Tag Archives: Arsenal

Arsenal: 5 to target, 5 to avoid in January

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5 to target

Leon Goretzka

The 22 year old German is available on a free transfer in the summer. It might be logical to get a contract in place in January, securing him for the summer, but I would prefer we signed him in January for a reduced transfer fee and gave him 6 months to acclimatise to the Premier League.

With Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil set to leave for nothing in the summer, both require replacing.

Getting in someone of the talent of Goretzka for a low price (or even a free if we do wait) frees the money up to replace that other number 10 we are missing.

A powerful attacking midfielder, Goretzka reminds me of Michael Ballack and would be the perfect replacement for either Mesut Ozil or Alexis Sanchez.

He has the talent to be as good as the likes of Ozil and Kevin de Bruyne.

Signing him should be a no brainer.

Julian Draxler

We have been linked with Julian Draxler forever. It is incredible to think that he is just 24.

Since joining PSG a year ago, the German international has struggled to make an impact on the first team – starting just 10 games this season.

With PSG considering a bid for Alexis Sanchez, and having the likes of Neymar and Mbappe staring week in week out, Draxler is surplus to requirements.

Draxler is competing with the likes of Mesut Ozil, Toni Kroos, Mario Götze, Leroy Sané, Leon Goretzka, Julian Brandt & Thomas Muller for a place in Germany’s World Cup squad. Those 7 are playing regulary for their clubs. Draxler isn’t.

A move to Arsenal could reignite his hopes of making the German squad for Russia 2018

Raphael Varane

With Real Madrid looking to offload a whole host of players to fund a summer spending spree, French centre back Raphael Varane might end up on his way out, despite only just signing a new 5 year deal with the Spaniards.

At just 23-years-old, Varane has both youth and experience on his side.

When you consider Virgil van Dijk has just gone for £75m, if Arsenal can pick up Varane for £40m or less, it would be brilliant business.

Leon Bailey

With Arsenal returning to 4 at the back, the future might also see a return to playing 4231. With Arsene Wenger’s reluctance to play Theo Walcott wide right, a move for Bayer Leverkusen’s talented Jamaican winger.

The 20-year-old speedster joined the German outfit €20 million in 2016/17 transfer window. He has broken through to the first team this season, scoring 8 goals in his 16 appearances.

The reported £35m might be too much for an unproven talent, but if we can recoup half of that by selling Theo Walcott, it offsets the risk.

Idrissa Gueye

When Arsenal were linked with N’Golo Kante 18 months ago, a lot of people scoffed at the notion of signing the Frenchman as he was not the big name they demanded – despite being one of the stand out midfielders in the Premier League. Kante went on to win the Premier League with Chelsea and be named PFA Player of the Year.

Everton’s Idrissa Gueye is in a similar boat.

People look at the Senegalese midfielder as the man who was relegated with Aston Villa, and not the player who in 2016 calendar year, made the most successful tackles and interceptions out of any player in Europe’s top five leagues.

Gueye is a strong tackler, but he can also play from the back and is able to distribute quickly – something which Granit Xhaka struggles with.

We have needed a player like Gueye for some time and, with the current midfielder partnership of Granit Xhaka and Aaron Ramsey not offering enough solidity, he would be a proven Premier League player that would immediately improve our squad.

Likely to be able to get him for under £30m.

5 to avoid

Thomas Lemar

I banged the Thomas Lemar drum most of the summer. When we were linked with him for the region of £40m, I felt we should have moved for him.

As that price target rose, by what felt like £10m a week up until we offered £90m for him I deadline day, I went cold on the Frenchman.

He is still a long term target for Arsenal, but his 2017/18 form is concerning. Just the two goals and 4 assists in Ligue 1 and the Champions League.

Compare this to 11 goals and 14 assists in those competitions and it would indicate a player who has gone backwards this season.

Rather than move for him in January, I would rather we wait until the summer, allowing new Head Scout Sven Mislinta to run the rule over him.

Arda Turan

We seem to have been forever linked with Turkish midfield Arda Turan since the day he joined Barcelona back in 2015.

The former Atletico Madrid star as never really settled in the Nou Camp, finding himself on the fringes of the first team.

A move for Turan – who is 31 in January – would be very short termist.

We would be better saving the £35m he would cost to put towards a long term attacking midfielder, someone who is of the required quality and longevity, rather than someone who is not good enough.

Medhi Benatia

The Juventus centre back has been linked recently with a move to Arsenal – with reports from Italy that the Old Lady have rejected a £35m bid for him.

I would be concerned about Arsenal signing a centre back who has been let go by Bayern Munich, and potentially Juventus.

At 30, his injury record is concerning – he has played just 35 games since joining Juventus 18 months ago.

We need to reinforce the defence, but Benatia does not solve our problems.

Wilfried Zaha

It is incredible to think that it was 5 years ago that Sir Alex Ferguson signed the then 20-year-old Wilfried Zaha as a leaving present for Manchester United.

He failed to make a start under David Moyes, only scoring with Moyses’ daughter before being shipped out on loan to Cardiff after just 6 months.

A loan move back to Crystal Palace followed the next season, before he rejoined his boyhood club permanently.

Zaha has a lot of skill and ability, but little end product – he has scored 17 goals since 2013.

When you compare that to Theo Walcott who scored 19 last season, it shows how much Zaha flatters to deceive.

We dumped an average winger in Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the summer. It does not make sense to replace him with someone else who is not good enough.

Richarlison

The Brazilian attacker has settled quickly in the Premier League, scoring 5 goals in 14 games.

Arsenal could take the risk and sign the man who Watford spent £11.2 million on in the summer. A transfer would likely cost twice that in January. If he continues his form, and the way transfer fees are going, that fee could treble by the summer.

£25m for a player with 14 appearances in England? I would rather pay £35m once he has proven himself for a season.

Keenos

Hopes for Arsenal in 2018…

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To win a trophy

Ultimately, we are in football for the success, the glory, to cheer our team on. Some clubs have a different level of success than other. For Leyton Orient, success is surviving. For Arsenal, it is trophies.

Arsenal might have been out of the title race by December – but so was every other team in England bar Manchester City. That leaves the cups as realistic targets.

Arsenal need to re-prioritise their season away from the league and onto the cups.

A trip to Wembley in March, or at the end of the season. A cheeky flight to Lyon in May. Any of these will do. Because ultimately, it is the winners who are remembered, not who finish second but put the pressure on.

Back the team to its 4th trophy in 5 years (and can we dream of a cup treble?)

Change in leadership

Whether is the manager, the owner, Ivan Gazidis or Vik Akers, something needs to change at Arsenal to freshen things up.

In Gazidis’ defence, he has acted on his summer words and we are about to see a new Head of Football Relations and Head of Recruitment join us in the shape of Sven Mislintat and Raul Sanllehi.

Realistically, Stan Kroenke will not be selling any time soon. And my personal opinion is that I do not want to be a dodgy Russian’s play thing, despite needing £350m investment.

The time is up for Arsene Wenger. Even those who still talk about his success, and the 3 FA Cups in 4 years will agree that he has gone stale.

I hope 2018 will be Arsene Wenger’s last, and that he can leave having bought us further success

Beat Spurs at Wembley

It is the little things that count, and whilst beating Spurs at Wembley will not mean much in terms of league placings, it will reinforce that Wembley is ours.

Keep Mesut Ozil and Jack Wilshere

I do not care for Alexis Sanchez. He can go away and do nasty things to his dogs. But recently both Ozil and Wilshere have shone.

Ozil has returned to form and, perhaps with the limelight on him rather than Sanchez, people are realising the good work he does.

Jack Wilshere meanwhile is still on the road to recovery.

I would be concerned about giving him the mooted 5 year – £100,000 a week contract, but would not be upset if he signed a new 3 year deal.

Just remember when it comes to Wilshere, if you are calling for him to have a new contract, and he breaks down again, do not blame the club that he is “stealing” a wage, as you wanted him to get the new deal.

Spend some f*****g money

We might not have £350million to spend, but we are by no means paupers.

Hopefully this summer with Mislintat and Sanllehi at the helm, we actually buy the players we need, and act clinically in the market. It might not be enough to overhaul Manchester city, but better to try and fail, then not try at all.

 

What wishes do you have for 2018?

Keenos

Booing Kieran Gibbs – Just a bit of a laugh

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Happy New Year everyone.

I am already back in the office. The nature of my job means that I do not really get the Christmas period off, so except for the Bank Holidays, I have been in work, grafting away.

The final game of the season ended like many other games in 2017. Disappointing.

A 1-1 draw with WBA, where the only highlight was me booing Kieran Gibbs for my own amusement.

It started as a joke between myself and some mates, but after the first time of booing him, people were spitting feathers. One Northern bird directly behind me was especially getting her knickers in the twist. Doing that thing that cowards do – speaking really loudly about you so that you can hear, but not having the balls to confront you.

Her northern voice grated on me so I kept booing. The more I booed Gibbs, the more she seemed to get wound up. Her fault for not supporting her local club.

Over recent years, away games in the league have become more and more infiltrated by fans who live closer to the ground we are playing out than Islington. The atmosphere at away games has certainly become diluted due to this.

Anyway, I had fun booing Gibbs, and it was my highlight of a dull game.

Was it a penalty? Never.

Those incidents happen every single game. In fact, I commented to a mate on the way to WBA that you are seeing a lot more handball decisions in the penalty area turned down this season, with players either being too close to the ball, or it not being deliberate.

I have no idea what Mike Dean was seeing when he gave the penalty.

That is not to blame Mike Dean for Arsenal not winning. We should be blowing sides like WBA away. However, had Dean not given the penalty, we would have won 1-0.

It is not the first time we have dropped points as a direct result of a refereeing decision. This season, the men in black seem to be worse then ever.

Now whilst not all of the decisions in the above Tweet were incorrect. A few of them were hand balls similar to Calum Chambers’ that was clearly not a penalty, the decisions against Stoke, Watford and now WBA will all stick in the mind for some time to come.

In my opinion, that is 6 points dropped due to extremely poor refereeing decisions at times of the game where it had a massive impact.

That 6 points would not be enough to put us back into the title race, only a £350m investment will do that, but it would bring us a lot closer to Manchester United in second – 3 points behind them with a game in hand.

Refereeing decisions aside, Arsenal are in horrendous form. 11 points from a possible 21 I saw tweeted yesterday. And with Chelsea to play tomorrow, can you realistically see that ticking over to 11 in 24.

I asked people on the She Wore Facebook page their wish for 2018, and to a man, every said the manager to leave in the summer. I am surprised so many still seem to back him. They must not have sat through dull games such as WBA during 2017.

My wish for 2018 is to see us winning a trophy. We are still in the League Cup, FA Cup and Europa League. That is 3 realistically chances of silverware. It is probably why I am so apathetic towards Premier League games at the moment. I want to see Arsenal win things, and the league is the only competition we entered this season that we can not win.

Here is to a successful 2018 (raises cup of tea that has no milk because I am the first in the office).

Enjoy your day off if you are still not back!

Keenos