Morning all.
Today, Raul Sanllehi officially starts in his new role within the club, another person who will take a few pounds of power away from Arsene Wenger. He might not wear the ‘Director of Football’ badge but that’s he’s skill. That’s been his position at Barcelona since 2008 and my guess is he’ll be doing the same at Arsenal. Thank goodness Arsene Wenger didn’t appoint him as otherwise he’d be tasked with cutting up the oranges or putting out the cones. Square pegs and all that.
So has this January transfer window been a good one? I reckon so.
We’ve moved on a very unhappy Alexis Sanchez and gained a player who wants to be at the club in Mkhitaryan. We’ve signed a Greek Centre back who from the little I’ve seen of him, looks assured albeit he’s probably one for next season and finally, we’ve signed a big big player in Andre Aubameyang. The Gabon international should get us goals, he’s lightening quick and again, he wants to be at the club. The club I reiterate, not Wenger. Imo, he’s not a Wenger signing, he’s and Ivan and co signing.
Added to that, Mesut Ozil has reportedly agreed to stay for another three and a half years which is great news not only for the Club, but it’s attacking players. He’s Mr Assist as shown yet again on Tuesday evening with his precision pass to Nacho Monreal. Six months ago I’d have happy if the club had sold him because he looked totally disinterested in playing for Arsenal. His demeanour was dreadful and his effort during a match, well it was zero. This season though he’s looked like the German international player he is when playing for his country. Just hope he doesn’t change now he’s signing on. If I was a cynic, I’d suggest his game has picked up since it became clear that Alexis Sanchez was leaving.
We’ve seen a few players as well as Sanchez depart too. Theo Walcott, Francis Coquelin, Mathieu Debuchy and finally, Olivier Giroud. As much as Ollie doesn’t suit our style of play, selling him to Chelsea was an odd thing to do. Aubameyang can’t play in the Europa League so that leaves just Lacazette to lead the line. We have Eddie of course and other Academy players to call upon but right now it looking likely that winning that competition is our only realistic chance of returning to the Champions League. Even that is a big ask under Wenger.
By my reckoning, Aubameyang has pretty much been paid for by those we’ve sold with their salaries paying not only his but also the increase for Ozil. So I guess the club have pretty much broken even but is that really so important either way? I don’t think so, in fact I think it’s smart business.
As much as the club failed to strengthen our defensive unit, perhaps that’s not such a bad thing because regardless of who we could have signed, and Jonny Evans wasn’t the answer imo, these positions are crucial and I don’t think Wenger’s style of football would benefit any new defender/midfielder right now. Sorting out the defensive signings and the way we defend should be a task given to a new manager/coach.
This transfer window had been about the beginning of new things I think and January isn’t the transfer window to make wholesale changes. I think the club, well, Ivan & co have gone big on a striker knowing he’ll get us goals which might help us to overtake the Totts and Liverpool or even win the Europa cup and then in the summer, continue to sort the squad out when they’ll have three months to do it.
This is about Ivan putting his ‘change’ comments into action. At least that’s how I see it and Arsene Wenger’s day’s are coming to an end.
Of that I’m convinced.
Still don’t see it Rico. He ‘ll be here till his current deal ends. Won’t be surprised if he signs new deal. We ve all been here before. He ‘ll want to be here till his mid 70s. Won’t hold my breathe. Great post rico. I still think auba ‘ll struggle because of our tiki taka crablike footie. He needs the ball released early to make those darting runs behind the defender. We don’t play that way anymore not since cesc. We could buy zizou ronaldo (not the manure ponce) and maradona at their pomp yet Wenger ‘ll still manage to make them look like shit. Am excited we signed him and renewed ozil’s contract but Wenger is still in charge and that’s a big old bummer.
Thanks Goonster.
Perhaps I’m adding 2+2 and making 5. If the board and Stan thought he has a lot left in him, he’d have a three year deal. Then, as he heads into his final season, if he does, then we’ll have all the same old crap as we had last season
New appointments made, ones which I’m sure he didn’t want, a £60m signing not made by him. The clause in his contract which is supposed to allow the board and him to discuss this season etc….
No, imo, he’s going.
Lee posted this on the old article which I missed:
AFCamden has apparently tweeted that he has heard the management are working on an exit strategy for Wenger this summer, and that Joachim loew is first choice to replace him after WC….
I ‘ll be the happiest person on earth on that day but I ‘ll wait with baited breath till it’s confirmed he’s leaving. I thought he would be gone by the end of last season after the whole protest thingy. Some fans even hired a plane to fly by with “Wenger out” embossed on it yet the cnut still managed to keep his job by weathering the storm. Rico am not seeing it. If he didn’t leave then what gives you the impression he would now?
I’ve already explained that Goonie. Everything going on within the club leads me to that view. To be fair, as soon as his deal was just two years, I thought that.
I could be very very wrong though, it’s just an opinion.
But lately he’s been only signing a 2 year deal. That started after we won the fa cup in 2014. Anyway I ‘ll wait and see what happens. If we don’t win the Europa league or EFL cup and don’t qualify for the CL may be they ‘ll relieve him of his duties. I can only hope that’s all I ‘ve got.
Joachim loew huh?? Oh wow I ‘ll believe it when I see it but you might be right. The only way ozil stays and signs a new contract might be cause he’s heard something. I want to believe you Rico. God in heaven that ‘ll be amazing. A world cup winning coach with pulling power. Players ‘ll be tripping over themselves to sign for us. Oh if only Its true.
I thought his previous one was 2013
Afc Camden rarely gets it wrong I follow him on Twitter too. Oh my Rico this could have legs maam? i have hope all of a sudden. Lord God in heaven.
If that’s true then i suggest we all give him a rousing last year. Let’s all sing “one arsene wenger” I ‘ll gladly petition the board to have a statue of him ready by the end of the season. It ‘ll be a glorious exit. There ‘ll be no more AKBs or WOBs just one united fan base. Please let it be true dear God i ‘ll go to church often.
Think I’m wrong there, 2014 for three years… 😉
Loew would be alright I reckon.. Not sure how many clubs he’s managed though, selecting a German team must be pretty easy… lol
Yeah but that’s a thinking man. He knows how to pick his team and on merit too. Wenger hust chucks his favorites on and watch them prance around like fairies. Even if it doesn’t work with loew(which I doubt) the precedence is set meaning we ‘ll always get the pick of the litter when we employ future managers. I think loew ‘ll succeed Rico. He ‘ll bring out the beast in ozil and auba ‘ll be grateful for that. COYGS
Right now Goonster, even Moyes seems a better option than Wenger… 😉
Things to do, catch up later..
Alright ma’am ☺later
Morning all and thank`s Rico.
I cant see Wenger going unless he`s sacked, he has always in his own words honoured his contracts, so imo, he aint going anywhere soon.
Like I said yesterday a very good TW, but still have a clueless manager for the tactics, especially defence, we`ll have to out score teams to win…………hahaha
Loew knows how to pick teams !……………………..and his nose and other things and sniff out the oppo` !
🙂 .
Good morning all..
Good post rico.
I take JL with all his sniffing habits if he can make arsenal works like the German machine ..
I see Sanchez was kicked off the pitch by the new thugs in town, Deli Ali and co. .
It was hilarious actually. .they all queued up and took their turns. .he was definitely targeted , and successfully bullied out of the game ..
Good morning Rico
Lovely read…..
Over all good business ……?
Not overly exciting if you ask me.
The defending issue is there and i would be very happy when i see the back of that pathetic defence setting.This Bould and other yes men need to be cleared first.
34 goals shipped so far and certainly is not Le prof fault on that.It is all of them
Morning all.
I don’t think Wenger had any say in any of the movements of players in or out, during this TW. Ivan and his new team of magicians have done all the wheeling and dealing, imo. The juniors were selected out by their respective coaches and the seniors were selected by Ivan’s new men.
When Wenger was asked about Auba he was totally disinterested, he seemed pissed off that he was even being asked about a player that he clearly didn’t want or thought he needed. I think Lacazette was his last big decision and the boys in the back room decided that the purblind old man had finally lost it! So, the new Director of Football cast his net and caught a whopper. The only question is what will Wenger do with him? I’d bet diamonds that he won’t play 90 minutes for the next two months or more or until Wenger has so buggered his confidence he will believe he will be in a position to criticise the procurers!
If he knows the writing is on the wall and that his tenure is really limited, like he’s out in May, then how is he going to ‘prepare’ his team’s and treat the players? Will he be sabotaging the future or trying to make the best of a bad, and soon to be ended, job?
Ozil re-signing? All done by the boys in the back room. I’ll wager they promised him some proper players to play with and Auba is the first of several oh, plus Myk, and probably no players who are as mouthy as Sanchez.
Yes, I can see the end of Wenger’s reign. No he won’t be sacked but he will fail his annual review and then tell the waiting world that he has not been as successful as he has in past years, and that he has decided to step aside to allow a new man to succeed him and continue with all the good work he has done whilst shaping the club and preparing it for a glorious future.
The final curtain will fall in May after judgement day!
Oh dear, what a pity, never mind.
Very bright and sunny here but cruelly cold!
@Wavy
How do you know that Wenger was disinterested on Auba ?
What is interesting in the Ozil deal is I think it’s the first time a player has been paid more than Wenger while at the club…
good post Rico…
Hi everyone. Feeling extremeliy exiced for the game against Everton. Maybe Lacazette will start banging in goals now that Auba is breathing down his neck? We definitely have one of the best attacks ind PL on paper, but can we make it work? Can they all play at the same time? Time will tell. I’m not that optimistic about the defence though.. Because it is good on paper as well, but as we saw a few days ago….
Bring in Oblak and Manolas this summer and we will be a force to be reckoned with 🙂
Dont underestimate Wenger`s power !………………he would have still had final say on the transfers of that I have no doubt,
Here`s a link showing who spent the most money net in the combined Summer and Winter Transfer Windows and it has Wenger written all over it………..we made £7.6M !………………………………………………some of the clubs that out spent us is …….well you have to laugh or you will cry to be put out of your misery !
Have a gander………………
https://talksport.com/football/transfer-net-spend-every-premier-league-club-both-summer-and-winter-201718-windows?p=19
IT was a judgement call, Alex, a judgement call, my judgement based on his body language, slumped shoulders and lack of eye contact with the reporter, he was behaving a little shiftless lay, add to that his throw away remarks like, “you don’t ask me that, I just don’t know”, when asked about the possible arrival of PEA etc etc. The whole interview led me to feel that this player was not what Wenger wanted nor did he think he needed.
So, I concluded that someone else had called for the deal to be pursued. And just to add to the conspiracy, why on earth did he take Giroud to Swansea when he knew he was crucial to the Auba deal, in my view it may have been an accident waiting to happen…. Wenger would have been quietly happy if the big man had been injured and his injury led to the scuppering of the, now new very expensive striker, deal!
Crazy I know, but a drowning man sometimes clings to the most unlikely objects when trying to keep his head above water! And, I do believe Wenger is that sinking man.
Feel free to disagree I won’t mind!
How about the conspiracy theory of us only signing plaers with ten letter names this January !…………………….more letters on the shirt = more money !………………….has Wenger written all over it !
🙂
Mkhitaryan
Aubameyang
Mavropanos
LC ???
Two of my favourite people, so whats not to like !
😆
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42897568
Official…………………Mesut has new contract .
Ozil said: ‘#YaGunnersYa… ooh yaaa! Proud to announce: I signed dat thing… three more years with Arsenal!
‘It’s been one of the most important decisions of my footballing career, and that’s why I had to think hard and talk with everyone who is important to me… good things take time!
‘In the end I let my heart decide. As I always said, I feel at home here and I’m highly motivated to achieve big things in the next few years. Once a Gunner, always a Gunner!’
Afternoon guys, thanks Kk, Kel and Alex.
Really pleased re Mesut, let’s hope his left boot works magic for Aubameyang as well as a few others..
Mahrez has gone on strike, silly chap…
Can’t keep up Rico things are moving too fast. Wow sent Sanchez packing, got a good player in return (one that wants to be here) got auba(yo pierre?) and finally got the ozster to sign. Wowie wow wow. This is awesome. Arsenal on their way back to be being a top club??? I think so. COYGS. Am super chuffed. OziiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiL
Evening all. Good post Rico.
Lol mahrez pissing off the leceister hierarchy and fans. Boy is he gonna get a torrid time once he decides to play again for them. That was very stupid of him.
Adamant
Evening Adam, thank you.
Not fast Goonie, you’re just struggling to keep up… ?
Great having all these exciting players, but with out a organised and disciplined defence strategy we will always suffer !
If Big Tone was still in defence he would demand a defensive midfield shield as he did before !……………………..Wenger being the new guy back in a day was probably more open to advise from people who had been there years, whereas now he probably wont listen to Bould or a current player !
Thanks Wavy
Good and honest answer…cheers
New post up.