August shaping up to be a busy month for Arsene Wenger
Posted by: Aidan in Arsenal, Arsène Wenger
Arsenal ended their otherwise promising pre-season campaign with a disappointing 2-0 loss away to Valencia last yesterday. Lukasz Fabianski saved a penalty from the dangerous David Villa in a rain-soaked first half, before Michel put the hosts in front with fifteen minutes to go. Villa made amends for his penalty miss when he made it 2-0 at the death, inflicting Arsenal’s only pre-season defeat.
Reading around the traps this morning I was somewhat surprised at the amount of overreaction emanating from some sections of Arsenal fans. While these people are still the vast minority, I’m still having trouble getting my head around how people can be so down after a single friendly loss. We were outplayed by a quality Valencia side in the Estadio Mestalla, and there’s no shame in that.
I think that its simply a culmination of the frustration some Gooners have felt over this summer’s lack of signings. While I’m not all that hopeful of us getting the centre half and defensive midfielder we so desperately need, I’m sure we’ll get at least one of those players in with the acquisition of a striker also a possibility.
Arsene Wenger said earlier this week that he is likely to wait until the end of the transfer window to make any purchases. Wenger and Ivan Gazidis will be working hard in the last days of the transfer window in order to secure their targets at a reasonable price, as will most other clubs, as money is tight in world football at the moment (bar two clubs, it seems). Until then we should let our football do the talking.
And I mean meaningful, competitive football, not a practice match. That starts on Saturday, when Arsenal travel to Goodison Park to face David Moyes’ Everton. That match marks the kick-off of a huge month for Arsenal, with the Gunners travelling to Parkhead to play Celtic on August 18. Arsenal then play host to Portsmouth on August 22, before playing Celtic in the second leg of their Champions League qualification tie.
Failing to qualify for the Group Stages would be a disaster for the club financially as the money made from the six group games (and hopefully the matches that follow) are a large source of revenue for the club.
Arsene Wenger will have to juggle his squad in order to ensure qualification, and make sure his squad is fit and ready for a tough trip to Old Trafford on August 29. This is all while working hard with Ivan Gazidis to secure transfer targets before the close of the window at midnight on August 31. Wenger will have a lot on his plate come the end of August, but I’m confident that Arsene will come through.
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It is shameful to loss to an opponent comprehensively.
Well we tried to let our football do the talking but sure sounded like gibberish to me. Another busy month explaining why we don’t sign anyone.
I believe Wenger will make the right decisions but sometimes in life not everything will turn out the way we always expected. On paper the present squad should overcome Everton, Celtic and Portsmouth BUT what if they lose anyone of these three starters. I think Wenger’s world will fall apart, the ball is round anything can happen. Just one or two freak mistakes will end one’s confidence.
I think Arsenal do not have quality subs who must carry the burden of injuries to first choice players. Who can replace players like Ashavin, Van Persie, Eduardo, Rosicky, Fabregas and yet be able to produce match winning performances. I only pointed out six players but I am certain any one or two of the above will severely affect the team. The period without Fabregas, Van Persie, Eduardo and Rosicky last season Arsenal was reduced to a very very average team. I remembered when the ” Invincibles ” played all the teams were afraid of them and without confident they made simple silly mistakes for Arsenal to exploit. The same was true of Manchester United last season. Wenger should buy but not for the sake of just buying, he should have quality backups. Just take a look at Manchester United they always play like the same team even when Ronaldo, Rooney, Scholes and Ferdinand were injured, not so for Arsenal they just dive from 5 stars to 3 stars. There is no excuses for being stubborn since there is a saying, “Once bitten twice shy” !
I`ve said it before and I`ll say it again why is it that transactions with Arsenal take for ever and are clothed in so much secrecy? Other clubs seem much more open and their supporters enjoy the thrill, Arsenal is as boring as The Department of Inland Revenue. Maybe the Tax Dept. should be included in Arsenal`s pre season, I guess they`d have a team of some sort.
Come on Arsene you know what is needed .
Leaving transfers and closing deals on the stroke of midnight is definately a Wenger trend and like Shepherds Bush market on Christmas Eve you can be lucky and get a bargin but the best has gone and there`s an even chance the turkey you buy is on the nose anyway. Strange analogy maybe but it`s true.
Plz plz buy ashley young,matuidi and hangeland plz plz
Good blog.
The commenters above are cunts.
@ John: shut up
@ Peter: bollox. we never got into a flow because the line ups were experimental, things we haven’t really tried. And if you have ever been to some of the Spanish stadia you’d no they’re hard to win at, the atmosphere is ridiculous
@ Eddie: Your whinging about the depth of the squad and using the attack as an example. Your having a laugh mate. We have 6 excellent forwards and a whole host of attacking players, we have more than enough to make two quality forward lines. If you want to whinge about depth do so about the mids and defence.
@ Jack: Seriously? You know why we conduct our business quietly? It’s to make sure we don’t pay over the odds for a player. PLUS when it comes to an unknown we have to keep it hush hush, or we get another Mourinho case from when he was at Chelsea. He would just wait to see who we were bidding on and then he would step in with a huge offer. It happened with Cech, Essein, Kalou, Obi Mikel, Malouda, etc
I have been confused, bewildered & baffled as to why we have not quickly bought a DM or cover for the growing injury prone list (b4 the seasons even started) or at least replace the players just sold. Arsene isnt a defensive coach & is prepairing for the majority of the teams we’l be playing who park the proverbial Bus. so it will be no surprise if we get another attacking force – instead of what the fans/ media say Arsenal need! I think this defeat will hopefully reveal more to Wenger than the previous comfortable victories
When fans are talking about winning silverwear, people on the board are just focusing on generating money. There is no meeting of minds between the club and their fans and that is the saddest thing.
Wenger said there will not be much hurt made to the finanical side of the club if Arsenal fails to pass the Celtics test in August. That is true because the sale of Cesc in January will offset the missing money from weathy EU Championship competition. And the sale of Arshavin will generate another sum of money should Arsenal loses their 4th spot in the end of the forthcoming season.
When no one can read the mind of Arsene Wenger when he purchases player, man in the street knows his policy of sale of valuable and aging players. Toure, one of the most honest player in the EPL, has said the similar thing and I believe in him more than AW, who is no longer manager of AFC. His title should be amended as Dean/Principal of Arsenal Football Training School.
Good luck to Arsenal FTC!
Xabier hits the top five excuse button, thanks for the reminder, oh yeah almost forgot ‘well dominate in 2-3 years with this squad’(that is if our players aren’t too bored to stay awake). Whinging about the ‘tough spanish stadiums?’ shit mate, so that’s what it’s come to then.
Aidan, Mr wenger himself said at the end of last season that he will buy experienced players.A defensive midfielder and a tall center half is so blatently obviously needed.
Rafa Benitez bought in ten minutes a good defensive midfielder but Mr Wenger after making 40 million on Adebayor and Toure still finds it hard to part with a few quid.We’ve heard the same excuces year after year…..it’s getting very annoying.Wenger has some kind of point to prove and at the end of each season he is proved wrong.The young players he has groomed are fantastic and he is a great manager but he MUST buy two more strong experienced players.Song was so slow and gave so many balls away against valencia……..it was painful.With all that have you noticed that nobody is talking about the tough defensive midfielder anymore.Well we will always love you Arsenal but it looks like another fight for fourth place!!!!!.
The gutless, faithless whingers and panic merchants on this forum almost make me ashamed to be a Gooner. Put away the Championship Manager, grow a spine and harden the fuck up, people. If the players were as defeatist as some of you, we’d be lucky to be in League 2.
Gunners board nid 2 wake up We don’t want 2 go in2 thinking we are the best team yet thats long gone Lets bring on qaulity players who activate change when the team is down Gunners! 4 Life Don’t think 2 much about de loss
Stuart, relax mate, we’ve found the solution, courtesy of Xabier, next time we visit a tough atmosphere we’ll just have to bring a truckload of diapers for our players, problem solved, we’re sorted mate, it’s all good.
You said like everyone thinked, there’s nothing news here, so boring!
im 13 and have been quite upset and fustrated at the lack of signings i trust arsene wenger but we havent won a single thing apart from the emirates cup in 4 years!!! fabregas and van persie and other very good players will leave if we dont buy some players and improve arsenal seem so concerned about saving money instead of winning trophies it makes me wonder wether its the barclays premier laeuge for arsenal or the barclays money making league remember there was never a time when we were winning the champions league cause we,ve never won it the embarrising loss to man utd still hurts come on arsenal bucker up from chris gooner 4 life
You do not have to be a great thinker to see that Arsenal need a DM midfielder and a rather large centre back. Why Can’t Wenger see that. Why do we need a centre forward when we have arshavin, Van Persie, Bendter, Eduardo, Wolcott, Vela, and simpson.
We have been fighting for the fourth postion in the last 2 years. WHO HAVE WE BOUGHT TO CHANGE THIS. One defender to replace toure, what a joke.
Mr Wender has $40 Million to spend and he is dragging the chain. Whats all this crap about getting bargins, we have 40 million spend it, or we are out of the top 6, let a lone top 4.
I truly believe that this will be Wengers last year cause the fans will turn on him, because the patience will run out. And rightly so.
Personal i would like to see the end of the current board, and someone with someBALLS COME IN AND START TO PUT THIER MONEY WHERE THERE MOUTH IS. AM I ANGRY YOU BET
Time is running out for Wenger. You’ve made well over the odds selling the ‘citeh 2.’ now if you want Hangeland stop fucking about until 11.55pm on the 31st & buy him now you fuckwits.
Why are so many fans being so niave to think that Arsene got it right upto 2004 so will always get it right no matter what ?
He Gazidis MUST ACT NOW.
Hangeland, Cattermole and Chamack in, Eboue and Bendtner out… Piece of piss Mr Wenger get on with it.
@paul it is a terrible thing to say song gave away d ball too easily. Leaves me wit the option of maybe u dint really watch d match.
well put xabier and stewart. arsenal was never a place for glory fans so you lot can fuck off. ‘ooh were not winning silverware for a couple of seasons my life is over’. instead you have been lucky enough to watch the most exciting and dynamic young team in the league improve over each season so how can you think they won’t get better and take it this year?? it crushes me to say that this may be wengers last season because his masterplan will of ‘failed’. that basiclly means the new lot at the emirates (mostly rich glory supporters) will boo our players, and go off on one about wenger. then he’ll go to madrid and win everything there. then you’ll be fucking laughing. after that our team will become like chelsea, manager after manager, no chance to settle down, and all round a team with no heart. the old highbury lot were about 10 times more loyal and faithful than you guys you should be ashamed.
what the fuck do you know about managing? do you knowabout the long, never ending process of trying to sign a player? wenger knows what he’s doing. he is no fool.
watch when we win the leagfue next year and you lot suddenly become all ‘arsenal till i die’.
nouveux arsenal supporters.
rant over.
i have a better option for most of above fans………GO SUPPORT DAMNCHESTER CITY/UTD OR REAL BEGGERS OR MAYBE CHELSHIT!!!! OR EVEN BETTER GENERATE FUNDS GIVE THEM TO Mr. wenger WRITE THE NAME OF THE PLAYER U WANT BEHIND THE CHECK OR IN A NOTE…
As much as alot of gooners were purring after the emirates cup, I felt that should we come up against a top attacking opposition line, we will soo be exposed either by playin too much of a high line, or in the air – this was affirmed by Valencia FC last night! We were totally outclassed. We definetly need 3 more playas down the spine, a CB, a DM and a striker. What happens next season, when Gallas leaves. Even if Vermaelen turns out 2 be an amazing CB this season, I don’t see him and D’jourou being THE prem. CB pairing of season 10/11(ala Ferdinand/Vidic 07/08, 08/09) and our CB options are poor – only Song(who is not an out an out CB though adequate) and Fish head will b gone(thank God), so 4 all those that say we don’t need another CB you’re havin a laugh – we need another one NOW to have one bedding in season b 4 Gallas leaves.
Any one that thinks Denilson is our DM has 2 be NUTS! 4 me he looked mediocre(@ best) in the emirates cup and he will continue to do so all season long – all u who think ‘he’s the one haven’t got a ****in clue! He is NOT a tough tackling DM! We saw plenty of evidence in the cup of him losing the ball, dropping his head, jogging, passin short, backwards and side 2 side and shooting into row Z. Funnily enough though I can see how all the aformentioned may make Denilson look soo industrious on the pitch 2 the masses – trust me he’s NOT, a real case of “Much ado about nothin”, he’s soo SHIT imo. A real DM should take your breath away @ least 3/4 times a match(ala Flamster – Milan v le Arse-CL, San siro 07/08, etc) not some ****in headless chicken that looks busy – he is the complete opposite of a true defensive mid! Song is improving in this area and I’m willing 2 give him another season as a DM but I don’t think he has enough speed of thought, zip and penetrative play about him. Lets hope these traits develop along with the season because if they don’t, we have to start with a quality addition to the squad in this position 4 10/11.
Finally we definetly need a new striker. What happens if either RvP or Ed or both get injured 4 sustained periods!? As much as alot of peeps think Bendtner will evolve into a top striker(I’m not one of them), he’s not going to cut it wk in wk out while our 2 main boyz are out. Walcott and Vela need time.
I have no intention of suggesting which playas we should buy as this is completely futile because it will never happen. Wenger reluctantly agreed with the fans(although he won’t see it that way) after the share holders meeting that he would buy “2/3 players with experience” and that he wanted to get them in BEFORE pre season – HE HAS DONE NEITHER. Though Vermaelen may turn out to be good, he does not equate to the EXPERIENCE I was expecting…
Every season from 04/05 til the last, we have suffered with soo many injuries that we are not adequately covered for EVERYTIME. Our challenge on all fronts diminish, we play 4 nothin, then Wenger will tell us that we’ve made much progress. That’s not what I call progress. Though we will never play or make the 8 changes that Wenger did 4 the second half last nite in any game this comin season, bottom line those 8 are our direct replacements for the first team players- not good enuff! He asked us half way through last season 2 judge him @ the end of the season. When we did he accused us of treating him as if he had committed murder. Stand by your word MAN!!! The shareholders had a right to question him and speak their minds. He cares more for balancing the books and his mediocre players. His most significant commitment should be to the supporters. Without us there is NO Arsenal FC.
I know the majority will disagree with all I’ve stated here. But I have given Wenger’s experiment and policy a chance for 4 years now. Apart from a genuine charge 4 the first half of 07/08, the rest has been fruitless(and b 4 u label me a Johny come lately, I was a supporter in the wilderness years between 79?-86?). Bottom line is Wenger does what Wenger wants. He pays little or no attention to the FAN’S VOICE. I sincerely hope we have a season to remember. A season which makes me BELIEVE again. A season which makes me stick everything I have stated here right up my arse. But I’ve heard the empty spin soo many times from the prof. 4 the last 4 seasons that trust me, WHEN IT REALLY COUNTS-WE AIN”T GONNA WIN SHIT!!!AGAIN!!!
I know signing a defender & defensive midfielder is our priority but does anyone else think Wenger has missed a trick by not signing Huntelaar for £13 million, which is what Milan paid for him. I mean come on £13 million for a 25 year old world class proven striker!!! That is cheap is todays market.
I think Wenger should have signed Huntelaar, Hangeland & Veloso/Cana this season. He has already missed out on Cana who only went for £6 million & Huntelaar for £13 million. Wenger atleast has £31 million to spend (£25m for Ade + £16m for Toure – £10 for Vermaelen) but how much do you think he will spend? I reckon only £10 million if that. We have some great players & great youngsters coming through but I worry about players like RVP, Arshavin & Cesc, who inspires them? We need to bring in some World class experience otherwise I think we will lose the likes of Cesc & RVP within a couple of years.