Hasn't he had loads of money to spend for years, but doesn't. :shrug:
Cazorla looked good at the start of the season, but from what I've seen lately, he isn't doing much. I expected more from Podolski, and hasn't been anything special for me. :shake:
I think Giroud could be a success given time, but they need someone more prolific imho.
I agree Oxlade-Chamberlain has regressed, much like Walcott did after he arrived. Arrive with a bang, and then just look average for awhile, and then either disappear, or come out the other side.
I hope the same doesn't happen to Sterling at Liverpool. It's hard for these young players with talent to come in and stay in the team. It takes a few years to build up for constant games, and that can blunt the talent that they had in the first place.
There's been cash reserves in the bank for some time that exist to offset our remaining debt and keep the enterprise value up. Whether it's actually been made available to Wenger to invest in the squad is rather more unclear, despite what Gazidis is keen to impress in his PR exercises.
Cazorla was one of our better players even against Bayern. He made a few good dribbles and retained the ball well under a lot of pressure with little support around him to offload the ball. I don't buy the whole idea he's not doing so well now. He's outperforming Mata in his first season last year on almost every metric.
Podolski has (or at least he did a couple of weeks ago) the most assists in the league and the 3rd highest chance conversion rate. His defence contributions with Gibbs behind him have been impressive as well.
Giroud is getting into good positions, makes some strong runs off the ball, but needs to find the clinical edge in front of goal and has had less of an influence than our other 2 summer signings.
Overall I can't fault last summer's signings. They're all proving their worth.
Add to them Arteta and Monreal and we've made some good signings.
It's a little hard to criticise the signings of Gervinho and Chamakh when they'd both done so well prior to joining us. Squillaci and Santos are very legitimate criticisms for panic purchases, however.
The biggest problem we have is striking the balance between an attacking threat and defensive solidarity. Right now there's too little support from the 6 players upfield of the defensive 4 which leaves them exposed time and again. Watch how vermaelan was isolated on the left against Bayern and compare that with the way alaba and ribery doubled up on Cazorla/Walcott, and muller with lahm on podolski on the other side.
Games where our midfield/attacks do more tracking back tend to be those games like stoke and Sunderland at the start of the season where everyone was hailing the Bould effect for new defensive solidarity. With that solidarity came a lack of options and threat at the other end of the pitch. We're just lacking that edge in the transition phase once we lose position and get out on the back foot.
It's not very often you see an Arsenal side with no superstars in it and Mr Wenger has made some terrible signings in recent seasons ie Chamak and Gervinho to name but a few
Mind you, not sure what Carragher was doing either!
I think it may have actually spurred the team on though. It would have been so easy to roll over with a 4 goal deficit, but they give it a very good go.
