That project started with elite in RvP & Cesc (and some veterans, lets be real here) and finished when they both fucked off. All the other talent we developed in between (Nasri, Song, etc) had no interest in hanging around once bigger clubs came calling. The fact we never got to bear the fruits of that project (despite the mistakes) and other clubs got use of the talents we spent numerous seasons cultivating is why I’m apprehensive it’ll work this time around.
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But back then I feel the problem was we were embarking on a youth project when we wanted to win league titles, so it was very unlikely to ever give us what we wanted. Now we’re a ninth place team with barely any assets worth selling and a bloated wage bill, perhaps a youth project is exactly what we need. Not that that means you can’t buy any experienced players at all, but it’s just being a bit smarter about it. It feels like we’ve had years of signing players of an age and quality that means they’re unlikely to ever have resale value, and it’s really fucking us now. It doesn’t have to be solely young players, but I think our transfer activity needs to be more focused on buying players who will one day have resale value. Hopefully we’ve already seen the start of that with Martinelli and Saliba.
Refresh the squad, get rid of the huge earners and get in some players we can develop who might one day be sold for big money, and in the meantime move up from ninth place to somewhere a little closer to where we want to be.
I’m up for it tbh.
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You have to give him a transfer window and at least another season to have his stamp on the squad with some of his own buys. But damn nothing he’s showing so far is really convincing me he’s the right man, hope he proves me wrong but I’m still not convinced.
I’m not liking him not playing Martinelli, something is definitely up there. His tactics are reminding me of later day Wenger and Emery, sidewards and backwards. I hope he improves us but it’s slightly worrying.
Sell both and buy Edouard
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That is what I mean with Almunia and Squillaci. When we needed to ‘finish’ those team and compete with said players, and maybe keep them around, Arsenal bought shit. Not giving other players reason to stay here.
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Yes and I appreciate the direction. It seems to be one of the few ways that Arsenal have to move forward based upon the current ownership group.
You’ve outlined the problem–the man (Raul) heading up that project. Little faith in him. Needs to be doing more than getting some of his agent buddies fees.
Torreira is a strange one. Thought that he was going to be a key part of the squad. Wouldn’t be surprised if he was sold now. As for Pepe, they’ve spent too much money on him for him to not get another season. At this point, that was a helluva whiff.
It certainly is the right direction…but only if you’re a spurs supporter. 
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As much as I loathe Mourinho, would he be talking about player humility???
We are just cheap sadly
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Good to hear.
Hope Arteta is our manager for many years to come. Just give him time
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Oh that’s a shame. I was hoping the board would go for Nigel Pearson when Watford inevitably sack him next season.
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All well and good and it’s nice to hear they retain confidence but if we still look shit next season then what?
It’s a results business and at a minimum we need someone that enables us to punch above our weight, although I hope otherwise perhaps it’ll become apparent that he’s not up to such an undertaking at this point in his managerial career particularly under such constraints.
What’s with all these digs at Ornstein lately? 
It’s not a dig at Ornstein at all. I actually like what he has said and hope it’s true.
My dig was at the people who think Pearson would do a better job than Arteta.
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Fully backing our man till at least the end of next season.
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Do we know when the next season is set to start?
I’m pretty critical of him and have massive doubts, but I do agree that I’m not going to finalise any suspicions until he’s had longer at the helm. I think he has been very unimpressive so far, even accounting for the awful squad he’s inherited and myriad other issues. For example, don’t give a fuck for any excuses, getting eliminated by Olympiakos at home is utterly inexcusable.
But he’s been here like six months or whatever and half of that has been a pandemic enforced break from football, I don’t think it would be right to sack him. And tbh, we can’t just go round sacking people all the fucking time and paying off years of their wages, that wouldn’t be sensible either. I don’t feel like there’s much choice but to give him longer in the job, and fact of the matter is, that is exactly what the decision makers will do.
Not saying we shouldn’t slate Arteta when deserved, but we might as well try to get on board and support him because he’s here or the foreseeable and should be given the length of contract we offered him.
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If you compare what Arteta has done here to what Pearson has done since he took over at Watford, who has done a better job?
Watford had eight points from fifteen games and were bottom of the PL and the worst team in the league by some distance.
Since then, in his first fifteen games as manager, they have got nineteen points and have beaten Man U, Wolves and are the only team to have beaten Liverpool, which they did pretty convincingly, 3-0 and are out of the relegation places
When Arteta took over from Emery, we had 23 points from 18 games and were tenth in the PL.
He has got 17 points from his first 12 games we are still in tenth position and are unconvincing.
As bad as our first team is, there aren’t many Watford players that would get ito our first team so however much you don’t rate Pearson, he isn’t doing that bad a job, with what he’s got and I don’t even want him as our manager.
Agree with this.
The rebuild needs to be accelerated. Pool as much money as we can buy selling all the shite. Clear the decks and start afresh.
The quicker we refresh the whole squad, the quicker we move towards a new Arsenal. I don’t want to see Özil at this club next season if possible. Get Mustafi and Xhaka out. The clowns and cunts who make us look like the most embarrassing and amateurish club in the league need to be binned.
The mentality at the club is rotten. No confidence, no direction, no energy. Arteta spoke a lot about addressing these issues and I still believe he knows there are big problems which he needs to work on, but it’s not possible to do it in just 2 months of a season.
I’m far from convinced that he is the answer, but somebody needs to take the bull by the horns and rip this squad apart. If he can arrest the decline by at least doing that, then I’ll be happy. We need to stabilise as we are in free fall right now.
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We need to throw some money at the problem tbh. That’s what every other top team does. They go out and identify good players in weak areas thus improving the squad.
We need a top class midfielder. Just get the cheque book out you cunts and sort out the problem. Tired of seeing the likes of Nelson and Willock as options when they are fucking shit.
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Well he can’t keep on playing this tactic like he had WC players at his disposal. Either the board put the money where their mouth is and make the needed funds available, which is highly unlikely, or Fancy Hair has to simplify things. I get that he believes his way is the right way (as all managers should) but work on that in training. Until that works with the right players try a more simple approach. I’m amazed how many teams (with inferiour technical players to ours) do it.
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