Big Summer Ahead

It’s been a while since my last post. I’m not going to analyse the Villarreal match anymore as everyone else has already done that. Since then we’ve beaten Chelsea and West Brom but no matter how you jazz it up, the season is well and truly dead. Highly unlikely to qualify for Europe (which is no bad thing in my eyes), playing for nothing but pride. All eyes are on what the club does in the summer. And make no mistake this is a massive summer for Arsenal.

Assuming we don’t qualify for the Europa Tin Pot Cup, the sole focus will be on the domestic competitions which this year has been a disappointing white wash. We never recovered from that shocking run in the league, flopped in the FA Cup and I can’t even remember who we lost to in the League Cup. It has been simply unacceptable.

Without having to travel to the arse end of Europe every couple of weeks the manager has more time on the training ground but with that comes the added pressure of expectation. Questions are already being asked and if Arteta is the man they want the owners need to support him. We know that there will be a number of departures and along with improving the squad, some will need to be replaced.

Luiz, whatever you think of him, has played 20 games this season. Reports suggest Saliba is back in the fold next year which is good news but he’s an unknown quantity right now. We NEED another left back to cover KT and I have my suspicions that if the offer came in we’d offload Bellerin as well. Willian looks set to leave (don’t cheer too loudly) and I have have real doubts about retaining Odegaard.

The Bottom Line

It’s safe to assume the players on loan will be moved on (bar Saliba) so that leaves us with potentially needing: two full backs, a center back, a creative midfielder a covering winger. That’s a long and expensive list to fill, if ever we needed investment, the time is now

With just two games left and nothing to play for, talk has already turned towards the summer and what a big job everyone at the club has on. It will largely be determined by KSE and after their push for the European Super League failed their relation with the fans has never been so fractured. Investment in the summer will help, a lack of doesn’t bear thinking about.

COYG!

-Joe