1 January 2024. That’s when the winter transfer window opened, and yet, here it is, 3 January, and Arsenal have not signed or even loaned in a single player. After a harrowing run of disappointing, even embarrassing results that has seen the Gunners take just five points from our last five outings, one would think we’d see greater urgency if not ability in addressing the squad’s numerous weaknesses. Shipping goals, not scoring them, getting outplayed and defeated by inferior opponents (a list that seems to get shorter with each passing week…)? No wonder #ArtetaOut is trending on Twitter…or X…or Mastodon…or whichever social media platform du jour is itself trending.
As we all know, all transfers are held out in full view of the public, and so the absence of any news or information stands as incontrovertible, irrefutable evidence of the complete and utter absence of actual activity . We know and can track and evaluate every inquiry, every offer, every step in the negotiating process. What’s there to track or evaluate at this point? Nada. Zilch. Bupkis. Also, in a clear demonstration of how logic works, there’s been no news of any activity; hence, there must be no activity. What, are we to believe that clubs conduct transfers privately, involving only those directly involved in the negotiations themselves? Bosh. Flimshaw!
A whopping three days into the window, and there aren’t even any halfway decent transfer rumours to analyse. As we all know, there’s a direct one-to-one correlation between how often & breathlessly entirely reputable publications such as The Metro, The Sun, and The Mirror report on transfer rumours and the likelihood of their passing, and so it’s more than a bit concerning that the best we’ve seen has been a tepid trickle about Ivan Toney. Where are the stories of Vlahovic, Osimhein, or de Ligt? They’re barely anywhere to be found; ergo, there has been even less progress, behind the scenes or otherwise.
As we all know, the only way to improve a club is by buying more and more players. Expensive ones. Chelsea and Man U, to name just two recent examples, have proven this point beyond a reasonable doubt. Trying to develop academy lads is a fool’s errand, as no player in the history of this or any other club has been promoted to the first team, nor do young, diamond-in-the-rough players improve through practice and experience. This isn’t FIFA where you can train up players. The fact that Arteta hasn’t already signed and started the players this squad so sorely needs stands as an indelible stain on what might be called his “legacy,” and it would in no way be an overreaction to have him sacked by the weekend. We have a dicey FA Cup clash at home to Liverpool, and it might be nice to have that “new manager bounce.”
What’s the alternative? To accept that last season’s success might have exceeded expectations, that opponents have figured out how to negate our attack, that a young squad is trying to bed in key players while injuries to others have tied Arteta’s hands? Again, I say bosh. To that, I add flimshaw.
I profess in the sincerity of my heart, that I have not the least personal interest in endeavouring to promote this necessary work, having no other motive than the publick good of my club, by advancing our trade, providing for transfers, relieving the poor, and giving some pleasure to the rich. I have no children, by which I can propose to get a single penny; the youngest being nine years old, and my wife past child-bearing.
Which transfer are we looking for? Do you know that we’re on the verge of FFP and P&S hammer because of Arteta’s poor and indiscriminate spending on the transfer market? Apart from Partey( who he is trying to chase out), Rice, Timber and to some extent Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus, one does not know what we’re spending our money on. We’ve bought over 20 players within Arteta’s shot 4 years span, spending over 600m pounds within the process and recouping just a little, yet, most of these purchases are very poor . He refused to be using Smith Rowe in the attacking midfield, as against Sheffield United where we scored five goals.
We only need a central defender to deputise Saliba in this January opening.
To me Arsenal need another coach like Fulham’s Silva.
Arteta is delusional, opinionated and fixated about his capacity and knowledge of football. We saw him as a player sliding ever into non performing teams. From been found unfit to be a bench warmer in Barcelona, to an anonymous player in Rangers, to being part of the numbers of EPL teams in Everton (then) to finally and exhausted and drying Arsenal team. He couldn’t have been part of the invinciblesl
You can’t give what you don’t have. PERIOD!!!
I’d advise you to be careful with the armchair psychology. None of us knows Arteta’s state of mind.
His career as a player is immaterial. In fact, he’d join a long line of average players who could become good managers. The list of great players who’ve become good managers is quite a lot shorter (take the recent sacking of Wayne Rooney as the latest such example).
Let’s evaluate Arteta on how he responds to this rough patch we’ve found ourselves in
Explain how we’re on the verge of this FFP “hammer” that you started with. The only suggestions I’ve seen of anything even resembling concern comes from dodgy sites such as football.london and The Daily Mail. While it’s true that our sales have been poor, that reflects the players’ quality pretty well. Off-loading the likes of Ozil, Mkhitaryan, Mustafi, and others is no mean feat. The only player we might have been better off keeping is Emi Martinez.
Which transfers would you describe as poor or indiscriminate? You stated that “most of these purchases have been very poor” but don’t offer any examples. You can’t really get away with making such a bold statement without substantiating it at least to some degree.
Vieri for one. Couldn’t possibly be playing on any other epl team.
That’s fair. It’s hard to see him playing in the Prem given his size. Then again, Cazorla never seened bothered. Different player, I know. His £30m fee is midrange these days, which should moderate somewhat the idea that he’s an expensive flop.
You should be willing to admit that the recruitment has otherwise been quite good. I’m not convinced that Raya was a clear upgrade on Ramsdale, and Havertz is still trying to regain his form, but the others , starting from Magalhaes onward, have been useful additions at a minimum. A few of the minnows like Tavares and Lokonga doen’t really register, but there have certainly been more hits than misses.
Back to your old ways I see, Jon.
Click bait for the morons and you also get to make the miserable souls look stupid in the inevitable argument.
Tch. Thought you might have grown out of that. Ah well.
can’t seem to resist throwing a bit of chum in the water every once in a while, even if it does attract a few bottom-feeders.
Sean McVay. Yep, Sean McVay. If you wish to know the length of slack in the rope KSE have handed to Arteta (& Edu), simply look at the LA Rams head coach’s sitch. Yes, he did deliver a Lombardi trophy two seasons back. But KSE quite literally opened the vault and looked away a few years earlier– allowing the Rams to buy many top-shelf superstars in order to eventually accomplish that feat. Arguably the Rams were an even better team 5 years back when they lost the Super Bowl under McVay in his second season.
Point is, the Kroenke’s don’t view coaching/managerial changes as the answer to moving forward. They view stability at the top as the key to winning honors. Retaining leadership has delivered championships at every of their other major pro sports teams (the Rams winning two Super Bowls, the Avalanche winning two Stanley Cups, and the Nuggets winning one NBA Championship). Last season, the Rams sank to 5-12 after a spate of injuries decimated their chances, missing the playoffs. This season, the Rams are 9-7 (with a game left) and have again made the playoffs. The Kroenke’s are not the kind of owners to make a knee-jerk move– when the accepted plan is still moving forward.
Arteta & Edu have mapped a plan to deliver a PL title within 5 years– in the 2024-25 season. If you think Arteta’s job is somehow on the line at present?
Sean McVay.
Great point, jw1. I suspect Kroenke’s treatment of his other clubs may not register on the radar for some English fans. Closer to home, we could point to the shambles that is Old Trafford (literally and figuratively) where managerial churn has destabilised the club, led to panic-buys, and created a bloated, disjointed squad. I think/hope that we’re seeing here is a young manager & squad struggling to overcome the adjustments opponents have made rather than a deeper structural problem.
Stability at the top matters – as long as it’s not obstinate or oblivious. It’s far too early to wish for Arteta to be sacked, but that won’t stop the tar-and-feather crowd from doing what it does.
Hahahahahaha, ouh, whos wishing for Artetas sacking. No one here, its just cheek in tongue. Or maybe some internet authority, living in his moms basement being privy to Arsenals transferplans is itk and tells how it is:-).
I don’t know, Corgi – my little attempt at satire seems to have attracted a few who, if not actually wanting Arteta sacked, at least seem close to it.
I think it was great fun Jon and by all means rattle us😊.
Thanks! I like to try throw some curveballs from time to time