So, there are suggestions in the media that Mikel Arteta is getting frustrated with our transfer policy.
Good! It’s about time!
When our former captain was given the manager’s job, I suggested like Emery before him, that he was a Yes Man.
How did I know that before I was asked?
Why else would the Kroenke Family hire a man with zero managerial experience?
Since Mr Wenger left, our owners have always suggested they picked the first target out of a huge shortlist.
Yet when you consider zero coach with any experience would work for our owners, you get a clear picture of what that shortlist might look like.
The criteria to work at the Emirates is to be so grateful for such a high-profile job that you accept your employers’ limitations.
If you nod your head and smile you get a pay rise, even if you have failed to return Arsenal to the Champions League, which we are told is the minimum we should expect as a fan base.
Gooners asked the other day why we couldn’t one day attract a Pep Guardiola or Jurgen Klopp?
Because a Pep isn’t going to accept winter transfer windows where the priority is to slash the wage bill.
A Klopp isn’t going to tolerate giving away your best striker without a replacement arranged.
Not a year after accepting that Ozil would get paid to sit at home for obviously non-footballing reasons.
Arteta though knew how his bosses worked when signing a new contract.
Either he feels promises have been broke or truly believed those in power were serious about bringing us back to our former levels.
This man coached at Man City and watched title winning squads be built. You don’t have Pep as a mentor or friend without getting that drive and will to win.
At certain points this season it looked like we were on course for the top 4 so maybe Arteta believes he is capable?
Maybe the competitor in him wants to take that next step and see how far he can take this project?
Maybe he thought he could be the shield but doesn’t want to purely fight for 4th and call 5th progress?
The Spaniard has known for months that Laca and Eddie would be out of contract this summer.
That’s why even before this campaign ended, there’s been big links with us and Jesus.
Press officers asked the media not to allude to the rumours at press conferences which is a huge indicator there is foundation in the speculation.
Arteta worked with the player at the Etihad, a place where he is highly thought of and where the Champions would be happy to help by giving a talent they know needs to leave for first team Football.
In a world where it’s accepted agents chat unofficially, it’s not unreasonable for our manager to expect a deal to be ready for i’s to be dotted and t’s crossed.
The fear is that by haggling over every last penny, a Real Madrid or Chelsea might now hijack any move.
If that happens Arteta has every right to demand help.
The 40-year-old has often preached about the values and ethos of the club and not accepting anyone who doesn’t abide by those principles.
He’s quick to preach those morals to a Aubameyang, Ozil or a Guendouzi but the irony is that it’s those who pay his wages who don’t understand what the badge means, the pride the shirt used to have.
As long as they don’t care we won’t win another Prem.
So, if Arteta is angry with the board …. Good
He will grow in my estimation because it shows he cares and maybe is not a yes man after all?
Dan Smith
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Well said Dan…
As if Mr. Wenger had any ambition! And for your knowledge, Emery had tasted European success before his Arsenal stint as well as after His, Arsenal stint. He won more in Europe than Mr. Wenger could ever dream of. Some folks wanted Rodgers, where did he finish this season? Some folks wanted Allegiri, what did he achieve in a one horse race? Mikel has stabilized the toxic dressing room and made it a better place for the future coaches. Utter useless bashing Mikel as a zero experience blah blah blah upto n+1 blah. Mikel is a fighter and will fight and get his way. He is no daddy cool or daddy fool to tolerate nonsense from the owners or the players.
I already knew who the writer is b4 clicking,after reading the headline.
Yes a one trick bashing the manager pony. Dan never has positive thing to say……boring.
I’m sure ozgooner you could come up with a few articles countering Dans arguments?
Yea probably not ,just leave a 10 word reply moaning about someone who’s taken the time to write it .
DK, GOOD ADVICE!
WHY NOT TAKE IT YOUSELF? YOU ARE POSSIBLY THE MOST REGULAR POSTER ON JA yet to find the “courage” to write something of your own, rather than just regularly slaughter those who do post or write articles. You may be joined in this by Reggie BTW!
We both know I majorly disagree with DANS AND YOUR OWN TAKE ON MA.
But in DANS DEFENCE, HE NEVER DUCKS SPEAKING HIS MIND, by writing articles!
And no matter what I think of his opinions, he CAN USE WORDS EFECTIVELY!! So , why not write an article yourself?
THEN, you can criticise those who don’t, without HYPOCRISY!
I don’t criticise article writers (that’s your specialty)so your whole post was pointless from start to finish .
Chickened out of the pertinent question,once again DAN. You have of course no answer, as I knew even as I wrote my post!
Your post makes no sense jonny boy ,if it did I would take the time to reply ,but once again for you it doesn’t.
Good try -C
Next time up your game and I could ,if I can be half arsed to reply and give you an answer,until then (you must do better )
You’re very harsh on Dan OZGooner.
There’s positive in this article, like when Dan says Arteta cares for the club, he may not be a yes man and will grow in Dan’s estimation.
Kudos to Dan for showing Arteta from a new angle.
Fine balanced article IMO
Ozgooner, you obviously didn’t read the article properly because it was definitely not “bashing” Arteta at all.
Yet guess what ?
I write positives like j Wilshire and you get a few comments
You write negative article as you call it and you respond ?
Don’t like my articles , don’t respond
and yet ….the top 3 most commented articles ?
What has Arteta achieved then ?
Our worst finish in quarter of a century
So your happy with 8-8 and 5th but say Wenger had zero ambition when he didn’t finish lower then 6th ?
LOL
Arteta and his players have shown the world that they are good and ever ready to do more but it is now time for the board to show the world their ambition in the transfer market. if not, I am afraid some good and relevant players will leave the club.
OK Loose Cannon, so now you know what Arsene dreamed about – he features so heavily in your life, I’m actually beginning to think that it’s you dreaming about him – such an unhealthy situation LC 🤔😱
Isn’t this the same situation that all three managers / coach found themselves in?
Identify the player they wanted only to be thwarted by the owner?
Griesman, Zaha??
Mikel and Edu said quite clearly that they had a shortlist of the players they wanted in, so this hiatus in signing them, must be from the top….. unless, of course, players want CL or have seen what happens if they fall out of favour?!?!
I wanted to reply him but I save my energy instead.
Someone who thinks MA is better than Rodgers and allergri would be hard to convince.
Meanwhile Rodgers have the same achievement as Arteta with a lesser team, lesser Budget and more top6 finished than the saviour.
Called Italy league one horse race, but in the last 5 years only two teams have won the EPL. In fact only Liverpool won it once and City got 4.
Compared to the league he called one horse race who have 3 teams won it in the last 5 years.
Lastly, it doesn’t matter what MA achieved, he already concluded the next manager achievement would be the hand work of MA.
I wish they gave the last two managers the same credit when we are winning the FA cup with this current management.. like he’s already doing for the next management to take over.
Of course that won’t happen.
If you are going to come for me, please do with facts or at least state it as your opinion only.
I forgot to mention allergri has more UCL final appearance as a coach than Arteta has as a player, assistant manager and Manager combined.
This is not a dig to MA at all, he has many years ahead to achieve something great.
But some people need to be set straight.
And before that 5 years in italian serie A how many teams have won the league.
Exactly Ken, Edu has been spouting to media for months about “the list” being finalized and players identified and ready to go.
You also forgot young Ronaldo and verbal agreement until Arsenal’s dithering and United stepped in. I believe what both Wenger and Ronaldo said is exactly how that unfolded. 3 days dithering cost that transfer.
Maybe “the list” and Arteta’s frustrations are indirect way of laying the blame on the board and ownership.
Maybe saying “the list has been finalized” was telling fans we’re set and ready, just waiting for board and ownership to do their job now.
LA Rams run a tight ship, yet Arsenal looks so amateurish in comparison. Arteta has guaranteed contract, address the problem and enlighten everyone, please please don’t play the victim and be a human shield for that lot.
Wenger deserved better, but saw first hand how Dein was treated, so should have known better. Emptied his goodwill with the fans on that lot, and thrown under the bus for his trouble.
@Ken1945
With Emery I do agree. But not so much with wenger.
Wenger had so much powere / influence at the club. The guy was consulted on who to be appointed as his own Director of Football (He chose Gazidis).
Wenger just played the “Good / Bad Cop” in this whole saga. I feel like he was very comfortable with just about hanging in the Top 4, no pressure to win the League / CL while being paid as much as the likes of Fergie who were constantly under pressure to win big trophies..
Looking back I do feel like Wenger played a long and took us for mugs. Always giving us conflicting Statements regarding the transfer budget. I paraphrase,
“The support from the club is there but We will only sign those players that we feel can’t improve us”.
“We have still got Diaby, Vamaelen, Eduardo Silva, RVP, Wilshere, Rosicky etc to come back from injury. So we need to be careful in the window”.
“Buying too many players in the same window can cause a lot of unrest and fiction in the sqaud”.
“The January window should be scrapped as it destabilises clubs. The Summer window should be the only window”.
“We have to adhere to the FFP regulations, can’t spend more than you make” blah blah..
The club would come out and say “We have about £200 million in reserve, “It’s available to wenger if he needs it. We can now compete with financially with the other Top club when it comes to most players (up to £60 million), the only time we can’t compete financially is when it comes to players in the Messi / C.Ronaldo mold”. But 3 minutes after that we are being told that we have to sell our best players in order to balance the books and adhere to the FFP regulations nearly every season.
Wasn’t Wenger constantly known for being uncomfortable buying and managing so called Big Name egotistical superstars.? He would rather manage the low ego rookies, cheap or upcoming talents and turn them into superstars. Hence the constant over haggling (Suarez, Higuain, Aubs etc).
And weren’t there rumours that transfer negotiations / involvement was taken away from wenger due to his overindulgence in the process? Gazidis had to force the Auba signing because wenger like always was nervous about signing players in January, was worried about the amount, destabilising the squad, worried about the wages, the players attitude etc… I remember that January the Emirates had turned into a piping hot Furnace, wenger, Gazidis, the Kroenkes etc were all under the firing spot. The fanbase was on the edge and the toxicity was unbearable. Wenger kept overindulging but Gazidis had to step in and force through the Auba transfer because he was under so much pressure, fans were saying “It’s Gazidis fault that wenger is never backed financially blah blah”. Gazidis had to come in and save his own a$$ by forcing through the Auba signing.
Looking back nowadays, I do think wenger played us intentionally or unintentionally. Because ever since I took off my “Arsene Knows Best” tinted glasses I can analyse his last 10 years more objectively. He always gave us conflicting or ambiguous vibes. Wenger and the board all must have been in agreement 90% of the time because I never heard wenger complaining. But it was the opposite, he would defend, makes excuses and spew the clubs propaganda narratives constantly. I do think that some of us respected and trusted him so much that we turned a blind eye to his flaws, contradictions and conflicting narratives..
@Goonster
I see AW’s still living in your head rent free. I’m sure there’s an app for that somewhere…Lol
🤣NY.
🤣NY
I’m sure he and Loose Cannon are the same person 😂
What I don’t understand is why they both go on and on and on about what he did wrong – IT’S HISTORY from over four years ago.
During those four years, we’ve spent over £300,000,000 on players, given some away while paying their salaries, placed ridiculous low buyout clauses on others, lost European football for the first time in over two decades, given the manager who, in the main, oversaw this, a pay rise that sees him earning over £8,000,000 a year, finished 8th 8th and 5th….
AND YET ARSENE WENGER IS THE SOURCE OF ALL OUR CURRENT PROBLEMS?!?!?!?
Give it a break you two and concentrate on the here and now.
Goonster, Though AWwas and is a great man personally and I still revere him as a human, I had long been calling for him to leave , as I SAW, even way back back then , what you are saying now.
When he radically changed policy and stopped buying physically dominant players in favour of scrawny dwarfs, esp in midfield.
The invincibles PHYSICALLY SCARED OPPONENTS and its my view that physical power, height AND pace is vital to all successful sides.
Once that changed and noticeably too, the writing was on the wallfor Wengrer but it took ages, and many years later for his many adorers to see it. MANY OF THEM STILL DON’T SEE IT AND NEVER WILL. Great a person though he was and is, he is NOT THE CLUB but simply an employee who had a great decade and a much less good second decade.
Why has this comment been in moderation PAT? YOU KNOW WHAT I SAID TO YOU AND I MEAN IT!
@ Jon
Calm down!
I have had a problem with my spamchecker being blocked by my firewall, so I’ve had to self approve half the comments, i.e. you are not alone.
How is the persecution complex going?
@Jon
Hmmm hang on, did I miss a hint of a threat from you hidden in there lol?
No, not a ” HINT” Pat! When I have something to say, I say it, and do not hint, as you should well know by now!
Jon can I ask and I mean this genuine ,
what though can you say has changed since he left / improved ?
I agree with you JON.
Koop also transformed Liverpool by buying tall, strong Central defenders like Matip, VVD and Konate.
Arsenal need to buy strong and fit Full backs which pace like Alexander Arnold. Cedric, Bellerin don’t have the height and pace required for that role. I wish Arsenal had gone for Spence.
Arsenal is not the draw anymore ken, our manager is unproven, we have no CL football and our football is not the greatest, we ostracise good players and are not that big a deal at the moment.
@Reggie
Realism is a mutha…IJS
Yes, the football in Seria is depressingly dire. As well as the violence other factors are also responsible for its current mediocrity and falling crowds These are the fact that there are too many teams. Half of the 22 teams are Burnley like small city operations whose only goal is to make up the numbers and survive relegation. Then there is the systemic corruption of the big clubs such as Juventus, the amount of debt, watching on cable and changing social patterns so that there are better things to do than go to a football game or talk about football on a Sunday. All this has resulted in paralysis and the current stagnant state of Italian football ,where it has become a league for old men to wind down their careers. A shame really. In the 90s while I was living in Japan it was seen as the coolest of all the European Leagues. That was then.
Find it hard to believe he would already be fustrated, when the window has just officially opened. This just smells like more media bs with their ever changing narrative tbh.
Oops. Ignore this thread. Way off subject It was meant for a different blog. Not really sure though are we about where Arteta’s head is at regarding this window’s in and outs. I hope that he does have some idea of which positions need serious reinforcement and is not simply trying to paper up the cracks with the few scraps available to him.
Is there a transfer window ajar?
Kudos to Arteta!
This could very well be the turning point where the beleaguered manager, armed with a new 3-year contract, decides to fight for his career and for the club. The burden is now on the owner to demonstrate, once and for all, that he really cares.
A transfer kitty of at least 200M would be a good starting; nothing less will suffice. And it should be made available now. This is exactly what we were led to believe when the wage bill was slashed last year.
We are getting tired of last-minute transfer deadline deals.
If Mikel Arteta armed with his new 3 year contract, has flown to the States to approach the Kroenkes about the amount of financial support and speed of decision making in the transfer market, then he has gone up in my estimation. I agree with Rfrances’ assessment that the manager must fight for support from the Board to get the player resources to be competetive. If Mikel Arteta is not supported by the Board it places him in a dilemma.Does he stay and collect his money or stick to his principles and walk away?
Arsene Wenger had built up more “capital” at Arsenal, yet appeared to never risk his position by seeking more financial support in the transfer market.
Ultimately his acquiescence brought his demise.
And while we dither with the club seemingly infighting about who to sign and when to sign them, other clubs are strengthening, even though we are only two days into the transfer window. Even that oft thought of disfunctional club spurs are making sound acquisitions with DJed Spence and Richarlison very close to joining them. Looks like Conte and Levi have more sway with their owners than Arteta and Edu have with ours.
***Not a year after accepting that Ozil would get paid to sit at home for obviously non-footballing reasons.***?
People are still peddling this conspiracy that they can’t back up? Still don’t want to accept that “The Shirt Shelling Genius” was exposed for being a joke overhyped social media propagandist at Arsenal.
🤦♂️
There might be other reasons but football is none of them. From starting every game pre lock down and putting in commendable performances to being suddenly banished post lock down , even a below average intelligence person can figure that out.
HH, Ozil’s been excluded from the Fenerbahce team in March 2022 and Hasn’t played a single game for them since.
What a coincidence….
Perhaps something isn’t quite right with his attitude?
Apparently he fell out with his coach, and has now been released by the club. Deja vu?
Yes that’s why I said there might be other reasons but when he was at Arsenal football was not one of them.
It’s sad because this guy has so much talent. He should have been at the peak of his career now
and what have you done Dan? Considering the rebuild and the money being spent. Arteta had the youngest squad in the premier league and missed 4 by 1. Arrogant. With Man City, MU, Liverpool, Chelsea and a great signing by spurs in the Korean. its tough to be top 4. I believe the mistake was just a reinforcement in midfield would have secured top , as the game Granit played out of position was a disaster.
Youngest squad was a choice
so admin isn’t it about time we completely extricate this forum from the never ending moaning about ozil? dude has been found out as a pathetic footballer despite his obvious talent when he came onboard, so I advisers all his haters and fans to channel thier attention to always saluting that man whose statute is at our stadium and not to a player who came, saw, ducked and fleeced us
Finally, I can agree with much of what DAN WRITES. Its about time too.
I have been telling anyone who cares to read my regular posts, that KROENKE has always been the huge and ongoing problem that all who have managed under him have had to put up with, from AW onwards and until Kroenke is forced out, nothing fundamental will change , even though I agree that of late he has loosened the purse strings.
But it is not ONLY about money avail but about any owner knowing about and CARING about his club AND the sport they play!
HE DOES NOT DO SO and that is the most fundamental ongoiing problem we will always have with Kroenke
It seems that EVEN DAN is now finally beginning to realise where the REAL problem lies at Arsenal!
I have always blamed koronkes
Unlike fans who thought the answer was sacking Mr Wenger
As long as our owners are in charge we will be on a loop
Dan, But you have not stressed that view, as you really could have done, had you chosen to do.
Instead, you have constantly put all the blame onMA,almost ever since he arrived and hardly ever much mention Kroenke at all.
His name did not appear in your COMPREHENSIVE article, save only for the minor point of “hiring a man with zero Prem experience”, which is not even true, as he was closely involved with City for over three years.
So I do not accept it as true that you think Kroenke the real problem , as I AND MANY OTHERS DO.
IF THAT WERE TRUE, YOU WITH YOUR REGULAR ARTICLES WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE STRESSED IT AND OFTEN TOO.
I accept that you do not rate him much but that’s a long way from openly and rightly blaming him as our real and ongoing problem.
BUT YOU DID NOT. So I make the obvious conclusion that you prefer to pick on an easy target, the manager.
BTW, Man Utd fan sites also pick on their many managers since Fergie , though MOST OF THEM also blame Glazers, as they OUGHT.
So ought you, as an intelligent thinker, with KSE.
Liverpool have brought in two strikers which we missed, before even selling Mane, Firmino, or Salah, and are now looking at one of the few strikers that’s on our shortlist ..Nunez
We cut loose players and run down contracts, creating a void ..before entering the ring. Putting us in a bad bargaining position from the off
How you can sit on your chair and say that Arteta is a yes man baffles me?? You practically don’t know this man in person, but you can boldly draw such a conclusion and largely cos he coaches arsenal.
Besides, I think most people need to work on the depth and quality of their assertions and opinions.
In case you don’t know, you can not have a stable business when you are largely absent, if the people you got are yes men!! Think about that.
Because stronger characters would demand Aubameyang be replaced ?
And the effort at Vlahovic???
what do you call that?
we wanted the best, that was ready to move in January. we did not lose out for any reason other than, the target favored Italy and Juve…
so we sign nobody ?
That’s terrible management
Surely you make a shortlist and if Vlahovic says no you go to plan B
Remember we were looking for someone better then Eddie Nketiah
That’s how I know he’s a yes man
You think Conte would have been told in January that he was now making his squad weaker
so we sign nobody ?
That’s terrible management
Surely you make a shortlist and if Vlahovic says no you go to plan B ?
Remember we were looking for someone better then Eddie Nketiah
That’s how I know he’s a yes man
You think Conte would have been told in January that he was now making his squad weaker
Everyone knew at the beginning of January that he only wanted to got to juve ,now why would the club waste the whole window trying to get him .
Just another ploy to appease the fans
The old “we tried “tired excuses
You and I know there was no way Vlahovic would have signed for Arsenal in January. His club only used us to get more money from Juventus.
Arteta should have signed a player on loan. Jovic, Ivan Toney etc.
We got it wrong in January. That also played a part in us missing out on top 4.
Arteta was naive honestly
It was all smokescreens in order to placate the fans, while giving Aubemeyang away and still paying his salary.
Who made that decision, is for each individual to assess, but one cannot deny the facts.
In my opinion, we need to sign 5 players this window.
1. striker: I would prefer Ivan Toney.
Jesus despite playing in Man city has never scored 20 goals in a season. And he is yet to make up his mind. Man city asking for 50m pounds for a player with one year remaining is a NO NO for me.
We need a tall and imposing striker like Ivan Toney or Haller. Ivan Toney is aggressive, tall and a focal point. We need strikers who are agile.
2. Telemans: A top central midfielder with good technique and comfortable on the ball. A replacement for Xhaka.
3. Spence/Zinchenko
We need tall, energetic Full backs.. The RB and FB positions are key.
4. Bissouma or Neves.
Bissouma wants to play for Arsenal. This is a no brainer. Arsenal should bring him in. Neves is my first choice though, but it will be tough because Barca is also interested in him. I wish we can get Bissouma in asap. We can’t depend on Partey all season.
5. Gnarby/Asensio: We need more goals from the wide areas. Asensio or Gnarby. Quality players with experience.
Out
Xhaka
Guendouzi
Mavropanus
Bellerin
Cedric
AMN
Lokonga(loan)
Tavares(loan)
Torrera
Reis Nelson(loan)
Balogun(loan)
Arsenal are always half 💤💤💤💤 in the transfer windows. We all know last January cost us Champions League qualification. Watching Man City do business and watching us as usual, ‘talk talk’, but no ‘walk walk’ tells me how we are not ‘Proactive’, which is such a shame from a once great club. The indifferent owners show how different we are to those owners who clearly desire the best for their clubs and want to make the best happen. Unfortunately Arsenal are not buying the best so expect more last minute business rather than buying quality players before the usual Arsenal last minute panic starts. What a sadly owned club we have become.