Tag Archives: She Wore

14 Superstars Arsenal Failed To Sign

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“In the end, the solutions were not what we wanted…I am confident that we have enough quality and cover” ­Arsene Wenger, September 2015.

Over the season, this has been paraphrased by many as “nobody better available”.

Nobody better available is pulled out by both sides of the fence, whenever someone who we did not sign has a good game, or whenever someone who we were linked with has a poor game. But the simple fact is, if there was no one better available, we would be top of the league. The fact that we are not, shows that there clearly was better players available

Now I will admit, some of them are hindsight, and if football was re-run using hindsight, it would be a lot easier. However, it is the job of the scouting network, and Wenger himself, to predict the future.

The fact that we missed out on many who, in hindsight, would have been great signings, from Wenger’s favoured market in France, shows that perhaps he has just lost his ability to pick a player.

Centre Backs

Toby Alderweireld

It was not hard to predict that Toby Alderweireld would be one of the top performing centre backs in the league this season. Afterall, he was one of the best last season. At just £11.5m, he was a steal. He combines power, pace and is an excellent reader of the game. He would have been the perfect foil to play alongside Laurent Koscielny.

Alessio Romagnoli

One of the most talented young defenders in Europe. If John Stones was ‘worth’ £40m this summer, Romagnoli joining AC Milan for half that cost in the summer (aged just 20) has turned out to be a brilliant investment.

Yes, spending that money on a centre back is a risk, maybe one which is too big a risk, but it has shown to be a risk worth taking. He is certainly up there alongside Stones, Laporte & Varane as the best young centre backs in world football.

Defensive Midfielders

Geoffrey Kondogbia

A long term Arsenal target. This summer he joined Inter Milan for £24m. He has had a tough time in Italy, often taken off before 70 minutes for Inter Milan. Put he is one of the leading central midfielders in Serie A when it comes to tackling. Just the type of tough tackling central midfielder we have missed.

Sami Khedira

Another one we have been linked with for a while. He went to Juventus, and  his injury problems did not return. Would have given us experience in the middle of the park.

Morgan Schneiderlin

At the last minute, we decided to not complete the deal for the former Southampton midfielder. Manchester United might have struggled this season, and at times he has not performed to his level at Southampton, but his ability to get the play started from deep has been missed by Arsenal this season.

Lassana Diarra

Remember him? By now he should be the premier defensive midfielder in world football. But he allowed himself to be influenced by people who did not have his best interests at heart.

Diarra joined Marseille on a free in the summer and has since played for France for the first time in 3 years.

N’golo Kante

Hindsight, yes, but there was a time when Wenger and his scouting network would have had the hindsight to spot the talent N’golo Kante has, in the same way they spotted it in Laurent Koscielny. No longer can the claim be true that if there is a decent talent in France, Wenger buys them.Untitled

Central Midfielders

Arturo Vidal

A player we were suddenly linked with from no where over the summer, who ended up joining Bayern Munich. A £30m signing. He is a class act, and makes a mockery of there being ‘no one better available’. He would have become one of the best players in our side.

Dele Alli

A lot of teams will be wondering how they let Dele Alli get away. Everyone knew about him. Last season he was League 1 Young Player of the Year and put in an all action performance against Manchester United in the League Cup.

Whilst no one could have predicted his rapid rise, he surely has a seat on the plane to France, there was a time when a talented young player would be what Wenger would go for. It is the type of signing that Wenger made his name on. Spurs took the plunge, and his goals have been key to their title challenge this year.

Attacking Midfielders

Dimitri Payet

The Premier League signing of the season. And one who shows that Wenger is now out of touch. His statistics over the last 2 seasons were up amongst the best in Europe. Him and Mesut Ozil in partnership with Alexis Sanchez the other side would have been a threat. Instead, Wenger decided that there was nobody better available.

Wingers

Julian Draxler

How many long term Arsenal targets joined other sides this summer? Lots. That’s how many. How can Arsenal get so close to a big money signing, only to decide a couple of years ago that what we have is better, despite not signing anyone in his position. Draxler or Walcott. Discuss…

Stephan El Shaarawy

We missed out on El Shaarawy not once but twice this year. Firstly when he joined Monaco on loan, where he struggle, then when he joined Roma on loan, where he has scored 4 in 6. One of these who’s talent has never been in question, but just needed harnessing. 15 years ago Wenger would of signed him, and got the best out of him (ala Thierry Henry). Does he just not fancy it anymore?

Strikers

Paulo Dybala

13 goals in 26 games following his £25m move to Juventus. He certainly would have provided an alternative set of skills to Olivier Giroud, something which has been missed with Danny Welbeck injured. Certainly someone who could have added to the team.

Andre Ayew

Joined Swansea on a free, a bit like Dybala, he would have offered us something different to what Giroud does. He has 8 goals in 23 games for Swansea. Theo Walcott has 6 in 30. Not better?

 

Nobody better available? You’re having a laugh. Live by the sword, die by the sword.

Keenos

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Arsenal’s Identity Crisis

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I was not going to write anything today. This morning I just did not have the energy for it. I drank a little too much at my company awards do in Leicester on Saturday, then hot-footed to Manchester yesterday. By the time I got home, I was drained, physically and mentally.

I had today booked off as annual leave, a bit of time to rest and recuperate. But here I am in the office, working. And I felt I needed to get a few things out there.

Arsenal, what a disappointment.

I have seen us play countless times, my away credits currently site at 63, I have seen us win great games, I have seen us get smashed out of site, but I do not think I have ever been as disappointed as I was yesterday. As frustrated as I was when I woke up this morning.

Arsenal have lost their identity.

When we have previously lost, there has been reason. The refs, injuries, an inadequate squad hamstrung by financial restrictions. The frustration of defeat has been tampered with an “oh well, lets get on with it” attitude. But yesterday, there is nothing left in me except for bitter disappointment and apathy.

We should have won yesterday. Whilst Arsene Wenger was right when he pointed out that the Manchester United side was not as depleted as some might be claiming, it was still very depleted.

It might have contained the likes of Morgan Schneiderlin, Ander Herrera, Juan Mata and Memphis Depay, but it also had central midfielders playing in defence, and various players who’s shirt numbers are so high that they would not even be lottery balls.

Wenger sitting their saying that Manchester United have spent money, whilst Arsenal have £150m in the bank, perhaps shows how deluded he has become.

Arsene-Wenger

The issue is not the defeat. We lost. OK. It is the manner of defeat.

I have never seen us pass so poorly in the middle of the park.

Despite having 61% of the possession, we continually gave the ball away. It continually went sideways from Gabriel to Bellerin, back to Gabriel, across to Koscielny up to Coquelin and back again.

When it came to incision through the middle, there was none.

There was a hole in the middle of the park. Coquelin for all his good defensive attributes is not a creator. He is not in the team to pass the ball. He disrupts play and keeps it simple.

We then have Aaron Ramsey. He is a ball of energy, he covers a lot of ground. But he is not great on the ball. He has a tendency to dwell on it, to miss the opportunity to play someone in behind. And with that moment, the space is gone, the player is offside of the defender has covered.

And Mesut Ozil prefers being higher up the field, doing his often great work in and around the box.

With Ramsey also pushing up, it left us with a massive hole. Coquelin could not bring the ball forward, and no one was coming deep to help out.

It is the first team I have really noticed us missing Santi Cazorla in the middle of the park. His distribution, his creation from deep.

A team who for a decade has been known for a style of play. Pass pass pass. Well out passing ability in the middle of the park completely left us.

And the issue is it was not just one game. You can kind of accept  a poor performance every now and again. But this has been happening for a while now.

Since we went top on 2nd January, we have won just 2 league games from 7. 9 points 21. It is simply not good enough.

It is all so predictable. Even earlier in the season, when we were top, or 2nd, there was a feeling that we were doing it without playing very well.

“That’s a sign of Champions, winning when playing poorly”

Whilst that is correct, it is only a sign of champions when you start to then play well. Arsenal have just not done that. We won games in the first half of the season playing poorly. Now we are drawing or losing games when playing poorly.

We are tactically inept. We look like we are playing without a plan.

There is also a worry about the heart of the team. Our heads go down when we go behind.

This season, we have won just 2 games after going behind – both against Leicester. We have also snatched 2 draws.

In comparison, Spurs have won 5 times from behind. They are also on a 6 game winning run, and look as much champions as we look like coming 4th.

With a key game coming up next Saturday against Spurs, and a game midweek this Wednesday, we do not have time to feel sorry for ourselves. To lick our wounds.

Football is an odd game, we could be top this time next week.

As a final thought, Theo Walcott. I feel for the man. 2 years ago he had finally arrived. Scoring over 20 goals. Injury has robbed him of his last two years, and now he is running scarred. He is hiding. He does not want to be passed the ball. He is a deer in headlights.

My issue with him is not his performances, but the fans and their hypocritical nature.

They cheer for Olivier Giroud and jeer Walcott when he is taken off. Yet just a few games ago, these fans were treating Giroud with disdain. Those who were continually shouting “FFS Feo” also probably sit their shouting “FFS Giroud”. They would moan whoever.

I have always felt there is a certain element of our fan base that would moan and complain at anyone. Whether it be Eboue, Gervinho, Walcott or Chamberlain.

Arsenal need to find their confidence. They need to find their identify.

Keenos