Is Joel Campbell ready to make the step-up?

Evening.

Not much going on today, but I can see a lot of people on the Internet debating the usefulness of Joel Campbell and decided it's high time to talk about him. I've touched on the subject already, but it's obvious it needs further clarification and elaboration.

The general reaction to any (however vague) story linking Campbell away from the Emirates is outrage. Most Arsenal fans seem to view the Costa-Rican as a genuine contender for at least a place on the bench, which I consider odd. But let's try and look at the matter from their point of view.

Campbell was signed in 2011 and everyone was like "Who is this guy?" Yours truly was no exception. I have to admit that, more often than not, I cannot say a single word about our newcomers. I may have heard of them, I may know them as good players, but I rarely watch the games of other teams and never watch them on a consistent basis. I don't know enough to pass a judgement on their style of play and sometimes to even make an educated guess on how these individuals will fit in. For me, a player's career start when he joins Arsenal and draws to a close when he leaves. Even with individuals I admire (Henry, Fabregas, Pires) the story is the same. I'm just not interested enough to watch them play for someone else.

Anyway, as soon as Campbell was signed, it turned out he had to obtain a work permit (in other words, play a number of games for his national team). Joel, at his young age, hasn't accomplished that and was consecutively shipped out on loan. First to Lorient, then to Betis and last year to Olympiacos. And here I don't think I'll make a gross mistake by saying there are hardly any Arsenal fans who followed Joel's progress at these clubs. Last year was a bit different, with Campbell scoring a wonder goal against United (this was the time I realised we actually owned Campbell) and then becoming a champion with the Greek side. But even last season I'm not sure there were too many Arsenal supporters keeping an eye on Joel.

And then there was the World Cup. Joel scored and assisted in his first game and then went all the way to the quarter-final with Costa-Rica. Joel played well, was both good at holding up the play and making quick runs and Arsenal fans got a bit overexcited. Simply because Campbell was something different to what we've been accustomed to. A fresh, interesting players. Subsequent calls to bring him back (and even play Joel ahead of Giroud) ensued.

But let's look at it differently. Do you honestly think that one good World Cup (good, not marvellous) and three loan spells in leagues far inferior to BPL is enough to throw Campbell into the mix? Let's be brutally honest about the World Cup: Joel had one great game - against Urugyay. He wasn't useless in other games, far from it, but he was no leader either. He wasn't a match-turning guy for Costa-Rica like Neymar was for Brazil or Messi for Argentine.

Do three season-long loans indicate he's ready for the rigours of the Premier League? Sure, he couldn't play in England due to work restrictions, but it's not like he was loaned out to Marseille or Atletico or, say, Schalke.  When even a player of Mesut Ozil's calibre, a hardened pro with a bags of experience obtained at Real Madrid, struggles during his first season, that tells it's own story.

Besides, Campbell faces extremely stiff competition for places. He's got at least Giroud in front of him in the central striker position (who's no less capable of bringing other into play) and the likes of Cazorla, Sanchez and Oxlade on the flanks. The only player Joel is above in the pecking order in our front department is Sanogo.

That's why I think a loan move to a BPL club is about the best thing that can happen to the Costa-Rican. Like it's the case with Jenkinson, Campbell needs playing time. Unlike Jenkinson, though, he needs this time to adapt to the Premier league and understand what's required of him. There are plenty of clubs ready to take Campbell and give him playing time, so he should join these for the upcoming campaign.

Don't get me wrong, I think a really good player can grow out of Joel. A player we could use. One for the future. But this future is not here yet. He needs to accept it and try to prove his worth at a higher level. If he impresses, we'll have this talk again.

Finally for today, Chambers has talked about his ability to cover defensive midfield, while Arsene took over Twitter. Both have interesting things to say, so check it out if you feel like it.

And I'll get back to you with a fresh batch of news when it arrives.

Until then

On what true support is + Giroud and Jenkinson latest

Morning.

Over the years of this trophyless drought I've become accustomed to moaning. And trolling. Arsenal fans moaned about Arsene's inability to change things around and bring back the days of glory, while most Arsenal haters concentrated on trolling.

The unsatisfied section of fans is still in business. Just imagine, in a transfer window when we've signed four quality players, on the back of an FA Cup, there are still those, who are unhappy. Avoid them like plague. They will always be unhappy, regardless of how good things are going, so no point in wasting your nervous system or listening to them like what they are saying is true. It's not, so just enjoy the good the days. Don't let them spoil the party. All Arsenal fans deserve to be happy for what we've been through.

Of course, there is a third category (apart from moaners and haters): neutrals. These weren't (and still aren't) too much into football, so they sometimes ask simple questions, like why, for example, Arsenal is doing so badly and why I'm still supporting this club, despite all it's failures.

And every time I try to explain. I say that you don't get to choose the Club you support. It just happens. For me that iconic moment happened back in 2004, during one of the friendlies. I say that, yes, Arsenal isn't doing great, but it's for a reason: we want to build a successful future. And in order for that to happen we have to go through a bad patch. I've even done a presentation on Arsenal's financial situation a couple of months back, so that at least some of the listeners will understand what we've accomplished over the last decade (financially).

As an Arsenal fan, you should know the feeling. I'm sure you've been through the same. Supporting Arsenal isn't easy, but when the Gunners succeed, there are no happier people on the planet than us Gooners. If you are an Arsenal fan, if you stuck with the Club through this hard period (or, at least, most of it), odds are you're emotionally strong and will make a good friend/partner/husband/wife. Cause you are devoted. Faithful. You will support your significant other no matter what.

Devotion is a very strong trait among the Gunners. It's a large part of what makes us good fans. When you hear "It's Arsenal" sung in a unison by a 60-thousand crowd you know it comes from the heart. This deep love for the Club and our unwavering support is what makes us different to other fans.

After Arsenal have lost to Bayern this year I had a long talk with my neighbour. I defended Arsenal and their way of doing things with such ferocity, that he couldn't understand why I was doing that. He said: "Why don't you just admit that Arsenal is not the greatest club this world has ever seen? Why don't you just say that Arsene made a lot of mistakes, that the players aren't so good?"

He just couldn't grasp why I kept defending Arsenal. The answer is simple, yet it seemed hard for him to comprehend it: I will always defend Arsenal no matter what. Especially if the person I'm arguing with is hostile. It's called not just devotion, it's called faith.

Next day he published a post on his wall, where he said that the Club he "supports" (Spartak Moscow) is a flop. The manager is useless, the players are sh*t and the days of glory are gone, perhaps forever. I was disgusted at this post. So much so, that I found it impossible to comment on that.

If you publicly, after careful thinking, with a cold mind, not driven by emotions, publish such a thing, you are no true supporter. To do this means basically betraying the club. When your favourite club is in a bad spot, you should defend it even more ferociously, than before. It's the time where your support is most needed and appreciated and it's also the time when everyone shows their true colours. If you quit, start criticising the club, you don't belong to it's fanhood. In fact, I'm not sure you belong to any fanhood. Keep that in mind, shy away from these people and show support for Arsenal. Because in the end you'll be rewarded for it, I can promise you that.

As always, I got a little carried away. Back to Arsenal news and there are some pieces to chew on.

Firstly, Jenkinson is set to be loaned out be West Ham. It seems Big Sam has won this race, though in the light of West Ham's president latest comments, it's unclear how long Allardyce will continue to plough his trade at the Hammers. I'm sure Jenkinson's desire to prove himself and return to Arsenal has played it's part, that why he wasn't sold to Hull. It is understood, however, that Jenks have one season to convince Arsene he's capable of being at least serious competition to Debuchy, otherwise Jenks will leave us for good. It'll be harsh on him and sad for us, so I really hope he makes the step up and returns to Arsenal for the 2015-2016 campaign.

Secondly, Giroud will likely extend his contract in the near future and will be tied down at N5 till 2018. I've already said I have no problem with the Frenchman staying. He's an honest chap, works his socks off for the team, capable of truly wonderful things. What is more, the handsome Frenchman is integral to our style of play. He's capable of holding up the ball, bring others into play and his one-touch flicks can benefit any pacy winger. With Sanchez or Walcott (or both) on the flanks, Giroud will become a very successful provider. I don't think Sanchez's arrival means Giroud is going to be dropped. I rather tend to think Sanchez will become a goalscoring machine on the wing, with Giroud feeding him from a central position. So Olivier staying is definitely good news.

Finally, for today, Cazorla talks how Atletico is an example for Arsenal to follow. He's not in any way diminishing Arsenal, rather, he says we're quite similar with the Spanish side. Check it out, Santi has some interesting things to say.

One last detail. I just wanted to thank you all for coming here and reading my stuff. My last post got more than 900 views and it means the world to me. When I know that I'm not just writing for myself, but that there'll be (a lot) of people who come here to appreciate my work, words cannot express how it's important to me.

To help you out, I've changed the design a bit. You can now see my best posts along with the blogs I read on the right (in addition to profile and archive) and you can always subscribe to my stuff via email. Also, feel free to comment below, or on Facebook or Google+. You can also contact me via email: the address is on my profile. I appreciate any feedback and thoughts on my blog, so feel free to write to me.

And I'll be back here as soon as something new pops up.

Until then

Exceeding expectations

After the 2013-2014 season drew to a close I have to admit I was a little worried about how well Arsenal will fare in the transfer window. Arsene said before the World Cup that most (if not all) business would be done after the tournament in Brazil. What further fuelled my sense of uneasiness was our manager stating a year ago how purchasing more than three players can disrupt the balance of the team. You need to look to further than Tottenham to confirm Arsene was right. After Fabianski and Sagna left the Club I realised with growing horror that three players is the minimum requirement this summer. A right-back and a goalkeeper to cover for the ones that departed, and a striker to strengthen our attack, because it was obvious Giroud wouldn't manage a second season like that. He was deep in the fabled red zone, but even the maximum, he undoubtedly gave us, wasn't enough. We needed not only a striker who would take some of the weight from the Frenchman's shoulders, we needed a striker with a different playstyle. All in all, we had a month and a half and three vital players to purchase. I was stocking up on validol, fully expecting to sign two of these three on deadline day. I was wrong.

Mere 15 days after Germany won the most prestigious prize in footballing world, Arsenal has bought four players. It all started with the acquisition of Alexis Sanchez and I maintain the Chilean will be our most exciting piece of business this summer. Even if purchase a DM of Khedira's level, he won't outshine our №17. The attack received the boost it needed and we moved on to other areas of the pitch, in a ruthless and efficient manner.

A week after Sanchez signed on the dotted line, Mathieu Debuchy made his grand entrance. He represented experience, a like-for-like replacement for Sagna and, while not overly exciting, the Frenchman was just the player we needed. Aurier was a gamble, Debuchy was not.

Yesterday David Ospina was announced, though Arsene let it slip about the transfer back on Friday. This was a mouthwatering deal, because Arsene didn't sign someone like Schwarzer, who would only provide back-up, he signed a very good keeper in his prime, who would push Szczesny all the way.

However, I haven't had time to drool over Ospina for as long as I would have liked. Today Arsenal announced yet another deal, Chambers completing his move from Southampton for £16 million (£11 million up front + £5 million in bonuses). There's the usual waffle you can find on the official site, while I here wanted to concentrate on an interview Wenger gave to The Telegraph.

On Chambers versatility:

“He can play at centre-back, right-back and central midfield. I hope he will give us competition for the players in this three positions. He hasn’t played many games, no, but the English players on the market in England are very expensive and at the end of the day I was ready to take a gamble because he is a player for the future.”

I'll leave the bit about expensiveness out (Shaw costs £30, but Debuchy £10? Madness) and focus on the versatility bit. The fact that Wenger hints at it gives me the feeling that we're probably done in the market this summer and will only purchase another player if someone (like Vermaelen) leaves. To me, what Arsene is saying is basically this: "I've got us a back-up right-back, an emergency centre-back and a possible DM. These positions are covered, so no more arrivals". Not that I have anything against it, we are already very well-stocked. However, Ornstein (this guy has grown on me) gives us the following info:

As I've said, I'm not overly concerned with whether there will be further arrivals this summer, but this tweet sounds like we are aiming for the maximum plan. If anyone would have told me three weeks ago we would sign four players and will be in the market for a fifth before August even kicks in, I would have laughed. Joker-style.

While the arrival of Chambers is a positive one, it seriously hampers Carl Jenkinson chances at Arsenal. From a possible №1 he turned into №3 and Chambers is "the one for the future", mind you. He's younger than Carl and already better positioned at Arsenal.

Which means one thing only: Jenkinson will leave, either on loan or permanently. Our young right-back was linked with a number of clubs over the course of the day, Hull being quoted as the most likely destination. Well, what can I say? This is sad. Jenks may have a chance to prove himself at N5 in 2015-2016 campaign, but right now he doesn't have one. He will likely leave, I keep all my fingers crossed that Jenks will do so on loan and I wish him all the luck. Really. If he impresses away from Arsenal, he'll have a chance. Especially if Arsene will make a CB or a DM out of Chambers.

Finally for today, Sanchez won't join the rest of the team when they fly to Austria for intensive training, as he has some visa problems. Arsene sounded frustrated at that and I can get him: why wasn't this sorted out before? One of our key cogs won't be able to integrate in our team the way Arsene would have liked, which casts a doubt over Sanchez debut at the Emirates Cup. Why his visa problems can't be solved by someone else is another thing entirely.

That's it for today. Bake in our two fresh signings for now and I'll be back with you as soon as something interesting pops up.

Until then

It's Thierry Henry

Good evening.

Our pre-season continued yesterday and, despite our hopes, Arsenal went down 1-0 against New York Red Bulls.

I haven't seen the game, as I was dead on my feet long before it started, but this morning I was glad I didn't. Not because I would have tasted defeat (well, that too), but because it seemed as meaningless as our encounter against Boreham Wood was. What surprises me, is the reaction of a section of "fans" all over the Internet. They are ready to write Arsenal off after a narrow defeat in a pointless friendly. Guess that tells you all you need to know about them.

Our starting eleven was a strong one, with Hayden and Zelalem looking the only weak links. In a surprising twist our lone forward, Akpom, didn't start. Instead, Rosicky (!) was the focal point of our attack.

From what I gather, Arsenal was a bit off the pace in the first half, with our make-shift defence having trouble against a lively and sharp Henry. He could have scored from a one-on-one and then set up the winner by feeding Wright-Phillips (Bradley, not Shaun) following a corner. That was all it took to bring down Arsenal. Our best attempts to equalise in the second half led to nothing, with their keeper in top form and with Arsene making seven changes to the initial squad, and so it all ended 1-0.

After the game, there was no analyzing the defeat from the press. Even they understood the fruitlessless of scrutinizing a commercial exercise like it was actually something more, so most of the questions were centred around Henry. Here's what Arsene said on our ex-captain:

"Thierry can be dangerous from everywhere and understands very quickly what he can take advantage from. He was sharp today in the one against one and you could see why he was a great player because when he played in midfield his passing was excellent. He has vision as well and you could see that he can play everywhere".

Interestingly enough, Henry led this year's MLS in assists, which tells you he's definitely a great passer of the ball. When he understood he's no longer capable of scoring 30+ goals in a season, he took that, dropped off and became the best playmaker in the league. Amazing.

Arsene also explained his decision to play without a striker:

"We had no Giroud, no Walcott, no Sanchez and no Podolski. Akpom did well but he's a young boy and he has to learn a lot but he has potential. As long as you don't score it's not good but you can play with three No 9s and you don't score sometimes. We were dominated physically in the first half, we came back into it in the last 10 minutes their keeper made a few saves and our combinations were better. We lacked a bit of pace without any centre forward".

Not really explains why he hasn't taken Afobe or Campbell (Sanogo has an injury), but here you go.

Returning to the "pointless friendly" thing, Arsene himself acknowledged all those trips were exercises in frustration:

“These training camps in the modern game are decided for commercial reasons and because of the extent of popularity of the club. We’ve never been to the States before and I was very happy to come to New York, a city I love. But for purely football reasons, the best thing to do is stay and not travel too much – because of the time you waste and the jet-lag you suffer.”

He also touched on the importance of giving players a good rest after the World Cup, but I actually was surprised to learn FIFA forces the clubs to give their international stars a four-week holiday. I always thought it was Arsene's policy. However this year, he encouraged his players to come back earlier if they feel like it. That's what Wilshere, Oxlade and Cazorla did.

The four-week rest means City suffers too, for Aguero and Sabaleta both played in the final and Fernandinho featured in the match for third place. But, like it's the case with Arsenal's German trio, I think these players will cut their rest short in order to return earlier and help their respective clubs claim the Community Shield trophy. These players represent the Club after all, and cooling out on the beach while their team fights a bloody war on the pitch will be frowned upon by fans. Ozil and Co are public faces, they have their image to think about at the very least.

Finally for today, Arsenal confirmed the signing of David Ospina. This plugs our last serious hole and now we have a whole month to add another centre-back (Chambers anyone?) and maybe add a defensive midfielder. But the vital part of our business is behind us. Even if there are no future arrivals, we are already well stocked for the upcoming season.

And this feels good.

Until later

Another day, another player

While driving today to a tennis session, I had my sister as a listener. As a result, she had to endure my forty-minute lecture on Arsene's transfer policy down the years. While she may have found it genuinely interesting, this lecture had another side effect: as I talked, I realised I was using the past tense more and more often.

Of course, this doesn't include things that are still true, like wage structure and careful thinking from Arsene before signing an individual, rather, I talked about penny-pinching. And it struck me that penny-pinching no longer existed at Arsenal.

Don't get me wrong, I'm pretty sure Wenger still uses critical thinking when purchasing players (I will give you a shiny fresh example soon). He still evaluates players judging by what they can bring to the team and how it correlates with the money he's willing to pay. We've both missed (Higuain) and signed (Sanchez) good players because of that strategy, which even these recent examples demonstrate. There were earlier deals that fell through or went ahead because of Arsene's policy, but the latter definitely outweigh the former.

However, this system received if not a drastic, then certainly a feasible overhaul last year, when we've bought Mesut Ozil for a record-breaking fee of £42.5 million. Wenger always maintained that quality comes first and then, if the right player pops up, he'll pay the money to get him. While Ozil deal is more of an exception, than the norm, it demonstrates something else: we are financially capable of pulling off such deals. Wenger is now able to breeze more freely as he now has room for manoeuvre.

This transfer window things are going so well I cannot believe it's Arsenal we're seeing. Quick, efficient, getting the right players to cover the right positions. But did we go on a spending spree? No. We have spent a lot, no doubt about it. But I'm still sure there was hard work from Arsene involved to keep our expenses to a minimum. We've got the right players (Sanchez, Debuchy, Ospina; and it's not over yet), but did we pay all that much? You'd be amazed, but those three combined cost us approximately £10 million less than Herrera and Shaw combined. Three quality players (one of them a star) against a young Shaw and a two-bit midfielder I haven't heard of till last year. Now that's critical thinking. Going about the deals the smart way, not just splashing cash everywhere.

All of this leads us to another shiny example of Arsene's making I promised to demonstrate earlier. From reliable sources it has become obvious we're in for Chambers. Have a look here, this guy rarely gets anything wrong (in fact, I cannot remember there was one thing he got wrong):

Pay attention to the fee. Above £10 million. For such a sum we are landing ourselves a full-back, 19 years of age, who can cover at least two positions. From Southampton. Luke Shaw anyone?

Right now I'm in the state of quiet awe. If we get Chambers, we'll solve our centre-back problem, while also covering right-back position and (possibly) defensive midfield. Now, I'd still prefer someone more experienced and natural in midfield and this deal can also mean Vermaelen's tenure at Arsenal has drawn to a close, something that'll leave us with three centre-backs again, but saying just this after (hopefully) getting such a player for such money means to completely miss the point. It's a remarkable piece of business, one that more or less sorts out our problems in defense.

Of course, there's a downside. Just over a week ago I've talked how Manquilo's signing can influence Jenkinson's chances and today's announcement means we're back to square one. If Chambers arrives, it will probably be the end of Jenks career at Arsenal.

In best case scenario, he'll be shipped out on loan, while Arsene will try to make a centre-back out of Chambers. If he succeeds, Jenko will return and fight for the right-back position with Debuchy. Though it's the best case scenario, it's still far from bright for Carl.

The worst case, well...Jenks will be sold. Debuchy will be №1, Chambers №2 and we'll buy ourselves another centre-back or retain Vermaelen. This will really be a sad day for Jenko and all his Arsenal fans. To come this close to the first team and then fail inside one summer without having the chance to impress or to even influence the proceedings is not just sad, it's extremely bad luck. I really, really hope that Jenks will remain at Arsenal and have a long and successful career with us. If Arsene thinks he'll have to make Carl a centre-back, or a DM or whoever else, he should tell it to Jenks. This guy will rip his heart out to be a Gunner when his professional career ends, so we should give him a chance. Without any doubt.

Phew, enough for today. If I make it to 1 a.m. to watch the game, I'll report on it tomorrow. If not, then I'll be back to give my thoughts on it and discuss something else.

God knows there's an abundance of material. And this makes me happy. It's much better not having the time to talk about everything, then having nothing to talk about (like it was last summer).

Back tomorrow