Tag Archives: Yaya Sanogo

Not buying a back up for Giroud could cost The Arsenal….

9 Replies

Firstly congratulations to everyone at The Arsenal who somehow managed to persuade Ozil to join us, what a great great player and one that’s already getting tipped to be the biggest signing since Bergkamp. If he’s half as good as everyones hype we have got one hell of a player on our books now. But my problem is who he’s going to pass to ahead of him to bang in the goals.

It seems very odd that at the start of the transfer window Wenger started off by bidding and in Suarez’s case openly tapping up every available front man in world football, sadly he managed not to net any of them. This has led us to the position where all our eggs are firmly in Giroud’s basket, he is the only proper out and out front man at the club right now.

Giroud has started off the season in great form, banging in the goals, looking fit and covering a lot of ground. His recent work rate is only second to Ramsey and maybe that’s down to him feeling secure that he is the number one forward at the club, but in reality he is the only one. I fear for the worst if anything would happen to him as the back up is non existent.

Wenger has a few choices if anything were to happen to Giroud…

Podolski – Out injured for 12 weeks
Oxlade-Chamberlain – Out injured for 12 weeks
Sanogo – no-where near ready for 1st team action
Bendtner – Unfit to wear an Arsenal shirt
Park – WHO ?

So basically that leaves us Theo Walcott, who I have no problems in seeing him in a more central role. With his pace and ever increasing confidence in front of goal I have no worries that given some chances he can deliver the goods. But with our current injury situation who does that leave to play on the right side of attack? Ramsey, our stand out central midfielder who so far this season and let’s not forget when Wenger played Ramsey down the right he had a few stinkers and was subject to a few stupid boo boys. Not Ramsey’s fault, he is not a wide player, he is a central player.

We are basically screwed if anything happens to Giroud, for the next 12 weeks there is no plan B. Wenger has messed up in not landing an out and out forward and there is no way I can see Giroud playing 2 games a week and keeping up the sharpness and work rate he has so far this season.

So thanks for Ozil but he is just really papering over the cracks of a weak squad and the sad thing is there was still plenty of money left unspent

GC

1 nil, spending f**k all – Now to sign Ozil

2 Replies

Here at SheWore, we have saying ‘we told you so’ but we did. We really did. A glance through our blogs for last week highlights our positivism. Some called us ludicrous. Some called us deluded. And some just laughed at us. Although the majority were Spurs fans. On a side note, I wonder if the hundreds of Spurs fans who have commented on here last week deriding our blogs will admit they were wrong, and that Arsenal were the better team. Probably not.

The point we were making all week is that you can spend £100million on players. But that does not mean you are better than The Arsenal. By losing Bale, all spending £100 million meant was that they had stood still. A more solid midfield, with less creativity. As shown by the fact they have yet to score from anything but a penalty this season.

Yes, Erikson will change them. He is a creative genius. But on Sunday, they looked more like an expensive Stoke, with a hard working, untalented side. The fact that there most creative player was Andros Townsend, who is dross, sums them up.

Over £30 million worth of new midfield talent in their starting line up was shown up. I said last week, I would take Ramsey & Wilshere over Capoue & Paulinho and I was proved right, as the Anglo-Welsh combination rang rings around them that Capoue got so dizzy that he fell over and broke his leg. Too think, some deluded Spurs fans were ‘boasting’ that he would break Wilshere’s leg!

The amazing thing about the victory over Spurs is there mocking of the signing of Yaya Sanogo. Whilst they had spent over £100m, all we had got in was ‘A French Postman on a Free.’ Well we did not even need the postman to deliver. He remained on the bench, spending 45 minutes warming up.

It was the performance of another Frenchman on a free which would give Arsenal fans most delight. We have been crying out for additional support in the middle of the park all summer. And the disappointment held by many when Flamini signed on a free was justifiable. However, Jack Wilshere getting the shits before half time meant that Flamini came into play. And what he showed is his stay in Milan has not taken away any of his work rate or sharpness. He showed leadership in the middle of the park, a bite in the tackle, and has surely solved our midfield problem. With Flamini, Arteta, Ramsey & Wilshere all vying for the 2 central midfield positions, it is hard to see where a new signing would fit in. Especially with the lack of truly great central midfielders that will be available. One things for certain, I can not see us going for Yohann Cabaye today.

And that brings us nicely onto the last day of the transfer window. Despite the victory, we are still short. However not as short as some will make you believe. Results against Fulham, Fenerbache and Spurs have shown that the 17/18 players we currently have are very good. And remember, it was only a poor referring decision in the Villa game that has probably stopped us being 9 points from 3 games.

In defence, things look ok. 4 good fullback and, once Thomas Vermaelen gets fit, 3 solid centrebacks. With Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertersacker proving themselves to be the best centreback pairing in the Premier League. With Sagna providing an able deputy as 4th choice centreback, the question is would we be able to get in someone who is:

a) Better than Sagna
b) Would be happy being 4th choice
c) Not cost an arm and a leg

We saw with the signing of Sebastien Squillaci that it is now always easy buying a 4th choice centreback. They can be a costly failure if they become mistake ridden. That is why we are perhaps better sticking with Sagna. Especially as Flamini and Ramsey can both cover full back in an emergency.

What might be the most exciting news of the transfer window is Mesut Ozil. He is rumoured to of landed in London this morning, with a deal already agreed with Real Madrid. There seems to be a reluctance for him to leave Real Madrid, and Arsenal is a step down. You get the feeling Arsene Wenger will have to sell the club and the future well to him.

I also would not be surprised if, upon hearing that Ozil is available, Manchester United try to hijack the bid. This could lead to a bit of a domino effect, as it would surely mean Kagawa then comes available. He may well end up back at Germany. Schalke could be the best option outside of Dortmund and Bayern Munich. That then free’s up Julian Draxler to join Arsenal.

And with Jaun Mata and Angel Di Maria also reportedly available, there are plenty of options if the Ozil deal does not happen.

Two things are for certain. Firstly today will be an exciting day for us Arsenal fans. Secondly, 1 Nil and we spent Fuck All.

Have a good transfer deadline day

Keenos

Two ‘Almost’ Signings Leave a Bitter Taste

4 Replies

In January, I wrote a piece that I was not too unhappy about our lack of transfer activity because when I looked around players to of joined the Premier League, none of them really interested me and would barely of improved our squad, let along our first team. This summer, things can not be more different.

At the time of writing, our only signing has been Yaya Sanogo on a free, who, whilst is a talented young player, he is exactly that, a young talent.

As I look around the Premier League, the green eyes of envy quickly come over me. Over At Chelsea, Andre Schurrle will be one of the signings of the summer. Manchester City have spent over £100million on players, and whilst I feel half will flop, they have improved.

Victor Wanyama joining Southampton was a big surprise. Linked with Arsenal, Manchester United and various top clubs throughout Europe, joining Southampton from Celtic perhaps highlights the low esteem the Scottish Premier League is held.

In 2009, Arsenal were heavily linked with Modibo Diakite. In 2013, he joined Sunderland on a free. Could he of done a job as 4th choice centre back? certainly. Then we have Bony at Swansea and Spurs looking to match Manchester City’s 9 digit spending spree. Teams around us have done business. Good business. But 2 players in particular leave a bitter taste in my mouth.

Stevan Jovetic and Etienne Capoue.

In March, when England played Montenegro in Podgorica, Arsenal fans watch the game for one reason and one reason only, to watch our supposed big summer signing, Stevan Jovetic, the Montenegrian Messi. He had a decent enough game, not exceptional, but showed that in a top team with good players around him, he would shine. Media outlets around the world were calling it a ‘done deal.’

For whatever reasons, he did not join Arsenal, and ended up going to Manchester City for £22m. And the jokes begun. Arsenal scout, other teams sign. At this moment in time, Stevan Jovetic should be in Finland playing for Arsenal against Manchester City, not the other way round.

Then we have Etienne Capoue. He became the hipsters favourite back last summer when we were sniffing around Yann M’Vila. Many bloggers and statisticians stood up and said that M’Vila was the wrong Ligue 1 destructive midfielder to be targeting. The statistics showed that Etiene Capoue was the man to go for. In the end, we signed neither.

In January, there were reports of a £10m last day of the window bid, with Arsenal going as far as booking a hotel room for him in London. Nothing materialised. So it tastes bitter when this summer, he joins Tottenham for £8.6m. Again, we scouted him, and we could have got him.

Both of these leave a bitter taste in my mouth for many reasons. We could have had both of these players on July 1st. They would not have been that hard to complete. They could have already had a full pre-season with Arsenal. Both would have improved not only our squad, but our first team, and at not too much of a cost.

With their combined transfer fee being just over £30m, we would still have plenty left in the kitty to sign Luis Suarez and a centre back. And the squad would be looking strong a deep. On top of that, it would have meant that if we miss out on Luis Suarez, we would still of signed 2 top class players.

What makes it so bitter is both will be playing in the Premier League next season, for our rivals. When looking at our transfer dealings, the thought is always ‘who moved to a Premier League club.’ I think this because if a player moves from Italy to Spain, he may well of not wanted to play in wet, cold England. However if he joins a Premier League club, he is happy with the grey and drizzle. Both Jovetic and Capoue joined a Premier League club.

Why we did not sign these two players, I do not know. Arsenal’s failure to make these ‘little’ transfer is costing us big. (More on this another day).

Keenos