Arsenal Transfers: Emotion vs Ambition by BVR
Emotion (In My Opinion) is what is stopping Arsenal from buying the players who could really make THAT change and lead us to titles. My first case in point is the extension of Mikel Arteta’s contract. Yes, Arteta has been a great servant to the club. Immensely committed and loyal. But what does this mean? Are we not going to buy a DM?
Another example is Tomas Rosicky. He is one of the most naturally gifted players, yes. But what is his place in the squad? Why cant he be used to a) generate money by selling, b) used in part exchange/swap deals.
Joel Campbell was never given a proper chance with Arsenal and now we are selling him!! Ospina was great (at least better than very good) last season and superb in the Copa America and now we are selling him! Why?.. to keep Szczesny!! Why is such an error prone GK still being backed when one who has performed very well (exceeding expectations) being booted out.
Per Mertesacker; he is a “very” good defender but we all know that he is slow and error prone too, and it is actually Koscielny who makes Per look good. But why is he still our first choice? Why cant he be replaced! The most important position, Striker. Giroud. We all have different opinions about his ability but the bottom line is, is he the one to lead us to titles?! Can he score 25-30 goals in a season?
The common thread in all these cases is emotion and/or loyalty. It is our biggest strength, yes. We are one of the most loyal and supportive clubs in the world. But is the same loyalty and emotion clouding our judgment? Titles are won by ambition and ruthlessness. We cannot aim for Champions League or Premiere League without being ruthless.
I may cross people here but it is time we take a leaf out of Jose Mourinho’s book (just one leaf). He sold Frank Lampard (THE Chelsea player of all time) and replaced him with Cesc Fabregas (Lampard’s most famous foe) and went on to win the title. Why cant we want the same from our Arsene? It’s a way of practicality. We (the fans) have to be practical and also should wish and hope for the club to be the same too.
Position Analysis (Practical Approach):
GK: Szczesny, Ospina, Cech
Keep Ospina and Cech and sell/loan Szczesny.
CD: Per, Koscielny, Gabriel, Chambers
Replace Per with Garay/Manolas etc.
LB: Monreal, Gibbs
No change (at least for next season)
RB: Debuchy, Bellerin
No change (at least for next season)
DM: Coquelin
Needed cover/competition. Schneiderlin/Carvalho
CM: Wilshere, Ramsey, Cazorla
No change (at least for next season)
AM: Ozil
Need cover. Cazorla could be rotated.
For practical reasons I did not include Arteta, Flamini & Rosicky for the above three positions.
Wingers: Sanchez, Ox, Walcott, Gnabry, Campbell (who deserves a fair chance IMO)
ST: Giroud, Welbeck, plus Akpom & Sanogo (who IMO should both be loaned out)
Now the Wingers & ST places pose a conundrum. If Wenger’s plan is to use Walcott as a striker, then we need a World class/goal scoring winger. Reus/Draxler/Pedro. If Walcott is to be deployed on the wings, then we need a world class Striker. Benzema/Lacazette etc.
Titles are won by scoring goals. Whatever position we look to buy for (Wingers/ST) our aim should be the goal scoring. It could be a striker with 30 goals or a winger with 20 goals.
Players to be Sold:
Szczesny (or loaned out), Per, Flamini, Arteta, Rosicky
Loaned Out: Akpom, Sanogo, Zelalem, Gnabry (if Campbell is kept)
Players to be bought:
Garay/Manolas etc. for CD, Schneiderlin/Carvalho for DM, Isco/Draxler/Reus (can play as AM/Wings/stop gap ST), Benzema/Lacazette/Cavani for ST.
Lets all hope that Arsene Wenger gives priority to ambition/practicality over emotion (which was given a glimpse of by the purchase of Cech) and makes the ruthless buys that turns us into a real contender to be Champions.
BVR