You don’t wonder what the plan is when 4 or 5 first team players won’t be available to start the season and the club hasn’t signed anyone in those positions of need?
Dragging on any potential transfers to the end of the window to try and save a small bit of money isn’t a good strategy for what looks to be a very competitive league, much less for a top 4 spot. Starting slow by dropping points because the club hasn’t strengthened/improved positions of need while sitting on a huge pile of cash isn’t going to go over well–if people thought that the home crowd was caustic last season, this will only increase the pressure.
Why do this? What’s wrong with identifying targets, bringing them in BEFORE the season starts and getting the season off to a good start? Why start the season from such a weak position? It’s pretty stupid for a club that claims to be big time.
[quote=“Calum, post:81, topic:125, full:true”]
Lol relegation. The classic Wenger boy comeback
[/quote]Reminds me of the epic ‘Relegation thread’ of Gunning’s
We have our opening PL game 3 weeks on Saturday. I didn’t believe it was that soon.
No Ozil Alexis Giroud Koscielny 4 key players. Sign some players Arsene otherwise when Liverpool do a Villa on us it won’t be pretty to be in that stadium,
I honestly think Wenger believes his team is good enough, plus with the fact they finished 2nd and he has half the fanbase cheering his name at the end of the season. He’s under no pressure to go out and sign big. He’s in the most comfortable job in football.
Even if he loses those two first games (Liverpool/Leicester) I doubt most of the fans will get on his back. You get a few boos and stuff but he’s pretty much got the AKB’s jumping through hoops.
I’d be very surprised if he signs anyone of top quality come the end of the window.
Every year I think, well now they’ve announced there’s nearly £200m cash… surely they can’t just sit on it… they’ve got to spend some of it… but I thought it the year before…and the year before… and I’ll think it again when we announce our £190m has gone up to £250m.
We could sign Higuain for 70m, not worry about any resale value, give him £200k a week and probably still break even.
Not sure what clear evidence there is to be hastily assuming they’re done for the window. Yet we do have every reason to think we’re supporting a corporation rather than a competitive football club.
If we were ready to sign Vardy, if we’re still on Lacazette, if Arsenal offered Giroud plus money for Higuaín and a meeting with Icardi is booked during this week, it’s clear the intention to sign a striker.
…but I understand, change the events, change the word, hope about our defeats during first two league games to blame him and who trust in him, it’s your favourite hobby.
The thing is that you have to land someone at some point. Going around and point at players that were almost signed is going to work in one summer or two, but not in the 4th in a row. At this point I’m really just bored of Arsenal’s transfer dealings. There’s nothing interesting to them and the quality of the signings can vary from youth/squad player to someone who’s just about good enough to challenge an underwhelming option to begin with. Hopefully it will be different this time, but by the looks of it we’ll have to wait for August and take what’s left :-/
No clear evidence, but maybe history can give a good indication? 2013 we signed Ozil for actual money and Flamini on a free. In 2014 we did sign 5 players, but we also had departures (Sagna, Vermaelen, Fabianski plus Giroud injured long term) and had to made signings because the numbers didn’t add up. Last year we only signed Cech. Take into account Wenger’s talk about squad stability/cohesion and his remarks there aren’t going to be that many signings for Arsenal and it’s not that far-fetched Xhaka/Holding are going to be it, but maybe one more player, since our striker target didn’t come. There are also no departures we have too replace.
I’ve lived through six managers (yes, I’m fecking old) in my time…
Mee - Had the best of his times before I was born, left when I was young to be replaced by Neill - Turned us into a cup club, 3 finals on the bounce, won 1, lost two, then lost his way somewhat, replaced by Howe Deserved to do better than he did, real Mr Arsenal, but let down by underperforming stars, replaced by Graham Brought glory back, and instilled real fighting spirit, won our first title in 18 years and a Euro trophy to boot…then went off the rails, taking bungs to bring in shite and selling off the crown jewels of Rocastle & Thomas. Managing the scum afterwards didn’t help with that blot on his copybook either! replaced by Rioch One season, brought in Bergkamp, scrapped into CL qualification on last day of season, replaced by Wenger…Trophy count wise, our most successful manager, bringing us the sort of football never played at Highbury before, winning doubles and unbeaten seasons for fun, and then enduring the debt years when he had to guide us financially through 10 years of having little to spend, and having to sell players to balance the books…Seen us through that and added a couple more FA Cups to the haul so far
This big squad will be missing 4 or 5 key starters to begin the first few weeks of the season. Does anyone care that Ox will be dribbling into defenders on the right to start the season and Theo falling over up top?
Why is it standard operating procedure to begin each season hamstrung (pun intended)?
