The lack of targets shows the way Arsenal is run is just pathetic

Ignorance is hardly the path to success by Konstantin Mitov

Well lovely Arsenal people, we finished the transfer window with 0 signings that will impact the squad. I hear a lot of opinions about how not making any deals was actually smart, because we didn’t spend crazy money on players by triggering their release clauses like Isak of 75 million pounds. And I agree his stats don’t set the world alight – 4 la Liga goals, 3 in Europe and 1 in the cup.

Compare that to Vlahovic and you can see why we were pushing hard for the Serbian. Here’s where you start to see the problems in our “strategy”. We didn’t have an alternative for Vlahovic, and we knew long and hard that he wanted Juventus. We didn’t have a plan, and it’s not the first time.

People seem to have forgotten how we lost the first 3 games of the season, because we’re close to the top 4.

But the harsh reality is we weren’t well enough prepared. We knew in the summer Laca and Eddie’s deals will run out. Here’s major problem number 2. We allowed players to run their deals down, even though just a few years ago, we were promised we won’t allow that to happen again. Nobody will moan that we cancelled Kolasinac’s deal, because he wasn’t worth anything, but if he was a Liverpool player for example, would he really go for nothing?

And of course, there’s Aubameyang’s move to Barcelona. Was he playing great for us – no. Are we where we are in the table, because of him? No. Was the way we managed the situation good? Hell no. This major problem number 3. We deal extremely poorly with players. Here is Xhaka who literally costs us on the pitch multiple times in just one month, after a broad history of failure, and we’re okay with him. He escapes with whatever he wants, he can flip us off and that will be tolerated, and he’ll be given another chance.

Then there’s Guendouzi, who made one show of aggression which we desperately lack in the team, and he was removed from the squad completely. Same with Aubameyang, something happened, and he’s destroyed. Those players could’ve been worth something. If we didn’t want them, we could’ve handled it internally and just sell them to make some money to reinvest in the squad.

Now, we’re letting Auba go for free, which slashes his enormous salary off the wage bill, but the real issue is giving it to him in the first place. We were desperate to keep him, because he was hard to replace, now we’ve paid him a lot of money for one and a half season of poor performances and now we’re letting him go for free. This is bad business, not smart one.

Then there’s the final major mistake. We are in the battle for the top 4. We’ve left ourselves two strikers, both of which are out of contract at the end of the season. We had offers in the summer for both, but we opted to keep them, only to pay them salaries, lose any potential income we might’ve gotten, and they have a combined goal tally of 3 league goals. All from Laca.

This happens for multiple reasons – number one is the way the club is run is just pathetic. No serious club would leave itself in such a poor position to their assets. Then there’s number two – the lack of clear targets. This whole situation is acceptable, because our goal is not the top 4, nor was it winning the cups, that’s why the early exits were brushed off like nothing happened.

We cannot adapt to change fast, and that leaves you behind in football. “The process” is all nice and dandy for the future, but in football ignoring the today can make the future pretty hard. Why do relegation battling clubs change managers? Because relegation means lack of funds and a long hard road back to the premier league, if it is possible at all. It’s much easier to avoid it, than to try and fix it afterwards.

Same is when you battle for the top, once you fall off, the battle becomes really hard. Vlahovic didn’t want to come to fight for 8th place, which is where we will finish in my humble opinion, although I do wish I am wrong. Our squad is made of players who are either young – the Martinelli’s, Saka’s and ESR’s, or overpriced and underperforming like Pepe, Laca and as was Auba who left, then there’s the disaster in Xhaka and the only good, experienced player left is Partey.

You don’t get into the top 4, because we lost lots of points due to lack of experience. Our main threats are the young players. It’s their faces the cameras show, when we don’t perform. This weight shouldn’t be on their shoulders. This is again extremely poor management of the club. It’s the negligible attitude shown from our owners towards their most prized asset. It’s what reverted us to a dictatorship model under a younger, prettier dictator sold to us as “the process” and “the future” who in reality lacks the same basic ability to manage big players as our previous one did, with one big difference, Arsene had credit in the bank for what he did in his early tenure.

But that was a time where people like David Dein were at the club, and all the power wasn’t at Wenger’s hand. That allowed for different people to make decisions which ultimately favour the improvement of the squad. Now, there was either no one who recognized the need for a striker AND a midfielder between Edu, Mikel and the board, or that issue was ignored. And I’m not for one second buying the “money” bullsh*t. We spent 150 million in the summer. If that was to propel us to the top 4, it was plain stupid, to not push one more time when halfway through the season we can actually achieve it. It is mostly in our hands.

But I’ve said this enough times and I am myself bored of sounding like a broken record. The Kroenkes do not care about Arsenal being at the top. The club is never getting there with Mikel in charge and Edu as technical director. We were told in 3 years’ time we’d be fighting for the premier league and the champions league. Well, Arteta enters the third year; he’s basically removed between 10 and 20 players and there are opinions he’s in “year one of his actual project”.

That kind of thinking is why we haven’t competed for the league for 17 years. We refuse to accept reality. We do not evaluate ourselves to the here and now. We aren’t conscious about what needs to change to adapt to a rapidly changing environment, which leaves us living either in the past glories or self-delusion of future ones.

Ignorance is not the way to success; it never has been.

Konstantin

Tags January transfer window targets

62 Comments

    1. The blaming game… its getting old. Ultimately, football is corrupt beyond repair with FIFA and UEFA sitting undisturbed at the top end. And every year the team with the most $$$ will win. How many exceptions are there?? In 20 years we have Leicester. Bloggers are funny, the worst broken records on the web. Arsenal have never been the richest club, never. Even when we won, the refs were so bad, they somehow managed to create a ‘battle’ with ManU, even tho we were miles ahead of them. How many fergie time moments did they have? You only have to look at game no. 49 unbeaten, to see that cock Riley cheat his way through the game. Newsflash! All the games were like that, because someone in the PGMOL absolutely hates Arsenal and our ‘french connection’. There is a book – Football is fixed, go read it. Maybe you will stop whining like a child and instead understand why the scenario is what it is. The sport you love is corrupt beyond repair. It is controlled by a mafia and yes, the PGMOL is also part of it. Infantino slid in the backdoor to Qatar after being investigated in Switzerland. Anyone thinks hes going to come back? hahahaha Football is dead.

  1. It was a sad window indeed and puts up for discussion the question of whether we were just lucky during our summer window, rather than smart.

    I would have little problem if we had no money to spend. But if that is the case do you try to sign any players? Do you let AMN leave?

    The fact that we were trying for expensive players makes me believe we had funds available. We were likely too inexperienced and too detached from reality to actually sign any player.

    Neves or Bissouma would have improved our squad. Instead, we chase the most wanted striker in Italy who’s agents have told us from the beginning he had no interest in playing for us.

    The fact that we tried and failed to improve our squad is a bit concerning. We are in the best position we have been for many years to challenge for a top 4 and we weaken our squad.

    1. Seems like for Arsenal NO PLAYER AT ALL is better than not signing their prime target.

      I profoundly disagree with this ideology.

      Nothing is just nothing, but any player brought in could’ve made even the smallest change. And when you buy for good price and don’t overpay the player, they can always be moved on.

      No one’s ever going to buy Auba on 350k week, or Kolasinac on 100k a week.

      Overpaying players is a problem, but is it just because of incompetence or because we can’t attract players without paying them frivolous wages? Latter of course would contradict what Arteta said few weeks ago about our pulling power.

  2. January is a difficult one. I think Weghorst or Arthur Cabral at £13 million each, either would’ve been great addition. I mean, to offer something Laca or Eddie can’t do.

    – cheap (easy to move on if it doesn’t work)
    – decent goal scoring history
    – tall forwards, would’ve given an aerial threat

    So there were few deals available, but I think Arsenal has their targets already for the summer, no matter how well players not on that list perform. It seems like the Arsenal recruiting team have blinders on.

    1. I agree. We did not need Cr7 in his prime. We had an obvious problem in center forward that many forwards could have helped with.
      I even think offering Deigo Costa a year and half contract with reasonable salary would help.
      In a less degree, because we have midfielders, same for Wilshere.

  3. All the Pundits picked Abu Dhabi to win the League. Russian gas and Liverpool were picked to get 2nd and 3rd while the biggest club in the world Manchester United was predicted to get 4th. Arsenal and Spurs were predicted to compete for 5th and 6th which is exactly what we are doing. This while we get rid of 12 under performers. We have also already integrated our six summer signings and progressed the likes of Gabriel Tierney Partey and the youngsters Martinelli ESR and Saka. I would say that is top class by our club just 7 months into the process. The future continues to look bright for Arsenal F.C. #Goonerslovetheprocess.

    1. So getting nothing for a player we bought 60M (plus wages)4 years ago is great business?let me make it easier for you,what would you think of a property manager/developer giving away a property they bought 4 years ago for 60M?still great business?

      1. Well it is not his money and he doesn’t like the players anyway. Spurs got £10m for Dele Ali and some change for Ndombele. I’m sure most of sensible fans on JA will gladly give them out for free to save wages because they are under performance.

        1. This guys was full of confidence that deals will be done in the last 72/36 hours but when it became clear that nothing was going to happen
          Then they have already lined up excuses to paint the whole picture as colourful….
          This guy 99% of all the time says 🚮

      2. Who would pay for what auba had offered since he signed his last contract? He’s showed consistent poor form, and isn’t the right side of 30. Even without goals wasn’t really offering anything to the team, and had a reputation of poor behaviour.
        The club will save 25million of his wages by moving on an asset that wasn’t going to be used, and the team clearly showed improvement without him around the squad.
        Paying him to stick around when they did was crucial for the beginning of the rebuild but unfortunately for whatever reason he wasn’t performing at the required level and was harming the culture being build around the club lately.
        Please elaborate on how the club could have bandled the situation any better.

    2. Please please please stop being a berk stop saying the process as it makes you sound like an uneducated child. Arsenal have been in decline for 15 years and if we aren’t careful we will become a mid table side who get knocked out of both cups by lower league sides in the early rounds. I for one will be absolutely amazed if we get 4th and even if we did I’m not jumping for joy about it as we are arsenal and we deserve more

  4. Tbh, i think it was a good but very risky window for us

    We are a few injuries or suspensions away from a tough time.

    The players that have left have little future here, have barely played and were on some decent wages.

    Everyone for years has been crying out to get rid of all the deadwood and now its practically been done in 1 window, ppl are screaming that they’ve left??? i mean seriously guys c’mon

    Auba was never going to play for us again, yes no fee but we have saved 18 months of his wages – 25m.

    It always hard to sign who you want in January, that hasnt changed, what has changed is now we have some back bone and wont be pushed to panic and spendfor the sake of it like we have done in previous winter windows.

    I fully expect us to go big again in the summer, 2 new strikers minimum, a new DM and some squad depth.

    It is risky not brining in anyone temporary but we shall see how the rest of the season plays out

    1. Completely agree with you comment. I agree it was risky not bringing in anyone but we are in one competition. ONE..

      1. You are expecting the club to go big again and sign at least 2 strikers
        Get ready to get disappointed dude
        This is Arsenal FC
        This is not a club for the faint hearted
        More than 90% of the fan’s where also expecting at least a striker and a midfielder this just concluded window and ended up with nothing.

          1. The Question is why do they not want to come to Arsenal. What we can do is change the way the club is run.

        1. And just what if the manager and club made the correct decision and we do qualify for the champions league. All of a sudden arsenal and the rebuild is one of the most exciting builds in world football and any quality player would be excited at the chance to join and be apart of the story.
          The club is in its healthiest position in years and IMO the fans that can’t understand that are just clueless. Success isn’t bought. It’d built at arsenal. Stick to your values and bring back the class I say.

  5. Gambling with the present while betting on the future. So much now depends on “IF.”

    If we finish top 4, it increases our chances of landing top striker and midfielder we need, so gamble pays off.

    If we finish top 6, harder to get in top players trying to sell Europa league as success.

    If we finish outside top 6 again, good luck trying to sell “the process” to top players. That “different knock” Arteta talks about won’t make a tinkered damn to top players with ambition in the here and now.

    Arteta and the squad made things more difficult for themselves by fading in January, and Edu and ownership chose “good enough” over ambition.

    Time to do talking on the pitch, so no excuses now, deadwood gone, and Arteta has squad of players he wants, so do the job or jog on in the Summer.

    1. Exactly what @Durand said.

      IF we make top 4, gamble pays off and we will be able to attract top players.

      Europa League, and in order to attract top players we probaably have to grossly overpay like always.

      Outside Europe again and we will grossly overpay for just decent players (like White) or have to gamble on more affordable players who “might become good”.

    2. Yup Durand – it’s a gamble which to me depends on our perfect 11 staying fit covid free and available for 13 games. Take even one out (for example Tomi) for long and that could be it. We have maybe 14 players good enough to perform as we must to get a chance at top 4 or imo guarantee top 6. Top 4 will give us a great selection in Summer, but a Europa place would still secure us good youngsters akin to last summer’s crop. But a top established midfielder and striker may depend only on top 4 slot.
      So we are rolling the dice!

    3. To a great degree, sporting success always depends on “IF” – there are no certainties. This isn’t death or taxes.

      1. Xhaka has to be considered a MA signing ,he could have been sold but MA didn’t take up the offer and gave him a new contract making him his signing now.

  6. A typically negative article, Konstantin. It would be nice to have the odd regular contributor with an ounce more positivity, like all other sites have.
    Whether you like it or not, Arsenal have a recruitment blueprint. That blueprint brought in six talents, five of whom are first team regulars. Arteta, for better or worse, refuses to break that blueprint by panic buying unsuitable or overpriced players. In January the market is tiny and most players available are deadwood at their own club, overpriced or overrated, troublesome, injury prone, too old, not good enough or simply do not fit the slots we need filled. Vlahovic is the only striker ticking all of the boxes, and universally coveted by our fanbase. He was also the only player, because of this, that Arteta was given carte blanche to pursue. Because funds were not made available for other players by the board. Major funds were released in the Summer, with the intention that we don’t buy, we sell.
    Blame Kroenke by all means, but we are not a club that can spend spend spend. Loan deals in fell through, but whilst several players were looked at, there was little likelihood that we would buy at hugely unrealistic prices players that either didn’t fit or were too old, and who may only play for a couple of months. I talk strikers here as I don’t think we seriously chased a midfielder unless they were handed to us on a plate.
    Do we need a striker? Darned right. But I understand why we didn’t buy one now. It takes most players months to acclimatise to the EPL and in months we won’t need them. 20 odd players from 28 for the next 13 games and then Summer will be lots of fun…

  7. Exaggerated nonsense.
    While I agree, the striker situation is a problem. It was created by our captain, who after several months of extremely bad performances, chose to act like a “king” above the rest of the team.
    It can just as easily be said, we tried everyting to get exactly the striker we need (Vlahovic), and who fits in with our youth strategy. It wasn’t possible, because he simply wanted Juventus.
    The owners have shown a lot of willingness to spend and ambition. We are still the club with the highest nett spend this season.
    But I am happy, we don’t just buy players for the sake of it, but go for the ones that fits the strategy.
    Don’t forget, we also do need to keep giving our young players the chance to develop further.
    Whether Arteta is the rigth man, I can’t telle

    1. 👍 A front line of Martinelli, Pepe and Saka, young, fast and keen, with Odegaard, Lacazette and ESR in support can’t do any worse.

  8. I don’t mind having no targets or even 1 or 2, if that’s best for the team. My main issue is not facing facts and going after realistic targets that would actually come to Arsenal.

    Tomi is a good example of it being done right.

    1. I think it all comes down to value and perspective:

      Pepe, decent player, grossly overpaid for. Great purchase if it was half the 72 millions we paid.

      Tomiyasu, quite cheap in todays market, excellent value for money.

      White, decent player, not worth +50 million. Value-wise not a good buy.

      Hypothetically Isak at £75m release clause, will never live up to that amount. He’s good, promising but would never value for money. Even his team mate, winger Oyarzabal is much more prominent.

      There’s a saying, which I think its more of guideline in real estate investing, “You make your money when you buy, not when you sell.” And I think this applies to football players as well.

  9. Good to see no panic buys but Umtiti would have perhaps been one but he broke his foot. Looks like the clear out is all but complete now and I’m sure we have enough players to get us into top 6 though I think top 4 is a bit of a stretch. I think Pepé used more centrally rather than out on the touch line is a good call. Our next game is 10th February away and then our next game after that is 19th February at home, the only two games we have in February so the players will be rested and should really have bonded looking at the footage from their training camp in the sun. I’m relaxed about things.

    1. Utimiti had a bad injury and performance record. I would have prepared keeping Chambers or any fit player actually over him.

  10. OMG. The child-like nature of our fanbase is wow. The sensationalism.

    People are acting like little kids throwing a tantrum in a supermarket because mommy did not get them the candy and toys they wanted.

    Now it’s all doom and gloom. It like it’s the End of the world for us the fans and Arsenal football club.
    It’s okay to be disappointed and nervous as we all are, but to just fall apart, going into a paranoid and overly emotional mode just because we did not get players we all hoped for is just child-like / over dramatic in my opinion.

    People need to start thinking rationally and objectively nowadays. It seems Arteta is here for a bit and the club seem to like him. I have been encouraging my fellow gooners to curb their biases against Arteta, to restrain their emotional dislike for Arteta and try to be objective. But it seems like people have already made their mind up and will only point out negatives that confirm their biases.

    What player wanted to come in this window and what club was willing to sell?

    Or you just wanted us to buy any dross for the sake of signing someone? Then next season we will be hearing from the same people citing “the club panicked and bought this dross and that dross. Now we have them as deadwood that we can’t shift blah blah”.

    Take away ones grudge filled emotions / feeling and try to be as objective as possible. It feels good trust me.
    Grow up a bit guys.
    🤦‍♂️

    1. Goonster being a confirmed MA supporter and not remotely one of the fans you correctly speak about, I do nevertheless seriously worry that we are under staffed now.

      I take all your points and agree with them, BUT, I for just one of many Gooners, had been near certain we would DEFINITELY bring in at least a striker and possibly a proper midfielder too.

      I had predicted that several times during last month. But it has not happened and to play even only seventeen PREM GAMES, WITH THE SERIOUS RISK OF COVID AND INJURIES WHILE WE ARE SO UNDERSTAFFFED, SEEMS TO ME TO BE FOOLISH IN THE EXTREME.

      I will still support MA and simply hope we get away with our IMO, way too thin squad now.

      I say this even though I much agreed with every outgoing decision we made, in particular the dismal and totally self centred Auba who let us down dreadfully with his appalling attitude. Good riddance to him and all the other poor players who have left, some of them way too late.

  11. No issue with who left, but if you’re bringing in ZERO replacements, then you’re just asking for trouble!

    Considering we have a decent shout of CL football, it’s a crazy risk, that has already cost us the month of January.

  12. Spotted a few MA’s obsessed fans
    We should decide by this KPI: no top 6, MA must be sacked to preserve Arsenal the brand.

  13. A very good article and interesting and relevant comments BUT the fact is Arsenal have no one to score 15 goals a season let alone 20 or 30, we have a decent defence, an average midfield if Xhaka doesn’t get sent off and a poor one if he does.

    There were no alternatives when the transfer targets were alway going to fail. They have sold/given away players that are now needed because we do not have replacements. A shambles!

    We have no depth in the squad, pick your first team and then look at who is left on the bench. Most of them e.g. Soares would not get in the squad of half the Premier League teams.

    The fact is that this is a very badly managed business, owners who do not understand what they have, managers, commercial and football, who are inexperienced, incompetent and out of their depth..

    Not being able to score 1 goal against the bottom club signifies that our expectations for the rest of the season, having been eliminated from everything else, are to win probably only 2 or 3 games in the Premier League, draw the majority and lose the rest.

    Where will all this end. I hate to think.

  14. Oh, I forgot to mention money. Arsenal pay top (stupid?) money for players, e.g. Pepe, Auba, Lacca, pay ridiculous salaries (Ozil! Auba!) and then they leave for nothing.

    Arsenal has lost well in excess of £100 million in recent years through sheer incompetence and yet the same people are still running the mess into the ground.

  15. Hopefully, if we call our players on loan back, Guendouzi and Saliba, we would get squad depth in the summer, especially, extra cover in the middle of the park.
    The present Guendouzi in Marseille is an upgrade (2X) to Xhaka.
    I doubt Saliba is coming back, seeing that AFC has already signed a new U.S central back.

    1. “The present Guendouzi in Marseille is an upgrade (2X) to Xhaka.”
      Keep up the fantasy

      “I doubt Saliba is coming back, seeing that AFC has already signed a new U.S central back”
      Except that it was clearly stated that the intention is to loan him in Europe to further his progress

      1. Does anyone one know anything about this new centre back from Kroenke’s club? And at 23 why does he need to be loaned out to get experience. I hope he is the best we’ve ever had since David O’Leary however I smell something fishy coming out of Kroenke Land.

  16. Well Arteta’s followers will say we only have one competition to play in… And why is it that on February 1st we have only one competition to play in? Because the manager and squad is not good enough! No European football, dumped out of the FA cup by an average championship team and dumped out of the league cup by an under strength Liverpool team at home. Looking at the fixtures we have even the top 6 would be tough to achieve.. Wolves away next who don’t concede goals and we can’t score any.. we still actually have to play them at home also, we have Liverpool at home which I don’t see us picking up any points there, Chelsea away, Totts, away, West ham away, villa away and United at home… When you look at those fixtures and then look at our squad then you realise how difficult making at least 6th will be.

  17. I appreciate your honesty
    Cuz all we can ever do
    Is express ourselves as we feel
    But the amount of cynicism in your article
    Is beyond belief!
    The amount of change thst is been done under Arteta is immense
    150 million spent
    Yes we can see that is no where near enough
    Seeing the squad and the game with burnley
    We need a World Class striker ASAP
    But the club learnt With N Pepe
    That spending money doesn’t guarantee success
    So they are doing the best they can
    Under Arteta’s vision and belief in him
    I do too
    Regardless of his mistakes
    I see how much progress we have made
    And we most likely won’t get top 4 this year either
    But that is due to lack of quality and depth in the squad
    But I firmly believe
    What he is doing
    Will get us back to where we want to be
    Title challengers
    How badly do you think Arteta wants to win!
    The premier league!
    The champions league!
    Progress just takes time
    And unfortunately
    Critics like you
    Aren’t willing to give it to him
    Well that’s my 2 cents
    All the best
    Keep on loving
    Being a gooner!
    Cuz your passion
    Even venting your frustration
    At the lack of progress
    Is always what we will need
    People who aren’t afraid to tell the Truth
    As they see it

  18. In the modern world honesty is not valued. Example Boris Johnson! So rather than capitulate or lie, Konstantin, I admire your honesty Konstantin. Those who berate you are foolish. You are telling the truth. It is sad when supporters are blinkered or don’t want to upset the applecart. Our club is poorly run at the moment. When you are right on the border of fourth place you do not capitulate…..you consolidate. That is so ****ing obvious. We were on the verge of the champions league. We needed players to consolidate. Now after years chasing 4th place, we have thrown it away. Exactly what we have wanted we have thrown. There is a sickness at Arsenal and a football Doctor is needed.

  19. Not buying any player this transfer period us not the problem , the problem is why letting certain players go. Calum chambers for instance and most especially should not have been sold. This is a guy who can play RB, CB and DM that’s like 3 in one player . If Tomi and cedrick go out injured then what ? We start playing players of position.
    Whatever happens I’m willing to see how far this “process” will be next season.

  20. Arsenal did make quite some efforts during the just concluded January transfer window to get the two targets of: Vlahovic and Melo they want signed. But their efforts put-in to achieve their wants went abortive for various reasons.

    However, in the absence of not achieving their preferred two targets, couldn’t the club have twitched their efforts to sign a new striker to other suitable targets? For instance, how about if the club switching their attention to striker Jonathan C Davids to sign him? Davids who plays for Lile fc and whose football prowess looks similar to that of Vlahovic? And his age at 22 year old match the current Arsenal’s age profile of new players recruitment. But all things considered as regard to Davids, maybe Arteta did not deem him suitable enough in his plans moving forward.

    Nevertheless, the recent Arsenal senior team men first-team squad which has 21 players listed is quite a very strong squad that can successfully challenged for the top-six places finish this season to get European football playing ticket next season and get it. .

  21. AFC, please see my list, so we’ll be able to qualify for top 4
    Forwards
    Diego Costa — Free Agent
    Robson Kanu —- Free Agent
    Giovani Dos Santos —- Free Agent
    Sebastian Giovinco — Free Agent
    Midfielders
    Wilshere — Free Agent
    Ramires —- Free Agent
    Mikel Obi —- Free Agent
    These young ones cannot lead themselves, we need the right blend of experience in the squad. The senior players we have right now are not up to par. Maybe we can get some experienced players in, then we continue with our “process” during Summer.
    The free agents transfer market is still open.

  22. There were at least one or two contributors in the comments section suggesting that-as we didn’t buy a centre-forward-Pepe may be a viable alternative. I would like to suggest these contributors are not likely to see old age due to distractions such as crossing the road & breathing in an ‘in-out’ fashion, and should be treated accordingly. He is capable of so little when facing the ‘right’ way that to suggest he may be able to solve our imminent lack of goals when asked to contribute with his back to goal occasionally is outrageous. Can you picture it?!
    Why not put Martinez-the natural goalscorer I saw play at CF in his first couple of appearances-up top? I admit that lately he has looked like he needs to get his head up more and improve his awareness, but he is stuck out wide and seems to just want to get in on goal ASAP, as is his nature.
    I understand my opinion is only worth as much as others ,and that I may be as off target as one of Pepe’s intended shots at goal, but surely to suggest Pepe plays at CF before Martinelli is ludicrous?

    1. Well BMOTW, I’m one of the contributors who suggested Pepé should be played more centrally and as I have just turned 70 your comment about old age is rather stupid. I could explain to you why Pepé could succeed centrally but I can’t understand it for you…….😊

    2. BMotW, Pepe has scored goals when given opportunities for Arsenal, so disagree with your assessment. And by the way I have reached “old age” and don’t have any trouble “breathing in or out” . As for “crossing the road”, I worked in traffic supervising road and bridge construction and maintenance for over 40 years, without being run over. 😁

  23. We might not always be in agreement when it comes to Arsenal-related issues or the best way to verbalize our respective concerns, but I applaud you Konstantin for never kowtowing to the naysayers who continually bombard you with disparaging remarks even though it’s glaringly obvious that this club has been spinning their organizational wheels for well over a decade

    if they really wanted to be rid of you they would be wise to somewhat follow your lead and put the requisite amount of pressure on the powers that be so that they might finally redress the myriad of administrative and managerial concerns that have plagued this club for far too long, thereby making your “rants”, as some would suggest, no longer necessary…Cheers

  24. Too bad Arteta is so insecure. Hope he goes to MC then be fired. Guendousi is perfect for partnering with Partey. He turns the ball into attack with ease. Saliba is already head and shoulders above White. What a weak center he is. Arteta’s choice? I hope not. The joy of this window is completing the good riddance of 10 years of patchwork with mid table players. Don’t buy these guys ever again. Only top 4 players and maybe a top 4 manager. The oligarchs who want to win are better than the oligarchs who want to make money, that is the new order. Some oligarchs are naive and think a world class manager will win. It certainly helps, we can see that here with a naive money wanting oligarch sending his favorite son to scout the problem. The son (oligarch in training) has hired a manager in training. They stopped the hemorrhaging and here we are, a mid table team. You don’t put an amateur manager in the top division, only a fool would do that. So just getting rid of all those bad players creates a vacuum to be filled by young aspirants, over the hill free transfers, or shrewd 30-40M players. I started following AFC when I fell in love with the team in the 79 FA cup with Liam Brady. I did not know anything about the management, I still don’t. But my opinion has become world class.

  25. Nil desperandum my Arsenal friends.

    I have just read an article claiming Kroenke is giving Arteta almost $200m this summer, so Edu can buy Isak, Neves and Calvert Lewin.

    Of course I believe this, a red top printed it, so it must be true, what!!!

    So y’all stop complaining that we didn’t buy anyone (of consequence) in January, and just look forward to a bumper summer.

    Hmm do i want to buy that Bridge in NY?

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