Morning all.
Thursday May 17th 2018, the transfer window officially opens. It’s much earlier than usual as the FA have rung the changes. It shuts earlier than usual too which makes sense to me. No longer will English clubs be able to play a couple of the new seasons fixtures and realise they need one or two players before deadline day as this year, the transfer window shuts before the season kicks off. I doubt Sky Sports will like that as deadline day scrabble was always so exciting for them, not so much for Arsenal fans though as we hoped for just one more, even two more key signings before Big Ben chimed. Seldom did that materialise though and we ploughed on with a team we all believed was lacking in a key area or two. More often than not we were proved right in the end as our challenge for the Premier League faded quicker than it’d begun. Mind you, signing Messi or Ronaldo wouldn’t have helped us, much. We might have scored a few more goals but defensively, we’d have continued to be a disaster waiting to happen.
The longstanding debate over the clubs transfer activity could be solved this summer. The chicken v the egg, is Stan Kroenke just tight, or has Arsene Wenger just been reluctant to spend money on what we’ve needed?
I’m not someone who always believes that spending mega money on a player determines how good he might be. Of course, there’s players out there in the game which only vast amounts of money will buy but that huge price tag doesn’t always mean he’s right for the club signing him. He’s got to fit into the managers plans with his playing style, attitude and in other departments. After all, there’s no point in signing a carthorse if a manager wants to play quick attacking football, just like there’s little point in signing a tiny centre forward if a managers only ideas are having a target man leading his attack. Wide players need to have pace to burn, not just bumble their way up the pitch giving the opposition time to get back and defend. Sounds simple, yet for Arsenal, it’s proved quite difficult.
My point is, all managers have a plan, or they should have, before a new season kicks off and over the next three months or whatever it is, it’s about ensuring they have the right players to fulfil that plan. For the top clubs, the aim is to win the league, others it’s about targeting a Champions League or Europa spot or the top ten, the others it’s about survival in the top league in England. Added to that it’s winning the two European trophies and domestic ones.
For Arsenal, as much as I’d like to think the Premier League is our target, a return to the Champions League after a season of big improvements would I suspect leave us feeling good at the end of the season. Come on, even Pep didn’t do much in his first season at City and neither did Arsene Wenger, but for both, their second season was successful.
This season is about change, change whilst making improvements within the squad and on the pitch. Whoever becomes the new manager, and it’s looking more and more likely to be Mikel Arteta, his challenge is to get the best from the players he decides to keep, getting them to buy into his footballing philosophy and show each match day that they are up for challenge ahead. It’s about defensive coaching too and being more decisive, certainly when a goal scoring opportunity presents itself.
The next three months is about the club going into the transfer market early, being positive and ambitious and by that I mean signing who we need rather than what they cost. Although I know in some areas on the pitch, only big money will get the kind of player we need, certainly in the goalkeeping department. It’s about the new manager building his own coaching team, his squad and once the World Cup is over, getting his players ready for the challenge ahead.
A big three months ahead for Arsenal and the fans, but for once in a long while, I’m already looking forward to next season and the journey ahead.
Have a good day guys, the sun might not be shining but at least the dark cloud over The Emirates and London Colney seems to be lifting..
I read your headline with rising excitement, Thursday 17th May, The Big Day! But then I realised that you couldn’t possibly know that it will be my seventy-fifth birthday. Oh well, I’m sure it will be a notable day for some reason or other.
Old Walrus face has been sacked at Everton..
Mikel you have competition for the job now……lol
Ha ha Cicero, happy birthday for tomorrow..
Good Bt, looks like Silva will finally get the job he wanted.
Morning all and thanks for another fine post Rico.
Some good observations there Rico, I too was observant yesterday, as I walked into the Doctor`s room for my DRE my first thought was to look at the size of my Doctors fingers and the length of his nails !…………….hahaha
My new bestest friend lari3 put up a great link regarding Arteta so incase no one saw it I shall re-link it……………as you all know I am a great advocator of MA, not only for his LEGO hair (TM), but as you all know Wenger was fascinated with Barcaball and all things Spanish/Catalonian and in Arteta we would have someone who not only has a Spanish sounding name but funny enough is Spanish looking !………………….not bad for someone from Glasgow !
Happy 75th tomorrow Cicero !………………………………..did you go by a different name on Gunnersorearse ?
http://www.goal.com/en/news/all-you-need-to-know-about-mikel-artetas-importance-to-pep/1sb79795r2ige1uo5984djkey4
Fine post rico. .
I see Gazidis PR machine in full blown pushing the Arteta agenda.
Not to mention pedro from Le Grove who is putting all his marketing skills to endorse the new coming of jesus
I know it’s not right to comment on other blogs in this forum, but I suppose I can have this one off ?
I wonder if Everton are considering Arteta?
After all he had his best playing days over there!
Seams like Arteta is the frontrunner in a short list of one.
I kind of think that the two previous favourites of Allegri and Enrique apart from having a desire to form a duo for the next Eurovision Song contest were going to be possibly too demanding for enormous funds to be able to compete with abnormal big big spenders !……………………….Arteta knows how Arsenal are run and what a tight Kroenke is…………………….. probably his last conversation with Kroenke was………………..”Oi syrup………..see you still have the Guiness Book of Records largest cobweb attached to a wallet record and whilst we`re at it, stop loveingly looking at my perfect hair !”
Thank you Rico.
Le Coq, I’m Gooner from Norfolk, and thanks for the birthday wishes.
Thought you might be, great to see you on here.
Strange what happened on the other blog, hope Chris is well and OK, it just sort of came to a sudden halt !
Hi Cicero another from Norfolk , if we are not careful we might take over the place.
Lots of things likely to happen in the next few days I should imagine especially with pay up day only 16 days away
. if it is to be Arteta then his backroom appointments will be interesting.he will have seen the way things worked under our now departed leader and if he keeps Bouldy on , one can assume that the rumours about Wenger overiding him might be true. Cazorla to stay as assistant ? I wonder if that will include a number in the squad !. Personally i would keep him in cotton wool for the Europa cup and use his genius sparingly.
i am sure that if the defence was properly coached then Mavropolous , Chambers and Holding are young enough to learn although it might be too late for Mustafi and Koscielny however teach Bellerin and Kolasinac the way a back line should operate and things for the keeper will improve.
Midfield and forward :- if Arteta doesn’t know how to play midfield by now ??? Just a case of organisation in my opinion . We have a fairly good squad that needs tweaking , Wenger said that we only need a couple of players to compete next year , but then we have been telling him that for the last 6 years or so .
Why did he not listen ?
David Moyes gone from The Hammers.
Le Coq, Chris moved house but had no internet connection at the new place, I e mailed him around Christmas but got no response. I’ve since had computer problems myself and have lost his e mail address. We’ll just have to hope he’s okay and will get in touch sometime.
Oi oi oi……. what’s going on? Arsenal, yes Arsenal, are appointing a man who has never ever managed a game?
He isn’t a Pep clone, he lacks his presence, his charisma, his experience, his, his …well everything.
Arteta would still be a better appointment than Rodgers, but is that really our only options?
Due diligence bollux. The board will be voting for whoever creepy Ivan wants, and he and a josh have known all along who that will be.
If true that the new man will only have £50 million, even though there is no new stadium now to pay for, then we know just how ambitious Stan is, the same no doubt as with his American clubs.
A dream team of Mikel, Santi and Thierry night work. The players would be in awe of them.
News is that Aubamalamadingdong only signed to play for the previous manager, as did Özil, so if wanted, they need an arm around their shoulders telling them how wonderful they are. Jack and Ramsey are unsure whether they want to stay now. No money will add to the petty cash from them going.
Btw I posted the other day and it went into limbo then disappeared! I’m not surprised, lol I realised too late that I’d left one letter off my Monika.
LcM, as long as you didn’t feel both hands on your shoulders when you had your examination ?. Hope the results were ok though, no prostate issues!
Hot sunshine here in Spain btw.
Hahaha M`kat…………………..both hands on my shoulders and you would have heard me scream all the way to your spanish villa !…………….serious though, everyone getting on a bit should have a Prostate test as it is the biggest killer amongst men, a bigger killer than breast cancer for women but with a fraction of the budget that breast cancer recieves.
Although not 100% reliable a blood test is the usual route if you have syptoms like getting up in the night and weeing too much.
Just recently there have been some break throughs with diagnosis and treating an enlarged non-cancerous Prostrate……………………….an ultra sound scan is thought to be the most accurate diagnostic check and will probably see the demise of the blood test in years to come and some sort of use of micro-beads is the new step in treatment, I shall post a couple of linjks if that is ok, Rico, as it is serious for us old uns to check !
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-43864875
And new procedure………………………..
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-43877002
Both Fat Sam and Moyes available now then !……………………………..we are blessed for choice !
RIP Ray Wilson.
It would be good to see Pulis’ name on the list of the unemployed too! We could take our pick from all the available pool of abject managers in need of a job! Assuming Arteta turns us down!
RIP Ray Wilson, cracking footballer back in the day and a highly respected undertaker, post football. ….takes all sorts! Is he the third or the fourth of the ’66 WC winners to die? Excuse my morbid curiosity!
Cloudy and cool here today. Shame.
So only Danny boy keeps the England world cup flag flying down Highbury way. 5 from up the road so they should get at least to the semi final before they choke and die.
The 5 up the road knuckle draggers will surely need a rest and miss the start of the season !…………………………….we always seem to have players need an extended break, probably because we are too accomodating !
Thanks Kk, I think Everyon are eyeing Silva..
Sad about Moyes… 😉
1.31 Potter, agreed..
I read Santi will have one season player/coach and then full time coach..
rico, you know me, I’m your wing man, if you think Santi can bark out instructions from the day care centre next season that’s good enough for me gal !
Morning all and a cracker it is !……………………………………….transfer window opens and without a manager can we buyt anyone yet ?………………………………….has Sven bought anyone yet without unknown managers say ?………………………….has Santi had any imput ?
I find it strange that some people are suggesting Santi Cazorla as an Arsenal coach. Yes he is/was a popular and influential player but has no coaching experience and, as far as I know, has not got his coaching badges. I think we need coaches with more to offer than Santi can provide, how ever popular he might be with the fans.
18 defeats and 69 goals conceded… surely the new manager can improve on that set of shit stats?
If Arteta does come we may see a Spanish revolution like the French one we had with Wenger.
If the rumours about how much there is in the kitty are true we might see lucas Perez back on the wing.
It looks like the club, without any managers input are going for Evans now he will cost only 3mil, and instead of a Turk who would have cost 37mil, are going for a cheaper Greek dfender. Let’s hope the incoming manager is ok with those.
LcM, totally agree re testing for Prostate Cancer. The current blood test for protein is unreliable. My husbands was only ‘3’ but he still had it.
All men over a certain age should be scanned imo.
I don’t believe the Evans story. He’s not good enough to replace either Mustafi or Koscielny and with the right coaching Chambers, Holding and Movropanos could be a formidable back line. I suppose £3 million for a central defender these days is peanuts but, as the old saying goes, “if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys”.
Do it cheap , do it twice as my mum used to say.
Evening guys.
I don’t believe the Evans story, I would had Wenger not left.
Sky Sports report that the club are set to talk to Henry re the managers job.
My predictions are…………………………any new manager will improve on our record of only one away win so far in 2018…………………………………………our goals conceded will be less than last season !………………………………I`ll stop there as I dont want you all thinking I`m some kind of super soothsayer !
🙂
Lacazette not going to Russia then, he’s not in the French squad. Good summer of rest for him then…
Who is ?
How I wish there could be another.
looks like :- Elneny , Iwobi , Ozil , Welbeck and Ospina that’s it . 5 players , 4 reserve / fringe ones and one that’s a pleasure to watch but only plays when he wants.
Sad really.
First Arteta and now Henry , Is my dream coming true ?
Mikel Arteta to Arsenal: Board meeting scheduled for MONDAY, appointment could be ratified says the Daily Star who was always the mouthpiece of Peter Hill-Wood
Has Wenger by sanctioning him set him up to fail and make Wenger’s record look better.
He was asked about him so said yes he is fine. What would have been thought, if he’d said ‘no he’s not right for Arsenal?’
As it goes though, I think Arteta will be set up to fail. Unless he is part of my dream of him, Henry snd Santi.
Meerkat, should Arteta be appointed can you really see him working with an ego as big as Henry’s beside him?
That’s why it’s just a dream Cicero. Although he seems to have worked well as assistant at Belgium under Martinez. Tbh both would be a gamble imo and Arsenal should not need to gamble.
They are a top club. Could you see City or Manure going for an untried manager?
Morning all………..I saw one report saying it will be a sad WC for us Gooners becuase of the lack of our players going to Russia…………………fcuk off !…………………..I`m over the moon that we will have loads of fresh players come start of the season, because I`m first and foremost an Arsenal supporter……….Granit Xhaka, Mesut Özil, David Ospina, Mohamed Elneny, Alex Iwobi, Danny Welbeck are the ones going and only the first two are the ones I want knocked out early !
Another fabulous day here and I`m getting myself ready for tomorrows wedding………no, not Harry the Gooners one ,but my sons, cant wait, his soon to be wife`s dad is a Spud and cant wait for my son to produce his son who will be a Gooner !……………………….take that Spud ! hahaha
See that Kroenke`s new stadium costs have esculated………………………..just sell your shares to Uzzy !
The cost of the Inglewood stadium, which is scheduled to open in 2020, has now risen to close to $5 billion. The sum covers stadium construction, parking, a 6,000 seat theater, infrastructure, and other aspects of the 298-acre retail, office, and entertainment district that the stadium will anchor. The original projected cost of the stadium was $2.6 billion.
Ornstein has spoken !
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44165995
Very interesting piece by Ornstein, Cocker, not sure if the Inglewood news is good or not, that might have something to do with Arsenal having only a £50m transfer budget?
Allegri will stay at Juve imo…
Afternoon guys…
Kev, could it be that the final accounts for the year may show as much as a £54m downturn?
As for the BBC report, i don’t see anything really new in it..
Afternoon Rico and all.
Rico, i think you might be right, perhaps he would like the Champions League with Juve before moving on.
Me neither Bt, it’s all speculation.
We’ll know soon enough and until then, I’m taking all the media stuff with a big tablespoon of salt and enjoying the break… lol
Not your normal speculation, it`s Ornstein speculation ! 🙂
If there is only £50M in the kitty and we have to sell to up the stakes then it`s going to be a normal Arsenal Transfer Window where we take ages to offload “deadwood/undesirables” and do our purchasing in the last few days !……………………………………..although as usual it will be interesting to know how many £100`sM`s we have spare gathering dust (have you seen the interest rates ?) in the bank which never gets used !………………………………….also sounds all too familiar that whoever the next manager is it will still not move Kroenke to put his hands into his very deep pockets, but considering my 11:04am post it is easy to see why !…………he has a bigger priority !
As Kev suggested as well ! 🙂
I remeber the good old days when Gazidis said we would be able to compete with the likes of Bayern Munich !
🙂
I doubt there’s much in the usual recycled stuff from the BBC. None of this stuff is new after all. Gazidis knows that getting the fans back onboard and the stadium full is a main priority and stated transfer budgets of 50 million quid and a rookie boss is taking a risk. The club need to show they are serious after clinging on to Wenger for too long and falling way behind.
I don’t believe the £40m transfer budget either. Whoever makes this stuff up should be locked in a dark room…
Have another read of Ormstein’s piece, it contains nothing but rehashed speculation garnered from the usual tabloid rubbish. There’s not one iota of original news, or even any new speculation.
Because Arteta appears to be such a hot favourite, to succeed Wenger, I expect to see some completely left field appointee given the job,.
Afternoon all. Beautiful day today, bootiful! Good luck tomorrow LC hope the weather stays fine down in rainy Cornwall!
Despite the fact that Allegri doesn’t seem to be coming, Arteta as second choice is a sound option, imo. As a player when he signed along with the rest of ‘that week’s supermarket sweep,’ I said out loud, “that’s more like it”. Recognising, I suppose that Wenger had bought a proper player! And he was, he was always dictating play, telling the players where to be, berating them, occasionally! But when he was absent, injured he was missed. We were a far tighter, well organised and efficient side with him in it, but far poorer when he wasn’t! His hair alone displays an attention to detail that most of us don’t have and, I don’t think he has Wenger’s propensity for ‘nutty professor’ antics with zips or water bottles etc. He seems calm, organised and disciplined. He may well turn out to be the signing of the decade!
I’ve warmed to him. He is the best of the rest, after Max.imo of course.
Afternoon Rico and All
Agree with that Wavy(Arteta).
Weather he can do it is open to question..But.
From what I’ve read Arteta has been well respected
the last two years at City,
a few players have sprouted out,that he has improved them.
Arteta has said he wants to play keep ball footy,so lets hope
he has a plan when we don’t have the ball.
Afternoon Fred.
Don’t City press hard when out of possession, perhaps that’s what Arteta would have up his sleeve…
Paul Lambert has left Stoke by mutual consent…
Come on down Steve Bould…
Allezkev, that could be a good move for Bould and Arsenal, a complete clear out of the coaching staff. If the new man needs someone to introduce the squad to him, there’s still the tea lady.
If Bould goes, good luck to him. Surprised if Stoke appoint an inexperienced manager though… 😉
ARTETA FINALISING BACKROOM STAFF
The Independent are reporting that the make-up of Mikel Arteta’s backroom staff is the only thing between the Spaniard and the Arsenal manager’s job.
The 36-year-old is the clear favourite to replace Arsene Wenger at the Emirates and his appointment appears to be moving ever closer.
Santi Cazorla is expected to be given a role if Arteta gets the top job while the report also claims that Arsenal legend – and current Sky Sports pundit – Thierry Henry may also be brought into the coaching team.
It could be an all-star backroom staff. 🙂
Exciting eh.. ?
Ornstein saying we will know new manager by next week !
Sounds like Henry will be offered some kind of role as he has not renewed his Belgium contract.
Some sweeping changes are afoot, does sound exciting, but how even more exciting would it be if the major shareholder was to speculate his money into the team instead of just buying shares !………………………..even if Arteta is Pep 2.0, he hasn`t got Peps money and I`m still adament that Pep would not have won his title without 100`s of millions he spent………………………..see how he would have got on with just the rumoured £50M !
Hey Le Coq, surely you’re not implying that Man City bought the Premiership title! My goodness, that couldn’t possibly be the truth……could it? ?
So if Wenger had spent the same amount as Pep has at City, would he have won the league?
No is my answer.
Have to agree Le Coq, all them millions and Pep still some how manages to field the youngest English player to play in the last 16 of the Champions league this year, at least we have our academy to be proud of eh !
Adam, I keep getting flash backs, I can’t help thinking about Liverpool and the Spice Girls lol
Probably not Rico……..but the point is whether Pep would have won the league at CFG if he hadn`t spent £450M since taking over !…………………………………£450M !…………………………..would have been harder not to win the league with that spending !………………………Would Wenger have done better with £450M spent over two years, I think so, possibly top 4 again !……………
🙂
Even though they probably dont need to buy any new players does anyone think CFG will be limited to £50M this window ?………………………….just about enough to buy one of Neymar`s limbs !…………………………..I`d like to be outside the Emirates when Gazidis unveils Neymar`s right arm……………….with of course the new Arsenal kit sleave !……………………..hahaha
Hey Cicero…………………………….still haunting all them lovely broads pubs for lunches ?
How long do we give Arteta before we get the knives out ?…………………………or before Lee uses industrial language ? hahaha………………………..and I`m not knocking Lee as his choice of words are some of the highlights on here for me ! 🙂
Two years ?………………………….probably longer in reality seeing as it took Pep two years with his number one assistant………………£450M !
A darn sight more chance than Wenger I’d say Lc, don’t forget that Wenger has spent a few pounds too…
Always a walk on Fridays Le Coq, Alderford Common and Swannington today, followed by lunch at the Kings Arms in Reepham. Luvvly Jubbly. ?
Looks like my dream team, Arteta, Henry and Cazorla, is closer to the truth than even I realised. I did think it vaguely possible.
How long before the knives are out LcM? They are embedded so deep into AWs back, even now, even though he has gone, they are being twisted deeper, that they will need new ones for those three. £50 mil might just be enough to buy some.
I can’t see us being a threat to the top six next season, ( or the season after) if that amount of money is the height of their ambition.
IMO, the set up there now is very similar to that which Conti found to be the case at Chelsea, and is the reason he is leaving. It doesn’t suit most managers to have their players picked out and purchased for them, without having a say.
Arteta, Alonso, Cazorla, Henry, that would be quite a quartet in the dugout.
Would much rather have them all 10 years younger and in the team, ah well, time waits for nobody. ?
New post is up..