Morning all.
Following the 2-1 defeat to Lyon yesterday, a couple of hours after the women had lost their friendly too, Unai Emery was asked whether Arsenal should buy more defenders rather than attacking players:
We are deciding how we can improve. At the beginning we were thinking to do one player to achieve the possibility to sign, but only if we can really, really improve this position. It’s one centre back, one midfielder and one winger and we are going to [try] to do that.
We are thinking the same. I want a team that is better than last year, so the players can achieve a lot being with us this season. Also we have a very good team. Only the players that can improve and help the squad [will be brought in].
The winger could be Zaha, Pepe or even Florian Thauvin, the latest to be linked to us on NewsNow. The midfielder I assume to be Ceballos but the central defender, well we’ve not really seen any gossip in that department although yesterday we were linked to Juventus central defender Daniele Rugani on a season long loan. (Metro) Any centre back better than who we have already would be a bonus, loan or otherwise. If Rugani were to arrive, impress and realise he loves the club and life in London, maybe he’ll try make the move permanent. Then again, the links to him could be pure garbage.
There’s just eleven days left for the club to get their deals done.
We might have lost the game yesterday, how I don’t know as we had so many chances to score, but as far as our attacking game goes, I thought we looked pretty sharp. We moved the ball around a lot quicker than we did last season I thought. Either that or the highlights on AFC.com were played on high speed. Lol
Martinelli had a good goal disallowed by Moss and Willock, Eddie, Mkhitaryan and Aubameyang all had opportunities to take the game away from Lyon which Is a positive.
Mkhitaryan and then AMN could have done more to stop the cross which lead to Lyons first goal I thought, their second might have been prevented too had someone been more aware of Dembele and the glaringly obvious ball which was heading his way.
Arsenal suffered two injuries yesterday. One a bad one as Danielle Carter appeared to twist her knee and needed gas and air as she was being stretchered off. Alexandre Lacazette had to be replaced before quarter of an hour had been played. An ankle injury for him which Unai Emery was quick to play down after the game. Just a sprain he said. Martinelli and Eddie appear more than ready to fill the void should he be out for the trip to Newcastle. Emery opted for Nelson yesterday though and he looked lively. As did Willock and Eddie but as said, I only saw the highlights.
Ozil and Kolasinac didn’t feature at all which was hardly surprising after what they’ve been through.
Angers next on Wednesday evening when perhaps another new signing will make his debut. Not Tierney though as even if we manage to get a deal across the line, he’s still not ready to play.
Have a good Monday guys…
Why wouldn’t emery gives krystian bielik a chance to prove himself?
I’ve no idea but I wish he would.
Goodmorning Rico and everyone, seems like we would have excess wingers for this new season with Reiss, Sako, Willock, iwobi and the incoming (Pepe or Zaha). We didn’t really have a winger last season. I hope we keep the morale high and maintain a high tempo when all through this season, and I hope luck shines on us too.
Morning Mexy, some could go yet though, on loan or sold.
Good morning Rico, another fine post, thank you.
Mexy you include Iwobi in your list wingers but suggest that we didn’t really have a winger last season. I can only agree with you there, as I don’t consider Iwobi a winger. 😉
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/jul/29/premier-league-2019-20-preview-arsenal-unai-emery-champions-league-pepe?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
Good article in today’s Guardian about Arsenal”s prospects this coming year, or lack of them!
Warm and sunny here, so far!
Morning Cicero, thanks.
Agree, if Iwobi is a winger, I’m a £100m striker. Lol
Wavy, surely that’s just one persons view in the Guardian?
Just read it, funny enough, I too think it’s a very good article but that’s because I agree with it. 😂
Yep. He’s got it spot on. Imo!
@ Cicero I added iwobi to the list because me spent most times last season playing from the wings, I feel he will do better playing from the center of the midfield.
@Rico I hope Reiss and saka stay, iwobi and the others can to on loan.
I don’t think the Guardian article tells us anything that hasn’t been said, ad nauseam, on this and most other Arsenal fan websites recently.
Everton have walked away from the Zaha deal…
If we get Pepe, he’s gonna be one pissed off winger….
Zaha, that is….
Hiya Kev,
Zaha can rot on the deck, where he always is!!
Morning all.
Mustafi linked with Roma and now Monaco.
Please let it be true.
What’s more exciting?
Us potentially signing Pepe or Mustafi potentially being sold?
😂
Ha ha – both but if we can offload Miki and one or two others,it will have be cause for celebration!
‘morning all. We are not the only club suffering a bit of fan discontent, here is a tit-bit from The Telegraph :- According to an open letter delivered to Old Trafford today, at the current rate of paying off the financial liability incurred when the Glazer family bought the club in 2005, it will be 158 years before Manchester United is entirely debt free.
In their letter to the family, a group of dissident supporters – which signs itself “Millions of Concerned Manchester United fans” – points out that just £44million of the more than £660m initially taken out to buy the club has been paid back.
Meaning that, in the fourteen years since the American owners took control at Old Trafford, some £750million has left the club’s bank account simply to service the debt.
Being that much in debt, how can Man U continue to pay sky-high prices for players without breaching the FFP rules?
I have been very vociferous with my views on Mustafi since he signed for us, but the treatment he has received from some Arsenal fans during two pre season games has been nothing short of scandalous.
Anyone who wears our shirt should get respect and encouragement, at least he is trying and plays wherever his two managers have asked him to play.
It’s been painfully obvious during his career with us that he struggles with the pace of the premiership, and should have been moved on ages ago.
He has tried his best, but the Club/Wenger/Emery have to take some blame for not moving him on earlier, or at least trying to, as to elevate his embarrassment.
If he does in fact move to Roma or Monaco I wish him well.
I fear AMN will suffer the same fate if UE continues to play him at RB. He clearly struggles there and obviously would prefer not to have to perform his skills in that position.
VCC, Well said.
Mustafi is an error waiting to happen, but you’re right, no player giving their all deserves abuse.
What’s been going on during pre-season with Mustafi?
I’ve missed that.
He was boo’ed during a game in the USA and he was boo’ed when he came on last Sunday.
Not happy at all. No Arsenal player deserves that treatment.
Yes, I have been super critical of him on here but I would never boo one of our players.
Also, the guy has tried to help us and played in all positions our two managers have asked him of.
News coming from David Ornstein saying he may be on his way out.
That’s not good. It’s not his fault he was signed by the club etc. He needs to move that’s for sure..
I think we might see a few sold/loaned over the next eight days.
I agree.If Mustafi is still here in September there should be no booing/social media abuse of him.
Can’t and won’t stop either imo..
Also Koscielny probably leaving so surely a new centre back on the cards.
We’ll need two if Mustafi goes too, plus there’s talk of Mavropanos going out on loan..
Unless Chambers and Bielik are seen to be good enough
Pepe in London for a medical, an Ornstein report. Just wait and see. 😉
Krystian Bielik……. £10m
Laurent Koscielny.. £8m
Skodron Mustafi…. £25m
That buys us Tierney and another centre back (on loan maybe?)…
Leaving the prospect of a couple more sales after August 8th to foreign clubs?
Mo Elneny…………..£15m (at least)
Emile Smith Rowe.. £4m (loan fee)
Maybe loan out two or three more youngsters like Burton or John Jules?
As Josh said, that’s if I’ve this right ‘Be prepared to be excited’…. 🤔
Bloody about time…
Looks like we are building a young squad on the never never. 5 years to pay for Pepe chances are that we are tying up our future transfer kitty in one hit. Looking at the average age of the players in and around the squad if we do bring in Tierney and Rugani thee would be little need for much more transfer action for a few windows.
Potter, Ozil will be thirty-one in October, Aubameyang is thirty , Sokratis is thirty-one, Koscielny will be thirty-four come September. No spring chickens there. 😉
They be going as the young take over , be interesting to see how many games Kos , Ozil and Mhiki get this year
New post up now
Pepe has had his medical, had the photo shoot and met
his new team mates. He has signed a 5year deal and is expected to
be given No 19.
Just waiting for official confirmation.
Hi VCC,
Mustafi’s plight was even worse than anyone could have ever imagined.
In addition to the boo-ing nonsense, which is a disgrace when directed at anyone, but more especially to a player who still wears the Arsenal shirt. While on his way to the Emirates, his car was stopped at traffic lights on Sunday, when he was sworn at, his car was kicked and bashed by some so called Arsenal fans and he was forced to drive the wrong way across the lights to escape them. Good grief.
That is madness, and I do not feel comfortable calling myself a Gooner with that sort of behaviour associating me with that puerile anger.
Hi Rico, thank you for the Post, it has generated some good chat over the last couple of days. 😁
All else aside, I am happy that Pepe is almost signed up for us, but we really do need to tighten up the defence, instead we are hell bent on selling Mustafa, agreeing to let Kozzer go, and allegedly waving good bye to Bielik and possibly Mavropanos to a Greek team.
All can go, as far asa I am concerned, with one player more than the others, but surely we need to get class replacements before that happens, or be sure the injured defenders are soon back in action.
The usual caveat applies, in that there may be moves afoot to address this which we are not privy to — but who knows —with transfers there is many a slip twixt cup and lip. 🥺