The transfer window is only open until next Wednesday at 11pm, and although it looks like Arsenal have done all their business once the Mustafi and Perez deals get finalized, Wenger is still expecting a very busy few days after Arsenal have beaten Watford by five goals (!) tomorrow afternoon.
Le Prof said this morning: “It was a strange transfer market. I expected it to be easier than ever but it was more difficult than ever. Not a lot has happened. It looks like when you meet other clubs and you have an English passport, you hit these [big] prices which are very difficult to understand compared to the quality of the players. It looks like it will be frenetic for me in the last three days. Everybody has sat on their pounds until now. We know they will all splash out now. I expect the next three days to be very, very busy, so be on alert!”
But Wenger insists the transfers won’t let the team be distracted from the game at Watford: “Not for me, not for us.” he continued. “We know the priority is to get results and to win your next game. We have shot ourselves in the foot so we have to respond very quickly. When you look at the other teams, they’re making points.”
Did Wenger just admit that he made a pig’s ear of the transfer window? Has he just realised that the first two games were quite tough fixtures to go into without a recognised striker?
He also inisted that he didn’t buy Perez and Mustafi just to appease the fans, but he’s glad they are happy about it (well some of us anyway lol!) “I’m happy when our supporters are happy. My job is to make the right decisions, if that is exactly similar to the contract of the players and that maintains the supporters being happy – that is even better. I focus first on making the right decisions for the club.
Wenger was then asked if these two deals meant that he wouldn’t be buying any more players, and he started off with his favourite joke: “It is a shame you are not my friend. You will see I spend a lot of money…… We already have a big squad, and we are already short on the numbers now. We have a requested number, and we can’t have any more players any way.”
I must admit I thought that Wenger would have been trying to sell a few players to fund his massive spend this summer, but he was cagey about the possibility: “I don’t think so.” he concluded. “With Joel Campbell going out, Calum Chambers maybe will go on loan somewhere. It will be alright.”
At least there won’t be any chance of the travelling Arsenal fans chanting “Spend the XXXXXXXXX money!” tomorrow……
Admin
Arsenal fixtures for next month :
10th Sep
Southampton Home EPL
13th Sep
PSG Away UCL
17th Sep
Hull Away EPL
20th/21st Sep
Nottingham Forrest Away League Cup
24th Sep
Chelsea Home EPL
28th Sep
Basel Home UCL
Next month is extremely crucial for us to be in the title race. Need to get maximum points in all 3 EPL games. Chelsea game is toughest but we are at home and should go for the win. Hopefully all of Ozil,Alexis,Cazorla,Giroud will be match fit and firing on all cylinders by then.
PSG away will be tough but we can beat them however we need to make sure that we come back with atleast a point. Basel at home should be easy.
Nottingham away should see us playing lot of our youngsters..eg. Akpom,Zelalem,Bielik,Rene Adelaide,Crowley. Not too worried if we go out of the EFL Cup.
Crowley is at Oxford, but I am still very excited to see that young crop you mentioned
Enlighten me guys. What kind of a player is Lucas Perez. Is he an intelligent and a technical dribbler like Suarez, aguero or is he all about mobility and positioning ( the right place right time kind of player).
One thing which interests me is that he was wanted by barca as well. So he must have some quality
I will be honest with you I had never heard of Perez. Moreover I don’t follow La Liga that much.
Youtube videos can make anyone look a world beater but having seen his compilation videos I would like to give you a neutral assessment based on the videos.
To answer your 1st question he is a good dribbler and with amazing pace but not on the level of Suarez,Aguero or Lewandoski. I did see him assist from corner kicks which means he is good at set pieces and has good accuracy. He also seems to be a calm,clinical finisher. I did not see him score a single header which indicates he is not that good in the air.
Pros : Good shooting accuracy,likes to make runs behind the defence, amazing pace, dribbler,takes shots from outside the box, good at taking set pieces.
Cons : Not a single headed goal, not your typical fox in the box like Chicharito,Higuain.
Conclusion : Not the world class striker we have wanted since RVP, but has potential and is a quality addition to the side. I think he was bought more as a Welbeck replacement(2nd striker) than a Giroud replacement(1st striker) and don’t think we could have got any better
as a 2nd striker for the price.
Lucas Perez is also good at pressing and closing down defenders so that’s also a huge plus point. Personally I would like to see him play on the right wing as he is a bigger goal threat than any of Walcott,Chamberlain,Ramsey,Iwobi.
And against teams like City,Chelsea,United,Barca,PSG,Bayern I would like to see him play uptop and us to play on the counter.
@ vinjoe
Sorry forgot to add the last part. Barca link is just paper talk. Don’t get your hopes up on that. The whole world knows Barca want a backup for MSN. Barca’s No. 1 target was Gamiero but he chose to go to Atleti instead. So papers are linking every half decent striker in La Liga with Barca. If Barca were genuinely interested in Perez i don’t think Everton or us would have any chance of getting him.
I just never trust him anymore with anything, transfers, tactics, motivation, nothing!
That pic of Lucas with the thumbs up – he was looking at me
via The Sun
Comparison of Arsenal new boy Perez, Giroud and Griezmann
Olivier Giroud
Games played 38
Goals 16
Assists 6
Shots per game 2.11
Shots on target 43
Dribbles completed 11
Dribbles per game 0.29
Chances created 36
Antoine Griezmann
Games played 38
Goals 22
Assists 5
Shots per game 1.97
Shots on target 43
Dribbles completed 32
Dribbles per game 0.84
Chances created 53
Lucas Perez
Games played 36
Goals 17
Assists 8
Shots per game 2.36
Shots on target 50
Dribbles completed 38
Dribbles per game 1.06
Chances created 72
Did they state minutes per goal ratio? What about how many of those games were in the starting line ups?
But I’m glad Perez tops those charts. Also the manner of the goals were made is important: How many tap in, penalties, headers, how many goals one created from nothing, how many poached goals, how many outside the box etc. I saw the YouTube goals of Perez from last season. Not many tap ins there but real strikers goals. Thumbs up for the new lad!
We should keep an open mind about Lucas. He was directly involved in more than 50% of the teams goals last season. That is actually a grim statistic from a team perspective and goes to show how poor the team was that he is coming from. Not at all comparable to the quality he will have around him now.
Your statement is contradictory Robin. You say we should keep an open mind and then you go on to imply that since he will be playing with better players at Arsenal, he will be good for us.
Not trying to be negative here. I’m actually glad we are trying to sign him but just because he was great for Deportivo doesnt mean he will be great for us.
Cases in point : Bony at Swansea vs Bony at City,Remy at Newcastle vs Remy at Chelsea,Benteke at Villa vs Benteke at Liverpool, Podolski at Koln vs Podolski at Bayern.
So i say, to qoute your words “Keep an open mind”. Let him sign up for us and let him play in an Arsenal shirt before we start making any judgements.
off topic:what do you guys think of thierry henry,s appointment as martinez,s assistant of the belgium national team
for Henry……… nice for development in becoming arsenal future manager
No one moved (Strikers) from their clubs I mean Top guys…Only quality with Icon status Ibroz as free agent joined Man U.
Let’s gamble with Lucas and I hope he won’t get home sick like Reyes who was awesome in his first season for us Gooners.
Now we have an multi linguistic squad NOT French as Chashely Cole and Womanizer a Moron who made an excuse to leave our Club. Another money freak went to Manshity for Arab Money. I pity for them see that they are losers.
Helb was only guy whom he said I regretted leaving Arsenal!!
1st game we for past few years we been losing never mind Few positive as in Next game.
No media is blaming Liverpool for losing the game .
I wouldn’t mind 4th position till we come clean from our equity debts
Let him(AW) be arrogant call him anything We will over come SOON.
Pajet Gomez
just my personal opinion!! i would like Jonathan Tah to Replace per, when per leaves arsenal!! we must have got him this season. Tah a perfect CB and could have been a future for us!
Man Utd and other Pl teams are playing long and air ball during the final third!! so I personally felt Tah could have been a perfect fit.
Perez and Mustafi will be our final signings, predict no more incoming