Tag Archives: Arsenal

Arsene Wenger granted transfer window wish

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Arsene Wenger has long been an advocate of closing the window before competitive action begins, and that stance is likely to have hardened after Arsenal were engaged in several last-minute deals over recent transfer windows.

The Arsenal manager was recently quoted as saying “That’s why I believe it’s important that we close [the transfer window] before the championship starts. Even in the games, you sit there before the games and even in players’ minds they have no clarity. Are they in? Are they out? Are they half in? Are they half out? Are they tapped up in the afternoon of the game by people who want to get them out?

“It’s not the way to work and it’s uncomfortable. Every single manager in the league would agree that it’s time to kick that out before the season starts and not continue to have players in the dressing room who are half out and half in.”

From next season, the window will close at 17:00 BST on the Thursday before the Premier League season begins.

Premier League clubs have voted to close next summer’s transfer window before the season starts.

Managers have complained that the ability for players to move when the season is under way causes disruption to their squads and preparations.

The vote was not unanimous and clubs will still be able to sell players until the end of the normal window.

The window across Europe runs until 31 August. The Premier League’s move means that while clubs will be able to sell until that date, buying activity will cease on 9 August for the 2018-19 season.

European leagues will still be able to buy and sell until 31 August, while the Football League’s window also remains unaltered.

Football League bosses have indicated they could follow the Premier League’s move but require further dialogue with stakeholders before a decision is made.

The number of Premier League clubs who wanted the change is not yet clear but at least 14 of the 20 must have voted for the move in order for a change to take place.

Keenos

2018 set to be a worse summer than 2017 for Arsenal fans

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The transfer window shut a week ago today and I am already looking towards 2018 with dread.

If you thought the summer 2017 was a disaster, things will be worse in a years time. The clubs lack of action this summer, and policy over contracts is gong to come back and bite it in the arse.

Firstly we have the expiring contracts.

Alexis Sanchez will almost certainly leave in a free transfer. He was so close to leaving this summer. He will go. He will take his dogs with him to lick peanut butter off his nut sack. Mesut Ozil will also be out of the door. Whilst no one was willing to pay for him this summer, a lack of transfer fee will see many Turkish and German clubs be able to offer him a nice big signing on fee to make up for (potentially) lower wages.

Santi Cazorla also has his contract expiring. He would have spent nearly 18 months injured before we see him again this season. He really should have been replaced this summer, but was not. Per Mertesacker will retire, leaving us an experienced centre back short.

Then we have Jack Wilshere. If he get’s fit and stays, he might sign a new deal. But that is unlikely. He will be another out the door for free. The final one who’s contract is expiring is Joel Campbell. Not a disaster him going, but he will take it to 6 players leaving with no fees coming in.

We then have the want-a-way players. Those who tried to leave this summer.

Shkodran Mustafi tried to engineer a move away from the club this summer. The club were seemingly happy to allow him to talk to other sides having decided he was not good enough. Too much water under the bridge. Unlikely to be here for 2018/19.

We also have Hector Bellerin. Another who flirted with leaving. He ended up staying. But such as a mass exodus, it would not be a surprise to see him in a Barcelona shirt next summer.

Arsenal will also still need to ship out some dead wood.

Next summer, Petr Cech will be 36 years old. We will need a new goal keeper. His understudy, David Ospina, is not good enough to be number one. Will he be happy us signing a new first choice keeper? Probably not. He may well leave. That could result in us needing to sign a first choice goal keeper, and a second choice one if Emiliano Martinez does not prove himself.

Lucas Perez, Mathieu Debuchy, Carl Jenkinson and Chuba Akpom were all told this summer to find new clubs. They didn’t, with only Jenkinson leaving on loan. They will still be contracted to Arsenal into next season, and the club will once again try to move the 4 on.

There are also 8 players who have their contracts coming to an end in 2019, meaning if they do not sign a deal throughout this season – and who would sign with so much uncertainty – they will be entering the last year of their deal next summer.

These players include the aforementioned David Ospina, Mathieu Debuchy and Chuba Akpom.

Also on the list is Aaron Ramsey. With his comment about Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, maybe he will feel next summer is the right time to leave Arsenal for a new challenge elsewhere. On the flip side, his position is reminiscent to Theo Walcott a few years ago, when other senior players were leaving and he was able to secure himself a bumper new contract, far above his true value. Ramsey could be in a position to negotiate a new 5 year, £200,000 a week deal…

Nacho Monreal is another who could move on next summer. With a year left on his contract, his left back place taken by Sead Kolašinac, and his best mate Santi Cazorla set to leave, he is another who could agitate for a move back to his native Spain.

Will Olivier Giroud be happy with another season as a Plan B? The World Cup will be gone and he will be 32. Like Monreal, he might find it the right time to leave.

Theo Walcott and Danny Welbeck are the final two who’s contracts are coming to an end.

If the Class of 2019 do not leave next summer, they will leave for free the summer after.

I can not see Monreal or Giroud wanting new deals – or the club offering them (both will be well into their 30s). And I would be surprised if Danny Welbeck would sign another deal, having continually found himself as a bit part player since his move from Manchester United.

As for Walcott, the club will probably offer him a new deal, but at a reduced wage as he would be on the wain. I can not see him accepting this.

Now for a few side notes.

Are Calum Chambers, Francis Coquelin or Mohamed Elneny good enough? In other circumstance, you would file under dead wood and look to get rid. But with the impending disaster, poor employees will be kept as better employers leave.

Finally we have Laurent Koscielny. On the 10th September 2018 he will be 33. He will be even more injury prone. With his heir-apparent Mustafi set to leave, not only will we be looking to sign a partner for Koscielny, but also potentially a long term replacement if Rob Holding does not develop as expected.

All chucked into a big cooking pot, it looks like it is set to be a tough summer in 2018.

We are already a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder and a centre back short, around 16 key members of the current squad could leave next summer, and another 4 are tittering on the edge. And many of those 16 will eave without a fee coming in.

If disaster hits, we might have to send up signing 20 players!

And the worst of it all is this disaster has been orchestrated by Arsene Wenger, who in 2019, will walk away from the sinking ship, having driving it deliberately into the rocks.

Cheers Arsene

Keenos

 

Arsenal International’s and Congratulations Ivan

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Well that was another dull international break wasn’t it?

With Theo Walcott mysteriously left out of the England squad once again by Gareth Southgate for inferior players, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain now at Liverpool, and Jack Wilshere not selected due to lack of games over the last 6 months, there was nothing of real interest in either England game. And the game itself were as boring as anything.

Oxlade-Chamberlain proved what most people with half a brain have been saying for years. That he has the ability to beat people for fun, but does not contribute much else.

3 occasions against Slovenia (or was it Slovakia? Or Serbia? All these Eastern Bloc countries are the same to me) he showed the world what he was about.

In the first half he brilliantly won the ball, shrugged off his opponent and drove forward, only to pass the ball 5 yards directly to an opponent.

A minute later he brilliantly beat a couple of men, before curling a ball high and wide. You can not even say it went over the bar, as it didn’t. It was an atrocious shot. Finally at one point he found himself in plenty of space on the left, cut back in on his right foot to put a cross in. Goal kick. It’s the story of his life.

Oxlade-Chamberlain is average, and proved for England what Arsenal fans have seen for years. ZERO end product. Arsenal did brilliant to fleece Liverpool for £40m, the annoyance is he was not replaced. Although if we return to 4 at the back, he is essentially 5th choice RB (Bellerin, Debuchy, Chambers, Mustafi, Ox) and 5th choice winger (Sanchez, Walcott, Welbeck, Iwobi).

I had to laugh at the Boring James Milner twitter account mocking Oxlade-Chamberlain throughout:

This after the deadline day tweet:

If you find yourself playing Malta, and end up on the right wing with Jake Livermore in central midfield, then the next game find yourself being shunted to the left wing for the next game, maybe you are simply not as good as you think you are?

Thanks for the memories Ox. Although I can not think of any at this moment in time.

There were goals for Danny Welbeck and Aaron Ramsey against Malta and Moldova respectively.

Arsenal players stepping up and scoring against minnows. I am going to stick a tenner on us to win the FA Cup and Europa League this year.

On the Europa League, Cologne is all booked. Gonna be a top trip. 11 of us going out there. Staying at the Ibis near the station. Should be a good drink up.

Mesut Ozil also put in his top performance for Germany.

Personally I do not care how many goals and assists he has for Germany, I care that he performs for Arsenal.

A load of fan boys came out saying look at how good Mesut is. If only he played with top players at Arsenal. You might be right, but also remember he is a top player at Arsenal. A top player who too often lets his team mates down.

Thinking about Germany, Joachim Lowe is set to leave after the World Cup. Will we let another top manager find a job elsewhere?

With regards to other players playing across the globe for their country, I do not really care how they performed, nor have I taken any notice.

I look forward to Saturday. A day of redemption.

finally congratulations Ivan on the new job…

Keenos