Morning all.
The 2015/16 is nearly over and I for one will be glad when it is. This season has been perhaps the most frustrating ever having watched so many clubs struggling, including and especially Arsenal. No doubt we fans won’t be the only ones believing our club missed a glorious chance to lift the Premier League trophy.
In all fairness, we probably would had Arsene Wenger signed just two outfield players last summer. Mohammed Elneny and a guy who can score goals because I think by now, we all know we don’t have one… Dreadful for a club which flirts around the top of the league as a quality striker could have turned the flirting into winning….
It’s funny really as when one reads the list of younger players coming through the Academy, it seems there are plenty of midfielder’s but not so many, if any, strikers or defenders which kind of mirrors our first team squad over recent years. Plenty of midfielder’s when all fit, but very little strength and depth on the attacking and defensive front.
But it looks like things might change, well, just a little bit and only in the striker department.
While Chuba Akpom will no doubt go into the summer feeling disappointed that he couldn’t make more of his loan spell at Hull City, young Edward Nketiah has been scoring for fun for the under 18’s. He’s just 16 years old but when the new 2016/17 season kicks off, he’ll be 17 years old. The youngster is an Arsenal fan who was deemed not good enough for Chelsea so in typical Arsenal fashion, the club soon snapped up the youngster for free.
The day Arsenal showed they were interested in me was one of the happiest days I can remember. It wasn’t only because I’ve always been an Arsenal fan, but two days earlier I was told that I would be released by Chelsea and not given a scholarship for this season. I was so down, but then Arsenal found out I was available, contacted my family and invited me to train.
There was a massive swing in my emotions and I turned up for training feeling enthusiastic and comfortable in my surroundings. Not only were all the coaches helpful, a lot of the Arsenal players were already friends so I fitted in very quickly. Within a week I was told that I would be offered a scholarship so I was elated.
I think it is important to bounce back quickly from disappointment and Arsenal gave me the opportunity to do that. Now I feel that I have to make the most of every second in training and in games to ensure I can become the best player I can be.
Before dismissing him for the first team squad next season, remember how old Michael Owen was when he made his Liverpool debut and I always believe, if you’re good enough, you’re old enough and wouldn’t you rather see him around the first team training camp than Yaya Sanogo?
No, I’m not suggesting he’s our striker saviour, because he’s not. Playing for the under 18’s is a very different ball game to the Premier League but should Arsene Wenger sign a top draw striker or two in the summer, young Eddie will get the time to learn and improve as he progresses and then just maybe, we’ll finally get to see a striker come through our Academy, even though he started out across West London.
Here he is in action..
Last night a few of the first team players were back in action for the under 21’s. The much missed Santi Cazorla played an hour but perhaps the City game will come too soon for him although with a few days to recover, I wouldn’t bet against him featuring at some point. Tomas Rosicky, Calum Chambers and Serge Gnabry all played the full 90 mins but it was young Chris Willock who stole the headlines by scoring both goals in their 2-1 victory over Blackburn. If it wasn’t for the Blackburn keeper, Arsenal would have won by a much greater margin. Sound familiar?
Young Eddie Nketiah was on the bench but didn’t get any playing time but just being part of the under 21’s shows he’s on the rise. With Thierry Henry involved with his training, this kid could go far, very far…
Time will tell but in the meantime, our striker department needs seriously addressing in the summer and it’s not the only one…
Morning again all,
good read Rico
Nketiah seems very promising… very calm in front of goal.
He reminds me of Lupoli who unfortunately was not patient…
Rico re Pep’s record at BM
Pre-Pep – 3 Champions League finals in 4 seasons.
With Pep – 3 semi-finals in 3 seasons. with Lewandowski and Gotze plus vidal
Top strikers have become even rarer across the globe;Even top teams easy on the money are struggling to find strikers.
Not many strikers available now? maybe Ruben Castro of betis will be an option…
Castro according to wiki is 34 y.o; my bad.. lol
Aritz Aduriz is also 35 y.o
Flipping heck… apart from the Messi, Suarez, CR07, Greizman, Neymar of this world all the other top strikers in La liga are 30 y.o or over…
Ts, maybe he’ll put that record right with City… 😉
That will mean Aw not winning the UCL either. 😛
Morning Rico and all. I guess the price that Man Utd paid for Martial doesn’t look so bad now does it? I imagine that Arsene must have bored everyone who would listen stiff while moaning about the ridiculous inflated fees for relative unknowns last summer.
Well, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Anyone who can score goals is going to be priced in the stratosphere I imagine. What stupid, arrogant folly last summer’s inactivity now looks. And all this from an economics graduate too. 🙂
How about local? Ighalo and Ineanacho are pretty good and Ings when he recovers is a good finisher.
Still like ex Man U Hernandez, he’s a very good Fox in the box.
Just watched the U -18 goals and one thing struck me straight away . Not one header and hardly any passes off of the floor. This suggests to me that training from an early age neglects this kind of play and probably is the reason why our defence does not get enough experience at an early age at dealing with the likes of Carrol and other 6 footers. 95% of his goals were 5 a side type finishes . As he gets older defences will not allow that . He probably will need some time away with a Harry Bassett type manager to teach him the arts that he seems to be missing if it’s not already too late.
Even that Chelsea reject Salah looks a good prospect to replace Walcott
That would never happen Ts, even with 20 ‘Big Sam’s’ managing the CL clubs… 😉
Morning Adam.. I suspect AW will nab another from a lower league and turn him into a super striker. Just like he used to. Then again, we always have Sanogo to come back… 😉
Potter, Henry didn’t score many headers either… lol
Defences don’t give that space any more , if they did Walcott would be reasonable.
Rico. Even in jest your last post gave me a funny feeling in the stomach. It’s because I really wouldn’t put it past him. 🙂
At all.
What a waste of season. Tut tut.
And pray let us have the names of the top class outfield players who Arsenal could have signed last Summer. I notice that Ray Parlour said recently that we should sign Harry Kane. Why stop there why not add Messi and Ronaldo. Just plain stupid.
I know Potter, I was just being ironic.. lol
Me neither Adam, not one bit….
Nt, in hindsight, the club should have never let Kane go in the first place….
Oh, there were no outfield players on the planet that would of strengthened Arsenal….what the fuck are people smoking??
Still top four is nearly achieved that’ll please a large percentage of the indoctrinated supporters! Twelve years of making the numbers up in the PL.
Move to the Emirates to compete with the creme de la creme of European teams, what a crock of shite?!?
Both are laughable Lee and utter garbage eh….
We do complete with the creme de la creme of Europe. We’re in the top 10 earners. Pretty sure that was the target for all involved except the fans.
Good Morning Lovelies and Hunkies
On this day in 1994 Alan Smith stunned Parma to win the Cup winners cup.
Lee…….there are so many players that could have improved Arsenal. The problem lies in the fact that AW has a blueprint of the types of players he wants…..and those we think who can improve Arsenal are not in it.
Let me put it better……if PV04 would have been available as a 20 year old today AW would have steered away from him because of his assertive character. Thus he would not have improved us.
Today each player must have a Master’s degree in silence, calmness and softness.
Adam- indeed Martial looks a bargain now…
You’re probably right there Brad, has to be AW’s aim, that’s for sure, otherwise he’s have spent more than he has…
Brad- I doubt Pep will sell Ineanacho to us…
IG and AW will give us the same old ‘ we are waiting for the manager of the players we are interested in to settle into his new job..” inter alia
Ts, I think Ivan sings from a very different hymn sheet to dear Arsene…
Might be able to pick up some bargains with all the new managers cleaning out and relegation teams.
At least AW will be in France to spot the good players who pick up an injury at the Euros. They’d come cheaper then…. lol
the problem is nobody wants to be a striker, you had henry who was like a striker cross winger and just caused havok, now you have ronaldo, messi who outscore strikers by playing on the wing, everybody wants to be like that or a creative midfielder, look at bergkamp and zole – is there a player who could do what they could, they were like a creative midfielder and striker in one
as for akpom, maybe he has learnt that his talent alone wont help him become a star but steve bruce hasnt played him enough but yet wants a permanent deal for him and hayden – its as if he is trying to slow development and experience so that arsenal either sell or loan out again to benefit him.
with more money coming in from the tv deal, premiership clubs will look to buy rather tan take on promising talent from the top clubs – which i believe will make it harder for players to come through
as for buying a striker for the current team, much has been made of moratta’s lack of goals for juve but dyabla has been immense. moratta could be the striker we need, draxler? convert him, chuck giroud in the deal?
juve paid 35 million for dyabla he is 21 i think also – looks like a great deal for them considering strikers are becoming rarer by the season
Interesting view re Hayden, Akpom and Steve Bruce but I don’t think AW would fall for such a cunning plan… lol
Is Arsenal allowed to buy a team in the lower end of the French league or do the rules state not allowed to buy at all?
we could fill it with the youngsters and walking wounded and it’s only a tube ride away from each other.
A- interesting point re. TV money.
It could also be argued that with the smaller clubs having more money and the playing field getting ‘leveller’ bigger teams can’t bully the smaller teams unless stupid money is offered for both club and agents.
As an example Leicester are getting £12m more than us assuming we finish 3rd. If we want Vardy or Mahez, the foxes will want £30m+.Leicester will think £35m wont get them an equivalent and so they wont sell especially with UCL football guaranteed.
AW and IG offering one of those players £80k+ a week to bring them over, (which could bring a 4 year deal close to £50m+), MAY be seen as not making business sense in the short term as there is no guarantee the said player may replicate that form…
From a fans point of view it is completely different though…
RIP Billy Paul…
tsgh thats a very valid point, there is always a danger for bigger teams to buy from someone like leicester, then there is point of will they perform for a bigger team or will they be given the same freedom also.
personally i dont think there players will leave , if leicester have another good season, win the league again ( you never know) or even qualify for the champs league – then maybe the bigger teams will come in for them, as they have shown they have hunger,talent and can handle the pressure at a bigger club
i know dortmund are a bigger team than leicester, but players such as kagawa, lewandoski,gotze all left after winning the league twice and the cup. bayern and utd realised that they are good players who can play for bigger teams , it didnt workout for kagawa but that was more of wrong position for him
kagawa had only been in the bundesliga for 3 seasons i believe before becoming player of the year and moving to utd
Didn’t More greats gone this year….
Did he pass away last week?
A- BVB has always been a feeder club though.
Leicester traditionally have held onto their better players unless relegated.
Heskey, Lennon, Sinclair under Oneill were poached but they managed to hold unto them until they were relegated…
A prolific striker alone doesn’t solve the problem. Playing a lone striker against 2 CBS is a major issue. LC won the EPL playing 2 strikers, Atletico has 2 upfront. Barcelona has 3 upfront, Real 2 upfront… the theory that 442 don’t fit modern football is over rated…Giroud good or not is up against 2 to 3 CBs every game. Against Norwich as soon as 2 got into the box they scored….look at all the games the alone striker is killing Arsenal. Watch the difference with Man City when Aguero is alone vs when he has a partner even as good as he is he struggles by himself. Arsenal goes an entire half without 1 cross into the box bcus there r 3 CBs on Giroud.
Wenger doesn’t want 2 up front because that would mean 1 less in midfield which would reduce his possession stats that he holds so dear. It also would mean that his midfielders would have to be more box to box and only Elneny and Coquelin have the discipline to do that.. His squad was built to hold the ball and bore the crowd and opposition at the same time.
Exactly Potter @2:41, which leads to his deficiencies in tactics. He has to adapt….sorry to beat a dead horse.
Obi- Potter- You must agree ATM is an exception.
No top team plays 2 upfront. ATM has Koke and Gabi who are very creative and ATM play a 8 behind the ball tactic.Not sure we have any midfielders who can play a midfield 2 or even a midfield 2.
Fans are forgetting when 4-4-2 was played by top teams they had goal scoring no.10s not deep playing no.10 like Ozil.
Zola, Gullit, DB10, Sheringham, Vialli, Biago etc to name a few of their ilk scored 10 to 15 goals a season. When was the last time Ozil, Oscar and that type of no.10’s scored 15 goasl?
Elneny played in a 4-4-2 diamond in Switzerland. He has the engine, Colquelin and Elneny have no creativity to play in a midfield 2.
Talking of LFC Inler was slated on here in the past but has shown to be a major difference.
Would we welcome van Percie back for a guest appearance or has he burned his bridge with us. He was versatile as a 10 or a 9.
Fergie was one of the few managers who mainly played 2 upfront in the EPL but publically admitted after 2007 that he had to follow AW approach and play 5 in midfield especially in Europe. The key difference imho is Old Fergie had CR07 and Scholes.
I recall Fergie after Yorke and Sheringham retired struggling along until he found Berbatov and Carrick.
Berbatov as a no.10 behind Rooney was creating and scoring 15+ goals. After Berbatov fergie bought the only remaining goal scoring no.10 in RVP (if you consider messi as a striker).
We need a proper creative midfielder even ahead of a goal scorer imho…
One would say Ozil is world class but note that one criticism level at Ozil wa that he disappeared in the big games and that he was hardly even completing 90 minutes.
Yes CR07 complained when Ozil left but Cr07’s goals has not dismissed without Ozil.
RM have Kroos and Modric… creativity in abundance.. without Ozil who creates in our team?
should read CR07’s goals has not diminished*
I would have taken RVP back 2 years ago Brad…
I still say that Coutinho is the best number 10 in the country. what he does is what our team needs, scores, long shots, direct, creates and has an abundace of skill in small spaces.
If I could take 2 pool players it would be Can and Coutinho.
no offence intended but fans cant surely be imply we should be using Leicester as a benchmark…
2 seasons ago fans were calling for us to copy Brenda’s Liverpool… where are LFC now?
Seasons before that sections of fans were calling for Jose Mk2 to take over from AW…
I know we want success but surely …
I take nothing against Ranieri but he has coached for almost as long as AW and he has had money to spend too but surely luck must have played its part this time with him…
Maybe the good guy won for a change… although Cambiaso may disagree Ranieri is a nice guy.. 🙂
Coutinho is excellent- Brad
Caan is a Bayer 04 ex-player so I can’t like him… 🙂
Wahaha, just because he’s an ex rival player. Guess you were not a fan of Sol either. 🙂
ha ha ha Brad…
I will made an exception for Sol when he was colossal for us…
You know I was joking re. Caan
I made even*
Hi all. A prolific striker is obviously needed but our goals have dried up overall even from the midfield. This is of course attributed to the players being programmed not to shoot. We play over an hour of football 25-30yards from the goal, that’s enough shooting range.
What’s worse is when a playee takes that shot he aims for the sun. It’s like they don’t train to shoot. With 3-4 players firing from distance would add into our goal tally.
tsgh, I agree with your assessment to a point. But even looking at Arsenal when Cazola played with with Sanchez and Ozil we where more creative because Cazola is willing to fill the hole and shoot when Ozil drift. Likewise, when Cazola played behind Sanchez when Ozil was hurt, again we where more effective because Sanchez cut to the box more and Cazola filled the hole. Even more effective was the little time Cazola and MA8 played together, so Cazola creativity is the key and TOTAL MOVEMENT of the team is also key; but to say they can’t play that way, I disagree because Arsene has totally been against it. And even Fergie when he adopted the 5 men midfield was not obsessed with possession and LFC lack of success was due to losing Suarez because it exposed an aging Gerrard – Suarez held the ball and had a high assist and goal output. ATM we have no movement and the 5 men midfield has many holes because of Ramsey always out of position and wingers that don’t track back, and midfielders that don’t shoot. So what’s the point of playing that way?
Afternoon guys, what a beautiful warm day it’s been. Summer is on its way….
Spot on Marshall about the lack of goals from the midfield, I’d say defenders too as how often does one of them get their head on a corner or set piece… Seldom I’d say…
As for the strikers, why not Lacazette? I’m sure for the right offer we’d get him…
True Rico, I think Girous is the only aerial threat we have. Kos is a nice guy and is easily pushed. Maybe they all don’t wonna ruin their hairdos, cause they’ll be taking selfies after the game?
I hope this chelsea reject prospers like the rest of them.
And he’s not really a threat Marshall, I don’t think he’s notched up many headed goals. Merts should be more of a threat for his height…
Good Evening lovelies and Hunkies
How many of you think that AW will buy from the following three players?????
Koulibaly (CB), Kante (CDM), Batshuayi (CF)
All three are under 25 years and more importantly have release clauses not exceeding 25 mill.
Which could be covered by players sold and released……Theo, Ollie, MA, MF, TR, MD02, etc etc
Kante is 5ft 6ins
Koulibaly is 6ft 2in
Batshuayi is 5ft 11ins
With the exception of Koulibaly the other two are short in terms of height for the EPL and that worries me. As our aerial threat will diminish much more than it is now.
None Devil.
Re the signings I mean. As for selling, I haven’t a scooby doo but I hope Arteta doesn’t Bugger off to coach at City.
Night guys…
Howdy all gooood read Rico!
Soz haven’t partaken in the baby’s as of late I got time for nothing! Regarding signing players n all that carry on, I said here in the past that when Afobe was at MKD surely someone was keeping an eye to him and that person surely noticed Alli!
With that in mind why ohhhhhh why didn’t we involve Griezeman in whole Vela buyout saga??!?? What a sublime footballer I see a bit of Aguero in him stature n movement wise not that his finish last nite was shabby or anything!
Having said all of that I really would like us to pick up an odd lower league striker!
That might be where the super strikers are ? Vardy, Callum Wilson, Ings, Austin etc.
Baby’s = bants
Is newsnow down?
On strikers, how about we get Jesse from real madrid?
Seems that Vincent Kompany is out of this weekends game, along Zabaleta and David Silva…
Good morning Rico, Kev and all…
Silky, apparently Turan’s move to Barca scuppered any Greizman move…
As you may or may not know, Ibanez is one of the few super agents AW and AFC are ok with. Ibanez is MA08’s agent and also Greizmans’. LVG confirmed he is one of 2 EPL managers who made a (higher) bid for Greizmann but the player was not moving.
Ibanez has recently been saying Greizmann is not happy at ATM and so he could move…
I think Turan will move to China and Greizmann will move to the Nou Camp anyway…
Marshall- Jesse is a top player; he was always very under rated.
RM wanted to loan him to us when we were apparently in for Morata.
Vietto is the striker I rate… unfortunately Jorge agreed to a £50m release clause when he moved from Villareal last summer so I doubt we will buy him…
An Vietto is moving over to the poisonous Jorge as well so no chance… 🙂
Silky- and Vela is managed by Jorge Mendez as well so he was never coming back…
Morning Ts and all…
Morning All
Morning Ginge..
I have always been mildly amused by the term ‘super’ agent… ?
Personally I can’t see anything super about an agent..,
Corrupt agent, bent agent, money grabbing agent, parasitic agent, now that’s more like it…
Morning Rico
Kev- Maybe if you can afford to buy a FIFA executive and a few sports journos’ a lobster dinner then you get the title of ‘super’ agent… 🙂
Morning Kev, you’re description of a super agent is is spot on…
Rico, I have plenty more… ?
🙂 Kev.. more please
🙂 Kev, I’m sure..
New post up now