So the transfer window is closed. We finally spent some money. A truly world class talent in Mesut Ozil (I am not going to put the silly little dots about his name) has joined The Arsenal for a club record £42.4million, but I sit here this morning with a bitter sweet taste in my mouth – although that might be the rubbish ocffee I have just made myself.
Whilst the signing of Ozil is a brilliant one. A world class player, just entering his peak, there is a feeling that we could have, no we should have, done more. The beginning of the Scouts Motto is a vow that ‘I will always do my best.’ It is clear that no one at Arsenal was ever a scout, because we have not done our best.
With a reported £80million to spend in this transfer window, we have spent just £42.4million of that. Add in the sales of Gervinho and more, we have raised circa £10million and free’d up hundreds of thousands in wages. A net spend of a little over £30million means there is plenty left in the pot. After last summers transfer window, Ivan Gazidas came out and said:
‘We also kept some powder dry so we’ve got the ability to invest if our manager finds the right opportunities in January.’
We bought a left back.
Now before I spiral too far into the pit of negativity, I am pleased with the players we got in. Emiliano Viviano, whilst I have never seen him play, reads like a player who could challenge Sczcesny. The press reported it as Arsenal signing a Seria B goal keeper. But the truth is he is Italian number 2, and last year was Fiorentina’s number 1 goalkeeper when they just narrowely missed out on Champions League football. The only slight worry is he looks a little like Manuel Almunia! However, why have we loaned him? We are Arsenal Football Club. We should not be relying on loan deals. With the money we have, if Arsene Wenger thinks Viviano is good enough, let’s go buy him and then make a song and dance about buying one of the best Italian goalkeepers.
We then have our 2 free transfer. Flamini and Sanogo. We know what we are getting in Flamini. And he showed what he can give to the team in the second half against Spurs. Going against the grain, I am happy with our midfield starters. Wither Arteta/Ramsey/Wilshere as the 2 central midfielder, and Rosicky/Cazorla/Chamberlain and now Ozil for the attacking midfielder, I struggled to see why we would need to go out and spend a £25million on Fellaini. Or big on a Bender or Gundogan. So the signing of Flamini is smart. It has improved the squad, and you know what you are getting. You know he will settle and he is good enough for the Premier League. And, in theory anyway, coming in on a free should have left money to spend on other area’s of the side.
As for Sanogo. He is a giant of a man and will come good. In his early games, I have been impressed by his movement and work rate. The guy has talent, but it might take him a year or so to get fully up to speed with the Premier League.
And that is the frustration. We essentially sit here with 1 senior striker. Yes, Theo Walcott and Lukas Podolski can cover up there, but neither have been impressive when doing so. A bid for Demba Ba on the final day is not good enough. Especially when on loan. We still had another £40million to spend. Did we do our best to spend it? I think not. And in defence. Liverpool spent £25million early in the day on 2 talented young centrebacks. One of them the highly rates Sakho from PSG. Why were we not in for him? We had the money.
Yes, Mesut Ozil is a brilliant deal. One of the top 10 players in the world. And hopefully the signing of him will attract further players. But at the moment, it feels like I have been given a toy for Christmas with no batteries. And the shop’s do not open untill tomorrow. Except in this case the shop does not reopen until January. We failed to do our best. We are bad scouts.
Finally, how must Robin Van Persie be thinking this morning. Yes, he won the league title last year, but he left Arsenal to play with better players and win more. I said last year, Arsenal will win more trophies during Van Persie’s time at Old Trafford then Manchester United will. And now Van Persie looks around him and see’s Ashley Young, Michael Carrick, Tom Cleverely and Nani supplying him. Whilst at Arsenal there Cazorla and Ozil. The two most creative players in Europe. I wonder if he is starting to regret the move
Keenos
Follow @KeenosAFC
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon 
That’s what your pal Piers said. Well done.
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RVP won the PL in 2012 with MU. I doubt he is regretting the move … he’s bagged the trophy that has alluded us for 11years
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sure its been a while but 2004 was not 11 years ago. even when ozil is helping us to lift the title in may it will only be 10 years.
as for sanogo and giroud being our only strikers that is not strictly true. we have a striker who has scored 45 goals in just 79 starts for the club, never mind 22 in 55 for his country, whilst we have another striker who has scored 23 in 61 for his country. then there is also akpom and afobe. Hopefully wenger wont have to use any of them and big olly will continue his great form, until the next window opens and we then land our striker target as well as a defender, a winger and one or two others.
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Cheer up, you miserable bastard!
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Right on mate!
Wtf is wrong with these bloggers these days?
Always something to complain about.
Stop being a pussy and support your team!
This has been a great window for us!
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Complete and utter rubbish. Consider your we site hidden from news now.
Proof that some fans are just plain retards
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There sure a lot off negativeity out there. We have a good squad, if we play like the way we have been playing in pass 4 games we have a good chance to win something this year. We r not Chelsea, Man U, man city, we r who w r, we r afc.
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We really could have done with another striker and another CB… but hey! we have Mesut Ozil!!! Wenger finally splashed some big money! It’s a positive step forwards for manager and club 🙂
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I totally agree with you apart from the bit on end about Van Persie.
Ozil is a brilliant signing but we needed players in other positions as well to be capable of fighting for trophy’s – Not good enough
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8 years
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We should just buy for the sake of buying. We have extra 40m just buy whoever we can. U muppet
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Mmm four good deals in two fees and a loan is good. Tried Suarez Liverpool didn’t want to sell tried ba who would have been a good addition Chelsea wanted silly amounts for a loan fee for. Loans are good they are useful. But oil was the end target and your piece is assuming we have done all our business. We can get to January with Giroud as main striker easily. Lets see where we are after ten games which by the way is Liverpool. Last year we recorded one win against a top 5 side and Tottenham were down to ten men. This time we did it against eleven but now we must get points off of it’d Chelsea and city to stand a chance of winning we were sixteen points off title now take 9 points off the aforementioned teams we are in a good place more would be fantastic but winning the home ties are a must for us. For us our defining moment comes march time with spurs Chelsea and city all in a row.
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I actually agree with this although like every arsenal fan I’m delighted with ozil, he is truly world class but I can’t help feel it’s papering over the cracks! It’s like wengers mum has give him money to go to the shop to get essentials like bread and milk but then he comes home with a bag of haribo’s!! All I can say is I hope giroud doesn’t get injured or burnt out before jan or were in trouble!!
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If we can carry on playing with the same desire shown against the spuds and steer clear of any more injuries I have not seen any team out there that should worry us. I had to stop watching the recent manure / chelski game due to boredom and negative tactics, a time to be positive and get behind the team and then you never know what can happen!
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We already have batteries. We have three lethal strikers at the club, with a frontman who is absolutely banging them in right now. Get a grip.
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completely agree! just one world class signing is not enough for us to compete with chelsea, manchester city and possibly liverpool. we also needed a defensive midfielder, a striker in the mould of luis suarez and, possibly another winger….
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All is well. If we really need further strengthening, in 16 weeks’ time the January transfer Window will open.
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Baby steps
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” We are Arsenal Football Club. We should not be relying on loan deals. ”
Change your mind set, because such mind set, even Chealsea also go for loan deal with Eto, To win anything we need to do anything that is possible to win as long as it is ethically right. Plus we are the Arsenal as you say – so our loan deals for the keeper also do have the option to buy which I say a much much much more smarter move rather then just go and buy, Yeah you may think that for pride this or that but imagine if you can buying anything you want by not pay at the counter first but after you give it a try and then you can decide to buy it or not — which is better plus since Arsenal is a much more attractive then his signed club.
Btw yup a tad disappointed with no additional striker, but hey if you a truoy a gooner when is the last time that we had a sweet taste in the mouth after going through the transfer season – it had been 5 years or more – ie last year was great but then at the end RVP shitted on us and leave.
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There can’t be 100% perfection
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Pls let us enjoy ds moment together. Irrespective of d camp u belong, arsenal is one
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Pathetic but predictable. You’ve shown your true colours. Your hatred for the manager prevents you from admitting this was an amazing signing.
You truly are an embarrassment.
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strikers – giroud, podolski, Walcott, sanogo, bendtner, park, afobe, akpom
midfielders – ozil, cazorla, rosicky, Wilshire, chamberlain, ryo, arteta, flamini, diaby, frimpong, yennaris, eisfeld, gnabry, zelalem, Olsson
defenders – sagna jenkinson mertesacker koscielny vermaelen gibbs monreal bellerin hayden boateng
keepers – szczesney fabianski viviano Martinez
seeing as we pretty much play a 451 now, as long we keep giroud fit until January by rotating him where possible we will have no problem. there is no need to start him every match and there is no need for him to finish every match either.
just make bendtner and park earn their bloody money now, even if its doing a bit of stewarding!!
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We didn’t sell any of our best players and we bought a world class player in Ozil, you have got to be happy with that and as long as we keep up the same for the next few transfer windows then the future is looking super bright for AFC!
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We should have just payed the 30m or whatever Swans would have takan for Williams and Michu. Now those two would have completed us.
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i totally agree with u. we had 3 months to at least get a striker just in case giroud gets injured. i really cant see us rely on sanogo for anything at the moment
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Thumps up guy.. You totally right. Wenger should not give excuse for not getting us a center back and a striker I mean line striker who can cope with Ozil and cazola through pass, I only pray Giroud and Matasacker not get injure cos if it happen we are back to square one.
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WE NEEDED to buy a marquee Striker as well but in the mean time Park could be given a chance while Bendtner could do the unthinkable and become a good player
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