Much Edu about nothing

Over the weekend Edu fronted up to the media, talking about how the transfer window played out, the project that Arsenal are in the midst of and goals for the season. To me, this was excellent. As a fan base we have been crying out for more engagement from those in charge of the club and this was exactly that. Other technical directors across the Continent do this as a standard. Yet as with most things around the club these days, this has just led to further anger and division.

As I have mentioned previously, it didn't take much to see what the strategy was this window, unless you are Gary Neville. All six players signed in the summer were under the age of 23. Edu confirmed that this is with the aim of laying a foundation for the future, with players signed ready to step in when experienced players move on. He used the example of Sambi stepping in for an injured Thomas Partey on the opening day of the season, but it's not hard to imagine him replacing Xhaka permanently, perhaps during this season, and actually partnering Partey. We should get a taste of this against Norwich and the 2 games after as a minimum. He also pointed out that the solid foundation that has been done this summer should enable the club to only need to make one or two "marquee" type signings each window, ensuring simpler business should be possible.

One of the frustrations coming out of the window was the inability to sell as many players as we had hoped, with only Joe Willock moving on and generating significant funds. Edu pointed out that this was not just an Arsenal issue, as clubs all over the continent struggled in this aspect. There were very few big deals aside from Lukaku and Grealish, but not too many squad players were moved on anywhere. One aspect we were able to take advantage of however, was the loan with obligation deal. These were struck for both Guendouzi and Mavropanos, so will provide some funds for next summer, if nothing else.

The part of the interviews that seems to have caused the most controversy is Edu's comments on the goals for season, saying:

"I don't want to go for top four or top six or top eight or top ten. I'm really looking forward seeing this squad play together"

To me, he is simply saying that he doesn't want to set any goals on the season and create a stick which could be used to beat him. I am sure that discussions have been held behind closed doors and that targets have been set. I would also wager that these discussions have involved talk of hitting the top six. But in this age of social media and online abuse, could you imagine the backlash if he went out and said "we think we will get top four", only to miss out on the last day and come fifth? The YouTubers, Twitter warriors and such would be out in force demanding sackings at the blow of the final whistle of the season. 

Unfortunately, as a club we need to understand where we are at the moment. That is not to say that we need to accept it or be happy about it. But years of mismanagement through the club and poor transfer decisions have left us where we are now. The gap between the rest of the top Premier League clubs and Arsenal has widen year on year. Finally though, it appears that we have a plan and strategy built to get us back to where we want to be. There is no denying that it is going to be a bumpy road back, There may well be casualties along the way, be it players, managers or technical director. But as long as the strategy is followed and remains in place, at least there is hope for us to get back to dining at the top table again.