Arsenal : Are they in the shit ?

[Frogfish]

Yes it's an Arsenal thread but maybe our resident Arsenal haters will like this one !

They've been around the top for decades but they have criminally allowed many of their players to run down their contracts (maybe they didn't want to have to increase their salaries or thought the club would be sold) even though the wages they pay still average more per head than ours.

1. Surely Wenger will be on his way this Summer ? If so the rumours are that Allegri at Juve has already agreed to take over. So a Summer of churn.
2. Sanchez looks almost certain to go this January - this could destroy any remaining Top 4 hopes whilst they try to win the Europa League too (unlikely - in complete contrast to last season it's got some very strong teams in it this season).
3. Ozil's contract will be up this Summer too and he won't be short of suitors. No way he's staying.
4. Lemar has already turned down the chance to join Arsenal last Summer, when he wanted to move to Liverpool. Doubt he'll want to go there now.
5. Coquelin has just moved to Valencia.
6. Walcott could be leaving this January, almost certainly in the Summer if not now. are leaving in Jan, and will leave in summer for sure,
7. Ramsey's contract expires Summer 2019
8. Giroud wants out - he wants regular first team football and will surely go in the Summer
9. Mustafi was almost sold to Inter Milan last Summer. Likely he'll depart too.
10. Squad is full to the brim with aging and average players : Xhaka, Elneny, Cech, Mertesacker, Mustafi, Ospina, Wilshire & Welbeck etc. and Cazorla on the scrap heap (shame, excellent player).

What a mess. What top player (or touted future top player) would want to go there unless they are short of offers. They could end up struggling to make Top 6 for a few seasons after that lot. Great isn't it !

 

[manwithnoname]

Yes, but they're still wealthy and have a great infrastructure.

It could well be that Wenger going might create the right sort of impetus and improve the club. It's hardly a total mess, and nothing that the right appointment and a few hundred million can't fix

 

[Frogfish]

Yes, but they're still wealthy and have a great infrastructure.

It could well be that Wenger going might create the right sort of impetus and improve the club. It's hardly a total mess, and nothing that the right appointment and a few hundred million can't fix

They are losing some of their best players for next to nothing (Walcott is arguable but he scored 19 goals last season before being frozen out this) and looking at who remains (I've just added a list above) that team/squad is going to need a massive overhaul whilst to date Arsenal have shown little propensity for splashing that type of money per transfer window.
They tend to buy one very good player (Sanchez, Ozil, Lacazette, Lemar offer turned down) every other window or so .... however that's not going to modernise that squad, never mind first team, and we've seen what even average players are going for in this market. They've been caught on the start line in this regard.

 

[Rosco]

Wenger seems adamant that he's staying for the next year but they do look like they need a bit of a rebuild.

I expect that Wenger's short term deal will probably make it difficult to get top players to join.

Coquelin has barely featured this season, Walcott seems to be a bit part player too. So i wouldn't be too worried about losing them.

Sanchez, even looking like he's past his peak, will be difficult to replace and Ozil is a big loss.

Additionally they have a number of defenders over the age of 30 and one of them Koscielny seems to have chronic foot problems.

They have a lot of work to do.

 

[Insignificance]

Makes no sense in renewing Wengers contract with all the fuzz last summer and then kick hun out this summer?

Anyway it is allways extremelly difficult to replace him after all these years and with the club so much being his ideas. It is actually good for them that they replaces him after a period when they struggled rather that after a period of huge success as everything they do in the near future would then measure to him. But I expect him to hang around another year.

 

[gkmacca]

The bloke they've now got from Dortmund has a good record for finding decent players, so they might benefit gradually, but I wish them nothing but painful failure and I hope they eventually get relegated.

 

[Markeh]

Is there a will to win anything at the club? All that scrimping and saving over the years from Wenger would have to be undone by a new manager coming in and splurging if anything is to improve.

There's quite a few out of contact next year, Ramsey has been mentioned but also:

Czech Walcott Giroud Monreal Ospina

 

[KopRed]

When they were minted 2-3 years back, and when top players were still around the 20-30M bracket, they refused to spend big.

Today, everyone knows they are desperate, top players are at 70M, above average players are at the 40-50M bracket. Even players with unrealised potential are going at 20-30M minimum.

Add to that there are plenty of mega rich clubs who are in the CL who can pay much more than them.

Even if they managed to find some young gems, 2-3 years out of CL football will see them becoming irrelevant.

I'll say things are not looking good.

 

[Farkmaster]

Lacazette looks totally useless when I've seen him play, which is nice.

Wenger will go and then they'll spend some money, which will be a bitter irony that would be undetectable, if for some reason your face was already permanently ossified into the prunelike reaction to smelling bad pussy.

 

[Atlas]

Sanchez and Ozil leaving In the summer means needing at least 60/70mil to replace but with no return in terms of fees for the players
They need a defender or two and some decent squad players have also left/leaving.
A new manager might come in looking for a project but it looks tough even harder if they don't get champions league again.
Good news for us

 

[Red Astaire]

I don't despise Arsenal (unlike Spurs) but it is fun to watch them tailspin into midtable. Plus it's great when they lose because that Arsenal fan TV thing on youtube is gold!

 

[Frogfish]

Most Arsenal fans seem to have accepted they are in dire straits, now everyone seems to want Wenger gone and there's no way he's staying on if they fail to make the CL (either via PL or EL).

If Allegri takes over he's got a massive rebuild on his hands and he will oversee a total change of style.

With all those issues I listed in the OP it's a long way back and a huge transfer fund will be required to get them there too. All whilst competing with clubs better placed and with CL football which will make them more attractive options to the same players Arsenal will be chasing.

I think they are fucked. Their inertia (even disregarding the DOF appointment - which is clearly in preparation for Wenger's departure) will cost them big time. Wenger should have gone last Summer.

 

[Fallon]

Lacazette looks totally useless when I've seen him play, which is nice.

He's really not, but he's one of the most unsuited strikers to their team in the prem. They would've been better with Vardy, but I think they'd have killed his game too.

 

[hmmmmm1]

A London club and fairly rich. Hopefully thier downward spiral continues further

 

[moron]

Arsenal in the shit ? - you must be joking, yes they are in a bad state - but I think if you read through history that club above all other clubs in the PL ( including ourselves) - is the custodian of the league in top flight English football. If they were to struggle for relegation I reckon some dodgy underhandedness would take place between the FA, and Government to ensure that they stay up. Arsenal are what Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich are to Spain, and Germany respectively.

Now aside from my own conspiracy theory in the above paragraph - they are a very rich club in the capital - in a very attractive location that is very cosmopolitan area - so able to attract players from all over the world if they need to, they are just going through a transition and still in 6th position and will probably win the Europa and qualify for the CL next season even if they don't make top 4. So lets not worry ourselves with 'poor' old Arsenal. Fucking hell - we have our own worries.

 

[Judge Jules]

Arsenal in the shit ? - you must be joking, yes they are in a bad state - but I think if you read through history that club above all other clubs in the PL ( including ourselves) - is the custodian of the league in top flight English football. If they were to struggle for relegation I reckon some dodgy underhandedness would take place between the FA, and Government to ensure that they stay up. Arsenal are what Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich are to Spain, and Germany respectively.

Now aside from my own conspiracy theory in the above paragraph - they are a very rich club in the capital - in a very attractive location that is very cosmopolitan area - so able to attract players from all over the world if they need to, they are just going through a transition and still in 6th position and will probably win the Europa and qualify for the CL next season even if they don't make top 4. So lets not worry ourselves with 'poor' old Arsenal. Fucking hell - we have our own worries.

Whatever you were smoking when you typed that first para, Ahmed, you should get a refund from your supplier. Arsenal "above all other clubs in the PL is the custodian of the league"? You WHAT? Even if that meant anything it would be a great steaming pile of hooey.

Your second para.is much less loony but, even though Wenger is clearly past his sell-by date, they're going to have a big problem replacing him simply because he's been such a fixture there for so long. The team is already unravelling around him and I think they're in for a stint in the Europa League spots.

 

[Dreambeliever]

They've obviously tried to pay off the stadium at the expense of real success(top 4 bring their only 'trophy' of note most seasons)

I wonder once the stadium is paid off if all that will chance as they are still an attractive club for players.

Their decline has been great to see though much like ours has for other clubs fans I'm sure.

 

[Silver Sean]

Fuck Arsenal

 

[dee]

Post-Wenger has every opportunity to be similar to post-Ferguson.

Let's hope

 

[RedStar]

Post-Wenger has every opportunity to be similar to post-Ferguson.

Let's hope

Ferguson was winning titles up til his last season. Wenger hasnt won a title since 2004, post Ferguson Utd is pretty much already happening at Arsenal they are now staring down the barrel of the 2nd consecutive season without Champions League football.

 

[gene hughes]

And a great time was had by all.

 

[StevieM]

Good.

We can hope Wenger & Conte fuck off next season, Mourinho has his 3rd season meltdown and Barca & Real sign all Spurs best players.

 

[doctor_mac]

Good.

We can hope Wenger & Conte fuck off next season, Mourinho has his 3rd season meltdown and Barca & Real sign all Spurs best players.

Some think that Conte might fuck off to the Gooners.

 

[Dreambeliever]

Arsenal have been in the Shit for years.

At least we've gotten close in recent years

 

[Mystic]

They've obviously tried to pay off the stadium at the expense of real success(top 4 bring their only 'trophy' of note most seasons)

I wonder once the stadium is paid off if all that will chance as they are still an attractive club for players.

Their decline has been great to see though much like ours has for other clubs fans I'm sure.

They paid off the stadium about three years ago.

 

[Frogfish]

8 points behind Top 4 and losing Sanchez in the next 48 hrs, they (and Wenger) are done.

 

[Insignificance]

I hear a lot of talk about Wenger Out from Arsenal suppprters, but not one word on who they want in.

 

[Dreambeliever]

8 points behind Top 4 and losing Sanchez in the next 48 hrs, they (and Wenger) are done.

In past seasons this would be where they go on a massive run to get top 4 but I don't see it happening this year

 

[gkmacca]

Wenger should team up with Angela Merkel once this is all over. They've both assiduously protected their position over the years by ensuring that no one beneath them accumulates any lasting power, so they'll both be leaving behind a dried up old husk of an organisation. But neither can quite work out why they're not edging towards the end with tearful crowds cheering them off.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

Footy365.com:

[article]Arsenal’s goalkeeping situation
If you’re after a metaphor for every one of Arsenal’s issues combined, hear this:
– Arsenal loaned out Wojciech Szczesny in 2015 and let him stay at Roma for two years.
– Over those two years, Szczesny transformed from a boy (with occasional disciplinary problems) into a man. So, the loan worked perfectly.
– Over that same time, Petr Cech’s form declined badly to the extent that David Ospina was occasionally picked. Ospina was also largely terrible.
– Rather than welcoming Szczesny back into the arms of the club and making him their No. 1 goalkeeper, Arsenal sold him to Juventus. Juventus made it clear that Szczesny would be the heir to arguably the greatest goalkeeper of all time, Gianluigi Buffon.
– The fee Arsenal commanded for Buffon’s heir? £10m. That’s less than West Brom paid Southampton for Jay Rodriguez in the same summer. Rodriguez is a year older.
– Cech has got worse. Szczesny has got better.[/article]