Arsenal show clear lack of a plan for the season. by Konstantin Mitov
Well ladies and gentlemen, too often I hear “wait till the transfer window is closed”. But the tone we’ve set for the season has been pretty catastrophic again, so I won’t bother waiting again, and just go straight into dissecting what’s going on.
Rumours link Aubameyang or Lacazette with Barcelona in a swap deal for Coutinho. There are pretty good reasons for such a deal. Both teams are financially strained, both need reinforcements and the future of the players are uncertain.
Honestly, swapping a striker above 30, low on confidence with only pace as his main weapon for a creative midfielder is not the worse thing we can do right now. But there are quite a few flaws as well.
We already need a new striker and if Auba or Laca or both leave, who will we buy to lead the line? We’re massively struggling for goals and I don’t see the plan here. Is Balogun the answer? Surely not Eddie? Or we will try Martinelli as a number 9, which Mikel Arteta ignored heavily last season even in games where it was begging to be played?
The manager’s press conferences are also quite alarming, show lack of confidence and solidify the idea that we are just strolling along with no direction whatsoever. He couldn’t tell more than that they were ill? Both of them? Laca on less than a year on his deal and Auba, whose goalscoring record seems to be a concern at the club, if rumours are true?
The signals from the club all indicate that we have no plan whatsoever. We gava Xhaka a contract extension and made him captain. That’s extremely demoralizing, and I just wonder why would you join Arsenal right now?
What are you fighting for this season? We’ve not shown one drop of ambition to move up the table and with no European football I just struggle to see it. Even a player like Bellerin desperately wants to leave.
I’m very seriously worried. We have an uninterested owner who has left the club in the hands of a rookie manager out of his depth, a CEO who doesn’t understand basic football, and a technical director, or whatever Edu’s title is, on permanent vacation.
Even from a pure business perspective, it’s amazing how bad a multi-million brand like Arsenal is managed. I’m really worried, and not because Chelsea and City will spank us, but because we’re back to square one. We’ve moved backwards and need to restart again.
Every time from a lower starting point. We definitely need to change both Edu, Vinai and Arteta, but it’s a bit too late, throwing another season under the bus. Even if we splash the cash, I don’t think that will be enough.
City splashed and still lost to Tottenham. It’s not all about the money. If there was a direction, an idea that everyone can rally behind, then players would be happy and it would reflect on the pitch. Right now, everybody is trying to abandon the sinking ship.
Even Bellerin is desperate to leave. Not that he’ll be really missed. I honestly wouldn’t miss one Arsenal player if they left right now. We need a goalkeeper, an attacking midfielder, a central midfielder, a right back and a striker. That’s five players at minimum if we want to compete.
But even if we do, will those players fit the profile of the system we want to play. What is that anyway? I don’t know, I just hope I miss the Chelsea game, because Arsenal is far too depressing – and for the first time I don’t really see a way forward. I don’t know which manager will want to come once Arteta is fired and he’s getting fired before Christmas, unless we want to get relegated. And then what set of players will he find and in what condition.
I’m worried and so should you be.
Konstantin