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Match Report: West Ham United 1 – 0 Arsenal

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West Ham United (0) 1 Arsenal (0) 0
Premier League
The London Stadium, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London E20 2ST
Saturday, 12th January 2019. Kick-off time: 12.30pm
(4-2-3-1) Leno; Mustafi, Sokratis, Koscielny, Maitland-Niles; Guendouzi, Xhaka; Kolašinac, Aubameyang, Iwobi, Lacazette,
Substitutes: Čech, Bellerín, Ramsey, Torreira, Lichtsteiner, Monreal, Nketiah.
Yellow Cards: Mustafi, Kolašinac
Referee: Jonathan Moss
Attendance: 59,946
Maybe it was the look of horror on Laurent Koscielny’s face when Declan Rice’s shot hit the back of the Arsenal net. Or maybe it was the shrug of Alexandre Lacazettte’s shoulders near the end of the match that told the story of this sorry tale of woe; but either way, and whatever it was, the parts were far worse than the sum of the whole today. We started the match brightly enough, with Alex Iwobi making penetrating runs down and across the channels, with Sead Kolašinac working well alongside him. In midfield, Mattéo Guendouzi started to move with confidence, and one of the brighter moments for us in the first half was his attempt on the West Ham goal from 25 yards. 
However, our second half reputation for stepping up to the plate and dominating matches appeared to leave us quickly today. Within five minutes of the restart, we were a goal down due to bad positioning and sloppy defending which has been our problem for most of this season. To be fair, Mr. Emery sensed the seriousness of the situation and brought on Lucas Torreira for Shkodran Mustafi and the departing Aaron Ramsey for Granit Xhaka; ten minutes later, Ainsley Maitland-Niles made way for Hector Bellerín. At this point, we then appeared to drop to a flat back four, but to be fair, by now all bets were off. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang only had one meaningful attempt on the home side’s goal, whilst in injury time, a header from Laurent Koscielny did find the back of the West Ham net, but his goal was ruled out for offside by Jonathan Moss, which not only disappointed our fans, but merely served to rub salt in an already painful wound.
Today was the day when we truly discovered that the story about the emperor’s new clothes was really written for Arsenal Football Club. Despite all the great football that was played a few months ago, despite the impressive victories and the jaw-dropping goals, this performance at The London Stadium today proved that all that went before didn’t matter and the real Arsenal is a flaccid, uninspired leaderless collection of footballers. 
What to do? Mr. Emery has already stated that Arsenal have no money available for permanent signings in the January transfer window, and that we are looking at loan deals to shore up an extremely porous defence. The owner of the club is conspicuous by his continued absence, and one is now starting to wonder if his modus operandi here in North London is merely one of investor and not benefactor, despite a net worth of US$8.5 billion and a reputation of not getting involved in any of his clubs’ day-to-day operations. Bearing this in mind, what we see is what we get and the players we have here is all that there is until the season ends and the summer transfer window opens. Even then, who can we attract to our club? Having been somewhere, it’s  going to be difficult to accept that we are still going nowhere. Our traditional rivals are continuing to improve, and we have just simply stagnated with our major role being a successful off-the-field financial showpiece for the owner’s ever-growing empire. There used to be a football club over there, you know?
Without new players of a certain level we will be heading for mid-table obscurity, and in the world we inhabit today, that will be sooner rather than later, I’m afraid. With our next matches being Chelsea and Manchester United, it’s now impossible to feel sanguine about the prospects of victory in either game, sadly. It’s not only now, with us drowning in the wake of this defeat that makes me concerned about the future; it’s the realisation that unless something drastic happens behind the scenes at The Emirates, this series of events will be replayed in front of us next season, and many seasons that follow. It’s going to be rough out there from now on. Nineteen days and counting until the end of the transfer window for loan deals. Remember everyone, keep the faith, get behind the team and the manager, as these early days are going to be crucial for our future success in all competitions. Stick with the winners. Victoria Concordia Crescit.
Steve

Too Dearly Loved To Be Forgotten: Arsenal v Racing Club de Paris 1930-1962 by Steve Ingless (Rangemore Publications, ISBN 978-1-5272-0135-4) is now available on Amazon.

Arsenal’s most important game since their last most important game

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Today’s game against West Ham is the most important game since the last most important game.

It has been a tough week for some Arsenal fans as the realisation has hit that the last men running the club – Ivan Gazidis & Arsene Wenger – left us in a poorer state then they first thought.

The poor commercial deals, poor sales and poor coaching will take 3 years to undo. We are just 6 months into the future.

So the game against West Ham is very important to keep fans onside.

There had been a wave of hope and optimism due to a 23-game unbeaten run. This was hit with poor results against Southampton, Brighton and Liverpool. Some fans began doubt Unai Emery et al quicker than what they should. Probably motivated by RT’s and followers.

But negativity can spread quickly. We lose tomorrow, the crowd will be baying for blood at the next home game – next weekend against Chelsea. You can already hear the cries of spend some f*****ing money as attention seeking drips get out their (recently ironed by their mum) banners out, protest and call for a boycott.

These fans are short termist.

It was always going to take 3 years to get us back up an running.

Look at Liverpool. This is Jurgen Klopp’s 4th year in charge. They finished 8th in his first year.

If you really thought that by Gazidis and Wenger going, that we were suddenly going to spend £200m and be top of the league, you were deluded. This isn’t the club lying to you, raising your expectations. This is you lying to yourself, raising your own expectations.

After Chelsea it is Manchester United in the cup, Cardiff at home, then Manchester City away.

It is a tough run of 5 games, with only the home game against Cardiff a coupon banker. And this is why the fans support is so important.

Emery before has spoken about the fans, players and club working as one. Supporting each other. Backing each other.

If you get out the banners, start the booing, after just a little bump in the road. After a couple of poor games and 2 weeks without signing someone, then you need to take a long hard look at yourself.

Victory against West Ham keeps us on the right foot. It would make it 3 wins on the spin as we go in to the Chelsea / Man U home double header.

By the time Chelsea is over, we could be in the top 4, or we could be 9 points behind.

We the fans have a huge part to play. Back the boys, back the team, back the new regime.

Keenos

So just what is going on at Arsenal?

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Yesterday Unai Emery confirmed what we all knew. That Arsenal were primarily looking to complete loan deals in January.

The club do have money to spend on players, but it has to be the right players. Not a stop gap. Not a risk. But someone who Sven Mislintat and his team recommend as the right player, a long term option.

If this player is not available in January, it is important that we do not panic buy. Waste money on someone who no one really wants. A new player is for life, not just for January.

Clearly Mislintat, alongside Raul Sanllehi and Unai Emery have decided that the right players are not available. Hence the focus on loan deals.

We all know the club is not floating in money. We don’t have the sugar daddy of Manchester City or the commercial revenue of Manchester United. Liverpool have out bought us over the last 5 years due to some fantastic sales – even though it is Arsenal with the higher net spend.

The restrictions at the club at the moment are not due to the new guys, or even Stan Kroenke. It is due to what has happened before.

For the last 4 or 5 years, the club has been poorly run by Ivan Gazidis; assisted by Arsene Wenger. If Kroenke is guilty of anything, it is not getting rid of the pair years ago.

Go back to the summer of 2015 when we only bought Petr Cech.

The financial pressure from the stadium loan had been partly lifted due to refinancing. We had money to spend, and failed to spend any on an outfield player. It was a catastrophic summer. It not only cost us the league title that year, but has caused us damage that we are suffering now.

4 years on we are paying for the price.

Had we actually signed what we needed to that summer, they would be coming to the end of their 4 year deals this. Their transfer fees would no longer be amortised in the accounts, freeing up further budget to buy players.

Due to the lack of transfer activity that summer, very little will be falling off the accounts, available to spend this summer. Just the couple of millions for Cech. And we are still paying for players that we had to overspend on a year later due to this fiasco.

This will be propped up by Danny Welbeck’s transfer fee no longer being amortised (he signed a 5 year deal in 2014). It is incredible that that summer has cost us so much.

We then have the poor commercial deals by Gazidis.

Whilst he shouted about record deals” the truth was that a high tide rises all ships.

Arsenal were getting more money, from Puma, from Emirates. But the teams behind us (Chelsea and Liverpool) were closing the gap with every new deal. And Manchester United we’re pulling away with every new deal. This has cost us key commercial revenue.

Since 2009, Arsenal’s commercial revenue has risen by 88%. Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea have all increased theirs by over 100%

Then we have player sales.

My estimation is that Arsenal have missed out on over £200n in transfer fees due to poor player sales over recent years.

Liverpool have spent more than £200m on players than Arsenal in the last 5 years. Yet Arsenal have a net spend £50m higher. The Scousers have been better at selling – bringing in over £250m than Arsenal.

This figure is even more incredible when you consider how much they spent on Allison and Virgil van Dijk in the last 12 months.

We all knew that Arsenal had been run poorly over the last half a decade, and it is only becoming clear now just how poorly that was.

Sanllehi is not yet 12 months at the club, and barely 6 months in his new role. Mislintat has been here just over a year. It will take these guys time to fix us. They need to be given that time and our support.

Over the summer I held a simple opinion. That it would take 6 transfer windows from when Mislintat took over to change Arsenal. We have had 2 so far.

In the two we bought in some top signings.

Aubameyang. Torreira, Leno, Sokratis, Mkhitaryan, Guendouzi & Mavropanos.

This summer we will hopefully see a new left back, central defender and winger join the squad. Arsenal could have over £100m to spend, depending on player sales.

That will be 10 new players. 40% of the squad turned over in 18 months.

And it is not just about buying players. It is about selling.

Ramsey, Cech and Welbeck will all leave on a free transfer. Add in Lichsteiner and that is nearly £20m freed up.

Over the last 12 months we have seen Giroud, Walcott, Debuchy & Coquelin also leave. As well as Cazorla, Wilshere, Meetesacker, Perez and Campbell.

Add in Sanchez and that is 13 senior players sold in 3 transfer windows. Over 50% of Arsene Wenger’s 25 man squad.

That should highlight to you all how big a challenge it is at Arsenal. We have had a 50% turn around in playing staff, and are only 1/3 of the way through doing what we need to do.

A line in the sand has to be drawn. Let’s not blame what is happening now on those currently at the club. It is the fault of those who left.

Raul and Sven are having to undo a lot of poor work. They have pretty much having to rebuild the entire squad. The entire club.

I am positive about the future at Arsenal. It feels like some fans have now finally realised what a hole we were in.

Back the new lads.

Keenos