On how this summer is different to the previous one

Hello folks.

The week continues to drag by with little to no news, but I've noticed an interesting trend during this transfer window that wasn't there last year, namely: Arsenal's been dominating the transfer market.

Seriously, just look at the other top English clubs. Liverpool? Bought a slew of (mediocre) players, but only because they've sold Suarez for a hefty sum of money. Chelsea? The moneybags had a couple of good acquisitions, but these were sponsored by Luiz and Lukaku? United? Shaw and Herrera, but rumour has it, they'll be putting a load of players on sale as soon as they get back. City? Where are they? Only Sagna and Lampard joined them, both as free agents.

Meanwhile, Arsenal's been firing cash at will. And it's not like we're going to stop. This article gives us a bit of an insight into the manager's thinking:

"But I think the second half of August, the 15th to 30th, will be busy again".

Looks like the remainder of our business will be done in these two weeks. But really, we don't need much. A DM (Carvalho, please?) and someone to replace Vermaelen. His departure seems to be a question of "when" rather than "if". And that's it. Two players, tops.

And who has left us? Two keepers? Bought Ospina. Sagna? Debuchy is the answer. But, while Fabianski, Viviano and Sagna were important players, none of them were leaders or, as we can see, none were irreplaceable. I dare say the ones we've brought in are actual upgrades, not just some young and inexperienced prospects.

Other big clubs haven't been able to spend as freely without first selling someone valuable. Even Barca sold Sanchez and Fabregas to compensate for Suarez. And the answer as to why we're splashing cash without losing talent and they are not is a simple one: Financial Fair Play.

Problem is, the clubs I've mentioned are unprofitable, despite the fact they actually win things. Arsenal, on the other hand, is a profitable club, despite all the moaning about the 4th place. That's what we've been building towards for 10 years. A self-sustaining model. We can spend what we earn, while other cannot. Because they don't earn. They lose money, even when they win trophies. So in order to buy someone, they'll have to first sell someone. Now let's see how their managers can operate on a tight budget. For now, it's not like they are having a good time, is it?

Finally for today, for those who've missed my last post, I've finally figured out how to subscribe using RSS. Just download an RSS reader of your choice, enter arsefanblog.blogspot.ru (.com may not work) and you are good to go. Also, you can follow me (@AlexBaguzin) on Twitter.

That's it for today. Back with the new bits as soon as they appear.

Until then
 

Fitness issues

Hello everyone.

As it usually happens after a game, Arsene's press conference took place yesterday. He has basically confirmed what everyone else (including me) was thinking about the defeat. That the game was not about the result, it was about getting players back into shape.

 That's what Arsene said about the players form:

"I’m not especially concerned. It’s part of the pre-season and it just is a good warning for us that we are not completely ready physically. The positives are that we had to dig deep for some players to play and that we got no injuries".

Well, it was obvious we looked inferior to Monaco, but, then again, the French Ligue 1 kicks off in a week, unlike the BPL. They should be at a further stage of preparation at this point in time. We also have to keep in mind that our squad is chock full of international players, who have a World Cup behind them. Like, for example, Giroud:

"Today he was not ready at all. He had only three weeks rest, it was not an eternity and he had to come back quickly. But sometimes when you come back late you want to work hard and in a game you are not as sharp. It’s nothing about him. He’s not put weight on, he’s not out of shape, he’s worked very hard this week and not recovered from the work he has done".

Explains why the Frenchman was taken off at half-time. He didn't look ready to me either, though he had a couple of nice touches. However, Giroud's fitness is a concern. We have Community Shield coming up and only Sanchez to play that lone striker role. Walcott is out, Podolski isn't back from holiday and Giroud is in no shape.

However, the manager later stated that, despite Sanchez joining the team rather late, the Chilean is in pretty good form:

"Alexis was quite sharp - one of the sharpest because he was mobile and he made some good runs. We didn't have too many balls to feed him, he lacks a bit of sharpness to make the complete difference and he had a chance as well. Overall, I'm happy with his start."

Sanchez has showed glimpses of his talent and that's encouraging. Despite people viewing Community Shield as just part of the pre-season (something I don't get. The trophy is very real indeed), I'm not sure I want to see Campbell or Sanogo plough their trade as a lone striker against City. Fortunately, City has the same fitness issues we do, so it all evens out.

Wenger also touched on Calum Chambers:

"He can play as well central midfield because he’s got good technique, good mobility and is a great distance runner. At the moment it’s where I can have a look at him. But I think he can also play central midfield".

The boss drops an interesting hint here. Originally everyone expected Chambers to be back-up to Debuchy, so much so that Jenks was shipped out on loan. (By the way, he seems to have pulled his hamstring during one of the friendlies. Poor chap. Hopefully, he'll recover from that blow.)

Now we've seen how well Bellerin has performed at right-back, while Chambers had two amazing games at centre-back. And now Wenger hints Calum can play holding midfielder. Interesting.

However, it's not something Jack seems to be able to do:

"We played only with one holding midfielder here and Wilshere and Ramsey pushing on. He has made his claim - we have seen that again".

If you look at our line-up from yesterday's game, this bit becomes clear:

Either way, both Wilshere and Ramsey were involved in defensive work and Wilshere didn't impress. It was his reckless challenge that led to the freekick, from which Falcao converted and way too often Wilshere charged forward, leaving empty spaces for Monaco to exploit behind him. It tells us that Wilshere is not, at this point in time, disciplined enough to even help a true DM out. Something I've written about earlier.

However, it may also be that Wilshere isn't played in his strongest position. He's not a DM and it will require quite some effort to make him into one. If Jack wants to really have an impact this campaign, he needs playing time in a position that best suits him. Shunting him all over the pitch to plug holes won't help his development.

On a side note, I wanted to say a few words about Alexis Sanchez or, rather, the fans reaction to his mere presence. On Saturday, when the Chilean started warming up, the section of fans, in whose direction he ran burst out in applause. It was easily the loudest cheer we've heard in two days, something Sanchez acknowledged in a pic above. And also here:

"Of course I loved it [the reception from the fans], I am extremely thankful to all of them. I am extremely happy and I hope I can make them very happy as well."

It was a really nice moment. In that respect, Arsenal fans resembled kids a little bit: a shiny new present can't be bad, is it? Sanchez hasn't done anything yet (though I'm sure he will have a feasible impact on the proceedings this year), but he was greeted like a hero.

That's it for today. Back with fresh banter as soon as it surfaces.

Until then

P.S. By the way, I've finally figured out how to subscribe using RSS. Just download an RSS reader of your choice, enter arsefanblog.blogspot.ru (.com may not work) and you are good to go.

Emirates Cup overview: we fall short, but it's still pre-season

Evening everyone.

The Emirates Cup has concluded today and, unfortunately, the Gunners didn't claim the trophy. Instead, Valencia did, but I don't think it's gives us any reason to worry. All parties involved viewed these games as just warm-up (something we could tell by looking at the line-ups) and fans should do the same.

As I haven't been able to report on our thrashing of Benfica (sorry about that. A training session combined with unbearable heat in Moscow ensured I had next to no energy today), I'll split this review in two parts. Starting with:

Arsenal 5-1 Benfica

This game was less of a commercial exercise, than our trip to New York, and our starting eleven reflected that. The defense was a bit make-shift and I doubt we'll see Sanogo and Campbell on a regular basis when the campaign starts, but our midfield was as serious as it gets. Ramsey, Flamini, Rosicky and Cazorla all started.

It was a bit of a slow start from us, truth be told. Benfica had the best chance to open the scoring in the 15th minute, but their effort hit the bar. Then we got back into the game and took the lead almost immediately.

Ramsey fooled everyone on the right, ran half the length of the field and passed to Sanogo, who finished with his heel. Sublime touch and the Frenchman finally got to celebrate his first goal for us.

After that, goals came raining down. Fancy footwork from Oxlade saw Campbell smash on the volley (my personal favourite) and then Sanogo scored three more times, two of these goals came before the break. I really liked how he poked the ball home for his second, but then he also was in the right place at the right time for his third and fourth, which is the best quality a striker can possess. Benfica got one back, but we were still miles ahead and could have scored a couple more, but Miguel and Coquelin hit the woodwork.

This is what Arsene said after the game about our four-goal hero:

"Sanogo was injured for basically two years before he came to us. If you look at his goal scoring record before he got injured, it is quite frightening. For a while when he came back last season, he could not score. You could see when he scored the first goal today, suddenly they came raining. I especially liked the third goal he scored, it was really the goal of a striker of quality. He has a big future here, or course, he is 21. He has something of Adebayor. He is strong, a strong body, similar strengths [to Adebayor], but as well technical skill".

I am very happy Sanogo has kicked on. It's been obvious how much of a weight it was for him not to score, so hopefully now that it's lifted he'll be more involved and will have better and product.

I' m also glad Campbell performed the way he did. He wanted a chance, he got it, he proved he's up for the job. I especially liked his neat finish from the volley. Super beautiful stuff. That's why Campbell will probably stay:

"Campbell has done very well. I like the way he plays, he's good on the ball, creative and collectively as well he has a good balance between individual skill and collective attitude - that's not easy to find. There is no reason to let him go".

Chambers and Sanchez also made their respective debuts and I liked both. Sanchez is obviously still a bit rusty, he needs to whip into shape, while Chambers at centre-back was genuinely exciting:

I thought he played very well, was intelligent, good decision-making and calm on the ball, good in the air. He is 19 years old, and what he did is very promising.

Chambers carried this form into the second game and, again, he looked exciting indeed. My personal pick for MoM against Monaco. If the Englishman continues like this, Mertescielny will have a serious contender breathing down their necks.

Arsenal 0-1 Monaco

Blah. Tedious game. Maybe the players were just exhausted, I don't know. Arsene rotated his side quite a bit, but we still looked off the pace. All it took was Falcao's header in the 37th minute to gift Monaco the victory. Interestingly enough, just moments before the cross came in, from which the unmarked Colombian converted, Monreal and Koscielny were arguing, who should mark Radamel. In the end, no one did and Falcao had the easiest of tasks.

The closest Arsenal came to scoring was probably Wilshere's effort early in the second half, but the game was interesting because of other things.

For one, Debuchy made his debut and played almost till the end. He was rock-solid in defense (unlike Bellerin 24 hours ago) and I liked that. Mathieu also got up and down the flank well, put in some dangerous crosses and even cleared up for Chambers and Koscielny on several occasions.

Another interesting player was Sanchez. He played the entire first half on the right, then shifted to the centre for the second half. Alexis showed touches of class he undoubtedly possesses, but he's still some way from full fitness. It;ll be interesting to see how we line up against Manchester City a week from now.

Phew, that's it for today. Don't dwell on the result, it's still pre-season. Plenty of time to get in form for the upcoming campaign.

I'll probably be back tomorrow with Arsene's view on this game and other interesting snippets. If I find any.

Until later

The final stage of preparation begins

Hello everyone.

A couple of hours later we face Benfica at the Emirates and this game, coupled with tomorrow's, will tell us basically in what shape Arsenal will start the season. It's as close as it gets to Community Shield and only two weeks away from the start of the new campaign, so I think we may be in for some interesting football over the weekend.

Because of the World Cup, however, we won't quite see our strongest side. The German trio definitely misses out on the Emirates Cup and looks likely to do so at Community Shield a week from now. They may even miss the opening game against Palace.

This places us in a hard spot. For today, Chambers will deputise at centre-back with Koscielny by his side, but the problem won't go away that easy. Vermaelen seems to have sustained an injury, Mertesacker is still on holiday, so we are skating on thin ice going into the new season. Right now we only have five fit defenders.

Though Arsene stated he's open to further arrivals (mercifully, he's also confirmed we're not in for Balotelli and Quintero), we need to address our defensive problems ASAP. Vermaelen is likely to leave, but what soothes my nerves on that front a bit, is Arsene saying he'll definitely buy a centre-back should Vermaelen go. All of this leads us to a simple question, which may partially be answered today: how will Arsenal line up for this campaign?

To start with, I don't expect many changes to the back five. Szczesny should start in goal, while Debuchy will be the only change in defense. Personally, I have no problem with this choice of defenders. It's basically last year's defense and we all know it worked like clockwork. It's what further up the pitch that interests me the most.

The DM position especially. The press continues to link us with William Carvalho and he can be a great addition for the right price. He's 22, which means he's got years in front of him and he's capable of performing consistently on a high level. A good fit, taken into account Schnederlin cried his eyes out that the Saints won't let him join Tottenham.

However, if we don't buy a DM, I'll be intrigued to see Wilshere perform in that role. I remember he played in that position for a short period of time in August and September last year (Arteta was injured) and didn't do badly. He swapped roles with Ramsey and became "the runner", while the Welsh Jesus was more of "the sitter". Can something like this work out for the upcoming campaign?

Of course, it'll be a bit sad to see Ramsey drop back and not score all that much, but who said Wilshere can't score 15 goals a season? He's as technically gifted as Ramsey and only needs to accomplish what the Welshman did last season: deliver on his early promise. I'm sure Wilshere can prove himself and show he can be a valuable member of this side, we just need to give him a chance.

If, for some reason, Jack isn't ready to play in that position, then I expect Arteta to continue in central midfield. I'm not sure it's an ideal option, the Spaniard isn't very physical or speedy, but he's still a very good passer and reads the game brilliantly. Definitely not the worst pick.

Ozil will continue playing under the striker, with Cazorla/Rosicky as back-up, but it's the front three where a fierce competition for places will unravel.

For now, I think we'll see a Cazorla-Giroud-Sanchez trio, but when Walcott returns, one of these will likely be dropped to give way for the Englishman. And, though I admit the prospect is thrilling, I don't think Walcott and Sanchez will play on different flanks, feeding Giroud. It might look good in theory (two speedy wingers for Ozil to pass to!), but, problem is, none of those are accustomed to playing on the left.

With Wenger hinting Sanchez will only be a winger until Walcott returns, I think Giroud may just be dropped. However, it'll also mean altering the scheme we've used for two years running and I don't think Wenger is too keen to do that.

Let's also not forget about Oxlade and Podolski. Though the latter seems to have cemented himself as a bench sub (it doesn't mean he won't fight for a place in the first team), Oxlade's qualities are similar to Walcott's, so I see no reason why one has to be played ahead of the other. Guess much will depend on their form and Arsene's view on the matter.

I've written all of the above assuming we keep our 4-3-3 formation mostly because I think the switch to something else is unlikely. Playing with four midfielders will mean dropping Ozil and Cazorla, while playing with three defenders is a hell of a risky thing to do. Three defenders means three central defenders (and we only have three, is there much sense in risking them all?) Also, it'll mean the flanks will have to trace back and help out, which is an unusual thing to do for Podolski, Walcott and Cazorla. Don't know about Sanchez. So I'd be surprised to see Wenger deploy a different formationto our usual 4-3-3.

Phew, enough guesswork. Let's see what happens later today on the pitch, it may well answer some of our questions. By the way, if you have missed my bit on Jenks, Campbell and Gnabry, check it out. Well worth your time.

That's it for today, here's for a good game and a win later and I'll be back with you tomorrow with my thoughts on this game.

Until then

On how prospects and ruthlessness correlate

Evening everyone.

I suspect, it'll be a short one today as not much new is going on.

To start with, Arsenal has confirmed Carl Jenkinson will spend the duration of 2014-2015 campaign on loan at West Ham. He's already held the Hammers shirt, said all the usual niceties, but I think the situation is clear for everyone involved: Jenks is there to make an impact and, if he succeeds, he will return to Arsenal to fight for his place. That's certainly what he, most Arsenal fans and maybe Arsene Wenger hope for. However, it's a great acquisition for West Ham and they'll be hoping Jenks will stay beyond this campaign.

I suspect Campbell is in more-or-less the same position right now. I've argued his case yesterday and came to the conclusion the Costa-Rican is not ready to play for us on a regular basis. For starters, he is unlikely to be physically ready, though he stated otherwise. And then you have to look at the competition he's facing, accept there's hardly a chance for Campbell to make any kind of sustained impact right now and loan him out. Despite most our wingers not really viewing themselves as wide players (Walcott, Podolski) or not being viewed as such by Arsene (Oxlade, Sanchez, Cazorla), the reality is, I don't think we'll see those deployed somewhere else. At least this season.

If someone goes, then perhaps Campbell has a chance. But it's hard to envisage such a situation. Oxlade and Walcott were handed lucrative contracts not long ago, Cazorla stated he's happy where he is (and today Atletico said they don't want the Spaniard), Giroud will likely extend his contract and Sanchez has just been signed. The only weak link is Podolski, who's been quiet about his plans this summer and who'll definitely start the season on the bench. If he leaves, then maybe we can keep Campbell, if not, Joel should be loaned out, together with Gnabry.

We have an overloaded front line (Just repeat it. Slowly. A couple of times. Feels good, doesn't it?), that's why I found Quintero talk suspicious. The Colombian winger was reported to be on his way to London, with the fee (around £16 million) having been agreed on by the clubs, but then his agent denied all this. Quintero is staying at Porto.

This deal didn't make any sense on a number of levels (why splash money on someone we don't really need when we still want to strengthen DM's position?). It also was strange regarding Campbell. But I still think Joel should go on loan to get experience. Not as a part of an exchange deal for this psycho from Milan (why are we still being linked to him?), but to Southampton or Newcastle or whatever other BPL mid-table side you can think of. He'll gain valuable experience there, return to us next summer and then we'll see.

However, there's an interesting side to the proceedings, should Gnabry and Campbell follow Jenkinson's example. When was the last time you've heard Arsene letting go a promising player? These guys are not just promising, they've been as close to first team football as it gets. In other circumstances (if we had player shortage), they would have been thrown into the mix without a second thought.

Remember the beginning of 2011-2012 season? We purchased Arteta and Mertesacker back then. At that point in time, we played a team chock full of youngsters like Coquelin and Miquel. This season, I'm sure we won't see this. Not even close.

Thing is, as soon as resources (i.e. money) became available, Arsene became ruthless. He immediately purchased three players that can slot into the team right from the start and added Chambers on top. And I think Chambers, despite his young age, is also ready for first team football. If needs must, he'll play on a regular basis and I won't be experiencing a sense of uneasiness to see Chambers named among the starting eleven. Like it was with Jenkinson or Sanogo. Like it would be with Campbell, should he get this far during this campaign.

With such resources at his disposal, Arsene became who he always was (though he didn't have the opportunity to show it for the last ten years): a hardened professional. He thinks first and foremost about the good of the team and if he thinks some player will be a risk, Arsene will get rid of him. Either permanently or on loan. Sounds harsh, I know, but I like this.

Finally we are able to operate from a position of strength. Finally we know that everyone left is no risk to the integrity of the team at all. I'll get back to you tomorrow to discuss the possible line-ups this season, but even without my help you can see we have at least two great players for every position on the pitch (except central defence).

If we bring in a quality DM, this will be the ultimate indication that Arsene now operates differently. To drop a couple of (however promising) youngsters is one thing, however unusual it is. To drop Arteta, one of Arsene's most trusted lieutenants, our de-facto captain because he's not (even partially) up to scratch is another thing entirely. It will the strongest demonstration up to date of what lengths Arsene is willing to go to in order for Arsenal to become successful again. I love this new, ruthless Arsene.

On a side note, I've added a search bar on the right-hand side, should anyone need it and made the comment section a bit more open. Feel free to share your thoughts below, or contact me via email (it's on the profile). Or both.

That's it for today. Not short, as I originally thought it would be, but I hope you enjoyed it.

Back tomorrow as we start looking ahead to our clash against Benfica.

Until then