08 Sep 2013 08:44:29
Well posting from sunny Iceland, fresh ((ish) from watching the amazing Switzerland vs Iceland 4-4 on TV. It's only the second time we have an Internet connection so I thought I'd take a look in at the posters, the moaners, the praisers, and the funsters here.
First observation. Life looks a lot better than when I left just over a week and a bit ago. spurs beaten, anyone think you can have too much change? Flamini signed - I'm very happy about that - a very good CDM and cover in defence, and hey cost us nothing. Sme young German chap signed, not sure how good he is, but I gather he can pass and shows promise.

Ozil is of course a fantastic signing.

Yes of course the lack of cover for Giroud is critical, but the attacks on Sanogo (including sadly by people like Metal in his reply to Wengerism) are just stupid. You are judging a young player on the first few weeks, and how much he cost. Ha how ridiculous! So cost guarantees class? I won't even bother giving the millions of examples that show the stupidity of that view.

What does count rather more is the view of experts, who can also be wrong of course, who almost all suggest Sanogo can be one of the deals of the summer. Read tv where the deal is picked as one of the type ten of the summer, or Bleacher or to be honest anyone much. I'd like more cover but Sanogo has the ability to step in. Although anything bad happening to Giroud and I'll be panicking which is clearly not great.

The attacks on Wengerism's post below are so boring. Yes Wengerism is being a bit smug, but being honest I can't blame him after most of you seemed to want to burn him at the stake all summer. A least he is a real fan unlike many here, and at least he didn't spend a summer talking nonsense about who we were just about to sign, or giving us his exclusive inside knowledge on the working of Stan's or anyone else's brain.

What he has said is support your team, trust Arsene, be loyal. That doesn't feel so bad. Our issue is that as fans it is just all a bit emotive for us, win a game against spurs and we are in heaven, lose against Villa and we are in despair. If Metal truly thinks Arsenal signed Ozil because of fan pressure he is deluding himself. Professionals do what they do for professional reasons over emotive ones.

Well that's it, back to watching whales (faster than Cygan ever was on the turn), drinking Icelandic beer, and walking through waterfalls etc.

Still think we will finish 4th by the way, but unimpressed by the United start, so who knows? Oh and that ECL draw is a killer and really worries me. Do I think we could lift the FA cup though? Yes if Arsene takes it seriously, and I'll snatch hands off for a trophy at last so I'll cope with that.

1.) 08 Sep 2013
Mate, don't confuse an unbiased appraisal of Sanogo as an attack on him. That's very immature. Truth is Sanogo was not meant to be a back up striker for the firsts this season, and he's not a massively impressive player. Hence why we chased Suarez. Now, through AFC inaction in the window, and there was plenty, we now have to pray that Giroud stays fit and firing til xmas. We are AFC, we should never be in a position where a 20yr old striker who nearly hung up his boots, who is very clearly out of his depth, is now our go-to guy.

We have zero variety up front and we are all now praying that the injury gods are good to us. Trust me I get behind Sanogo, and I have never, for example, tweeted a word against him like most did. I didn't criticise him for his efforts in either of his games, and he did well in his second one. This isn't an attack on the player, it's about appraising the situation and concluding that there is no way in hell we should be relying on him at all this season. To choose to in a game where we're ahead? Sure, why not. But to NEED him is another problem altogether. I am sure with our midfield it is only a matter of time before he gets a goal, should he play, but come on, any striker would be a better option than him. We've done the classic 'couldn't get who we wanted so we didn't get anyone' tactic, and Ba loan attempts on the last day don't go towards rectifying that. We should have had a new back up striker in the 0-15m max category sown up and boxed off by August let alone the last day!

2.) 08 Sep 2013
I basically agree Metal. Sanogo probably is too inexperienced to be relied upon so quickly, but then again who thought Anelka could do the trick, young, fresh, cheap and inexperienced? I would have preferred a striker like Ba but I never saw us getting anyone.

What is important is Flamini gives us some depth where we have been lacking, Sanogo is a talent (your original message seemed pretty scathing about him), and Ozil is an absolute class signing. Yes a striker would have been great but Metal your negativity is sometimes just too depressing for words. Oh and yes I know there is a thin line between realism and negativity, we all walk it.

3.) 08 Sep 2013
I think we MAY & its a big MAY have found someone here his positioning is very good but like so many others is young. THese kids need quality around them. Early days for him & should not be in the recogiing yet. But that is our problem thin squad pushes youngsters to far too early

4.) 08 Sep 2013
With ozil in the ranks I think Walcott could be used up top, so could podolski when fit again which should be before Christmas.
I very much think we could do with a striker but I personally don't see the crisis which others do. Whilst Walcott may not be a tried striker yet, last time I saw him play centrally he scored a hat trick.

I don't care to get caught up in mud slinging matches, just calling it how I see it.

5.) 09 Sep 2013
TGOTM

Don't get me wrong, on matchdays etc I am the most excited person ever, but outside of that I do take a critical approach. For example, I don't look at this summer outside Ozil and think about what we did, only what we didn't do.

I appreciate that is too negative to some, but it isn't as though it's not justified. So many people are happy with Flamini. I just see it as us delaying a headache by another year or maybe two, and I see it as last resort actions after failing with Bender, Gonalons and whoever else. I just don't get why we didn't pay the 22m or whatever Leverkusen wanted to ensure we don't have to worry about a DM for the next 5 years, and adding a world class one at that.

So I do get that many people are like 'woo, Flamini!' but I'm like 'daymmmm, we missed Bender when we could have bought him.'

6.) 09 Sep 2013
The striker situaition.

Cazorla is a certain starter, as is Ozil and Walcott in those 3 attacking midfield positions. The purchase of Ozil has put Podolskis position as part of these 3 in even greater jeopody, this does however compensate for teh lack of a striker bought in the window. Podolski will be the alternative to Giroud if he's injured, then probably Walcott and then Sanogo. Sanogo is clearly (atm) way out of his depth and was never intended to be near a starting position.

I don't think we`ll buy this Romanian guy, its just agent/media talk. In truth, in buying Ozil we`ve perversley also bought a striker with Podolski moving further down the midfield pecking order.

7.) 10 Sep 2013
I disagree Cazorla is a certain starter now. For big games yes but he played too much last season. Ozil can relieve some pressure. I think for the big games Ozil, Cazorla and Walcott are the likely first choices.