
ESR – Good enough
As I write this we are in peak silly season when it comes to transfers and various players of mixed pedigree, and admittedly some I have never heard of, being linked to my Arsenal. Today I wake up to hear we have had a second official bid for Tierney. Celtic’s talented left back rejected. I actually believe this one and think the move has legs but others are simply media hype and speculation. We had two bids reported by the media and a French journalist linked to Lorient confirmed we had not even made one bid. The reality is that it takes a brave person to gamble on the transfer market but for those bold enough, Sporticos is known as a hot prediction site
However, Arsenal are quite obviously a club that need to be doing business, or at least making some huge decisions on its first team playing staff, after a disastrous end to 2018/19, when the manager and team seemed to run out if ideas and steam. I find myself strangely dispassionate about the summer, knowing full well, that whatever we do between now and early August we will not be competing for major honours. We are too far behind and with the current structure at the club, will not or cannot compete, depending on your perspective, with the likes Man City and Liverpool.
Whilst this realisation is hardly a shock, I find that this summer, I am remarkably relaxed about it and in essence, I have decided that, for the most part, this is because I am a traditional match-going fan. Let me explain what I mean. As I am accepting of the fact that we are not going to win the Premier League in 2020, what is important to me is that I enjoy my match day experience. This is the whole package that will include meeting friends in the pub pre-match and of course, chatting about the previous match, tactics and players. Then the ensuing discussion as the team is announced and the anticipation as I walk to the Emirates and take my seat, greeting the familiar faces as I go, waiting for the kick off.
The main course is the 90 minutes of football, cheering on the team I first saw live in 1976 and obviously, I want them to win every game. However, this Arsenal squad will not offer me guaranteed victories so what I want is a team that I enjoy watching play football, including players that I connect with. At present, in a world where an average Premier League player can earn more in a week than I do in a year it is hard to feel that connection, that I did in the 1970s and 80s. Therefore, where |I find myself, is wanting to see players I can connect with for another reason and that fairly obvious reason is because my club has produced the player, he is one of our own and was brought up and educated in the Arsenal way.
This summer there is much talk about the success of the U23s, Ljungberg’s promotion, the reliance on bring this talented group through and I welcome it. A good transfer window for me will see Arsenal somehow offload numerous first team players unworthy of the shirt, a few experienced signings in key positions and then a pre-season where two or three of our youngsters shine and force their way into the manager’s plans.

Top level experience for Reiss
Emile Smith-Rowe has been tracked by Barca and looked more than capable last term, Reiss Nelson was the only Arsenal player in last season’s Champions League, Kystian Bielik is tearing up the Euro U21s at present and Joe Willock contributed more in 15 minutes, from attacking midfield, than the ‘world’s best number 10, offered in the previous 75. This fan wants to see two or three of these youngsters regularly next season and we can add in Bukayo Saka to the mix. Arsenal struggled to create chances in the latter part of the season and with the two strikers we have, that is a ludicrous situation. Willock and Smith Rowe both have the potential to excel in a central attacking midfield role and Nelson and Saka can both add guile, pace and chance creation from the flanks.

Willock goes close in Europa
Given where my club is, which I cannot control, what I can control is my own support. I know that support in the stadium will be richer and more vocal if I am watching one of our own Hale End graduates shine, playing with a smile on his face, having fulfilled a dream held since the age of eight, and for the cannon on his chest. I would love to see two of Willock, Nelson, Smith-Rowe or Saka regularly in 2019/20 because I find myself struggling to get behind the likes of Ozil and Mkhitaryan.
I cannot wait to see the young lads in action in pre-season and I want that feeling that I had watching Jack Wilshere when he first broke into the team again, don’t you?

Passionate fifty-something Arsenal supporter who has been making the journey to N5 regularly since the early 1980s – although his first game was in 1976. Always passionate when talking about The Arsenal, Dave decided to send a guest blog to Gunnersphere in the summer of 2011 and has not stopped writing about the Gunners since.
He set up his own site – 1 Nil Down 2 One Up – in February 2012, which he moved on in 2016 to concentrate on freelance writing and building Gunners Town, which he launched with Paul in 2014.
The objective of GT was to be new and fresh and to give a platform for likeminded passionate Arsenal fans wishing to write about their team. Dave still of course, writes for the site himself and advises the ever-changing writing crew.
Dave, your article seems to embellish the excellent article by Marble Halls below.
The reference to inactivity in the market and the references to supporting youngsters coming through from the Academy, and your description of a neutral mood of interest mirrors my feelings towards the coming season. As you say, uncannily I am resigned that we willl not be top 4 again, which in itself is cold comfort to a lifetime fan, but what worries me about that is what do our better players think?
Are Laca and Auba happy with that? Iv`e just read that Maguire is not interested in signing for Man Utd. He wants to go to City! That rings alarm Bells because if even Utd. cannot excite interest in top players, how are we supposed to do so with a budget limit of £45m and a skinny chance of top 4 this season? Similarly, those we are saddled with i.e. Ozil who has blatantly said that he is happy to see his contract out and sit on the bench for £350k per week. If he had any real ambition, he would prove that his self-belief is justified and move to a club with better prospects. Of course he won`t because no club would pay that much for his whimsical services. He is a drain on our resources, such as they are and we would have take a huge hit if he did go and we had to make up the shortfall on his salary.
I would get excited if our youngsters were given a chance to earn a position regularly. As long as they were getting better and smiling with joy at playing for Arsenal, I will be happy.
I strongly support you on the issue of promoting young players since they can’t compete favourably in the market it is better we concentrate on our academy players since their coach has been promoted also who knows them very well
I have championed the inclusion of the youngsters for a long time now. I grew up with George Graham’s team of home grown talent and cheap buys. They replaced the stars of Charlie Nicolas and Paul Mariner. You cannot tell if a player has what it takes until you throw him into the team. Europa is good for that but they need to have premier league experience and regular game time. I believe Ashley Cole was on the verge of being sold when he showed how good he was in a champions league game. Same with fabregas. It may be that the financial situation and the collapse at the end of last season will be a blessing in disguise. Out of the ashes?