Morning all.
I watched the Arsenal players in training video on the club’s official website earlier and boy dos Gabriel have a shot on him. A left footed curler into the top left of the net. Nice. AMN and Eddie were staking a claim for a start up front. I jest of course in relation to AMN and our central defender.
But what about Eddie? Why has he stayed at Arsenal if he’s not going to play? He’s made one appearance in the League Cup and scored one goal but that’s it.
Like Alexandre Lacazette, he’s out of contract in the summer but surely that’s not reason enough to keep him out of the team? Is he simply not good enough? If that’s the case, why didn’t the club just take the offer Crystal Palace reportedly made for him in the summer? Something is better than nothing which is what the club will get if he walks for free next summer.
It seems to me that unless a youngster’s name is Bukayo Saka or Emile Smith Rowe, chances are quite limited and I do sometimes wonder whether we’d be seeing as much of the latter had injuries not opened the door for him. It was different with Saka as Unai Emery had already given him his chance and now, both are the heartbeat of the team. They’re both an absolute joy to watch in my opinion.
Another younger guy, Flo Balogun is back playing for the under 23’s after a very brief spell in the first team. He failed to score, despite the entire team playing really badly at the time, so that was it for him. Hindsight is easy I know but if he wasn’t set for a season being involved in the first team then surely he’d have been better off going out on loan? A full season playing for a Championship club would have been great for his career. It’s a tough League and he’d have learned more about his game than he will playing in the under 23’s. If Mikel Arteta’s thoughts on him haven’t changed in the New Year, I hope he goes out on loan.
Then we have Gabriel Martinelli, the shining star under Unai Emery. Well, he’s allegedly injured now so the heat is off Mikel Arteta for not picking him.
But it’s Eddie Nketiah that bothers me because he looked fitter and stronger in pre-season than ever before. He looked more mature with the ball at his feet. A fluke perhaps but all the time Arsenal are struggling to put the ball in the back of the net, why not bring him off the bench with twenty minutes to go if the game allows? How can he prove he’s good enough to play against Premier League opposition if he doesn’t get minutes?
I’m sure many Arsenal fans have given up on him, others too like AMN, Chambers and perhaps even Holding but I do wonder why, if the ones who Arteta keeps at the club aren’t really in his plans, remain at the club. I’m sure there are mixed feelings about AMN social media post back in the summer but I can understand his frustration. He just wants to play football and if Arteta doesn’t think he’s right for the team then let him go. Same with Eddie which is probably why he’s not signed a new contract. If he’s not been offered one then keeping him at the club seems a tad selfish to me.
Before anyone slaps me down saying it’s all part of being a squad and accepting their place etc etc but it must be frustrating knowing that even when the team are struggling to score goals, as a striker you’re not going to be given a chance. AMN must be frustrated knowing that Lokonga is likely to start tomorrow night instead of him yet he’s certainly more experienced in the Premier League than our summer signing.
Going forwards, I think AMN is going to get more minutes in midfield by default if nothing else because of the ACON. Perhaps Nketiah and Balogun too because Aubameyang and Pepe will be out of the equation.
Maybe that’s the only reason both were kept but neither play much before then, it’s a risky strategy I think.
See you in the comments. I’ll be wearing my tin hat.
Morning Rico and all
If we are not going to give these young players regular senior game time. Then it seems to me that Arteta does not rate them, and he was only holding on to them hoping a big offer comes in at the last minute and if it does not then we still have them as a replacement for the players we loose to ACON.
Morning Geoff. I’m not sure what the club were thinking, same goes for the supposed offer for Xhaka but my guess is it’s more expensive to find replacements for them.
Good morning Rico.
As we are going to lose Partey for ACON and Xhaka is unlikely to be match fit by that time, AMN should be given game time to prepare him to fill in for either of them alongside Sambi.
As to Nketiah and Martinelli, both should get selected ahead of the miss-firing Aubameyang and particularly as it seems likely Lacazette will be gone in January which will leave the cupboard bare.
Morning Cicero, that’s my way of thinking too. It’s risky to just throw them into the team with little playing time with rest. Plus there’s match fitness to think about too.
That’s a reasonable argument, which I absolutely agree with.
It seems – contrary to popular misbeliefs and branding – Arteta doesn’t trust or involve the Academy (or young players) that much.
They deserve more time – especially Nketiah.
Saka was an established player well before Mikel; had his debut back in 1998, even played 90 minutes against Qarabag at the age of 17. Smith-Rowe was also introduced by Emery (& Ljungberg), yet still had to wait a full year before he could play under Arteta. Eddie is the same: he played in 5 EL games under Wenger and has his dream 2-goal cameo in the Carabao cup in October 2017. Despite his crazy academy and England youth statistics he played about 1000 PL minutes in the last 2.25 seasons combined. And since we have strong candidates for LW therefore Aubameyang moved to ST, minutes are hard to come by for Nketiah.
Eddie and Flo were told to stay put until Lacazette’s and Auba’s future are decided and resolved. But every week Arsenal is linked to a new striker – many of them would not be an upgrade on the Hale End boys. I’m not sure if Jovic or Cunha were the solution of Arsenal’s goal drought, but anyway if we sign anybody in the winter transfer window without selling, that would be a clear indicator for Balogun that he made a mistake when signing the professional contract, and it would most likely show the next round of outstanding academy prospect, that they should look for another club to break through, as Arteta clearly prefers a new signing over an academy induction.
The problem with not playing these younger players is that they will not hang around and see there careers passing bye, nor will their managers, after all they may only be 18 /19 years old but they understand that there is all ways a 16/17 year old coming through.
I would rather sell them cheap and on good terms to help there careers with the option of buying them back if they become good later than loosing them for nothing only to see them become a great player and never wanting to come back because they blame the club for nearly wrecking their careers.
I don’t think Saka had his debut in 1998, he wasn’t born then. 😜
Other clubs need to pay the going rate though Geoff just as Arsenal are expected to. I’m not sure what Palace offered for Eddie or Everton for AMN but if it was sensible then yes, the decent thing to do is let them go IF they’re not in Arteta’s long term plans.
We need to field them all against Leeds but much will depend on Arteta’s mind set to trophies .If a team of leno , cedric , holding , mari , elneny , amn , lokonga , pepe , nketiah and martinelli isnt good enough then so be it . We can always bring on Chambers , Balogun , and even lacazette if necessary but if we freeze these players out then they will drop their heads and be next to worthless to us.
It’s important that, when given their chance, these boys take it though.
My bad, Rico, it was 2018. 🙂
Maybe the youngsters wait to see this season out. If Arteta stays, they’ll go.
Or if we get back to Europe, then there will be plenty of minutes to allocate. If not, then there is a good chance that the club will stuck in mid-table mediocrity.
In the absence of Europa, I’d hoped Arteta would use the League cup but it seems he’s all out to win it.
Playing them when we’re actually playing better helps Adam. The first three games this season were so bad I think even Messi would have struggled.
Just thinking out side the box
Did Arteta just keep AMN and Nketiah on the books to keep the number of English player required.
Just kidding you Pbarany.
I take it you don’t have much faith in Arteta?
Quite possibly Geoff.
I agree Rico. There’s a change coming if the Newcastle deal is really going to bring the influx of crazy money that it seems it will as it will drop our club down the pecking order. There’s no bigger sleeping giant in the PL than Arsenal. It just needs a rich, ruthless despot to kick it into life. Or perhaps a Euro Super League.
In a perfect world, the most idealistic thing to do is to play the youngsters, in fact play as many as possible and Hale Enders as well, it’s definitely my ideal, but unfortunately as we all know we live in a harsh and vitriolic social media world where one week you’re a total jerkoff and the next you’re Harry Champion depending on the result of that particular week.
And that my fellow Gooners is the crux of the matter, results…
Yeah, I agree with my friends and buddies above who want to go with the Kids in the Leeds game, but then again I personally want us to beat Leeds and I ultimately want us to win the League Cup because it’s one of the only two trophies we can realistically win.
And if you’re Mikel Arteta, the still much maligned Mikel Arteta and you know that your job isn’t as secure as you’d like it to be then what are you going to do?
I’m sure I read somewhere on another blog that Thomas Partey isn’t fit (I hope it’s BS) but if he is injured then we could actually be watching an Albert/Ainsley combo tomorrow?
Agreed Adam. I’m surprised some super rich group are yet to make an offer Kroenke can’t refuse.
Thomas Partey was in the training video I’m sure Kev.
Rico. I find it odd that the Saudi thing wasn’t targeted at Arsenal really, whether Stan would have sold or not. Perhaps an approach was made. Who knows how these things work?
I had similar thoughts re the Saudi Group Adam. I’d have thought Arsenal were a far better prospect than Newcastle but then I was surprised when the City owners opted for City.
The Saudis were fully aware of the Kroenke’s absolute resistance to any offer for Arsenal FC and the price would in any case have been vastly higher than they had to pay Mike Ashley for Newcastle.
Despite the money available for rebuilding it seems the new owners are committing only £50 million for transfers in January. They have also said that their aim is to win a trophy within five years.
Before committing any vast sums of money they have to appoint a Chief Executive, a Director of Football and a manager. They have also to avoid relegation and that will be a struggle.
I still think Kroenke would sell if the offer is right..
Newcastle 1-0 up..
Without seeing the whole facts of his deal I reckon he’s making more money from Arsenal off the pitch than he is on it. Probably we are being used as collateral against loans he has for his other franchises and losing us in the long term might be costly.
Well the Magpies rebirth quickly went off the rails, one nil up after two minutes three one down at half-time.
3-2 now…
Yes Rico complements of an own goal, Spuds are such a generous club. 😉
🤣 Cicero, that’s not what I’d call them..
So beat Palace and we are a truly mid table team
The dizzy heights of 9th I think. If we win.
New post up now