Every little thing about Arsenal Football Club right now is under pressure. Absolutely everything! Our owner is only in it for the money, it seems, and all the board members seem perfectly happy with their positions and the way things are done.
The manager, who has only just signed a contract extension and must have been hoping that this season would see a big improvement on last year is already under fire from the multitude of Arsenal fans who are baying for him to be sacked after a comprehensive loss away to Liverpool completed a pretty pitiful start to the new season.
The players have been awful and we are still no closer to securing the long term future of big players like Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain but there is at least one reason for Arsenal fans to feel some hope. The transfer window is still open.
Surely even Wenger will realise that he must act in the next few days to bring in a signing or two to help the team and appease the fans. The problem he has, though, is that there are so many weak points that it is hard to put your finger on just what to do to fix it.
Would even a top class striker, a creative and a defensive midfielder along with a new centre back be enough to fix what feels like a broken team?
Bob.
No new signings ..mark my words…
wenger has to go..enuf is enuf
Look at the way Wenger set up his defence? The strategy he took to compete for the mid field? There was no hope to win. It is absolute the sole responsibility of the manager. We must let go the past glory and release Wenger go. He was still our legend but not our future.
Agree with Jacob.Wenger is tactically a has been .
The sooner he goes,the better.
No!
Looking at the available players today our starting 11 should have been much stronger and more importantly it should have been balanced. Instead Wenger decided to play everyone out of position and leave his summer signings on the bench. We had 1 Left Back on the bench and anither Left Back playing at Centre Back even though we had a perfectly fit Centre Back on the Bench. To top it off despite having 2 Left Backs in the squad we played a Right Back at Left Back. Madness. Why have such a disorganised defence against such a free flowing liverpool team. If it was up to me my back 5 would look like this
Kilasinac Mustafi Koscielny Holding Bellerin
Now im not getting 8m a year so what do i know but in my opinion playing in your actual position really does help and those 5 players were all available today. So to answer the article… no new signings will help because the team selection and tactics will just mess us up time and time again.
Let me ask you guys a question.Do you think if we had VVD and Lemar we would’ve won this match??I know Arsenal all too well and trust me we would’ve still lost.A lot of people think this Arsenal squad isn’t good enough to win the league but I beg to differ.Give this same squad to Rafa Benitez or any world class manager even without any signing before the transfer window ends and watch us play like you’ve never seen before.The problem in this team has always been tactics,mentality and mismanagement.This is what has really been disturbing us for several seasons but alwas goes ignored.Mark my words that if Arsenal get everyone they’re supposed to we’re not winning the league if those three things aren’t checked.We need signings but our problem is much bigger than signings.Give this same squad to Klopp or a too manager and you’d be shocked some players who were called average will be playing differently.You know why?Strong mentality,proper management and good tactics count.
I’d also like to say the 3-4-3 formation is not working due to the personnel involved in the setup.Let’s call a spade a spade.Bellerin is not a wingback.Ox is not a wingback.Ozil is not a RW which he seems to be in our lineup.Monreal and Kolasinac are not a CB’s nor wing backs.Xhaka can’t defend and Ramsey doesn’t complement him either.
I’ve realised people are confusing fullback and wingback assuming them to almost be the same.A wingback can be viewed as a more defensive winger whiles a fullback is just a player put near the sides of the centre fullback.Their roles are clearly very different and well defined.That’s why you’ll consider Ox at RWB and not RB.We need to switch back to 4-2-3-1 to get the best out of our players like Ozil,Ox,Kolasinac,Bellerin and Monreal.They’ll suffer a lot under 3-4-3.Also get Xhaka out of the lineup and play Wilshere who has the best CM IQ after Santi.
I totally agree with leaving out Xhaka frm the squad. That man is the least contributing player in trying to enforce th DM position
JUST IN:Monaco have agreed to loan Kylian Mbappe to PSG with an option to sign him for €180 next summer.His medical is likely to be completed tomorrow or Tuesday.Done deal for them.I reported it because many of us are interested and like Mbappe a lot.
@Kev. I rarely comment on this blog, mainly just read. But I do seem to see a lot of your supposed “inside source updates” which more often than not turn out to be a load of bollocks. I just wonder if you are trolling, or genuinely get a kick from just pretending to be in the know?
Unfortunately the current crisis at the club, highlighted by a deluded manager and a number of 1st teamers actively seeking greener futboling pastures has definitively tarnished the attraction of playing at the Emirates and the Arsenal badge.
Why on Gods Green Earth would the likes of VVD, Lemar, Mahrez, Asenscio, Seri, Goretska, Carvalho, etc. play for a club that is in crisis mode and has transparently displayed a pathetic lack of ambition both domestically and in Europe.
Simply answer, they have no interest in being passengers on a sinking ship captained by Kroenke and Wenger.
The only reasons we got Lacazette is because Atletico Madrid have the transfer ban and that Wenger is renowned for developing French players. Kolasinac is a free transfer and we all know Wenger loves those freebies so it was fairly easy to get him without having to deal with the hurdle of negotiating with a club. Other than that has any player came? Truth is Arsenal is not an attractive option for players to come, and part of that unappealing factor is manager.
A little birdie told me Lacazette joined because of a 200k a week salary and Kolasinac a 150k a week salary…. hey, lets be real here, money is the main reason players change clubs, forget that “It has always been my dream to play for club X” bullshi+.
Probably Lacazette will want to go to Atletico Madrid in the winter break.
we have sunk to such depths we cannot expect any quality player to consider arsenal 1st or 2nd choice we are carving a future for ourselves and that future name is ‘uncertainty’. the way these players operate its as if they don’t even know each other. if leicester player’s snub us next we can expect burnley players to snub us too. does nobody at arsenal care to put a stop to the rot? where the passion, wheres the pride and whats the point of silent f-ing stan?
When Wenger leaves we will attract players with a new project but not while he’s still here! I said for weeks now that xhaka is the new arteta and everyone disagreed with me! I know similarities between players really well and I’m telling you that Wenger loves cesc loved arteta hence choosing xhaka over kante! We have needed viera 2.0 for years but Wenger won’t give in he’s to stubborn we’ve needed Gilberto 2.0 like nzonzi etc but he’s to stubborn! XHAKA =ARTETA=FAILURE
I said last season to all my friends that Wenger has to sell xhaka and admit he was a mistake and buy bakayoko but Wenger NEVER admits or learns from his mistakes! Mustafi for the price was a mistake! Mane destroyed us for Southampton and I prayed Wenger would get him to replace Walcott now look he’s still destroying us again! You all need to understand that when a club needs top players then buy the wrong ones you go further backward and further in dept u double the problem coz u still need top players but have twice as much deadwood! Arsenal can not turn this around for a couple of years now bcoz it’s been years of neglect, penny pinching and wrong decisions Wenger has put this club in a position where the only answer is to sell the club cleanse the club and reinvest heavily and that would take 2 years if not it’s a 5 to 7 year building process which does not wash in this day and age usamanov is the only answer NO MORE DELUSION PLEASE
we cannot afford to wait 5-7years – this is london where transformations occur quick, i expect a simple change of manager would work. although, personally id like ancelotti here, i would welcome eddie howe as a young forward thinking type able to take the manager seat and he (given the room to do so) would win over many arsenal fans who would grow along with him.
Arsenal is at best a cup team, the FA Cup. Arsenal should not charge such high ticket prices to watch average games, instead they should charge a premium for FA Cups because we actually win something then.
I’d rather he not appease the fans and just save that money so the next coach can buy what he wants, because any money spent by Wenger is either going to be sold or benched, or that they would want to leave after knowing Wenger for the coach he really is.
Ur right mate! Wenger should NOT spend anymore money he has no eye for talent or bargains and will waste it AGAIN! Sell mustafi sell ox sell Alexis sell ozil sack Wenger get usamanov in and start again! We need to get rid of the Wenger cancer he has created coz it will always be hear if we don’t
keep all The Star players.. sign Van Dyke,seri and we are good
our star players dont want to play under Wenger. Nobody does. And why sign a defender when Arsenal will spend no time trying to sort out how to defend as a team. It’s every man for themselves when Arsenal try to defend. VVD will fix nothing because it’s not the personnel, it’s the club, it’s the fact this team is so poorly managed.
I was worried that this team would be selfish and be all out for them selves after a couple of pre season games it’s the wenger cancer and any manager with dignity would step down now there’s no time to waste
Best transfer business would be to get rid of Wenger. Offer Klopp or Conte double what Wenger earns and watch them transform this group of misfits into a cohesive TEAM . Sadly that’s the fundamental problem with Arsenal right now , they aren’t playing as a team that have a singular goal that everyone is focused on achieving. Perhaps the news of key players leaving has made everyone question whether they want to be at AFC because none of the players today played with any heart .
Why should your heart be affected when you are paid 100k+ a week to do a job? The players deserve as much blame if not more than Wenger. What has changed between end of last season when we were winning everything and the beginning of this season when we are losing everything? The players have relaxed …that’s it.
Wenger in his post match interview reminded us that the last days of the window is one of the factors likely to have a major impact on the team going forward. He said this:
“I think these players will come back in a different shape after the international break and hopefully we have not many injuries and then there is still the transfer market that we have to deal with until Thursday.”
Positively or negatively? Who knows!
But I think the squad needs a bit of shaking up. And the club can certainly do something about that in the next 4 days. Even one landmark signing will make a difference.
Where the real issue lies though is with Arsene and his decisions. The man’s gone bonkers!!!!
It’s the manager, we know this and we have known this for YEARS. Yet people still love to pretend its the personnel. Sometimes it’s true, the players just dont give enough, but Wenger has no game plan every single game, has no passion, has no control over the locker room. He’s lost it a while ago and now all the chips are falling. Wenger has NOTHING to offer the club this season besides the impending doom this is inievtiably coming this season. Arsenal have been so lucky to remain in top 4 all these years because truth is we are barley even Everton level under AW. 2 more years of this clown ruining our club.
Further have you ever seen Wenger get out of his chair and give direction on players like every manager do? Liverpool was generous today because it could easily have been 6-0. Klopp’s interview also showed a lot of respect and saved the manager’s face, but in reality Klopp is definitely thinking we are weak.
This match left Bould with his mouth open. He simply couldn’t chew his gum anymore and Wenger looked like he was eating one of his fingers.
Yes
But seems to late to do it this summer because of Wenger’s dithering and procrastination and cheapness.
It will take a lot of money.
The best thing Wenger can do is sign one or two top players this week so that we can start the process of building a new team and make Champions League. (I don’t trust Wenger will even do that). Then next summer sell half the squad and sign better players
Wouldn’t it be sad if Spurs got Lemar or Mahrez, United got Draxler and Liverpool got Van Dijk and we got either nobody or even worse Brozovic (because he is average and we won’t have space or salary for top CM for years)
The biggest problem is Wenger and Kroenke
A big problem is that Wenger has flooded the team with average players and given them high salaries. Other top teams don’t want most of our players because they are average or salary demands too high
Wenger hasn’t just ruined the team, he has also made our foreseeable future look bleak
If the club had any shame they would refund every travelling Arsenal fan for that garbage.
Get rid of Ox and Sanchez. Scare the players a bit and they will find motivation. Heck just cut someone who makes good money and you’ll see motivation.
impossible to be motivated to play for a disaster like Wenger. The man can’t coach a team, it’s beyond not being able to motivate them. He doesn’t seem to understand modern football. This guy played Welbeck up front!!
Great opportunity to finally
clear the decks of so
many mediocre journey men
and make mega millions on sales.
Would prefer a younger manager built his team with the money but
Wenger is here till 2019 so have to go on trust.
We need to get a solid CM in. Even in these last 4 days, we can if we are serious about it. But it’s clear this club isn’t serious about winning or any thing at all..
And I hate that the manager can be one annoyingly arrogant bastard when he has his moments.
This team has won the fa cup in the last three out of four seasons. We missed a top four spot by one point last season. We have good players, the problem is our old friends, cohesion, team spirit, desire, passion, naivety, tactics etc. Something is desperately wrong, perhaps the contract issues around ozil, sanchez and ox are the problem. Perhaps it is what thierry henri said that everything is too easy at arsenal so it is complacency.
We have had an appalling start, ok we beat leicester in our home game but I was not impressed and we conceded three goals which is poor. Performance at stoke was poor and today at anfield was appalling. When are we going to look like we can beat a top team in the PL. Personally I think we should sell samchez and ox, we are not going to win the PL this season and the loss of them next season with no extra money to replace them will be a big hit. Not so sure about ozil, but think he is overrated, but at least he seemed upset at end of todays match. As for new players, unless we can sort out what is wrong then we should stop thinking about it. As things stand I cannot see a top player wanting to come to arsenal and if they came it would make no difference until the problems, whatever they are, are sorted out.
No, only Wenger resignation.
The way that Arsenal played today was even worse than championship teams , Arsenal’s problem is WAY bigger than just 2 or 3 players , it’s obvious players hate each other and some of them are ridiculing the team like Ox and Sanchez , they don’t deserve to wear the Arsenal badge and should
get sold immediately , Specially that disgusting OX , Arsenal put a lot of patience and money on players like Ox from there early years and when they get good they want to leave , that strategy needs to stop , no more relying on young players , if they are not showing any sign of talent they should be sold immediately , also if we really want to solve Arsenal’s problems we need to get Kroenke out of our club. #KroenkeOut
I don’t like the idea Wenger to be sacked but many players from this team must be gone when the window closes and I’m gonna tell you exactly their names:
Danny Welbeck, Shkodran Mustafi, Rob Holding, Francis Coqelin, Alex Oxlade- Chamberlain, Theo Walcott.. They are so many average players to blame not the coaches! It happens the same thing all the time and I don’t like players to destroy Wenger’s name! I think they are constantly trying to sack him but do they expect to stay when the new coach gets in? These players so average, they have talent only to make good clips for our youtube channel! I don’t like them any more, we need other players not other coaches! Because it’s their fault because their performance is not constantly strong and it was the best and mediocre game I’ve ever seen from Arsenal! I have only one question – why the hell player in a good shape are not playing at all but in bad shape are always playing? We needed Lakazette, Giroud, Iwobi, Elneny, Colasinac not Ramsey, Sanchez, Welbeck, even Ox must be dropped and Ozil for Reiss Nelson and Walcott!
You are just as confused as Wenger and contradicting yourself. Who does the team selection? Is it not Wenger? So if he is putting out a team that is not performing who is to blame? And what is Mustafi’s fault in all this? A coach who chooses to play players out of position is a good coach hun? You played Bellerin at left wing back when you have Kolasinac. You played wellbeck when you have Lacazette and Giroud. You played Holding and Monreal ahead of Mustafi. Whatever might be his shortcomings he is a far much better CB than the two players. Wenger is the reason for the regression in the club. He should have gone at the end of last season. Mark my words, Arsenal will soon start flirting with relegation with Wenger in charge. We won’t even qualify for the much maligned Europa league.
Match fixing I now believe the match was a gambling fix else how would you explain a tired liverpool win a mach while our players sit at the bench this match was a fix for sure and an investigation must take place
im thinking again whether the decision to replace debuchy with bellerin was a hasty one. bellerin only needed more game time but not given all out preference over a proven france international. debuchy lacked his pace but pace without end product is useless. we ruined debuchy career simply by making hector out to be ‘reliable’ something he is not.
soon as seeing ramsey was a starter i thought woe, does the manager not stick to solutions known to work? ramsey fires himself up coming on from the bench, he ain’t what we need in the centre of midfield we need much better. danny tries hard to encourage passion in his team but too often he scuffs his opportunities so much that its useless getting excited when he’s only got a goal keeper to beat he just cannot complete the task. cech ought to have sat this one out he’s let in 8 already.
ox chambo has the audacity to expect more financial reward out of arsenal when his deliveries are a mess. steve bould and lehman were brought in to encourage us out of our defensive frailty and lack of discipline, but instead we’ve become even worse. arsene, you only got what you deserved. proper preparation we might have scraped a draw but you insist on mis-matching players intent to come with ones that want to leave – its muddled up thinking.
Transfers will make ZERO difference, as the game against Liverpool proved. Two new signings, better than what we already had, yet both started on the bench, with Kolasinac not even getting ANY game time!
The only way we’re improving is if Wenger is replaced.
I just wish someone kidnap wenger, Ivan and Kroenke for at least five years.
Bet for Arsenal to fail, because Wenger is predictable
Remember the second half of the 2014/15 season we had the best defense in the PL, Ospina in goal, with Per and Kos in defense. In the eighteen games ospina played his stats were awesome, as follows (stats are per ninety minutes played).
Name/ games played/ goals conceded/saves per goal/clean sheets
Ospina/18/0.61/3.18/0.44
Courtois/32/0.96/2.10/0.38
Hart/36/0.94/2.38/0.39
De Gea/37/0.98/2.17/0.3
Note that for every two goals we conceded, the others let in three. We now have supposedly upgraded the team, new goalkeeper, new £30m defender mustaffi, new strongman midfielder xhaka, Most of the other players are still there although mert is now mostly missing. So why are we now so poor defensively with players not tracking back, ramsey gazing around the stadium, completely unaware that liverpool are atacking and he should be tracking back. Something is mighty wrong.
Sign messi, ronaldo and neymar with Wenger in charge we would still be a mess. Left the game at 75minutes not because I was sad but for how pathetic and sorry we looked. Not watching another arsenal game till that conster is thrown out the door.
The first action the club needs to take as sack wenger. If we succeed after that, good, else kroenke will sell in a few years. I don’t think we are rock bottom yet. There will be more humiliation before the tide turns.
This happens like every goddamn seasons… Same old, same old.
Fix… or better yet, remove the head first (Kroenke, Gazidis, & Wenger) before talking about any player transfers. Otherwise, it’s pointless.
i dont care for the like or dislike thumb but
i can not see anything wrong in ozil or sanchez
just be in their shoes imagine
if one single patato head player in our street matches make a mistake like xhaka,bella,ox,welback,monreal,holding,ramsay
would you like to play the remaining match with a good confidence and a good mood
its not what these guys are used to
they have played with football greats
like ronaldo and messi
and you ask them to perform with players like ox and welback
we should change the way we think
just sell these midocre players that we keep on feeding
sell them out
and one more thing
i swear if even if i had a chance to play this match on fifa
i would never dare to play players out of position
for fuck sake
we already lost against stoke due to out of position defenders
what is wrong with wenger
its simple
laca
alexis ozill iowbi/ox
ramsay xhaka
kolas boss mustafi bella
i dont know where are we heading too
but i feel like its easy to be a player and change team then being a fan bcoz it really hurts to see arsenal sink right before our eyes
I think making panic buys will help hurt us more and we will again struggle to sell them. When the ownership changes we will have to invest like city, Chelsea and united as the current leadership will damage us more before they go.
The team is rudderless and we have a manager who prides himself on never breaking a contract. So unless he is sacked (not a chance) we will be less than mediocre for the neaxt 2 years and our top players will leave the sinking ship. Mr. Wenger you say you love the club, well prove it by resigning, and give someone else a chance to sort out the mess you have created, before we end up as a bottom ten club. The board and the management are a disgrace but until their finances are threatened, the status quo will prevail. If it takes losing the next 5 games for the board to act, then so be it.
Van Dijk, Seri, Lemar, et al, why would you even consider joining this sinking ship???
The crazy thing is I will always support this club and a rant helps to blow off some steam
This is the quote that makes me think the situation is not going to improve in the next year or two.
“I think we have to not go into the conclusions from today’s performance that the players are poor. The players are quality but today we had a poor performance. I think these players will come back in a different shape after the international break and hopefully we have not many injuries and then there is still the transfer market that we have to deal with until Thursday.”
“But we have to not panic as well, just today was a dramatic performance. I have not seen us for a long time like that.”
He is unable to accurately assess the quality of his team in comparison with the other teams in EPL. He does not have a quality team compared to Manu U, Man City, Chelsea, Tottenham, Liverpool. So this means no higher than 6th unless he adds quality to the team, which doesn’t look likely.
Yep, they will come back after the international break after receiving decent coaching and motivation from other managers
Good post!!
So he says that the players are quality but don’t perform WHOSE FAULT IS THAT YOU’RE THE COACH. How can he bench both Lacazette and Kolasinac, Klopp must have been laughing his head off. I think it’s time for the ‘men in white coats’
I can’t understand why we are talking about transfers, wenger will not buy anyone…
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting difficult results…. in this case the men in white coats should be knocking at wingers door and taking him away….
Lots of players leaving and probably some panic buys from Wenger. But I’ve lost interest in this team a long time ago. Doesn’t matter who comes in it’s still Wenger making the decisions.
too many bad decisions from wenger. playing a back 3 at liverpool when you know they like to exploit the wings, playing bellerin at left, leaving kolasinac out, playing holding instead of mustafi, playing welbeck instead of lacazette.
With good tactics and formation by a new manager performance will still improve with current squad.
Wenger out
What happened to the once legendary club of Arsenal…this makes my heart tear in two…seeing the once invincible Gooners going down like this. We had Wenger for 21-22 years and now…he has lost his once legendary status… We need to sign a new manager…Get Manolas, Van Dijk, Draxler and sell all the players that want to leave…they don’t want to play for the club anymore, no use keeping them. We need to sign a new team, make Stan Kroenke leave… WE NEED THE ONCE LEGENDARY AND LETHAL ARSENAL THAT WAS THERE. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE OLD GLORY DAYS?!
I’m nearly at a loss for words.
The lack of cohesion and communication between midfield and defence was frankly shocking.
Ramsey and Ox were simply dreadful and I was not sure Xhaka was even playing for a while. Second goal Ox and Ramsey have no f’ing clues there their own team has lost the ball and about to be scored on.
My brother is a Liverpool fan and didn’t even bother giving me grief, said he just felt sorry for me.
Ramsey should have his pay docked. Did he even pretend to play defence today?
I will always blame you guys ( especially the English fans) who throng the length and breadth of Emirates stadium each match day. Desert the stadium until these two clowns find their way out. If you’re expecting a change under Wenger, sorry, it can never happen
The only transfer we need now is Wenger out
Sack the manager……….Wenger out……the man is tactically inept…….why wait till sixty minutes to make a change……..the first change should have been done after we were two down……….now what is this obsession with certain players …….when obviously they are underachieving……….it has and will continue to destroy the team…….there seems to be some problem with the team……….
Former dortman manager is available and also former barcelona manager is available. Why cant arsenal move for them. The former barca manager won champions league with team though English language will be a challenge.
Someone tell me why VVD, Lemar, Mahrez, would come to this club, especially in the situation that Wenger has currently put us and as for Asensio from RM, he’s probably never even heard of us.
Let the deadwoods clear out begins-
Kroenke OUT
Gazidis OUT
Wenger OUT
No compromise….Wenger has to go….He should have left last season, but instead his mediocrity was rewarded with a new contract. Now the proverbial has hit the fan big time and languishing in th mid table no man’s land beckons. But, he should not be alone in going …Kroenke, Gazidis too AND ungrateful SODS like Sanchez, Ozil, Ox and other deadwood players who only care about their dosh. Bring on Usmanov and a manager who can get the players to play football again. We need to star from scratch and spend, like Man U, and we will get back on track.