As we're unlikely to see terraces again at football, this is the virtual equivalent where you can chat to your hearts content about all football matters and, obviously, Arsenal in particular. This forum encourages all Gooners to visit and contribute so please keep it respectful, clean and topical.
No pelters coming your way from me Beegeegs, I think each signing this window has made an impact and strengthened us.
I hadn’t watched Ramsdale to any extent whatsoever, was indifferent to the signing, but he is a great purchase, could be England’s and our no 1 for over 10 years.
Some of his passing out was superb, right weight, really good vision and awareness too. Love that he hates to concede.
He also appears to have brought that mentality to White and Gabriel.
White maybe overpriced at £50m, but when you put that up against Maguire……
Right back was a huge problem area for us and it looks like it’s potentially resolved for the long term.
I’d prefer Lacazette to stay for at least another season As he still gives his all, and holds the ball up for the likes of Saka and Smith Rowe to get onto.
With Patino, Balogun and Flores looking great prospects for the next year or two to breakthrough - we really have a great opportunity to just require one or two purchases required to complete what we have now.
The biggest concern for me, is the huge, huge contrast between us at our best as seen against Villa and the scum, fast paced, 100 percent effort, physically bulling the opposition and the meak, absolute sterile football we have also seen this season.
Why can’t we attack at pace, which suits our top players, rather than allow our opponents the time to regroup and get organised.
Yeah - White looks a bit better than Maguire, doesn't he - lol.
Personally, I would love to see Balogun go out on loan. He needs to be playing against men in the Championship weekly for a season. I'd like to see a quick target man type of a signing who would suit the team better than Auba long term. Perhaps it will eventually be Balogun, but on what we have seen so far, he is a long way away from playing for us. If we don't have enough cash for this sort of a player and also a midfielder (I still think that we need one), then re-signing Laca makes sense to me.
Up front, I would sell Pepe. I just don't think that he is good enough and won't ever be. I don't think that it is ability, but a lack of football intelligence.
So lets examine the Arsenal of the past month - is it the lot that rolled over the vermin and Villa, or the lot that limp dicked their way to a fluky draw against Palace, and another absolute snoozefest at Brighton.
The reality is we're both - this is who we are.
The Villa game, along with the Spurs game were the two most enjoyable of the season. The other wins against Norwich and Burnley were tedious in the extreme against relegation fodder, and most of the rest has been shite.
I don't think he has moved us on at all, but we're going to get games like the Villa and Spurs ones thrown in every so often that I understand give people hope.
The next few games will offer a yardstick - Leicester have now won 3 on the spin and are hitting their usual Brenda peak before the March-May inevitable collapse. Watford as unpredictable as it gets but looked lively at the weekend and then Liverpool, Man U and Everton all away within a matter of weeks. We'll see if this new look team really has improved or whether Burnley, Norwich, the vermin and Villa are all just a pile of shit
The next few games will offer a yardstick - Leicester have now won 3 on the spin and are hitting their usual Brenda peak before the March-May inevitable collapse. Watford as unpredictable as it gets but looked lively at the weekend and then Liverpool, Man U and Everton all away within a matter of weeks. We'll see if this new look team really has improved or whether Burnley, Norwich, the vermin and Villa are all just a pile of shit
Yep, the fellow 4th place contender games, Man U (a), Leicester(a), Everton (a) and Claret Scum (h) will show where Arsenal stand. Could get anything from 0 to 12 points. I expect 4.
Well, I'm not really in the arteta fan club but in the last 3 matches he has started to make the right decisions. The right substitutions and playing the right players. No doubt no one else would agree but he seems to be making some progress as a manager.
As for the criticism of the signings made by Edu and Arteta, Ramsdale, Tomiyashi, Tavares, Sambi, Gabriel and White all seem to be fairly decent, and an improvement on the players they have replaced. With a few more lined up to leave in January. I seem to remember Edu also brought Martinelli to the club. So, who are the really poor signings made by Edu and Arteta?
'Ole Goonar' Runnarson, Willian and Pablo Mari (?). Mari would be the one who isn't great, but an ok squad player, but Wilian - that one is beyond bad. Probably candidate for the worst signing in the past 20 years.
Willian by his own admission didn't work out at all, which was unexpectedly bad. Mari, did alright until he got rolled by Lukaku, a better CB than our previous back up Mustafi. Yes Runnarson was a poor signing. Only one poor signing compared to previous signings. Not a bad record.
Well, I'm not really in the arteta fan club but in the last 3 matches he has started to make the right decisions. The right substitutions and playing the right players. No doubt no one else would agree but he seems to be making some progress as a manager.
As for the criticism of the signings made by Edu and Arteta, Ramsdale, Tomiyashi, Tavares, Sambi, Gabriel and White all seem to be fairly decent, and an improvement on the players they have replaced. With a few more lined up to leave in January. I seem to remember Edu also brought Martinelli to the club. So, who are the really poor signings made by Edu and Arteta?
'Ole Goonar' Runnarson, Willian and Pablo Mari (?). Mari would be the one who isn't great, but an ok squad player, but Wilian - that one is beyond bad. Probably candidate for the worst signing in the past 20 years.
Willian by his own admission didn't work out at all, which was unexpectedly bad. Mari, did alright until he got rolled by Lukaku, a better CB than our previous back up Mustafi. Yes Runnarson was a poor signing. Only one poor signing compared to previous signings. Not a bad record.
Well the last thing I want to do is Jinx anything / anyone, but
Tomyasu
Ramsdale
Tavares
and
Lakonga
are all looking really Good... May they continue to develop etc
I have my doubts about Odegaard and Ben White though...I Hope I am wrong, but Odegaard; although he has 'skills' seems a little lightweight and not quite speedy enough for a No 10, though ha can pick a pass.
If Saliba were to return next year; and I hope he does because he is playing really well for Marseille, as is Gendouzi whom I would also like to return to the AFC fold, but the latter may have problems if arteta is still in charge...
I just wish he would give Martinelli some proper game time to build his confidence and sharpness....
Having watched Guendouzi at Marseille he's starting to show what type of midfielder he is. Something I didn't see him do in an Arsenal shirt. His attitude still stinks to high heaven but he could really make an impact in the Premier League now he's got to learn his game. Saliba is a must to be returned to the squad. I'd go 3 at the back with White, Saliba and Gabriel. That would be a strong, pacy, ball playing back 3. Lokonga and Guendouzi would make an excellent midfield pairing, and compliment each other well. Front 3 of ESR, Saka and Martinelli would be exceptional. I'd go as far as Tierney on the left and Tavares on the right. 3-4-3 system which works so well in this premier League. A system well used by Conte, and by Klopp.
I don't know if Arteta would adapt to that as he prefers 4 at the back. But our strongest players next season will suit a 3-4-3 system.
Having watched Guendouzi at Marseille he's starting to show what type of midfielder he is. Something I didn't see him do in an Arsenal shirt. His attitude still stinks to high heaven but he could really make an impact in the Premier League now he's got to learn his game. Saliba is a must to be returned to the squad. I'd go 3 at the back with White, Saliba and Gabriel. That would be a strong, pacy, ball playing back 3. Lokonga and Guendouzi would make an excellent midfield pairing, and compliment each other well. Front 3 of ESR, Saka and Martinelli would be exceptional. I'd go as far as Tierney on the left and Tavares on the right. 3-4-3 system which works so well in this premier League. A system well used by Conte, and by Klopp.
I don't know if Arteta would adapt to that as he prefers 4 at the back. But our strongest players next season will suit a 3-4-3 system.
Guendouzi has gone hasn’t he?
Loan with obligation to buy for a ridiculously low transfer fee. He’s not coming back.
Well, I'm not really in the arteta fan club but in the last 3 matches he has started to make the right decisions. The right substitutions and playing the right players. No doubt no one else would agree but he seems to be making some progress as a manager.
As for the criticism of the signings made by Edu and Arteta, Ramsdale, Tomiyashi, Tavares, Sambi, Gabriel and White all seem to be fairly decent, and an improvement on the players they have replaced. With a few more lined up to leave in January. I seem to remember Edu also brought Martinelli to the club. So, who are the really poor signings made by Edu and Arteta?
'Ole Goonar' Runnarson, Willian and Pablo Mari (?). Mari would be the one who isn't great, but an ok squad player, but Wilian - that one is beyond bad. Probably candidate for the worst signing in the past 20 years.
Willian by his own admission didn't work out at all, which was unexpectedly bad. Mari, did alright until he got rolled by Lukaku, a better CB than our previous back up Mustafi. Yes Runnarson was a poor signing. Only one poor signing compared to previous signings. Not a bad record.
We seem to be forgetting Partey who has been nothing short of dreadful given the level of investment
Up front, I would sell Pepe. I just don't think that he is good enough and won't ever be. I don't think that it is ability, but a lack of football intelligence.
It’ll be an interesting summer for Pepe. He’ll only have 2 years remaining on his contract but it’s hard to justify an extension!
But selling him would be quite damaging too. You buy him for £72m but sell for £20-25m? That’s a heavy loss. He’s useful so I think he’ll stick around until he has 1 year left on his contract and then sold in 2023…. unless he Miraculously improves
After some time seeing recruiting from other managers/heads of football, I will give Arteta credit for what looks like the best transfer window in some time. Even if I harbour long term doubts on his ability to consistently get a tune out of his squad, this window should lay down the groundwork for other coaches to work with. My only complaint would possibly be around not really needing Ben White, but that is probably about it for now.
I now will crawl back into my hovel before I take pelters
It's funny that when we have a bad transfer window or sign shit players it is all on edu, but when we have a good transfer window and sign good players, all credit goes to pep's water boy
Personally I dont know where I stand on the transfer credit/blame issue - I absolutely point the finger of blame on arteta for signing odeargod cos I stand by my belief that he was forced into playing smith-rowe in the first place, but I am unsure on who signed tiramisu and ramsdale.
My issue (as it was in latter wenger days) is more about his inability to get the maximum out of the players he has - yes we all know that he cant compete in the transfer market with the likes of citeeh, but fcuk me he has enough good players to beat the likes of brighton, brentford and palace
Since the weekend I am finally acknowledging that conte wont be joining us anytime soon, and is more than likely going to the red manc scum. People say that we cant afford (transfer budget) conte, or wont give him enough power, but we should be kicking the tyres on the possibility of getting him before he does go up there
