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.
Glad that a lot of the underachievers have been moved out -, Clichy, Eboue, Traore, Denilson, Bendtner, Vela ( if only on loan for a couple of them) but it still leaves a few who have nothing to offer, Almunia, Squillaci,
The replacements are mostly seasoned, experienced, internationals who hopefully can bring some solidity to our team, with a couple of potentials which Arsene is so keen on.
None of the signings of the last 2 days were ones that would have been out of the question a month or two back, so the big question is why leave them so late and throw 8 points down the drain and risk missing out on the Champions league through non qualification - which was a real threat.
Also, if the penny has finally dropped with Arsene that his project is kaput, will he persist in the 4-3-3 that went with it and was very much a major part of its failure ?
Attacking fullbacks, that were garbage once near the opponents box, and poor crossers of the ball, with lightweight, lazy wideplayers who offfered no defensive shield left us absolutely prone to a counterattck.
A centreforward who, while decent in the air, has no chance in winning a ball from a Schezney goal kick and flicking it on to a colleague as they are miles away, isolated on either wing.
So has he accepted that a horses for courses policy will see different formations / different players against the likes of Stoke, Bolton, Blackburn would be more successfull than insisting we play "The Arsenal Way" regardless of the opposition and their strengths and weaknesses.