Arteta faces a real balancing act

There are two important dates to remember for the Arsenal Football Club…

The first, September 12th – Premier League opening day
The second, October 5th – the Premier League’s transfer window closes

There are 23 days and 5 games between those two dates. 4 of those games are in the PL, while the 5th is in the Carabao Cup.
Obviously, the Gunners want to get off to a smoking hot start this season, and also get a win in the cup’s third round to advance in that tournament as well.

As a diehard Gooner, I have some concerns about the timing of these two dates.

My first concern is that we have so many questions yet to be answered concerning the transfer window.
Who’s staying, who’s going, and can Arsenal sign Aubameyang to a extension?
There are so many things that can go wrong in negotiations, plus we don’t need players involved in our early games who have “major concerns” about being discarded by the club before October 5th.

Unfortunately, COVID-19 turned the real world and the football world upside down. So much had to be revamped in order make football restart in the first place.

Now every club is sorting out how to get their seasons going again, a) after such a short break between seasons, and b) with the internal uncertainities created by a transfer window that will remain open for three more weeks.

The only saving grace in all of this is that every club is in the same boat, and treading the same water.

Edu, Arteta, and the coaching staff have a real balancing act in front of them. An uneasy squad, a tough schedule, and a lot of days to determine who the “real” Arsenal squad will be for the 2020-2021 season.

It will be interesting to see Arteta’s starting XI on Saturday, Hopefully, it will be loaded with the guys he knows are where for the long haul!

Cheers, and stay healthy and safe!

Gunner1953