I think I had more fun watching Denmark smash Russia than any game I’ve watched at the Euro’s so far. I thought the Germany v Portugal game would probably end up being one of the best, but those Danes know how to throw a party and yesterday’s game had pretty much everything. Goals, delicately poised group positions (even at the end there was a shot of the Danish team huddled around a phone to check they had qualified), dodgy defending, a slightly soft penalty, a wonder strike from a centre half, some decent saves from the ‘keepers, plus a young player lighting it up in Damsgaard for Denmark. All of this to the backdrop of the Danish crowd in a full stadium to mine eyes and ears. And to complete the narrative you have the fact that these players were clearly all fully motivated to give Christian Erikson something to cheer on from his hospital bed. The romance of football is never dead. Sometimes it feels like it has gone away but it never truly dies and we just need nights and matches like yesterday’s against the Ruski’s to show us that. And I thoroughly enjoyed it.
More games like that will enable me to forget about the fact that we’re approaching July and all we still have are ‘rumours’ about the same players. I won’t go on about the names, you already know them, but without wanting to sound too hysterical, Arsenal really do need to get a wriggle on, I have to say. Our pre season officially starts in one month’s time. If you want to give yourself the best possible chance of starting well and being the best prepared you can be, you don’t want to be parachuting players in a week before the season starts. You want them in and on that plane to Florida on 21st July. But I suspect Arteta will want the players back in and reporting for duty that are not at the Euro’s or Copa America at least two week’s before that. That takes us to Wednesday 7th July. Let’s call it Monday 5th July for clarity. That means Arsenal and Arteta will probably be beginning their prep for the new season the week after next.
Doesn’t give us much time to start moving with our transfer plans, does it?
I am of course talking about the ideal scenario and I get that the market hasn’t really started moving yet. We’ve had, what, four transfers of bigger name players so far across all clubs? I’m thinking Ashley Young to Villa for free, Danny Rose to Watford for free, Emi Buendia and Konate to Liverpool. Apart from that we’ve not seen a lot and so it appears everyone is holding on to their cash for a little longer. But not everyone has the same level of business that needs doing this summer, do they? I mean, we know we are miles away from where we want to be and the fact that there are question marks over about 50 – 60% of our squad tells it’s own story. The club were making noises that they knew they had a lot of work to do, so I’d have expected a little more movement up until this point. So far all we’ve seen is Mark McGuiness join Cardiff for an undisclosed fee, which was yesterday, as well as Trae Coyle joining FC Lausanne–Sport and Zech Medley joining KV Oostende. I suspect the fees will be relatively low, but I hope Arsenal are being sensible enough to get a sell on fee on the players in case they bang and end up in similar positions to what Malen is doing at PSV right now.
None of these players were realistically going to be part of the first team next season, but I wrote a piece about five year’s ago talking about how the academy for Arsenal can at least be a good cash cow for building up youngsters and selling on for a profit. In this difficult time we’re in at the moment perhaps big profits aren’t realistic, but getting sell on fees should be and I just hope we’re doing just that. We aren’t a charity, we’ve been rubbish sellers of our more expensive assets, but let’s have some value protection for the academy players, please.
Of course that isn’t where the big bucks are coming from this summer; that is going to come from the sale of senior players, so I was heartened by the links of Lacazette to Monaco for £25million. In a pre-COVID era I probably would have said that’s fair for all parties. Lacazette has just turned 30, he’s bagged 17 goals in a harder league than the French league, he’s relatively injury free and would probably bang a good 20 – 25 in the French League. £25million for a striker that is going to get you that for probably two to three year’s is decent enough, but I’d be surprised if Arsenal get that and even more surprised if Monaco offer it. But it is good to hear we might be open to offers for him. We need to look back in to the market, or at least put faith in younger players to understudy Auba and if we are going to have fewer games next season, I think there is less need for two high-earners playing for one position up top. Let’s sell and reinvest the money in other parts of the team. WE kind of have an idea of where those other parts are and honestly, having had glimpses of Martinelli and Balogun last season, I’d be happy to see them given a chance to show what they can do next season behind Auba. It’s not as if they are going to be needed to be called upon for the whole season. So why not?
It’s also why I’m kind of ok with the van Aanholt rumours too. 30-year’s-old turning 31 in August, is a free transfer, would be a clear understudy to Tierney and if we can keep the Scot fit then he’s probably only playing five games in the season. You aren’t going to get a great left back understudy wanting to play just a few games a season but van Aanholt might welcome the idea of a two year deal where he could be at a big club in London. So I think i’d be ok with it. Whether that’s the direction we’ll be looking at though remains to be seen.
That’s pretty much it for today. It’s my anniversary tonight so I’m off for a fancy meal and won’t be watching the inevitable snooze-fest that is England, who qualified for the next round as a result of last night’s games anyway.
Have a good’un, folks.
That’s basically an article full of unnecessary and unlogical mourning (we haven’t made any transfers yet, though noone did and we have the Euros right now; we are bad at selling young talent, though we just hired Garlick who is responsible for contracts and negotations with tons of experience; we are miles away from where we want to be, though we have been the second best team in the last 24 games of the season) negativity and a silly rumour based on a bad opinion (selling Lacazette – one of our best players, who – for a striker – is in his prime now and has a better minutes per goal-rate than our other strikers).
I don’t see any other purpose of such a negative article than harimng the club who already has a bad reputation in the eyes of some fans after finishing 8th. Is that what this blog is about? Harming Arsenal? Wouldn’t it be a breath of fresh air to actually be one of a few blogs who act like supporters through thick and thin instead of being one of many who’s objective is ti harm the club?
Sorry you feel like that, friend, but I have – and always will – just write what’s in my head every morning. I am sometimes positive, sometimes negative, but I will always just speak my mind. I am a supporter through thick and thin, but that doesn’t mean I blindly agree with everything the club does. Thanks for posting your thoughts though – appreciate you reading
It is ok of course to post your opinion. You don’t need to be positive all the time, if you don’t like to, but at least base your opinions on facts and logic, not on rumours and/or fairytales. Saying we are miles away from where we want to be, when in fact we were the second best team for the last 24 games, would mean that you are not satisfied by being the second best team right now. The same goes for tge ither two arguments. It is just spreading negativity. And shouldn’t we as supporters support the team instead of attacking it, spreading ridiculous rumours or creating problems, where there are none when we are already showing tremendous progress and eceryone involved talked avout a summer of big investment.
There are tons of positive signs out there as well like us being comfortable to spend 50 million on a young and promising defender, after losing Luiz. The transfer window just has opened and there hasn’t been any significant deals at all right now. It is too early to be negative.
Of course I can’t tell you how to feel, or what to write. But wouldn’t be better for yozrself too to think positive? To look at the last 24 games, look at how we play agaibst tge top 6 and what is possible with further transfers in the next seasons instead of mourning and spreading bad vibes?
As a blog you have some responsibility and some power to influence other people too. And after a season of massive rebuild and change it would be a breath of fresh air to see more positive outlets in the huge mass of pure negativity 99 % of all Arsenal pages are bathing in right now. I know it is hard, but I do it myself and the response is great. I feel better to surround and exchange myself with positive fans as well. Just give it a try. You won’t regret it.