I'm inclined to agree. I wouldn’t have if that last season or the one beforehand as top four seemed a little beyond us so happy for us to take the gamble. But I think we have a good chance for third let alone fourth. League has to be priority 1 2 and 3.

Early days yes, but one point from a possible six against our fellow top fourers so far should perhaps cautions us about our league chances?

Never give up on the cups - since there have been 4 to play for (I don't count Charity/Community Shield or Super Cup) they make up 14 trophies against 6 league titles. We have been more of a cup team than anything else since the 1970s. Cups are fun.

I doubt anyone really expects us to win the domestic league. I suspect Ash, and Top Gun before him, were more likely to be wanting to write the cups off to save players for getting in to the Champions League via third or fourth place in the Premier League. I can understand their point, but I think third or fourth should be gettable while trying to win the cups.

Maybe not playing the established first choice team (not that there is one yet) in the earlier rounds against weaker teams. But by playing the likes of Chambers, Mustafi, Nelson, Willock, Saka and others who may hopefully comprise a team good enough to beat any weaker sides we play. Then in the latter stages of the cups, put stronger teams out when we play good sides.

Because I also see OMOH’s point that we shouldn’t forget or just give up on attempting to win cups.

Bernard I agree with you and OMOH about the value of cups. Would take the League Cup and top 4 finish as a very good season. On the other hand no cups and failure to qualify for CL and the season would be a disaster.

Domestically, we have been a cup team with the number of FA cups as evidence. We haven't won the league cup since I started watching so I'd like to have that experience but not at the risk of the FA, Europa or CL cups. I'd take the latter 3 every day of the week instead of a league cup trophy.

Amazing turnover of first team players this year. Arsenal have shipped out 11 players who were considered part of the first team squad last season. We've bought in 6 (7 with Saliba) and promoted Willock and Nelson.

For context Chelsea shipped out 5, Liverpool 2, City 3, Man U 5, Spurs 5

In the previous 2 windows we've moved on 14 first team players. So that is 25 players in 3 seasons. It is an entire first team squad.

Tells you exactly how much quality emery inherited after wengers legacy

Rapid change was required

The latest rumours are suggesting that we are cleaning the decks comprehensively to fund moves for Upmanecano and Everton in January or the summer.

Now that the window is closed, it's hard to say it was anything than a resounding success for Arsenal on paper.

On the plus side we've strengthened several problem areas in the team with what looks like quality players; new starting eleven left back, central midfielder and right winger. We've added a couple of interesting players for the future in Martinelli and Saliba, with the latter being an exciting option for our future defense. We've cleared out a lot of players who didn't have much of a future here, making sure there's plenty of space for future signings.

A big negative is that we didn't improve our central defense enough, with Luiz coming in and Saliba being one for the future. Had we gotten someone like Upamecano it would've been hard not to give the window a 10/10, now it's an 8 or 9 for me. However, with how poor we looked last season, and considering how much there was to do with the squad going into the summer, it wasn't reasonable to expect us to solve every issue in one transfer window. Hope we go back in for a centre back in January.

The most enjoyable thing in my opinion is that there's finally a sense of direction at the club. That's something we've been missing for a few years now.

Haven't posted much since the end of last season but I was very pleased with the transfer window period and for the first time in several years I feel excited about the season and interested to see how it pans out. I found out about Pépé in the airport heading off on holiday and that was a fantastic start and a hell of a surprise!! Not that I fancy us to challenge for the title, but looking at the squads at the minute, Arsenal and Tottenham seem to be around a similar level with perhaps Tottenham's better defense giving them a slight edge at the moment. However, the gap looks like it has been closed. I think we can definitely aim for a top 4 spot and another tilt at the Europa league which I think would be a fantastic trophy to add to the cabinet. The second half display against Tottenham seemed to show a bit of hunger in the side and desire to do well and hopefully we can carry that into every game going forward.

A clearout was long overdue and I can't argue with the quality of any of the players we ended up bringing in. Luiz was a strange one and his performance against Liverpool wasn't great, though I thought he took unfair flak for the 3rd goal given Monreal's position well ahead of play when the ball was initially played through. With Bellerin, Tierney and Holding to come into the fold our current back four may not be the one that finishes the season and again it will be interesting to see how we perform with a full squad.

I'm pleased to see Mikhitaryan depart. I don't think in any way can his time at Arsenal be labelled a success and with the wages he is on it's far better to offload him and give some hungry youngsters an opportunity instead.

Weird thing is we still got the better deal. I thought Mkhitaryan was decent to good during his time here, but never really looked like more than a squad player. Sanchez was just a monumental flop at United. Considering the pedigree of the players, the wages they were on etc that transfer was just such a disaster.

Aye, Sanchez's time at Utd was hilarious. No one could have for-seen that happening. Mkhitaryan had the odd good moment but really nothing much lives in the memory. Thinking about it now, his goal in the San Siro last season was probably the best moment, but in recent performances he looked like a player who had lost his way.

Yeah - We were wondering where you went ;-)

Good window for us. Now time for Emery to work his magic!

Agree completely regards your point about "a sense of direction"

IMO, Mkhitaryan was a disinterested player since latter part of last season.

The only thing that kept me from hating Mikhitaryan too much was Sanchez's failure at Man Yoo.

PS: good see you in here Niall.

I wonder if we’ll go for Ryan Fraser next summer, he’d be on a free transfer, we don’t have a natural left winger in the squad.

I’d love to see us be active in January for a CB. If Cellabos performs well we may try to buy him outright which would take a chunk of the budget

i was a big fan of Michael Owen when we noticed him in the states in the '98 World Cup. Even when he would kills us with goals, I had a soft spot for him UNTIL his retirement and how much he is such a 'azz' and I hadn't realized his deep hatred of us. Which surprised me as a Liverpool player, I'd have thought Man Utd or Everton (but moving to Man Utd ruled out that hatred I suppose).

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/49564379

Michael Owen & Alan Shearer: New book sparks Twitter row

We need to fix the defence in the Jan window. I don't think the fans have the patience of 2 windows
You are one of the most impartial and patient fan on this forum

I hope you are wrong ... because patience is indicated, even if we don't make the top four this season. We need to give Emery at least until January 2021.

I remember being a fan and Arsenal fans were known as sensible fans. A club run right. They had a good reputation as a club and fans. Chelsea, West Ham, Tottenham and other fans in London had big firms, Arsenal fans were known (at least to me) as too urbane and cultured for all that nonsense.

Now? I definitely see why Gary Neville were critical of us as as fans as well as others. Not sure its a generational thing or what, but we are not doing reputation as fans any good these days.

https://readarsenal.com/2019/09/03/arse ... ouncement/

https://www.football365.com/news/merson ... ing-things

Honestly don't understand how Paul Merson is still employed. Very likeable guy and was a great player for Arsenal but he has absolutely zero ability to analyze a football match.

I saw Merson saying Arsenal had missed a trick by not signing Delph this summer because he’s better than any Arsenal midfielder....

Big game after the international break. Watford away, we struggled there last year even playing 10 men. Watford are the type of midtable team we’ve routinely been losing to away from home. If we want to convince people we can make top 4 then we need to win this.
Then it’s villa at home and Man U away. I’d want 7 points from those 3.

After that we have a tremendous run of 9 games where only Leicester away would be a game we weren’t very heavy favourites for

If we get those 7 points from the next three fixtures we've set ourselves up to make a big statement for a top three finish. During that 9 game run Tottenham has to go to Anfield and Old Trafford, and United go up against Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester City. Chelsea have a decent run as well, but I think they're a lot more likely to cock up "easy" fixtures than we are.

I met Paul Merson at a gig I played at a few years back. He was shitfaced, cocky and a bit of a prick. Kind of broke my heart a bit.

Merson is Sky's resident village idiot. He's there for Stelling, Le Tiss, Thompson and Charlie to take the piss out of on a Saturday.

Maybe he should be posting on here then ?

Haz said he was likeable though..

Saw that too. It's the absurd over-rating of English players. Sky had the dream team of Tim Sherwood and Andy Townsend last night. Jesus wept. Kane's dive at the end of the NLD was a definite penalty apparently.

Such a shame we signed Emery as manager and not one of the English guys. They're top blokes and would've made sure we signed Delph and Gary Cahill to really take the club forward.

It seems we have named Saliba in our Premier League squad for the season, because he's 18 and if he's registered for three years before he turns 21 he'll count as homegrown. Didn't realize the system worked like that, but good for us if true. It means both Saliba and Martinelli will count as homegrown in the future.

I like the way the club is now starting to think like a business and make decisions which take account of every loophole out there. I have no confidence that this was previously the case. As An example We always seemed to have problems getting visas for South America’s etc while other clubs seemed to make it happen.

Ceballos starts for Spain against Romania. Live in Sky Sports now........................

Sporting Lisbon chairman aimed a great dig at spurs. Spurs bid £40m for Bruno Fernandes with an extra £20m in add ons if spurs win the league or champions league. Lisbon’s chairman laughed off the idea of the offer basically saying that part was worthless as they’ve never won it and won’t ever win it

Spurs got to the top of their cycle just as Liverpool finally pulled their finger out after 25 years and Man City amassed the largest points total in history. It’s a crying shame. Now they’re hitting the first bump in 3 years with Eriksson and Alderwierld leaving on free which seems minor as I type it but the first time Levy hasn’t squeezed every penny out of someone.

Hopefully we can peak in two years as some financial or human rights scandal finally catches up with City and Klopp is head hunted by Real or Juve. And also hopefully we’re a bit good.

Many sperz fans are turning on Poch. Also, its tough to maintain a high level and finish top 3 in a league such as the PL without spending. While at the same time holding on to good players. It was a matter of when not if they start to slide as players get older, more expensive to keep with new contracts and no one of quality coming through or bought to replace them. Its amazing that they are the best consistent sperz side for some time and have not won a trophy, not even the League Cup.

Going forward we are looking good and dangerous and have the quality to score on almost any good defense. That said, its obvious our biggest problem is our central defense. When Tierney and Belllerin are back, we have a couple of find book ends at fullback.

I'd love for us to get back to a George Graham mindset and look spend on the best central defenders we can afford and even a bit above what we are budgeting for.

Although his career has been marred by injuries, Kompany was immense at times for City. Liverpool spent 75 million for van Dijk which seemed insane to some but many would now he has justified his fee. Obviously we shouldn't be spending 75 million but he was a known entity for a while, Celtic, Soton, and we should be finding great young defenders early on. Spending a bit over the odds if necessary. Searching for the best defenders in the lower division. No more stop gaps. Lets give the position the same respect we have given targets in the attack. Tierney is a start. A quality, young defender from what we know so far.

Decaf, condolences on the loss of Mugabe