Yesterdays’s shaky, and at some times turbulent, performance against West Ham suggest Arsenal will not only struggle against the top teams this season, but the mid-table ones too. At least for the first half of the 18/19 season.

Continue reading “Arsenal fans, limit your expectations!”

A stroll through the final 12 years of Le Professeur’s time as “the boss”.

While riding the tsunami of success after the Invinsibles season in 03/04, and the six other trophies Wenger and Arsenal plundered since his appointment in 1996, they set out on a bigger adventure as the club announced a new stadium to stand ready in 2006. This is when the final acts of Arsène Wenger’s reign in north London began.

A time Wenger himself described in May 2017 as, “That was, for me, the biggest period of pressure between 2006 and 2014. If you told me today I’d do that again I would say ‘no thank you, I’ll leave that to someone else.’”

It is a tale of a new time, difficult choices, successes and failures, and a surprise ending.

Continue reading “The final acts of Arsène Wenger’s Arsenal – A long read”

The summer transfer gossip always gets way out of hand, especially for glistening Arsenal eyes. Media put their flashiest bait on the hook and don’t have to wait long before we eagerly bite. Ousmane Dembélé is available for sale? Of course he’ll join us, even though we don’t have Champions League football or the money, and the fact that a number of bigger clubs would be drooling at the opportunity.

It makes dreamers out of all of us. Even the most cynical bastards, like me. But let’s be realistic for a moment.

Continue reading “Making some sense of Arsenal’s transfer window”

Taking a close look at Arsenal’s squad registration and Short Term Cost Control situation before the summer spending begins.

The transfer window has opened, and before every silly season I, and hopefully the club, go through the logistics of the squad and how much the club can actually spend on recruitments before it shuts on August 9th.

There haven’t been any deals yet from Arsenal this transfer window. Although, as usual, many have been reported close to signing for the club. The only changes have been in the staff at the Emirates.

Wenger and two handfuls of staff have so far only been replaced by the new head coach, Emery. The Spaniard’s own staff has yet to arrive: Perhaps the reason Arsenal haven’t finalised any player signings yet.

A massive overhaul of the staff is imminent, there has been significant changes to the squad in the last year and the potential for further changes in the squad is there too, in Emery’s first summer at Arsenal. But how?

Continue reading “Arsenal can make moves this summer. Here’s how”

Unai Emery will fill the super-massive void left behind from Wenger’s 22-year-long reign at Arsenal. A hole so deep that past successes and vast knowledge about the game of football don’t suffice on their own. Although helpful, Emery’s expertise in tactical analysis and work ethics is only half the work ahead of him.

Continue reading “Issues that could be the rise or fall of Emery at Arsenal”

Negatives and positives, the club’s dreadful away record and Wenger’s thoughts.

Arsenal had grabbed hold of the long straw in London before Atletico’s Griezmann snatched it right out of their hands with ten minutes left on the clock. The Gunners were left with the short straw in a performance only held back by an absolute calamity of a goal conceded, but the signs were promising. It’s now time for Arsenal to go to Madrid and nab the long straw back.

Continue reading “Keywords for Arsenal ahead of the last battle in Madrid”

Squad info and how the team will likely line up against Man Utd, and in Madrid on Thursday.

Arsenal facing Man United on Sunday, between the two ties against Atletico Madrid, is awkward to say the least. Even with nothing to play for in the league, a lot of pride and importance is involved in a rivalry like the one at Old Trafford. It might also be Wenger’s last ever battle with Mourinho. It puts the Frenchman in a tough predicament.

How should the Gunners line up against Man United when every one of their starting players are crucial against Atletico on Thursday? Which is also one of Wenger’s most important games of his career.

Continue reading “Arsenal leave stars in London against Man Utd”

Arsenal have begun their search for a new manager for the first time in 22 years, with possible competition from Chelsea’s Abramovich if his notoriously fragile patience runs out again after the season.

On Friday’s already infamous announcement, Gazidis revealed the different principles the board will be looking for in their candidates for the fresh Arsenal job.

Continue reading “The managers most fit to take over for Wenger, according to Arsenal’s stated wishlist”