Transfer deadline day is often frustrating for Arsenal fans but has Arsene Wenger’s latest deal proved he now means business?
It would have been great to see more than just two new faces walk through the doors at the Emirates on transfer deadline day and, at some stages, fans wondered if anything was going to happen.
Some fans have questioned Wenger’s hunger and ambition but new signing Mesut Ozil, arguably one of the best players in the world, mentioned it as a key factor in persuading him to join the club. Wenger is clearly still passionate about the club and the fact he mentioned to ensure the Gunners got their man ahead of other clubs is a great signal of intent by Wenger.
Ozil matched Lionel Messi for assists in La Liga last season and is a well-renowned provider of goals. With Olivier Giroud on top for Arsenal in the early stages of the season, adding an assist king to their ranks could be just what the club needs to push above fourth this season.
Ozil proved his world class ability on the international stage at Euro 2012 when he was named in UEFA’s team of the tournament. The fact Arsenal won the race for the German’s signature proves the ambition of the club and that maybe...just maybe...the glory days might return soon!
Goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano also joined on loan from Palermo and will hopefully provide stiffer competition for Wojciech Szczesny to keep the Arsenal number one on his toes. Mathieu Flamini returning to the club last month also adds much needed depth and it
will be interesting how well he does in his second spell with the club.
The starting XI for Arsenal is decent, but many fans are worried about the lack of depth in the squad and when any player goes down injured it causes panic. We could’ve done with adding another defender and a striker in the summer transfer window, but it wasn’t to be! Although this is frustrating, the Ozil deal alone will provide a huge morale boost to the team and could be a key piece in the jigsaw and make players believe more that they can challenge for silverware.
Ozil and Cazorla in the same side is a mouth-watering prospect and will definitely put the fear into the opposition, but every single player in the squad needs to stand up to be counted to give us the best possible chance.
After the opening day 3-1 home defeat by Aston Villa, many fans and media were suggesting there was a crisis at the Emirates. Some even questioned whether Wenger’s days at the club were numbered. Four wins out of four in all competitions, including a hard-worked 1-0 win over rivals Spurs, shows Arsenal can compete with the best.
The squad may still be slightly thin but there is some incredible talent within it, and the latest addition is likely to have a major impact on the club’s fortunes this season.
It is hard to guage whether or not we will cope should we get another few injuries, but I want to try and keep a positive frame of mind and I believe the Ozil deal will lift the whole club and things could really be on the up.
Personally, I think it depends on whether or not we can keep the majority of our players ‘ injury free. If we can, we may be able to challenge for the league title this season, but we really can’t afford to pick up many injuries this season.
Defence and attack are still a bit thin on the ground especially with the recent injury to Lukas Podolski, but if Ozil gels with the squad quickly and Giroud keeps up his fine form we may yet be okay!
The defence will be key and the Gunners need to be far more consistent at the back, although there are not too many options to choose from. If the defence performs as it did against Spurs, and we don’t pick up any defensive injuries, I think we’ll be just fine, but every single Arsenal defender needs to stand up to be counted every single week.
The next few weeks are going to have a big impact on our season and the Ozil deal has given me genuine hope that the 2013/14 season will be a positive one for the club.
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