Morning all.
I might be sticking my neck out here but I reckon Aubameyang and Lacazette are Arsenal’s best front two since Wrighty and Bergkamp, or Bergkamp and Henry. Bergkamp and any of our players just worked. Ozil, Aubameyang and Lacazette on the same pitch should be such a joy to watch but it’s not really clicked. I don’t think the three of them are on the same page, unlike with Dennis, who in his book said he knew where his teammates would be. He didn’t even have to look up before he played his pass. I’m sure he did look up though but his words just emphasised the understanding between our players back then.
I’m not sure looking back is always a good thing as I think the human brain usually gravitates towards the good. From 1996 to 2006 for example, I bet we fans find it much easier to remember the great players Arsene Wenger signed rather than those which didn’t work out. Prior to Wenger, the George Graham era, 1989 will forever stick in our minds, just as 1990-91 will or the domestic cup double in the 1992/93 season. Here’s a brain teaser, we played three Finals but won only two cups, why?
Bruce Rioch, well I’ll always remember him for being the manager when Denis Bergkamp signed for Arsenal. Ok, and the ‘it’s him or me’ Wrighty issue which Wrighty won.
Then came Arsène Wenger. Twenty two seasons, a game of two halves in itself. Yes he stayed too long, ten years too long and the club is suffering now because of it. Him, Gazidis and Kroenke. The latter for standing by and watching the Frenchman drag the club into decline instead of taking him out for a quiet meal somewhere and telling him politely that he’s past his best and should move on. Either that or gone full Alan Sugar on him. ‘You’re fired!’ Same with Gazidis. Had that been done ten years, or even five years ago, I’m sure we’d be in a much better position than we are now.
Regardless of who the club sign this summer, winning a trophy is unlikely. This season simply has to be all about top four and nothing else in my opinion. One which I share with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang:
‘A club like Arsenal has to be playing in the Champions League every season. ‘We will start to think about winning the biggest titles in a few seasons, but first we need to make sure we are in the Champions League consistently again. That has to be the main target of every Arsenal season.‘ (FourFourTwo)
He said ‘we’ – doesn’t sound like a man ready to leave does it? Darn media!
I know not every Arsenal fan will agree with this view as we all love an FA Cup win just as we’d love to win the Europa Cup, but last season all felt a bit Arthur v Martha’ and we ended up being neither. It felt like Emery was paddling two canoes with one set of oars and got nowhere. We ended up with no Europa Cup and no top four spot and it was all of our own doing.
Compete for all four competitions of course, but with squad and youth players or those who might need games to improve fitness.
Securing a Champions League spot this season will be harder than last I reckon. Toots are strengthening, City, Utd and Liverpool are too but as it stands, we’ve signed one player and we don’t even know if he’s heading for the academy or first team squad yet. I’m all for Emery going with the youth players next season but they need quality and experience around them and we haven’t much of that. Experience yes, quality, no, not really.
I know, there’s plenty of time left in this transfer window yet so I’ll keep topping up my half full glass…
See you in the comments guys…
Good morning Rico, Aubameyang staying? I’ve got mixed feelings on that front. Losing our top scorer, and joint Golden Boot winner, would be a PR disaster. But his transfer value will drop considerably by this time next year. I guess it will be down to our skinflint owner in the end.
Arsenal in a bidding war with Napoli over left back Tierney, we’ve offered £15 million Celtic want £25 million. Napoli have yet to make a bid but have sold a left back to make room for him.
Morning Cicero. I don’t think he’s going, nor Lacazette but if they do, then so be it I guess. The game is only about money.
How can we be in a bidding war with a club yet to make a bid?
I really hope Auba re-signs in this transfer market, otherwise our new policy will be to sell him as he is within 2 years of his contract ending. ESPECIALLY as man U are sniffing around him, and that would be as disastrous for us as RVP , if he doesn’t re-sign then I hope we sell him abroad and not in the UK,,,,it worries me though that he hasn’t already signed
Morning Rico and all,
Only 4.5 weeks of the transfer window to go,so we need to get a move on.
I’ve not heard that Aubameyang had his contract extended,so if our new sign or be sold policy is true he ought to be sold.
I don’t think he will be sold – unless a mega offer comes in.
Surely there will be some moves in the next few weeks…
I think it’s obvious the putting a fit Bergkamp behind Lacazette and Aubameyang would be a lot more productive because the Dutchman was special and in a completely different league to any player that I have had the privilege to watch in my time since 1956 . Alan Ball , Rocky , Brady were all greats although in Ball’s case it didn’t work out at Highbury but Dennis was head and shoulders above them in style and abilty and he had the commitment as well.
I am afraid however for Aubameyang his time with us may well be the preparation years and I believe that we should be looking at his replacement now . Lacazette is 28 and probably would be just heading for that hill when things begin to get good .
I would imagine that both are looking for a good season here that qualifies for Champions League . If we don’t get it they will both go .
As we are all aware the squad has an average age that means we will need a revolving door with new players coming in to make the team younger and more competitive.
We now need to be buying more Rob Holdings as opposed to 28 year olds that will be fading as the young 19 /20 year olds already here reach maturity.
Morning Limey.
The club can’t sell if a player won’t leave so unless Aubameyang wants out, he’s staying.
I agree Potter, if the club are looking to the future rather than the present and they should be imo. As you said before, just give them time.
The experience I think we need are 24/25 year olds who still have value should they leave.
An excellent read, Rico, thank you.
I loved the phrase, “Emery was paddling two canoes with one set of oars” because it shows how easily tings could have turned out better.
We could have either bought him another set of oars, and we could then have sunk all the other teams we played who got within 12 feet of us on either side of the canoe.
Or maybe Kroenke could have shelled out and bought him a more traditional pair of paddles – that’s more likely as they would be a lot cheaper. 😁
Alternatively, if Emery could show his dexterity with propelling a canoe with oars, he could have got a chance of sculling for Oxford or Cambridge, and we could set about worrying about who should become the new Arsenal manager.
On a more serious note, I agree that looking back helps to improve our understanding of events, but hindsight lures all of us at some stage, and tends to confirm our own individual bias – but is probably pointless.
Alternatively, learning from the past, also known as experience, can avoid making the same mistakes over and over again, also known as insanity — but the cynic in me thinks that what usually decides what owners and managers tend to do is dictated by money.
Thanks RA.
I think Emery paid too much attention to the Europa League in the final stages. Not in terms of his team selection etc but perhaps motivation, or maybe the players did more to the point. That old nemesis complacency crept in when they thought top four was theirs.
Why then they couldn’t raise their game for the final, our last CL hope I don’t know. I guess Emery and the players must take the blame for that. I was surprised because of Emery’s history in Europa.
It’s not that I had a quick look at ~NewsNow or anything, but I might have seen that we have an interest in PSG;s 21 y.o. Christopher Nkunku.
I know nothing about the player, but he is only 5′ 9″ and as we have had enough of Diddy men I hope we do not buy him to go with Toreira — they would look like salt and pepper pots in midfield.
Rico,
The answer (for me) is that if you compared, player for player in each position, – the current 2018/19 team with the Invincibles – the poor quality of many of the current team is laid bare.
We desperately need better players brought in to have any chance of returning to anything like our heyday – but good old Kroenke seems to have buggered that up before the transfer window even opened.
I might have to start supporting the Arsenal Women’s team next season, instead of just glancing at their results, and giving the men’s team the heave-ho for a year or two.
Ha ha, we’ve been linked with him before. Old news I suspect.
Morning bring all.
RA, in all fairness, comparing ANY squad from any club in history to the Invincibles squad will be harsh on them 🙂 🙂
You say that Ra, but how many of the players Wenger signed were doing really well before? The only one I can think of was Sol Campbell. The rest imo he brought together not only well, but successfully. I don’t think they broke the bank even back then.
I’m convinced there are players out there who are going through similar to what Henry etc were going through before Wenger signed them. It’s finding them which is the hardest part.
It’s a much smaller world now, though.
So much technology about, any player with ability is going to be well found and watched.
I think we have to believe that all the runours and speculation can’t be wrong. We need to sell first and that is proving difficult and we don’t want to pay the going rate for many players and to think that either Auba or lacca or even Torreira may be sold at a profit to fund lesser players is madness. Monreal has been given an extension of a year with a further year if required when he will be 36 unless Real Socieded come up with a good offer, no figure mentioned. We offer either Jenkinson, Chambers and Elneny in part exchange to soften the blow for Zaha, a player who is not a priority.Defenders and a leader and maybe then a winger.Get shot of Mikkitarian who is on 200K a week , what a terrible swap with Sanchez, not that he is doing great.We aren’t acting like a big elite club anymore and either buy the Celtic lad for a few million more or lose out again. If this was my business the administrators would be in.Thank you Mr Kroenke.We know you have released funds before but now more than ever we need personal investment and you can’t see it.
Re yesterday’s question Rico yes plus two others.
I appear to be negative to some but I can see a familiar patern emerging with far less money to spend.I know we have often been used to last minute buys but take Tierney after faffing about with three bids a third club has come in for him.
No one wants mustafi or ozil and jenkinson,elneny nor chambers have a future but it appears we are buying another eighteen year old for 30 million euros and then loan him back to Saint Etieene. Why / We need replacements in defence and midfield now.
You negative Kelsey, never…. 😜
Barty is having a wobble Scott.
When was the last big step forward the club took since Stan became involved?
I’m sure he knows execute what’s happening, but as he’s stated he doesn’t buy clubs to win trophies, he just couldn’t care less.
Afternoon Gooners
Afternoon Rico, League Cup, FACup, FACup replay = three finals?
Afternoon Kev. I knew you’d get it.. 😆
The Nkunku links might just be giving us a glimpse at the gradual changes in our transfer and recruitment business model?
We were heavily linked with Nkunku last January but couldn’t get a loan deal over the line and couldn’t afford a permanent deal, hence the Denis Suarez parody…
No attempts by Arsenal to sign him this summer, so PSG agree a deal with RB Leipzig at around €15m (£12.5m off the top of my bonce)…
Suddenly with Nkunku set for Der Fatherland, Arsenal enter the ‘race’ at the same affordable fee. Has this been tactical?
If Arsenal had moved straight away do we really think that the fee would have been €15m…?
Nope, neither do I, probably closer to €25m
Raul did say a few weeks ago that we have to be smarter in the market, so go figure?
I am an anorak Rico…. 😁
Didn’t know all that re Nkunko Kev. Interesting. Raul is right though imo, we have to be smarter in every department. We’ve not exactly been well run..
Not an anorak, just knowledgable.. 😂
Kev, it’d be a lovely change to see us have a strategic plan for our transfers.
There’s delays and lots of conflicting rumours surrounding Saliba and Tierney, but so far, nobody else has bid, so are Arsenal waiting to see if anyone else enters the fray and if the selling clubs accept bids lower than they are demanding from Arsenal from any new bidders?
That’s when Arsenal may react, and match any new bids, which will probably be lower that the €30m St Etienne are demanding and the £25m Celtic are demanding – if new players aren’t signed in time for the summer tour, so be it, as long as we get them by the end of business before the window closes.
I’m quite calm about all this anyway, new signing aren’t going to turn us into Liverpool or Man City, we have a long long road to travel before we can recover from the last 5 years of Gazides and Wenger.
Thank you Rico…. 🙂
Absolutely Scott, Wenger used to be good at playing the market, then he lost his mojo and Gazides was all about gestures
Kev, not a lot has gone right at the club since Ivan and Stan entered the fray.
The Bournemouth guy is another point in question, commonly quoted fees in the region of £30m during May and June, then I saw the fee quoted as £20m last week, maybe a taste of reality by Steady Eddie and the gang on the South Coast?
We still need to learn how to sell properly, no more gifts…
I know Mustafi isn’t great but he isn’t as bad as we go on about and must be worth £25m, maybe a bit more, and Ozil, no free transfer for ‘My G’, get a fee, every other big club would expect a fee, ignore the media, they’re full of shit…
I can’t stand Kroenke either Scott, but he isn’t going to go easily and Arsenal fans aren’t like Liverpool fans, we aren’t as rebellious, maybe it’s in the Scousers dna?
Gazides was Stan’s Man, so the failure of Ivan must reflect on the judgement of Enos…
Kev, yes, we are stuck well and truly with Stan:
It’s a shame but it’s also our reality.
And I think that Andrew Mangan on Arseblog needs to keep his gob shut and stop rubbishing our players, too many people listen to guys like him and Lee Gunner, the comments they make aren’t helping the situation with player sales…
I’m taking the hint Kev. Tomorrow I’ll write about how good Mustafi is… 😆
Kev, they’re too busy trying to prove how smart they are.
Mustafi for skipper 🙂 🙂
Or just skip…. lol
Lol
Rico, that’ll do.
Brilliant idea rico. You genius you.
Headline post tomorrow.
“World beater Mustafa put up for sale by Arsenal”
Arsenal have transfer listed the impeccably reliable German Centre back, for a cut price of £35m.
Unai Emery has been quoted “As there will be a stampede for his signature, it will be dealt with on a first come first served basis”.
Also, The club have announced that four other first team regulars have been put on the transfer list.
A statement issued by the board saying all four have requested they be allowed to move back to their respective homelands. Arsenal have agreed on humanitarian grounds to let them leave at cut prices.
Ozil @ £40m
Xhaka @ £35m
Elneny @ £15m
Mihkatarian @ £3:60.
Unai Emery said “It is with heavy heart, and with deep regret, we are allowing these four players to leave, as they are superb footballers and will be missed”.
Sky sports are reporting that Arsenal supporters will stage a protest at the Emirates on hearing this news, and demand a rethink from the board of Directors.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Following on from the statement above.
Unai Emery said with the income of above said players, plus the reported £45m the club already have, this would make a total of £135m + £3:60.
We would then have to lower our ambition and purchase
De-Lgt = £70m
Zaha = £50m
Tierney = £15m
The bonus would be we still had £3:60 left over.
Ha ha Vcc, News Now would be straight on me though, threatening to evict HH for having no credible source.
I don’t think they can be aware of football london, metro, the sun, Mirror etc etc. 😆
Hi ya, VCC,
After all these years I am getting g a bit suspicious of you!!!
Your comment hailing Rico’s comment for being brilliant, is in itself brilliant, and to end ups with a massive £3:60 still in the kitty is just amazing. So, go on — admit it — you’ve been an accountant all along — strongly influenced by ‘The Big R’ and her subtle messages!
The give-away is your Roman numeral blog-name which in English, (as we discussed some years ago) = 5*100*100 — Wow.
VCC for President!!! 🥺
Kev,
You — a self-confessed anorak?? No, No, No.
The Big RRico is correct you are far to knowledgeable to answer to that name, even if that is what you call yourself — the only connection to anorak I have seen, is that when you have had a pint or two, you tend to put your anorak on back to front, and the hood keeps blowing over your head the wrong way.Another brilliant disguise, if I may so so, and clearly you and VCC are part of a master blog gang run by The Big R designed to confuse all and sundry!! And still end up with £3:60 between you. Amazing! Can I join? 😜
Rico 😄😄😄
Yeah, about bloody time…. 😉
Afternoon Rico and the House.
After 6weeks I am back home and online and I must say
i have missed my daily dose of the house.
Same good news ( well I think so)
Both Eddy (no30) and Willock (no 28) have been promoted
to the first team squad.It should have happened last season.
Nice one VCC 🙂 I knew you’d see it my way…
Cheers Red, but I am an anorak when it comes to Arsenal 😀
Hi Rick, glad to see you return to the fold, I did wonder where you’d got to?
Ballard to Swindon is a really smart move, he’ll thrive in that environment, I wonder if he has the potential to be another Tony Adams?
Kev,
Has Ballard gone? Or is it a loan deal?
[Now you mention it — you have moved up the ladder to be fount of all knowledge Arsenal — unpaid, unfortunately!! 😜
Hi RA. Have to admit, a one time book keeper qualified to trial balance. Many moons ago though.
I think i should be employed by Arsenal FC in two capacities.
One a scout, the other, a negotiator of transfer fees. I simply couldn’t do a worse job that the shower we’ve had the past several years.
Rick3:07. Great news if both have been promoted. I’m chuffed for the pair of them. I especially like the look of Willock, he seems to have a pair of cohonas.
Its all going on today.
Reiss Nelson is also promoted to first team and given no 24.
12 new scholars have signed 2year contracts but Musha has
turned offer down and has left .
Kev had to have my bungalow rewired and a complete redecoration.
Stayed with my daughter while it took place love her to bits but i could not wait to
come home.
Lot of catching up to do now.
Afternoon Rick, nice to see you back. Hope all is well.
Good news re Willock and Eddie, are they the only two? Any idea what’s happening with Bielik and Chambers?
Great re Nelson too. Looks like the club are sorting a few things out at last but I guess players being away slowed such things down..
Thank for that promotion Red, I feel very humble… 😁
Nah, Ballard has gone on loan.
Rick, glad to hear you’re ok, yeah, I love my kids but not sure that I could live with them again, I’m sure that they’d agree… 😉
Yeah Yunus Musah has gone, unfortunate but there’s plenty more talent where he came from.
Have you seen Cirjan yet?
ARSENAL IN SALIBA TALKS
Arsenal are in talks to sign Saint Etienne defender William Saliba.
Sky Sports News understands that Arsenal are looking into a deal to buy him now and loan him back to the Ligue 1 side.
VCC,
I would back you on those jobs — the problem is you are far too sensible and intelligent for the current Arsenal administration!
The truth is I have always believed the above, hence my guess that you had a financial background!! 👍
Hope we get the Saliba deal over the line. Great business for us, as he will be worth much more next year . He will be a great player for us I am sure
Can someone explain the logic in paying £26m for an 18 year old CB and loaning him straight back to the selling club for a whole season?
We need a CB now, not wait a whole season for one.
Also why up the price for Zaha? Make a sensible offer, if Palace give us a knock back then go and look somewhere else.
We are totally incompetent at this transfer mullarkey.
I think Saliba is a great signing for us. His price will rise to something we can’t afford if we wait a year. He will be a great CB for us for many years to come. We are only paying about £5mil up front the rest next year, so won’t impact our transfer budget for this year. really good bit of business for Arsenal .
Vcc. Big things must be expected of him. Perhaps £26m will look like a bargain in a year or two. Also, doesn’t it suggest that £45m transfer budget is poppycock?
Morning all..
Morning all.
For the (eventual)price of Zaha, we could buy both Fekir and Ziyech !……………or one of them and a defender !………………………the name Fekir makes me laugh as I think of Carry on Up the Khyber !
Cocky…
Of course it makes sense. At least makes sense to normal functioning people, but I’m afraid our negotiators/management don’t seem to be normal functioning people.
Sohara…
If the deal for Saliba is indeed a down payment of £5m then the balance in 12 months time, it looks a no brainer as long as it doesn’t scupper us getting a quality CB NOW. Surely thats our priority.
https://www.goal.com/en/news/we-had-a-deal-ex-arsenal-transfer-fixer-law-on-sanchez-u/16arlvo52ub131jlfxtvvq47by
Daily Mail are reporting Alexis agreed a new contract with us before he was swapped with Mkhitaryan.
If true, I wonder why Wenger went ahead with the swap deal…
I’ll check that out Rico, that would be odd if true, maybe it was broken behind the scenes?
Remember that Wenger passed up the chance to re-sign Fabregas, we could have had him instead of Ozil, but once Wenger gets the hump with you that’s it, or that’s how it was…
Morning Rico
Morning Gooners
What do you think about the Saliba deal Rico, it’s doesn’t solve our situation this season but long term it could turn out to be a brilliant piece of business…
I’ve got the wrong end of the stick. Alexis changed his mind, not Wenger.
Earthquakes in California
Morning Kev, sorry, nipped off to do some watering…
I’ve no view really because I’ve no knowledge on the player. I guess I’m waiting to see what happens before the window shuts..
But Kev, I like the fact that the club are looking to the future rather than a quick fix with ageing players.
When you think of the many pundits and fans questioning his ability, and maybe the financials means he has no choice, it’s still a risky policy for Emery to go with young signings and the youth of the club because if it goes tits up then he’s out the door.
Not Raul…
Depends on what the club’s intentions are though, if they’re going down the youth route with a long term plan in place, everyone needs to be patient I think.
I see BBC reporting Fenerbache interested in Ozil,I was getting excited until I saw the original source was Turkish, their media makes ours look like they know what they’re talking about.
Limey, that’s been around for a couple of days and I’m hoping it’s true.
Fenerbache did make a statement right at the beginning of the transfer window, saying there was no way they could afford Ozil and they were not interested in a loan or buy . Not sure it is worth it for us to loan him out if we are going to paying £150K a week or even more of his wages. he is not THAT bad , he had some brilliant games last year…I know he is not worth his wages, but we are stuck with his wages for two more years whatever happens , as we OFFERED him 350K a week and he accepted, ( wouldn’t you?) I think we have to hope that Emery gets the best out of him , although I fear Emery doesn’t like him
I tend to agree with you Sohara, unless we can offload him both player and Head Coach must knuckle down and, together, make the best possible use of his undoubted talents.
I agree, loaning him and paying his wages makes little sense.
Smith – Rowe first team squad No 32
Edu has been officially appointed as Arsenal Tech Director.
—- : Arsenal have confirmed former Invincible Edu as the club’s first technical director.
The former midfielder, who joins from the Brazilian football federation, has previous experience in a technical role having worked as director of football at Corinthians before taking up his post with Brazil.
Edu played under Gunners manager Unai Emery at Valencia and will be with the squad when they fly to America for a pre-season tour this week.
In his role the 41-year-old will ‘coordinate the work of the first-team coaching group, the academy and player scouting and recruitment in order to oversee the constant building up and efficient strengthening of the squad.’
Edu told the club website: “Arsenal has always had a special place in my heart and I’m thrilled to be returning to this great club in this new role. We have a strong squad and some very talented young players with fantastic people at every level. I’m looking forward to helping make a difference.”
Head of football Raul Sanllehi added: “We’re very excited that Edu is joining the team. He has great experience and technical football knowledge and most importantly is a true Arsenal man. He understands the club and what we stand for to our millions of fans around the world.
Anyone know if Edu has the power to hire and fire. If so start with Raul then Emery and install Freddie as boss
Good news re Smith Rowe and Edu.
Yes fantastic news about EDU and ESR…I actually have more hopes for Reiss & ESR out of the current group of Academy players. Re EDU how fantastic that at last we are bringing back some of our wonderful Ex players. I was so upset when Viera wanted to join us years ago and Wenger did not want to, I still think he would make a great manager for us one day , but whether we are still in HIS heart I don’t know
I reckon Vieira would come back in a flash but perhaps Freddie is being readied to take over once Emery’s days are done.
Celtic played in Europe tonight, no Tierney in the squad.
Allezkev Isnt Tierney injured
Don’t tell me he’s another Kallstrom! 😉
Tierney is recovering from a hernia op, that’s why he didn’t play, he is down on the squad list for their CL
I didn’t know that Paddy/Sohara, might explain the delay in doing a deal?
Just been reading about Tierney on Wicki, he does seem to have had a number of injuries, ankle ligaments, a shoulder injury, jaw, and now a hernia op for which he is in rehab at the moment. There is no hint about when he will be fully fit.
I didn’t either re Tierney, perhaps signing h8m would be a bit of a risk…
Morning guys.
New post up now