Morning all.
I’m not a fan of the Mirror, never have been and probably never will be. They have journalists who claim to know which club is buying what players, John Cross who thinks he knows everything which is going on at Arsenal and seldom do their stories have much substance. Some might say the same about many newspapers and it would be hard to argue otherwise….
But this article is bang on the money imo:
Jose Mourinho is doing what Jose Mourinho does — humiliating the loveable Juan Mata, kicking off at managerial rivals, instilling tactical discipline and spending lots of money on established players.
Pep Guardiola, meanwhile, is doing what he has never done before — building a team from the bottom up.
So while Manchester City’s hierarchy have got the manager they always wished for and Manchester United have got the manager they had grave long-term reservations over, Mourinho’s men ought to be title favourites.
That’s if anyone ought to predict anything, given last season’s glorious mayhem.
The word inside City is that while Guardiola is deeply impressive in training, his messianic properties may not be instantly apparent. Patience will be required.
In the build-up to the Community Shield, Mourinho also claimed it will take time for United to adapt to a new footballing philosophy – the ‘possession for possession’s sake’ mentality of Louis van Gaal being swept away in favour of something more purposeful.
But in truth, City’s players have a whole lot more adapting to do.
Guardiola is undertaking a quiet tactical revolution – and without signing established A-list world stars such as Paul Pogba or Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
City’s Ilkay Gundogan and Leroy Sane may well turn out to be better long-term recruits – but Zlatan and Pogba fit Mourinho’s blueprint for short-term success.
A 34-year-old striker on £10million a year and a £100million-plus world-record deal to re-sign a player who’d been allowed to leave United for next to nothing.
Meanwhile, City’s players are being challenged as never been before, being asked to re-think every aspect of their games and reinvent themselves – starting with keeper Joe Hart, who will be expected to initiate patient build-up play and operate with the ball at his feet .
Guardiola’s charisma will instil belief in his methods, even if initial results are underwhelming. But despite being sainted throughout world football – as a fawning Sky Sports documentary exemplifies this week – Guardiola is unproven at radical re-builds.
Why the article you may ask..
Well, it’s clear to me that yet again, Arsenal have a great chance of winning the league if Arsene Wenger pulls his finger out and get’s the players we need. Up in Manchester, there’s a lot going on as the two new managers try and get their players playing ‘their way’. The same could be said of Chelsea as Konte goes about settling into the Premier League, a league like no other in football. Mourinho is treating experienced players dreadfully, something which other players at the club might not like. Guardiola is getting rid of a few too but perhaps not in such a ghastly manner. Nasri was too fat he is rumoured to have said, after the defender returned from his holidays, and he’s expected to move on sharpish as Pep rebuilds. Navas, Mangala and Bony are also rumoured to be on their way out.
Bored with football, bored with Arsenal, or is your partner bored with the game wants something else to do whilst you sit and watch the game? Here’s a few ideas if this is the case thanks to Jacamo Blog.
At Arsenal we have a group of players who have been together for a while, they know each other and the league well and with a few tweaks and additions, the season could be a really good one. Wenger has been in the Premier League longer than any other manager and he should know better than any other what’s required to win it. He hasn’t managed it for a while now, of that we know but apart from Mourinho, who had a dreadful final season at Chelsea and Ranieri last season, no other manager in this league has won it either.
So as the pundits sit back and admire all that is going on at Chelsea, in Manchester and even in Liverpool, perhaps Arsene Wenger, apart from last season, will never get a better chance of making this Arsenal team Champions again.
PS – Apparently Mustafi missed training yesterday according to Spanish website Super Deporte.
Maybe he’s still injured, maybe the club don’t want him to get injured, maybe there’s nothing in it, but maybe he’s on his way to Arsenal and according to The Sun (cough) the club are willing to pay Valencia’s £30m asking price. In fact nearly every back page is suggesting this deal will go through and before Sunday’s season opener….
What was I saying about newspapers……?
I prefer Brighton, Rico, but Eastbourne is ok…
Morning Adam
Is it the birthday of Bruvver Lee today?
Many Happy Returns mate…
It is Kev..
Happy birthday Lee…..
Brighton is ok too, love the lanes…
Man City have named Jon Stones in their Champions League squad. I bet Everton will be chuffed….
Happy Burfday Lee.
Nice post boss.
Good Morning Lovelies and Hunkies.
If it were for me though I would still go for Fabian Schaar. I like Shkodran but Schaar I would really like to see at our club.
Then again I would go for both.
Schaar is a bit of a brute isn’t he?
That was an interesting read Rico, but I still think it’s all systems go for Jonny Evans…
Surely not Kev, has to be media garbage…
Maybe Wenger will sign two centre-backs Rico, but to me Evans ticks all the boxes, experienced, won the league and other titles at ManU, knows the EPL, doesn’t have to learn the language, settled in the UK, perfect for a quick fix and not expensive…
Just saying
If he gets Mustafi and Evans Kev, then all would be looking rosy at the back… 😉
Evans might turn out to be the leader at the back we have needed. As Kev said he ticks all the boxes (Evans I mean, not Kev)…..and the fact that he has been in title winning team plays an important part.
I would still go for him and one from Shkodran and Schaar.
But is Evans really that good anymore? Was he in the first place?
Pick a Daisy flower and begin…..believe, not believe, believe……
http://www.arsenalstation.com/2016/08/09/photo-arsenal-boost-as-gabriel-offers-positive-injury-update/
It is indeed my birthday today, I’ve reached half a century!
I’m catching you up Rico!
Birthday signing(s) please Arsene (not Jonny Evans) I don’t want to be greedy but a striker and CB will suffice!
50 Lee < You're only warming up. Happy Birthday may you get the signings you want and and if not go out and enjoy yourself tonight anyway.
🙂 Lee, you are indeed. I too hope you get your birthday wishes…..
That is great Lee. half a century. so you do not remember the spuds winning the league then. That is a great blessing.
Coach, I can also tick the odd box… ?
Well done Lee, and still a lot younger than Wath.
Good Morning to The Lady of the House and all fellow Gooners in residence.
Thoughtful article Rico. I just hope that Arsene takes note of it, but I’m not holding my breath, just being hopeful.
Yes! Kev does tick the odd box, but I don’t think Rico would let us specify which ones.
Lee – Happy Birthday! I hope you get your birthday wish as all Arsenal supporters could appreciate and share it.
Morning Cg, me neither. I don’t what I was thinking whilst typing this morning, I needed a lay down after being positive…. lol
Yeah, no more positivity Rico, it’s quite unsettling… ?
🙂 Kev. Must have been something I ate last night….
Jon Stones has signed for Man City…
Morning all!
Hi, nice article Rico.
Keep it up and let’s have more positivity.
Let’s just say the title is for us to lose! 😀
We can be as positive as we like Merlin, but the problem is, AW needs to get on board with many of our ideas…
But I doubt he will…
Perhaps he’ll go for Mangala….
Nay Rico.
An emergency buy on the cheap with premiership experience will be Jonny Evans as a stop-gap measure. At 15-mil, it is worth a gamble for a 28-year-old given a 2nd chance.
We need Evans more than we need Mustafi in August.
Arsenal will make a £30million for Valencia defender Shkodran Mustafi this week.
They are also interested in West Brom’s Jonny Evans, but only if a move for Mustafi, who is rated at £40m, does not materialise.
Wenger does not have a single fully-fit senior set-back at his disposal for Sunday’s clash against Liverpool after Gabriel suffered an ankle injury in the friendly victory over Manchester City last Sunday.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3731103/Arsenal-make-30m-bid-Valencia-defender-Shkodran-Mustafi.html#ixzz4GpRr4DO2
Fingers crossed.
there is one thing that no one has thought about Evans yet………….he is the one who is most equipped to go to Stoke, West Brom and the small clubs in the winter with bone hard pitches. Yes Shkodran is very good, technically skilled and also a good organizer. But Evans knows what to expect from the likes of Stoke, PAlace, WBA etc.
Plus he has been schooled in the dark arts by SAF and Tony Pulis.
At this point in time with this team we do need a type like Evans or Shawcross.
Morning all, and a happy birthday Lee, ya miserable bastard 🙂
Hope you have a great one mate.
It would make for quite an interesting week if it began with ManUre signing Pogba,
then ManCity signing Stones
and conclude with Arsenal signing Evans
As far as Liverpool are concerned we are going with what we’ve got . Time now for players to step up and prove their worth. If we do buy in , they won’t have time to assimilate so lets just sit back and go for the ride. Be aware it might get a bit bumpy.
But does he fit the AW criteria Devil..
Wouldn’t it just Kev, quite an underwhelming prospect…
If AW is after him he does fit Rico.
Pep is building a squad from the ground up?
Please, John Cross, he’s buying one lol.
Building something is totally different!
Then again, Stone is a building item, I guess 🙂 🙂
Or is he looking at the price Devil?
That wasn’t John Cross Scott 😉
How else can Pep build his own squad but to spend money on players he thinks fit his style?
Well, Rico the Mirror journo who shall remain unnamed 🙂
He can build a squad by investing in youth, but Pep is there for 2-3 years and off to the next one.
He will never build a squad.
Evans? Will he have any resale value?………..I don’t think so! Will he fir in the dressing room? Well, he’s not over tall or fat like Nasri so he might. Value for money? £15m at today’s inflated prices, possibly…two years ago half that or less. Are we desperate, yes we are! Get him bought. Sell him next summer when we’ve worn him out. He’ll surely come with a buy back clause from WBA!
I just hope that Pogba turns out to be a pig in a pog! Nothing personal but, I would really, really love it if he turns out to be as good as Veron was, back in the day. Not to mention the embarrassment it would heap on the head of the poison Pygmy. A few more abject failures would not come amiss in the journey to his absolute ruin.
Stones is young Scott… 😉
But not a Citeh Junior…..
Anyway, it matters not, as people will always think Pep is a genius.
I’ll always think he’s over rated and handed world class squads.
Sadly Wavy, I think Pogba will be a massive hit in the PL….
Actually Scott, I’m not a huge fan of Pep either… I think he’d be a good manager for Arsenal but whether or not he’d get the kind of money he’s getting at City to spend, is something none of us really know…
But he’d certainly get rid of a few… 😉
Rico, I should have added I’ll believe he’s over rated until he does build something up instead of merely taking over an already great squad.
He’s still definitely unproven IMO.
Yes, he’d get rid of plenty.
Shame he didn’t hang around at Bayern one more year and taken us over next season….it would have answered plenty of questions, and he’d have been very well received.
Afternoon All
With all heard it before..But
It’s clear we will not be mixing it
with the big boys..Now..is it.
Rico the thing to come out of a
newspaper…
Chips..plenty of salt’n vinegar
Happy birthday brudder.
Not sure about unproven Scott, he’s got plenty of trophies under his belt.
Hi Fred, you are spot on there re the fish and chips… Oh, and the other bit….
6-8 weeks out for Gabriel then, according to reports…
Good day all.
Ashley williams off to everton for 12 mill?!
He could do a job for us, certainly prefer him to evans!
Hi Rico
You guys talking about Pep Guardiola? The best manager in the world today? There is no question he will do well with City IMO. He has track record both with Barcelona and BM that Wenger could only dream of.
He does not only buy players he develops them to, something that Wenger no longer can do. One just has to look at the stagnation of Ramsey, TW and OX to name but few.
What Pep will do is to use this season to reshape the team and install his way of playing and a mentality in the players that will make them relentless in pursuit of trophy’s, if a player don’t take his method aboard he will ship them out ASAP. He is not afraid of big names and has shown in the past he will and can rebuild a team.
I’m gutted we did not go for him and it shows not only how short sighted the owner and board are but also their relentless support for a manger that lost his mojo some years back. With Klopp, Conte, Maurhino, Kooman and Pep now in new jobs the potential managers to take over are far fewer.
I fear this will be used as an excuse to hand Wenger 3 more years and 3 more years of failed challenges. And the sheep will be bleating that there is no one there to take over so get behind the team etc etc etc.
Only when the atmosphere will be toxic enough will he leave but we will again do just enough to reach the CL (what fore I don’t know as we will never win it) and the cycle will continue. I don’t think Leicester, Liverpool or Spurs will challenge much this year so it should be a shoe in for 4th.
Rant over 😛
Hi Lewis, so would I….
Afternoon TT. Agree re AW, he isn’t good at all at developing players…..
My HH email address has again been hacked so if you get a dodgy email from me, please just delete it…
Devil at 11:30, yes until AW coaches all those attributes out of him. As Kev would say, “just saying”
RICO!!!
Stop emailing me all these porn links…..
Actually on second thought keep at it 😛
Did you get a mail TT? Or are you kidding… 😉
Only messing Rico 😀
Btw this is would be hilarious if it was’nt so true :/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2016/08/09/how-arsenals-2016-17-season-will-play-out/?
Hi all, new players and managers struggle in the first half of the season and then they gel, just when we go into our injury crisis/drought.
I think Mourinho has great players and the nous to get them to work. Conte is an excellent tactician even if the team is not that good and should be difficult to beat. Klopp has Liverpool playing well with lots of depth this season.
I think Tottenham will be just as good and a whole lot smarter this time around.
West Ham look to have bought well and probably gonna be a surprise this season. Leicester has the same team bar Konte and the new winger/striker will add extra pace to their counter attack.
I still think this season will be tough to win and not a walk for us.
OmG Rico. Is that you lying on the sofa. What a pose. Stunning I must say. Tell me again how old are you???
Erm….I hate to say it…..but what did I tell you……5-8 weeks for Gabi if he pulled the ligaments. Let’s hope its just only pulled ligaments and not something else.
I left out Man City because I have no idea how they’ll perform but I have a feeling they’ll make a run of it after Christmas.
That’s funny TT…
Brad, I have a feeling top four will be out of our reach this season, I really do. With the squad as it is now and if no-one comes by Sunday, Liverpool will beat us imo. Then, if no-one before we go to Leicester, same result, and so it’ll go on….
Andre Ayew has left Swansea for WHU for £20.5mill
Yep, not like we needed a winger though Devil…. 😉
Get ready for a heatwave you lot up there……temp set to top the 30 degree mark till August bank holiday.
Nice. 25 degrees here today in Jhb, last days of winter.
Just heard Ivan Gazidas has been seen
at heathrow duty free bag shop.
When asked what he wanted a bag for
He Replied..Arsene has told him that clubs
have more money now and I should get a bigger
wallet,
Wait tell Arsene see’s this..
It’s called a ManBag.
Afternoon guys..
I’m looking forward to the return of summer Devil..
🙂 Fred
Brad, a friend of mine lives in SA, says the winter is lovely. Warm days, cool nights – perfect….
Rico, all that positivity was making me feel quite edgy… ?
Where’s Wath, we need some good old fashioned Camden moaning, from our resident misery guts….
(That’ll draw him out ?)
🙂 Kev, trust me, the positivity won’t last, not from me anyway…. Lol
But if I wrote how I really felt, Wath would have no choice but to ban me…. ?
Kev
We must not let anyone at
The Arsenal think we are happy,
a lot read some of this.
Twitter is full up with depressed
gooners.
Money burning holes in pockets
where did that phase come from?
I just hate summer…..here its too hot. Even the night is hot. Too much. Sometimes the temperature hovers between 39 and 42. And a lot of humidity makes it worse
Kev/Rick – do either of you know much about Tolaji Bola?
The joys of living in the med Devil…
You sound like you’re in Saudi Devil. My friend’s dad works there, said they had record temp this year of 55 degrees Celsius.
Just a question for you all.
take out of the equation that Stones is English. And forget the money City paid for him. Imagine for a second that both Stones and Shkodran cost 30 million each.
If you had to choose between Stones and Shkodran who would you choose??
Middle of the Mediterrenean Bradster. were its too bloody hot
Easy one for me Stones.
Why..A future leader has an edge.
Hoping Holding comes good,I think
has an edge.
Noticed against City Chambers giving
a few little nudges.
Sorry for the monolog.
But if we never had BFG I would maybe think
differently.
I don’t know anything about Shkodran so can’t say Devil…
I like Stones too Fred, he has a lot to learn though, and he wouldn’t learn from our coaches, that’s for sure…
I’d choose an experienced international at 24 years old over an inexperience 22 yr old with potential.
I would go for Shkodran. He has been schooled in Italy and that means that tactically he knows what he is doing. As Rico said…..Stones would not learn from our coaches.
That is one of the reasons why I would go for Evans….he has been tactically schooled under SAF and Poolis. Plus they have taught him to be streetwise.
I always think of big tone
It can be done with young players.
Fred TA06 had GG to look after the tactics of the defence.
Now we have AW who does not teach tactics.
Thinking Ahead Devil,
you never know…
Imo, until the entire managerial/coaching set up at Arsenal is changed, nothing will change at Arsenal….
Exactly Rico. That is my opinion as well. That is why I really would love Ancellotti to be the man who leads us forward. We need a tactical brain and where better than to get one who is schooled in Italy and knows how to grind results but win handsomely.
Trying to think of a experienced player
brought in who done well.
stepanovs
cygan
squillaci
The chuckle brothers
swiss tony and Djourour
silvestre….
Scares the life out of me.
Devil please don’t do this again.
Thanks Rico.
I make Chavs to be favourites…………..No CL !……. No EL !……. No distractions !………………plus they are a bogey team we cant beat !.
Then Manshafter Std……….No CL !………….and Maureens not mug enough to play best team in EL !.
The Mansour City…………………Just the spending power !
We will probably get 4th trophy as our manager still refuses to learn from previous mistakes and even worse now is that he doesn`t have the excuse of not having the money !…………………you know the saying about Leopards, they………………………………….
Happy Birthday Lee !……………………I was 5 years old when the Spuds won the league in black and white and just starting school and instead of being a glory hunter and supporting the bastards I chose The Arse`…………..before I went to school pre-five years old I wasn`t interested in football as I was into older women !.
Proper bonafide rumour……………………………………..
https://twitter.com/bbcsport_david/status/762976798070206464
Anyone but Wenger for me Devil, but I like Ancelotti, someone like him and a few of the old boys on the coaching staff. Like Keown, Henry, Bobby, Freddie etc…..
Fred, Wenger is rubbish at signing defensive players…
I reckon you could be right LC, no distractions other than the domestic cups, Konte will get his boys in shape that’s for sure…
He had his moments. Sagna, Kos, Lauren, Sol, Vermaelen his first year, Gallas was good his first season too.
goddammit, there’s NO EXCUSE not to be in for Ashley WIlliams and Neven Subotic RIGHT NOW
But compare those to how many rubbish defenders he’s signed…..
Too late for Williams g17…
Will get it right now then?
scooby do..Hope not.
No denying that Rico.
Heads or tails Bradster
Ha ha Brad…
Happy Birthday Lee, have a great evening mate.
Catch up tomorrow guys, night all…
Night Rico
Hope you are having a great birthday Lee…..
Devil Shkodran, all day. I am flabbergasted that Stone went for nearly 50m. when Stone is bad he is really bad… his concentration is a problem. It pays to be English. Btw AW gets no points for Sol, he was at the time top 1-2 CB in EPL and came for free. If he had to buy him…………….
Hi Rico and House.
Just popped in to say Happy Birthday, Lee.
Rico, sorry, I’ve been busy today, what’s the scene with T.Bola, one of two Bola’s in our youth team squad..?
long as one ain’t E-Bola…………..
I hope Lee got the zimmer frame I bought him for his birthday, even has a bell on it to get other slow old farts out of the way… it’s a newer model than Kevs so the bell will come in handy..!
Hey, Grumpy, where have you been?
I will leave you all with two words to consider…
Wilfried Bony…
Don’t have nightmares…
Night All, and Mick
Morning all..
Yes Kev, the older of the two I think…
Morning Rico
£30m for old Bony, how’s does that grab ya..?
Wenger seems to relish picking up other clubs’ rejects although the fee is a £5m increase on what City paid…
And he could disappear to the ACN just when we need him the most.
Morning Kev, that has to be media putting 2+2 together surely…
Probably Rico, but Bony is within budget, and as Arsene doesn’t seem to have a plan any port in a storm eh?
Bony and Evans for less than half a Pogba, job done…
He certainly doesn’t seem to have any plan whatsoever does he, otherwise we’d have seen players signed by now. He really is hopeless…
According to an injury website, our walking wounded are thus:
Wilshere….. This weekend…?
Gabriel……. October
Jenkinson… November
Mertesaker.. December
Welbeck…… February
Rico, for a man who spends hours and hours studying players and who has, supposedly, put together an extensive scouting network, he does, all the same, seem to aimlessly stumble through transfer windows, making endless excuses about the criteria he relies on to justify spending money, sell-on value being his latest reason for not spending, it’s all very predictable and boring.
I bet Jack isn’t back for the weekend Kev…
Agree Kev. Very very boring… Any excuse eh…
Pre-season window ………Mid-season window
9 June – 1 September…..1 January – 1 February
Scotland
1 June – 31 August……1 January – 2 February
France, Germany, Italy, Spain
11 June – 1 September…..5–31 January
Turkey, Denmark
1 July – 1 September 1…..January – 1 February 23:00 GMT
England
That’s what, 22 days to conclude deals for a striker and at least one centre back…
He’ll never manage it…. 😉
Good Morning Lovelies and Hunkies.
Feeling the heatwave yet???
We have so much of it that we are even willing to share it with you rain filled miserable lot. 😛
Kev……AW knows so much info about players that he keeps falling over the figures while trying to decide which player suits the team best.
Everton are reported to be after Bony for £15m, no doubt the replacement for Lukaku…
Everton after Bony for 15Mill??? So we will offer shitty 15mill+1
Morning All
Whats even more worring now
Wenger could have one them
panic buying attacks,and blame
everyone when player/s turn out
to be duds.
He needs looking at……
NURSE..NURSE…NURSE..
Where’s Grimodi?
Curlyhaired geezer.
I hope we don’t offer anything for Bony….
New post up now..