Daily Bits and Bobs

Better with, or without him?

Posted on by rico

Morning all.

Question marks will continue to hover over the heads of a few Arsenal players for a few weeks yet. Until this summer transfer window closes, longer in certain cases. That’s we fans do isn’t it, we have our favourites for whatever reason and we have our ‘not good enough’ list too. If the last three fixtures have taught me anything it’s that every player who played a part in those fixtures is no longer on either of my lists. Why? Because all have at some stage shown that on their day they can be big players. My lists now will consist of shopping and things to do only.

Seriously, what about Dani Ceballos, do Arsenal try and strike a deal or not? Could Arsenal get more for their money elsewhere? Against Norwich he shone, against Wolves, without the same amount of freedom, he simply worked hard, recycling the ball backwards, sideways, backwards and sideways as Arsenal were happy to play keep ball. A boring style of football perhaps but sometimes, a necessity away from home. Let the opposition chase the ball around, using up energy as they do so, whilst our players work up a killer attacking move. Or at least that’s the theory.

What we forget perhaps is that Dani Ceballos is just 23 years old, so nowhere near his peak. The next move he makes has to be right for him as he’s much to learn about the game yet. Real Madrid don’t want him if the headlines on NewsNow over recent weeks are true so I guess he has a decision to make. Stay at Arsenal (if he can) and be part of a squad looking to improve day to day under Mikel Arteta, or find another club and start all over again.

I posted this the other day:

Both clubs have been in communication. I really like Dani and what he brings to the team. When I joined he wasn’t available because he had a difficult injury, but he’s understanding what we’re trying to do really, really nicely and he has big personality to play and take the ball in any area of the field and give us the continuity that we need as a team to control the games better, but as well without the ball.

 

The running that he’s putting in, the tackles, every time with the interceptions, his desire to win that ball back and help the team, he’s improved so much and he looks a really good player at the moment.

So it seems Mikel Arteta would like to keep his fellow countryman. Perhaps Real Madrid would agree to another season long loan to see whether Ceballos can be a player for them yet or perhaps they’re willing to sell him. Whether Arsenal can afford him and he’d be value for money is another matter.

 

It’s easy to forget how much he does for the team.

 

But, as many of us have said since the arrival of Mikel Arteta, both individual and collective performances are improving. That’s not to say the likes of Mustafi, Xhaka, Luiz, Kolasinac etc have suddenly become world class players, but Arteta is simply getting more out of them than we’ve seen before.

Interestingly, so often when new managers/coaches arrive at a club, improvement can be instant but for Arteta, the process has been slower. More steady which hopefully equals longevity. He’s taking his time it seems, assessing players during game time as well as on the training pitch and he’s not afraid to make big decisions. Willock, Ceballos, AMN, Ozil, Guendouzi, Lacazette, Nelson and Pepe were all given game time  when Arteta arrived but all have found themselves on the bench at different times. Most have returned looking sharper, fitter and certainly more focused. Ozil and Guendouzi have been dumped.

This is what football management is about, not just picking the same old names because of who they are. 100% commitment will get a player selected and nothing less. This is what Arsenal have been crying out for for years. Accountability! Earning the right to play for this great club by performing to the best of ones ability. The days of simply turning up and expecting to be in the team appear to be well and truly over.

Personally, I still think we have a few players who despite a change in application, aren’t right for the club if it’s ambition is to challenge for the league or top four which is more realistic next season but even that’s going to be tough next season. Chelsea are already strengthening their squad, City will no doubt throw another few hundred million at improving their squad, if allowed that is, and neither Utd or Liverpool will be content with who they have now. Wolves, Leicester, Sheffield Utd, Everton and Newcastle if their takeover goes through will all look to improve their squads too. I’m sure there’s another club lurking around the top half of the table too but their name escapes me this morning.

Arsenal simply can’t afford to stand still regardless of what Mikel Arteta is doing with the players he has right now.

Nketiah, Nelson, Saka, Willock and AMN, I really like all of them but what is it about our younger players coming through. All gifted, yet so often they look far too laid back. (AMN performance on Sunday aside) Certainly compared to the busy and industrious Martinelli. Anyway, just my opinion.

One player I’m hoping to see really push on, if he’s still an Arsenal player next season, is Joe Willock. I know he’s only 20 years old but I think he’s our central midfielder in waiting. He’s pretty quick, he’s tall but he just needs a bit more about him, which will hopefully come with age and Mikel Arteta’s ethics. I think Willock is up against Matteo Guendouzi for that box to box midfielder position in time and I can see only one winner there.

Neither are starters at present so Dani Ceballos is enjoying a run in the side. Not just because he’s earned it but also perhaps because Mikel Arteta wants to see how much he brings to his team. Is it enough to try and convince the club to do all they can to keep him. Is he the type of player Arsenal need to really push on?

That’s a question I’ll leave on my ‘things to do list’ but thankfully, it’s not on I need to answer.

Although I do think we’re a better team with him in it.

See you in the comments guys.

 

 

 

 

rico

50 thoughts on “Better with, or without him?”

  1. Cicero says:

    Good morning Rico.

    Buy, swap or extend the loan do whatever it takes to retain Dani Ceballos. We know him, he knows Arsenal and he’s settled into the Premiership and is a good fit in our midfield. HIs work rate is fine and his burgeoning partnership with Xhaka bodes well for the future. We really don’t want to go back to square one by signing someone who could take half a season or more to settle in, as per Pepe.

    I see Moaniho took the bait offered by a joke about how hard it is to beat Sheffield United on their own ground. “I’ve got greater ambitions than to be champion of North London”. “They ( Arsenal) don’t have much to celebrate”. He is so easy to wind up, he must have been born with a key in his back. 😉

  2. rico says:

    Morning Cicero, all.

    I’m of the same view. He really looks settled now. A loan would be ideal imo.

    Mourinho stoking the fire before the NLD..

  5. Sue says:

    I’m surprised it’s taken this long for Maureen to start spouting….
    I am nervous about Sunday though… the last 2 have ended in draws… I’d love to come away from our first visit to their new stadium with all 3 points!! They have 2 games between now and then, to our 1… Maureen’s mentioned that also 🙄

    We’re linked with a move for Memphis Depay…. hmmm…….

  7. allezkev says:

    Weren’t Real said to be wanting £40m for Ceballos and that’s when he was average and Zidane didn’t like him? Now the price might go up unless the Wuhan surprise has an effect on prices.

    As mentioned, extending his loan could be the way to go just in case this is a false dawn and it does look like Arsenal are going down that avenue themselves with Mo Elneny, so it might become the norm during this period where finance is tight for everyone, even for Real?

  8. allezkev says:

    Yeah, I did see that Mourinho is using social media to maybe divert attention away from his failing management skills and maybe using them to motivate his bored looking players.

    I guess he can see the season slipping away so it makes sense for him to focus on the NLD?

    Yes Scott, he truly is a wanker.

  10. Aussie Geoff says:

    Hi Rico and All I would not not mind if we make a deal to loan Ceballos for one year with the option to buy at the end of the loan but make a buy price now so if he turns out really good the don’t put his price tag up

  14. ScottfromOz says:

    Back to the Arsenal.
    On Ceballos-if Mikel believes the lad has his heart set on playing for our club, then do what must be done to make it happen.
    He’s quality, no question, and will only get better.

  15. allezkev says:

    The Mesut Ozil business model is very much about about projection, going on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and that Chinese platform Tik Tok etc etc. He probably earns as much, probably more, for himself and his agent and various associates from outside his club salary, so he needs the oxygen of public exposure.

    Arsenal can’t move him on, but we don’t have to help him help himself while we get pretty much zero in return and finally the club have woken up to that fact.

    His agent is silent, that is very telling, he recently lost his boot deal, so are things on the turn for Mesut and is his absence finally hurting his business?

    Arteta has said very little about Ozil despite being questioned repeatedly but what he does say has been quite cutting, just as his comments have been about Guendouzi and meanwhile the teams positive results have helped Arteta in no small measure to put that duo very much on the back burner.

    I don’t know about anybody else but I never gave either Mesut Ozil or Guendouzi a single thought during or after the game, those two only come to my attention when the journalists probe Arteta about their situations. I mean a journalist needs a situation at Arsenal, they need it to feed the clicks, but the SS Arteta just sails along serenely and that’s just fine.

    I wonder what this will all mean for Mesut Ozil in particular?

    Yes we are all well aware of his agent telling us whenever he can that Mesut loves living in London and that he loves playing for Arsenal and that he’s going to honour his contract.
    Ok, we know that, but do we have to indulge him?

    He’s not going anywhere, we know that, but he can sit in the stands for a year, see how that works for his business model. Let him spend a year nursing his bad back, maybe he’ll get sponsored by Deep Heat?

    Maybe the gradual decline in his saleability will begin to eat into his outside interests, his agent might then decide that cutting and running for an early, easy life in Turkey is the way to go both socially and financially?

  16. ScottfromOz says:

    Hiya Kev,
    Merely a few months back, people questioned (rightly so) whether Arteta had the balls to stand his ground against out big name players.
    The fact nobody is raising that question now is an answer in itself, and further evidence we have the right man at the helm.
    The Ozil situation is a shame, as his talent is being wasted.

  18. potter says:

    Ozil is big mates with Erdogan so a move back to his roots will happen eventually. However they are Turkish of Arab extraction and will drive the hardest bargain , no matter what we do he will not leave until his contract ends or we make it financially viable for him to do so.
    Erdogan is a supporter / sponsor of Istanbul Başakşehir a small club with hardly any support that strangely is running away with the Turkish league . Apart from the political backing they have little or no money .there are already Besiktas , Fenerbache and Galatasary in Istanbul .
    He will go there at the end of his contract.

  19. rico says:

    Well said re both our problematic players Kev. I certainly don’t miss either and neither does the team. This squad needs proper players and by that I mean football first.

    I hope being left out in the cold leads to both looking for new clubs. Ozil certainly needs to regardless of what his agent says. He doesn’t need the money but as you say, his reputation is fading rapidly.

  20. allezkev says:

    Scott, Unai Emery tried as well but wasn’t as subtle as Arteta, language was definitely an issue with him, results killed Emery as well but I also see a different dynamic with Arteta and KSE.

    Unai was very much a Raul project and was fairly subservient to our Director of Football, Chief of all he surveys. I’m also not sure what Emery’s relationship with Josh was like?

    Arteta is a different animal, he isn’t in anybody’s pocket and certainly not subservient to Raul, in fact his relationship with Josh is beginning to mirror the relationship that Stan had with Wenger.

    I reckon that Josh trusts Mikel and has bought into his vision and that gives Arteta greater leverage with Raul than was ever the case with Emery.

  22. allezkev says:

    Sue, there isn’t anything anyone can do about the £350,000 per week, it was a monumental error made by our manager and our CEO at the time and it’s cast a financial shadow over everything the club and it’s managers have tried to do since, but we can’t allow it to continue to blight policy for another 12 months.

    It’s not Ozil’s fault we all know that but we don’t have to indulge him and his advisors.

    Arteta has given everyone the choice, it’s free will, get on board or become irrelevant.
    I think he’s been absolutely 100% correct and KSE seem to agree…

  23. allezkev says:

    Potter, whatever you do mate don’t call Turks by the term Arab, there ain’t no love lost there. 😉

    The Turks come from Northern Iraq region and probably have more in common with the people’s of the Caucuses like the Azeris.

    But yeah, I agree, he’ll end in Turkey and will probably go into politics.

  24. Sue says:

    That is exactly what I was getting at Kev – the mistake of offering him that much!
    It just amazes me how he’s our highest paid player, yet doesn’t get a look in.. you wouldn’t see this happen anywhere else I don’t think? I’m not moaning at Arteta for this, btw… I just wish we could find a solution to it…. it’s mental!

  25. allezkev says:

    Arteta has left the door ajar for both of them Rico, I mean if Guendouzi got his head down then Arteta wouldn’t be stupid enough not to use him, but Mikel will focus on those that buy into his vision before he’ll use those that won’t.

    I think that Ozil is a lost cause, I just don’t think he has it in his capacity to do what Arteta requires, I’m sure that Arteta would play him if he could rely on him but as it is he needs outfield players who go that extra mile and that ain’t Mesut.

  26. rico says:

    Said this the other day so apologies for repeating myself but with Edu and Mikel doing all the media stuff to do with contracts, if looks to me like Raul is taking a back seat. Or being forced to take a back seat..

  29. Sue says:

    They’re a rock band from Leicester, Cicero. Every time Leicester score a goal, you can hear one of their songs – ‘Fire’ being played!! I love ’em… Tom is the lead singer…

  31. allezkev says:

    Yeah, I remember that Rico, Edu is more the public face now, I think he has more in the bank with the fans, I’m not sure how popular Raul is so maybe he’s just taken a back seat.

    Raul is also very much linked to Emery and all that palaver, so could be that he’s going through a period of introspection?

  34. rico says:

    I’ve never understood that Raul/Emery theory Kev, probably because I’ve never read anything to connect them both other than Spain and Arsenal. Did Raul appoint Emery or was it Ivan or more likely, a board decision.

    But yes, Edu is certainly loved by the fans. He’s more real, in touch and more accessible than the others.

  37. Sue says:

    Great penalty shoot out between Oxford and Pompey, Rico… Oxford are through to Wembley!! 👍
    I’ve just seen that Everton are winless in their last 14 against the spuds (D7 L7)… can Ancelotti stop the rot? I bloody hope so!! Come on you Toffees!!

  40. allezkev says:

    Well Sue 25 minutes of that dross is enough for me, Tottenham are rubbish and Everton are even worse.

    Theo injured? Surely not….. 🤔

  43. Cicero says:

    Spuds get three points courtesy of an own goal in a one nil win.

    I only watched the last twenty minutes which was absolutely awful. If there had been a crowd at the game they deserved a full refund and both teams should be charged with boring the pants off the tv audience.

    Good night Gooners….everywhere. 😴

  44. AndrewH1313 says:

    Good post rico, evening all. With the recent re-emergence of a few of our players many thought would never wear the shirt again, I guess we shouldn’t write of the pair, who knows?

    Midfield three of Torreira, Ceballos and Xhaka/new signing for me.

    While in 12 months time Willock or Smith-Rowe be ready to step up permanently.

  45. Joaquim Moreira says:

    Totts changed their tactical disposition and way of playing. I hope Arteta has seen and understood.

  46. Sue says:

    Well that just goes to show how crap Everton are!!
    Still no Guendouzi in the training photos…checked Ornstein out, he said he’s been training alone since the Brighton loss, ready for swap/sale…..

    Goodnight Cicero!

  48. AndrewH1313 says:

    Morning all. So soon Scott? I’m still enjoying the last victory. Why risk spoiling the feeling😃

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