No idea how many days in August, so let’s pretend the window remains open for ten’ish days. That is not long at all, although I suspect a great deal more business will be done across Europe. I imagine Barca will be very active, and this will have the inevitable knock-on effect as to who goes where.
As we entered the summer, my only comment regarding The Arsenal summer activity concerned the importance of resigning Sanchez. One, he is our best player, and two, it would send out the right signals to both current players as well as transfer targets.
Here is/was my hit list:
- Sign up players entering final year of contracts. Essentials being Sanchez, Mesut and Ox.
- Sign Ian Wright….or similar
- Sign Patrick Vieira….or similar
- Sign Tony Adams….or similar
Additional to those players’ footballing abilities was that two of them were Leaders.
Ok, now the bad news. We’ve done just one of the above, in Lacazette. Yes, I’m very pleased with The Bosnian Beast, but that signing was cake icing.
So, here we are, ten’ish days remaining. I do not believe all the above will be done, so damage limitation could be the order of the day. I was staggered to learn about the sale of Gabriel, not because I believe he was an especially good defender, but because we’re thin, to put it mildly, in experienced CB’s.
Based on that sale, my money would be on a defender arriving as the most likely.
Sanchez leaving would be a complete disaster, and even having him stay on with a thicker weekly envelope fills me with awful memories of how Henry performed with 200k a week in his tight trousers.
What would you like from the last ten’ish days, because damn sure, not all your dreams will come true? I predict a disaster.
Written by mickydidit89
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
Depressing really – especially after all of the ‘promises’ made to spend money, get a DOF, maintain the squad etc…
Can’t see anything happening and to be frank, am worried about the ‘we need to sell before we can buy’ rhetoric. Surely we have enough cash after below average spends for years? After watching some worrying repeat moments at Stoke – mixed with some very unlucky chances and a perfectly good disallowed goal, it begs the question as to what has really changed at Arsenal?
If we shipped out all of the players not good enough for our club we would have an extremely small squad. So one player in? Three minimum – defender (cb with attitude), goalkeeper (sorry but Cech is finished) and a wing forward.
Hi DD
Have not heard the “must sell before buy” due to financials, although it may well be the case regarding squad numbers.
My fear is that with so many key (valuable assets) potentially going for zilch next year, they may be thinking about stockpiling cash.
Cheers, Micky.
I’d like……
1. A guaranteed 30 goal-a-season striker.
2. A 6’4″ centre back who eats the Costas of this world for breakfast, but just manages to stay on the right side of the WITB so he doesn’t get sent off too often.
3. A Captain who has the motivational skills of Adams, the courage of the unknown rebel of Tiananmen Square and the pride in representing The Arsenal of David Carlyle Rocastle.
Not too much to ask, is it?
Excellent, thanks Micky.
I’d love to be optimistic about this … but can’t shift that withering feeling of deja vu that consumed me after Saturday’s result .. result not necessarily performance.
There are some really good blokes in the squad who make me feel guilty for wanting them gone .. top of the list would be Welby .. he’s not a natural goalscorer.
We should try to keep Sanchez at all costs. We definitely need a big strong experienced CB … otherwise the sale of Gabriel is criminal!
The midfield is still not sorted. We have enough players, but so far not the blend to make it work defensively, and in attack.
We are expecting too much of Lacaz to hit the ground running. It took TH14 more than 10 games to find his feet in the prem.
My biggest concern is that AW seems to have forgotten the lessons learned at the end of last season. He’s got to stop playing fantasy football in his head and remember the opposition want to win too …. and we need to stop them scoring as well as put our chances away.
What I would like from the last ten’ish days –
1) make an offer for Diego Costa, just to piss Chelsea off
2) with Arsenal FanTV already ranting that the season is over, it would be nice if they packed up and came back for the next season
3) hold onto Sanchez
4) buy Draxler or Mahrez
5) buy Filip Benkovic
Well Micky, my wish is not included in above and it’s a very simple one really – but it will get little to no support.
The talk is always about what the manager. team and club are perceived to be doing wrong. This dialogue/diatribe come from both the media and some fans. The most common themes go something like this.
Deja Vous
Seen this all before.
Nothing has changed.
When will they learn.
Like mad people they keep doing the same thing and expect better.
Strangely enough I agree and my wish is simple.
Why don’t the media and the negative fans realize what they are doing wrong and change their tune – and try showing some positive support.
GN5 is hanging on to a very fragile branch and is expecting incoming!
Great list VP.
If you believe in statistics/algorithms, or simply that something that repeats itself forms a pattern, then we can only conclude that over the last 10 years we have not started the season that well. We also concede too many goals shortly after half time.
There are reasons for this. You just have to start examining common denominators and analysing how and why we concede goals.
Great stuff all
GN5
No incoming from this end. I thought the manager should have hung up his track suit years ago, but like you say, no point moaning about it at all.
The game is a game. A passionate love affair, yes, so one invests heavily on an emotional level, but a game it remains.
Like many fans who like to gas bollocks in the pub, I think I know best 🙂 but secretly realise that may not be the case
With that in mind, I dish out my opinions, but ultimately, get excited before every game which The Arsenal will always win easily 🙂
Micky,
I just wish that the negative fans could understand the contribution that unerring positive support would have on the team.
I could go on and on but my words typically fall on deaf ears – so I will leave it at that.
I’ve thought about writing a post on the subject (there could be some great attachments showing how other fans show there undying support for their team) but it would be a waste of time and would bring out all of the neer do wells.
u23s live on Arsenal Player.
Holding, Wilshere and Nelson all start.
Kick Off at 7pm
https://player.arsenal.com/
Reiss Nelson and Nketiah have scored 2-0 to the good guys
I got all nostalgic for a moment there watching Wilshere back in red and white…………………..and then I remembered?
Really entertaining and direct play by our under 23s …. if only the first team could be so positive in their passing from the back
Morning All,
What I would like is:
For the youth players to develop into the quality players we hope for.. Bielik and Chambers are good enough cover for our CB’s. Maitland Niles (Cons) cover for Bellerin. and Reiss Nelson at CF.
If Iwobi continues to improve we have no need to replace Ozil,
For Wilshire to stay fit and become the player we all know he can be.
Sell at least 5 players.
I would like AW to retire at season’s end.
I want us to stop conceding simple goals from crosses (both Stoke and Leicester’s 1st).
And for us to win the title.
That’s all
A modest list Raddy 🙂 I’d settle for that with the added treat of totnum getting relegated
I must say Reiss Nelson has impressed …. of course the step up to the prem would be a challenge …. but he does seem to be a natural goal scorer and I think you can only say that about 2 (maybe 3) of our current choice of first team strikers
He is already a better finisher than Welbeck 😀
🙂 .. yes that was what I was thinking …. why not give him a chance?
He’ll get a chance plenty of them, but if Sanchez goes we will need Welbeck on the left — and that I assume is why Welbeck is getting the nod ahead of Giroud.
Well that and the fact that Danny is more mobile than a granit monolith 🙂
I’m frantically busy awaiting the Arsenal transfer frenzy
Do wish Sanchez would sign along the dotted
Nice Micky
The next 10 days? I hope nothing happens. We have to many players already and the ones with a year left have placed themselves there deliberately so if they leave, good riddance.
Today I attended the funeral of a client, beloved by all those who did not know him. The only good thing about him was he snuffed it without owing me money.
Whilst the Vicar harped on my mind was on the Arsenal and the serenity of the church made me realise that what we need is a time of reflection and for the clients families sake no attendee to acquire a sudden surge of conscience and demand answers for his behaviour
The clients son then took to the pew, hes a big ugly lad so I started contemplating that we may need a centre back.. Eulogising his father with tales of bravery in the Korean war, a conflict which he never fought in, and how he, though he found them inferior, always had time for other people? At this point the congregation looked nervously around in fear they were at the wrong do?
By the end of the sons eulogy my thoughts turned to the linesman who had chalked out our goal and I wondered if i could run him over with the most minimal of contact and then claim it was the right decision? This nice fantasy was only broken when I heard the son utter “How my father would like to be remembered” and i had a sudden urge to shout “For his sake and Arsenals, nothing” but managed to control it.
Forget transfers and signing our current players to longer term contracts. Nothing is the best way forward.
Terry, there you go again – putting smiles on our faces.
You are a stand alone gem my friend and I for one am very happy that you blog along with us – sounds like that could be a song – “the Terry blog along”
I share your wish that we sign our 3 standouts. We should spend the money we get for sales and save by not signing any new players on them – and then declare the window closed for the Arsenal.
Keep us smiling………………..
Wenger has been in charge at Arsenal almost twice as long as the next longest serving manager in English league football (which encompasses the top four tiers) – Paul Tisdale, who took over at Exeter City in 2006.
Eddie Howe (Bournemouth), Sean Dyche (Burnley) and Mark Hughes (Stoke City) are the only other Premier League managers to have been in their roles for more than four years.
As soon as Transplant began a paragraph with “Today I attended the funeral of a client”, I knew it was time to settle down into the leather wingback and fire up a large Cuban
Quite superb work Transplant
Wonderful Terry
As Micky says. I knew I was in for fun from the start and burst out laughing with “Today I attended the funeral of a client, beloved by all those who did not know him”
Thank you
Thank you Gentleman, but I am truely not worthy. Just enjoy having a giggle and in the process hopefully make you feel the same.
I don’t blame Jack for getting sent off. That oik barged him on his upper body which could have obviously caused serious damage to the ankles. What would be fantastic is if Jack could return to first team action and fill a much needed gap in our midfield. Could it happen?
Morning All,
Much in the press about Mustafi to Italy. Surely just paper talk
6.27. This story has been all over the Danish press. Seems the chap who made the world’s largest private submarine (read loony) had removed the journalist’s head and limbs before throwing her overboard.
The famously relaxed Danish police have charged him with involuntary manslaughter and not murder!
Can you remember when footballs had laces?
Hurt like hell when you headed them
I remember having the pattern of the laces on my thigh after being hit by the ball.
What a beautiful woman.
Morning all
If Mustafi follows Gabriel out, it grants me my greatest wish……we go 2-3-5
6:50 Gene Tierney?
Alright then
6:50 Viv Anderson?
Hedy Lamarr.
We should sell all of the defence, they’re shite.
Hi Chas
Zero defenders eh?
Let me think on that for a while. Pretty sure I can make it work
Here’s my nasty thought for the day.
Arsene is bloody useless at selling
I think he’s scared. In short, to get good value, he needs to sell to English clubs as prices here are highest, but that leaves the fear you’re proved wrong.
So far, the summer is a bloody disaster, primarily, not because of who we’ve bought but who we haven’t shifted or re-signed.
Ok, you enjoyed that thought so much, I’ll give you another.
Suppose you want to shift Theo, and the stumbling block is his wages.
Announce sale price: £30M
Realistic wage value: £70k per week
Arsenal wage value : £140 billion per hour
Buying club will not want to upset their wage structure, and Theo won’t want to upset his bank manager or hair dresser
So…. Buying club hand over 30m. We’ve agreed to give Theo a bye bye pressie of 15M. He can them afford to accept 70k a week without anyone losing face.
Arsenal have 15M, save 140 billion an hour and bingo, everyone’s happy.
Wash, rinse and repeat with Gibbs, Jack, Debs and so on if the wages are the obstacle.
Thats innovative Micky, allow the departing player to keep 50% of his buy price in return to accept a lower wage from the new club.
Basically a redundancy package that is market driven
Yes VP, although I call it Sod Off Cash 🙂
Just call you the new Dick
Laws
I don’t want a job 🙂
30 mill for Theo.
Hahaha.
Is Lucas Perez the only one bid for who we’ve turned down the potential buyer?
Apart from The Ox, the rest have been in the reduced section at Lidl and there are still no takers.
They’re all damaged goods – been Arsenalised – can’t defend, too nice, can’t finish and have been castrated (metaphorically, of course) 😆
This is feckin funny
https://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/queensparkrangers/news/46353
Had another idea
Just the one?
Don’t you think it is strange that Spurs get top dollar when selling their players and we can’t get tuppence?
Is Walker or Rose so much better than Gibbs?
Oops, just read back and we have done this 🙂
Erik
Here’s my guess. Spurs players were either
a. Not within two minutes of the end of their contracts, or
b. Offered higher wages by the buyer, not lower, or
c. Bought by perceived better sides than Spurs, not Huddersfield
In other words, why would Gibbs, Jack or Debs, for example, want to move before the end of their contracts, as they sure as heck won’t be going to a CL/top four side, and they sure as heck won’t be offered such good wages?
In more other words, if you pay a player wages higher than he’s worth, he ain’t budging
Enough from me on football
What about moving to Mexico?
In other words we have been totally crap in our negotiations and decisions about squad players and even worse when tying down contracts for our main assets.
I think a clearout is in order … of the negotiating team
Cracking assessment of the situation as I see it, Erik. 🙂
I am curious about something: how are the negotiating team supposed to tie down, and I give two examples at the opposite end of the scale: Sanchez and Gibbs, in view, or at least as I see it, that they simply do not want to sign for us or in Gibbs situation for anyone else.
In Gibbs case why should he sign for a club that will almost certainly pay him less wages — not something I would do would you?
Or, in Sanchez case why sign to us before he has explored all his options, this is not meant to be provocative, its just that I read this complaint about — not tying down players etc often on the site etc…..
It’s just that I cannot see how not only Arsenal or any club of a similar financial set up could do so.
What am I missing?
If the negotiators can get 30 mil for Theo they should be awarded an open bus parade around Islington.
I would turn up.
LB
You’re not missing anything
“In Gibbs case why should he sign for a club that will almost certainly pay him less wages — not something I would do would you?”
If another club wouldn’t pay him the same, or more, it rather implies he’s over paid
My point is we overpay many and that’s the bit that makes them immoveable
Ok, so I took a stab at a Theo value. What;’s the going rate for a PL player netting 19. Must be 25M surely?
Sanchez is an interesting case. Of course I agree with your take on being in his shoes.
I’m guessing this is political. Maybe none of the big continental sides have made anything like an acceptable offer (either to him, or Arsenal)
My final comment would be there is one proviso in all this. Arsene.
Perhaps he is entirely happy with his squad, everyone included, the wages they’re on, and the state of their contracts.
Could be. Would explain everything very simply.
Curry.
Wages too high for average players – even Bendtner was being paid 52k a week!
As to Sanchez – I agree that if a player refuses to sign a contract there is little that can be done, but how is it that this doesn’t happen at other clubs?
I don’t believe that AW is happy with all the wage contracts but I doubt that it concerns him too much. Gibbs being almost the perfect example, you have to cast your mind back a while to remember that shortly after Monreal arrived it was not clear at all as to who was going to emerge as the better LB and I suspect that it was at this time that Gibbs would have extended his contract.
If his agent did do that at that time then I say: respect to you sir.
We all know that Nacho has surged ahead while Gibbs has fallen behind, was the club supposed to see this back then? Almost certainly not, so to point the finger of blame, even in the most gentle of way, that he is on a better paid contract than he should be is a bit harsh, no?
I am less reasonable in the Sanchez case, how on earth the club were supposed to get him to extend his contract earlier is absolutely beyond me — short of kidnapping him and threatening to kill his dogs if he didn’t extend that is.
It never ceases to amaze me how often I read on this site criticism of the club for not getting Sanchez to resign earlier but how on earth were they supposed to do that, what am I missing?
Coutinho………………………..
The fact is that it happens to every other club of our level. The interesting thing to me is that Barcelona seem to have reached that tipping point, that’s to say that they have to play second fiddle to financially more powerful clubs — PSG.
I would go further and say that Barcelona’s days are numbered as a top, top European club.
We have seen how money has skewed the EPL, it is surely only a question of time before the English clubs with all their wealth surge past the likes of Barcelona in the same way as City have surged ahead of Arsenal. Leaves a bad taste in the mouth but it is true isn’t it?
Or maybe you disagree?
LB. Could be a post in that 🙂
LB,
When a player that the club would hate to lose on a free Is approaching 2 years left. Serious, substantive discussions should take place with the player and agent. Not playing poker, bluffing, or pretending that it’s not a priority.
If the parties are miles apart in wages, if they are sensing the reluctance to commit, or player dissatisfaction with the team, they must explore options. This will tell the team more whether the player really isnt interested in staying, or is unhappy.
In the case of Sanchez and Ozil, we were bluffing, and It’s obvious, that, at that stage, we were lowballing them with our wage offers.
Obvious, because,we were paying them both about what a backup fullback gets at man city. We offered decent increases, but nothing like world class players get from big clubs.
So we over estimated their loyalty, Ox too (sell HIM right now if possible).
Being far apart on numbers, sensing lack of interest in extending from the players, we should have sold and tried our best to replace. We wouldn’t have gotten replacements as great, i understand. But our team would be settled, and maybe a replacement, younger, might have bedded in by now. Why such a radical policy? Because we are not a big money club, and can’t afford to give away our most valuable assets.
What’s happening now is the worst case scenario we could have envisioned. Let’s not pretend. Our best player is unhappy, wants to leave, and will leave for free if we don’t sell him now.
Sanchez wouldn’t have fought a transfer to a good team, to play out 2 or 1 1/2 years, to get to a free move.
It’s mismanagement by the whole club organization.
Jnyc
Thanks for taking the time to answer. I agree with all that you say and would expect the club to have acted in the way that you suggest because as you also say we could be missing out in millions if Sanchez walks for free next summer.
The thing is anyone who is capable of writing that comment should surely be smart enough to see and understand the obvious flaw in his own argument.
You and I do not have the slightest idea how much the club have offered Sanchez, low ball, high ball — we do not have a clue,
And no matter how much they have offered him, only a fool would have accepted it before the end of the window if at all.
I say that because Sanchez will have a difficult choice to make: If no one improves our offer (assuming there is one) before the window closes and he chooses to play his contract out he runs the risk of having a serious injury midway through the season which will reduce his ability to get the kind of five year contract I am sure he is hoping for, where as if he accepts ours he is safe for the next, extremely important and perhaps the last five years of his playing career but one thing is sure and I say it again only a fool would sign before exploring all the possibilities and that in itself made and makes it impossible for the club to have “made” him sign earlier.
There was never an amount that would have made him want to sign. If we had offered him X his agent would have taken that to City, PSG and said can you improve upon it which could be happening right now.
My personal guess is that Arsenal have not offered him an amount. Step one should have simply have been to ask him if he wants to stay? As soon as the club put a number to X they are negotiating against themselves.
Maybe I am missing something, I am not sure…………..
Yeah, LB,
I have pinned all my hopes on one aspect you mentioned, and I’ve posted about it before. That is the risk that the player runs by not having a long term contract and getting a serious injury.
That is a life planning risk, and i dont know how players and agents calculate it vs a huge sign on fee.
I’ve also suggested, as a last ditch move to secure him, signing him to a generous contract, with a REASONABLE buy out clause that protects us both. I hope the fear of injury is enough to push it over the line. We’re protected, because we can always sell him if its really too much for us to pay long term after a full season. We have had him for years at a good rate for the team.
One last thing that people forget, and should infer from what has happened so far:
That is, if we DID make him a strong offer a year ago or so, something worthy of a world class player, at a pretty big club….. then
… the fact that he was refusing to put pen to paper then should have alerted us how likely we were to get to this situation, which is almost a worst case scenario. A well run club with good negtiators would have been taking that into account.
So either that, or we didn’t offer his true market value, which his agent surely knows.
https://twitter.com/serenaaaaaa13/status/899699130968154114
Morning All,
😀 😀
Interesting discussion last night.
Need something a little more than coffee
Morning all
Sorry, didn’t see you there Erik
Thought Chas had gone Salon and I was alone
I really enjoyed that vid though the track is lacking a viola
how could I resist the Solar Eclipse 🙂
Whereas this doesn’t but it does get boring
Just looking up Pool KO time (4pm sunday) and there’s a live Arsene press conference in three minutes
Never watched one before
https://www.arsenal.com/
EDDDIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
what?
Erik
The viola is vastly superior to the other screechy little thing
Ok, bored of conference.
Now, Eddie, I need details of just one of your incidents that inevitably took place this summer
just one? feck me…hard to chose from
Ok, here we go. The principal builder of my new house (ex husband/tenant if you remember) defends court claim stating that his negligent and defective workmanship was the result of my mental health issues.
I didn’t read all of the comments, but did anyone volunteered to shoot Welbeck yet?
Ok, I get it, so the 6″ gap between the bottom of the skirting board and the floor beneath was your fault. Yip, makes sense 🙂
I like Danny, so it wasn’t me.
“That is, if we DID make him a strong offer a year ago or so, something worthy of a world class player, at a pretty big club….. then
… the fact that he was refusing to put pen to paper then should have alerted us how likely we were to get to this situation, which is almost a worst case scenario. A well run club with good negtiators would have been taking that into account.
So either that, or we didn’t offer his true market value, which his agent surely knows.”
Or, his agent correctly predicted the obvious inflation that would occur within the world of football (see Neymar) and sensibly advised his client to wait, don’t do anything.
So I come back to the same point: how on earth were the club supposed to force Sanchez to sign a new contract short of threatening to harm Atom and Humber.
He didn’t need to and he still doesn’t need to. That is not the fault of the club or the manager and trying to blame either is yet another example of anti Arsenal bias.
Should be interesting to see if he plays this weekend?
why do you like him??!! ok, he is good looking but that’s where his forte ends.
how did you know about the 6″ gap?? My beautiful porcelain floors are collapsing leaving huge gap below the skirting boards. But that’s because I allegedly have bipolar. Garage is even better – 30cm above the outside ground. I need a car that can jump into it:) But that’s because I have mood swings
I’m very optimistic he will start
we missed sanchez badly last weekend, but I’d kick him out if necessary, bastard never even kissed the badge. Mercenary. Sell him and Welbeck and buy A STRIKER.
Because you posted a picture of a dog and I spotted the gap
did you really?? well done! see what I mean, it is pretty obvious init?
there is only one way to keep a reluctant player at a club. All clubs are doing it – offer them more than anybody else. How much did others offer Sanchez?
New post will be going up in 5 minutes.
Eddie
I only made some transfer comments yesterday to spark of conversation. Job done. I’m bored of it now.
Morning all, I love that Wilko/Daltry track.
Wilko is on borrowed time, but defying the stats. His unique guitar style is self taught … a proper bloke 🙂
NEW POST
Yes i found it interesting reading, especially –
“What’s happening now is the worst case scenario we could have envisioned.”
How is it worse case? If we sold him a year ago we would not have got another great season from him and his value wouldve been much lower. He is now supposedly worth 70mil probably doubled his value
How is that worst case? I’d say that making the best of a potential bad situation is good sound management overall.
I agree with LB, those in the know, know. Those like me put our left foot in and shake it all about
Hi LB,
I think you have me wrong. No club can force a player to renew a contract, i never said that.
But when you sense they dont plan on staying, if they’re intransigent, if the numbers proposed are very far apart, to avoid a bad situation, you have to make a hard decision, you make them available to other teams for transfer.
That’s the option I’ve been talking about.
In the case of a star player, with 2 years left on contract, you would get a good fee.
There would be plenty of offers he would have accepted from good clubs that pay well.
Just letting the clock tick with no movement, the clubs position weakens every month that passes.
We could then go about the business of trying to retool to make up for his loss on the pitch. Of course it wouldnt be easy or quick.
I’d be more understanding, if it was just sanchez,. But our 2 biggest stars and Oxlade at the same time is business malpractice.