Morning all.
Both Ismeal Kabia and Nathan Butler-Oyedeji made the bench for the game against Nottingham Forest on Wednesday instead of just the latter as has been the case recently. It might be that the suspension of Myles Lewis-Skelly opened the door for Kabia and nothing more.
However, I’ve not read or seen anything positive about Raheem Sterling’s time at Arsenal so far and despite me writing a week or so ago about not throwing the younger players into the team, perhaps the time has come for Kabia or Butler-Oyedeji to be given minutes instead of him.
I think the fans would get behind one of our own whereas with Sterling, it’s hard to think further than him being a Chelsea player. A Chelsea reject at that. He has been so bad, I don’t think a Sunday League player could do any worse. (Ok, maybe they would.)
This season has in general been pretty poor and not just for Arsenal. The media hyped this to be season we’d win the league probably based on the fact that we’d come so close last time. Now of course we’re being labelled as having failed. Never mind that Totts, Man Utd, Man City, Chelsea and every other club other than Liverpool are behind us in the table, it’s Arsenal who constantly take a media caning.
Mikel Arteta takes a caning each week too, each day in certain places but he cannot magic up three attacking players to replace the injured by clicking his fingers and nor can those who work with him. He could though, introduce one or two of younger players at the second half IF a game looks won or as and when the season draws to a close with top four hopefully secured.
I know it’s easy for you and I to suggest that January was a greatly missed opportunity to bring in a player or two, even if it was a loan deal but the last thing we needed was another Sterling to rock up and be as effective as a chocolate fire guard in front of a roaring coal fire.
I suppose another option would have been to pay way over the odds for a striker but that would have been stupid in my opinion because in just over three months time, Arsenal as a club will have a lot of work to do in the transfer window so will need to spend every last penny available, wisely.
There’s a story going around in the newspapers which suggests Arsenal need to sell one of Leandro Trossard or Gabriel Martinelli to fund signing a striker. I doubt it’s true, or at least part of it but if a serious offer comes in for one or both, then the club would be foolish not to consider it. In fact we have a number of players who are likely to move on this summer because for most of the season they’ve either been on the bench or injured.
Jakob Kiwior, Oleksandr Zinchenko and if he’s fit enough to sell, possibly Gabriel Jesus could move on this summer for a transfer fee. As it stands, Thomas Partey, Jorginho and Kieran Tierney will leave for free. Sterling and Neto will return to their parent club.
We will need a keeper if Karl Hein is deemed ready or right for the club. A CDM, probably two, to replace Partey and Jorginho but I don’t think we’ll need any more defenders. Lol
What we need then, at least in my opinion, is attacking players including at least one striker. Then look at the academy and who is on the cusp of becoming a first team squad member.
Can or will some of our squad places be filled internally?
Catch up in the comments….
Good morning Rico, on a theme of drifting to towards next season :-Some Arsenal gossip this morning. We are interested in 30 year old Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich on a free transfer in the summer. As well as 27 year old Real Sociedad midfielder Zubimenda, for whom, it is said, a deal is very close.
Two of our aging midfielders are due to leave this summer, Jorginho and Partey, so a couple of experienced replacements makes sense. M L S will, therefore, have a season or so to morph into a very accomplished midfielder.
Two strikers supposedly on the Arsenal wanted list, Juventus Dusan Vlahovic 25 and 21 year old R B Leipzig forward Benjamin Sesko could both be a available and, maybe, attainable.
Morning Cicero.
Not sure if that’s good or not so good news. 😜
Seriously though, both make sense, especially the replacement for Jorginho. Blocking those coming through, if they’re as good as being suggested, would be daft.
Joshua Kimmich Has only just turned 30 so 2/3 seasons left in him at least.
With a few others supposedly on the way out there would be room for all four of the above mentioned players.
Agreed, we really need that top four spot for the money. I fear it’s going to be an expensive summer.
Hopefully we’ll see a change in style of football as well as a few new faces.
A change of style would be good. Instead of interminable passing in and around the box, we should try dribbling the ball more inside the area in the hope of drawing fouls and winning penalties. But under no circumstances should Sterling be allowed to take a penalty.
Joshua Kimmich is an excellent player and he’s trying to get an improved offer from Bayern, so it makes sense for his people to link him to Arsenal and pressurise Munich into raising their ‘final’ offer.
He’s spent his entire career in Germany so he’s going to want big bucks to uproot and come to London. That said my money is on him staying at Bayern.
Does a 30 year old midfielder fit our profile of a signing? Yeah, no transfer fee is a plus but he’s gonna be expensive…
I hope we get him. 😉
Afternoon, boring for Arsenal isnt it?! Charlie Watts podcast was discussing why Nathan Butler-Oyedeji hadnt been given a chance. Seems he had two lower league loans and failed to score, and was about to be released by Arsenal before our injuries prevented it. He wondered if that’s how Arteta rates him, he’s could well lose posetion and be costly rather than use an out of position/form first team squad member.
It’s looking like we’ll have a new Director of Football in place before the end of the month and he’s going to be a busy busy boy so I can’t see it being Jason Ayto.
I think fans would be very disappointed if Ayto got the job after the January fiasco. We dont know if he had his arms tied, or if Edu would have done any better, but being in that position and nothing happening doesnt inspire confidence
Nketiah scored again today, and as for Biereth, his 10th in 2025 last night!
Add in Marco Asensio (another who we were linked with) scoring 2 for Villa last night, hard to say no loans available 🙂
I wouldn’t be bothered if Sterling never donned an Arsenal kit again…
Afternoon Kev, Andrew.
Yep, our season has just drifted away really. I know we’re still in the CL but if we can’t beat West Ham or Forest, we’re unlikely to win that…
This is from James McNicholas of The Athletic re Ayto:
While it’s pretty clear from reading the comments on this site (Athletic) that January has damaged Ayto’s standing among supporters, I don’t think it will have had the same impact internally. He is still considered a strong candidate for the position, and remains under consideration along with the shortlist of names in our news piece yesterday.
The reason he won’t be held responsible for January is that the decision to proceed without a signing was not Ayto’s alone. He was part of a wider committee, including manager Mikel Arteta, that opted to continue as they were. If anything, I think Ayto’s prudence and unwillingness to compromise the long-term plan may have improved his standing with the hierarchy.
All the conversations I’m having indicate that this was a club decision – one made collectively. So if there is blame to apportioned, it would be wrong to level it at any one individual.
Its sad rico, that I expect many feel like I do, already waiting for next season, by the end of Feb! And self-inflicted this time.
* PARTY self-inflicted *
we still suffered with red cards, refs in general, and injuries, but it still should be so much better than relying on Sterling and a 17 year old. And bound to suffer another forward injury soon
It is Andrew. I expected it though when we ended the transfer window without signing replacements for Eddie and ESR. Not to mention selling Biereth who imo, always looked like he had what it takes to succeed.
I read a piece from Calafiori who talked about his potential career ending injury when he was young. He said he reflected on what he could have done differently to avoid getting injured and wished he’d left the pitch minutes earlier because he was suffering with cramp. Had he done so, he probably wouldn’t have suffered such a dreadful injury.
Did anyone see the comment I posted the other day from Arteta who said he pushed Nwaneri as far as he could after suffering with cramp? That’s exactly how injuries can occur, pushing a player whose body is telling him to stop and rest..
Butler- Oyediji is 22 and apart from a few minutes in the Champions league hasn’t really been given a chance,so you have to think we don’t rate him.
We have really hit a brick wall in the last few games,even the set pieces have dried up,so surely it’s worth giving him or Kabia 20 minutes or so from the bench.
Apart from some great finishing from Merino even the Leicester game was pretty dire.
Our senior players need to step up,the likes of Rice and Odegaard,we know they can do it. At the moment they look more likely to be the next Pope than score a goal.
A big summer coming up,Tierney and Jorginho confirmed leaving,there will be others. The one who starts most games is Partey,so a big miss.
It’s still important we get as many points as we can from the last 11 league games.
Kimmich would be a great signing.
I can’t disagree Rico at all – and afternoon to you.
I’ve tried to give Stirling the benefit of the doubt but he’s finished at the top level. I’d rather give one of our youngsters his minutes. But we know that Arteta will stick with Raheem.
Then I wonder why he’s one the bench Limey instead of Kabia or Edwards. I’m not sure but he could be out of contract in the summer.
Ditto Kev, I’ve tried to be positive about him but bearing in mind he didn’t play for the first few months, I wonder why we even bothered signing him.
Awful challenge on Mateta by the Milwall keeper. More than deserved his red card..
Afternoon Rico and all.
As I said months ago, and still feel the same, Sterling was only brought in to fill a gap while our younger players matured more.
Goal keepers on notice, New rule coming in for next season that will see time wasting result in a corner kick awarded to the other side. will be interesting to see what happens.
Michael Oliver didn’t see the challenge on Mateta as a red card until he was told by Var to go and look at the monitor. The bloke is becoming an embarrassment, not fit to referee.
Geoff, there is already a rule that the goalkeeper cannot hold onto the ball for longer than six seconds. After that time the ref should award an indirect free kick. Problem is its very seldom applied. ‘keepers are often booked for time wasting but no free kick is awarded. The new rule will allow the ‘keeper eight seconds before a corner is awarded which will only serve to waste even more playing time.
If the referees applied the current laws correctly there would be no need to further tinker with them.
Morning Geoff, Cicero.
They can change the laws all they like but the referee can still decide who he does and doesn’t penalise. The only way football will be fair is if technology makes the decisions and they stand.
The only possible change which makes sense to me is the proposed offside which would eliminate big toes and fingertips being offside.
Good morning Rico.
The new offside rule needs rewording, chest should be changed to torso as it could make a difference it the attacking player has his back to goal
Good point Cicero.
Backside is not offside then?
Putting this as delicately as possible, might larger women be disadvantaged by the new offside law? 😉
I thought about writing something similar… 😂
Yes Rico we should try to keep abreast of the offside rule changes. 😉
🤣 Cicero.
Can’t help having a certain degree of regret looking at who is left in the FACup, feels like we missed out on a golden opportunity…
We’re in no position to be picky about any trophy..,
Danny Welbeck still scoring goals at 34.
Me too, still can’t believe we lost to ten men Utd…
Always liked Welbeck despite his Utd history…
Utd v Fulham into extra time..
West Ham causing our womens team problems.. What is it with those bubble blowers…
Ayden Heaven making his debut. Hope he scores an OG.. 😜
Obi Martin missed two good chances.
😜 Utd out…
Arsenal Women come back from three one down to beat West Ham four three.🔔🔔🔔🔔
4-3 to the Arsenal women…
Oops 😜
Surely we can beat this Man United team,even though they always put in maximum effort against us.
I’ll be cheesed off if we don’t..
Just can’t get a thought off my head. The talk that there was no one of value available to improve the squad in January & even a free agent that can do a job just hasn’t sunk in with me. I know we don’t want to make another Sterling kinda mistake but you can’t know if you don’t try and I struggle to believe that no one out there would be better than Merino up top.
Take Barcelona for example. They had a kinda crisis with their goalkeepers and they reacted by signing Sczesny out of retirement and it has kept them competing.
Something similar would definitely have been more helpful than just hoping for midfield that hasn’t been scoring to suddenly discover top form.
Keni, maybe we have a deal inplace for 1 or 2 players to join at the end of the season, that Arteta and co, are keeping quiet which may explain why we got no one in, only time will tell but we have to improve the squad next transfer season starting with a striker.
Let’s hope so Geoff. But I still can’t understand how and why this season was thrown away at the expense of a promise for next season.
If interested there is a live feed on BBC sports web site showing the Arsenal training session pre PSV tomorrow. Enjoy!
You Tube Wavy, it works for me, all the pressers and training vids are usually available, in between an endless stream of moronic adverts.
An Arsenal U18 with no senior exposure and an Arsenal U21 with one sub appearance in the League Cup and both are thrown into the United team to save the day.
That club is in a right old state and it’s wonderful to behold.
I saw United relegated in the 1970’s so it can happen…
Thinking about it I also saw Spurs relegated in the 1970’s. It was a wonderful decade. 😃
I remember the last trophy Newcastle won, 1955 F A Cup Final, they beat Arsenal 3 – 1. 😕
I wasn’t happy then, scarred for life I am!
Liverpool getting relegated in the 1960’s was pretty cool as well, or was in 1959? I was around then but a bit too young to realise.
Cicero, 1952 mate, we lost 1-0 with 9 fit players and 2 hobbling passengers (no subs in those days).
Afternoon guys.
A bit late but as the saying goes, better late than never. Or is it? 😝
New post up.