From Mark in Minnesota
Hello Myles,
I hope that your Summer has gone well.
September is just around the corner, and I couldn’t be happier.
For me the season begins on Saturday, September 12th against Stoke.
After that Arsenal has 4 away matches in a fortnight.
By then we will know who is playing for who, and midweek European football returns.
The new Champions League seeding still favors the big clubs, but I am excited to see Arsenal take on Bayern, City vs Juve, and PSG vs Real.
As I wrote to you last year at this time, Arsenal haven’t done anything of note for the last 17 years in the Champions League…and I’m not expecting that to change now!
I think I’m most ready for this window to be over. It started out so promising with the signing of Cech, but then it’s ground to a halt. Cabaye would have been a good addition, so would have Kondogbia, Schneiderlin, or Vidal. I don’t know what it is about the South Americans, but I love their fight.
I got up early on Saturday to watch the Newcastle match at 6:45am in Minneapolis/St Paul, and there were many times I questioned why I did?
Four games in, and this Arsenal has played “average” at best. Currently our leading goalscorer this year is a striker named “Own Goal”. Theo missed a tap-in, and Giroud blew a golden chance at the end of the game to make it 2-0. We’re bound to score some goals eventually, but a Cavani or Benzema would help. I know this sounds crazy, but I even think that Welbeck would help us out right now.
There are many things I can’t wait to see happen with the new manager after Wenger, but one of the main ones is who will they get rid of first?
Another thing is how much turnover will there be in the first year? Who will they buy? Will they be able to find that “super duper” talent that’s been evading us? I’m hoping that we will get to find that out in the next 2-3 years.
My love of Arsenal hasn’t changed in the last 16 years, but my interest level has.
Part of it probably has to do with me getting married, having children, and realizing that sport isn’t as important as it seems.
The other part has to do with being treated to the same old, same old for the last 10 years.
It’s great to celebrate back to back FA Cups, but it would be even better to celebrate another league championship…or even being in the mix on Matchday 35 or 36.
Right now City are definitely the team to beat, but let’s wait until they’re playing midweek in Europe as well.
Hats off to Palace and West Ham for going on the road this past weekend and grabbing 3 points each.
My final question for you is this, does Jose make it until the end of December?
Myles says:
The FA Cup is 6 games, mostly against inferior opposition.
He won those 2 FA Cups to keep his job. No other reason.
The competition was not part of his policy but fear made him do a U-turn.
Jurgen Klopp is available and should be working in a big stadium that needs speed & spectacle.
PS. Borussia Dortmund is a football club with a community atmosphere.
Not a corporate shopping mall.
While telling us regularly that he’s been a manager for 30 years, Wenger now runs London’s biggest club. But on deadline day 500,000 fans are wondering if Arsenal will have a striker this season.
From Stan Mortlock : the biggest Arsenal question is “When?”
No, Myles
The biggest Arsenal question is WHY?
Why have I watched 4 Arsenal games, ( 6 hours ) to watch 1 Arsenal player score a solitary goal?
I think I need to get a life.