Arsenal FC 2024-25: Back Where We Belong

[Derka 6135]

 

[Ted Lange 16082]

 

 

[Derka 6135]

 

[Ted Lange 16082]

OK, now get us some attacking help!!

[Ted Lange 16082]

 

 

[Dutch 4465]

51 minutes ago, Ted Lange said:

 

 

So that means we’ll possibly have four matches in seven days, three of which are very high leverage:

•    ⁠Shit (A) September 15
•    ⁠Bolton (H) September 17
•    ⁠??? UCL (presumably) September 19
•    ⁠City (A) September 22

Damn. And we seriously need some attacking reinforcement. 

[Dutch 4465]

Or, there’s always this…

 

[Derka 6135]

 

[Ted Lange 16082]

 

[Ted Lange 16082]

 

[Derka 6135]

 

[Dutch 4465]

3 hours ago, Derka said:

 

€30m (£25m) for a #2 keeper? Damn Arteta likes buying GKs

2 hours ago, Ted Lange said:

 

Edited August 29 by Dutch

[Dutch 4465]

Make that happen; Comen would COOK in our system. We desperately need to add attackers before the window closes. Currently, our attacking depth is perma-injured Jesus, Trossard, and…. Nelson. That ain’t going to win the League or anything else. 

[Ted Lange 16082]

 

 

[Ted Lange 16082]

Champions League Draw starting now, on Paramount 

[Ted Lange 16082]

Away at Milan.   Waiting or our other Pot 1 opponent, down to Paris, Madid and Barca

Down to either Paris or Madrid.   It will for sure be Madrid.  F

[Ted Lange 16082]

Well, Liverpool got Madrid, so our Pot 1s are Away Inter Milan, Home Paris.   Couldve been worse.

Edited August 29 by Ted Lange

[Ted Lange 16082]

[Ted Lange 16082]

On to pot 2.  Just drew at Atalanta 

[Ted Lange 16082]

And our draw is done

That is about as friendly a draw as one could expect

[Dutch 4465]

Could’ve been worse.  No one we can’t beat on our day; no one we can’t drop points to, either. 

COYG

[Ted Lange 16082]

 

Add one of those 2 and this is a solid B+ window.

[Derka 6135]

let sterling be arteta’s latest reclamation project, says i. if arteta wants him then that’s good enough for me.

[Ted Lange 16082]

ffs

 

 

[Dutch 4465]

Maybe we should’ve, I don’t know, not sold Ramsdale without a deal in place? Everyone knows we need a keeper, so the price is going to double on anybody.   
 

FFS indeed

Edited August 29 by Dutch

[Ted Lange 16082]

 

If this frees up 30m more to sign attackers, fine.   If not...

[Ted Lange 16082]

done deal

 

 

[Dutch 4465]

Nice. Better to save that €30m for an attacking player. 

[Derka 6135]

 

 

[Ted Lange 16082]

JFC

 

[Derka 6135]

they say it’s fractured:

 

[Dutch 4465]

[Ted Lange 16082]

There is the international break after tomorrow, so the next match vs Spuds is 2 weeks away, then Bolton cup match, then maybe he is back for the Man City match on the 22nd.

[Dutch 4465]

[Dutch 4465]

Hope I’m wrong, but fractured bones usually take the number of weeks that add up to months.

[Ted Lange 16082]

Yep, late September is probably best case.    Considering our injury luck last year (especially considering Arsenal's injury history) this was bound to catch up with us.

[Ted Lange 16082]

 

[Ted Lange 16082]

So; ESR, Eddie, Viera, gone.

Added; Merino and Califiori.

What a meh window.   They desperately needed an Eddie replacement and someone to challenge Martinelli.    Arsenal has 6 attacking options to play 3 positions and 1 is injured and is the only backup 9.   Maybe the Eddie deal doesn't get done now and was contingent on Arsenal signing a replacement.

Unless Arteta decides to change the formation to 4 midfielders, this just isn't enough cover for the next 4 months up front.

That being said, the back four is absolutely loaded.

[Dutch 4465]

We’re dangerously thin upfront. Trossard/Gabi and Jesus (when healthy) are the only difference-makers. Not enough, especially with two extra CL group matches and a possible two-legged play-in for the round of 16. 

[Dutch 4465]

Maybe Timber or Penne Blanco can play winger?

[Derka 6135]

we’ve got to have some last minute attacking help on deck. surely we’ve got another signing coming in. in arteta and edu i trust, but we’re too thin up front to compete with city.

[Dutch 4465]

Merino (when healthy) will be a really good addition. I think it was underestimated just how much Martinelli thrived by playing infront of an experienced left 8 (Xhaka); adding an experienced pro should help him. 

Calafiori is what we needed: a left back who’s solid defensively and has ball skills and can play across the defense (Tomi’s injury looks worse than initially thought, since Arteta gave no timeline). 
 

Offloading ESR and Eddie for £60m of pure PSR profit and loaning off Fabio was good business, especially since they were out of favor with Arteta. 

The Ramsdale saga was a debacle; we could’ve sold him last summer for £50m, had Arteta brought in Raya early. Instead, we sold for less than we bought him for.  

Replacing three attaching players with no one, though…. Arteta must be banking on the he fact that we have Mr Miyagi as a trainer to do that hand clap trick every week, because we’re one  more injury to an attacking player from being turbo fucked  

Overall window grade: C+. With you it’ll rise to a B+ if we somehow (unlikely) add a winger. 

[The Maestro 750]

Just saw the Merino news, man we are snake bitten.   Also saw Sterling from Chelsea might happen.  Not my dream attacker to add, but maybe better than nothing. 

[Ted Lange 16082]

There are 17 PL matches from now until the winter window opens Jan 1 and 4 matches in January.   The team as constructed is good enough to stay within shouting distance of City (IF we have near perfect health for the next 4.5 months).  

If we are being honest, the chances of topping the machine that City currently is, is at best 1/3, despite how close we were last campaign.  It feels like the only real chance anyone in the league has of toppling City is; Pep retiring or City finally getting docked 10+ points.

 

[Ted Lange 16082]

Ive moved onto the bargaining stage

[Dutch 4465]

20 minutes ago, Ted Lange said:

There are 17 PL matches from now until the winter window opens Jan 1 and 4 matches in January.   The team as constructed is good enough to stay within shouting distance of City (IF we have near perfect health for the next 4.5 months).  

If we are being honest, the chances of topping the machine that City currently is, is at best 1/3, despite how close we were last campaign.  It feels like the only real chance anyone in the league has of toppling City is; Pep retiring or City finally getting docked 10+ points.

 

We were incredibly lucky that Saka, Havartz, Ode, Rice, Gabriel, Saliba, and Benny Blanco were able to play 95% of the minutes last season. The likelihood of all of those players doing that again isn’t great. There is at least some cover at defense. Up front? We best pray, light candles, and say our Rosaries, top off Jobu’s rum, etc all day every day. 

33 minutes ago, The Maestro said:

Also saw Sterling from Chelsea might happen.  Not my dream attacker to add, but maybe better than nothing. 

Sterling for cheap (~£ 10-15m) and Chelsea covering most of his wages could actually be a good signing. He’s worked with Arteta before, knows the basic system, and is an experienced winner in the League at a position we desperately need reinforcement. 

[Ted Lange 16082]

Any player that is clearly better than Reiss would go a long way.   Im not veryhopeful at this point though.   I do wish our guys would opt to skip the international call ups.

[Dutch 4465]

1 minute ago, Ted Lange said:

Any player that is clearly better than Reiss would go a long way.   Im not veryhopeful at this point though.   I do wish our guys would opt to skip the international call ups.

Yeah. Sigh. 

Arteta and Edu:

 

[Ted Lange 16082]

 

 

[Dutch 4465]