The Arsenal thread | 2016-2017 season

[baanke laal]

The Gunners are ready for another season in the Premier League, and Arsenal fans expect a title challenge from them just like the beginning of every season.

Arsene Wenger became active in the transfer window quickly, and splashed some serious cash from his warchest to sign highly rated midfielder Graniit Xhaka for 30m. However, their failed bid in signing the striker Jamie Vardy from Liecester city has seem to have spoiled wenger's plans a little. The Gooners are getting restless for a big name Striker to replace Giroud in the lineup, but it seems like Arsene's efforts are getting roadblocked due to various reasons. Wenger decided not to pay the asking price for Moratta and Lacazette & deemed them overpriced.

According to the latest rumors, Arsenal are going all out to sign Higuain from Napoli, and this could result in Giroud going the other way. Would it be a good deal swapping Giroud with Higuain?

Here are some interesting questions, before the action on the pitch begins:

• Will Arsenal mount a title challenge this season, and finally win the trophy coveted by their fans for a more than a decade?
• How well would they fare in the champions league this time around?
• What other areas of the squad does Wenger need to strengthen, apart from the obvious striker position?

Can a moderator add a poll to this thread please?

Q: "How well would Arsenal do in the League next season?" a) League Champions b) Title Challenge resulting in a top 4 finish. c) Sneak into Top 4 without challenging. d) Outside Top-4.

 

[Shark]

They'll start well, thrashing the cannon fodder and playing Barca esque football. By season end they'll go on another blistering run for 4th spot. They might take back the FA cup too.

 

[Robbie Boy]

@Twigginater, you should be making these threads!

 

[LuisNaniencia]

Still need a striker and a center back. I think their big chance was this season gone to win it. Teams are really strengthening this summer so it's going to be a tough league.

 

[Mrs Smoker]

Pires, Henry, Ljungberg? Anyone else behind?


Also, why are they there? (nm if that's not an official image)

 

[ThierryHenry]

2nd or 3rd - proper title challenge if we sign a good striker, intermittent title challenge if we don't.

The Euros/ Copa is going to hugely hurt our start to the season.

 

[baanke laal]

Pires, Henry, Ljungberg? Anyone else behind?


Also, why are they there? (nm if that's not an official image)

I am pretty sure that's an image from their official home kit launch by Puma.

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/20160520/arsenal-and-puma-reveal-new-home-kit

 

[LuisNaniencia]

2nd or 3rd - proper title challenge if we sign a good striker, intermittent title challenge if we don't.

The Euros/ Copa is going to hugely hurt our start to the season.

How do you stop the recurring January drop off?

 

[ThierryHenry]

How do you stop the recurring January drop off?

Don't think there is one - we're just an inconsistent side, reliant on the form of our best players to raise our level of performances.

The worry for me is more that the team peaks depending on the fitness of its key players (i.e. around international tournaments):

15/16 - Strong first half of the season, poor in the second half.
14/15 - Poor first half of the season, very strong second half.
13/14 - Very strong first half of the season, poor patch in February/ March took us out of contention for the title.
12/13 - Average first half of the season, good second half to overtake Spurs into 4th.

This side (call it the post Fabregas/ RVP era if you want) has had excellent years in 2013 and 2015, with crap years around/ after international tournaments in 2014 and (potentially - hasn't been great so far) 2016. Wenger hasn't significantly changed the side in years, so we seem to start seasons about as well as we finished the prior year.

Easiest way to fix this would be a world-class centre forward to drag us through more games where we're not playing well. If a couple of Ozil, Sanchez, Koscielny, Ramsey, Cazorla, Giroud aren't at their best (Ramsey being less important than the others), we struggle. Considering that we're starting the season without a few of those, I'm worried we'll be playing catch up the whole year when it comes to the title race. Someone like Higuain would be so important for us.

 

[Adisa]

They always look good on paper. I've given up believing Araenal can do it.
Was certain they would win it after beating Leicester in the last minute to go only a point behind, last season.
Their biggest problem is their mentality. It's like the look for the smallest excuses to drop points.
I'm of the opinion they will not win it as long as Wenger is ere, regardless of who they sign.
He doesn't push his players.

 

[LuisNaniencia]

Don't think there is one - we're just an inconsistent side, reliant on the form of our best players to raise our level of performances.

The worry for me is more that the team peaks depending on the fitness of its key players (i.e. around international tournaments):

15/16 - Strong first half of the season, poor in the second half.
14/15 - Poor first half of the season, very strong second half.
13/14 - Very strong first half of the season, poor patch in February/ March took us out of contention for the title.
12/13 - Average first half of the season, good second half to overtake Spurs into 4th.

This side (call it the post Fabregas/ RVP era if you want) has had excellent years in 2013 and 2015, with crap years around/ after international tournaments in 2014 and (potentially - hasn't been great so far) 2016. Wenger hasn't significantly changed the side in years, so we seem to start seasons about as well as we finished the prior year.

Easiest way to fix this would be a world-class centre forward to drag us through more games where we're not playing well. If a couple of Ozil, Sanchez, Koscielny, Ramsey, Cazorla, Giroud aren't at their best (Ramsey being less important than the others), we struggle. Considering that we're starting the season without a few of those, I'm worried we'll be playing catch up the whole year when it comes to the title race. Someone like Higuain would be so important for us.

Yeah I suppose it's the old cliché that was attached to United a lot; We win when we play badly. Maybe the same can't be said for Arsenal?

I think you need a center back as well personally.

 

[WackyWengerWorld]

How do you stop the recurring January drop off?

It's a bit of a myth, we had the most points in the league in 2013 and 2015 as mentioned. We finished in great form in about 3 seasons but started very poorly.

It's mainly due to squad depth/weak links. Not having a striker who can kill off games, bar RVP who was only really fit for one season after we lost our best player in Fabregas. If we sign Higuain, which is our current rumour, that would be huge for us.

Lacking defensive midfielders, this one we've solved pretty much by buying Xhaka and seeing Coquelin develop into a top DM. We fell apart after Coquelin and Cazorla got injured last year.

Ultimately any title challenge relies on us getting a CF

 

[Jazz]

Is this the right thread? If not, a mod can delete.

Henry has left the Arsenal coaching set up after Wenger gave him an ultimatum to either commit to his coaching role, or drop his punditry with Sky. Chose the latter.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...y-Henry-Quit-Sky-say-goodbye-job-Arsenal.html

 

[Miscemayl]

Thread's not even an hour old and they've already lost Henry!

 

[Jazz]

Thread's not even an hour old and they've already lost Henry!

On a serious note - I agree with Arsene. Can't have a coach slagging off the first team performance on Sky. It's a conflict of interest imo.

 

[Adisa]

It's a reasonable position from Wenger. If you want to be U18 boss, it has to be full time. Arsenal aren't an amateur club.

 

[ADJUDICATOR]

CB to replace Mertesacker, another good winger and a striker.

 

[Miscemayl]

On a serious note - I agree with Arsene. Can't have a coach slagging off the first team performance on Sky. It's a conflict of interest imo.

Yeah, agreed.
But I can also imagine Wenger bulldozing Henry's statue simply because he slagged him off.

 

[montpelier]

Coquelin is OK but isn't top class by any means, bit silly that he was left to fill DM position all season, just by himself. Xhaka must help with this.

Giroud is the conundrum because of his lack of pace, when you're well on top & he is confident & scoring it's looks fine. Those times in closer games when the team is getting rolled back a bit, he looks like a pub player. Theo isn't the answer, unless you want to try them as a 2, which Wenger doesn't cos he is firmly wedded to 4-2-3-1.

 

[JJ12]

Any news on Ozil's contract?

Got a sneaky feeling he may be off soon.

 

[Jacko21]

One thing is for sure. If Arsenal do win a major honour in the forthcoming season, it will be in spite of Arsene Wenger, not because of him. He's holding the club back and has been doing so for years. His stubbornness knows no bounds. Rather than leaving Arsenal in the manner that Sir Alex left United, he'll instead leave knowing that a significant percentage of the Arsenal fanbase have grown to feel utter contempt for him.

How he has managed to remain as manager for another five years after that deadline day debacle in 2011 (Arteta, Benayoun, Mertesacker, Andre Santos) is beyond me. His bloody-mindedness and indecision has cost the club dearly. He's regressed.

For as long as he is the manager, I'll continue to disregard Arsenal as a rival. They've been in a malaise for over a decade and there is no sign of that abating. Allegiances aside for one moment, Arsenal could achieve great things under a new manager. They are ideally placed to do so. It must pain Arsenal fans dearly to see the moves some of the games top managers have made in the last couple of seasons - it only serves to emphasise their plight.

Arsenal have some great players at their disposal - if those same players can galvanise themselves and take the lead, they could be well.

It almost pains me to see Wenger still in charge. Almost.

It's pitiful.

 

[Raw]

Any news on Ozil's contract?

Got a sneaky feeling he may be off soon.

2 years left on his contract, if Arsenal don't win the title soon he could be off.

 

[oneniltothearsenal]

Is this the right thread? If not, a mod can delete.

Henry has left the Arsenal coaching set up after Wenger gave him an ultimatum to either commit to his coaching role, or drop his punditry with Sky. Chose the latter.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...y-Henry-Quit-Sky-say-goodbye-job-Arsenal.html

If that's true it's utter hypocrisy as Wenger clowns around as a pundit every tournament. Really disappointing from Wenger if true since while Chelsea and United are making signings Wenger is on French TV babbling about the French bottlers and not doing his job as our manager. If this is true I lose respect for Wenger. Wenger should improve his performance in the transfer market instead of going on French tv.

 

[ThierryHenry]

Yeah I suppose it's the old cliché that was attached to United a lot; We win when we play badly. Maybe the same can't be said for Arsenal?

I think you need a center back as well personally.

We can win when playing poorly, particularly away from home. We definitely don't do it enough though, off days at home seem to especially get punished.

And yeah, a centre back is hugely needed.

 

[Djemba-Djemba]

Going to be really interesting to see what happens with Wenger this year.

Is this his final season? You sense it really should be but you'd think the board there would be happy for Wenger to stay forever. He's the perfect employee for them, doesn't spend much money on transfers, takes all of the responsibility and criticism on himself and delivers consistent competence. However when there were rumours a few months ago he'd be offered a contract extension the Arsenal fans didn't seem very happy and Wenger had to come out and deny it. It's a tricky situation.

I hope he does stay though because I don't see Arsenal ever winning the title again or the Champions League with him in charge.

 

[sammyvine]

They will never do anything until Wenger is got ridden of. Last year was their chance and like always they choked.

 

[KomodoBadger]

Same as always. Title challenge, be first in January, fall off, and eventually finish in the favourite position of 4th.

I think this might be the year in which Wenger is successfully bullied out of the club.

 

[ottosec]

The most boring team in the PL by far, same shit every year. 3rd-4th and out of the CL in the first knockout round, like every fecking year.

Hopefully they finish 5th or 6th this year, I'm tired of their shit.

If they would disappear tomorrow, nobody will give a feck. Well, maybe Chelsea would be disappointed on missing their customary 6 points every season.

 

[Ducklegs]

They will get their usual 72-76 points so where ever that puts them in the table.

As far away from a title challenge as they have ever been.

 

[Wumminator]

@Twigginater, you should be making these threads!

I've been dead busy the last few weeks. Any time I've spent on here has been on the redcafe's top players thread.

 

[Offside]

Will be the same old shit. Not winning the league but top 4 and getting turned over in Europe.

 

[Eboue]

We will finish ahead of Man Utd again.

 

[Glanville95]

We will finish ahead of Man Utd again.

But still below three other sides while crashing out of the Champions League in the first knockout round.

Such a boring club. Hope for your sake Wenger leaves.

 

[Grinner]

One thing is for sure. If Arsenal do win a major honour in the forthcoming season, it will be in spite of Arsene Wenger, not because of him. He's holding the club back and has been doing so for years. His stubbornness knows no bounds. Rather than leaving Arsenal in the manner that Sir Alex left United, he'll instead leave knowing that a significant percentage of the Arsenal fanbase have grown to feel utter contempt for him.

How he has managed to remain as manager for another five years after that deadline day debacle in 2011 (Arteta, Benayoun, Mertesacker, Andre Santos) is beyond me. His bloody-mindedness and indecision has cost the club dearly. He's regressed.

For as long as he is the manager, I'll continue to disregard Arsenal as a rival. They've been in a malaise for over a decade and there is no sign of that abating. Allegiances aside for one moment, Arsenal could achieve great things under a new manager. They are ideally placed to do so. It must pain Arsenal fans dearly to see the moves some of the games top managers have made in the last couple of seasons - it only serves to emphasise their plight.

Arsenal have some great players at their disposal - if those same players can galvanise themselves and take the lead, they could be well.

It almost pains me to see Wenger still in charge. Almost.

It's pitiful.

 

[Ducklegs]

We will finish ahead of Man Utd again.

Remindme! 01/06/17 about Eboues prediction.

 

[Cascarino]

We will finish ahead of Man Utd again.

I think the Arsenal squad is better than the United one but I think Mourinho will be a factor.
Do you think Arsenal will be in for a striker (other than Asano) and does Walcott have any future there? I thought a few seasons ago when he had a good season that he could end up being a major asset for them but he looked disinterested and impotent last season.

I have major doubts about Ramsey ever really working in a midfield two and he's never going to displace Ozil (rightfully so) so do you think he'll be playing on the right wing again?

 

[Glanville95]

Don't see why that's funny. He's right.

 

[charlenefan]

This'll be the season they fail to make top 4, Wenger will go out on a low

 

[Shark]

We will finish ahead of Man Utd again.

Maybe you will. However that all depends of now quickly our new signings settle. Ibra, Martial and Miki will be a legal front three of it clicks. Also Mourinho' influence will surely have a say.

 

[Parry Gallister]

Like last year, they have the players to do it. Like every year, they probably won't. Have to be in the top 2 though.