There was a time when the Arsenal board and team management was accused of lacking vision or any sort of strategic plan, in fact, that was the exact accusation laid at their feet by the various Arsenal groups and blogs with the #wecaredoyou statement.
I no longer think that is the case and that the club has had a vision and strategy but did not communicate that to the fans too well.
Over the last 12 months, the owners have changed the entire structure at the top, there is now a new managing director in Vinai Venkatesham, a new head of football in Raul Sanllehi, a new coach in Unai Emery, Edu brought in as the technical director and other changes behind the scenes.
This sort of overhaul cannot be done overnight and the fact that it has taken 12 months is not unusual.
There are now clear changes to the transfer policy and while the fans would like to see more urgency the hierarchy are doing deals for the short and long term benefit of the club.
I would suggest that within the next 24 months the club will be almost unrecognisable to how it was just a year ago.
Emery is blooding the youngsters, something that many of us have been calling for, they are signing players for the future and implementing a vision step by step on the field of play.
The issue with the defence is a cause for concern but I am getting to the stage where I feel it is now appropriate to sit back and be patient because bit by bit the board are doing everything that the fans have been begging for.
Everything we have been lead to believe has been wrong, from the transfer budget to the owners not being prepared to loosen the purse strings.
I now have trust in Arsenal, the board and yes the owners.
Thanks to Kroenke, we have a 400+ M squad now:
……………………..Leno (22.5 M)
Bellerin (0 M) . Mustafi (35 M) . Sokratis (17.6 M) . Tierney (25 M)
…………..Torreira (26.4 M) ……. Xhaka (35 M)
Pepe (80 M) …………… Ozil (50 M) ………. Aubameyang (56 M)
…………………….Lacazette (53 M)
If that super expensive squad cannot finish in top four, I don’t what else will
Lol, Mustafi (35 M)?
You mean £35, right?!
I wished he was a freebie
Monaco have asked arsenal about Mustaphi availability but he wants to stay and prove himself, if we don’t get s new CB I say we keep him as a squad player especially with the koss situation,we need experience on/off the field and the guy is motivated!
I have just one question where are the fans who insulted,calling the owners, coach and staff…. liars..,I am going to stop with liars because some of the adjectives used were disgraceful,Josh said they worked on expensive, good players, Emery said he wanted 4 players and still working on more what I read an international defender from Juventus who is around 21/22 years old on a 2 years loan,I think these people deserve an apology don’t you!let see how many of them are men enough to admit when they’re wrong even KEV did apologise earn some respect!
Very good point. Imagine how good our team would be if we invested that £70m for Xhaka and Mustafi on better players, our team would be up there with the best.
You have a lot to say sadly most of it is pure nonsense my friend,how can you fix problems which have been here for years in 2 transfers windows, have you not seen the work taking place behind closed doors,the restructuring…we now have a direction,long and short term hence we were asked for patience;we using academy players,young foreign players (5 years contract)we shipped young players deemed not good enough with sell on clause, chambers, Holding will surprise many players,bellerin will be back, Bielik who people were bigging up asked to leave has 2 championship clubs after him,it shows how much you know about quality players,by the way the fee doesn’t mean you’re getting va great player and vice versa,COYG FOR EVER!!!
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Thank you!!
A lot of people may ask if there was an intention a long time ago to spend a lot of money on top class players. I believe (purely my belief) that the amazing petition of 105,000 supporters changed Josh Kroenke’s heart. I remember he was visibly shaken by that amazing show of support. Supporter power is amazing. Well Arsennal supporters. For the first time in years I feel excited. I do hope though, that we get a good CB to round off the team. A month ago Raul and Vinai were almost redundant, but now they have been given spending power and have spiced up our season 100%. A great buy Raul. I’m fully behind you now. You ate the pudding and proved it too.
Sean, Always good to see optimism and on the club regime, both Kroenkes very much excluded, I share it but with huge reservation that we are looking likely to begin at Newcastle with both the clown MUSTAFI and the wrestler SOKRATIS and the gaping inadequacies of our laughably so called “defence”. I can never be totally optimistic while those awful joke defenders are wearing our shirt. I temper a certain degree of optimism with a grim reality about the pathetic defence we have as of today. Some believe a top class CB import will be made within a week. I do NOT!
You are 100% right Jon. If we just stayed as we are then my optimism would soon dissipate. I am assuming that Tierney and a ‘real’ CB are coming in. I agree, as I know others do, that Mustafi and Socratis cannot be part of a top team. So we have a week to finish the task. I hope they do replace Mustafi. Maybe Socratis could go to Japan…..and become a Sumo wrestler. He’s very good.
Sean and jon, the transfer window hasn’t closed yet, so let’s “hold our fire” and see what eventuates.
By the way Sean the negotions for Pepe were under way for some time, well before Turkish’s protest and the #wecaredoyou campaign, although they probably were a wake up call.
If Arsenal now get Tierney and Umtiti or Rugani, it will be an excelent transfer window. It is unfortunate that there is not a lot of interest in the players Arsenal wants to move on.
OZZIE, yes, IF! But I don’t believe in IF’S! I only believe in what I think will happen or to be more precise what I think WON’T happen. I WOULD LOVE TO THINK A TOP CLASS CB IS COMING IN. Trouble is, I DON’T! Tierney I think WILL come in but we need two proper CB’s too or we will continue to ship silly goals aplenty!
yeah good post jon, I agree with your take on the defensive frailties and what we have not being good enough and I worry still that this will be our undoing again,at the same time i have to eat some humble pie as i could not see us spending any cash at all and have been pleasantly surprised with the signings thus far,so i must also agree with admin in that i may have been harsh on Raul and co.
Wrong,the idea was already there but Wenger was against it,he wanted full control!the only it could happen was for Wenger to leave, since his departure you finally can see it happening hence he left and despite his flaws and all it was time for him to go sadly the way it was done was disgraceful,the movement#we care do you has nothing to do with it,just over 100 000 among millions of gunners,they are just trying to get credit for something they have nothing to do with it! all the work behind closed doors had already started a long time ago when Wenger was still manager,the reason he left!give credits where bid due and it is with the owners,club,staff, coach..but don’t forget patience is needed and we won’t see the positive results straight away.ÇOYG FOR LIFE!!
Lets not get ahead of ourselves Martin. The Pepe deal will be done over five years so we need to remember that will eat into the next five years budget. Probably at around £15m per year or so. Being realistic, we may have around £30m to spend next year depending on whether we finish in the CL or EC and so on..?
And don’t forget we have huge outlays next season for Saliba and most likely Tierney too, whilst Ceballos will be going back and a number of our players will be put of contract or in their last year.
Ok tell us how many transfer you are privy to that doesn’t involve the fee being paid in installments. I have never seen an insatiable and ungrateful fan as us arsenal fans. Do you know how many years it took the richest club in the world real to completely paid for Ronaldo purchase that happens over a decade ago. When we don’t buy you complain, we will buy you complain. Enjoy the moment and let the future takes care of itself. We don’t need any negativity now.
I wish there was a share button. I don’t get why arsenal fans complain over everything.
Most of all know a good winger is one of our needs. We have good strikers but Lack of Good, pacy wingers is one of the reasons we couldn’t break some teams down last season. We ended up committing full backs and others forward, hurting us at the back.
Now we got one that looks effective…all I am hearing is how he has a dead, leg, how we should have gotten a CB instead (when the transfer window is yet to close)…now it is how we will have nothing to spend next summer.
I guess many Arsenal fans are so used to complaining, it has become a norm.
I’ve also heard the “dead right leg” story today! I’ve been watching his goals and skills videos on YouTube all week and his legs seem to be working pretty well to me!
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Thumbs up bruv
Most deals are structured like that. Nobody mentioned that until arsenal bought a expensive player because it fits into their negative protrayal of the club. It’s getting irritating now.
You are right but think what can be done in 5 years, Ozil Gone and so many Deadwood gone,we”re talking millions more for the club, europea cup win, CL football,, you have to be positive,no Mustaphi,Koss….young, hungrier players the only way is up my friend From where we were only few weeks ago! COYG
This is not a I told you so but I was one who was never critical of the owners. I always felt we did what we could.
Under Gazidas/Law/Wenger they had a plan and the owners backed it.
Under Raul/Edu/Unai they have a plan and the owners are backing it.
Mistakes that was made was not down to the owners. I recall when Gazidas said ‘we have money to spend’ – I felt this was the worse thing you can do. That particular window was difficult with only Ozil coming in of major note..
This window the club let the rumours of 40m run, and we end up with 4 major signings so far.
Credit the owners for changing managers when we needed to. Credit the owners for bringing in the new management team.
I hear fans moan about Raul after reading comments by Mislintat, or quick to moan about unai… apparently by fans who know football ?
Some of us on here are not owners of companies and should leave ideas on how to run clubs to them who do.
I just hope Arsenal Fans become better at allowing the Club we love to be trusted with the Fact – they want to be successful just like we do!
We are all of the same. We are all Gooners
Tom, this is the effect of full ownership nothing more nothing less. Fans expect Kroenke to put is personal money into the club for others to benefit. I had been saying it for years, that Kroenke is a better shareholder than Usmanov. Yes he was silent at those periods but he didn’t make empty promises like Usmanov. He always talk the talk and never walk the walk. He was always incited with sweet world about how we are never ambitious by not buying needed players but never put a penny down to instigate such buying.
Alas you don’t know Kronke very well. He’s lost money not being in CL, he just wants in, not win CL.
I’m glad he’s finally found some ambition; only took 10 years. Why didn’t he build on Invincibles when he already had the foundation?
I’m glad to see him improve the team, it was sorely needed. Time will tell his intentions. I’m taking his track record into account as owner of Arsenal and his other franchises.
Top 4 return? Titles? Sell players on for profit? Time will tell his intentions. I won’t be fooled by him again. We’ll see in several years if players like Pepe are still here or sold for profit.
Only being realistic, something Jon Fox holds in high regard.
As for sole ownership, which would you choose; 60% of £200 million or 100% of £100 million?
Majority shareholder holds the power but mitigates risk by not being soley responsible.
Kroenke a better shareholder?..to our liking as fans? Naa I doubt this one. He is now trying to live up to the bill.
I can picture Josh on his knees before dad begging to untie the money bag after over a 100,000 fans had wild and petitioned.
Excellent post….
They made promises and lived up to them
I’m not sure there is complete trust yet, but I think fans should take this as win
Many stood together and influenced change and in a constructive way
Expect that budgets will be tighter for the next couple of years but there’s room for growth in the youth and if not the owners are showing they will move players on at the right prices, we are starting to show signs of being able to generate a proper revenue from player sales
COYG,let’s back the Manager and let’s back the team, lets back the board
i am just sitting here wondering what does our former manager think of all of these signings ?.i would be really intrested in getting his opinion on the signings, as he would put it for”my club”.i hope he finds one of the super rich european clubs this term. he has had a year off now .
Yeah-and takes Mustafi Xhaka and Elneny with him
I believe Wenger would be successful at a super rich club that have a highly established system, like Real Madrid and Barcelona. He just stayed too long at Arsenal
The longer you stay within your comfort zone, the more bored, more content and lazier you tend to be. Eventually he was too afraid to change his system and ran out of ideas
Well…get in Tierney and a better CB. Then it will be up to UE to work his magic if he has any. No more excuse of inheriting a bad team.
I must admit the club took everyone by surprise we didn’t see this coming more few additions and can say the squad is here it’s left for the coach to deliver
this team is still fragile at the back .we still need top class centre half and a left back and if we don’t
invest on back four , I’m afraid we still be short for top 4
Andy, every man and his dog knows thaf;how about we accept the positives and wait until the end of the transfer window?
Harping on about the back four isn’t going to make it happen.
A 400M squad? adding pepe, beside auba and laca; we cant sell any of sokratis mustafi xhakha ozil amounted to 150M. Nor laca or Auba, teams who can afford as athletico real barca and others linked to both are going for griezman, jao felix, Jovic etc instead.
Pepe has not proven anyhing in EPL, Gervino was great in lille as well but EPL is few step up and physical.
Hope he does great but it is a wrong buy as we need in priority to buy 2 top CD and not lose Kos for not doing so.
You can pall up attacling players, concesiding will lose games…
Unreal! No Koulibaly ulmititi, top flank defenders is what killed us and will
Leno
You honestly think that adding say both Koulibaly and VVD to last seasons team would have made much difference?
I don’t…. even the best players couldn’t have done much with the pressure our back line was under last season.
Yes I agree we do need new CBs but I’m glad the management decided to balance the squad as their first priority instead.
With the front and midfield having a much better shape to it I’m hoping that even the woeful Mustafi will find it easier…. After all the less opportunities the opposition have the less chances he has to make a mistake.
They get KT done and I will happily make do with the CBs we have for another season.
Gunners Fans..
What do you want the board to do for you before you’re satiafied?
They don’t sign,you complain;they sign same scenerio.
Eden Hazard hadn’t proved himself in the EPL when he signed from LOSC to Chelsea but turned out a bargain in the end.
Let the season end then you can critisize or praise Pepe,Emery and the board.As per CB and LB lets wait and see what happens we still have a week b4 the transfer window closes.I’m hopeful we’ll get Tierney(LB) and a CB b4 then
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The team has been fickle at the back because the opposition was not being put under intense pressure. When you have effective wingers and forwards the defence will be protected. You may have the best defenders but if they are left exposed they will eventually succumb under pressure and concede goals. When you have good mid fielders, wingers and forwards the defence is well protected because the opposition will be wary of risking to leave their defence unprotected. This will hold them back. In the process the weak defenders will have less pressure exerted on them. Secondly, with more effective wingers and strikers the team will score more goals which will neutralise those scored by the opposition. We now have three players who are capable of scoring 20 goals each in a season, namely Aubameyang, Lacazette and Pepe. When you add those scored by others that would be about 80 goals. With such turn over of goals it is implausible that the team will be losing games easily. After all games are usually won on goals scored rather than goals conceded.
Utd won their last title was by out scoring their opponents…even though their defense was weak…
Excellent post David.I too am of the view that we lost games by back/side passing, loosing the ball with these silly passing and our defenders being under pressure and hence the mistakes. Now the team looks better going forward, we have a good strike duo but a very poor midfield (do not want to start another Iwobi/Ozil/Mkhi debate) and that is being fixed by Emery/board , would get better with Tierney and Zaha (55M + someone from our squad may resolve the issue). Juve’s Rugani may also make it, so lets be optimistic till the window is shut. Well done by the fans who signed the petition, things are changing for the good.COYG!
Time to be happy! Hopefully we are not done yet. When one have a real director of footbal with experience, self sustainance might not be bad.
I understand some ppl fear in the instalmental paymet ,however we should understand that a good squad will guarantee ucl footbal, and ucl means more money, with player sales, we can get those payment done without stress and add to our squad
Why do people fear the instalment model, it reduces up front costs and risk. We could get multiple good players in one window.
this is because installment model is not in Fifa19.
this model is being used by multiple clubs but including Utd, Barca, Real and etc but not reported consistently
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I eat my words as I never saw us getting pepe. Never factored in the installment side of things though but still a very pleasant surprise.
Let’s hope he can dleivwr the goods.