Morning all.
Two winter and now two summer transfer windows. That’s what Edu and Arteta have now been through together. This squad must now be pretty much as Mikel Arteta wants it to be.
The big news yesterday surrounded AMN and Mikel Arteta. Whatever caused the Instagram post, the training on his own reported to have been his punishment, that’s now done and dusted. Apparently, both player and manager, perhaps even Edu too, held talks during the day and any problem there was, has been resolved. AMN has stayed at the club, at least for the time being. Interestingly, Big Sam told Sky Sports:
Based on what I have seen, yes (he can play in midfield for Arsenal). The problem for him is that there are a lot of younger players ahead of him, which is massively frustrating. I think he deserves an opportunity to play there.
Well, there aren’t many players in the Arsenal squad now who can play in midfield, not with Partey injured and Xhaka banned for the next three matches. If AMN does get selected for the Norwich game, he needs to prove he’s really to battle hard for the club.
Eddie Nketiah remains an Arsenal player too unless an overseas club where the transfer window remains open comes in for him. I think loans can be agreed for a few days yet too. Same applies to Sead Kolasinac who I still believe will leave.
Oh, and we signed a new right-back. Japan international Takehiro Tomiyasu who arrived from Serie A side Bologna on a long-term contract. There are lots of YouTube clips of him and I’ll be honest, he looks good. He’s 22 years old, dual footed and can defend. The bonus is that he can play centre-back as well. How he’ll settle into Premier League football only time will tell but I’m sure he’ll be absolutely fine. She writes with all fingers and toes crossed!
Out of the door yesterday went Reiss Nelson, after signing a contract extension, Alex Runarsson and Hector Bellerin.
So we now know what Mikel Arteta’s squad looks like for now until at least the 1st of January when the whole saga begins again.
It’s clear to me that Arsenal are building a squad for the future rather than for the here and now as not one single ‘ready made’ or ageing signing has been made. Isn’t that what we all hoped for? I’d be a hypocrite to suggest I didn’t because for a long time now, I’ve been moaning about how the senior players have been the ones letting the team down, not the younger ones.
So far this season though, I think all of the players have looked all at sea on the pitch which has not only resulted in poor performances and results but extremely negative reactions to Mikel Arteta’s management ideas. Not only from fans either but the press, media, you name them, they’ve been highly critical of everything and anything related to Arsenal Football Club and it hurts to hear it and read it.
Perhaps through all of this, you, me, they have lost sight of the work that’s been done to move on some of the ‘deadwood’. Of course we’d all have loved to see a striker like Lukaku arrive, a centre-back like Varane but Arteta clearly believed that Ben White, albeit for a bit more money, was better suited to what he’s trying to do with the squad. Both of those players are for now and their sale on value will only decline whereas in theory, White’s should increase. Why bother at all is my question because floating around at right-back/centre-back in France is Arsenal’s William Saliba. Just as Matteo Guendouzi is and Lucas Torreira although I’m not quite sure where the latter is. Clearly, and for reasons I can’t understand, Mikel Arteta doesn’t fancy them in an Arsenal team.
Arsenal have spent big this summer but they’ve made the money go a long way. Six players all in all. More than half a team which I haven’t seen Arsenal do since that deadline panic. This summer wasn’t a panic though, it was planned.
Now we need to see improvement, rapid improvement on the pitch. Even if the results don’t go our way, we need to see a more organised, disciplined and committed execution of a plan which shows where Mikel Arteta’s teams are going and how they’re going to do it. We need to see a defensive shape which works, a midfield which links up with both the defence and attack with the latter more clinical in the final third of the pitch.
The Sunday League football impersonation has to go and sharpish too. There really are no excuses anymore as this Arsenal squad is Mikel Arteta’s. Even Aubameyang and Xhaka are his players now as he decided that extending their contracts was the right thing to do for the club and his team.
It’s up to him now. The Norwich game can’t come soon enough for me, although I might regret saying that in a couple of weeks time.
See you in the comments.
Fine and well balanced post, Sir!
I smell fresh paint and it feels like the first day on a new job.
It will be some journey! 😁
Thanks TA.
I get what you mean and in a way I feel similar, probably because the run of fixtures we now have are on paper, easier. However, and it’s the however I worry about.
Interestingly, I was listening to Gary Neville talk about Arsenal this morning. He said how it’s only now that Utd have moved on from the Fergie years with most of the staff around back then have moved on. until then it was often ‘Fergie this, Fergie that” and he to believes Arsenal are going through something similar after the Wenger years.
I guess that’s what Edu and Arteta are trying to do, move the club on and away from the Wenger years…
Good morning Rico and all.
That was a very interesting post and analysis Rico. I enjoyed reading that. The ball is firmly in Arteta’s feet now. What he does with it will define Arsenal’s season and Arteta’s future. Fingers crossed both of them will be achieved with honours.
Agreed Rico. There will be bumps on the road and we are pretty well bruised from the poor start already…
Morning Devil. Thank you.
Yep, no more big words or empty promises. We need to see something on the pitch.
Bumps are ok TA, but there’s no excuse for poor effort, tactics or team selection is there?
Afternoon Rico, afternoon Gooners, yeah a nice post.
I felt that the West Brom cup tie was crucial as it allowed us a glimpse of what this team can do albeit against a weak opponent. Some of the challenges from West Brom weren’t weak and it took a couple of goals to settle us down and calm the opponent.
Man City was always mission impossible for this team I felt, at this stage given the injuries etc but the capitulation was concerning.
Now we face Norwich next, they’re not Man City or Chelsea but they’re not mugs either, I saw their last game and I thought they were really unlucky. Arsenal have to put in a proper performance against the Canaries as well as get the three points, there is nowhere to hide if we don’t…
All I want to see is a full strength squad from which Arteta can pick from for the first time this season, I’d also like to see us get a referee who officiates the game in an even handed manner, I don’t ask for favours from the officials I just ask for honesty and equality in decision making because its been a joke so far this season.
Forget VAR, it’s a lost cause under Riley…
Well Arteta & Edu have made a rod for their back with no midfielders purchased.Why? We’re crying out for a proper DM & AM.Bissouma Aouar( at a knockdown price & loan opportunities) ridiculous.Will cost Arteta & Edu their jobs.
UWOT….I think that the January transfer window will see us get other players out of the club and only two midfielders bought in. It can be any of Aouar, Bissouma or Guimaraes. None of them have signed a contract till now so in January they will cost much less. And I cant see Lacazette or Nketiah leaving either although in January someone might come for either or both.
Expect two midfielders in January…..or one midfielder and one striker depending on who leaves. If we get two midfielders in January then the next transfer window will see the club focusing on strikers.
At least that is what I am feeling
Thanks Kev, afternoon to you.
Perhaps all these idiots throwing stones at Arsenal could turn their attention to VAR, Riley and the rest of his muppets who are ruining the game.
Bissouma was my first transfer pick too Uwot, I’m surprised he’s still at Brighton.
Morning Rico and all well put Rico
I am quite happy with the new players we got, I don’t know anything about the Japanese player but he looks good on YouTube. Now we need Auba to stand up and not only get his striker boots on but most importantly show the young players and fans why he is the captain and a good leader on the field.
Rico….do you think that Bissouma might be signed after January?? He has not signed a new contract.
I feel that Arteta and Edu focused on our defence for this TW. Infact we have seen Ramsdale, White, Tavares and Takehiro arrive. That is four out of six for the defensive department. Add Lokonga as DM and that makes it 5 out of 6 whereas only Odegaard was signed in the attacking department.
Bissouma I like as well…however the fact that had he came we would have finished without an entire midfield between January and February put me off him. Had we got rid of Elneny then I might have accepted it, but considering that we will be without Partey, Elneny, (Bissouma), Pepe and Auba has put me off signing him this TW. That is 5…..and keep in mind that injuries might occur. If something happens to Xhaka and Lokonga we will be right up shit creek in that department.
That is why I expect the next transfer window to see us getting two more midfielders and selling Elneny.
Our next few matches hopefully will give us a look at what direction we are going, no match this year will be easy for us or anyone else even with our bad start we can still save the season but we need to restart from now.
Morning Geoff, absolutely spot on re Auba. I don’t know what he meant about the players needing to talk, but as captain, he certainly needs to lead by example.
I think the boat on Bissouma sailed when we bought White . I don’t think that there was any way that Potter was going to let the two of them go and certainly not to the same club.
Potter is a good manager and just the type that we should be looking at should the Arteta experiment go under . He has a pattern of play , two big centre backs that swallow crosses and a dynamo in the centre midfield that breaks up attacks from there.
He saw from last year that Arsenal are vunerable and for a long time were chasing us for the spots just outside the European places but they fell away at the end but still finished with a minus 6 goal difference.
They sold the player that was less neccesary to their game plan , they were never going to sell the one that holds the team together.
No idea Devil but he’d have definitely helped out what I believe is a weak midfield at Arsenal. 8m not sure Partey will will be fit after this break but if not, we’re already down to the bare bones. Elneny wont shake any trees that’s for sure.
I just wish the club had taken whatever Roma offered for Xhaka. Imo, that would have been the smart thing to do.
The question is then Potter, why go for White if we could have got Bissouma, especially when we have a perfectly good CB in Saliba already on the books. These are the decisions which raise eyebrows and inevitably, cause fans to lose faith.
For what it’s worth, I agree re your namesake. The EUropa League defeat to his side showed he’s a good manager. Ludogrets or something similar wasn’t it?
yeah I wish that too Rico. But I guess that Arteta had to do a U-turn or rather was forced by the club on that. xhaka was to be sold. I feel that the club told him that they need more money before buying another player otherwise it would only be one more player. And Arteta decided that a RB is more pressing issue.
Maybe he is already promised by the club that next TW he will get two new midfielders. It depends if the club can shift certain players out.
In the meantime we have to wait and see what goes on till Dec 31. Hopefully it will be more clear and calm, not as agitated as it is right now.
Östersund rather, that’s them…
By the way Devil, Bissouma hasn’t played for his country since 2018 if Wikki is right. Nor is he listed as being in their current squad on Sky Sports.
Rico I am only guessing but maybe Auba is finally trying to be a captain / leader and is trying to clear the air between the players and coaching staff which can only be a good thing for all involved.
I’ve been wondering why we never brought in a striker but then looking at the current ladder maybe Arteta and Edu feel that Auba and Laca will come good and we need to concentrate more on defenders to stop other teams scoring 4 or 5 goals against us as our goal difference could work against us at the end of the season.
Much speculation in there Devil. I see no logic in not taking the money before then selling Joe Willock. Xhaka has and always will be a liability in one way or another with the odd game here and there in which he looks good.
IMHO Anyway. Lol
you are right Rico. Even google states the same.
strange isnt it? I wonder why he wasnt bought then? Maybe for the financial reasons I mentioned above??
Many of us agree Rico but as we have covered so many times Arteta cannot see past Xhaka , he sees him as his fulcrum . As long as we have him as manager we will have Xhaka unless the player decides again that he wants out.
However now we have what we have and it’s time for the fringe players to step up and force others out .If Partey and Lokonga turn out to be better than Partey and Xhaka then Arteta will have a big decision on his hands.
I have not particularly noticed but I have read that stats show that Tierney doesn’t pass to Martinelli preferring to cross .. The people reporting this are assuming that it’s a rift between the two but I don’t have the evidence to make that assertion but I wonder if anyone else has noticed it.
Norwich always give us a hard time , their style is similar to ours , playing open football which often means that they get as many chances as we do and although they have only scored once and let in 10 so far , as much as I hope it won’t be , I would not be surprised to see a close game with a few nail biting moments on the way.
We should get our season underway but it will be tighter than many think.
I also happen to think that Leno will be gone in January or summer TW.
Dont be surprised if Arsenal were to buy another HomeGrown keeper. Or maybe get Onana for only a small fee.
Potter, I did notice that as soon as Saka came on, Tierney was quickly passing to him. Maybe he took better positions and ran into space, but we certainly looked more of a unit down that left side.
Rico. Bissouma is very different to White though who is a much better passer, long and short. Replacing Xhaka with Yves brings much greater fluidity and the rare ability to shut down free space, similar to Kante who we should have bought a few years back. I get the impression that Arteta doesn’t really like that sort of player and might even see him as a bit of a throwback in the same way that his great friend the imperious Pep might opine that the number 10 in the classic sense is also old hat. Bissouma also has that ruthless streak that reminds me of Fernandinho, the crunching machine who has been a destroyer for Man City for years now and can swing his boot into an opponents crotch with venom while simultaneously feigning injury himself. In this regard he is second only to Bruno Fernandes who has elevated the action to an art form.
The problem is that, if we bought Yves I can see him getting 3 or 4 red cards a season.
27 players in the squad. One or two, too many.
kola out and one on loan or sell.
Probably Devil, perhaps Brighton priced him out of a move.
Agree Potter re Xhaka etc, just hope that if/when others step up, Arteta doesn’t resist the opportunity to change. If he sticks by Xhaka full stop, it’ll be another stick to beat him with and there’s enough of those around at present.
Adam, I appreciate that re White and Bissouma but my issue remains as to why why sign White at all when we already have Saliba? I’ll never get my head around that one, or at least I won’t until White, in an Arteta defence, shows he was worth buying.
Rico I don’t understand what is going on with Saliba either, if Arteta not going to bring him back and play him then why not just sell him. Better for all concerned.
I think we probably will Geoff. Perhaps Arsenal are hoping his valuation will increase after another good season on loan.
Rico. I can only assume that Arteta took against Saliba for some reason. I get the vibe that it’s an easy thing to fall out with him. But White is a very different player. He’s not a stopper in old English sense. He’s 6 foot and more of a midfielder/ defender really. He brings the ball out at his feet. Saliba is a RB right now. The new manager will probably find a place for him.😀
Well Adam, a 6’ CB is just what a team which can’t defend set pieces for toffee needed… lol
Ha Ha re the new manager but I don’t think one is coming anytime soon..
Certainly not if we shoot ip the table Rico.
😂 Adam.
It’s good to see the club show support for a coach but the problem will be if the club keeps him if we stay around the bottom half with no improvement
Foreign;
Leno
Soares
Tierney
Tomiyasu
Gabriel
Mari
Pepe
Odegaard
Aubameyang
Partey
Lacazette
Elneny
Xhaka
Lokonga
Kolasinac
English;
Ramsdale
Maitland Niles
Nketiah
Chambers
Holding
White
Total: 21
Under 21’s
Saka
Martinelli
Tavares
Balogun
Smith Rowe
Rekik
Good Morning everyone
Kev…..how come Tierney is foreign? I think that since Scotland is in the UK he should be considered as home grown no?
On NN their is a video of Kolasinac getting injured while playing for his country and people say Xhaka tackle was dangerous, I don’t know how bad kolasinac injury is but he could easily of had his legs broken and take a look at the face of the player that tackled him,he couldn’t care less about his tackle.
Sorry I don’t know how to add a link computers not really my thing.
Good morning all.
Extracted this morning from a Telegraph article about Newcastle United. Arsenal offered them both Bellerin and AMN but wanted loan fees that the Magpies could not afford. Newcastle had changed their policy of paying transfer fees in one lump sum and got Arsenal to agree to accept the £22 million fee for Willock in instalments.
Selling Willock, therefore, did not generate as much cash as we were lead to believe towards our new signings.
That’s a shocker Geoff.
Morning all.
New post up now.