The Window Has Closed – Ups and Downs

With the closing of the transfer window let’s see where Arsenal are right now:

Pluses – The five signings are all strong.  Sanchez, Chambers, Debuchy, Ospina, and Welbeck are either making or should make strong contributions to the team.  Given that Arsenal is in four contests they will all be needed.  

We did it on the cheap, like we always do.  Even with the signing of Welbeck the team spent a little over 80 million.  That is offset by the money the team will get from being in the Champions League.  Since we don’t want to end up like Leeds or Rangers it is always smart to be a little tight with the money.  

Minuses – We only signed five.  That is the fewest of any team in the Premier League.  Over the summer the team lost 5 players so the roster didn’t get any larger.  The big reason this is a such a concern is that Arsenal were crippled by injuries last year and if that happens again we will be screwed again.  

Some big holes didn’t get filled.  Most importantly the team did not get a new holding midfielder.  Anyone who follows the team knows that weakness in this area lead to some beatings at Chelsea and Manchester City last year.  The failure to address this has left Arsenal open to the same counterattacks that hurt them so badly.  

All-in-all I think this summer is an improvement over last but there is still work to do if Arsenal are really going to be a world class club.  

 

The Window Closes At 11:00 pm gmt

Like a I said in an earlier post this week is going to set the frame work for Arsenal’s season. Tomorrow at 11:00 pm gmt the transfer window closes in the Premier League until January 1.  

These are critical hours for Arsenal.  

The teams needs a holding midfielder first and foremost.  Then they need a striker and a backup defender. Given the talent in the Premier League Arsenal will not be able to contend for the title unless they get a midfielder and either a striker or a back up defender.  In an ideal world they would get all three.  

Well, if it was really an ideal world all three would already be on the team and I would the owner of the club.  Unfortunately none of those have happened.

Of course, Arsenal love the drama so you can expect things will go down to the wire tomorrow evening.     

3 the Hard Way

Yesterday’s game was not a very good performance from Arsenal.  It took a stoppage time goal to win it.  I’ll take it but this should be a wake up call for Wenger and company.  If they play like that on Tuesday their place in the Champion’s League group stage will be in jeopardy. 

Just remember, in the Premier League there are 114 points on the table.  So far Arsenal have three. 

Tomorrow Is the Big Day

The Premier League kicks-off tomorrow.  Hopefully the season will be as exciting as the World Cup.  If I am picking with my heart it goes:

1. Arsenal
2. Everton
3. Some other teams

Unfortunately, my heart is usually wrong.  If I am predicting with my head it goes:

1. Chelsea
2. Manchester City
3. Arsenal
4. Manchester United
5. Everton
6. Liverpool 
7. Some other teams

I would LOVE to be wrong. Here’s hoping I am. 

When’s the Parade?

Good 3-0 win for Arsenal in today’s Community Shield against EPL Champions Manchester City.  So, when’s the victory parade?  Over 250,000 turned out for the FA Cup parade, how many can we get this time?

All kidding aside, Arsenal’s attack looked good today but the need for a back up defender and holding midfielder did make themselves known.  After a little celebration Wenger needs to get back to working the phones and try to fill those holes.

 

Two Weeks To Go

We are only two weeks to go from the start of the Premier League season.  Hard to believe the world’st greatest league will be back in just a fortnight.

Sleeper Issues – No NFL in London

The National Football League has some pipe dream about having a team in London.  A Grant Land piece looks at the problems and solutions.  Putting aside ALL of the logistical hassles (and the piece identifies many) there is one really big problem – people London don’t care about football.  They have their own sports (soccer, rugby, cricket) that they like.

Why would they suddenly switch over to something new that they don’t understand and have no connection too?

Some of you might say, well the Premier League has fans here why can’t football work over there?  In America kids play soccer in gym class, it is an after school activity like Little League, there are college soccer teams, we have our own pro-soccer leagues, and we have the men and women’s U.S. National Team.  So soccer has a place in our sports culture and while it is growing it is not on the level of football, baseball, or basketball.

There nothing like that in the UK.   The idea that you are just going to drop an NFL team over there and then hope that develops is silly.  This point is driven home by a 2009 Dan Shaughnessy piece which details the lack of interest in one of the NFL’s biggest stars during the Patriots game in London.

Although the yearly NFL game is well attended it is treated as a novelty.  As the Grant Land piece details many of the fans come from all-over Europe and support any number of NFL teams.  I find it had to believe a Minnesota Vikings fan translated to Nice, France is going to spend the time and Euros to go up to London more than once a year to see an NFL game (especially if the Vikings aren’t on the schedule).

Will someone speak out to stop this madness?  Will some candidate have the stones to challenge the NFL before it makes a really stupid mistake?

 

Man Doesn’t Live on Politics Alone – SEC Media Day

At the Elephant Race we understand that people don’t live on bread (or politics) alone.  That’s why we are happy it’s media day for the SEC.  In particular, it’s LSU Coach Les Miles media day.  We love the Mad Hatter.  He’s funny, always off the cuff, we like the hard nosed style his teams play, and his willingness to go for it.  Be honest, don’t you wish people in politics were this frank and unique?

If anyone has the link to today’s media day news conference please send it our way.

Hard to believe in about 7 weeks the NFL, College Football, and Premier League will all be back.