing a striker not interested in playing for Arsenal, with no alternative options. Yes, Arsenal does not need a squad to compete in four competitions, but Arsenal will have difficulty competing in just the League. Imagine if the Club fluked European competition next season, how would you expect the Club to upgrade the squad to compete, from such a low base? You would have to be an extreme optimist to see Arsenal making a Champions League spot firstly and secondly, bring competitive in Europe. The demise and despair of a once great Club.
I agree, but if you are not able to sign your main objective what should they do? Sign panic players like we used to or get into a better position and sign next summer?
It’s now very clear that Mikel “For Free” Arteta is not operating like a traditional team manager. He is acting more like a hired gunslinger for the Kroenke’s – to look after their financial interests.
‘
In over two years in charge “For Free” has ousted two of the best and highly paid player during his era – Mesut Ozil and Aubameyang. What an achievement for a young rookie!
Ozil, Mustafi Socritis Kolasinac and Aubameyang were all way over the hill on extortinate salaries contributing little or nothing. Willian and Chambers are gone while Arteta is getting rid of Bellerin Torreira Mari and Niles just as soon as he can. Guendouzie and Saliba have to buck up their ideas if they want to return to the Emirates. Articulate Arteta is spending our money on young fresh talent like Ramsdale White Tavares Tomi Lokonga and Odegaard while Gabriel Tierney Partey Martinelli Saka and ESR continue to flourish under the Stealthy Steely Spaniard.
Thanks mate 👍
Saliba among tops in the league CB and Guendouzi outperforming our midfielders currently (ESR goals mostly come as a winger).
Not sure what they need to “buck up.”
Perhaps the manager needs to “buck up” and understand big part of his job is to coach up and further develop young talents at the club; not just loan or freeze out and reach for the checkbook to solve problems.
I dont often agree with this blog, however I have said myself that Arsenal’s strategy has been to save money whilst attempting to disguise this by very public chasing of players who had no interest in joining us. It stinks. And Arteta is at the heart of it all, a puppet of Kronke.
Since joining Arteta has publicly and no so, fallen out with players. There is now a list of good talent that has been ostracised and squeezed out of the club. And has it improved us? No, of course not.
Aubamayang
Guendouzi
Saliba ( POTY contender!)
Mari ( why the sudden fall from grace?)
Chambers ( but we keep cedric!)
Kolasinac
Mustafi ( first 20 games not a single loss)
Ozil ( still better creator than saka ode esr)
What a shambolic period.
A club rotten at its very heart. I have been attending games for 65 years, and have never seen anything like this
Mustafi? Never been good enough and shouldn’t have been bought. What has he achieved after leaving us, even as a free agent not able to sign for a top club. Now playing for Levante in La Liga, a team close to relegation. We have had too many of that kind of players.
Like Willian now playing where?
Should never have signed him either.
We can keep giving examples of every manager’s mistakes, but I am interested in today, not what happened years ago.
Out of interest, can you tell me when we have ever given a player away, just weeks after giving him a bumper new contract?
AND TO BARCELONA!!!!
after spending over 100million in the summer
the fans are still not happy
if there is window for spring and fall as well
the fans would expect signings every window
Thanks mate!
Most of them have got what they ask for, and they are able to produce more chaos 🤣
Subside the money we got for Wilock and the 27 million we made this window
Highest spenders this season. Refused to settle. Cut the dead wood. Can still make top 4 Lacazette and Eddie will deliver as will Smith-Rowe, Martinelli and Saka with another 5 goals apiece. Beat Tottenham and finish fourth. Keep the faith.
Like music in my ears 😉
Spent too long going after a player who never wanted to come to Arsenal in Vlahovic. Greedy agents and a player who obviously didn’t want to come. Should have let that one go sooner and gone after someone else. Having said that if top players don’t want to come to Arsenal anymore than that is hardly suprising? As for Aubameyang, he has not been at the races for some time now. Was best to let him go. I will be surprised if we get top four, but I believe we do have the players to attain that at the mo. Down to them really to perform and have the right mental attitude. Unfortunately that appears to be what lets us down too many times?
We have been planning for big things next summer, and with only 17 games left in one tournament we don’t need to invest short terms to manage top four.
Yes, we have been struggling in January but that is easy to explain and understand. We lost players to the African Cup of Nations, injuries, Covid-19 and suspensions. To many incidents for a young squad to handle, and too many key players away at the same time.
We tried to sign a few players in the January but weren’t able to win the battle. If it was lack of funds, FFP rules or other circumstances aren’t that important. In recent times we would have got panic and just signed a player, but we are not doing that anymore.
From my point of view it’s not realistic to manage top four this season. We have too many young players in our squad which normally are lacking resilience. And there are five or six clubs with stronger squad than us, but not many with more potential.
Hopefully we can manage top four, but more realistic top six.
The problem of Arsenal started way back, I don’t why they couldn’t force wenger to buy players by giving him money then, why not support Emery when he was here. Another problem, the board love buying average so call players and players other people never go for,…. if come summer & arsenal go for average players to add to this existing players, it will be disastrous. Because what they need now is Super quality addition, will kroenke splash that cash to compete with Man City, Chelsea, Man utd for players like Sterling, Declan Rice, Kalvin Philips, Neves & Isak that have release clause. Then lastly how will they convince super quality players to join their project.
Have you even considered that we used all our funds in the summer window and january was always gonna be about cutting the wage bill and dropping some unused players.
Afterall you love to yap about how arteta got 150m to spend. Well we ain’t an oil club so we have a limited budget. No champions league and terrible asset management have worsen our finance situation.
Spot on! Always easy to be negative, but negativity without perspective is worthless to me.
No point being positive for sake of it either ?
A lot to be positive about, a young an exciting squad going to get better. Getting rid of players not good enough for a club with top four ambitions. Not signing panic players to please parts of our fan base.
No money? So why were we putting in reported £50,000,000 bids?
If it was just a smokescreen, then MA, Edu and Kronkie are playing us for fools – if it wasn’t, then the argument about having no money, goes out of the window… so which one is it?
We weren’t able to sign our main objective(s), and we didn’t buy a new Kim Kallstrom, Andre Santos or Sebastien Squillaci either. Could have been worse Ken 😝
Oh so we are gonna believe rumours now just to suit your narrative. The only player it seems we really went after was vlahovic and Fiorentina clearly said there was no bid for him so stop spreading your pathetic lies.
I red a few months ago that Vlahovic preferred to stay in Italy. Probably more hot among fans and media than our club.
Didrik, what on earth have the players you mentioned, got to do with MA and what happened this last transfer windotrying w?
It has NOTHING whatsoever to do with it, but you keep trying to bring Wenger’s mistakes in, to cover the mistakes MA is making… WHY?
Of course, even with those mistakes, we finished in the top four and /or won fa cups, didn’t we?
By the way, let’s add Henry, Vieira, Lauren, Campbell, Toure, Pires, Reyes, Ljunberg, Petit and so many, many more who became stars – name me one of MA’s signings that you would put in the same category as the players I mention above.
Sorry you misunderstood me, I just mentioned some interesting players we have bought when we weren’t able to find something else. I respect Wenger very much I wasn’t thinking about him when I wrote it, but still funny.
I don’t know which plan Arteta and Edu had for the January window, they can very well have followed their plan. So before I complain about them or Arsenal in general I must know their intentions short term and long term.
I was hoping for a signing during the window but didn’t expect much. I’m sure Arsenal will sign quality players next summer. In the meantime I enjoy a young and very exciting Arsenal team with an unarguable potential. Have a wonderful evening Ken 😉
As I thought, no real answer to two simple questions, but hey, let’s see what actually DOES happen in the next 17 games, with Wolves and pool coming up.
Hope I’m wrong, but 8th and no european football once again seems more likely than top four.
Keep safe and well, as I’m sure one of us will be proved correct and chat to the other come the seasons end.
Have you watched last month
Exciting ?
Top 4 ambitions? By not strengthening a squad already out of the top 4? We haven’t had top 4 ambitions the last 2 years, this window proved that by not strengthening.
There are many days I would rather be an “oil club” rather than a “Walmart club”. The owner, who made his money off the back of Walmart, seems to prefer their business model. (I actually don’t care where the owner made his money, or who he married, but I do care that he bought something that millions of people literally LOVE, and he doesn’t seem to care.) I guess money making versus being liked works for him and his.
Have you noticed the excuse is always jam tomorrow ?
I remember Gooners saying being out of Europa would be good because it would give us a season just to focus on Prem
Now it’s let’s not strengthen in January and wait till the summer
Was this a good January? No. Especially when we’re so close to a top 4 finish. While I agree that we kept the core that got us this far, the squad is clearly a COVID outbreak or a couple injuries away from dropping out of European spots.
That being said, we have to stop panic buying.. we’re trying to build something sustainable and bigger here. Not one top4 finish.
My biggest issue is what seems to be an arteta player management issue. Did we need to spend on white when we had saliba? Wouldn’t Matteo or torreira be upgrades on Xhaka and sambi? Auba was playing poorly but usually that means he wasn’t happy. Why did you make the class clown a captain then ban him for being who he always was?
We have to get more out of pepe. There’s a good player in there somewhere.
Why doesn’t he rotate? I know we have a light schedule but this whole you’re in the eleven or you’re out cold seems like poor management..
When you don’t have city money, you better adapt and accommodate the talent you have (with some standards obviously but calm down mikel).
Based on all this, if he finishes top 4, kudos to him. If not, I’d sack him for his bold bet..
We can finish top 4 and a win vs wolves will fix all this. We have the talent to do it. Just need some luck and someone to find their scoring boots Again.
The Arsenal future looks bright and fantastic, hopefully we can get some new and optimistic fans as well 🤭🔴⚪️
Problem with Arteta is that as he gets rid of players he is bringing in players who are just marginally better or even worse. He has been responsible for Willian, Runnarson, Mari, Cedric, Tavares, extending Ceballos , Luiz and Xhaka’s contracts. He brought in Odegaard who is older but not better than ESR whilst paying 50mil for Bem White. Despite kicking a lot of players out he is failing to improve the team. Ramsdale, Gabriel, Partey, White, and Tomiyasu have been good but surely they are not world beaters we expected. Despite sending a lot of players classified to be deadwood the club has failed to improve.
The team is playing the worst football we have seen in years. The coach is not attractive to potential signings because of the way he handles disputes with players.
A lot of people are talking about money saved yet we are not sure what are the agreements before these players accept to terminate their contracts. There might be verbal agreements for players not to reveal how much they have been paid off as a handshake to accept contract termination.
What is clear for everyone to see is that the club is not properly managed and we have a very novice manager. How do you release Auba for free when we need goals and we then don’t replace his goals. Any injuries to the players we have now and we are in trouble. As the season draws to a conclusion players suffer a lot of injuries and we need cover for that. A large pool of players gives a coach options in times of suspensions and injuries and also affords a coach to use certain players depending on opposition and desired tactics for different matches. We don’t have that luxury now.
Deadwood, surplus, not fitting the manager’s plans are all words used to describe players who no longer add value to the squad. It generally comes to them all in the end. In the case of the players that departed this window I would agree that they did not add value and were peripheral. It should also be noted that it will become more common for players to run down their contracts, especially those who have been incredibly well rewarded. How easy then will it be to move them on? A club can’t just sell them on if they won’t go.
Although I had given up on Auba, I give him full credit for making a move happen. It was obvious that the relationship had completely broken down and he chose to move on so that he could play. That can’t be said for everyone who has put on an Arsenal shirt.
I can’t deny that the squad is thin, and as some have said, it is a risky ploy to hope that the wheel doesn’t fall off due to injuries and suspensions.
Equally, there are times like these when opportunities can be given and taken by those further down the chain to stake their claim.
It became apparent a couple of days ago that signings were not on the cards. I agreed with Reggie when he said as much. He also thought the remaining first team players were good enough to finish in the top4. Of course, some of this depends on matters not always within the club’s control such as injuries and whether or not players control their discipline issues, which has at times been costly. Hopefully, the latter will be attended to by Arteta. Calling out indiscipline off the pitch should also translate into incorporating better discipline on it.