Paul Merson offers a stern transfer warning to Mikel Arteta.
Paul Merson has warned Mikel Arteta of the task at hand as the Spaniard looks to build his Arsenal team.
The former midfielder took charge of Arsenal in their game against Bournemouth and it ended in a 1-1 draw.
Merson thinks that almost nothing changed in that performance to suggest that it wasn’t Arsene Wenger or Unai Emery that was still the club’s manager.
He warned Arteta not to get carried away by the result and insists that the Spaniard is in for a busy summer if he is serious about changing Arsenal’s fortune as their manager.
Writing for Star Sports, the Arsenal legend claimed:
“He’s got to have a massive clear-out in the summer in my opinion, start over and get them doing the things he wants in pre-season.
“Arteta got his best players on the pitch on his debut as Arsenal boss but it might as well have been Arsene Wenger or Unai Emery.
“What’s the difference?
“They let in a weak goal and played way too open. And they look just as vulnerable as ever. It’s early days but I think he’s got his work cut out.
“He’s deluded if he thinks he can take this team anywhere in its current form because the players are not up to it and the mentality is not right.”
I think it is far too early for Merson or anyone to judge this team under Arteta. He needs to be given time and there may well be players in the team right now that most people want sold that could be turned into huge assets under the Spaniard. Time is so important here.
Arsenal will take on Chelsea in their next league match and the performance in that game will go a long way to determining what we can expect from Arteta going forward.
Merson is a twat
He thinks the same about you
These are the players I would be bringing in. All can be bought for around $135m and would instantly improve us. Selling Xhaka and Auba/Laca could pay around $90m of it.
D. Upamecano–$50M
I. Sangare–$25M
M. Dembele(Lyon) $40M
D. Szoboszlai-$20M
$135m
We need to buy a promising young RB & LB as well.
Leno
Bellerin Upamencano Salilba Tierney
Sangare Torreira Szoboszlai
Pepe Dembele Martinelli
Upamecano, Sangare and Szoboszlai
would be an incredible January haul
if AFC decide to move on Auba and
Xhaka before the close of the window.
The projected transfer fees of all
the players would make these deals
a financial wash and imho Arsenal
would be gaining three POTENTIAL
SUPERSTARS that could conceivably
lock down there respected positions
for the next decade.
I would add Y Atal or Serginho Dest
as HB long term replacement @ RB
Why do y’all want Aubameyang out? He seems to be the only one that can put the ball in the back of the net.
Dembele from Lyon is a poor mans Lacazette! That is a bad idea son!
A more realistic transfer list would be the following:
Koulibally (swap deal with both Torriera and Kolas) £0
Ndidi – £40m
Max Aarons – £20m
Laywin Kurzawa – £20m
Emre Can – £25m
Ziyech – £40m
Carassco – £20m
Sell:
Auba – £65m
Xhaka – £30m
Mustafi – £15m
Chambers – £30m
Torreira – swap deal
Kolas – swap deal
Net spend – £25m
Try telling us something we don’t know, Mers!!!
I love how people get all sensitive and defensive when the likes of Merson keep saying we are not good enough.
They have been saying this since 2006 and have yet to be proven wrong.
We all have been and keep saying exactly what the so called biased clueless pundits say about our team and club. Funny that we keep using the same criticism towards our players and squad but then get all emotional, sensitive and defensive when those outside our fan bubble say the same thing. It’s some weird dynamics. Lol
Most of us want a massive clearout but if critics say the same we act as though it’s not true what they are saying.
🤦♂️
Two thoughts: Merson is correct that we need a huge clear out and to deny that truth, merely because many of us, me included, think Merse is dimmer than the average ten watt light bulb, is to fool yourself. Second, It always irritates me, as a serious thinker, how many reactionary Gooners automatically dismiss as nonsense anything such as Merse says, merely because he is not bright . Intelligent folk know that all individuals on earth can learn from almost everyone they meet, IF ONLY they had the self awareness to realise this truth. I offer the post of Enda (at the head of this thread) who simply says “Merson is a twat”, as a prime example of unthinking bias and lack of intelligence in writing.
Goonster and jon, exactly right; Paul Merson is not the sharpest tool in the shed and was a very good footballer at the Arsenal.
When he suffered from being moved on by Arsene Wenger, Merson won Aston Villa’s player of the season and if I recall correctly, a recall to the England team.
Shut up Paul!Rome was not built in a day!Kmt!
I don’t see anything that merse said that isnt what most people can see. We need a massive clearout but that is what we said when Emery came, we did and still do.
Why are so many managers being sacked, is this because selecting the right players/managers is beyond the ability of those owning or controlling the clubs or are some of the premiership clubs more of a laundering exercise than a football organization? Who knows? One thing is for sure sacking six managers in six months won`t do the game, the players or the fans much good. Hard to suggest a possible answer when there is so much corruption in the world.