I have seen a lot of comments on here about how underwhelmed some Arsenal fans have been about this summers transfer window, despite seeing so many needed players come in and most of them arrived long before the mad deadline day uncertainty..
So let us summarise how our window actually went…
ARRIVALS
Bernd Leno (Bayer Leverkusen), Stephan Lichtsteiner (Juventus), Sokratis Papastathopoulos (Borussia Dortmund), Lucas Torreira (Sampdoria), Matteo Guendouzi (Lorient)
We spent a total of 70 Million GBP, which is what we were told would be the figure before the window even opened)
DEPARTURES
Santi Cazorla (Villareal, free), Calum Chambers (Fulham, loan), Per Mertesacker (retired), Lucas Perez (West Ham, £4m) Jack Wilshere (West Ham, free)
So no big players lost (although I am still a bit surprised at Chambers going) and hardly any money earned. We have strengthened the positions that were needed (for a change!) and we certainly cannot say that most of them are very experienced. And the arrival of the excellent and confident starlet Guendouzi has been one of the highlights as far as I am concerned.
Even Paul Merson, who generally tears Arsenal to pieces, thinks that we have had a good summer. He said: “They needed a defender. Lichtsteiner is 35 and has been a very good player, but how many 35-year-olds are playing at the back in the Premier League? But he’s had to buy experience, we’re not in a position where Arsene Wenger can buy 17 or 18-year-old talent and hope they’re good in five years. I think Umai Emery has bought well, but it is going to take time. You have to give this manager time but I think he’ll be alright.
“He couldn’t have a worse start with Man City at home and Chelsea away so for me, you just have to give him time but it’ll be different, even on Super Sunday, you’ll see the way they’ll set up and you know there will be a plan. It won’t be like the old days.”
Maybe he will soften his stance against us now that Wenger’s gone, but I can’t help but agree with him. We have a better squad. We have a top tactical manager. We have hope (well some of us do!) and we have a greedy money-obsessed owner (Oops didn’t mean for that to slip out!) and the future is looking rosey (except for the owner of course).
If it wasn’t for the takeover I would say we have done excellent business. Wouldn’t you?
Admin
arsenal will win the league this season…..I am very sure…..arsenal will create a Leicester kind of spirit but this time with better players to win the league…..I see some of you guys predicting either Liverpool or man city as champions when deep inside,you guys don’t really want that to happen..you guys still pray deep inside your hearts that arsenal should create a surprise and win the league…so why deceive yourselves just because you call yourselves realists????..just wish the team the best that’s what arsenal deserve…if you get heartbroken you move on but if you don’t then you celebrate..but never belittle the team and call yourselves realists….I can understand man city…but Liverpool???….you guys pick Liverpool just because they have spent a lot of money….those players they have bought aren’t so special just that the inflated prices in the market has made them look special………..what can Naby keita give that Ramsey can’t give to arsenal..i have watched naby keita a lot and I can beat my chest to tell you that he is not better than Maitland Niles……….fabinho is not better than torriera..even torriera’s former assistant coach at sampdoria rated him the second best DM behind busquet….it takes a brave man to say that……fabinho can only give height to Liverpool that is the only thing torriera can’t give to us……xhaquiri good playmaker/winger but is he close to mikhitaryan or Ozil..never!…his attitude also sucks..and I’m sure jurgen klopp will see that soon……you talk about Allison he was bought for a huge amount of money doesn’t make him world class or far better than Leno..he still has to prove himself….I bet you assuming Liverpool went for Leno they would have paid almost 50m because after the champions league final every man and his dog knew Liverpool needed a goalkeeper…so every club was ready to take advantage…only van dijk stands out for me in that Liverpool team..that I can put my mouth and say yes we don’t have this kind of quality player and only that player………..so please arsenal fans support your team and wish them the best…not all that glitters is gold!
I can’t see us making the Top 4 let alone win it. I certainly don’t have any confidence that we will win it.
What Leicester did was helped by an extremely rare situation. All the top teams were in a transition year except for us who were in a transition decade.
It’s not just spirit that helped Leicester win
1. Amazing Team work
2. Kante World Class defensive midfielder
3. A solid striker and Mahrez who scores and assists….Ozil will need to play like him
4. City, United, Liverpool and Spurs were all in transition
5. Wenger didn’t sign a top striker nor a defensive midfielder. Otherwise we would have won it because Ozil was on fire with 19 PL assists
City and Liverpool are fully loaded and stronger than last season and our the favourites to win
I would want to know, what make you think that city will be more stronger. Is it because they sign marhez or what?
Of course we want Arsenal to win the league Chiza but is that with Dembele or without him. I’m sure you can tell us.
Ooooh Kenny-THAT WAS NAUGHTY ???
excellent point there Kenny.lol.
Mers still thinks we’ll lose 3-1!!!
Ha ha Sue, but we won’t be playing man city every week will we!
Very true ?
I actually think we did well considering the budget, but Arsenal really need to sort out their selling technique, and wage structure. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look as if that’s improving anytime soon.
Contract extensions for the likes of Iwobi, Ozil, and probably Ramsey, including huge pay raises! Perez leaving for almost nothing! Laughable, when you consider bang average players being sold in recent times for big money.
ThirdManJW, you are so right about the wage structure. West Ham took Lucas Perez and have matched the £90,000 per week wages he was on at the Arsenal; however that reduced the amount they were prepared to pay in transfer fees.
I couldn’t agree less bro. The way Arsenal fans are going negative minded, you would think we just got relegated. The media may not be helping matters as per our chances, but many of our fans are worse. Too much complaint is what they are good at,
Personally, the fact that we have a modern day manager in the true sense of the world should make us happy. Wenger made/turned many erstwhile good players into bad ones. Emery can also show their real true qualities what with the work he is presently doing, for class is permanent. Barring Guardiola and Mourinho, no other team in the top 6/20 has a proven winner like us. COME ON YOU GUNNERS, LET’S BELIEVE!
even though Klopp won the German League twice with Dortmund
Much love Donsimmy COYG
So Paul Merson’s had a change of heart. After years of, as you say Admin, “tearing Arsenal to pieces” and you’re not wrong, he’s said some nice things about us. I wonder if that’s because the person who sacked him has finally left our club.
Yes, Paul Merson was such an ordinary player that he transfered to Aston Villa and won their player of the season. Even with his addictive personality (alcohol and drugs) he was a class player for Arsenal and put in better performances than a lot of other players who Arsene Wenger suported. I can undetstand Paul Merson being a bit bitter.
Hope Leicester win tonight ?
Leicester win and mourinho sacked happy days!!??
I’d love that!! ?
Kenny you took the words right out of my mouth.
He never forgave Wenger for ousting him and took every opportunity to castigate not only him, but the club as well.
Along with Stewart Robson, he has become the Adrian Durham of Arsenal knockers.
I can’t stand anyone of these three morons and why they are described as football pundits is beyond me.
I think we have had a good window, but disappointed that the marquee signing didn’t materialize.
I also don’t understand why Chambers has gone out on loan, just as he was showing the form some of us believed he always had.
But that’s why we have to trust in the manager.
The same with the contracts awarded to current players. Easy to criticize before seeing exactly what he has in mind, just cannot understand so called fans already questioning the wisdom of the new manager.
Roll on Sunday, then we can discuss with a little more knowledge and perspective.
Pardon me
Just thinking about possible line-up combinations, this comes to my head
With our crop of Players – if we won’t be starting our 2 Strikers (so as to win games from bench)
Then Ramsey is a very Important Player, the only midfielder that makes us look like we have 2 players looking for goals (after Auba that is)
Comparing our friendlies, the game we started winger-like players (Iwobi & Nelson) we really posed real threats
Unlike the Ozil-Mkhi Chelsea game, no threats from width, easy for opposition defence (though we can agree Chelsea are a better team to Lazio)
So…
The best Winger-like player we have is Iwobi, who is so disappointing all of times
Our other improvised Wingers include Welbeck and Campbell
So for a balanced formation that should still be able to win games from bench
Ramsey and Iwobi starts
I used to be behind my Country Man Iwobi but his confidence comes short too quickly
In contrast to what most people think, our central midfield is our weakest link and not the defence. In midfield, aside from Torreira (mind you who cannot dictate play) and Iwobi, we have absolutely no one else to dictate play. That’s the only area some teams like city, pool and chelsea are going to boss us in.
Its very saddening that a world-class player in KOVACIC (who to me makes Chelsea title favourites) has slipped through our hands.
Anyway, if Emery decides to play 4-2-3-1, then Iwobi has to start on the left side at all cost in place of Lacazette and mind you, if we play a 3-5-2 formation and our defence is even the best in the league with;
Leno
Mustafi…Mavropanos….Sokratis…..
Lichtsteiner…Torreira…Mkitaryan…Kolasinac
Ozil
Aubameyang……..Lacazette
So in conclusion Emery has to find the best midfield combination (by choosing from Torreira, Ozil, Mkitaryan and Iwobi) to maximize our strengths (attack and defence) better.
Bro,
In my opinion this won’t work, NOT the 3 CB, as that seems to be beautiful
And ur idea of Iwobi likely needed on the left is similar to my though
But check out teams that use 2 Strikers (442), that can’t go ahead and create a midfield where only one person has the duty of defending
There has to be a DM and a CM
Ozil, Mkhi are 10
Then u use 2 Strikers with them (4 Players out 5 without Defensive Alertness) – without possession they’ll all leave Torreira to be running about trying to win the ball back – Defense will be run ragged
I’m optimistic! COYG!!
For the first time in more than a decade we cant really predict what’s going to happen.
I’m not sure that’s right.For the last DOZEN seasons under Wenger we all knew we wouldn’t win the Premiership.The only thing we could predict was that he would take the Club BACKWARDS which he absolutely did.At least this season we can at long last look forward to something new and different.What that results in nobody can tell but it will sure be better than what life under Wenger was
If anyone expected us to spend like Mancjty, they should really come back to reality. Wenger left us but the person who signs the cheque is still here. What I expected was for us to fill the major gaps that had been ignored for years. Has that been done? To an extent the answer is YES. We got a new RB, CB, DM, GK & added Matteo(one of the best signings so far judging by pre-season). We may not have spent hundreds of millions on these players but I see a lot of positives in them. Now we can wait & see whether they can have a winning mentality. Wenger left some serious damage & Emery will need time to undo that damage. I don’t have huge expectations but I expect to see players fight for the badge. Good luck to the team on our opening match on Sunday.
Shinoda, I agree; Arsenal have at least bought in players they need and tried to improve deficiencies.
Unfortunately we still have the tight fisted Kroenke as owner, which limited.the Trinity’s (Sven, Raul and Unai) options.
I think Arsenal should hire better negotiator. How many times have we been linked with a player for an amount of money, then see other teams buy that player for much less. For example, Leicester bought Soyuncu for a reported 19M as opposed to our 35M…
Zeds88, this one was a strange one; makes you wonder whether the £35 million was paper talk?