So today marks 4 weeks since the second half mauling by Chelsea in Baku, as I write this I think some fans are still trying to get back home from there. A very disappointing performance in a big game from a large portion of the players. It shows that we have a massive rebuilding job on our hands and the severity of the situation seeing Aaron Ramsey depart for Juventus for FREE. Arsenal missed his late runs into the box during the final, it showed when the strikers had the ball they were isolated too much therefore lost the ball or outnumbered.
I think our only saving grace this season will be the youngsters at the club coming back into the first team squad. It will not please most Arsenal fans, but we have to be realistic and brace ourselves for the Syrup wearing silent one to not put any of his own money into the club.
The likes of Joe Willock, Emile Smith Rowe and Reiss Nelson will try to impress during preseason and play themselves into Unai’s plans. I really do not see too many signings, me being cynical I am hoping so looking to be pleasantly surprised.
Goodbyes
At the end of the season you say goodbye to some players you love and some that you couldn’t push out the door quick enough. I feel that we have lost two solid goalkeepers in Ospina and Cech, I wish both the best of luck for the future. Aaron Ramsey leaving on a free transfer is just shocking and shows how badly the club at decision making boardroom level has been. No player would have been allowed to go like that when David Dein was in charge, and Ramsey wasn’t the only one. The club has lost huge amount of money through bodged transfer/ contract negotiations for a number of years. I blame the lack of a football orientated director, instead we got a commercial pleb who jumped and left after milking a great salary with scandalous results.
We also said goodbye to Danny Welbeck who I also wish great luck to after the awful injury he got playing for us. I loved his endeavour on the pitch and he was missed through the season and also Lichtsteiner who didn’t really get much opportunity to play, a great player through his career, however I feel that this move was done too late in his career to have hit the ground running