Clean slate, Pep up first and are Arsenal finally showing ambition?

Morning all.

If every transfer rumour ended in a signing, my word we’d not only be a real threat to Man City, but probably Barcelona, Real Madrid etc in the Champions League too. Ah, we’re not in that European this coming season are we, silly me, but I think you get my drift. The 2019/20 season, perhaps and quite likely I’d say. Hopefully by winning the European Cup, if not then by way of a top four spot and I’ say that’s the minimum Unai Emery will be out to achieve during his first season.

A tad premature perhaps with the ‘welcome to Arsenal’ headline attached to the YouTube clip but at least it shows us some of the things Bernd Leno can do. Unless my eyes blinked at the wrong moment, I didn’t see much evidence in that clip of how Leno deals with corners, crosses etc which play a big part in the English game, especially the mid to lower league table teams. Apparently, that’s Leno’s weakness which is a concern. Is he better than Cech or Ospina? Perhaps a lover or follower of German football could answer that because I can’t. He’s not been selected by Germany though for this summers World Cup though so I guess that would suggest his performances have dropped of late. Didn’t  Szczesny go through a bit of a tough time too but look where he is in his career now. Sometimes, a change is all a player needs to get back to their best.

Sky Sports are onto the Leno story now which means one of two things. They’re either jumping on the paper talk or there’s substance to it. Same with Borussia Dortmund defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos who they suggest will be announced officially on the 1st July when all new summer contracts run from. He won’t be in Russia this summer either after Greece we’re beaten in the playoffs by Croatia. Lucas Torreira will be there though and him securing a move to the red side of North London is reportedly when, not if.

If all of the three aforementioned players end up at Arsenal, it’ll show that the club can move on transfers with the right people in place. Sure, we fans who follow football around the world might prefer different players but the reality is, Sven Mislintat is no fool when it comes to spotting a good player so I guess we have little choice to get on board with his ideas. That’s of course if these moves are his ideas. They could be Unai Emery’s, both even but either way, that’s their job and I know I’m all for seeing how things go before forming an opinion on any. Similar really for the other players in the squad, new season, new managerial/coaching regime, clean slate.

Yep, even Iwobi.

Finally, the Premier League fixtures for the new season are out and here’s ours:

11/08/2018: Arsenal v Manchester City
18/08/2018: Chelsea v Arsenal
25/08/2018: Arsenal v West Ham United
01/09/2018: Cardiff City v Arsenal
15/09/2018: Newcastle United v Arsenal
22/09/2018: Arsenal v Everton
29/09/2018: Arsenal v Watford
06/10/2018: Fulham v Arsenal
20/10/2018: Arsenal v Leicester City
27/10/2018: Crystal Palace v Arsenal
03/11/2018: Arsenal v Liverpool
10/11/2018: Arsenal v Wolverhampton
24/11/2018: A.F.C. Bournemouth v Arsenal
01/12/2018: Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur
04/12/2018: Manchester United v Arsenal
08/12/2018: Arsenal v Huddersfield Town
15/12/2018: Southampton v Arsenal
22/12/2018: Arsenal v Burnley
26/12/2018: Brighton v Arsenal
29/12/2018: Liverpool v Arsenal
01/01/2019: Arsenal v Fulham
12/01/2019: West Ham United v Arsenal
19/01/2019: Arsenal v Chelsea
29/01/2019: Arsenal v Cardiff City
02/02/2019: Manchester City v Arsenal
09/02/2019: Huddersfield Town v Arsenal
23/02/2019: Arsenal v Southampton
26/02/2019: Arsenal v A.F.C. Bournemouth
02/03/2019: Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal
09/03/2019: Arsenal v Manchester United
16/03/2019: Wolverhampton v Arsenal
30/03/2019: Arsenal v Newcastle United
06/04/2019: Everton v Arsenal
13/04/2019: Watford v Arsenal
20/04/2019: Arsenal v Crystal Palace
27/04/2019: Leicester City v Arsenal
04/05/2019: Arsenal v Brighton
12/05/2019: Burnley v Arsenal

Cracking start for Unai Emery and his new team….

 

19 thoughts on “Clean slate, Pep up first and are Arsenal finally showing ambition?

  1. Cicero says:

    Good morning Rico, thanks for another good post.

    Looking at the fixtures I expect the Premiership trophy ? to be handed over to Arsenal prior to the kick off at home to Crystal Palace on April 20th. ???.

  2. Adam says:

    Morning Rico. Nice post.
    At 5 foot and a bit Leno, if he comes, is going to have problems from high balls and set-pieces. Bearing in mind how lenient referees are to elbows to the ribs and face in the PL too. We’ll see I suppose but our transfer strategy seems to be one of gentle consolidation so far, as opposed to anything exciting or radical. There’s still time though, I suppose.

  3. rico says:

    Morning Cicero, Adam and thanks..

    I quite like the sound of our potential new signings although I’d love to see us go and get Martial…

  4. allezkev says:

    Arsenal’s six group games in the Europa League mean that the following Premier League games will all be moved to a Sunday.

    September 22 – Arsenal v Everton

    October 6 – Fulham v Arsenal

    October 27 – Crystal Palace v Arsenal

  5. Wavy says:

    Morning al.

    I should like to see Martial at the Arsenal too, but it won’t happen. The asking price will be far too tasty for us. We are still on a shopping expedition at Poundland!

    As for all the rumours I think Sky in particular and the media in general are starting to believe their own imaginative …….?????.is on his way to Arsenal as being the truth!!

    It’s still Arsenal.com for me! (As always)

    Well windy here but sunny too…..go Hector, go!?

  6. allezkev says:

    All those games following UEFA Cup ties are in London, except for Southampton (a)…

    So the fixture people may have helped there, not sure if that was on purpose or an accident?

    I’m having issues posting again, stuff freezes up etc.

    Lata

  7. Le Coq Monster says:

    Afternoon all and thanks Rico.

    Martial`s agent is saying he wants to leave Manshafter, so he is available at the right price !……………. which is probaly not an Arsenal price !………………………….if he`s cheap enough yes, but I`m very happy with Auba and Lacca up front and imo they are as good as anything else in EPL and are not the problem, we know what the problem is, it was the most important thing ever among the thing`s Wenger did not see ……………the defense and shield of it !……………………nothing new we all knew/know it !

    The seasons two openers I`m afraid imo have put the heat on Dick straight away and lets face it they are two tough cookies which normally could see us with 0 points……………nothing…………………..just like Kroenkes investment in Arsenal…………….0………………..hahahaha……………………………I never tire of bringing up Kroenke`s £0 investment in the team ! …..hahaha………………………….I`m even willing to have a small side bet that he will never invest in the team …………………………history is on my side !

    Right !………………who do we want to win ?………………………Russia or Saudi`s ?……………………………..might keep an eye on that Russian we`ve been linked to over the past couple of seasons ?????…………………………………..Golovin !………………………..just hope his name is in English on the back of his shirt and not in Russian !
    🙂

  8. Le Coq Monster says:

    My man Golovin assisted first communist goal and and heavily involved in the second !…………..he could start a Marxist Revolution before the end of the match as he`s that influential !

  9. Le Coq Monster says:

    OK !………………………………..who else can I watch in WC and make them worth buying ?…………………….Egypt/Uraghuay next, I think I wil run the eye over Torrieira !…………………….probably play a blinder and be announced signed before final whistle !

    🙂

  10. Le Coq Monster says:

    Dont worry Rico !…………………….Ornstein is waiting to see what I say !
    🙂

  11. Wavy says:

    Lc lives in Cornwall, Rico……..the land of the grockle and the rain drenched visitors! Where the sit on mowers and the horse dominate the life aspirations. Plus, and this is a shocker, the indigenous population live on a diet of seasonal fish, according to Jeeves, these creatures enhance the thinking skills and its ability to always find solutions to the most insoluable of problems! It’s little wonder we get such diverse posts!???

    I should add the house would be a poorer place without Le Coq’s barmy ravings?

    Finally, I too would like to see the contents of Kronke’s wallet opened for the benefit of the club he owns and won’t part with, not even for ready money, ie Usminov’s trillions.

    Still sunny here and the wind has stopped rumbling around.

  12. Le Coq Monster says:

    Thanks Wavy, although you lie about the rain bit !…………………….it`s the land of never ending sunshine, what is rain ?…………..can you send me some ?
    😀

    Watching my current favourite programme……………….Love Myself Island !………………………..where the contestants are more shallow, sorry, lower than your grannies nipples !…………………………………they should do a task where it becomes Shove Island and they are shoved off the side of the swimming pool, but instead of the deep end, they get shoved into the shallow end and the winner is the first to understand the irony !

  13. Cicero says:

    I have heard it said that Le Cog was the original model for Ross Poldark…..or was he the model for Ross’s horse’s a**e? ? Either way his comments are always amusing and well worth reading.

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