Arsenal to transform the entire squad for next season. Plus a very funny quote from Mr Quote.

By Sir Hardly Anyone

First, the comment of the week, possibly the month, maybe the decade.  I am grateful to the Daily Canon for this one.

“People that understand football very well know that this project is a project that is very exciting because we are not a club that are going to buy trophies, we are a club that is going to deserve trophies.   That for me is why people show frustration because they think we deserve trophies that we do not achieve.”

Just ponder it for a while – certainly for me each time I read it, it made less sense than the time before but is also a little bit funnier.  It was of course (as you will have realised I am sure) said by the manager of Tottenham Hots.

Now the transferations…

1: Emil Forsberg from RB Leipzig (according to Sportwitness and Calcio Mercato)

Arsenal and Bayern Munich are allegedly competing for his signature rather akin to the way that publicans used to compete for mine when bar bills were settled by cheque as opposed to plastic or a quick run to the door.  He is said to be a replacement for Alexis Sanchez which is a bit odd considering we already got one.  (Incidentally the Star has Alan Shearer saying that we sold Man U Alexis Sanchez’ twin brother in the last transfer window.  So the cloning of footballers is now finally upon us!)

2:  Benfica winger Andrija Zivkovic, (according to Sport Witness)

Manchester United also fancy him according to  Hard Tackle.  Again, I thought we had got that position sorted.

3: Alex Grimaldo from Benfica as our new left back (Read Arsenal)

Corriere dello Sport say that Napoli are after him.  “Grimaldo has been strongly linked with Arsenal in the past, along with Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco.”  I’d give Monreal one more season at least.

4, 5, 6, 7, 8:  Malcolm, then Leno, Odriozola,  Doucoured and Evans.  (Football London)

Cech will leave and there will be a wholesale spree of purchases according to Football London, although for anyone who likes the idea I should add I am not too sure many if any of the site’s predictions have come true in the past, except where made on the day of the transfer.

One problem here is that they take their data from bookmakers – who have a vested interest in projections being wrong.  Anyway here is what they have.

Leno in goal: Leno is currently with with Bayer Leverkusen and “reportedly” (ho ho) has a buy out clause worth just £22m.

Odriozola comes in at right back because Hector Bellerin is going.  Indeed as FL told us he had already left last summer that is a bit like old news.

Álvaro Odriozola Arzallus is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Real Sociedad. Mainly a right back, but we have just bought one of those in the previous paragraph but he can also play as a winger.

Jonny Evans is the N Ireland defender centre back available for £3m from WBA if they go down, and

Doucoured from Watford would then have him playing next to Ramsey.  Now the reason for this one is interesting as it would bring “much needed brawn and steel to a weak midfield.”  Just recently Xhaka was bringing in too much brawn and steel and was criticised for it, and has now been praised for reducing it a bit while Elneny is improving all the time.  A curious choice, but well, that’s how these guys work.

So what sort of team does this give us?  Well helpfully the site runs down the new lineup which now includes Malcolm (currently with Bordeaux) playing in a three behind the centre forward.

9:  Andre Silva (Mad about EPL)

Another blogetta joins the ranks and tells us that Arsenal want Silva from Milan.  He is an attacking midfield “sensation” and the source is “according to reports” so we know it must be true.  Except the “sensation part might not quite be right because he has “failed to sprinkle his magic in the Serie A, since his move to AC Milan last summer”.  So ex-sensation perhaps. Oh yes and Wolverhampton want him too.

10:  Alban Lafont (Daily Canon)

Alban Lafont is set to leave Toulouse this summer, according to the French media, with Arsenal joining four other clubs in showing an interest.

Now he is a 19 year old goalkeeper, and the problem is that Arsenal is awash with young goalkeepers.  Just go onto Arsenal.com and click on players and then academy, and you’ll see as list as long as a goalkeeper’s arm.  And several of them are tipped as being of a particularly high calibre.

And then it turns out that L’Equipe tells us not so much that Arsenal want the young man but rather that Napoli do but because they are not meeting the asking price, Arsenal will get in there.

I rather suspect they won’t.  As is the case of 97% of the stories that appear every day.

Other bits.

 

 

11 Replies to “Arsenal to transform the entire squad for next season. Plus a very funny quote from Mr Quote.”

  1. The identity of Arsenal’s next manager will also be in the spotlight , more so after the WC in Russia . Those whose manager’s have failed to qualify will in most probability not be considered.

    As well as those managers whose countries will be boycotting the WC for Russia’s foray into Syria and/or for some other imagined or alleged international ‘infringements’ or other.

    Odds on favorite will be the winning country’s manager especially if he has had won it before ! And looking forward to the day to day grind of club football. Or may be he would well wait till he has also won the Euro Championship too ! Nothing much to look forward after that. Das collection es complete .

    In the meantime Arsene Wenger will sign his contract extension to the delight of loyal Arsenal fans the world over , and as was apparently promised to Ozil when he agreed to sign his contract extension earlier this season.

    Is that a collective sigh of relief that I hear ?
    You’re welcome !

  2. In the meantime Arsene Wenger will sign his contract extension to the delight of loyal Arsenal fans the world over…

    Are you serious?? Any fan that is sound of mind has to want him out the door not sign a extension after our decline over the last decade and this absolutely diabolical season this year.

    How any arsenal fan can stick by wenger any longer is beyond me he can’t set up a team any more has lost control of the players, moral is a record low, attendance record low and fans belief is shattered. If I was a player I’d stay so far from this broken club while this man is in charge because you are never going to be a success with his guidance any longer

  3. Arsene Wenger has been playing with his hands tied for the last 10 years because the PGMO’s cheating, I think if you analyze year on year, Arsenal has lost points because of incorrect calls made, even this year as well as last year, arsenal should have been in the top 4 but there is something foul that is happening, hopefully it will get resolved in the years to come & people will look at Wenger in a new light, but I still feel playing in a league where the referees influence games, Arsene is still the best bet for Arsenal.

  4. Leeroysgooners
    20/03/2018 at 7:51 pm

    This evidenceless diatribe reminds me of a few words of Doctor Spock and his book on baby care.

    ‘After six to eight weeks baby begins to gurgle and make funny noises.’

  5. Leeroysgooners

    What are you talking about ?

    “……decline over the last decade.”

    So lets have a look over the last 10 years to see how that statement stands up.

    Firstly, the PREMIER LEAGUE.

    First 6 years of the 10 years in question:

    ’07/’08 – 3rd – R5

    ’08/’09 – 4th – SF

    ’09/’10 – 3rd – R4

    ’10/’11 – 4th – QF

    ’11/’12 – 3rd – R5

    ’12/’13 – 4th – R5

    Last 4 Years of the 10 years in question:

    ’13/’14 – 4th – Won

    ’14/’15 – 3rd – Won

    ’15/’16 – 2nd – QF

    ’16/’17 – 5th – Won

    So the first 6 years of the decade produced:

    3 x 4th placed finishes.

    3 x 3rd placed finishes.

    And the last 4 years of the decade produced:

    1 x 5th placed finish.

    1 x 4th placed finish.

    1 x 3rd placed finish.

    1 x 2nd placed finish.

    As can be seen, in the first 6 years of the decade our league finishes were very steady, alternating equally between 3rd and 4th placed finishes.

    Where as the last 4 years have been more erratic with, in addition to the usual 3rd and 4th placed finishes, we also managed a 2nd place finish, but also, as we all know, a 5th placed finish.

    What this means is our average finishing position in the first 6 seasons and last 4 seasons is exactly the same at 3.5.

    I fail to see how, with regards to the Premier League, this can be described as a ‘decline over the last 10 years’? Perhaps Leeroy can explain ?

    Now lets look at the FA CUP.

    So the first 6 years of the decade produced:

    1 x R4

    3 x R5

    1 x QF

    1 x SF

    And the last 4 years of the decade produced:

    1 x QF

    3 x WINS

    As can be seen, in the first 6 years of the decade, we never even made a final. In fact we only made 1 x SF, 1 x Q5, 1 x 4R and exited at the 5th round stage 3 times.

    Where as in the last 4 years we’ve exited at the QF stage on one occasion, but more importantly we’ve WON it 3 times.

    I fail to see how, with regards to the FA CUP, under any circumstances Arsenal can be seen to of been in a ‘decline over the last 10 years’ ? Perhaps Leeroy could also explain this ?

    I was going to address the rest of Leeroys post, but seeing as the entire post is based on an utterly flawed assertion that Arsenal have been in decline for the last 10 years, when as I have shown, they clearly have not, there hardly seemed any point.

  6. ‘this absolutely diabolical season this year.’

    It’s not over yet. If Arsenal win the Europa League they will have exceeded Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham, who ‘only’ have the FA Cup to play for. Add Liverpool to that list if they fail in the CL.

    Wait and see.

  7. Flares

    I know. It’s not even over yet.

    Also, by Leeroys reckoning how many ‘absolutely diabolical seasons’ have Spurs fans had to endure these last 10? 20? 30? 40? years.

    Liverpool fans too, these last 10 years?

    What is it? 1 League cup each in this particular decade in question?

    And he still hasn’t even attempted to explain this ‘decade of decline’ claim yet either.

  8. @ colario – 20/03/2018 at 8:33 pm – Charles ,you truly kill me !!

  9. Pat

    Thanks, I’m glad it brought a smile.

    You notice we are still waiting for him to explain what he meant.

    He won’t of course because he cannot. But rest assured, when he thinks it’s safe to reemerge from his hideyhole he’ll spout the same nonsense all over again.

    And it will be just as potty the next time as it was this.

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