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The transfer window is open

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The transfer window is open!

Despite the season not even yet being over – with the FA Cup and Champions League Final’s still to play, teams throughout England can now buy and sell players.

This is due to Premier League clubs voting to close the own window at 5pm on Thursday August 9, two days before the first match of the 2018/19 season.

Fifa rules dictate the window must be open for 12 weeks which has meant the date clubs can start to sign players has also been brought forward.

In a move designed to end disruption and allow clubs to focus on their football, Premier League clubs have agreed to close the summer transfer window before the start of the 2018-19 season.

The change came after a number of Premier League managers and club officials complained about the negative impact of transfer uncertainty and speculation on their players. Diego Costa, Philippe Coutinho and Virgil van Dijk were just four of a list of players who did not play for their clubs as they pursued exits.

14 Premier League clubs voted for the window to shut before the season starts, starting this season.

EFL clubs have followed the Premier League’s example by bringing their transfer deadline forward but with foreign leagues’ deadlines expected to be on August 31, we are in line for two transfer deadlines next summer.

This means there will be two transfer Deadline Days in August, with the Premier League and EFL windows shutting before the other major leagues around Europe.

The transfer windows in Spain, France, Germany and Italy are all expected to open in early June.

As usual, the deadlines are expected to fall on August 31, with Ligue 1, Bundesliga, Serie A and La Liga showing no signs of following the Premier League’s lead.

Premier League clubs will no longer be able to make signings when the season gets underway, but the change does not apply to other leagues, meaning Premier League players will still be able to move abroad.

That means transfer sagas such as Barcelona’s pursuit of Coutinho last summer could still drag on into the season, creating the same kind of unwanted distractions for Premier League bosses.

However, Premier League clubs will be in a position to charge a premium from foreign clubs after the early deadline has passed, but they will be unable to reinvest their earnings until the January window.

Premier League executive chairman Richard Scudamore told Sky Sports News…

“There was a big concern that the Premier League has been playing two or three match rounds with a degree of uncertainty between themselves.

The Premier League’s chief executive Richard Scudamore outlines the changes to the summer transfer window after 14 clubs voted for deadline day to be before the season started

“It wasn’t unanimous but nobody was pathologically angry about the situation. But there were some concerns by some clubs that, although they wouldn’t be able to buy any more players, their players could still be picked off by those who haven’t closed their windows. It just meant they couldn’t support it.

“We did have managers’ meetings before the season started. The managers are very strong on it. Almost all of them were in favour of shutting it earlier. The clubs just think it’s wrong that, going into the first game of the season, they could be playing against a player that, a few weeks later, could be playing for a different club.”

EFL Chief Executive Shaun Harvey said: “After discussing the options throughout the course of the last few months, I’m pleased that the matter has been determined by Clubs ahead of the start of next season.

“This new approach will give Clubs and managers the stability they crave earlier in the season whilst also providing the flexibility to add to their squads after the traditional deadline until the end of month if required.”

Keenos

Arsenal’s New Signings: Hit, miss or Jury’s Out?

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Sead Kolasinac

Named in the Bundesliga Team of the Season last season, the left back looked at bargain when he arrived on a free transfer, Kolasinac scored on his debut against Chelsea in the 2017 FA Community Shield. He made his Premier League debut on the opening day, providing an assist in a 4–3 win over Leicester City.

With Arsenal playing 3 at the back, he made the left wing back position his own, with Nacho Monreal flourishing on the left hand side of back 3. In the early months, he gave the team the aggression it had missed for some time, living up to his “tank” nickname.

He was named Arsenal Player of the Month in both August and October, with Nacho Monreal winning the prize in September.

Towards the end of 2017, both a formation change and injury saw him fall out of the side, firstly with Aisnley-Maitland Niles playing on the left, then Nacho Monreal returning to left back when we returned to a back 4.

Questions were raised over his defensive awareness as the reasoning behind him finding himself on the bench, but it was as much to do with Nacho Monreal’s great form – the 32 year old Spaniard showing that there is life in the old dog yet.

Kolasinac returned to the first team in the later part of the season, as Wenger begun to rest players in the league for the Europa League.

Going forward he has shown his class with 5 goals and 4 assists. To bring this into perspective, this is as many goals as Alex Oxlade Chamberlain has scored for Liverpool.

Just 24, he has shown enough this season to be Monreal’s long term replacement at left back. He is certainly not as bad defensively as some critics perhaps say.

https://twitter.com/KeenosAFC/status/995951948737269761

Alexandre Lacazette

Scoring after 94 seconds on his debut against Leicester City, the Frenchman’s season certainly began with a bang. He went on to score in both Arsenal’s next two home games, becoming the first Arsenal player to score in his first three home league appearances for the club since Brian Marwood in September 1988.

By the time December hit, it was 8 goals from his first 16 games. A fabulous start. And then it went down hill.

1 goal in his next 13 games had fans starting to question the record signing. What followed was 8 weeks on the sidelines following Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat to Tottenham.

He returned in April against Stoke City, scoring the third goal of the game following Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s decision to allow his fellow striker to take a penalty.

With that his confidence returned and he scored 8 goals in 9 games.

The clubs top scorer this season, it does feel one of 3 thirds. Brilliant in the first 3rd. Poor in the second 3rd. Brilliant in the final third. But if 17 goals is considered a poor return in his first season, it only bodes well for the future.

https://twitter.com/KeenosAFC/status/995952064919474179

Konstantinos Mavropanos

The 20 year old Greek defender was signed in January with a view to spend the second half of the season on loan in Germany. A decision to put him on the bench in the League Cup game against Chelsea meant this was not longer possible.

This left Mavropanos playing in the U23s for the majority of the season.

He made his Premier League debut in a 2–1 defeat against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Despite the defeat, his performance was praised by fans and pundits.

Mavropanos made his home debut in the club’s next home match – the 5-0 victory over Burnley.

His red card against Leicester City shows how quickly football can change.

It is important not to go OTT with Mavropanos; and we must remember that he has only played a handful of senior games in England, but physically, he looks brilliant.

https://twitter.com/KeenosAFC/status/995952192925380608

Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Part of the deal that took Alexis Sanchez to Manchester United, he made his first start for Arsenal in a 5–1 home win over Everton, claiming three assists. That match was probably the highlight of his Arsenal career thus far.

A knee injury in April caused him to miss almost the entire month. That break seemed to have broken his rhythm and affected him settling at the club, leaving him with just 7 Premier League starts.

3 goals and 5 assists in his first 14 games is a decent return, but Jose Mourinho’s question marks over his fragility hang over his head.

If he stays fit, he will be a good foil for Mesut Ozil.

https://twitter.com/KeenosAFC/status/995952323183763456

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Whilst Mkhitaryan was the man who replaced Sanchez on the pitch, Aubameyang has replaced the Chilean as the figure head of the team.

He has continued his performances that he put in for Borussia Dortmund, scoring on his debut against Everton.

Aubameyang’s appearances were restricted due to be cup tied in the Europa League. You do have to wonder if he was not cup tied – due to UEFA’s odd rules – we probably would have gone on to beat Atletico Madrid in the semi-final. Him and Lacazette would have been too much to handle for 10 man Madrid.

It is not just the 8 goals in 12 games that has been impressive, but the way he lifted the entire club.

Alexis Sanchez was moody and selfish. Aubameyang plays with a smile on his face, and reminds me of Thierry Henry in that he is as delighted to see a team mate score as scoring himself.

Giving the ball to Lacazette against Stoke City showed he was a team player. Understanding a fellow striker struggling, his act led to Lacazette re-finding his form. You can not imagine Sanchez doing similar.

With new World Cup Aubameyang (and Mkhitaryan) will get a proper rest and full pre-season. He could be devastating next year.

https://twitter.com/KeenosAFC/status/995952448333283329

Keenos

Welcome to the New Arsenal

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The season is over. Arsene Wenger is gone. When the 2018/19 season begins, it will be a new era. A new era that we must embrace with positivity.

In recent years, Arsenal has been a cauldron of negativity. In the ground, in the pubs, on social media. A lot of fans glass is half full. They have become negative nancies.

With the new seasons brings freshness. It is important that we as a fan base embrace the freshness, embrace everything new that comes with the new era. Back in 1998 we had New Labour. 2018 brings New Arsenal.

New Manager

The new era begins with a new manager. Whoever it is needs to be backed 100% by the fans. The infighting that surrounded Wenger needs to stop with the new man.

If he starts off successful, do not sit moaning that we should have changed manager earlier. Likewise, if he starts poorly, don’t get on his back by saying we should never have got rid of Wenger.

Stop the petty arguments surrounding who is in charge. Back him.

His first game, let’s sing about his Red and White Army.

Arsenal’s problems will not be fixed overnight. Give the new man your time and backing.

New Board

Arsenal have already begun making changes in the boardroom.

Josh Kroenke has already begun taking more of an interest in Arsenal – moving Arsene Wenger aside was heavily influenced by him. Your major owner (or son of) taking more of an interest in the club at board level can only be a positive.

Raul Sanllehi has come in as new Head of Football Relations. There is also talk that 2 of Sir Chips Keswick, Ken Friar and Lord Harris of Peckham are likely to step down.

Hopefully the board room revolution continues and whoever potentially leaves is replaced by people who actually have an interest in driving the club forward, rather than just use being a director of Arsenal as a status symbol.

It is also interesting to see what is happening in the directors box. David O’Leary seems to be back in favour with the club whom he is record appearance holder for.

After a decade in the wilderness (caused by a fall out after post-game celebrations in a defeat against Leeds) he has been a constant at almost every Arsenal game, home and away, this season. Could a board position beckon for a man who is Arsenal through and through? A man who’s Arsenal career spanned 3 decades?

Even if he does not join the board, just being in the directors box will be a positive influence on those around him.

New Captain

We have all seen the tweets of how few games Arsenal’s “official” captain has played in recent years.

Whilst I am sure that the likes of Per Mertesacker and Mikel Arteta were brilliant on the training ground and in the dressing, we need a captain who is a leader on and off the pitch.

Since Patrick Vieira left in 2004/05, we have not had a proper captain.

Thierry Henry was given it to protect his ego, Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie to encourage them to say. The less said about William Gallas’ stint the better.

Thomas Vermaelen would have actually been a decent captain, if he was not so injury prone.

We need to learn the mistake of the past.

Do not give the captain to an injury prone senior player (Laurent Koscielny) or to someone in the hope they will commit their future other club (Aaron Ramsey).

The captaincy needs to go to a natural leader, on and off the pitch, who is committed to the Arsenal cause. The obvious choice is Aaron Ramsey, but only if he signs a new deal. Beyond him, pickings are slim.

Beyond Granit Xhaka, there is not really another first team player who has leadership qualities. Should we maybe go down the youth option and, if the new manager is planning to start one of them, pass the arm band to Claum Chambers or Rob Holding?

New Philosophy

The era of us being Arsene Wenger’s experiment is over. Whether it was Project Youth, Project British, Project Wenger Ball. The philosophy of the club will change under new leadership.

Arsenal now needs to be built in the vision of Raul Sanllehi and Ivan Gazidis.

Sanllehi was key in turning Barcelona into what they are now, He needs to be given free reign on building the football side of the club. The manager / coach is just that, someone to manage the side, coach the players, sort out the tactics.

It should now be up to the Head of Football Relations (can he be promoted to Director of Football now) to manage the scouting network, produce and implement short, mid and long term plans for the club, to drive us forward. It should no longer be the philosophy of the club that the manager has fall control.

New Tactics

Where the manager will have fall control is the tactics on the pitch.

One of the most frustrating aspects of Arsene Wenger is his inability to refresh the side. Sir Alex Ferguson was brilliant at changing things from season to season.

Arsene started with 442, moved to 433 (when Mourinho started to play it), then 4231 (when Barcelona were successful with it), then 352 (after Conte and others) before reverting to whatever the hell we play now (I am really not sure).

He always seemed to be a follower rather than a trailblazer.

A new manager will implement his style of play, his tactics. Whether that Leonardo Jardim’s counter attacking football, Max Allegri’s defensive control, or Luis Enrique’s possession based game. Whoever comes in will have us playing a new way. A fresh way.

Gone are the predictable tactics against bigger sides (that fail). Gone are the predictable substitutions on the predictable minutes.

It will be fresh.

New Backroom Staff

Whenever a new manager comes in, they like to bring their own staff.

Back in 1996, when Arsene Wenger took over, he bought into a lot of the current Arsenal set up. The likes of Pat Rice and Bob Wilson were key to his integration. But he also bought in Boro Primorac a few months after taking the helm.

There have already been a few changes in the backroom staff in the last 12 months.

In has come Darren Burgess as Director of High performance and Jens Lehmann as first team coach. Per Mertesacker is also set to move into an academy role.

It is the futures of the likes of Steve Bould, Neil Banfield, Boro Primorac and Gerry Peyton that will be most interesting.

All 4 were bought in by Arsene Wenger, and have been with him for 15-20 years. All 4 signed a new contract alongside Arsene Wenger at the back end of last season. Apparently only one has been offered a deal taking him beyond next season.

This blog was written before what happened on Friday, and it seems the rumours are true as Steve Bould was the only senior member of staff who survived the firings.

https://twitter.com/keenosafc/status/994962849335250944?s=21

Additional recruits away from the training ground include the likes of Sven Mislintat (Head of Recruitment) and Huss Fahmy (Contracts, Legal & Commercial Expert).

Out with the old, in with the new

New Players

And to round it all off, we conclude with new players.

Due to being cup tied, injured and rested, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Henrik Mkhitaryan and Mesut Ozil have barely played together since joining the club. The January signings will feel like new players after the pre-season as neither are going to the World Cup. Combined with Ozil, it makes an exciting trio.

But then we have real signing. We need a new goal keeper, centre back, central midfielder and wide attacker.

With Sanllehi, Mislintat and a new manager who does not dither, driving the transfers, we should be able to recruit the quality required.

We do have to be realistic. We are not going to do a Manchester City and spend half a billion quid. We simply do not have that money. But through smart scouting and recruitment, all 4 key positions should be filled by 31st August.

New Arsenal

So there we have it, the new era, the new Arsenal.

Hopefully we have an new attitude from fans, the stadium starts to rock again, and new positivity drives the club forward once more.

Keenos