Following on from our Champions League game against AC Milan, we have all by now heard the rumours that Arsene Wenger was furious with the performance and, in my book, rightly so.
It also appears to have upset former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit, who recently launched a scathing attack on three Gunners in particular:
The former France international said:
‘Certain young players haven’t done enough to justify the confidence that Arsene has in them. Walcott – somehow he’s going to have to reach the next stage. It’s been years that he’s been at the same level.
‘We shouldn’t hesitate to talk about the end of the cycle. Regardless of age, we have to look seriously at certain players. Right now. You have to send out a strong signal. You have to say to Arshavin, and to Rosicky: ‘Gentlemen, thank you, but goodbye’. And soon.’
I hate to agree with him, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to sit and watch Arsenal loase and not resolve the issues that are plain to see.
I think Theo Walcott is a really decent lad and has the potential to do really well for us and England. However, as Manu said, there hasn’t been any improvement in years form the forward.
Tomas Rosicky has impressed on occasions this season, and his inclusion in the trio was a bit of a surprise to me, but I can see where Petit is coming from, especially as he will be 32 years of age before Christmas.
Andrey Arshavin, I really don’t think I need to say anymore about the Russian that hasn’t already been said in the past. He simply has not been good enough and it is time for him to move on.
Arsenal HAVE to buy quality players to fill the gaps and make strides into making us a force once again, not a laughing stock.
Petit was asked how Wenger should re-build the squad if he was managing Arsenal next season. Petit came fully prepared with his answer to this difficult question and, for me, hits the nail bang on the head:
‘Young talent be blended with ‘five or six’ players who have proven their pedigree at the highest level before.’
We all know that this is going to be the ideal way for it to be resolved, and a mixture of talent and youth is the best way I can see the club getting out of this slump. The fact remains for Arsenal to even have this mixture of talent and youth we need to finally put our hands in our pockets and spend some money so that we are still around in seasons to come, because currently we have a danger of falling out of the competitions that will help us get the players we need.
Arsenal need to invest for the future and this time it doesn’t mean penny pinching, it means doing what the fans want to get us back to one of the dominate forces in the Premier League and push us on in Europe.
I said on Twitter on Thursday morning what I am sure we all felt having seen the game against Milan – ‘at least we can concentrate on the league’. It was then pointed out to me that we still have the FA Cup to fight for, which is a whole new worry for the Arsenal faithful to think about on weekend.
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Yes, major clear out needed this Summer. Even if it means we go another couple of years without a trophy while the new players gel, we need a team to be proud of and that offers some hope for the fans.
All players that have been at the club for 5 years and still have a question mark over them need moving on – Almunia, Fabianski, Djourou, Denilson, Diaby, Rosicky, Walcott, Bendtner etc as well as the likes of Squillaci, Arshavin and Chamakh.
GK – New Signing, Szczesny, Martinez
LB – Santos & Gibbs
CB – Vermaelen, Koscielny, Mertesacker, New Signing
RB – Sagna & Jenkinson
DMF – Song, Frimpong & Coquelin
CMF – Wilshere, Arteta
AMF – New Signing, Ramsey
LWF – New Signing, Gervinho
RWF – New Signing, Oxlade-Chamberlain
CF – Van Persie, New Signing, Park Chu-Young
Possible first team additions: Ryo Miyaichi, Ignasi Miquel, Joel Campbell, Carlos Vela, Henri Lansbury
With all the outgoing players and already available transfer funds, there should be no excuse for not signing the likes of Keisuke Honda, Christian Eriksen, Jan Vertonghen and Lukas Podolski. Even if we fail to qualify for the Champions League, I genuinely feel we’d have a strong chance of signing those players given we’ve qualified for the last 13 or 14 years and would be seen to be showing more ambition in the transfer market than the last 5 years.
Totally agree with that james. Cmon wenger sort it out.
Those signings need to be of the very highest quality. We need that centre back to be a beast-type like Samba- not Vertonghen who is too similar to what we have already, and another beast in centre midfield- M’villa type maybe. Vela and Jenkinson need to be on the outlist too, Lansbury probably not quite good enough for the squad either. Podolski has an attitude problem, the striker we bring in has to be a true goalscorer- not a Chamakh type.
Damn.. But I totally agree w James!!
If A.W. dun sort this out, I think he needs to go!! Enough is enough!!
I wont be surprise seeing LESS Arsenal fans in future!!
I totally agree with James! Took those words out of my mouth!
Arshavin, Chamakah and Rosicky will leave, I think Theo stays but is pushed by Ox and Ryo.
The two on top of the list to come in have to be Hazard and Samba. Followed by a decent big target man up front (an inform Torres is perfect) and the willingness to switch to 4-4-2 as required. A Schneider-ish central play maker would round out the side.
Arshavin, Rosicky should defiantly leave. Walcott should be demoted to the bench and Chamberlain take his place. I can defiantly see Walcott actually being useful for the team from the bench. Next year Mayaichi will be above him in the selection preference to start too. Hes looking pretty sweet on his loan.
The rest are then obvious, Chamakh, Bender, the Squid, Almunia, Denilson and Vela all need to go and serious questions will be asked if they dont.
walcott is young
his had to play in about every game due to the fact theres no other right wingers at the club.
walcott is suited to teams that play football
not likes of teams who play the kind of fooball stoke do.
if we had other players that can play it will benift everone
walcott and other players need a rest some game and need to not be used on games where teams will put 10 players behind the goal.
the managers need to look at things things
and bring in world clas players
we have tooo many players to are on the wage bill and never play
don ur wrong walcott is shit look at bale at the spuds played as many games. he is not a footballer he cant cross never looks up and for the 90 grand a week he wants he is not anywere near it should be shown the door Chamakh is a clown never good enough never will be Almunia, Fabianski, Djourou, Denilson, Diaby, Rosicky, Bendtner all these players dont let the door hit u on the way out
arshavin, yes, leave.
rosicky is a champion and is the only one who can hold his head up high. shame others on the pitch dont have half the heart that rosicky has.
If, as one of the richest clubs in the world, we dont buy a world class player such as Hazard, I will be fed up.
I believe when players like wilshere come back Arsenal will be fine. But waht I’m worried about is that it will be too late. Because I wouldnt blame Van PErsie if he left. And when he leaves, I cant see any hope of success.
Another reason to buy a player like Hazard. Give Van Persie, Shezny, Wilshere, these players a reason to have belief in the club. Because I certainly have very little belief at the moment.
And I consider myself to be one of the more patient Arsenal supporters.
Rosicky’s gone backwards since he came to Arsenal, he’s now a spent force at the highest level- he has a good attitude though.
I must say that Ramsey should also be on the wait out of the club. He’s simply not good enough ever since the injury. He’s sloppy on the pass, over dribbles, and is too slow/weak for a top class premier league squad.
He’s still young and we should keep him as a swuad player for the time being, Walcott too- but development has to be shown next season.
Cattermole, Hazzard (top priority), Schwarzer or Sorenson, Bent(100 Premier League goals)or Steven Fletcher (If he can score goal at Wolves on thin pickings, he can score goals at Arsenal), Llorente Torres, Samba and if we could take advantage of Chelsea Ivanovic & Sturridge. Eriksen (Ajax)
Out: Almunia, Arshavin, Chamakh, Diaby, Denilson, Bendtner, Rosicky (maybe), Park, Squllaci,Fabianski, Djourou (confidence gone from last season)
Scezeny or Schwarzer as number 1 but more likely Scezeny and junior keeper as 3rd choice.
RB Sagna, Ivanovic (CB), Jenkinson
CB Vermaelen, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Samba, Ivanovic
LB Santos, Gibbs
Utility player Coquelin (Def), Arteta (Att)
Holding players Song, Cattermole,Frimpong
Box to Box players Wilshere, Eriksen, Lansbury
Player behind striker Hazard, Ramsey
Wingers Gervinho, Ox, Miyachi, Walcott
Main Strikers RVP, Llorente Torres, Fletcher
Sturridge as main forward to be used on wings and up front when needed.
Loan out Miguel (Swansea), Bartley(Norwich), Campbell (Everton), Eisfeld (Sunderland)
Rosicky is the best midfielder we have now.. He is lively, high skilled.. Can beat defender.. With high work rate.. Compare him to Ramsey.? Hahahaha
almunia, squillaci, djorou, gibbs, arshavin, rosicky, diaby, chamakh, chu young, denilson, bendtner all should be sold and let go this summer.
we should buy vertonghen, baines/enrique, gotze, m’viilla, hazard/mertens, higuain/benzema. thats more like that we can be a title contender next season. moving wenger to the boardroom is also not a bad idea. he is a legend, we just need a new idea, a fresh tactic. we’ve just been too predictable this past few seasons. so i would welcome guardiola/mourinho to take his place. we’ll see the invincibles for one more time in a century