Morning all.
Will he, won’t he? The whole world of football, well, Arsenal fans and the footballing media, are desperate to know the answer. Aubameyang is the in form striker in England, the top of the Premier League goals scored table since the day he arrived in north London. I’d imagine that unless one is an Arsenal fan, the great hope is that he leaves the club this summer.
It’s easy to forget that among all the opinions, Aubameyang still has a year to run on his Arsenal contract so if money matters to him, he might just sit tight, stay fit and earn himself a bumper contract elsewhere next summer. Like Mesut Ozil plans to do if his agent is to be believed. One thing I am quite sure of is that expecting an answer to a question about his future just minutes after he and his teammates had just won the FA Cup is ridiculous. At that moment, his thoughts seemed to be about Emi Martinez, not himself.
Arsenal always seem to be the club everyone wants to know more about. Who is leaving, so the football writers can get their knives out and tell the world how we’ll struggle after, who the club will sign so they can ridicule the next cheap or unknown name who arrives in north London. Spending big shows ambition they type, buying big names is the way to guarantee success. All boll***s of course. The right mix of players, the right attitude and application of those players and the right manager will always give a team/squad the best chance to do well. The latter probably being the most important.
When Mikel Arteta took over at Arsenal, there were doubters. Certainly from the media because Arsenal were in such a bad place, the job was too big for a novice. A reasoned and understandable opinion at the time I think, although odd if compared to the fine appointment Frank Lampard was considered to be by the same people just a few months previous. His time managing Derby was obviously deemed to be more beneficial than working alongside Pep Guardiola for three years. Like most Arsenal fans I suspect, I was just relieved Unai Emery had gone. Then, only time would tell if Mikel Arteta was the right appointment. Not six weeks, not six months but a sustained period of time. Time during which continued improvement is key.
I don’t think there’s another manager in the Premier League who has had to deal with what Mikel Arteta has had to. The first thing was the busy Christmas period, a transfer window with no money, injuries, Xhaka, Ozil, being tested positive for Covid-19 and then lockdown. No sooner had he started, he’d stopped again. Then the restart, Man City away, David Luiz, more injuries, Ozil again, Guendouzi and more away fixtures in both the league and FA Cup. Do I dare mention a few dodgy decisions made by the officials too? Perhaps not after Anthony Taylor wore his lucky Arsenal pants on Saturday evening.
So all in all, I think Mikel Arteta has come out the other side of all of it rather well. After being battered by City at The Etihad, albeit we were playing with ten men for most of the game, he orchestrated a battering of his old team at Wembley. Then, when it came to the final, he did it again to Frank Lampard’s team.
Now he’s another challenge on his hands. A transfer window without the kind of funds City, Utd, Liverpool and Chelsea are likely to be afforded, a short preseason and an early return for the Charity Shield.
Then he goes again, Arsenal go again only this time, he’ll have more time between fixtures to work with his players, less injuries I hope and instead of starting with a team sitting mid table in the League, we’ll be top on zero points. Level with every other club.
Apart from the fact that Arsenal are the FA Cup holders. For a 14th time.
Lastly, thanks to Sky Sports, Here’s today’s PAPER TALK
- Arsenal are ready to cash in on several first-team stars including Alexandre Lacazette and Hector Bellerin to raise funds for Mikel Arteta’s rebuild. (Daily Mail)
- Arsenal will offer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang a new £250,000-a-week deal this week in a bid to keep him at the Emirates. (Daily Star)
- Frank Lampard admits he does not know whether Willian will still be at Stamford Bridge next season but insists the ball is in the player’s court. (Daily Mirror)
- Tottenham are probably leading the race for Philippe Coutinho right now over the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Leicester. (Daily Mail)
See you in the comments guys…
Good report rico, morning. As far as I’m concerned, Arteta is already ingrained in Arsenal folklore. With what he’s had to deal with, well documented above, he’s brought us a major trophy that we, in all honesty, would have been happy if had achieved in his first few seasons.
Thanks Andrew, morning to you and all.
I don’t think winning the FA Cup can be underestimated. Not for one minute did I truly believe we’d beat City, let alone Chelsea.
Really good eight months I reckon. Really good.
The only doubt I’ve had with Arteta is the persistence that all our recent managers have had with predominantly playing out from the back.
Clearly till recently, players were not good enough to know when to carry it out, passes were not sharp enough, goalie was not at ease and we were having heart attacks every time we witnessed it. But maybe stats show that overall, it’s the safest way to keep possession, and Arteta has somehow coached these ‘uncoachable’ players how to do it better. Martinez certainly helps a calmer approach.
But it was great to see more long balls into the channels, which with our speedy wide men and wing-backs, a much better threat going forward than all the tippy-tappy we’ve become accustomed to.
rico, I too thought we had very little chance against City, but maybe in a final, a small chance! That’s what makes it all the sweeter!
‘morning Rico, nor Liverpool?
One more to add to the list, Sevilla central defender Diego Carlos, according to The Telegraph that is.
Maybe you’ve hit the nail on the head Andrew, Martinez….
He is super cool on the ball as are those around him now. It all started going wrong with Cech and then went down hill rapidly..
Very sweet Andrew, beating Chelsea for the third time was pretty special.
Morning Cicero, there’s a defender called Gabriel too. I went for the easy option of using the SS roundup…
Nice one Rico.
Here`s one for Scott………………7mins 46 secs of unaduterated Magic Mikel! ( I swear he is the incarnation of Captain Black of The Mysterons, the resemblance is uncanny 😆
)
Thanks Lc.
Ozil congratulated Arsenal on Instagram, Guendouzi posted ‘holidays’….
I really hope the latter finds another club.
Hope they both do .
Afternoon Rico and All
Hi Kev always amazes me paper talk
on transfers,in the old days brown paper
bags were the thing with the players that
I was with,very hush hush.
Last week I bumped into a parent of a lad
I managed,so asked about the lad,his signing
for a premier league club this week I was informed,
but please don’t tell anyone.
Thats really how its done,and always has.
Man city signed two players last week,
nothing in the papers till after done deal.
What is it about us being linked with
every Tom,Dick and Harry.
Morning all.
LC, love your work mate 🙂
Hi Rico and all I agree Arteta has had a ruff welcome to the coaching world and winning the fa cup was great,
But lets not forget only a couple of weeks ago we lost to the team 3rd bottom of the ladder just after beating Man city and Liverpool.
Hopefully the club will back him in the transfer market and get deals done soon.
As I have all ways said I will hold my judgement until the end of next season.
As do I Potter, I really do but Ozil agent has said he’s seeing out his contract. Bad news if true.
Hi Fred, the paps make it up because they know nothing. It’s what they do to try and justify their existence. But then you already know that. Lol
Nice one, Rico 👍
Guess what I’ve just watched for the umpteenth time? 😉 Yep, you got it – MOTD highlights…. just to see us lift the cup as well as Cashley’s face and how silent he was while Shearer, Wrighty and Lineker were drooling over Auba!! Brilliant!!
Now onto the transfer window! There’s a lot of talk about Willian, as well as Coutinho coming to the home of football. Do you think these will happen? I mean if so, will they be bench warmers or will they play every week? And who will make way for them?
Same with Partey, I desperately want him, but whose place will he take?
So much for Mikel to think about and sort out.. a good headache really, what with all our players having upped their game, big time!! I wouldn’t fancy having that headache though 😄 Things are looking good…..
Fred, weren’t Tom, Dick and Harry the three tunnels in ‘The Great Escape’? New players? = Arenal.com.
Need we speculate more?
It’s all a waiting game, from Auba staying (or going) to Coutinho arriving, (or not)!
I suppose the next six weeks is all about speculation until the contracts’ are signed sealed and delivered. Still this is always a fun time, I think.
Just a thought about our CBs. I think Our new manager has his own ‘dream pairing’ plus one other. They are Mari and Saliba plus I think Mustafi. That may be why Holding is, perhaps surplus to the cause, and he will bring in a decent fee. I’m just climbing on the NN bandwagon!
Afternoon all.
We need player speculation for player accumulation, but more important is we need Kroenke to speculate to accumulate if he wants Arsenal to accumulate more trophies……… this my speculation!
😎
I hope we can keep Auba how ever there is a lot of roomers that he wants to live but the question is have we really received any official offers for him.
Aubeymaiang has a much better performance when playing with Lacazette. In my opinion, Laca played a huge game at all levels in the FA Cup. I didn’t notice it in the last game, because he didn’t play on the right side when Bellerin and Pepe were on the same side. Bellerin is not very lucid playing.
When will Arsenal return to training?
in Eurosport.com
Nine out at Arsenal?
Fresh from their FA Cup final win over Chelsea, Arsenal are plotting their moves in the transfer market this summer, with the Daily Mail reporting Alexandre Lacazette and Hector Bellerin could be made available for the right price in a bid to boost funds. The other seven names on the list are Sokratis, Matteo Guendouzi, Lucas Torreira, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Sead Kolasinac, Shkodran Mustafi and Rob Holding, while the club appear resigned to the idea Mesut Ozil will run down the final year of his contract.
Paper Round’s view: Some surprising names on the list, some not so, but for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta it’s all about building momentum from a cup run featuring victories over Manchester City and Chelsea, forgetting about duff performances against Aston Villa (and Watford in truth) and making the right noises in the transfer market. That starts with keeping Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Worry about everything – and anybody – else after.
Latest news
Will-i-ham in talks with us
wonder what position?
I thought Pepsi Cola has started
to get going.
50% off food today, Tuesday and Wednesday throughout the month of August at lots of venues………………………I bet there will be traffic jams around all McDonalds! 🙁
It makes me laugh, Le Coq, one minute it’s let’s tackle obesity and get your bike out… the next it’s you can have 50% off if you go and gorge in any of these restaurants! 😃
Thanks Sue. I wouldn’t want Mikel’s job either..
Will.i.am all over NN so it must be true… lol
Hi Geoff.
Fred, it’s because Arsenal have such a massive following online, hits = finance also the fact that the media don’t get a sniff of info from us, so they make it up, they take baseless rumours off of Twitter and they listen to the garbage thrown out from agents.
I don’t believe any of the rumours, it’s all bollocks, but we’re going to have it all summer.
Fred, what do you think of the Willian links as ironically, given what I’ve written above, that has some factuality to it?
Anyway, cheer up everyone, Charity Shield in a few weeks.
I am not sure about Willian , he’s a good player but at 31 a three year contract seems strange. He’s currently on £140,000 a week at Chelesea and they have offered two years . We apparently are offering three with a wage increase.. Can’t see the logic.
Kev I thought fat boy frank left him out because of the connection with us Saturday.
somethings in the air going by today……Call out the instigator
I know, Sue, I read FB and a few friends are moaning how much weight they have put on in lockdown, so I replied that lockdown was the best chance of getting fit with no excuse of they had to work and did`nt have enough time and stating that I have not put on any weight but muscle, I`m still a massive 65kg!………………..of muscle! 😆
I`m waiting for a new phone as for years I`ve had a cheap £10 phone just for work, but realised that on my contract I was not using any of the stuff I could use other than morse code and calls ………I couldn`t even take a photo only draw a picture and send it by post!…………………I`m now getting a new Samsung which will let do all the stuff you lot probably do, mainly I want to take a photo of my abs and put it on fB to show all the ones who were moaning about putting weight that this Hunk was putting lockdown to good use!…………………..it`s a wonder when you were in Devon you didn`t feel the ripple of my abs next door in Cornwall! hahahahaha
Potter I can’t see the logic either
📝 Willian to Arsenal is a done deal and will be announced in the coming week, according to the ultra reliable
@GoonerTaIk
We shall see….. he’s 32 on Sunday – getting on a bit!!
Le Coq.. 😂😂 I have a samsung, they’re the dog’s b******s!!! Haha!! You’ll love it!!
Morning all.
I’d take William at 150k a week-no transfer fee obviously, so seems a fair enough wage.
No more then that, though.
He ain’t improving lol
I can not stand the guy, but he’s well proven in the league and also free, unless he’s signed somewhere that I don’t know about, but Vertonghen???
Any interest?
Does age really count, some times you have to ignore the persons age and look at how fit they are and how many injuries they have suffered during there career for ex sample chelsea’s William may be older but due to injury and settling in we basically lost a year with Pepe and Tierney so maybe some one with William experience could help us both straight away and in the long term our younger player may pick up a bit more experience from playing along side him.
Geoff.. Lichtsteiner put me off more mature players 😂😂
Spot on Geoff………………………I`d take Ronaldo, he`s getting on a bit, but he can bring his statue and his zimmer frame………………………..obviously I`m talikng about the portugese one as the brazillian one is on a life support machine after one too many outings at Greggs the Bakers!
Morning all.
New post up now