Tuesday, September 2, 2008

No Signings Before the Deadline...What's Your Response?

Hello all. I'm still alive if anyone was wondering, I just haven't had a good chance to write in ages. Since I last posted we won 3-0 against Newcastle which was a great result, and the transfer window closed last night. I waited up watching the news tickers on and off all day hoping for Xabi Alonso, or anyone else for that matter, and it just never happened.

So we're stuck with the squad we have. Heaven forbid we get an injury to Fabregas or Denilson because then we're stuck with Diaby/Denilson/Eboue/Ramsey starting against Manchester United, Chelsea, etc. We're too weak in midfield and we all know it. All of us, it seems, except for the boss. I know I have never been a proffessional football manager but I have watched a lot of football and I know when there is something needed in a squad. I think Denilson and Diaby can become great players for the club, but they aren't there now and if they get injured the squad just isn't deep enough.

Eboue, poor guy, has had to go from right back to right winger to center midfield. This just shows how thin the squad really is. Versatility is great but forcing a player to play in positions where he is far worse is a bad sign.

I'm not preaching doom and gloom here, I'm just awfully disappointed. I think 95% of Arsenal fans expected some sort of move before the deadline, but the only move we made was to re-sign Mark Randall and Kieran Gibbs. Sources say that Arsene tried to make a move yesterday for Xabi Alonso, but they couldn't sort out a fee before the deadline passed. This brings up the question though, why didn't Arsene try to work it out before 10pm on deadline day?

But that isn't even my real complaint. My real problem is that there hasn't been ANYONE brought in at all. There are players out there who would be cheap and could deepen the squad at very least. Marcos Senna was out there for a good price, and there were a lot of other players who could have at least added depth even if they weren't ready-made superstars.

I'll admit I'm nervous. I'm a member of the Arsene Wenger Fan Club but he has really puzzled me lately. Danny Fiszman said the money is there for him, yet none has been spent. Has he gotten so stubborn that he just wants to be the complete opposite of the other Top Four clubs and spend ZERO money while they spend big? I don't want to spend zillions either like I said, I just want a deeper squad, and maybe a good defender.

There is good news, however, as Arsene Wenger says Emmanuel Eboue has become a "pass master." Is there a more clear hint that Arsene is failing to see a lack of quality in the team? Eboue is not, and will not be, a pass master, ever. He isn't the solution to the midfield problem either, but it sounds like Arsene is making him out to be just that.

But that's about it for the day. Are you disappointed or just fine with the lack of moves? Let's hear your thoughts. Cheers.

Oh yeah, and please for the love of God nobody try to convince me that Amaury Bischoff will be the answer. He hasn't played in ages and he isn't the answer. Don't be a moron.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

You crackheadz....Wengerz going to promote within.....COCQUELIN...looks like the one who can step up and play ruff stuff we need!.....

Also SONG DIABY DENILSON< who will only get better.


BO!

ArseNole said...

You're right anon, if Cesc gets hurt, we'll just put in Cocquelin, and there will be no drop off...

Anonymous said...

I would like to have seen a solid viera-esque midfielder but oh well. i have been watching bits about eboue, i used to like him, then last season he was a ghost. But i got the feling he was a player out of position at rightback and right wing. Maybe this is his position?
I hope so...
Denilson could mature and maybe in 2 seasons he would be the player to play holding mid properly but he lacks experience (as do our entire squad...)
Wenger seems to know something about these boys we dont...

Looks like this season is going to need us to ride on a wing and a prayer and just put faith in Le'Bosses judgement!

Don't let us down Wenger!

Gooner4life!

Anonymous said...

Same old shit different season....I have supported Arsenal for 19yrs and I am getting pissed off with the clubs policy of signing players of certain value or age....I know this seems madness but I think Wenger has run his course and is now starting to loose his grip with the club / squad and fans... What happens this season when RVP ADDY OR CESC get injured, will we have at the end of the season " We did well " we still finished 3rd or 4th...Thats why for me its the same old shit different season... I am a true fan who is simply fucked off that we have won nothing for years and looks like it will be the same old again...

Anonymous said...

I am mad and ferious over le boss stuborness! We will have another trophyless season.

Anonymous said...

Oh well, we are still the arsenal. We didn't decrease in ability over night!

leon said...

i think if arsenal can keep more clean sheets and defend alot better then that will give a discict advantage,i also feel that nasri can play cm and with his passing range will be able to link up well delison and diaby,hopefully risisky will be back this month and will help alot but so far arsenal are doing well without him, i feel the fulham game was just bad day for whole team,i but idea that song and diaby, delinson are young so they need a few years is crap if your good enough your old enough they can handle the presure, but i hope he can bring someone in in january but it all depends if have alot of injuries

Gooner In Aus said...

hi i am a born arsenal fan through and through, arsene is the best manager we have had and i trust everything he does. I think he has a plan for the team this season and we will all see it in time.

Unknown said...

I think you hit the nail on the head when you mentioned stubbornness. Wenger sees Utd and Chelsea throwing money everywhere, and clubs like City trying to jump on board with that model, and he views it as cheating. His background in economics probably has a lot to do with that since the Chelsea policy makes pretty much zero economic sense.

But Wenger has over corrected in response and left us ridiculously thin. All the top 4 clubs have to have good injury luck to win the title, but we have to have good luck with injures just to finish top 4! If Cesc or RVP goes down, we're fighting to make the UEFA Cup.

I think we should have paid whatever it took to get Alonso, even if that meant overpaying just this once. But I'm sure Wenger fears the bad press that he would get from overpaying for ONE player in his career more than he fears the press he will get from leading Arsenal down a path that is almost guaranteed to fail and failing.

Anonymous said...

I'm a little frustrated by the lack of signings...especially when Wenger said we would have a signing before the 2nd FC Twente match...and all we got was Silvestre. I'm guessing the guy he wanted was Inler and it just didn't work out. I think we can still do quite well this year...but we would need to get Rosicky back soon...and have the key players (Cesc, RVP, Nasri etc.) stay healthy. And even so...I don't think we can compete with Man U now that they have Berbs...even if he is a massive prick.

The thing that really worries me is what happened at Man City yesterday. If they are in fact the new Chelsea...then I'm worried about the future of Arsenal. I think City is going to continue to drive up player prices...because let's face it...if you can go to Man City, Man U or Chelsea...the only reason I can think of to go to City is more money. So if City becomes another super club...does that leave Liverpool and Arsenal fighting for the 4th spot every year? I know I'm really jumping the gun here...cause who knows what's going to happen in Eastlands in the coming years. I don't think Robinho is going to make much of a difference this year. I'm just worried that David Dein is going to be proven right...and to win trophies we're going to need our own super billionaire. I'd much prefer that billionaire not be that fat russian bastard...I'm worried...

urbangardener said...

Surely we are not far off success wenger has never let us down its the football that will save the day I'd hate if we became a buying expensive talent club, thats all fergie does, if we win the league it will be the greatest ever achievement and 2 fingers to all those clubs who try to buy success ! liverpool spend every year for what ? chelsea the same and now city think they will have it sussed.its what separates us from everyone else, no billionaire owner, no manager who spends like a fool and the best football eyes have ever seen !

Anonymous said...

Fantastic article ArseNole! Horrible summer to be a Gooner once again...when are we going to finally see our squad improved rather than weakened over the summer.

I'm glad you brought up Bischoff, I honestly think this joker could be the worst signing Arsene Wenger has ever made. He's Mr Glass from Unbreakable and it's a shamble that he's at our club.

Anonymous said...

i agree with u....after i woke up, and i saw the news...i could start to cry...i was veryvery angry..and more worse i was jeolus for manu, man city ect...i shame myself...but this is the true..:-(....oh and there is now answer, only we can pray nobody will be enjury..sorry for my poor english:-( fan from middle eu

Anonymous said...

http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/premier-league/wenger-i-will-not-just-buy-success-1461649.html

Day after transfer window closes & the main news headline on Arsenal.com was about the result for the reserves team's game. Que?The boss seems to be trying to make winning any trophy (he's only interested in 2 according to above interview) as difficult as he possibly can. Argh. I dont believe it can be the case but increasingly he looks like a manager more obsessed with his clever ability in economics than football.

Anonymous said...

I think we'll actually be a lot stronger this season, in the odor department. But seriously, this could be fun, we've got joyous youth all over the place. Average age of the starting eleven at 22-23this is incredible, no other team would ever dream of doing this, we are so special, so unique, I love my arsenal, we're thspecial. We don't pay silly money, noooo, we pay zero money, yeesssss. That is our strategy after all, money go out - bad, money come in - good. That's what makes us soooo special. We're just different, and that's special. Let's be happy that we're special. We're different, our players play for love not money, I'm gonna hug my arsenal pillow tonight and be sooo thankful that I support a thspecial club.

Anonymous said...

Our manager is now totally insane. Even so we'll probably finish third, which is good enough for afc these days.

Anonymous said...

We have looked a little weak in the first few games this season, but that's just it. It's only a few games. I don't rate Eboue, Bendtner or Denilson, but other than that we have a squad capable of competing for trophies. We might not have splashed out 30 million on one player but we paid less than 10 for Eduardo! So I for one still trust Wenger and like the stability of our board.

And speaking of Eduardo, look at what happened to him! Football can sometimes slap you in the face without warning. For all we know, City could end up paying Robinho his 92k a week to lay on the physios table for a year! Of course it's exciting signing the big names, but isn't everyone getting ahead of themselves claiming it's a new order in the Prem? There are plenty of clubs who could match the sort of wages City could offer and these sort of mercenaries can go as quickly as they came.

Lastly...to anyone who thinks you need a team full of 30m+ superstars nowdays to win anything I say only this: Djimi Traore - Champions League Winner.

Anonymous said...

So AW hasn't flashed the cash and everyone is moaning and groaning and predicting the end of the club as we know it. So who would we have actually gone and bought? There was, er, um, er? Oh yes - Xavi Alonso, so good that he is an occasional starter at Liverpool and realistically nowhere near the top of any gooner list - until the rumours started. Michel Arteta? Some Swiss bloke? Does anyone think that the Robinho move to 'Citeh' is anything other than mercanary balls?. Fact is, none of us can name anyone available to sign who would definitely have made us a better squad. If the boss thinks that we have enough talent, then we have enough talent. He hasn't exactly made many mistakes over the years has he? We've got 2 world class full backs, 4 centre halves who are all internationals, the worlds best midfielder, and 5 (when Ed returns) top strikers. Plus a whole load of technically gifted youngsters itching to get a look in. Remember Man U late 1990's "kids"? We've acquired Nasri, Ramsey and Silvestre, don't forget. Hleb was rubbish and Gilberto the worst passer at the club. The only real loss was Flamini, but keep your eye on Denilson..... And remember Reyes? £18m of toss - a typical foreign player who just wasn't robust enough for the premier league or Arsenals high standards - which is exactly why splashing the cash to keep people happy is complete folly. I pay enough for my season ticket without seeing my money wasted on unconvincing signings just to please the fans and the press. Arsene knows what he's doing - the man isn't stupid and neither are the board. So don't get hooked up in this tabloid mentality that because we haven't spent £30m on a couple of 'names' then we are doomed. C'mon you reds!!! Lets show 'em.

WEG said...

Bischoff IS the answer. He's got nice hair, is good in the tackle and would keep van Persie and Rosicky company at the physios. He speaks German, you know. Appiah's coming in on a free? That's the word from goonertalk.

But don't worry. We're not going to win the league, and there'll be plenty of Fulham-esque performances, but we won't drop out of the Top 4.

How do I know? Because I'm Connolly's agent and I've seen the Arsenal in real life. Twice!

Anonymous said...

After the dust had settled I started thinking about the deals that have gone through.... Berbatov doing a Teddy Mingerash on our sad deluded marsh dwelling neighbours... and Robinho doing a mercenary on the Chavski Globetrotters and joining Chav Citeeeeeh instead for loads more filthy lucre (now isn¿t that ironic plastic Chavski fans?). And was I really that upset? And are we really in such a terrible position as a lot of our moaning supporters think? Just ask yourself if you¿re in this for the long haul of supporting a real live breathing club or following a fad like the Chavs or ManUre and all the bandwagon hopping scousers (aged 30-50) who latched onto the Liverpool Stealers?? Because I wouldn¿t swap places with the finances of any other club in the Premier League (just remember our monies for the stadium are owed for legitimate reasons under a business plan) And I certainly wouldn¿t want an egotistical sugar daddy surrounded with sycophants running my club as his toy and I¿m absolutely 100% certain I wouldn¿t want any other manager than Arsene Wenger in charge. I¿m definitely not going to be envious when the next club sells its soul and goes on an unethical spending spree but I do reserve the right to p*ss myself laughing when Michael Platini gets his way and all the clubs built on shifting sands collapse. Ok we didn¿t buy the player we all think we need... but the most important person at the club disagreed with us all... And I for one am happy to have jam tomorrow.

Unknown said...

Death, Doom, Destruction! We are all going to die! But in the meantime, lets watch some football! I know that all of you are invested in this game and in this team as much as I am but lets just see what happens before we start calling for heads to start rolling. Saturday was beautiful, even though Newcastle sucks, and I think there is more to come from this team than most people think. So have a pint, eat a good meal, and watch the pros on the field all of you armchair managers!

Anonymous said...

First of all, please allow me to correct your spelling; you spelt 'professional' wrong.With a double f. Now for the important part. we have the necessary talent, according do wenger. he's right, but i think he has forgotten the fact that players (our players especially because of the type of flowing football we play)do get injured and our subs arent exactly quality. however, the fact of the matter is that football is a business and wenger's strategy is to recover all our money, while keeping us the champions league. he's doing that pretty well right now but he's frustrating the fans. however, if cesc stays fit and rosicky and eduardo dont have any more problems, i truly believe we are one of the candidates for premier league glory, so GO ARSENAL!!!!!