Morning all.
The 2011–12 season was Arsenal’s 20th season in the Premier League, their 86th consecutive season in the top flight of English football and also marked the club’s 125th anniversary.
It was the season when a hefty 8-2 defeat by Man Utd forced Arsenal into a busy transfer deadline day. Carl Jenkinson, Jon Toral, Hector Bellerin, Gervinho, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Joel Campbell had already been signed by Arsenal before deadline day. Park Chu-Young arrived on the 30th August before Andre Santos, Per Mertesacker and Mikel Arteta joined the following day. Yossi Benayoun joined us on a season long loan from Chelsea. Thomas Elsfeld moved to north London from Bayern Munich in the following January and Thierry Henry returned on loan.
The departure list was also long that summer with 13 players leaving permanently and a further 29 going out on loan. Crazy numbers right. Fabregas, Clichy, Eboué and Nasri were the main players to leave, the rest were mainly younger or bit part players.
In the Premier League, Arsenal struggled to recover from a poor start to the season but as so often, rallied round to ensure Champions League football was secured for another season. Milan knocked us out of Europe at the first knockout stage, the 4-0 away defeat proving too much to overturn. The FA Cup run was ended by Sunderland, the League Cup by Man City.
2012 -13
The summer transfer window turned into the Robin van Persie show after telling the club he wouldn’t be extending his contract. Pat Rice retired and was replaced by Steve Bould.
Arsenal acted swiftly in the transfer market for a change with Lucas Podolski being the first player through the Arsenal door. He was soon followed by Olivier Giroud. Seven academy players signed professional contracts, Laurent Koscielny signed a new contract but Carlos Vela was sold. Then came the signing of the summer in my opinion, Santi Cazorla. Rumours has it that van Persie changed his mind about staying because Arsenal had indeed showed ambition in the transfer window but by then, it was too late. Off he went to join old Red Nose at Utd and with him went any respect I had for him.
The season started with a new captain in Thomas Vermaelen with Mikel Arteta being name as his understudy. Despite new signings, the season continued as those before had. League Two side Bradford City dumped us out of the League Cup on penalties.
January arrived and so did Nacho Monreal from Malaga. His arrival signalled the end of Santos, thank goodness. What a dreadful signing he turned out to be.
February saw us crash out of the FA Cup after 1–0 loss to Championship club Blackburn Rovers. With Bayern Munich our next opponents in the Champions League, another trophy less season loomed large. A 3-1 defeat at The Emirates followed by a 2-0 win in the Allianz Area meant Bayern edged the tie on away goals. As per usual, we finished in the top four, securing Champions League football for yet another season.
So that was that, another fruitless season but Santi Cazorla was already looking good.
In other news, Arsenal have sacked the clubs head doctor Zafar Iqbal and are set to replace him with former Olympic sprinter Arnaldo Abrantes following his departure from Aston Villa. Maybe, just maybe our injuries issues will lessen going forward. Either that or he’ll get on the pitch to treat players quickly.
Talking injuries, Bukayo Saka isn’t 100% fit according to Thomas Tuchel, something which I doubt will surprise any of us. Jurrien Timber however been released from the Netherlands camp because of his ongoing injury problems. Not good for him but selfishly, good for Arsenal.
Catch up in the comments.
New post is up.
Mikel Arteta’s 17 year old son Gabriel is reported to have signed a scholarship deal with the club..
£180k a week Kev, that’s a lot..
I’d rather we sold him before he leaves for free next summer..
Shouldn’t have banned either imo Kev.
Personally I’d prefer to keep Trossard, €20m isn’t a game changer and I don’t think his wages are huge. Mind you that news might spark interest from other parties?
I guess Rico that Atkinson is collateral damage, caught up in the Stokes furore, the ECB couldn’t ban one and not the other, it’s a shame for Atkinson but one door closes etc even if I’m not too enthused by the thought of Archer returning, he of the high expectations and the low delivery.
The Atkinson ban surprises me Kev. How many wickets did he get? 7/8?
I get that Limey, why would he quit just after getting his team into the PL? Doesn’t make sense to me.
I thought €20m was about right for Trossard, maybe I’m just desensitised to Arsenal selling cheap
Afternoon Champions and no I didn’t watch England either, I watched a film, but I saw some highlights and England looked ok.
As for Stokes, the cynic in me is saying if Ben had scored a century or got 5 wickets in the last test he’d still be in situ…
Can’t help being cynical with these things Rico,why didn’t he announce it earlier,as soon as promotion was sealed.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Trossard goes,but 20m sounds cheap,he has been an important player for us.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Trossard leaves, wasn’t he close to leaving for more game time at the start of the season. hopefully we can more on Jesus first
Are you suggesting he’s been tapped up Limey? 😜
Iraola and Glasner were I’m sure of it.
Besiktas are reportedly after Trossard. €20m is being rumoured.
I think he’ll be back Cicero. I read he was just reacting to some kind of threat against an England staff member. Slap on the wrist for breaching his curfew and move on I reckon.
Morning everyone,
I’m a little surprised Stokes has been left out, I thought maybe a fine,I suppose you can’t be fighting in nightclubs.
At least 2 Premier league clubs without managers – Fulham and Ipswich,technically Man City and Crystal Palace haven’t announced yet but their new managers have been named in the Media.
Kieron Mckenna walking out on Ipswich a bit of a surprise too – if he announced it earlier it would have made more sense. He has said he wants more time with his family,and hinted he wants a year off. It will be interesting if he comes back sooner.
I think the Stokes decision is just kicking the can down the road Rico, while the E C B gauges reaction in the media, from the fans and Stokes himself before making deciding how to proceed.
Morning Cicero, Geoff.
I didn’t watch either.
Typical, it’s raining as the cricket gets underway.. You were right about Stokes Cicero.
Good morning all.
I didn’t watch last night’s match (did anyone?) but news of the Arsenal Four is mixed. Rice and Madueke started, and it was Declan that scored the first goal while Noni hit the woodwork when he really should done better. Both where subbed on 63 minutes for Saka and Eze.
As they say in a certain cartoon series “that’s all folks”.
Morning Rico and all, a few names in that write up brought back memories of them, and as said Santi surely should his love of the club and the fans loved him back.
I will be very happy if Saka and any other players of our come back early so they can have good break with their families.
They all were Kev, annoyed me no end..
To me Rico joining United wasn’t as much of an issue as the selling off all of our best players were, if Wenger had threatened to walk away things would’ve been different, but he didn’t and in my view was complicit.
Ha ha, not even for free. 😂
Not another Chelsea reject please!
Wonder if Arsenal might be tempted to snap up Richard Olise on a free after he was left go by Chelsea. He’s only 21 and wasn’t his brother a bit of a late developer..
But not to Utd Kev, any club but them..
Beth Mead is joining Man City. What a surprise. Not..
Afternoon Champions, I know this won’t be a popular view but maybe Robin Van Persie was right to leave and that it took his departure to galvanise Wenger into trying to reverse what had become an annual trend as the club continued on its course and it’s decline in competency, competitiveness and quality?
I was gutted that Van Persie left particularly as the club had stood by him during his many fitness and personal issues but at the same time his decision to leave was a very public critique on how the Arsenal ownership and management were running the club and maybe that needed to be more openly discussed as Arsenal were becoming an irrelevance.
Afternoon Cicero, totally agree re Saka, get him home.
Good morning, just, Rico.
That season must be the worst for transfer business, so many out and so many in, and so little improvement to show for it.
As Saka is not able to take part in all the training sessions, can’t both start and finish a match. What in the hell is he doing in the squad? He should be back at the club, resting and recuperating.