Thoughts on: Stoke, Theo & the transfer deadline

36 comments August 29th, 2012

After a month of hard work and hedonism, I am back at the familiar grindstone.  Only it’s not a grindstone, it’s a laptop.  And this is less of a job and more of a hobby.  But other than that, it is literally exactly the same as returning to a grindstone.

On Sunday Arsenal drew 0-0 at Stoke in a game that won’t go down as a classic.  I understand the concerns about having now played 180 minutes of the season without scoring – especially the day after Robin van Persie lashed in his first goal at Old Trafford – but I still think a draw at The Potteries is a creditable result.  The back five coped admirably, and when you consider that we included the inexperienced Mannone and Jenkinson that’s some achievement.  It’s also worth noting that we didn’t look overrun in central midfield, where Mikel Arteta and Abou Diaby occupied the deep-lying roles.

One notable absentee was Theo Walcott, left out in favour of Olivier Giroud with the Ivorian Gervinho retaining his place on the flank.  At the time I pondered whether or not Theo’s omission might have anything to do with his contract situation, and judging by today’s headlines perhaps I wasn’t too far off the mark.

There is now just one day between today and transfer deadline day.  For those of you who are terrible at maths, that means the deadline is in just two days.  And yet this remains a major issue that still requires a resolution.  Last night both Walcott’s representatives and Arsenal were privately insisting that talks were still ongoing, although the story in every newspaper absolutely reeks of an agent trying to force the club’s hand – either to up their offer, or to allow the player to go.

There is rumoured interest from both Liverpool and Man City.  I’d consider City unlikely – they will almost certainly snare Scott Sinclair from Swansea as their fleet-of-foot British replacement for Adam Johnson.  Liverpool, however, seems to make a lot of sense.  Brendan Rogers loves a winger with pace – look at his use of both Sinclair and Nathan Dyer last season.  Walcott himself is a self-confessed boyhood Liverpool fan, and wouldn’t be put off by a lack of Champions League football if he felt he’d get a guaranteed first-team place.

As Saturday shows, he’s not guaranteed that at Arsenal.  His success last season was built on a partnership with Robin van Persie – without that, he is vulnerable to competition from the likes of Gervinho, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Lukas Podolski.

However, to lose another statistically productive attacking player – and big name – would still be a big blow to the club, especially with so little time to replace him.  I confess I had an inkling that this news might be in the offing – just a day before I tweeted some information that we were making enquiries around Europe for attacking players, particularly in wide areas.  If we are to lose Theo, we’re already looking at potential replacements.

What’s slightly worrying is the breadth and speculative nature of some of those enquiries.  We’ve asked about a couple of players for the first time in the window just two days before its end.  All signs point to another chaotic finish to the transfer window.  Several players are guaranteed to leave – Henri Lansbury became the first yesterday, joining Nottingham Forest for a bargain £1m – and I’m still hopeful one or two might arrive.

Hopeful without being expectant, I should say.  Doing a deal this late can be tricky, but at least I know we’re trying.  It could yet be a very busy few days.  Brace yourselves.

Arshavin leaves memories, misgivings, & mystification

552 comments February 24th, 2012

Those sneaky Russians.  Just when we thought transfer activity for the season was done and dusted, Andrey Arshavin and Zenit St Petersburg have colluded to smuggle the diminutive attacker back to his hometown club on loan.  As the Russian transfer window slammed shut, Arshavin rolled Indiana Jones-style through the ever-decreasing gap.  If he’d been a foot taller, he might not have made it.

At the time I’m writing this, full details of the move have not emerged, but it seems Zenit will pay a £1m fee as well as taking over Arshavin’s £80,000 p/week pay packet. Presumably they’ll also have first refusal when Andrey makes his exit permanent in the summer.

I have to say, I’m disappointed to see him go. On a personal level, I had a lot of time for him as a player and a bloke, even as his form declined. But even I had accepted that his time at the club was hurtling towards its conclusion. What rankles more than his departure itself is the unusual timing.

Why are Arsenal voluntarily letting a squad member leave at a point in the season when it is impossible to replace them? I accept that we have Gervinho, Walcott, Benayoun and Oxlade-Chamberlain to fight for space on the wings, but with the exception of The Ox none of them are in particularly convincing form. Arshavin, for all his flaws, had shown an ability to come off the bench and make a difference – see his exceptional cross for Thierry Henry’s winner at Sunderland.

That was to be his last contribution to the first-team. He was an unused substitute at Milan and back at the Stadium of Light, before scoring two goals in a humbling outing for the Reserves. Arshavin saw his place in pecking order, and decided to bolt. He’s Russia’s captain for EURO 2012, and needs match practise ahead of what could be his final major tournament.

Of course, it could be argued that the departure of the Arshavin of 2012 is no great loss. He is a shadow of the man we signed, in every respect apart from his waistline. Back in February 2009, Arshavin’s signing was the most exciting since the arrival of Jose Reyes – possibly even Dennis Bergkamp. It’s easy to forget, but as the venerable Goonerholic pointed out on Twitter last night, at the time of his arrival Arshavin was a far more established name than either Mario Goetze or Eden Hazard are now. This was the man who had lit up Euro 2008 and inspired a resurgent Zenit to silverware. Arsenal were struggling and in danger of losing their Champions League spot – a now familiar scenario – and Arshavin was the man charged with saving our season.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that he did it. People talk about the four goal haul at Liverpool as if it was an isolated night of brilliance, but it wasn’t. For those few months between February and May, he was electrifying, playing with a roaming brief from the left of a 4-4-2. He scored one particularly remarkable goal against Blackburn, skipping along the byline before lifting the ball over Paul Robinson from the most acute of angels. The laziness that would later blight his game was still there; it was just tempered by the player’s sheer brilliance. He was a magician with motivation. Arshavin had made his big career move and it was paying dividends, for everyone.

At the start of the 2009/10 season, several seasoned pundits tipped Arshavin as a potential Footballer of the Year. Arsene Wenger, not one given to hyperbole over individuals, said of his star player:

“The Premier League needs a star like Arshavin now that Cristiano Ronaldo has gone. Arshavin stands for all that we love in football.

He is not only a great player but he has an honest, refreshing attitude. When there’s no penalty, he never complains. He’s not a drama queen. He’s fantastic for the Premier League.

Four or five years ago, the likes of Messi or Kaka would have come to England [rather than Spain] so it is important we have great players like Arshavin.”

However, after a bright start to the season, including a thirty yard thunderbolt at Old Trafford, Arshavin began to fade. He was played out of position as a lone striker for long period, and his form suffered. Then began the decline that would lead to him becoming more Carling Cup than Cristiano Ronaldo; more Michelin man than Messi.

Quite how and why it went wrong is hard to say. Certainly lack of application was a factor, but as stated before, even in his heyday at Zenit Arshavin was lazy. Strangely, the 4-3-3 that you would imagine to be so perfect for his talents never provided him with the same space as our more liberal 4-4-2. His roaming role evolved in to that of a conventional winger. And defending a full-back was never high on his list of priorities.

At times it was sad to watch him. He couldn’t trap a ball, let alone beat a man. Confidence was certainly an issue, and it often felt like he didn’t have the desire and drive required to come back. The talent was never, ever in question.

Even those dark days had their moments. Arshavin has provided more memories in three years than Tomas Rosicky has in six. Nothing, surely, topped this – that magical winner against Barcelona at the Emirates:

I’m not ashamed to say I shed a tear as that goal went in. And I wasn’t alone. It was a remarkable night, one on which we beat the world’s greatest football team, and it was Arshavin’s goal that did it.

That moment felt like the start of something. Looking back at that goal now, it was more the end. Watch that goal – Cesc, to Nasri, to Arshavin. All three players have since departed, in the space of 12 months. Whilst we’ve made some good signings, I wouldn’t say any have the raw natural talent that trio possess. There is now a gaping creative void in the squad – something you never thought you’d say about an Arsene Wenger team.

There will be plenty who will say ‘Good riddance’ to Arshavin, and I understand why. I don’t feel that way myself. I loved his style, his character, his portly gait. I empathise with the aesthete in him – a fashion design graduate who loved a beautiful goal and loathed a jog around cones. A luxury player who was doomed to fail in a side that became less luxurious with every passing season.

Goodbye, Andrey. And thanks for the memories.

Transfer frenzy: 5 signings in 2 days

768 comments September 1st, 2011

Two days. Five signings. One goal: Regeneration.

I expected activity from Arsenal.  I hoped for three, maybe four additions.  But five signings in two days is more than I could have wished for.

The 8-2 defeat to Manchester United brought the club to its knees.  But it also brought a change of ideology.  Arsene saw how on that day how vulnerable his young squad was, and has moved decisively to reinforce it with experience and quality.  The cavalry has arrived.

On Tuesday we completed the signing of Park Chu-Young, and Wednesday afternoon saw us secure the anticipated signings of Andre Santos and Per Mertesacker.  That saw the defence and attack sorted, but huge concerns remained about the midfield.  As night drew in and the 11pm deadline inched closer, fans were deeply concerned: could Arsenal really go in to the season without adding to a midfield shorn of Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas?

They needn’t have worried.  An impeccable source tells me that Mikel Arteta was at London Colney as early as 6.30pm.  After some haggling over wages – it seems Arteta may have taken a pay-cut to secure his four year deal – his signing was secured, right on the deadline.  Not only that, but he was joined by Yossi Benayoun, on a season long loan from Chelsea.

The signings all bring a wealth of experience and character to the table

Per Mertesacker – 26 years old, Former Werder Bremen captain, 75 Germany caps
Andre Santos – 28 years old, 22 Brazil caps
Mikel Arteta – 29 years old, 161 Premier League appearances – more than any other Arsenal player
Yossi Benayoun – 31 years old, Current Israel captain with 83 Israel caps
Park Chu-Young – 26 years old, Current captain of South Korea with 53 caps

And all that for a total outlay of about £28m.

The negative element of the fanbase with complain that we haven’t made a marquee signing – someone of the stature of a Cesc or a Nasri.  To a degree they’re right – although I consider Mertesacker and Arteta to be unusually high profile signings for Arsene.  What we have done is significantly strength the squad – certainly since Sunday, and perhaps even since last season.  I expect Santos, Mertesaker and Arteta to make a significant impact on the first XI this season, whilst Benayoun and Park will provide capable options in attacking areas.

The big German centre-half is what we’ve been crying out for, and I’m looking forward to him forming a mean looking partnership with Thomas Vermaelen.  Santos will provide stiff competition for Gibbs – you don’t play for Brazil regularly without being a half-decent footballer – and Arteta is an absolutely vital addition.  He knows the league inside out, he can pass the ball, and score goals.  We’ve seen how someone like Ashley Young has stepped up to another level since joining a Champions League club, and I believe Arteta has the talent to do the same.

I think Benayoun is regarded a little harshly by Arsenal fans, perhaps because he’s played for several rival clubs.  I believe he’s talented and capable of scoring goals – and he hasn’t cost us anything yet!  Remember, this is the man who scored the goal for West Ham that put us in Europe ahead of Spurs after lasagne-gate, so we owe him a little goodwill.  Park, meanwhile, seems like a very solid pro who will fit right in to our technical style of football.

It’s all unprecedented for Arsenal on so many levels.  To make so many signings – and this kind of signing too.  Mertesacker is the tallest player Arsene has ever bought.  He’s added two veterans of the Premier League.  He’s signed players who are ready to go now – and for some of whom time is actively running out!

For those who wanted a global superstar: Arsene will tell you that within twelve months, the likes of Wilshere or Gervinho could reach that level.  These players will provide the platform they need to do that.  My favourite aspect of deadline day was seeing the tweets flood in from young Jack:

Maybe Arteta will give him the support Cesc needed but never had.  Against Manchester United, we saw an Arsenal team that didn’t believe in themselves.  Now, they might just have a reason.

There were departures too.  Henri Lansbury joined West Ham on loan, and with his contract close to expiry he may not be coming back.  Nicklas Bendtner also joined Sunderland on a temporary deal – his long-term future is harder to call.  We might get him as a proven Premier League goalscorer.  Gilles Sunu got himself a four year deal at Lorient, who have also taken Joel Campbell on loan for the season.

It is a radical overhaul of the squad.  At a glance:

Out: Denilson (loan), Clichy, Fabregas, Eboue, JET, Vela (loan), Nasri, Traore, Lansbury (loan), Sunu, Campbell (loan), Bendtner (loan)

In: Jenkinson, Gervinho, Chamberlain, Miyaichi (WP granted), Campbell, Park, Santos, Mertesacker, Benayoun, Arteta

I’ve probably missed some out – but still, you get the point.

Over the international break there’ll be plenty of time to analyse each signing individually and their potential impact on the side.  For now, I’m exhausted, and need to rest for a long time.

It’s a new look Arsenal squad.  It might not be good enough to win the league, but it’s certainly good enough for Champions League qualification.  Also, it’s one I can take pride in, which is more than I can say for the situation last week.  I’m glad that Arsene, too, seems to have shown some humility and amended his transfer policy.  It was, I’m sure we all agree, entirely necessary.

The season starts against Swansea.  I can’t wait.

Deadline Day Preview

190 comments August 31st, 2011

Deadline Day is upon us.  As you rise this morning, Brian Swanson will be dusting down his giant iPad, Jim White will be gargling salt water and taking speed, and some unfortunate soul will be stood outside the Tottenham training ground waiting for Harry Redknapp to tell him he’s signing a “triffic player”.

Yesterday, we knew of three deals going down: Park Chu-Young, Andre Santos, and Per Mertesacker – whose signing I tried to inform you about before the press broke it, albeit in code.  All three of those have since progressed to different stages.

Park was paraded by the club on the official site, and gave the kind of interview that immediately endears you to fans, stating:

“I’m really happy to be at Arsenal. In my opinion this is a great club. Now I have to show what I can do on the pitch. I will do my best, I will never give up, I will show heart and I will give everything I hope you will support me.”

You can be sure he’ll be keen to make a swift impact: in two and a half years time he’s scheduled to return to Korea to do two years of military service.  Arsene, at last, is thinking in the short-term.  Park will wear the number nine shirt, and compete for a starting position in our front three.

Further reading on Park:

We talked about Andre Santos at more length yesterday – the player has now since Turkey to head to England to seal the move (video here), having been granted a work permit yesterday afternoon.  I’m told he’s agreed a four year deal, with a fee of £6.2m.

Further reading on Andre Santos:

The signing of Santos should be announced today, along with that of Per Mertesacker.  I have to say I think Mertesacker is just what we need.  A big, strong, bruising centre-half with plenty of experience.

The deal came about rather quickly, with Arsenal only formalising their interest on Monday afternoon.  Mertesacker flew in from Germany yesterday to undertake a medical, and has agreed personal terms on a weekly wage of around £80,000.

Any centre-back signing was bound to split opinion, especially with Arsenal fans having been fed on a steady diet of Cahill, Jagielka and Samba across the summer.  I have to say that what Mertesacker lacks in Premier League experience, he makes up for in other areas.  At 26, he has 75 Germany caps.  He’s the captain of his club.  He’s played in 2 World Cups and a European Championship.  He has all that over Cahill, plus about four inches in height.  And, even at around £10m, he’s significantly cheaper.  It’s a no-brainer.

Further reading on Per Mertesacker:

There will be plenty more to say about all three players once the deals are done and the dust has settled.

Quite a lot could still go on today.  I’m expecting one or two departures.  Armand Traore completed his permanent move to QPR yesterday, and immediately began by assuring their supporters his disastrous performance against United was a one off.  I can assure them that it wasn’t.

Nicklas Bendtner was widely expected to move in this window, but that one was very quiet yesterday.  Indeed, there was more noise about a possible loan deal for Marouane Chamakh – it seems the two target-men’s futures are interwined.  Another striker, teenager Joel Campbell, is set to join French side Lorient on loan having failed to win a work permit.  Manuel Almunia will still be hoping to find a new club, whilst Henri Lansbury is another that could be on the move.

Lansbury leaving would be dependent on Arsenal finding a new midfielder.  Arsene was very clear that this was an area he wanted to strengthen, and whilst he seems to have shored the defence and attack up there’s still no sign someone to fill the void left by Cesc Fabregas.

Yesterday all the talk was of a €40m bid for Dortmund playmaker Mario Goetze, but the German club were swift to deny both the bid and the player’s availability.  More realistic targets are said to include the Chelsea pair of Benayoun and Malouda, whilst the rumours around Rennes’ Yann M’vila persist.

My personal opinion is that Santos, Park and Mertesacker may be it for this window.  I would absolutely love us to sign a midfielder, ideally one with the creative ability and flair  we’ve lost in Cesc and Nasri, but with less than 24 hours to go and no sign of a fee being agreed I consider it unlikely.

Still, stranger things have happened, and if Arsenal can pull three irons out of the fire, then why not four?  Whatever happens I’ll be following the news all day.  There may well be some sort of liveblog, so stay tuned for that, and I urge you to follow me on Twitter, where I occasionally dish out some quite useful bit of info.

Right.  See you on the other side, folks.

Transfer frenzy: André Santos, Mertesacker, Eljero Elia & More…

651 comments August 30th, 2011

Since the 8-2 hammering at Old Trafford, there has been a radical shift in Arsenal’s transfer policy.  With the shallowness of his squad painfully exposed, Arsene has moved to bring in a clutch of experienced players.  The cavalry are finally coming, and Arsenal could now make as many as four signings between now and the end of the transfer window.

Yesterday was a Bank Holiday in England, but that didn’t stop Arsenal from holding transfer talks late in to the night.  Richard Law, the chief negotiator, remained glued to his desk as Arsenal sought to secure some much needed recruits before Wednesday’s 11pm deadline.

Another one for the collection

Their efforts, it seems, are bearing fruit.  At around 9pm last night news broke in Turkey that a €7m (£6.2m) fee had been agreed with Fenerbahçe for Brazilian international full-back André Santos.  The move was necessitated by the impending departure of Armand Traore to QPR, whose scouts obviously weren’t watching the debacle at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Santos is an example of our revised transfer strategy.  A cynic could call it ‘panic buying’.  I call it a vital overhaul.  He became available on Thursday, when Fenerbahçe were forcibly ejected from the Champions League after match-fixing allegations.  They may yet be relegated from the Turkish top flight.  Uruguay skipper Diego Lugano was the first to flee, joining PSG.  Now Santos looks set to follow – after all, he has his position as Brazil’s first-choice left-back to protect.

I haven’t seen him play too much, but like many of Arsene’s full-backs, he began his career as a winger and his natural instinct is to attack.  A little glimpse of him in action suggests he’ll be tremendous fun to watch:

He likes a long-shot too:

Of course there’ll be concerns that he’s not more of a rugged defendery-type, but it’s worth noting that we still have Kieran Gibbs as an option.  It ought to be some battle between those two for the first-team spot – and that’s just how it should be.  Competition is incredibly healthy in any squad, and that’s a big part of what this set of signings need to offer.  A Brazilian international with Champions League experience?  It’s a good enough signing for me.  If personal terms are agreed and a medical is passed, this could be tied up today; tomorrow at the latest.

Santos will join Park Chu-Young in our new-look squad.  The Korean has passed his medical and agreed personal terms, and flown out to join his international team-mates.  Arsenal are merely waiting for several paperwork formalities to be completed before confirming the deal, and Park himself has told the Korean media that he “won’t regret” his decision to join Arsenal over Lille.

As I said at the top of the piece, there are at least a further two targets.  One, you’ll be delighted to hear, is a centre-back – though perhaps not the one you’re expecting.  It seems our fall-out with Bolton has had quite significant consequences for the Gary Cahill deal.  Watch this space.

Update: L’Equipe now running that the target is Per Mertesacker, which I can confirm is true.  And don’t say I never give you exclusives:

How did you miss it?  Tut tut.

The club also want to bring in a midfielder, but I can’t pretend to know who their priority is here.  One thing I can say with some certainty is that it won’t be either Eden Hazard or Mario Götze, both of whom are required to lead their respective clubs in to the Champions League this season.

You’ll have seen us linked with Chelsea’s Yossi Benayoun.  I have to say, I don’t think that’d be a bad signing: he’s an intelligent, technically capable player who scores goals, and could play either wide or in the ‘Fabregas’ role behind a striker – which is where I think we’re really lacking.  Something is certainly afoot with Chelsea: in the past 24 hours we’ve been linked with Benayoun, Alex, and Florent Malouda.  I can only infer that the media have got wind of a meeting between the two clubs about some sort of transfer business, and are attempting to solve the riddle by randomly selecting Chelsea squad players.

Another one to watch is exciting Hamburg winger Eljero Elia, who told Dutch TV he would rather move to England and Arsenal than Juventus – news confirmed by his agent. Whether or not he gets his wish remains to be seen – Sky Italia are reporting that he’s due in Turin for a medical, so this one may have passed us by.

Finally, as relieved as I am that the club finally seem to be spending money in the transfer market, I was also glad to see them take the step of shelling out around £130,000 to buy replacement tickets for those fans who were subjected to the events of Sunday in the flesh.  Fair play to the new ownership for making that happen.

However, given the choice, I’m sure the fans would rather that money invested in the squad.  What will earn the club true forgiveness is turning our season around, and to do that we need to continue to be active over the next two days.  There’s so much still to happen: a fistful of signings, departures for Bendtner and possibly Almunia, and loan moves for the likes of Joel Campbell.

Stay tuned, and hold on to your hats: the wind of change is blowing through the transfer window.

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