Morning all.
A post from AllezKev today:
Time is the most valuable commodity that any manager, especially among the top teams, can have.
Owners, particularly foreign owners, expect instant results to justify the massive investments that they make. There is also the ‘ego factor’ as many of these owners are not used too, and will not tolerate, failure from the men who manage their multi-million pound ‘toys’…
Even winning the European Champions League won’t buy managers a bit of time, just ask Roberto Di Matteo…
Patience is just as rare a commodity as time, and patience is what you need and must have, if you are to enjoy the fruits of the hard work done by your Youth Academy.
The great Barca team of recent times was not an accident. It was years in the building and planning and originally the brainchild of Johann Cryuff when he was the Coach of Barcelona.
Chelsea and Man City, those uber toys of the rich, bored and feckless, have been spending the last few seasons hoovering up any promising young player that they can snaffle away from their competitors.
It’s been good for the bank balances of those young players, their families, advisors, lawyers and especially their agents, although any kind of a fulfilling career seems to be very much an afterthought as most of these youngsters are immediately farmed out on loan…
It makes you wonder why either Man City or Chelsea even bother with the facade of an Academy?
Man Utd once had a proud tradition of producing their own players, much of their success over the past 20 years was built around those home-made footballers. But not any more…
Instead we see Louis Van Gaal, here today, gone tomorrow, spending the filthy lucre of the Glaziers – or rather the borrowed filthy lucre of the Glaziers, on ever more over-paid, over-priced and over-rated superstars. Van Gaal has dived in, head first, into the obscene end of the transfer market.
We’ll know by next May, if it was money well spent?
In the majority of cases, the teams that prosper by working with and developing their youth, are middling teams like Southampton or some of those in the Championship, desperately clinging onto the traditional ways of being a proper football club.
Arsenal stand alone, among the top teams in England, as the only club that gives young players time and shows them patience.
If a young player is prepared to listen, learn and work hard, then Arsene Wenger will give him a chance and encourage him if he shows potential.
As Arsenal fans, we are bombarded by a media that knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. They have relished ridiculing our club through its recent financial difficulties. To them, we have been a ‘selling club’, selling our best players to Chelsea, Man City, Barcelona and Man Utd.
Strange though how Tottenham and Liverpool are never called a selling club?
No matter, because even throughout the maelstrom of criticism, Arsene worked wonders with some quite ordinary squads and maintained Arsenals CL status. He’s stuck to his guns, brought through the ‘Yoot’ and the testament to all that hard work is our present squad containing; Wilshere, Roma bound Szczesny, Gibbs, Bellerin, Coquelin, Ramsey, Walcott, Gnabry, Akpom, Hayden, Jeff and Iwobi…
All of them have spent differing amounts of time attending the Arsenal Finishing School. All of them benefiting from the time, patience and encouragement Wenger has spent on them. None of them would have been afforded that same time at City or Chelsea and maybe not at Man Utd any more.
These Arsenal players all have an affinity with the club, a connection, it’s become a home from home for most of them. Even those that leave regret it, to a greater or lesser degree, even if they won’t admit it. And I suspect that had the circumstances of the departures of a few of them been different, they would have wanted to return.
Arsenal have a long and proud history of bringing through its own footballers. A proud history that Wenger, in these difficult times of instant football gratification, has struggled to maintain, but has cherished and built upon.
I’ve been lucky enough to see some wonderful Arsenal footballers, come through our Academy, South-East Counties, Combination, U21’s and U18’s. It makes me proud that my club has and retains a certain standard that others are clearly envious of…
It makes us different and all the money in the Middle East and Mother Russia can’t buy you that.
Transfer gossip:
The long time coach of Petr Cech has been given permission to move to Arsenal if the club and player want him to. (The Times)
According to Spanish newspaper Sport, Sergio Busquets is the defensive midfielder Arsene Wenger wants to sign.
German newspaper Bild believe the manager also wants Marco Reus and are prepared to pay £48 million in order to get him.
Can you imagine how you’d feel IF those two rumours turned out to be true and both become Arsenal players?
Bring it on Jose!!
Have a good Thursday guys…..
First.
Busquets and Benzema plus Lollichon.
That’ll do it!
Morning rico and all
Good post kev
Morning Mg, Scott, Spanner and all again…
Busquets and Reus would do for me, big time.
We’d certainly be PL contenders then…
Perfect post, just shows not only British footballl is behind the rest of Europe but British jounalism needs to graduate its so called intelligence too, to be on par with rest of Europe, knowing the price of everything but the value of nothing, excellent
Stupendous post Kev… 😛
Great post kev,but i would not count jeff as our player,he is from lens and just signed(1st year).
Sorry Morning all, ts didnt castro signed for dortmund in june?
Good read Kev.
Thanks Rico 🙂
Sign those two and light the blue touch paper……
Morning, good read Kev, I guess that,s why we love Arsenal, Different class,
Now Imagine arsenal without the class, the history, the amazing stadium, the great fans, and the beautiful style of football “That’s Chelsea.”
Looks like neither, Reus or Benzema are going anywhere, Benzema,s f**kin with us now, posting Phoney pics, Maybe we should pull out all the stops to try get Busquets and close up shop.
Thanks Lee…
I’ll have a pair of those Nike/Puma trainers mate…
Luminous green if poss…
A super post Kev.
And no hint of conspiracy either. 😉
Ok… let me go and read it now. 😛
Thanks DG, well said…
Excellent post Kev. Addresses an area of club football that is way beyond the understanding of journalists and the Sky and BT mob. I fear that Arsene may be the last remaining example of this kind of thinking though.
If creatures like Mourinho are representative of the ‘new breed’ then we should make the most of it while it lasts.
I have wanted Rues for ages and I like Busquets so I would be over the moon with those signings. Please be true. Saying that, I don’t think we especially need Rues and I cannot see him coming. Signed a new contract in January when BD were bottom of the league and therefore would have known no CL for the next year, also it removed his buyout clause too and he was happythen….id love it, but cannot see it 🙁
Kev, Diggers post are always better, but not bad 🙂
Nah, I loved it, mate, truly.
Morning all.
I’m back.
My energy has returned and I’m ready to argue with all of you….well, except about cricket 🙂
I’ve touched on it over the last 12 months or so, but two nights ago, mums hubby, Seans grandad, succumbed to the arsehole that is cancer.
He truly is better off and pain free, so enough tears have been shed and yes, life does go on.
RIP Gary.
Anyway, onwards and upwards and I can not wait for Sunday’s game.
I believe once we beat Chelski and Mourinho just once, we will exorcise all demons and it won’t be an issue ever again.
Will it be this week?
Well, who knows, but it’s not far off.
We are seeing a different Arsene over the last year or so, and Joe Say’s comments of late show he sees us for what we are….real contenders.
‘Time and patience’
Trouble is Kev, it’s not only the owners and managers with their toys who are impatient, it’s the fans too. Look what happened at Utd with Moyes.
The fans of the ‘top clubs’ want success every year and coming second is seen as failure, they start complaining from the stands and the owners are under pressure to react, so sack the manager. Wenger would have been gone years ago had the owner/board listened to the fans.
Excellent post Kevin.
Sorry to hear that Scott, Cancer is a real bastard! Hope you are all ok…
Scott. Sorry to hear that mate. Condolences.
My condolences Digger…
That is the spirit Scott!
With deepest sympathy for your loss…
Top comment Mr F
Welcome Mr F..
Realistically speaking it’s highly unlikely we’ll get any of benzema,reus or lewandowski-unless of course madrid require a shiny new toy this summer following their policy of a galactica to arrive each season.if they do ,the merry go round starts!if not if we buy its 2nd tier,aubemayang etc.my money is on no one of any note……
Sorry for your loss scott
Guys, thanks for the kind thoughts.
We really are thinking positive….the poor bugger is better off, as is often the case, so relief for the man is first in our thoughts.
Scott my thoughts are with you and your family during this shit time! At least he is not in pain anymore!!! Keep your chin up digger!
Uwot, what makes you think that? We have the money and the manager hasn’t been afraid to spend big on the right player for the last two summers…
Not that spending big always means spending right as so many other clubs have proved..
Always Lee, you know me….the positive way is the only way and thanks bud.
Bayern have spent over €75 million this summer, so maybe they need to balance their books?
Gotze, Muller, Leeandowski are all sellable assets for Der Bavarians…
Blimey. that is a super post Kev.
And no stats or conspiracy matters.
😮
I really enjoyed reading it.
Well done mate.
Good Morning Lovelies and Hunkies.
Busquets and one of Reus/Benzema would be awesome. But dont hold your breath. More of a chance it will be Llorente.
Or Bent.
But not getting one for the sake of buying.
Lewandoski all day long for me Kev. Can’t see that happening tbh though!
Lewandowski over enyone and everyone.
Mitchell fucking Johnson!
Lewandowski over Benzema for me too…
Thanks Coach…
Yeah, I agree Lee, Lewandowski would be brilliant for us. Maybe his age and the opportunity to recoup some of the dough they laid out on Douglas Costa and Arturo Vidal could persuade the Jerries to sell…
Not sure what kind of fee they’d want and if Arsenal would pay it given that he’s what, 29/30..?
Why couldn’t they just get out of the bleedin way Lee….
He’s not that good… lol
Wonderful post Kev, and totally agree.
Arsenal do things the right way imo.
All the money in the game now at the very top has corrupted the minds of owners and fans who want it all now now now.
Im so happy that Arsenal will be one of the top top clubs in the world for a generation to come thanks to Arsene and various executive members who had the vision back in the early 2000s to build a new stadium and prepare us for the new era of money football that we now find ourselves in.
If they hadnt, we could well’ve found ourselves slipping down the pecking order and out of CL contention.
He’s only 26 Kev… 😉
Sign him up then Rico! 😉
And in the meantime Roger, we can watch other clubs struggle as they improve their own stadium… 😉
to me it looks like Arsenal may have learned a trick from cfc’s academy dealings, cfc, to help with ffp bring in loads of young players, all on big contracts, loan out as many of them as they can, even renewing contracts during these loan spells, and with the player getting game time their transfer value rises and by and large when cfc don’t want them they still get a big transfer fee.
Arsenal have in recent years done this with a few players Campbell, Jenkinson, Wellington and Toral. unlike cfc at the moment Arsenal don’t sell the young players for massive fees, but I do believe that the big fees cfc get for their players is not all that it seems, and that there are dodgy dealings going on between romans other companies and the buying clubs, ffp circumvented if you like.
As for Lollichon joining Arsenal, I have my doubts it will happen, despite what the papers report Arsenal do not have a vacancy for a goalkeeping coach as Tony Roberts went to Swansea, Tony Roberts was youth team goalkeeper coach, and Jonker brought in a coach from Holland late last season. will be good if we do hire Lollichon, and have him ahead of Gerry Payton.
I thought Kev was slightly younger than 26….
Is that right Rico?!!!
26…?
Doubt if Bayern would sell then…
Yes Lee, I like to think that I’m only 26, only a few weeks younger than Adam… 🙂
Morning. Very good post Kev. Sympathies Scott. Let’s have a hundred Root!
Thanks Roger…
re: rico 10.57
yes we have lots of money, but the fact is the players we are talking about here – Lewandoski, Benzema and Busquets – are with bigger clubs with even more money and no reason I can see to want to sell, let alone have to sell.
the other one mentioned is Reus, now that is a player where the money we have might be a factor, but out of the four players he is by far the least needed, where would he play, wide left is where he plays for Dortmund, well we have Alexis playing there. I see some say buy Reus and convert him to a main striker, now that would be one hell of a £50M gamble, new team, new league, new position.
the idea that cos we have money now should mean we can just go out and buy the very top players from other top clubs is totally flawed. Reverse the proposition, if Man City, Chelsea, Man utd, Barca, Real or Bayern were to come to Arsenal for Ramsey, Koscielny, Alexis, Ozil would you say well of course we had to sell, they offered big transfer fee.
Unless a player is pushing to leave or the club no longer wants the player it is almost impossible to force a wealthy club to sell a top player. Have Arsenal fans learned nothing from the way cfc, city, utd and barca got our top players and now how we are bringing in Ozil, Alexis and Cech.
this “No Excuses” soundbite is a total load of crap and is implying something that is not a reality, there maybe “No Excuses”, but there are a hell of a lot of very good “Reasons” why x, y or z will not be signed.
Thanks Andrew…
Come on Joe Root…
Bennacer signing his Arsenal contract
Cracking column Kev. You have obviously missed your vocation! I feel you should develop a new ‘persona’ and contribute regularly using the tag, “comments from the cabby’s car”. Really good read. Excellent!
As for ‘project youth’ it never died or went away. I think the club went through a period when they, like all the other clubs, were disallowed from signing really talented youngsters because they didn’t live in Arsenal’s catchment area, and a few slpped through the net, (eg Harry Kane). However, now we are able to pick up players like Hayden et al from their local clubs and mould. Them into the Arsenal way! It seems we may have a stream of young players who are all ready to enter the fray of the SE Counties league, or would be if it still existed!
To what extent the ‘holistic’ vision is down to Wenger’s cerebral football brain, I have no idea but I suspect project youth was all his and the outcome will be a result of his foresight nearly 20 years ago!
Let’s hope so anyway!
Scott, sorry to hear your sad news. They said when my grandfather died of the same disease that it was a, “happy realese”! And so it was but it doesn’t make it any easier.
Looks like England are determined to throw this test away.
Or the perfect age to make a profit on him Kev.. 😉
Wavy, I know what you mean, and thanks.
Ismael Bennacer, Jeff Reine-Adelaide, Yassin Fortune, Kostas Pileas, Vlad Dragomir, Donyell Malen and Jordi Osei-Tutu have all been brought to Arsenal this summer, that really is an amazing amount of new recruits at that level, nothing on the scale of this has ever been done by Arsenal before
Not really sure what you are getting at Eduardo? Don’t think I’ve ever suggested we have ‘no excuses’ not to sign Reus, Benzema etc have I?
All I have suggested that now we have money there is no excuse for not adding players for the positions we need and I think you’ll find, I have always advocated that a players price means diddly squit to me, it’s whether or not they are able to do what is asked of them….
Precisely Rico. A huge offer will often cause a club, of whatever size, to reconsider their options. Throw a new manager into the works and it’s worth a try. There are sometimes informal talks that might lead to a bid anyway, either with the club or the player’s agent.
Absolutely Adam, anything is worth a try to test another clubs resolve… We Arsenal fans know that more than most I’d have thought…
Thanks Wavy, although my persona is a bit on the ‘grumpy cabbie’ side today…
I guess you could call it Wathyitis…
It’s a very common complaint around the Camden Lock area…
Good Morning to The Lady of the Hose and all fellow Gooners in residence.
Kev – Another excellent article. It should remind a lot of Arsenal fans of some of the things that set our club apart from most of the rest of the Premier League clubs. Long may it continue to be so. Success may be transitory, but class is eternal.
Scott – My sincere condolences.
I know what you’re going through. I lost my father to cancer a few years ago. That required a few tough decisions once he was hospitalized.
Hang in there. Our club, our team and your family will give you something to smile about.
Little whisper that a Pedro deal includes Aaron heading the other way.
Of course, the man starting the rumour has been sorted. 🙂
Cheers CG.
Family, friends and Arsenal…..a man needs no more 🙂
Morning Cg..
Would AW allow that Scott, I don’t think so…
Or perhaps AW didn’t like Ramsey’s recent Barca comments… 😉
Condolences Scott.
My friends……I feel it will only be LLorente.
Much as I would like Lewandoski, I feel that the team is structured around Ollie. Lew is a different type of player. Not the Ollie type of target man who brings others in the game. Yes he can do it as well, but I believe that the increase to Ollie’s wage signals his importance to the team. LLorente is similiar to Ollie and will play understudy to Ollie. Lew will not want.
Rico, that’s what Barca want, at least………not sure Wenger would let Famsey leave, but who knows?
Thanks Devil.
Cheers CG…
I had to up my game, as I didn’t want to upset Adam or more crucially, Mrs Adam…
She, who must be obeyed… 🙂
Crikey Kev, is Mrs Adam called Hilda? No wonder Adam says what he says or does what he does! The red spandex are a bit of a rebellion thing then? Hilda, who’d have thought it?
Time will tell eh Scott, you never know in this crazy world of football…
Kev – I hope you are not planning on wearing your luminous green trainers with you red Spandex strides. You’d stand out like a strip club’s neon sign in Soho.
Walk time for me so catch up later..
Night Scott and Cg..
Good Day Rico.
Kev – Hire AGAG as your fashion consultant. I’m sure she can help you out.
I’m off. Have a great day everyone.
Keep The Faith!
Evening All…
Excellent read, Kev.
My condolences, Scott.
Will Barca sell Busquets this time they’ll try to break the CL jinx and win it back to back? Don’t think so…
Is Reus so important a player that Arsenal needs to fork out 48m? Don’t think so either.
Nice one kev, a very special football club.
Lee, an elephant 41K, a hippo 10K, a bush pig 450 quid, Adrian Durham, a dirty Lady Godiva !
Scott, my thoughts are with you, it took my ole man a few years back, time helps but doesn’t heal.
Afternoon all..
Go Finn… 😉
Thanks Tai & Mick…
What’s the score Rico?
Is a ‘two day test’ on? 🙂
Go Go Go Finn
105 for 5 the Aussies Kev, 43 runs behind still…
Make that 111 – 6 Kev
My condolences, Scott
Good post…enjoyed that.
Cant wait to see the chavs humbled this Sunday…
No more major signings, i think it will be a bunch of youth palyers
George, you know there’s a biggie coming, it’s become the trend… Lol
🙂 🙂
Have you all gone to bed already, or busy cooking on the bbq?
Guess that’s a yes then…. 🙁
Night all….
Thanks Kev….
Night Rico, your welcome… 🙂
Jon Toral going to Birmingham for the season, on loan.
Sorry to see your news Scott condolences to you and your family.
Isaac Hayden set to join Hull City for the season…
Arsenal scout Brian McDermott was at the Southampton game tonight.
rico 7.33, talking of bbq’s I know of some-one who’s gonna get a right ole grilling if he doesn’t pull his finger out pretty damn quick !
Thanks again for the kind words guys.
Much appreciated.
I think I know who you mean Micko…..
Morning all..
Hope these players going out on loan actually play…
Morning Rico
Morning Kev. Lovely one too…
Yes Rico, I’m sitting at Liverpool St, the sky is a perfect blue, looks like it’s gonna be a good one today…
Morning All
Perrfect for batting Kev, England will need a few runs… 😉
Good Morning Lovlies and Hunkies.
Morning Rico. Morning Kev.
I am sitting in the balcony. Sky is perfect blue, looks like it’s gonna be a sweltering one today. We expect temperatures to be between 38 to 41 degrees. 😉
Aye. we dont need oil to fry.
Yeah 🙂 tbh I was hoping to finish it off yesterday after Warner was out…
Don’t wanna start thinking it’s over, not just yet…
Morning Coach, nah not as warm as that over ‘ere mate, max is gonna be about 70*F, in old money….
Morning Devil..
Kev, I reckon it’ll be over before lunch… 😉
We have to make sure we win against the Hammers. Nothing short of a good win will do.
I reckon they will be fighting the drop. After struggling to go past Birkirkara, yesterday they lost their heads, a two goal lead, another red card and even Bilic sent off.
They are a shambles imo.
Bilic receiving his first red-card already? lol
Morning Rico, Dev, Kev et al
Morning Ts…
Chelsea first Devil, got to beat those old Chavs… lol
Ginge…..a manager/coach cannot receive a red card. he is just sent off by being ordered to the stands.
Morning Ginge
New post up now…