Also worth remembering that this is very similar to deadline day last year. Was looking extra quiet and looking like we'd do nothing and then almost out of nowhere we signed Miki. On a day like this it's always best to leave all judgements until a couple hours after the window is closed.

2 minutes to go and no signings...... well at least we madea profit ](*,) ](*,) ](*,)

Oh well, would've liked to have made some signings but what can you do. No point bitching about it now when there's nothing that can be done about it. Now is the time to fully get behind the players we do have and look ahead to Liverpool tomorrow night.

Agree with you on that one Sydcro. We need a win tomorrow night though. Cant afford to start our season like we did last year when you look at how the teams below us have strengthened.

Don't think teams below us have strengthened a huge amount anyway. People will say Sp*rs have, but I don't think they have improved their squad a lot on last season.

Spurs have IMO and Chelsea definitely have. Then you got the Newcastle's and Liverpool's who will be competitive at least. Still think we are better off than last year though, we just need to click in the front third.

Sorry yeah Chelsea have, but even they are incredibly short on strikers. Sp*rs haven't strengthened. All they've done is replace outgoing players, and haven't really replaced Modric with the players they've bought. They will be very upset that they didn't get Moutinho, I think he was the difference between them having a decent window and having an outstanding one.

I do agree that we will be better off this year, especially once the front 4 really click together.

One thing that is funny in this window is it's deemed a failure because we didn't sign anyone on deadline day, and of course that's not great, but imagine the fans reaction if we had signed Podolski, Giroud and Cazorla AFTER RvP and Song were sold. The reaction would be totally different, people would be frothing at the mouth at how good this summer has been.

Yepp, im just really disappointed that we have to rely on Diaby not getting injured.

One bit of business I am pleased about is keeping AA23, intentionally or not. Would love to see him get some gametime in Cazorla's position.

Tbf AA can still leave, the Russian window doesn't close until September 10th I think. But even so I think we might be keeping him, doesn't make sense to sell him now, and I would rather keep him.

They still should be delighted with the players we've bought in. Essien for me would have been the cherry on top but you can't have 'em all.

Exactly. We've still had a very good summer, I mean we've brought Giroud, Podolski and Cazorla in for around 32m. That is ridiculously good business

And yeah it would've been nice to get another midfielder in to replace Song, but I would've only been happy with signing someone who could really replace him and is better than he was. Otherwise I don't want to bring in 2nd rate players, just because another player has left. And going by his comments Arsene has the same mindset.

Edited by sydneycroatia58: 1/9/2012 09:00:12 AM

3 million pound profit for the business that is our Arsenal... I'm sorry but the past three pages on this thread have revolved around a replacement for Song. We can't ignore that we are now weak in the middle.

Arsene doesn't sign 2nd rate players? So where does Squilaci and Park fit in that?

Same old fucking Arsenal. Insane how this single page has gone into a different direction in a matter of days, even hours.

I'm disappointed that there wasn't a replacement for Song, but then I was last year and the year before... So I decide to be positive and keep the faith and see how the players go.

Song wasn't really a great player until recently, he was just a 1 mill signing. I really think Coquelin is a better player at 21 than Song was. Not sure how Frimpong will go, I suspect he needs a run of fitness and maybe a loan.

It's actually hard to predict who will be the star performers for Arsenal before any season. After Cesc left noone really knew who the form attacking mid would be. Rosicky ended up finding some good form. A lot of people thought he was finished. Aaron Ramsey is actually quite talented but whether he makes the most of it we need to wait and see.

A lot of fans thought Van Persie was done during his run of injuries and we needed to get rid of him, same with Theo. Same with Diaby, what would happen if he had an injury free run this season and played out of his skin?

Noone knew L Kos would be as good as he was last year, I think Gibbs could be a really good player aswell is he stays fit aswell.

The are definitely players like Squillaci who haven't done that well, but that's life.

I can never predict how these things will go but I think Arsene is doing a better job than me or any amateur fan. They have built a great piece of capital and have done amazingly to stay competitive while paying it off... I don't get the vibe the the owners are doing much other than running the club quite neutrally. But who knows what will come out down the track.

[-o<

Doesn't really answer my question. Where's the money gone?

http://arseblog.com/2012/09/the-day-after/
Quality from Arseblog, yet again. This seems to sum up, sensibly, my frustrations and the reasons behind those frustrations.

Any money receipted probably goes into a bank account.

It's a good question because I've heard they aren't really paying out much or any dividends.

Seems like they just really want to make the club as stable as possible and avoid any liquidity issues in the future. Stan doesn't strike me as the type to want to bail the club out of his own pocket if something like that happened.

He doesn't take anything out of the business but doesn't put anything in. I guess we can only assume he's trying to just increase the value of the club and one day sell it?

I think that is a case of quantity over quality, tbh.

Couldn't put it better myself Sleel.

Neanderthal, whatever the abstract justification we might have for Stan (increasing the value of the club isn't good enough), a profitable transfer window is not good enough for an ambitious football club. It's not like we're poor, we don't need to balance the books in the transfers to survive. The ticket sales (highest in Europe!) more than cover the stadium debt from what I've been hearing.

It's frightening how well Arsene has balanced the books, especially since he came out saying that Giroud/Poldi were bought effectively to replace RVP; against popular opinion amongst the fans.

It's like the Arseblog said, I hope I'm wrong and I'm often wrong; but I'll remain unconvinced while we're not winning games. All I really want is for the club to show a bit of ambition.

@Bypopulardemand Keeping the faith in Arsene is one thing, claiming that he is infallible is another. Eight years and no trophies, he is open to criticism now and a poor season really might spell the end for him.

The end for Arsene will be once he comes to the end of his contract and decides he wants to retire. He won't be sacked and he wont walk out before his contract is finished.

If he doesn't get Champions League football then fans will be calling for his head, perhaps rightfully. I think you're right though, whatever happens the board won't sack him.

Interesting to see Harry Redknapp actually speak some sense about Arsenal

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/4516175/Harry-Redknapp-tells-Theo-Walcott-to-stay-at-Arsenal.html

Great article. 10 minutes until our line up is announced. Hoping Walcott starts tbh.

:lol: Rumours of us playing 3 at the back

Confirmed team: Mannone - Jenkinson, Vermaelen, Mertesacker, Gibbs - Diaby, Arteta - Ox, Cazorla, Podolski - Giroud

Definitely not 3 at the back



Saw that tweet when it was up after 10s, dont know how you beat me to it :o

Strong team. Glad for no Gervinho. Midifield 5 all flexible in positions.

Come on Arsenal!

Edited by jlm8695: 2/9/2012 09:37:14 PM

Subs: Koscielny, Martinez, Santos, Ramsey, Coquelin, Gervinho, Walcott.

Interesting to see Ox start ahead of both Gervinho and Theo. Apart from that as expected really.

Loving these early games.

Interesting to see Ox starting over Walcott. Everything else expected.

+1.

Great win, Cazorla is absolute class and Diaby really impressed me today as well. Would have liked Giroud to score to put the icing on the cake though but he showed some great link up play